Leverage Season 1 Review

Leverage Season 1

As a big Whedon fan (the last few shows I have watched/been obsessed by have all contained a Whedon alum in a major role) and after listening to some of Christian Kane's music on You Tube (and developing a huge crush!), I decided to give Christian Kane's latest show, Leverage, a try.

The show is set around a group of criminals and thieves who are united by good guy Nate Ford- still reeling from his former employers (an insurance company) refusal to pay for his son's treatment which ultimately led to his death. Along for the ride are grifter Sophie, hacker Hardison, hitter, Eliot and thief Parker. The team help steal from big businesses and other monied individuals to give back to the people who have been stung by these businesses.
The whole show feels very much Oceans 11, except funnier, smarter, with more likable characters and a better cast. The pilot perfectly sets up for the rest of the show, in which the team are brought together for the first time. It's one of the few jobs in which the crew are self serving and whilst later episodes find them taking on jobs to help other people, there are some personal agendas along the way.

The show isn't terribly grounded in logic; it's incredible how they pull off some of the cons and get away with some of the things they do. Also I don't always understand what's going on, especially the hacker stuff but it's not completely necessary to enjoy the show and the cons they perform. However this makes the show hugely fun to watch and the 'Robin Hood' nature of their jobs leaves you with a warm and fuzzy feeling.

Favourite episodes:

The Nigerian Job- where it all began. Great start and gives the first hint of the type of misdirection stunts the team can pull off

The Bank Shot Job- Nate usually leads the team, but when he's stuck inside a bank robbery with Sophie, the whole team must use their skills to get them out safely.

The Juror 6 Job- this job pits the crew directly against a company trying to rig a court case. It's a fun cat and mouse game

The First David Job- this job sees the team seek revenge on Nate's old employer wth interesting results which truly show how far the team has come.