(First, let me get a drink from the bottle, scotch,no ice...I´m ready now!) Hello, from Argentina. I´m a fan of leverage, but i´m a good girl... mmm, that is not entirely true... Y know it! I know that the previous ep was... well, just said a "fast ep". I miss the genius touch. Q: Is this your favorite episode only for the "bottle" reference, or is there another reason? if yes, then wich reason? (Sorry for the syntax)
Well obviously I haven't seen the episode, mostly because I live in Ireland. So I'm guessing you can figure out where I'm going with this. ^_^
I do however watch the short clips they show on TNT though. I saw on tonights clip people trying to do Irish accents. (shakes head) To be fair, the main guys Irish accent isn't too bad, when compared to the guy who has the brother liam. It's still bad though.
We really don't speak like that but alas I have accepted that all American shows (and Americans) make us sound like we have taken some helium and say "top of the morning to ya" all the time.
However I have faith in you and the other writers and the show itself that the episode will still be awesome even with the accents. I will be quite impressed if you have some irish words like, "Langer" or "craic" (pronounced "crack", meaning fun). Will have to wait and see I guess.
Anyway my question is was it all the Guinness that you drink that was the influence for this episode?
Okay, not about this episode, but I ended up watching "The Two Live Crew Job" twice more-- once on my way to Israel and then again on the way back. Which made me wonder: will we be seeing anymore of Mikel Dayan/Noa Tishby?
I have to admit, I love seeing her because not only is it nice to see a real Israeli cast as a Mossad agent, but you weren't asking me to accept that someone who looked the size of my arm could throw a punch that would knock Eliot down.
If Gina hadn't gotten pregnant, would Sophie have played the roles Tara is playing? For instance, would Sophie had been the fashion designer in The Runway Job?
RE: Fiona's comment. It kind of reminds me when "Fargo" came out and a great number of people in ND/MN took offense at how the characters sounded. Hey, I live her and even I know that some of us DO sound like that! Sometimes people can't hear how they sound. Great comeback, Mr. Rogers.
Am I really supposed to believe that Liam's parents just stopped naming their children after Liam was born? What's up? Why is he introduced as Liam's brother instead of Sean or Patrick or whatever.
1st -- excellent! Yeah, really good episode in a bottle. Loved Parker's finishing shot during the safe cleaning. I hope the Irish Punk song is on the soundtrack CD.
2nd -- am I making things up in my head (entirely possible) or is there a subtext/theme about fathers a touch left over from last season and going on? (I'm thinking specifically about 2nd David commentary about Nate watching the others getting into the museum plans like a father watching his kids, among other little things.)
3rd -- You use a writing team for the show -- do you keep a "bible" to keep your facts straight? Do different writers take the lead on different episodes? Is it a huge collaboration or a matter of one person drafts, other people refine? The bits and pieces you've revealed about the writing process fascinate me.
So...being, you know, NOT a stupid person, I'm going to go out on a limb and just say it.
Tara is/was a spy...right?
Also, I think this episode was both the strongest of the season and the weakest. Other than the Tara=spy revelation, I don't feel like we grew as people. Yes the timeline was tight, but I didn't feel it. The mounting tension was washed out by Nate drinking, though I do admit to LOVING the way the team reacted. I also felt like Christian was grossly underused in this episode. He hit some people and can throw darts like a crazy professional. Wow. Someone break out in applause.
I love this show. Since The West Wing was canceled there had not been a show that commanded my attention and devotion until Leverage. From things that you have said here on the blog I sense big, amazing things are coming...bring them soon!! We need something to rock the boat, shake the status quot...we need the characters to grow as people...and all we got this week was Nate regressing.
I am vaguely underwhelmed and that makes me cry in my special Leverage place.
That is definitely my second favorite episode (my first being Two Live Crew, of course.) Classic cons, laughed a lot, and I actually didn't hate Tara....
I loved the scene where Parker stole the wallets from Liam and brother, and Eliot throwing the darts. Kind of upset when Nate drank. Looking forward to next week!
Hey John! Fun episode. I noticed Mark Doyle asked for a bottle of the most expensive Scotch. I would have expected single malt Irish. Was that because Scotch is more expensive?
i like dark nate. any hints as to whether we might see nate flat out lose his temper with the team either this season or next? i don't mean disgruntled, frustrated, or annoyed (annoyed eliot is hysterical, btw). i want to see nate open the anger floodgates. breaking some bones in 'the bottle job' was a nice shadow on nate's character.
also, do more of those things that you already do that we all love so much.
Great ep! Loved the almost claustrophobic feeling. Really added to the tension and the sense of urgency.
More Eliot-Parker fun. Seriously, those two are great together! Beth and Kane have really developed a great chemistry.
And weatherman Hardison, in Nate's too-small clothes, too funny! Though I did appreciate the shirtless Hardison. Y'all got some serious eye-candy on that show!
You should've heard the groan that went up in my house when Nate took that drink. As my 12-year-old said, that can't be good.
Loved learning about Nate's dad. No wonder Nate understands his criminal crew so well. Sounds as if Jimmy might be part of his identity issues -- didn't want to be like dear old dad, but is turning out more like him than he likes.
But, hey, we don't get to see Nate's reaction to what the team did to his apartment??? Not cool, Rogers, not cool. Just tell me Old Nate survived.
Amazing. I cried when Nate took that drink. First sip because he has to, beat, second sip because...he has to. How much of that scene came from you and how much from others? Also, meta-question, did it give you the willies when just last week people were talking about bad green-screens considering the Hardison weatherman bit in this one?
So this was The Sting backwards, with the wire as the setup for the poker game. Was that deliberate?
The Irish thugs sounded plenty Irish to me, but I wasn't convinced by the Boston-Irish accents of the other poker players -- they reminded me of the better class of fake American accents by British actors.
First, I hated Nate drinking again. But that's for personal reasons. Then again, on the flip side, it makes me scream at my television again, and that's always fun. Flashbacks to season one. Haha.
Second, Parker and the safe? OH. DEAR. LORD. I have to ask... does she get some legitimate sexual gratification out of her job? Cause she seriously looked like she was about to make out with the damn thing. She's been creepy with money before, but this even made me raise an eyebrow and usually by now I'm used to it. I really don't want to know what she does in her free time with her cash, do I? Er...
Third, Tara the maybe-spy. Freaking hot. Just... cause it is.
Forth, thanks for shirtless Aldis. Much love.
And fifth, Eliot's seriously got some dart skills. MAN. I'm envious lol
I've gotta go back and watch again. Was that Nate's dad Parker was talking with at the end? It looked like the empty stool in the zoom was the same one he was sitting on. Hmmm...
You pulled The Wire for the modern age, something I have been thinking about since finishing The Big Con recently. Very nice.
And Nate's childhood hit home. Guess Irish are the same in a lot of places.
Also loved Nate with the loan shark at the end there. Good Stuff.
Nate is very much the Irish Catholic wallowing in his own sins, demons and temptations with where he lives. Parker getting that makes me think there is a streak of Catholic school girl there somewhere.
1)Thank you for Shirtless Hardison. It is very much appreciated. 2)First step is ADMITTING you have a problem, not necisarily stopping. Nate knows what an Ass he is now... so baby steps. 3)How cool was it to shoot in a pub?! (Even a not completely real one. lol) Any parties on set? 4) I love this show.
1) Well, getting Jim Hutton to play Jimmy is out of the question, though would have been great, who might play Jimmy-- if I heard rightly that he is in the present and not the past?
2) If Hardison bought the building, why was the barkeep indebted to a loan shark? It's not like Hardison would dun him for the rent and set him up to run to a loan shark.
@Sherri: Oop, you're right. Pulled that trigger too early.
And Jon, I just would like you and your team to know that's a beautiful character moment when Nate considers taking the drink. And his look back to Eliot really reveals a lot about the relationship between those two.
I gotta say my favorite part was realizing that you told us at the beginning just exactly how it was going to end. "Don't gamble with other people's money" and saying that the bar was mob on one side and cops on the other.
I also noticed that tremor in Nate's hand as he took the first drink. Fine work, Mr. Hutton.
Will we get to know Tara's real history, since her story doesn't have to carry over to next season (and beyond, please, TNT!)
Darrell and my other brother Darrell. I thought it, too.
Loved it. Good pacing, good & true-to-form character interactions, good con, great acting by Tim w/ the drink, clues to Tara's spook (I assume) past, a reveal that Big Daddy Ford is still alive, shirtless Hardison, what's not to love?
Well, there was one thing I didn't love. The fight scenes. Which are usually my very favorite part. All the 'blows' were cut away from in a strange way (sorry I don't know the right showbiz words). Christian is a master at selling that shit, and we know he does his own stunts, so you usually don't have to cut away during the fights - for a stunt double I mean. So.....
Q1 - Were those fight scenes cut really oddly, or am I ... crazy/stoopid/high?
Q2 - Assuming the fight scenes were different than usual... WHY?
Q3 - Not related to this ep but, I must know, why does EW magazine hate you?
Hi, Wonderful episode. Have to say I loved it being so close to "home" for all the characters. My question is with Nate slipping like he is are the other memebers of the team losing respect for him or beginning to question his judgement. Example being Eliot's disapproving glare when Nate started drinking and then calling him on the secondary con later. Will this potentially cause him to later be removed as the leader of the group either due to his own issues or for the safety of the team. Also one last question. It pains me to ask it but is there a point where the fail safe (Eliot) gets too injured to go on? Will there ever be a point where Eliot is either injured or taken out and the team is forced to work without him? Only reason I ask is Eliot takes a beating. While he's the best he's only human. Eventualy his body has to say no more. Unless he's really superman. Thank you for the great episode, looking foward to next week!
Magnificent as ever! Hardison especially kicked booty, and was, as usual, unappreciated for it. (And that's why he kept the painting. Of course...)
Question: I know that was a traditional Irish song being played over the final scene between Nate and McRory's daughter, but I couldn't place it, to my chagrin. What was it?
WOW..... Tim was all Boston when he bent that guy over the table and busted up his fingers!!! I'm from Southie and I recognized that look in his eyes.....it made me respond viscerally....I actually sat up straight for a minute. Do Not Piss Him Off!!! He's got that dead cold Irish eye.Definitley a Jamaica Plain guy. His accent came out a little, too. :) Totally got sucked in by you all.....again!! Tx for the ride
Are we gonna see the three older cops from around that table again?
And: What's the thinking behind "jitter-cam" fight filming? I'm not sure it adds so much as it detracts, but maybe there's a finesse in the technique that I'm not catching.
Ok so shot in the dark but is Tara's fake ID NSA quality because she's ex NSA? Cuz that would explain why she knows cryptography, why she and Nate never crossed paths... Why she can defend herself....
Ok so shot in the dark but is Tara's fake ID NSA quality because she's ex NSA? Cuz that would explain why she knows cryptography, why she and Nate never crossed paths... Why she can defend herself....
Maybe not a field agent, though, or to be exact, someone who was released to be a field agent; she doesn't feel quite like someone they'd trust to be in the field. She seems who enjoys the cons just a little too much...(Not that Rogers will ever tell us that straight out...)
1) I was confused by the ending...why was Hardison trying to get the other people to stay at the bar with him? Reception at school is not great, so maybe I just missed some of the dialogue.
2) Will we ever seen Eliot beaten? And I mean seriously loosing a fight. We've seen him get thrown around in the first David Job and the Tap Out Job, but he always pops right back up after. I guess I'm wondering if we'll ever see what it takes to keep Eliot down (you know, besides Nate telling him to.)
A few more comments: * I loved the emergency cash hiding places. It really is the "family home" more than Nate's apartment, isn't it? I'm also guessing that Nate knows nothing about this.
* We really haven't heard Eliot growl at Hardison since Hardison smacked his head into the squad car during the pilot. I was kind of hoping for "...oh I'm going to punch somebody!" too.
*..that all the security systems, safes, etc. are "Glenn Reeder" which I believe is the same name as the writing team from the "Two-Horse Job". (I believe they were introduced as the "baby writers" last year in the commentaries) and I think her name is actually spelled Rieder. Inside joke?
* And that I'm already starting to panic thinking about only 4 more episodes left!!
My question was re: Kane's dart skills, but I see someone has already asked it above.
Great episode. Brought back memories of visiting my Aunt's pub in the UK and playing darts. Also a found the scrambling to fake a weather broadcast hilarious.
I want to say that I really loved Tara in this episode. In "The Runway Job" I found her attitude discomforting. She just seemed like she was there because she had to be. But this time it felt like she was enjoying running the con with the team, like she chose to be there, even if they're not the bestest buddies.
I love that Parker made a joke! "What if I can't open the safe?" I laughed so hard!
Nate taking his first drink was really well done - kudos to Tim for that whole sequence. Further, I loved that his subsequent drinking did not take place in front of the team, so they know, but they don't know how much or how often. That's a good (not heavy-handed) investment that could pay off well in future episodes.
But now for my question: I understand that, unlike Sophie (or anyone else on the team), Tara gets paid no matter what, but is it significant that there have now been two cons in a row that have resulted in zero profit for the team? And what ramifications will come from Nate being the only one paying her her "cut"?
Also, what was Liam's brother's name? I'm guessing it wasn't Noel, because they didn't fight with each other at all.
That song from the poker game sounded pretty familiar. Is it something I'd know, or is it another original like the 12 step job song from last year (and if so, can we expect a whole album of that?)
Also to address the Terra/Tara however ya spell it questions from last week - there's been hints on here before that she runs a different kind of con. Sophie obviously has a taste for the finer things, a very international flavor. Things that would bring her to Nate's attention - she was big on art theft after all, stuff that's insured.
Tara strikes me as someone who's more about the money than anything else, and so her targets are naturally different - why con someone out of art you have to sell when you can con them out of cash, straight up?
Definitely a government background of some sort, even if it's wrong side of it. Too many hints to be otherwise.
Actually, come to think of it, this IS the song from 12 Step Job isn't it? I remember that being called something like Can't go home again - and I definitely heard lyrics to that effect.
"that's a beautiful character moment when Nate considers taking the drink. And his look back to Eliot really reveals a lot about the relationship between those two."
Also loved shirtless Hardison and Parker's foreplay with the safe PLUS the finishing kick...really, really loved Beth in those moments, she totally rocked.
I, too, liked Jeri Ryan better in this episode. Still some rough moments, but she didn't seem to be trying too hard to be tough in this ep.
My daughter says that Eliot is way too tough to be wearing a blown out flip hairdo. And as much as I adore Kane, and thinks he looks so much better with long hair, I have to admit I do not like that particular style either.
Okay, 2 questions.
The plan was for Doyle to first win in the card game and then for Nate to win all of his money back. But if Tara started sending the wrong signals, surely Doyle would not have continued to play. So, if Doyle had not recognized his own money, how was Nate going to win the later hands?
Finally I don't understand why they couldn't just let Doyle be arrested and put in a Boston jail. Why was it better for him to just leave town.
Thanks for another fabulous episode. You guys are on a freaking roll.
I have a copy saved to my harddrive, but I don't know if it's available for purchase anywhere so I'm hesitant to upload it without John (and Joe, the composer) being ok with that...
Oh yeah, and good job on the cops. It didn't even cross my mind until Tara once again said something to the effect of, "You don't know who these guys are." I had figured they weren't mob, but hadn't paid much attention to the comment about mob on one side and cops on the other.
And I loved the way they exited the scene of the crime. This is definitely one of my favorite episodes. Will have to watch it again.
Rebecca: If he got arrested, that money becomes evidence, and like they said, won't get back to the people it belongs to, among other things. (Nate would probably be in deep shit because of his role, including gambling quite a bit of money)
Question - what kind of knife did Elliot have/use when he was cutting up the chair for the emergency fund? What's our resident Batman/Midnighter/Superhero's carry knife of choice?
Great episode! I hate that moment when I realize there's only ten minutes left on this week's fun train. I've stopped fast forwarding through the commercials just to make it last longer (or because I'm lazy, but feel free to tell your sponsors the former).
Three questions: 1) It sounded like Nate's dad is still alive, are we going to meet him soon?
2) Why weren't the cables to the pub's AV system hooked up to anything?
3) When Cora says "Thanks, for everything", is she looking where I think she's looking? Cuz I sure would have been.
Finally, I love this little character touch: Everyone on the team hates seeing Nate drinking. But at the end, Elliot is the one that is watching Nate to see if he's going to down the shot Cora brings everyone, and conscientiously chooses not to drink himself. It's like he's asking himself "What would Sophie do?". It really says a lot about the dynamics of the relationships. Pretty sophisticated stuff for a "fun little heist show".
@coren, thanks! I did hear Tara say that, and I loved the way the cops left it. I just didn't associate it with Nate roughing up Doyle and telling him never to come back, and it never crossed my mind that there might be grounds to arrest Nate, as well.
Sheesh, there are sooooo very many details. More kudos to the writers than ever.
But, John, still wanna know how Nate planned to win the latter hands of the poker game w/o Tara giving the wrong signals, which would presumably make Doyle take the money and run. I questioned it as soon as I heard the plan and it's driving me crazy.
I admit I was kind of dreading Nate falling off the wagon, but that's because I forgot what a brilliant cast you have, and how perfectly they played it.
It's possible that the shots of the unplowed streets and the accents made me miss Boston.
Asked my question upthread - the knife geek one - but upon further contemplation wanted to put in a... well, not a *vote*, as the season's already put paid... and wouldn't matter anyways :) ...but an opinion...
Personally, I hope we see more of 'functional alcoholic Nate.' Because honestly, he's a more interesting, dynamic and exciting character. Somebody holding it together just on the edge is far more interesting than 'in-denial Catholic guy.' Just like Vicodin-gobbling House is superior to "Drugs are bad, mmkay?" House.
And honestly, whiskey as the big-bad is kinda made mockery of by the single malt soaked commentaries. And to quote a great man - "What’s the one thing this show has taught you as a writer?
John Rogers: It’s okay to drink in the room. There’s no shame in opening up a bottle of Irish whiskey during the day."
Eh, mine is only one man's opinion. And of course, by 'functional alcoholic Nate' I probably mean 'functional alcoholic me.' But that's a tale for another day.
*Disclaimer* I am, indeed, child of an officially diagnosed, dry-for-20-years-now, alcoholic. And the drink can screw up your life and your family and is probably, kinda-sorta, an actual disease and should be taken seriously. But I'm *just sayin'.*
A little part of me cheered when Nate threw down the shot.
Secret money in the cereal box, love that was where Parker hides hers.
"Back to you Chet". I know I'm stretching, but when I heard that I heard a shout out to Ch.5's Chet Curtis....but I guess that would be a huge Boston stretch!
Great ep! When you can feel for and sympathize with the characters like they're actual people you know(even - especially - when they do the wrong things), then you have some amazing writing and acting going on.
My silly question is, did they do something with the lighting in this ep, or did everyone's eyes just get much brighter? No really, all those blue, blue eyes pretty much popped out of the TV at me. Even Aldis' dark brown eyes seemed a brighter shade of dark brown.
I thought maybe it was the lighting for that particular set.
Loved The Bottle Job! The Irish music, the bar, the red-haired Irish lass, and the Leverage team was great!
I have to admit I was a little upset when Nate took that drink, but you warned us about Nate. (Tim was outstanding in this ep.)
The brothers Liam are a nod to "Newhart," right?
For some reason this ep felt more like Boston to me than some of the other S2 eps. Maybe it was those snow shots and the bar.
What were Nate and Cora tossing back at the end? I couldn't make out the label and the bottle wasn't square so I don't think it was Bushmills. Midleton maybe?
A great episode - congrats and thanks to all of you.
As someone who found myself leaning towards Eliot in the first episode, I have to ask: Was Eliot purposely not drinking when the thank-you round came so Nate wouldn't be the only one IF he "behaved", or was he just too distracted by wondering if Nate would? (or am I reading too far into that look and he wasn't thinking about it at all?)
...also, it seems odd that while they were all in on the concern (which is adorable. I think the crew may be one of the most lovely dysfunctional "families" on TV) they booked it right out of there while the alcohol was still on the table. Self-preservation?
All-in-all, a pleasantly entertaining episode. (Although I am starting to feel just a little bit cheated with the amount of "Oh no! It's all going to Hades in a handba...just kidding!" events that have happened recently, especially with two happening back-to-back)
I've asked my questions, but to add my praise / echo others:
- Agree that Parker was hilarious w/ the butt slapping - Beth always brings it - but I assumed that Eliot started it so that she would have an easy way to lift their phones / wallets. I love the sibling vibe that Parker/Eliot have, and I love when we see that they've worked some things out on their own (his coaching of her wrestling, the scene in the Lost Heir where he bumps the table so she can steal the sunglasses, etc)... I thought the butt slap was more of that. Though also Eliot has proven he can think on the fly.
- Agree that Beth was awesome with the kick to the 3rd thug so she could better hear her Precious. But I would have loved it better if Tara had not knocked out someone for Eliot just last week. Eliot can knock people out just fine by himself, and they tend to stay knocked out. ;) I did like E's line about "I had it".
- Agree with all that the look between E & Nate when Nate took his first drink was both moving and telling. Nate & Sophie may be the mom & dad, but E also brings a 'man of the house' vibe that 'little sibs' Parker & Hardison (hilarious and made of awesome though they are) do not.
- I both hate and love 'functional alcoholic' Nate. I assume that we will see him fail in a con while drunk at some point. I wonder if we'll also see E lose a fight then. Don't know how I feel about that. I enjoyed when he was beaten bloody in the David Job - but still wouldn't go down... that's our Eliot. What would make him go down? A gunshot or a crowbar to the head would seem to be a cheat.
- Shallow Hair Comment: I like E's hair blown out straight but I don't love the flip. In all the eps, imo, his hair looked best in the Beantown ep when he beats the mob guys up with the bat. Not that I am hyper-focused on Eliot's hair or anything. ;)
- I assumed that the plan was ALWAYS to have Doyle recognize his own money. That's why Nate told the cops that Doyle would confess. Maybe the team didn't know about the sharpie, but I have to think that they would have removed the distinctive banding if they were trying to hide the origin of the money from Doyle.
