S03.E10: The Side Job

[AnimeMania]

(Season Finale)

Parker decides to take down a local factory kingpin using child labor. While the villain spins his own version of how he was wrongfully destroyed, the team tries to unravel the con Parker’s running as a solo side job… or is she? The team must play catch up as they find themselves drafted into her machinations.

Premiere Date: June 5, 2025   Prime Video    

[fastiller]

I can't believe we're at the season finale already.  Will watch later - must!avoid!thread!spoilers!

[blueray]

That was definitely an interesting episode. The black & white thing at first was confusing me, but at the end I now see it was when Parker was in character.

I like how Parker knew her crew-mates would do certain things and be in places. I have to admit Parker had me going, I really thought she was going to kill that guy. But it's nice that Elliot had her back. 

And up until the last scene I was thinking it's disappointing to not have Hardison. But then there he was ;). 

[Llywela]

10 hours ago, blueray said:

That was definitely an interesting episode. The black & white thing at first was confusing me, but at the end I now see it was when Parker was in character.

I like how Parker knew her crew-mates would do certain things and be in places. I have to admit Parker had me going, I really thought she was going to kill that guy. But it's nice that Elliot had her back. 

And up until the last scene I was thinking it's disappointing to not have Hardison. But then there he was ;). 

I figured out the noir thing they were going for with the black-and-white sequences after Parker's conversation with Sophie about how she'd based her character on Nate's old movies and had to be fully immersed in the role.

I was expecting Hardison to show up all through the episode because his name was in the credits - I thought maybe he'd get pulled into the con, instead they kept him for the very last scene! I guess Aldis Hodge wasn't available for more than that. It's a shame, but I'm glad that he remains connected and that they've found creative ways to explain him being away all the time, rather than just write him out.

[Sarah 103]

I loved the idea of going back and forth between black and white noir world for the con and the real world for what happens between moments of the con/when Parker is not in character.

I have some very small complaints about the execution. The black and white didn't look right, something about it was off. Moonlighting, Smallville, Pretty Little Liars, and others showed all managed to make the black white look the way it's supposed to. Also, Parker was never introduced with a shot showing her legs and then moving the camera up to her face. In the old 1940s movies, the women were almost always introduced by showing their legs. If you're going to do it, do it right. 

Things I wish we could see but won't: The meal with Harry's mother, Harry, and Sophie. 

[DoctorAtomic]

I would have liked the finale have a little more running time. 

This whole potboiler black and white dialogue is a nice angle for Leverage. Not surprising Parker is going all in with kids in trouble. And she takes the lead on the con. 

 

The show does a stellar job at casting the guests. 

 

I like that the crew weren't even acting to the mark that they weren't running a con. 

 

Good for Harry for having some fighting skills. I was going to say that Eliot was on the bench, but he was following Harry all along. 

 

I liked that it seems like Parker would be taking over for a Sophie ready to move on. I think that would be a good next, final season. 

 

 

 

[Prevailing Wind]

4 minutes ago, DoctorAtomic said:

I liked that it seems like Parker would be taking over for a Sophie ready to move on.

Well, she already did at the end of the original series. Parker's been running Leverage, Inc. since then. They only brought Sophie back after Nate died & she'd had time to grieve. 

[andromeda331]

Parker running a con. She has a real unique style. I love Sophie and Eliot agreeing to back off but then don't. And that Parker knew they wouldn't. 

Sophie realizing that she was Maria. I realized it the same time she did. 

I loved Parker used the name of the island from Jurassic Park as part of the con. 

I really thought Hardison would pop up during the con and was watching all the background characters to try and catch him.  

[chaifan]

15 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

I liked that it seems like Parker would be taking over for a Sophie ready to move on. I think that would be a good next, final season. 

I've said a few times this season that it looks like they've been telegraphing Sophie's exit.   I could see them going with Parker as the team lead, or no real team lead, since it's always been more team-oriented decisions (not Nate led, as in the original series) with L:R.  But they'd need to replace Sophie with a genuine conwoman - no one on the team has her skills.  Tara?  (I suppose that depends on if Jeri Ryan is available and affordable.)

