Hopefully someone can answer this: how do they justify holding a minor for an indeterminate amount of time, especially one who has refugee status? Is it possible because she doesn't have US citizenship? What rights do her parents have? It just seems so wrong to me, even if the law hasn't adapted to this sort of crime.
Okay, someone is either over or underdressed. They come out of the auction house and Eliot has a hat, leather jacket, shirt and beater T-shirt - Hardison is in a beater T-shirt (which looked FINE!). Someone is either way over dressed or Hardison is going to catch a sniffle!
Good episode. 1)TNT is labeling the next ep as being the season finale. I thought that was in December? 2) Was the Duberman encription Hardison mentioned in reference to Nate's cover in The Reunion Job?
Eliot seems to be layered up a lot....I wonder if it's to disguise if he's wearing padding for fights/stunts? And, since being layered sometimes and not others would be a tipoff, they just dress him that way in continuity. I could be way off though....
And Hardison did look mighty fine in the beater...
@jarodrussell: I scared my dog when I yelled "an iPad?!!!?" So, I saw the same thing you did.
I love how Eliot turns his moment of gauging just how to most efficiently kick the asses of the "former British paratroopers" into a semblance of good ol' aw-shucks Southern boy freak-out.
I'm also curious to hear the backstory about the little girl. I love how you show us the research that went into the episodes - while it makes me a little depressed to see just how effed up people can actually be, it's interesting to see how it's not just another completely fictional tv show.
Faves: Hardison: "I HACKED HISTORY!" I half-expected him to go all wonky-eyed, a la Three Days of the Hunter. Parker as the auctioneer - PRICELESS. "Oh no, it's a fake."
No other questions come to mind at this point, although I'm still not entirely sure *what* we learned about Sophie. Her name isn't Charlotte, but she obviously put a *lot* of work into the Duchess persona... curiouser and curiouser.
I do have a question, now that I think about it... Is the "Countess of Kensington" actually the title-holder? And is she actually Sophie/Charlotte's aunt?
I'm a bit confused (to put it lightly). I'm too impatient to wait for the re-airing so I'll go ahead and ask now in the hopes of some assistance.
Was that Sophie's real "aunt"? Is Sophie really a Duchess? And if so, why would her aunt call her by her stage name instead of her real name? Also, wouldn't the team react a bit more...well, just react in general to Sophie actually being royalty?
The whole conversation between the two women, including the bit about her leaving and someone she loved dying of a broken heart happened like a drive-by and nothing had time to soak in before it went to the next scene, so if someone could fill me in, that'd be fantastic.
Amazing episode. But, Charlotte's NOT her real name?! It's her "stage name"?! I'm so confused as to what exactly was revealed by Countess Kensington. Is it that Sophie married into this royal family by marrying this William? Does that mean she really is the 18th Dutchess of Hanover? But why would Countess Kensington call her by her stage name and not her real name? Is it that Sophie married William under the fake name Charlotte Prentiss?
(Sorry for all the questions - I love Sophie and I'm dying to know all about her history and what her real name is!)
Unfortunately, I think all the questions we have about just what was revealed about Sophie won't be answered, at least not directly....I think a lot of that was left a bit ambiguous on purpose.
There were a lot of really fantastic moments this episode, particularly auctioneer!Parker. My big question, though, is what prompted the decision to start the episode in media res? Was it just a time issue, since you had to throw in a twist and *then* set up the con? It felt very sloppy to me to do it this way--no way would they be going over the details of the job as it was in progress the way they did, and as a result I was kind of confused for a lot of the episode about what exactly their goal with Keller was (other than the nebulous goal of "getting closer to Moreau).
I suspect that Sophie pulled a long con in the past where she was a Duchess but clearly got too personally involved in it. That's just my guess, though. Intriguing glimpse into Sophie's background. I did not see the "auntie" thing coming at all when the older woman walked in. Nice job there.
I also liked Eliot's belt prop fight - I love it when you guys do prop fights! (the magic box in the elevator also comes to mind.) I think the "Eliot has a soft spot for kids" thing was too much, though. It's been established. Going back to it threatens to get cheesy.
Questions: When you guys do prop fights, is there an intentional nod to Jackie Chan there (or anyone else)? How much are the prop fights written into the script vs. developed during rehearsal/shooting?
Also, since Keller works for Moreau and will be able to relate how he got pinched and by whom, does that mean that Sophie will be essentially forced to reprise her Charlotte persona in the finale?
Just a quick note to say that the sheer amount of gameable awesome that has been on screen in this season, especially the last few episodes, is tremendous. Hacking history? Priceless. Grabbing a belt and taking down British paratroopers with it? Classic. Parker's sad love letter to the vault? Adorable.
I think the Countess was not Sophie's bio aunt but an aunt by...marriage? So does that mean that Sophie is a real Duchess and not a 'princess'? (BTW loved Parker asking if Sophie was a princess) Or as real as you can be having used a false name.
Heard Parker say that she had once stolen the elephant statue but after hearing her as an auctioneer I have to wonder how many other things up for auction she has stolen at one point or another.
And is there anything Hardison can't do once he's been challenged? Loved his "I hacked history"
Ahh, okay. So maybe Sophie developed the Charlotte persona and got together with this William person and became a Duchess (maybe to steal some precious jewels or other artifacts), which of course explains how the Countess would know her.
But something made her run; I'm guessing it had to do with getting too emotionally involved, like someone else said. From how she reacted she apparently loved the dude and the fact that he died as a result of a "broken heart" from her leaving still resonates in her and now the beginning of the episode makes more sense to me now that I think about it.
I mean, the little girl in the beginning was affected by the actions of art thieves/smugglers, just like William was detrimentally affected as a result of Sophie's actions and that's probably what led to her drinking/brooding in the bar as the memories surfaced back up of how she used William to get what she wanted (presumably art) and it eats away at her that he died from drinking himself to death because of her (although the "aunt" might have been overexaggerating)...
...unless I'm just stretching. I think I'll stop my rambling now, woops.
I loved how Sophie pulled on her name-disc necklace when she denied that Charlotte was her real name. I wonder if Nate will pick up on that . . .
The aunt was interesting. . . it sounded to me from the blue ribbon story as if she'd known Sophie from childhood. So either the aunt is calling her by a false (or perhaps middle) name to protect the family from the "royal scandal," or Sophie played a Lost Heir Job and is using "stage name" interchangeably with "alias" OR . . . is the aunt an actress, too, who knows Sophie from the stage? William doesn't need to have been a peer . . . And perhaps the story of the "royal scandal" was supposed to happen, and Eliot's fight with the ex-paratroopers was part of Sophie's plan all along?
I'm pretty sure I won't get the answer to that, since it's a Sophie Name Question, but I do have another one, since my closed caption isn't working: in the wet wipe scene, after Hardison tells Eliot, "You've touched worse!" Eliot says something as he's storming out that I can't understand, even after four replays (I'm stubborn). Can someone please help a fan out?
Sophie as an actual royal member, any chance that part of her past will be brought back up more especially since it seems to involve something she seemed quite upset about - like a former husband maybe? I do like how it was mentioned that whoever it was drank himself to death practically, could this be in part why Sophie wishes so much to save Nate from a possible same fate?
Nice episode, it was quite interesting & as always - great one-liners from Parker & Hardison. :) I'm already dying for the DVDs & all the extra commentary information we'll learn from them as well; excellent job with this episode - it's possibly one of the best this season. :)
Another fantastic ep! I loved getting some real insight into Sophie; honestly, her emotional makeup is much more interesting to me than whatever the specific details of her background turn out be. The heart vs. head speech and her conversation with her "auntie" were both absolutely killer.
Loved Eliot's aw shucks approach with the paratroopers - it was very reminiscent of his character in The Tap Out Job, actually. When he's conning actual hardasses it seems like he *really* leans on that sweet, slightly dim, totally non-threatening character. Apart from being a nice bit of consistent characterization, it's hysterical to watch, and makes the inevitable asskicking that much more awesome :)
Questions: 1) The infodump at the beginning was handled about as gracefully as possible, but was it solely a practical way to get the story rolling quickly? Or were we really supposed to get the sense that this job was rushed and they were still working out the details on the fly? It kind of makes Moreau seem like even more of a badass if our team is this off balance just trying to get to his lieutenants. 2) In how many languages is Eliot actually fluent enough to carry on a conversation? 2a) Kane has said he has some trouble kicking his accent when you guys have Eliot speak other languages, but other than that how easily (or not) does he pick up the actual dialogue? 3) Flustered Hardison is always fantastic, but I'm not sure why he didn't think himself as a forger even in the most general sense - he has generated plenty of fake IDs/documents/costumes and such, and we know he has some artistic talent (the statue in the Miracle Job, for instance, and hell, yes, Old Nate counts!). Is there simply a clear, bright line in the criminal world between basic forging skills and Being A Forger, or was it another example of Hardison losing his cool a little under pressure?
I know you had Sterling say, "You're nicked," in the maltese falcon job, but i really thought it would have worked if the airport security guy had said, "You're nicked Mr. Keller." Sorry, just discovered Ashes to Ashes. Anyways, is the fact that Keller was having a meeting in Boston significant to the overlapping storyline? As for Duberman, I figured that had something to do with it as well. I thought the Italian was gonna show up again, maybe be the person on the motorcycle who Eliot nearly ran into.
after Hardison tells Eliot, "You've touched worse!" Eliot says something as he's storming out that I can't understand, even after four replays (I'm stubborn). Can someone please help a fan out?
He says, "I'm going out for baba ganoush!" which I found absurdly funny. Most guys would've gone out for a beer!
I loved Hardison calling Eliot "E". And Parker talking about having stolen a corpse before - there must a story there! Was it a mummy? Is "The Mummy's Tiara" seriously a real con? Because, I don't think mummies wore tiaras, really.
Excellent episode. And Hardison looked fantastic in that sleeveless shirt!
2 Is there any chance that somehow, The Italian IS Moreau? They always refer to Moreau as a guy,but do they know (s)he's male or are they just assuming based on the name?
@Video Beagle, I worry about Hardison sometimes. Using an i-Whatever to hack is quickly approaching Timothy McGee levels of Television Hacker. Now, mind you, I don't have a problem with people comparing Leverage's technological prowess to NCIS...do you?
First of all, i LOVED this weeks episode. We really got to see a new side to Sophie which i really loved because she's really growing as a character.
So now to the questions...
1) What was Sophie's Scandal? Who was William? why do you tease us soo much? :)
2) I'm probably not the only that has asked this before but i noticed that Eliot & kids are going hand in hand lately. Is there a reason why? I see that he has a weak spot for them. Does that have to do with his backstory?
3)When you write for Leverage, as one of the 5 or the baddie of the week, what inspires you?
Also, before i forget. I wanted to thank you for doing this. It's really great that you take time out to do this :)
@Jarrod: I don't watch NCIS. When a law show doesn't understand you can't get an admissible confession by threatening to throw someone off a plane, it tells me that it's not a show worth watching.
Hardison is showing you that all your fears about not being able to do stuff on an iPad is all BS put out by flash using rim lovers.
@Video Beagle, so tell me, where does he plug the USB drives into his iPad when he needs to load hacking apps on to them for Eliot? Hmmmm? No, no, no...an iPad makes no sense at all. Madness! Madness, I tell you! *dons aluminum foil hat*
@Lissie: Elliot is Batman. He's suffered a loss of innocence (the whole 100 miles down the road). He now tries to keep others...children, the symbol of innocence, from suffering the same.
Excellent look into Sophie's life, and I love the little lead in to next week. But please tell me that Dead Parker seen in the preview was either a con or a dream, because I don't want to lose Parker.
Oh, and I drove my family nuts with this one, pointing out artwork.
"Klimt!"
"The Lictors Bring to Brutus the Bodies of his Sons."
That one is very interesting because it's useful when trying to convince someone the Ninth Doctor is real.
Aldis needs to stop working out, because he's starting to make Eliot look really tiny.
That said, my favorite moment was Hardison giving out that Whoop! when he heard the bad guy declare his forgery real.
I believe it was last week that you mentioned in the replies to our comments that Eliot is trying to NOT kill people anymore. I think we all knew this, but now that you've said it, explicitly, I really did look at his fight this week with different eyes. It would have been so easy for him to simply shoot those ex-paratroopers-with-their-very-distinctive-haircuts and much more difficult for him to knock out each of them with their own leather belts. Oddly, it seems that there's another level of honor to Eliot's methods, separate from that of the teams' to help these victims. For example, as a member of the team, Hardison has become a better forger, while Eliot's become a better man. It's a fascinating contrast.
I have one question for you about this episode - and it's nothing about the characters or plot. In the scene where Sophie and Nate meet with the little girl's advocate, there is a brass sculpture with a pendulum high above them. WHAT IS THAT? And, was that something you found on location or was that a set piece created for this episode? It was just so cool looking!
This episode.. just WOW! My head is spinning. Love the costumes, accents, & undercover characters! The little girl was pretty cute. The cars used were SWEET!! Nice cliffhanger at the end.
What language was CK/Eliot speaking?
What locations were used? I think I recognized a parking lot on Broadway.
Soooo many loveable moments, I can't believe one episode can have so many. Only one multi-part question, though.
You've mentioned previously that the talent in Portland has been amazing. 1. Were Sophie's aunt, the paratrooper thugs and the English bobby at the storage unit local? 2. Were any/all of them natively British, or just able to fake the accent?
Another nice episode, thanks! Just as I was thinking we weren't getting any real Parker moments this time, she delivered the killer Auctioneer scene - hilarious. No wonder guys are willing to pay 280 grand to get close to her =D
Great hints a Sophie backstory too. Got us all guessing...
It does seem that some of these cons are getting pretty close for them - Keller isn't a man you pull a fast con on. Those paratroopers could have put a bullet in Eliot's skull and then dug for the key, for instance... So they're definitely living on the edge, after nearly losing the coal mine, being double-crossed by Nathan's dad, nearly getting shot by the car thieves and the redneck militia...
Eliot and the little girl is possibly the most adorable thing I have seen in quite some time. He has a very good rapport with children, which we've seen before - is that for a specific reason, backstory-wise, or is it just a facet of his character? Also, James Frain was awesome! And thank you very, very much for putting Hardison in the wifebeater.
is Sophie kind of forgetting something? she mentions Nate being over invested on the Moreau thing, but didn't they find out in the pilot that their lives are also in danger?
Ho-lee shit, the Reed chapel. We did a shoot for my magazine on the Reed campus, and they're wonderful to work with, but it ran into a bit of money for us, and we were just doing still shots. Hope they treated you as well as they treated us.
Beautiful campus, isn't it? All the external shots had me and my household yelling "Hey! I've been drunk there!"
Great fun! Loved it! Thank you! How come Nate didn't hypnotize the Keller body guard so that he wouldn't beat him up, or use that mind control thing like he did on the goons in Studio Job? Maybe he can't control British minds?
So did we just learn why Parker smells everything (and everyone)? I loved the first time the bad guy smelled the art. It was like an epiphany. Maybe Parker's not as crazy as we thought...maybe it's just typical Parker overgeneralization. What I mean is, perhaps she learned a helpful skill for thievery at some point long ago and then overgeneralized it and now uses it in all sorts of situations even when smelling doesn't really tell her anything helpful. Wait. Or does it...hmm...
Fun episode which left me with lots of backstory questions. That's a good thing.
Also, to answer an earlier question, I think Eliot and the little girl were speaking Arabic. My Arabic is super rusty, but I think that's what it was.
I am writing my dissertation in London on looting antiquities so this episode was just WOW. Thank you, thank you, thank you. (Just so everyone knows I have an Itunes Season Pass which they honor no matter where I am at).
The flower story she shared with Auntie indicates Auntie knew her as a child, so she can't have married into the family.
My own guess is that Sophie is of the Nobility, and she is like wossname, Lady Christine I think? from Planet of the Dead in Doctor Who; rich and bored, so she takes up a life of crime. And William was either the man she was supposed to marry before she struck off on her own, or possibly her father.
And maybe Auntie called her Charlotte because she's subtly indicating she no longer thinks of Sophie as the girl she was when she was growing up.
As an incredibly pedantic Brit I have to say good job on the detailed street scenes (with the road markings, background signs etc) - the only issue I have is the blue bar across the Underground roundel which should really have had "UndergrounD" in it. But that's the Tube geek in me, I doubt anyone else would scrutinise it that much!
Also, it's good to see the Whedon trick of using British slang to get naughty words past the censors is still in use too.
"...distinctive haircuts" - I call nonsense. One military haircut is fairly the same as the rest [excepting the serious high & tights, and even then you can get those regardless of unit/branch of service.]
And big Q, how did taking down the bad guy free the girl? How'd they show & prove the connect to Customs?
Great job all and great story Christine Boylan! Now you've opened the door to the candy store about Sophie, but we didn't get to go inside. :( I have more questions than answers. It was nice to see how politically connected she was and I hope to get my questions answered in future episodes. PS We have always thought of Sophie as royalty...
The episode was so fantastic. This Sophie fan has been waiting and it was well worth it. My friend and I sat open-mouthed and stunned from beginning to the end.
Gina was brilliant. I think everyone did a fine job, but I love the way she handled this episode.
I'm of the opinion that "Auntie" is another grifter, probably someone who either taught Sophie or at least helped Sophie create her alias. The "scandel" was planned, part of the blow-off. Keller having his men try to steal the goods was unforeseen.
My question isn't episode specific, although it does apply to this episode; Any regrets on casting choices for the guest stars, knowing that you're likely only going to be able to work with these actors once? Any actors you know you can't really bring back, even though you'd love to work with them again?
@ Zenkitty714 - "And Parker talking about having stolen a corpse before - there must a story there!" I thought maybe she was talking about stealing the corpse they used for the CT/MRI in "The Snow Job" in S1.
I admit I was worried about this one - US shows that go to the UK tend to either go the stereotype mockery route or are just plain bad. I should have had more faith in you and Gina, so my apologies!
I thought you did a wonderful job making Portland look like London - yes, I'd niggle at a couple of things but really, seriously, not worth mentioning. Kudos to your props/scenery/costuming departments, they deserve way more love.
