“You’ve taken the safety off the gun.” – Sophie, about drugging Eliot, someone who fights to survive
Leverage‘s second episode of their second season didn’t disappoint, and I loved the focus on Eliot. Last season, we spent time finding out about Eliot’s quirks: gourmet chef, fear of technology, and of course his “life school” when he learns the ins-and-outs of whatever case they’re on because he dated a INSERT PROFESSION HERE. We knew the guy had heart, but tonight we really found out the stuff he’s made of, the deep stuff that drives him.
And, we got another great con to boot. Win-win!
Eliot was all about the big speeches tonight, and as Leverage has established in their unwritten style guide (but we get it; we’re paying attention) so much was said with so few words. Talking with Sophie, he was so heartfelt about conveying to her why these guys fight, looking for some control in their dead-end town. Then he charmingly admits it’s also about “two guys beating the crap out of each other.” But in those few sentences, you really understood just how much Eliot identified with these guys.
In their follow-up talk, when Sophie tried to talk Eliot out of throwing the fight for his sanity’s sake, he explains to her, again, with sparse words, about where the control really lies and that he can do it. This speech was actually a good red herring to make us think they quite possibly were going to go that route; combine that with them so obviously missing that the water woud be drugged and I was set up to be completely disappointed in the ending of this episode.
Thankfully, this was not to be so, because Leverage pulled out the clever just when they needed it most. From “killing” Tank to planting the guns, it was, as always, the perfect setup. So far, so good for season two… keep it up, Leverage!
Good stuff:
Clacked by Debbie McDuffee
on Jul 23, 2009 @ 09:00 EST5EDT
They got me … I was suckered, too. First I couldn’t believe that they’d let Eliot take a dive and basically give up, then when he ‘got drugged’, I was appalled. I should have known better, huh?
I got fooled as well and absolutely loved how they pulled it off.
Seeing the cop’s face when he pulled the sax out of the trunk and knowing that that was what Parker referred to when she told the store clerk “and that too” was a laugh out loud moment. The actress carries off quirky without falling into the trap that so many do by taking it too far.
This was a great ep and I definitely love it when a plan seemingly doesn’t come together. I loved the Sophie-Eliot heart to heart and want to see more of those (& maybe a bit more . . . ). At first I thought Sophie’s terror monologue was overdone until I realized she was trying to convince the mark. Also, I’m glad they’re using her as a grifter, without overtly relying on the sexiness factor. However, I had a total crush on Kane’s body during his final Angel season (hello, full body tattoos), so I was saddened to see he no longer rocks that frame. While his hair, in ponytail form, is growing on me, I still wish they’d give him a trim/layer without losing the old boy charm.