Warner Bros. Television, Fox
December is the time for colorful, blinking lights, holiday parties every night and somehow, in between, mid-season finales. As I burn through the last of the finales, I’ve gotta give respect to Matthew Miller, McG and the new Lethal Weapon crew for taking on the original Shane Black script to create one of the most surprisingly fun rides of the Fall TV season. I was first to balk, see my earlier post. But now I am first to say, I was wrong. I am in. So in. Anxiously waiting for the latest episode, return date is January 4th, in.
As you know by now, this fangirl likes to stick to the classics, the originals, the true blues. However, when it comes to the reboot of Lethal Weapon, it has successfully left the past behind, creating something that is new, funny, and action packed. Clayne Crawford and Damon Wayans have a great chemistry and banter as Riggs and Murtaugh. Damon provides the heart and stability of the show as Murtaugh with his wife Trish and their three kids. Clayne is the wild card who carries a lot on his shoulders by taking on the role Mel Gibson made so famous. But I gotta say, comparisons here are wasted. Clayne stands on his own. Hailing from Alabama, the man wastes no time retracing footsteps of the past, but moves forward on his own terms, authentic with a dash of southern goodness. My favorite kind.
The show had me at the cold open of the pilot. I’ve been hooked, regularly rewatching, ever since. Props to the writers mixing action with humor, the stunt coordinators, VFX and directors, lighting all of it – superior team at work making Lethal Weapon such a fun show to watch. Props also to the music supervisor, Billy Gottlieb. While I usually skip the action movies, I can absolutely appreciate his selection of tracks to tell the story of these two detectives in Los Angeles. Appropriately dude-like – I say that with respect – his selections are yet another excellent element of Lethal Weapon’s storytelling. Holy mother, just realized Gottlieb also does the music supervising for Kingdom. Hell yes!!! Love it.
One last note and bonus, Lethal Weapon takes place in Los Angles, like so many of my favorite shows. No wonder I always wanted to move here. Local Santa Monica note, Bay Cities’ famous Godmother sub made it into episode 3. Extra pepperoncinis. Respect. Any show that give props to the Godmother (even with my current vegan ways), deserves respect.