LEVERAGE #506 "The D.B. Cooper Job" Post-Game

This was an episode born of Kane's hair.

After the enormous fun and satisfaction we'd all had doing the flashback episode last year, Downey wanted to try another one for fifth season.  We toyed around with a 60's spy thriller for a while, but that fell apart.  Eventually the discussion revolved around finding a period where Christian Kane's hair wouldn't be an anachronism.  That led us to the 60's and 70's.  When Downey began researching big crime happenings in the Northwest in the 70's -- after all, we'd embraced Portland, we should try to do the same in our flashback episode -- the D.B. Cooper case came roaring out at him.

The story originally had Parker as the recipient of the confession, but that seemed a bit too much like "Van Gogh", and tying Nate to the tale allowed a nice anchor between the plot and story.  The idea of a life destroyed by an obsession -- and not letting your loved ones suffer the same fate -- was resonant enough with our arc for Nate, but the idea of a man with an obsession equal Nate's who managed to not lose his faith in humanity was a lovely second level.

Much like Van Gogh this episode was written well in advance to allow our stellar production and wardrobe crew to prep for the challenge.  As noted in the Leverage10 Podcast, our quest to find the plan led us to the amazing Evergreen Aviation Museum.  While Downey inspected the front half of a vintage 737 fuselage the museum owned -- as one does -- Dean discovered the Spruce Goose was at the museum. And so the fine folks at Evergreen gave us not one but two very big episodes for Season 5.

While the season opener was actually partially filmed at the museum, we had the fuselage for ep 506 towed down to the soundstages at Clackamas (or Clackywood, as its affectionately known).  Originally, director Marc Roskin was going to adjust the D.B. Cooper story and have Cooper parachute out of the side door, which was the one door we had extant.  It was, after all, only the front half of a plane.

At which point our Production Designer Randall Groves said "No, I'll build the rest of it.  And put it on a platform so you can really do the jump. "  Which is how Kane wound up jumping backwards out of a fake plane 20 feet above a concrete floor with a fistful of grips YANKING him sideways to mimic the wind whipping him away.

I honestly don't even try to stop him anymore.  Don't even get me started on the goddam hood-slide.  Yes that's him, and yes that's Hutton driving.

We were lucky enough to continue our run of stellar casting this year with Ronnie Cox and Fred Ward as the flashback agents.  Each of those actors brought a real gravitas to the episode.  And we finally got to give Gerald Downey a little room to stretch his considerable acting chops.  Seriously, somebody smarten up and make him the lead in something.

Before we jump to the questions, I have to note our costume designer Nadine Haders found photographs of the flight attendants from that flight, and from that handmade uniforms that matched.  Yep, those white boots are real.

And as a wrap gift, Riesgraf gave me one.

I don't know how to feel about that.

The commitment to an authentic look extended form the cream of The Streets of San Francisco style clothing to the excellent make-up job.  Those moustaches were a treat.  I think I've never seen Hutton and Kane as sad as the day make-up reclaimed that facial hair.  Downey used the word "bereft", and I don't disagree.

All of this energy and direction on this episode comes from our director Marc Roskin, of course.  Marc really dug in on stretching the production value of the episode as far as he could, and made a real point of mimicking the camera-look of the 70's cop shows.  The oddly-wide two-shot, the snap-zoom -- the episode really is a directing tour de force.  Please, show me another cable show that's pulled off not just one but two period-piece episode of this quality -- and all this is thanks to our dedicated crew and actors.

Right, to your questions:

@ChelseaNH: Nate wants to build something? Please say you're going Hogwarts/Charles Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters and giving us the Jimmy Ford Memorial Academy and the next generation of conman avengers.

With Eliot on-staff as your Wolverine stand-in.  Done.

@PurpleOps: Just one question though: Could you please explain that ending? Were we supposed to know who Oliver Schmidt was or what he was about? And what is it that Nate wants to "build"? (Yes, I know that's three questions. But they're all tied up in the first one. And I'm pretty sure we'll at least find out the answer to the third one eventually, but the first two might need answering from you in this forum!)

Nope, Oliver Schmidt was just the background con.  We're mentioning those a little more often this year to remind the audience that there are (and have been) plenty of cons you'll never see.  As to what Nate wants to build, well ...

@Lily: What a fantastic episode! 1.) I didn't know anything about DB Cooper before - was most of it ledger or did you guys have to research the hell out of this one too? 2.) The Sophie/Nate interactions are lovely but leave me with a little bit of a pit in my stomach about what's coming up down the line. Can you at least reassure me that they will be ok? (ha!) 3.) Also, the car stunt was great - that has to have been a stuntie, right?

