Leverage Season 2 Premieres July 15th

No one was more skeptical when Leverage hit the air on TNT.  A crew of con artists led by Timothy Hutton who aim for a sort of Robin Hood effort by taking on the rich and powerful and/or large corporations just didn't sound like something that was going to work for me.  I was completely wrong about how the show was going to play out, and I was pleasantly surprised.

Though I did think a couple of episodes were complete misses, it's a solid show overall and closed out with a great two-part finale.  See my original review of Leverage here.  They went so far in the end, that things are going to have to start from scratch for season two, and it looks like we're going to have another solid run.

Coming up this season:

Nate reassembles the team for a Irish mob vs. banker episode.  The team takes on a corrupt mixed martial arts promoter.  The team takes on a Madoff-like funds manager to recover embezzled money, and winds up playing fairy godparents to the mark's stepson (episode directed by Jonathan Frakes).  The team puts on a magic show to infiltrate a corporation that knowingly put tainted food on the market.  And a lot more.

Here's the character rundown if you aren't familiar, and the sneak peek clip is below.

Nathan Ford (Timothy Hutton) –

Nate Ford is a former insurance investigator who has found a new purpose in life by helping the downtrodden get even against corrupt bigwigs.

Because of his previous job, Nate is well-versed in the techniques thieves and grifters use, and he puts those skills to use through the complex schemes he and his team use.

He is talented at playing characters and inserting himself into any situation, but he also has problems controlling his passions, as well as his drinking.  But, when it comes to the latter, he is finally showing signs of recovery.

As the first season came to a close, Nate called upon his ex-wife to help the team bring down the insurance exec they blame for the death of their son.  Now that he has found some closure on that issue, he’s ready to begin the process of accepting himself as a thief.

Sophie Devereaux (Gina Bellman) –

Onstage, Sophie is the worst actress imaginable.  But when she’s in the middle of a con and playing a character opposite real people, she can give a performance that pulls the wool over just about anyone’s eyes.

Sophie is beautiful and sophisticated, and she has more than just a passing fancy for Nate.  But their past relationship seems to be water under the bridge, which is why she has taken a new boyfriend as the show begins its second season.

The team relies on her skills, such as her ability to speak six languages and fake 12 more.  But they are also cautious about trusting her too much, especially after she tried to con her team members out of a priceless work of art.

Eliot Spencer (Christian Kane) –

There seems to be little Eliot can’t do when it comes to bringing down the bad guys.

He can level the most muscular henchman in the blink of an eye and recognize the make and model of a gun simply by the sound it makes.

He has a bevy of martial arts skills at his command, as well as extensive, first-hand experience with some of the underworld’s most notorious figures.

But he’s not all brawn.  His softer side was on display when he asked the team to help the family of an ex-girlfriend.  He’s also a whiz in the kitchen, able to whip up a white truffle risotto that is to die for.

Parker (Beth Riesgraf) –

A shadowy past as an orphan and a fear of horses hasn’t stood in the way of this diminutive thief.

She’s bright and sharp, but she’s also a little off-center, seeing the world from a sometimes warped point of view.  Parker can fit into a small space, climb a wall or rappel off a roof without any fear.

She’s also amazingly skilled disappearing in a moment’s notice.  During the first season, Parker came face-to-face with her past when she helped rescue a group of children from a horrible orphanage being used as a front for weapon sales.

Alec Hardison (Aldis Hodge) –

If there is a computer to be decoded, a bug to be planted, a car to be traced or an identity to be created, Hardison is the man.

Like Parker, he lost his parents early in life, spending his childhood being brought up by his grandmother, whom he frequently quotes.

Hardison is not as experienced as the rest of the team in role-playing, but he quickly gets the hang of it, especially when he gets to work with Parker.

He’s also not accustomed to the more dangerous elements the team encounters.  But when he gets in front of a computer keyboard, the man’s a miracle worker.

Are You Screening?

© 2009, Are You Screening?. All rights reserved. Reprinting without express permission of the author is prohibited.

About Marc Eastman

Marc Eastman is the owner and operator of Are You Screening? and has been writing film reviews for over a decade, and several branches of the internet's film review world have seen his name. His reviews have brought him personal praise from the director of a major motion picture, and have been used as required reading in a course at a major University. These priceless rewards, along with just bags of cash, keep him from straying from freelance writing. He is also a member of The Broadcast Film Critics Association and The Broadcast Television Journalists Association.

Twitter | Facebook | More Posts (1450)