Felt we didn't really learn anything about Sophie except a bunch more questions, you evil teases, you. Character-wise, though, Sophie's really grown and this episode shows her personal development is way above what it used to be. Remorse must be a very uncomfortable emotion for her but she's handling it well. And Gina, needless to say, did an outstanding job this episode. Must have been a kick for her to get to use her Brit accent for a whole episode for a change :)
As I understand it, they weren't really interested in Keller so much as where Keller sent his money, am I correct? The whole sting was just done so they could trace a large enough payment to the next person/company up the line to Moreau? Good to see that this storyline is kicking off now - has it been frustrating for you that the episodes concerning Moreau have had to be clustered so closely together?
I adore James Frain, perfect casting for this role and he and Gina together were a joy to watch.
Mmm Hardison in a beater. Mmmm. And cutest moment of the episode goes to his yell of joy at the book being declared genuine. Funniest moment goes to Parker as auctioneer - seriously thought I was going to dislocate ribs laughing at that one. Was that scripted or did Beth improvise any of the auctioneer schtick?
when I am flying somewhere, I truly cannot listen to the pre-flight info without thinking of Parker's version from "The Mile High Job". Now I won't ever view auctions the same either! She was hysterical. What was equally funny was Nate trying to keep her in check.
Eliot and Hardison with the "wet" rag was also great. Parker and Eliot with Hardion who was "losing it" (according to Eliot) was also really funny. Just another great episode!
I'm a brand new fan (started watching only a couple weeks ago and got hooked instantly) and man, was this episode amazing. I love Sophie and her scenes were amazing but it was really remarkable how everyone got a chance to shine in this ep, we got amazing moments from all the characters. :D Congratulations to everyone!
I'm Portuguese and English is not my first language so I have a small question that hopefully someone in the comments will be able to answer. What did the Countess say when she told Sophie not to look so sad? "It'll (something) your looks."? I feel a bit silly asking but I'd like to know. :P
@Jocelyn: "....is it strange to think Eliot would make a good dad? Imagine when it comes time for his daughter to date.....those boys will be sufficiently put on notice not to mess with Eliot's little girl. "
Are you kidding? Eliot wouldn't need to put anyone on notice. His little girl would be able to kick her date's ass all on her own, thankyouverymuch. :)
"Why aren't we seeing more of Sterling?"
Because Mark Sheppard is a busy boy who's hard to pin down. He's been showing up in everything from Chuck (filmed in L.A.) to Warehouse 13 (Toronto) to Supernatural (Vancouver), and apparently he's squeezed in a couple movies while he's at it. (Thank you, IMDB.)
My question -- Is Auntie Duchess perhaps Sophie's mentor? Her equivalent of Archie? That's the only explanation I can come up with that makes sense, unless she was lying about Charlotte not being her real name.
Regarding the question of detention without due process, the New York Times has an article about that at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/30/nyregion/30border.html?pagewanted=2&ref=general&src=me
wv: tremmu -- so scared of what's going on in this country regarding human rights that you tremble so much you can't finish the word
Also, can we please stop using the term "wifebeater." It may be just a word for you, but for many people, being a beaten wife is not just a word or an abstraction.
The thought of going several months without any new Leverage episodes is starting to scare me, so I'm going to embrace my own 'madness of King George' and delay watching this one and the Summer finale for a few weeks, just to make the autumn a bit more bearable.
But don't be surprised if I'm back here within the day, asking questions about the episode. My will power is being sorely tested.
I found it a bit interesting that Nate pried a little bit...but not too much. It felt he was being a bit respectful of her. And, really, their conversations have been very much on the professional level this season. When are we going back (because you KNOW we're going back) to some romantic tension between the two?
Stage names are used by actresses, personas or alts are used in cons. Could running off to the stage be either the scandal or the thing that drove poor William (I'm betting he's actually Uncle William) to the broken heart? BTW, interesting tie to the loved fiercely/loss/drink/looking at Nate.
Also, does it seem that Sophie has a personal grudge against the rich?
My impression from Monty Python was that this had been the stereotypical utterance of a British policeman entering a scene for a long time before Python used it in the 1970's. This was a good shoutout -- another was when John Cleese's improbably English New Mexico sheriff used it in Silverado...
Yes, the wifebeater is just a term for most of us, but there's really no need for the PC police to jump us about it. You see, they've already beaten us over the head about it the last couple of decades so that the definition you're reading into it is now domestic violence or spousal abuse. Therefore the term wifebeater (one word) is now free for us to use in a different capacity, and as everyone who used it intended, a t-shirt. No need to get hysterical about it as the common definition has changed...its called language shift. Perhaps you should shift your thinking instead of insisting everyone else do so. I'm pretty sure you're the only one who read anything more into the definition, except perhaps some of our foreign friends may have been thrown by a literal translation briefly, and then wisely decided it must mean something else and moved on. Great strategy actually.
Another enjoyable hour on the fun train. Just when you think you have something figured out another curve comes along and throws your perspective to the other side of the aisle. And the scenery's incredible everywhere you look.
As usual, thanks so much for answering the questions. 1. What is Nate's beverage of choice? 2. What was on the 'shopping' list for Hardison? 3. Does the Italian have a name?
I looked at that as more of an inside joke than an actual identifier. Much like Eliot has identified people by their knife-fighting style and the sound of a gun cocking and others. It's becoming his signature skill. He can identify minuscule things that most others don't even notice.
Am I right, Mr. Rogers?
And I, for one (of many I can assume) am glad that they continually throw in small bits like that for continuity and fan-love. (It is fan-love? Yes?)
And my actual question: what was Nate DOING during the conversation with "Auntie"? It came off like they'd been there chatting for quite some time, reminiscing and all, and Nate was just sitting at a table doing nothing at all that whole time? It seemed odd and out of character for him.
Was there some part of the con happening that he was overseeing or something that wasn't shown?
@Stacy: But go ahead and be offended by petty nonsense if it pleases you. We are everso grateful to have your permission to feel what we feel.
@Jen: how do they justify holding a minor for an indeterminate amount of time, especially one who has refugee status? The same way they justify all sorts of outrageous things: If we don't let them trample our rights, the terrorists will kill us all dead. It's so much better to be safe than free, you know.
@Mandy: TNT is labeling the next ep as being the season finale. I thought that was in December? TNT has an interesting definition of "season."
@Thomas: I'm of the opinion that "Auntie" is another grifter That was my immediate supposition, but I'm willing to wait and see.
@mitchy: they weren't really interested in Keller so much as where Keller sent his money, am I correct? The whole sting was just done so they could trace a large enough payment to the next person/company up the line to Moreau? They weren't originally interested in Keller, except as a link to Moreau. Then he used children to smuggle artifacts, and the team wanted him for himself (and for the link to Moreau).
I don't have cable, so I always buy the latest episode on Monday mornings. Are the numbers for people who buy the digital download from iTunes/Amazon taken into account when calculating the ratings? Thanks as always for a great show! Everyone, from the writers to the actors to the set design, really does a fantastic job.
P.S. I liked that Hardison was given a non-hackery way to shine, and one that built upon his attention to detail and fondness for props. He started out painting his figurines, didn't he?
@Stacy: thank you ever so much for standing up for my right to free speech I fear you give me too much credit. I'm going to wait until your right to free speech has been somehow threatened or constrained before getting all activist about it.
If "auntie" was another grifter, she's pulling one SERIOUSLY long con, since Keller sought her out as royalty that could vouch for whether Sophie was legit.
The ep started with Sophie talking about the effects of their crimes and how criminals are sloppy when they start out, so I bet William was a victim of one of her early cons-when she may have been sloppy enough to do something reckless like, say, fall for and get married to a mark.
If anyone ever saw Catch Me If You Can, DiCaprio is sort of a con artist who falls for a girl and is willing to stay with her but gets busted and has to leave her. I could see something similar having happened here and William found out, but kept her secret and drank himself to death.
Which leads to my question . . .
Seems like maybe Nate might have a teensy bit interested in this William dude and the auntie? Like maybe they might have had a conversation about that? Like maybe we could have seen that conversation? Your slow burn with those two is turning positively to languishing.
Or was it just a function of not wanting to give away too much about the specifics of Sophie's past at this point? If so, when will we find out more about this William fellow?
Great job all around. Question: In "RJ" Nate is and isn't wearing a ring on right hand, slight attention brought to it. In "KG" again Nate with and without ring but more intentional attention is brought to it. What's up with the ring? Is it a hint or clue to future eps? Is it Nate teasing Sophie because of her "dogtag" necklace teasing with him? Or is it a personal Tim Hutton thing? Please explain it's driving me CRAZY! Thanks
Has Nate not learned from last season that going after Federal witnesses is not a good idea? Especially when his team is telling him no and the last time they did he ended up with a bullet piercing him?
Can you shed some light on the mentality of everyone's favorite Mastermind at this point?
I have to admit, as an English person, I did cringe a bit over all the aristocracy stuff but I know it's an American show etc... and you had James Frain in it. Also, many congratulations to the set department. They did a really good job of "London".
Wow. Loved that episode. Poor girly, getting detained like that.
Sophie running a con is always fun. And it was kind of neat seeing a little bit of her past, and how she let it go a little when he gave up all those treasures she'd stolen in the past.
I wonder what the 'scandal' the baddie mentioned was all about...
Can't wait to see the rest of the episodes this season! Great job and kudos all over!
When Nate instructed Parker to grab the icons, he did not know his initial con with the statue would fail, requiring the new plan. How come he told parker to take the icons?
I'm at work and don't currently have time to read the whole thread. The questions are accumulating faster than I can sneak moments to read them. However, quite a few of the early questions have centered around what the Countess of Kensington said to Sophie, wonder why she'd call Sophie by her "stage name," speculate that this means that Sophie must actually be part of the peerage, etc. I haven't gotten far yet, but I haven't noticed anyone suggest the Countess might not be legit herself. The MOMENT that I saw her I thought "old mentor/team-mate of Sophie's." It's obvious that Sophie and the Countess have history, but it doesn't necessarily follow that said history is from a theoretical "legit" part of Sophie's past. I haven't watched the episode more than once, but I think the date of when she split from "William" is after Sophie had met Nate during her criminal career.
I guessing the Countess is a grifter buddy of Sophie's who's been running the Lost Heir con so long that she's managed to insert herself into the English nobility as legit member. Maybe Sophie helped her run the con...
If "auntie" was another grifter, she's pulling one SERIOUSLY long con, since Keller sought her out as royalty that could vouch for whether Sophie was legit.
Could be that being royalty IS the con.
Has Nate not learned from last season that going after Federal witnesses is not a good idea?
Well, there is that thing about being the only lead they have...
So, the con certainly seemed to wrap up fast. I was sure we were headed into a two part episode heading into that commercial break.
Also, I am not a fan of the flashback as it was used in this episode. (Not the first example of the problem, just the first time I've bothered to whine about it.) I know the POV in Leverage is a classic unreliable narrator, but when we cut away from a scene, particularly a low key one like Nate standing around talking on the intercom, just to deny us information, it bothers me some.
If the flashback had been to Parker saying "I'm going to grab the icons too, I've got an idea", while Nate stood and nodded his head, that wouldn't have bothered me as much. Coming in late (like when Parker was planting the box in the pharmaceutical job) doesn't often bother me. But it's best when it's showing us things that we maybe could have noticed if we'd been involved enough,
You will of course now point out that Parker was carrying the icons when she met up with the rest of the team, and that Nate said "give me the statue" instead of "Give it to me" or something similar; that's based on half remembered things from the episode which I can't go back and check since I already deleted it from the DVR....
I'm sure there's no perfect way to handle it, and that everyone's tolerance is a little different. But still, the flashbacks work best when used to reveal things that were mostly hidden rather than information that was deliberately denied to us.
"Is X a callout to Y?" Probably not. Some of them, sure, especially when there's thematic similarities. But statues of Ra showed up in shows before Stargate, and sometimes licking things is just a weird character trait.
As for the Countess, I don't think she's running a con. I think she ran a con that got her the title for her retirement.
Before I burst, can I please point out that having a title doesn't make one royal, just a peer of the realm, which either British actor would have known.
To be royal, one must be a member of the royal family (related to the Queen). Royals can also be peers, and most major ones are: Prince Andew is a Duke, and Prince Edward an Earl, for example.
Consequently, neither Charlotte nor Lady Christina from Doctor Who were royals at all, minor or otherwise. A quick glance to Burkes Peerage would have cleared that up.
@FC: When Nate instructed Parker to grab the icons, he did not know his initial con with the statue would fail, requiring the new plan. How come he told parker to take the icons?
Sophie saved the statue con, so the plan was still to get Keller to smuggle their artifacts into the States, and (presumably) use the disguised icons to hit him where he wasn't expecting it.
I enjoyed this one so much I instantly watched it all over again (usually I manage to wait a day).
I do have a question: was the unidentified happening in Boston that caused the shipping to be brought forward in any way related to our team?
I was a little puzzled by Sophie's comment about the baddie not using 'My Lady' as an address for a Duchess. So far as I am aware that is never an appropriate way to address a Duchess; surely it would have been enough for her to make the comment that he instantly knew the correct form of address? /Britpick
I've been thrilled to see the "distinctive" gambit making a return in the last two episodes, and also very much enjoyed Hardison in a sleeveless t-shirt. Thank you for that. Parker's blouse in the first auction house scene was also fabulous.
"Consequently, neither Charlotte nor Lady Christina from Doctor Who were royals at all, minor or otherwise. A quick glance to Burkes Peerage would have cleared that up."
:) When Sophie said how it had taken her six years to establish the Duchess persona I did wonder how she'd managed to get around Burke's Peerage, given that Hardison wasn't around then to hack history. It wasn't until we met the Countess that the blindingly obvious solution dawned upon me that she could have married into the peerage. My excuse for such slowness is that I was distracted by Hardison's t-shirt, Parker's blouse, and how disturbingly well Eliot rocked the slightly scruffy pilot look.
Couple of bits that somewhat derailed the fun train for me.
What did Nate say to the little girl's pseudo-guardians at Logan that got them to trust them? "Hi, do you have a minute? I happen to run a crew of worldclass scammers that steal from the rich and give to the poor, and we'd like to try to fix things with respect to your ward there"? When they parted at Logan, it certainly seemed like the guardian believed these strangers had at least a small chance of expediting the girl's trip through the legal system.
Parker as auctioneer. Of course she was hysterical...but how/why was she the auctioneer? It'd seem easier to sneak in Hardison's book backstage rather than through the auctioneer...and didn't anyone at the old school auction house, which has probably been using the same auctioneers for decades, realize they'd never seen their auctioneer before?
Sort of the same thing with Hardison the TSA/Customs agent. Not clear why he needed to be in that position, nor how he could be sure that Keller would use his station, as opposed to the 10s of others which'd be open when a flight arrives from London...
Loved it, although not one of my favorites, especially the part with Sophie sulking in the bar. Only one question: what color were those pens next to Hardison in the beginning? They were so pretty ^-^
Fabulous episode! my question (and this might betray my own latent royal fetish-ry): was there ever a draft when the King George ring was as aspect of forging documents for the lost barony? I love Sophie's dismissal of it, and Keller's heart's desire - Way to stick a pin right through her own history of grifting her way into the peerage. To me, that speaks clearly that Sophie was *not* born into a title, and that her early mistakes weren't just about innocent smugglers but also about mistaking wealth/art and Name for happiness.
Also, thank you for adding one more "it's a very distinctive..." line to Eliot's lexicon. Hee!
In the scene where Sophie and Nate meet with the little girl's advocate, there is a brass sculpture with a pendulum high above them. WHAT IS THAT?
It's a clock. I haven't seen that particular one, but there's a very similar one in Columbus, OH. Every minute, it knocks over one of the pegs standing around it.
LOVED this one. One of my absolute favorite things about this show is the progression of the characters as "good guys."
Phase One: "Hey, we can do thief stuff with a clear conscience if we do it like this!"
Phase Two: "Hey, helping people feels good!"
Phase Three: "Wow, these people are really hurting."
Phase Four: "This is the right thing to do--even if it puts me at risk."
Love Sophie really feeling the potential consequences of what she's done in the past. It makes me happier than you know.
So there wasn't much Eliot kicking ass, and not much Hardison hacking away at a computer, and not much Parker stealing stuff ninja-style... But somehow, this has quickly become one of my favorite episodes. Why is that? At any rate, one question I do have is whether the team figured out that the bad guy used more than just the one kid for his smuggling, and how they managed to get her sprung (since he didn't go down for smuggling the particular item the kid got snagged for).
Lady Cristina never made a claim to Royalty. She said she was a lady, and said she was an Aristocrat, which she could very well have been for all we know.
[i]It wasn't until we met the Countess that the blindingly obvious solution dawned upon me that she could have married into the peerage[/i]
Correct, but it still wouldn't make Sophie a royal, just a peer. Her aunt's title is the style for the wife of a Marquis or an Earl, the two ranks below a Duke, the highest rank for a peer. Were William a Duke, and Sophie's auntie his aunt (married to the Duke's father's first or second younger brother) that would work.
A lot depends on whether the stories they shared are real, or all part of the act, and how accurate the writers intend to be. I'm thinking not terribly. She outranks the Countess, who would have waited for Sophie to acknowledge her, and she introduced herself as Charlotte Prentiss/Prentice. Her family name goes when she becomes a peer, and she would have used Charlotte Hanover.
I think it's far more likely that she, the "Countess" and the departed William are all family who ran game as fake peers. You still hear of that sort of thing happening.
To another poster: Lady Christina didn't claim to be royalty but someone here suggested she was, thus the comment.
If we're playing, I have also been to COSI, recently. (Columbus is halfway between where I live and where my brother lives, so we meet there when I have time to hang out with the niece and nephew.)
Moving on. :)
More an observation than a question - I thought it was very interesting how, in the framing of the shots in Nate's apartment when they were talking about "the archeology of crime" the portrait of Old Nate was fairly clearly in the frame in a number of shots. Nice visual reference back to their 'early days' together.
Possibly some foreshadowing of an early baddie coming back to make trouble because they made a mistake and didn't have things sewn up quite as well as they thought?
(I know it COULD be coincidence since the portrait belongs on that set, but I don't recall it ever being quite so visually noticeable in multiple shots of different characters before. It looked very much like an intentional choice to me.)
