Leverage Classic - Past Seasons Discussion

[Trey]

 

yes, Nate says her real name in the last minutes of the final episode.  Its quick and quiet so you have to pay attention.

I just watched the finale a few nights ago.  He proposes to her, calling her Laura.  Then as the two of them are leaving she says "you know Laura isn't my name, dont' you?" And he says yes.  I didn't catch anything else.  Did they give her real name then?  What is it?

[Kris117]

Aldis Hodge was in the most recent episode of Rectify—he played the brother of the lead character's best friend from death row, whom Daniel went to visit. Not a huge part, but a touching one. 

[fastiller]

Saw this earlier on and was at once happy (TH's is back on TV, yay!) and sad (more likelihood of no Leverage reunion).  It's from March, so it could be out of date by now.

 

Timothy Hutton to Star in John Ridley's ABC Drama.

[Julia]

I wonder if the cast being successful in their post-Leverage roles might make it more likely that we'll get a reunion. Especially if The Librarian does well - it couldn't hurt if Christian Kane and the Executive Producers have a popular show on TNT - but if Tim Hutton makes a hit on a much larger-audience broadcast network maybe it'll help them decide to put them in a Leverage TV movie.

[fastiller]

I wonder if the cast being successful in their post-Leverage roles might make it more likely that we'll get a reunion. Especially if The Librarian does well - it couldn't hurt if Christian Kane and the Executive Producers have a popular show on TNT - but if Tim Hutton makes a hit on a much larger-audience broadcast network maybe it'll help them decide to put them in a Leverage TV movie.

 

From your fingertips to TNT's ears!

[blueray]

I'm currently watching this show for the first time and just reached this episode this morning. I liked it actually and the suggestion box lol.

[ChelseaNH]

"Thief Juice!"

The whole team reset and new HQ was loads of fun.

[fastiller]

Also: at/near the start (when Sophie's "bonny boy returned" - I think: do I have that right?) and at the end (with Hardison), TH was swoonworthy. 

[Julia]

I was not ready for Cary Elwes to be middle aged.

[Prevailing Wind]

I've been watching House of Cards and I'm finding it hard to relate Claire Underwood to Princess Buttercup, too.

[lizzyp]

"Thief Juice!"

The whole team reset and new HQ was loads of fun.

It's a mouth crime!

[fastiller]

Straight Outta Compton has had negative news for the casting sides for the women involved.  Here's some good news: Aldis = MC Ren.

 

Universal’s ‘Straight Outta Compton’ Casts its MC Ren and DJ Yella

Edited July 29, 2014 by fastiller

[fastiller]

In yet another life imitating Leverage news piece: Researcher Can Hack Airplanes Through In-Flight Entertainment Systems.  

 

Wirelessly Hacking--And Unlocking--Cars Is Easier Than It Should Be.

Edited August 4, 2014 by fastiller

[Michele]

I'm surprised all the time by how many of the That Guys (male and female) my family recognize on other shows are people we recognize from Leverage. F'rinstance: Quinn, from Scandal, was the client Parker was jealous of whose sister took the bad liver drug in The Double Blind Job. 

 

Also an example of how good the people who make Leverage were, because she wasn't bad in that episode.

 

 

I cannot tell you how annoyed my sister and brother get whenever I say, "oh, that person was on Leverage!" because it happens a LOT. I can't help it if I have Leveragedar!

[fastiller]

More stuff on NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), which we saw in The Reunion Job:

 

David Kwong: We are all wired to solve.

Edited August 9, 2014 by fastiller

[andromeda331]

From the Reunion Job when the Iranians break through the door and see Eliot. "The health inspector?" one of them asks confused. Eliot just smiles and shrugs. "I'm going to have to dock you again."

[Jamoche]

From the Tap-Out Job: "I can't hack a hick"

[fastiller]

Double posting here 'cause I don't know where else to put this; on my Twitter feed this AM: tweets from Aldis Hodge & Wil Wheaton were right next to one another.  It was like a Hardison and Chaos reunion.

[Prevailing Wind]

This just dawns on me re the thread title: Wasn't he called Alec?

