Team Leverage: Shining moments in the finale

I don’t think there is anyone who would argue that Team Leverage (you know, Nate, Parker, Hardison, Sophie and Eliot of TNT’s Leverage) is anything but a study in perfection: they are well-rounded, bring different specialties to the plate, interact with one another in unique ways and balance each other out. Every episode brings us not only shining moments as individuals, but also a a unified team.

The season one finale was no exception, so I wanted to highlight my favorite shining moments in the finale for the team members. A fun way to end the season, right?

Nate Ford, the glue
We’ve known that Nate has been the glue that held the team together, through thick and thin, drunkenness and sobriety. So it’s fitting that Nate’s shining moment was not only knowing that the whole team would show up at the museum, but that they’d need him to bail them out. I’ve got to give Nate a runner-up shining moment too, because the flashback scene in the hospital of his son dying showed that even the glue comes unglued sometimes, and this was important to see so that we know why Nate drinks.

Hardison, in love with more than technology
It’s been fun throughout the season watching Hardison move from tech geek behind-the-scenes to having a more personal role in the cons, and with the team. He’s really making connections now and not hiding behind his computer like at the beginning of the series. Hardison’s shining moment couldn’t be anything but the fact that, three months later, he’s still trying to talk to Parker about the make-out session she used as a cover to steal the David from the museum vault. Talk about making a connection….

Parker, quirky with a capital Q
She’s charmingly “off,” doing things like telling a fellow juror that they smell like gravy, or fearing horses, or taking risks for the fun of it. Her random quirkiness created the shining moment for me when she smelled Nate’s wife’s hair, and followed it up with a head pat and a “You’re adorable.” You just have to laugh at Parker, and be glad she’s not sitting next to you.

Eliot, tough but sensitive
This season, we’ve seen Eliot level an entire coffee house filled with men pointing guns at him. We’ve also seen him cater a wedding. So Eliot’s shining moment is a two-parter, much like the season finale. Eliot’s first shining moment came in “The First David Job,” when he beat the stuffing out of Sterling’s guy. When I started watching the scene, it looked like Eliot was easily losing, and I thought to myself, “They’d better redeem this, and fast!” Well, they did, and Eliot stayed true to his character and was not defeated physically.

Part two of Eliot’s shining moment in the finale came when Sophie was trying to mend the fences with him. He was pouty and miffed when he found out she tried to apologize to Hardison first. So, like his dual personality, Eliot’s shining moment has some duality to it as well.

Sophie, master manipulator
Throughout the season, Sophie’s been able to manipulate the likes of congressmen, supplement company owners and everyone in-between. So it’s no wonder she’d try to manipulate her own team at some point. The shining moment, though, was when she manipulated herself out of apologizing to them for it, and they accepted it anyway. It was actually a really nice way for the team to kiss and make up without getting overly mushy and gushy. Sophie Devereau, master of the non-apology.

Team Leverage, inextricably connected, or “the dysfunctional family”
And the team’s shining moment as a group? It was really a tough call, because every moment of them working together to pull off the heist was brilliant and worthy of being “the moment.” I’m going with a shout-out to the writers (John Rogers and Chris Downey) and director (Dean Devlin) of this episode though, and calling the very last shot of the episode the team’s shining moment.

It was shot so perfectly. Through the nuances of their faces; the way they were standing apart, yet in a united circle; the way Nate turned and the scene was cut at that precise moment. We know so much about what will happen next because we know these characters so well. A couple of weeks ago, I asked if everyone on Leverage was an addict. Well, I think they may be addicted to each other, because it’s clear they simply don’t want to go it alone anymore.

Well done, Leverage PTB … I’m looking forward to season two!

Clacked by Debbie McDuffee
on Feb 25, 2009 @ 11:04 EST5EDT