Hi, I'm new to your blog thing, and I haven't seen King George yet, so I'm sorry if this has been asked before/answered in the last episode, but will we see Agents Taggert and McSweeten again? Because Taggert and McSweeten are AWESOME. Also, is there anyway Leverage will ever get on Hulu, because for those of us without cable, TNT's loading thing is rather frustrating at times. Or maybe that's just my house's internet.
I don't know if anyone brought this up already (I wasn't patient enough to read through all the comments), but isn't it possible that William wasn't a husband/boyfriend/whatever? I felt like that was the impression the Sophie-Countess dialogue was supposed to give, but I thought William might have been her father or brother. Someone she wasn't romantically involved with that still cared about her very much. If I'm close, please reply. :)
@FC I personally believe that Nate told Parker to take the icons as probably about "Plan F" on the list of possible ways of catching the bad guy.
I am more along the line of the Countess being a mentor of Sophie, although the discussed possibility of the Countess actually earning the title on a long con sounds reasonable, too. I don't believe that Sophie would have been married, more than likely broken someone's heart on a con.
Awesome episode. I adore it when Sophie runs a con. Plus, jealous!Nate makes me very giggle. :) I also loved the fact that James Frain rocked it as the mark. :) Oh, and Hardison's "I hacked HISTORY!" comment was the best thing I've heard in awhile. Only a few questions: 1) What was with Christian's hats this episode? Did he injure himself or were they just playing with different ones? 2) I'm sure someone else already asked this, but was Parker's licking bit a reference to the 10th Doctor? Even the smile seemed similar... 3) Was Hardison the man on the moto that Eliot almost hit? Had it been, I can only imagine the argument that would've ensued. Thanks! :)
Okay know you hinted that someone had been married before. Is this what we should have taken from Sophie's and Aunties conversation? A marriage or engagement. I noticed that Nate was a little put out by the conversation like he was getting new info.
Loved Eliot in uniform. The man can pull off a suit, but I love him in his jeans and t-shirts too.
I melt everytime Eliot has a scene with children. (I'm sure it will be the same for the puppy scene you posted about for the season ender) Was there a scene between the little girl and Eliot that was cut for time? She really seemed excited to see him in the end which made me wonder if he'd gone to check up on her.
After the "wet" rag scene I fear for Alec if Eliot ever snaps. I keep waiting on Eliot to get revenge...The Prank War job... it's an idea. Eliot wouldn't even have to do anything Hardison would do his own self in and Eliot would just sit back and smirk.
The fight scene was great loved Eliot's little mock at the end.
So if that was a storage locker of Sophie's early jobs and the early jobs are where someone leaves the most clues about themselves and their methods, that seems like a big loose end. Did Sophie just give Moreau a big pile of artifacts to trace back when he goes looking for who took down his smuggler?
It's "The Six Degrees of Cowtown Job", wherein Nate finds the drinkin' good at Dick's, Sophie has an extremely adverse reaction to "Brushstrokes in Flight", Parker becomes addicted to the chocolatey-peanut buttery goodness of hand-dipped buckeyes, Hardison hack's Battelle (because he can), Eliot gets "Hang On, Sloopy" stuck in his head for days...and, oddly enough, it makes him cranky...and the whole team bands together to steal Jack Hanna.
-Brought to you by the Greater Columbus CVB, Fred Ricart, and Little Debbie Pumpkin Delights (in stores now!)
Hey, is "Leverage" going to do a Native American episode? Isn't it mandatory for all American TV series to do one *g*? And that's an on-topic question...in a stream of consciousness "King George = the colonies = Indians" kinda way. Kinda.
Since my college classes are starting up this week, I am naturally dying to read something that is NOT all about film, tv, or the broadcast industry. (Three guesses what I'm studying.)
Anyway, between Leverage and White Collar (and how awesome would that show crossover be? - but I digress) I'm kind of curious about forgery - more art than currency, but I'm flexible. I just want something that's interesting and accurate but also a good read - no really dry textbook style writing, please.
Anyone have any suggestions? (I know there were some con books suggested here on the blog in the past. I have them on my list to look at also.)
Episode related question: Given that Kane has spent a bunch of time visiting and touring the UK, how much fun did he have with the scenes about all the differences and English vs American? I've seen those sorts of conversations get pretty darn hilarious myself.
Great episode as always. I love that Sophie just takes it in stride when Parker askes to lick the statue. This was classic Parker to me. The way she loves the safe, talks to the artifacts she's stolen in the past, and the absolutely hilarious actioneer. I love Parker. Hardison also made me giggle with his happy yell in the action house and hacking history.
My theory on the Countess is that she is Sophie's aunt. Only a relative can put that look of fear on someone's face. And that Charlotte could be a family nickname that is not her real name that Sophie decided to use. (My family did that to my cousin to piss him off and it stuck.)
One thing that seemed unclear to me was the beginning at the airport. I understand they wanted to take a step up the food chain to Moreau, and they did that with the money from Hardison's book. But what were they going to do in the airport before their plans changed? It almost seemed like they were winging it.
One other thing. Do you ever just sit back and laugh at all of our theories and guesses? Maybe laugh at how far off we are, or how close we come to getting it right? Just curious.
Anyway, thanks for taking the time out of your time off to answer our questions. It is much appreciated.
Hey, I was wondering: Way back in the two horses job Sophie gets rather dreamy regarding the 'lost heir' scam and how wonderful it can be. Did you make a deliberate choice to expand on that old suggestion she may pulled this scam before or was it a lucky coincidence?
Can you please, please, _please_ stop massacring the British accent? Just get your guest actors to speak normally. There really is no need to create such ridiculous parodies. Even my American fiancee was wincing every time someone spoke and especially when it was one of the Paratroopers.
Unless of course the only Brit in the episode was Ms Bellman and everyone else was putting on one for the show. In which case you need to hire better actors.
@kris Two books I have been meaning to get to are: Provenance by Laney Salisbury and The Forger's Spell by Edward Dolnick I haven't read them yet, but these types of books are typically written like a story with a journalistic quality. Would be curious to hear other suggestions... my dissertation is finished Sept. 16 and I will need things to keep me occupied...
And when I say "better actors" I meant it with a smile on my face. Apologies for the overly critical tone.
Long-time watcher from the UK, love the show, etc. ,etc. I just have a big issue with making everyone in the UK sownd loike we're fhrom de Eeast End innit, Guv. Strike a light me old china.
@IMForeman…please tell me that Dead Parker seen in the preview was either a con or a dream, because I don't want to lose Parker.
Don’t worry, it’s part of the L-team’s con
@Lissie… why do you tease us soo much? :)
Because he can.
@Mariana…What did the Countess say when she told Sophie not to look so sad? "It'll (something) your looks."? I feel a bit silly asking but I'd like to know.
She said, “It’ll pucker your looks”.
@Ben I know you’d like to claim Gina as one of your own, but she’s actually originally from New Zealand. Oh & please don’t knock “Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang! (even thought his accent WAS horrendous.
@Kuku4U… what color were those pens next to Hardison in the beginning? They were so pretty ^-^
It was hard to tell because he mixes his blue pens with his black pens in the same cup….like mixes them together. Sorry, couldn't resist.
@Rev Trask…PS- To those who mentioned NCIS: Any show that has Illya Kuryakin is beyond reproach.
Ahhh, yes, but ‘Illya’ sounds sooooo much better than ‘Ducky’! I do miss Napoleon Solo & Illya Kuryakin. One of the great old duos!
Great episode but why can't Nate tell the difference between Ra and Horus? Horus is the one with the falcon head. It seems like a pretty huge mistake to make.
I guess it wouldn't surprise me if the Countess was another grifter, but I still lean towards her being a legit Countess and Sophie married into family. It seems the most straightforward expanation . . . which of course probably means its wrong.
The conversation about "dear William" was odd, though - the Countess is talking about how one must love fiercely in order to drink oneself to death, while Sophie is staring at Nate. This sounds like romantic love, but of course, Nate was drinking himself to death over Sam's death, so I suppose the Countess could be talking about parental love there.
whilst I liked the episode quite a lot once it got past the credits, the bit before the credits seemed kinda clunky. To me, it smelled of "as you know, Bob", the old exposition-trope. I mean in no way would these guys be doing the briefing on the con unless they were completely winging it. Which it kinda didn't feel like.
Also, I second the question of how, exactly, getting some bloke arrested at some British customs is going to get a poor refugee girl out of American custody? I mean how do you even present evidence that proofs somebody is innocent if said person doesn't have a right to have their case heard or anything? Just asking.
Re Elliot and kids: Given that Mr Kane has said he modeled Elliot after B.A. Barracus .. well .. it's only fitting that kids love him, that has always been the case on the A-Team.
As for the first shots of London being accompanied by "Rule Britannia" .. weeelll .. I do have to say the best way to do this I've seen so far was in a James Bond movie .. uh .. Die Another Day (atrocious movie otherwise) where they have London Calling by The Clash in that particular scene. Much cooler.
This may be a very silly question and almost has nothing to do with the episode - but what case did Hardison have on his iPad at the end there? (I did have an Apple Fanboy moment when I saw him using it. :D)
Courtesy of Wikipedia: In later Egyptian dynastic times, Ra was merged with the god Horus, as Re-Horakhty ("Ra, who is Horus of the Two Horizons"). He was believed to rule in all parts of the created world the sky, the earth, and the underworld. He was associated with the falcon or hawk. When in the New Kingdom the god Amun rose to prominence he was fused with Ra as Amun-Ra.
Don't think the writers will make such a fundamental mistake about such things. Just sayin'
And to the person whose partner cringed at the "massacred" Brit-accents. I'm not from Britain, but to my knowledge, there are many different "types" (for lack of a better word) of British accents. Sorta like localised accents that borders on dialects. Same thing as how some people are able to tell if a mainland Chinese is from Beijing, Shanghai or Szechuan based on his/her accent when speaking Mandarin. Maybe I'm watching too much Doc Martin or Hustle such that I'm immune to the differences, but the Brit accents on this Leverage ep sounded fine to me.
Just 'cos the show is shot in Portland doesn't mean that only Americans are selected to do support roles.
And echoing all those who gave kudos to casting James Frain. Just. yeah. Awesome choice!
All my questions have been asked already, so I'll just wait patiently for the answers =)
I just wanted to say how completely pleased I am that at this point, Christine Boylan trusts us as the viewers enough to understand what Sophie's doing with her purse in the auction scene in regards to neuro-linguistic programming. There's been so much focus on it this past year I'm starting to think there's a payoff coming in the finale when the team confronts Moreau.
From "24" to "The Closer" to "True Blood" and now here, James Frain is just too amazing. He really is.
I'm loving this recurring theme of "parents" and "mentors" this year, starting with Archie, then with Jimmy Ford, and now with the Countess. Now all we need is Hardison's Nana and someone from Eliot's past to complete the theme. Is Nana still alive? I could see Della Reese as Hardison's Nana...
I kind of got the impression that maybe Sophie, her "Auntie", and William were on stage together at some point. People who are in plays together often develop a strange sort of 'family' vibe and become close very quickly. Auntie doesn't necessarily imply that they are blood relatives to me.
Well, there's the Mormon forgery murders, described in Robert Lindsey's book A Gathering of Saints. Googling "mormon forger murders" also gets several other books on the topic, though I've only read Lindsey's. This guy Hofmann successfully created "the first document printed in the Colonies" and then tried to use his talents to blackmail the LDS church with "proof" that Joseph Smith was a fraud. The basic problems of ink and paper that Hofmann faced were similar to what Hardison was just dealing with.
Regarding Sophie's past, we received a hint after 'The Beantown Bailout Job' that her native (cockney?) accent was used while attacking Nate's attacker (Farley Mowatt's gangster henchman) with a tray. ("Oi. Does your mother sew? Stitch that!") So it seems obvious (to me) that the duchess persona was indeed a con as she stated in this episode. She certainly did not revert to that accent when confronted with her "auntie."
Also, if Reed College was used for filming, was Hardison's iPad a shout-out to Apple, Inc's Steve Jobs (who is Reed's most famous dropout?)
@FC: "When Nate instructed Parker to grab the icons, he did not know his initial con with the statue would fail, requiring the new plan. How come he told parker to take the icons?"
Per season 1, Nate always has a Plan M. (Hopefully, one in which Hardison doesn't die.)
@deanangst: "Was there a scene between the little girl and Eliot that was cut for time? She really seemed excited to see him in the end which made me wonder if he'd gone to check up on her. "
I think it was more that he was one of the few people who spoke her language in an unfamiliar place. Well, and that kids just seem to love Kane. :)
As for the thugs' accents and the question of their accuracy, my guess is that they were probably hired as stunt performers with lines rather than actors to do a big fight scene. They sounded mostly okay to me, and I've generally got a pretty good ear for such things. (There's a reason I haven't seen Blood Diamond with DiCaprio's attempt at South African.)
I'm not sure how you'll play that later, Mr. Rogers, but it's like you're reading my mind- I've always imagined Sophie as part of the nobility, a royalty who turned into a fine grifter. Congrats for this! Only I have the feeling that you've left the Sophie/Nate thing aside lately. I hope we see some day Sophie in a trouble so that we watch how Nate will go for it, see some of his anger, passion, concern... Again good job, great show!
Regarding the accents, although the police sounded like they were forcing accents, as did the Countess, who fared a lot better, I think we'll find the head thug was the real deal. That accent was spot on, as in born with it spot on.
Just realized that this is the first time we see Parker's expertise regarding art. We know she's really competent regarding security systems so she can get past them to the thing to be stolen but I think this ep is the first time we see her talk knowledgebly about art.
@Dawn: Oh & please don’t knock “Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang! (even thought his accent WAS horrendous. I think he refers to Mary Poppins, wherein Dick Van Dyke's accent was even horrendouser.
I could be remembering wrong, but if the team fails, didn't the Italian say Nate would go to an Italian jail AND (vaguely allude to) the rest of the team would be killed? (I definitely remember her threating the team to Nate, and he got very defensive). If I'm correct, it doesn't seem the team is aware of that part of the Italian's threat, or do they?
To one of the Anonymouses (Anonymi?) waaay up yonder, who wondered about The Italian possibly being Moreau, if that were true, then why would The Italian strongarm the team into taking down herself?
On to the ep …
Oh, man, I am SO loving Sophie this season! Her interactions with the team have really blossomed. She seems to have a truly unwavering faith in Hardison's abilities, and I adore her relationship with Parker. I also love the sly, teasing thing she and Eliot have shown on occasion, and would love to see more. And Nate seems to be seeing her in a whole new light, as if he's only just now realizing the Sophie he thinks he's known all these years might just not be Sophie at all, and is more than a little intrigued by that notion.
I also love that, in this episode, she suddenly seems to be facing some of the same issues we're seeing Eliot confront, with a growing sense of regret and an understanding that there's bound to be collateral damage somewhere. (William, perhaps?) Like Eliot, she seems to be coming into her humanity, and it's not without its pain.
As for the ep itself, it was full of the usual little gems. Hardison hacking history was hilarious, as was Eliot's reaction to his "losing it." And the "Eliot fu" was top-notch. Yanking off a guy's belt to beat him *and* his buds with it may rank up there with using appetizers as a weapon. *g* And Parker as auctioneer, with her little asides, who has no problem chloroforming some poor schlub and damn near makes out with a safe …
Thanks for giving us such wonderful characters, in every sense of the word!
Taking my shot at the Eliot child empathy enigma: Eliot joined organizations/actions he felt were necessary and acting in warranted manners, only to see innocent children (and others) exploited, killed, used, abused, etc. by those he initially believed "just." Therefore, he cannot tolerate abuse of children in any way, shape or form.
My only concern: Were the coppers at the end meant to be a pastiche of the beloved Met? "Wot's all this then", and the bobby helmets, etc? It seems to be stretching close to parody territory, to me...
LOVE this episode. They just get better and better, do you ever worry you'll run out of awesomesauce and we'll just have one supremely crap episode? LOL Okay, so my take on Sophie's "auntie" is that it's an aunt-in-law, and that William met Sophie while she was on the stage, either in a con or just doing her acting thing. She probly decided to use his attraction to con him and fell for him. At least that was the feeling I got, and I think that she ran because she found herself actually in love with the mark which I would imagine is like #1 on the don't do this list for grifters. I think the prize petunias story could well be from Sophie's adulthood, hell, I've done stupid stuff like that this week and I'm 25, so I don't think it necessarily means childhood. Also loved the smelling thing, I think it does inform Parker's sniffing of Maggie in season 1, that's what she does to pretty things, and that's how she understands things. And her talking to the horse statue, brilliant. Actual question: Was the licking thing Beth's or the writers' idea? and is sniffing artifacts ledger or orange box? Thanks for your time :)
I have to say I love the way Nate and Sophie's chemistry has evolved over the seasons. At first it was all History(Capital "H") and flirting. Now it seems like they're growing into a very functional couple, and this episode seems to really showcase the way they balance each other out so wonderfully. Well, and clash a bit. Maybe more than a bit sometimes. But that's couples for ya.
Anyway, my question isn't necessarily about the ep, but is kind or related: It seems like this episode is one of those chalk full of Orange Box/Ledger Drop. As a writer, was there any real-life fact that you'd have loved to stick in, but was so outrageously unbelievable that it got cut? In any ep. Oh, and do you have any books you read as palette cleansers? Sometimes when I have to get the taste of a bad choice of book out of my head I go to a particular old favorite I don't mind re-reading.
word verification: fightici -- fight right here: what Eliot does.
On re-watch, the Egyptian statue was indeed Ra. Both Horus and Ra were depicted with falcon heads, but Horus wore a red-and-white crown (symbolizing the Upper and Lower Nile) and Ra wore a sun-disk, as did the statue in question. So it WAS Ra, but really Nate would have had to see it or ask about the crown to know that.
Loved, loved, loved getting a Sophie-centric episode! And Hardison was hilarious. I do have a question, though: since Keller's auction purchase was a personal one, how did tracking the $$ get them closer to Moreau? I imagine Moreau would take a dim view of employees using company funds to buy trinkets.
