Lethal Weapon – Gold Rush

By starrymag | November 20, 2017

By: Jessica Wolff

 

In Texas in 1996, Young Martin Riggs (Chase Mangum) and Young Jake (Austin Kane) go joyriding.  A police car chases them, and Jake tells Riggs to speed up.  Riggs swerves and crashes into a parking lot.  Riggs suggests they run and leave the car.  In the present, Martin Riggs (Clayne Crawford) goes to Jake’s (Linds Edwards) parole hearing, where Jake expresses regret for robbing several drycleaners.  Riggs interrupts the questioning and tells the Parole Commissioner (Christopher Kriesa) that Jake is an informant.  The Commissioner questions whether he believes that Jake is rehabilitated, and Riggs confirms.

 

Outside, Riggs waits for Jake as he is released.  Jake is angry that Riggs referred to him as an informant, as it will ruin his street reputation.  Riggs admits it isn’t a lie, since he learned everything he knows about criminals from him.  They embrace, and Riggs warns Jake to not make him regret helping him.  They roughhouse each other, and Jake tells Riggs that his wife, Molly (Kristen Gutoskie), and son, Ben (Duncan Joiner) moved to LA with him.  A car pulls up and Jake tells Riggs that he’s going with Kenny instead.  Roger Murtaugh (Damon Wayans) finds a joint in a cookie box and asks who put it there.  Both Roger Murtaugh, Jr. (Dante Brown) and Riana Murtaugh (Chandler Kinney) deny smoking weed, and Murtaugh tells them that they can talk to him.  They laugh, and Murtaugh plucks a hair from each other their heads to run a test.

 

As they walk to the crime scene, Murtaugh tells Riggs that he believes it’s Riana’s joint.  Riggs believes that both of them are good kids whether they smoke or not, and Murtaugh asks why he is in such a good mood.  He explains that his friend is in town, but tells Murtaugh that he can’t meet him because he hates cops.  Zach Bowman (Andrew Creer) and Sonya Bailey (Michelle Mitchenor) inform them that Albert’s (Spencer Garrett) house was broken into and twenty gold bars were stolen.  One of the thieves was shot during the robbery and Riggs recognizes him as Kenny.

 

Riggs pulls up Molly’s information, then hides it and attempts to act nonchalant when Murtaugh comes over.  Murtaugh suggests getting beer with him and his friend, but Riggs doesn’t think it’s a good idea.  Despite Murtaugh’s desire to learn more about him, Riggs refuses.  Brooks Avery (Kevin Rahm) asks about the status of the case, and Riggs grabs the file of Kenny’s associates out of Sonya’s hands.  Avery finds the behavior strange, but Riggs makes up an excuse before leaving.

 

Murtaugh visits Scorsese (Johnathan Fernandez), who shows him that the cell phone number on Kenny’s hand is Molly’s.  Murtaugh gives him the hairs and asks him to discreetly test them for another case.  Riggs arrives at Molly’s house and Molly greets him.  They talk, and Molly realizes Riggs is there for more than just catching up.  Riggs tells her about Jake’s parole hearing, and Molly is frustrated that Jake didn’t call, admitting that he wishes that Jake could get his life together like Riggs did.  Riggs asks Molly to let him know if Jake calls.

 

Riggs gets a call from Murtaugh, who identifies the number as Molly’s and informs Riggs that he’s on his way to her house.  Riggs tells Murtaugh that he’s close by as he sees Jake pull up in front of the house.  He tells Jake that he’s looking for him, and Jake drives away.  Riggs chases him and they pass by Murtaugh’s car.  Murtaugh joins the chase and Riggs rams into Jake’s car, then pushes him against the car as he tries to run.  Riggs asks if he killed Kenny, and Jake swears he didn’t.  Jake reminds Riggs that he owes him, and Riggs lets him go.  Murtaugh arrives at the scene confused and Riggs explains that Jake is his friend.

 

Avery addresses the station about Jake and Murtaugh whispers to Riggs that he’s not comfortable.  Riggs doesn’t believe that Jake is a killer, and goes to talk to Jake as soon as Avery finishes his speech.  Murtaugh doesn’t want Riggs to go alone, but Riggs believes it’s better this way.  He asks Riggs what he owes Jake, and asks if he will arrest him if he is actually guilty.  Riggs says he will and allows Murtaugh to go with him.  They find Jake on the side of the road, and Jake is hesitant about Murtaugh’s presence.  He tells them his side of the story and insists that he was just a driver.  He tells them that there was a third person there and that they killed Kenny.  Riggs pulls Murtaugh aside and suggests they look into Jake’s story, but Murtaugh doesn’t believe him.

 

Riggs gets a text from Avery demanding him to return to the office, and Riggs asks Murtaugh to stay with Jake.  Murtaugh handcuffs Jake, telling him that he doesn’t trust him as much as Riggs does.  Sonya gets annoyed with Bowman for messing up the crime scene, and he tries to apologize.  Scorsese asks what’s going on, and she explains that she accidentally sent Bowman a sext the previous night and he rejected her.  Scorsese calls Bowman an idiot, and Bowman brings over potential evidence.

 

Avery introduces Riggs to Robert McCoy (Michael James Lazar), who told Avery about Riggs testifying at Jake’s parole hearing.  He questions why Riggs didn’t tell him, and Riggs tries to avoid the question.  Avery asks McCoy to step out and shows Riggs a copy of Jake’s previously sealed juvenile record, explaining that he understands why Riggs feels indebted to him.  Avery asks where Jake is, and Riggs lies that he doesn’t know.  Murtaugh and Jake share stories about Riggs, and Murtaugh asks what Riggs owes him.  Jake distracts him, gains control of the steering wheel, and pulls them over.  While Murtaugh is disoriented by the airbag, Jake pulls his gun, forces Murtaugh to hand over the keys, and uncuffs himself.  He orders Murtaugh to handcuff himself to the wheel and runs way.