[Julia]

Yeah, he was. Good catch. I guess I was seeing what I expected to see.

[blueray]

I just finished the show on Netflix. I used to see the previews when the show was on but never watched it. I really continued to watch because of the characters, would have been great to see more of their back-stories but it was nice to get tastes of it through the five seasons. And of course the excitement of most of the cons.

 

I also liked how there were so many star trek people in it.

Edited August 12, 2014 by blueray

[blueray]

I was kind of disappointed that we never got her real name. I thought Nate said "Laura" I was like I never would have guessed that. Then at the end she goes you know that's not my name, which is annoying lol.

[Rinaldo]

Those who made the series have said that that last exchange was a typical bit of banter between them, and we're free to take Laura (or is it Lara?) as her real name.

[formerlyfreedom]

Good catch! Fixed!

[Prevailing Wind]

Thanks for fixing it!

[andromeda331]

I would have liked to know her real name too. And how much of her story in the King George Job was true. Sophie and her "aunt" really seemed to know each other and the person who apparently drank himself to death.

[fastiller]

I would have liked to learn more about Sophie too.  (Heck, I would've loved it if there were a couple or three more seasons to learn more about all of the team.)  The woman who played her Aunt was fantastic.

 

I think that there was a missed opportunity - especially with the Star Trek: TNG connection - to have had someone I think would have been great to play her sister: Marina Sirtis.  If it could've been in an episode with Chaos, all the better.  Or, Frakes could've made more than just the MD's office appearance in front of the camera. Ah well, ideas for a movie.[/wishful thinking]

[lizzyp]

While I was disappointed when the show was cancelled, and was definitely wishing for more (more back story, more jobs, more everything!)  I have decided that I'm sort of glad that we didn't get Sophie back story.  Her entire life was based on her ability to be whatever the other person wanted or expected her to be.  This way she still can be.

 

Sour grapes, I know, but it gets me through.

[fastiller]

He doesn't mention the show, but Apollo Robbins was on Wait Wait Don't Tell Me on Saturday (a compilation of older segments):

Professional Pickpocket Apollo Robbins Plays Not My Job.

 

And there's this: Jamie's Attic - Why I Miss Leverage.

[roseha]

CBS reruns the show very late on Saturday night / Sunday morning, and in just about 2 hours (2:05 AM Eastern) they are scheduled to show one of my very favorites, The Hot Potato Job.  I love that Parker's convinced, late in the con, that there must be a diamond in the potato.

 

I haven't seen the actual show, but every ad for CBS' new show Scorpio makes it look like a total Leverage rip-off to me.   Anyone actually see it?

[Zahdii]

I haven't seen the actual show, but every ad for CBS' new show Scorpio makes it look like a total Leverage rip-off to me.   Anyone actually see it?

 

Just saw the pilot.  Unless it gets a lot better very quickly, Leverage has nothing to fear.  Actually, there doesn't seem to be many similarities, although I thought there would be at first.  There's two groups of uniquely talented people helping people, the group as a whole has difficulties relating to the everyday world, there's usually one who is better at bridging the gap than the others. 

 

But while Leverage is self supporting and tries to work outside the law and actually tries to stay in the shadows, Scorpion tried the self supporting gig and at the end of the pilot has negotiated a nice contract working for Homeland Security. 

 

I think I'll watch another episode or two of Scorpion, but it didn't grab me from the first episode like Leverage did.

[Linderhill]

And Scorpion has the misfortune of having the McPhee in its cast as the so called "normal" person to run interference for the group.  Ugh.  Its too bad because the precise looked vaguely interesting until they cast her.  Yeah, I don't thing there's any competition compared to Leverage.  I still find myself tuning in on Fridays and Sundays even on Ion even tho I've seen each episode multiple times and have all of the DVD's.

[Julia]

Who's McPhee? Because I got a Leverage-meets-Little Man Tate vibe from the promos that kind of reached me.

[ChelseaNH]

Katharine McPhee, formerly of American Idol and Smash.

 

I didn't bother with Scorpions because the commercials were all "geniuses fix everything!"  Which, no.  Genius is not enough.  Thank goodness Leverage was sparing with its use of the term.

