Lethal Weapon - Funny Money/Digging Up Dirt - Double Review

Lethal Weapon had two great installments to kick off the new year, let's discuss them!

Funny Money

After that ominous phone call from his father in the previous episode, Riggs has seemed to throw himself into full domestic bliss with Molly and Ben. I was happy to see those two going so strong and find Molly to be the laid back personality that is good for him. The problem with this is, Riggs never does anything without driving into it head first, case in point.... he adopted a dog for Ben that they had seen while out together and didn't bother to consult Molly. Molly rolls with it when she sees how happy it makes Ben, which again is why I really like her for Riggs. Martin Riggs distracts himself with other things when he is trying to avoid a larger issue like dealing with Miranda's death or more recently the re-emergence of his father, which is why I have been conflicted about Molly from the start. I like that he is there for them but red flags come up when he impulsively gets the dog without thinking it through and if he will truly be there to help. These things are evident in therapy when he avoids the topic of the phone call when Cahill asks him about it and in his typical brash fashion, Riggs would rather discuss important matters like naming the dog (it is between Chuck Norris and Bert Reynolds). The quick decision to get the dog resulted in Riggs forgetting to get him chipped and when 'Chuck Norris' goes missing Riggs rushes over and promises Ben they will find him. Like any good mom, this worries Molly because you cannot make a promise like that to a child. This is where it is evident to me Riggs is not ready for this type of commitment because he has so many unresolved demons from his past. The dog does not meet a good fate and turns up dead with his neck snapped. I was sad with this outcome as an animal lover and for Ben who keeps losing things at a time when he should just be worrying about being a kid. Riggs gets the dog's collar in the mail as a message and I think we can all guess who probably sent it. At this point, he seems to make a decision that is both heartbreaking and understandable.

Riggs goes to Molly and pretty much says goodbye because he seems to know they cannot be involved with what is next. I had conflicting emotions on this part because I didn't want him to push her and Ben away, but I also think he is not ready to be what they need and after their rollercoaster with Jake, perhaps it is better that he does distance himself. He visits his father in jail and asks him about the dog, his father doesn't confirm nor deny but is 'happy' his son is there. Riggs returns the sentiment by promising to kill dear old dad.

Murtaugh is still having some issues letting RJ go and starts the episode by surprising his son at his dorm. He is met by his unusual roommate who tells him RJ isn't there and implies he is not in class either. I knew this would set Rog off because he's Roger and the fact that every time RJ cuts a class he is out $248.00. Murtaugh also has to deal a secret service officer named Hank Peterson who is there to assist them with the money laundering case of the week. Peterson is the type that has seen it all and done it all and annoys Murtaugh to no end and it doesn't help that everyone is fawning over him and his stories. I kind of missed our weekly dose of bromance which felt a little lacking this episode as our two heroes dealt with their respective issues.

RJ does eventually show up at home to a worried and angry Trish and Roger who are wanting answers. RJ drops the bomb that he wants to move home and drop out because college isn't working for him. This leads to the two parents wondering where they had gone wrong with their son and what they should do. I love these two as parents because they play off each other so well and it shows when RJ comes up with the same plan for his future as them. He will stay home and pitch in around there while taking some classes. I almost think they should have given him tough love and made him finish the semester, but with him skipping that many classes, it is probably financially smart to drop the classes now. Why do I feel that at some point RJ is going to follow in his father's footsteps? We will have to see.

The case of the week involved money laundering and after some red herrings it is revealed that the afore mentioned Peterson was the mastermind in the whole scheme that resulted in a murder of the guy with the counterfeiting plates. I for one just thought Peterson was there to annoy Murtaugh, I did not think he was dirty and involved in the whole crime. The murder I mentioned was witnessed by some kids skating around the scene and a foster kid Ty, was targeted by Peterson and his crew because he was a witness. Once again Riggs's heart was on display when he helped keep Ty safe and had him placed with his friend and his parents after the case was solved.

Digging Up Dirt

We open this episode with a flashback to Miranda and Riggs discussing his dad and why she hasn't been told anything about him. He tries to tell her a story that is actually the plot of the movie Over The Top and she immediately calls him on his BS. He lies and says the reason he doesn't talk about him is because he's dead. His father issues obviously affected his relationship with Miranda as well, and even though he just lied to her, he promises not to lie again. Miranda was clearly not convinced because we find out later in the episode she hired a private investigator to find out if Riggs was telling the truth. She did find out the truth but never told him because per her father who we'll discuss later, she must of thought he was worth it. It is times like these that I really wish we could of seen a little more of Miranda in the present before she died because she clearly was one of the only people who knew how Martin ticked.

Trish is meeting with an old colleague named Gene, who tells her that he has plans to run for mayor. He is also trying to convince Trish to come back to work when our favorite pest Leo Getz interrupts them. Leo is always working an angle and in past episodes I found this annoying but when they pair him with the amazing Trish he is not as annoying. Trish just always brings out the best in other characters which is why I love the woman.

