Season 3 I had to order from Amazon - just couldn't find it in a store (and I searched!) - sold out. Season 4, I don't know when it will be released, but to keep me sane, hopefully by April (or tomorrow - lol!)!
Question for aldis and Christian. In season 5 can we please have a con where Parker and Eliot have to be a couple. I would love to see what Hardison's reaction would be. Christian and Aldis, what do you think Hardison's reaction would be?
@JessaAnne Eliot’s Job is usually to protect and secure. To scope things out so to speak during a con. So if he were to do that, who would do Eliot’s job? His job is unique to me because no one else can do it.
I have been dying to know since "The Morning After Job" Who did the Italien call???? I've thought all along it would tied to this year's big bad or even better, Sterling!!!
@Arcie N and @ Denny I have found Target an excellent source of Leverage DVDs. I've even had to reorder a set from them because I loaned season 1 to a friend and couldn't get it back. Ah, well, at least she appreciates the show.
John, thank you and all the crew for making Leverage. Our household stops while my wife and I watch the show.
Wait. If you planned the last two scenes of the series finale out since day one then how have you been ending each season like it's your last?
For some reason, I feel like that's a bad thing. Like you've planned since the beginning to have the team part ways in some tragic bittersweet way. Whereas I imagine all of em in their 80's still running game on people (ha. delusional, I know).
Will we ever find out Sophie's real name? And some actual info about her? She doesn't seem to be as 'broken' as the rest of the team, she seems kinda normal, but then we know basically nothing about her.
Hey a quick question comes to mind, was Latimer actually in the islands? Because it would have made a great deleted scene if it turns out the team only fooled him into thinking he was there by setting him up in some run down hotel room in Flordia. Yeah it wouldn't have fooled him for long but once he'd made the call the mission was accomplished wasn't it?
Also that would explain how Nate managed to get him to the Damn so easily at the end.
By the way, great episode, wonderful to see so many bit part players pulled back for a glorious moment in the sun, loved to see Archie tazering Chaos and that Parker evidently comes by her love for electrical shock weapons honestly, so to speak.
Will we ever get to see Parker having to have more indepth interactions with her "sister" and "niece" because that would have hilarity written all over it (maybe she gets invited to some big family reunion so Leech can properly introduce her to the rest of the family and it turns out some huge inheritance scheme or whatever is going on!)
I'm gonna start with the tangent, because I'll forget it otherwise: I'm surprised the bits of Stargate in Latimer's vault didn't amplify the blast!
Ok, onto more relevant matters: I think this is my favorite finale ever. From the way they systematically took apart Latimer's life, to the way they essentially framed him for their own crimes, to Nate's solution to "The Final Problem." (Oh, yeah... I spotted the falls... probably because of what I watched immediately before Leverage).
And Nate's solution is a bit like a Doctor Who solution, if the Doctor was an utter bastard. He gave Latimer and Dubenich the chance to walk away. They all could have walked away. Their choice to scrabble for their last victim's gun is what undid them, not Nate.
Other notes: Always nice to see Maggie again. I'm glad you managed to get Kari's scenes worked around her schedule with Covert affairs. Also great to see Archie, Chaos and Quinn again.
It's odd that they felt they could trust Chaos at all, though. Archie, sure... his love for his "daughter" (an association not generally known) and a chance to play his game again made him a sure bet. And after all, he did actually train Parker.
Quinn was another obvious choice. He did nearly beat Eliot once. His ability to dish out punishment actually seemed better than Eliot's; he just wasn't as good at Eliot at taking it. And you pay him his asking fee, he should be good to go. He really had no reason to screw them. What happened in the First David Job wasn't personal.
But Chaos... he hates them. He, just last year, made an elaborate plan to make a great deal of cash and screw them at the same time. I'm surprised they wouldn't be taking the opportunity to screw them over again by selling their plans to Dubenich. Unless Hardison was monitoring his activity every second.
Fantastic episode! Leverage is the best show on television. 1) In episode 10, The Queen's Gambit Job, Nate asks Sterling to find out what he can about Latimer (I'm presuming that was his name on the piece of paper that Nate hands Sterling). What ever happened with that? Or am I completely wrong and there was another name on that piece of paper? 2) Will we see Walt Whitman Wellesley IV (David Stiers) again, since he does owe Nate a favor (The Lonely Hearts Job)?
By far, one of my all time favorite episodes.... very well played.
Questions!
1) Is this the last we'll see of any of these alliances? Because I'd hate to think this is the last we see of Cha0s or Archie, especially.
2) How close did Nate actually come to shooting either man?
3) I doubt you'll answer this, but... who fired the gun as they went over the edge? I'm not even assuming that either man is dead...
4) We saw Archie talking to Parker about Hardison... Did he, by any chance, have a talk with Hardison as well? I love to think that he took a moment to warn Hardison not to mess with her.... not that he needs the warning!
And to ALL who were involved in this episode.... molto bene! Fantastic! Brilliant! Thank you for an AMAZING episode. Can't wait to see what season five brings!
sAfter watching the end again a thought occurs to me, once he had them at the Damn, Nate didn't intend to shoot either of them did he? He just was being the biggest bastard that he could possibly be just to make it clear to both men that if the other was dead, then they'd be able to go free, then he left them with the gun and knew that their own greed would be their undoing....
Or was he really not sure if he'd shoot them or not till the group showed up?
Did Nate saying “I have big plans” mean he’s thinking about life after running cons? Retiring one day? It would be interesting to see what he does with the rest of his life.
Oh, wow, what an episode! An amazing season finale for an amazing season!
I love the little character bits: Quinn wondering how Eliot puts up with having a hacker around, Khaos and Hardison at odds, and Archie calling Parker his daughter. Beautiful.
I do have a question, though. You talk a lot about how difficult it is to write for this show, as a true five-hander. In this episode, if we include everyone's counterparts, it seems as though we essentially have a nine-hander. Did that make it more difficult to write the script? Or, because of how everyone was paired and used, was the difficulty on par with a regular episode?
Allow me to answer your question with a quote from the Ho Ho Ho Job.
Nate: Hello Chaos, I thought we left you rotting in a federal prison. Chaos: Come on, those things are made to be broken out of. You of all people know that.
I'm willing to be it was Latimer who fired the gun.
Why?
Because when you take away his business, possessions, and name, any man will kill.
(I only just realize after hearing that line again that Victor didn't just give Nate a list of things to attack, he gave Nate a list of things to remove in order to get the two into a state of mind where they would be willing to off each other! Holly crap what brilliant writing!)
DOH! Made my initial post in the Radio Job answer post! Guess that's what I get for watching drunk (hey, tomorrow's a holiday). Heh!
I was expecting darker but totally happy with what we got. Nate passed the test . . . I guess.
That said, he did an awfully nice job of ramping Latimer and Dubenich up against one another right before he put his gun down right there at the very edge of the drop-off.
1) How thoroughly did Nate anticipate (plan) their reaction at that moment?
2) Was that end in any way a shout out to the awesome Amores Perros?
3) Did Nate expect the team to follow him in the end? If not, how the heck did he plan on getting out of there?
In the leverage-verse, who played Wesley Crusher? Karl Urban? Did the team actually send Latimer to the Caribbean, or did they fake it somehow and it just got cut?
Sorry to keep having these questions come up one at a time, but yeah one more comes to mind.
Were we suppose to read the see through board that Victor found in the headquarters? It looked like it started with "Be" maybe "Be back later" or "Better Luck Next Time" did anybody else have more luck figuring it out?
Thoroughly enjoyed the season finale. Having now read the two D&D hardbacks that you wrote, this episode almost sounded like one of those stories. Actually, I think the D&D stories sound like Leverage. Either way, like last year's finale, I liked the blend of menace and humor, even the buffoonery that turned the villains into jokes, for the most part. On to the questions!
1) Was there any thought of making this episode a two-parter (not counting last week's killing of Jimmy)? With all the wonderful guest stars who didn't get to do TOO much each (except for Archie - fantastic), I think it could have stretched to two. And this episode seemed to go incredibly fast. Beautifully directed, but just so fast.
2) How much looping was done by the dam, particularly in the Nate/Sophie scene? There seemed to be a lot of noise, but the dialogue was all quite audible. If it WAS looped, it was extremely hard to tell. You've got real pros on that team!
3) Would Dubenich not have known about Maggie? Or did he just not show Latimer her picture as one of the team's "friends"? (Too bad she had to be billed in the opening credits; it would have been an even bigger pleasant surprise if she'd just appeared.) By the way, again, kudos for ditching the saga sell in this ep; of course, it wouldn't really apply.
Looking forward to Season 4 DVDs (PLEASE try to include subtitles, not just closed captions that HDMI won't show!), Season 5, and the rest of the question post answers. Good luck!
That... was a thing of fucking beauty, man. I'm going to need to watch it another time (or three) before I can form any coherent questions beyond "How much fun was it to make?!"
The return of old friends and frenemies was such a treat. I loved all of Cha0s's dialogue, but especially "Say my naaa-aaame." So deliciously childish. XD
If there's ever a job that requires more smash than sneak (or a great big distraction), I'd love to see a crew made up of Eliot, Quinn, Shelley, Parker, and Tara. That would be badass.
@Hugin -- "In the leverage-verse, who played Wesley Crusher?"
Still Wil Wheaton. Cha0s/Colin has mixed feelings when people point out the resemblance. ;)
"I'm your huckleberry!" Hell yeah! Fantastic ep and my favorite quote (top 5 anyway) from my favorite movie! Doesn't get any better! Great send off for the season.
Okay, had a brilliant comment all written out with scintillating questions and brilliant insights, etc. and jut as I hit the publish button, our connection went down and I lost the whole thing.
So all I'm gonna try to repeat is my appreciation that Archie Leach claimed Parker as his daughter, which is clearly, in comparison, nothing but the truth (a retirement condo? Seriously?). And this parallels Parker's emotional growth, too. Very nice touch.
I'd also like to applaud whomever wrote Maggie's lines about temptation and Sterling. I paused the whole show and rewound it twice to enjoy Nate's reaction. It was pure gold. And hooray for Ms. Matchett's cameo!
Thanks. This show keeps getting better and better.
Last week it was Die Hard, this week, Tombstone. Oh, God, I love you guys!
This was a FANTASTIC episode! Absolutely brilliant, chock full of everything that makes Leverage Leverage – humor, competence porn (though taken to a whole new level), heart, and that stupid silly smile on my face at the end.
I adored the assembling of "the Justice League" (and a Batcave, no less – my husband thanks you), and would love to see Quinn, Archie and Cha0s again. I particularly loved Archie calling Parker "my daughter," and the lovely father-daughter moments between them. Also, Archie tasering Cha0s was priceless, lol.
The moment between Eliot and Nate was beyond anything I had hoped for. I felt for Eliot and what he'd lost, and desperately hoped Nate wouldn't go down that road.
As an aside, let me say that while Christian has done a fantastic job making Eliot our favorite funny, charming, grumpy, dangerous hitter, I most love him when he shows Eliot's vulnerability and the regret over the path he's taken. He lands those moments of vulnerability and sorrow every. single. time. Please tell him to stop saying, "All I do is beat the shit out of people." It ain't true.
And then there was Nate. Oh, Nate, how I loved you tonight! So full of rage, and yet not overwhelmed by it. Tonight we actually saw him master and make his rage work for him. I may actually have cheered when he told Sophie, "I am not my father." And I loved his final scene with Sophie. He looked like a man at peace.
But I think my favorite moment came when Nate had both Dubenich and Latimer in his sights … and looked up to see his "family" standing there, reminding him of everything he had to lose. A lovely, lovely beat.
And lest I forget … MAGGIE!! Oh, how I do love Maggie! And she's a grifter now. And she knows Sophie and Nate are together. And she and Sophie are friends. And she teased Nate with Sterling. Have I said I love Maggie? I love Maggie.
Actually, I love all of you. I am a shameless Leverage fangirl. And I thank you for it from the bottom of my heart.
Now that Hardison has met Parker's "father", can we PLEASE meet Nana?! PLEASE?!!! I just adore this show! Thanks so much! I can't wait for next season!
Excellent episode! With all the amazing guest stars I was just wondering, was there ever a draft of the story that included Sterling? Mark seems to be working a lot lately. I love Supernatural but I think it's time they gave him back now. Haha.
James Firecat - the name of the dam began with BE- I believe and it was on the board when they were planning.
Thank you for a wonderful and exciting season. Why did Dubenich seem to think he owned the team? He seemed to get a mite bit upset when Nate called them HIS team.
I love the taser, and so did Parker and Hardison. The look of glee on Parker's face when Archie threatened Chaos was priceless. And Archie’s proud look when Parker said she cared for Hardison. Shogun lives- Chamberline with a sword. My gosh, all the allusions (Tombstone) this episode are making me giddy as a schoolgirl (or schoolteacher as the case may be). Lucille survived this season! I'm amazed that Christian didn't add a scar when he turned to get into Lucille after leaving Latimer's. The continuity with the painting was great. First time around it was Eliot who maligned it; now he's bringing it. Does it still have a cash stash? "See, it's not just me" in regards to frustration with hackers is great! I could go on and on with all the character beats. Suffice it to say, this episode just reinforced so many things we've learned about the team through the years and wrapped things up so nicely. With the tunnels, where did they get the juice for the screens? And "seriously" simultaneously by the hackers was seriously awesome.
The fact that Eliot would shoot Latimer to save Nate from that fate of hating the man in the mirror is fantastic. He called Nate "friend" now when way back Nate said "We are not friends." Eliot's job is to protect Nate, and he was willing to go to extremes to push away that kid he wants to see again in the mirror. From the man who "doesn't like guns" (even though he knows how to use them) to the man who threatens the man who hurt Nate is just a sample of the depth to which you've taken these characters. What did stop Eliot from shooting Dubenich?
Thank you John, Dean, et al and the people at TNT for giving us another year to delve even more deeply. Too bad it won't be in the bat cave (but seriously, there's no kitchen or other amenities).
Regarding Nate's "big plans", is he considering giving up the job one day for a normal life with Sophie (marriage, kids) or should we just give up hope now? Is that even something Sophie would want?
"But aren't you just a little bit scared of me?" OR: "I've got five bullets!" (the second time)
Terrific lines, terrific acting. I mean seriously. Really loved those first and last confrontations.
Really, I loved the whole thing. The quagga mussel con (BRILLIANT), the theft of Latimer's stuff, the instigation of a Federal investigation, the dam patent - did I name them all? Cause each one of those was like it's own episode.
My one complaint - I'm not sure I think Archie's earned the right to call Parker his daughter. But I can almost forgive that for him keeping me so entertained during his part of the con.
Did I catch a quick tip o' the hat to "Ocean's Eleven", in Latimer's reference to "that Ocean job", while talking with his secretary? I do appreciate that careful watching/listening is rewarded.
So Nate overcomes his anger, walks away and seems pretty happy. Hmmm--so next season will we see a happier Nate? But would a happy Nate be as motivated and clever and quick as an angry Nate? I think anger and hate has propelled him thus far and kept him focused. Although I suppose you'll make us wait until next season to find out.
This episode was the TV show equivalent of an All-Star Game. The only thing missing was Sterling, who was given a hilarious shout-out. Loved the banter all the way through, and the ending was superb.
A question on BTS stuff. How does it work when you want to do something like bring Archie back. He isn't like Chaos or any other character in the show, he's played by Richard #!@#ing Chamberlain. Do you lock him in before writing, or do you write with the assumption you can get him. Or does the whole structure of the story require having him. I imagine the theif role could go to Apollo's character if needed, but that character didn't have the same level of unknown to the game/animosity as the others did.
@video beagle I disagree. It was Dubenich who put together the perfect team. It was him who manipulated Nate into the game. He was the first guy who conned the team. Even in jail he found a way to use the team. He is actually a pretty good villain. He has some fatal flaws though, namely greed and pride.
@JoellaBlue I honestly think Eliot was willing to kill Dubenich for Nate, but he wasn't willing to do it with Sophie watching.
I mean the team is aware of his past, but even in the Big Bang Job, Eliot asked Nate to not tell the team what he had to do to get them out of the warehouse. It's one thing to know something, and a completely different thing to see it happen right in front of you. I believe that Sophie being present is the only thing that saved him.
As for any questions, the only one I can think of is how do we get summer here sooner? I'm gonna miss you guys. Thank goodness for the DVR. It will have to tide me over until the DVDs come out.
Beautiful writing, with Dubenich foreshadowing the very plan Nate uses to destroy him and Latimer.
Loved the batcave, Archie, and Quinn. Also, Maggie got her first "Seriously" to Nate :)
Nate's Magnificent Bastardry was taken to a whole new level tonight. So many of the beats hit exactly the right spot. Eliot wanting to save Nate, and Nate saying how Sam would be ashamed, but Jimmy would buy him an ice-cream - Hutton was amazing.
I have a question, and this is a bit of a long one.
Nate's solution to "The Final Problem" reminded me of a line from Doctor Who, where the Doctor said something along the lines of "I got worse, I got smarter. I manipulated people into taking their own lives." If you asked me, I'd say Nate still has blood on his hands, but Nate seems strangely at peace at the end of the episode. So, does Nate see himself as a killer? Does the team? (Yes or no, I think either answer would make him an infinitely more interesting character, just in two very different ways.)
@PurpleOps what D&D Hardcovers? Collections of his comic, aka Fantasy Leverage?
@IMForeman well, this was just a game of EXTREME Prisoner's Dilemma (from the Experimental Job). Had they agreed to keep silent, it would have been the best case scenario...they went with the not-best case.
@Oona Of course Nate expected them to show up. He not Dubenich knows them best of all. As they said, if they don't have each other's backs, what do they have?
@zob: He was just a rich guy who thought he was smarter than the players of Crime World. He succeeded at conning them because they weren't a team, didn't have anyone watching the whole field and Nate wasn't paying attention.
Once Nate actually entered the game, Dubinech fell very quickly (in the pilot).
Okay this is an extremely serious question. Is there ANY chance that we will ever get a (perhaps dream squencey/parker imaginationy) episode where we see the Leverage team as the last survivors in a zombie apocalypse? Or a con where the team needs to convince the mark that Sophie is a vampire (false teeth, only comes out at night, etc). See where I'm going with this? And finally, how convinced are you that you need to hire me as a writer now? I'm young (22) so an internship will suffice. Thank you, and goodnight.
(In all seriousness, I would like to see them battling some hordes of the undead).
Did you leave the final gunshot as Latimer and Dubenich went over ambiguous because you weren't sure which one was shot (and weren't sure which one you'd want to bring back in the future?). Way to play it safe on that one (as you do even with the character lack of backstories). haha
Loved the ending scene. A lot like season 2 (Nate getting shot yet somehow pretending he didn't then making out with Sophie) but it's also like season 3 (more lighthearted, the team playfully banters, Nate making out with Sophie) and obviously a little like season 1 (Nate gets revenge but maintains his dignity. although there was a disappointing lack of making out with Sophie).
I am not suggesting you only have old tricks, rather I think it's kind of poetic how this year's finale echoes previous years. Good job.
Yep agree it is like an all-star game. A real treat for followers of the show.
BTW, i was expecting Nathan's dad to not die. I actually tot, as a fan, it's not in the spirit of the show to kill characters off. Like a Tom and Jerry cartoon(it's not a cartoon, please don't get offended), Jerry doesn't die, but we enjoy it because of the chase. I always saw Leverage as more of a drama-comedy. Even the bad guys are 'cartoon' bad. In short, please don't get too dark. Keep it fun
Nate just isn't Nate when Maggie is around! And that slapped Mackarel face!! Brilliant face by Tim Hutton lol.
Surprise Chaos didn't double cross them. Maybe he only hated Hardison? Not the whole crew.
Question: 1. I heard 1 gun shot. So who's dead and who walked away? (or swam away..) 2. What's Nate big plan? Moving their basecamp? Getting married with Sophie? (lol jk that's too far)
Small complaint. I just felt that this finale (as brilliant as it is), the ending is kind of anti-climax. I was thinking there'd be more twist but then it just ended like that. It felt "eh.." Call me psycho but I kind of want to see at least Dubenich being tortured. Man, he's not done even in prison, you let him walk away again, season 7 we're gonna see him again? Nah.. don't like him really.
Next season pleaseeeeeee there's a scene of Maggie & Sterling. They did have scene at First & Second David Job, also at the Zanzibar Marketplace Job, but dating? For real? Since when?????
Thanks for the beautiful season! Can hardly wait for season 5!! Have a great few months ahead before seeing you back, spamming here, and keep twitting Leverage crew & cast. You guys are my best discovery in the world :)
I know that in the 10 Lil Grifters Job, we saw a range among the team wondering if Nate actually could kill. Has any of that changed by the time they hit the finale? They all knew Nate's plan--how sure were they as far as whether or not he'd actually kill?
Also, who do I have to thank for that last scene? The music swelled, the camera swung around, and Nate and Sophie kissed on top of a waterfall. In any other context, it would have been cheesy, but it was kind of freaking awesome.
And when exactly does Ms. Devereaux consider it time leave a con? That was intriguing.
Do you think Sophie is capable of running a crew? She's been successful at it before. And she was SO great in explaining the statue thing to the team in The King George Job. I'm not asking if this is an aspiration of hers, but rather if she has the *ability to be the mastermind.
Also, I was watching Leverage with a friend of mine (the finale but also a few episodes where Sophie has more to do) and she suggested that the team could do without her. That she is the only member of the team that they could lose and still function. While that may be true, what are your thoughts on this? She seems a bit like the Team Mom to me, so her job is more than just grifting. Anyway, sorry to harp on the Sophie questions, I love all the team equally. Thanks for doing this and thanks for a lovely finale.
Question about the clams. Did Hardison actually dump clams into the dam, or did he just drop one on the outside to give that illusion? I'm just thinking if he did drop the clams and the decontamination screwed up, that would be a lot of ecological damage.
Loved the continuity nods and call-backs. I noticed the pictures on the iPad when Archie wheeled in the cake. Sophie and Elliot's pictures look like they were the unmerged photos for Miranda Kaley in the "Potato Job." Parker's photo, of course, is Alice White.
Also, Latimer's bar scene reminded me a bit of how Dubenich first approached Nate in the pilot.
I too thought maybe Latimer had been tricked into thinking he was in the Caymans--(Maybe a holodeck that Parker/Hardison confiscated from the "secrecy" section of the patent office.
It seems like Nate took a pretty big risk having his back turned to Latimer & Dubenich at the edge when he put the gun down. L & D could have easily rushed him and pushed him off.
Thank you for a really exciting and entertaining season! Kudos to Tim Hutton for the final scene with Nate, Latimer, and Dubenich; it really seemed like Nate was making decisions right there in the moment. I think Tim did a fantastic job of actually showing that - better than in any episode before this, because he wasn't giving direction to any of the team and the focus was just on him. You could see on his face that he was working through all the permutations, all the consequences, and deciding which way to go, which way to push the situation, what to say that might get him to some satisfactory conclusion. Hutton deserves an award for this episode!
I also really liked Sophie's interaction with Nate in this episode - the scene where she finds Nate with the gun really shows how they've grown as people and as a couple.
The scene between Eliot and Nate had a similar vibe and was a super call-back to the pilot when Eliot expressed his concern for Nate even though Nate didn't think of Eliot as a friend at that point. But Christian did a really nice job with his side of that scene - he gets very few really introspective moments, but when he gets them they're fantastic. I love how Eliot goes still and quiet, and what he says is always a mix of emotions. And I loved that what he ended up telling Nate gave us a bit more insight into Eliot, but it also brought us back to the theme this season of "consequences."
I must say, I am really curious to see a scene of Nate & Eliot meeting up prior to the pilot - they both acted like they knew each other, so I'd like to know how. We did get to see that one scene with Nate catching Sophie trying to steal a painting - just something small like that.
Now, I have a few questions specifically about Dubenich and Latimer:
1) When Nate visits him in prison, Dubenich calls Latimer "Jack," giving me the impression they're close, but Latimer doesn't even know how to pronounce Dubenich's name! That confused me. Did they only pair up after Dubenich was in jail and have had no face-to-face or verbal contact? If so, how did Dubenich choose Latimer to be his partner on the outside? And why did Latimer first agree to partner up with someone in prison?
2) When they find out about the clam, Latimer is informed that flushing the pipes at the dam will contaminate all the waterways and that the EPA will fine him "millions" - but, isn't Latimer SUPER rich and really WELL connected? Wouldn't he be able to get around the fines - or, since they're only millions of dollars, why wouldn't he just pay the fines and keep on doing business? Isn't that how all big businesses work - like BP and Dow and every other company that - Oops! - accidentally pollutes the environment? It never seems to hurt them for very long.