Oh - I do have another question. I previously wondered about the fight scene, and why it was not as realistic as usual. I saw some spec elsewhere that it was b/c this was a 'bottle job' show (i.e. to save money the expensive stunt guys weren't there or something)... but something else just occurred to me: We have heard CK interview that he would up in the hospital during shooting of S2. Maybe CK was hurt when this ep was shot? Concussed? That would explain the fight scenes as well as the underuse of Kane...???
@scooter5203249 Since I live in Boston, I agree, it felt more like Boston for the first time to me as well. Maybe I've been in "that" bar, could be the people, definitely Hardison's weather report. The whole feel. Or it could be that I'm Irish and felt like I was looking at an Irish wake I've been too :D
First of all kudos on a well executed story this week. The writing was wonderful. Loved 'The Sting' references as it's one of my favorite movies.You can really see the characters growing and changing. The writers have given the cast great material to work with and they in turn have taken it and brought it to life. Thanks for all the hard work all the way round.
I see that the 'Newhart' reference has been mentioned. 'Hi. I'm Darrell, this is my brother Darrell...'Glad I wasn't the only one who caught it.My question is was that intentionally written in or just something that happened to be a humorous by product?
Loved the show. Especially the moment of solemn glances.
Will we ever see an episode where one of the team disappears and they pull a job to get them back? (I'm think a la Global Frequency when Miranda Zero is kidnapped). A job in real-time perhaps?
I applaud you on the use of 'shmuck', made me roar with laughter because it's something we (my family) use all the time. Just a few Questions (sorry!) The song by DropKick Murphy's was also used in the 12 step Job, did it have something to do with Nate loosing his control and starting to drink again, or did someone hit on their Ipod and decide that was the song to use? (also good pick since DKM are home town boys) My other question is will the season 2 DVD's have outtakes or a blooper reel? Love to see behind the scenes.
Great show, can't wait for next weeks with the return of Sterling. Keep up the awesome work!
I absolutely loved this show! I can understand why this is one of your personal favorites. I loved that we get a deeper understanding of Nate, how he became who he is, and what drives him, and part of what makes him so angsted. And I loved that this ep wasn't a long big elaborate con, and that everything took place in the bar and Nate's apartment, but there was still plenty of action, tension, and suspense, and drama.
So a couple of questions for you:
1. Since we learned about Nate's father in this episode, will we ever find anything out about his mother?
2. I know you and the other writers have a penchant for using some real cons in the show and making some up. So, is the wire an actual con, or a product of the writers room?
3. I know we are Sophie-lite in this batch of episodes because Gina was/is on maternity leave, so was it a deliberate decision to not have Sophie show up in the ep and save her scenes for the other episodes, or did it just not make sense to have her appear because the team was under a time crunch and had too much else going on?
4. Who's idea was it to not give Liam's brother a name, and to have Liam basically speak for both of them-I loved it! lol
5. How long has the team had "emergency funds" stashed around the apartment? And can I say I was just as shocked and horrified as Parker when Hardison took the knife or whatever to the portrait of Old Nate?? The picture better go right back up on the wall!
6. I felt for the team and how disappointed they were in Nate when he took the drink. Does this mean he's officially off the wagon, or is be back to being cold turkey sober after this? Thanks!
Really enjoyed the episode. Nate/Sophie angst isn't my cup of tea, but Nate's sobriety I find very involving.
I was a little puzzled why the cops let Doyle go--the promise of confessing to a felony seemed to me to be a promise of an arrest. I eventually decided that they came to the conclusion that it would be difficult/less productive to convict than to ensure that he just stayed away, but if the flashback had made that clear, it wouldn't have kept me thinking--"leave his money on the table, confess to at least one felony--it'll definitely be enough to keep him out of the country permanently, what do you say"?
Hey John, first time poster here, and just wanted to say I love this show, and I think its fantastic that you do this. You dont see many other shows these days that get all this inside information and get their questions answered, so thanks. My question: I noticed at the end Eliot didn't take a drink. Was this purposeful like others have suggested to be an example for Nate and not drink? Or does is Eliot just not a big drinker? Though we have seen he drinks beer... Also, he seems the most upset by Nate's drinking, not only in this episode, but throughout the show. Is there a reason for this?
I'm a Malaysian,I hear all kinds of accents (some unintentional!) 24/7 in my country, BUT hey the Irish accent here? LOL better than the Brad Pitt(y)ish, dodgy one in Devil's Own imo! SO, Mr Kane has "added" being a pro dart thrower, among his other accomplishments!:) Has he been one for about..12 years now,erm? Viper Room, Dante's..goes with the territory, I guess;D Question: Any chance Eliot might be throwing a knife and/or using a cross-bow anytime in S3? Not at any body, mind you, more a necessity for an escape. As for Eliot fighting and the rest..I assume Nate would want The Team members to lie low for sometime after each case, before taking up a new one? Also Eliot has "connections with men in suits..?" AND prefers to date doctors..Surely Eliot knows where to go when he's concussed and recuperate ;) Remember Eliot was asked where he disappeared to, for 8 years w/out a call (The 2 Horse Job)- Eliot's answer "I was, working" SO,I'm to believe Eliot knows how to dish out more pain than receive, wherever possible! Question: Will we be seeing (cough!)the "other side" of Eliot in the future?
So, does Cora know what the team does (and, by extension, what they are), or does she just know they help people? She seems too sharp not to suspect *something*.
And speaking of Cora, kudos to making a "guest" character so real. Does she now join the group of recurring characters?
Also, he [Eliot] seems the most upset by Nate's drinking, not only in this episode, but throughout the show. Is there a reason for this?
I know that many - myself included - speculate that Eliot was abused as a child... it explains his comments in Tap Out, his concern for the boy in the hospital ep, his need to be able to physically dominate... etc. Perhaps he was beaten by an alcoholic father.
As for Eliot fighting and the rest..I assume Nate would want The Team members to lie low for sometime after each case, before taking up a new one? Also Eliot has "connections with men in suits..?" AND prefers to date doctors..Surely Eliot knows where to go when he's concussed and recuperate ;) You may be addressing another comment completely - but if you are answering my comment upthread, I meant that Christian Kane the actor may have been hurt/concussed, and that's why the fight scenes were light. I agree that Eliot must know where to go for healing! (I loved that 'doctor' comment last week too...)
Remember Eliot was asked where he disappeared to, for 8 years w/out a call (The 2 Horse Job)- Eliot's answer "I was, working" He said 'working' but he flashed back to a prison camp I believe.... right?
Well I must say that once again you all have out done yourselves!!! It was an awesome episode. Loved the Irish everything!!! Dont know if I am really feeling the Eliot perv thing....I think I like it more when he was more secretive..did dig the growling hahahaha My only real complaint is the fight scene it was TO DAMN DARK!!!! It was hard to see the action...but other than that I FREAKIN' LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!! You guys are amazing!!! Can't wait for the return of Sterling he is a great bad guy!!
1) Hardison wanted to delay Nate's return to the apartment because he (and the rest of the gang) had completely trashed it over the course of the episode -- holes in the wall, searching for clothes, getting the emergency funds, and he wanted the whole gang to help him clean up (which they declined to do).
2) It was not clear to me either how "Doyle owning the bar" would work. Cora did appear to accept the napkin marker as a contract, though of course it wasn't legally enforcable. Nate did mention that if Cora went to the cops, Doyle would presumably just burn down the bar in six months and/or subvert the relevant cops.
3) I agree that Nate's plan was always for the poker game to end with Doyle recognizing his own money and confronting the guys he didn't know were cops -- there's a convention that flashbacks at the end tell us which events were meant to be part of the scam all along, and we had flashbacks about the marked money as well as the cops' identity.
4) TV cops always leave a situation alone and outside the legal system if they think higher justice is being served. I have no idea how often real cops do this.
5) Tara said she was "trained in cryptography" and that Doyle used a "simple alphabetic substitution". (So it is plausible that a smart person with some training could break it easily -- hooray for the writers getting that right.) That doesn't necessarily mean NSA, who do very sophisticated cryptography and might or might not actually have field agents other than Halle Berry in the Bond movie. Lots of goverment organizations would train their field operatives in cryptography.
And some questions (not to derail the fun train):
6) Assuming the thugs in the warehouse were Doyle's employees, isn't there a worry that they would call Doyle's cel phone and tell him the warehouse is being robbed? Did they disable incoming calls on the cel phone when they had it, or just sufficiently immobilize the defeated thugs?
7) Doyle's fingers are all through the neighborhood but he doesn't recognize three important cops?
8) Mark Doyle versus Doyle Lonnegan -- another shoutout to The Sting or just a really common Irish name?
wv: "decoves" -- sheltered areas into which you sail deboat
Yeah, I already posted, but the "abused Eliot" is coming up and...I have decided on another theory.
I think he's not an abused child, but a father himself. He's certainly been with enough women, unless the player attitude is all a front (and the poor women if it is. Abandonment after shameless flirtation is a punch in the gut). His attitude strikes me as more that of a guy who knows what it's like to have someone to protect than it does an empathic response from someone who was once hurt himself.
And I don't think he really draws a line with who needs that protecting. He's just not going to take BS from people even if it's not directed towards him.
So, yup. That's my theory. Somewhere in Eliot's past, or even present, there is either a child or a person who otherwise needed greater protection than deviled eggs to the eyes.
...this could totally be considered a question, btw. ;p
Ok, not so much about this week's episode, but Kane said in a radio interview (the one he linked to from his twitter I think) this week that he broke three fingers filming Leverage... That was an injury I hadn't heard about before! How and when did he manage that, and how many times has he ended up in hospital while filming? You sure you can't just wrap him in bubble wrap and be done with it?!
Once again a great episode but I do have to agree...it is unfortunate that there are only four more episodes left in the season!
A few obervations:
First, when Doyle was getting Tara (Jeri) to set up the poker game, he was using the term "pocket pair". I do remember him saying, "If he has pocket Aces, you..." and Tara giving the right signal.
The game, however, was Five Card Stud. Five Card Stud does not use hole cards, which the term "pocket" is used for (as a poker writer, got to know these things!). Was it just a slip?
Will we see an episode that just goes terribly awry? While our fantastic dysfunctional family is great at what they do, there has to be some point where they fail or, perhaps more realistically, they meet the objective but the end result isn't beneficial for whom they were working for. Is that going to occur?
It seemed perfectly logical to me that Nate's (Tim's) dad was a numbers runner, that Nate was almost a priest, became an insurance investigator and now is the head of a heist team (that Irish Catholic background will give you many paradoxes). How many more "layers to the onion" are there with Nate? (Think about it, we haven't even begun to explore the other team members yet!)
Keep up the great work! Season Three is going to have to go a long way to pass what you have already done, but I am sure the creative minds there will come through!
Awesome show as usual, I will tell you that get better and better and rewatching them only adds to it. Thank you for doing this blog and allowing us some much inside scoop on the show, actors, etc., it only makes watching so much more enjoyable because we feel like we know everyone.
my question is when will we be hearing/seeing Christian sing on the show? I love his music and he has mentioned that he hoped to be doing some singing in his storyline.
First, when Doyle was getting Tara (Jeri) to set up the poker game, he was using the term "pocket pair". I do remember him saying, "If he has pocket Aces, you..." and Tara giving the right signal.
Not sure if they said five card stud,but they were playing five card draw for sure.
As one Boston area Irish to another I want to say...Great ep!
McRory's gave me a serious case of nostalgia, it's been mumble-number years since I was at my local. There was this Irish bar in downtown crossing, off a side street somewhere... think it was called Foley's. And another 4 or 5 story one across from the Garden with great traditional music on the top floor... where after a pint or 3 my Limerick accent came out.
On the accents- I thought there was just the right combination of Boston, Charlestown,New Bedford, North Shore etc. The way a true Boston bar would be. And,to those who mentioned the accents btw, the more you drink the more the accent slips/changes (what? slurs? surely not!)
Thank you for using WOMEN as your sex symbols. As someone on the other side of 39, I appreciate seeing that we're not all cast as soccer moms or aging hags.
So far, this is my favourite ep. And the snow outside helped too! It's been snowing every day here in New Hampster for months.
The plan was for Doyle to first win in the card game and then for Nate to win all of his money back. But if Tara started sending the wrong signals, surely Doyle would not have continued to play. So, if Doyle had not recognized his own money, how was Nate going to win the later hands?
It could be both ways. I think Nate could have noticed the marks, when he was gambling on the basketball game, it's also possible that he knew Doyle would not let him win all the money and soon as things turned against him he would try to muscle things and the cops would turn on that point.
First, when Doyle was getting Tara (Jeri) to set up the poker game, he was using the term "pocket pair". I do remember him saying, "If he has pocket Aces, you..." and Tara giving the right signal.
The game, however, was Five Card Stud. Five Card Stud does not use hole cards, which the term "pocket" is used for (as a poker writer, got to know these things!). Was it just a slip?
Doyle didn't know what game they were playing, he assumed Texas hold 'em because that's the in game right now.
Nate's potential "start of darkness" moment was well played. Eliot's bar room Robin Hood was fun. Parker was Parker, per usual. And Hardison playing Al Roker was fantastic, especially with the "go find someone to punch" line.
Tara's really fun. I like the cryptic(no pun intended) hints you've been laying out about her past.
2 Questions:
1) Would it be fair to say that Tara is closer to a more mercenary version of Michael Weston then she is to the Michael Stone/Sophie type?
2) Is there a possibility of Tara sticking around WITH Sophie moving forward through Seasons yet to come?
@Brooke -- my husband and I have tossed about those same thoughts when we talk about the show. I feel better knowing someone else is seeing/thinking the same things I am. I'm not necessarily pushing for a big reveal on Eliot's past, and I have added in the "gunslinger" comments Jon made to my questions last week, but, yeah, there's sumthin' sumthin' there...
Yeah, I'm back. I think about this show waaaayyyy too much!
Okay, so, Tara is obviously an ex-spook or in a closely related field. And there've been hints that Eliot has, eh, government experience (I'm assuming he wasn't in Pakistan doing touristy stuff, and you yourself have alluded to such a past). It's pretty obvious they've never met *formally* before, but might it be possible they've run along parallel lines, or maybe have even encountered each other, like the way Eliot and Mikel "encountered" each other in Myanmar?
'Cause, really, it would be so much fun to see another "I was a sniper in Myanmar." "When?" moment.
Nate had to drink while he was betting with Doyle, or Doyle would've walked away. Poor Nate, he was doing so good, just letting the drink sit there and not touching it, until Doyle called him out on it.
Tim played that little scene perfectly, I have to say: the slightly shaky hand when he picks up the drink, the moment of just breathing it in, and the closed eyes and look of pure blissful relief when the first sip goes down... perfect.
It was almost cute, how Nate looked around for Eliot before he drank it, then tried to hide the second drink from him. That's an interesting relationship those two have.
Scary Drunk Nate is scary. But when he slammed Doyle on the table and broke his fingers, I cheered. I'm a bad person. Nate's pretty scary sober, too, though; he's got the brains, the experience, the means, and the will to destroy people he's barely met, without laying a hand on them (unless he wants to).
I like Tara now. Dammit, that means I'm going to miss her.
So much good in this episode. Hardison shirtless (thank you); Parker's social self-confidence growing; Eliot demonstrating yet another superpower; everyone tearing up Nate's apartment; the Surprise!Cops; the scary little glimpses of Jimmy Ford. I have to watch it a couple more times to savor it. Kudos, everyone.
Wow... I love Leverage, but what was the point of all the anti-Irish crap this week? I couldn't tell whether the writers were being malicious, or are just really ignorant. It's the 21st century, here, guys. Can we get past the stereotypes and the Brit propaganda? Go raibh mile maith agaibh.
fun episode. I guessed the back room guys were cops, but not as soon as I would've liked!
annoyed vent: I can't believe USA is moving Psych to Wed @ 10. I only watch two shows, people!!! so in a way I can't say I'm sad Leverage is ending for now. May you come back once this run of Psych is over.
Also, he seems the most upset by Nate's drinking, not only in this episode, but throughout the show. Is there a reason for this?
Eliot is the one who will have to clean up Nate's mess.
Lots of goverment organizations would train their field operatives in cryptography.
Yup. If forced, at this point I would vote for a military background.
The one thing that gets me ... that they didn't have a larger emergency stash
I figure that was just the get-away emergency stash that enables them to reach the safe deposit box with the fake IDs and the pounds of cash.
my question is when will we be hearing/seeing Christian sing on the show?
Give the people what they want -- sort of. Let him sing. Opera. (My vote would be "La ci darem" and the fact that I know the Zerlina part has nothing whatsoever to do with my choice.)
One grinchy little complaint: The two guys at the warehouse felt like a gratuitous excuse to give Eliot something to do. Not that I object to Eliot being busy, but something other than yet-another-fight-scene would be a nice change of pace. Although it was fun to see Parker assert herself so emphatically.
Improper Bostonian said "Or it could be that I'm Irish and felt like I was looking at an Irish wake I've been too :D " Me, too! The only thing missing (based on my experiences) was "The Parting Glass."
Rachel J Stevens said: "So far, this is my favourite ep. And the snow outside helped too! It's been snowing every day here in New Hampster for months." Yeah. I'm from New Hampster, too, and as someone mentioned after The Runway Job, it would be nice if Nate and the team found themselves on a con in NH in Season 3.
Thoroughly enjoyed the episode, and it's nice to see an American show mentioning that the IRA weren't exactly the good guys. I also loved the threefold meaning of Bottle in the title - for the "wire in a bottle" con, the general reference to drink, and the bottle episode taking place in limited sets.
Are we going to find out what Hardison did to the apartment? Or was it cut for time and to feature on the DVD? I did assume it was just creating a mess when ransacking Nate's wardrobe for the weather scene/using the jigsaw on the cable duct, but I wonder if it was anything more.
Okay, I could see that the plan could've been all along that Doyle would recognize his own money, particularly since Nate surprised the whole team by extending the con after betting over the TV games. Seeing the marked money probably gave him the idea. BUT...am I mistaken, or didn't Nate tell Tara in the poker room that the plan was to let Doyle win at first, and then they'd win it all back from him?
I need to go back and see the exact wording, I guess. If the writers actually had Nate say he'd get the money back, instead of win it back, then that was subtlety par excellence.
Oh yeah, I love the whole "She's like my niece" bit, too. AND the emergency stash scene. AND the Liam/brother. And that is in addition to the handful of things I've already mentioned. There really was so very much to love in this ep. I think it's my all time favorite. So far. Writers outdid themselves on this one.
Loved this episode for the banter and the clever con, the cops were a surprise for me. I have two questions for you:
1 Is this the episode where you had to pretend it was winter when actually it was very hot in Portland? How did you, the cast and crew cope with that?
2 Spinning of from ChelseaNH's comment, Eliot is (or was) described as a 'retrieval specialist' but he has done hardly any on screen retrieving. Will we at some point see him retrieve something, maybe an artifact or even a person, or is he now (only) the 'hitter' and the failsafe?
Pardon, but I have to bleed off some excess geekery, and also kick myself for being stupid.
I FINALLY realized Saul Rubinek was in the ST:TNG episode The Most Toys. I kept WONDERING why I kept picturing him in some sort of space-ish situation, but I couldn't make the memory pop up. Only took nearly 6 months (I saw season 1 on DVD in September). So, that makes 6 Star Trek connection to the show (did I miss any?)
@SueN -- maybe we need to make a club for those of us who think about Leverage too much?
Yes, I'm now in the embarrassing number of comments on one post, no need to point it out. I agree with the person who said last week, I think about this show way too much for someone who is not being paid for it.
I actually just wanted to throw my 2 cents in about other theories floated here, because I think it's great that the writers get such direct feedback from their audiences. In fact, that does give rise to a question for you, John.
Is the show getting a lot of feedback from the audience at some official e-mail or snail mail address? I know that a lot of shows get fan mail, but I've never been tempted send anything like that. Also, I assume the cast is getting lots of individual love via the same avenues. I love doing this because it's so interactive. You give us such specific responses...not to mention they are far more entertaining than anything official we'd get from the suits. But I wonder how the discussions here compare to the other types of responses you get to the show.
Also, do super popular episodes get more comments? We're up to 112 as I write this, the afternoon after the broadcast.
Now, as to some of the specifics of this episode. It hadn't occurred to me that the cops would naturally be known to the professional criminal element, but that's certainly true. Was there some mention that Doyle had only been around for a few months? Maybe just little enough time that he wasn't familiar with all of the players yet?
I don't know that I buy Eliot as a father right now. I don't believe he'd be away so much if he had a child of his own. And I think he would be very, very careful about making sure he didn't end up with a permanent reminder of a casual hookup...although, of course, accidents do happen.
Now, I think I need to unsubscribe to the comments and just wait for the answer post...if I can find the will power to do that.
This one might be in my Top Five Favorite Leverage episodes. The limited time frame and setting really showed off the team's skills.
Thank you for the shirtless Hardison. Muahahah! And the weather report was hands-down one of his funniest scenes yet. Being a mom, I about hurt myself laughing at the Xanax and wine remark at the end.
I liked "Trish" very much. Ditto on the clue about her identity. I missed our Sophie in this episode, but Jeri Ryan is doing a good job.
The bit with the poker players at the end turning out to be cops was awesome. Something about having other characters join in on the con appealed to me.
But best of all, and scariest, was Nate drinking again. The reactions of the team were very moving. I can't wait till next week to see what happens next.
Hi!!! Just wanted to say that I loved this episode. The way it was put together was top notch!!!!
Also, thank you for how you showed Nate's first drink. The whole part was well done. I loved to see Hardison, Parker and even Tara react that way to the situation. I especially loved the visual conversation between Nate and Eliot. I felt that one. Everything from Nate's hesitation and trying to avoid it to him taking that first drink was done in such a powerful way. And Timothy pulled it off to a T.
I am a recovering addict and I can relate to everything in that part of the ep. I also understand why he continued. I'm just hoping he stops.
Again, thank you. I don't have any questions or anything. Just thank you for a fantastic episode.
I know Eliot called Nate on being drunk after that first glass of scotch, but the thing that stuck in my mind was that Nate's an alcoholic. I assume he can sort of hold his liquor. Was he actually drunk off that glass of scotch, or was Eliot just gearing up because he knew Nate was going to continue drinking?
I'm a bit confused about why they were looking for cash behind all the books. They just stopped and then went for emergency funds. Did I miss Nate telling them he hides money there?
