Lethal Weapon Review: El Gingo Loco (Season 2 Episode 1)
On Lethal Weapon Season 2 Episode 1, “El Gingo Loco,” Riggs, Murtaugh, and all the drama, laughter, and excitement that comes with them are back! Don’t worry, they are just as delightful as ever.
This premiere picks up two weeks where we left off, with Murtaugh down in Mexico trying to track down Riggs who is trying to track down and kill Tito Flores. It’s a small time jump, but it just cuts out the tracking that both Murtaugh and Riggs had to do.
It wouldn’t make sense for Murtaugh to arrive in Mexico and instantly find Riggs, nor would it make sense for Riggs to capture the head of a powerful cartel in a couple of days.
Murtaugh: If I’d known I was going to be here this long, I would have brought my supplies — my head oils, lotions, and exfoliator. I don’t even have my electric toothbrush. This is a disaster!
The time jump takes us right to the good stuff, and it also makes for Murtaugh’s return home a lot more interesting. The groveling is amazing, as are all of Murtaugh’s phone calls to Trish.
Having Riggs succeed in killing Tito was expected, and it would have set Riggs down an even darker path, one that Murtaugh wouldn’t have been able to pull him out of.
The twist that someone else kills Tito, while he’s in Murtaugh’s trunk no less, is fantastic. Let this be a lesson kids, you can’t go around blabbing about who you have stashed in your trunk, not even to nurses!
Not only is the twist unexpected, but it also forces Riggs to come to terms with the fact that yes, Tito is dead, but it isn’t by his hand. It’s weird to watch Riggs try to be okay with not being the person who killed Tito Flores, but this is Riggs we’re talking about here.
Justice is served, and Miranda’s death is avenged, but Riggs doesn’t have that much to do with it, and that’s depriving him of the sense of gratification or relief that he believes he would have felt if he pulled the trigger himself.
This makes his transition into this new chapter of his life a bit more difficult. Now, Riggs has to decide how to move on from his grief, from Miranda, from his quest for vengeance, if that’s even something he wants to do.
Miranda will always be a huge part of his life, but as we see with him burying his wedding ring at Miranda’s grave, the time has come for Riggs to start really living his life without her. Riggs talking to Miranda at her grave is absolutely devastating in the best way.
Moving on is not going to be an easy thing to do, and Riggs still has that pesky death wish to get over, but this premiere marks a new period in Riggs’ life.
And, honestly, it would have been boring if a major part of Riggs’ story in season two was still him trying to get justice for Miranda.
Lethal Weapon proves that it knows not to let a storyline overstay its welcome, and that what’s really exciting here is Riggs’ journey and healing, which sounds a little hokey to say, but you get what I mean.
Riggs: Hey, Rog! You dead in there?
Murtaugh: Yes!
Riggs: Lucky bastard.
What did you think of this episode of Lethal Weapon? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
Reviewer Rating:
User Rating:
Lethal Weapon airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on Fox.
Follow us on Twitter @telltaleTV_
Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!
Allison Nichols
Allison is in a love affair with television that doesn't seem to be letting up anytime soon. Slightly damaged fictional characters are her weakness. She loves to spend her free time curled up with a cat and a show to binge-watch. Allison is a Tomatometer-approved critic (Rotten Tomatoes).