3) Then Dubenich screws up again - first the clams, then the valuables at the party. Two strikes. Why would Latimer trust Dubenich after that to fix everything that happened and to get Nate? As he's rushing off to D.C. he seems quite shaken and I would think he'd had it over to someone he knew better and trusted more to deal with things in is absence.
4) Dubenich seems pretty sure that Congress will do bad things to Latimer if Latimer tells them he was kidnapped and taken to the Cayman Islands - it's so cute that you think Congress would end up doing more than reprimanding him. They've done less to businesses which have done worse.
5) Why don't Latimer and Dubenich shove Nate off the ledge and into the water when Nate is bending over to put the gun down?
Now I will end by, again, saying thank you for a very enjoyable season! I'm glad you all get to come back for more episodes and hope you get to do as many seasons as *you* feel inspired to make. I hope you have a recuperative break before work on the next season begins. Best wishes to you and yours for 2012!
I'd just like to say that I loved this episode. Whoever came up with the clam scam was brilliant. That was just super clever. I also loved the clean lift(s)l at the party & vault...very classic!
Thank you all for making this an excellent season of "Leverage." Looking forward to many more to come!
Loved Quinn's version of a back door when he saved Chaos. It was so cute that he didn't leave him there. I'd like to see Quinn and Chaos work together again, just not against our favorite team.
So I know that the Latimer thing wasn't an intentional WH13 reference, but the 'Knock, Knock' thing was right? Please?
And by far my favorite Leverage of EVAR! The Counselor Troi joke, Parker and Archie's shared love of tasers, Archie approving of Hardison, Hardison got a BATCAVE!!!!!
I just love this show, so so much, you guys NEVER disappoint!
I suppose it's apt that I ask this one, since your response to me way back when seems to now be the canonical one to "How do they find their clients?". So how did Dubinich know to tell Latimer what companies to short? Were there bugs in the offices from the start, 'cause otherwise since most of the clients have come to the team, it'd seem hard for a federal prisoner to know who the team's jobs will affect.
"That was an awful plan!". Oh yeah. Was Nate really depending on pure luck to keep from being shot by multiple opponents? And if the team hadn't shown up, it would've been more than Dubinich coming after him at the end, and they'd have had bullets.
Otherwise great, especially all the little touches (and thank you for Wil specifying Troi rather than Beverly Crusher, cause that just would've been wrong).
May I just please congratulate you and the rest of the Leverage cast and crew on another fantastic episode and season. You guys really hit the mark with this one.
This show is awesome! Thank you for making it. 1) Do we get to see the emerald monkey next season? 2) How much of the 4.18 end scene Parker/Hardison/Eliot banter was ad lib vs script? 3) Which dams did you actually film at? I didn't think the Columbia River had that much drift wood. Thank you again for a fabulous show.
To quote the Doctor: "The anger of a good man is not a problem. Good men have too many rules." "Good men don't need rules. Today is not the day to find out why I have so many."
Nate: In a nutshell.
:-)
But I digress.
Anyhow … Fantastic way to end the season and it was a brilliant second part to last week's Radio Job. I loved all the returning characters (yay, Maggie!) and there were some seriously great moments (most of Eliot's scenes, esp. the bit with him and Nate, all the scenes with the team interacting with their counterparts and the team running after Nate at the end). And just the way everything was set up from the very first moment was just perfect.
1. Was it hard to leave behind Nate's apartment? Seeing it all empty was quite sad actually, from a viewer's perspective. 2. Sophie and Maggie need to be BFFs and totally hang out to bitch about Nate. I'd watch a spin-off starring those two. 3. Was Nate shot once or twice? I thought twice (shoulder and leg), but we only saw one bullet wound (shoulder). 4. Speaking of, since Nate's always the one getting shot maybe next season you could shoot Hardison? Or Parker. I'm not picky. 5. Nate knew Latimer and Dubenich would go for the gun, right? Thus, effectively, killing themselves (btw, you're not gonna say if they both died/live/whatever are you, which is cool, coz I think they both died - one shot and the other drowned). Did Nate ever think about actually killing them himself, or was his final plan always to make them fall on their own swords because of their greed and need for self-preservation? 6. Did Eliot really consider killing Dubenich for Nate? Or was it just to mess with Dubenich's head? And that scene was a set-up, right? Because Sophie's not stupid enough to go drink with the enemy without having some kind of plan/back-up.
Bring on season five! (Or should that be: let's go steal season five!)
2) The problem with flushing the clams isn't the fine, its the fact that if they get flushed it will take a problem that will currently destroy one damn eventually, into a problem that will destroy EVERY damn in the nearby area in a slightly longer time frame. Doing it would mean the end of all the hard work Jack put into acquiring water rights to those areas even if he did manage to unload them before the clams did their damage.
5) Nate knew that they wouldn't rush him because he'd psychologically primed them to make it clear that killing him would do nothing. Even if they achieved the perfect murder of not just Nathan Ford, but also his team (an impressive feat with only five bullets and four more people to kill Elliot being one of them) they'd still end up getting hounded down by the Government and going down for their shared crimes. However if one of them was dead, then the other would be able to get away free and clear. Nate manipulated it so that in each man's mind killing him would solve nothing but killing the other would solve all their immediate problems, that was why, Nate wasn't afraid of getting shoved off the ledge, he and his team already had Victor and Jack by the short hairs and a bit headology got them to do exactly what he wanted, there was no other "logical" action they could have taken from each man's perspective.
I do have a question -- but not about the episode because I have yet to see it.
I'm not a cable subscriber, so I pay Amazon to see your show the next day On Demand.
For the third time this season, the episode is not available the morning after, yet when I signed up for the season pass, the delivery was guaranteed for the day after broadcast.
I haven't had this problem in the previous three seasons so I'd like to know if your method of delivering the shows to Amazon and I-Tunes (they didn't have it either, I checked) has changed.
@Video Beagle: IDW has published two hardcovers - Shadowplague and First Encounters - reprinting the Dungeons and Dragons comic that John Rogers has been writing. I think any Leverage fan would love these, whether or not you're a D&D or Sword and Sorcery fan, because they have that Leverage "feel" to them. They also mix menace with a LOT of humor and feel so natural doing it. I'm hoping John will open a topic on this so we can talk more about them. I know I should buy the regular comic, but I'd rather wait for these nice collected editions. They also contain a game module each, and all the variant covers, so they're a good deal. And no, I don't get a kickback for ANY of this!
I was reading everyones posts and came up with a theor, which I'd like you to tell me if it is correct. I think Nate planned the whole end. I kept thinking about why Nate would choose to go there alone. How he could even think that he would not have gotten shot but the time he reached Latimer while drawing Dubenich. I think he knew (as learned in the last episode) that the team is not going to stay put no matter what he says so he would not have expected them to. He knew they would come for the rescue or atleast to help clear his path. It's interesting he choose the location he did to bring down the two men. I think it was purposeful that he choose the falls because of the death opportunity it posed. In talking to them, Nate reminded me of reality show producers who prime stars before they shoot. If they say the right things they can get them to act in specific ways, planting the seed. Nate know how to do this well as we saw in the experimental job. His dialogue was very strange at the end. It didn't sound like he was trying to figure out who to kill, it was emotional but it felt like he was trying to trick them. He spend so much time having them state why the other man should die. Also, as stated by another commentor, both Dubenick and Latimer how lost all they need to become killers. He made sure they were ready and they handed them a weapon which was so strategically placed. He worked them over so well that he wasn't even worried they they would try and shoot HIM when he turned his back to walk away because he knew they would go after each other.
Now he did prime them but it was still up to them if they killed themselves the way they did. The problem is that if they ended up dead, the team would not believe that it wasn't him that caused it. The team hadn't believe him before in 10 lil gifters, when it looked like he killed someone. There, he had much less of a motive and hadn't stated beforehand his intent to kill. I think that he wanted to prime the two men for them to attack each other and chose the perfect location to do it. I think that he waited for the team to show up so that they could see that he didn't in fact pull the trigger or push them over the falls. Nate is a mastermind that could run two cons at once as we've seen multiple times including the gold job.
In all, I think Nate pulled off the biggest con ever. He got to torture his targets for a while before getting death revenge he wanted without getting direct blood on his hands and while maintaining the respect of the team. Brillant yet frightening.
James Firecat and Jazzy Jane - great explanation for how Nate primed Dubenich and Latimer to only go after each other. I think that's exactly right. He made sure that they knew that their real threat was the other one, so of course they would be scrambling to take the other one out first.
Batcave, Parker and the whole 'weird' caring , Eliot hiring Quinn, the Maggie Nate Sterling thing (OMG CLASSIC!) , and dude the final scene....beyond epicness.
This had you written all over it!!!!!! The undeniable awesomeness, the characters' every move, every word. It was all so Leverage. I loved the beginning scene with Victor and Nate,where the consequences thing you've been hinting at was finally just out there! If I had a full list of ultimate moments though...it probably come round to 2490...ONE FOR EVERY SECOND!
I loved having two hackers, hitters, thieves and grifters! Double trouble everywhere. Wil Wheaton was amazing. Please bring him back next season.
Blah...I'm sorry most of what I'm typing is making much sense even to me. Bottom -line. Amazing finale, can't wait for season 5
One question: Any hints about what next season's theme will be?
When the rest of the team showed up on the dam as Nate had Lattimer and Victor at gunpoint, could they hear what Nate was saying? Because from their perspective, if they couldn't, then it looks like "Nate sees us, has change of heart, puts down gun, walks away, villains kill themselves in a fit." Which fits Sophie's reaction at the end how she's all proud of Nate.
But really, Nate killed them. Nate hacks people. He manipulated them into a situation where he knew one of them couldn't let the other live, and then he gave them a loaded gun to play with. If the team heard his back-and-forth about which of you should live and which of you should die, would Sophie really not think Nate was responsible?
Oh WOW! That was seriously awesome. I loved every frigging minute, and the way Archie shunned the modern gadgets for a cake? AMAZING! And the canes, it explains so much.
Though Maggie was joking about Sterling right? Cause, while I see the attraction (he is deliciously ambiguous) pretty sure in the scene's we've seen them together she has less than positive feelings towards him.
And Quinn and Eliot! Will he be back for more episodes? Now Eliot owes him a favour (and no matter what he said, he would totally collect). Oh and Hardison's breakthrough - 'this is what Eliot must feel like all the time'.
That Chaos described his own style as 'drunken mastery' and Hardison's as 'kung fu', makes it seem like he does actually have a little respect for Hardison even though they are so different. And the fact that he was packed and waiting for the call. I think he is secretly a little jealous of the team and how close they are.
I like how content Nate seems at the end, like he's finally come to terms with everything (what he does, who they are, his son, his father). Is this the new Nate, or is something going to kick him off again next season? (I hope so, I kinda like out-of-control!Nate, Tim plays it so well.)
Awesome episode as usual. Just a few questions. 1) If this were to truly be the last episode what would you have changed if anything? 2) How come no Sterling? 3) Have you ever thought about novelizations. Look forward to season 5
@TYLER I don't think so. I think that was part of the brillance of the plan as to why he was so far away from them. It was all strategic. Everything from far away looks on point. I agree that Nate killed but it's such a grey area because after all the manipulation was said and done, Latimer and Dubenich COULD have walked away.
This was awesome!1)I loved the Kane and Crawford interaction. The Tombstone bit was priceless. Also it didn't seem like they had hard feelings over the fact that they beat the shit out of each other three years ago and that was pretty cool.2)Do hitters have an automatic low tolerance for hackers?Because that is what this episode told me.3)Is the team really moving to Portland next season because I don't know where I heard that but I heard it somewhere.4)I love Hardison and Chaos's interaction. Is it intentional that Chaos is just a more douchey version of Hardison?5)Are you going to bring Quin back next season because I think he is my favorite of the hitters that Eliot has encountered.
First of all I just wanted to say I loved loved LOVED the finale but I'm sad now that y'all will be gone for months on end (so sad)! I'll be counting the days until the new season starts!
A couple of questions: 1) Did Latimer and Dubenich get killed when they fell over the ledge trying to get Jimmy's gun or just very wet? 2) What was it in the finale that was supposed to indicate the team needs leave Boston and move to Portland? Was it Dubenich showing up with the goon's at Nate's to kill him? (Gonna miss McRory's so much btw but I am glad Old Nate will still be around!)
One thing I never really understood, in the Wedding Job in season 1, Eliot killed the Butcher of Kiev (with appetizers!) and no one really cared, Nate seems more amused than anything. It was a cool scene, but kinda goes against everything else that has come since (though there are other fights where you think, well that guys dead). Did Eliot just knock him out, or did he kill him and the writers hadn't decided how much the people he had killed had affected him?
Oh. My. God. This episode…this episode was effing BEAUTIFUL. While this may not be my absolute favorite episode of all time (that has to be reserved for ‘The Boys’ Night Out Job’ or ‘The Bottle Job’) this is DEFINITELY has to be my favorite season finale. This was a freaking genius masterpiece of epic proportions. Frankly, this would have made a good series finale, the way there were so many things that went back and connected to the first episode.
Honestly, for a minute I forgot who Dubenich was. When he said he was Nate’s first victim, I thought he was one of Nate’s IYS victims, but then he said something about ‘MY team, I put them together,’ and I went OOOOH. Derp. XDD
SOOOO many favorite moments from this episode:
Quinn and Chaos’s back-and-forth that was SO like Eliot and Hardison.
Hardison’s moment where he just went “This is what Eliot feels like ALL THE TIME.”
MAGGIE! OMG MAGGIE! She would make a fantastic grafter, if she weren’t so honest. XDD
Eliot’s line, where he went, “I’m thinking of saving my friend the trouble,” (which made me go back to the first episode when Nate so pointedly said, “Eliot, we are not friends.”)
Eliot’s deep moment when he was talking about looking for the man in the mirror every day.
Maggie’s moment about Sterling and temptation and Nate’s ERK! Face. That made me chortle.
Loved the bits with Leach, and that was a particularly heartwarming moment when he called Parker his daughter. And then continued to act like a father by vetting Chaos. With a taser. Made me rofl.
“My son would have been ashamed that I was a murderer.” [gun goes down] “My father, on the other hand, would have been proud.” [gun goes back up] (Would Nate have killed them, if the team wasn't there? Was there a moment when he really could have pulled the trigger, or is he still too much of a good guy at heart to do that?)
That moment right as Nate’s about to shoot, and he turns and they’re all there watching him, waiting to see what he would do. I almost teared up right there.
I loved the poetic justice that Jimmy(‘s gun) was the one that took Latimer and Dubenich down in the end. It was…it was good. (May have been asked, but did Nate plan that far ahead and KNOW they were going to go for it? Also, are they really dead-dead-dead like Jimmy, or is there a chance they’ll return once more someday?)
Honestly, if I listed every single moment that I loved from this episode, I would just be recapping the whole thing. This one was a doozy. In an epically totally-awesome-win sort of way. Seriously, you guys are all brilliant, and amazing, and I cannot WAIT for season five.
THEY TOOK THE PICTURE TO THE BATCAVE! Seriously, that picture has to move to Portland with them. Is it still a (not so secret)secret money stash, or is Hardison actually keeping it for sentimental reasons now? lol
Thank you for an awesome Season. Can't way for the dvds and Season five. I am sad to see the team leaving the apartment and the bar.
Next season where will they set up? Are you going back to an office set up? Also we have seen almost all the team places - Hardison's in the pilot, then Parker's warehouse and Sophie's house (well at least we got a glimpse) when Chaos tried to blow her up. And we have been basically living at Nate's. Any chance we'll see Eliot's place?
You mentioned somewhere that we would have learned why Eliot has long hair? Will we ever found out if there is a reason or is it because he just thinks it's cool?
I'll double - triple the comment that we want to meet Nana and from someone who has been a fan since episode two of season 1 (missed the pilot had to wait until a rerun) I want to see the monkey job.
Also I would love it if the crew stole a circus! Eliot would be great at knife throwing, Nate as the ring master, (and awful magician could make a come back), Parker as an acrobat - also I would pay good money to see Eliot as a clown!!! Please?
Hot Dam. The payout for those watching from the beginning was awesome. Loved loved the inside jokes. Chaos and Hardison, Eliot and Quinn, they were fantastic together, now I want to see more of them or a spinoff. They have come full circle, season 1, episode 1, separate people, barely civil to each other, season 4, episode 18, one united family. Thank you, looking forward to season 5, not sure how you will top these.
Got a nice emotional punch out of the contrast between laugh out loud funny moments and the truly dark...often within seconds of each other. Both in this ep and Radio Job.
So wonderful to see Maggie again. And Archie. Cha0s was fun. Hell, somehow you guys even got me wanting to see Quinn again. My list of dream Leverage spin-offs is growing steadily.
There have been comments about Dubenich's effectiveness as a "bad guy." I think he makes a formidable opponent...when he has time to plan. Great planner. Not so great at thinking on his feet. His mistake was not immediately taking out Nate once he'd blindsided him. Instead, Nate got a chance to catch up. And even while angry, in pain, and thrown for a loop, Nate is still better at thinking on his feet than most. Never let Nate catch up to you.
The Eliot and Nate interaction remains compelling and I'd like to see more of it. Nice callbacks to last year's finale. Eliot is fiercely loyal and protective. But he's no longer the kind of man who can shoot someone unarmed on the ground. And Christian Kane made a very cool choice in having his hand shake while he held the gun.
"I'm your huckleberry." I love you guys.
Interesting structure with this ep. I kept waiting for the reset somewhere around the 4th act. But instead got Nate's confrontation with Dubenich and Latimer. Different. But very satisfying.
Would have liked to have seen more of how Latimer ended up in the Caymans (or not?) and then back at the dam. But I guess not everything can make it into an episode. Plus I'm willing to go with "the team is just that good."
Really nice job. Very smart writing. Worth watching again a couple times, to appreciate the details, references and call backs.
Fantastic season finale! It just kept getting better (not easy when the first scene with Nate and Dubenich was so good), and it had so many wonderful moments.
Questions: 1) What was the result of Chaos' and Hardison's negotiations on the flight? 2) What are the names of Parker's new sister and niece?
But really, Nate killed them. Nate hacks people. He manipulated them into a situation where he knew one of them couldn't let the other live, and then he gave them a loaded gun to play with. If the team heard his back-and-forth about which of you should live and which of you should die, would Sophie really not think Nate was responsible?
Nate definitely pointed out that each one of them was a threat to the other . . . but also pointed out that they could all walk away and face their own consequences individually. All three had the same choice there. Nate chose to walk away, but they chose to go after each other.
In the end, maybe Nate knew what they would do, because he knew their nature, but he definitely left the final decision up to them.
It's got some grey in it, but ultimately, we all have free choice, so it's not nearly black and white as Nate pulling the trigger.
Forgive me if I'm asking the same thing as three other people- I'm too lazy to read everything. I know that this is fiction and that we all underestimate the Man, but how on earth would Dubenich really have known what cons Nate was going to take and which he didn't? And wouldn't at least some of the teams tricks have changed since he put the team together- it HAS been 3 years after all- people do change. I can see him arranging the murder from inside prison, but knowing everything else seems a bit outside of believability. And aside from money, what motivation is there for Latimar to get Dubenich out of prison. He seems more of a problem that way- or is Latimar just that dumb from the outset. Other than that, I have to say, I really don't like the bad guys go over the falls, a victim of their own stupidity thing. It's just too comic bookish. I'll just be waiting for them to come back next season. Aside from that, I loved the Justice League of crime plan- twice the hot guys beating the crap out of people, twice the snarky geek lines, twice the digs at Nate, and who can ever go wrong with Richard Chamberlain, a bat cave, and a Tombstone reference. By the way, was that a scripted line or just ad libbed by the guys?
@JoellaBlue Season 1, episode 1, Dubenich put the team together. Think Sophie standing there stopped Eliot from shooting. James Firecat – thought the BE on the board was part of Dubenich’s name. @Coren – Hell yeah Christian Kane is Batman…..
As for Chaos, I think it fit his competiveness to be needed/used by the team. It would be up his alley to be able to show Hardison that he was better than him.
John, I want to thank you and the entire crew behind Leverage for creating such an amazing show. And also, for taking so much of your time to interact with the fandom and answer all of our questions. For that reason, Leverage is one of my favorite fandoms. Thank you so much. Can't wait to see all the trouble our favorite group of thieves get into in Portland!
Mostly reactions here – enter at your own risk. Warning: random reactions to all the awesomeness that is Leverage. I think this may have been my favorite season finale. Guest star heaven! Love seeing the team each with their own “equal”. I'm so glad that you guys decided to bring Quinn back as the other hitter; the dynamic between he and Choas was hilarious! I could see Eliot and Quinn having their own spin off... And Quinn quoted Doc Holiday! Totally made my night, first Quiggly Down under in the S3 finale, and now Tombstone in S4.
Chaos! I have a love-hate relationship with him, much like Sterling. You have no idea how hard I laughed when Archie unleased the tazer on him. Still smiling over that. Aww, Archie gave Parker his approval of Hardison. Speaking of Sterling, he's directly had a hand in two of the finales, and been there in spirit for this season's finale.
Willamette Falls worked out amazing as a location! So glad you guys decided to use it again. My dad actually used to work at one of the two mills.
The. Bat. Cave. The team had a bat cave!!! Please excuse me while I act like a total fangirl. Can we please, please, please have an Eliot signal?
Hopefully there isn't anything redundant here...Questions: 1. How much fun did Dean have working with Leon again? 2. Would Eliot have killed Dubenich had Sophie been watching? 3. I'm assuming that it was Latimer's name on the piece of paper Nate handed Stering in the Queen's Gambit Job... What did he ever find out? 4. I love that Sophie and Maggie are friends. How much has she been teaching about grifting? 5. Was Dubenich and Latimer fighting over the gun a shout out to Maverick? 6. Nate seems to get shot a lot... is that going to become a thing? 7. If the painting made it to the bat cave, that means Old Nate is moving to Portland, right?
Just occurred to me that Jimmy's gun, is now a bit like Ben Wade's “Hand of God,” dispencing justice...
Regarding Maggie's comments about Sterling, were they: (a) a lie to tease Nate, (b) a confession of a past liaison, or (c) an allusion to a current tryst?
@Bubblegumm104 and @24jg13 - I strongly disagree that Eliot did not shoot Dubenich because Sophie was watching. I think it was a man thing - Eliot knew that Nate needed to be the one to figure out what kind of man he is, and Eliot would have his back no matter what he decided to do.
@24jg13 - I totally agree with you on Cha0s' motives to work with and be trusted by the team on this job.
@Zeyneb said... Next season where will they set up?
The team is leaving Boston and relocating to Portland for season five and the forseeable future. These last couple episodes have been working up to the move, setting up how it's gotten quite hot around Boston, so it's time for them to move again.
Was the fact that Nate had five bullets and the fact that there are five members of the Leverage team have significance?
Also, I may be forgetting something important, but how do Maggie and Sophie know each other? And how are they friends? Did this happen before or after the team was together?
Oh my God, my roommate and I just finished watching this and it was SO AWESOME.
Couple of questions:
1) What exactly did Nate have scribbled on the glass for Dubenich to find? I've paused the DVR and zoomed in but I can't quite make it out.
2) Are we supposed to assume that both Dubenich and Latimer got killed when they fell off? You hear only one gunshot, and we don't see anything and there's always the possibility. Or are you going to keep it open as to who shot who?
3) So, if Eliot is Batman now, does that mean he was Captain America before his first kill? Seriously, that's the first thing that popped into my head watching that scene.
BEST. SEASON. EVER! BEST. SEASON. FINALE. EVER! This just furthers my belief that Leverage is the BEST SHOW EVER!!! Soooo.. on to my burning questions! 1) Will we get to see Maggie next year or will there be scheduling conflicts? 2) will Nate and Sophie ever get married? 3) will they ever break up? (PLEASE SAY NO. PLEASE.) 4) will we get to see even more of Nate and Sophie's relationship next season (I would LOVE that) 5) Can we see how it effects the team, I know you kinda got into that in 4X08 The Boiler Room Job 6) will there be a new Big Bad next season? 7) Will you PLEASEEEEEE answer the other question posts, I have question I would like to know the answers to! 8) can there be a con where Maggie and Sophie get trapped in a room for like....6 hours and they have to talk about about Nate?