And please keep Parker socially awkward and lacking of people skills, it's so rare among women on TV.
Hey congrats on the pick-up. I thought we already knew this but I'm seeing it reported as news. Loved the ep. I have five years and recently found myself with a drink I couldn't refuse. I managed to mostly bluff my way through the evening, but Nate's choice hit me in the gut. And he doesn't have a program. He's not going to call his sponsor tomorrow morning and go to a meeting. Poor bastard.
Re: all the comments about Nate's plan and getting the money back, I believe the phrasing when he was explaining it to Tara was "and then we flip it." Something like that. He wasn't talking about the money.
And, re: the various abuse backgrounds of the crew, I personally really love that (as far as I'm reading it) only Parker really had a physically abusive past. Even if you hadn't actually said not to assume the "obvious" about Eliot's past (post Order 23 Job, I think), his reactions to Parker never read as though he had similar personal experience. I don't buy him as a father, either. But he still clearly has some kind of relationship with that kind of thing. (Personally, I'm actually much more inclined to think that he was abusive somehow at some early point of his career, especially going by his comments in Tap Out. I don't know what everyone else is seeing, but I'm getting a very complex mixture of anger and regret from the way he's written/played.)
Anyway, the point was I'm really glad that you're not only going with the short-hand of physical childhood abuse = broken people. People are broken in so many different ways, and as both Nate and Eliot imply (to me), the duty of care doesn't have to be betrayed in a way that involves physical pain to have an equally deep impact. And Sophie - medium strong hints of abandonment in some form or other? I love that for all Hardison's rough and ready upbringing, he definitely seems to be the most well-adjusted!
Also, I love that the word verification has thrown up "conall". Must have picked up on the Irish vibe.... :)
This was a fun ep - two cons for the price of one.
@Roy: If they paid off Doyle, what do they do for the next 40 minutes?
The second semi-hidden drink was the one that made me go "aww, Nate..."
I liked the lines Doyle used on Tara about being someone desperate people turn to for help - I think that was what tweaked off Nate to not just con Doyle out of the marker.
My wife, an O'Neill, when Cora walked on screen - "A red-head. Wonder if she's Irish?"
(Personally, I'm actually much more inclined to think that he was abusive somehow at some early point of his career, especially going by his comments in Tap Out. I don't know what everyone else is seeing, but I'm getting a very complex mixture of anger and regret from the way he's written/played.)
Observation: At this point, even the Editors of National Geographic are looking at Nate and wondering, "Wow, I thought he had issues.".
Question: She can fight, trained as a cryptographer, and has access to Hardison level credentials. Did Tara start with or work for an acronymed agency?
2. LOVING Tara! Have from the beginning. Her bluntness and strength sets the whole plate spinning off kilter. She hones the edginess of a bunch of loners working together.
3. Looking forward to the team adapting and re-adapting as Nate jumps on and off the wagon. Also hoping to see how every other character's foibles cause the team to bob and weave, season after seasn.
Just watched it now, and enjoyed it, as usual. I'd been hoping it'd be a bottle show, which it was—I wanted to see how you'd pull it off (the answer is magnificently). I wasn't expecting the second bottle, though, and I'm glad you went there.
Loved the Ep. Loved Wobbly Nathan. Loved Elliot's comment about Redheads. (A fictional character after my own Irish heart.) Slightly off topic. Today's SCOTUS ruling on Corporations. How much of that is going to make it into Season 3?
May the gods of TV make it so -- that would be awesome.
As for Tara and her past, I hope when Sophie comes back that Tara moves to Miami and meets up with another burned spy. The catfights between her and Fi would be worth the price of admission alone.
What was that stuff in the warehouse that looked like giant rolls of hay? Oh, and speaking of the warehouse, I loved the way the third henchman tried to run away like a little girl. (And ended up getting kicked by a girl.)
I see Eliot as someone who grew up as a protector, maybe watching out for a little sister, then going on to rescuing/dating a woman with kids rather than having his own kids someplace....imho.
Also one last question. It pains me to ask it but is there a point where the fail safe (Eliot) gets too injured to go on? Will there ever be a point where Eliot is either injured or taken out and the team is forced to work without him? Only reason I ask is Eliot takes a beating. While he's the best he's only human. Eventualy his body has to say no more. Unless he's really superman. I was mulling over the above observations by Lindsey! I mean *someone* has to play the intelligent,bodyguard backup on this show..and my "point" about Eliot "was working" answer -(the Deer Hunter flashback!)- was to say, Eliot CAN take care of the situation he's in and be the "hero"(no, NOT Superman lol) FOR the team to continue its good work. I'd like to think that Eliot has *the* most well-adjusted personality in this team, always has been! Eliot's character is totally connected to the kind of career he's in/had - requires brains/skills..I think that qualifies as a question ? Two questions about Tara:) Could she be a freelance courier or an Investigator ? Also will it be revealed why Tara *owes* Sophie? Thanks!
In a previous blog, it was mentioned that by season 2.5's end, Eliot would have to do something he doesn't want to do. After watching "The Bottle Job", I'm convinced that the something will be a result of Nate falling off the wagon. The looks exchanged between the two when Nate took that first drink, spoke volumes.
All indications are that Nate is going down that spiral and it ain't gonna be pretty. I was actually upset when he took that first drink. Tim Hutton played that perfectly. But, that is no surprise there.
I like all of the relationships that are brewing between the characters, but, the unspoken something between Nate and Eliot is the most intriguing for me. And no, I don't mean in a slash way. Others have described it as a respect or friendship. I think the gunslinger explanation makes sense to a point. But, I would love a flashbck to how those two actually met and the tone of that meeting. Working for the same side or as adversaries?
Jeri Ryan did a great job in this episode. Tara just dropped right in there without missing a beat. I really like the hints about what kind of career she has had up until now. It makes me very curious as to how she knows, AND how she owes Sophie.
I liked how Tara has been kept outside of the team's circle. The reaction of the team when her name was mentioned was interesting, especially Eliot's. Was he reacting out of just not wanting Tara in the picture or was it because of the events of the Runway Job? That was a simple con gone very astray because of the whole Nate/Tara interaction, Tara as hostage, and Triad involvement. Just curious, since I don't recall Eliot ever being so obvious in his reactions. He usually just shakes his head or rolls his eyes in the backround of the shot.
Kudos to all. This was my favorite season 2 episode so far. I loved the guest villain/victim. You guys always cast those roles perfectly, and that is certainly no easy feat.
A few questions, not specifically for this episode, but just in general, stuff I've been curious about.
1) We know Sophie's real name isn't Sophie, and Parker's might be Parker but that can't be all. Nathan Ford is definitely a real name though, which leaves me curious about Hardison and Eliot (and to a lesser extent Tara). Are they operating under pseudonyms too, or are they using their original identities?
2)Weird as it may sound, I get the feeling that Eliot is most attached to this little family they have. He was the one most betrayed by Sophie, he seems to take care of them all with making them eat properly and learn self defence and so forth. If/when this whole Hardison and Parker sexual tension gets resolved, do you think he'll steer clear of it or get involved? Because I have a mental picture of him telling one of his hilarious stories of death, destruction, defenestration and castration to Hardison while chopping food significantly. You know, just to remind him not to hurt her. And would he threaten Parker on Hardison's behalf too?
3)My sister pointed out that Christian Kane and Billy Ray Cyrus look fairly similar. A) Do you agree and B) Is your answer to A influenced by fear of either Kane or Cyrus?
@ ThePinkPeril They weren't looking for money. Hardison needed to reach the wires behind the bookcase. Why they removed so many books for such a small hole IDK.
BTW I loved the hiding places they each had for the money, Hardison's was inspired. Nice to see that Eliot does carry a knife (maybe several?), will we see him in a knife or even a sword fight in a future episode? *grins* I bet Christian would love that!
To add to the previous comment. I know he's come up against cleavers before and there was the fabulous shadow fight, but I mean a full on knife or sword fight, something like Lindsey had with Angel in 'You're Welcome' but without all the leaping about.
:D All the previous eps had Nate in various stages of being drunk. He's had the hallucinations (of Sterling too!)in the 12 Step very erm, disturbing. Eliot asks him if he's feeling alright in the rehab scene. Nice touch. In The Snow Job Nate seemed sober, to me. He said things like "C'mon you've trusted me before, and with your life!!" Eliot responds: "Not when you're DRUNK!" Then I realize Eliot knows Nate's been drinking, cos' he doesn't deny it! But more importantly, the opening scene had Eliot inquiring about Nate's absence, mentions Nate's punctuality (sets an alarm to set the alarm off?)..Hardison said something flippant, Parker talked about fortune cookies..Sophie was silent. Eliot is keeping tabs on Nate alright! Questions : 1. Does Nate remind Eliot of someone who got him/others almost killed while drunk? Yeah, too cliched, but hey...(shrugs) 2. Did Eliot kick the alcoholism habit himself? He reads the signs of Nate being drunk better than the rest..even Sophie just kinda nagged Nate to some nasty retorts! But Eliot makes Nate feel erm, guilty, and think twice? 3. Will the team ever have to run a con w/out a drunk Nate and find themselves in big trouble? Nate will have to sober up pretty quick at that point. 4. One time or other Nate has "chased" all of them? Why "chase" Eliot? Just curious.
RE: SammieG - ...but Kane said in a radio interview (the one he linked to from his twitter I think) this week that he broke three fingers filming Leverage... That was an injury I hadn't heard about before! How and when did he manage that...
I'm thinking "Tap-Out Job" because I think I saw a YouTube video where he said he "..got a little bit broken..." during the shooting of that episode. Just a guess though.
I love that Liam's brother is just called Liam's brother. Reminds me of that old Bob Newhart show with "this here's my brother Larry and this is my other brother Larry". My question is: Did Nate know that Doyle marked his money or was that just a lucky break that ended being helpful?
Okay so I was just reading through some of the other comments and noticed that someone else had the same thought and that the brothers' name was Daryl not Larry, thinkin maybe Larry was the first brothers name. Anyway, just wanted to clarify that I know I was wrong, lol!
I feel like the sexiness quotient of the show has been ratcheted up just a few notches since Tara joined (in fact, immediately on joining, with the whole 'sexy librarian' thing). I'm thinking of Tara's deliberate sexiness, but also Eliot flirting more often, the scenes with the models in various stages of undress last ep., Parker's random air duct cleavage in the lost heir ep., and even Nate showing a more sexual interest in Tara (as opposed to his more romantic interest in Sophie).
Is that intentional? And if so, is it intentional in a 'we need to sex up the show' way, or in a 'this is Tara's energy affecting the team' way, or maybe even a 'this is what happens when you remove Sophie's inhibiting presence' way?
I'm thinking Eliot had a childhood friend who he lost to an alcoholic/abusive father. This would explain his reluctance to form lasting ties (a la Amy) but when he does (as with the team) he is extremely protective and why he was most stung by Sophie's betrayal and the last one to accept Tara.
Ohh, man, Nate's drinking again. Will he be back on the wagon next episode, or will this continue through (at least) the rest of the season? And why didn't the bartender hesitate in serving Nate booze when a) he's a regular, b) she's known him since she was a kid, and c) after months of serving him nothing but coffee and club soda, she had to know he was on the wagon? Or was she just filling in in her dear dead dad's absence?
Also, is it REALLY a bottle show if you went and filmed in that giant warehouse? Or is that another part of your soundstages?
And you guys aren't exactly disproving my theory about Parker's romantic attraction to money with her hilariously intimate rapport with that safe. (My favorite part of the episode.) She looked at that thing more ardently than she's ever looked at Hardison.
It was a thing of beauty and a joy forever. And I'm not just saying this because Bottle shows = MY FAVE THING EVER. (Also, excellent awesome double-entrendre on "bottle" in the title).
Nate not just falling off the wagon, but going around refilling his glass and downing double measures of Jameson's? Painful and glorious characterisation. And ignore what I said about the team's pronunciation of Tara's name--it was consistent all the way through, so I am a big schmuck. Note to self: Tim has an Oscar.
Speaking of Tara, Jeri was utterly fantastic during the wire scam. Eliot playing darts was CLASSIC. And shirtless!Hardison FTW. Also, I adore Parker lifting the wallets by slapping the Liams on the arse. BEAUTY.
Also, that blow off was STUNNING. Clearly, Doyle's da never explained to him never to gamble with another man's money (and Nate turning his own childhood memory back on itself with the marked cash was also a thing of beauty).
Outstanding episode, kudus all round. I have a new favourite Parker scene (the safe cracking), which was hilarious. Jeri Ryan rocked this episode but major, major props must go to Tim Hutton who was outstanding. Definitely going in my Top Five Fave Eps list (for now) :D
great episode of a brilliant show. The chemistry of the cast is some of the best I've seen ever.
The scene where Nate takes a drink - wow! Superbly handled by everyone. Mr. Hutton and Mr. Kane seem to be getting the lions share of the credit here, but as I recall we got a flash of Parker and Hardison who were listening in, so knew damn well what was about to happen. The looks on everybody's faces were perfect.
I'm glad you decided to go there with the story. It's going to make for some very dramatic tension. Its a plot idea that could be handled badly, but wont be by this cast and crew. Thanks for bringing a bit more darkness to the show.
Eliot's walking away from the drink at the end - also fantastic. The non-verbal interplay in this episode was so extremely well done.
It been previously said that S3 will lean a bit mroe toward S1 (a bit darker is my read on that). It been asked and/or suggested many times that we see the team really botch a job. It also been asked if Nate's drinking may cause it? It's also been suggested that Eliot be the very badly punished recipent of said failed job. Here's my take (question to follow):
Nate continues to spiral. On a job gone really bad, Eliot has to pull the fat outta fire. In this case its not Eliot who gets it though, it's Parker. This results in several problems. 1) Parker is hanging on death's door - that's going to make people cry in there special Leverage place. 2) Hardison will lose it! He's a very extrovert character and watching Parker go down will tear him up. I'd love to see Aldis give us a terrified, angry, totalaly unsure of things Hardison scene. 3)Eliot will likley have very harsh words for a few people - if you replace "words" with "fist to face" and "people" with "The guys who took down Parker, and Nate" 4) Nate, like any good guilt driven character, will roll over and let Eliot pound him good, and then crawl back into his bottle.
((or Eliot could realize just before he relocates Nate's entire face, that Nate would actually enjoy the punishment (like all good self-destructive characters do) and stop just shy and walk away - without saying a word))
Anyway - all that said the question: When do we get to find out that "Parker" is actually the Bunny's name?
Okay, see, this is why I should just stop reading these comments, because now I have an actual question, and you sure have enough of those already. If I hadn't read "Eliot was the most stung by Sophie's betrayal" over and over, I wouldn't feel compelled to get a ruling from you!
I don't get that. It's clear that he doesn't resent the beating he took, which leaves him equally impacted as the rest of the crew by her actions. It just feels like he forgives and trusts less readily than Hardison and Parker, but that doesn't mean he was affected more than they were - just that his recovery process is different. More than that, I wouldn't even have characterized it as unforgiveness or mistrust of her intentions, but that now he's more aware and wary of her blindspots. I don't think he was saying anything he didn't mean in his eulogy for her.
I'm really, really not getting that he's more attached to/was more hurt by losing their little family than any of the others. If anything, he seems the least dependent on it for stability (which is not to say he cares less). So which is it, ref? Is he really the Woobie With The Waggiest Tail, or has he just been taken captive by the unending fangirl appetite for specious h/c?
Sorry. We just want to know ALL! And you are very gracious with us.
for the record I am not pro-alchoholism or anything like that. but I have to say I was kind of cheering Nate on when he drank. Because 1) hell, I like drunk Nate. 12 step job is fabulous. 2) I feel like we've all been holding our breaths waiting for Nate to hit a wall and it hasn't quite happened yet. There's just the tension of oh crap when is Nate going to snap. Are we on the descent with Nate officially now?
Thanks for taking and responding to questions. It deepens my enjoyment of the show since I do try to keep my brain as well as my sense of fun turned on when I watch TV.
Questions and comments in no particular order:
1. Thanks for shirtless Hardison. 2. When can we see shirtless Eliot again? 3. I like scary Nate. He's held himself aloof so far and now we're seeing more of what he's hiding. 4. I like that Tara's the sexy one. As a woman approaching 40, I really appreciate seeing more women in more roles. 5. Speaking of Tara, how long will she stay and how will her relationship with Nate progress? Nate's got complicated feelings for Maggie and Sophie, and now Tara? If he starts getting interested in Parker, though, I'm leaving. 6. I love Eliot's hair, just not with the flip. When will we see someone running her fingers through it? 7. About accents, in the Runway Job, I noticed that some of the Chinese was spoken with an American accent.
That's alot of stuff to wade through, even for a dedicated fan. Kudos Mr. Rogers...
Okay then. After reading every single one of those comments, here's my feedback.
I was one of the seven thousand-ish people who also caught the (un?)intended shout out to Newhart. Awesome.
I LIKE CK's hair! Coming from someone with insanely curly hair, the straight and smooth with a bit of flip at the end. Looks great. Leave it alone. If people keep denigrating the style...they might give in and cut it off.
I was also one of the ones blindsided by the poker buddies being cops. That was very smoothly set up.
I'll also add that I, too, finally got around to liking the Tara character. But I'm not sold yet.
I am not certain I agree with her being former intelligence. Yes, she could be--but I don't think it was obvious. My take? She used to be part of a crew. Things went bad and she now works solo. Whatever she owes Sophie, it is BIG to get her to work in a group again. It has been as tough on her as them, if not more so, accounting for much of the awkwardness. As for knowing Cryptography--that's not exactly a surprising skill for someone in their business. I'd be surprised if no one from the gang of five had any prior experience. Esp. Hardison.
I'm also supporting the Eliot fight was a bit of a throwaway/underused campaign floating around.
And the Parker was amazing yet again (safe cracking, joke cracking, jaw cracking, etc.) camp.
Nate/Tim are brilliant. I thinking the drinking thing is good as well, because it is going to force some demons. Plus, Hutton is simply magic. Watching him act the down-spiral is like seeing a pitcher throw a no-hitter. Just beauty and grace.
I'll throw my hat in the ring on Jimmy Ford and support the Brian Dennehy movement.
***And now for the questions***
1) Was the use of his dad's name for the character deliberate? Or just instinctive, given what he was doing and the memories that were grabbing for him?
2)ThePinkPeril touched on this but it seemed like when they were pulling the books they were looking for something--while talking about how to get the money. The it was suddenly "Emergency Fund!" and they have it figured out. But it seemed odd--did something get cut? Or did I miss something?
3)Someone asked this as well, but I am repeating--what were those weird rolls of hay in the warehouse?
4)This is my overarching question. So far this season, we've seen an emphasis on Sophie being the "mother" of the group. I've never really seen that. At the end of the first season they were all a little untrusting of each other and willing to go their separate ways. Yes, she did bring them back together, but I've never really felt that she weighed more heavily than any member of the group, except in Nate's eyes. So my question is does "Sophie as mother figure" come from Nate's perspective--as they all seem to mildly trust him and look to him? Or is it gearing up to something? Or did I miss something? Or, was this simply a plot device used once you (all of you) knew that Gina was leaving for maternity leave and you needed a story that would keep her on the fringes?
To wrap up, I'll add my undying love for the show, but even more so, my unending gratitude to you for taking the time to do this. No one else gives this kind of time to do personal feedback for the fans. This is extraordinary. It is no wonder the cast speaks so highly of you.
So which is it, ref? Is he really the Woobie With The Waggiest Tail, or has he just been taken captive by the unending fangirl appetite for specious h/c?
Speaking only for myself, of course, I despise hurt/comfort and don't understand the attraction to it at all. I want the opposite of that in my man. BUT - I do think that Eliot was the most hurt by Sophie's betrayal. Not because he's a Woobie, but because he seems to have a code of honor (military background?) that is extremely meaningful to him. A 'never leave your wingman' sort of a thought. I think he was a loner in the past because he felt he couldn't count on others, and for him to give his trust to these 4 was a big step. To have it betrayed was a slap in the face. And especially by Sophie, who they all seem to look to as the nurturer of the group.
I'm slow *slaps forehead* You didn't call it "The Bottle Job" just because it was all on one or few sets, did you? You called it that because of Nate picking up the bottle again. *headdesk* So very slow. I'm curious, which had the bigger influence on you coming up with the title?
Not because he's a Woobie, but because he seems to have a code of honor (military background?) that is extremely meaningful to him. A 'never leave your wingman' sort of a thought. I think he was a loner in the past because he felt he couldn't count on others, and for him to give his trust to these 4 was a big step.
Yeah, as I said, I agree he doesn't trust easily. In fact, I'd argue that as far as trust goes, his investment in the group is still anchored by Nate, the "good man", which might be why his reactions to Nate's drinking have generally been the most charged, along with Sophie's more personal concern.
I want to be clear, I'm not saying he doesn't care about all of them, etc, but that doesn't mean he's convinced yet that any of them are exactly reliable. But that's why I'm arguing that we're seeing a much slower overall development of trust on his part, significantly hiccoughed by Sophie's actions. That doesn't necessarily mean that he was hurt so much more than the others. Not because it wasn't a slap in the face, but because it was a slap in the face for all of them.
What I find interesting is Parker's reaction to the Sophie/trust issue. She's very childlike in that regard, and I would've expected her to have more trust issues. And to be more upset by Nate's drinking (but then I'm just assuming that her foster parent/s were alcoholics.)
I have two questions... 1. When Nate's playing the poker game, the same song that opened Twelve Step came on. I wanted to know if that was because the song was designed as a kind of Irish punk, or a call back to Nate being drunk, since it was most apparent in Twelve Step? 2. Will we ever get to see Nate cuddling up to Sophie the way he did to Tara? 3. When Nate told Tara that he 'knows he's not okay' when he's drinking again, did he say that to appease her, or does he actually believe that?
love that ep. and to own my surprise, liked Tara in this one. although* ..its not that i don't trust you,...but i don't trust you* my question....you did like this one most, cuz of the bar, right? anyway great job, keep going...