 

Back at the station, Riggs tries to justify Jake’s actions, but Murtaugh is pissed.  Scorsese approaches them and tells them that a hair at the crime scene matches Jake.  Murtaugh tells Riggs that Jake probably lied about everything else as well.  Riggs storms off and Scorsese tells Murtaugh that both hair samples were clean of marijuana.  Murtaugh concludes that the joint must belong to Trish Murtaugh (Keesha Sharp).  At the crime scene, Sonya questions how the thief got into the safe without cracking it and she and Bowman conclude that Kenny already knew the combination.

 

Murtaugh joins Trish on the couch and tells her that he needs something to take the edge off.  She is surprised that he suggests they smoke weed together, and he confronts her about the joint.  Trish laughs at it, and is horrified with he tells her that he had the kids drug-tested.  She is furious by his accusation and reminds him that there is someone else that spends a lot of time at their house that Murtaugh hasn’t ruled out: Riggs.

 

Riggs watches over Molly and Ben from his truck and flashes back to playing video games with Jake and Young Molly (Sophia Woodward).  Nathan Riggs (Rex Linn) comes home and Riggs tells his friends to leave.  His father approaches him and takes off his belt as he yells at him for stealing cars.  Riggs admits that he’s tired of getting hit and Nathan attacks him for talking back.  Riggs grabs a shotgun, and Nathan grabs it and points it at his head.  He encourages him not to miss, but Riggs is unable to pull the trigger.  Nathan pushes him to the ground and punches Riggs before he is shot in the face.  Riggs looks up to see Jake holding the gun.

 

Murtaugh and Riggs visit Albert and accuse him of knowing about the robbery.  They explain that the safe was opened with the combination, and Albert requests to speak to his lawyer.  In the interrogation room, Albert and his lawyer (Leigh Bush) explain that Albert caught his wife, Candi (Pooja Batra), cheating and staged a robbery for revenge.  He explains that he didn’t kill Kenny, and Riggs asks how he met Kenny.  Albert tells him that they met at the parole office and Riggs confirms that the officer is McCoy.

 

Sonya and Bowman visit McCoy’s office, but he isn’t there.  She yells at him for knocking over a coffee mug, and he explains that he’s nervous around her.  She brings up the sext, and he tells her that sexting is awesome.  Sonya asks why he responded if he knew it wasn’t for him, and he replies that it was a joke.  She calls Bowman over and they look under a table in the office to find a recording device.  After learning of the device, Riggs makes Murtaugh admit that he was right about Jake not being the killer.

 

They question where the gold is and Bowman suggests that Jake has it.  Riggs doesn’t believe it until he figures that Jake probably stashed it.  A mechanic opens the hood of the car to reveal the gold inside, but Jake puts a gun to his head and drives off with the gold.  Jake pulls up in a parking lot where Molly is waiting for him.  Jake asks where Ben is and Molly tells him that she won’t take their son on the run with them.

 

Jake asks Molly what she’s done and Riggs tells him not to blame her.  Molly tells Jake that he did this to himself, and Jakes tells Riggs that he didn’t kill Kenny.  Riggs tells him that he needs to bring him in for the gold.  Jake asks if he believes his debt’s been paid, and Riggs explains that he has no choice.  McCoy shoots Jake and Murtaugh fires back before running towards him.  Riggs presses his hand to Jake’s shoulder wound, and Murtaugh finally shoots McCoy.

 

Jake tells Riggs he wanted the gold so he could be a better father than their fathers were as Murtaugh arrests McCoy.  Jake says he can’t go back to prison, and Riggs flashes back to Jake being taken into custody for Nathan’s murder.  In the present, Riggs tells Jake that he’ll put him in prison if he ever sees him again and tells Jake to hit him.  They get into a fight, and Riggs tells Jake to leave the gold before letting him go.  Molly refuses to go with him, and Riggs comforts her as Jake drives away.  Murtaugh questions why he let Jake go, and Riggs lies that he got winded.  However, Murtaugh sees through this and tells Riggs to never introduce him to one of his friends again.

 

Riggs tells Avery that he wasn’t able to catch Jake, and they speculate over whether he’s going to Mexico.  Avery asks Riggs to let him no if he hears from him, and Riggs promises before asking to not tell anyone about what happened with his father.  Murtaugh boasts to Riggs that he figured out what he owes Jake and presents an incorrect theory.  Riggs explains that Jake saved his life and went to jail for it, but refuses to elaborate.  Murtaugh confronts him about the joint, but he says that he rolls his differently before pocketing it.

 

Riggs and Molly drink together, and Molly tells him that she told Ben the truth about Jake.  She believes that Jake is never coming back, and hopes that Riggs finds happiness.  She asks how he is and tells him that they have too much history when he tries to dodge the question.  Riggs asks if he can check on her and Ben and she says yes.  The joint continues to perplex Murtaugh and Trish realizes that the joint belonged to her Cousin when she stayed over.  She realizes that Murtaugh is high from snacking on her cousin’s special gummy bears.  Murtaugh freaks out and Trish tells him to stay calm.  She calls Riggs and they watch him stoned on the couch.  Riggs checks on him and brings him food and drinks that they enjoy together.  Murtaugh tells Riggs that he finally gets him as they sit together on the couch.