Lethal Weapon: As Good As It Getz – Leo (Review)

Perhaps the biggest complaint about Lethal Weapon and “As Good As It Getz” is that they changed Leo’s occupation from CPA (certified public accountant) to a variation of Saul Goodman “Better Call Saul” and “Breaking Bad.” Needless to say, it changed the flavour of the comedic interchange and while this Leo is still nebbish, he was not “Leo Getz.”

“Okay. Okay. They always f**k you at the drive-in…”

The episode was not just about Leo and his brush with death from a cartel eager to kill Karen Palmer (Riggs’ “sort of” romantic attachment) it was also about Palmer and Riggs (natch) and the Murtaugh family’s latest issue.

Trish quits her job at the law firm when, after being led to believe otherwise, someone else gets the promotion she thought was hers. Feeling under appreciated and undervalued, she leaves.

Roger is less than pleased at this development and it causes some friction. Not the same sort of friction that builds up between Karen Palmer, the grim and unflappable DEA agent and Martin Riggs. Their chemistry could have resulted in a lot of heat had Riggs done more than put on a new shirt.

Granted, the two make an excellent pair; each one with a separate agenda. Palmer finally noticing what Riggs has to offer and his sudden awareness of her kept things interesting and resulted in one of the best lines in the series thus far.

After leaping out of a crashing helicopter, both Palmer and Riggs fall through roof and land in a king, or queen, sized bed. As the two lay in the falling dust and rubble, Karen looks at Riggs and says:

“Well, I always figured you’d end up in bed with me.”

This after a great sequence that shows both the DEA agent and the homicide detective are on the same page. “Um, I’ve got a plan,” shouts Riggs. “No, I’ve got a plan,” Karen shouts back. Then in unison both reveal that they have the same plan, “We jump.”

Riggs is delighted. Moments later, the pair dive out of the falling chopper as Roger and Leo watch, mouths agape, at the crashing bird and the couple as they crash through the derelict hotel roof.

Just brilliant.

Despite the career change for Leo Getz (and it has to be said, major points off for lack of originality here chaps) and that Karen Palmer has taken the place of Lorna Cole (played by Rene Russo in the films) as a possible romantic interest for the grieving cop, this was a cracking episode.

There was machine-gun toting, and firing, villains, some comedy from Leo Getz, great interaction between Palmer and Riggs and Roger got to show Trish just how much he really supports his wife.

At the start Leo finalizes his deal with the DEA for his client and heads to the men’s room. The donut shop where they meet (he just arranged to have an amount of crullers as part payment) is suddenly filled with automatic weapon fire and the snitch, along with the DEA agent are shot to rag doll ribbons.

Leo escapes with his life, and his briefcase, and is later hunted down by Riggs, Murtaugh and Palmer. Throughout the episode the presumption is that the cartel want Getz dead. They do, in fact, take a few shots at him but it turns out that they are really after Palmer. She should have been at the donut shop meeting at the start of the episode.

The episode ends on a “Better Call Saul” type gag where Leo has put Trish’s image on his bus advertisement and neither she nor Roger are pleased about it.

Clearly Palmer is going to be a running storyline here. This is the second, or third time the DEA agent has shown up on the series. She and Riggs are “cute” together and it was touching how he suddenly regressed emotionally and hid rather than talking to his new “interest” before she left.

Roger congratulates his partner on being sane for once, compared to his usual modus operandi.

FOX and show creator Matthew Miller are killing it with this series. The small screen version of Lethal Weapon feels cinematic in its execution and look. The chemistry is spot on between all the players and this is one that should run and run and run. 

The only complaint was the move to make Leo Getz a lawyer, keeping outside the legal arena would have left that Saul Goodman vibe where it belongs; over on AMC.

Lethal Weapon airs Wednesdays on FOX.

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 Thomas Lennon as Leo Getz and Hilarie Burton as Karen Palmer