Sophie is my favorite so I enjoyed this ep very much. Questions: When, in which episode, do we get answers to all the questions created in this episode about Sophie? Did Sophie leave William, started traveling the world, (in case this was her boyfriend or a husband) because she fell for Nate and they started the chasing game about that time? I have a feeling we'll find out Sophie's real name in the season finale in December, am I right?
@zenkitty: why did the bid have to be at least $250,000 for Hardison to track it
Picture it like a chunk of ice floating in a river.
As it moves down the river, it melts and the water from the ice merges with the river water, and you can no longer tell what is Ice water and what is River Water.
If you have a bigger chunk of ice, say 250k lbs of ice, you can track it much further down the stream.
OR
Say you're hiding some chocolate, because you should be on a diet. A candy bar can be easily hid. A giant case of candy bars, however, is harder to hide, and the candy bar case shape bump in the rug is going to be more noticeable.
Somewhere between those two analogies, should be your answer :D
You know, one thing I noticed on re-watch, the little girl angle never quite felt fully developed, and if I'm honest, only about half of the victims in any season resonate meaningfully with me. The other half are con-delivery devices that I sit through with varying degrees of patience so I can get the five strutting their stuff.
Granted, I wouldn't want to see them actively hurting innocent people, but last week really drove home for me that sometimes, I'd like to just see them doing what they do without having to deal with the innocent victim bookends. Cons and heists are fun, even if they aren't done to help innocent people all the time. I suspect we'll get that with the Moreau finale, but that's only a guess.
So: What are the chances that you may fiddle with the standard format of victim intro/con/victim wrapup more in Season 4 like you did with the Rashomon Job? Or even just mash up the standard victim ep, a la the Bank Shot Job, so you're starting mid-con?
Sophie probably was pulled a very convincing "Anastasia" with the duchess, and convinced them that she was like a long lost daughter or something. She probably couldn't do it anymore because she grew to think of them as a type of family, but decided to leave.
Is the scene with Nate trying to talk to Sophie before the auction a call back to the Wedding Job when Nate was trying to find out about the job and she thought he was talking about their relationship?
Hardison's "You two need to have a conversation and figure it out"...priceless.
Loved Sophie looking at Parker, the auctioneer, with pride. Another clever & entertaining episode. Thanks!
Okay, thought I'd share this here because this was the last ep I saw. I had a Leverage marathon with friends the other night, and last night had a very fun dream: Me and my friends were attending the Comicon premiere of the Leverage Live Stunt Spectacular. You know, like one of those stunt shows with water and fights and explosions they have in the big theme parks sometimes. And it was awesome. My subconscious really outdid itself. There was Elliot getting tossed out a window, Hardison getting chased while trying to type on his laptop at the same time, Nate trying to coordinate everybody and a very unhappy Sophie got splashed when Elliot tossed two thugs into the water. Don't ask why there was water, I don't know. And of course there was explosions. This is Leverage we're talking about. Anyway, not really a question, except maybe... If there was a Leverage Stunt Spectacular show, which theme park would it be at?
Far from it! Off the top of my head, the Underground Job referenced The Gone Fishin' Job ("for morale!"), The Gone Fishin' Job referenced the Top Hat Job (the molasses was branded Lillian Foods) and the Nigerian Job (Hardison has a tell).. I'm sure if I considered it for longer I could come up with more examples.
Is the scene with Nate trying to talk to Sophie before the auction a call back to the Wedding Job when Nate was trying to find out about the job and she thought he was talking about their relationship?
Ha! I thought so too. Hey, maybe Sophie wanted to discuss their relationship this time as well. She asked where he's at to know if he deserves to know more about her. If he started to talk about his feelings for her, then she'd answer his question about her duchess persona but he was all business-y so she decided to be as well.
Hardison's "You two need to have a conversation and figure it out"...priceless.
Just was able to watch the episode recently to discover that OH MY GOD, Shanga Parker, my Drama 252 professor up here at the University of Washington played the immigration advocate. Also, apparently an old classmate will be on in a few weeks. Do you purposely cast out of Seattle or is that something just just kind of happens?
Do you purposely cast out of Seattle or is that something just just kind of happens? That happens regularly. There are periodic casting calls in Seattle for specific roles. In fact, a sketch comedy buddy was in the same episode (arresting the mark at the end) and another friend was cast in the Runway Job last season as one of the factory workers.
Out of curiosity since you've been talking about how many pages Leverage scripts usually have. I've read that the season finale is huge. How many pages does the San Lorenzo Job then have?
@ Odie: kind of got the impression that maybe Sophie, her "Auntie", and William were on stage together at some point. People who are in plays together often develop a strange sort of 'family' vibe and become close very quickly. Auntie doesn't necessarily imply that they are blood relatives to me.
I really really really like this idea! Now I'm wondering if the little anecdote that Sophie & her "Auntie" share with Keller is actually dialog from one of their plays.
About the little conversation Keller had with the Countess about Charlotte's royal scandal: was this part of a planned blow-off that Sophie set up with her Auntie, or was this a wrench in the works?
@ Odie: kind of got the impression that maybe Sophie, her "Auntie", and William were on stage together at some point. People who are in plays together often develop a strange sort of 'family' vibe and become close very quickly. Auntie doesn't necessarily imply that they are blood relatives to me.
I really really really like this idea! Now I'm wondering if the little anecdote that Sophie & her "Auntie" share with Keller is actually dialog from one of their plays.
I like this idea but Sophie seemed genuinely upset, sad when she said she misses William...
@SueN: The Italian possibly being Moreau, if that were true, then why would The Italian strongarm the team into taking down herself?
As a kind of security audit. If they fail, you win. If they succeed, you at least know it's coming and can possibly intervene.
Not the likeliest of reasons, I admit.
@Shawne: Loved Sophie looking at Parker, the auctioneer, with pride.
I've noticed this lately, in the scenes where Parker chimes in at the briefings, everyone else looks at her like "What was that?" and Sophie just looks pleased as punch.
1) I know you wont give a straight answer to this but... Was Sophie is a similar situation as the little girl when she was young, or is it just her empathy? 2)Does the team know that their lives are under threat from The Italian aswel as Nate's freedom, cause When she is arguing with Nate in the bar, she only mentions the "Returning to prison, or worse" 3)Steal a corpse AGAIN? What's this about? I must say you writers never cease to amuse us with Parker. 4)Is Sophie a princess? Descendant to Kathryn? (again i know im not gunna get a straight answer, but a hint at least?) 5)So Sophie has been grifting for a long time, we definitely know 10 years (Nate story) and 7 years befor in London, With William (who?) anything else going to be revealed in the next 4 episodes ish? 6)Is that a name on Sophie's name tag I see? Lastly: Thankyou for keeping the rest of the team in the story so well, i loved their little comic arcs, Sophie's my favourite, however i love the rest of the team too. Awesome moments: I HACKED HISTORY,Parker+ Lock,Elliot the Dumb American, and Deepest Desire= Chloroform. Incidentally, has Parker stole everything, ever? Loved the eppy, my favourite of the season! Thankyou :D
Not really an episode centric question (though I enjoyed it muchly!), but I've been wondering... What race and class does Hardison play in World of Warcraft? I've been picturing him as an Orc Warrior (which basically makes him Eliot). How far off am I?
"Correct, but it still wouldn't make Sophie a royal, just a peer."
Quite. I'm sorry that the lack of a paragraph break between my emoticon and the rest of my post evidently made a nonsense of my comment. My intended point was about Burke's Peerage: I was following on from what a previous anon poster had said about it, having first acknowledged their comment re royalty vs peerage.
@ChelseaNH, Not the likeliest of reasons, I admit.
It does strain credulity. According to The Italian, no law enforcement/intelligence agency in the world has managed to topple Moreau, mainly because he's got people in their ranks on his payroll. It seems unlikely he would consider a team of grifters and thieves a better test of his security than, say, Mossad. ;)
In context, it's very clear that she's asking about the con, as she's diverting from the personal issues.
If that is true then can I say that I don't get why the writers made Sophie so closed-off towards Nate this season, it doesn't make sense at all. Every time Nate brings up something personal to talk about she shuts him down. So unlike Sophie, she's always been the one who wanted Nate to talk more. I don't get this and I miss some really good scenes between them this season, alone, talking, craving for some good dialogue about their personal issues. Waiting, waiting, waiting and it never happens. Just when I think it will, once again doesn't. Will you ever make them talk again?
TayaR - Awesome question! I was actually picturing him as more of an undead priest or lock. (or truthfully, whichever class is considered OP at the moment.)
I also kinda see him running around Mohawking all of the warriors, saying "Take that, E!"
This really has nothing to do with this episode. SORRY, JOHN. Just reading the post-game for the Gone Fishin' Job and was curious. Since we spoke of guns. I know Nate has a gun, since he got scary close to blowing his father's face off, and I know that Parker has a gun, since she brought it to be sad in her special angry place. And I think Sophie probably has a gun, since she shot Nate in Paris seven years ago.... although I suppose it was almost ten years ago now... whatever. So my question is really..... Am I right about them having guns, and do Eliot (which I doubt) and Hardison (which, all things considered, kind of scares me) have guns? Also, this is brought on by the loveliness of Hurricane Earl making the trees behind my house bend a little bit. Is there ANY PLAUSIBLE WAY that the team could..... steal a hurricane or tornado? Because that might be the most amazing con EVER. I won't bother to ask if Sophie's a duchess. I'll just throw in my two sense that her throwaway 'That's my stage name.' If so, Auntie is someone who has conned with Sophie before, and Charlotte is NOT her real name, which, all things considered, I like, because she looks so much more like an 'Amanda' to me, though my partner in crime and I have a great hope that her name is Anna. Anyway. I'm going to end this ramble, except to say that you should fly me out and let me be an extra because if I have my way, you'll see me in Hollywood one day anyway. Much love for you, the cast, Dean, and all that jazz. <3
Does Sophie's "Royal Scandal" have anything to do with 'Princess Magda of Slovenia' from the Stork Job?
Somehow, in my head I have her using William and Auntie to con her way in as a royal heir to another country...does it actually involve British royalty?
@ Macie: "do Eliot (which I doubt) and Hardison (which, all things considered, kind of scares me) have guns?"
No and yes. In the Pilot we saw Hardison holding a gun on a supremely unimpressed Eliot, and Eliot stated aloud that he doesn't like guns (and therefore does not carry one).
@Anon… (1:29 am)…if the team fails, didn't the Italian say Nate would go to an Italian jail AND (vaguely allude to) the rest of the team would be killed? (I definitely remember her threatening the team to Nate, and he got very defensive). If I'm correct, it doesn't seem the team is aware of that part of the Italian's threat, or do they?
The team IS aware of that threat. Nate related all of it to the team in flashbacks to his discussion with the Italian that included: The ‘Italian’ telling Nate if he wasn’t successful in getting Moreau in 6 months, he would find himself in “a prison in Rome with thick walls, 1,000 years old & we still use chains for such a bad man”. He asks about his team & she DID allude to them meeting their demise, saying, “They lead dangerous lives. Thieves die all the time”. Basically if they were found dead, no one would question it. And, yes, Nate was mad about the threat. When Nate relayed this all to his team, Sophie’s response was, “She’s blackmailing us?” Nate hemmed & hawed kind of saying ‘Yeah’ then I think Parker said something like ‘Sucks to be on the wrong side of that!’
To @ChelseaNH…Thanks! Don’t know HOW I forgot Mary Poppins. Only *possible* excuse: it was 4:30 am in St. Louis when posted & I was headed to bed.
QUESTION: In Second David, Sterling was asking the assistant following him all the countries where each team member was wanted. For Sophie, the guy said, "England, France, Spain, Luxembourg… Europe, basically". Is Sophie wanted in all these countries as 'Sophie Devereaux' or by other names too? If by other aliases too, did Hardison give her ANOTHER identity for the trip back home & through customs?
Absolutely loved this episode too. Just when you think Gina can't get much better, she comes along with a brilliant performance like this one & just blows you away again. This entire cast is phenomenal!
@Hal…I loved the Larry Duberman reference... is that the first time Leverage has referenced itself?
MANY TIMES!!! Here’s a few examples but there’s LOTS more. Sometimes you have to LOOK for the references because they’ll: A) be on a computer screen – in Jailhouse Job, when Eliot was in the room w/Nate (w/dentist drill) he showed Nate the mark’s background info on the computer. Adam Worth, the corrupt Warden, was listed as the ‘Father to Dalton Rand’ (the fake psychic in Future Job) ; B) or on a box - the ‘Lillian Food’s’ company in Top Hat Job was the same company printed on the Molasses boxes in Gone Fishin’ Job; & C) on a poster Sophie walked past - Emily Weston was running for Atty General in Jailhouse Job, then she showed up at the party in Reunion Job; NOT SURE if these last 2 really fall under that same category, but - D) mentioned by a character then referred to in flashback – In Second David Job, Sterling said Hardison was wanted in Iceland then in the Reunion Job, Hardison’s flashback to his teen years had him hacking into a computer system & saying Iceland would pay for his Nana’s medical expenses (This is DOPE!); & E) when Eliot was preparing food for 200 in Wedding Job, he asked if Nate thought his only skill was hitting people & mentioned he took Home Ec in school. Eliot’s flashback in Reunion showed why he REALLY took Home Ec.
And, these are not really ‘referencing itself’ but REPEAT incidents we love that add to the continuity of the series: a) Rock, paper, scissors (Snow Job/Gone Fishin’); b)Eliot's ’very distinctive …’ line(Homecoming Job/Top Hat Job/King George Job); c) Sophie using Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) (Stork Job/Reunion Job/King George), d) Parker smelling things (too many episodes to mention); etc.
This season is the first season where you basically have a "whole" Sophie & a "whole" Nate.
Pre-Show, they had a sexy sexy, cop and robber flirtation game going, but she was a crook, and he was married.
First season, he was revenge driven and she was still fantasy crook, but her illusion of him as fantasy cop break away.
2nd season Sophie's illusion of herself as fantasy crook breaks, and she goes off to find herself..meanwhile, Nate finishes his self destruction.
3rd season, they're to some extent new people, feeling each other out. And, i think, Sophie resents that she returned from finding herself, but Nate wasn't fixed yet. He still had to go off and find himself (in Prison), and she's resentful, as he was of her when she left.
Since Griffin Dunne is guest starring on White Collar this week, could we maybe see a Leverage/White Collar crossover episode?
So Sophie can say "Uh..Neal...you didn't invent that con...we've been using it for years...and, seriously?, you take a whole episode to pull it off? We knock that out before the first commercial break."
281 comments:
1 – 200 of 281 Newer› Newest»No comment, just a BIG WET KISS for getting James Frain on Leverage.
Hopefully someone can answer this: how do they justify holding a minor for an indeterminate amount of time, especially one who has refugee status? Is it possible because she doesn't have US citizenship? What rights do her parents have? It just seems so wrong to me, even if the law hasn't adapted to this sort of crime.
Okay, someone is either over or underdressed. They come out of the auction house and Eliot has a hat, leather jacket, shirt and beater T-shirt - Hardison is in a beater T-shirt (which looked FINE!). Someone is either way over dressed or Hardison is going to catch a sniffle!
Was Parker licking the statue a shout out to the Doctor's oral fixation?
Since Griffin Dunne is guest starring on White Collar this week, could we maybe see a Leverage/White Collar crossover episode?
Did...did Hardison have an iPad in that last scene?
Gina Bellman did a lovely job in this episode. I really enjoy watching Sophie run a con.
Good episode. 1)TNT is labeling the next ep as being the season finale. I thought that was in December? 2) Was the Duberman encription Hardison mentioned in reference to Nate's cover in The Reunion Job?
Eliot seems to be layered up a lot....I wonder if it's to disguise if he's wearing padding for fights/stunts? And, since being layered sometimes and not others would be a tipoff, they just dress him that way in continuity. I could be way off though....
And Hardison did look mighty fine in the beater...
@jarodrussell: I scared my dog when I yelled "an iPad?!!!?" So, I saw the same thing you did.
I love how Eliot turns his moment of gauging just how to most efficiently kick the asses of the "former British paratroopers" into a semblance of good ol' aw-shucks Southern boy freak-out.
Damn that boy has some serious charm.
I'm also curious to hear the backstory about the little girl. I love how you show us the research that went into the episodes - while it makes me a little depressed to see just how effed up people can actually be, it's interesting to see how it's not just another completely fictional tv show.
Faves:
Hardison: "I HACKED HISTORY!" I half-expected him to go all wonky-eyed, a la Three Days of the Hunter.
Parker as the auctioneer - PRICELESS. "Oh no, it's a fake."
No other questions come to mind at this point, although I'm still not entirely sure *what* we learned about Sophie. Her name isn't Charlotte, but she obviously put a *lot* of work into the Duchess persona... curiouser and curiouser.
@Jarrod. Yes, he had an iPad..suck it, flash lover!
I do have a question, now that I think about it... Is the "Countess of Kensington" actually the title-holder? And is she actually Sophie/Charlotte's aunt?
I'm a bit confused (to put it lightly). I'm too impatient to wait for the re-airing so I'll go ahead and ask now in the hopes of some assistance.
Was that Sophie's real "aunt"? Is Sophie really a Duchess? And if so, why would her aunt call her by her stage name instead of her real name? Also, wouldn't the team react a bit more...well, just react in general to Sophie actually being royalty?
The whole conversation between the two women, including the bit about her leaving and someone she loved dying of a broken heart happened like a drive-by and nothing had time to soak in before it went to the next scene, so if someone could fill me in, that'd be fantastic.
Amazing episode.
But, Charlotte's NOT her real name?! It's her "stage name"?! I'm so confused as to what exactly was revealed by Countess Kensington. Is it that Sophie married into this royal family by marrying this William? Does that mean she really is the 18th Dutchess of Hanover? But why would Countess Kensington call her by her stage name and not her real name? Is it that Sophie married William under the fake name Charlotte Prentiss?
(Sorry for all the questions - I love Sophie and I'm dying to know all about her history and what her real name is!)
Unfortunately, I think all the questions we have about just what was revealed about Sophie won't be answered, at least not directly....I think a lot of that was left a bit ambiguous on purpose.
Was the statue of Ra in any way a small nod to Stargate? Cause that's what came to my mind when I saw it.
