Summary
The Lethal Weapon TV series was a surprise hit, accurately mimicking the set-up of the popular Mel Gibson-Danny Glover film series it was based on. However, its ratings dipped after one of its protagonists was killed off. Martin Riggs' (Clayne Crawford) death came about following some behind-the-scenes drama that forced the producers to split up the show's star duo.
Riggs' final episode on the Lethal Weapon series was the Season 2 finale, in which his crooked father kidnapped Murtaugh's wife. Riggs then used his brother as collateral to exchange for Murtaugh's wife -- and ended up killing his dad in the scuffle. His subsequent plans to have a fresh start in Texas then didn't come to fruition when his brother suddenly reappeared and shot him square in the chest. The Season 3 premiere didn't mince words, making it clear within the first few minutes that Riggs' death was caused by his injuries.
What Happened to Riggs on Lethal Weapon?
According to The Hollywood Reporter, there were numerous times in production where Clayne Crawford felt the show's stunts were putting the Lethal Weapon's TV show cast -- particularly himself -- in harm's way. Crawford told THR that he felt it was in the best interest of those involved to have spoken up at that time about the dangerous nature of the stunts. But tempers apparently ran hot on set, with Crawford and co-star Damon Wayans (who portrayed Murtaugh) 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 of the pair's on-set disagreements soon surfaced, and the general vibe within the production was not in Crawford's favor. With so much trouble only in Lethal Weapon's second season, Fox decided to fire Crawford and have his character written out. In the years since, there's been controversy over why Crawford's firing really happened, with the actor contesting Fox's claims that he was difficult.
How Lethal Weapon Addressed Riggs' Death
In the Season 3 premiere of the Lethal Weapon series, Riggs was rushed to the hospital by Murtaugh -- only for a doctor to emerge and tell him "I'm sorry." The last shot before the title card was of Murtaugh beginning to cry over the loss of his colleague. To allay fans' concerns about how Lethal Weapon would work without one of the franchise's core characters, the show brought in a different co-lead. Riggs' replacement was a new character named Wesley Cole (played by Seann William Scott). Cole was a former CIA operative who was trying to get his own fresh start in Los Angeles.
But with this shake-up, the show unfortunately wasn't able to shore up its ratings, which were already beginning to plummet by the second season. Season 3 generated about half of the viewers that the show's maiden voyage did and with Damon Wayans wanting to leave Lethal Weapon, Fox saw the writing on the wall. The network pulled the plug after a 15-episode third season.