Lethal Weapon: The Seal is Broken – Confession (Review)

Confession, they say, is good for the soul. In Lethal Weapon “The Seal is Broken” it does help Riggs eventually. He “cheats” on his wife by getting blind drunk and sleeping with a female bartender. His guilt, after the fact, is staggering and Martin reaches a depth of misery not seen before.

Meanwhile, a man is cheating his wife is given an overdose of heroin. The body is found with the word “sinner” carved on its back.  A woman who smothered an elderly patient for her insurance is found buried alive. She also has the word “sinner” written near her grave.

The connection between the two, along with Martin’s all consuming guilt at cheating on his dead wife,  are their sins. Both are members of a church where Father Adams presides.

At the Murtaugh household, RJ has a new girlfriend who talks him out of going to Princeton and spending time in New Zealand.  Miranda’s father, Ronnie Delgado, tries to help his son-in-law and Riggs confesses to his partner Roger that he cheated on his wife.

Lethal Weapon, with its emphasis on Martin’s all too real misery at the loss of his wife and child, makes the pain felt by Riggs a truth that cannot be hidden behind false bravado and sophomoric humor. “The Seal is Broken” with its easily solved crime and poignant storyline shows just why this FOX series works so well.

Roger and Martin continue to bond and in one of the more amusing moments in the episode, Murtaugh actually confesses that he sees Riggs as a friend. (The gag here being that both men begin confessing a litany of things to one another once they enter the church confessional.

Martin finds a hidden microphone in the cubicle leaving Roger telling the empty side of the box how he feels. It is a funny moment that is capped off by Murtaugh’s shouting in church.

The murderer was not too hard to work out. While the explanation was sort of out in left field, the suspect had to be the guy that Riggs talks to about fish chowder at the start of the episode.

At the episode’s climatic chase, which culminates on the roof of an old apartment building, the killer goes to jump off the edge of the building. Rigg’s tries to grab the man and the railing gives out under his weight.

Martin holds on to the rail and Roger grabs his partner. Riggs tells him to let go and when Murtaugh refuses, Martin punches him in the face. The two men fall and land in a tree.

Earlier, when chasing down a suspect, Riggs flings Roger and the man who shot him with a nail gun through a tarpaulin.  All three land in a skip with nails in it. Murtaugh is understandably angry that Martin put his life at risk.

Regardless of Roger’s annoyance at Martin’s reckless actions, and his telling RJ to “go for it” in terms of New Zealand, he refuses to let his partner drop off the edge of the apartment building. Just as Roger told the empty side of the confessional, he now sees Martin as a friend and a member of his family.

Rigg’s tells his father-in-law that he cannot continue to be a part of his family. When Ronnie explains that Martin is family, the heartbroken and guilty cop replies that Miranda was Delgado’s family, “I,” Rigg’s tells Ronnie, “was just lucky for a while.”

This small screen version of Lethal Weapon, created by Matthew Miller, continues to be a breath of fresh air and is the best “cop/buddy movie” ever turned into a television series. 

Wayans and Crawford belong together and these two belong together.  The relationship between the detectives is moving along at a logical pace and Martin’s move to distance himself from his guardian angel, Ronnie, makes perfect sense.

Lethal Weapon airs Wednesdays on FOX. Watch this one.

Cast:

• Clayne Crawford  –  Martin Riggs
• Damon Wayans  –  Roger Murtaugh
• Jordana Brewster  –  Maureen Cahill
• Keisha Sharp  –  Trish Murtaugh
• Floriana Lima  –  Miranda Riggs
• Dante Brown  –  Roger Murtaugh Jr. 
• Kevin Rahm  –  Brooks Avery
• Chandler Kinney  –  Riana Murtaugh
• Michael Raymond-James  –  Chad Jackson
• Richard Cabral  –  Cruz
• Michelle Mitchenor  –  Sonya Bailey
• Johnathan Fernandez  –  Scorsese 

Guest starring Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine as Father Adams, Rob Evors as Dale Reynolds, Tony Plana as Ronnie Delgado  and Scarlett Burke as the bartender.