Great episode.
And thank you for even more Eliot and children....is it strange to think Eliot would make a good dad?
Imagine when it comes time for his daughter to date.....those boys will be sufficiently put on notice not to mess with Eliot's little girl.
There were a lot of really fantastic moments this episode, particularly auctioneer!Parker. My big question, though, is what prompted the decision to start the episode in media res? Was it just a time issue, since you had to throw in a twist and *then* set up the con? It felt very sloppy to me to do it this way--no way would they be going over the details of the job as it was in progress the way they did, and as a result I was kind of confused for a lot of the episode about what exactly their goal with Keller was (other than the nebulous goal of "getting closer to Moreau).
I suspect that Sophie pulled a long con in the past where she was a Duchess but clearly got too personally involved in it. That's just my guess, though. Intriguing glimpse into Sophie's background. I did not see the "auntie" thing coming at all when the older woman walked in. Nice job there.
I also liked Eliot's belt prop fight - I love it when you guys do prop fights! (the magic box in the elevator also comes to mind.) I think the "Eliot has a soft spot for kids" thing was too much, though. It's been established. Going back to it threatens to get cheesy.
Questions:
When you guys do prop fights, is there an intentional nod to Jackie Chan there (or anyone else)? How much are the prop fights written into the script vs. developed during rehearsal/shooting?
Also, since Keller works for Moreau and will be able to relate how he got pinched and by whom, does that mean that Sophie will be essentially forced to reprise her Charlotte persona in the finale?
Just a quick note to say that the sheer amount of gameable awesome that has been on screen in this season, especially the last few episodes, is tremendous. Hacking history? Priceless. Grabbing a belt and taking down British paratroopers with it? Classic. Parker's sad love letter to the vault? Adorable.
Aldis in a wifebeater the whole episode? Where can I send Nadine a Thank You card?
I really enjoyed the Sophie-centric episode. She looked incredibly gorgeous tonight and pairing her up with James Frain was pure genius. Kudos.
Great bit with Parker as the auctioneer and Eliot had some really funny bits tonight (loved him in the Pilot's uniform).
I think the Countess was not Sophie's bio aunt but an aunt by...marriage? So does that mean that Sophie is a real Duchess and not a 'princess'? (BTW loved Parker asking if Sophie was a princess) Or as real as you can be having used a false name.
Heard Parker say that she had once stolen the elephant statue but after hearing her as an auctioneer I have to wonder how many other things up for auction she has stolen at one point or another.
And is there anything Hardison can't do once he's been challenged? Loved his "I hacked history"
Ahh, okay. So maybe Sophie developed the Charlotte persona and got together with this William person and became a Duchess (maybe to steal some precious jewels or other artifacts), which of course explains how the Countess would know her.
But something made her run; I'm guessing it had to do with getting too emotionally involved, like someone else said. From how she reacted she apparently loved the dude and the fact that he died as a result of a "broken heart" from her leaving still resonates in her and now the beginning of the episode makes more sense to me now that I think about it.
I mean, the little girl in the beginning was affected by the actions of art thieves/smugglers, just like William was detrimentally affected as a result of Sophie's actions and that's probably what led to her drinking/brooding in the bar as the memories surfaced back up of how she used William to get what she wanted (presumably art) and it eats away at her that he died from drinking himself to death because of her (although the "aunt" might have been overexaggerating)...
...unless I'm just stretching. I think I'll stop my rambling now, woops.
Absolutely loved this one.
I loved how Sophie pulled on her name-disc necklace when she denied that Charlotte was her real name. I wonder if Nate will pick up on that . . .
The aunt was interesting. . . it sounded to me from the blue ribbon story as if she'd known Sophie from childhood. So either the aunt is calling her by a false (or perhaps middle) name to protect the family from the "royal scandal," or Sophie played a Lost Heir Job and is using "stage name" interchangeably with "alias" OR . . . is the aunt an actress, too, who knows Sophie from the stage? William doesn't need to have been a peer . . . And perhaps the story of the "royal scandal" was supposed to happen, and Eliot's fight with the ex-paratroopers was part of Sophie's plan all along?
I'm pretty sure I won't get the answer to that, since it's a Sophie Name Question, but I do have another one, since my closed caption isn't working: in the wet wipe scene, after Hardison tells Eliot, "You've touched worse!" Eliot says something as he's storming out that I can't understand, even after four replays (I'm stubborn). Can someone please help a fan out?
Sophie as an actual royal member, any chance that part of her past will be brought back up more especially since it seems to involve something she seemed quite upset about - like a former husband maybe? I do like how it was mentioned that whoever it was drank himself to death practically, could this be in part why Sophie wishes so much to save Nate from a possible same fate?
Nice episode, it was quite interesting & as always - great one-liners from Parker & Hardison. :) I'm already dying for the DVDs & all the extra commentary information we'll learn from them as well; excellent job with this episode - it's possibly one of the best this season. :)
Is the actress playing the young girl a PDX Local? She's quite lovely.
Another fantastic ep! I loved getting some real insight into Sophie; honestly, her emotional makeup is much more interesting to me than whatever the specific details of her background turn out be. The heart vs. head speech and her conversation with her "auntie" were both absolutely killer.
Loved Eliot's aw shucks approach with the paratroopers - it was very reminiscent of his character in The Tap Out Job, actually. When he's conning actual hardasses it seems like he *really* leans on that sweet, slightly dim, totally non-threatening character. Apart from being a nice bit of consistent characterization, it's hysterical to watch, and makes the inevitable asskicking that much more awesome :)
Questions:
1) The infodump at the beginning was handled about as gracefully as possible, but was it solely a practical way to get the story rolling quickly? Or were we really supposed to get the sense that this job was rushed and they were still working out the details on the fly? It kind of makes Moreau seem like even more of a badass if our team is this off balance just trying to get to his lieutenants.
2) In how many languages is Eliot actually fluent enough to carry on a conversation?
2a) Kane has said he has some trouble kicking his accent when you guys have Eliot speak other languages, but other than that how easily (or not) does he pick up the actual dialogue?
3) Flustered Hardison is always fantastic, but I'm not sure why he didn't think himself as a forger even in the most general sense - he has generated plenty of fake IDs/documents/costumes and such, and we know he has some artistic talent (the statue in the Miracle Job, for instance, and hell, yes, Old Nate counts!). Is there simply a clear, bright line in the criminal world between basic forging skills and Being A Forger, or was it another example of Hardison losing his cool a little under pressure?
Had to catch it on the re-air. No questions so far but do have a comment in passing.
It's nice to know that Sophie can actually show remorse.
Hee! Statue of Ra.
He smelled it? Wha?
I know you had Sterling say, "You're nicked," in the maltese falcon job, but i really thought it would have worked if the airport security guy had said, "You're nicked Mr. Keller." Sorry, just discovered Ashes to Ashes. Anyways, is the fact that Keller was having a meeting in Boston significant to the overlapping storyline? As for Duberman, I figured that had something to do with it as well. I thought the Italian was gonna show up again, maybe be the person on the motorcycle who Eliot nearly ran into.
@ Sarah W - He said "I'm going out for some baba ghanoush"
after Hardison tells Eliot, "You've touched worse!" Eliot says something as he's storming out that I can't understand, even after four replays (I'm stubborn). Can someone please help a fan out?
He says, "I'm going out for baba ganoush!" which I found absurdly funny. Most guys would've gone out for a beer!
I loved Hardison calling Eliot "E". And Parker talking about having stolen a corpse before - there must a story there! Was it a mummy? Is "The Mummy's Tiara" seriously a real con? Because, I don't think mummies wore tiaras, really.
Excellent episode. And Hardison looked fantastic in that sleeveless shirt!
1 Could/did Eliot actually fly that plane?
2 Is there any chance that somehow, The Italian IS Moreau? They always refer to Moreau as a guy,but do they know (s)he's male or are they just assuming based on the name?
3 Why aren't we seeing more of Sterling?
Anyone else been having a problem with TNT loosing video, but not audio, for segments?
@Video Beagle, I worry about Hardison sometimes. Using an i-Whatever to hack is quickly approaching Timothy McGee levels of Television Hacker. Now, mind you, I don't have a problem with people comparing Leverage's technological prowess to NCIS...do you?
@zenkitty: He says, "I'm going out for baba ganoush!" which I found absurdly funny. Most guys would've gone out for a beer!
Yes, but the beer isn't be sold by the cute vegan he mentioned meeting earlier.
First of all, i LOVED this weeks episode. We really got to see a new side to Sophie which i really loved because she's really growing as a character.
So now to the questions...
1) What was Sophie's Scandal? Who was William? why do you tease us soo much? :)
2) I'm probably not the only that has asked this before but i noticed that Eliot & kids are going hand in hand lately. Is there a reason why? I see that he has a weak spot for them. Does that have to do with his backstory?
3)When you write for Leverage, as one of the 5 or the baddie of the week, what inspires you?
Also, before i forget. I wanted to thank you for doing this. It's really great that you take time out to do this :)
@Jarrod: I don't watch NCIS. When a law show doesn't understand you can't get an admissible confession by threatening to throw someone off a plane, it tells me that it's not a show worth watching.
Hardison is showing you that all your fears about not being able to do stuff on an iPad is all BS put out by flash using rim lovers.
@Video Beagle, so tell me, where does he plug the USB drives into his iPad when he needs to load hacking apps on to them for Eliot? Hmmmm? No, no, no...an iPad makes no sense at all. Madness! Madness, I tell you! *dons aluminum foil hat*
@Lissie: Elliot is Batman. He's suffered a loss of innocence (the whole 100 miles down the road). He now tries to keep others...children, the symbol of innocence, from suffering the same.
Another excellent episode. Gina Bellman was superb.
Nice call back to the Reunion Job.
Was the camera a little shaky in the opening couple shots before the airport, or am I losing it?
@Jarrod. There are a series of fart programs in the iTunes store that Hardison wrote.
Each one has a coded way it to access his secret programs he's hidden there.
@Video Beagle, so...
"Hardison, open the door. Open the door!"
"Well, I would, I would love to, nothing in the would please me more, but...I can't. There. I said."
"You can't? YOU CAN'T?! Dammit, Hardison!"
"Hey, hey, hey, don't blame me. Not my fault. I'm waiting for my app to be approved. You know what. It's a very distinctive wait."
This qualifies as hurt-comfort slash...doesn't it?
Excellent look into Sophie's life, and I love the little lead in to next week. But please tell me that Dead Parker seen in the preview was either a con or a dream, because I don't want to lose Parker.
Oh, and I drove my family nuts with this one, pointing out artwork.
"Klimt!"
"The Lictors Bring to Brutus the Bodies of his Sons."
That one is very interesting because it's useful when trying to convince someone the Ninth Doctor is real.
Take a look.
That was a fun episode - it went by super quick!
Aldis needs to stop working out, because he's starting to make Eliot look really tiny.
That said, my favorite moment was Hardison giving out that Whoop! when he heard the bad guy declare his forgery real.
I believe it was last week that you mentioned in the replies to our comments that Eliot is trying to NOT kill people anymore. I think we all knew this, but now that you've said it, explicitly, I really did look at his fight this week with different eyes. It would have been so easy for him to simply shoot those ex-paratroopers-with-their-very-distinctive-haircuts and much more difficult for him to knock out each of them with their own leather belts. Oddly, it seems that there's another level of honor to Eliot's methods, separate from that of the teams' to help these victims. For example, as a member of the team, Hardison has become a better forger, while Eliot's become a better man. It's a fascinating contrast.
I have one question for you about this episode - and it's nothing about the characters or plot. In the scene where Sophie and Nate meet with the little girl's advocate, there is a brass sculpture with a pendulum high above them. WHAT IS THAT? And, was that something you found on location or was that a set piece created for this episode? It was just so cool looking!
Thanks again for a great ep.
This qualifies as hurt-comfort slash...doesn't it?
You guys are really pushing for staff jobs, aren't you? (And putting out a pretty good resume, too...)
@gwangung: We'll be here all week! Tip your waitress!
This episode.. just WOW! My head is spinning. Love the costumes, accents, & undercover characters! The little girl was pretty cute. The cars used were SWEET!! Nice cliffhanger at the end.
What language was CK/Eliot speaking?
What locations were used? I think I recognized a parking lot on Broadway.
Soooo many loveable moments, I can't believe one episode can have so many. Only one multi-part question, though.
You've mentioned previously that the talent in Portland has been amazing.
1. Were Sophie's aunt, the paratrooper thugs and the English bobby at the storage unit local?
2. Were any/all of them natively British, or just able to fake the accent?
Fabulous episode, as usual, and so much fun.
Kyra Sedgwick won an Emmy for the Closer...so at least the Emmy's know TNT exists...
Another nice episode, thanks! Just as I was thinking we weren't getting any real Parker moments this time, she delivered the killer Auctioneer scene - hilarious. No wonder guys are willing to pay 280 grand to get close to her =D
Great hints a Sophie backstory too. Got us all guessing...
It does seem that some of these cons are getting pretty close for them - Keller isn't a man you pull a fast con on. Those paratroopers could have put a bullet in Eliot's skull and then dug for the key, for instance... So they're definitely living on the edge, after nearly losing the coal mine, being double-crossed by Nathan's dad, nearly getting shot by the car thieves and the redneck militia...
Eliot and the little girl is possibly the most adorable thing I have seen in quite some time. He has a very good rapport with children, which we've seen before - is that for a specific reason, backstory-wise, or is it just a facet of his character? Also, James Frain was awesome! And thank you very, very much for putting Hardison in the wifebeater.
(repost with correct spelling)
is Sophie kind of forgetting something? she mentions Nate being over invested on the Moreau thing, but didn't they find out in the pilot that their lives are also in danger?
Ho-lee shit, the Reed chapel. We did a shoot for my magazine on the Reed campus, and they're wonderful to work with, but it ran into a bit of money for us, and we were just doing still shots. Hope they treated you as well as they treated us.
Beautiful campus, isn't it? All the external shots had me and my household yelling "Hey! I've been drunk there!"
Great fun! Loved it! Thank you! How come Nate didn't hypnotize the Keller body guard so that he wouldn't beat him up, or use that mind control thing like he did on the goons in Studio Job? Maybe he can't control British minds?
I noticed a lot of Australian sounding accents towards the end of the episode. I guess Sophie was right last week.
So did we just learn why Parker smells everything (and everyone)? I loved the first time the bad guy smelled the art. It was like an epiphany. Maybe Parker's not as crazy as we thought...maybe it's just typical Parker overgeneralization. What I mean is, perhaps she learned a helpful skill for thievery at some point long ago and then overgeneralized it and now uses it in all sorts of situations even when smelling doesn't really tell her anything helpful. Wait. Or does it...hmm...
Fun episode which left me with lots of backstory questions. That's a good thing.
Also, to answer an earlier question, I think Eliot and the little girl were speaking Arabic. My Arabic is super rusty, but I think that's what it was.
I am writing my dissertation in London on looting antiquities so this episode was just WOW. Thank you, thank you, thank you. (Just so everyone knows I have an Itunes Season Pass which they honor no matter where I am at).
The flower story she shared with Auntie indicates Auntie knew her as a child, so she can't have married into the family.
My own guess is that Sophie is of the Nobility, and she is like wossname, Lady Christine I think? from Planet of the Dead in Doctor Who; rich and bored, so she takes up a life of crime. And William was either the man she was supposed to marry before she struck off on her own, or possibly her father.
And maybe Auntie called her Charlotte because she's subtly indicating she no longer thinks of Sophie as the girl she was when she was growing up.
As an incredibly pedantic Brit I have to say good job on the detailed street scenes (with the road markings, background signs etc) - the only issue I have is the blue bar across the Underground roundel which should really have had "UndergrounD" in it. But that's the Tube geek in me, I doubt anyone else would scrutinise it that much!
Also, it's good to see the Whedon trick of using British slang to get naughty words past the censors is still in use too.
"...distinctive haircuts" - I call nonsense. One military haircut is fairly the same as the rest [excepting the serious high & tights, and even then you can get those regardless of unit/branch of service.]
And big Q, how did taking down the bad guy free the girl? How'd they show & prove the connect to Customs?
Great job all and great story Christine Boylan! Now you've opened the door to the candy store about Sophie, but we didn't get to go inside. :( I have more questions than answers. It was nice to see how politically connected she was and I hope to get my questions answered in future episodes.
PS We have always thought of Sophie as royalty...
Thank you!
The episode was so fantastic. This Sophie fan has been waiting and it was well worth it. My friend and I sat open-mouthed and stunned from beginning to the end.
Gina was brilliant. I think everyone did a fine job, but I love the way she handled this episode.
Kudos and thank you and all of that.
I'm of the opinion that "Auntie" is another grifter, probably someone who either taught Sophie or at least helped Sophie create her alias. The "scandel" was planned, part of the blow-off. Keller having his men try to steal the goods was unforeseen.
My question isn't episode specific, although it does apply to this episode; Any regrets on casting choices for the guest stars, knowing that you're likely only going to be able to work with these actors once? Any actors you know you can't really bring back, even though you'd love to work with them again?
So Christian Kane really is fluent in Hebrew? Wow! And he somehow didn't look quite right in the pilot getup :(
@ Zenkitty714 - "And Parker talking about having stolen a corpse before - there must a story there!"
I thought maybe she was talking about stealing the corpse they used for the CT/MRI in "The Snow Job" in S1.
I admit I was worried about this one - US shows that go to the UK tend to either go the stereotype mockery route or are just plain bad. I should have had more faith in you and Gina, so my apologies!
I thought you did a wonderful job making Portland look like London - yes, I'd niggle at a couple of things but really, seriously, not worth mentioning. Kudos to your props/scenery/costuming departments, they deserve way more love.
Felt we didn't really learn anything about Sophie except a bunch more questions, you evil teases, you. Character-wise, though, Sophie's really grown and this episode shows her personal development is way above what it used to be. Remorse must be a very uncomfortable emotion for her but she's handling it well. And Gina, needless to say, did an outstanding job this episode. Must have been a kick for her to get to use her Brit accent for a whole episode for a change :)
As I understand it, they weren't really interested in Keller so much as where Keller sent his money, am I correct? The whole sting was just done so they could trace a large enough payment to the next person/company up the line to Moreau? Good to see that this storyline is kicking off now - has it been frustrating for you that the episodes concerning Moreau have had to be clustered so closely together?
