Lethal Weapon Series One Review
Lethal Weapon is TV series based on the original films of the late eighties and early nineties. In this series, a suicidal, alcoholic detective from Texas, Martin Riggs (Clayne Crawford), is paired with veteran detective, Roger
Murtaugh (Damon Wayans), recovering from a heart attack. At first, the series seems like a typical police drama such as NCIS, with lots of action, explosions and the two main characters solving the case by the end of the episode. However, as the series goes on, we gain a deeper insight into the lives of the two main characters. As each episode of the series happens we start to notice a pattern occur in relation to the criminals that are being caught. Each new criminal arrested has ever stronger links to a Mexican drugs cartel that Riggs’ dealt with in Texas. In the final few episodes we discover a secret relating the cartel to Riggs’ wife. The final episode of series one finishes with Riggs leaving for Mexico.
The actors’ performances, especially Wayans, Crawford and Jordana Brewster, are the key to the success of this series. The bond between Damon Wayans and Clayne Crawford evokes real emotion and sympathy for their characters. They have also made the roles completely their own rather than attempting to copy the styles of Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, allowing this remake to be feel completely different to the original films. Jordana Brewster’s performance as a psychiatrist named Dr Maureen Cahill adds another layer of complexity to the relationships of the series that weren’t there in the films.
In comparison to other works by Wayans and Brewster, this show is quite different. While Wayans brings an element of comedy to this, it is very much more action based than his usually comedy shows such as ‘My Wife and Kids’. Likewise, Jordana Brewster’s performance is quite different to her most famous work, ‘Fast and Furious’. In this she plays a much more serious role and is involved in a lot less action to that in ‘Fast and Furious’.
The main themes of this series are love, family and tragedy, however other themes such as mental health, suicide and alcohol abuse play a big role. These themes play a much bigger role than the themes typically seen in police dramas but it still touches on those themes like good and bad and drugs. This series is more about the journey of the characters and how they feel and grow through it, and we get the sense that there will be a natural end to the series. This differs from shows such as NCIS and CSI which don’t rely on these so that they can continue for a long time.
Lethal Weapon is definitely worth watching as it has all of the components of a good police drama and more. It contains plenty of action, mystery and intrigue but also a deep emotive aspect. The performances of Wayans and Crawford promote sympathy towards their characters and make you believe that this could possibly be real. There is also the added bonus that it isn’t just a copy of the original films but something in its own right. This is shown by its nominations for an Image Award and a Golden Reel Award.