Leverage Classic - Past Seasons Discussion

[formerlyfreedom]

For fans of the stars, Christian Kane is currently filming a new series for TNT, The Librarians, based on the three TV movies produced by Dean Devlin.  Its scheduled to premier in the fall.

 

I caught up on this show tonight, and OMG - there are SO MANY comparisons to Leverage, i can't even begin at this point...

 

But I would DEFINITELY recommend checking it out, if you haven't already!

[Zahdii]

Is it available to watch online?

[Loandbehold]

If you have TNT on demand (assuming you have cable tv), you can watch all the episodes. You can also go to TNT's website. The initial episode will not be available after 1/7/15. I didn't check on the other ones.

[Gigi43]

It's OnDemand on my cable without an end date.

Edited January 3, 2015 by Gigi43

[kassygreene]

The first season is on Xfinity without an expiration date (which with Xfinity means anytime more then 28 days from now), courtesy of Electric Entertainment.

[Loandbehold]

I watched The Long Goodbye Job today for the first time since it aired. And, I noticed that in one of Sophie's quick telephone roles, she used my last name! I'm calling this a shout-out. I would note that John Rogers never called me for use of the name. I know that it was only my last name, but still, what's his problem? He couldn't even be bothered to pick up a phone? I would even have bought him an Irish Whiskey.   

[amensisterfriend]

I've only seen a couple of Leverage episodes but intend to rectify that in the near future :) (All I did this weekend was check out new-to-me shows...and, sadly, I consider that a weekend very well spent!) I think the two I saw were from S4...? Whichever ones have recently aired in syndication; I think one of them was The Office Job, which, as an Office and Office Space fan, I adored :) A few random newbie impressions that may very well change as I catch up:

 

1) I love, love, LOVE Parker. And Hardison. And the Parker/Hardison dynamic. Even if I didn't love any other aspect of the show, they would be enough to hook me. 

2) Sophie annoys me a bit. I can't quite explain why or identify whether it's the writing or the acting that doesn't work for me. She's kind of...arrogant and a little flaky? I'm hoping she grows on me! 

3) I love the 'undercover' stuff. There's not much doubt as to the outcome, but it's fun watching them infiltrate different settings and adopting amusing false identities to the point where I don't care. 

4) As others have said below, I love the nearly seamless blend between the lighter, frothy humorous moments and the more dramatic material---it seems to be too tricky a balance for most other shows to strike! 

[cassandle]

I watched The Long Goodbye Job today for the first time since it aired. And, I noticed that in one of Sophie's quick telephone roles, she used my last name! I'm calling this a shout-out. I would note that John Rogers never called me for use of the name. I know that it was only my last name, but still, what's his problem? He couldn't even be bothered to pick up a phone? I would even have bought him an Irish Whiskey.   

 

That's funny because I spent last week re-watching Season 5--something I don't like doing because it makes me sad that it's over.  And I will admit to tearing up at the end of the Long Goodbye Job.  I remember being crushed when it originally aired because they had just announced Leverage got canceled.

 

2) Sophie annoys me a bit. I can't quite explain why or identify whether it's the writing or the acting that doesn't work for me. She's kind of...arrogant and a little flaky? I'm hoping she grows on me! 

 

Yeah, Sophie can be a little princess-y but some of that attitude winds up being pretty funny--like when she makes fun of Hardison's van or has to repel with Parker.  And she pairs really well with Elliot--that's one of my favorite combinations.  The Real Fake Car Job (S5) has the two of them paired up and they're awesome together--I rewind their scenes over and over again.

 

If you have Netflix I recommend watching the whole thing in order--it's fun to watch how each character changes over the course of 5 years.

[amensisterfriend]

I've been matahon-ing tons of episodes on Youtube but have concluded that I have to spend money on the DVDs anyway :) 

 

Sophie has already grown on me somewhat, though I'm not wild about her dynamic with Nate. Nate's ongoing alcohol issues is the one aspect of the show I'm not totally enamored with, though as someone who almost never enjoys addiction storylines in general, that's almost certainly more about my own personal preferences than Leverage's way of handling it. 

 

I also think in a few episodes the show can get just a tad too overtly, explicitly preachy re their Robin Hood-ing ("but aren't we here to help those who need it most?!?!") and how very bad some of the richie rich meanies are. 