I adore James Frain, perfect casting for this role and he and Gina together were a joy to watch.
Mmm Hardison in a beater. Mmmm. And cutest moment of the episode goes to his yell of joy at the book being declared genuine. Funniest moment goes to Parker as auctioneer - seriously thought I was going to dislocate ribs laughing at that one. Was that scripted or did Beth improvise any of the auctioneer schtick?
when I am flying somewhere, I truly cannot listen to the pre-flight info without thinking of Parker's version from "The Mile High Job". Now I won't ever view auctions the same either! She was hysterical. What was equally funny was Nate trying to keep her in check.
Eliot and Hardison with the "wet" rag was also great. Parker and Eliot with Hardion who was "losing it" (according to Eliot) was also really funny. Just another great episode!
I'm a brand new fan (started watching only a couple weeks ago and got hooked instantly) and man, was this episode amazing. I love Sophie and her scenes were amazing but it was really remarkable how everyone got a chance to shine in this ep, we got amazing moments from all the characters. :D Congratulations to everyone!
I'm Portuguese and English is not my first language so I have a small question that hopefully someone in the comments will be able to answer. What did the Countess say when she told Sophie not to look so sad? "It'll (something) your looks."? I feel a bit silly asking but I'd like to know. :P
Was the 'What's all this then?' a Python shoutout? If so, was that Harry 'Snapper' Organs himself?
@Jocelyn: "....is it strange to think Eliot would make a good dad? Imagine when it comes time for his daughter to date.....those boys will be sufficiently put on notice not to mess with Eliot's little girl. "
Are you kidding? Eliot wouldn't need to put anyone on notice. His little girl would be able to kick her date's ass all on her own, thankyouverymuch. :)
"Why aren't we seeing more of Sterling?"
Because Mark Sheppard is a busy boy who's hard to pin down. He's been showing up in everything from Chuck (filmed in L.A.) to Warehouse 13 (Toronto) to Supernatural (Vancouver), and apparently he's squeezed in a couple movies while he's at it. (Thank you, IMDB.)
My question -- Is Auntie Duchess perhaps Sophie's mentor? Her equivalent of Archie? That's the only explanation I can come up with that makes sense, unless she was lying about Charlotte not being her real name.
Regarding the question of detention without due process, the New York Times has an article about that at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/30/nyregion/30border.html?pagewanted=2&ref=general&src=me
wv: tremmu -- so scared of what's going on in this country regarding human rights that you tremble so much you can't finish the word
Also, can we please stop using the term "wifebeater." It may be just a word for you, but for many people, being a beaten wife is not just a word or an abstraction.
Thanks.
@Calla:
That pendulum you saw is not a set piece. It's at the Oregon Convention Center, where that scene was obviously shot.
A photo of it can be found here, image 10: http://www.oregoncc.org/photos/
@Robin -- I love the idea that Auntie Duchess is also from Sophie's previous long con. A "stage name" indeed.
I also like the idea of Sophie really being a minor royalty, like Lady Christina from Dr. Who.
wv: matope -- a little kid trying to say "my trope" but having trouble with the r.
The thought of going several months without any new Leverage episodes is starting to scare me, so I'm going to embrace my own 'madness of King George' and delay watching this one and the Summer finale for a few weeks, just to make the autumn a bit more bearable.
But don't be surprised if I'm back here within the day, asking questions about the episode. My will power is being sorely tested.
I found it a bit interesting that Nate pried a little bit...but not too much. It felt he was being a bit respectful of her. And, really, their conversations have been very much on the professional level this season. When are we going back (because you KNOW we're going back) to some romantic tension between the two?
Stage names are used by actresses, personas or alts are used in cons. Could running off to the stage be either the scandal or the thing that drove poor William (I'm betting he's actually Uncle William) to the broken heart? BTW, interesting tie to the loved fiercely/loss/drink/looking at Nate.
Also, does it seem that Sophie has a personal grudge against the rich?
Only one question: What is this ring that Nate is wearing since the last episode?
What's all this then?
My impression from Monty Python was that this had been the stereotypical utterance of a British policeman entering a scene for a long time before Python used it in the 1970's. This was a good shoutout -- another was when John Cleese's improbably English New Mexico sheriff used it in Silverado...
Thanks to the Leveragers for another great episode!
PS- To those who mentioned NCIS:
Any show that has Illya Kuryakin is beyond reproach.
*g*
@Red
Yes, the wifebeater is just a term for most of us, but there's really no need for the PC police to jump us about it. You see, they've already beaten us over the head about it the last couple of decades so that the definition you're reading into it is now domestic violence or spousal abuse. Therefore the term wifebeater (one word) is now free for us to use in a different capacity, and as everyone who used it intended, a t-shirt. No need to get hysterical about it as the common definition has changed...its called language shift. Perhaps you should shift your thinking instead of insisting everyone else do so. I'm pretty sure you're the only one who read anything more into the definition, except perhaps some of our foreign friends may have been thrown by a literal translation briefly, and then wisely decided it must mean something else and moved on. Great strategy actually.
@Stacy
I'm pretty sure you're the only one who read anything more into the definition [of wifebeater]...
It's an unpleasant word. I would prefer if people used "tank top" (as posters over at TWOP have been saying) or "A-shirt."
I'm pretty sure you're the only one who read anything more into the definition,
Nope.
Another enjoyable hour on the fun train. Just when you think you have something figured out another curve comes along and throws your perspective to the other side of the aisle. And the scenery's incredible everywhere you look.
As usual, thanks so much for answering the questions.
1. What is Nate's beverage of choice?
2. What was on the 'shopping' list for Hardison?
3. Does the Italian have a name?
@RobPugh
I looked at that as more of an inside joke than an actual identifier. Much like Eliot has identified people by their knife-fighting style and the sound of a gun cocking and others. It's becoming his signature skill. He can identify minuscule things that most others don't even notice.
Am I right, Mr. Rogers?
And I, for one (of many I can assume) am glad that they continually throw in small bits like that for continuity and fan-love. (It is fan-love? Yes?)
And my actual question: what was Nate DOING during the conversation with "Auntie"? It came off like they'd been there chatting for quite some time, reminiscing and all, and Nate was just sitting at a table doing nothing at all that whole time? It seemed odd and out of character for him.
Was there some part of the con happening that he was overseeing or something that wasn't shown?
Thanks again Mr. Rogers!
TWOP, one of the most policed and PC places on the internet. Thanks, but not thanks. But go ahead and be offended by petty nonsense if it pleases you.
@Stacy: But go ahead and be offended by petty nonsense if it pleases you.
We are everso grateful to have your permission to feel what we feel.
@Jen: how do they justify holding a minor for an indeterminate amount of time, especially one who has refugee status?
The same way they justify all sorts of outrageous things: If we don't let them trample our rights, the terrorists will kill us all dead. It's so much better to be safe than free, you know.
@Mandy: TNT is labeling the next ep as being the season finale. I thought that was in December?
TNT has an interesting definition of "season."
@Thomas: I'm of the opinion that "Auntie" is another grifter
That was my immediate supposition, but I'm willing to wait and see.
@mitchy: they weren't really interested in Keller so much as where Keller sent his money, am I correct? The whole sting was just done so they could trace a large enough payment to the next person/company up the line to Moreau?
They weren't originally interested in Keller, except as a link to Moreau. Then he used children to smuggle artifacts, and the team wanted him for himself (and for the link to Moreau).
I don't have cable, so I always buy the latest episode on Monday mornings. Are the numbers for people who buy the digital download from iTunes/Amazon taken into account when calculating the ratings? Thanks as always for a great show! Everyone, from the writers to the actors to the set design, really does a fantastic job.
@ChelseaNH
You're very welcome. And thank you ever so much for standing up for my right to free speech.
P.S. I liked that Hardison was given a non-hackery way to shine, and one that built upon his attention to detail and fondness for props. He started out painting his figurines, didn't he?
@Stacy: thank you ever so much for standing up for my right to free speech
I fear you give me too much credit. I'm going to wait until your right to free speech has been somehow threatened or constrained before getting all activist about it.
Awesome episode!
Sophie is my favorite so I loved this one but are we ever going to find out who was William?
I thought maybe he was her husband and "auntie" was related by marriage but I really hope we'll find out someday.
I also love the little detail that William drank himself to death, it gives some perspective on Sophie's concern about Nate's drinking.
If "auntie" was another grifter, she's pulling one SERIOUSLY long con, since Keller sought her out as royalty that could vouch for whether Sophie was legit.
The ep started with Sophie talking about the effects of their crimes and how criminals are sloppy when they start out, so I bet William was a victim of one of her early cons-when she may have been sloppy enough to do something reckless like, say, fall for and get married to a mark.
If anyone ever saw Catch Me If You Can, DiCaprio is sort of a con artist who falls for a girl and is willing to stay with her but gets busted and has to leave her. I could see something similar having happened here and William found out, but kept her secret and drank himself to death.
Which leads to my question . . .
Seems like maybe Nate might have a teensy bit interested in this William dude and the auntie? Like maybe they might have had a conversation about that? Like maybe we could have seen that conversation? Your slow burn with those two is turning positively to languishing.
Or was it just a function of not wanting to give away too much about the specifics of Sophie's past at this point? If so, when will we find out more about this William fellow?
@ChelseaNH
Well see there, I think you're nicer than you actually are. That has to be a good thing, right?
Great job all around. Question: In "RJ" Nate is and isn't wearing a ring on right hand, slight attention brought to it. In "KG" again Nate with and without ring but more intentional attention is brought to it. What's up with the ring? Is it a hint or clue to future eps? Is it Nate teasing Sophie because of her "dogtag" necklace teasing with him? Or is it a personal Tim Hutton thing? Please explain it's driving me CRAZY! Thanks
Has Nate not learned from last season that going after Federal witnesses is not a good idea? Especially when his team is telling him no and the last time they did he ended up with a bullet piercing him?
Can you shed some light on the mentality of everyone's favorite Mastermind at this point?
I have to admit, as an English person, I did cringe a bit over all the aristocracy stuff but I know it's an American show etc... and you had James Frain in it. Also, many congratulations to the set department. They did a really good job of "London".
Ugh, I did some Google searches on immigrant children being detained and now I'm depressed as all hell.
Wow. Loved that episode. Poor girly, getting detained like that.
Sophie running a con is always fun. And it was kind of neat seeing a little bit of her past, and how she let it go a little when he gave up all those treasures she'd stolen in the past.
I wonder what the 'scandal' the baddie mentioned was all about...
Can't wait to see the rest of the episodes this season! Great job and kudos all over!
When Nate instructed Parker to grab the icons, he did not know his initial con with the statue would fail, requiring the new plan. How come he told parker to take the icons?
I'm at work and don't currently have time to read the whole thread. The questions are accumulating faster than I can sneak moments to read them. However, quite a few of the early questions have centered around what the Countess of Kensington said to Sophie, wonder why she'd call Sophie by her "stage name," speculate that this means that Sophie must actually be part of the peerage, etc. I haven't gotten far yet, but I haven't noticed anyone suggest the Countess might not be legit herself. The MOMENT that I saw her I thought "old mentor/team-mate of Sophie's." It's obvious that Sophie and the Countess have history, but it doesn't necessarily follow that said history is from a theoretical "legit" part of Sophie's past. I haven't watched the episode more than once, but I think the date of when she split from "William" is after Sophie had met Nate during her criminal career.
I guessing the Countess is a grifter buddy of Sophie's who's been running the Lost Heir con so long that she's managed to insert herself into the English nobility as legit member. Maybe Sophie helped her run the con...
If "auntie" was another grifter, she's pulling one SERIOUSLY long con, since Keller sought her out as royalty that could vouch for whether Sophie was legit.
Could be that being royalty IS the con.
Has Nate not learned from last season that going after Federal witnesses is not a good idea?
Well, there is that thing about being the only lead they have...
So, the con certainly seemed to wrap up fast. I was sure we were headed into a two part episode heading into that commercial break.
Also, I am not a fan of the flashback as it was used in this episode. (Not the first example of the problem, just the first time I've bothered to whine about it.) I know the POV in Leverage is a classic unreliable narrator, but when we cut away from a scene, particularly a low key one like Nate standing around talking on the intercom, just to deny us information, it bothers me some.
If the flashback had been to Parker saying "I'm going to grab the icons too, I've got an idea", while Nate stood and nodded his head, that wouldn't have bothered me as much. Coming in late (like when Parker was planting the box in the pharmaceutical job) doesn't often bother me. But it's best when it's showing us things that we maybe could have noticed if we'd been involved enough,
You will of course now point out that Parker was carrying the icons when she met up with the rest of the team, and that Nate said "give me the statue" instead of "Give it to me" or something similar; that's based on half remembered things from the episode which I can't go back and check since I already deleted it from the DVR....
I'm sure there's no perfect way to handle it, and that everyone's tolerance is a little different. But still, the flashbacks work best when used to reveal things that were mostly hidden rather than information that was deliberately denied to us.
Two other things, not really questions.
"Is X a callout to Y?" Probably not. Some of them, sure, especially when there's thematic similarities. But statues of Ra showed up in shows before Stargate, and sometimes licking things is just a weird character trait.
As for the Countess, I don't think she's running a con. I think she ran a con that got her the title for her retirement.
Before I burst, can I please point out that having a title doesn't make one royal, just a peer of the realm, which either British actor would have known.
To be royal, one must be a member of the royal family (related to the Queen). Royals can also be peers, and most major ones are: Prince Andew is a Duke, and Prince Edward an Earl, for example.
Consequently, neither Charlotte nor Lady Christina from Doctor Who were royals at all, minor or otherwise. A quick glance to Burkes Peerage would have cleared that up.
@FC: When Nate instructed Parker to grab the icons, he did not know his initial con with the statue would fail, requiring the new plan. How come he told parker to take the icons?
Sophie saved the statue con, so the plan was still to get Keller to smuggle their artifacts into the States, and (presumably) use the disguised icons to hit him where he wasn't expecting it.
I enjoyed this one so much I instantly watched it all over again (usually I manage to wait a day).
I do have a question: was the unidentified happening in Boston that caused the shipping to be brought forward in any way related to our team?
I was a little puzzled by Sophie's comment about the baddie not using 'My Lady' as an address for a Duchess. So far as I am aware that is never an appropriate way to address a Duchess; surely it would have been enough for her to make the comment that he instantly knew the correct form of address? /Britpick
I've been thrilled to see the "distinctive" gambit making a return in the last two episodes, and also very much enjoyed Hardison in a sleeveless t-shirt. Thank you for that. Parker's blouse in the first auction house scene was also fabulous.
Another wonderful episode - thank you!
Sam
@Anonymous 1:53pm
"Consequently, neither Charlotte nor Lady Christina from Doctor Who were royals at all, minor or otherwise. A quick glance to Burkes Peerage would have cleared that up."
:) When Sophie said how it had taken her six years to establish the Duchess persona I did wonder how she'd managed to get around Burke's Peerage, given that Hardison wasn't around then to hack history. It wasn't until we met the Countess that the blindingly obvious solution dawned upon me that she could have married into the peerage. My excuse for such slowness is that I was distracted by Hardison's t-shirt, Parker's blouse, and how disturbingly well Eliot rocked the slightly scruffy pilot look.
Sam
Couple of bits that somewhat derailed the fun train for me.
What did Nate say to the little girl's pseudo-guardians at Logan that got them to trust them? "Hi, do you have a minute? I happen to run a crew of worldclass scammers that steal from the rich and give to the poor, and we'd like to try to fix things with respect to your ward there"? When they parted at Logan, it certainly seemed like the guardian believed these strangers had at least a small chance of expediting the girl's trip through the legal system.
Parker as auctioneer. Of course she was hysterical...but how/why was she the auctioneer? It'd seem easier to sneak in Hardison's book backstage rather than through the auctioneer...and didn't anyone at the old school auction house, which has probably been using the same auctioneers for decades, realize they'd never seen their auctioneer before?
Sort of the same thing with Hardison the TSA/Customs agent. Not clear why he needed to be in that position, nor how he could be sure that Keller would use his station, as opposed to the 10s of others which'd be open when a flight arrives from London...
Loved it, although not one of my favorites, especially the part with Sophie sulking in the bar. Only one question: what color were those pens next to Hardison in the beginning? They were so pretty ^-^
Fabulous episode! my question (and this might betray my own latent royal fetish-ry): was there ever a draft when the King George ring was as aspect of forging documents for the lost barony? I love Sophie's dismissal of it, and Keller's heart's desire - Way to stick a pin right through her own history of grifting her way into the peerage. To me, that speaks clearly that Sophie was *not* born into a title, and that her early mistakes weren't just about innocent smugglers but also about mistaking wealth/art and Name for happiness.
Also, thank you for adding one more "it's a very distinctive..." line to Eliot's lexicon. Hee!
In the scene where Sophie and Nate meet with the little girl's advocate, there is a brass sculpture with a pendulum high above them. WHAT IS THAT?
It's a clock. I haven't seen that particular one, but there's a very similar one in Columbus, OH. Every minute, it knocks over one of the pegs standing around it.
LOVED this one. One of my absolute favorite things about this show is the progression of the characters as "good guys."
Phase One: "Hey, we can do thief stuff with a clear conscience if we do it like this!"
Phase Two: "Hey, helping people feels good!"
Phase Three: "Wow, these people are really hurting."
Phase Four: "This is the right thing to do--even if it puts me at risk."
Love Sophie really feeling the potential consequences of what she's done in the past. It makes me happier than you know.
So there wasn't much Eliot kicking ass, and not much Hardison hacking away at a computer, and not much Parker stealing stuff ninja-style... But somehow, this has quickly become one of my favorite episodes. Why is that? At any rate, one question I do have is whether the team figured out that the bad guy used more than just the one kid for his smuggling, and how they managed to get her sprung (since he didn't go down for smuggling the particular item the kid got snagged for).
Lady Cristina never made a claim to Royalty. She said she was a lady, and said she was an Aristocrat, which she could very well have been for all we know.