I would tell you which parts I loved, but there isn't enough space here to quote the whole episode back at you.
I was wondering how you could possibly top 315/316 considering as how Team Lev already took out the most bad-ass criminal in the most bad-ass way. But you did it! You really did it!
Irrelevant question: Quinn and Chaos continue to pull jobs together after this, right? They made such a great instant team! I think I'm going to go off and write swathes of fan-fiction featuring that pair...
Slightly more relevant question: Is the Eliot come-to-Jesus speech here the "more considered way... [that we see Eliot's darkness in] ... upcoming episodes" that you were referring to in the Post-Game to Experimental Job? Or is there still going to be more?
Other comment: Can you please *not* follow JesseAnne's suggestion of Eliot and Parker having to kiss? I got enough jealous-Hardison in Boy's Night Out and Long Way Down. Eliot kissing any other character on the show would be fine, though. Give the geek a break.
Questions: 1) I'm confused about when Sophie went into the bar to meet Latimer. Did he not recognize her? OR did he just not care?
2a) How did they actually get Latimer onto the plane from when Maggie drugged him, and then into a hotel room with all the stuff? It didn't look like any of the team was missing for long enough to escort him there.
2b) Maggie said something to the effect that Latimer would be waking soon, and [Nate] didn't want to miss it. Did they have cameras on Latimer or something? Bugged the phone? Or was he never in the Caymens?
2c) How did Nate reacquire Latimer for the last scene at the dam? When did that happen?
3) In a previous episode post that you haven't answered yet, I asked about the theme of the finales. It seems to me like it's usually about a character betraying the team. Season 1 was Sophie, Season 2 was Nate, Season 3 was Eliot... but the theme didn't really continue this year. Am I reading too far into this?
I loved the episode, but will need even more time (and more viewings:) to digest it completely. I stalk John Rogers (sorry, sir) so I feel that although the episode had a lighthearted ending or at least Nate didn't actually kill the bad guys - he did manipulate them into killing each other (or at least one of them is dead). That's still pretty freaking bad. So yeah, Nate doesn't hate himself anymore - because now he has evolved and is living that God complex Sophie alluded to in The Office Job (scary).
With that said, here are a few things I hope to see in Season Five and please tell me if I'm off base...:)
1) I want you to stay organic (I know that can be an annoying phrase but hear me out). Keep consistent with the character arcs but whatever con floats Nate's boat - I'm in (and there is some scary stuff in the news these days so you still have plenty of story lines).
2) After four seasons - it's time to show us some Hardison backstory from his early days, please:)...
3) Don't screw up the relationship between Hardison and Parker - there can still be conflict and love (see Farscape - the first three seasons:)...
4) I wish I trusted Nate (I know this is a statement). But he 'talked' two people into killing themselves...that's freaking scary.
Okay, I'm close to babble mode. I LOVED, Loved, the episode, and because I am me - 'say my name' had nothing to do with Dr. Who. I took that right to the bedroom and laughed so hard I almost passed out.
Love you for blogging (and the app was BRilliant fun.)
Regarding Maggie's comments about Sterling, were they: (a) a lie to tease Nate, (b) a confession of a past liaison, or (c) an allusion to a current tryst?
It was none of those things. Listen to what Nate said just before she made the comment about “James” and the sentence that she spoke before she mentioned him. Nate was making sure to that Maggie knew that he had never been unfaithful to her during their marriage in all his encounters chasing Sophie. Maggie told Nate that she knew that and told him not feel guilty about being tempted, since no marriage would survive its first year if the spouses were held responsible for being tempted but not acting on it. THAT’S when she makes a comment about “James.” I don’t remember her wording specifically, but she was telling Nate that she’d had some impure thoughts about Sterling during their marriage. The context of conversation indicates that she’d never acted on them and was simply “reassuring” Nate that he wasn't the only one who looked at someone else. Nate being…well, a guy, I’m sure his mind immediately went to a very disturbing image, thus letting Maggie punish Nate for his temptation while still managing to maintain the moral high-ground. I would not want that woman angry at me for all the tea in China.
great ep, rogers and room. lots of zany fun on the train and that great moment of affirmation at the end. you guys keep saying how season 3 was about everyone's reasons for being on the team--i felt, watching that moment, that nate himself finally accepted his real reasons for being on the team. not his righteous zeal but his appreciation and affection for what the people around him bring to his life. great beat, well earned.
and kari matchett played her scene brilliantly. perfect combination of sympathy and glee on the sterling reveal.
I'm curious, is Quinn a retrieval expert like Eliot, a hitter for hire, or 'other'? Also, did Quinn finish the job he was on before or after helping the Leverage team?
@ JulieD: Quinn already finished the job before he was hand-cuffed, right? I think the point was that the thugs were trying to renegotiate the deal after Quinn had already delivered the goods...
I get the series through Amazon, and I've had no problems until this one; 18 isn't available yet, and it's Monday night. I see that at least one other person is having this issue. Is there anyone we can contact?
I have two totally separate, unrelated questions. 1. So, so awesome to see Maggie again! So, questions: We've seen how Maggie is cool with Nate+Sophie, but next season shouldn't you really put Nate to the test with an episode where Maggie is tight with a man of her own, maybe a seemingly ordinary man of the right age with whom she is nevertheless completely besotted? I'd love to see how Nate reacts to that! 2. Have you ever thought of having a contest where fans can win a guest-star slot? Like I said, these are two totally separate, unrelated questions. KTHX.
I couldn't help but notice that eliots look in this episode looked really similar to that of the end of the pilot. Was that intentional or am I just thinking too hard?
First off, I love how Eliot has changed over the seasons, while Parker has had really obvious development as has everyone else. Eliot is the one who strikes me as changed the most. Maybe because he's not so bickery as he used to be. He gets excited about things, Mr Punchy for one and the Eliot Signal I can only assume he's getting closer and closer to that kid in the mirror that he wants to see.
Also, was the falls an homage to Sherlock Holmes?! The moment that they went to the dam I figured out what would happen from that. Because those two men would kill each other before they hurt Nate because they hold the keys to each other's destruction!
@Anonymous-Becca: If your friend thinks the team can do without Sophie, then you need to show her "The Ice Man Job" from S2. A team of con artists does, in fact, need a grifter, and Sophie Devereaux is Queen of the Grifters.
@Kylee: Maggie and Sophie first met (on screen, at least) back in the S1 finales, the First and Second David Jobs. And even further back, in "The Miracle Job," Sophie at least knew who Maggie was. Clearly they've kept in touch. ;)
@Anonymous (1:06): Hardison isn't Robin, he's Lucius Fox.
You mentioned somewhere that we would have learned why Eliot has long hair? Will we ever found out if there is a reason or is it because he just thinks it's cool?
I think many, many, many, many posts ago - like maybe from The First David Job there was a comment that Eliot had grown out his hair to disguise his appearance. Last year Moreau mentioned something about his hair so apparently when Eliot worked for Moreau he had shorter hair. I'm not sure this is the full reason for the longer hair but that's what I remember.
How or where have I missed about the team moving to Portland next year? I, too, am going to miss Bonano and the bar!
One more cheer for the great guest stars. Is there anyone more classy than Richard Chamberlain? His handling of Chaos was brilliant! I also loved Eliot and Quinn negotiating the job while they took out the bad guys - kinda don't want to know what happened to the guy with the handcuff keys! Chaos bringing Hardison to the point of understanding how Eliot felt - too funny! Maggie and Sophie - but really - Maggie has a thing for Sterling?? And I loved the heart-to-heart between Eliot and Nate.
The people who don't watch Leverage have no idea what they are missing! I will miss you all until you return!
@katie: I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed 'knock knock'. My first thought was 'YOU BASTARD!'
Was it a deliberate plan to double up on the hacker, hitter, grifter, thief, yet not have our dueling masterminds? After all, Sterling would probably not have said 'no' to the opportunity for a showy arrest -- yet I can also see Nate jealously guarding this as his own, so he could kill Dubenich if he truly felt the need to. (On a related note... how hard would have Sterling tried to stop Nate from killing Dubenich?)
Just now got a chance to see it on iTunes. Loved it. Not a wasted word, gesture or facial expression from anyone. Especially loved the little spasm of pained reluctance on Nate's face when he walked away from the gun, and how everybody's "OMFG-don't-do-it-Nate" face has a slightly different mix of emotions on display. For me, the way Beth Riesgraf can make Parker look sort of like her entire worldview is at stake (the same way she declined to press Eliot about his past in Big Bang) hits hardest.
Speaking of Parker, her reluctance to surrender the lollipop was gold. My other favorite little shot was Sophie/Hardison/Parker standing in the shadows in that hallway after coming to the rescue.
Favorite one-liner might have to be "That's what makes it fair," although Hardison's kilosolar (?) hatred makes a close second.
Favorite [non-Nate] exchange might have to be Archie and Parker re: "your young man."
Maggie!
Non-story-related question: It seemed to me that there was relatively little of the Ocean's 11-y stuff you've called "competence porn" in this episode, and I guess in more episodes this season than has previously been the case, maybe because more jobs have been outside the team's old comfort zone. And I didn't miss it. Don't get me wrong, I love competence porn when it's there, but it's also fun to see things streamlined, like how deftly you folks can use the flashbacks to minimize explanatory dialogue (such dialogue being one of the things that nags me about, say, Chuck). Is that something that just sort of happens by necessity in episodes this busy, or is that sort of "show don't tell" thing something that you as a writer/writer's room have deliberately been moving toward?
Of course I suppose it's entirely possible that I'm seeing something that isn't there, in which case never mind, and my somewhat frivolous back-up question would be:
Will we ever get an extended look at Eliot's occasional lessons to the others in the finer technical points of shit-kicking?
1) Where does the team go from here with the big bad guy and the guy profiting from your jobs out of the way? 2) Why doesn't Eliot have a love interest? Would you ever give him one? 3) Would there ever be an addition to a team making the five, six? 4) Has Nate ever thought about what would happen if one of them were to die who would replace them? There should be "The Legacy Job" where they find childish versions of themselves to train or where they pair up as children.
@Mandolin: "So, if Eliot is Batman now, does that mean he was Captain America before his first kill? Seriously, that's the first thing that popped into my head watching that scene." - Haha! I think that's the most awesome comment I've read so far! So true.
According to Eliot, the first time he killed a man (or when he changed) was a little over 10 years ago. You said (I forget where...podcast?) that he lied about his age when he signed up for the military. Does this mean that Eliot didn't kill anyone until he was well into his twenties (a little hard to believe), or that Eliot is younger than Christian? In which case (and also as a separate question), how old was he when he worked for Moreau, and how long did he work for him?
Upon rewatching the episode, I just noticed: Eliot: "I'm coming through the lobby hot." *grabs fire extinguishers* LOL! Now that's hot.
Parker took candy from a kid! Didn't she make a comment once about how easy that is? I love her.
I remember back in the question post for Season 3's The Big Bang Job (I think), someone asked why Eliot is wearing a gun holster vest thingy (NOT a gun person, so don't know the actual term) in that episode when he hates guns. In this episode, he's wearing it again, but it's gone after he makes his choice not to kill. The only episodes I remember him wearing one of those are that one and this. They both feature Eliot and guns/making a choice regarding guns. Was this intentional, or was it a fashion thing?
Umm, can we have it be canon that Archie did actually punch Hitler in the face, or even better, stole the Ark of the Covenant or the Holy Grail from the Nazis? Please?
"Can I hit him?" "Which one?" Still laughing.
Another thing I just noticed (btw, typing as I rewatch, so I don't forget): "Sophie talks to anyone Latimer knows, and I bet Dubenich will personally fall out of the sky." - Ooh, clever!
When Cha0s complained about being thrown off of a waterfall, I thought Hardison would counter with something about being thrown into a swimming pool handcuffed to a chair and being man enough to take that...or something. I guess he's waaaaaaaay over that one now. Also, I love high girly screams from male actors. :D
"This is how Eliot feels all the time. You just want to hit something." Hee! Epiphany, Hardison?
Archie's sword flourish - similar to Parker's dagger dance in the Rashomon job!
Nate shooting shot glasses. A pun AND symbolism in one. That's some writing talent right there.
Latimer in the Caymans: Did they do it the same way they tricked the mayor in the Season 2 finale? (With the hotel rooms?)
Sherlock Holmes!!! (and sort of prisoner's dilemma?)
Is Parker the mediator of the group? In the Rashomon job, she didn't participate in the argument over who stole the dagger, although she was there. Here, she doesn't seem for or against the Batcave, but yells at them to just ask Nate.
A wolf or a knife...I think wolf. Wahya!
Great episode!...Aww, &%&$*! No new episode next week! Noooooo!!
Someone in this thread asked if Sophie would want to marry Nate. At first I thought "gee, I dunno. She seems like kind of a lone wolf." But then I remembered her reaction to him in the Wedding Job when he was making fun of weddings. She would definitely wanna marry Nate. But I doubt that will happen. A) for reasons having to do with Nate's character and B) because this is TV and they're two main characters. For what it's worth, I think it would be hilarious if they got married. And then continued to be criminals together.
Nice job on the finale. Loves Timothy Hutton holding a gun to those guys at the end there. "Who wants to go first?" Awesome.
"My son would be ashamed of me if I was a murderer. My father, on the other hand, he'd buy me an ice cream." So perfect a line. Whoever wrote that deserves a raise.
This is my favourite episode. Thank you Rogers et al. It was perfect in so many ways.
Loved the FIVE separate Eliot fight scenes (failed recon, busting Quinn out, getting Hardison in, busting Sophie out, hitting the guy who hit Jimmy Ford). The second is probably my favourite, but they were all gorgeous, and for the last three, I was pleasantly surprised because I thought we had already filled out Eliot-fight quota.
And then the come-to-Jesus speech a la Eliot was just. Wow.
The Archie-Parker daughter thing was adorable.
The Hardison-Chaos dynamic was great, too. I mean, Chaos already packed his bag? And then the "your kungfu" and "my drunken mastery"? It seems like Chaos might respect Hardison just a little after all.
I, too, was expecting Chaos to double-cross the team at the end, but then again, once in a while Chaos does actually have to avoid betraying a client, if only to protect his reputation, right?
Loved that Hardison has learned how to placate Eliot. Eliot Signal? Teehee. It was also hilarious that both hitters were exasperated by their hackers, but both hackers totally idolised their hitters. ("I was born ready" and "Eliot signal"?)
@CL: No, it's definitely not that Chaos only hated Hardison. He tried to kill Sophie, remember? I'm also not all that convinced that he hates Hardison at all. I mean he got the team to do some work for him in Ho Ho Ho Job, but he was just using them because they're the best. It didn't seem personal. He did kill Lucille, but I thought that was more of an extra motivation to get the team to do the job.
I'm not even sure if Chaos is capable of hatred. He seems too pragmatic.
@allyone: I think Archie did earn the right to call Parker his daughter. He took Parker off the streets, looked after her, taught her everything he knew, and loved her enough that Nate says to him "what I do know is we'd both die to protect her".
Besides, how many fathers do you know who were even around for their kids at all?
@Izzie: I just want to say that sometimes I come to these pages just to read the brilliant comments you write. Seriously, when I see a comment by you, I get a little excited inside. I did not notice the fire extinguisher/"hot" thing nor the shooting shot glasses symbolism before.
With the holster, though, I don't think it was a gun holster. It looked like he had knives stored in it.
With the waterfall/swimming pool thing, I also expected Hardison to say something to that effect, but I actually think the reason he didn't is not that he's way over it (though I'm sure he is), but that it's too soon. When everyone's stressed out about Nate becoming a murderer, it seems like not the time to discuss the incident where your hitter almost got you killed by hiding important information regarding his murderous past.
Word verification, (which we know Hardison can control at will), says "bombi". I guess he was too distracted by the bomb in Big Bang Job to think about the pool.
This is my favourite episode. Thank you Rogers et al. It was perfect in so many ways.
Loved the FIVE separate Eliot fight scenes (failed recon, busting Quinn out, getting Hardison in, busting Sophie out, hitting the guy who hit Jimmy Ford). The second is probably my favourite, but they were all gorgeous, and for the last three, I was pleasantly surprised because I thought we had already filled out Eliot-fight quota.
And then the come-to-Jesus speech a la Eliot was just. Wow.
The Archie-Parker daughter thing was adorable.
The Hardison-Chaos dynamic was great, too. I mean, Chaos already packed his bag? And then the "your kungfu" and "my drunken mastery"? It seems like Chaos might respect Hardison just a little after all.
I, too, was expecting Chaos to double-cross the team at the end, but then again, once in a while Chaos does actually have to avoid betraying a client, if only to protect his reputation, right?
Loved that Hardison has learned how to placate Eliot. Eliot Signal? Teehee. It was also hilarious that both hitters were exasperated by their hackers, but both hackers totally idolised their hitters. ("I was born ready" and "Eliot signal"?)
@CL: No, it's definitely not that Chaos only hated Hardison. He tried to kill Sophie, remember? I'm also not all that convinced that he hates Hardison at all. I mean he got the team to do some work for him in Ho Ho Ho Job, but he was just using them because they're the best. It didn't seem personal. He did kill Lucille, but I thought that was more of an extra motivation to get the team to do the job.
I'm not even sure if Chaos is capable of hatred. He seems too pragmatic.
@allyone: I think Archie did earn the right to call Parker his daughter. He took Parker off the streets, looked after her, taught her everything he knew, and loved her enough that Nate says to him "what I do know is we'd both die to protect her".
Besides, how many fathers do you know who were even around for their kids at all?
@Izzie: I just want to say that sometimes I come to these pages just to read the brilliant comments you write. Seriously, when I see a comment by you, I get a little excited inside. I did not notice the fire extinguisher/"hot" thing nor the shooting shot glasses symbolism before.
With the holster, though, I don't think it was a gun holster. It looked like he had knives stored in it.
With the waterfall/swimming pool thing, I also expected Hardison to say something to that effect, but I actually think the reason he didn't is not that he's way over it (though I'm sure he is), but that it's too soon. When everyone's stressed out about Nate becoming a murderer, it seems like not the time to discuss the incident where your hitter almost got you killed by hiding important information regarding his murderous past.
Word verification, (which we know Hardison can control at will), says "bombi". I guess he was too distracted by the bomb in Big Bang Job to think about the pool.
I thought this episode was very predictable—in the best possible way. The action was predictable (and deliciously so) because Nate's biggest con ever worked flawlessly, and it was a pleasure to watch the bad guys being dismembered step by step.
The character aspects were predictable because the characters behaved as the people we know them—and need them—to be, particularly Nate and Eliot. Both of them are taking steps toward being their better selves.
And predictably, the whole episode was killerfantastic. You've set the bar very, very high for next season. THANKS!
Bravo to the writer's room, you, Dean, and every other person involved in these last two episodes. This was TV perfection for me. You could have ended the series with this (but please don't!) and I would have been blissfully content.
My favorite part that I'm hoping you'll comment on was what I fondly refer to as the "Huckleberry Scene". That short exchange involving Eliot holding the gun on Dubenich and his response to Sophie was filled to the brim with layers. It was the fundamental show of just how each character has evolved since the show's beginning. Eliot, former mercenary, struggling with himself whether to kill a man he has a personal vendetta against to save a man he considers a friend....whoa. Huge stuff right there. And let's not even skip over the "friend" leap.
Geniusness abounds in the Leverage writers' room. You guys made my year.
Good finale episode but I was very sad that Parker and Hardison did not have the final kiss. This episode could have been the last episode and so many Parker and Hardison fans have been waiting patiently for 4 years now for these two to be a solid couple. Please, please, let season 5, be the season Parker and Hardison’s romance truly blossoms. Then if people want to see other pairings on cons, then it won’t mess up the group dynamic. I just believe that Parker and Hardison’s relationship can be a lot of fun and bringing them full circle would be this devoted fans dream come true.
Loved the episode and the season as a whole. My wife, son, and I had one nitpicky observation: Nate's gun makes a "cocking" sound no less than four times during the final confrontation (once would suffice!) and yet the hammer never moves! :) Keep up the good work.
Hey, where did the taser effects come from? I'm surprised no one mentioned them -- first Archie's cane shoots out a spray of StarWars-like lightning arcs, then ChaOs's head turns into a skeleton (like an x-ray of his skull). That was one serious shock -- I couldn't believe what I saw, had to go back and freeze frame!
I agree with most everyone, this finale knocked it out of the park plot-wise, character-wise, lesson-wise, and fun-wise. Thank you. Jeff (anonymous only because I don't like signing up for things if I don't have to)
First, the "holster" he's wearing is for knives, not guns. If you look close, you can see the hilts.
And about his "10 years" statement, I took that to mean the time he went from being a soldier to being a freelance killer. Yes, he would very likely have killed as a soldier (especially if, given Rogers' many hints, he was in Special Forces), but killing as a soldier is a very different thing than killing for money (though, as we're seeing with so many of our returning vets, it will still mess you up). Whatever justification Eliot used on "that kid in the mirror" while he was a soldier ("for God and country") disappeared the moment he went out on his own and began doing it for money.
Rogers has said that Eliot and Christian are pretty much the same age. But Eliot has packed several lifetimes (soldier, killer, retrieval specialist, and now our team's hitter) into his years.
And all of that brings me to a point I missed in my first post of unhinged squee over this ep. I just want to say how much I loved the tremor in Eliot's hand as he held the gun on Dubenich. In that moment, I think we see just how much Eliot has changed from who (and what) he used to be. Like Sophie said back in Big Bang, he's definitely "not that man any more." It was a lovely acting choice by Kane.
@ Anonymous from 4:11 AM: Wow! I have a comment fan? That's slightly weird and so awesome. Glad to know my sometimes asinine and frequently overly fangirlish comments entertain somebody!
Knife holster. That explains a lot. Thank you. I always wonder about it whenever I see The Big Bang Job. I mean, there's no denying that it looks really cool, but a GUN holster seemed OOC for Eliot. Knife holster makes a lot more sense. (BTW, I didn't even know there was any such thing!...I need to watch more action movies. Yeah. [But whenever I do that, I always find myself ogling the pretty instead of paying attention to details...])
"When everyone's stressed out about Nate becoming a murderer, it seems like not the time to discuss the incident where your hitter almost got you killed by hiding important information regarding his murderous past." - Very true. And it on second thought, it's more of an internal "family" thing than something you can discuss with a former mortal frenemy.
*still boggled that someone actually looks forward to my -comments-*
Why did the last scene with Nat and Sophie make me uncomfortable, despite it's surface-level sweetness? Was it because Nate was using the voice he uses on a mark? I am slightly afraid that season five will see the rise of Nate as a big bad in his own right, now that he's learned how very fulfilling straight-up vengeance can be.
Also, is season five really starting in the spring?
I didn't see your comment before I posted my last one.
Again, knife holster. Thanks. I feel like an idiot now for not knowing they have -holsters- for -knives-. I thought they just came with sheaths that you I dunno, stick in your belt loops or the back of your pants or something. Huh. Ya learn somethin' new every day.
You make a very good point about killing as a soldier for your country (reminds me of "A real soldier would die for his country") versus killing for money. The moral differences between the two would explain the "ten years" thing. Thank you!
@purpleops - gotcha. Yeah, I read Fantasy Leverage in it's monthly floppy format. I didn't know if you were talking collections of it, or if Rogers had written some other D&D stuff I didn't know about.
********************
@tyg : I totally didn't get the Wil Wheaton/Troi thing til you mentioned it. I just saw it as "well yeah, he's a geek" and not "TNG ref!" duh
*********************
@anon: The lightning effect was actually the cane channeling pure Richard Chamberlain into Cha0s
*********************
I'll mention it again. The ending was just Extreme Prisoner's Dilemma.
The best option is for both to keep silent. But game theory says that if you stay quiet, and your partner talks, you get the worst outcome...so that causes both to turn on each other.
Nate set the game, but he didn't force them to play.
****************** Given the timing, I'm just assuming Latimer was put in a fake Cayman's Island, but Hardison set up real evidence that he had fled there.
*******************
@Victoria how many more love interests does Elliot need? Captain Kirk and Jim West envy his little black book.
Is Sophie like Scheherazade. And the story she uses to keep Nate around is her personal backstory? The way she tells the story of Scheherezade to Hardison and then leans toward Nate when she says the sultan fell "deeply, deeply in love with her".
Hey so how does Parker know how to do her hair in so many different fancy ways. She doesn't seem like she would know so many fancy up-do's. I know it's a stupid question but its always bugged me.
Okay, I knew that one. And it's a harness? Okay. Got it.
