If you would like to read my review of last week’s episode, click here.
Synopsis: Murtaugh’s Christmas vacation in Hawaii is put on hold when he and Riggs are called to a homicide and the victim is an old friend. (IMDB)
Writer: Katie Varney
Director: Steve Boyum
Rating: TV-14
Running Time: 44mins
Last year’s midseason finale/Christmas episode was one of the best episodes of the series. This year’s midseason finale/Christmas episode continues that tradition by being the best episode of the series so far by giving us compelling action, comedy, and drama. Most episodes hit one or two of these but this one had all three going.
Everybody’s getting ready for Christmas with Riggs spending time with Molly and her son while Murtaugh was getting ready to go on vacation to Hawaii with his family. His plans changed once he got a call from a from a troubled teen named Diego (Eddie Ramos) that he used to help named Diego. Diego wanted to talk to Murtaugh but he decided that it could wait until he came back from vacation.
Murtaugh was going to join his family later but it was going to be much later when he and Riggs got called onto a case where Diego was found murdered. Of course Murtaugh took it very personally so this was a Murtaugh episode which seldom happens. Their investigation took them to a rich people club and where Diego and his friend worked and its chairman Grant Davenport (Martin Donovan). While they were looking in the friend’s locker, they found the same type of gun that was used to kill him and a bag of cocaine.
Once the friend walked in on them, he ran away and they chased him to a rooftop where he jumped across to the next building. Riggs would normally have jumped though he chose not to. He and Murtaugh had a funny argument about it, however, Riggs did not want to die since he now had something to live for. This became the right decision once the walkway of the adjacent building broke off causing the friend to fall to his death.
The evidence may have pointed to the deceased friend but Murtaugh was not convinced. Looking through his personal effects led Murtaugh to a strip club where Diego’s girlfriend Crystal (Chelsea Tavares) worked. Then Trish called him, causing an awkward situation where he had to explain what he was doing there. Crystal couldn’t quite answer him and Murtaugh was forced to leave. Meanwhile, Riggs was shopping with Molly’s son Ben (Duncan Joiner) then got a call from Trish who was wondering what was going on. She just wanted him out of there and on a plane to Hawaii.
Riggs arrived with Ben and had and used a different approach in the strip club. Murtaugh also saw his neighbor McNeile. At the station, Crystal confirmed that Diego wasn’t using drugs and told them about the rich club’s illegal activity for the Aryan Fraternity. Molly was upset that Riggs took Ben to the strip club but she was even more upset when Riggs told Ben about what Jake did for him. Murtaugh and Riggs then returned to the club where Davenport offered them a bribe to go away. He got under each of their skin bringing up information about their pasts with Murtaugh reacting in a way that was unlike him.
Riggs then shared with Murtaugh his father’s past with the Aryan Fraternity and what Jake did for him. Back home, Murtaugh had an intruder which was just McNeile who wanted to explain his presence at the strip club. Then Murtaugh had other visitors who started shooting up his house. Riggs faced the same while in his truck. Murtaugh prepared by setting up some traps in his house. Riggs called Molly to tell him to have Christmas dinner without him while Murtaugh called Trish and told her the truth about what happened. Murtaugh’s homemade explosives worked and Riggs’ shooters were called off.
Trish and Murtaugh’s family decided to come back early to the wreckage at their house. They all came together to spend Christmas as a family. Riggs gave his present to Ben and got a present from Molly which was a picture of the three of them.
The episode ended with a shocking revelation that Riggs’ father wasn’t dead and called him from prison, telling him that he saved his life earlier when the people shooting at Riggs were called off.
Overall, this was an excellent episode full of action, some fun Murtaugh and Riggs comedy, and compelling drama where we saw a different side of Murtaugh while being invested in the case. Both Riggs and Murtaugh had something to live for and it had a great impact on their actions with Riggs not wanting to die and Murtaugh’s determination to solve Diego’s case while still wanting to be with his family. Like how last year’s midseason finale set up the cartel, this one setup Riggs’ father as the potential big bad for the second half of the season. It will definitely be exciting to see where it all goes, especially if they will see each other again.
Score: 9.5/10
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The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.
