S01.E10: The Unwellness Job

[tessaray]

The Leverage team sets out to discredit a lifestyle and wellness guru targeting desperate people and peddling snake oil instead of actual medicine.

Original air date: October 8, 2021
 

[Zonk]

So, the Goop episode. This was fun and had a satisfying conclusion. If only somebody could ship Gwyneth Paltrow off to a gas station in the middle of nowhere.

Minor complaint: Blockchains don't work offline. So that whole thing with having to overcome the airgap was a bit bullshitty. Which of course is only a problem since hackers on this show are magical and can break into every computer on a network.

[MissLucas]

Was it just me or did the actress playing Bronwyn look like Amy Adams? (Bit unfair since Paltrow was clearly the inspiration for the character.) And the guy playing Chad looked like Paul Rudd's little brother. 

I keep enjoying Breanna's Hardison moments. I did NOT enjoy all the bees nor do I think anyone would keep fighting for so long amidst several pissed off beehives. I loved Dark Sophie throwing knives (and smartphones) with precision. Chad was a jerk but I covet his office furniture.

[DearEvette]

2 minutes ago, MissLucas said:

Was it just me or did the actress playing Bronwyn look like Amy Adams? (Bit unfair since Paltrow was clearly the inspiration for the character.) And the guy playing Chad looked like Paul Rudd's little brother. 

I keep enjoying Breanna's Hardison moments. I did NOT enjoy all the bees nor do I think anyone would keep fighting for so long amidst several pissed off beehives. I loved Dark Sophie throwing knives (and smartphones) with precision. Chad was a jerk but I covet his office furniture.

So much this!

Yes, to the Amy Adams look-alike and I was 100% dying because I know this was pointed at Goop nonsense.

Sophie was definitely the star of this one, from her taking it rather personal to all of her badassness.  We really get to see her grifter chops as she pivots on a dime to adapt to the situation when she gets kidnapped.  All without breaking a sweat.  I also like the way the job became about taking down Chad and letting Bronwyn be collateral damage (rather than the focus) as a way to put them both out of circulation.

I hated Chad, obvs, but I kinda loved him.  He was pretty hysterical and matter of fact as he discusses murder.  The actor had a way of delivering a line that made it funny but not obviously so, I especially loved the last scene in his office where he and Sophie were kinda verbally sparring.

Both Breanna and Harry continue to be great additions to the cast.  I am just tickled how they managed to slip in and be part of the team without it feeling too jarring or messing up the chemistry. 

Also, there is a test you have to pass before Parker will allow you to jump off a building?

[rainsmom]

2 hours ago, DearEvette said:

Also, there is a test you have to pass before Parker will allow you to jump off a building?

Jump, yes. Be thrown off, no.

[AnimeMania]

I really liked the magnetic phone case bit. Sophie must have some quick fingers to get that count down timer app running so quickly under pressure.

[SnapHappy]

That was a fun and snarky episode.  I like when the marks think they're so much more clever than everybody else, then gets their asses handed to them!  

And I love when the team does a twist to the plan that we don't see until it plays out.  Kind of "behind the scenes". 

Breanna is really doing a great job straddling that teen/adult line.  The actress is just spot on with her actions, reactions and attitudes.  She's such a great addition and is fitting in so nicely to the "family".  Harry's not quite there yet, but he doesn't seem to need the team emotionally as much as the others do.  

Edited October 9, 2021 by SnapHappy

[Lugal]

So I wasn't the only one watching and thinking how much Bronwyn looks like Amy Adams. The villains here were some of the most interesting: funny, can fake being friendly, completely psychopathic and removed from reality.  This was Sophie's episode to shine and Gina just ran with it.  This is why Sophie Devereaux is a legend.

So you have to learn to hang from buildings before you can jump off.  Although, did Elliot really have to spin her before they left?

22 hours ago, Zonk said:

Minor complaint: Blockchains don't work offline. So that whole thing with having to overcome the airgap was a bit bullshitty. Which of course is only a problem since hackers on this show are magical and can break into every computer on a network.

I assumed that drive in the safe was his cold wallet and Breanna's virus used it to connect to the blockchain once he plugged it in.  His cryptocurrency was wiped out and that pretty much screwed him in regards to money laundering.  But I especially loved Bronwyn's ironic ending.  Gas station in the middle of nowhere:

"You look like Bronwyn"

"I get that a lot."