[Rinaldo]

The McPhee turns everything mediocre. If not worse.

[Jamoche]

I didn't bother with Scorpions because the commercials were all "geniuses fix everything!"  Which, no.  Genius is not enough.  Thank goodness Leverage was sparing with its use of the term.

It also seems to have the "you can be socially ept or smart, but not both" vibe that turned me off Bones. Hardison is still the most realistic TV geek I've ever seen, and I should know - I work in Silicon Valley.

[EC Amber]

So many!! 

One that sticks with me that no one gets: 

"Somebody's gotta fight the injured. That's my niche"

(Hardison from the Miracle Job)

[EC Amber]

Best scene with Parker: 12 step job

 

"I don't do drugs" 
...

<takes pill, chews it open mouth, makes face>

[lizzyp]

My daughter's 1st grade class did an art project where they created a painting 'inspired by Gustav Klimt.'  I told her 'I adore the symbolists.'

[Goldmoon]

I would disagree that Leverage had no bad episodes.  I thought season five really went downhill in quality and the White Rabbit Job is one that I still dislike, perhaps because they actually drugged someone.  That was funny, and somewhat harmless (ok, less harm-y) in the Miracle Job, but it just seems like in WR they really overstepped their own moral boundaries. 

 

I didn't mind McPhee in Scorpion, but it is pretty boring and the lead male character really turns me off.  The one with the hat is the one I find interesting.

Edited December 2, 2014 by Goldmoon

[Julia]

The Top Hat Job kind of made me cringe, because I couldn't tell if Tim Hutton meant Nate's magic to be jaw-droppingly bad or not. 

[fastiller]

In the lead up to The Librarians (I imagine), Christian Kane is doing a Reddit Ask Me Anything tomorrow (Wed 12.03) at 11am Eastern.

 

Editted, 'cause "Ask Mr Anything" is not the same as "Ask Me Anything".

Edited December 3, 2014 by fastiller

[Rinaldo]

I understood about 3 words of that. (Seriously, I'm clearly out of touch and have never heard of doing a Reddit Ask Mr Anything.) Can you translate or amplify a bit?

[Julia]

Reddit Ask Me Anything. People post questions and comments and the guest actually responds to some of them personally. It doesn't always work, but it can turn out to be remarkably unfiltered.

[fastiller]

Sorry, Rinaldo - posted that on my phone and didn't notice that I'd typed "Ask Mr Anything" instead of "Ask Me Anything".  If it'd have been properly spelled, you likely wouldn't have been as confused.

Edited December 3, 2014 by fastiller

[fastiller]

Kane's AMA on Reddit

[Rinaldo]

Oh, never underestimate my ability to be confused -- I don't think the changed letter made the difference for me, I really was unfamiliar with the whole phenomenon. So I thank you for the helpful explanation.

[Hanahope]

I'm very hopeful things work out for the Leverage movie Christian referred to during the AMA.  Really looking forward to seeing him in the Librarians.  His character looks a lot 'happier' at least.

[Michele]

I would disagree that Leverage had no bad episodes.  I thought season five really went downhill in quality and the White Rabbit Job is one that I still dislike, perhaps because they actually drugged someone.  That was funny, and somewhat harmless (ok, less harm-y) in the Miracle Job, but it just seems like in WR they really overstepped their own moral boundaries. 

 

 

I really like season 5 and it's actually really important in terms of how it ended. You couldn't have Parker taking over at the end without certain things and I think Parker being the one who essentially gives herself up and ends up saving the guy is just reaaaallly important character development. Then again, I just love anything Parker related because she's my favorite television character of all time. I might be biased. I do, however, agree with you on the drugging thing. I wasn't the biggest fan of that but I do think the fact that it backfired HARD made me not hate it as much.

Edited December 9, 2014 by Michele

[Linderhill]

 

The Top Hat Job kind of made me cringe, because I couldn't tell if Tim Hutton meant Nate's magic to be jaw-droppingly bad or not.

From what I've read and heard in the commentaries, he was going for over-the-top bad.  And that his magician didn't know that he was bad.