Lethal Weapon: Who is going to parallel Lorna Cole from the movies?

Thus far, Lethal Weapon has paralleled the film quadrilogy counterpart fairly well. Will it continue?

Lethal Weapon has remained fresh by following a rough sketch of the film series. Murtaugh is a crotchety veteran who oscillates between retirement (i.e. “getting too old for this sh*t”) and exhilaration. Riggs is a psycho with morals, unable to escape his past, but capable of legal gray areas between bouts of psychosis.

As far as buddy cop shows go, Lethal Weapon is highly underrated. It’s easily one of the funniest shows on television, and would do well to continue mirroring the films. One of the key pieces of the films’ progressions is the introduction of a real love interest for Riggs. If the films are going to be followed some more, who might be Lorna Cole from the movies?

Who is Lorna Cole?

Originally, there were plans to mirror her character from the movies. Cole was a relentless Internal Affairs (IA) police officer played by Rene Russo who eventually fell for Martin Riggs. If she’s going to be introduced in the television version of Lethal Weapon, who will it be?

Will it be the police officer duplicate?

When Karen Palmer (Hilarie Burton) was introduced, she seemed like the obvious replacement. Instead of IA, it’s Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Either way, she’s as serious an agent as Cole was in the films, and also seems naturally attracted to Riggs. There is obvious chemistry between the two. Maybe even a bit of competition. The writers have done a good job making Palmer as tough and ruthless as necessary to handle a relationship with Riggs.

In some ways, she even sort of looks like Rene Russo. If the writers are going for the obvious, Palmer is the pick.

Will it be the polar opposite?

About as paradoxical as can be, Molly (Kristen Gutoskie) could be the woman for Riggs. She’s a likeable childhood friend from Texas, and she’s basically been introduced as a calming influence in his life. She and her son Ben represented the family void left since his mother committed suicide. They are about as vanilla as possible, and it’s perfect for Riggs.

Molly is not, however, remotely close to the original Lorna Cole character. So that may be a bit too far astray from the original source material with Rene Russo.

Is there a middle ground?

Can there be a tough character who is also nurturing? Maybe there is a woman out there who understands how Riggs works, and can push his buttons enough to keep him happy and safe at the same time? Enter everyone’s favorite psychiatrist, Dr. Maureen Cahill (Jordana Brewster).

In the “Better Living Through Chemistry” episode, Riggs reveals to her his darkest secrets and memories about his mother. He actually has a legit breakthrough in their sessions. Dr. Cahill may doubt her abilities, but she’s definitely having an affect on Riggs. Furthermore, he basically admits his destructive behavior would have already consumed him if not for Dr. Cahill. As he said, she’s the one that pulls him back from the abyss.

Dr. Cahill might just be the perfect fit for a Lorna Cole replacement, because she encompasses all the requirements of the character other than being a law enforcement officer of some kind.

Next: Is Riggs ready for romance?

What do you think? If Lorna Cole is going to be a character, is it one of the three most important women in Riggs’ life? It’s possible the character hasn’t even been introduced, but any of the three are compelling for their own reasons. Chime in with who you think his ultimate love interest might be.

Lethal Weapon airs Monday nights on Fox.