"Put it on my tab..."
Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.
Though the series will most assuredly move away from Riggs' grief eventually, the manic cop was no less disturbed and dangerous this week as news of the potential sale of his Texas homestead drove him to drinking and brawling. Which, in turn, drove Murtaugh to wonder if he could survive being this guy's partner for more than one case.
The "case of the week" element in "Surf N Turf" didn't matter all that much -- though there was a pregnant woman at the center of it who helped Riggs invest emotionally -- as this chapter was more about exploring how Murtaugh and Riggs move forward, after causing over a million dollars in damage, as partners and friends. Also, was Riggs even psychologically capable of being a cop?
Clearly, Riggs is pushing it. People like him, but mostly it's his family connection to the city attorney that's keeping him in play. And Clayne Crawford's still great at riding that line between grief and the the frivolous aspects of the character's death wish. Likewise, Murtaugh felt much more fleshed out this week as a man who couldn't deny the fact that his brief time with Riggs had been exhilarating. More danger in the three days than in the past three decades, I think, was the realization.
"Surf N Turf" improved on the pilot from a character standpoint. The action was still pretty over-the-top, which I suppose is a calling card for the Lethal Weapon series but can sometimes looks sort of funky on TV. I can't see them keeping up this pace for the entire season -- what with the roof diving, motorcycle jumping, and warehouse explosions, but I guess it's the story's way of showing how reckless Riggs can be. I don't know. The opening scene, featuring the bar brawl, did a lot more with less with regards to Riggs' pain and self-pity.
That being said, the moment when Kevin Rahm's Captain Avery saw the fireworks at the end and immediately wondered where Riggs and Murtaugh were was pretty funny.
Some of the banter feels a bit forced at this point, seeing how both characters are still getting to know one another, but again - it's Lethal Weapon. Things may be different here, but there are certain hallmarks that have been protected to maintain the "magic." At least we saw that Murtaugh wise-cracks with the other people on his squad too (Michelle Mitchenor and Johnathan Fernandez), even if it's just lighting-quick chatter about him being old and out-of-touch.
While Riggs and Murtaugh tried to figure out how they fit together this week, the show too tried to determine where it stands in the fictional cop-verse. I get the two of them using food pairings as a basis for comparison, but things got a little odd when actual movie and TV cops got brought into the mix. Because all of a sudden Riggs and Murtaugh were being called Crockett and Tubbs, Tango and Cash, and Starsky and Hutch (they both want to be Starsky, duh).
It was a wink at the viewer, sure, but it would suit the show a bit better to stay away from stuff like that and not remind us that we're watching a reboot. The series is making good strides at this point to stand apart from the original movie and I'd hate to see it get bogged down in the meta mire.
The Verdict
After one case, Riggs and Murtaugh already have a reputation for causing massive amounts of damage while taking unnecessary risks. It's an aspect that, in the films, took a while to build up, though here it's almost immediate. Which is good. I'm glad the show's embracing this aspect and highlighting how out of the ordinary their antics are. Likewise, it's these adventures that have drawn Murtaugh back into the game, despite the danger. The crime elements of the show may never be great, but as long as the character work is there, I'm in. Because at the end of this one, I bought that these guys were friends.
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