Thanks.
Hey, having a thing for knives is okay. Most of the coolest characters in books/TV/movies have weapons almost-fetishes. ;D
RE your previous comment about Eliot's hand shaking: I know! And his hand shook in that scene in the 12 Steps Job where he had to reboot (not kick) the bomb. Nice touch.
i have a dumb question other people know the answer to - what does Cha0s drink? Could not quite make out the color of the beverage in his soda bottle but since Hardison is the Orange Soda dude, does Cha0s have a signature drink too (like wishniak or black soda or rootbeer? cola would bee too typical coder/gamer, so I'm not guessing that)
I know in The Two Live Crew episode it was strawberry soda.
But in The Ho Ho Ho Job, he was drinking orange soda. Not sure about the finale. Not sure why I noticed those things exactly but I remember them nonetheless.
Whenever the show airs, the blacks seem elevated. It looks like it has been color corrected to be extremely flat or there's a color space issue. I have to change the settings on my TV just to see true blacks. Why is this? Is it because of the way the show is rendered? Or is this a conscious choice?
Just wanted to say, that was one of the best finales i've ever seen! My questions are: 1. How far did Dubenich and Latimer fall and are they dead? 2. Will be see Quinn again (please!!) 3. When Dubenich walked into Nate's apartment, there was one word written on the board, what was it? Thanks so much - here's to season 5!!!
fuck that. If I were Sophie, no way would I marry a man who still refers to his ex as his "wife". Sounds like some bullshit to me. She's my girl. I'm just holdin it down.
It would seem very likely but not certain that Dubenich and Latimer are dead. I believe their fall was a lot bigger than the one that Cha0s and Quinn survived. (Can anyone confirm that?) Also, one or both of D & L may have been shot on the way down.
Cha0s was drinking a red soda in this episode, presumably the same strawberry soda as earlier.
It's odd that in the comments for "The Boiler Room Job" where Latimer and Nate have their first face to face, that I mentioned Dubenich twice... because I really had no idea Victor was behind all of this until he showed up at the end of the Radio Job.
What are your plans with Sophie next season? Will we finally learn more about her? Gina once said that as Sophie and Nate were together that we'd start to learn more about Sophie. We haven't seen that happen yet. Hope you feature her more in season 5 than you have for the last two seasons.
Thank you for the awesome season finale! I really enjoyed watching this episode, especially the first part. Dark Nate is the best, and the failed recon – exciting! As much as I like to see the team win, it's thrilling when they are up against an enemy who is a challenge :) Bringing back all the old characters was a real treat, too. Great moments with Eliot pointing a gun at Dubenich, and how he tried to talk Nate out of killing him. Too bad Nate didn't actually shoot Dubenich in the end. I know Nate kind of DID kill Latimer and Dubenich by playing the bad guys against each other, getting them all riled up and then placing the gun on the ground right between them. It just feels a little like cheating. Nate got what he wanted but he didn't get his hands bloody :P I realize though that a lot of people probably would have had a problem with the hero killing the bad guy, so I guess this was a good compromise.
Um, do you take requests for the next season? Because I'd totally wish for more drama. Nothing against light-hearted bantering, but the death of Nate's father and the beginning of this episode really reminded me of what I love about this show. Thank you for creating it!
1) After the mussels were put into the pipes, why didn’t Latimer just report it to the authorities and say that he had a break in / been a victim of domestic terrorism, or something? It would have probably saved his business, and he would have had records of someone breaking into the dams.
2) I wanted to find out if there was name given to the woman Archie was speaking with that I assumed was his real daughter, but in my brief internet research I’ve seen a few recaps that say he’s “running a con on a mother who thinks Archie is her father.” Based on the comments made by Archie about a photo in 3x03 (“...wife, Marilyn... grandsons”) and others that Parker has made, it’s clear he has a family. Can you clarify this? And is the daughter’s name Karen, as I’ve seen it credited?
Let me see if I can answer a question several people have asked but I have not seen the answer. The writing on the board was "Bellington Dam", it was what Nate was looking at when the whole team was there. And I am guessing that is how Victor knew were Eliot and Hardison would be, all part of Nate's grand plan - I hope I am right.
One of my favourite bits in this episode is when Nate says "My problem with this is that if one of you dies, the other goes free. I HAVE FIVE BULLETS!" I literally got chills at that, and I'm reminded of Tim Hutton's acting chops. *slow clap*
Also, I kinda love that Eliot, despite acting constantly annoyed by Hardison, gets excited or amused by the silliest things. Like the Japanese power drink commercial, and Mr. Punchy, and the idea of an Eliot signal. It's extremely endearing.
And Hardison's excitement at getting a Batcave is EPIC.
Thanks for another awesome season, John and friends. Looking forward to the next one!
so given Hardisons excitement about getting a batcave(awesome) is it safe to say Batman is his favorite hero, not that I needed any more reasons to love him but that's just icing on the cake...Batman rules!!!
I already posted my love for this episode as the SQUEE-ing Anon 1:58 PM and the Izzie-fan Anon 4:11 AM, but I just came up with an actual question:
When Chaos and Hardison are in the van together while Archie and Parker are doing their things, what are the hackers doing? Because the thieves didn't seem like they needed any help; Parker got the access code by buttom cam, and Archie caused the blackout with his cane. So what did Chaos's "drunken mastery" script actually do?
This entire episode seemed a little too... easy. Like, Parker just needed to watch a camera feed to see the access code for the vault? Come on. You're telling me that after all the security they've had to bypass with retinal scans, fingerprints, voice activation, and even one where they had to mimic a guys walk, the FINAL boss of the season just has a CODE? And that's essentially what brought him down. That's all the security they had? One guy making sure the coast is clear before he types in like FIVE NUMBERS?? THEY EVEN KNEW THE LEVERAGE TEAM WAS COMING! They should have beefed up security. and Dubenich ran ALL THE WAY TO THAT VAULT ONLY TO ASK THE GUY WHAT THE MOST EXPENSIVE ITEM WAS IN THE ROOM HE JUST CAME FROM. whatthefuckwhyyyyy? And their plan was so dependent on him doing that! How could they even know that he would do that because it's such a dumb thing to do in the first place. Why wouldn't he just put a guard in the vault or at the door? If he put a bug in Nate's apartment then he's heard every one of their plans. He'd know better than to just leave a room full of money and diamonds unattended with what is essentially a high-school combination lock on the door!
And Archie turned off the lights in the entire building by using a TASER on a SOCKET? How does that even make any sense? Though I don't know enough about electrical systems to dispute it. And how did it become SO dark? Dubenich seemed like a damn fool in this scene. He ran into the room, the lights went out and, instead of running right to the sword dark-be-damned, he stood around shouting for them to turn the lights on, waving his arms around. Then he just picks it up and puts it away without inspecting it.
And they needed Chaos because... why? Because they knew about Hardison's software? WHY DOESN'T HE JUST GET NEW SOFTWARE? You consistently portray him as capable of the most incredible feats of genius but all it takes to break him is to just know what software he's using? Seriously? "Awe shoot. They know I'm using Linux now so. Sorry, Nate. Gotta get a new hacker. Also they found my facebook page."
And you keep saying the "facial recognition software takes a few minutes to kick in" but like. Where. Where is it? What is this software? On the cameras? They can't hack the cameras? Or like, I dunno, wear disguises?
And Archie could bring the cake in because... because he's NOT parker? So basically they gave the security guys the pictures of the Leverage crew and said to them "Whatever you do, don't let these people in. You can let in pretty much anyone else. As long as they're not one of these five people. Literally. ANYONE. Even a 70-year-old waiter with a giant cake that nobody ordered." Why is it so easy to pretend to be a waiter in this universe? Isn't there like a manager there with the catering company?
For some reason I love this show in spite of how consistently it makes NO SENSE.
The show is written exactly how the average person THINKS a heist is pulled. "Oh, yeah there's like computers and they just like hack the security. with... algorithms. And then they get the... schematics. And a grifter walks into a building and says she's now the boss of them now. because she just acts like it so good that everyone around her becomes an idiot that doesn't question anything. Meanwhile there's a cat burglar that does flips through the lasers even though it would clearly make more sense to just walk through them. And then she JUMPS off a roof top with a bungee cord AND COMPLETELY DEFIES PHYSICS BY NOT SMACKING INTO THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING AND DYING." Seriously, guys! Parker jumps off buildings head first with the rope just hanging off the side of the rooftop. You could have her set up a rig that makes it so she can jump, but you don't! Why?! It makes no sense.
And what the fuck is "Glenn-Reader"and why do they make every safe/vault known to man in the Leverage universe?
Not every episode of Leverage has to be plot heavy. This one was about character development. (As was the season in general.)
Now onto your specific points.
1) The code: The guard couldn't just check over his shoulder. Archie had attached a camera to the guard's badge.
(Though this was overkill; Parker could have peaked through wherever she was hiding and read the code off the guy's elbow movements.)
2) Security: They DID beef up security. Otherwise Parker could have taken her usual route through the roof/tunnels/shafts. But she could not, presumably because D+L had blocked all those entrances.
Moreover, Latimer and Dubenich aren't as rich as some of the others villains in the show. For example, the "millions" in fines would not have been a problem for the company in Top Hat, but were for Latimer. And the weighted-walk security system was for what was presumably one of the richest companies in Dubai. Maybe Latimer could not afford more security.
3) Dubenich checked the vault because he knew that the team would be after Latimer's possessions. He didn't think of asking about the sword at first because he assumed that Latimer's coolest possessions would be in the vault. Presumably Leverage and Co had done their research and knew better.
4) Hardison: It's not a question of what OS he's using; when he says "my software", he means his code. So D+L are running scripts that check their code base for anything that matches Hardison's writing style.
(He could have run his code through an obfuscator, but presumably Latimer's script is also checking for obfuscated code.)
(I doubt this syntax matching thing works in real life, but there is precedent to it working in verse; in Reunion Job, Hardison was about to do "syntax search" to find Manticore before Nate stopped him.)
5) Facial recognition: They can't hack the cameras because the cameras are not connected to the Internet, so Hardison would have to go in personally to do anything, but he can't because facial recognition would find him.
6) Darkness. The electric surge blew a fuse. (Presumably the socket didn't have its own fuse, so the surge blew something more central, to make the whole room go dark.) It was really dark because pupils take some time to adjust.
Presumably the lights came on again because it switched to a back-up circuit that didn't use the blown fuse.
(This is a stretch. I pretend in my head-canon that Hardison gave Archie an EMP bomb that took out the lights for half a second.)
7) Why Dubenich didn't go for the knife: Nerve signals travel at about 3 m/s, and reaction time is about 0.2 s. It would have taken Dubenich about 0.5 seconds to get his feet moving. Archie, on the other hand, knew when the lights were going out, so he doesn't have this buffer time. Also he's a thief, so he works fast. He had switched the sword by the time Dubenich started moving.
Dubenich didn't check later because he didn't think anyone could have stolen it in the half a second that the lights were out. (Dumb, yes, but he's stressed out and not thinking clearly?)
(As for the flailing, well, in my head-canon the lights were only out for half a second.)
8) It's easy being a waiter in our 'verse, too. People trust the clothes and the badge. You can go around with a laminated piece of paper with a company name and your picture, and get into all sorts of maintenance rooms even if the company is well known not to do house calls. Seriously.
Regarding Parker's antics:
Watching the acrobatics, and then Replace it with sensible stuff in head-canon.
(I've never understood laser trip wires. Why you use visible light? Any other frequency would work fine. And even in the visible spectrum, the receptors should be able to tell if you have muddied the air to see the beam. I just watch the stunts, and then pretend it didn't happen.)
Upon re-reading, I realized that the last two paragraphs in my previous comment made no sense. Here is what it should say:
Regarding Parker's antics:
I watch the acrobatics, and then replace it with sensible stuff in my head-canon.
(Also, I've never understood laser trip wires at all. Why would you use visible light? Any other frequency would work fine. And even in the visible spectrum, the receptors should be able to tell if you have muddied the air to see the beam. But anyway, I just watch the stunts, and then pretend it didn't happen when thinking about the story.)
Hey, I totally respect your instinct to jump to the show's defense. I have that instinct too. But I'm going to continue to play devil's advocate here:
I realize the guard had the camera attached to his badge. That's why I said "all Parker had to do was watch a video feed of the code being punched in". I was just pointing out that the only measure that could be taken to prevent someone from stealing the code would be to just look to your left and right and see if anyone's peeking like you're at the damn ATM.
Yeah, Latimer didn't have as much money. You know why? Because the writers WROTE him that way. He could have been written to be a much more formidable opponent. And that's what I was getting at before.
And is it just me, or did Latimer not seem to give a shit each time the team did something to screw him over?
Yeah they beefed up security a little bit but not enough to where Parker couldn't just sneak in through a cake and then hide in the elevator (speaking of which, come on. If you've been planning this for three years, you should know that being on top of an elevator is like Parker's thing. Put a damn camera on top of that thing) and walk down the hallway to the vault, punch in the code, and just walk in there and take everything and walk out with all that loot. There was no one around to stop her! If you can't afford a fancier security system (which he probably could), at least put a guy next to the door! I mean, HOW ON EARTH do you spy on the leverage team for months (if not years) and not get a little more paranoid? Have they learned nothing from them?
And I understand that Dubenich ran to the vault and then changed his mind and ran back (which is understandable), but he asks the guy "what's the most valuable thing in that room", WAITS FOR HIS RESPONSE and THEN he panics and runs back there. Does it even matter what it is? Whether it's a sword or a fermented piece of dinosaur poop. He just seemed SO unprepared for any retaliation by the team when he's been planning this for three years. And already got screwed by them once in their quest for vengeance.
As for the darkness, fair enough. We could debate this all day. I just don't think Archie could have done that all that fast.
Sadly, for me, I haven't really been able to watch the show for the past, two seasons...no $ for cable and TNT says I gotta have a cable provider to watch the show online which, if I had a cable provider, I wouldn't need to do. But I catch the occasional ep and am happy that the show is still going strong. Yay, dvd.
-My only complaint? Once again, the season ends with no sign of "The Mocha Job". You know, the episode where Eliot beats up like,10 guys and then brings me a dark chocolate mocha. I guess you must be saving that one for the 100th episode...
Kylee, I really doubt Anonymous is in Hardison's league, TBH. Hacking into sites without being noticed is a way more sophisticated act than just trying to break it.
Anonymous tends to act like angry children, IMO, and in the process make themselves clear targets. It's more Chaos than Hardison.
Will we ever see Michael Vittori again? I loved him. And, be honest, was he a little in love with Sophie by he end of that episode? I was a little in love with Sophie by the end of that episode. I thought they were cute together, even if it was a ruse.
If the answer is no, we won't see him again, then how do I change your mind?
And what the fuck is "Glenn-Reader"and why do they make every safe/vault known to man in the Leverage universe?
The safes/vaults are so named as a tribute to former writers (Show runners? I don't grok the fullness of that term) Melissa Glenn and Jessica Rieder, Who now work on Hawaii Five-O. As to why they still use it... who cares? Maybe they just like the sound of it.
I think pseudo_meat was kidding about the safe thing. I could be wrong but I laughed at that comment because they do mention it so much. i know what it is a reference to but still think it's hilarious that every safe is a glenn-reider. Specifically, in the leverage universe, that must be an EXTREMELY trusted security company haha
Alright. So what exactly does that mean when Nate says he has "plans" and then kisses Sophie? Does that in any way imply he has plans about their relationship? Or is that more referencing their move to Portland? I'm assuming you're leaving it open-ended because, as you say, that could have been the end of the series, but now that you've been picked up for a 5th season, is there more specific motivation behind that line now? Also, given such a long hiatus, is there anything you can tell us about the fifth season? Maybe a bit about the geographical change for the team?
@ pseudo_meat: you know what? You're right. The Parker-Archie-heist left a lot to be desired. Dubenich was woefully underprepared, and besides, there has to be an upper-bound to the number of things I can change in my head-canon (emp bomb instead of taser fuse, amount of time the lights were out, etc) and still claim to be talking about the same scene...
The name cleared. Why redo the work when the name cleared, and it's clearly the already established High End security company used by the discriminating evil bastard.
1) After the mussels were put into the pipes, why didn’t Latimer just report it to the authorities and say that he had a break in / been a victim of domestic terrorism, or something?
Latimer gives us the answer to that as we're finding out what the things will do to his dam system. He's got a bunch of Chinese investors coming in and if he loses those guys, he expects that his board of directors will toss him out of his own company. His company would have been covered as far a legal liability on the dam, but he'd still have been out. That tradeoff is not acceptable to someone like Latimer. If his own board tosses him out, he likely persona non grata in the business world, unable to get a position as an executive or board-member with any major corporation. Even if he's ten times richer than it takes to live comfortably for the rest of his life, that still makes him one of "little people." I'm quite certain it never occurred to him to bring in the authorities.
This has been bugging me and I don't really expect an answer but. Here it goes: In the Hot Potato Job, Nate and Sophie.... "go get dinner". In the next scene, he wakes up downstairs on the floor and Sophie is coming from upstairs. And they both still have most of their clothes on. So, my question is, what they hell were they doing? I don't need details, but I realized in re-watching the scene, I don't have a very good idea of what to assume just happened. How'd they end up in different rooms. Shall I just assume the craziest thing possible?
First of all let me say the episode was great, especially the exchanges between ChaOs and Archie were fantastic, I could not stop laughing.
One thing however really did not make sense to me. The last time you had Archie in season 3 there was talk of him having a family (wasn't there a photo of his wife and children in his wallet) and this time you made him seem like an old granddad to be admitted to a nursery home by his daughter. Somehow this does not go together. Anyway thanks for bringing in Richard Chamberlin, it was such a pleasure to see this great actor again. I hope he will also appear in season 5.
I just want to take back what I said earlier about the color spacing issue. I watch the episodes through my Xbox (zune) and the recent Xbox live update apparently messed with the coloring of all videos. weird. Anyway, my apologies.
There is one question that has been nagging me, and I'd love some insight of possible, please. It was said that Victor Dubenovich was feeding Latimer information for years, telling him who the team would hit next, etc. How did Victor know who the Leverage team would hit, if he was in prison and a lot of the Leverage "clients" were seemingly random people who approached the team for help? Thanks!
This was an amazing season, I can't wait to see what you guys come up with next! Especially since my sister found this http://gizmodo.com/5877285/no-you-do-not-need-a-set-of-wi+fi-cufflinks/ using Stumbleupon and I immediately thought, what if Hardison had to get in somewhere really, really schmancy and couldn't bring anything else? Wouldn't he want a pair of cufflinks like these, spruced up a little a la Leverage? =) Would love to see something like this! And goodness knows how I'll be able to wait until next summer for more Leverage... I guess I'll just have to go re-watch all the other episodes. I think I can make them last until then. Maybe.
Dubenic and Lattimer both went over the edge. Then there was one gunshot and one splash. Did one of them survive? Which one and will he return next season?
Speaking of recurring characters, will we see Sterling again in the future? What about Archie? Will Maggie come back and become a grifter?
Given all the people who caught the Reichenbach reference, I have to ask, could you please do an actual Leverage version of Reichenbach? Where Nate fakes his own death at the end of a season, and doesn't even let the team know? (Or it could be Sophie or Eliot, but I can't see Parker or Hardison doing that...)
And then the next season, when s/he comes back, Hardison punches him/her or Parker tasers him/her? Please?
My favorite thing about Leverage is that it just keeps getting better year after year! Honestly, I don't know how you guys do it but keep it up! Just a quick season 5 question for you; any chance that Sophie will use Annie Kroy again? She's by far my favorite alias any team member has ever used.
1) Cayman Islands - The team has shown before how easily they can move people around. I'll bet he was in the Caymans, because he was rich enough to get back AND his return trip would have been completely traceable. All part of the setup.
2)J Firecat - anyone who uses 'headology' is my hero
3) Nate is at peace with the deaths of D & L, because he did NOT kill them. Everyone is ultimately responsible for their own actions and those two 'gentlemen' simply made some very bad choices - and suffered the consequences.
I too am only able to watch Leverage via Amazon. Imagine my frustration when the final episode wasn't available for a WEEK!! GAH!
Mr. Rogers and team - thank you very much for the show and for the time and efforts you spend on your fans.
I... I just realized. I like Leverage more than Firefly. Which isn't to say that I wouldn't geek out like crazy over a Summer Glau guest spot. But still. This is a big moment for me.
I have now re-watched this episode twice, and I've seen my my favourite episodes (i.e. Nigerian, Homecoming, Tap Out, Jailhouse, Underground) at least three times each.
How am I going to survive the hiatus?
That's actually not a rhetorical question; I don't watch any other TV shows. I tried, but could not get into Criminal Minds, Castle and How I Met Your Mother, so I'm asking for recommendations here from other Leverage fans...
Well, I try to play a little game where I see if I can work a Leverage quote into my regular conversation every day. Bonus points if I can get one from each character. More bonus points if the person to whom I am speaking recognizes the reference.
It's not much, but it's better than pretending to be Parker or Sophie and doing some shoplifting....
370 comments:
1 – 200 of 370 Newer› Newest»Would like to know when seasons 3 & 4 will be available to buy. Love the series a lot. Have seasons 1 &2 on DVD and can't find season 3 anywhere.
@arcieN
Season 3 I had to order from Amazon - just couldn't find it in a store (and I searched!) - sold out. Season 4, I don't know when it will be released, but to keep me sane, hopefully by April (or tomorrow - lol!)!
Question for aldis and Christian. In season 5 can we please have a con where Parker and Eliot have to be a couple. I would love to see what Hardison's reaction would be. Christian and Aldis, what do you think Hardison's reaction would be?
@JessaAnne Eliot’s Job is usually to protect and secure. To scope things out so to speak during a con. So if he were to do that, who would do Eliot’s job? His job is unique to me because no one else can do it.
I'm so freaking excited to see the finale, but then that means it's hiatus time.
I have been dying to know since "The Morning After Job" Who did the Italien call???? I've thought all along it would tied to this year's big bad or even better, Sterling!!!
How about an episode where the crew has to go to alaska for a con and they get stuck in a snowstorm?
@Arcie N and @ Denny
I have found Target an excellent source of Leverage DVDs. I've even had to reorder a set from them because I loaned season 1 to a friend and couldn't get it back. Ah, well, at least she appreciates the show.
John, thank you and all the crew for making Leverage. Our household stops while my wife and I watch the show.
Wait. If you planned the last two scenes of the series finale out since day one then how have you been ending each season like it's your last?
For some reason, I feel like that's a bad thing. Like you've planned since the beginning to have the team part ways in some tragic bittersweet way. Whereas I imagine all of em in their 80's still running game on people (ha. delusional, I know).
-Ruby
Only question I need answered: are any cast/crew redditors?
-p_m
Will we ever find out Sophie's real name? And some actual info about her? She doesn't seem to be as 'broken' as the rest of the team, she seems kinda normal, but then we know basically nothing about her.
The Eliot signal should be a wolf with a dagger in its mouth. Why choose when both are very cool :)
Hey a quick question comes to mind, was Latimer actually in the islands? Because it would have made a great deleted scene if it turns out the team only fooled him into thinking he was there by setting him up in some run down hotel room in Flordia. Yeah it wouldn't have fooled him for long but once he'd made the call the mission was accomplished wasn't it?
Also that would explain how Nate managed to get him to the Damn so easily at the end.
By the way, great episode, wonderful to see so many bit part players pulled back for a glorious moment in the sun, loved to see Archie tazering Chaos and that Parker evidently comes by her love for electrical shock weapons honestly, so to speak.
Will we ever get to see Parker having to have more indepth interactions with her "sister" and "niece" because that would have hilarity written all over it (maybe she gets invited to some big family reunion so Leech can properly introduce her to the rest of the family and it turns out some huge inheritance scheme or whatever is going on!)
Great episode can't wait for Season Five!
--James Firecat
The bat/wolf signal and quoting Tombstone; thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!
I'm gonna start with the tangent, because I'll forget it otherwise: I'm surprised the bits of Stargate in Latimer's vault didn't amplify the blast!
Ok, onto more relevant matters: I think this is my favorite finale ever. From the way they systematically took apart Latimer's life, to the way they essentially framed him for their own crimes, to Nate's solution to "The Final Problem." (Oh, yeah... I spotted the falls... probably because of what I watched immediately before Leverage).
And Nate's solution is a bit like a Doctor Who solution, if the Doctor was an utter bastard. He gave Latimer and Dubenich the chance to walk away. They all could have walked away. Their choice to scrabble for their last victim's gun is what undid them, not Nate.