 

Beyond that, though, I'm in TV heaven! Parker is already among my favorite female TV characters EVER. I adore Hardison beyond the telling of it. (Needless to say, Hardison-Parker interactions are gold for me!) The team's dynamic and their unique blend of strengths and vulnerabilities is just amazing on so many levels. I love watching them go undercover and how, even though we all pretty much know the ultimate outcome, there's usually a plot twist or two (or three or four!) along the way. I love the humor, the energy, the ethical quandries, and just the general overall feel of it. Some people say it's nothing but fluff, but there's some real insight and emotional truth there, too. 

 

How would you guys rank the seasons from favorite to least favorite? And if you could keep just 10 Leverage episodes, which would you pick?! 

[ChelseaNH]

The DVD commentaries (for EVERY episode) are awesome, especially if you're at all interested in how television shows get made.

 

I've been following along at http://markwatches.net/reviews/ while he watches an episode a day.  His commentaries are really good at tracing the character development throughout the season.  I would get wrapped up in the merits of the individual episodes and not always see the through-lines.

[fastiller]

ChelseaNH - thank you for that link.  Now I know how to spend some of my lunch breaks until it actually acts like Spring around here!

[amensisterfriend]

I love that I have such a lack of life---it's allowing me to devour these at a rapid pace! Thanks for letting me know that the DVDs have great extras---it's just the rationale I needed to spend money on them despite being able to watch the episodes for free on youtube :) 

 

Still loving everything I gushed about above. So far the S3 episodes I saw were my very favorite, but it's hard to choose! 

[fastiller]

amensisterfriend (great s/n btw) - The best thing - I think - about owning the DVDs is that you can come back to them over & over like you would a friend.  Also - watching them in the order that the Gods meant them to be in before stooopid network re-ordering.

[cassandle]

The DVD commentaries (for EVERY episode) are awesome, especially if you're at all interested in how television shows get made.

 

I agree with this wholeheartedly!  John Rodgers is on every single one of them but the rest of the commentators switch up.  Aldis Hodge is on quite a few, Beth Riesgraf is on a couple, I think (I mix up what I've heard on the old podcast with what's on the commentary--speaking of the podcast, it was hilarious too), Christian Kane is on a couple in S5 (maybe S4, but I can't remember off the top of my head), and a lot of directors and writers.  Seriously--John Rodgers is hilarious and most of the commentators are really funny too.  I can't tell you how many times I've binged through the series listening to only the commentary.  I find it every bit as entertaining as the show itself.

 

How would you guys rank the seasons from favorite to least favorite? And if you could keep just 10 Leverage episodes, which would you pick?! 

 

I think I would rank the seasons from favorite to least favorite (which is hard to say because I love them all): 3, 1, 2, 5, 4.

 

As for 10 I would keep...hell, I can't even narrow it down to 20:

1. The Nigerian Job (1-1)

2. The Two-Horse Job (1-3)

3. The Bank Shot Job (1-5)

4. The Wedding Job (1-7)

5. The First David Job (1-12)

6. The Second David Job (1-13)

7. The Tap Out Job (2-2)

8. The Three Days of the Hunter Job (2-5)

9. The Two Live Crew Job (2-7)

10. The Iceman Job (2-8)

11. The Scheherazade Job (3-4)

12. The Studio Job (3-6)

13. The Gone Fishing Job (3-7)

14. The Rashomon Job (3-11)

15. The Ho, Ho, Ho Job (3-14)

16. The Big Bang Job (3-15)

17. The San Lorenzo Job (3-16)

18. The Long Way Down Job (4-1)

19. The Hot Potato Job (4-5)

20. The Carnival Job (4-6)

21. The Experimental Job (4-11)

22. The Last Dam Job (4-18)

23. The First Contact Job (5-3)

24. The D.B. Cooper Job (5-6)

25. The Rundown Job (5-10)

26. The Toy Job (5-14)

27. The Long Goodbye Job (5-15)

 

Elliot is my favorite character (and one of my TV boyfriends) and I LOVE Christian Kane so any episode that gives him something fun to do (most of the ones above) are automatically a favorite in my book.

