Quibbling Siblings – Our favorite character on Leverage

Bob:

I think we’ve had enough griping and nitpicking for a little while, so I wanted to go to a more positive place this week. I know we’re both quite fond of TNT’s Leverage. One of the high points of the show is the quirky and likable characters. So, the question then becomes: which one is your favorite? And I’m not going to let you get away with sitting on the fence, like you did with your favorite new comedy.

Certainly, it’s not an easy question, and sort of a moot one considering that so much of the charm comes from the chemistry between all the characters. I think they are all fun. Nate is a tad dry, and certainly not as quirky as the rest of the bunch, but he serves his purpose as leader and straight man. Back in season one Sophie was a blast (remember all the bad acting gigs?), but since last season she has become a lot less exciting as the show has tried to push her and Nate together. That leaves the motley crew of Hardison, Parker, and Eliot. They are definitely the most colorful of the team, each with their own unique quirks.

If I’m picking, I would have to say that Hardison is probably my favorite. He’s got the snark working for him, he can spin a great pop culture reference unlike anyone else on the show, and his skills may be the most useful to the team. Parker’s got the crazy, and Eliot has the quiet intensity, but Hardison always seems like he’s having more fun than anyone else. Heck, even when he’s doing Sophie’s job he seems to do it better than her.

Who’s your favorite?

Debbie:

Unlike my indecision on my favorite new comedy of the season, this is a question I can definitively answer. I completely agree with you that the way the characters play off each other is the best part of the show, but hands-down, Eliot is my favorite character and I can tell you exactly why.

You’re right — as much as the team needs Nate and Sophie (though I could argue that I could live with Tara instead of Sophie) they are straighter than the other three. Parker’s been established as the crazy one, which she does well, and Hardison’s great for all the reasons that you stated.

Eliot is my favorite because he’s full of both consistencies and surprises. He knows a lot about many obscure subjects, and it’s always because he slept with a girl who was a [insert obscure job here]. Consistent. He will also consistently kick anyone’s ass and the fight scenes are consistently choreographed to perfection. Clearly he’s never slept with a computer nerd, another consistency that always brings the laughs.

OK, you say “quiet intensity,” but just when you think that’s all there is, he caters a wedding, plays a spot-on game of darts, croons a country tune, and who knows what else. He’s always surprising us as more layers of his personality are revealed and it’s so much fun.

And please, can someone get me more Eliot flashbacks.

Bob:

Eliot is a good choice (and the one that I thought you were going to make). I feel like we need a third person in this conversation just to show Parker some love, because her character is pretty awesome. She’s got the socially awkward craziness that really works for laughs, and as we saw recently with her relationship with Hardison, she can tug the heart strings a bit too.

At the end of the day though, it’s still Hardison for me. I think the show would really fall apart without his character.

Debbie:

Yes, Eliot is a good choice, and so is Hardison. That’s really the beauty of Leverage — there is no bad choice. The characters are great. I do love the way Parker has softened up a bit when it comes to the interpersonal relationships. Still missing the flashbacks….

Bob:

That horse is dead, Deb, you can stop beating it now.

Clacked by Bob Degon
on Jul 28, 2010 @ 10:00 EST5EDT