Leverage needs Sterling, the ultimate nemesis

“James Sterling, Interpol. It just rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?” – Sterling

Everything’s good when Sterling is around. When he steps onto the screen, my heart starts beating wildly, and giddy cries emit from my lips. So it’s a shame he didn’t join this episode until the very last seconds. Granted, it’s got me positively foaming at the mouth for the finale, but I was hoping for a bigger build-up.

Though this episode did have its moments, crazy Nate wasn’t working for me. I know he’s drinking again, and I know that the fact that the cop who got shot was a family man was hard for him to deal with, but he was reckless. I’m not sure what about that doesn’t sit well for me, because that’s what happened in last season’s near-perfection too. OK, that’s exactly what doesn’t work — we’ve already done this. Nate’s drinking again, but he doesn’t have to go down the exact path of last season, does he?

The best part about this episode was Eliot, who I always loved but is really stealing the end of season two for me. I loved watching him go from baseball-hater to addict to star player handing out autographs. The dude’s in the middle of a con and he manages to get a sandwich named after him. And did you love the Japanese energy drink commercial that Hardison faked? Go Eliot!

I really loved the surprise twist that got all of the “hostages” out safely. That was a throwback to last season’s cleverness, and the fact that they stole the lead FBI agent’s car was sprinkles on the ice cream. These little surprises nearly always surprise me, and that’s something I love about Leverage.

Other great moments from this episode:

• I miss the flashbacks this season, I’ve said it in about every review. So it was nice to see Nate’s flashback to his son’s death. Wow, that was a warped thing to say.
• “I never get to do anything fun.” – Parker, as she dives off the side of a building
• Parker faking that she got pregnant by the mayor was great, and I loved the reaction of the freaked out assistant.
• Hardison named his van Lucille. Heck, he named his van. Period.
• The “Maltese Falcon” tease again … are we in for a kickin’ finale?
• Parker doing a Spanish accent, or speaking Spanish, or whatever she was doing, was a riot.
• “Be still my heart, if my heart was somewhere in my pants.” – The Mayor, when he saw the plans for the ballpark.
• Hardison snowing the rookie cop into looking for fibers, and telling him he found a grasshopper leg that wasn’t indigenous to the area, blowing the case wide open. When Hardison gets out from behind his computer, he’s still brilliant.

What’s your prediction — is the finale going to end the season on a high note?

Clacked by Debbie McDuffee
on Feb 10, 2010 @ 23:00 EST5EDT