Edited March 30, 2015 by cassandle

[Llywela]

For those interested in the behind-the-scenes aspects of Leverage, showrunner John Rogers runs a blog that pre-dates the show, and throughout the show's run he would take questions after every episode and do a write up of what went on behind the scenes. He fell behind during the last season or show, so never quite wrote up every episode, but his Leverage tag is well worth checking out for those with a few hours to spare.

 

Also, minor nitpick, but Parker doesn't repel - well, she probably does repel a few people with her weirdness, but what she does down the side of buildings is rappel.

[Julia]

It helps with Sophie that in many ways (at least to me) she puts on a pose because she's not sure who she really is or if anyone would like that person.

[amensisterfriend]

As for 10 I would keep...hell, I can't even narrow it down to 20:

 

Ha! I'm impressed that you narrowed your list to a mere 27 :) 

 

 

 

I think I would rank the seasons from favorite to least favorite (which is hard to say because I love them all): 3, 1, 2, 5, 4.

 

I'm so excited to see whether my own season rankings will turn out similarly. 

 

 

 

The best thing - I think - about owning the DVDs is that you can come back to them over & over like you would a friend.

 

Considering that I'm already fonder of most of our Leverage team than I am of the people I know in real life, this was an awesomely apt analogy! 

 

Normally I would wait until my crack dealer (aka Amazon) sends my DVDs before continuing to tear through the series since I'm one of those people who still far prefers watching TV on my actual TV rather than on my computer screen. But I'm already way too obsessed for "normally" to apply here :)  

Edited March 30, 2015 by amensisterfriend

[amensisterfriend]

ETA: 

 

It helps with Sophie that in many ways (at least to me) she puts on a pose because she's not sure who she really is or if anyone would like that person.

 

This is the perfect way to think of her. I've already kind of fanwanked that a lifetime of playing different roles has obscured her knowledge of who she truly is, and it's really helped me to find her a more likable and interesting character. 

 

Also, minor nitpick, but Parker doesn't repel - well, she probably does repel a few people with her weirdness, but what she does down the side of buildings is rappel.

 

LOL---she rappels AND repels. That's my kind of character :) 

[Llywela]

This is the perfect way to think of her. I've already kind of fanwanked that a lifetime of playing different roles has obscured her knowledge of who she truly is, and it's really helped me to find her a more likable and interesting character.

That's not even fanwank, really - it was part of Sophie's character story, in season 2 especially, that she'd spent so much of her life pretending to be other people that she was no longer sure who she really was. We never even knew her real name. Even with her closest friends, she's always playing a part, because she doesn't know how not to.

[cassandle]

Also, minor nitpick, but Parker doesn't repel - well, she probably does repel a few people with her weirdness, but what she does down the side of buildings is rappel.

 

Ha--when I typed "rappel" it looked totally wrong for some reason--like not-a-real-word wrong--so I "fixed" it to "repel".  Anyhoo...

 

Now I feel like going through the whole series again--I don't think I've done a proper marathon since the show ended.

[Gigi43]

Hulu has all the episodes as well as Netflix. A really good Parker/Hardison episode is Season 4's "The Grave Danger Job", and for Parker herself season 1's "The Stork Job" and then Season 3 (which features her theif mentor) "The Inside Job" are must see.

 

My top ten... I'm cheating and counting two two parter's as one. This is hard though because really, there are so many good episodes.

 

10. The Mountain Job - Season 4 (that may have a lot to do with it being the first one I saw)

9. The Boys Night Out Job - Season 4** (edited, I had it as season 2 first, apparently.)

8. The Miracle Job Job- Season 1

7. The Wedding Job- Season 1

6. The Nigirian Job- First Episode

5. The Last Dam Job- Season 4 finale

4. The Hot Potato Job- Season 4

3. The Toy Job -Season 5

2. The Three Strikes Job/Maltese Falcon Job -Season 2 finale

1. The First David Job/The Second David Job (Sterling AND Maggie!)- Season 1 finale

Edited March 30, 2015 by Gigi43

[fastiller]

LOL---she rappels AND repels. That's my kind of character :) 

When I read that, I did the head-tile that Eliot does in the Second David Job when he's telling Nate why Sophie running a con can be better than Nate running a con, when he said: "You learn and you con."

 

I think it's time for a full series re-watch.

Edited April 2, 2015 by fastiller

[Linderhill]

 

I think it's time for a full series re-watch.

I agree, I started this past weekend.

