10 Great Characters Ruined By Terrible Sequels

There's less to say about Dr. Stephanie Woods, the resident psychiatrist/ mental health evaluation officer of Lethal Weapon’s precinct, than most of the characters on this list. That said, that’s part of what makes her an important and impressive figure—at first.

In the first film of the franchise we’re introduced to the unflappably cool, morally righteous, and suicidally depressed Martin Riggs. His fragile mental state is made clear via some tearful breakdowns and a few scenes he shares with Dr. Woods, a psychiatrist who doubts his suitability for active patrol. Woods is level-headed, professional, and her diagnosis of Riggs makes it clear that, as cool as he is, he’s a dangerous man with serious issues.

So far, so R-rated action movie appropriate.

However by the film’s second sequel, Riggs’ mental health is doing a lot better and our antihero is far more stable. Cause for celebration, right? Er…

The movie still needs to convince us he’s a loose cannon, but we see him sitting back enjoying family barbeques, meaning the formerly competent Dr. Woods must become an over-involved, wishy washy parody of the worst excesses of new age touchy-feely pseudo-psychiatry, doing both her earlier iterations and the franchise’s dark, gritty tone a disservice in the process.