Leverage: Redemption

[Cicada 5]

We're getting a revival of the TNT series Leverage which focused on a group of Robin Hood-style thieves who took on the rich and corrupt.

In this new iteration and new world, the Leverage crew have watched as the rich and powerful continue to take what they want without consequence. Grifter Sophie Devereaux (Gina Bellman), thief Parker (Beth Riesgraf), hitter Eliot Spencer (Christian Kane), and hacker Alec Hardison (Aldis Hodge) have watched the world change over the last eight years. Since their last job, it’s become easier–and sometimes legal–for the rich to become richer and the powerful to squash anyone who gets in their way.

To address the changes in the world around them, the team finds new blood in Harry Wilson (Noah Wyle), a corporate lawyer who is looking for redemption after realizing he’d been sitting on the wrong side of the table for his entire career, and Breanna Casey (Aleyse Shannon), Hardison’s foster sister who has a knack for computers, robotics, and getting into trouble.

 

[Chimpzy]

So, eh, was this a big thing? Cuz eh, don't think I've ever heard of that show before.

 

[Kyrian007]

I watched the show, it was fun. Had some good moments. I'll probably check this out, if nothing else Dean Devlin stuff is usually good for a light laugh and never takes itself too seriously. It does sound like they didn't get Timothy Hutton back, but it was more of an ensemble piece anyway. He did lend some gravitas to the project, but it didn't really need that kind of cred.

What I don't need out of this is big, heavy, complicated, connecting story arcs. Leverage is light, case-of-the-week, caper procedural... and needs to stay that way. I wanna see 43 minutes of Hudson Hawk meets The Sting on a couple thousand dollars budget every week if I'm going to tune in for more Leverage.

One thing about Leverage that got my goat though, it was one of the big "holy crap I'm old" moments. The actor playing the hacker, Aldis Hodge, is pretty talented. I looked him up on IMDB to see what else he was in, and saw he had a credit in Die Hard with a Vengeance. In Leverage his character is late 20's early 30's. And thinking back to Die Hard I was trying to remember who he was. "Was he one of the cops, was he a bad guy..." couldn't remember. Then I looked up his character... oh yeah. Die Hard with a Vengeance came out in 1995, he was one of the kids. The nephew of Samuel L. Jackson's character.

 

[Cicada 5]

I watched the show, it was fun. Had some good moments. I'll probably check this out, if nothing else Dean Devlin stuff is usually good for a light laugh and never takes itself too seriously. It does sound like they didn't get Timothy Hutton back, but it was more of an ensemble piece anyway. He did lend some gravitas to the project, but it didn't really need that kind of cred.

What I don't need out of this is big, heavy, complicated, connecting story arcs. Leverage is light, case-of-the-week, caper procedural... and needs to stay that way. I wanna see 43 minutes of Hudson Hawk meets The Sting on a couple thousand dollars budget every week if I'm going to tune in for more Leverage.

One thing about Leverage that got my goat though, it was one of the big "holy crap I'm old" moments. The actor playing the hacker, Aldis Hodge, is pretty talented. I looked him up on IMDB to see what else he was in, and saw he had a credit in Die Hard with a Vengeance. In Leverage his character is late 20's early 30's. And thinking back to Die Hard I was trying to remember who he was. "Was he one of the cops, was he a bad guy..." couldn't remember. Then I looked up his character... oh yeah. Die Hard with a Vengeance came out in 1995, he was one of the kids. The nephew of Samuel L. Jackson's character.

He also had a minor role in A Good Day To Die Hard.

 

[happyninja42]

My wife will probably be quite excited about this. She loves that show, and has rewatched it on Netflix multiple times.

 

[BrawlMan]

My wife will probably be quite excited about this. She loves that show, and has rewatched it on Netflix multiple times.

I know my mom is going to be excited for this when I tell her about it. Big Leverage fan.

 

[happyninja42]

I know my mom is going to be excited for this when I tell her about it. Big Leverage fan.

Can confirm, she is excited. Texted her the trailer a little while ago. She replied "I have been waiting for this." I suspect she didn't mean for it sound like a dramatic declaration by an epic swordsman, who has been waiting in an isolated village, for the day the soldiers returned, and he could enact his revenge, while standing upon a stormy precipice, looking down at their amassed army....but that's how I'm picturing it.