Other notes: Always nice to see Maggie again. I'm glad you managed to get Kari's scenes worked around her schedule with Covert affairs. Also great to see Archie, Chaos and Quinn again.
It's odd that they felt they could trust Chaos at all, though. Archie, sure... his love for his "daughter" (an association not generally known) and a chance to play his game again made him a sure bet. And after all, he did actually train Parker.
Quinn was another obvious choice. He did nearly beat Eliot once. His ability to dish out punishment actually seemed better than Eliot's; he just wasn't as good at Eliot at taking it. And you pay him his asking fee, he should be good to go. He really had no reason to screw them. What happened in the First David Job wasn't personal.
But Chaos... he hates them. He, just last year, made an elaborate plan to make a great deal of cash and screw them at the same time. I'm surprised they wouldn't be taking the opportunity to screw them over again by selling their plans to Dubenich. Unless Hardison was monitoring his activity every second.
The Counselor Troi line was cool too.
Bring on Season 5!
Fantastic episode! Leverage is the best show on television. 1) In episode 10, The Queen's Gambit Job, Nate asks Sterling to find out what he can about Latimer (I'm presuming that was his name on the piece of paper that Nate hands Sterling). What ever happened with that? Or am I completely wrong and there was another name on that piece of paper? 2) Will we see Walt Whitman Wellesley IV (David Stiers) again, since he does owe Nate a favor (The Lonely Hearts Job)?
By far, one of my all time favorite episodes.... very well played.
Questions!
1) Is this the last we'll see of any of these alliances? Because I'd hate to think this is the last we see of Cha0s or Archie, especially.
2) How close did Nate actually come to shooting either man?
3) I doubt you'll answer this, but... who fired the gun as they went over the edge? I'm not even assuming that either man is dead...
4) We saw Archie talking to Parker about Hardison... Did he, by any chance, have a talk with Hardison as well? I love to think that he took a moment to warn Hardison not to mess with her.... not that he needs the warning!
And to ALL who were involved in this episode.... molto bene! Fantastic! Brilliant! Thank you for an AMAZING episode. Can't wait to see what season five brings!
But... but... they never found the bodies!
Although to be fair, no one said "There's no way they could have survived that!" So at this point, I think it could go either way.
What DID happen to the patents, by the way?
sAfter watching the end again a thought occurs to me, once he had them at the Damn, Nate didn't intend to shoot either of them did he? He just was being the biggest bastard that he could possibly be just to make it clear to both men that if the other was dead, then they'd be able to go free, then he left them with the gun and knew that their own greed would be their undoing....
Or was he really not sure if he'd shoot them or not till the group showed up?
--James Firecat
Did Nate saying “I have big plans” mean he’s thinking about life after running cons? Retiring one day? It would be interesting to see what he does with the rest of his life.
The last time we saw Chaos he was being taken away by the FBI. Why wasn't he in prison? Or if he was, how did they get him out?
Oh, wow, what an episode! An amazing season finale for an amazing season!
I love the little character bits: Quinn wondering how Eliot puts up with having a hacker around, Khaos and Hardison at odds, and Archie calling Parker his daughter. Beautiful.
I do have a question, though. You talk a lot about how difficult it is to write for this show, as a true five-hander. In this episode, if we include everyone's counterparts, it seems as though we essentially have a nine-hander. Did that make it more difficult to write the script? Or, because of how everyone was paired and used, was the difficulty on par with a regular episode?
@Sue_Purb
Allow me to answer your question with a quote from the Ho Ho Ho Job.
Nate: Hello Chaos, I thought we left you rotting in a federal prison.
Chaos: Come on, those things are made to be broken out of. You of all people know that.
---James Firecat
@Diane S
I'm willing to be it was Latimer who fired the gun.
Why?
Because when you take away his business, possessions, and name, any man will kill.
(I only just realize after hearing that line again that Victor didn't just give Nate a list of things to attack, he gave Nate a list of things to remove in order to get the two into a state of mind where they would be willing to off each other! Holly crap what brilliant writing!)
DOH! Made my initial post in the Radio Job answer post! Guess that's what I get for watching drunk (hey, tomorrow's a holiday). Heh!
I was expecting darker but totally happy with what we got. Nate passed the test . . . I guess.
That said, he did an awfully nice job of ramping Latimer and Dubenich up against one another right before he put his gun down right there at the very edge of the drop-off.
1) How thoroughly did Nate anticipate (plan) their reaction at that moment?
2) Was that end in any way a shout out to the awesome Amores Perros?
3) Did Nate expect the team to follow him in the end? If not, how the heck did he plan on getting out of there?
@Diane S. -- Hardison saw the cane with the taser. I don't think he needs a warning. ;-)
Great season finale.
In the leverage-verse, who played Wesley Crusher? Karl Urban?
Did the team actually send Latimer to the Caribbean, or did they fake it somehow and it just got cut?
Sorry to keep having these questions come up one at a time, but yeah one more comes to mind.
Were we suppose to read the see through board that Victor found in the headquarters? It looked like it started with "Be" maybe "Be back later" or "Better Luck Next Time" did anybody else have more luck figuring it out?
Thoroughly enjoyed the season finale. Having now read the two D&D hardbacks that you wrote, this episode almost sounded like one of those stories. Actually, I think the D&D stories sound like Leverage. Either way, like last year's finale, I liked the blend of menace and humor, even the buffoonery that turned the villains into jokes, for the most part. On to the questions!
1) Was there any thought of making this episode a two-parter (not counting last week's killing of Jimmy)? With all the wonderful guest stars who didn't get to do TOO much each (except for Archie - fantastic), I think it could have stretched to two. And this episode seemed to go incredibly fast. Beautifully directed, but just so fast.
2) How much looping was done by the dam, particularly in the Nate/Sophie scene? There seemed to be a lot of noise, but the dialogue was all quite audible. If it WAS looped, it was extremely hard to tell. You've got real pros on that team!
3) Would Dubenich not have known about Maggie? Or did he just not show Latimer her picture as one of the team's "friends"? (Too bad she had to be billed in the opening credits; it would have been an even bigger pleasant surprise if she'd just appeared.) By the way, again, kudos for ditching the saga sell in this ep; of course, it wouldn't really apply.
Looking forward to Season 4 DVDs (PLEASE try to include subtitles, not just closed captions that HDMI won't show!), Season 5, and the rest of the question post answers. Good luck!
An excellant season finale, but not surprising since Leverage is one of the best tv shows around.
It was nice to learn that Sophie and Maggie are friends and hope you can have a little more of Maggie in Season 5.
One question, any idea when we will be meeting Nana?
That... was a thing of fucking beauty, man. I'm going to need to watch it another time (or three) before I can form any coherent questions beyond "How much fun was it to make?!"
The return of old friends and frenemies was such a treat. I loved all of Cha0s's dialogue, but especially "Say my naaa-aaame." So deliciously childish. XD
If there's ever a job that requires more smash than sneak (or a great big distraction), I'd love to see a crew made up of Eliot, Quinn, Shelley, Parker, and Tara. That would be badass.
@Hugin -- "In the leverage-verse, who played Wesley Crusher?"
Still Wil Wheaton. Cha0s/Colin has mixed feelings when people point out the resemblance. ;)
OK, Chaos's "say my name" shout out to the Doctor/Master phone call in "the Sound of Drums"? Brilliantly in character.
"I'm your huckleberry!" Hell yeah! Fantastic ep and my favorite quote (top 5 anyway) from my favorite movie! Doesn't get any better! Great send off for the season.
Okay, had a brilliant comment all written out with scintillating questions and brilliant insights, etc. and jut as I hit the publish button, our connection went down and I lost the whole thing.
So all I'm gonna try to repeat is my appreciation that Archie Leach claimed Parker as his daughter, which is clearly, in comparison, nothing but the truth (a retirement condo? Seriously?). And this parallels Parker's emotional growth, too. Very nice touch.
I'd also like to applaud whomever wrote Maggie's lines about temptation and Sterling. I paused the whole show and rewound it twice to enjoy Nate's reaction. It was pure gold. And hooray for Ms. Matchett's cameo!
Thanks. This show keeps getting better and better.
"I'll be your huckleberry."
Last week it was Die Hard, this week, Tombstone. Oh, God, I love you guys!
This was a FANTASTIC episode! Absolutely brilliant, chock full of everything that makes Leverage Leverage – humor, competence porn (though taken to a whole new level), heart, and that stupid silly smile on my face at the end.
I adored the assembling of "the Justice League" (and a Batcave, no less – my husband thanks you), and would love to see Quinn, Archie and Cha0s again. I particularly loved Archie calling Parker "my daughter," and the lovely father-daughter moments between them. Also, Archie tasering Cha0s was priceless, lol.
The moment between Eliot and Nate was beyond anything I had hoped for. I felt for Eliot and what he'd lost, and desperately hoped Nate wouldn't go down that road.
As an aside, let me say that while Christian has done a fantastic job making Eliot our favorite funny, charming, grumpy, dangerous hitter, I most love him when he shows Eliot's vulnerability and the regret over the path he's taken. He lands those moments of vulnerability and sorrow every. single. time. Please tell him to stop saying, "All I do is beat the shit out of people." It ain't true.
And then there was Nate. Oh, Nate, how I loved you tonight! So full of rage, and yet not overwhelmed by it. Tonight we actually saw him master and make his rage work for him. I may actually have cheered when he told Sophie, "I am not my father." And I loved his final scene with Sophie. He looked like a man at peace.
But I think my favorite moment came when Nate had both Dubenich and Latimer in his sights … and looked up to see his "family" standing there, reminding him of everything he had to lose. A lovely, lovely beat.
And lest I forget … MAGGIE!! Oh, how I do love Maggie! And she's a grifter now. And she knows Sophie and Nate are together. And she and Sophie are friends. And she teased Nate with Sterling. Have I said I love Maggie? I love Maggie.
Actually, I love all of you. I am a shameless Leverage fangirl. And I thank you for it from the bottom of my heart.
Now that Hardison has met Parker's "father", can we PLEASE meet Nana?! PLEASE?!!! I just adore this show! Thanks so much! I can't wait for next season!
Excellent episode! With all the amazing guest stars I was just wondering, was there ever a draft of the story that included Sterling? Mark seems to be working a lot lately. I love Supernatural but I think it's time they gave him back now. Haha.
James Firecat - the name of the dam began with BE- I believe and it was on the board when they were planning.
Thank you for a wonderful and exciting season.
Why did Dubenich seem to think he owned the team? He seemed to get a mite bit upset when Nate called them HIS team.
I love the taser, and so did Parker and Hardison. The look of glee on Parker's face when Archie threatened Chaos was priceless. And Archie’s proud look when Parker said she cared for Hardison. Shogun lives- Chamberline with a sword. My gosh, all the allusions (Tombstone) this episode are making me giddy as a schoolgirl (or schoolteacher as the case may be). Lucille survived this season! I'm amazed that Christian didn't add a scar when he turned to get into Lucille after leaving Latimer's.
The continuity with the painting was great. First time around it was Eliot who maligned it; now he's bringing it. Does it still have a cash stash? "See, it's not just me" in regards to frustration with hackers is great! I could go on and on with all the character beats. Suffice it to say, this episode just reinforced so many things we've learned about the team through the years and wrapped things up so nicely. With the tunnels, where did they get the juice for the screens? And "seriously" simultaneously by the hackers was seriously awesome.
The fact that Eliot would shoot Latimer to save Nate from that fate of hating the man in the mirror is fantastic. He called Nate "friend" now when way back Nate said "We are not friends." Eliot's job is to protect Nate, and he was willing to go to extremes to push away that kid he wants to see again in the mirror. From the man who "doesn't like guns" (even though he knows how to use them) to the man who threatens the man who hurt Nate is just a sample of the depth to which you've taken these characters. What did stop Eliot from shooting Dubenich?
Thank you John, Dean, et al and the people at TNT for giving us another year to delve even more deeply. Too bad it won't be in the bat cave (but seriously, there's no kitchen or other amenities).
Missed show 1, so watching the replay.
10 minutes in, my one problem is Dubenich just wasn't that good of a bad guy.
Regarding Nate's "big plans", is he considering giving up the job one day for a normal life with Sophie (marriage, kids) or should we just give up hope now? Is that even something Sophie would want?
I can't decide which moment I liked better:
"But aren't you just a little bit scared of me?"
OR:
"I've got five bullets!" (the second time)
Terrific lines, terrific acting. I mean seriously. Really loved those first and last confrontations.
Really, I loved the whole thing.
The quagga mussel con (BRILLIANT), the theft of Latimer's stuff, the instigation of a Federal investigation, the dam patent - did I name them all? Cause each one of those was like it's own episode.
My one complaint - I'm not sure I think Archie's earned the right to call Parker his daughter. But I can almost forgive that for him keeping me so entertained during his part of the con.
If I had the same life circumstance as Nate Ford...I would not be in the same place.
Will make some questions tomorrow...but what a finale for the season!
20 minutes in..ok, he's still not that good of a bad guy :)
wv coedit seriously
@allyone As a former military person, anytime a weapon is pointed at you, you should be concerned.
When someone says they have five rounds, you should mark your grave.
BTW, re: facial recognition software...
Schnozz technology has evolved quite a bit.
Did I catch a quick tip o' the hat to "Ocean's Eleven", in Latimer's reference to "that Ocean job", while talking with his secretary? I do appreciate that careful watching/listening is rewarded.
So Nate overcomes his anger, walks away and seems pretty happy. Hmmm--so next season will we see a happier Nate? But would a happy Nate be as motivated and clever and quick as an angry Nate? I think anger and hate has propelled him thus far and kept him focused. Although I suppose you'll make us wait until next season to find out.
This episode was the TV show equivalent of an All-Star Game. The only thing missing was Sterling, who was given a hilarious shout-out. Loved the banter all the way through, and the ending was superb.
Definifely buying the DVD the day it comes out.
30 mins in, Dubenich is really not a very good badguy.
40 minutes in. Wow..so not a good bad guy.
********
A question on BTS stuff. How does it work when you want to do something like bring Archie back. He isn't like Chaos or any other character in the show, he's played by Richard #!@#ing Chamberlain. Do you lock him in before writing, or do you write with the assumption you can get him. Or does the whole structure of the story require having him. I imagine the theif role could go to Apollo's character if needed, but that character didn't have the same level of unknown to the game/animosity as the others did.
50 minutes in, not only is he phenomenally bad at being a bad guy, he makes other bad guys worse.
60 minutes in, and I assume he's also not a very buoyant bad guy.
**********
A good ending to the season. Hopefully the series ends on such a good note.
@video beagle
I disagree. It was Dubenich who put together the perfect team. It was him who manipulated Nate into the game. He was the first guy who conned the team. Even in jail he found a way to use the team. He is actually a pretty good villain. He has some fatal flaws though, namely greed and pride.
@JoellaBlue
I honestly think Eliot was willing to kill Dubenich for Nate, but he wasn't willing to do it with Sophie watching.
I mean the team is aware of his past, but even in the Big Bang Job, Eliot asked Nate to not tell the team what he had to do to get them out of the warehouse. It's one thing to know something, and a completely different thing to see it happen right in front of you. I believe that Sophie being present is the only thing that saved him.
As for any questions, the only one I can think of is how do we get summer here sooner? I'm gonna miss you guys. Thank goodness for the DVR. It will have to tide me over until the DVDs come out.
Beautiful writing, with Dubenich foreshadowing the very plan Nate uses to destroy him and Latimer.
Loved the batcave, Archie, and Quinn. Also, Maggie got her first "Seriously" to Nate :)
Nate's Magnificent Bastardry was taken to a whole new level tonight. So many of the beats hit exactly the right spot. Eliot wanting to save Nate, and Nate saying how Sam would be ashamed, but Jimmy would buy him an ice-cream - Hutton was amazing.
I have a question, and this is a bit of a long one.
Nate's solution to "The Final Problem" reminded me of a line from Doctor Who, where the Doctor said something along the lines of "I got worse, I got smarter. I manipulated people into taking their own lives." If you asked me, I'd say Nate still has blood on his hands, but Nate seems strangely at peace at the end of the episode. So, does Nate see himself as a killer? Does the team? (Yes or no, I think either answer would make him an infinitely more interesting character, just in two very different ways.)
So, if Quinn is Doc Holiday, then Eliot must be Wyatt Earp.
I wrote that to ask this, will we ever get to hear Eliot level the threat, "Tell them I'm comin'! Tell them I'm comin' and hell's comin with me!"?
It would be fitting. He can definitely rain down hell...and all he needs are his fists and duct tape.
@PurpleOps what D&D Hardcovers? Collections of his comic, aka Fantasy Leverage?
@IMForeman well, this was just a game of EXTREME Prisoner's Dilemma (from the Experimental Job). Had they agreed to keep silent, it would have been the best case scenario...they went with the not-best case.
@Oona Of course Nate expected them to show up. He not Dubenich knows them best of all. As they said, if they don't have each other's backs, what do they have?
Just wanted to say thanks for the show, and I can't wait for Season 5.
@zob: He was just a rich guy who thought he was smarter than the players of Crime World. He succeeded at conning them because they weren't a team, didn't have anyone watching the whole field and Nate wasn't paying attention.
Once Nate actually entered the game, Dubinech fell very quickly (in the pilot).
OMG! I love you.
=)
Okay this is an extremely serious question. Is there ANY chance that we will ever get a (perhaps dream squencey/parker imaginationy) episode where we see the Leverage team as the last survivors in a zombie apocalypse? Or a con where the team needs to convince the mark that Sophie is a vampire (false teeth, only comes out at night, etc). See where I'm going with this? And finally, how convinced are you that you need to hire me as a writer now? I'm young (22) so an internship will suffice. Thank you, and goodnight.
(In all seriousness, I would like to see them battling some hordes of the undead).
Did you leave the final gunshot as Latimer and Dubenich went over ambiguous because you weren't sure which one was shot (and weren't sure which one you'd want to bring back in the future?). Way to play it safe on that one (as you do even with the character lack of backstories). haha
Loved the ending scene. A lot like season 2 (Nate getting shot yet somehow pretending he didn't then making out with Sophie) but it's also like season 3 (more lighthearted, the team playfully banters, Nate making out with Sophie) and obviously a little like season 1 (Nate gets revenge but maintains his dignity. although there was a disappointing lack of making out with Sophie).
I am not suggesting you only have old tricks, rather I think it's kind of poetic how this year's finale echoes previous years. Good job.
-Helena
So what you're trying to say here is, Christian Kane is Batman?
Yep agree it is like an all-star game. A real treat for followers of the show.
BTW, i was expecting Nathan's dad to not die. I actually tot, as a fan, it's not in the spirit of the show to kill characters off. Like a Tom and Jerry cartoon(it's not a cartoon, please don't get offended), Jerry doesn't die, but we enjoy it because of the chase. I always saw Leverage as more of a drama-comedy. Even the bad guys are 'cartoon' bad. In short, please don't get too dark. Keep it fun
Nate just isn't Nate when Maggie is around! And that slapped Mackarel face!! Brilliant face by Tim Hutton lol.
Surprise Chaos didn't double cross them. Maybe he only hated Hardison? Not the whole crew.
Question:
1. I heard 1 gun shot. So who's dead and who walked away? (or swam away..)
2. What's Nate big plan? Moving their basecamp? Getting married with Sophie? (lol jk that's too far)
Small complaint. I just felt that this finale (as brilliant as it is), the ending is kind of anti-climax. I was thinking there'd be more twist but then it just ended like that. It felt "eh.."
Call me psycho but I kind of want to see at least Dubenich being tortured. Man, he's not done even in prison, you let him walk away again, season 7 we're gonna see him again? Nah.. don't like him really.
Next season pleaseeeeeee there's a scene of Maggie & Sterling. They did have scene at First & Second David Job, also at the Zanzibar Marketplace Job, but dating? For real? Since when?????
Thanks for the beautiful season! Can hardly wait for season 5!! Have a great few months ahead before seeing you back, spamming here, and keep twitting Leverage crew & cast. You guys are my best discovery in the world :)
@Coren Eliot is Batman, Hardison is Alfred/Robin and Parker is Batgirl and/or Catwoman.
This was truly amazing. :)
I know that in the 10 Lil Grifters Job, we saw a range among the team wondering if Nate actually could kill. Has any of that changed by the time they hit the finale? They all knew Nate's plan--how sure were they as far as whether or not he'd actually kill?
Also, who do I have to thank for that last scene? The music swelled, the camera swung around, and Nate and Sophie kissed on top of a waterfall. In any other context, it would have been cheesy, but it was kind of freaking awesome.
And when exactly does Ms. Devereaux consider it time leave a con? That was intriguing.
Also, can they please please please steal a Renaissance festival?
Do you think Sophie is capable of running a crew? She's been successful at it before. And she was SO great in explaining the statue thing to the team in The King George Job. I'm not asking if this is an aspiration of hers, but rather if she has the *ability to be the mastermind.
Also, I was watching Leverage with a friend of mine (the finale but also a few episodes where Sophie has more to do) and she suggested that the team could do without her. That she is the only member of the team that they could lose and still function. While that may be true, what are your thoughts on this? She seems a bit like the Team Mom to me, so her job is more than just grifting. Anyway, sorry to harp on the Sophie questions, I love all the team equally. Thanks for doing this and thanks for a lovely finale.
-Becca
Very nice episode!
Question about the clams. Did Hardison actually dump clams into the dam, or did he just drop one on the outside to give that illusion? I'm just thinking if he did drop the clams and the decontamination screwed up, that would be a lot of ecological damage.
Loved the continuity nods and call-backs. I noticed the pictures on the iPad when Archie wheeled in the cake. Sophie and Elliot's pictures look like they were the unmerged photos for Miranda Kaley in the "Potato Job." Parker's photo, of course, is Alice White.
Also, Latimer's bar scene reminded me a bit of how Dubenich first approached Nate in the pilot.
James Firecat I just thought the word on the board was Bellinger which had been written & then partially erased.
I too thought maybe Latimer had been tricked into thinking he was in the Caymans--(Maybe a holodeck that Parker/Hardison confiscated from the "secrecy" section of the patent office.
It seems like Nate took a pretty big risk having his back turned to Latimer & Dubenich at the edge when he put the gun down. L & D could have easily rushed him and pushed him off.
Thank you for a really exciting and entertaining season! Kudos to Tim Hutton for the final scene with Nate, Latimer, and Dubenich; it really seemed like Nate was making decisions right there in the moment. I think Tim did a fantastic job of actually showing that - better than in any episode before this, because he wasn't giving direction to any of the team and the focus was just on him. You could see on his face that he was working through all the permutations, all the consequences, and deciding which way to go, which way to push the situation, what to say that might get him to some satisfactory conclusion. Hutton deserves an award for this episode!
I also really liked Sophie's interaction with Nate in this episode - the scene where she finds Nate with the gun really shows how they've grown as people and as a couple.
The scene between Eliot and Nate had a similar vibe and was a super call-back to the pilot when Eliot expressed his concern for Nate even though Nate didn't think of Eliot as a friend at that point. But Christian did a really nice job with his side of that scene - he gets very few really introspective moments, but when he gets them they're fantastic. I love how Eliot goes still and quiet, and what he says is always a mix of emotions. And I loved that what he ended up telling Nate gave us a bit more insight into Eliot, but it also brought us back to the theme this season of "consequences."
I must say, I am really curious to see a scene of Nate & Eliot meeting up prior to the pilot - they both acted like they knew each other, so I'd like to know how. We did get to see that one scene with Nate catching Sophie trying to steal a painting - just something small like that.
Now, I have a few questions specifically about Dubenich and Latimer:
1) When Nate visits him in prison, Dubenich calls Latimer "Jack," giving me the impression they're close, but Latimer doesn't even know how to pronounce Dubenich's name! That confused me. Did they only pair up after Dubenich was in jail and have had no face-to-face or verbal contact? If so, how did Dubenich choose Latimer to be his partner on the outside? And why did Latimer first agree to partner up with someone in prison?
2) When they find out about the clam, Latimer is informed that flushing the pipes at the dam will contaminate all the waterways and that the EPA will fine him "millions" - but, isn't Latimer SUPER rich and really WELL connected? Wouldn't he be able to get around the fines - or, since they're only millions of dollars, why wouldn't he just pay the fines and keep on doing business? Isn't that how all big businesses work - like BP and Dow and every other company that - Oops! - accidentally pollutes the environment? It never seems to hurt them for very long.
