Written by Mr. Mouseburger 1st Mar 2006
Kindly submitted by P.E
Daryl is one of Nick Murtaugh's school friends. and member of a mildly sinister gang. I say mildly sinister because they don't seem to do much wrong apart from make a quick exit when the cops are about.
[cut to] Outside of Fast Eddies Riggs and Murtaugh notice some suspicious behaviour by some kids, and so they tell the hoodlums to freeze. This statement has the opposite effect on them and they run. Following a bit of a chase, Riggs and Murtaugh manage to corner the kids, who open fire in desperation - Murtaugh responds by returning shots and he sucessfully shoots a hoodlum. When he goes to check the body he discovers, to his horror, that it is Nick's friend, Daryl.
The last time I heard when someone has been shot, they either die or lay there in agony. So the death scene to me was one that I would believe because after the agony, he died. So shot being the statement, was an understatement, because the action caused the correct reaction. I applaud the dying scene.
That is a good point Dudley - too often we see the action and not the consequences. So it is very easy to see countless people getting shot and think that there is no pain involved, due to being desensitised.
To see this kid lying there in angony after being shot really brings home the fact that guns are not just toys (as these kids seem to think in the film).
They really sold it in the film. We even have the funeral, which makes it all the more important, as does the fact it really affects Murtaugh.
if smithers is a friend of nicholas murtaugh why is he a member a gang? wouldn't this count as betrayal and former friends?
No, it's not "Betrayal" 'cause Daryl is killed by Roger Murtaugh, Nick's father. Daryl, whether Nick's friend or not, was breaking the law and shooting at Roger who fired back in self-defense. As for "Former Friends," Daryl was Nick's friend, not Roger's, and besides, as we see later, although Nick blames Daryl and not his father for the death, he never disowns him as a friend.
I kind of got the impression Nick and Daryl had known one another since they were kids, allowing Nick to overlook Daryl's gang affiliations, and Daryl to not mind that Nick's father is a cop.