Lethal Weapon – Better Living Through Chemistry

By starrymag | January 23, 2018

By: Jessica Wolff

 

Roger Murtaugh (Damon Wayans) and Trish Murtaugh (Keesha Sharp) watch Roger Murtaugh, Jr. (Dante Brown) lay in the pool. Trish is concerned about him and suggests they take him to therapy. Murtaugh believes he is fine and insists that therapy is for crazy people like Martin Riggs (Clayne Crawford). Trish reminds him that he went to therapy once, but Murtaugh insists that it was only for a temporary sexual glitch. She tells him that they’re taking Roger, Jr. to therapy or he will have a new sexual glitch.

 

Riggs has a nightmare where his younger self (Chase Mangum) rushes to his mother as she calls out to him, and falls off the couch as he wakes up. He gurgles a drink in a parking lot, but a car with an open window pulls up as he spits. The driver, Alan (George Ketsios) yells at him, asking what’s wrong with him. Riggs says he doesn’t know where to begin as he opens his car door to get a rag, but hits the side of the other car as he opens the door. Alan yells at him for scratching his car, and Riggs spills the rest of his drink on the car as he bends down to examine it. Riggs pulls away and scrapes the other car, as Alan demands that Riggs pay for the damages. After Riggs rams his truck into the back of the car, Alan tells him that he should be in an institution.

 

Dr. Samuels (Matt Malloy) greets Maureen Cahill (Jordana Brewster) as she visits a psychiatric hospital. She expresses surprise that her patient, Stanley Oliver (Luis Jose Lopez) had an incident when he was on the path to recovery. Cahill asks Stanley what happened, and he asks if he can give her a hug. She allows him to, but he grabs her, puts a blade to her throat, and holds her hostage as he makes his way out of the hospital. After evading a guard, Stanley demands that Cahill use her badge to enter a restricted room.

 

Brooks Avery (Kevin Rahm) plays footage captured of Riggs “accident,” which Riggs insists was a fender bender. Avery tells him that Alan is the Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles, and can’t believe how angry Riggs is. Sonya Bailey (Michelle Mitchenor) tells them that they have a situation, and later she, Riggs, Murtaugh and Bernard Scorsese (Johnathan Fernandez) approach Cahill’s car that is parked under a bridge. Murtaugh spots a dead body nearby, and Riggs opens the trunk of the car to find Cahill inside. Riggs takes off the duct tape, and Murtaugh shows them that Stanley was killed.

 

Cahill recounts her experience for Riggs and Murtaugh, telling them that Stanley called someone asking for money. Riggs is annoyed that Murtaugh is making tea for Cahill, and Murtaugh suggests that Riggs have some tea as well. Cahill expresses frustration that she wasn’t able to help Stanley. Murtaugh tells Riggs to say something encouraging, and Riggs tells her that she’s a good therapist since he’s come a long way. Gina Santos (Michelle Hurd) tells Avery that Riggs is bad for the department.

 

As Gina yells at Avery, Murtaugh tells Sonya to be quiet as Zach Bowman (Andrew Creer) tries to read Gina’s lips. Bowman tells him that Gina is asking why Murtaugh isn’t being a good influence for Riggs and Murtaugh insists that he’s not responsible. Sonya tells them that Carl Edwards (Craig Gellis) visited Stanley at the hospital and that Carl threaten to kill him the last time he visited. After Murtaugh tells Sonya to find Carl, Bowman tells Murtaugh that Avery is telling Gina that Murtaugh is the oldest detective they have.

 

Riggs asks Murtaugh if he thinks that his anger has gotten better, insisting that that there’s no wrong answer. When Murtaugh answers that Riggs hasn’t changed, Riggs hits him. Murtaugh responds that he’s gotten angrier, and Riggs angrily tells him that the old him would have flipped out. They enter a bar, and Murtaugh insists that they get Carl and leave. Riggs is determined to prove he’s less angry, calmly announcing to the bar that they are looking for Carl. Multiple bikers identify themselves as Carl, and Murtaugh tells them that he just wants to ask a few questions.

 

A biker throws beer in Riggs’ face, and Riggs makes Murtaugh admit that he’s less angry. They fight the bikers that attack them and subdue them. Riggs and Murtaugh check all of the IDs before Carl comes out of the bathroom. Murtaugh tells him they want to talk to him about Stanley, and informs him that he was murdered when Carl declares he hates Stanley. In the interrogation room, Carl asks how Stanley died, and says that he would shoot him with two bullets when Murtaugh tells him that he died with a single bullet. Carl tells them that his alibi is that he was a contestant on “The Price Is Right,” and Riggs comments on the cool alibi. Carl tells them that he and Stanley did a job together, and Stanley screwed him over and presents a potential suspect in the murder.

 

Gina shows Cahill the video of Riggs and gives her a form to sign that allows Riggs to be declared fit to stay at the LAPD, telling her that her professional reputation is on the line. Cahill asks Riggs what he was thinking, and Riggs says that she knows him better than anybody. She yells at him, accusing him of being both angry and too scared to find out why. Sonya shows Riggs that the potential suspect is Jose (Gabriel Nunez), and Cahill tells them that he was also her patient as well as Stanley’s roommate. She calls Jose, and asks to meet.

