Warning: Full spoilers for Lethal Weapon’s Season 3 premiere follow…
Firstly, it’s absolutely nuts, even though this TV series is a mix tape-style alt universe based on the movie franchise, that there’s an iteration now of Lethal Weapon where Riggs dies. I mean, it’s not totally out of line considering the original ending of Lethal Weapon 2 had him dying after being shot by “Diplomatic Immunity!” Arjen Rudd, but this time it all happens off-screen. Murtaugh gets the dire news relayed to him by a doctor in a dialogue free moment, that just involves a head shake. Crazy.
I’m not here to comment on the behind-the-scenes chaos that led to star Clayne Crawford’s firing and, subsequently, Riggs’ death (we assume Riggs would’ve just survived the shooting had Crawford returned) except to say that this created a massive hurdle for a show that’s always existed on the bubble and is based on a very popular, established franchise that leans heavily on Riggs for action and drama (granted, the character’s nesting doll of surprise skeletons from his past had dried up). This was a massive mountain to climb.
Source: IGN.com Lethal Weapon: Season 3 Premiere Review