Someone said to me today that Leverage is perfectly cast, and that’s an assessment that I truly can’t argue with. The show has a brilliantly put together group of actors, who are asked to do some pretty heavy lifting each week, what with the different characters they are asked to play. Not only the badass Thief, Grifter, Hitter, Hacker, and Mastermind that are their true personas, but the characters that they have to play each week as a part of the con.
Since about half way through the first season, even Parker and Hardison have been getting into the action. While it doesn’t necessarily fit their announced expertise, you’d have to expect that, when they were working alone, they had to work out of their comfort zone (though, Parker? Maybe not so much). As Team Leverage continues, though, the cross utilization becomes more and more a part of the story, and more and more fun as well.
How can you not love Hardison rocking the afro? If you didn’t like the hair, you’ve got to love the cross-eyed look he had going on. Sophie might be the Grifter, but young Alec might truly be a lot more interesting to watch while in character.
Who would have thought, that while Hardison was playing the conspiracy theorist, that Eliot actually was one? Area 52? The Council? I’ve heard that we were going to get more of his back-story this season. He did take the lead in “The Tap-Out Job,” but I really want to know more about him.
Sophie as the “Mastermind” really didn’t work for me, and not in the way that it wasn’t supposed to work for me. Other than the “We’re going to steal a general” bit, most of the stuff just fell flat. It did lead, however, to more Nate/Sophie goodness, which I’m all for, with one exception. We learned (and thankfully, so did the writers, or so they said in the DVD Commentaries) last season that these two really don’t work that well as a romantic couple…. However, as the patriarch and matriarch of the team, them playing into a closer relationship can, and will, work just nicely, as long as they don’t cross the line.
If Leverage is about wish fulfillment, count me in on the wishing that Nancy Grace could go down the same way Monica Hunter, the character based on her, did (Did anyone catch the the Grace/TNT/’Characters’ spot that ran during tonight’s episode?). I especially liked that the client didn’t want money, but just wanted her father’s name cleared.
I don’t know who was channeling, at least by look, certain movie characters more: Parker as Michele Pfeiffer’s Tally Atwater in Up Close and Personal, or Nate, as, well, that guy in that movie Taps.
One final thing: The set up shot of Nate’s building reminded me of one of my favorite TV tropes… I want to live in the apartment with the cool bar on the first floor.
Clacked by Ivey West 
on Aug 13, 2009 @ 09:00 EST5EDT
I’m so glad you mentioned Taps….earlier in the episode I remarked to myself how young Timothy Hutton looked (the “we’re going to steal a general” scene) and then when I saw him in the camo and beret I actually screamed. I usually can’t think of Taps without bursting into tears, so I think this image might take some of that trauma away.
*POST AUTHOR*
The sad part is that its been SO long since I’ve seen Taps, I barely remember it. The good news is when I rent it now, it’ll be like seeing a movie for the first time :)
I don’t think Elliot is a conspiracy buff – it was just he and Hardison yanking Parker’s chain.
I agree that Sofie as the mastermind felt flat. I like her better out in the field.
Just watched this episode and I loved it. Yes, Sophie fell flat, but she was supposed to. I had been mourning the loss of the quotables this season, and we sure got ‘em in this episode, along with more of the charming interactions and quirkiness that hadn’t clicked for me as much this season. This episode was on par with everything I love about Leverage and I am soooo looking forward to the rest of the season… especially Wil Wheaton’s episode in a couple of weeks!