Leverage 1x01-1x02, 1x07

[oyceter]

ETA: 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.

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 the 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!

Comments

[maerhys.livejournal.com]

I heart Leverage.

With regards to Christian Kane, he's not white, although I am pretty sure the show runners have intended that Eliot be read as white. CK identifies as a mixed-blood Native.

Aldis Hodge is amazing, I've missed him so much since he got killed off of SPN but I'd rather have him on Leverage.

[oyceter]

Oh, I did not know that about CK, thank you! Yaaaay more POC actors!

[shewhohashope.livejournal.com]

I don't watch SPN, but Aldis Hodge got a raw deal on Friday Night Lights as well.

I need to see this show, but instead, I've gotten pulled into The Mentalist, which is awful in a way that I appreciate.

Plus this guy's in it:

[laurashapiro.livejournal.com]

P. and I enjoy Leverage very much. It's a light sorbet between our usual angstfest dramas.

I am not thrilled at the way Sophie uses sex to do everything, but OTOH she's in her 40s, and it's nice to see an older woman being portrayed as a sexual being. And boy can she do accents.

My love for Hardison and Parker is pure. (: They're absolutely my favorite characters.

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

Yay! I'm glad you like it!

Elliot/Parker/Hardison are so awesome. I also like how they clearly put some effort into having POC guest stars who aren't stereotypical - which is impressive considering how the guest stars of heist shows inherently tend to be villains or victims.

I recently used Sophie as an example of how yes, it is possible to have a female character deliberately play upon her own sex appeal without making her a stereotype or a victim, and without having to dress her in skanky outfits or make the camera leer at her - to put us in her shoes, rather than in the shoes of the leering man.

(I was explaining how it was that I had problems with both the premise and the execution of Dollhouse.)

[oyceter]

It is very fun! Also, it is good to know Sophie can do accents; I have absolutely no ear for them so I can't tell.

I keep feeling like I am damning with faint praise when I say stuff like "At least when she capitalizes on sex, the camera does not leer at her and we cannot see every inch of her body!" And yet, I mean that as honest praise!

And yes, I do like that they're showing an older woman (presumably who has a fair amount of experience?) to be sexy and to also be in control of that sexiness, at least in the three episodes I've seen. I just keep contrasting it to Dollhouse and the little I know of SPN.

So far, Hardison, Parker, and Elliott are my favorites. Especially Parker when she blows stuff up. Or is scared of horses.

[oyceter]

Yes! I forgot to comment about the use of the Nigerians in ep. 1 and how they sort of comment on the way people buy into stereotypes.

Also, yes about the comparison between Sophie and the Dollhouse characters. I mean, I will probably have more to say after I have seen more episodes, but right now, I'm all "It is not horribly offensive! OMG YAY!" Which... such a low bar! And yet, so hard to find!

[oyceter]

Bwaha! What's The Mentalist about?

[fmanalyst.livejournal.com]

Which network is Leverage on? I'd love to see Christian Kane again.

[fmanalyst.livejournal.com]

Never mind. I figured it out.

[shewhohashope.livejournal.com]

It's a procedural type drama about a group of police people of some kind who solve murders in California, and a man who helps them out with fake psychic skills.

Or as wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mentalist) says: "Golden Globe Award nominee Simon Baker stars as Patrick Jane, an independent consultant with the fictitious California Bureau of Investigation (CBI), has a remarkable track record for solving serious crimes by using his razor sharp skills of observation. He also makes frequent use of his mentalist abilities and his semi-celebrity past as a psychic medium using paranormal abilities he now admits he feigned."

As you can tell, the plot and mysteries don't interest me AT ALL (which is great, because they don't really make sense). But I love all of the characters, and their interactions!

[liviapenn.livejournal.com]

I was cracking myself up about this the other day; my other main fandom right now is Psych, which stars James Roday, who plays Shawn Spencer. (Roday is a stage name; his actual last name is Rodriguez, and he identifies as Hispanic. Shawn is definitely supposed to be white, though-- his parents are played by Cybill Shepherd and Corbin Bernsen, his uncle by Steven Weber, etc.)

So I'm just like-- Really, tv? Could there even be a whiter name than "Shawn Spencer?"

And then Leverage comes out with... *Eliot* Spencer. And I'm like "wow, turns out there could be."

Although certainly Eliot might not be his real name. But still.

Aldis Hodge is amazing, I've missed him so much since he got killed off of SPN but I'd rather have him on Leverage.

I thought Aldis Hodge was hot and scary and sad as Jake on SPN, but I adore Hardison with the adoration of a thousand fangirls. *makes grabby hands at him* I could just watch the Hardison show all day long.