[Raingirlkm]

Earlier this week, after a day in Customer Service that was particularly packed with stupid and obtuse people, I came home and declared that I needed to spend some time with smart people. So I watched some Leverage and felt considerably better. After a long day of stupid, Leverage felt like a balm to my nerves.

[blueray]

I enjoy watching the reruns on Saturdays (it maybe a local channel). I tend to baby sit then, so after a few hours of watching kid shows or movies it's a nice change.

[cassandle]

It reruns on ION where I am (which I think has become a pretty standard channel around the country) but I haven't figured out when.  It seems to be totally random but it's a nice little surprise when I'm bored and flipping through channels to find Nate wearing an awesome hat and Elliot beating the crap out of someone.

[ChelseaNH]

I catch it on ION Saturday evenings 8-10 Eastern.  They're on season 4 in the 8pm slot and season 3 in the 9pm slot, which is a little odd. 

[fastiller]

I'm doing my re-watch of S4 & S5 (just got these two season on DVD) and I've been doing this run-through with the commentary on.  I was surprised to hear during The (Very) Big Bird Job that Cary Elwes had initially auditioned for Nate.  What a different series it would have been with him at the helm!

[SSAHotchner]

amensisterfriend (great s/n btw) - The best thing - I think - about owning the DVDs is that you can come back to them over & over like you would a friend.  Also - watching them in the order that the Gods meant them to be in before stooopid network re-ordering.

Yes! They were quite reasonable on Amazon and well worth the money. And there is a commentary on every single episode with so much great information. You can really feel the love and the precision that went into making this show and it makes it even more enjoyable. 

[SSAHotchner]

My top 10:

 

1. The Rashomon Job

2. The Nigerian Job

3. The Bank Shot Job

4. The First and Second David Jobs

5. The Office Job

6. The D.B. Cooper Job

7. The Jailhouse Job

8. The Beantown Bailout Job

9. The Queen's Gambit Job

10. The Broken Wing Job (This was a hard choice because most of the team is absent, but Parker did such an amazing job on her own with this one and had such great chemistry with the waitress that I really enjoyed it.)

[Llywela]

Yes! They were quite reasonable on Amazon and well worth the money. And there is a commentary on every single episode with so much great information. You can really feel the love and the precision that went into making this show and it makes it even more enjoyable. 

Meh. This is my big bugbear with regional coding, because those commentaries are only available on the region 1 DVDs - they don't exist on the region 2 sets!

[andromeda331]

So that's when it plays on ION it used to play once or twice a week in my area then stopped altogether despite still advertising it on the show. I have myKKTV that plays two episodes every Saturday night but its really not enough. It was just such a fun and funny show.

[Loandbehold]

I also rank The Rashomon Job at No. 1, but it amuses me to see how many people agree. For myself, and I believe many others, what we really enjoy is the camaraderie amongst the crew, especially during the jobs. Yet, in this episode, they are all working separately. I tend to like the more unusual episodes of shows (in part because they stand out in my "faltering memory"), but I'm surprised so many others also have this as a top pick.

[ChelseaNH]

Sigh.  I used to watch on ION, but they stopped showing it (except they still have Leverage in some of their network promos).  I was watching it on a local station (WBIN) and they just changed their schedule, so it's on late at night.

 

This is why it's important to get those DVDs...

Edited April 20, 2015 by ChelseaNH

[Gigi43]

I'm jealous my Ion shows Criminal Minds Saturday nights. What gives? The only rerun I get is 130am on CBS Saturday into Sunday.

[SSAHotchner]

I also rank The Rashomon Job at No. 1, but it amuses me to see how many people agree. For myself, and I believe many others, what we really enjoy is the camaraderie amongst the crew, especially during the jobs. Yet, in this episode, they are all working separately. I tend to like the more unusual episodes of shows (in part because they stand out in my "faltering memory"), but I'm surprised so many others also have this as a top pick.

I agree with you about the chemistry the team has with each other, but we also like backstory and not only do we get that for each one of the team, but we get them crossing paths with each other before they were aware of who each other really was. And as Nate points out at the end, this is why they now work together. Individually, they were great, but collectively they're unbeatable. For me this episode is just great fun from the way everyone butchers Sophie's accent down to they way they perceive each other and Coswell. 