 

Riggs and Murtaugh watch as Jose approaches Cahill. Jose sees Cahill talking to them via earpiece and runs away. Riggs chases him, and Cahill asks where Jose’s going. Murtaugh comments that the crazy ones climb as Riggs chases Jose up the ladder of a construction site. Riggs corners Jose at the top of a steel beam, and tells him he just wants to ask some questions. Jose tells him to back off and Cahill freaks out upon seeing them at the edge of the beam. After Jose attempts to stab Riggs, he falls off the beam to his death.

 

Murtaugh tries to listen in on Roger, Jr.’s therapy session, and Trish tells him to sit down. The door hits Murtaugh in the head as Peggy (Kelly Coffield Park) and Roger, Jr. exit the room. Peggy tells them that Roger, Jr. is a good kid and then tells them that it’s their turn. She tells them that Roger, Jr. asked her to speak to them, and that he is bothered by their disappointment in him for dropping out of college, overhearing Murtaugh tell the mailman that Roger, Jr. had a tropical disease. Trish yells at him, and Murtaugh tells Peggy that Trish dropped Roger, Jr. on his head as a baby.

 

Scorsese tells Sonya and Bowman that both Stanley and Jose had no drugs in their system despite being prescribed medication. Cahill offers Riggs’ scotch, and toasts to her failing all of her patients. Riggs tells her that Jose and Stanley weren’t taking their medication, but she feels worse about missing that. She tells Riggs that he’s not trying, but takes responsibility for being unable to get through to him. He tries to encourage her that he’s slowly getting better, but she doesn’t believe it. Cahill tells him that his anger will kill him one day, and Riggs admits that the anger was always there. He opens up, but realizes that she has passed out on the couch.

 

The next morning, Cahill wakes up and Riggs offers her his hangover cure. She questions Stanley and Jose’s toxicology reports, insisting that the hospital would ensure that they took their meds. Avery shows Samuels the reports, and he insists that patients find ways around taking their meds all the time. Murtaugh asks to speak to Avery and tells Samuels that he needs to fill out paperwork when he tries to leave. Sonya presents a theory that Samuels has been stealing his patients’ medication and selling it on the streets. Samuels tries to leave, but Avery insists he stay for lunch. Avery tells them they need more evidence to arrest Samuels, and Murtaugh suggests that Riggs go into the hospital as an undercover patient.

 

Gina tells Cahill that she’s surprised that she signed Riggs’ paper, and Cahill tells her that she believes that Riggs can get better. Sonya and Samuels watch as Avery and Riggs stage an argument over the dress code where Riggs goes to punch Avery but hits Murtaugh. Samuels tells Sonya that Riggs needs help and Gina tells Cahill that Riggs is her responsibility now. Riggs enters the facility, and Cahill asks Murtaugh why he didn’t tell her the plan beforehand. He explains that they needed Samuels to see it and explains that they will get Riggs out of the hospital by that night. Cahill tells Murtaugh that she got a feeling in there that they would do this for real someday.

 

Later, Riggs investigates the hospital’s pharmacy and observes two orderlies preparing drugs. Riggs sets off an alarm and sees that they’re giving the patients Ibuprofen. The orderlies come back and Riggs tries to fight them before he is subdued. Murtaugh and Cahill investigate the alarm as Samuels addresses Riggs as he sits in a white room with a straitjacket. Riggs accuses him of stealing from his patients, and Samuels responds that medical workers are underpaid. After Riggs accuses Samuels of killing Stanley when he found out about his operation, Samuel replies that there was no hope for him. Samuels sticks a needle into Riggs that paralyzes as he locks him in the room.

 

Samuels greets Cahill and Murtaugh and tells them that they will have a public relations disaster for entering without a warrant. Murtaugh pulls out his gun, and Cahill demands to know where Riggs is. In solitary confinement, Riggs flashes back to a memory where Nathan Riggs (Rex Linn) tells his younger self that his mother is getting sicker and that she’s giving up on the chemo treatment. Riggs runs into the house when she hears a gunshot, and sees that his mother has killed herself.

 

In the present, Murtaugh and Cahill burst into the room, and Cahill tells Murtaugh to stay with Riggs as she runs to get medicine. As Murtaugh tells him things are going to be okay, Nathan tells him the same thing in his memory. Cahill administers the medicine and Riggs is able to move. Gina asks about Riggs, and Cahill tells her he’s going to be okay. She offers whiteout to erase her signature, but Cahill stands by her decision.

 

Riggs tells Murtaugh to hit him in retaliation for his earlier punch. Murtaugh insists that it’s crazy, but Riggs eggs him on. However, Murtaugh’s punch hits Avery instead and Cahill asks for the whiteout as Murtaugh tries to explain. Murtaugh tries to talk to Roger, Jr., and tells him that he’s there for him. Roger, Jr. tells Murtaugh that he has everything figured out, but Murtaugh tells him that he hides his worries. He explains that he worries all of the time, and Roger, Jr. feels better. Trish is glad that he seems happy, and Murtaugh admits to her that he’s worried.

 

Cahill calls Riggs about missing his session, and Riggs apologizes. Riggs admits that he still feels the drugs from the hospital, and Cahill reminds him he can talk to her about it. He tells her that she’s good at her job, and she thanks him. She asks where he is, and he lies he’s where he always is as he looks down at the city from the beam at the construction site. Riggs tells her he’ll see her tomorrow before hanging up.