After the lunch, Gene and Trish exchange pleasantries and he tells her he is working a cartel case as a way to try and again entice her back to work but she doesn't bite and they part ways because he is heading out to the prison to visit an inmate. Leo once again interrupts them and watches with Trish as Gene's car blows up with him in it. Leo tries to play white knight to Trish by landing on top of her, but let's be real, she doesn't need his assistance. And with this, we have our case of the week and this time Leo and Trish will be working behind the scenes to help Roger and Martin even if they didn't ask for it.

Roger is annoyed in this episode that Avery isn't considering him for captain after he tells him that he is running for city council because current city councilmen O'Brien (remember that name) is running for mayor. I don't think Roger would be content being a captain because as much as he complains, he loves being a detective and even more so having Riggs as a partner. I cannot see him ever being happy staying at the office and watching as everyone else is out in the field. Plus I don't support this captain thing because it would mean less Riggs/Murtaugh shenanigans and that simply cannot stand in a show titled Lethal Weapon.

Riggs and Murtaugh are now on the Gene case and both are there to comfort Trish after what she saw. I love how close Martin has gotten to Trish and seems just as worried about her as Roger is. Trish is insistent on giving her statement and I would expect no less from her. Leo is back in interrogation and his pattern of calling Gene constantly seems a little suspicious. That is when Leo explains that he is just trying to get back in the game after being fired from the DA's office.

That inmate Gene was supposed to visit is the aforementioned father of one Miranda Riggs, Ronnie Delgado. Bailey and Murtaugh try to keep Riggs in the dark but it doesn't work. I like that they brought Ronnie back amid Martin's father issues because he was once a father figure to Riggs and betrayed him. When Riggs and Murtaugh head to the prison to talk to Ronnie a riot happens and Ronnie is stabbed; to me, this looked like a hit that was foiled by Riggs and Murtaugh. Riggs helps to save him and Ronnie says that he should of let him die. I am not sure if it was because he wants him to live with his part in Miranda's death or in that split second he didn't want Ronnie to die but Riggs seems relieved he lived. Ronnie explains why he was getting a visit from Gene and is has to do with the Ojai house where Martin and Miranda were married.

At the funeral of Gene, Trish and Leo spot a man who was driving away from the restaurant when the car exploded and they try to tell Roger who brushes them off but also now has a lead. The man in the picture is Mike Serrano a fixer/investigator for powerful people in city government, he is also the man that Miranda hired to find out about Riggs's father. Martin is doing his normal spiral that he always does when he finds out something about Miranda when Roger comes and asks him to be part of a stakeout of Serrano. I wish at this point that Martin's go to whenever he finds something out about Miranda would not be to drink himself numb, but unfortunately that is still how he deals with these issues and it is clear Cahill still has a lot of work to do with him.

The stakeout is a catalyst for my favorite scene in this episode because worlds literally collide when Murtaugh and Riggs are rear-ended by none other than Leo and Trish who were also spying on Serrano. The four are all called to the carpet by Avery who can't take the arguing and tells them all to go home for the night. Leo can never let anything go and shows up at the Murtaugh's house with the puzzle pieces he had figured out. Gene's mayoral opponent O'Brien had been having an affair and took his mistress Monica up to Ronnie Delgado's Ojai house and she had since went missing and has been for years. Gene was on the path to expose O'Brien and had connected the dots between the cartel and Ronnie Delgado. Serrano is O'Brien's fixer which is why he got rid of Gene and was seen at the scene by Trish and Leo. Riggs was also learning this information via another visit to Ronnie and heads to the Ojai house to look for Monica. Riggs figures out that Monica the mistress is buried under a concrete slab at the house and after he does all the dirty work of digging her up, he is greeted by Serrano and his men... with guns.

In a very disturbing moment Riggs is almost hung at the tree where he married Miranda in attempt to make it look like suicide. In those moments Riggs remembers his first dance with Miranda and he seems to get the answer he wanted as to why she never told him that she knew about his father, because she couldn't picture her life without him. Is this closure for Riggs? Or more guilt to pile on himself? His father is the start of all of his issues and I hope when that story wraps up, it means Martin can finally work on himself in a healthy way and not just one that involves putting on bandaids that will be ripped off to expose the wounds. Riggs is saved in the nick of time by Murtaugh in classic Lethal Weapon fashion and Serrano and his men are caught.

So as the episode comes to a close it is revealed Monica died of blunt force trauma to the head to which O'Brien said was an accident. Avery is staying put but he had been messing with Murtaugh when he said he wasn't considering him for captain, he was actually grooming him. Riggs goes for a much needed session with Cahill (Seriously we need more of her!) and he seems at peace with this new information. Trish is contemplating pro bono work that hopefully doesn't involve Leo and hallelujah because I would love to see her in her professional role again. Finally, we find out that Ronnie Delgado died from the stabbing complications but come on, we didn't see a body! I am not fully convinced he is dead, what about you guys?

This was my first time reviewing this awesome show, so I hope you enjoyed! Sound off in the comments with your thoughts on these two emotional, yet fun episodes!