I've always been mystified when a television series I
completely enjoy gets canceled. I'm sure others feel that way too. I mean with
all of the bad stuff that stays on the air how do good series end up being cut?
Such was the case this past year with LEVERAGE, a series that I enjoyed from
beginning to end. Perhaps we can find some solace in the knowledge that the
series can stay on our TV sets with the DVD collections offered. Season five
has just been released and I know I'm glad to see it take its rightful place on
the frequently viewed DVD shelf here at home, right next to the first four
seasons.
For those who for some reason never saw the show (it was
after all not aired on any of the big three networks) it told the story of Nate
Ford (Timothy Hutton), an ex-insurance investigator who was contacted to help
an old client take on the company he used to work for. Nate had a personal
stake in this because the same company twisted around their own contract which
resulted in the death of his young son. This was a chance for payback. The
opening show resulted in a few plot twists that resulted in Nate and his team
being left quite comfortable with millions of dollars. This allowed them to
carry on and help the little guy take on the big guy from episode to episode.
While Hutton's portrayal of Nate was dead on it was Nate's
team that made the show complete. Each of the team members were criminals that
Nate had helped put away in the course of his employment. And each one had
their own special talents and quirks that made them people you'd love to hang
out with.
Sophie Devereaux (Gina Bellman) was the best con artist in
the world with perhaps the exception of Nate. While she could portray a
countess with ease during a sting she couldn't act at all on stage, something
she long desired to do. Sophie also had a past with Nate that was hinted at and
played with as the series progressed until the final culmination in season
five.
Alec Hardison (Aldis Hodge) was a techno wiz that could out
hack anyone. Hardison's capabilities always helped the team. But it was his humor
that made him the most likeable character of the bunch. It also helped him to
eventually win the heart of another member of the team Harper (Beth Riesgraf).
Harper was the ultimate cat burglar, able to make her way through laser grid
alarms and down chimney's with ease. Hers was the silly character who at times
seemed the most childlike but adorable in every scene she shared.
Lastly was Eliot Spencer (Christian Kane), the warrior of
the group. If there was a weapon needed Eliot was your man. But more than that
he was an expert in nearly every hand to hand combat technique known. Eliot was
the muscle of the group but not as in muscle head. He was smart, prone to anger
and at the same time the softest hearted member of the group which showed in
more than one episode.
So there you have the gist of the series, a group of off the
wall characters led by a man with a troubled past who set out to fight the good
fight and help people in need who couldn't afford anyone to help them or
couldn't fight city hall if it came to that. When it happened, the leverage
team would help.
Season five was every bit as good as season one through
four. I never witnessed a season that didn't live up to not only my
expectations but to the job done the previous season. None of the episodes were
boring, none seemed out of place in the leverage universe and all of them
continued to make me care more and more about these characters. Unfortunately
the studio behind them didn't quite agree and the show ended with this season.
So what did it offer?
A shipping CEO whose greed led to multiple deaths, a hockey
team that wanted to screw over it's players for higher ticket sales with no
help for the team mates, a plagiaristic scientist, Congress, D.B. Cooper, Wall
Street, a retail chain, a toy company and finally a company involved in the
death of Nate's son. Along the way a familiar guest from the past made an appearance
with Mark Sheppard as Jim Sterling, Nate's nemesis from his days at the
insurance company who now worked with INTERPOL. There wasn't a boring episode
in the mix and all had that familiar tackling of giants feel to them.
What made this show work weren't just the actors or the theme
even though these were an important piece of the puzzle. Puzzle is a good
description of what made it work. It was all of the pieces coming together to
make a whole picture that was wonderful to watch unfold a piece at a time. The
writings and directing, the camera work, the acting, the sets....each of them
contributed to the whole. And this group that came together became a sort of on
air family for the fans.
I find myself this fall wishing that another season were in
the works. For the moment I'll have to content myself with watching the fifth
season. Then perhaps I'll go back and start from the beginning once again. I
know that I'll be doing that from time to time. This was one series that wasn't
just worth watching when it aired, it was one to collect. And now it looks like
that special place on the shelf, where the series offers me easy access, is
where I'll be adding season five. You should do so as well.
Click here to order.
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