Lethal Weapon – Birdwatching

By starrymag | November 27, 2017

By: Jessica Wolff

 

 

On a beach, Kyle Kennedy (Andrew Kai) asks a Surfer Girl (Sarati) about the waves and approaches a group of surfers in the water.  Cody Lewis (Zach McGowan) asks him if he’s lost, and Kyle takes the challenge.  While they are surfing, Cody pushes Kyle off his surfboard and tells him to go home once Kyle resurfaces.  Martin Riggs (Clayne Crawford) walks along the beach, and spots a body with a raven perched on it.  He turns the body over and sees it is Nathan Riggs (Rex Linn) with a gunshot wound to the face.  Nathan taunts him and Riggs wakes up from his nightmare.

 

Maureen Cahill (Jordana Brewster) asks Riggs why he can’t sleep, and he avoids answering by asking if it’s legal to shoot ravens in California.  Riggs asks for sleep medicine, but lies about the content of his nightmares when asked.  He admits that he hasn’t slept in four days, but Cahill refuses because of his addiction history.  Riggs stands up when Cahill tries to talk to him about his childhood friend, and then tells him she’ll prescribe him something if she feels it’s necessary.

 

Roger Murtaugh (Damon Wayans) admits to Trish Murtaugh (Keesha Sharp) that he couldn’t sleep because of her constant texting.  She laughs at a text message, and explains that it’s work-related when he gets suspicious.  He sees that she’s texting someone named Scott, and she is upset that he doesn’t trust her.  When Trish explains that her focus is on that night’s charity event for falsely imprisoned people, Murtaugh realizes that he didn’t ask for time off.  She tells him it’s okay, as she laughs at another text.

 

Murtaugh tells Riggs about Trish’s mystery work friend as they walk to the beach crime scene, but Riggs doesn’t realize that he was talking to him.  Scorsese (Johnathan Fernandez) comments that they look exhausted, and they reply that they couldn’t sleep.  Scorsese turns over Kyle’s body and Riggs flashes back to his nightmare as Scorsese explains that Kyle died from a blade.

 

Murtaugh asks Brooks Avery (Kevin Rahm) if Trish mentioned a Scott to him.  Avery says no, and Murtaugh expresses frustration with Trish’s giggling while texting.  Sonya Bailey (Michelle Mitchenor) identifies the victim and Zach Bowman (Andrew Creer) comments about the surfing gang known as The Shore Boys.  Murtaugh laughs at the idea of a surfing gang, but Bowman explains their tendency to be violent from personal experience.  Avery tells Sonya and Bowman to investigate the gang and assigns Murtaugh and Riggs to talk to a neighbor that filed several complaints against surfers.

 

Riggs and Murtaugh talk to Tom Noble (Andy Buckley), and Riggs asks to use his coffee machine when he sees the raven from his nightmare again.  As Tom talks to Murtaugh about the gang, Riggs struggles with the coffee machine.  Murtaugh spots an invitation to Trish’s charity event, and Tom tells him he’s going.  Tom’s son, Austin Noble (Steven Cox), walks in and ignores them as Riggs continues to struggle with the machine.  Tom pulls out Austin’s headphones and explains that Riggs and Murtaugh are detectives, but Austin denies knowing anything about Kyle’s murder.

 

Riggs’ yelp upon burning his hand gets the room’s attention, and Riggs comments on the complicated machine.  Murtaugh explains that Riggs can’t sleep and asks where they can speak to the gang’s leader, Cody.  Tom shows them a picture of Cody attacking Kyle that he captured on a security camera he installed.  Sonya and Bowman wait at a bar, and the number of high-fives Bowman gets confuses Sonya.  He downplays it, and a Waitress (Michelle Vawer) comes over with a free drink.  She explains that Bowman is known as the guy who punched a shark and saved some children, but Bowman remains modest and asks about Cody.  The waitress points to Cody, who runs as soon as he sees Bowman.

 

Cody jumps in front of Riggs and Murtaugh’s car, and Riggs gets out of the car.  He runs alongside the car as Riggs drives, declaring that he’d rather run.  Riggs chases Cody through several alleyways and a building as Murtaugh tries to follow them.  Cody grabs a skateboard and holds onto a car, but Murtaugh cuts him off and Riggs tackles him to the ground.  Riggs sees another raven and points his gun at it as they arrest Cody.

 

In the interrogation room, Cody admits to having words with Kyle for invading his cove.  Riggs informs Cody that Kyle was murdered, but Cody denies killing him.  When Riggs mentions the security footage, Cody tells him that Tom has an agenda against them.  Riggs asks for his alibi, and Cody tells him he was surfing and got cut from Tom’s boat.  Murtaugh and Riggs ask Scorsese if the blade that killed Kyle was a boat propeller, and he admits it’s possible.  Murtaugh tells Riggs to investigate the boat, and Riggs accuses him of going to the charity event to spy on Trish.

 

Murtaugh goes to the event and asks around for Trish, and the Stage Manager (Chante Bowser) tells him that she’s in Scott’s dressing room.  He finds Trish laughing with Scottie Pippen (Scottie Pippen).  Murtaugh gets excited, and Trish introduces them.  She explains that Scottie is the event’s keynote speaker, and Scottie admits that he’s nervous.  Murtaugh attempts to give a pep talk, but breaks Scottie’s reading glasses when he chest bumps him.  Trish glares at Murtaugh as she leads Scottie away.

 

Riggs dives underwater and pulls Tom’s boat out of the ocean before finding blood on the propeller and a bag of cocaine.  Murtaugh’s phone rings as he watches Scottie’s speech, distracting Scottie.  When Murtaugh answers, Riggs tells him to arrest Tom.  Murtaugh causes a disturbance as he climbs over the audience and tells Tom he’s under arrest.  Tom argues, drawing the attention of the audience.  Murtaugh makes a comment about people in prison being guilty, and attempts to explain that he doesn’t mean the falsely incarcerated people at the event.