Questions: 1.Is guilt making Nate find solace in the bottle? About Sophie's absence? Or he has lost sense of purpose,after having had revenge on his IYS boss? 2.Why didn't ex wife make any reference to Nate also being an alcoholic(after son's death?)as another reason for them having broke up? 3.In almost every ep, Sophie sort of nagged Nate into not drinking with some choice comments, but Nate always had a sharp retort for her..Nate wasn't respecting Sophie "wishes" at all in that,erm respect! I feel Nate shows more guilt and has second thoughts with Eliot's influence. I like this darker/serious interaction between two charismatic individuals very much! 3.Does Eliot remind Nate of himself when his own father was an alcoholic, and Nate may have had to bail him out of trouble? Hence the "understanding" and friction between Nate and Eliot? 4.Were the team looking for Nate's money first stashed behind those books? Thanks for reading the questions, appreciate the patience required;D
I loved this episode. As stated by many others, it is now in my list of Top 5 episodes – I am thinking my top list must now expand.
Loved: Parker’s emergency fund in the cereal
Grumpy Eliot at the warehouse
The shadowing that we might meet Jimmy Ford
The great non-verbal acting. • Hardison’s look when Doyle uses the teams tag line “We pick up where the law leaves off” • Everyones expressions when Nate drinks
Parker with the safe
Hardison’s rush to make the weather forecast
Some things that I havent seen mentioned that I love are:
The hockey mask!
The great Hardison lines!
Eliot stating that they had been the good guys longer than months. And Hardison stating that they had a break
Love that Nate explained the concept of the Wire con
That Parker couldn’t let go of the cash when handing it back to the bar patrons.
Liked that Parker had the ‘Seriously’ line this time
Questions –
They know they are on a very limited time frame. When they call Tara – how close is she? And how do they know? Do they ALL have condos in Hardison’s building?
Why did it take so long to think of “Emergency Fund” – and how did he know they ALL had a stash there? (I am assuming like others that they have cash stashed in assorted locations)
Did Kane really thrown some darts blind and where did they actually land?
Response to comments by others -
People asked about Hardison owning the building and that saving Cora. But while he owns the building – he doesn’t own THE BAR. The business was still owned by Cora
Total cash Eliot hands Nate is ‘a little over 9 grand’
YES – Count me in the Brian Dennehey band wagon.
Thank you for another AMAZING episode!! I have to admit I missed the foreshadowing about law on one side and mob on the other and that times hadnt changed much because I was caught up in the delight.
Why don't any of them just pay the 15,000 out of their vast store of wealth from the first episode?
Sherri said...
Roy, I think Hardison answers that -- the Irish want cash and they can't get hold of that much cash in two hours.
Me says:
The episode explained even better than that why paying the $15,000 would be a bad idea. Sure, it would serve the short-term purpose of saving the bar. However, it would confirm in the minds of Doyle and the crime family that he comes from that it's a good idea to prey on this particular neighborhood, that it's a profitable place to operate.
I admit that I thought as I was watching "but, but, they could pay him! It couldn't be that hard to find something he'd take in place of currency!" but then I realized when Nate explained it that it would be winning the battle and losing the war.
If I hadn't read "Eliot was the most stung by Sophie's betrayal" over and over, I wouldn't feel compelled to get a ruling from you!
I don't get that.
I think Eliot is the least likely to forgive himself for making a mistake. He trusted Sophie to smooth out the interpersonal kinks in the team machinery, and she betrayed that trust by keeping information from the team. Sophie hit him where it counts: in his ability to trust his judgment about people.
So my question is does "Sophie as mother figure" come from Nate's perspective ... Or did I miss something?
Sophie is the mother because she handles the team's emotional stability and smooths over the inevitable clashes of strong personalities. She's the "heart" of the team.
If we are going to cast Jimmy Ford, I would think of two actors.
1. Donald Sutherland because of obvious reasons.
2. (And here's a curveball) Sam Elliot. He would have just enough of a rough edge to pull of the good guy/bad guy vibe, he's physically imposing enough to make it work and you could actually believe he would "disappear" from Nate's life.
3. (Another off the wall choice) Robbie Coltrane. He can most definitely pull off an Irish accent, he is believable as either good guy or bad and physically he has the stature.
Just one: Did a Sophie scene get deleted or there wasn't any in the script in the first place? I hope there's quite a lot of her next week to make up for this one.
I like everyone's ideas about Tara's background; ex NSA, ex or current spy.
But... if I step out of the box, I come with the question: Is Tara currently working for the NSA/FBI? Did the guys pop up on their radar, and are they now checking them out to see if they're causing any trouble worthy of intervention? This could cause what I had heard/read about the ending of season 2. And I can see Sophie agreeing to backup Tara’s story if the NSA/FBI’s alternative was more drastic.
Just how much does Cora know about her faux-uncle Nate and what he and his friends do. When Nate tells her to let them work it out, she doesn't look confused or surprised. When Parker takes the tray of beers from her later, she doesn't ask why Parker is playing waitress. She knows something hinky is going on, and she's not a bit surprised at the end, when Nate's crew is redistributing thousands of dollars of cash in her bar. She doesn't know Nate shouldn't be drinking, though, which tells me Nate isn't telling anyone outside the team that he has a problem. Someone asked why Cora didn't know Nate hadn't been ordering alcohol. I think it's because he sits at the bar, where he would be served by the bartender. If Cora always waitresses and doesn't tend bar, she might not know Nate's only drinking ginger ale. Also, more props to Tim - Nate gives his father's name as his alias, and when Doyle looks away, Nate kind-of looks down, as if realizing he's sitting in his father's "office chair", and gets this quirky little "what the hell" smile and starts channeling his da. Awesome.
The bar - Hardison bought the building. Cora (now) owns the bar that rents space in the building. The bar is not the building; it's IN the building. Right?
Nate's stepping into his father's shoes was just chilling.
How much of his protests in S1 about his being the straight-man riding herd on a bunch of crooks was legit and how much of it was his trying to convince himself that he wasn't just as bad as the rest?
I see all of the theories about Elliot's abuse/fatherhood/etc and just have to ask: What's wrong with the simple theory that he’s a 'warrior' with some form of moral code of honour? (Brooke's comments earlier about Sophie's betrayal tie into this well). He has no issues with beating up bad guys, or beating up good guys whose job is about being in situations where you might get beaten up… But he's not cool with 'innocent' victims getting hurt, and does what he can when he can to prevent it. So he looks out for abused kids, he declines to beat up cops if he doesn't have to, etc.
And being the professional that he is, he's most worried about Nate because a) he is the one that truly understands how close so many of their jobs come to getting them all killed (Hardison & Parker are more about the fun train); b) he's used to the chain of command and understands the consequences of the man in charge of the team not being in control of himself. (like ChelseaN says He's the one that's going to have to clean up Nate's mess)
Also, I am so sorry to have to go there… but the hair. I know Christian justifies the length with reference to some famous criminal who grew his long to remain unrecognised or something, but seriously: how can he fight when he's constantly having to brush his hair out of his eyes. Or is it a message of "I'm so tough, I can have girly-blow-dried locks, be blind to your every move, and still kick your ass"?
An amazing episode. I guess I'm just one of those people who enjoys bottle episodes; I love seeing the characters stick close to home. There's just something so deliciously fun about them having to run around this familiar place and use it in new ways.
Best bit of the episode: "Seriously, you want me to find the safe for you two now? Look, I got us into the warehouse. GO FIND SOMEONE TO PUNCH!" Oh, Hardison...
And Elliot totally does! :) (Parker goes for a kick though.)
Okay, I don't read spoilers, so maybe other people know, but is Nate's dad still among the living? The way Nate and Cora were talking about him didn't seem very past tense-so is Nate's dad still alive somewhere?
Also, how did Tara manage to stop Doyle from turning on the TV for the weather report? A little slip with the batteries or something?
"but seriously: how can he fight when he's constantly having to brush his hair out of his eyes. Or is it a message of "I'm so tough, I can have girly-blow-dried locks, be blind to your every move, and still kick your ass"?"
To me, personally, Eliot IS the biggest "fun" to be had on the fun ride - I laugh when he pauses mid fight,to get the hair out of his eyes, and connects the punch at the bad guy who's too bewildered (?) by his awesome lightning quick moves! IMO the whole Leverage Team would be in dire straits, at every con, if they didn't have an "Eliot" as lethal as..Eliot:) This guy is just one of a kind, the criminals have to deal with that fact, long hair and all:D Oh by the way, since there seems to be a guessing game on about Nate's "dad" being around - I thought Tom Skerritt? He has some semblance to an older Nate?
Will we ever see more awesome pickpocketing scenes like the ones in the Homecoming and Miracle Jobs? It kind of bothered me when Parker mentioned that she had stolen multiple items from the two guys when all we saw was a slap in the ass (each).
Okay so I'm REALLY sorry about asking what were they doing clearing all those books for! Nate asked Hardison to "delay the sports feed" and later Hardison pulls out the whole bunch of wires through the hole in wall,and declares that he was ready to splice etc to Nate..before that Hardison even picked out and showed Parker the exact one connected directly to the TV at the bar!! YES! Attention must be paid!!
When will we get some serious Hardison-centered episodes? "The Ice Man Job" was hilarious, but it hardly did for Hardison what "The Two-Horse Job" or "The Tap-Out Job" did for Eliot. Most of what we know about Alec Hardison remains casual -- we've never met anyone from his past or anything. I think he's really the character we know the least about while we've gotten hints at all the other characters' pre-Leverage personal and criminal lives.
Fervent vote for some Hardison episodes, here. I realize it's a little late now, but maybe Season 3? (I'd dig a little more Parker-centric stuff, too. We've gotten tidbits, but nothing major about her since "The Stork Job".)
Other than that, I love, love, love the show. The cast as an ensemble is fantastic, and the writing is great. I love the rare times when I'm able to follow the con easily, but for all those other times, the great reveal is always a treat. =)
Adored the ep b/c of Tim's chops--everyone has commented on the first drink, but to me it was everything he did after with alcohol, very subtly, that brought through how badly he has slipped into depression/despair. People self-destruct in this way in no small part b/c they want to see just how bad it can get; also if anyone loves them enough to save them; also out of a desire to die. I see all of that in Tim's performance and why, ultimately, my loyalty to this show is so rewarded week in and week out-Tim is just brilliant. So is everyone else, but this was his show. Without him you don't buy into any other character. Loved every word and shot. Thanks!
Totally OT, but I thought I'd share the fact that there was what sounded like a 'Leverage' shoutout in the just-aired episode of the BBC's 'Being Human'!(Season 2). I just watched it, and about 20, 25 minutes in... yep, pretty sure that was a tiny shoutout.
Quoth Dave MB: "4) TV cops always leave a situation alone and outside the legal system if they think higher justice is being served. I have no idea how often real cops do this."
Real cops generally do whatever will result in the least amount of paperwork. So I'd say these guys were pretty much in character. :)
First of all, great episode! I was a little bummed when it ended and realized there was no Sophie. Then I realized that while it was 9 o'clock for our guys, it was 2am for Sophie. Suddenly, I was OK with no contact from Sophie!
Then it got me thinking why I really liked the exchange between Sophie and Tara in "The Runway Job." It was the first time we actually got to see Sophie relate to another woman (in a womanly way, sorry Parker!). Great character development even though it was via webcam! You guys are amazing!
Back to The Bottle Job. As soon as Parker started pouring out the cereal I thought "Ohhhhh, so THAT'S why she was eating cereal when Nate woke up in the Beantown Bailout Job. Make sense now..." :) Also, when Eliot cut open the bottom of the chair I thought "And that's why he was so happy he got to sit in the chair when Sophie left!" Man, all kinds of little clues!
Hardison's "Go find someone to punch" was hilarious! I missed him and his quips!
I make sure I go through all the comments before I post and saw that no one has mentioned the look Eliot gave when Nate said to call Tara. He looked supremely irritated that she was brought in. I thought they cleared that up last week?
Parker's suggestion to call the police? Hilarious! "I mean I don't use them but this is what they're for, right?" Brilliant!
Jeri was awesome when she was trying to convince the guy back to the bar. I swear I've seen that seen play out in real life many many times. Superb acting on Jeri's part!
Parker humming to herself while opening the safe? Classic! Was that written in the script or did Beth add that to the scene?
I have to agree with the fight scene being too dark. It was hard to stay engaged with that whole scene.
Now for next week! I can't wait to find out what Sterling "forgets" to tell Nate and crew. It seems like are going international. Could they possibly run into Sophie while they are there??? Doubtful, as she's on maternity leave at this point, but I can still hope!
Quote from The Runway Job, E : "The only things getting in are models and clothes" (pause..pause some more) Parker's clueless expression (which actually was "no" expression!)was sooo funny! I liked it that E was the initiator of Parker being that model to gain admission! These are E's "thought processes" coming through in S2.5? Now in The Bottle Job, E's the "prompter" for Parker (again) to pick those pockets - time (or the lack of it) was a major factor in both these scenes, and Parker needed that shove to move the con along. LOL Just like those hard punches, I'm guessing it was all smoke and mirrors, and that "whack" on the backside never connected! Another scene that was really cool, was the one when Nate turned after his first sip, and saw Eliot looking at him, next it cuts to Hardison and Parker's expressions,but in actual fact there wasn't a visual of Nate on the screen, right? Parker, Hardison and Tara were in fact just dismayed over the way Nate was going to gamble? So Parker comes down to the bar and asks Eliot: What's he thinking? and Eliot simply replies: "He's not!" Waiting patiently for the next episode!
This episode had a lot of subtle interactions between the cast, which got me thinking about something: Did you give the actors some leeway in deciding on their character's backstory, such as how their pasts intersected (especially everyone's past with Nate)? Have these interpretations ever caused any disagreement between writers, directors, and actors? You've mentioned how "Beth is the keeper of all things Parker", but what if you and her were to diagree?
For example: Eliot's relationship with Nate has been of special interest in this episode; did Kane and Hutton sit down at some point and discuss the finer details and how to portray them, or are those choices entirely up to someone else?
My wife commented that she believed the Boston cops in the bar and their accents right up until one used the word "schmuck", as no Boston cop would ever use that that word.
I asked her what word would they use that could be used on basic cable.
Question: I still don't get a tiny bit of Doyle's conversation with the attentive cop. Doyle was unknowingly confessing to his part in some recent crimes in the "neighborhood." Doyle boasts about "..cigar boxes, instead of orange crates,that was me." So he's into everything, smuggling etc? Which brings me to where part of his money was stashed,in a safe, in an office in (someone's?) warehouse filled with..huge stuff! What were those? Seems like this Doyle character is another dangerous addition to the Team's growing list of enemies!
It felt like such an honest moment when Nate looked down at the drink and then took that first sip (and the 2nd one); it certainly kept me sober for another day. And, by the way, the most expensive bottle of single malt would hurt the wallet a hell of a lot more than the most expensive Irish whiskey. Great episode.
Hey, Peggy noticed something in #210: let your team know that the only highway out here named "the..." is the Mass Pike. You'll never hear anyone say "the 90," "the 93," "the 128" or (as in episode #210) "the 95." It's just "95." That's the best way to know whether a screenwriter is from the east coast or not. :D
Liked this one *much* better than "The Runway Job" - felt less gimmicky all-around. The only problem I had with the accents was that they made me homesick, like I was standing in Government Center waiting for a E train home.
One thing though - Tara refers to some of the players in the game as being "Italians from the North Shore" - shouldn't that have been the North End? Did Tara slip? Or are these heavy hitters from Beverly?
This is something that I hope gets addressed in Season 3:
By this point, the Leverage Team has to be on way too many radars in Boston and on the East Coast. People in trouble know to go to McCrary's if they need help beyond the law.
The FBI, Mass State Police and Boston PD know that there is some crew operating out of Boston that is running high end vigilante missions.
The Boston Irish Mob, the Triads, the other high end con crews etc. all know about the Leverage crew, and some of their names/faces.
How exactly does the Leverage crew keep OpSec when they have a known gathering point (McCrary's Tavern), and at least in Season 2, a fairly limited geographic range of operation?
I could see them maintaining OpSec in Season 1 as they were all over the place, parachuting in and then skeedaddling once the con was completed, but they are leaving a massive trail of evidence in Boston for anyone to follow.
I just rewatched the ep online at TNT (just as good if not better the second time around :)) and had a few more questions:
Why did Cora called the cops at the poker game Mr. instead of Captain, Lt., Det. etc. and why didn't she go to them at the beginning? (Besides not giving away the twist at the end of the team's con that put the final nail in Doyle's coffin).
How did Nate know he could trust Det. Donnelly, Lt. Cabella and Captain McCann and that they weren't already in Doyle's pocket? Did Hardison run a check on them as well as the 10,000 things he was doing while he was doing the "weather report"? Did Cora vouch for them? Was Nate know them because they knew his father(even if they didn't seem to know him)?
@Puspa, re: Hardison et al's expressions as Nate took that drink. No, there was no visual so they couldn't see what was happening, but they were listening. When they heard Doyle question Nate on not drinking, they *had* to know what was coming next, especially when Nate said he might as well drink away his sorrows (or words to that effect). So even though they couldn't see it, I'm pretty sure they knew he'd just jumped off the wagon.
So even though they couldn't see it, I'm pretty sure they knew he'd just jumped off the wagon.
@SueN - Thanks for telling me what I'd thought the first time I saw that scene..and thought something else, the next ;D. Yes, you're correct about them "hearing" in on what Nate was doing at the bar. For me it was Tara (the one not clued in to Nate's alcoholism, or so I thought!) who immediately comments, "So, this is.." and Hardison goes "...not good!" followed by his troubles getting info about Doyle's office location from the cellphones, that made it look the team were..erm frustrated at two different issues.
You know what would be cool? If Team Leverage worked with legendary thief/spy ALEXANDER (Robert Wagner) MUNDY (IT TAKES A THIEF). I could see Parker, Sophie, Elliot with a healthy case of "hero awe/respect".
THE LEVERAGE SOUNDTRACK CD ARRIVED TODAY! Already ripped and being listened to.
"Can't Go Home Again" is, contrary to belief, an original Joseph LoDuca composition. I remembered hearing that in the commentary for the 12 Step Job, but this confirms it. Well done, Mr. LoDuca.
Slight disappointment -- the "science fair" songs aren't here. Then again, you can't have EVERYTHING :)
268 comments:
1 – 200 of 268 Newer› Newest»(First, let me get a drink from the bottle, scotch,no ice...I´m ready now!)
Hello, from Argentina. I´m a fan of leverage, but i´m a good girl... mmm, that is not entirely true...
Y know it! I know that the previous ep was... well, just said a "fast ep". I miss the genius touch.
Q: Is this your favorite episode only for the "bottle" reference, or is there another reason? if yes, then wich reason?
(Sorry for the syntax)
Well obviously I haven't seen the episode, mostly because I live in Ireland. So I'm guessing you can figure out where I'm going with this. ^_^
I do however watch the short clips they show on TNT though. I saw on tonights clip people trying to do Irish accents. (shakes head) To be fair, the main guys Irish accent isn't too bad, when compared to the guy who has the brother liam. It's still bad though.
We really don't speak like that but alas I have accepted that all American shows (and Americans) make us sound like we have taken some helium and say "top of the morning to ya" all the time.
However I have faith in you and the other writers and the show itself that the episode will still be awesome even with the accents.
I will be quite impressed if you have some irish words like, "Langer" or "craic" (pronounced "crack", meaning fun). Will have to wait and see I guess.
Anyway my question is was it all the Guinness that you drink that was the influence for this episode?
Well, the thing is, the lead actor is ACTUALLY IRISH, sooo ... not sure where to go with this.
Okay, not about this episode, but I ended up watching "The Two Live Crew Job" twice more-- once on my way to Israel and then again on the way back. Which made me wonder: will we be seeing anymore of Mikel Dayan/Noa Tishby?
I have to admit, I love seeing her because not only is it nice to see a real Israeli cast as a Mossad agent, but you weren't asking me to accept that someone who looked the size of my arm could throw a punch that would knock Eliot down.
I agree. More Noa Tishby please.
Looking forward to tonight's episode!
I'd really like to see Leverage get some awards notice. Did you ever find out if you submit material for consideration or if it's the network?
When I mention the show at work I'm getting more and more responses of, "oh yeah I watch that show, it's a lot of fun." So yea!
The whole "Evil" crew needs to return...
well, maybe we need to wait til to see the show, right?
Directed by Frakes.
If Gina hadn't gotten pregnant, would Sophie have played the roles Tara is playing? For instance, would Sophie had been the fashion designer in The Runway Job?
Why don't any of them just pay the 15,000 out of their vast store of wealth from the first episode?
RE: Fiona's comment. It kind of reminds me when "Fargo" came out and a great number of people in ND/MN took offense at how the characters sounded. Hey, I live her and even I know that some of us DO sound like that! Sometimes people can't hear how they sound.
Great comeback, Mr. Rogers.
Roy, I think Hardison answers that -- the Irish want cash and they can't get hold of that much cash in two hours.
Jeez, I'm already nervous about how this is going to play out. John Rogers saying this is his favorite is REALLY scary.
Am I really supposed to believe that Liam's parents just stopped naming their children after Liam was born? What's up? Why is he introduced as Liam's brother instead of Sean or Patrick or whatever.
All I could think of with Liam and Liam's brother was "I'm Larry and this is my brother Darrell and my other brother Darrell."
Great the hear the music from "The 12-Step Job"!
Two takes Frakes does it again! my compliments to the chef.
Now is it me or is Tara an Ex-Spook?
1st -- excellent! Yeah, really good episode in a bottle. Loved Parker's finishing shot during the safe cleaning. I hope the Irish Punk song is on the soundtrack CD.
2nd -- am I making things up in my head (entirely possible) or is there a subtext/theme about fathers a touch left over from last season and going on? (I'm thinking specifically about 2nd David commentary about Nate watching the others getting into the museum plans like a father watching his kids, among other little things.)
3rd -- You use a writing team for the show -- do you keep a "bible" to keep your facts straight? Do different writers take the lead on different episodes? Is it a huge collaboration or a matter of one person drafts, other people refine? The bits and pieces you've revealed about the writing process fascinate me.
So...being, you know, NOT a stupid person, I'm going to go out on a limb and just say it.
Tara is/was a spy...right?
