Leverage 1x01-1x02, 1x07
Thu, Apr. 9th, 2009 11:15 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
oyceterETA: I didn't realize the episodes were aired out of order, so this review is for The Nigerian Job, The Homecoming Job, and The Two Horse Job.
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ranalore recently got hooked on this, and when she introduced it as a caper show with weekly heists, complete with a computer/sf geek black guy and an antisocial woman in the ensemble. Sadly, neither Hardison (aforementioned geek) nor Parker (aforementioned antisocialite) are the leads of the team—the lead, of course, is a white guy—but they are still awesome.
Nathan Ford used to be an investigator for an insurance company, but he quit after his company denied payment for his son's medical treatment and subsequently sank into despair and alcohol. One day, he's given the chance to help someone out while sticking it to his old company, and he takes the offer and heads a team of people he used to try to catch. They consist of Hardison, who does the tech; Parker, who crawls through air ducts, hangs upside down, and blows stuff up; Sophie, who is a bad actress on stage but a great one in scams; and Elliott, who beats people up and is played by Christian Kane.
So far, I am pleased thatthe muscle is played by the white guy while (eta: see comments re: Christian Kane) the geek role is played by the black guy; that despite being a geek, Hardison is probably among the most well-adjusted of the crew; and that the amoral, money-loving, completely emotionally opaque one is played by the tiny blond woman. Sophie is more the standard femme fatale role, but the show seems to be setting her up with Nathan, and I like that they emphasize that her femininity is a cover and a scam and that they manage to do so without making the camera ogle at her and without putting her in horrible, revealing outfits.
This is probably not going to be the deepest of shows, but it's awesome brain candy. It's relaxing and funny and doesn't require me to keep my brain on for too much, and it does so without being horribly offensive! I realize the last bit sounds like damning with faint praise, but given the state of almost all TV I see, it seems to be much more difficult to achieve than one would think.
Also: capers!
ranalore recently got hooked on this, and when she introduced it as a caper show with weekly heists, complete with a computer/sf geek black guy and an antisocial woman in the ensemble. Sadly, neither Hardison (aforementioned geek) nor Parker (aforementioned antisocialite) are the leads of the team—the lead, of course, is a white guy—but they are still awesome.Nathan Ford used to be an investigator for an insurance company, but he quit after his company denied payment for his son's medical treatment and subsequently sank into despair and alcohol. One day, he's given the chance to help someone out while sticking it to his old company, and he takes the offer and heads a team of people he used to try to catch. They consist of Hardison, who does the tech; Parker, who crawls through air ducts, hangs upside down, and blows stuff up; Sophie, who is a bad actress on stage but a great one in scams; and Elliott, who beats people up and is played by Christian Kane.
So far, I am pleased that
This is probably not going to be the deepest of shows, but it's awesome brain candy. It's relaxing and funny and doesn't require me to keep my brain on for too much, and it does so without being horribly offensive! I realize the last bit sounds like damning with faint praise, but given the state of almost all TV I see, it seems to be much more difficult to achieve than one would think.
Also: capers!
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Mon, Apr. 13th, 2009 08:12 pm (UTC)