The Lethal Weapon TV series was initially a surprise hit, accurately mimicking the set-up of the popular film series that it was based on. Starring Damon Wayans and Clayne Crawford as two mismatched buddy cops, the series fit in with its airtime line-up while offering something fresh in the genre.
Unfortunately, that didn’t save the show from what many saw as a premature demise. Lethal Weapon‘s early cancellation can be attributed to the ratings that were lost when one of its protagonists was killed off. This untimely change came after consistent behind-the-scenes drama, forcing the producers to get rid of the one part of the show’s star duo. Here’s why Lethal Weapon not only wrote Riggs out but also ensured he’d never return.
Click the button below to start this article in quick view.
Why Riggs Was Killed Off
There were numerous times early in Lethal Weapon’s production where Clayne Crawford, the actor who portrayed Riggs, felt the show’s stunts were putting the actors, namely himself, in harm’s way. He admitted these incidents happened, stating that he felt it was in the best interest of those involved to have spoken up at that time about the danger to those involved.
Tempers apparently ran hot on the set, with Crawford and co-star Damon Wayans not even speaking to each other. Part of the duo’s tension stemmed from an incident where Wayans was hit by shrapnel while filming an episode Crawford himself directed. Audio and video of the two getting into it on set soon surfaced, and the general vibe within the production was not in Crawford’s favor. This was only in the second season of Lethal Weapon, and with so much trouble this early on, Fox decided to fire Crawford and have his character written out by the third season. In the years since, there’s been controversy about why Crawford’s firing really happened, with the actor contesting Fox’s claims that he was difficult on numerous occasions.
How Riggs Was Killed Off
To ensure that there were no loose ends in the character’s exit, Lethal Weapon’s showrunners decided to outright kill Riggs off instead of writing him out of the series. The second season’s finale sees Riggs’ crook father Nathan kidnapping Murtaugh’s wife. Riggs then uses his brother as collateral to exchange for Murtaugh’s wife and ends up killing his father in the scuffle.
Things look somewhat bright at the end for Riggs, who visits his wife’s grave and plans to move back to his home of Texas to start anew. This doesn’t come to fruition, however, as his brother reappears and shoots him square in the chest. The third season’s premiere doesn’t mince words, making it clear within the first few minutes that Riggs died from his injuries.
Riggs’ replacement was a new character named Wesley Cole, who was played by Sean William Scott. This change after the show’s future was up in the air, however, and many fans wondered how Lethal Weapon could work without one of the franchise’s co-stars. Unfortunately, the show wasn’t able to retain its ratings, which were already beginning to plummet by the second season. With Season 3 generating about half of the viewers that the show’s maiden voyage did and Damon Wayans also wanting to leave the series, Fox pulled the plug on Lethal Weapon during Season 3 to begin rearranging its programming lineup.