Also, I think this episode was both the strongest of the season and the weakest. Other than the Tara=spy revelation, I don't feel like we grew as people. Yes the timeline was tight, but I didn't feel it. The mounting tension was washed out by Nate drinking, though I do admit to LOVING the way the team reacted. I also felt like Christian was grossly underused in this episode. He hit some people and can throw darts like a crazy professional. Wow. Someone break out in applause.
I love this show. Since The West Wing was canceled there had not been a show that commanded my attention and devotion until Leverage. From things that you have said here on the blog I sense big, amazing things are coming...bring them soon!! We need something to rock the boat, shake the status quot...we need the characters to grow as people...and all we got this week was Nate regressing.
I am vaguely underwhelmed and that makes me cry in my special Leverage place.
That is definitely my second favorite episode (my first being Two Live Crew, of course.) Classic cons, laughed a lot, and I actually didn't hate Tara....
I loved the scene where Parker stole the wallets from Liam and brother, and Eliot throwing the darts. Kind of upset when Nate drank. Looking forward to next week!
I have almost the same shirt that Parker's wearing, the white tiger one. AWESOME!!
Damn Nate, you're lettin' the kids down w/ the drinkin'.
Hardison = Yowzas!
Ohhh poker games are fun, especially w/ cops playing along!
Nice rear naked choke Chris
HELL YEAH!! Pressure point/finger-lock combo...that's my signature move! Go Nate!!
Can't wait for next week, but gotta watch this one again cuz it ROCKS!!
Hey John! Fun episode. I noticed Mark Doyle asked for a bottle of the most expensive Scotch. I would have expected single malt Irish. Was that because Scotch is more expensive?
I could have sworn I heard them talking about Nate's Dad in the present tense in the final bar scene.
So, is Big Jimmy Ford still alive and when can we start the fantasy casting call?
i like dark nate. any hints as to whether we might see nate flat out lose his temper with the team either this season or next? i don't mean disgruntled, frustrated, or annoyed (annoyed eliot is hysterical, btw). i want to see nate open the anger floodgates. breaking some bones in 'the bottle job' was a nice shadow on nate's character.
also, do more of those things that you already do that we all love so much.
Great ep! Loved the almost claustrophobic feeling. Really added to the tension and the sense of urgency.
More Eliot-Parker fun. Seriously, those two are great together! Beth and Kane have really developed a great chemistry.
And weatherman Hardison, in Nate's too-small clothes, too funny! Though I did appreciate the shirtless Hardison. Y'all got some serious eye-candy on that show!
You should've heard the groan that went up in my house when Nate took that drink. As my 12-year-old said, that can't be good.
Loved learning about Nate's dad. No wonder Nate understands his criminal crew so well. Sounds as if Jimmy might be part of his identity issues -- didn't want to be like dear old dad, but is turning out more like him than he likes.
But, hey, we don't get to see Nate's reaction to what the team did to his apartment??? Not cool, Rogers, not cool. Just tell me Old Nate survived.
Amazing. I cried when Nate took that drink. First sip because he has to, beat, second sip because...he has to. How much of that scene came from you and how much from others? Also, meta-question, did it give you the willies when just last week people were talking about bad green-screens considering the Hardison weatherman bit in this one?
Do you know if/when The Leverage Soundtrack will be made available via itunes or the Amazon Mp3 Store.
So this was The Sting backwards, with the wire as the setup for the poker game. Was that deliberate?
The Irish thugs sounded plenty Irish to me, but I wasn't convinced by the Boston-Irish accents of the other poker players -- they reminded me of the better class of fake American accents by British actors.
The weather report was hilarious.
Loved the episode.
It hurt a little to see Nate drink but it was necessary.
Starting to like Tara more.
And Parker and Hardison were awesome as usual.
My questions....
Is there a safe Parker can't break into? Like a nemesis safe that she's tried and failed to crack?
Also, does Parker still have her bunny?
Thanks.
@alikitty619
First, I hated Nate drinking again. But that's for personal reasons. Then again, on the flip side, it makes me scream at my television again, and that's always fun. Flashbacks to season one. Haha.
Second, Parker and the safe? OH. DEAR. LORD. I have to ask... does she get some legitimate sexual gratification out of her job? Cause she seriously looked like she was about to make out with the damn thing. She's been creepy with money before, but this even made me raise an eyebrow and usually by now I'm used to it. I really don't want to know what she does in her free time with her cash, do I? Er...
Third, Tara the maybe-spy. Freaking hot. Just... cause it is.
Forth, thanks for shirtless Aldis. Much love.
And fifth, Eliot's seriously got some dart skills. MAN. I'm envious lol
I've gotta go back and watch again. Was that Nate's dad Parker was talking with at the end? It looked like the empty stool in the zoom was the same one he was sitting on. Hmmm...
Awesome episode. Lot of great scenes, Hardison stripping, Eliot playing darts, Tara flirting.
Loved the ending of the fight scene where Parker takes the guy down with a kick in the head. Who's idea was that?
You pulled The Wire for the modern age, something I have been thinking about since finishing The Big Con recently. Very nice.
And Nate's childhood hit home. Guess Irish are the same in a lot of places.
Also loved Nate with the loan shark at the end there. Good Stuff.
Nate is very much the Irish Catholic wallowing in his own sins, demons and temptations with where he lives. Parker getting that makes me think there is a streak of Catholic school girl there somewhere.
1)Thank you for Shirtless Hardison. It is very much appreciated.
2)First step is ADMITTING you have a problem, not necisarily stopping. Nate knows what an Ass he is now... so baby steps.
3)How cool was it to shoot in a pub?! (Even a not completely real one. lol) Any parties on set?
4) I love this show.
1) Well, getting Jim Hutton to play Jimmy is out of the question, though would have been great, who might play Jimmy-- if I heard rightly that he is in the present and not the past?
2) If Hardison bought the building, why was the barkeep indebted to a loan shark? It's not like Hardison would dun him for the rent and set him up to run to a loan shark.
@Sherri: Oop, you're right. Pulled that trigger too early.
And Jon, I just would like you and your team to know that's a beautiful character moment when Nate considers taking the drink. And his look back to Eliot really reveals a lot about the relationship between those two.
I gotta say my favorite part was realizing that you told us at the beginning just exactly how it was going to end. "Don't gamble with other people's money" and saying that the bar was mob on one side and cops on the other.
I also noticed that tremor in Nate's hand as he took the first drink. Fine work, Mr. Hutton.
Will we get to know Tara's real history, since her story doesn't have to carry over to next season (and beyond, please, TNT!)
Darrell and my other brother Darrell. I thought it, too.
Loved it. Good pacing, good & true-to-form character interactions, good con, great acting by Tim w/ the drink, clues to Tara's spook (I assume) past, a reveal that Big Daddy Ford is still alive, shirtless Hardison, what's not to love?
Well, there was one thing I didn't love. The fight scenes. Which are usually my very favorite part. All the 'blows' were cut away from in a strange way (sorry I don't know the right showbiz words). Christian is a master at selling that shit, and we know he does his own stunts, so you usually don't have to cut away during the fights - for a stunt double I mean. So.....
Q1 - Were those fight scenes cut really oddly, or am I ... crazy/stoopid/high?
Q2 - Assuming the fight scenes were different than usual... WHY?
Q3 - Not related to this ep but, I must know, why does EW magazine hate you?
Thanks as always for a good time!
Hi,
Wonderful episode. Have to say I loved it being so close to "home" for all the characters.
My question is with Nate slipping like he is are the other memebers of the team losing respect for him or beginning to question his judgement. Example being Eliot's disapproving glare when Nate started drinking and then calling him on the secondary con later.
Will this potentially cause him to later be removed as the leader of the group either due to his own issues or for the safety of the team.
Also one last question. It pains me to ask it but is there a point where the fail safe (Eliot) gets too injured to go on? Will there ever be a point where Eliot is either injured or taken out and the team is forced to work without him? Only reason I ask is Eliot takes a beating. While he's the best he's only human. Eventualy his body has to say no more. Unless he's really superman.
Thank you for the great episode, looking foward to next week!
Just a few comments-
Doyle made me nostalgic for my mates in Dublin, Cork & Donegal. I was waiting for him to say "and me Ma still needs a caravan." Erin Go Bragh!
The usual suspects delivered on point-they rocked it as always.
Tara/Jheri gives new meaning to "drop it like it's hot!"
Back to you Jon in the studio.
Loved finding out more about Nate and his Boston family - including Cora. Will we be seeing more of Cora in the future? She fit in so well.
Magnificent as ever! Hardison especially kicked booty, and was, as usual, unappreciated for it. (And that's why he kept the painting. Of course...)
Question: I know that was a traditional Irish song being played over the final scene between Nate and McRory's daughter, but I couldn't place it, to my chagrin. What was it?
WOW..... Tim was all Boston when he bent that guy over the table and busted up his fingers!!!
I'm from Southie and I recognized that look in his eyes.....it made me respond viscerally....I actually sat up straight for a minute. Do Not Piss Him Off!!! He's got that dead cold Irish eye.Definitley a Jamaica Plain guy. His accent came out a little, too. :)
Totally got sucked in by you all.....again!!
Tx for the ride
Great episode!
Are we gonna see the three older cops from around that table again?
And: What's the thinking behind "jitter-cam" fight filming? I'm not sure it adds so much as it detracts, but maybe there's a finesse in the technique that I'm not catching.
ah, "cancer took mom" nevermind. I knew Hardison wouldn't be so cold-blooded.
How does a kid who's dad "Runs numbers" and who grew up in a bar end up almost being a priest, and become an insurance investigator?
Ok so shot in the dark but is Tara's fake ID NSA quality because she's ex NSA? Cuz that would explain why she knows cryptography, why she and Nate never crossed paths... Why she can defend herself....
This was a great episode! I would love to know what song was playing during the poker game. Thanks!
How on spot are Chris' dart skills? I'm assuming that was an effect vs. when he threw the rock.
Parker and the Safe o_0. Wow she was seriously having a moment. But what a sweet knock out kick!
Also Eliot slapping Parker's ass and then her doing it even harder to the other guys was hilarious.
Thank you for the shirtless Aldis both hot and funny :)
Tare was pretty awesome in this ep. She's an ex-spy isn't she?
Ok so shot in the dark but is Tara's fake ID NSA quality because she's ex NSA? Cuz that would explain why she knows cryptography, why she and Nate never crossed paths... Why she can defend herself....
Maybe not a field agent, though, or to be exact, someone who was released to be a field agent; she doesn't feel quite like someone they'd trust to be in the field. She seems who enjoys the cons just a little too much...(Not that Rogers will ever tell us that straight out...)
Two questions...
1) I was confused by the ending...why was Hardison trying to get the other people to stay at the bar with him? Reception at school is not great, so maybe I just missed some of the dialogue.
2) Will we ever seen Eliot beaten? And I mean seriously loosing a fight. We've seen him get thrown around in the first David Job and the Tap Out Job, but he always pops right back up after. I guess I'm wondering if we'll ever see what it takes to keep Eliot down (you know, besides Nate telling him to.)
A few more comments:
* I loved the emergency cash hiding places. It really is the "family home" more than Nate's apartment, isn't it? I'm also guessing that Nate knows nothing about this.
* We really haven't heard Eliot growl at Hardison since Hardison smacked his head into the squad car during the pilot. I was kind of hoping for "...oh I'm going to punch somebody!" too.
*..that all the security systems, safes, etc. are "Glenn Reeder" which I believe is the same name as the writing team from the "Two-Horse Job". (I believe they were introduced as the "baby writers" last year in the commentaries) and I think her name is actually spelled Rieder. Inside joke?
* And that I'm already starting to panic thinking about only 4 more episodes left!!
My question was re: Kane's dart skills, but I see someone has already asked it above.
Great episode. Brought back memories of visiting my Aunt's pub in the UK and playing darts. Also a found the scrambling to fake a weather broadcast hilarious.
Best episode so far!
I want to say that I really loved Tara in this episode. In "The Runway Job" I found her attitude discomforting. She just seemed like she was there because she had to be. But this time it felt like she was enjoying running the con with the team, like she chose to be there, even if they're not the bestest buddies.
I love that Parker made a joke! "What if I can't open the safe?" I laughed so hard!
Nate taking his first drink was really well done - kudos to Tim for that whole sequence. Further, I loved that his subsequent drinking did not take place in front of the team, so they know, but they don't know how much or how often. That's a good (not heavy-handed) investment that could pay off well in future episodes.
But now for my question: I understand that, unlike Sophie (or anyone else on the team), Tara gets paid no matter what, but is it significant that there have now been two cons in a row that have resulted in zero profit for the team? And what ramifications will come from Nate being the only one paying her her "cut"?
Also, what was Liam's brother's name? I'm guessing it wasn't Noel, because they didn't fight with each other at all.
That song from the poker game sounded pretty familiar. Is it something I'd know, or is it another original like the 12 step job song from last year (and if so, can we expect a whole album of that?)
Also to address the Terra/Tara however ya spell it questions from last week - there's been hints on here before that she runs a different kind of con. Sophie obviously has a taste for the finer things, a very international flavor. Things that would bring her to Nate's attention - she was big on art theft after all, stuff that's insured.
Tara strikes me as someone who's more about the money than anything else, and so her targets are naturally different - why con someone out of art you have to sell when you can con them out of cash, straight up?
Definitely a government background of some sort, even if it's wrong side of it. Too many hints to be otherwise.
Actually, come to think of it, this IS the song from 12 Step Job isn't it? I remember that being called something like Can't go home again - and I definitely heard lyrics to that effect.
Comments first, then questions.
I so agree with Roy:
"that's a beautiful character moment when Nate considers taking the drink. And his look back to Eliot really reveals a lot about the relationship between those two."
Also loved shirtless Hardison and Parker's foreplay with the safe PLUS the finishing kick...really, really loved Beth in those moments, she totally rocked.
I, too, liked Jeri Ryan better in this episode. Still some rough moments, but she didn't seem to be trying too hard to be tough in this ep.
My daughter says that Eliot is way too tough to be wearing a blown out flip hairdo. And as much as I adore Kane, and thinks he looks so much better with long hair, I have to admit I do not like that particular style either.
Okay, 2 questions.
The plan was for Doyle to first win in the card game and then for Nate to win all of his money back. But if Tara started sending the wrong signals, surely Doyle would not have continued to play. So, if Doyle had not recognized his own money, how was Nate going to win the later hands?
Finally I don't understand why they couldn't just let Doyle be arrested and put in a Boston jail. Why was it better for him to just leave town.
Thanks for another fabulous episode. You guys are on a freaking roll.
Triple comment!
I have a copy saved to my harddrive, but I don't know if it's available for purchase anywhere so I'm hesitant to upload it without John (and Joe, the composer) being ok with that...
Oh yeah, and good job on the cops. It didn't even cross my mind until Tara once again said something to the effect of, "You don't know who these guys are." I had figured they weren't mob, but hadn't paid much attention to the comment about mob on one side and cops on the other.
And I loved the way they exited the scene of the crime. This is definitely one of my favorite episodes. Will have to watch it again.
Rebecca: If he got arrested, that money becomes evidence, and like they said, won't get back to the people it belongs to, among other things. (Nate would probably be in deep shit because of his role, including gambling quite a bit of money)
I gotta ask - Did Parker ever get Eliot back for the slapping her arse?
Great episode. The only thing I didn't like was Timothy Hutton's fake American accent. Also, I'm pretty sure Jeri Ryan used a fake woman accent.
Question - what kind of knife did Elliot have/use when he was cutting up the chair for the emergency fund? What's our resident Batman/Midnighter/Superhero's carry knife of choice?
Great ep, btw. And thanks!
Great episode! I hate that moment when I realize there's only ten minutes left on this week's fun train. I've stopped fast forwarding through the commercials just to make it last longer (or because I'm lazy, but feel free to tell your sponsors the former).
Three questions:
1) It sounded like Nate's dad is still alive, are we going to meet him soon?
2) Why weren't the cables to the pub's AV system hooked up to anything?
3) When Cora says "Thanks, for everything", is she looking where I think she's looking? Cuz I sure would have been.
Finally, I love this little character touch: Everyone on the team hates seeing Nate drinking. But at the end, Elliot is the one that is watching Nate to see if he's going to down the shot Cora brings everyone, and conscientiously chooses not to drink himself. It's like he's asking himself "What would Sophie do?". It really says a lot about the dynamics of the relationships. Pretty sophisticated stuff for a "fun little heist show".
@coren, thanks! I did hear Tara say that, and I loved the way the cops left it. I just didn't associate it with Nate roughing up Doyle and telling him never to come back, and it never crossed my mind that there might be grounds to arrest Nate, as well.
Sheesh, there are sooooo very many details. More kudos to the writers than ever.
But, John, still wanna know how Nate planned to win the latter hands of the poker game w/o Tara giving the wrong signals, which would presumably make Doyle take the money and run. I questioned it as soon as I heard the plan and it's driving me crazy.
I have but one question for this week - was Hardison pointing at Portland instead of Boston a nice little shout out to us Portland folk?
I admit I was kind of dreading Nate falling off the wagon, but that's because I forgot what a brilliant cast you have, and how perfectly they played it.
It's possible that the shots of the unplowed streets and the accents made me miss Boston.
Also, MOAR SHIRTLESS ALDIS PLS!
Asked my question upthread - the knife geek one - but upon further contemplation wanted to put in a... well, not a *vote*, as the season's already put paid... and wouldn't matter anyways :) ...but an opinion...
Personally, I hope we see more of 'functional alcoholic Nate.' Because honestly, he's a more interesting, dynamic and exciting character. Somebody holding it together just on the edge is far more interesting than 'in-denial Catholic guy.' Just like Vicodin-gobbling House is superior to "Drugs are bad, mmkay?" House.
And honestly, whiskey as the big-bad is kinda made mockery of by the single malt soaked commentaries. And to quote a great man - "What’s the one thing this show has taught you as a writer?
John Rogers: It’s okay to drink in the room. There’s no shame in opening up a bottle of Irish whiskey during the day."
Eh, mine is only one man's opinion. And of course, by 'functional alcoholic Nate' I probably mean 'functional alcoholic me.' But that's a tale for another day.
*Disclaimer* I am, indeed, child of an officially diagnosed, dry-for-20-years-now, alcoholic. And the drink can screw up your life and your family and is probably, kinda-sorta, an actual disease and should be taken seriously. But I'm *just sayin'.*
A little part of me cheered when Nate threw down the shot.
Secret money in the cereal box, love that was where Parker hides hers.
"Back to you Chet". I know I'm stretching, but when I heard that I heard a shout out to Ch.5's Chet Curtis....but I guess that would be a huge Boston stretch!
Great ep! When you can feel for and sympathize with the characters like they're actual people you know(even - especially - when they do the wrong things), then you have some amazing writing and acting going on.
My silly question is, did they do something with the lighting in this ep, or did everyone's eyes just get much brighter? No really, all those blue, blue eyes pretty much popped out of the TV at me. Even Aldis' dark brown eyes seemed a brighter shade of dark brown.
I thought maybe it was the lighting for that particular set.
Loved The Bottle Job! The Irish music, the bar, the red-haired Irish lass, and the Leverage team was great!
I have to admit I was a little upset when Nate took that drink, but you warned us about Nate. (Tim was outstanding in this ep.)
The brothers Liam are a nod to "Newhart," right?
For some reason this ep felt more like Boston to me than some of the other S2 eps. Maybe it was those snow shots and the bar.
What were Nate and Cora tossing back at the end? I couldn't make out the label and the bottle wasn't square so I don't think it was Bushmills. Midleton maybe?
A great episode - congrats and thanks to all of you.
Slà inte
As someone who found myself leaning towards Eliot in the first episode, I have to ask: Was Eliot purposely not drinking when the thank-you round came so Nate wouldn't be the only one IF he "behaved", or was he just too distracted by wondering if Nate would? (or am I reading too far into that look and he wasn't thinking about it at all?)
...also, it seems odd that while they were all in on the concern (which is adorable. I think the crew may be one of the most lovely dysfunctional "families" on TV) they booked it right out of there while the alcohol was still on the table. Self-preservation?
All-in-all, a pleasantly entertaining episode. (Although I am starting to feel just a little bit cheated with the amount of "Oh no! It's all going to Hades in a handba...just kidding!" events that have happened recently, especially with two happening back-to-back)
Great episode, but yes, what PhilipWheeler said: why'd Doyle order Scotch instead of Irish Whiskey?
I've asked my questions, but to add my praise / echo others:
- Agree that Parker was hilarious w/ the butt slapping - Beth always brings it - but I assumed that Eliot started it so that she would have an easy way to lift their phones / wallets. I love the sibling vibe that Parker/Eliot have, and I love when we see that they've worked some things out on their own (his coaching of her wrestling, the scene in the Lost Heir where he bumps the table so she can steal the sunglasses, etc)... I thought the butt slap was more of that. Though also Eliot has proven he can think on the fly.
- Agree that Beth was awesome with the kick to the 3rd thug so she could better hear her Precious. But I would have loved it better if Tara had not knocked out someone for Eliot just last week. Eliot can knock people out just fine by himself, and they tend to stay knocked out. ;) I did like E's line about "I had it".
- Agree with all that the look between E & Nate when Nate took his first drink was both moving and telling. Nate & Sophie may be the mom & dad, but E also brings a 'man of the house' vibe that 'little sibs' Parker & Hardison (hilarious and made of awesome though they are) do not.
- I both hate and love 'functional alcoholic' Nate. I assume that we will see him fail in a con while drunk at some point. I wonder if we'll also see E lose a fight then. Don't know how I feel about that. I enjoyed when he was beaten bloody in the David Job - but still wouldn't go down... that's our Eliot. What would make him go down? A gunshot or a crowbar to the head would seem to be a cheat.
- Shallow Hair Comment: I like E's hair blown out straight but I don't love the flip. In all the eps, imo, his hair looked best in the Beantown ep when he beats the mob guys up with the bat. Not that I am hyper-focused on Eliot's hair or anything. ;)
- I assumed that the plan was ALWAYS to have Doyle recognize his own money. That's why Nate told the cops that Doyle would confess. Maybe the team didn't know about the sharpie, but I have to think that they would have removed the distinctive banding if they were trying to hide the origin of the money from Doyle.