 

When presented with the evidence, Tom’s Lawyer (Nicola Lambo) tells them that Tom’s boat was stolen.  Murtaugh gets mad at Riggs for not positively identifying the cocaine as Tom’s before the arrest.  Avery apologizes to Tom and tells him that he’s free to go before yelling at Riggs for his rookie mistake.  Murtaugh complains that Riggs’ mistake has made both Trish and Scottie angry, and Avery is in disbelief that Scott is Scottie Pippen.  After joking about Trish cheating with Scottie, Avery tells Riggs to get some sleep.  Riggs admits that he can’t, and Murtaugh threatens to knock him out.

 

Murtaugh attempts to apologize to Trish with roses and wine, but she is still mad.  She tells him that he’s lucky to get a taste of the expensive wine, and Murtaugh sees that Scottie texted Trish a kiss face emoji.  He confronts her, and she is furious about his lack of trust in her.  She tells him that he’s not going to get a taste for a long time as she storms off.  Riggs has a nightmare of gunshot Nathan making breakfast for him.  He forces Riggs to eat breakfast, and Riggs pulls a bullet out before seeing that the breakfast is Nathan’s flesh.  Nathan laughs and tells Riggs that he’ll always be a part of him before Riggs wakes up at his office desk across from Murtaugh.

 

They both commiserate over their inability to sleep, and Riggs admits that he’s having nightmares of his father.  Riggs apologizes for his mistaken arrest of Tom, and Murtaugh tells him that his apology to Trish failed.  Riggs tells him that he found a drug charge in Tom’s file, but they conclude that Tom accepted the charges for Austin upon further review.  Austin tells Duke Rawlings (Josh Wingate) about the cops finding the boat.  When Duke yells at him for drawing attention, Austin points out that Duke killed Kyle.  Duke puts a gun to Austin, and asks how he’ll repay the value of the confiscated cocaine.  When Austin replies that he doesn’t have the money, Duke decides to use him as a hostage to get Tom to pay ransom.

 

Cahill finds Riggs looking through her drawers, and Riggs begs for medication to help him stay awake.  She asks about the nightmare, but he promises to talk to her about it once the case is closed.  Sonya gets notification that Austin is heading towards them and asks Bowman about the shark.  She tells him that he doesn’t have to be humble about it, and he confesses that he mistook a dolphin as a shark.  He expresses his guilt, but Sonya sees Austin’s car pull up.  They approach and the man exiting the car tries to hide his face.  Upon seeing that it’s Cody, they demand to know where Austin is.  Cody claims that he’s looking for Austin as well when he didn’t show up for surfing.  He mentions that Austin had been doing errands for a group of skinheads, and gives them Duke’s name.

 

Murtaugh and Riggs inform Tom of Austin’s involvement with Duke, but Tom is unable to believe it.  They ask where Austin is, and Tom admits that Austin called about being kidnapped.  However, he didn’t believe the story and hung up.  Tom justifies that his son has a drug problem and asks when he should give up on him.  Murtaugh replies that he should never give up, and Tom gets a Skype request from Austin.  After being instructed not to reveal the police’s presence, Tom answers the call to see Austin being held by Duke and the gang.  Austin requests a million dollars for ransom, and Duke cuts his finger despite Tom’s pleas.  Duke tells Tom that he has an hour before he takes Austin’s hand.

 

Sonya tracks the location from Duke’s IP address, and Riggs and Murtaugh go to the location.  They decide to use the bird method, and slit up as they approach the house.  A gang member catches Murtaugh looking around with binoculars, and he pretends that he’s bird watching.  As Riggs sneaks around the house, Murtaugh informs him via earpiece that two other “birds” are in the house.  The skinhead points his gun at Murtaugh and orders him to leave, but Murtaugh continues to feed Riggs directions disguised as bird watching explanations.  Riggs sneaks into the house, and shoots at one of the skinheads.  Murtaugh uses the distraction to take out the skinhead.

 

Following Duke and Austin, Riggs fights off the other skinheads inside and Murtaugh shoots the ones outside.  Riggs finds a secret trapdoor and travels to the basement.  He hears Nathan taunting him as he walk through the dark and a gun is pointed at him.  Murtaugh blows up a truck outside and Riggs shoots Duke.  Austin confirms that Duke killed Kyle in custody, and Tom asks what’s going to happen to Austin.  Murtaugh confirms that he’ll have to do some time and he’ll need Tom more than ever.  He tells Tom that being a father never stops, and Avery tells him that he can have a couple of moments with Austin before booking.

 

Tom thanks Murtaugh for bringing Austin back alive, and Avery tells Murtaugh that Duke is linked to several other crimes.  Murtaugh is eager to get started, but Avery calls him out for avoiding going home to talk to Trish.  Avery tells him to apologize and trust his partner.  Sonya gives Bowman a list of vicious dolphin attacks and tells him that he still saved those kids.

 

Murtaugh asks permission to speak to Trish and explains that he’s on an apology tour.  He admits that he apologized to Scottie first, and admits that he should have trusted her.  Murtaugh asks why she didn’t tell him it was Scottie, and she brings up the times he embarrassed her in front of Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan.  He apologizes again, and Trish forgives him.  Murtaugh laughs at a text from Scottie and jokes about it with Trish.  Riggs has another nightmare of Nathan, but grabs a gun and points it at him.  Nathan eggs him on, but Riggs shoots himself instead.  Riggs wakes up and decides to talk to Cahill.