This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
If you've seen any of the four "Lethal Weapon" movies, you already know what the "Lethal Weapon" TV show (Wednesday, 7 p.m., Fox/Ch. 13) is all about.
This is a remake of the films, with Clayne Crawford ("Rectify") replacing Mel Gibson and Damon Wayans replacing Danny Glover.
It's hard to criticize the TV show for being unoriginal, however, given that the films weren't either. The premise here is mismatched cops bickering while they chase bad guys — and that's an idea that's been reworked several hundred (maybe several thousand) times in movies and TV.
Crawford stars as Martin Griggs, a Texas cop who has just arrived in Los Angeles with a huge amount of baggage — he's mourning the death of his wife, and he clearly has a death wish of his own.
Griggs is partnered with Roger Murtaugh (Wayans), who just had a near-death experience — he almost died of a heart attack just as his wife (Keesha Sharp) was giving birth to their baby.
Murtaugh, who's just returning to work, has a lot to live for; Griggs doesn't think he has anything to live for and is willing to take crazy chances when chasing down bad guys — and there's the conflict.
This "Lethal Weapon" pilot episode is very entertaining. Great action scenes, snappy banter and a bit of pathos mixed together with nice chemistry between Wayans and Crawford. That's the most important ingredient, and it makes the rest of it work.
"Lethal Weapon" isn't great TV, but it is entertaining TV. It looks like fun.