Oh - I do have another question. I previously wondered about the fight scene, and why it was not as realistic as usual. I saw some spec elsewhere that it was b/c this was a 'bottle job' show (i.e. to save money the expensive stunt guys weren't there or something)... but something else just occurred to me: We have heard CK interview that he would up in the hospital during shooting of S2. Maybe CK was hurt when this ep was shot? Concussed? That would explain the fight scenes as well as the underuse of Kane...???
@scooter5203249
Since I live in Boston, I agree, it felt more like Boston for the first time to me as well. Maybe I've been in "that" bar, could be the people, definitely Hardison's weather report. The whole feel. Or it could be that I'm Irish and felt like I was looking at an Irish wake I've been too :D
Also, fwiw, which is nil, I see Brian Cox as Big Jimmy Ford. I don't know why. And he would have had Tim at 14, irl. But, you know... it works for me.
Forgot to throw some love for the awesome exchange:
'Easy - she's like my niece'
'But she's not like your daughter, right?'
'She's like my niece. So don't like my niece'
Etc. Win.
Wow, there are few words that can describe this episode, however, it has left me with several questions.
1) Is Nate going to be a violent drunk now that he's drinking again?
2) Is Eliot more worried or ticked that Nate is drinking again, he seemed to be a bit of both.
3) Are the others [Eliot, Parker, Hardison and Tara] going to be calling Sophie to tell her that Nate has again hit the bottle?
First of all kudos on a well executed story this week. The writing was wonderful. Loved 'The Sting' references as it's one of my favorite movies.You can really see the characters growing and changing. The writers have given the cast great material to work with and they in turn have taken it and brought it to life. Thanks for all the hard work all the way round.
I see that the 'Newhart' reference has been mentioned. 'Hi. I'm Darrell, this is my brother Darrell...'Glad I wasn't the only one who caught it.My question is was that intentionally written in or just something that happened to be a humorous by product?
Loved the show. Especially the moment of solemn glances.
Will we ever see an episode where one of the team disappears and they pull a job to get them back? (I'm think a la Global Frequency when Miranda Zero is kidnapped). A job in real-time perhaps?
I applaud you on the use of 'shmuck', made me roar with laughter because it's something we (my family) use all the time. Just a few Questions (sorry!) The song by DropKick Murphy's was also used in the 12 step Job, did it have something to do with Nate loosing his control and starting to drink again, or did someone hit on their Ipod and decide that was the song to use? (also good pick since DKM are home town boys)
My other question is will the season 2 DVD's have outtakes or a blooper reel? Love to see behind the scenes.
Great show, can't wait for next weeks with the return of Sterling. Keep up the awesome work!
I absolutely loved this show! I can understand why this is one of your personal favorites. I loved that we get a deeper understanding of Nate, how he became who he is, and what drives him, and part of what makes him so angsted. And I loved that this ep wasn't a long big elaborate con, and that everything took place in the bar and Nate's apartment, but there was still plenty of action, tension, and suspense, and drama.
So a couple of questions for you:
1. Since we learned about Nate's father in this episode, will we ever find anything out about his mother?
2. I know you and the other writers have a penchant for using some real cons in the show and making some up. So, is the wire an actual con, or a product of the writers room?
3. I know we are Sophie-lite in this batch of episodes because Gina was/is on maternity leave, so was it a deliberate decision to not have Sophie show up in the ep and save her scenes for the other episodes, or did it just not make sense to have her appear because the team was under a time crunch and had too much else going on?
4. Who's idea was it to not give Liam's brother a name, and to have Liam basically speak for both of them-I loved it! lol
5. How long has the team had "emergency funds" stashed around the apartment? And can I say I was just as shocked and horrified as Parker when Hardison took the knife or whatever to the portrait of Old Nate?? The picture better go right back up on the wall!
6. I felt for the team and how disappointed they were in Nate when he took the drink. Does this mean he's officially off the wagon, or is be back to being cold turkey sober after this?
Thanks!
Really enjoyed the episode. Nate/Sophie angst isn't my cup of tea, but Nate's sobriety I find very involving.
I was a little puzzled why the cops let Doyle go--the promise of confessing to a felony seemed to me to be a promise of an arrest. I eventually decided that they came to the conclusion that it would be difficult/less productive to convict than to ensure that he just stayed away, but if the flashback had made that clear, it wouldn't have kept me thinking--"leave his money on the table, confess to at least one felony--it'll definitely be enough to keep him out of the country permanently, what do you say"?
(Also, yes, thank you for shirtless Hardison.)
Hey John, first time poster here, and just wanted to say I love this show, and I think its fantastic that you do this. You dont see many other shows these days that get all this inside information and get their questions answered, so thanks.
My question:
I noticed at the end Eliot didn't take a drink. Was this purposeful like others have suggested to be an example for Nate and not drink? Or does is Eliot just not a big drinker? Though we have seen he drinks beer...
Also, he seems the most upset by Nate's drinking, not only in this episode, but throughout the show. Is there a reason for this?
Thanks agains!
Only commenting to thank you for the shirtless Hardison.
I'm a Malaysian,I hear all kinds of accents (some unintentional!) 24/7 in my country, BUT hey the Irish accent here? LOL better than the Brad Pitt(y)ish, dodgy one in Devil's Own imo!
SO, Mr Kane has "added" being a pro dart thrower, among his other accomplishments!:) Has he been one for about..12 years now,erm? Viper Room, Dante's..goes with the territory, I guess;D
Question: Any chance Eliot might be throwing a knife and/or using a cross-bow anytime in S3? Not at any body, mind you, more a necessity for an escape.
As for Eliot fighting and the rest..I assume Nate would want The Team members to lie low for sometime after each case, before taking up a new one? Also Eliot has "connections with men in suits..?" AND prefers to date doctors..Surely Eliot knows where to go when he's concussed and recuperate ;) Remember Eliot was asked where he disappeared to, for 8 years w/out a call (The 2 Horse Job)- Eliot's answer "I was, working" SO,I'm to believe Eliot knows how to dish out more pain than receive, wherever possible! Question: Will we be seeing (cough!)the "other side" of Eliot in the future?
So, does Cora know what the team does (and, by extension, what they are), or does she just know they help people? She seems too sharp not to suspect *something*.
And speaking of Cora, kudos to making a "guest" character so real. Does she now join the group of recurring characters?
Also, he [Eliot] seems the most upset by Nate's drinking, not only in this episode, but throughout the show. Is there a reason for this?
I know that many - myself included - speculate that Eliot was abused as a child... it explains his comments in Tap Out, his concern for the boy in the hospital ep, his need to be able to physically dominate... etc. Perhaps he was beaten by an alcoholic father.
As for Eliot fighting and the rest..I assume Nate would want The Team members to lie low for sometime after each case, before taking up a new one? Also Eliot has "connections with men in suits..?" AND prefers to date doctors..Surely Eliot knows where to go when he's concussed and recuperate ;) You may be addressing another comment completely - but if you are answering my comment upthread, I meant that Christian Kane the actor may have been hurt/concussed, and that's why the fight scenes were light. I agree that Eliot must know where to go for healing! (I loved that 'doctor' comment last week too...)
Remember Eliot was asked where he disappeared to, for 8 years w/out a call (The 2 Horse Job)- Eliot's answer "I was, working" He said 'working' but he flashed back to a prison camp I believe.... right?
Well I must say that once again you all have out done yourselves!!! It was an awesome episode. Loved the Irish everything!!! Dont know if I am really feeling the Eliot perv thing....I think I like it more when he was more secretive..did dig the growling hahahaha My only real complaint is the fight scene it was TO DAMN DARK!!!! It was hard to see the action...but other than that I FREAKIN' LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!! You guys are amazing!!! Can't wait for the return of Sterling he is a great bad guy!!
I soooo called it last episode! Tara is an ex-spook the "I studied cryptog..." line clinched it.
Now the only question is, is she a voluntary or involuntary ex-spook? And, does she have "friends" that are interested in her current activities?
Some attempts at answers to upthread questions:
1) Hardison wanted to delay Nate's return to the apartment because he (and the rest of the gang) had completely trashed it over the course of the episode -- holes in the wall, searching for clothes, getting the emergency funds, and he wanted the whole gang to help him clean up (which they declined to do).
2) It was not clear to me either how "Doyle owning the bar" would work. Cora did appear to accept the napkin marker as a contract, though of course it wasn't legally enforcable. Nate did mention that if Cora went to the cops, Doyle would presumably just burn down the bar in six months and/or subvert the relevant cops.
3) I agree that Nate's plan was always for the poker game to end with Doyle recognizing his own money and confronting the guys he didn't know were cops -- there's a convention that flashbacks at the end tell us which events were meant to be part of the scam all along, and we had flashbacks about the marked money as well as the cops' identity.
4) TV cops always leave a situation alone and outside the legal system if they think higher justice is being served. I have no idea how often real cops do this.
5) Tara said she was "trained in cryptography" and that Doyle used a "simple alphabetic substitution".
(So it is plausible that a smart person with some training could break it easily -- hooray for the writers getting that right.) That doesn't necessarily mean NSA, who do very sophisticated cryptography and might or might not actually have field agents other than Halle Berry in the Bond movie. Lots of goverment organizations would train their field operatives in cryptography.
And some questions (not to derail the fun train):
6) Assuming the thugs in the warehouse were Doyle's employees, isn't there a worry that they would call Doyle's cel phone and tell him the warehouse is being robbed? Did they disable incoming calls on the cel phone when they had it, or just sufficiently immobilize the defeated thugs?
7) Doyle's fingers are all through the neighborhood but he doesn't recognize three important cops?
8) Mark Doyle versus Doyle Lonnegan -- another shoutout to The Sting or just a really common Irish name?
wv: "decoves" -- sheltered areas into which you sail deboat
Yeah, I already posted, but the "abused Eliot" is coming up and...I have decided on another theory.
I think he's not an abused child, but a father himself. He's certainly been with enough women, unless the player attitude is all a front (and the poor women if it is. Abandonment after shameless flirtation is a punch in the gut). His attitude strikes me as more that of a guy who knows what it's like to have someone to protect than it does an empathic response from someone who was once hurt himself.
And I don't think he really draws a line with who needs that protecting. He's just not going to take BS from people even if it's not directed towards him.
So, yup. That's my theory. Somewhere in Eliot's past, or even present, there is either a child or a person who otherwise needed greater protection than deviled eggs to the eyes.
...this could totally be considered a question, btw. ;p
Ok, not so much about this week's episode, but Kane said in a radio interview (the one he linked to from his twitter I think) this week that he broke three fingers filming Leverage... That was an injury I hadn't heard about before! How and when did he manage that, and how many times has he ended up in hospital while filming? You sure you can't just wrap him in bubble wrap and be done with it?!
Once again a great episode but I do have to agree...it is unfortunate that there are only four more episodes left in the season!
A few obervations:
First, when Doyle was getting Tara (Jeri) to set up the poker game, he was using the term "pocket pair". I do remember him saying, "If he has pocket Aces, you..." and Tara giving the right signal.
The game, however, was Five Card Stud. Five Card Stud does not use hole cards, which the term "pocket" is used for (as a poker writer, got to know these things!). Was it just a slip?
Will we see an episode that just goes terribly awry? While our fantastic dysfunctional family is great at what they do, there has to be some point where they fail or, perhaps more realistically, they meet the objective but the end result isn't beneficial for whom they were working for. Is that going to occur?
It seemed perfectly logical to me that Nate's (Tim's) dad was a numbers runner, that Nate was almost a priest, became an insurance investigator and now is the head of a heist team (that Irish Catholic background will give you many paradoxes). How many more "layers to the onion" are there with Nate? (Think about it, we haven't even begun to explore the other team members yet!)
Keep up the great work! Season Three is going to have to go a long way to pass what you have already done, but I am sure the creative minds there will come through!
Awesome show as usual, I will tell you that get better and better and rewatching them only adds to it. Thank you for doing this blog and allowing us some much inside scoop on the show, actors, etc., it only makes watching so much more enjoyable because we feel like we know everyone.
my question is when will we be hearing/seeing Christian sing on the show? I love his music and he has mentioned that he hoped to be doing some singing in his storyline.
First, when Doyle was getting Tara (Jeri) to set up the poker game, he was using the term "pocket pair". I do remember him saying, "If he has pocket Aces, you..." and Tara giving the right signal.
Not sure if they said five card stud,but they were playing five card draw for sure.
As one Boston area Irish to another I want to say...Great ep!
McRory's gave me a serious case of nostalgia, it's been mumble-number years since I was at my local. There was this Irish bar in downtown crossing, off a side street somewhere... think it was called Foley's. And another 4 or 5 story one across from the Garden with great traditional music on the top floor... where after a pint or 3 my Limerick accent came out.
On the accents- I thought there was just the right combination of Boston, Charlestown,New Bedford, North Shore etc. The way a true Boston bar would be. And,to those who mentioned the accents btw, the more you drink the more the accent slips/changes (what? slurs? surely not!)
Thank you for using WOMEN as your sex symbols. As someone on the other side of 39, I appreciate seeing that we're not all cast as soccer moms or aging hags.
So far, this is my favourite ep. And the snow outside helped too! It's been snowing every day here in New Hampster for months.
The plan was for Doyle to first win in the card game and then for Nate to win all of his money back. But if Tara started sending the wrong signals, surely Doyle would not have continued to play. So, if Doyle had not recognized his own money, how was Nate going to win the later hands?
It could be both ways. I think Nate could have noticed the marks, when he was gambling on the basketball game, it's also possible that he knew Doyle would not let him win all the money and soon as things turned against him he would try to muscle things and the cops would turn on that point.
First, when Doyle was getting Tara (Jeri) to set up the poker game, he was using the term "pocket pair". I do remember him saying, "If he has pocket Aces, you..." and Tara giving the right signal.
The game, however, was Five Card Stud. Five Card Stud does not use hole cards, which the term "pocket" is used for (as a poker writer, got to know these things!). Was it just a slip?
Doyle didn't know what game they were playing, he assumed Texas hold 'em because that's the in game right now.
Loved the Ep...
Nate's potential "start of darkness" moment was well played. Eliot's bar room Robin Hood was fun. Parker was Parker, per usual. And Hardison playing Al Roker was fantastic, especially with the "go find someone to punch" line.
Tara's really fun. I like the cryptic(no pun intended) hints you've been laying out about her past.
2 Questions:
1) Would it be fair to say that Tara is closer to a more mercenary version of Michael Weston then she is to the Michael Stone/Sophie type?
2) Is there a possibility of Tara sticking around WITH Sophie moving forward through Seasons yet to come?
Thanks much!!
@Brooke -- my husband and I have tossed about those same thoughts when we talk about the show. I feel better knowing someone else is seeing/thinking the same things I am. I'm not necessarily pushing for a big reveal on Eliot's past, and I have added in the "gunslinger" comments Jon made to my questions last week, but, yeah, there's sumthin' sumthin' there...
Were those Star Trek captains playing for the Celtics?
Yeah, I'm back. I think about this show waaaayyyy too much!
Okay, so, Tara is obviously an ex-spook or in a closely related field. And there've been hints that Eliot has, eh, government experience (I'm assuming he wasn't in Pakistan doing touristy stuff, and you yourself have alluded to such a past). It's pretty obvious they've never met *formally* before, but might it be possible they've run along parallel lines, or maybe have even encountered each other, like the way Eliot and Mikel "encountered" each other in Myanmar?
'Cause, really, it would be so much fun to see another "I was a sniper in Myanmar." "When?" moment.
Nate had to drink while he was betting with Doyle, or Doyle would've walked away. Poor Nate, he was doing so good, just letting the drink sit there and not touching it, until Doyle called him out on it.
Tim played that little scene perfectly, I have to say: the slightly shaky hand when he picks up the drink, the moment of just breathing it in, and the closed eyes and look of pure blissful relief when the first sip goes down... perfect.
It was almost cute, how Nate looked around for Eliot before he drank it, then tried to hide the second drink from him. That's an interesting relationship those two have.
Scary Drunk Nate is scary. But when he slammed Doyle on the table and broke his fingers, I cheered. I'm a bad person. Nate's pretty scary sober, too, though; he's got the brains, the experience, the means, and the will to destroy people he's barely met, without laying a hand on them (unless he wants to).
I like Tara now. Dammit, that means I'm going to miss her.
So much good in this episode. Hardison shirtless (thank you); Parker's social self-confidence growing; Eliot demonstrating yet another superpower; everyone tearing up Nate's apartment; the Surprise!Cops; the scary little glimpses of Jimmy Ford. I have to watch it a couple more times to savor it. Kudos, everyone.
Wow... I love Leverage, but what was the point of all the anti-Irish crap this week? I couldn't tell whether the writers were being malicious, or are just really ignorant. It's the 21st century, here, guys. Can we get past the stereotypes and the Brit propaganda? Go raibh mile maith agaibh.
fun episode. I guessed the back room guys were cops, but not as soon as I would've liked!
annoyed vent: I can't believe USA is moving Psych to Wed @ 10. I only watch two shows, people!!! so in a way I can't say I'm sad Leverage is ending for now. May you come back once this run of Psych is over.
I had questions. Good questions. Earth-shattering, mind-blowing, perception-altering questions...
...then Aldis took his shirt off, and now I can't remember my own name. Thanks for that.
Also, he seems the most upset by Nate's drinking, not only in this episode, but throughout the show. Is there a reason for this?
Eliot is the one who will have to clean up Nate's mess.
Lots of goverment organizations would train their field operatives in cryptography.
Yup. If forced, at this point I would vote for a military background.
The one thing that gets me ... that they didn't have a larger emergency stash
I figure that was just the get-away emergency stash that enables them to reach the safe deposit box with the fake IDs and the pounds of cash.
my question is when will we be hearing/seeing Christian sing on the show?
Give the people what they want -- sort of. Let him sing. Opera. (My vote would be "La ci darem" and the fact that I know the Zerlina part has nothing whatsoever to do with my choice.)
One grinchy little complaint: The two guys at the warehouse felt like a gratuitous excuse to give Eliot something to do. Not that I object to Eliot being busy, but something other than yet-another-fight-scene would be a nice change of pace. Although it was fun to see Parker assert herself so emphatically.
Improper Bostonian said "Or it could be that I'm Irish and felt like I was looking at an Irish wake I've been too :D " Me, too! The only thing missing (based on my experiences) was "The Parting Glass."
Rachel J Stevens said: "So far, this is my favourite ep. And the snow outside helped too! It's been snowing every day here in New Hampster for months." Yeah. I'm from New Hampster, too, and as someone mentioned after The Runway Job, it would be nice if Nate and the team found themselves on a con in NH in Season 3.
Thoroughly enjoyed the episode, and it's nice to see an American show mentioning that the IRA weren't exactly the good guys. I also loved the threefold meaning of Bottle in the title - for the "wire in a bottle" con, the general reference to drink, and the bottle episode taking place in limited sets.
Are we going to find out what Hardison did to the apartment? Or was it cut for time and to feature on the DVD? I did assume it was just creating a mess when ransacking Nate's wardrobe for the weather scene/using the jigsaw on the cable duct, but I wonder if it was anything more.
Okay, I could see that the plan could've been all along that Doyle would recognize his own money, particularly since Nate surprised the whole team by extending the con after betting over the TV games. Seeing the marked money probably gave him the idea. BUT...am I mistaken, or didn't Nate tell Tara in the poker room that the plan was to let Doyle win at first, and then they'd win it all back from him?
I need to go back and see the exact wording, I guess. If the writers actually had Nate say he'd get the money back, instead of win it back, then that was subtlety par excellence.
Oh yeah, I love the whole "She's like my niece" bit, too. AND the emergency stash scene. AND the Liam/brother. And that is in addition to the handful of things I've already mentioned. There really was so very much to love in this ep. I think it's my all time favorite. So far. Writers outdid themselves on this one.
First time commenting. Love the show.
1. Was the mix-up with Portland/Seattle and Boston a shout-out to where the show is actually filmed?
2. I think it would be interesting to see an episode where they don't pull off the con, and fail.
3. Wouldn't they start getting recognized by now with their conning and stuff?
Loved this episode for the banter and the clever con, the cops were a surprise for me.
I have two questions for you:
1 Is this the episode where you had to pretend it was winter when actually it was very hot in Portland? How did you, the cast and crew cope with that?
2 Spinning of from ChelseaNH's comment, Eliot is (or was) described as a 'retrieval specialist' but he has done hardly any on screen retrieving. Will we at some point see him retrieve something, maybe an artifact or even a person, or is he now (only) the 'hitter' and the failsafe?
Pardon, but I have to bleed off some excess geekery, and also kick myself for being stupid.
I FINALLY realized Saul Rubinek was in the ST:TNG episode The Most Toys. I kept WONDERING why I kept picturing him in some sort of space-ish situation, but I couldn't make the memory pop up. Only took nearly 6 months (I saw season 1 on DVD in September). So, that makes 6 Star Trek connection to the show (did I miss any?)
@SueN -- maybe we need to make a club for those of us who think about Leverage too much?
Yes, I'm now in the embarrassing number of comments on one post, no need to point it out. I agree with the person who said last week, I think about this show way too much for someone who is not being paid for it.
I actually just wanted to throw my 2 cents in about other theories floated here, because I think it's great that the writers get such direct feedback from their audiences. In fact, that does give rise to a question for you, John.
Is the show getting a lot of feedback from the audience at some official e-mail or snail mail address? I know that a lot of shows get fan mail, but I've never been tempted send anything like that. Also, I assume the cast is getting lots of individual love via the same avenues. I love doing this because it's so interactive. You give us such specific responses...not to mention they are far more entertaining than anything official we'd get from the suits. But I wonder how the discussions here compare to the other types of responses you get to the show.
Also, do super popular episodes get more comments? We're up to 112 as I write this, the afternoon after the broadcast.
Now, as to some of the specifics of this episode. It hadn't occurred to me that the cops would naturally be known to the professional criminal element, but that's certainly true. Was there some mention that Doyle had only been around for a few months? Maybe just little enough time that he wasn't familiar with all of the players yet?
I don't know that I buy Eliot as a father right now. I don't believe he'd be away so much if he had a child of his own. And I think he would be very, very careful about making sure he didn't end up with a permanent reminder of a casual hookup...although, of course, accidents do happen.
Now, I think I need to unsubscribe to the comments and just wait for the answer post...if I can find the will power to do that.
