Great Characters: Leo Getz (“Lethal Weapon 2, 3, 4”)

Trickster characters test the Protagonist by switching sides from ally to enemy. But they are also notable in that often they provide a comedic element to a story. A good example is Leo Getz from the Lethal Weapon series:

The id comprises the unorganized part of the personality structure that contains the basic drives. The id acts according to the “pleasure principle,” seeking to avoid pain aroused by increases in instinctual tension.

Since their goal is to watch out for Number One and avoid anything that brings them pain, it’s only natural they shapeshift from ally to enemy, enemy to ally. And this instinct also offers the basis for humor as the Protagonist never knows what to expect from them. Like this from Lethal Weapon 4:

Martin Riggs: Oh Leo
Leo Getz: Hey Riggs
Martin Riggs: You want to get yourself shot is that It
Leo Getz: No
Martin Riggs: What the hell are you doing here?
Leo Getz: I was tailing you
Leo Getz: I leave you alone okay I mean I guess you want to be alone
Martin Riggs: Okay I appreciate it
Leo Getz: you know when I was a kid I had a pet frog
Martin Riggs: What?
Leo Getz: Just give me a second let me tell you this okay…
Leo Getz: Eh I had this pet frog, his name was froggy he was my best friend in the whole world, I didn’t have a lot of friends, as a matter of fact okay I had no friends, and eh I used to kiss the frog too, I thought maybe eh that it would turn into a princess since I was a boy, and eh it could be my mother, they told me that she left or something, and my father was no bargain, and so just the frog, froggy was my friend and I really loved him, and I took him everywhere with me, and I was riding on my bike one day and he jumped out of the box, and eh I ran him over with the back tire I killed him, I was really heartbroken, really, he was my best friend in the whole world, the only thing I ever loved and then I met you and roger, and you guys really looked after me a lot more than you had to.
Martin Riggs: I am terrible to you Leo.
Leo Getz: No no, it’s okay, it’s okay, you are my family, you are my friends… you are not better friends then froggy, you are just different, and eh, I just thought that maybe that might be relevant… okay, I leave you alone now.

Lethal Weapon: written by Shane Black

Lethal Weapon 2: screenplay by Jeffrey Boam, story by Shane Black & Warren Murphy, based on characters created by Shane Black

Lethal Weapon 3: screenplay by Jeffrey Boam and Robert Mark Kamen, story by Jeffrey Boam, based on characters created by Shane Black

Lethal Weapon 4: screenplay by Channing Gibson, story by Jonathan Lemkin and Alfred Gough & Miles Millar, based on characters created by Shane Black