1.) Most of it was orange box, right down to the theories people had about the suspects. Much like Van Gogh, Downey researched the hell out of it.
2.) No.
3.) Shit no.  Not even a stuntie driving.

@Oona: I'm just gonna say now we're getting a season 6. 1.) So with that in mind, you're not planning to introduce cousin Oliver, the cute, con artist new kid on the block are you? Or since you're a Cosby vet, another little Olivia?
2.) Also - BRILLIANT to pair Kane and Riesgraf up in this ep, since Eliot Parker have such a following. It gives the fanbase something they're dying for but doesn't disrupt the present narrative of the show. Nice. Was that all Downey's decision?

1.) You forget I didn't work on The Cosby Show, which made everybody rich and famous, but Cosby which ended lives and careers.  So no Olivia.  That said, Doug E. Doug did Emmy caliber work on that show.
2.) Yep, all Downey.  I think, like all of us who've been here since first season, he was looking for a change of pace.  Also, Beth and Kane are very good friends and never really get to do that sort of scene.

@Lucia: Question: were FBI agents allowed to have moustaches???

As far as I know the ban on facial hair had ended by then, but even now there are cultural issues.

@DBChen: Shhhhh.

@IMForeman:  Was there any trepidation about dealing with the D.B. Cooper story? Was there any concern that it may touch on the real D.B. Cooper story, or be proven wrong at some point? It seems implausible that he could have bought a farm with the money since none of the bills ever turned up in circulation.

The D.B. Cooper story has been plumbed for fiction so often already that we felt comfortable in putting our own spin on it.  If we were proved wrong that would mean something else was somehow proved right.  if the D.B. Cooper mystery were solved because of our episode, I would take that as a win.

@Bex: 1.) How much fun did all of the cast have in getting to try out these different roles? Did any of them go into research mode to make sure their speech and actions were appropriate to the time period? 
2.) And somewhat off-topic - being born in the late 80's, were moustaches really that gigantic back then? Wow.

1.) The boys had enormous amounts of fun, and spent a lot of time watching period crime dramas to ge the rhythms right.  I believe Beth had slightly less fun, as she had to cram into that uniform.

2.) They were, indeed, huge.  It was a dark time in America.

@Anonymous: 1.) have you gotten any feedback from FBI personnel about this episode? wonder how they feel about your take on the case...2.) and is it remotely possible that your version of the story is actually true? did you research the stewardess who spoke to Cooper?

1.) We occasionally get feedback from law-enforcement friends about the scripts -- I had a particularly gratifying note from an acquaintance about the MacGuffin in the season finale being "Classifed and real.  Nice guess."  We have been in the past asked to change the details of certain cons so as to not make them quite as accurate.  In this case, though, nothing.
2.) I suppose there is an alternate universe where D.B. Cooper served as an FBI agent for 30 years,but I'm betting not.  Downey did not interview the stewardess in question, but there was plenty of material about her testimony available.  The confusion over what name he used, for example, is a real issue.

@lindaS: Question: Has McSweeten finally given up his crush on Parker? Or was he just distracted by his father's illness?

Nope, he understands she's seeing somebody else.  Although he may have pressed it if not for his father's illness.  Assume that Parker and Hardison have helped out Taggart and McSweeten a couple extra times off-screen.

@Anonymous:  who's pet theory was this? Your's, the whole writers room's, or just one pulled from the pool?

It's Downey's, working backwards from the need to have some sort of satisfying thematic ending.  In particular, he was working from the idea that McSweeten Sr. had brought Cooper to justice in his own way.

@Calla: 1.) Is it going to be a problem now that McSweeten knows where the Teams offices are? If he continues to believe in the best in everyone, he won't over think it. But what would prevent him from going back there and stumbling upon them in the middle of a con?
2.) I would like to know how much of the DB story was factual, how much was extrapolated from facts, and how much was just plain made up by a bunch of tired, drunken writers just hopping a ride on the fun train?
3.) Did Kane cut his hair for this episode (it looked pretty short) or was that a wig in some scenes?
4.) Final question. Which did Kane spend more time practicing: sliding over that car hood or kissing Beth?

1.) Nope.  He's based in D.C.

2.) 80% factual, with the identity and plan of the real criminal fictionalized.  But the details aboutt he crime, the plane, the flight, etc are all accurate.

3.) Nope, not cut for that episode.

4.) He did both very well on the first try.