This one might be in my Top Five Favorite Leverage episodes. The limited time frame and setting really showed off the team's skills.
Thank you for the shirtless Hardison. Muahahah! And the weather report was hands-down one of his funniest scenes yet. Being a mom, I about hurt myself laughing at the Xanax and wine remark at the end.
I liked "Trish" very much. Ditto on the clue about her identity. I missed our Sophie in this episode, but Jeri Ryan is doing a good job.
The bit with the poker players at the end turning out to be cops was awesome. Something about having other characters join in on the con appealed to me.
But best of all, and scariest, was Nate drinking again. The reactions of the team were very moving. I can't wait till next week to see what happens next.
OH! The emergency stash and finding out why Hardison really kept the painting was great!
Hi!!! Just wanted to say that I loved this episode. The way it was put together was top notch!!!!
Also, thank you for how you showed Nate's first drink. The whole part was well done. I loved to see Hardison, Parker and even Tara react that way to the situation. I especially loved the visual conversation between Nate and Eliot. I felt that one. Everything from Nate's hesitation and trying to avoid it to him taking that first drink was done in such a powerful way. And Timothy pulled it off to a T.
I am a recovering addict and I can relate to everything in that part of the ep. I also understand why he continued. I'm just hoping he stops.
Again, thank you. I don't have any questions or anything. Just thank you for a fantastic episode.
I know Eliot called Nate on being drunk after that first glass of scotch, but the thing that stuck in my mind was that Nate's an alcoholic. I assume he can sort of hold his liquor. Was he actually drunk off that glass of scotch, or was Eliot just gearing up because he knew Nate was going to continue drinking?
I'm a bit confused about why they were looking for cash behind all the books. They just stopped and then went for emergency funds. Did I miss Nate telling them he hides money there?
And please keep Parker socially awkward and lacking of people skills, it's so rare among women on TV.
How does Kane keep his flip so perfectly curled?
Hey congrats on the pick-up. I thought we already knew this but I'm seeing it reported as news. Loved the ep. I have five years and recently found myself with a drink I couldn't refuse. I managed to mostly bluff my way through the evening, but Nate's choice hit me in the gut. And he doesn't have a program. He's not going to call his sponsor tomorrow morning and go to a meeting. Poor bastard.
Rob Pugh wrote:
Also, fwiw, which is nil, I see Brian Cox as Big Jimmy Ford.
Cox would be fine but for me the perfect guy to play Nate's dad is Donald Sutherland. Fans of "Ordinary People" would get a kick out of it.
Re: all the comments about Nate's plan and getting the money back, I believe the phrasing when he was explaining it to Tara was "and then we flip it." Something like that. He wasn't talking about the money.
And, re: the various abuse backgrounds of the crew, I personally really love that (as far as I'm reading it) only Parker really had a physically abusive past. Even if you hadn't actually said not to assume the "obvious" about Eliot's past (post Order 23 Job, I think), his reactions to Parker never read as though he had similar personal experience. I don't buy him as a father, either. But he still clearly has some kind of relationship with that kind of thing. (Personally, I'm actually much more inclined to think that he was abusive somehow at some early point of his career, especially going by his comments in Tap Out. I don't know what everyone else is seeing, but I'm getting a very complex mixture of anger and regret from the way he's written/played.)
Anyway, the point was I'm really glad that you're not only going with the short-hand of physical childhood abuse = broken people. People are broken in so many different ways, and as both Nate and Eliot imply (to me), the duty of care doesn't have to be betrayed in a way that involves physical pain to have an equally deep impact. And Sophie - medium strong hints of abandonment in some form or other? I love that for all Hardison's rough and ready upbringing, he definitely seems to be the most well-adjusted!
Also, I love that the word verification has thrown up "conall". Must have picked up on the Irish vibe.... :)
This was a fun ep - two cons for the price of one.
@Roy: If they paid off Doyle, what do they do for the next 40 minutes?
The second semi-hidden drink was the one that made me go "aww, Nate..."
I liked the lines Doyle used on Tara about being someone desperate people turn to for help - I think that was what tweaked off Nate to not just con Doyle out of the marker.
My wife, an O'Neill, when Cora walked on screen - "A red-head. Wonder if she's Irish?"
(Personally, I'm actually much more inclined to think that he was abusive somehow at some early point of his career, especially going by his comments in Tap Out. I don't know what everyone else is seeing, but I'm getting a very complex mixture of anger and regret from the way he's written/played.)
Ahhhhh. Me like. More complex, less chiched.
This episode was wonderful, definitely one of my favorites. It was just laid out so well. My questions are:
1) Was Nate's dad run out of town?
2) Has the crew (other than Tara) made any money off their heists since the Nigerian Job, excluding outside revenue (like the skimmer)?
3) Will Tara's departure at the end of the season (if she leaves entirely) be a voluntary choice?
Sorry for the overuse of parentheses. This episode was great, and it's extremely cool to see your responses to questions.
this is not really connected to the ep but.. who really drew the "OLD NATE" painting?? =)
An observation and a question.
Observation: At this point, even the Editors of National Geographic are looking at Nate and wondering, "Wow, I thought he had issues.".
Question: She can fight, trained as a cryptographer, and has access to Hardison level credentials. Did Tara start with or work for an acronymed agency?
1. Jimmy Ford = Brian Dennehy
2. LOVING Tara! Have from the beginning. Her bluntness and strength sets the whole plate spinning off kilter. She hones the edginess of a bunch of loners working together.
3. Looking forward to the team adapting and re-adapting as Nate jumps on and off the wagon. Also hoping to see how every other character's foibles cause the team to bob and weave, season after seasn.
Will we be getting more shirtless Hardison this season?
Just watched it now, and enjoyed it, as usual. I'd been hoping it'd be a bottle show, which it was—I wanted to see how you'd pull it off (the answer is magnificently). I wasn't expecting the second bottle, though, and I'm glad you went there.
Loved the Ep. Loved Wobbly Nathan. Loved Elliot's comment about Redheads. (A fictional character after my own Irish heart.)
Slightly off topic. Today's SCOTUS ruling on Corporations. How much of that is going to make it into Season 3?
"Jimmy Ford = Brian Dennehy"
May the gods of TV make it so -- that would be awesome.
As for Tara and her past, I hope when Sophie comes back that Tara moves to Miami and meets up with another burned spy. The catfights between her and Fi would be worth the price of admission alone.
What was that stuff in the warehouse that looked like giant rolls of hay? Oh, and speaking of the warehouse, I loved the way the third henchman tried to run away like a little girl. (And ended up getting kicked by a girl.)
I see Eliot as someone who grew up as a protector, maybe watching out for a little sister, then going on to rescuing/dating a woman with kids rather than having his own kids someplace....imho.
Also one last question. It pains me to ask it but is there a point where the fail safe (Eliot) gets too injured to go on? Will there ever be a point where Eliot is either injured or taken out and the team is forced to work without him? Only reason I ask is Eliot takes a beating. While he's the best he's only human. Eventualy his body has to say no more. Unless he's really superman.
I was mulling over the above observations by Lindsey!
I mean *someone* has to play the intelligent,bodyguard backup on this show..and my "point" about Eliot "was working" answer -(the Deer Hunter flashback!)- was to say, Eliot CAN take care of the situation he's in and be the "hero"(no, NOT Superman lol) FOR the team to continue its good work.
I'd like to think that Eliot has *the* most well-adjusted personality in this team, always has been! Eliot's character is totally connected to the kind of career he's in/had - requires brains/skills..I think that qualifies as a question ?
Two questions about Tara:) Could she be a freelance courier or an Investigator ? Also will it be revealed why Tara *owes* Sophie?
Thanks!
No questions - but that, Mr. Rogers, was a delight. Good writing.
- Kevin
In a previous blog, it was mentioned that by season 2.5's end, Eliot would have to do something he doesn't want to do.
After watching "The Bottle Job", I'm convinced that the something will be a result of Nate falling off the wagon. The looks exchanged between the two when Nate took that first drink, spoke volumes.
All indications are that Nate is going down that spiral and it ain't gonna be pretty. I was actually upset when he took that first drink. Tim Hutton played that perfectly. But, that is no surprise there.
I like all of the relationships that are brewing between the characters, but, the unspoken something between Nate and Eliot is the most intriguing for me. And no, I don't mean in a slash way. Others have described it as a respect or friendship. I think the gunslinger explanation makes sense to a point. But, I would love a flashbck to how those two actually met and the tone of that meeting. Working for the same side or as adversaries?
Jeri Ryan did a great job in this episode. Tara just dropped right in there without missing a beat. I really like the hints about what kind of career she has had up until now. It makes me very curious as to how she knows, AND how she owes Sophie.
I liked how Tara has been kept outside of the team's circle. The reaction of the team when her name was mentioned was interesting, especially Eliot's. Was he reacting out of just not wanting Tara in the picture or was it because of the events of the Runway Job? That was a simple con gone very astray because of the whole Nate/Tara interaction, Tara as hostage, and Triad involvement. Just curious, since I don't recall Eliot ever being so obvious in his reactions. He usually just shakes his head or rolls his eyes in the backround of the shot.
Kudos to all. This was my favorite season 2 episode so far. I loved the guest villain/victim. You guys always cast those roles perfectly, and that is certainly no easy feat.
A few questions, not specifically for this episode, but just in general, stuff I've been curious about.
1) We know Sophie's real name isn't Sophie, and Parker's might be Parker but that can't be all. Nathan Ford is definitely a real name though, which leaves me curious about Hardison and Eliot (and to a lesser extent Tara). Are they operating under pseudonyms too, or are they using their original identities?
2)Weird as it may sound, I get the feeling that Eliot is most attached to this little family they have. He was the one most betrayed by Sophie, he seems to take care of them all with making them eat properly and learn self defence and so forth. If/when this whole Hardison and Parker sexual tension gets resolved, do you think he'll steer clear of it or get involved? Because I have a mental picture of him telling one of his hilarious stories of death, destruction, defenestration and castration to Hardison while chopping food significantly. You know, just to remind him not to hurt her. And would he threaten Parker on Hardison's behalf too?
3)My sister pointed out that Christian Kane and Billy Ray Cyrus look fairly similar. A) Do you agree and B) Is your answer to A influenced by fear of either Kane or Cyrus?
@ ThePinkPeril
They weren't looking for money. Hardison needed to reach the wires behind the bookcase.
Why they removed so many books for such a small hole IDK.
BTW I loved the hiding places they each had for the money, Hardison's was inspired. Nice to see that Eliot does carry a knife (maybe several?), will we see him in a knife or even a sword fight in a future episode? *grins* I bet Christian would love that!
To add to the previous comment. I know he's come up against cleavers before and there was the fabulous shadow fight, but I mean a full on knife or sword fight, something like Lindsey had with Angel in 'You're Welcome' but without all the leaping about.
:D All the previous eps had Nate in various stages of being drunk. He's had the hallucinations (of Sterling too!)in the 12 Step very erm, disturbing. Eliot asks him if he's feeling alright in the rehab scene. Nice touch.
In The Snow Job Nate seemed sober, to me. He said things like "C'mon you've trusted me before, and with your life!!" Eliot responds: "Not when you're DRUNK!" Then I realize Eliot knows Nate's been drinking, cos' he doesn't deny it! But more importantly, the opening scene had Eliot inquiring about Nate's absence, mentions Nate's punctuality (sets an alarm to set the alarm off?)..Hardison said something flippant, Parker talked about fortune cookies..Sophie was silent. Eliot is keeping tabs on Nate alright!
Questions :
1. Does Nate remind Eliot of someone who got him/others almost killed while drunk? Yeah, too cliched, but hey...(shrugs)
2. Did Eliot kick the alcoholism habit himself? He reads the signs of Nate being drunk better than the rest..even Sophie just kinda nagged Nate to some nasty retorts! But Eliot makes Nate feel erm, guilty, and think twice?
3. Will the team ever have to run a con w/out a drunk Nate and find themselves in big trouble? Nate will have to sober up pretty quick at that point.
4. One time or other Nate has "chased" all of them? Why "chase" Eliot? Just curious.
RE: SammieG -
...but Kane said in a radio interview (the one he linked to from his twitter I think) this week that he broke three fingers filming Leverage... That was an injury I hadn't heard about before! How and when did he manage that...
I'm thinking "Tap-Out Job" because I think I saw a YouTube video where he said he "..got a little bit broken..." during the shooting of that episode. Just a guess though.
I love that Liam's brother is just called Liam's brother. Reminds me of that old Bob Newhart show with "this here's my brother Larry and this is my other brother Larry". My question is: Did Nate know that Doyle marked his money or was that just a lucky break that ended being helpful?
Okay so I was just reading through some of the other comments and noticed that someone else had the same thought and that the brothers' name was Daryl not Larry, thinkin maybe Larry was the first brothers name. Anyway, just wanted to clarify that I know I was wrong, lol!
I feel like the sexiness quotient of the show has been ratcheted up just a few notches since Tara joined (in fact, immediately on joining, with the whole 'sexy librarian' thing). I'm thinking of Tara's deliberate sexiness, but also Eliot flirting more often, the scenes with the models in various stages of undress last ep., Parker's random air duct cleavage in the lost heir ep., and even Nate showing a more sexual interest in Tara (as opposed to his more romantic interest in Sophie).
Is that intentional? And if so, is it intentional in a 'we need to sex up the show' way, or in a 'this is Tara's energy affecting the team' way, or maybe even a 'this is what happens when you remove Sophie's inhibiting presence' way?
I'm thinking Eliot had a childhood friend who he lost to an alcoholic/abusive father. This would explain his reluctance to form lasting ties (a la Amy) but when he does (as with the team) he is extremely protective and why he was most stung by Sophie's betrayal and the last one to accept Tara.
Ohh, man, Nate's drinking again. Will he be back on the wagon next episode, or will this continue through (at least) the rest of the season? And why didn't the bartender hesitate in serving Nate booze when a) he's a regular, b) she's known him since she was a kid, and c) after months of serving him nothing but coffee and club soda, she had to know he was on the wagon? Or was she just filling in in her dear dead dad's absence?
Also, is it REALLY a bottle show if you went and filmed in that giant warehouse? Or is that another part of your soundstages?
And you guys aren't exactly disproving my theory about Parker's romantic attraction to money with her hilariously intimate rapport with that safe. (My favorite part of the episode.) She looked at that thing more ardently than she's ever looked at Hardison.
Great, I managed to typo my own joke.
Observation: At this point, even the Editors of National Geographic are looking at Nate and wondering, "Wow, I thought we had issues.".
It was a thing of beauty and a joy forever. And I'm not just saying this because Bottle shows = MY FAVE THING EVER. (Also, excellent awesome double-entrendre on "bottle" in the title).
Nate not just falling off the wagon, but going around refilling his glass and downing double measures of Jameson's? Painful and glorious characterisation. And ignore what I said about the team's pronunciation of Tara's name--it was consistent all the way through, so I am a big schmuck. Note to self: Tim has an Oscar.
Speaking of Tara, Jeri was utterly fantastic during the wire scam. Eliot playing darts was CLASSIC. And shirtless!Hardison FTW. Also, I adore Parker lifting the wallets by slapping the Liams on the arse. BEAUTY.
Also, that blow off was STUNNING. Clearly, Doyle's da never explained to him never to gamble with another man's money (and Nate turning his own childhood memory back on itself with the marked cash was also a thing of beauty).
Outstanding episode, kudus all round. I have a new favourite Parker scene (the safe cracking), which was hilarious. Jeri Ryan rocked this episode but major, major props must go to Tim Hutton who was outstanding. Definitely going in my Top Five Fave Eps list (for now) :D
great episode of a brilliant show. The chemistry of the cast is some of the best I've seen ever.
The scene where Nate takes a drink - wow! Superbly handled by everyone. Mr. Hutton and Mr. Kane seem to be getting the lions share of the credit here, but as I recall we got a flash of Parker and Hardison who were listening in, so knew damn well what was about to happen. The looks on everybody's faces were perfect.
I'm glad you decided to go there with the story. It's going to make for some very dramatic tension. Its a plot idea that could be handled badly, but wont be by this cast and crew. Thanks for bringing a bit more darkness to the show.
Eliot's walking away from the drink at the end - also fantastic. The non-verbal interplay in this episode was so extremely well done.
It been previously said that S3 will lean a bit mroe toward S1 (a bit darker is my read on that). It been asked and/or suggested many times that we see the team really botch a job. It also been asked if Nate's drinking may cause it? It's also been suggested that Eliot be the very badly punished recipent of said failed job. Here's my take (question to follow):
Nate continues to spiral. On a job gone really bad, Eliot has to pull the fat outta fire. In this case its not Eliot who gets it though, it's Parker. This results in several problems. 1) Parker is hanging on death's door - that's going to make people cry in there special Leverage place. 2) Hardison will lose it! He's a very extrovert character and watching Parker go down will tear him up. I'd love to see Aldis give us a terrified, angry, totalaly unsure of things Hardison scene. 3)Eliot will likley have very harsh words for a few people - if you replace "words" with "fist to face" and "people" with "The guys who took down Parker, and Nate" 4) Nate, like any good guilt driven character, will roll over and let Eliot pound him good, and then crawl back into his bottle.
((or Eliot could realize just before he relocates Nate's entire face, that Nate would actually enjoy the punishment (like all good self-destructive characters do) and stop just shy and walk away - without saying a word))
Anyway - all that said the question: When do we get to find out that "Parker" is actually the Bunny's name?
Okay, see, this is why I should just stop reading these comments, because now I have an actual question, and you sure have enough of those already. If I hadn't read "Eliot was the most stung by Sophie's betrayal" over and over, I wouldn't feel compelled to get a ruling from you!
I don't get that. It's clear that he doesn't resent the beating he took, which leaves him equally impacted as the rest of the crew by her actions. It just feels like he forgives and trusts less readily than Hardison and Parker, but that doesn't mean he was affected more than they were - just that his recovery process is different. More than that, I wouldn't even have characterized it as unforgiveness or mistrust of her intentions, but that now he's more aware and wary of her blindspots. I don't think he was saying anything he didn't mean in his eulogy for her.
I'm really, really not getting that he's more attached to/was more hurt by losing their little family than any of the others. If anything, he seems the least dependent on it for stability (which is not to say he cares less). So which is it, ref? Is he really the Woobie With The Waggiest Tail, or has he just been taken captive by the unending fangirl appetite for specious h/c?
Sorry. We just want to know ALL! And you are very gracious with us.
for the record I am not pro-alchoholism or anything like that. but I have to say I was kind of cheering Nate on when he drank. Because 1) hell, I like drunk Nate. 12 step job is fabulous. 2) I feel like we've all been holding our breaths waiting for Nate to hit a wall and it hasn't quite happened yet. There's just the tension of oh crap when is Nate going to snap. Are we on the descent with Nate officially now?
Thanks for taking and responding to questions. It deepens my enjoyment of the show since I do try to keep my brain as well as my sense of fun turned on when I watch TV.
Questions and comments in no particular order:
1. Thanks for shirtless Hardison.
2. When can we see shirtless Eliot again?
3. I like scary Nate. He's held himself aloof so far and now we're seeing more of what he's hiding.
4. I like that Tara's the sexy one. As a woman approaching 40, I really appreciate seeing more women in more roles.
5. Speaking of Tara, how long will she stay and how will her relationship with Nate progress? Nate's got complicated feelings for Maggie and Sophie, and now Tara? If he starts getting interested in Parker, though, I'm leaving.
6. I love Eliot's hair, just not with the flip. When will we see someone running her fingers through it?
7. About accents, in the Runway Job, I noticed that some of the Chinese was spoken with an American accent.
Eeeyikes!
That's alot of stuff to wade through, even for a dedicated fan. Kudos Mr. Rogers...
Okay then. After reading every single one of those comments, here's my feedback.
I was one of the seven thousand-ish people who also caught the (un?)intended shout out to Newhart. Awesome.
I LIKE CK's hair! Coming from someone with insanely curly hair, the straight and smooth with a bit of flip at the end. Looks great. Leave it alone. If people keep denigrating the style...they might give in and cut it off.
I was also one of the ones blindsided by the poker buddies being cops. That was very smoothly set up.
I'll also add that I, too, finally got around to liking the Tara character. But I'm not sold yet.
I am not certain I agree with her being former intelligence. Yes, she could be--but I don't think it was obvious. My take? She used to be part of a crew. Things went bad and she now works solo. Whatever she owes Sophie, it is BIG to get her to work in a group again. It has been as tough on her as them, if not more so, accounting for much of the awkwardness. As for knowing Cryptography--that's not exactly a surprising skill for someone in their business. I'd be surprised if no one from the gang of five had any prior experience. Esp. Hardison.
I'm also supporting the Eliot fight was a bit of a throwaway/underused campaign floating around.
And the Parker was amazing yet again (safe cracking, joke cracking, jaw cracking, etc.) camp.
Nate/Tim are brilliant. I thinking the drinking thing is good as well, because it is going to force some demons. Plus, Hutton is simply magic. Watching him act the down-spiral is like seeing a pitcher throw a no-hitter. Just beauty and grace.
I'll throw my hat in the ring on Jimmy Ford and support the Brian Dennehy movement.
***And now for the questions***
1) Was the use of his dad's name for the character deliberate? Or just instinctive, given what he was doing and the memories that were grabbing for him?
2)ThePinkPeril touched on this but it seemed like when they were pulling the books they were looking for something--while talking about how to get the money. The it was suddenly "Emergency Fund!" and they have it figured out. But it seemed odd--did something get cut? Or did I miss something?
3)Someone asked this as well, but I am repeating--what were those weird rolls of hay in the warehouse?
4)This is my overarching question. So far this season, we've seen an emphasis on Sophie being the "mother" of the group. I've never really seen that. At the end of the first season they were all a little untrusting of each other and willing to go their separate ways. Yes, she did bring them back together, but I've never really felt that she weighed more heavily than any member of the group, except in Nate's eyes. So my question is does "Sophie as mother figure" come from Nate's perspective--as they all seem to mildly trust him and look to him? Or is it gearing up to something? Or did I miss something? Or, was this simply a plot device used once you (all of you) knew that Gina was leaving for maternity leave and you needed a story that would keep her on the fringes?
