History TearJerker / LethalWeapon2016

For a show featuring lots of car chases and gratuitous explosions, there's a surprising amount of real emotion to be found. Much of it comes from Riggs's grief - which, due to the longer form of a TV show rather than a movie, is handled realistically, is delved into in more depth, and is almost never PlayedForLaughs.

* The season 3 premiere has Roger [[spoiler: rocked hard by Riggs' death. Six months later, he still lounges around the house in sweats, convinced Riggs was killed as some sort of conspiracy. When he realizes it wasn't, Roger admits he just didn't want to admit his friend could have have died in such a random way.]]

* In "Better Living Through Chemistry", the strain of being Riggs' therapist finally starts to get to Dr. Cahill after she watches him in the field and realizes just how little regard he has for his own safety. She tells him that she's begun to suspect that she's actually making him ''worse''.

-->'''Jackson:'''[[ItsPersonal THEY POISONED MY BROTHERS]]!

* Both "Let It Ride" and "Gold Rush" can induce this, as we see just how unbelievably ''shitty'' a childhood Riggs had. His mother becomes ill and dies, his father turns from an uptight but loving, salt-of-the-earth guy into a [[AbusiveParents drunken, slap-happy jerkass]], and he has to watch [[spoiler: his best friend kill his father in order to defend him]].

* "Commencement" has Riggs fall back into the depths of obsession and depression on learning [[spoiler:Gideon targeted Miranda]], which is especially jarring after he had begun to show signs of healing.

* In "Homebodies", the Chinese Mafia have kidnapped Owlsley the genius chemist, with the intent of [[ColdBloodedTorture forcing her]] to make drugs for them. Riggs manages to rescue her, but not before Owlsley denies both the gangs and the LAPD their prize by poisoning herself with a personal drug cocktail. She dies absolutely terrified on a park bench, with only Riggs to hold her as she goes.

-->'''Ronnie Delgado''': If you want to be a drunk, Martin, go be a drunk. ''But I won't let you blame my daughter for it.''

* In "The Seal Is Broken" Riggs seems to go on a serious downward spiral, getting blackout drunk and having a one-night stand with a total stranger. Later on we discover what's triggered it: It's been a year and a day since his wife's death, the prescribed grieving period under Catholic doctrine. He and Miranda's family were supposed to meet and honor her memory, but instead he went and got himself messed up rather than face them. Later, his father in law confronts him:

For a show featuring lots of car chases and gratuitous explosions, there's a surprising amount of real emotion to be found. Much of it comes from Riggs's grief - which, due to the longer form of a TV show rather than a movie, is handled realistically, is delved into in more depth, and is very rarely PlayedForLaughs.

* In the pilot episode, Riggs happily runs into a hospital carrying flowers, dolls, and balloons because he's excited to see his wife and new baby. [[MoodWhiplash In seconds, he's a sobbing heap on the floor after hearing that his wife died in a car accident before being able to give birth]].

For a show featuring lots of car chases and gratuitous explosions, there's a surprising amount of real emotion to be found. Much of it comes from Riggs's grief - which, due to the longer form of a TV show rather than a movie, is handled realistically, is delved into in more depth, and is very rarely PlayedForLaughs.