"I heard shes dead."

"I never liked her."

I wonder if the line about Parker coordinating between the Korean and Nigerian leverage teams is a shoutout to the South Korean version of Leverage.

[Maelstrom]

First off, I think these two marks have to be in the top five of Worst Marks Ever. I know there's been some stiff competition on this show, but the complete lack of compassion combined with the sheer glee they exhibited at the thought of screwing people over was actually chilling. Yikes.

Wonderful Sophie episode, and I sure as hell can't blame her for taking their crimes personally. Though I really don't get Harry comparing Sophie to Bronwyn at the beginning - Sophie targeted rich people and took treasures from them, whereas Bronwyn targets powerless people and continually milks them for money until they have nothing left to give. It just didn't make sense and pulled me out of the episode.

But I really liked the conversation between Harry and Sophie at the end about doing what was easy vs. what was hard. An interesting theme and one I'd love to see revisited in the future.

Overall, a fun twisty episode that started in one place and ended up somewhere entirely different at the end without seeming out of place. I'm glad that Melanie was an inherently decent person who was able to get back to helping people by the end, and I enjoyed Breanna seeing that potential in her and reaching out.

Loved Eliot's crazy bee guy. And we got a "Dammit Parker!" at the end! I have missed hearing "Dammit Hardison" this season. Also worth mentioning: Parker speaking about the "Grey man who haunts your dreams" and taking it for granted that everyone knows about him.

[Prevailing Wind]

1 hour ago, Maelstrom said:

Though I really don't get Harry comparing Sophie to Bronwyn at the beginning

Failed actress turned grifter. On a superficial level, he's right.

[Abra]

CK as Eliot playing a woowoo bee guy and Eliot the hitter with a dildo assist had to make a couple of appearances on the blooper reel.

I would not be as forgiving as Breanna about Melanie's turnaround. She fully knew what she was doing and just whined about her original intent while being a fully active participant in the scam. We're supposed to believe that selling the customers' data was a step too far for her, but targeting desperate and ill women and selling them at best useless and at worst deadly supplements was okay? Fork off, Melanie.

Seasonal Nitpick: the makeup artist for the actresses is terrible. Sophie constantly looks like she's been punched in both eyes (Breanna on occasion as well), and the foundation is noticeably wrong for their skin tones. Sophie, Breanna, the R.I.Z. lady - their necks and their faces are several shades off. Perhaps the show makeup artists is a real life scammer to get themselves the job??

[Zonk]

On 10/9/2021 at 9:25 PM, Lugal said:

I assumed that drive in the safe was his cold wallet and Breanna's virus used it to connect to the blockchain once he plugged it in.  His cryptocurrency was wiped out and that pretty much screwed him in regards to money laundering. 

Would have had no complaints if that was what they said, but they specifically said that the laptop had no network connection and thus Breanna couldn't hack in.

[Johannah]

On 10/9/2021 at 3:30 PM, Maelstrom said:

First off, I think these two marks have to be in the top five of Worst Marks Ever. I know there's been some stiff competition on this show, but the complete lack of compassion combined with the sheer glee they exhibited at the thought of screwing people over was actually chilling. Yikes.

Wonderful Sophie episode, and I sure as hell can't blame her for taking their crimes personally. Though I really don't get Harry comparing Sophie to Bronwyn at the beginning - Sophie targeted rich people and took treasures from them, whereas Bronwyn targets powerless people and continually milks them for money until they have nothing left to give. It just didn't make sense and pulled me out of the episode.

But I really liked the conversation between Harry and Sophie at the end about doing what was easy vs. what was hard. An interesting theme and one I'd love to see revisited in the future.

Overall, a fun twisty episode that started in one place and ended up somewhere entirely different at the end without seeming out of place. I'm glad that Melanie was an inherently decent person who was able to get back to helping people by the end, and I enjoyed Breanna seeing that potential in her and reaching out.

Loved Eliot's crazy bee guy. And we got a "Dammit Parker!" at the end! I have missed hearing "Dammit Hardison" this season. Also worth mentioning: Parker speaking about the "Grey man who haunts your dreams" and taking it for granted that everyone knows about him.