To wrap up, I'll add my undying love for the show, but even more so, my unending gratitude to you for taking the time to do this. No one else gives this kind of time to do personal feedback for the fans. This is extraordinary. It is no wonder the cast speaks so highly of you.
So which is it, ref? Is he really the Woobie With The Waggiest Tail, or has he just been taken captive by the unending fangirl appetite for specious h/c?
Speaking only for myself, of course, I despise hurt/comfort and don't understand the attraction to it at all. I want the opposite of that in my man. BUT - I do think that Eliot was the most hurt by Sophie's betrayal. Not because he's a Woobie, but because he seems to have a code of honor (military background?) that is extremely meaningful to him. A 'never leave your wingman' sort of a thought. I think he was a loner in the past because he felt he couldn't count on others, and for him to give his trust to these 4 was a big step. To have it betrayed was a slap in the face. And especially by Sophie, who they all seem to look to as the nurturer of the group.
Mileage varies obviously.
I'm slow *slaps forehead* You didn't call it "The Bottle Job" just because it was all on one or few sets, did you? You called it that because of Nate picking up the bottle again. *headdesk* So very slow. I'm curious, which had the bigger influence on you coming up with the title?
Not because he's a Woobie, but because he seems to have a code of honor (military background?) that is extremely meaningful to him. A 'never leave your wingman' sort of a thought. I think he was a loner in the past because he felt he couldn't count on others, and for him to give his trust to these 4 was a big step.
Yeah, as I said, I agree he doesn't trust easily. In fact, I'd argue that as far as trust goes, his investment in the group is still anchored by Nate, the "good man", which might be why his reactions to Nate's drinking have generally been the most charged, along with Sophie's more personal concern.
I want to be clear, I'm not saying he doesn't care about all of them, etc, but that doesn't mean he's convinced yet that any of them are exactly reliable. But that's why I'm arguing that we're seeing a much slower overall development of trust on his part, significantly hiccoughed by Sophie's actions. That doesn't necessarily mean that he was hurt so much more than the others. Not because it wasn't a slap in the face, but because it was a slap in the face for all of them.
I'm happy for mileage to vary :)
What I find interesting is Parker's reaction to the Sophie/trust issue. She's very childlike in that regard, and I would've expected her to have more trust issues. And to be more upset by Nate's drinking (but then I'm just assuming that her foster parent/s were alcoholics.)
I have two questions...
1. When Nate's playing the poker game, the same song that opened Twelve Step came on. I wanted to know if that was because the song was designed as a kind of Irish punk, or a call back to Nate being drunk, since it was most apparent in Twelve Step?
2. Will we ever get to see Nate cuddling up to Sophie the way he did to Tara?
3. When Nate told Tara that he 'knows he's not okay' when he's drinking again, did he say that to appease her, or does he actually believe that?
Oh shit, that's three.
love that ep.
and to own my surprise, liked Tara in this one. although* ..its not that i don't trust you,...but i don't trust you* my question....you did like this one most, cuz of the bar, right?
anyway great job, keep going...
With all those "shirtless" questions, I gotta ask too. When will we see a sexy scene of a shirtless Nate with Sophie?
Questions:
1.Is guilt making Nate find solace in the bottle? About Sophie's absence? Or he has lost sense of purpose,after having had revenge on his IYS boss?
2.Why didn't ex wife make any reference to Nate also being an alcoholic(after son's death?)as another reason for them having broke up?
3.In almost every ep, Sophie sort of nagged Nate into not drinking with some choice comments, but Nate always had a sharp retort for her..Nate wasn't respecting Sophie "wishes" at all in that,erm respect! I feel Nate shows more guilt and has second thoughts with Eliot's influence. I like this darker/serious interaction between two charismatic individuals very much!
3.Does Eliot remind Nate of himself when his own father was an alcoholic, and Nate may have had to bail him out of trouble? Hence the "understanding" and friction between Nate and Eliot?
4.Were the team looking for Nate's money first stashed behind those books?
Thanks for reading the questions, appreciate the patience required;D
I loved this episode. As stated by many others, it is now in my list of Top 5 episodes – I am thinking my top list must now expand.
Loved:
Parker’s emergency fund in the cereal
Grumpy Eliot at the warehouse
The shadowing that we might meet Jimmy Ford
The great non-verbal acting.
• Hardison’s look when Doyle uses the teams tag line “We pick up where the law leaves off”
• Everyones expressions when Nate drinks
Parker with the safe
Hardison’s rush to make the weather forecast
Some things that I havent seen mentioned that I love are:
The hockey mask!
The great Hardison lines!
Eliot stating that they had been the good guys longer than months. And Hardison stating that they had a break
Love that Nate explained the concept of the Wire con
That Parker couldn’t let go of the cash when handing it back to the bar patrons.
Liked that Parker had the ‘Seriously’ line this time
Questions –
They know they are on a very limited time frame. When they call Tara – how close is she? And how do they know? Do they ALL have condos in Hardison’s building?
Why did it take so long to think of “Emergency Fund” – and how did he know they ALL had a stash there? (I am assuming like others that they have cash stashed in assorted locations)
Did Kane really thrown some darts blind and where did they actually land?
Response to comments by others -
People asked about Hardison owning the building and that saving Cora. But while he owns the building – he doesn’t own THE BAR. The business was still owned by Cora
Total cash Eliot hands Nate is ‘a little over 9 grand’
YES – Count me in the Brian Dennehey band wagon.
Thank you for another AMAZING episode!! I have to admit I missed the foreshadowing about law on one side and mob on the other and that times hadnt changed much because I was caught up in the delight.
Guess that means you are doing your job right!
Roy said...
Why don't any of them just pay the 15,000 out of their vast store of wealth from the first episode?
Sherri said...
Roy, I think Hardison answers that -- the Irish want cash and they can't get hold of that much cash in two hours.
Me says:
The episode explained even better than that why paying the $15,000 would be a bad idea. Sure, it would serve the short-term purpose of saving the bar. However, it would confirm in the minds of Doyle and the crime family that he comes from that it's a good idea to prey on this particular neighborhood, that it's a profitable place to operate.
I admit that I thought as I was watching "but, but, they could pay him! It couldn't be that hard to find something he'd take in place of currency!" but then I realized when Nate explained it that it would be winning the battle and losing the war.
If I hadn't read "Eliot was the most stung by Sophie's betrayal" over and over, I wouldn't feel compelled to get a ruling from you!
I don't get that.
I think Eliot is the least likely to forgive himself for making a mistake. He trusted Sophie to smooth out the interpersonal kinks in the team machinery, and she betrayed that trust by keeping information from the team. Sophie hit him where it counts: in his ability to trust his judgment about people.
So my question is does "Sophie as mother figure" come from Nate's perspective ... Or did I miss something?
Sophie is the mother because she handles the team's emotional stability and smooths over the inevitable clashes of strong personalities. She's the "heart" of the team.
If we are going to cast Jimmy Ford, I would think of two actors.
1. Donald Sutherland because of obvious reasons.
2. (And here's a curveball) Sam Elliot. He would have just enough of a rough edge to pull of the good guy/bad guy vibe, he's physically imposing enough to make it work and you could actually believe he would "disappear" from Nate's life.
3. (Another off the wall choice) Robbie Coltrane. He can most definitely pull off an Irish accent, he is believable as either good guy or bad and physically he has the stature.
Thoughts?
Just one: Did a Sophie scene get deleted or there wasn't any in the script in the first place? I hope there's quite a lot of her next week to make up for this one.
I like everyone's ideas about Tara's background; ex NSA, ex or current spy.
But... if I step out of the box, I come with the question:
Is Tara currently working for the NSA/FBI?
Did the guys pop up on their radar, and are they now checking them out to see if they're causing any trouble worthy of intervention?
This could cause what I had heard/read about the ending of season 2.
And I can see Sophie agreeing to backup Tara’s story if the NSA/FBI’s alternative was more drastic.
I think a good way to incorporate shirtless Hardison into another episode would be showing Parker's reaction to him half-naked.
Hardison sort of turned away both times Parker undressed near him.
Quick Question -- Was Christian's dart work actually Christian making several unbelievable shots or CGI effects?
Just how much does Cora know about her faux-uncle Nate and what he and his friends do. When Nate tells her to let them work it out, she doesn't look confused or surprised. When Parker takes the tray of beers from her later, she doesn't ask why Parker is playing waitress. She knows something hinky is going on, and she's not a bit surprised at the end, when Nate's crew is redistributing thousands of dollars of cash in her bar. She doesn't know Nate shouldn't be drinking, though, which tells me Nate isn't telling anyone outside the team that he has a problem. Someone asked why Cora didn't know Nate hadn't been ordering alcohol. I think it's because he sits at the bar, where he would be served by the bartender. If Cora always waitresses and doesn't tend bar, she might not know Nate's only drinking ginger ale. Also, more props to Tim - Nate gives his father's name as his alias, and when Doyle looks away, Nate kind-of looks down, as if realizing he's sitting in his father's "office chair", and gets this quirky little "what the hell" smile and starts channeling his da. Awesome.
The bar - Hardison bought the building. Cora (now) owns the bar that rents space in the building. The bar is not the building; it's IN the building. Right?
Nate's stepping into his father's shoes was just chilling.
How much of his protests in S1 about his being the straight-man riding herd on a bunch of crooks was legit and how much of it was his trying to convince himself that he wasn't just as bad as the rest?
I see all of the theories about Elliot's abuse/fatherhood/etc and just have to ask: What's wrong with the simple theory that he’s a 'warrior' with some form of moral code of honour? (Brooke's comments earlier about Sophie's betrayal tie into this well). He has no issues with beating up bad guys, or beating up good guys whose job is about being in situations where you might get beaten up… But he's not cool with 'innocent' victims getting hurt, and does what he can when he can to prevent it. So he looks out for abused kids, he declines to beat up cops if he doesn't have to, etc.
And being the professional that he is, he's most worried about Nate because
a) he is the one that truly understands how close so many of their jobs come to getting them all killed (Hardison & Parker are more about the fun train);
b) he's used to the chain of command and understands the consequences of the man in charge of the team not being in control of himself.
(like ChelseaN says He's the one that's going to have to clean up Nate's mess)
Also, I am so sorry to have to go there… but the hair. I know Christian justifies the length with reference to some famous criminal who grew his long to remain unrecognised or something, but seriously: how can he fight when he's constantly having to brush his hair out of his eyes. Or is it a message of "I'm so tough, I can have girly-blow-dried locks, be blind to your every move, and still kick your ass"?
An amazing episode. I guess I'm just one of those people who enjoys bottle episodes; I love seeing the characters stick close to home. There's just something so deliciously fun about them having to run around this familiar place and use it in new ways.
Best bit of the episode: "Seriously, you want me to find the safe for you two now? Look, I got us into the warehouse. GO FIND SOMEONE TO PUNCH!" Oh, Hardison...
And Elliot totally does! :) (Parker goes for a kick though.)
Okay, I don't read spoilers, so maybe other people know, but is Nate's dad still among the living? The way Nate and Cora were talking about him didn't seem very past tense-so is Nate's dad still alive somewhere?
Also, how did Tara manage to stop Doyle from turning on the TV for the weather report? A little slip with the batteries or something?
"but seriously: how can he fight when he's constantly having to brush his hair out of his eyes. Or is it a message of "I'm so tough, I can have girly-blow-dried locks, be blind to your every move, and still kick your ass"?"
To me, personally, Eliot IS the biggest "fun" to be had on the fun ride - I laugh when he pauses mid fight,to get the hair out of his eyes, and connects the punch at the bad guy who's too bewildered (?) by his awesome lightning quick moves! IMO the whole Leverage Team would be in dire straits, at every con, if they didn't have an "Eliot" as lethal as..Eliot:) This guy is just one of a kind, the criminals have to deal with that fact, long hair and all:D
Oh by the way, since there seems to be a guessing game on about Nate's "dad" being around - I thought Tom Skerritt? He has some semblance to an older Nate?
Will we ever see more awesome pickpocketing scenes like the ones in the Homecoming and Miracle Jobs? It kind of bothered me when Parker mentioned that she had stolen multiple items from the two guys when all we saw was a slap in the ass (each).
Okay so I'm REALLY sorry about asking what were they doing clearing all those books for! Nate asked Hardison to "delay the sports feed" and later Hardison pulls out the whole bunch of wires through the hole in wall,and declares that he was ready to splice etc to Nate..before that Hardison even picked out and showed Parker the exact one connected directly to the TV at the bar!!
YES! Attention must be paid!!
When will we get some serious Hardison-centered episodes? "The Ice Man Job" was hilarious, but it hardly did for Hardison what "The Two-Horse Job" or "The Tap-Out Job" did for Eliot. Most of what we know about Alec Hardison remains casual -- we've never met anyone from his past or anything. I think he's really the character we know the least about while we've gotten hints at all the other characters' pre-Leverage personal and criminal lives.
Fervent vote for some Hardison episodes, here. I realize it's a little late now, but maybe Season 3? (I'd dig a little more Parker-centric stuff, too. We've gotten tidbits, but nothing major about her since "The Stork Job".)
Other than that, I love, love, love the show. The cast as an ensemble is fantastic, and the writing is great. I love the rare times when I'm able to follow the con easily, but for all those other times, the great reveal is always a treat. =)
Adored the ep b/c of Tim's chops--everyone has commented on the first drink, but to me it was everything he did after with alcohol, very subtly, that brought through how badly he has slipped into depression/despair. People self-destruct in this way in no small part b/c they want to see just how bad it can get; also if anyone loves them enough to save them; also out of a desire to die. I see all of that in Tim's performance and why, ultimately, my loyalty to this show is so rewarded week in and week out-Tim is just brilliant. So is everyone else, but this was his show. Without him you don't buy into any other character. Loved every word and shot. Thanks!
This was a great episode. And I'm really liking Jeri Ryan, she's fitting in great. Pity if she has to leave again.
ok....one more...
Parker is going to make Eliot pay for the slap, right?
i mean..one way or another...
Totally OT, but I thought I'd share the fact that there was what sounded like a 'Leverage' shoutout in the just-aired episode of the BBC's 'Being Human'!(Season 2).
I just watched it, and about 20, 25 minutes in... yep, pretty sure that was a tiny shoutout.
That is all, carry on... ;-)
Quoth Dave MB: "4) TV cops always leave a situation alone and outside the legal system if they think higher justice is being served. I have no idea how often real cops do this."
Real cops generally do whatever will result in the least amount of paperwork. So I'd say these guys were pretty much in character. :)
---KRAD
First of all, great episode! I was a little bummed when it ended and realized there was no Sophie. Then I realized that while it was 9 o'clock for our guys, it was 2am for Sophie. Suddenly, I was OK with no contact from Sophie!
Then it got me thinking why I really liked the exchange between Sophie and Tara in "The Runway Job." It was the first time we actually got to see Sophie relate to another woman (in a womanly way, sorry Parker!). Great character development even though it was via webcam! You guys are amazing!
Back to The Bottle Job. As soon as Parker started pouring out the cereal I thought "Ohhhhh, so THAT'S why she was eating cereal when Nate woke up in the Beantown Bailout Job. Make sense now..." :) Also, when Eliot cut open the bottom of the chair I thought "And that's why he was so happy he got to sit in the chair when Sophie left!" Man, all kinds of little clues!
Hardison's "Go find someone to punch" was hilarious! I missed him and his quips!
I make sure I go through all the comments before I post and saw that no one has mentioned the look Eliot gave when Nate said to call Tara. He looked supremely irritated that she was brought in. I thought they cleared that up last week?
Parker's suggestion to call the police? Hilarious! "I mean I don't use them but this is what they're for, right?" Brilliant!
Jeri was awesome when she was trying to convince the guy back to the bar. I swear I've seen that seen play out in real life many many times. Superb acting on Jeri's part!
Parker humming to herself while opening the safe? Classic! Was that written in the script or did Beth add that to the scene?
I have to agree with the fight scene being too dark. It was hard to stay engaged with that whole scene.
Now for next week! I can't wait to find out what Sterling "forgets" to tell Nate and crew. It seems like are going international. Could they possibly run into Sophie while they are there??? Doubtful, as she's on maternity leave at this point, but I can still hope!
Thanks to you and your crew!
Quote from The Runway Job, E : "The only things getting in are models and clothes" (pause..pause some more) Parker's clueless expression (which actually was "no" expression!)was sooo funny! I liked it that E was the initiator of Parker being that model to gain admission!
These are E's "thought processes" coming through in S2.5?
Now in The Bottle Job, E's the "prompter" for Parker (again) to pick those pockets - time (or the lack of it) was a major factor in both these scenes, and Parker needed that shove to move the con along. LOL Just like those hard punches, I'm guessing it was all smoke and mirrors, and that "whack" on the backside never connected!
Another scene that was really cool, was the one when Nate turned after his first sip, and saw Eliot looking at him, next it cuts to Hardison and Parker's expressions,but in actual fact there wasn't a visual of Nate on the screen, right? Parker, Hardison and Tara were in fact just dismayed over the way Nate was going to gamble? So Parker comes down to the bar and asks Eliot: What's he thinking? and Eliot simply replies: "He's not!"
Waiting patiently for the next episode!
How many more "layers to the onion" are there with Nate?
People need to stop using that phrase.
Nate is not an onion. An Onion, no matter how many layers you peel, is still an onion...they're all the same.
A cake has layers that are different.
This episode had a lot of subtle interactions between the cast, which got me thinking about something: Did you give the actors some leeway in deciding on their character's backstory, such as how their pasts intersected (especially everyone's past with Nate)? Have these interpretations ever caused any disagreement between writers, directors, and actors? You've mentioned how "Beth is the keeper of all things Parker", but what if you and her were to diagree?
For example: Eliot's relationship with Nate has been of special interest in this episode; did Kane and Hutton sit down at some point and discuss the finer details and how to portray them, or are those choices entirely up to someone else?
My wife commented that she believed the Boston cops in the bar and their accents right up until one used the word "schmuck", as no Boston cop would ever use that that word.
I asked her what word would they use that could be used on basic cable.
We couldn't come up with one either.
Question: I still don't get a tiny bit of Doyle's conversation with the attentive cop. Doyle was unknowingly confessing to his part in some recent crimes in the "neighborhood." Doyle boasts about "..cigar boxes, instead of orange crates,that was me." So he's into everything, smuggling etc? Which brings me to where part of his money was stashed,in a safe, in an office in (someone's?) warehouse filled with..huge stuff! What were those?
Seems like this Doyle character is another dangerous addition to the Team's growing list of enemies!
It felt like such an honest moment when Nate looked down at the drink and then took that first sip (and the 2nd one); it certainly kept me sober for another day.
And, by the way, the most expensive bottle of single malt would hurt the wallet a hell of a lot more than the most expensive Irish whiskey.
Great episode.
Hey, Peggy noticed something in #210: let your team know that the only highway out here named "the..." is the Mass Pike. You'll never hear anyone say "the 90," "the 93," "the 128" or (as in episode #210) "the 95." It's just "95." That's the best way to know whether a screenwriter is from the east coast or not. :D
- Kevin
Liked this one *much* better than "The Runway Job" - felt less gimmicky all-around. The only problem I had with the accents was that they made me homesick, like I was standing in Government Center waiting for a E train home.
One thing though - Tara refers to some of the players in the game as being "Italians from the North Shore" - shouldn't that have been the North End? Did Tara slip? Or are these heavy hitters from Beverly?
This is something that I hope gets addressed in Season 3:
By this point, the Leverage Team has to be on way too many radars in Boston and on the East Coast. People in trouble know to go to McCrary's if they need help beyond the law.
The FBI, Mass State Police and Boston PD know that there is some crew operating out of Boston that is running high end vigilante missions.
The Boston Irish Mob, the Triads, the other high end con crews etc. all know about the Leverage crew, and some of their names/faces.
How exactly does the Leverage crew keep OpSec when they have a known gathering point (McCrary's Tavern), and at least in Season 2, a fairly limited geographic range of operation?
I could see them maintaining OpSec in Season 1 as they were all over the place, parachuting in and then skeedaddling once the con was completed, but they are leaving a massive trail of evidence in Boston for anyone to follow.
I just rewatched the ep online at TNT (just as good if not better the second time around :)) and had a few more questions:
Why did Cora called the cops at the poker game Mr. instead of Captain, Lt., Det. etc. and why didn't she go to them at the beginning? (Besides not giving away the twist at the end of the team's con that put the final nail in Doyle's coffin).
How did Nate know he could trust Det. Donnelly, Lt. Cabella and Captain McCann and that they weren't already in Doyle's pocket? Did Hardison run a check on them as well as the 10,000 things he was doing while he was doing the "weather report"? Did Cora vouch for them? Was Nate know them because they knew his father(even if they didn't seem to know him)?
Thanks!
@Puspa, re: Hardison et al's expressions as Nate took that drink. No, there was no visual so they couldn't see what was happening, but they were listening. When they heard Doyle question Nate on not drinking, they *had* to know what was coming next, especially when Nate said he might as well drink away his sorrows (or words to that effect). So even though they couldn't see it, I'm pretty sure they knew he'd just jumped off the wagon.
So even though they couldn't see it, I'm pretty sure they knew he'd just jumped off the wagon.
@SueN - Thanks for telling me what I'd thought the first time I saw that scene..and thought something else, the next ;D. Yes, you're correct about them "hearing" in on what Nate was doing at the bar. For me it was Tara (the one not clued in to Nate's alcoholism, or so I thought!) who immediately comments, "So, this is.." and Hardison goes "...not good!" followed by his troubles getting info about Doyle's office location from the cellphones, that made it look the team were..erm frustrated at two different issues.
You know what would be cool? If Team Leverage worked with legendary thief/spy ALEXANDER (Robert Wagner) MUNDY (IT TAKES A THIEF). I could see Parker, Sophie, Elliot with a healthy case of "hero awe/respect".
Talk about fun!
What do you say Mr. Rogers?
And yet another happy geek moment...
THE LEVERAGE SOUNDTRACK CD ARRIVED TODAY! Already ripped and being listened to.
"Can't Go Home Again" is, contrary to belief, an original Joseph LoDuca composition. I remembered hearing that in the commentary for the 12 Step Job, but this confirms it. Well done, Mr. LoDuca.
Slight disappointment -- the "science fair" songs aren't here. Then again, you can't have EVERYTHING :)
edited for horrible typo.
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