This pilot season seems to be rife with reboots. From the soulless MacGyver to The Exorcist, it seems like old ideas are being recycled and adapted for a new audience. I kept wondering why that is. Is there really nothing new to be thought out in the world? Is our imagination dying? It just felt like a cheap way of drawing in an already build audience, more than anything.
But here’s the thing, it hit me that this is not, as most fanboys of days long passed, would put it, a destruction of their childhood, it’s a way of including people that were too young (or not even born) back then, into something that we all loved. However, the general desire of polishing up the old and sell it as new, with fresh faces and modern plot backfires more often than not. I’m looking at you, MacGyver. I’m looking at you. I really wanted to like you, alas… No.
However, in the sea of poorly thought out stories a little gem made it’s way to the small screen: Lethal Weapon. Perhaps I am biased, since I already came in with high hopes, based on how much I loved the films, but I was not disappointed and that is incredibly important.
Now, without further ado, let’s get to why you should watch it as well and join me in fawning over it:
- It has the same major outline as the original, however, it is its own beast and it clearly has done a lot in the way of removing the references that worked so well some decades ago but are somewhat cringe worthy today.
- Martin Riggs is perfectly cast. Perhaps Clayne Crawford is not a familiar face to a lot of people, but he has Riggs down pat. You basically want to reach through your screen and give him a blanket, a cookie and a better therapist than the one he’s currently dealing with. (And a dog. Seriously. The man needs a dog.)
- Damon Wayans is still funny. I don’t think he ever stopped being funny, I just sort of stopped watching whatever he was staring in. He has a long way to have Danny Glover’s presence on screen – and I am still a bit hardwired to his old antics – but he’s trying and the chemistry he has with his ”psycho” partner and his on-screen wife is amazing. Keesha Sharp is amazing too, perfectly balancing their on-screen couple.
- It’s dealing with issues we can all relate to. Whether it’s the loss of someone dear and the long lasting effects of tragedy or mental illness, it definitely did its research. Things are not brushed under the carpet and the deterioration of Riggs’ mental health is a plot point that is not being ignored.
- Despite number 4, it still manages to be funny. I actually laughed out loud during the pilot and the second episode. Witty banter abounds, mixed with much darker topics from time to time, however, despite it all it’s just so damn catchy.
A downside of it not being a Netflix show is The wait. It’s still almost a whole week until the third episode comes out and I am already itching for more. What can I say, this fall season was too filled with disappointments for me not to cling to the one good thing it has to offer.
There is another downside, though. The show is produced by FOX. Anyone that has ever fallen for one of their shows knows what that means. The possibility of cancellation even when the audiences and the critics love a show is higher than average on FOX. The list of shows it axed before their time is too long to even make a dent in it, so I will let you all rummage through those traumatic memories alone.
However, until we know more…check out the official trailer below and get watching!
