A Thinker in Space

As a family we do not watch shows nearly as fast as we used to, especially 45-minute shows. That would explain why this article comes so much later than its predecessor, Leverage: Season One (though it also has quite a bit to do with my article release schedule). I will not be including a spoiler-free section of this article – when the review begins, expect spoilers for the season! If you’d like a spoiler-free review of this show as a whole, please see the beginning of the article linked above!

The Review

Leverage’s sophomore season contains 15 episodes, and is even stronger than its already excellent first season. The characters have grown and developed over the first 13 episodes of the show, and that growth is showcased here tremendously. The big news for this season is the stark absence of Sophie for 8 episodes, though she does show up in cameos throughout the rest of the season. She is replaced by Tara, who can be a bit infuriating at times, but kind of grows on you? A little? She is only here for this season, as Sophie returns in the explosive finale.

There are a lot of standout episodes here, but I can’t highlight them all, so I’ll have to narrow the list down to the best of the best.

Episode 2.3 – The Order 23 Job

There are some episodes of Leverage where the team absolutely destroys a mark, instead of just getting back their money. This is a particularly brutal takedown, to the point where you almost feel bad for the guy they’re breaking.

In the Order 23 job, a man who destroyed lives has stood trial, and has been declared guilty. However, his crimes were non-violent and he has a lot of money, so his “sentence” is a type of retirement rather than a consequence for his actions. Our team convinces him that there’s been a deadly outbreak, and that he has the disease. They drive him crazy, get him to escape and find his stashed money, and catch him in the act.

The episode includes some great character work for Elliot, who befriends a straitlaced cop, and interferes with a father who is abusive to his son, a subplot that pays off satisfyingly and raises awareness of an important issue.

2.5 – The Three Days of Hunter Job

The Three Days of Hunter Job is a personal favorite of mine. The team dives into the world of conspiracy theories and creates one to get a journalist who has made her career of destroying innocent lives to make fear-driven stories to have a mental breakdown on live television. This episode is appropriately filled with twists and turns, and features an incredible performance by Aldis Hodge in probably his best role in the entire show.

There are some great scenes here, some excellent commentary on the way conspiracies spread, and a thorough destruction of the mark that is enjoyable to watch after how frustrating she is for the episode.

2.7 – The Two Live Crew Job

The Two Live Crew Job is a highlight of this season, and of the show. Nate and his crew go toe to toe with another group, similarly outfitted. The chemistry of the actors with their counterparts is enjoyable to watch, and the writing is top-notch, with solid twists and turns. This also marks Sophie’s last full episode for this season.

2.11 – The Bottle Job

The Bottle Job is a bottle episode – the entire episode takes place at the current Leverage headquarters – the bar where Nate is living (though it’s more of a soft bottle episode, since the action does take place on more than one actual set). An Irish loan shark made a deal with the late owner of the bar, and is going to take the bar for himself as an asset since the owner did not pay before his death. Nate and the crew save the bar with some quick thinking, getting the loan shark to confess his crimes to a room full of cops. This one is a high mark for the season, and an episode that is easy to revisit.

2.12 – The Zanzibar Marketplace Job

This is a great episode – Maggie and Sterling return creating some fantastic dynamics and great character moments. This is a fast-paced episode with some great, tense moments as the team tries to save Maggie and take down their bad guy. It takes the normal episode formula and turns it on its head, executed excellently.

2.14, 2.15 – The Three Strikes Job/The Maltese Falcon Job

Every Leverage finale is strong, and this one is one of the best. The team goes after a corrupt mayor (played by Richard Kind, who perfectly cast for this role), and gets in over their heads very quickly. Things go awry, Sterling gets involved, and a complicated web is weaved as we dance with potential betrayal and the return of Sophie! An explosive ending leads us to one of the best scenes in the entire show, with Nate’s declaration at the end possibly his crowning moment in all five seasons.

Final Thoughts

This season is incredibly strong, with lots of great scenes and character moments. We get to know our cast quite well, and each character gets a chance to shine throughout. This season has no bad episodes and multiple excellent ones. The episodes I did not highlight are still great, and even Tara grows on the viewer as at least an interesting character. The only misstep in this season for me was the rational for Sophie’s leaving – the actress was pregnant, so she skipped out on the second half of the season, but the “I need to find myself” angle made her feel a bit petty. I would rather them have given her a more interesting reason to leave the show, especially since they intended to bring her back.

Overall, this is a fantastic sophomore season. I am looking forward to rewatching Season 3 – it is going to become harder and harder to pick episodes in the next few seasons because nearly every one is fantastic.

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