@Tori Angeli: The clock in the episode is a Foucault Pendulum, as is the one at COSI in Columbus. Good eye!
I like how the one at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland is suspended in the air. COSI's is on the floor.
@RevTrask Wow, you've been to COSI! Small world.
@Anonymous
[i]It wasn't until we met the Countess that the blindingly obvious solution dawned upon me that she could have married into the peerage[/i]
Correct, but it still wouldn't make Sophie a royal, just a peer. Her aunt's title is the style for the wife of a Marquis or an Earl, the two ranks below a Duke, the highest rank for a peer. Were William a Duke, and Sophie's auntie his aunt (married to the Duke's father's first or second younger brother) that would work.
A lot depends on whether the stories they shared are real, or all part of the act, and how accurate the writers intend to be. I'm thinking not terribly. She outranks the Countess, who would have waited for Sophie to acknowledge her, and she introduced herself as Charlotte Prentiss/Prentice. Her family name goes when she becomes a peer, and she would have used Charlotte Hanover.
I think it's far more likely that she, the "Countess" and the departed William are all family who ran game as fake peers. You still hear of that sort of thing happening.
To another poster: Lady Christina didn't claim to be royalty but someone here suggested she was, thus the comment.
If we're playing, I have also been to COSI, recently. (Columbus is halfway between where I live and where my brother lives, so we meet there when I have time to hang out with the niece and nephew.)
Moving on. :)
More an observation than a question - I thought it was very interesting how, in the framing of the shots in Nate's apartment when they were talking about "the archeology of crime" the portrait of Old Nate was fairly clearly in the frame in a number of shots. Nice visual reference back to their 'early days' together.
Possibly some foreshadowing of an early baddie coming back to make trouble because they made a mistake and didn't have things sewn up quite as well as they thought?
(I know it COULD be coincidence since the portrait belongs on that set, but I don't recall it ever being quite so visually noticeable in multiple shots of different characters before. It looked very much like an intentional choice to me.)
Hi, I'm new to your blog thing, and I haven't seen King George yet, so I'm sorry if this has been asked before/answered in the last episode, but will we see Agents Taggert and McSweeten again? Because Taggert and McSweeten are AWESOME. Also, is there anyway Leverage will ever get on Hulu, because for those of us without cable, TNT's loading thing is rather frustrating at times. Or maybe that's just my house's internet.
@anna, Leverage episodes are available on Amazon video on demand the morning after the cable showing.
I don't know if anyone brought this up already (I wasn't patient enough to read through all the comments), but isn't it possible that William wasn't a husband/boyfriend/whatever? I felt like that was the impression the Sophie-Countess dialogue was supposed to give, but I thought William might have been her father or brother. Someone she wasn't romantically involved with that still cared about her very much.
If I'm close, please reply. :)
@FC I personally believe that Nate told Parker to take the icons as probably about "Plan F" on the list of possible ways of catching the bad guy.
I am more along the line of the Countess being a mentor of Sophie, although the discussed possibility of the Countess actually earning the title on a long con sounds reasonable, too. I don't believe that Sophie would have been married, more than likely broken someone's heart on a con.
Awesome episode. I adore it when Sophie runs a con. Plus, jealous!Nate makes me very giggle. :) I also loved the fact that James Frain rocked it as the mark. :) Oh, and Hardison's "I hacked HISTORY!" comment was the best thing I've heard in awhile. Only a few questions:
1) What was with Christian's hats this episode? Did he injure himself or were they just playing with different ones?
2) I'm sure someone else already asked this, but was Parker's licking bit a reference to the 10th Doctor? Even the smile seemed similar...
3) Was Hardison the man on the moto that Eliot almost hit? Had it been, I can only imagine the argument that would've ensued.
Thanks! :)
OH MY GOD IT'S FRANKLIN
*trauma*
Great episode as always.
Okay know you hinted that someone had been married before. Is this what we should have taken from Sophie's and Aunties conversation? A marriage or engagement. I noticed that Nate was a little put out by the conversation like he was getting new info.
Loved Eliot in uniform. The man can pull off a suit, but I love him in his jeans and t-shirts too.
I melt everytime Eliot has a scene with children. (I'm sure it will be the same for the puppy scene you posted about for the season ender)
Was there a scene between the little girl and Eliot that was cut for time? She really seemed excited to see him in the end which made me wonder if he'd gone to check up on her.
After the "wet" rag scene I fear for Alec if Eliot ever snaps.
I keep waiting on Eliot to get revenge...The Prank War job... it's an idea. Eliot wouldn't even have to do anything Hardison would do his own self in and Eliot would just sit back and smirk.
The fight scene was great loved Eliot's little mock at the end.
So if that was a storage locker of Sophie's early jobs and the early jobs are where someone leaves the most clues about themselves and their methods, that seems like a big loose end. Did Sophie just give Moreau a big pile of artifacts to trace back when he goes looking for who took down his smuggler?
It's "The Six Degrees of Cowtown Job", wherein Nate finds the drinkin' good at Dick's, Sophie has an extremely adverse reaction to "Brushstrokes in Flight", Parker becomes addicted to the chocolatey-peanut buttery goodness of hand-dipped buckeyes, Hardison hack's Battelle (because he can), Eliot gets "Hang On, Sloopy" stuck in his head for days...and, oddly enough, it makes him cranky...and the whole team bands together to steal Jack Hanna.
-Brought to you by the Greater Columbus CVB, Fred Ricart, and Little Debbie Pumpkin Delights (in stores now!)
Hey, is "Leverage" going to do a Native American episode? Isn't it mandatory for all American TV series to do one *g*? And that's an on-topic question...in a stream of consciousness "King George = the colonies = Indians" kinda way. Kinda.
Question for anyone reading:
Since my college classes are starting up this week, I am naturally dying to read something that is NOT all about film, tv, or the broadcast industry. (Three guesses what I'm studying.)
Anyway, between Leverage and White Collar (and how awesome would that show crossover be? - but I digress) I'm kind of curious about forgery - more art than currency, but I'm flexible. I just want something that's interesting and accurate but also a good read - no really dry textbook style writing, please.
Anyone have any suggestions? (I know there were some con books suggested here on the blog in the past. I have them on my list to look at also.)
Episode related question: Given that Kane has spent a bunch of time visiting and touring the UK, how much fun did he have with the scenes about all the differences and English vs American? I've seen those sorts of conversations get pretty darn hilarious myself.
Great episode as always. I love that Sophie just takes it in stride when Parker askes to lick the statue. This was classic Parker to me. The way she loves the safe, talks to the artifacts she's stolen in the past, and the absolutely hilarious actioneer. I love Parker. Hardison also made me giggle with his happy yell in the action house and hacking history.
My theory on the Countess is that she is Sophie's aunt. Only a relative can put that look of fear on someone's face. And that Charlotte could be a family nickname that is not her real name that Sophie decided to use. (My family did that to my cousin to piss him off and it stuck.)
One thing that seemed unclear to me was the beginning at the airport. I understand they wanted to take a step up the food chain to Moreau, and they did that with the money from Hardison's book. But what were they going to do in the airport before their plans changed? It almost seemed like they were winging it.
One other thing. Do you ever just sit back and laugh at all of our theories and guesses? Maybe laugh at how far off we are, or how close we come to getting it right? Just curious.
Anyway, thanks for taking the time out of your time off to answer our questions. It is much appreciated.
Hey, I was wondering: Way back in the two horses job Sophie gets rather dreamy regarding the 'lost heir' scam and how wonderful it can be. Did you make a deliberate choice to expand on that old suggestion she may pulled this scam before or was it a lucky coincidence?
Can you please, please, _please_ stop massacring the British accent? Just get your guest actors to speak normally. There really is no need to create such ridiculous parodies. Even my American fiancee was wincing every time someone spoke and especially when it was one of the Paratroopers.
Unless of course the only Brit in the episode was Ms Bellman and everyone else was putting on one for the show. In which case you need to hire better actors.
@kris
Two books I have been meaning to get to are:
Provenance by Laney Salisbury and
The Forger's Spell by Edward Dolnick
I haven't read them yet, but these types of books are typically written like a story with a journalistic quality. Would be curious to hear other suggestions... my dissertation is finished Sept. 16 and I will need things to keep me occupied...
And when I say "better actors" I meant it with a smile on my face. Apologies for the overly critical tone.
Long-time watcher from the UK, love the show, etc. ,etc. I just have a big issue with making everyone in the UK sownd loike we're fhrom de Eeast End innit, Guv. Strike a light me old china.
Dick Van Dyke has a lot to answer for...
*grin*
@IMForeman…please tell me that Dead Parker seen in the preview was either a con or a dream, because I don't want to lose Parker.
Don’t worry, it’s part of the L-team’s con
@Lissie… why do you tease us soo much? :)
Because he can.
@Mariana…What did the Countess say when she told Sophie not to look so sad? "It'll (something) your looks."? I feel a bit silly asking but I'd like to know.
She said, “It’ll pucker your looks”.
@Ben
I know you’d like to claim Gina as one of your own, but she’s actually originally from New Zealand. Oh & please don’t knock “Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang! (even thought his accent WAS horrendous.
@Kuku4U… what color were those pens next to Hardison in the beginning? They were so pretty ^-^
It was hard to tell because he mixes his blue pens with his black pens in the same cup….like mixes them together. Sorry, couldn't resist.
@Rev Trask…PS- To those who mentioned NCIS: Any show that has Illya Kuryakin is beyond reproach.
Ahhh, yes, but ‘Illya’ sounds sooooo much better than ‘Ducky’! I do miss Napoleon Solo & Illya Kuryakin. One of the great old duos!
Dawn/StL-MO
Great episode but why can't Nate tell the difference between Ra and Horus? Horus is the one with the falcon head. It seems like a pretty huge mistake to make.
@ Anon 1:53 - To be fair, only the Americans called Sophie 'Royal', to the best of my recollection, and they wouldn't necessarily know the difference.
I guess it wouldn't surprise me if the Countess was another grifter, but I still lean towards her being a legit Countess and Sophie married into family. It seems the most straightforward expanation . . . which of course probably means its wrong.
The conversation about "dear William" was odd, though - the Countess is talking about how one must love fiercely in order to drink oneself to death, while Sophie is staring at Nate. This sounds like romantic love, but of course, Nate was drinking himself to death over Sam's death, so I suppose the Countess could be talking about parental love there.
whilst I liked the episode quite a lot once it got past the credits, the bit before the credits seemed kinda clunky. To me, it smelled of "as you know, Bob", the old exposition-trope. I mean in no way would these guys be doing the briefing on the con unless they were completely winging it. Which it kinda didn't feel like.
Also, I second the question of how, exactly, getting some bloke arrested at some British customs is going to get a poor refugee girl out of American custody? I mean how do you even present evidence that proofs somebody is innocent if said person doesn't have a right to have their case heard or anything? Just asking.
Re Elliot and kids: Given that Mr Kane has said he modeled Elliot after B.A. Barracus .. well .. it's only fitting that kids love him, that has always been the case on the A-Team.
As for the first shots of London being accompanied by "Rule Britannia" .. weeelll .. I do have to say the best way to do this I've seen so far was in a James Bond movie .. uh .. Die Another Day (atrocious movie otherwise) where they have London Calling by The Clash in that particular scene. Much cooler.
This may be a very silly question and almost has nothing to do with the episode - but what case did Hardison have on his iPad at the end there? (I did have an Apple Fanboy moment when I saw him using it. :D)
@Anonymous (3:59)
Maybe this will help clear up the Ra/Horus issue.
Courtesy of Wikipedia: In later Egyptian dynastic times, Ra was merged with the god Horus, as Re-Horakhty ("Ra, who is Horus of the Two Horizons"). He was believed to rule in all parts of the created world the sky, the earth, and the underworld. He was associated with the falcon or hawk. When in the New Kingdom the god Amun rose to prominence he was fused with Ra as Amun-Ra.
Don't think the writers will make such a fundamental mistake about such things. Just sayin'
And to the person whose partner cringed at the "massacred" Brit-accents. I'm not from Britain, but to my knowledge, there are many different "types" (for lack of a better word) of British accents. Sorta like localised accents that borders on dialects. Same thing as how some people are able to tell if a mainland Chinese is from Beijing, Shanghai or Szechuan based on his/her accent when speaking Mandarin. Maybe I'm watching too much Doc Martin or Hustle such that I'm immune to the differences, but the Brit accents on this Leverage ep sounded fine to me.
Just 'cos the show is shot in Portland doesn't mean that only Americans are selected to do support roles.
And echoing all those who gave kudos to casting James Frain. Just. yeah. Awesome choice!
All my questions have been asked already, so I'll just wait patiently for the answers =)
I just wanted to say how completely pleased I am that at this point, Christine Boylan trusts us as the viewers enough to understand what Sophie's doing with her purse in the auction scene in regards to neuro-linguistic programming. There's been so much focus on it this past year I'm starting to think there's a payoff coming in the finale when the team confronts Moreau.
From "24" to "The Closer" to "True Blood" and now here, James Frain is just too amazing. He really is.
I'm loving this recurring theme of "parents" and "mentors" this year, starting with Archie, then with Jimmy Ford, and now with the Countess. Now all we need is Hardison's Nana and someone from Eliot's past to complete the theme. Is Nana still alive? I could see Della Reese as Hardison's Nana...
Great episode! Thank you Christine!
I kind of got the impression that maybe Sophie, her "Auntie", and William were on stage together at some point. People who are in plays together often develop a strange sort of 'family' vibe and become close very quickly. Auntie doesn't necessarily imply that they are blood relatives to me.
A good read about forgery?
Well, there's the Mormon forgery murders, described in Robert Lindsey's book A Gathering of Saints. Googling "mormon forger murders" also gets several other books on the topic, though I've only read Lindsey's. This guy Hofmann successfully created "the first document printed in the Colonies" and then tried to use his talents to blackmail the LDS church with "proof" that Joseph Smith was a fraud. The basic problems of ink and paper that Hofmann faced were similar to what Hardison was just dealing with.
Regarding Sophie's past, we received a hint after 'The Beantown Bailout Job' that her native (cockney?) accent was used while attacking Nate's attacker (Farley Mowatt's gangster henchman) with a tray. ("Oi. Does your mother sew? Stitch that!") So it seems obvious (to me) that the duchess persona was indeed a con as she stated in this episode. She certainly did not revert to that accent when confronted with her "auntie."
Also, if Reed College was used for filming, was Hardison's iPad a shout-out to Apple, Inc's Steve Jobs (who is Reed's most famous dropout?)
@FC: "When Nate instructed Parker to grab the icons, he did not know his initial con with the statue would fail, requiring the new plan. How come he told parker to take the icons?"
Per season 1, Nate always has a Plan M. (Hopefully, one in which Hardison doesn't die.)
@deanangst: "Was there a scene between the little girl and Eliot that was cut for time? She really seemed excited to see him in the end which made me wonder if he'd gone to check up on her. "
I think it was more that he was one of the few people who spoke her language in an unfamiliar place. Well, and that kids just seem to love Kane. :)
As for the thugs' accents and the question of their accuracy, my guess is that they were probably hired as stunt performers with lines rather than actors to do a big fight scene. They sounded mostly okay to me, and I've generally got a pretty good ear for such things. (There's a reason I haven't seen Blood Diamond with DiCaprio's attempt at South African.)
I'm not sure how you'll play that later, Mr. Rogers, but it's like you're reading my mind- I've always imagined Sophie as part of the nobility, a royalty who turned into a fine grifter. Congrats for this! Only I have the feeling that you've left the Sophie/Nate thing aside lately. I hope we see some day Sophie in a trouble so that we watch how Nate will go for it, see some of his anger, passion, concern... Again good job, great show!
Regarding the accents, although the police sounded like they were forcing accents, as did the Countess, who fared a lot better, I think we'll find the head thug was the real deal. That accent was spot on, as in born with it spot on.
lovin it every week..got 2 questions:
1) is Sophie really a duchess? how come she has that aunt?
2) what language was Eliot using to the little girl?
God, I do love it when Sophie runs a con. Cause you learn AND you con...
Just realized that this is the first time we see Parker's expertise regarding art. We know she's really competent regarding security systems so she can get past them to the thing to be stolen but I think this ep is the first time we see her talk knowledgebly about art.
Were using the character names "Keller" and "Moreau" a nod to White Collar or just a happy accident?
@Dawn: Oh & please don’t knock “Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang! (even thought his accent WAS horrendous.
I think he refers to Mary Poppins, wherein Dick Van Dyke's accent was even horrendouser.
I loved the Larry Duberman reference... is that the first time Leverage has referenced itself?
I could be remembering wrong, but if the team fails, didn't the Italian say Nate would go to an Italian jail AND (vaguely allude to) the rest of the team would be killed? (I definitely remember her threating the team to Nate, and he got very defensive). If I'm correct, it doesn't seem the team is aware of that part of the Italian's threat, or do they?
To one of the Anonymouses (Anonymi?) waaay up yonder, who wondered about The Italian possibly being Moreau, if that were true, then why would The Italian strongarm the team into taking down herself?
On to the ep …
Oh, man, I am SO loving Sophie this season! Her interactions with the team have really blossomed. She seems to have a truly unwavering faith in Hardison's abilities, and I adore her relationship with Parker. I also love the sly, teasing thing she and Eliot have shown on occasion, and would love to see more. And Nate seems to be seeing her in a whole new light, as if he's only just now realizing the Sophie he thinks he's known all these years might just not be Sophie at all, and is more than a little intrigued by that notion.
I also love that, in this episode, she suddenly seems to be facing some of the same issues we're seeing Eliot confront, with a growing sense of regret and an understanding that there's bound to be collateral damage somewhere. (William, perhaps?) Like Eliot, she seems to be coming into her humanity, and it's not without its pain.
As for the ep itself, it was full of the usual little gems. Hardison hacking history was hilarious, as was Eliot's reaction to his "losing it." And the "Eliot fu" was top-notch. Yanking off a guy's belt to beat him *and* his buds with it may rank up there with using appetizers as a weapon. *g* And Parker as auctioneer, with her little asides, who has no problem chloroforming some poor schlub and damn near makes out with a safe …
Thanks for giving us such wonderful characters, in every sense of the word!