3) Then Dubenich screws up again - first the clams, then the valuables at the party. Two strikes. Why would Latimer trust Dubenich after that to fix everything that happened and to get Nate? As he's rushing off to D.C. he seems quite shaken and I would think he'd had it over to someone he knew better and trusted more to deal with things in is absence.
4) Dubenich seems pretty sure that Congress will do bad things to Latimer if Latimer tells them he was kidnapped and taken to the Cayman Islands - it's so cute that you think Congress would end up doing more than reprimanding him. They've done less to businesses which have done worse.
5) Why don't Latimer and Dubenich shove Nate off the ledge and into the water when Nate is bending over to put the gun down?
Now I will end by, again, saying thank you for a very enjoyable season! I'm glad you all get to come back for more episodes and hope you get to do as many seasons as *you* feel inspired to make. I hope you have a recuperative break before work on the next season begins. Best wishes to you and yours for 2012!
I'd just like to say that I loved this episode. Whoever came up with the clam scam was brilliant. That was just super clever. I also loved the clean lift(s)l at the party & vault...very classic!
Thank you all for making this an excellent season of "Leverage." Looking forward to many more to come!
Loved Quinn's version of a back door when he saved Chaos. It was so cute that he didn't leave him there. I'd like to see Quinn and Chaos work together again, just not against our favorite team.
So I know that the Latimer thing wasn't an intentional WH13 reference, but the 'Knock, Knock' thing was right? Please?
And by far my favorite Leverage of EVAR! The Counselor Troi joke, Parker and Archie's shared love of tasers, Archie approving of Hardison, Hardison got a BATCAVE!!!!!
I just love this show, so so much, you guys NEVER disappoint!
I suppose it's apt that I ask this one, since your response to me way back when seems to now be the canonical one to "How do they find their clients?". So how did Dubinich know to tell Latimer what companies to short? Were there bugs in the offices from the start, 'cause otherwise since most of the clients have come to the team, it'd seem hard for a federal prisoner to know who the team's jobs will affect.
"That was an awful plan!". Oh yeah. Was Nate really depending on pure luck to keep from being shot by multiple opponents? And if the team hadn't shown up, it would've been more than Dubinich coming after him at the end, and they'd have had bullets.
Otherwise great, especially all the little touches (and thank you for Wil specifying Troi rather than Beverly Crusher, cause that just would've been wrong).
May I just please congratulate you and the rest of the Leverage cast and crew on another fantastic episode and season. You guys really hit the mark with this one.
This show is awesome! Thank you for making it.
1) Do we get to see the emerald monkey next season?
2) How much of the 4.18 end scene Parker/Hardison/Eliot banter was ad lib vs script?
3) Which dams did you actually film at? I didn't think the Columbia River had that much drift wood.
Thank you again for a fabulous show.
To quote the Doctor:
"The anger of a good man is not a problem. Good men have too many rules."
"Good men don't need rules. Today is not the day to find out why I have so many."
Nate: In a nutshell.
:-)
But I digress.
Anyhow … Fantastic way to end the season and it was a brilliant second part to last week's Radio Job. I loved all the returning characters (yay, Maggie!) and there were some seriously great moments (most of Eliot's scenes, esp. the bit with him and Nate, all the scenes with the team interacting with their counterparts and the team running after Nate at the end). And just the way everything was set up from the very first moment was just perfect.
1. Was it hard to leave behind Nate's apartment? Seeing it all empty was quite sad actually, from a viewer's perspective.
2. Sophie and Maggie need to be BFFs and totally hang out to bitch about Nate. I'd watch a spin-off starring those two.
3. Was Nate shot once or twice? I thought twice (shoulder and leg), but we only saw one bullet wound (shoulder).
4. Speaking of, since Nate's always the one getting shot maybe next season you could shoot Hardison? Or Parker. I'm not picky.
5. Nate knew Latimer and Dubenich would go for the gun, right? Thus, effectively, killing themselves (btw, you're not gonna say if they both died/live/whatever are you, which is cool, coz I think they both died - one shot and the other drowned). Did Nate ever think about actually killing them himself, or was his final plan always to make them fall on their own swords because of their greed and need for self-preservation?
6. Did Eliot really consider killing Dubenich for Nate? Or was it just to mess with Dubenich's head? And that scene was a set-up, right? Because Sophie's not stupid enough to go drink with the enemy without having some kind of plan/back-up.
Bring on season five! (Or should that be: let's go steal season five!)
@Calla
2) The problem with flushing the clams isn't the fine, its the fact that if they get flushed it will take a problem that will currently destroy one damn eventually, into a problem that will destroy EVERY damn in the nearby area in a slightly longer time frame. Doing it would mean the end of all the hard work Jack put into acquiring water rights to those areas even if he did manage to unload them before the clams did their damage.
5) Nate knew that they wouldn't rush him because he'd psychologically primed them to make it clear that killing him would do nothing. Even if they achieved the perfect murder of not just Nathan Ford, but also his team (an impressive feat with only five bullets and four more people to kill Elliot being one of them) they'd still end up getting hounded down by the Government and going down for their shared crimes. However if one of them was dead, then the other would be able to get away free and clear. Nate manipulated it so that in each man's mind killing him would solve nothing but killing the other would solve all their immediate problems, that was why, Nate wasn't afraid of getting shoved off the ledge, he and his team already had Victor and Jack by the short hairs and a bit headology got them to do exactly what he wanted, there was no other "logical" action they could have taken from each man's perspective.
I do have a question -- but not about the episode because I have yet to see it.
I'm not a cable subscriber, so I pay Amazon to see your show the next day On Demand.
For the third time this season, the episode is not available the morning after, yet when I signed up for the season pass, the delivery was guaranteed for the day after broadcast.
I haven't had this problem in the previous three seasons so I'd like to know if your method of delivering the shows to Amazon and I-Tunes (they didn't have it either, I checked) has changed.
If so, why?
@Video Beagle: IDW has published two hardcovers - Shadowplague and First Encounters - reprinting the Dungeons and Dragons comic that John Rogers has been writing. I think any Leverage fan would love these, whether or not you're a D&D or Sword and Sorcery fan, because they have that Leverage "feel" to them. They also mix menace with a LOT of humor and feel so natural doing it. I'm hoping John will open a topic on this so we can talk more about them. I know I should buy the regular comic, but I'd rather wait for these nice collected editions. They also contain a game module each, and all the variant covers, so they're a good deal. And no, I don't get a kickback for ANY of this!
I was reading everyones posts and came up with a theor, which I'd like you to tell me if it is correct. I think Nate planned the whole end. I kept thinking about why Nate would choose to go there alone. How he could even think that he would not have gotten shot but the time he reached Latimer while drawing Dubenich. I think he knew (as learned in the last episode) that the team is not going to stay put no matter what he says so he would not have expected them to. He knew they would come for the rescue or atleast to help clear his path.
It's interesting he choose the location he did to bring down the two men. I think it was purposeful that he choose the falls because of the death opportunity it posed. In talking to them, Nate reminded me of reality show producers who prime stars before they shoot. If they say the right things they can get them to act in specific ways, planting the seed. Nate know how to do this well as we saw in the experimental job. His dialogue was very strange at the end. It didn't sound like he was trying to figure out who to kill, it was emotional but it felt like he was trying to trick them. He spend so much time having them state why the other man should die. Also, as stated by another commentor, both Dubenick and Latimer how lost all they need to become killers. He made sure they were ready and they handed them a weapon which was so strategically placed. He worked them over so well that he wasn't even worried they they would try and shoot HIM when he turned his back to walk away because he knew they would go after each other.
Now he did prime them but it was still up to them if they killed themselves the way they did. The problem is that if they ended up dead, the team would not believe that it wasn't him that caused it. The team hadn't believe him before in 10 lil gifters, when it looked like he killed someone. There, he had much less of a motive and hadn't stated beforehand his intent to kill.
I think that he wanted to prime the two men for them to attack each other and chose the perfect location to do it. I think that he waited for the team to show up so that they could see that he didn't in fact pull the trigger or push them over the falls. Nate is a mastermind that could run two cons at once as we've seen multiple times including the gold job.
In all, I think Nate pulled off the biggest con ever. He got to torture his targets for a while before getting death revenge he wanted without getting direct blood on his hands and while maintaining the respect of the team. Brillant yet frightening.
I love you guys and will miss you terribly.
James Firecat and Jazzy Jane - great explanation for how Nate primed Dubenich and Latimer to only go after each other. I think that's exactly right. He made sure that they knew that their real threat was the other one, so of course they would be scrambling to take the other one out first.
Awesome awesome finale!!!
Favourite moments!!
Batcave, Parker and the whole 'weird' caring , Eliot hiring Quinn, the Maggie Nate Sterling thing (OMG CLASSIC!) , and dude the final scene....beyond epicness.
This had you written all over it!!!!!! The undeniable awesomeness, the characters' every move, every word. It was all so Leverage. I loved the beginning scene with Victor and Nate,where the consequences thing you've been hinting at was finally just out there! If I had a full list of ultimate moments though...it probably come round to 2490...ONE FOR EVERY SECOND!
I loved having two hackers, hitters, thieves and grifters! Double trouble everywhere. Wil Wheaton was amazing. Please bring him back next season.
Blah...I'm sorry most of what I'm typing is making much sense even to me. Bottom -line. Amazing finale, can't wait for season 5
One question: Any hints about what next season's theme will be?
When the rest of the team showed up on the dam as Nate had Lattimer and Victor at gunpoint, could they hear what Nate was saying? Because from their perspective, if they couldn't, then it looks like "Nate sees us, has change of heart, puts down gun, walks away, villains kill themselves in a fit." Which fits Sophie's reaction at the end how she's all proud of Nate.
But really, Nate killed them. Nate hacks people. He manipulated them into a situation where he knew one of them couldn't let the other live, and then he gave them a loaded gun to play with. If the team heard his back-and-forth about which of you should live and which of you should die, would Sophie really not think Nate was responsible?
Oh WOW! That was seriously awesome. I loved every frigging minute, and the way Archie shunned the modern gadgets for a cake? AMAZING! And the canes, it explains so much.
Though Maggie was joking about Sterling right? Cause, while I see the attraction (he is deliciously ambiguous) pretty sure in the scene's we've seen them together she has less than positive feelings towards him.
And Quinn and Eliot! Will he be back for more episodes? Now Eliot owes him a favour (and no matter what he said, he would totally collect). Oh and Hardison's breakthrough - 'this is what Eliot must feel like all the time'.
That Chaos described his own style as 'drunken mastery' and Hardison's as 'kung fu', makes it seem like he does actually have a little respect for Hardison even though they are so different. And the fact that he was packed and waiting for the call. I think he is secretly a little jealous of the team and how close they are.
I like how content Nate seems at the end, like he's finally come to terms with everything (what he does, who they are, his son, his father). Is this the new Nate, or is something going to kick him off again next season? (I hope so, I kinda like out-of-control!Nate, Tim plays it so well.)
Awesome episode as usual.
Just a few questions. 1) If this were to truly be the last episode what would you have changed if anything? 2) How come no Sterling? 3) Have you ever thought about novelizations.
Look forward to season 5
@TYLER
I don't think so. I think that was part of the brillance of the plan as to why he was so far away from them. It was all strategic. Everything from far away looks on point.
I agree that Nate killed but it's such a grey area because after all the manipulation was said and done, Latimer and Dubenich COULD have walked away.
This was awesome!1)I loved the Kane and Crawford interaction. The Tombstone bit was priceless. Also it didn't seem like they had hard feelings over the fact that they beat the shit out of each other three years ago and that was pretty cool.2)Do hitters have an automatic low tolerance for hackers?Because that is what this episode told me.3)Is the team really moving to Portland next season because I don't know where I heard that but I heard it somewhere.4)I love Hardison and Chaos's interaction. Is it intentional that Chaos is just a more douchey version of Hardison?5)Are you going to bring Quin back next season because I think he is my favorite of the hitters that Eliot has encountered.
Great Season!
First of all I just wanted to say I loved loved LOVED the finale but I'm sad now that y'all will be gone for months on end (so sad)! I'll be counting the days until the new season starts!
A couple of questions: 1) Did Latimer and Dubenich get killed when they fell over the ledge trying to get Jimmy's gun or just very wet? 2) What was it in the finale that was supposed to indicate the team needs leave Boston and move to Portland? Was it Dubenich showing up with the goon's at Nate's to kill him? (Gonna miss McRory's so much btw but I am glad Old Nate will still be around!)
One thing I never really understood, in the Wedding Job in season 1, Eliot killed the Butcher of Kiev (with appetizers!) and no one really cared, Nate seems more amused than anything. It was a cool scene, but kinda goes against everything else that has come since (though there are other fights where you think, well that guys dead). Did Eliot just knock him out, or did he kill him and the writers hadn't decided how much the people he had killed had affected him?
You guys are really stretching Parker and Hardison out. I’m hoping it really goes somewhere in season 5.
Oh. My. God. This episode…this episode was effing BEAUTIFUL. While this may not be my absolute favorite episode of all time (that has to be reserved for ‘The Boys’ Night Out Job’ or ‘The Bottle Job’) this is DEFINITELY has to be my favorite season finale. This was a freaking genius masterpiece of epic proportions. Frankly, this would have made a good series finale, the way there were so many things that went back and connected to the first episode.
Honestly, for a minute I forgot who Dubenich was. When he said he was Nate’s first victim, I thought he was one of Nate’s IYS victims, but then he said something about ‘MY team, I put them together,’ and I went OOOOH. Derp. XDD
SOOOO many favorite moments from this episode:
Quinn and Chaos’s back-and-forth that was SO like Eliot and Hardison.
Hardison’s moment where he just went “This is what Eliot feels like ALL THE TIME.”
MAGGIE! OMG MAGGIE! She would make a fantastic grafter, if she weren’t so honest. XDD
Eliot’s line, where he went, “I’m thinking of saving my friend the trouble,” (which made me go back to the first episode when Nate so pointedly said, “Eliot, we are not friends.”)
Eliot’s deep moment when he was talking about looking for the man in the mirror every day.
Maggie’s moment about Sterling and temptation and Nate’s ERK! Face. That made me chortle.
Loved the bits with Leach, and that was a particularly heartwarming moment when he called Parker his daughter. And then continued to act like a father by vetting Chaos. With a taser. Made me rofl.
“My son would have been ashamed that I was a murderer.” [gun goes down] “My father, on the other hand, would have been proud.” [gun goes back up] (Would Nate have killed them, if the team wasn't there? Was there a moment when he really could have pulled the trigger, or is he still too much of a good guy at heart to do that?)
That moment right as Nate’s about to shoot, and he turns and they’re all there watching him, waiting to see what he would do. I almost teared up right there.
I loved the poetic justice that Jimmy(‘s gun) was the one that took Latimer and Dubenich down in the end. It was…it was good. (May have been asked, but did Nate plan that far ahead and KNOW they were going to go for it? Also, are they really dead-dead-dead like Jimmy, or is there a chance they’ll return once more someday?)
Honestly, if I listed every single moment that I loved from this episode, I would just be recapping the whole thing. This one was a doozy. In an epically totally-awesome-win sort of way. Seriously, you guys are all brilliant, and amazing, and I cannot WAIT for season five.
Keep up the fantastically good work!
THEY TOOK THE PICTURE TO THE BATCAVE! Seriously, that picture has to move to Portland with them. Is it still a (not so secret)secret money stash, or is Hardison actually keeping it for sentimental reasons now? lol
Thank you for an awesome Season. Can't way for the dvds and Season five. I am sad to see the team leaving the apartment and the bar.
Next season where will they set up? Are you going back to an office set up? Also we have seen almost all the team places - Hardison's in the pilot, then Parker's warehouse and Sophie's house (well at least we got a glimpse) when Chaos tried to blow her up. And we have been basically living at Nate's. Any chance we'll see Eliot's place?
You mentioned somewhere that we would have learned why Eliot has long hair? Will we ever found out if there is a reason or is it because he just thinks it's cool?
I'll double - triple the comment that we want to meet Nana and from someone who has been a fan since episode two of season 1 (missed the pilot had to wait until a rerun) I want to see the monkey job.
Also I would love it if the crew stole a circus! Eliot would be great at knife throwing, Nate as the ring master, (and awful magician could make a come back), Parker as an acrobat - also I would pay good money to see Eliot as a clown!!! Please?
Hot Dam. The payout for those watching from the beginning was awesome. Loved loved the inside jokes. Chaos and Hardison, Eliot and Quinn, they were fantastic together, now I want to see more of them or a spinoff. They have come full circle, season 1, episode 1, separate people, barely civil to each other, season 4, episode 18, one united family. Thank you, looking forward to season 5, not sure how you will top these.
#Leverage10questions
Is Quinn growing his hair long intentional copying of Eliot, or did the actor just happen to have longer hair?
Reactions, totally at random:
Got a nice emotional punch out of the contrast between laugh out loud funny moments and the truly dark...often within seconds of each other. Both in this ep and Radio Job.
So wonderful to see Maggie again. And Archie. Cha0s was fun. Hell, somehow you guys even got me wanting to see Quinn again. My list of dream Leverage spin-offs is growing steadily.
There have been comments about Dubenich's effectiveness as a "bad guy." I think he makes a formidable opponent...when he has time to plan. Great planner. Not so great at thinking on his feet. His mistake was not immediately taking out Nate once he'd blindsided him. Instead, Nate got a chance to catch up. And even while angry, in pain, and thrown for a loop, Nate is still better at thinking on his feet than most. Never let Nate catch up to you.
The Eliot and Nate interaction remains compelling and I'd like to see more of it. Nice callbacks to last year's finale. Eliot is fiercely loyal and protective. But he's no longer the kind of man who can shoot someone unarmed on the ground. And Christian Kane made a very cool choice in having his hand shake while he held the gun.
"I'm your huckleberry." I love you guys.
Interesting structure with this ep. I kept waiting for the reset somewhere around the 4th act. But instead got Nate's confrontation with Dubenich and Latimer. Different. But very satisfying.
Would have liked to have seen more of how Latimer ended up in the Caymans (or not?) and then back at the dam. But I guess not everything can make it into an episode. Plus I'm willing to go with "the team is just that good."
Really nice job. Very smart writing. Worth watching again a couple times, to appreciate the details, references and call backs.
Fantastic season finale! It just kept getting better (not easy when the first scene with Nate and Dubenich was so good), and it had so many wonderful moments.
Questions:
1) What was the result of Chaos' and Hardison's negotiations on the flight?
2) What are the names of Parker's new sister and niece?
But really, Nate killed them. Nate hacks people. He manipulated them into a situation where he knew one of them couldn't let the other live, and then he gave them a loaded gun to play with. If the team heard his back-and-forth about which of you should live and which of you should die, would Sophie really not think Nate was responsible?
Nate definitely pointed out that each one of them was a threat to the other . . . but also pointed out that they could all walk away and face their own consequences individually. All three had the same choice there. Nate chose to walk away, but they chose to go after each other.
In the end, maybe Nate knew what they would do, because he knew their nature, but he definitely left the final decision up to them.
It's got some grey in it, but ultimately, we all have free choice, so it's not nearly black and white as Nate pulling the trigger.
Forgive me if I'm asking the same thing as three other people- I'm too lazy to read everything. I know that this is fiction and that we all underestimate the Man, but how on earth would Dubenich really have known what cons Nate was going to take and which he didn't? And wouldn't at least some of the teams tricks have changed since he put the team together- it HAS been 3 years after all- people do change. I can see him arranging the murder from inside prison, but knowing everything else seems a bit outside of believability. And aside from money, what motivation is there for Latimar to get Dubenich out of prison. He seems more of a problem that way- or is Latimar just that dumb from the outset. Other than that, I have to say, I really don't like the bad guys go over the falls, a victim of their own stupidity thing. It's just too comic bookish. I'll just be waiting for them to come back next season. Aside from that, I loved the Justice League of crime plan- twice the hot guys beating the crap out of people, twice the snarky geek lines, twice the digs at Nate, and who can ever go wrong with Richard Chamberlain, a bat cave, and a Tombstone reference. By the way, was that a scripted line or just ad libbed by the guys?
Perfect "Reichenbach" moment!!! C'mon...fess up... you *knew* this episode of Leverage would air the very same night as Sherlock, didn't you!
@JoellaBlue Season 1, episode 1, Dubenich put the team together.
Think Sophie standing there stopped Eliot from shooting.
James Firecat – thought the BE on the board was part of Dubenich’s name.
@Coren – Hell yeah Christian Kane is Batman…..
As for Chaos, I think it fit his competiveness to be needed/used by the team. It would be up his alley to be able to show Hardison that he was better than him.
John, I want to thank you and the entire crew behind Leverage for creating such an amazing show. And also, for taking so much of your time to interact with the fandom and answer all of our questions. For that reason, Leverage is one of my favorite fandoms. Thank you so much. Can't wait to see all the trouble our favorite group of thieves get into in Portland!
Mostly reactions here – enter at your own risk. Warning: random reactions to all the awesomeness that is Leverage. I think this may have been my favorite season finale. Guest star heaven! Love seeing the team each with their own “equal”. I'm so glad that you guys decided to bring Quinn back as the other hitter; the dynamic between he and Choas was hilarious! I could see Eliot and Quinn having their own spin off... And Quinn quoted Doc Holiday! Totally made my night, first Quiggly Down under in the S3 finale, and now Tombstone in S4.
Chaos! I have a love-hate relationship with him, much like Sterling. You have no idea how hard I laughed when Archie unleased the tazer on him. Still smiling over that. Aww, Archie gave Parker his approval of Hardison. Speaking of Sterling, he's directly had a hand in two of the finales, and been there in spirit for this season's finale.
Willamette Falls worked out amazing as a location! So glad you guys decided to use it again. My dad actually used to work at one of the two mills.
The. Bat. Cave. The team had a bat cave!!! Please excuse me while I act like a total fangirl. Can we please, please, please have an Eliot signal?
Hopefully there isn't anything redundant here...Questions:
1. How much fun did Dean have working with Leon again?
2. Would Eliot have killed Dubenich had Sophie been watching?
3. I'm assuming that it was Latimer's name on the piece of paper Nate handed Stering in the Queen's Gambit Job... What did he ever find out?
4. I love that Sophie and Maggie are friends. How much has she been teaching about grifting?
5. Was Dubenich and Latimer fighting over the gun a shout out to Maverick?
6. Nate seems to get shot a lot... is that going to become a thing?
7. If the painting made it to the bat cave, that means Old Nate is moving to Portland, right?
Just occurred to me that Jimmy's gun, is now a bit like Ben Wade's “Hand of God,” dispencing justice...
Regarding Maggie's comments about Sterling, were they: (a) a lie to tease Nate, (b) a confession of a past liaison, or (c) an allusion to a current tryst?
@Bubblegumm104 and @24jg13 - I strongly disagree that Eliot did not shoot Dubenich because Sophie was watching. I think it was a man thing - Eliot knew that Nate needed to be the one to figure out what kind of man he is, and Eliot would have his back no matter what he decided to do.
@24jg13 - I totally agree with you on Cha0s' motives to work with and be trusted by the team on this job.
@Zeyneb said...
Next season where will they set up?
The team is leaving Boston and relocating to Portland for season five and the forseeable future. These last couple episodes have been working up to the move, setting up how it's gotten quite hot around Boston, so it's time for them to move again.
I don't know how many season 5 details have been fleshed out yet, but how much time will pass between this season's finale and the season 5 opener?
No question but the timing was amazing that this aired the same night as a Sherlock episode based on The Final Problem.
Was the fact that Nate had five bullets and the fact that there are five members of the Leverage team have significance?
Also, I may be forgetting something important, but how do Maggie and Sophie know each other? And how are they friends? Did this happen before or after the team was together?
Oh my God, my roommate and I just finished watching this and it was SO AWESOME.
Couple of questions:
1) What exactly did Nate have scribbled on the glass for Dubenich to find? I've paused the DVR and zoomed in but I can't quite make it out.
2) Are we supposed to assume that both Dubenich and Latimer got killed when they fell off? You hear only one gunshot, and we don't see anything and there's always the possibility. Or are you going to keep it open as to who shot who?
3) So, if Eliot is Batman now, does that mean he was Captain America before his first kill? Seriously, that's the first thing that popped into my head watching that scene.
BEST. SEASON. EVER! BEST. SEASON. FINALE. EVER! This just furthers my belief that Leverage is the BEST SHOW EVER!!! Soooo.. on to my burning questions!
1) Will we get to see Maggie next year or will there be scheduling conflicts?
