Lethal Weapon Season 1 Episode 3: Best Buds Recap

Keith NoakesOctober 5, 2016164914 min

If you would like to read a recap of last week’s episode, click here. This series lives or dies based on the relationship of Riggs and Murtaugh. I am definitely looking forward to learning more and more about them as the season progresses. This episode continued along those lines where the case connected more to the main story than most.

The episode starts off with a woman in a weed dispensary, buying weed so she can unwind to the Kardashians (as one would). Then we see money being loaded onto an armoured truck which is then robbed at gunpoint.

We then see Riggs seemingly smoking weed while watching a nature documentary. When the TV cuts to one of those “happy couple” commercials, Riggs is reminded of him and his dead wife so he shoots out the TV.

Murtaugh and Trish have want to badly go on a date but their lives keep getting in the way. Murtaugh is then called to investigate the robbery. Riggs is already there and confusion over communication arises since Riggs thinks “there” means the crime scene but Murtaugh thinks it means the station so they can then drive to the scene together. They bring in fellow detective Sonya Bailey (Michelle Mitchenor) but she doesn’t know what they are talking about. The survivor of the incident was the armoured truck driver named Ned Brower (Ted Levine) who was also Murtaugh’s old training officer. We learn that he works for a company that also handles money for marijuana dispensaries.

Murtaugh and Riggs visit this company and talk to a financial manager named Angela Carlson (Ellen Hollman). She manages money for several dispensaries, she tells them that the only people who knew about the delivery were her and her clients. She gives them a list of her clients.

They visit two of her clients, a pair of men named Donnie (Derek Mio) and Lonnie (Alex Weed), who are currently having a party. Once Murtaugh and Riggs get there, of course Riggs wanders off and talks to some bikini-clad women lying near the pool. Murtaugh pulls him back in and they talk to Donnie and Lonnie. They pretend to be upstanding citizens in front of the stricter Murtaugh. Riggs wanders off again when he sees a woman who reminds him of his wife. Murtaugh’s talk seemingly goes nowhere. He finds Riggs coming out of a room looking like he may have smoked some weed which he quickly denies.

Riggs has a session with Dr. Cahill and discusses his current investigation. She warns him against self-medicating with drugs and alcohol. Murtaugh and Ned reminisce about their life and Ned brings up that his wife Sarah died of breast cancer six months prior. They also talk about what happened. He remembers a smell that was the same smell from Donnie and Lonnie’s house.

Murtaugh and Riggs go back to their house and find Donnie and Lonnie decapitated. Murtaugh talks to Trish about Sarah which kind of put things into perspective for him. Murtaugh doesn’t want to end up like Ned so he vows to spend more time with Trish. Riggs shows up at Murtaugh’s because he is still a little confused about where Murtaugh wants him to be. He makes breakfast while Murtaugh talks about how he met Trish when he pulled her over for a DUI and then she beat it in court and also begins to share some intimate details about her. He apologizes but Riggs says it’s okay. Murtaugh is weirded out by the way Riggs is eating.

They visit the gang unit where they get some info from an officer who used to be part of a gang, a man named Cruz (Richard Cabral). He tags along with them. They go to an autopsy room where Scorsese tells them that Donnie and Lonnie were killed by electrocution and then decapitated. Cruz may know who was responsible and provides information on the potential suspect, a man named Paco (Luis Moncada) who works at an auto shop.

When Murtaugh and Riggs get there, they argue about the right way to approach them but Riggs just barges in, the way he does, and things quickly get out of hand. Some fighting and a shootout ensure with some fun banter between the two. Riggs and Cruz interrogate Paco who is all talk. He threatens the two of them but also says that they money is still out there.

Murtaugh and Riggs are asked to see the city attorney over all the lawsuits they’ve received for all the damage they’ve caused but Riggs offers to go so Murtaugh can have his date. We learn that the attorney, Ronnie Delgado (Tony Plana), is Riggs’ father in-law. We learn that Riggs hasn’t been spending time with him which worries him since he believes that his daughter would not have wanted Riggs to be alone.

Murtaugh and Trish are having their dinner and Murtaugh decides to read a corny note containing all the things he’s wanted to say to her but hasn’t gotten the chance. Their dinner is cut short when Ned sends him a text asking for help. We learn that Ned is broke after using up everything he had to pay for his wife’s medical bills so he figured out who the robbers were, Donnie and Lonnie, and stole the truck back.

Riggs and Cahill have a moment when they talk about food and Riggs takes the other half of her sandwich. Riggs brings it to jail and pretends to offer it to Paco in exchanges for information, making him out to be a snitch. Paco talks and confirms that Donnie and Lonnie stole the money but he doesn’t know where it was now and points to Ned.

Ned is in the process of surrendering to Murtaugh when someone shows who is eventually Riggs. Because of their past history, Murtaugh offers to bring in the money first and then Ned, giving him a head start. On the way back to the station, Riggs admits that he gave some of the money to Ned because he felt bad for him. Murtaugh then gets a call from Ned, letting him know that he has been taken hostage by the cartel.

Murtaugh and Riggs bring the armoured car to an exchange point and see that they are outnumbered and outgunned. To escape, Riggs drives right through them, leading to a chase and shootout. After a little while, the car crashes and flips over.

We learn that they are expected at the station and are late. Avery and the other officers see the car on the news and head to the scene. Murtaugh and Riggs exit the car and engage the gang members in a shootout, leading to more fun banter. Avery and the other officers show up and take care of the gang members.

Back at the station, we learn that Angela was found decapitated and that the those responsible are still out there. Ned is also on the run for which Murtaugh and Riggs claim to know nothing about. While Riggs gives Dr. Cahill another sandwich, she tells him that he should go see his father in-law because it’s what he needs. He drives up but then chickens out.

Trish is driving home and is pulled over. She is a little angry but this goes away once we see that it’s Murtaugh. They park somewhere and have a makeshift dinner on the hood of their car. She says that it’s the best date night ever.

Overall, while not developing Murtaugh and Riggs’ relationship much further, this was again, another fun episode with a more significant case of the week, creating a cartel subplot which could loom over the rest of the season.

Score: 8/10

If you liked this, please read my other reviews here and don’t forget to follow me on Twitter, follow me on Instagram, and also like me on Facebook.

Note: These may come later on certain weeks as this show airs on the same day where I attend advanced screenings

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