Lethal Weapon Season 1 Episode 18: Commencement Review

If you would like to read my review of the last episode, click here.

Synopsis: Riggs makes a shocking discovery about Miranda’s death that leads him back to the cartel in a frantic search for answers. His wild desperation leaves Murtaugh torn between his commitment to his partner and his commitment to his family. (IMDB)

Writers: Matthew Miller and Kyle Warren

Director: Steve Boyum

Rating: TV-14

Running Time: 45mins

It’s season finale time. The last episode ended with Palmer telling Riggs that she believed that Lyon killed Miranda so Riggs was obviously going to do something about it and that he did.

First, he was having flashbacks of the day that Miranda died while he was drinking. Riggs wanted to confront Lyon about Miranda but Lyon was being transferred to maximum security prison for a very long time. Riggs would have had to wait until he got there but he couldn’t do that so he attacked the transport van and abducted Lyon.

Riggs then took Lyon to his trailer to interrogate him. Lyon tried to get into his head by taunting him and taking advantage of his inexperience. He was probably going to go further but was interrupted by Murtaugh who wanted to tell him what he found at the scene. Murtaugh was suspicious that Riggs may have been involved but Riggs kept trying to stop him from looking in the trailer. When he finally got to, Lyon wasn’t there since Riggs taped him up in the bathroom.

Today was RJ’s high school graduation. Murtaugh wanted to take him out in the woods and teach him how to be a man but failed miserably while trying to set up a tent. Trish realized this and booked them a cabin in the woods with a fully stocked fridge. Because of the case, Murtaugh had to cancel but he still payed the deposit so Riggs took Lyon there. Lyon taunted him a little more by telling him he wasn’t ready. Riggs proved otherwise by chopping at his hand with an axe. Riggs also had a hot fireplace poker ready but was again interrupted by Murtaugh. He had Riggs’ phone tracked and got the location of the cabin.

When they went back to the cabin, they noticed that Lyon escaped. They chased him through the woods until Murtaugh cornered him at a cliff above a river. He told Lyon to stop but then shot him when he didn’t. He fell in the river and then left, thinking he wouldn’t have survived. Once Avery confronted them, he was surprised that what happened wasn’t worse, knowing who they were. He still wasn’t happy though. Murtaugh asked Avery for another partner (we will see how long that lasts).

Riggs, reflecting on what Lyon said, figured out that he was lying since all the details he said were wrong. After drinking some more, he went to Murtaugh’s and shared his suspicions. Murtaugh told him he asked for a new partner but was still worried about him, thinking he was on another downward spiral. Trish reminded him he was part of the family and he was loved but he still stormed off.

Riggs went to see Ronnie and telling him what was going on. He just wanted to make sense of it but Ronnie wanted none of it. Ronnie brought up Lyon’s name which led him to believe that Ronnie was involved. We then learned that Ronnie worked for the cartel because he had no choice since he had to protect his family. Riggs pressured him to give up who was responsible for killing Miranda and Ronnie admitted that it was the head of the cartel, Tito Flores.

Once Riggs left, Lyon and some thugs arrived to take Riggs away and bring him to Murtaugh who was abducted on his way to RJ’s graduation. Lyon tortured Riggs by torturing Murtaugh into telling him if anybody knew about Ronnie’s affiliation. Murtaugh got shocked a few times with a defibrillator to try and stop his pacemaker. While that was happening, Riggs cut through his rope and eventually saved them both.

A chase ensued ending with Riggs and Lyon running into each other. They fought for a little while until Riggs had him pinned down on some train tracks. Of course the train was coming so Riggs wanted Lyon to tell him where Flores was. Once Murtaugh gets there, we see the train go by but then we see Riggs from a window on the other side. We don’t know if Lyon told him.

Murtaugh, battered and bruised, gets there just in time for RJ’s graduation. When Murtaugh checks Riggs’ trailer his stuff is gone. He confronts Ronnie who tells him he went to Mexico to go after Flores. Worried about Riggs, Murtaugh tells Trish that there’s something he has to do, save Riggs.

Overall, this was a great episode which took a darker, more dramatic direction, taking a more personal approach by highlighting the relationship between Murtaugh and Riggs which was elevated by Damon Wayans and Clayne Crawford’s performances. It pretty much puts an end to the Miranda subplot and starts a new one with vigilante Riggs. I can’t wait for next season.

Score: 9/10

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.

Keith Noakes

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.