I really liked this episode, it's probably one of my season favorites.  I loved the film noir aspect, and Parker pulls off the 1940's look fabulously!  If people were wondering about why it looked different than "real" B&W, it's probably because a) it was all shot in color then changed in editing, and b) when real B&W was shot colors were not what you thought they were.  Old TV Superman's red & blue cape/tights were not red & blue, as there wasn't enough contrast.  So just changing applying a B&W filter to something shot in color won't show the contrasts that a scene or costume designer would have originally gone for.  Oh, and c) the film quality is much better than in B&W days.  

I really expected it to be Hardison who stopped the grinding machine. I knew he'd show up because he was in the credits.  I wish they included him more than just in that final scene.  I also expected that in the end the bad guy would get arrested, detained and deported as an illegal alien, since he changed his ID to be from Isla whatever.  

Has Leverage ever explained what they do with all the money they con out of the bad guys?  This guy was supposed to have $10 million (or more?) that they were snatching.  Yeah, the kid in the hospital would get some of it, but what do they do with the rest?  

Sophie & Harry...  I'm glad Sophie is dating the guy from the Mayor's episode, and didn't drop her weekend in NY to have dinner with Harry's mother.  I hope they never go "there" with Sophie and Harry - I don't see them as a couple at all.  It makes sense to me that Harry admires Sophie, looks up to her, maybe has a bit of a crush on her.  I think "best friend" was stretching it a bit, though.  We really haven't seen Sophie have that type of relationship with/towards Harry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DoctorAtomic]

Harry was a sleazy lawyer. I don't think he had real friends in his life. I could see him thinking that. 

I assumed that the money was reinvested in Leverage, Inc., to fund all the other ones. 

[Sarah 103]

On 6/7/2025 at 1:23 PM, chaifan said:

Has Leverage ever explained what they do with all the money they con out of the bad guys?  This guy was supposed to have $10 million (or more?) that they were snatching.  Yeah, the kid in the hospital would get some of it, but what do they do with the rest?  

I agree with @DoctorAtomic. I think the money they don't give back to the victims goes to Leverage, Inc. to pay for expenses. They need to cover their living expenses, utilities, they probably pay taxes on the property they own, and anything/everything else it takes to keep the organization running.

 

[DearEvette]

I loved Sophie's neurotic character in this.  

Parker looked like the quintessential noir femme fatale.  Great styling.

Harry and Ellot's terrible/awkward fist bumps.

Harry and Sophie's friendship!

I supposed Aldis guarantees first and last episode?

Quote

Has Leverage ever explained what they do with all the money they con out of the bad guys?  This guy was supposed to have $10 million (or more?) that they were snatching.  Yeah, the kid in the hospital would get some of it, but what do they do with the rest?  

And yeah I think they pocket it for their overhead.

Can't believe this season is over already. Loved the ending where Parker explains the bad guy's consequences to him.

 

Edited June 8 by DearEvette

[ML89]

On 6/7/2025 at 1:23 PM, chaifan said:

Has Leverage ever explained what they do with all the money they con out of the bad guys?  This guy was supposed to have $10 million (or more?) that they were snatching.  Yeah, the kid in the hospital would get some of it, but what do they do with the rest?  

I agree they use it to run Leverage Inc. That’s what the A-Team did with theirs and I think of the Leverage crew as their spiritual heirs (I am sure Face and Sophie ran into each other on some con!)

Edited June 9 by ML89

[Sarah 103]

22 hours ago, ML89 said:

I agree they use it to run Leverage Inc. That’s what the A-Team did with theirs and I think of the Leverage crew as their spiritual heirs (I am sure Face and Sophie ran into each other on some con!)

The A-Team weren't usually after money. The A-Team was more about stopping something from happening or saving something. Even though each team has a slightly different way of operating, I'm with you on the Leverage crew being the spiritual heirs of the A-Team. I love the fan theory/head canon about Face and Sophie, but I don't think the math works out.