‘Lethal Weapon’ Season 3 Premiere Spoilers: Meet Riggs’ Replacement, Murtaugh’s New Partner

After a dramatic end to “Lethal Weapon” Season 2, both onscreen and off, the show’s making a few changes when Season 3 premieres on Tuesday.

The Fox drama, which is a reboot of the movie franchise of the same name about two seemingly-incompatible cops working together, wrapped up its second season in May with the news that lead actor Clayne Crawford (Martin Riggs) would not be returning. He was fired from the show after being reprimanded for his on-set behavior twice.

Shortly after his exit was revealed, Fox found his replacement in the form of “American Pie” alum Seann William Scott. Instead of taking over the role of Riggs, the actor will play an entirely new character named Wesley Cole, a former CIA agent and a father. He’ll come in as Roger Murtaugh’s (Damon Wayans) new partner in the Season 3 premiere.

“I think a lot of fans may be upset they’re not going to see Riggs,” Scott told Entertainment Weekly. “I really believe they’re going to watch this and feel like we handled it in a way that is really respectful to the character and what he meant to the show.”

In the Season 2 finale of “Lethal Weapon,” Riggs was shot and his fate was unknown. Fans will find out in episode 1 of this new season what exactly happened to him and how Wesley comes to be paired up with Murtaugh.

In the Season 3 premiere, titled “In the Same Boat,” “Former international CIA operative Wesley Cole returns home and assumes duty as a police officer with the LAPD,” the synopsis shares. “Cole finds himself navigating a new partnership with Murtaugh, as he adjusts to life in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Avery [Kevin Rahm] continues his campaign for city council.”

Right off the bat, Murtaugh lets Wesley know that he takes “this partnership thing very seriously,” according to the Season 3 trailer.

Although Wesley will be a very different character and partner than Riggs, he’ll have some similarities, as well.

“He is the opposite to Riggs who had a lot of anger and a lot of angst, who is looking to go in and maybe shoot all the bad guys,” showrunner Matt Miller told Deadline. “This is a guy who is looking to go into a situation with the bad guys and say, ‘OK, guys we can talk about this.’ Of course, the situations evolve always, chaos follows him wherever he goes; we still want the action comedy, all the explosions, all the drama all the set pieces.”

Miller continued: “At the same time, because of the fact that Riggs was the lethal weapon in the show, when he’s gone you need a new catalyst for the show, new energy and someone who by definition could qualify as the lethal weapon.”

Meet Scott’s character when “Lethal Weapon” Season 3 premieres on Fox on Tuesday at 9 p.m. EDT.