Behind the Scenes of Clayne Crawford's Explosive Lethal Weapon Exit

And for two seasons, it was — until star Clayne Crawford walked, the ratings dipped, and the whole thing unraveled faster than a third-act car chase.

So what actually happened?

Turns out, the usual Hollywood euphemism — "creative differences" — wasn't just a polite press release excuse. Crawford hated doing the show. Like, really hated it.

In an interview with UPI, he spelled it out:

"I was surrounded by people that didn't care that much about the artistry of it, and I should have known that going in. I thought that maybe we could make something that's more cable for Fox. I should've known better, [a show airing] Tuesday night at seven, I was going to get a cookie cutter."

Translation: he thought he was signing up for prestige drama, and ended up making a prime-time procedural for bored dads and background noise.

Crawford had signed on to play Martin Riggs — the same character Mel Gibson made famous — opposite Damon Wayans as Murtaugh. The show debuted in 2016, rode decent ratings for two seasons, and looked poised to stick around. But behind the scenes, things weren't holding together. There were reported tensions between Crawford and Wayans, creative disagreements with the studio, and a general sense that Crawford wanted out.

By season 3, he was gone. The writers killed off Riggs and brought in Seann William Scott as Wesley Cole, a totally new character who, despite his best efforts, couldn't recapture the same energy.

And here's what happened next:

• Lethal Weapon ran for three seasons, 2016–2019
• Crawford exited after season 2
• Seann William Scott replaced him in season 3
• Viewers bailed — ratings dropped
• Wayans left at the end of season 3
• The show was canceled

Once Crawford was gone, the whole series started to slide. Audiences weren't interested in watching Murtaugh team up with a knockoff Riggs, no matter how charming Seann William Scott was trying to be. When Wayans left too, it was game over.

Ironically, the thing Crawford complained about — wanting to push the format beyond its broadcast TV constraints — is exactly what network dramas are trying to do now. Shows like Matlock and Elsbeth are finally getting credit for tweaking old formulas, but Lethal Weapon never got that chance. It wanted to play it safe, lost its lead, and watched its reboot crash into a wall.

So why did Clayne Crawford leave Lethal Weapon? Because he wanted a smarter show. What he got was a 7 p.m. Tuesday slot and a factory-assembled cop drama. And he bailed before it flattened his whole career.

Honestly? Good call.