Yeah, they were pretty cold-blooded.

I think Harry realizing the difference between Sophie and Bronwyn is part of his journey.  He's been thrust in with these thieves and grifters and while he likes them, he's still learning about them.  Conmen target people's greed and our particular conmen go after the greediest.

[LisaM]

Loved it... Especially Sophie.. But not the bees (phobia). 

[aradia22]

Really dramatic start to the episode. Almost like Law & Order. I don't think the reboot has really found the mix of humor and drama that the old show had. The serious stuff doesn't quite fit. 

"She had just enough camera presence and fame so that she stood out from other amateurs" The read...

I kept thinking the mark this week was a knock-off JoAnna Garcia. I finally looked her up and realized she's the actress from Devious Maids. 

"What's going on with the knives today?" 😄

$200 a pop? What kind of cheap influencers did they contact?

Melanie felt like the sidekick partner in the card game episode. Are they making a point or just being repetitive?

Crypto guy being that interested in the data of a million people who, as he pointed out, might already be in financial difficulty seemed weird. Like, wouldn't you want more users that you know are well off if you're going to throw $5 million at a bee cream?

I did think Bronwyn's pivot to stop everything from going up in flames was impressive. 

It was a little weird that the civilian crypto guy was so ready to have his goons commit multiple homicide

Sophie throwing the phone at the safe was very cool. Implausible. But cool.

[aradia22]

Quote

Seasonal Nitpick: the makeup artist for the actresses is terrible. Sophie constantly looks like she's been punched in both eyes (Breanna on occasion as well), and the foundation is noticeably wrong for their skin tones. Sophie, Breanna, the R.I.Z. lady - their necks and their faces are several shades off. Perhaps the show makeup artists is a real life scammer to get themselves the job??

THANK YOU. I thought I was the only one noticing it.

[marceline]

On 10/10/2021 at 8:25 PM, Abra said:

Seasonal Nitpick: the makeup artist for the actresses is terrible. Sophie constantly looks like she's been punched in both eyes (Breanna on occasion as well), and the foundation is noticeably wrong for their skin tones. Sophie, Breanna, the R.I.Z. lady - their necks and their faces are several shades off. Perhaps the show makeup artists is a real life scammer to get themselves the job??

 

On 12/28/2021 at 5:41 AM, aradia22 said:

THANK YOU. I thought I was the only one noticing it.

Same. It's really bad in this episode. Sophie looks like hell.

[snarktini]

On 12/28/2021 at 1:48 AM, aradia22 said:

Crypto guy being that interested in the data of a million people who, as he pointed out, might already be in financial difficulty seemed weird. Like, wouldn't you want more users that you know are well off if you're going to throw $5 million at a bee cream?

He said the value was not in their ability to buy products, it's how their data could be packaged and sold. Things he said included:  he was looking for the most gullible / desperate (which makes them good scam targets), that this health data would reveal their biggest weakness and fears (for better scam targeting) that and that their financial desperation could be sold to financial type people (who would presumably prey on them).

[aradia22]

Quote

He said the value was not in their ability to buy products, it's how their data could be packaged and sold. Things he said included:  he was looking for the most gullible / desperate (which makes them good scam targets), that this health data would reveal their biggest weakness and fears (for better scam targeting) that and that their financial desperation could be sold to financial type people (who would presumably prey on them).

I get the desperation but not having money to drain feels like it makes them poor targets for scams. Presumably you'd want people with money in the bank who haven't exhausted all their other options. 

[Mabinogia]

2 hours ago, aradia22 said:

I get the desperation but not having money to drain feels like it makes them poor targets for scams. Presumably you'd want people with money in the bank who haven't exhausted all their other options. 

Desperate people with less money are a better target because they are desperate, and too poor to be able to hire the high priced attorney needed to fight back.

Sure you might not get a huge amount from any individual, but the big score is far riskier than just fleecing lots of people out of a smaller sum of money. Getting $100 out of a 10,000 people is still a million dollars, and those 10,000 are far less likely to fight back because they can't whereas taking $1,000,000 from one person, you better believe they are going to come back at you with everything they have, and they are far more likely to have a wealthy support system to help them fight back.