2) will Nate and Sophie ever get married?
3) will they ever break up? (PLEASE SAY NO. PLEASE.)
4) will we get to see even more of Nate and Sophie's relationship next season (I would LOVE that)
5) Can we see how it effects the team, I know you kinda got into that in 4X08 The Boiler Room Job
6) will there be a new Big Bad next season?
7) Will you PLEASEEEEEE answer the other question posts, I have question I would like to know the answers to!
8) can there be a con where Maggie and Sophie get trapped in a room for like....6 hours and they have to talk about about Nate?
SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
*takes a breath*
SQUEE! SQUEE! SQUEE! SQUEE! SQUEEEE!
This is the best episode of any TV show ever.
I would tell you which parts I loved, but there isn't enough space here to quote the whole episode back at you.
I was wondering how you could possibly top 315/316 considering as how Team Lev already took out the most bad-ass criminal in the most bad-ass way. But you did it! You really did it!
Irrelevant question: Quinn and Chaos continue to pull jobs together after this, right? They made such a great instant team! I think I'm going to go off and write swathes of fan-fiction featuring that pair...
Slightly more relevant question: Is the Eliot come-to-Jesus speech here the "more considered way... [that we see Eliot's darkness in] ... upcoming episodes" that you were referring to in the Post-Game to Experimental Job? Or is there still going to be more?
Other comment: Can you please *not* follow JesseAnne's suggestion of Eliot and Parker having to kiss? I got enough jealous-Hardison in Boy's Night Out and Long Way Down. Eliot kissing any other character on the show would be fine, though. Give the geek a break.
Why Quinn and not the hot Israeli hitter from The Two Live Crew Job? Any plans to bring her or Apollo back some time?
Wow. Lovelovelove.
Questions:
1) I'm confused about when Sophie went into the bar to meet Latimer. Did he not recognize her? OR did he just not care?
2a) How did they actually get Latimer onto the plane from when Maggie drugged him, and then into a hotel room with all the stuff? It didn't look like any of the team was missing for long enough to escort him there.
2b) Maggie said something to the effect that Latimer would be waking soon, and [Nate] didn't want to miss it. Did they have cameras on Latimer or something? Bugged the phone? Or was he never in the Caymens?
2c) How did Nate reacquire Latimer for the last scene at the dam? When did that happen?
3) In a previous episode post that you haven't answered yet, I asked about the theme of the finales. It seems to me like it's usually about a character betraying the team. Season 1 was Sophie, Season 2 was Nate, Season 3 was Eliot... but the theme didn't really continue this year. Am I reading too far into this?
I loved the episode, but will need even more time (and more viewings:) to digest it completely. I stalk John Rogers (sorry, sir) so I feel that although the episode had a lighthearted ending or at least Nate didn't actually kill the bad guys - he did manipulate them into killing each other (or at least one of them is dead). That's still pretty freaking bad. So yeah, Nate doesn't hate himself anymore - because now he has evolved and is living that God complex Sophie alluded to in The Office Job (scary).
With that said, here are a few things I hope to see in Season Five and please tell me if I'm off base...:)
1) I want you to stay organic (I know that can be an annoying phrase but hear me out). Keep consistent with the character arcs but whatever con floats Nate's boat - I'm in (and there is some scary stuff in the news these days so you still have plenty of story lines).
2) After four seasons - it's time to show us some Hardison backstory from his early days, please:)...
3) Don't screw up the relationship between Hardison and Parker - there can still be conflict and love (see Farscape - the first three seasons:)...
4) I wish I trusted Nate (I know this is a statement). But he 'talked' two people into killing themselves...that's freaking scary.
Okay, I'm close to babble mode. I LOVED, Loved, the episode, and because I am me - 'say my name' had nothing to do with Dr. Who. I took that right to the bedroom and laughed so hard I almost passed out.
Love you for blogging (and the app was BRilliant fun.)
@LindaS,
Regarding Maggie's comments about Sterling, were they: (a) a lie to tease Nate, (b) a confession of a past liaison, or (c) an allusion to a current tryst?
It was none of those things. Listen to what Nate said just before she made the comment about “James” and the sentence that she spoke before she mentioned him. Nate was making sure to that Maggie knew that he had never been unfaithful to her during their marriage in all his encounters chasing Sophie. Maggie told Nate that she knew that and told him not feel guilty about being tempted, since no marriage would survive its first year if the spouses were held responsible for being tempted but not acting on it. THAT’S when she makes a comment about “James.” I don’t remember her wording specifically, but she was telling Nate that she’d had some impure thoughts about Sterling during their marriage. The context of conversation indicates that she’d never acted on them and was simply “reassuring” Nate that he wasn't the only one who looked at someone else. Nate being…well, a guy, I’m sure his mind immediately went to a very disturbing image, thus letting Maggie punish Nate for his temptation while still managing to maintain the moral high-ground. I would not want that woman angry at me for all the tea in China.
great ep, rogers and room. lots of zany fun on the train and that great moment of affirmation at the end. you guys keep saying how season 3 was about everyone's reasons for being on the team--i felt, watching that moment, that nate himself finally accepted his real reasons for being on the team. not his righteous zeal but his appreciation and affection for what the people around him bring to his life. great beat, well earned.
and kari matchett played her scene brilliantly. perfect combination of sympathy and glee on the sterling reveal.
I'm curious, is Quinn a retrieval expert like Eliot, a hitter for hire, or 'other'? Also, did Quinn finish the job he was on before or after helping the Leverage team?
@ JulieD: Quinn already finished the job before he was hand-cuffed, right? I think the point was that the thugs were trying to renegotiate the deal after Quinn had already delivered the goods...
I get the series through Amazon, and I've had no problems until this one; 18 isn't available yet, and it's Monday night. I see that at least one other person is having this issue. Is there anyone we can contact?
sherpoti = cross between a sherpa and a neti pot?
I have two totally separate, unrelated questions. 1. So, so awesome to see Maggie again! So, questions: We've seen how Maggie is cool with Nate+Sophie, but next season shouldn't you really put Nate to the test with an episode where Maggie is tight with a man of her own, maybe a seemingly ordinary man of the right age with whom she is nevertheless completely besotted? I'd love to see how Nate reacts to that! 2. Have you ever thought of having a contest where fans can win a guest-star slot? Like I said, these are two totally separate, unrelated questions. KTHX.
I couldn't help but notice that eliots look in this episode looked really similar to that of the end of the pilot. Was that intentional or am I just thinking too hard?
First off, I love how Eliot has changed over the seasons, while Parker has had really obvious development as has everyone else. Eliot is the one who strikes me as changed the most. Maybe because he's not so bickery as he used to be. He gets excited about things, Mr Punchy for one and the Eliot Signal I can only assume he's getting closer and closer to that kid in the mirror that he wants to see.
Also, was the falls an homage to Sherlock Holmes?! The moment that they went to the dam I figured out what would happen from that. Because those two men would kill each other before they hurt Nate because they hold the keys to each other's destruction!
Can not wait for next year!!
@Anonymous-Becca: If your friend thinks the team can do without Sophie, then you need to show her "The Ice Man Job" from S2. A team of con artists does, in fact, need a grifter, and Sophie Devereaux is Queen of the Grifters.
@Kylee: Maggie and Sophie first met (on screen, at least) back in the S1 finales, the First and Second David Jobs. And even further back, in "The Miracle Job," Sophie at least knew who Maggie was. Clearly they've kept in touch. ;)
@Anonymous (1:06): Hardison isn't Robin, he's Lucius Fox.
@Zeyneb said...
You mentioned somewhere that we would have learned why Eliot has long hair? Will we ever found out if there is a reason or is it because he just thinks it's cool?
I think many, many, many, many posts ago - like maybe from The First David Job there was a comment that Eliot had grown out his hair to disguise his appearance. Last year Moreau mentioned something about his hair so apparently when Eliot worked for Moreau he had shorter hair. I'm not sure this is the full reason for the longer hair but that's what I remember.
How or where have I missed about the team moving to Portland next year? I, too, am going to miss Bonano and the bar!
One more cheer for the great guest stars. Is there anyone more classy than Richard Chamberlain? His handling of Chaos was brilliant! I also loved Eliot and Quinn negotiating the job while they took out the bad guys - kinda don't want to know what happened to the guy with the handcuff keys! Chaos bringing Hardison to the point of understanding how Eliot felt - too funny! Maggie and Sophie - but really - Maggie has a thing for Sterling?? And I loved the heart-to-heart between Eliot and Nate.
The people who don't watch Leverage have no idea what they are missing! I will miss you all until you return!
WV: mingrab - just a small theft.
@katie: I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed 'knock knock'. My first thought was 'YOU BASTARD!'
Was it a deliberate plan to double up on the hacker, hitter, grifter, thief, yet not have our dueling masterminds? After all, Sterling would probably not have said 'no' to the opportunity for a showy arrest -- yet I can also see Nate jealously guarding this as his own, so he could kill Dubenich if he truly felt the need to. (On a related note... how hard would have Sterling tried to stop Nate from killing Dubenich?)
"The Last Dam Job" was amazing, loved it but I wanted to know why Nate didn't use up the favors he had racked up from Sterling and Wellesley?
Can't wait for Season 5 and thanks to everyone involved with Leverage for an amazing Season 4!!!
Just now got a chance to see it on iTunes. Loved it. Not a wasted word, gesture or facial expression from anyone. Especially loved the little spasm of pained reluctance on Nate's face when he walked away from the gun, and how everybody's "OMFG-don't-do-it-Nate" face has a slightly different mix of emotions on display. For me, the way Beth Riesgraf can make Parker look sort of like her entire worldview is at stake (the same way she declined to press Eliot about his past in Big Bang) hits hardest.
Speaking of Parker, her reluctance to surrender the lollipop was gold. My other favorite little shot was Sophie/Hardison/Parker standing in the shadows in that hallway after coming to the rescue.
Favorite one-liner might have to be "That's what makes it fair," although Hardison's kilosolar (?) hatred makes a close second.
Favorite [non-Nate] exchange might have to be Archie and Parker re: "your young man."
Maggie!
Non-story-related question: It seemed to me that there was relatively little of the Ocean's 11-y stuff you've called "competence porn" in this episode, and I guess in more episodes this season than has previously been the case, maybe because more jobs have been outside the team's old comfort zone. And I didn't miss it. Don't get me wrong, I love competence porn when it's there, but it's also fun to see things streamlined, like how deftly you folks can use the flashbacks to minimize explanatory dialogue (such dialogue being one of the things that nags me about, say, Chuck). Is that something that just sort of happens by necessity in episodes this busy, or is that sort of "show don't tell" thing something that you as a writer/writer's room have deliberately been moving toward?
Of course I suppose it's entirely possible that I'm seeing something that isn't there, in which case never mind, and my somewhat frivolous back-up question would be:
Will we ever get an extended look at Eliot's occasional lessons to the others in the finer technical points of shit-kicking?
Oh. And of course, thank you, Rogers and Downey and everyone. Can't wait to see what you do next.
1) Where does the team go from here with the big bad guy and the guy profiting from your jobs out of the way?
2) Why doesn't Eliot have a love interest? Would you ever give him one?
3) Would there ever be an addition to a team making the five, six?
4) Has Nate ever thought about what would happen if one of them were to die who would replace them? There should be "The Legacy Job" where they find childish versions of themselves to train or where they pair up as children.
@Mandolin: "So, if Eliot is Batman now, does that mean he was Captain America before his first kill? Seriously, that's the first thing that popped into my head watching that scene." - Haha! I think that's the most awesome comment I've read so far! So true.
According to Eliot, the first time he killed a man (or when he changed) was a little over 10 years ago. You said (I forget where...podcast?) that he lied about his age when he signed up for the military. Does this mean that Eliot didn't kill anyone until he was well into his twenties (a little hard to believe), or that Eliot is younger than Christian? In which case (and also as a separate question), how old was he when he worked for Moreau, and how long did he work for him?
Upon rewatching the episode, I just noticed:
Eliot: "I'm coming through the lobby hot." *grabs fire extinguishers*
LOL! Now that's hot.
Parker took candy from a kid! Didn't she make a comment once about how easy that is? I love her.
I remember back in the question post for Season 3's The Big Bang Job (I think), someone asked why Eliot is wearing a gun holster vest thingy (NOT a gun person, so don't know the actual term) in that episode when he hates guns. In this episode, he's wearing it again, but it's gone after he makes his choice not to kill. The only episodes I remember him wearing one of those are that one and this. They both feature Eliot and guns/making a choice regarding guns. Was this intentional, or was it a fashion thing?
Umm, can we have it be canon that Archie did actually punch Hitler in the face, or even better, stole the Ark of the Covenant or the Holy Grail from the Nazis? Please?
"Can I hit him?" "Which one?" Still laughing.
Another thing I just noticed (btw, typing as I rewatch, so I don't forget): "Sophie talks to anyone Latimer knows, and I bet Dubenich will personally fall out of the sky." - Ooh, clever!
When Cha0s complained about being thrown off of a waterfall, I thought Hardison would counter with something about being thrown into a swimming pool handcuffed to a chair and being man enough to take that...or something. I guess he's waaaaaaaay over that one now. Also, I love high girly screams from male actors. :D
"This is how Eliot feels all the time. You just want to hit something." Hee! Epiphany, Hardison?
Archie's sword flourish - similar to Parker's dagger dance in the Rashomon job!
Nate shooting shot glasses. A pun AND symbolism in one. That's some writing talent right there.
Latimer in the Caymans: Did they do it the same way they tricked the mayor in the Season 2 finale? (With the hotel rooms?)
Sherlock Holmes!!! (and sort of prisoner's dilemma?)
Is Parker the mediator of the group? In the Rashomon job, she didn't participate in the argument over who stole the dagger, although she was there. Here, she doesn't seem for or against the Batcave, but yells at them to just ask Nate.
A wolf or a knife...I think wolf. Wahya!
Great episode!...Aww, &%&$*! No new episode next week! Noooooo!!
Someone in this thread asked if Sophie would want to marry Nate. At first I thought "gee, I dunno. She seems like kind of a lone wolf." But then I remembered her reaction to him in the Wedding Job when he was making fun of weddings. She would definitely wanna marry Nate. But I doubt that will happen. A) for reasons having to do with Nate's character and B) because this is TV and they're two main characters. For what it's worth, I think it would be hilarious if they got married. And then continued to be criminals together.
Nice job on the finale. Loves Timothy Hutton holding a gun to those guys at the end there. "Who wants to go first?" Awesome.
-Shane
"My son would be ashamed of me if I was a murderer. My father, on the other hand, he'd buy me an ice cream." So perfect a line. Whoever wrote that deserves a raise.
Since when did Sophie start being "friend" with Maggie? I used to think Sophie hated her. And what's with Nate keeps forgetting saying "EX"?
This is my favourite episode. Thank you Rogers et al. It was perfect in so many ways.
Loved the FIVE separate Eliot fight scenes (failed recon, busting Quinn out, getting Hardison in, busting Sophie out, hitting the guy who hit Jimmy Ford). The second is probably my favourite, but they were all gorgeous, and for the last three, I was pleasantly surprised because I thought we had already filled out Eliot-fight quota.
And then the come-to-Jesus speech a la Eliot was just. Wow.
The Archie-Parker daughter thing was adorable.
The Hardison-Chaos dynamic was great, too. I mean, Chaos already packed his bag? And then the "your kungfu" and "my drunken mastery"? It seems like Chaos might respect Hardison just a little after all.
I, too, was expecting Chaos to double-cross the team at the end, but then again, once in a while Chaos does actually have to avoid betraying a client, if only to protect his reputation, right?
Loved that Hardison has learned how to placate Eliot. Eliot Signal? Teehee. It was also hilarious that both hitters were exasperated by their hackers, but both hackers totally idolised their hitters. ("I was born ready" and "Eliot signal"?)
@CL: No, it's definitely not that Chaos only hated Hardison. He tried to kill Sophie, remember? I'm also not all that convinced that he hates Hardison at all. I mean he got the team to do some work for him in Ho Ho Ho Job, but he was just using them because they're the best. It didn't seem personal. He did kill Lucille, but I thought that was more of an extra motivation to get the team to do the job.
I'm not even sure if Chaos is capable of hatred. He seems too pragmatic.
@allyone: I think Archie did earn the right to call Parker his daughter. He took Parker off the streets, looked after her, taught her everything he knew, and loved her enough that Nate says to him "what I do know is we'd both die to protect her".
Besides, how many fathers do you know who were even around for their kids at all?
@Izzie: I just want to say that sometimes I come to these pages just to read the brilliant comments you write. Seriously, when I see a comment by you, I get a little excited inside. I did not notice the fire extinguisher/"hot" thing nor the shooting shot glasses symbolism before.
With the holster, though, I don't think it was a gun holster. It looked like he had knives stored in it.
With the waterfall/swimming pool thing, I also expected Hardison to say something to that effect, but I actually think the reason he didn't is not that he's way over it (though I'm sure he is), but that it's too soon. When everyone's stressed out about Nate becoming a murderer, it seems like not the time to discuss the incident where your hitter almost got you killed by hiding important information regarding his murderous past.
Word verification, (which we know Hardison can control at will), says "bombi". I guess he was too distracted by the bomb in Big Bang Job to think about the pool.
This is my favourite episode. Thank you Rogers et al. It was perfect in so many ways.
Loved the FIVE separate Eliot fight scenes (failed recon, busting Quinn out, getting Hardison in, busting Sophie out, hitting the guy who hit Jimmy Ford). The second is probably my favourite, but they were all gorgeous, and for the last three, I was pleasantly surprised because I thought we had already filled out Eliot-fight quota.
And then the come-to-Jesus speech a la Eliot was just. Wow.
The Archie-Parker daughter thing was adorable.
The Hardison-Chaos dynamic was great, too. I mean, Chaos already packed his bag? And then the "your kungfu" and "my drunken mastery"? It seems like Chaos might respect Hardison just a little after all.
I, too, was expecting Chaos to double-cross the team at the end, but then again, once in a while Chaos does actually have to avoid betraying a client, if only to protect his reputation, right?
Loved that Hardison has learned how to placate Eliot. Eliot Signal? Teehee. It was also hilarious that both hitters were exasperated by their hackers, but both hackers totally idolised their hitters. ("I was born ready" and "Eliot signal"?)
@CL: No, it's definitely not that Chaos only hated Hardison. He tried to kill Sophie, remember? I'm also not all that convinced that he hates Hardison at all. I mean he got the team to do some work for him in Ho Ho Ho Job, but he was just using them because they're the best. It didn't seem personal. He did kill Lucille, but I thought that was more of an extra motivation to get the team to do the job.
I'm not even sure if Chaos is capable of hatred. He seems too pragmatic.
@allyone: I think Archie did earn the right to call Parker his daughter. He took Parker off the streets, looked after her, taught her everything he knew, and loved her enough that Nate says to him "what I do know is we'd both die to protect her".
Besides, how many fathers do you know who were even around for their kids at all?
@Izzie: I just want to say that sometimes I come to these pages just to read the brilliant comments you write. Seriously, when I see a comment by you, I get a little excited inside. I did not notice the fire extinguisher/"hot" thing nor the shooting shot glasses symbolism before.
With the holster, though, I don't think it was a gun holster. It looked like he had knives stored in it.
With the waterfall/swimming pool thing, I also expected Hardison to say something to that effect, but I actually think the reason he didn't is not that he's way over it (though I'm sure he is), but that it's too soon. When everyone's stressed out about Nate becoming a murderer, it seems like not the time to discuss the incident where your hitter almost got you killed by hiding important information regarding his murderous past.
Word verification, (which we know Hardison can control at will), says "bombi". I guess he was too distracted by the bomb in Big Bang Job to think about the pool.
I thought this episode was very predictable—in the best possible way. The action was predictable (and deliciously so) because Nate's biggest con ever worked flawlessly, and it was a pleasure to watch the bad guys being dismembered step by step.
The character aspects were predictable because the characters behaved as the people we know them—and need them—to be, particularly Nate and Eliot. Both of them are taking steps toward being their better selves.
And predictably, the whole episode was killerfantastic. You've set the bar very, very high for next season. THANKS!
*stands up applauding*
Bravo to the writer's room, you, Dean, and every other person involved in these last two episodes. This was TV perfection for me. You could have ended the series with this (but please don't!) and I would have been blissfully content.
My favorite part that I'm hoping you'll comment on was what I fondly refer to as the "Huckleberry Scene". That short exchange involving Eliot holding the gun on Dubenich and his response to Sophie was filled to the brim with layers. It was the fundamental show of just how each character has evolved since the show's beginning. Eliot, former mercenary, struggling with himself whether to kill a man he has a personal vendetta against to save a man he considers a friend....whoa. Huge stuff right there. And let's not even skip over the "friend" leap.
Geniusness abounds in the Leverage writers' room. You guys made my year.
Good finale episode but I was very sad that Parker and Hardison did not have the final kiss. This episode could have been the last episode and so many Parker and Hardison fans have been waiting patiently for 4 years now for these two to be a solid couple. Please, please, let season 5, be the season Parker and Hardison’s romance truly blossoms. Then if people want to see other pairings on cons, then it won’t mess up the group dynamic. I just believe that Parker and Hardison’s relationship can be a lot of fun and bringing them full circle would be this devoted fans dream come true.
Loved the episode and the season as a whole. My wife, son, and I had one nitpicky observation: Nate's gun makes a "cocking" sound no less than four times during the final confrontation (once would suffice!) and yet the hammer never moves! :) Keep up the good work.
Hey, where did the taser effects come from? I'm surprised no one mentioned them -- first Archie's cane shoots out a spray of StarWars-like lightning arcs, then ChaOs's head turns into a skeleton (like an x-ray of his skull). That was one serious shock -- I couldn't believe what I saw, had to go back and freeze frame!
I agree with most everyone, this finale knocked it out of the park plot-wise, character-wise, lesson-wise, and fun-wise. Thank you.
Jeff (anonymous only because I don't like signing up for things if I don't have to)
@Izzie, re: Eliot.
First, the "holster" he's wearing is for knives, not guns. If you look close, you can see the hilts.
And about his "10 years" statement, I took that to mean the time he went from being a soldier to being a freelance killer. Yes, he would very likely have killed as a soldier (especially if, given Rogers' many hints, he was in Special Forces), but killing as a soldier is a very different thing than killing for money (though, as we're seeing with so many of our returning vets, it will still mess you up). Whatever justification Eliot used on "that kid in the mirror" while he was a soldier ("for God and country") disappeared the moment he went out on his own and began doing it for money.
Rogers has said that Eliot and Christian are pretty much the same age. But Eliot has packed several lifetimes (soldier, killer, retrieval specialist, and now our team's hitter) into his years.
And all of that brings me to a point I missed in my first post of unhinged squee over this ep. I just want to say how much I loved the tremor in Eliot's hand as he held the gun on Dubenich. In that moment, I think we see just how much Eliot has changed from who (and what) he used to be. Like Sophie said back in Big Bang, he's definitely "not that man any more." It was a lovely acting choice by Kane.
@ Anonymous from 4:11 AM:
Wow! I have a comment fan? That's slightly weird and so awesome. Glad to know my sometimes asinine and frequently overly fangirlish comments entertain somebody!
Knife holster. That explains a lot. Thank you. I always wonder about it whenever I see The Big Bang Job. I mean, there's no denying that it looks really cool, but a GUN holster seemed OOC for Eliot. Knife holster makes a lot more sense. (BTW, I didn't even know there was any such thing!...I need to watch more action movies. Yeah. [But whenever I do that, I always find myself ogling the pretty instead of paying attention to details...])
"When everyone's stressed out about Nate becoming a murderer, it seems like not the time to discuss the incident where your hitter almost got you killed by hiding important information regarding his murderous past." - Very true. And it on second thought, it's more of an internal "family" thing than something you can discuss with a former mortal frenemy.
*still boggled that someone actually looks forward to my -comments-*
Why did the last scene with Nat and Sophie make me uncomfortable, despite it's surface-level sweetness? Was it because Nate was using the voice he uses on a mark? I am slightly afraid that season five will see the rise of Nate as a big bad in his own right, now that he's learned how very fulfilling straight-up vengeance can be.
Also, is season five really starting in the spring?
@ Sue N.:
I didn't see your comment before I posted my last one.
Again, knife holster. Thanks. I feel like an idiot now for not knowing they have -holsters- for -knives-. I thought they just came with sheaths that you I dunno, stick in your belt loops or the back of your pants or something. Huh. Ya learn somethin' new every day.