@VideoBeagle
Our audio cuts out once or twice every episode this season too. Usually during Eliot dialogue. Sucks!
Taking my shot at the Eliot child empathy enigma: Eliot joined organizations/actions he felt were necessary and acting in warranted manners, only to see innocent children (and others) exploited, killed, used, abused, etc. by those he initially believed "just." Therefore, he cannot tolerate abuse of children in any way, shape or form.
My only concern: Were the coppers at the end meant to be a pastiche of the beloved Met? "Wot's all this then", and the bobby helmets, etc? It seems to be stretching close to parody territory, to me...
LOVE this episode. They just get better and better, do you ever worry you'll run out of awesomesauce and we'll just have one supremely crap episode? LOL Okay, so my take on Sophie's "auntie" is that it's an aunt-in-law, and that William met Sophie while she was on the stage, either in a con or just doing her acting thing. She probly decided to use his attraction to con him and fell for him. At least that was the feeling I got, and I think that she ran because she found herself actually in love with the mark which I would imagine is like #1 on the don't do this list for grifters. I think the prize petunias story could well be from Sophie's adulthood, hell, I've done stupid stuff like that this week and I'm 25, so I don't think it necessarily means childhood. Also loved the smelling thing, I think it does inform Parker's sniffing of Maggie in season 1, that's what she does to pretty things, and that's how she understands things. And her talking to the horse statue, brilliant. Actual question: Was the licking thing Beth's or the writers' idea? and is sniffing artifacts ledger or orange box? Thanks for your time :)
I have to say I love the way Nate and Sophie's chemistry has evolved over the seasons. At first it was all History(Capital "H") and flirting. Now it seems like they're growing into a very functional couple, and this episode seems to really showcase the way they balance each other out so wonderfully. Well, and clash a bit. Maybe more than a bit sometimes. But that's couples for ya.
Anyway, my question isn't necessarily about the ep, but is kind or related: It seems like this episode is one of those chalk full of Orange Box/Ledger Drop. As a writer, was there any real-life fact that you'd have loved to stick in, but was so outrageously unbelievable that it got cut? In any ep. Oh, and do you have any books you read as palette cleansers? Sometimes when I have to get the taste of a bad choice of book out of my head I go to a particular old favorite I don't mind re-reading.
word verification: fightici -- fight right here: what Eliot does.
On re-watch, the Egyptian statue was indeed Ra. Both Horus and Ra were depicted with falcon heads, but Horus wore a red-and-white crown (symbolizing the Upper and Lower Nile) and Ra wore a sun-disk, as did the statue in question. So it WAS Ra, but really Nate would have had to see it or ask about the crown to know that.
Oh, I almost forgot this question - why did the bid have to be at least $250,000 for Hardison to track it?
Loved, loved, loved getting a Sophie-centric episode! And Hardison was hilarious. I do have a question, though: since Keller's auction purchase was a personal one, how did tracking the $$ get them closer to Moreau? I imagine Moreau would take a dim view of employees using company funds to buy trinkets.
Sophie is my favorite so I enjoyed this ep very much. Questions: When, in which episode, do we get answers to all the questions created in this episode about Sophie? Did Sophie leave William, started traveling the world, (in case this was her boyfriend or a husband) because she fell for Nate and they started the chasing game about that time? I have a feeling we'll find out Sophie's real name in the season finale in December, am I right?
Was it me, or were there shades of the mentor relationship from Gigi in the Countess's "you'll pucker your looks" comment?
@zenkitty: why did the bid have to be at least $250,000 for Hardison to track it
Picture it like a chunk of ice floating in a river.
As it moves down the river, it melts and the water from the ice merges with the river water, and you can no longer tell what is Ice water and what is River Water.
If you have a bigger chunk of ice, say 250k lbs of ice, you can track it much further down the stream.
OR
Say you're hiding some chocolate, because you should be on a diet. A candy bar can be easily hid. A giant case of candy bars, however, is harder to hide, and the candy bar case shape bump in the rug is going to be more noticeable.
Somewhere between those two analogies, should be your answer :D
You know, one thing I noticed on re-watch, the little girl angle never quite felt fully developed, and if I'm honest, only about half of the victims in any season resonate meaningfully with me. The other half are con-delivery devices that I sit through with varying degrees of patience so I can get the five strutting their stuff.
Granted, I wouldn't want to see them actively hurting innocent people, but last week really drove home for me that sometimes, I'd like to just see them doing what they do without having to deal with the innocent victim bookends. Cons and heists are fun, even if they aren't done to help innocent people all the time. I suspect we'll get that with the Moreau finale, but that's only a guess.
So:
What are the chances that you may fiddle with the standard format of victim intro/con/victim wrapup more in Season 4 like you did with the Rashomon Job? Or even just mash up the standard victim ep, a la the Bank Shot Job, so you're starting mid-con?
Sophie probably was pulled a very convincing "Anastasia" with the duchess, and convinced them that she was like a long lost daughter or something. She probably couldn't do it anymore because she grew to think of them as a type of family, but decided to leave.
Is the scene with Nate trying to talk to Sophie before the auction a call back to the Wedding Job when Nate was trying to find out about the job and she thought he was talking about their relationship?
Hardison's "You two need to have a conversation and figure it out"...priceless.
Loved Sophie looking at Parker, the auctioneer, with pride. Another clever & entertaining episode. Thanks!
Okay, thought I'd share this here because this was the last ep I saw. I had a Leverage marathon with friends the other night, and last night had a very fun dream: Me and my friends were attending the Comicon premiere of the Leverage Live Stunt Spectacular. You know, like one of those stunt shows with water and fights and explosions they have in the big theme parks sometimes. And it was awesome. My subconscious really outdid itself. There was Elliot getting tossed out a window, Hardison getting chased while trying to type on his laptop at the same time, Nate trying to coordinate everybody and a very unhappy Sophie got splashed when Elliot tossed two thugs into the water. Don't ask why there was water, I don't know. And of course there was explosions. This is Leverage we're talking about. Anyway, not really a question, except maybe... If there was a Leverage Stunt Spectacular show, which theme park would it be at?
@Kate: If there was a Leverage Stunt Spectacular show, which theme park would it be at?
LeverageWorld!
@Hal Incandenza
Far from it! Off the top of my head, the Underground Job referenced The Gone Fishin' Job ("for morale!"), The Gone Fishin' Job referenced the Top Hat Job (the molasses was branded Lillian Foods) and the Nigerian Job (Hardison has a tell).. I'm sure if I considered it for longer I could come up with more examples.
Shawne said...
Is the scene with Nate trying to talk to Sophie before the auction a call back to the Wedding Job when Nate was trying to find out about the job and she thought he was talking about their relationship?
Ha! I thought so too. Hey, maybe Sophie wanted to discuss their relationship this time as well. She asked where he's at to know if he deserves to know more about her. If he started to talk about his feelings for her, then she'd answer his question about her duchess persona but he was all business-y so she decided to be as well.
Hardison's "You two need to have a conversation and figure it out"...priceless.
And ain't that the truth.
Just was able to watch the episode recently to discover that OH MY GOD, Shanga Parker, my Drama 252 professor up here at the University of Washington played the immigration advocate. Also, apparently an old classmate will be on in a few weeks. Do you purposely cast out of Seattle or is that something just just kind of happens?
Do you purposely cast out of Seattle or is that something just just kind of happens?
That happens regularly. There are periodic casting calls in Seattle for specific roles. In fact, a sketch comedy buddy was in the same episode (arresting the mark at the end) and another friend was cast in the Runway Job last season as one of the factory workers.
Sophie: "Where are we exactly on your side of things?"
Was Sophie asking Nate about their relationship or the con?
Out of curiosity since you've been talking about how many pages Leverage scripts usually have. I've read that the season finale is huge. How many pages does the San Lorenzo Job then have?
@ Odie: kind of got the impression that maybe Sophie, her "Auntie", and William were on stage together at some point. People who are in plays together often develop a strange sort of 'family' vibe and become close very quickly. Auntie doesn't necessarily imply that they are blood relatives to me.
I really really really like this idea! Now I'm wondering if the little anecdote that Sophie & her "Auntie" share with Keller is actually dialog from one of their plays.
About the little conversation Keller had with the Countess about Charlotte's royal scandal: was this part of a planned blow-off that Sophie set up with her Auntie, or was this a wrench in the works?
raputathebuta said...
@ Odie: kind of got the impression that maybe Sophie, her "Auntie", and William were on stage together at some point. People who are in plays together often develop a strange sort of 'family' vibe and become close very quickly. Auntie doesn't necessarily imply that they are blood relatives to me.
I really really really like this idea! Now I'm wondering if the little anecdote that Sophie & her "Auntie" share with Keller is actually dialog from one of their plays.
I like this idea but Sophie seemed genuinely upset, sad when she said she misses William...
@SueN: The Italian possibly being Moreau, if that were true, then why would The Italian strongarm the team into taking down herself?
As a kind of security audit. If they fail, you win. If they succeed, you at least know it's coming and can possibly intervene.
Not the likeliest of reasons, I admit.
@Shawne: Loved Sophie looking at Parker, the auctioneer, with pride.
I've noticed this lately, in the scenes where Parker chimes in at the briefings, everyone else looks at her like "What was that?" and Sophie just looks pleased as punch.
1) I know you wont give a straight answer to this but... Was Sophie is a similar situation as the little girl when she was young, or is it just her empathy?
2)Does the team know that their lives are under threat from The Italian aswel as Nate's freedom, cause When she is arguing with Nate in the bar, she only mentions the "Returning to prison, or worse"
3)Steal a corpse AGAIN? What's this about? I must say you writers never cease to amuse us with Parker.
4)Is Sophie a princess? Descendant to Kathryn? (again i know im not gunna get a straight answer, but a hint at least?)
5)So Sophie has been grifting for a long time, we definitely know 10 years (Nate story) and 7 years befor in London, With William (who?) anything else going to be revealed in the next 4 episodes ish?
6)Is that a name on Sophie's name tag I see?
Lastly:
Thankyou for keeping the rest of the team in the story so well, i loved their little comic arcs, Sophie's my favourite, however i love the rest of the team too.
Awesome moments: I HACKED HISTORY,Parker+ Lock,Elliot the Dumb American, and Deepest Desire= Chloroform. Incidentally, has Parker stole everything, ever?
Loved the eppy, my favourite of the season! Thankyou :D
Sophie: "Where are we exactly on your side of things?"
Was Sophie asking Nate about their relationship or the con?
In context, it's very clear that she's asking about the con, as she's diverting from the personal issues.
Not really an episode centric question (though I enjoyed it muchly!), but I've been wondering... What race and class does Hardison play in World of Warcraft? I've been picturing him as an Orc Warrior (which basically makes him Eliot). How far off am I?
Are we going to get "Does this rag smell like chloroform to you?" official merchandise now?
@Anonymous 6.10pm
"Correct, but it still wouldn't make Sophie a royal, just a peer."
Quite. I'm sorry that the lack of a paragraph break between my emoticon and the rest of my post evidently made a nonsense of my comment. My intended point was about Burke's Peerage: I was following on from what a previous anon poster had said about it, having first acknowledged their comment re royalty vs peerage.
@ChelseaNH, Not the likeliest of reasons, I admit.
It does strain credulity. According to The Italian, no law enforcement/intelligence agency in the world has managed to topple Moreau, mainly because he's got people in their ranks on his payroll. It seems unlikely he would consider a team of grifters and thieves a better test of his security than, say, Mossad. ;)
In context, it's very clear that she's asking about the con, as she's diverting from the personal issues.
If that is true then can I say that I don't get why the writers made Sophie so closed-off towards Nate this season, it doesn't make sense at all. Every time Nate brings up something personal to talk about she shuts him down. So unlike Sophie, she's always been the one who wanted Nate to talk more. I don't get this and I miss some really good scenes between them this season, alone, talking, craving for some good dialogue about their personal issues. Waiting, waiting, waiting and it never happens. Just when I think it will, once again doesn't. Will you ever make them talk again?
TayaR - Awesome question! I was actually picturing him as more of an undead priest or lock. (or truthfully, whichever class is considered OP at the moment.)
I also kinda see him running around Mohawking all of the warriors, saying "Take that, E!"
This really has nothing to do with this episode. SORRY, JOHN. Just reading the post-game for the Gone Fishin' Job and was curious. Since we spoke of guns. I know Nate has a gun, since he got scary close to blowing his father's face off, and I know that Parker has a gun, since she brought it to be sad in her special angry place. And I think Sophie probably has a gun, since she shot Nate in Paris seven years ago.... although I suppose it was almost ten years ago now... whatever. So my question is really.....
Am I right about them having guns, and do Eliot (which I doubt) and Hardison (which, all things considered, kind of scares me) have guns?
Also, this is brought on by the loveliness of Hurricane Earl making the trees behind my house bend a little bit. Is there ANY PLAUSIBLE WAY that the team could..... steal a hurricane or tornado? Because that might be the most amazing con EVER.
I won't bother to ask if Sophie's a duchess. I'll just throw in my two sense that her throwaway 'That's my stage name.' If so, Auntie is someone who has conned with Sophie before, and Charlotte is NOT her real name, which, all things considered, I like, because she looks so much more like an 'Amanda' to me, though my partner in crime and I have a great hope that her name is Anna.
Anyway. I'm going to end this ramble, except to say that you should fly me out and let me be an extra because if I have my way, you'll see me in Hollywood one day anyway. Much love for you, the cast, Dean, and all that jazz. <3
Does Sophie's "Royal Scandal" have anything to do with 'Princess Magda of Slovenia' from the Stork Job?
Somehow, in my head I have her using William and Auntie to con her way in as a royal heir to another country...does it actually involve British royalty?
@ Macie: "do Eliot (which I doubt) and Hardison (which, all things considered, kind of scares me) have guns?"
No and yes. In the Pilot we saw Hardison holding a gun on a supremely unimpressed Eliot, and Eliot stated aloud that he doesn't like guns (and therefore does not carry one).
@Anon… (1:29 am)…if the team fails, didn't the Italian say Nate would go to an Italian jail AND (vaguely allude to) the rest of the team would be killed? (I definitely remember her threatening the team to Nate, and he got very defensive). If I'm correct, it doesn't seem the team is aware of that part of the Italian's threat, or do they?
The team IS aware of that threat. Nate related all of it to the team in flashbacks to his discussion with the Italian that included:
The ‘Italian’ telling Nate if he wasn’t successful in getting Moreau in 6 months, he would find himself in “a prison in Rome with thick walls, 1,000 years old & we still use chains for such a bad man”. He asks about his team & she DID allude to them meeting their demise, saying, “They lead dangerous lives. Thieves die all the time”. Basically if they were found dead, no one would question it. And, yes, Nate was mad about the threat.
When Nate relayed this all to his team, Sophie’s response was, “She’s blackmailing us?” Nate hemmed & hawed kind of saying ‘Yeah’ then I think Parker said something like ‘Sucks to be on the wrong side of that!’
To @ChelseaNH…Thanks! Don’t know HOW I forgot Mary Poppins. Only *possible* excuse: it was 4:30 am in St. Louis when posted & I was headed to bed.
QUESTION: In Second David, Sterling was asking the assistant following him all the countries where each team member was wanted. For Sophie, the guy said, "England, France, Spain, Luxembourg… Europe, basically".
Is Sophie wanted in all these countries as 'Sophie Devereaux' or by other names too? If by other aliases too, did Hardison give her ANOTHER identity for the trip back home & through customs?
Absolutely loved this episode too. Just when you think Gina can't get much better, she comes along with a brilliant performance like this one & just blows you away again. This entire cast is phenomenal!
Dawn/StL-MO
@Hal…I loved the Larry Duberman reference... is that the first time Leverage has referenced itself?
MANY TIMES!!! Here’s a few examples but there’s LOTS more.
Sometimes you have to LOOK for the references because they’ll: A) be on a computer screen – in Jailhouse Job, when Eliot was in the room w/Nate (w/dentist drill) he showed Nate the mark’s background info on the computer. Adam Worth, the corrupt Warden, was listed as the ‘Father to Dalton Rand’ (the fake psychic in Future Job) ; B) or on a box - the ‘Lillian Food’s’ company in Top Hat Job was the same company printed on the Molasses boxes in Gone Fishin’ Job; & C) on a poster Sophie walked past - Emily Weston was running for Atty General in Jailhouse Job, then she showed up at the party in Reunion Job; NOT SURE if these last 2 really fall under that same category, but - D) mentioned by a character then referred to in flashback – In Second David Job, Sterling said Hardison was wanted in Iceland then in the Reunion Job, Hardison’s flashback to his teen years had him hacking into a computer system & saying Iceland would pay for his Nana’s medical expenses (This is DOPE!); & E) when Eliot was preparing food for 200 in Wedding Job, he asked if Nate thought his only skill was hitting people & mentioned he took Home Ec in school. Eliot’s flashback in Reunion showed why he REALLY took Home Ec.
And, these are not really ‘referencing itself’ but REPEAT incidents we love that add to the continuity of the series: a) Rock, paper, scissors (Snow Job/Gone Fishin’); b)Eliot's ’very distinctive …’ line(Homecoming Job/Top Hat Job/King George Job); c) Sophie using Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) (Stork Job/Reunion Job/King George), d) Parker smelling things (too many episodes to mention); etc.
Dawn/StL-MO
@anon:
This season is the first season where you basically have a "whole" Sophie & a "whole" Nate.
Pre-Show, they had a sexy sexy, cop and robber flirtation game going, but she was a crook, and he was married.
First season, he was revenge driven and she was still fantasy crook, but her illusion of him as fantasy cop break away.
2nd season Sophie's illusion of herself as fantasy crook breaks, and she goes off to find herself..meanwhile, Nate finishes his self destruction.
3rd season, they're to some extent new people, feeling each other out. And, i think, Sophie resents that she returned from finding herself, but Nate wasn't fixed yet. He still had to go off and find himself (in Prison), and she's resentful, as he was of her when she left.
Since Griffin Dunne is guest starring on White Collar this week, could we maybe see a Leverage/White Collar crossover episode?
So Sophie can say "Uh..Neal...you didn't invent that con...we've been using it for years...and, seriously?, you take a whole episode to pull it off? We knock that out before the first commercial break."
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