Lethal Weapon: Season 3 Ends On An Explosive High-Note

[PLEASE NOTE: This recap of Lethal Weapon: Season 3, Episode 15: The Spy Who Loved Me DOES CONTAIN SPOILERS. It is assumed you have already viewed the episode. If you have not, it is recommended you do so. Episode 15: The Spy Who Loved Me can be seen on Fox, On-Demand or via your preferred streaming service.]

Like many other fans who’ve been watching Lethal Weapon since it made the jump from the big screen to our TV screens; I figured the show’s Third Season would be nothing more than a jump of the shark.  What with Seann William Scott replacing Clayne Crawford as the series’ co-lead; the dissatisfaction of star Damon Wayans, and all the behind-the-scenes drama. How could this Third Season not die a quick death? Well, I can’t speak for fellow fans of the show, but I found Lethal Weapon: Season 3 to be a true televised treat that exceeded my expectations! More on that later, for now though, let’s get into Episode 3.15: The Spy Who Loved Me:
 
The Season 3 Finale opens to find its main characters in dire straights; even more so than usual. It’s Natalie Flynn’s (Maggie Lawson) wedding day, but things aren’t going as expected. We find ourselves not in a church, but in a high-rise where Natalie’s tied to a chair that’s rigged to blow. With mere moments remaining, Wesley Cole (Seann William Scott) is desperately trying to defuse this explosive situation. Meanwhile downstairs, outside the building, Roger Murtaugh’s (Damon Wayans) being loaded into an ambulance due to a gunshot wound. With desperate seconds to spare, Cole and the bride jump out of one of the high-rise windows.
As they jump so does the narrative; we flashback to Two Days Earlier when our hero received rather unpleasant news. Natalie tells  Cole that she and Andrew (Jonathan Sadowski) are moving out of the country as part of Doctors Without Borders for a year, and they would like to take Mya (Shay Rudolph) with them. Making one of those tough calls that only parents have to, Cole grants permission; albeit, with pain in his heart. Meanwhile, across town, Murtaugh (Damon Wayans) is enjoying an evening home alone. That is, until The F.B.I. comes knocking at his door. The feds inform Murtaugh that they know Cole’s been working with Tom Barnes (Mykelti Williamson); who is no longer part of The C.I.A. After dropping this bombshell, the F.B.I. demands that Murtaugh wears a wire to get Cole’s affiliation with Barnes on the record; otherwise, Murtaugh will be arrested for treason.
Murtaugh goes to The Safari Inn looking for his partner, only to find that Cole’s already left with Barnes. Cole’s first assignment while he thinks about re-entering the spy game is to go to a building and capture a cartel hit man named El Tranquilo (Richard Cetrone). Alas, Cole gets thrown off his game when he realizes that the assassin’s target is none other than Andrew. In the fight that ensues, Cole ends up accidentally throwing the would-be killer out of high-window. Conveniently, the hit man’s corpse falls right into the LAPD’s lap; leading to a massive seizure of drug money.
The next night, Cole’s is understandably worried for Andrew’s safety and thus, wiggles his way into his bachelor party. Feeling very open, the drunken doctor then shares that he’s been recruited to run shipments through his Doctors Without Borders camp. Cole quickly makes the gravity of this situation very clear to Andrew; thus causing the good doctor to rush the bathroom. Cole follows him and is surprised to also Murtaugh in the club’s lavatory. Before the partners can explain themselves to one another; two men attack them. Following a brutal fight, these feds show up on the scene, and Murtaugh’s wire is exposed.
Once in federal custody, Cole’s shocked to find that Barnes is no longer C.I.A., and has been running illicit shipments through the unsuspecting Doctors Without Borders program. Of course, the feds want Cole’s help to bring his former mentor down. Cole’s then given a short break from interrogation. An opportunity which provides him and Murtaugh to apologize for their actions. No time is wasted the next as Barnes reveals that he’s already onto Cole.Furthermore, Barnes demands that Cole get him that ten million dollars that’s been seized. Otherwise, Barnes and his crew will not hesitate to kill Natalie. Upon learning about this threat Brooks Avery (Kevin Rahm), Bernard Scorsese (Johnathan Fernandez), Sonya Bailey (Michelle Mitchenor), and Gutierrez (Paola Lázaro) take the money out of police evidence on the down-low.

Murtaugh and Cole then go to a building’s parking garage deliver the money to Barnes in exchange for Natalie. Upon procuring his ill-gotten gain, Barnes gives them Natalie’s location; adding that the bride-to-be is rigged to a time-bomb. To cap it all off, Barnes then shoots Murtaugh in the ribs. Barnes then makes his escape leaving Cole to choose between saving his partner and his true love. Luckily, fate is on Cole’s side. As he tries to defuse the bomb, Natalie manages to help cauterize  Murtaugh’s wound. We then jump back to the present as Murtaugh is loaded into the ambulance. Back upstairs, Cole and his former bride jump out of a building for their lives and manage to grab on to a piece of machinery to avoid their fatal fall.

Things all end happily as Natalie calls off the wedding; deciding instead to continue her life with Cole and Maya. Meanwhile, at the hospital, Murtaugh’s wound is given proper medical attention. Two weeks later, our heroes decide to take their significant others on vacation to Ecuador. Not surprisingly, this trip also involves business, as they are headed to South America to take Barnes in. Thus, leaving this Season Finale on a proper cliffhanger. Not to mention, plenty of fertile ground for a yet to be announced Season 4!

Based on my introduction to this recap, it should come as no surprise that I find The Spy Who Loved Me to be an excellent episode! Like the best Lethal Weapon episodes that preceded it, this Season Finale has all the action, humor, and emotional resonance a viewer could ask for. The episode in recap is without a doubt one of the series best thus far. It does everything a season finale should do and does not disappoint! Beyond that, The Spy Who Loved Me pays an odd to the use of Why Can’t We Be Friends In Lethal Weapon 4 (1998).
Overall, I found Lethal Weapon: Season 3 to be an absolute delight! Furthermore, I think this is the strongest season to date. To my surprise, the on-screen chemistry shared by Wayans and Scott is endlessly entertaining. This new dynamic between co-stars also allows for the show to be a little more light-hearted than the previous seasons were. Of course, Season 3 isn’t devoid of issues. It had its share of filler, including Cole’s brief relationship with District Attorney Erica Malick (Nishi Munshi). Even so, this season was very enjoyable and an improvement to the series overall.

Lethal Weapon: Season 4 is Yet To Be Announced by Fox or Warner Bros. Expect an Announcement on the Series Continuation OR Cancellation Later This Year.