Lethal Weapon season 4: The path to a renewal at Fox
If you love watching Lethal Weapon, then the news that we have for you today is quite unfortunate: Season 3 is done. Last week was the finale, and now we’re all stuck in the terrible network holding pattern to see what happens next.
At the moment, we don’t anticipate this holding pattern to stop in the near future. Fox is most likely going to test your patience, as they have a lot to figure out before they can press the big, metaphorical green renewal button that we like to imagine all network executives have at their desks. Within this piece, our goal is to point out some of the various boxes that need to be checked before Fox will likely make a decision — with this show in particular, it’s not exactly like they’re going to base things solely on what’s played out so far.
1. DVR Ratings – Ratings dictate everything with network television, and it is not just about the percentage of people who are watching a show live (though let’s be honest – those do matter). Instead, it’s a cumulative equation built up of a number of different things, whether it be online streams, DVR viewings, and a whole lot more. Basically, there is a simple question that the folks at Fox are looking to answer: How much money can they make from a show like Lethal Weapon? If they determine that they can pull in a lot of cash still, they’ll be so much more inclined to keep it around. Clearly, it was popular enough for them to want a season 3 even with the dumpster-fire of a situation following Clayne Crawford’s exit.
2. Damon Wayans’ status – This is a big one. If Damon leaves, where does the show go from there? Do you still find a way to keep the rest of the Murtaugh family involved? His future on the show is complicated since it seemingly involves so much more than just him. While he expressed an interest in leaving last fall, all indications now suggest that his schedule was adjusted and he and the production team were more in lockstep by the finale. That matters, but we’re also not going to Vegas and putting all of our money on him sticking around.
3. Pitching the idea for what’s next – We do think that season 3 ended in a pretty compelling way, with Cole and Murtaugh each headed to South America to work on a secret mission to take down Barnes. Matt Miller and the writers can start with this in pitching a season 4 to Fox, while also talking about some cool cases and some interesting character stories. Trish moving up the ladder is a fun one, as would be the whole Murtaugh family dealing with the added scrutiny.
4. Waiting on other decisions – It’s not just about Lethal Weapon, folks. The decision to renew this show also comes down to what Fox wants to do with some of their other hits. If they bring back too many other shows, maybe they don’t have room for more of Cole and Murtaugh; or, maybe they love a ton of their pilots and would rather order some of them! If the show ends, it may because Fox feels more comfortable with what they’ve got going on elsewhere more so than anything that this show is doing.
We’ve said it before but it bears repeating — Fox has until May to make up their mind. Be patient, but also stay positive if you love all things Lethal Weapon. There is still reason to hope for the future.
How are you feeling about the future of Lethal Weapon?
Are you hopeful? Concerned? Somewhere in between? Preferring to not think about it? One way or another, we want to hear from you below!