Leverage is back, and the whole opening sequence was just brilliantly directed. Starting with Nathan Ford attempting to get back into the white collar world he’d left behind, we’re immediately assaulted with slow motion scenes of just how miserable all the office drones are. Then, as soon as he rejects this life and steps outside, he literally has a car flying over his head and crashing right next to him; symbolic of the excitement and need to help others he’s come to cherish in his life.
He then gets to save a couple of lives, witness corrupt behavior, and escape in the nick of time before the car explodes. That’s more like it! Aaand … cut to the snazzy new intro explaining the show in ten seconds. Damn, it’s good to have Leverage back!I didn’t expect the gang to be the ones begging Nate to get back on the horse and start helping people again. I guess it’s like they explained; he broke them. You get that “helping others” feeling and it’s hard to get the same rush from hacking the White House or stealing the Hope Diamond.
After watching Kevin Chapman’s run as Sean’s jackass dimwit brother on Rescue Me, it was quite jarring to see him as a capable and slightly savvy business mobster in this episode. The nice thing is that while watching this show, I could imagine that Terrance was getting his ass handed to them by the gang, as well.
It’s just so much fun watching the masters playing the different factions of the criminal underground against one another. I’d forgotten how complex these cons can get, but it’s ever so much fun watching them unfold. Why is it that the ration of “fun” shows is so much higher in the summer?
I liked the banker’s rant about how he represents the new crime lords over the street hoodlums that used to run crime. We took billions and the government just came along and bailed us out when we got caught. True or not, I love how Leverage jumps right into these hot-button corruption issues and boldly takes a stance and makes a statement.
I’m not going to go into discussing all the clever nuances of the heist itself. The joy in watching the show is seeing how all these elements come together over the course of the hour to complete the con and take down these men and women of corruption. It’s a beautifully gratifying thing to see.
And Nate knows it, too. That’s why despite his best efforts, he got conned into getting back into the game just this once, which turned into this next time, too. But that’s next week.
Clacked by Jason Hughes 
on Jul 16, 2009 @ 11:00 EST5EDT
Great article, Jason. I knew this show has something special when I first saw the previews for the first season. When the season ended, I was left heart broken. I longed for the days when the second season would arrive. Alas, the day has arrived.
The crew has so much chemistry together: Hardison and Parker together again pulling off the authority figures perfectly, Nathan reluctantly getting back into the heist, Eliot hitting heavier than ever taking on three mobsters at the same time (which is really nothing for him), and Sophie looking more beautiful than ever (too bad she has a boyfriend now, doh!)
Watching the first episode of the second season was like getting together with some old friends that I hadn’t seen in a long time. It was so good to see them again. I can’t wait to see them again next week.
I missed this show and am glad it is back.
Is it just me or does Sophie look pregnant? It seems like she was hiding her belly and even in that photo above, looks like she has a baby bump.
I loved that Hardison “discovered some hinky stuff going on in Pakistan” and when it was Eliot’s turn he said “I was in Pakistan.”
Great job in making Nate look better than last season – he looked sober and healthier.