Like most people, I'd written off the Lethal Weapon TV series before It'd even aired. Take a classic film series that featured award worthy work by two great actors, and turn it into a network show . . . during prime time!?! Sacrilege!
And, like many viewers, I was pleasantly surprised when, after giving the show a chance, I actually liked it. The more I watched, the better it got.
A big part of the show's success was Clayne Crawford's performance as Martin Riggs. He came out of nowhere and made the character his own, which I didn't think was possible. His chemistry with co-star Damon Wayans, although not on par with what Mel Gibson and Danny Glover had, was still solid.
Turns out Crawford and Wayans didn't get along, and there was a whole bunch of behind-the-scenes drama. So the show returned Tuesday night for a new season, with Crawford out, Riggs dead, and a new character partnered with Wayan's Roger Murtaugh.
In this case, the Lethal Weapon is Wesley Cole, as played by Seann William Scott. Yup, Stifler from American Pie.
I was about as enthusiastic for the start of this season as I was for the premiere of the show two years ago. Once again, I was surprised. Crawford did bring an emotional reality to the series that it didn't deserve, and no, Lethal Weapon isn't as good without him. It's become more of a popcorn show. That's about the best way to sum it up.
The action is still good though, and Scott does a fine job playing a dramatic lead. He leaves the goofiness he is known for behind, but still has a sense of humour. And he and Wayans play off each other well.
Also, Wayans and Crawford might have hated each other off camera, but Wayans really brought it in an emotional scene where he and co-star Jordana Brewster bid Riggs a final farewell.
I'm gonna give this season a couple of more episodes before I decide to bow out or not. But for a complete overhaul in 43 minutes, the first episode did a decent job. A Good for me.
And, like many viewers, I was pleasantly surprised when, after giving the show a chance, I actually liked it. The more I watched, the better it got.
A big part of the show's success was Clayne Crawford's performance as Martin Riggs. He came out of nowhere and made the character his own, which I didn't think was possible. His chemistry with co-star Damon Wayans, although not on par with what Mel Gibson and Danny Glover had, was still solid.
Turns out Crawford and Wayans didn't get along, and there was a whole bunch of behind-the-scenes drama. So the show returned Tuesday night for a new season, with Crawford out, Riggs dead, and a new character partnered with Wayan's Roger Murtaugh.
In this case, the Lethal Weapon is Wesley Cole, as played by Seann William Scott. Yup, Stifler from American Pie.
I was about as enthusiastic for the start of this season as I was for the premiere of the show two years ago. Once again, I was surprised. Crawford did bring an emotional reality to the series that it didn't deserve, and no, Lethal Weapon isn't as good without him. It's become more of a popcorn show. That's about the best way to sum it up.
The action is still good though, and Scott does a fine job playing a dramatic lead. He leaves the goofiness he is known for behind, but still has a sense of humour. And he and Wayans play off each other well.
Also, Wayans and Crawford might have hated each other off camera, but Wayans really brought it in an emotional scene where he and co-star Jordana Brewster bid Riggs a final farewell.
I'm gonna give this season a couple of more episodes before I decide to bow out or not. But for a complete overhaul in 43 minutes, the first episode did a decent job. A Good for me.
I don't think I can (or will ever) find this show to be as good as the original Murtaugh-Riggs duo and now that Crawford is out and there is no more Riggs, I'm skeptical of the further success of the show. That being said, I did enjoy Scott's action scenes and the hand-to-hand combat was a nice change from the usual firefights.
ReplyDeleteThis first episode was most definitely an overhaul, so I'm curious to see where it goes from here. I'll give it a goodish ;)
Let us know what you think of episode 2, Kara :)
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