@Redwulf25: 1:) Can I assume that like most versions that paint him in a heroic light the bomb was fake?
2:) 90% certain Mcsweeten's father knew. But when did he know?
3:) When she read the note was it intentional that she wound up covering the i and j with her fingers so the note read "You are being hacked" instead of "You are being hijacked"?

1.) Yes.

2.) I'm not sure he knew.  I think that one's up for Most Interesting Interpretation for You.

3.) Nope, accident.

@Anonymous: On a more positive note, Parker and McSweeten - I so want to see them working together more often. How many seasons could we get of McSweeten not knowing that Parker isn't really FBI?

About one ...

@bluehex: 1) - the photos. First one is clearly a composite, with Gerald Downey's face pasted in - but who is the other guy? Looks vaguely like (again, a paste-in) the guy from the other photo - the stewardess and her husband. Was the second photo (of the married couple) one of the real stewardesses involved in the case? If yes, cool, and was legal clearance a problem? If not, why go through so much Photoshop trouble, rather than having a Hutton/Kane and Riesgraf/Kane photos, since they were already established as the alter egos?
2) - a culture question (foreigner here): I know that tally-ho is a hunting/flying term which means that - respectively - a fox or aircraft was spotted. But is the accompanying gesture something that is generally related to the tally-ho or just father-son code? 

1.) Nope, those were not the actual people.  And we actually didn't use Kane and Beth for the same reason we didn't use Beth in the photo of her alter-ego from WW2 in "The Van Gogh Job". That it would so PLAINLY be Beth, it would suspend disbelief.  (that's actually her stand-in in the Van Gogh, ep, BTW).  It made sense to use Downey as he was subbing for someone related to him, but not the others.  If that follows.

2.) That little circle is the movement the master of the hunt makes to summon the other riders to the chase.

@Sarah W: Loved seeing this side of McSweeten. Interesting that he didn't blink (or seem to blink) at Parker's unorthodox ways of getting the files--there are hidden depths to him.   One wonders if he knows the team isn't kosher, but also knows they're on the side of the angels (mostly)--like father, like son?

I think he's beginning to suspect that they may be None Such Agency rather than FBI.  But I don't believe he's got the imagination to put them totally outside of the government.  Most people are hard-wired for authority, after all.

@Oona: QUESTION 1: Amazing scene with Nate and Sophie at the end. Sophie said that she saw Nate as Odysseus -the hero. Was that flattery or a true insight into how Sophie sees Nate? 
Assuming Sophie was being honest, what a great way to weave in some insight into the two of them. We know he sees himself in the worst possible light, but its interesting that she sees him in the most favorable light. It certainly helps explain why Sophie would stay with Nate despite his issues (cause sometimes love alone just isn't enough). 
QUESTION 2: How do you view Sophie's tendency to romanticize? Character flaw or character saving grace?
QUESTION 3: Did anyone consider trying to find an actual pay phone for the background in the scene with little Todd and Daddy Pete? (Todd must have called Pete from somewhere.) Probably not an easy task these days.
QUESTION 4: How hard was it to re-create the inside of an airplane from the 70s?
QUESTION 5: What was the process for getting Fred Ward and Ronnie Cox? 
QUESTION 6: You could have introduced the team to the mystery in a lot of different ways, but it added a nice emotional element for this to be the dad of someone we know. How did you/Chris/writers decide to use McSweeten in this one?

1.) I think that an important quality in the person you love is that they see you a little better than you see yourself.  When you need it, anyway.

2.) Flaw that is sometimes a saving grace.  But other writers may differ.  I also very much like commenter MZ's take on this: 
"I'm not part of the Leverage crew so I can't answer directly but Sophie's answer was actually pretty perfect from my interpretation and if you're familiar with the Odyssey her statement is really not flattering. The concept of "hero" in literature, and especially Greek lit, is less about modern ideas of heroism and is closer to just meaning he was the main character. He also is a very Nate-like character. Both are excessively clever in both good ways and bad and are jealous and wrathful when provoked. Their love of their son sparks both of their tales and is one of the major sources of their problems. Most importantly, though, and one of the reasons the comparison is not flattering for Nate, Odysseus is nearly synonymous with hubris. Nate's self-identification with the sirens seems to be an interesting point for the season arc but it seemed pretty clear to me that the writers knew how spot-on the Odysseus comparison is."

3.) God no.  They're all gone, and we didn't want to build one.

4.) As noted above, we actually went and found one.

5.) We called their agents.  Tim knew Ronnie Cox from Taps, of course, and suggested him.  Fred Ward has been a dream casting chance for ages, we're all fans.  Honestly, it's stunning how many great actors are kind of just hanging out.