[maerhys.livejournal.com]

I adore James Roday; I just read an interview with him the other day all about being a light Latino in Hollywood.

Shawn Spencer, Eliot Spencer.... *smh* Agenda, anyone?

If I wasn't insanely OTP about my SPN boys I would write Sam/Jake in a heartbeat. When I finish the other nine zillion stories on my plate I plan to write an AU where he lives and leads a demon army with Sam.

[cofax7]

Yay, I'm glad you liked it! I'm particularly glad for Aldis Hodge, who got such a raw deal on SPN and FNL, where he basically played the stereotypical big scary angry black guy. Here he gets to have fun and be geeky and crush on Parker, and basically be totally awesome--and yes, far better adjusted than any of the rest of them (except possibly Eliot). (Yes, I think Eliot is well-adjusted, if your standard of comparison is Parker or Nate. *g*)

Leverage is my happy fun place, along with The Middleman.

[maeve-rigan.livejournal.com]

"Awesome brain candy" it is! Very glad you're liking Leverage. I'm so looking forward to the next series, coming this summer.

[lady-ganesh.livejournal.com]

In my head, it is the Hardison, Eliot, and Parker show, with occasional support from Nate and Sophie.

[lady-ganesh.livejournal.com]

You can watch free at the website, too, or at least you could.

[lady-ganesh.livejournal.com]

I thought I was going to die laughing at the reveal about the Nigerians.

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

Sophie can get over the top with the sex appeal, but in a way it doesn't bother me much because, as you said, she's in control and confident about it. I get a strong vibe from her that she's found a "role" of sexy temptress that works very well and she's got the job perfected by now, so she's going to use it. I like that it's strictly business for her, strictly acting, and she's not overly flirtatious with everyone like most 'femme fatale' conwomen are portrayed to be. Aside from her marks, the only one she really flirts with is Nathan. The sex-temptation thing doesn't bleed into all her relationships and her entire life, it's merely one of her favorite tools for work.

[laurashapiro.livejournal.com]

I keep feeling like I am damning with faint praise when I say stuff like "At least when she capitalizes on sex, the camera does not leer at her and we cannot see every inch of her body!" And yet, I mean that as honest praise!

I know you do! It's kind of sad to think how low our standards have to be, with network television.

The show is a giant load of fun and I will watch it with you anytime. (:

[sargent.livejournal.com]

OMG the Middleman. I loved that show with the fiery heat of a thousand suns. So meta. So fun. And with a lead character who was Hispanic and acknowledged as such, and the show lacked any Very Special Hispanic episodes. It was definitely a part of her character but not the sole defining thing.

As was said above: such a low bar, and yet so nice to see.

[rsadelle]

So I don't know how ranalore is getting you into this, but you should be aware that they were shown out of order. According to Rogers (the show creator guy - his blog is lots of fun and he talks about the show and takes questions after each ep airs), Sophie's emotional story arc makes much more sense in the correct order. He gives the correct order as:

1.) The Nigerian Job
2.) The Homecoming Job
3.) The Wedding Job
4.) The Snow Job
5.) The Mile High Job
6.) The Miracle Job
7.) The Two Horse Job
8.) The Bank Shot Job
9.) The Stork Job
10.) The Juror #6 Job
11.) The 12 Step Job
12.) The First David Job
13.) The Second David Job

I think there's a moment in "The Stork Job" (I don't want to spoil you, so I won't be more specific than that) that goes beyond not offensive and right into the way things should be, and, for me, it resensitized me to the way most TV shows get the treatment of women oh so wrong.

[lady-ganesh.livejournal.com]

Oooooh. Juror #6 makes so much more sense after the Stork Job!

[rsadelle]

Yeah. And Eliot and Hardison's conversation in the kitchen in "The Wedding Job" makes eighty bajillion times more sense when it's four episodes before instead of after "The Two Horse Job."

[lady-ganesh.livejournal.com]

Indeed.

[oyceter]

After having seen him as Hardison, it's so hard imagining him as big and scary! He's just... so awesome and geeky and amazingly sane.

I need to pick up Middleman. I think that will be my next happy show after I tear through Leverage.

[oyceter]

Ooooo, I will have to get my Tivo ready! It just makes me so happy when I watch it.

[oyceter]

She didn't tell me that! Or she did and I totally forgot, which is probably what happened.

Thanks for the FYI. I'd watched the first five episodes (up to the bank one) in the aired order and am now going back to watch the ones in between. And yeah, having the wedding one and the snow one and etc. coming after the horse and bank ones makes no sense.

[oyceter]

So much Hardison love! SO MUCH!

[rsadelle]

I'm hoping that the fact that they're going to still be filming when the next season starts airing (they started filming today, season premiere is in June) means that TNT won't do the same kind of order changing this season.