You make a very good point about killing as a soldier for your country (reminds me of "A real soldier would die for his country") versus killing for money. The moral differences between the two would explain the "ten years" thing. Thank you!
@purpleops - gotcha. Yeah, I read Fantasy Leverage in it's monthly floppy format. I didn't know if you were talking collections of it, or if Rogers had written some other D&D stuff I didn't know about.
********************
@tyg : I totally didn't get the Wil Wheaton/Troi thing til you mentioned it. I just saw it as "well yeah, he's a geek" and not "TNG ref!" duh
*********************
@anon: The lightning effect was actually the cane channeling pure Richard Chamberlain into Cha0s
*********************
I'll mention it again. The ending was just Extreme Prisoner's Dilemma.
The best option is for both to keep silent. But game theory says that if you stay quiet, and your partner talks, you get the worst outcome...so that causes both to turn on each other.
Nate set the game, but he didn't force them to play.
******************
Given the timing, I'm just assuming Latimer was put in a fake Cayman's Island, but Hardison set up real evidence that he had fled there.
*******************
@Victoria how many more love interests does Elliot need? Captain Kirk and Jim West envy his little black book.
Is Sophie like Scheherazade. And the story she uses to keep Nate around is her personal backstory? The way she tells the story of Scheherezade to Hardison and then leans toward Nate when she says the sultan fell "deeply, deeply in love with her".
Hey so how does Parker know how to do her hair in so many different fancy ways. She doesn't seem like she would know so many fancy up-do's. I know it's a stupid question but its always bugged me.
-fart
Since the team is moving to Portland, could they have a batcave in the tunnels under the city?
Or perhaps Hardison could just build one for himself?
@Izzie, you're welcome. The knives look like throwing knives. And the "holster" is usually called a harness. ;)
I may have a … thing … for knives, so the sight of Eliot wearing throwing knives–
*looks shifty* Yeah, I probably shouldn't say anything else.
@Sue N:
...And there are different -kinds- of knives...
Okay, I knew that one. And it's a harness? Okay. Got it.
Thanks.
Hey, having a thing for knives is okay. Most of the coolest characters in books/TV/movies have weapons almost-fetishes. ;D
RE your previous comment about Eliot's hand shaking: I know! And his hand shook in that scene in the 12 Steps Job where he had to reboot (not kick) the bomb. Nice touch.
i have a dumb question other people know the answer to - what does Cha0s drink? Could not quite make out the color of the beverage in his soda bottle but since Hardison is the Orange Soda dude, does Cha0s have a signature drink too (like wishniak or black soda or rootbeer? cola would bee too typical coder/gamer, so I'm not guessing that)
@Polynomial Purebred
I know in The Two Live Crew episode it was strawberry soda.
But in The Ho Ho Ho Job, he was drinking orange soda. Not sure about the finale. Not sure why I noticed those things exactly but I remember them nonetheless.
It just struck me... Lucille III survived the season. This is the first Lucille to survive this long, surely.
Whenever the show airs, the blacks seem elevated. It looks like it has been color corrected to be extremely flat or there's a color space issue. I have to change the settings on my TV just to see true blacks. Why is this? Is it because of the way the show is rendered? Or is this a conscious choice?
Just wanted to say, that was one of the best finales i've ever seen! My questions are: 1. How far did Dubenich and Latimer fall and are they dead? 2. Will be see Quinn again (please!!) 3. When Dubenich walked into Nate's apartment, there was one word written on the board, what was it? Thanks so much - here's to season 5!!!
@whoever suggested Nate and Sophie get married.
fuck that. If I were Sophie, no way would I marry a man who still refers to his ex as his "wife". Sounds like some bullshit to me. She's my girl. I'm just holdin it down.
-Tracy
It would seem very likely but not certain that Dubenich and Latimer are dead. I believe their fall was a lot bigger than the one that Cha0s and Quinn survived. (Can anyone confirm that?) Also, one or both of D & L may have been shot on the way down.
Cha0s was drinking a red soda in this episode, presumably the same strawberry soda as earlier.
It's odd that in the comments for "The Boiler Room Job" where Latimer and Nate have their first face to face, that I mentioned Dubenich twice... because I really had no idea Victor was behind all of this until he showed up at the end of the Radio Job.
What are your plans with Sophie next season? Will we finally learn more about her? Gina once said that as Sophie and Nate were together that we'd start to learn more about Sophie. We haven't seen that happen yet. Hope you feature her more in season 5 than you have for the last two seasons.
Thank you for the awesome season finale! I really enjoyed watching this episode, especially the first part. Dark Nate is the best, and the failed recon – exciting! As much as I like to see the team win, it's thrilling when they are up against an enemy who is a challenge :) Bringing back all the old characters was a real treat, too. Great moments with Eliot pointing a gun at Dubenich, and how he tried to talk Nate out of killing him. Too bad Nate didn't actually shoot Dubenich in the end. I know Nate kind of DID kill Latimer and Dubenich by playing the bad guys against each other, getting them all riled up and then placing the gun on the ground right between them. It just feels a little like cheating. Nate got what he wanted but he didn't get his hands bloody :P I realize though that a lot of people probably would have had a problem with the hero killing the bad guy, so I guess this was a good compromise.
Um, do you take requests for the next season? Because I'd totally wish for more drama. Nothing against light-hearted bantering, but the death of Nate's father and the beginning of this episode really reminded me of what I love about this show. Thank you for creating it!
~ Silke
@Polynomial Purebred and
@ Anonymous about Cha0s and soda
in the Ho Ho Ho Job, the orange soda was a cue for us that Cha0s had broken into Lucille 2.0 and was stealing Hardison's stuff.
In the finale, he was back to red...dueling sodas with Hardison.
-Beth
Questions round #2:
1) After the mussels were put into the pipes, why didn’t Latimer just report it to the authorities and say that he had a break in / been a victim of domestic terrorism, or something? It would have probably saved his business, and he would have had records of someone breaking into the dams.
2) I wanted to find out if there was name given to the woman Archie was speaking with that I assumed was his real daughter, but in my brief internet research I’ve seen a few recaps that say he’s “running a con on a mother who thinks Archie is her father.” Based on the comments made by Archie about a photo in 3x03 (“...wife, Marilyn... grandsons”) and others that Parker has made, it’s clear he has a family. Can you clarify this? And is the daughter’s name Karen, as I’ve seen it credited?
Let me see if I can answer a question several people have asked but I have not seen the answer. The writing on the board was "Bellington Dam", it was what Nate was looking at when the whole team was there. And I am guessing that is how Victor knew were Eliot and Hardison would be, all part of Nate's grand plan - I hope I am right.
One of my favourite bits in this episode is when Nate says "My problem with this is that if one of you dies, the other goes free. I HAVE FIVE BULLETS!" I literally got chills at that, and I'm reminded of Tim Hutton's acting chops. *slow clap*
Also, I kinda love that Eliot, despite acting constantly annoyed by Hardison, gets excited or amused by the silliest things. Like the Japanese power drink commercial, and Mr. Punchy, and the idea of an Eliot signal. It's extremely endearing.
And Hardison's excitement at getting a Batcave is EPIC.
Thanks for another awesome season, John and friends. Looking forward to the next one!
Are you just a PSN guy or are you on Xbox Live? If you are, do you play Left 4 Dead? If so, let's play. Versus Mode.
-Velma Ruth
I can't formulate proper questions until I watch the finale two episodes again sometime... but this is the first thing that pops to mind:
If just Dubenich can rain that much hell on them from prison.... Should we be expecting a whole lot worse from Moreau?
so given Hardisons excitement about getting a batcave(awesome) is it safe to say Batman is his favorite hero, not that I needed any more reasons to love him but that's just icing on the cake...Batman rules!!!
I already posted my love for this episode as the SQUEE-ing Anon 1:58 PM and the Izzie-fan Anon 4:11 AM, but I just came up with an actual question:
When Chaos and Hardison are in the van together while Archie and Parker are doing their things, what are the hackers doing? Because the thieves didn't seem like they needed any help; Parker got the access code by buttom cam, and Archie caused the blackout with his cane. So what did Chaos's "drunken mastery" script actually do?
This entire episode seemed a little too... easy. Like, Parker just needed to watch a camera feed to see the access code for the vault? Come on. You're telling me that after all the security they've had to bypass with retinal scans, fingerprints, voice activation, and even one where they had to mimic a guys walk, the FINAL boss of the season just has a CODE? And that's essentially what brought him down. That's all the security they had? One guy making sure the coast is clear before he types in like FIVE NUMBERS?? THEY EVEN KNEW THE LEVERAGE TEAM WAS COMING! They should have beefed up security. and Dubenich ran ALL THE WAY TO THAT VAULT ONLY TO ASK THE GUY WHAT THE MOST EXPENSIVE ITEM WAS IN THE ROOM HE JUST CAME FROM. whatthefuckwhyyyyy? And their plan was so dependent on him doing that! How could they even know that he would do that because it's such a dumb thing to do in the first place. Why wouldn't he just put a guard in the vault or at the door? If he put a bug in Nate's apartment then he's heard every one of their plans. He'd know better than to just leave a room full of money and diamonds unattended with what is essentially a high-school combination lock on the door!
And Archie turned off the lights in the entire building by using a TASER on a SOCKET? How does that even make any sense? Though I don't know enough about electrical systems to dispute it. And how did it become SO dark? Dubenich seemed like a damn fool in this scene. He ran into the room, the lights went out and, instead of running right to the sword dark-be-damned, he stood around shouting for them to turn the lights on, waving his arms around. Then he just picks it up and puts it away without inspecting it.
And they needed Chaos because... why? Because they knew about Hardison's software? WHY DOESN'T HE JUST GET NEW SOFTWARE? You consistently portray him as capable of the most incredible feats of genius but all it takes to break him is to just know what software he's using? Seriously? "Awe shoot. They know I'm using Linux now so. Sorry, Nate. Gotta get a new hacker. Also they found my facebook page."
And you keep saying the "facial recognition software takes a few minutes to kick in" but like. Where. Where is it? What is this software? On the cameras? They can't hack the cameras? Or like, I dunno, wear disguises?
And Archie could bring the cake in because... because he's NOT parker? So basically they gave the security guys the pictures of the Leverage crew and said to them "Whatever you do, don't let these people in. You can let in pretty much anyone else. As long as they're not one of these five people. Literally. ANYONE. Even a 70-year-old waiter with a giant cake that nobody ordered." Why is it so easy to pretend to be a waiter in this universe? Isn't there like a manager there with the catering company?
For some reason I love this show in spite of how consistently it makes NO SENSE.
The show is written exactly how the average person THINKS a heist is pulled. "Oh, yeah there's like computers and they just like hack the security. with... algorithms. And then they get the... schematics. And a grifter walks into a building and says she's now the boss of them now. because she just acts like it so good that everyone around her becomes an idiot that doesn't question anything. Meanwhile there's a cat burglar that does flips through the lasers even though it would clearly make more sense to just walk through them. And then she JUMPS off a roof top with a bungee cord AND COMPLETELY DEFIES PHYSICS BY NOT SMACKING INTO THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING AND DYING." Seriously, guys! Parker jumps off buildings head first with the rope just hanging off the side of the rooftop. You could have her set up a rig that makes it so she can jump, but you don't! Why?! It makes no sense.
And what the fuck is "Glenn-Reader"and why do they make every safe/vault known to man in the Leverage universe?
@ pseudo-meat
Not every episode of Leverage has to be plot heavy. This one was about character development. (As was the season in general.)
Now onto your specific points.
1) The code: The guard couldn't just check over his shoulder. Archie had attached a camera to the guard's badge.
(Though this was overkill; Parker could have peaked through wherever she was hiding and read the code off the guy's elbow movements.)
2) Security: They DID beef up security. Otherwise Parker could have taken her usual route through the roof/tunnels/shafts. But she could not, presumably because D+L had blocked all those entrances.
Moreover, Latimer and Dubenich aren't as rich as some of the others villains in the show. For example, the "millions" in fines would not have been a problem for the company in Top Hat, but were for Latimer. And the weighted-walk security system was for what was presumably one of the richest companies in Dubai. Maybe Latimer could not afford more security.
3) Dubenich checked the vault because he knew that the team would be after Latimer's possessions. He didn't think of asking about the sword at first because he assumed that Latimer's coolest possessions would be in the vault. Presumably Leverage and Co had done their research and knew better.
4) Hardison: It's not a question of what OS he's using; when he says "my software", he means his code. So D+L are running scripts that check their code base for anything that matches Hardison's writing style.
(He could have run his code through an obfuscator, but presumably Latimer's script is also checking for obfuscated code.)
(I doubt this syntax matching thing works in real life, but there is precedent to it working in verse; in Reunion Job, Hardison was about to do "syntax search" to find Manticore before Nate stopped him.)
5) Facial recognition: They can't hack the cameras because the cameras are not connected to the Internet, so Hardison would have to go in personally to do anything, but he can't because facial recognition would find him.
6) Darkness. The electric surge blew a fuse. (Presumably the socket didn't have its own fuse, so the surge blew something more central, to make the whole room go dark.) It was really dark because pupils take some time to adjust.
Presumably the lights came on again because it switched to a back-up circuit that didn't use the blown fuse.
(This is a stretch. I pretend in my head-canon that Hardison gave Archie an EMP bomb that took out the lights for half a second.)
7) Why Dubenich didn't go for the knife: Nerve signals travel at about 3 m/s, and reaction time is about 0.2 s. It would have taken Dubenich about 0.5 seconds to get his feet moving. Archie, on the other hand, knew when the lights were going out, so he doesn't have this buffer time. Also he's a thief, so he works fast. He had switched the sword by the time Dubenich started moving.
Dubenich didn't check later because he didn't think anyone could have stolen it in the half a second that the lights were out. (Dumb, yes, but he's stressed out and not thinking clearly?)
(As for the flailing, well, in my head-canon the lights were only out for half a second.)
8) It's easy being a waiter in our 'verse, too. People trust the clothes and the badge. You can go around with a laminated piece of paper with a company name and your picture, and get into all sorts of maintenance rooms even if the company is well known not to do house calls. Seriously.
Regarding Parker's antics:
Watching the acrobatics, and then Replace it with sensible stuff in head-canon.
(I've never understood laser trip wires. Why you use visible light? Any other frequency would work fine. And even in the visible spectrum, the receptors should be able to tell if you have muddied the air to see the beam. I just watch the stunts, and then pretend it didn't happen.)
Upon re-reading, I realized that the last two paragraphs in my previous comment made no sense. Here is what it should say:
Regarding Parker's antics:
I watch the acrobatics, and then replace it with sensible stuff in my head-canon.
(Also, I've never understood laser trip wires at all. Why would you use visible light? Any other frequency would work fine. And even in the visible spectrum, the receptors should be able to tell if you have muddied the air to see the beam. But anyway, I just watch the stunts, and then pretend it didn't happen when thinking about the story.)
@HHGT
Hey, I totally respect your instinct to jump to the show's defense. I have that instinct too. But I'm going to continue to play devil's advocate here:
I realize the guard had the camera attached to his badge. That's why I said "all Parker had to do was watch a video feed of the code being punched in". I was just pointing out that the only measure that could be taken to prevent someone from stealing the code would be to just look to your left and right and see if anyone's peeking like you're at the damn ATM.
Yeah, Latimer didn't have as much money. You know why? Because the writers WROTE him that way. He could have been written to be a much more formidable opponent. And that's what I was getting at before.
And is it just me, or did Latimer not seem to give a shit each time the team did something to screw him over?
Yeah they beefed up security a little bit but not enough to where Parker couldn't just sneak in through a cake and then hide in the elevator (speaking of which, come on. If you've been planning this for three years, you should know that being on top of an elevator is like Parker's thing. Put a damn camera on top of that thing) and walk down the hallway to the vault, punch in the code, and just walk in there and take everything and walk out with all that loot. There was no one around to stop her! If you can't afford a fancier security system (which he probably could), at least put a guy next to the door! I mean, HOW ON EARTH do you spy on the leverage team for months (if not years) and not get a little more paranoid? Have they learned nothing from them?
And I understand that Dubenich ran to the vault and then changed his mind and ran back (which is understandable), but he asks the guy "what's the most valuable thing in that room", WAITS FOR HIS RESPONSE and THEN he panics and runs back there. Does it even matter what it is? Whether it's a sword or a fermented piece of dinosaur poop. He just seemed SO unprepared for any retaliation by the team when he's been planning this for three years. And already got screwed by them once in their quest for vengeance.
As for the darkness, fair enough. We could debate this all day. I just don't think Archie could have done that all that fast.
Sadly, for me, I haven't really been able to watch the show for the past, two seasons...no $ for cable and TNT says I gotta have a cable provider to watch the show online which, if I had a cable provider, I wouldn't need to do. But I catch the occasional ep and am happy that the show is still going strong. Yay, dvd.
-My only complaint? Once again, the season ends with no sign of "The Mocha Job". You know, the episode where Eliot beats up like,10 guys and then brings me a dark chocolate mocha. I guess you must be saving that one for the 100th episode...
Is Hardison or was Hardison ever a member of Anonymous?
Kylee, I really doubt Anonymous is in Hardison's league, TBH. Hacking into sites without being noticed is a way more sophisticated act than just trying to break it.
Anonymous tends to act like angry children, IMO, and in the process make themselves clear targets. It's more Chaos than Hardison.
Will we ever see Michael Vittori again? I loved him. And, be honest, was he a little in love with Sophie by he end of that episode? I was a little in love with Sophie by the end of that episode. I thought they were cute together, even if it was a ruse.
If the answer is no, we won't see him again, then how do I change your mind?
-Ruby
Did you think you’ll ever do a episode dealing with SOPA? That would be fun to see with Hardison.
@pseudo_meat:
And what the fuck is "Glenn-Reader"and why do they make every safe/vault known to man in the Leverage universe?
The safes/vaults are so named as a tribute to former writers (Show runners? I don't grok the fullness of that term) Melissa Glenn and Jessica Rieder, Who now work on Hawaii Five-O. As to why they still use it... who cares? Maybe they just like the sound of it.
@Sofa_King
I think pseudo_meat was kidding about the safe thing. I could be wrong but I laughed at that comment because they do mention it so much. i know what it is a reference to but still think it's hilarious that every safe is a glenn-reider. Specifically, in the leverage universe, that must be an EXTREMELY trusted security company haha
-Chauncy
Could be... You know what the say about sarcasm and the internet...
Alright. So what exactly does that mean when Nate says he has "plans" and then kisses Sophie? Does that in any way imply he has plans about their relationship? Or is that more referencing their move to Portland? I'm assuming you're leaving it open-ended because, as you say, that could have been the end of the series, but now that you've been picked up for a 5th season, is there more specific motivation behind that line now? Also, given such a long hiatus, is there anything you can tell us about the fifth season? Maybe a bit about the geographical change for the team?
@ pseudo_meat: you know what? You're right. The Parker-Archie-heist left a lot to be desired. Dubenich was woefully underprepared, and besides, there has to be an upper-bound to the number of things I can change in my head-canon (emp bomb instead of taser fuse, amount of time the lights were out, etc) and still claim to be talking about the same scene...
Re: Why they still Glenn-Rieder.
The name cleared. Why redo the work when the name cleared, and it's clearly the already established High End security company used by the discriminating evil bastard.
@ellabell
1) After the mussels were put into the pipes, why didn’t Latimer just report it to the authorities and say that he had a break in / been a victim of domestic terrorism, or something?
Latimer gives us the answer to that as we're finding out what the things will do to his dam system. He's got a bunch of Chinese investors coming in and if he loses those guys, he expects that his board of directors will toss him out of his own company. His company would have been covered as far a legal liability on the dam, but he'd still have been out. That tradeoff is not acceptable to someone like Latimer. If his own board tosses him out, he likely persona non grata in the business world, unable to get a position as an executive or board-member with any major corporation. Even if he's ten times richer than it takes to live comfortably for the rest of his life, that still makes him one of "little people." I'm quite certain it never occurred to him to bring in the authorities.
This has been bugging me and I don't really expect an answer but. Here it goes: In the Hot Potato Job, Nate and Sophie.... "go get dinner". In the next scene, he wakes up downstairs on the floor and Sophie is coming from upstairs. And they both still have most of their clothes on. So, my question is, what they hell were they doing? I don't need details, but I realized in re-watching the scene, I don't have a very good idea of what to assume just happened. How'd they end up in different rooms. Shall I just assume the craziest thing possible?
-Jessica
First of all let me say the episode was great, especially the exchanges between ChaOs and Archie were fantastic, I could not stop laughing.
One thing however really did not make sense to me. The last time you had Archie in season 3 there was talk of him having a family (wasn't there a photo of his wife and children in his wallet) and this time you made him seem like an old granddad to be admitted to a nursery home by his daughter. Somehow this does not go together. Anyway thanks for bringing in Richard Chamberlin, it was such a pleasure to see this great actor again. I hope he will also appear in season 5.
I just want to take back what I said earlier about the color spacing issue. I watch the episodes through my Xbox (zune) and the recent Xbox live update apparently messed with the coloring of all videos. weird. Anyway, my apologies.
There is one question that has been nagging me, and I'd love some insight of possible, please. It was said that Victor Dubenovich was feeding Latimer information for years, telling him who the team would hit next, etc. How did Victor know who the Leverage team would hit, if he was in prison and a lot of the Leverage "clients" were seemingly random people who approached the team for help? Thanks!
This was an amazing season, I can't wait to see what you guys come up with next! Especially since my sister found this http://gizmodo.com/5877285/no-you-do-not-need-a-set-of-wi+fi-cufflinks/ using Stumbleupon and I immediately thought, what if Hardison had to get in somewhere really, really schmancy and couldn't bring anything else? Wouldn't he want a pair of cufflinks like these, spruced up a little a la Leverage? =)
Would love to see something like this! And goodness knows how I'll be able to wait until next summer for more Leverage... I guess I'll just have to go re-watch all the other episodes. I think I can make them last until then. Maybe.
Dubenic and Lattimer both went over the edge. Then there was one gunshot and one splash. Did one of them survive? Which one and will he return next season?
Speaking of recurring characters, will we see Sterling again in the future? What about Archie? Will Maggie come back and become a grifter?
Given all the people who caught the Reichenbach reference, I have to ask, could you please do an actual Leverage version of Reichenbach? Where Nate fakes his own death at the end of a season, and doesn't even let the team know? (Or it could be Sophie or Eliot, but I can't see Parker or Hardison doing that...)
And then the next season, when s/he comes back, Hardison punches him/her or Parker tasers him/her? Please?
My favorite thing about Leverage is that it just keeps getting better year after year! Honestly, I don't know how you guys do it but keep it up! Just a quick season 5 question for you; any chance that Sophie will use Annie Kroy again? She's by far my favorite alias any team member has ever used.
Well done
Well done, indeed. LOVED the show and the season.
A couple of things for the other commentors -
1) Cayman Islands - The team has shown before how easily they can move people around. I'll bet he was in the Caymans, because he was rich enough to get back AND his return trip would have been completely traceable. All part of the setup.
2)J Firecat - anyone who uses 'headology' is my hero
3) Nate is at peace with the deaths of D & L, because he did NOT kill them. Everyone is ultimately responsible for their own actions and those two 'gentlemen' simply made some very bad choices - and suffered the consequences.
I too am only able to watch Leverage via Amazon. Imagine my frustration when the final episode wasn't available for a WEEK!! GAH!
Mr. Rogers and team - thank you very much for the show and for the time and efforts you spend on your fans.
Enjoy your hiatus!
I... I just realized. I like Leverage more than Firefly. Which isn't to say that I wouldn't geek out like crazy over a Summer Glau guest spot. But still. This is a big moment for me.
I guess my biggest question is, what is the name of that movie with Harrison Ford where he gets shot in the head but lives?
-Jane
I have now re-watched this episode twice, and I've seen my my favourite episodes (i.e. Nigerian, Homecoming, Tap Out, Jailhouse, Underground) at least three times each.
How am I going to survive the hiatus?
That's actually not a rhetorical question; I don't watch any other TV shows. I tried, but could not get into Criminal Minds, Castle and How I Met Your Mother, so I'm asking for recommendations here from other Leverage fans...
Well, I try to play a little game where I see if I can work a Leverage quote into my regular conversation every day. Bonus points if I can get one from each character. More bonus points if the person to whom I am speaking recognizes the reference.
It's not much, but it's better than pretending to be Parker or Sophie and doing some shoplifting....
Post a Comment