Meh. This is my big bugbear with regional coding, because those commentaries are only available on the region 1 DVDs - they don't exist on the region 2 sets!

I can't stand the whole regional coding thing. Who is it benefitting? Not the viewers certainly. And the producers, distribution companies, etc. would make more by just offering the programming to everyone. I'm sorry for you with the Leverage DVDs because those commentaries are such fun and so informative. For us in Region 1 we miss out on so many British shows we'd love to watch. 

[Hanahope]

For us in Region 1 we miss out on so many British shows we'd love to watch.

 

You might try going through Amazon Canada.  I've been able to get "European" shows on a Region 1 DVD from there.  Just costs a little more.

[EC Amber]

"Happy Birthday Jesus" is made all the better with Elliot flinching then looking down while shaking his head. 

[lizzyp]

Does anyone else read headlines like this and wonder where Parker was on the night in question?

 

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/dollar600000-in-art-mysteriously-vanishes-from-boston-public-library-in-possible-inside-job/ar-BBk0OgW?ocid=OIE9MSE

[lizzyp]

Beth is in the new USA show Complications.  She has a super cute hair cut and I didn't even recognize her at first.  Then she spoke, and I knew the voice.  She looks great and the show sounds like  it's doing well.

[Julia]

The whole run is on Hulu, but try to watch the pilot somewhere else. They butchered the team's reaction to Sophie's 'acting' to fit in a few seconds more for commercials, which is a freaking crime against humanity.

[alias1]

Beth is in the new USA show Complications.  She has a super cute hair cut and I didn't even recognize her at first.  Then she spoke, and I knew the voice.  She looks great and the show sounds like  it's doing well.

I think she's wasted in Complications.  The neglected wife who had an affair and is about to have it again, it looks like.  I don't like her character and I actually don't like her haircut, either.  Maybe she's trying to break out of the Leverage mold.  I'd rather see her in a better role.  She deserves better, is what I'm trying to say.

[andromeda331]

I watched a marathon of my Leverage DVDs it amazes me how quick they were when they needed to be. For example the Potato Job Sophie immediately has to make up a story involving three employees, in the Heart one the badge Hardison gets is for a female he immediately jumps to having a sex change. I know its their job buts amazing to see how fast they come up with stuff when they had to. Also, the way Hardison says "Frank" very funny.  

[Julia]

The DVD extras of Aldis Hodge improvising Hardison's reactions are definitely worth the price of admission.

 

I kind of wondered who he pissed off in the last season, because Hardison became kind of an asshole (can you picture the Hardison who had to hack an entire country to pay his nana's medical bills being that determined to stiff someone on a tip?). 

[andromeda331]

I kind of wondered who he pissed off in the last season, because Hardison became kind of an asshole (can you picture the Hardison who had to hack an entire country to pay his nana's medical bills being that determined to stiff someone on a tip?).

 

It was really out of character for Hardison regarding the tips.

[lizzyp]

I thought Parker's writing was a little off early in Season 5 as well.  She was sassy, cool and confident instead of badass but awkward. 

[ChelseaNH]

By season 5, Parker had had four years of coaching in how to be a Real Human, so it's not surprising some of the awkward edges got sanded off.

[andromeda331]

Parker was a little off in season five too. Like the food one where she's worried because she doesn't have a connection to something

else. I always thought it was strange she does have other likes besides her being a thief. Jumping off a roof, her love of chocolate, Christmas, pinatas.

[Llywela]

Parker was a little off in season five too. Like the food one where she's worried because she doesn't have a connection to something

else. I always thought it was strange she does have other likes besides her being a thief. Jumping off a roof, her love of chocolate, Christmas, pinatas.

Parker isn't hugely self-aware, though, so I can rationalise that she was having an off-week, not feeling good about herself and so, seeing the passion her friends have for their hobbies, compared herself unfavourably to them. What's stranger is that none of them thought to point out to her the many things things in which she has a deep and abiding interest.

 

Really, though, it was just a weak attempt at an emotional storyline of the week.

[Commando Cody]

I finally got hooked up with Netflix and watched the pilot last night.  I never saw it when it first ran.  I think I found Leverage around season 3.  I am used to the edited show they air on the network channel.  I had no idea how much was cut out.  I didn't find what was cut out a very necessary scene anyway, but it was kind of like watching the episode for the very first time.