6.) Downey always had a soft spot for Taggart & McSweeten, seeing as he created them in "The Wedding Job." Also, we didn't want a cold in for a historical, and he's one of the few recurring characters we haven't tagged lately, or even that we're that fond of (by which I mean the team).

@Jocelyn:  My question is how awkward or weird was it for Christian and Beth to do the kissing scene? I know they are professional but still it had a to be a little strange, no?

They are pros, but there definitely was a weird energy on the set. It's a bit like if I had to kiss Downey. Again.

@Suzy Q 1.) What happened to Sophie? She was all fangirl about DB Cooper in the beginning, and is nowhere to be seen when they finally figure out who he is.

2.) Looks like Nate is trying to arrange it for his team to be on their own (by the end of the season). Is he retiring or dying?

1.) We had a nice beat about that,we cut it to make room for the Ulysses beat instead.

2.) That is a mighty wet cough he's developed.

@SueN: 1) Any particular reason so little Sophie? Eliot I can understand, because Kane spent so much time as Steve. Just wondering about Sophie.

2) D.B. Cooper. Why this storyline, and what in the ep was orange box and ledger?
3) Todd. Now that we have seen him as a fully fledged human being, how does this change any future use of him as one half of the bumbling duo of Taggert-McSweeten?
4) Whose crossbow was that in the van?
5) Oh, the car slide. THE CAR SLIDE. Were you on set that day? How crazy did it make you?

1.) To tell the truth, it was just a mix of editing and the fact we shot her out on an other episode during the overlap. nothing to be read into there.

2.) As above.

3.) It may.  S6.

4.) You'll see who's crossbow that is in the season finale ...

5.) He ages me.  Every year.

@Anonymous: Hardison is probably my favorite character in the show, but it seems like he has been out of focus for a lot of this season, and to me it seems like the writers are trying to avoid having him in the spotlight, to be comic relief at the moment, and like some have said about his relationship with Parker, we really haven't had any interaction between them this season. Is it because of the secret that Hardison is keeping with Nate? It feels like he is trying to distract himself the times he has been in Season 5 so far. When can we expect some more Hardison moments? 

1.) Hmm, it's always tricky with these questions, as we perceive page and scene weight differently from you guys.  The bit about his relationship with Parker is indeed intentional -- we always want it to be a background thing, more a status than a plotline.  As to anything else, I think you may be able to argue he's had two big seasons in a row, and we're focusing on wrapping up some other arcs as we head into the back of the show's run .  But Aldis is still one of our favorite actors to write to, and I beileve we may just be dealing with some episode order issues.

@zeyneb: Q1: Why 4 parachutes? Was that real? Did he take all four when he jumped?

Q2: Tell me you didn't let CK run on the roof - car slide ok roof top not! 
Q3: If Nate doesn't believe in redemption does that mean he still sees his team as thieves? What of Eliot, still sees him as a killer who can't be redeemed? 
Q4: How was the stunt set up for Eliot's jump of the plane? Did he just jump back? It looked liked the wind carried him side ways.
Q5: Hasn't Leverage thought us that when you look a person in the eye you are lying? Or is it only grifters who notice the difference?
Q6: Nate tells Sophie at the end "do you remember when I said ..." if I remember correctly he said that at the hospital after they were blown up, Sophie had not yet joined them. Not sure were the question in this one is, just pointing it out.

1.) Yes, D.B. Cooper did ask for four. Nobody knows why.

2.) Yep, him on the roof too.

3.) Nate's dealing very much with his own sense of redemption.

4.) Elevated set, jumped backward, then a handful of grips YANKED him sideways on a pull line.  First time he missed the goddam mat, too.

5.) Depends.  It's more the pause than the look.

6.) We checked, he said it again in a later episode during the first season.  I don't have the reference, but I remember on the day we did check.

@TJ: 1A)For some reason, as soon as he said his wife was on the plane, I thought, "He's D.B. Cooper. They were in on it together." I was half right. And there was a sort of Firefly twang in the music when Reynolds entered (Yes, I see Firefly everywhere including the fact that he was named Reynolds although I know that was probably a coincidence) ...was that from the D.B. Cooper theme song later in the episode when McSweeten, Sr. returns to Portland? 

B) Did the crew write that song for this episode because I can't seem to find it anywhere? 
2) Is this an entire meta episode dedicated to explaining why McSweeten Jr. hasn't caught on to the team? Did that factor into what you wrote in the script, his "lost dog" characterization? 
3)Same thing other people noticed with Sophie (I read the other questions ahead of time, aren't you so proud) It seems like being such a fangirl, she'd want to meet D.B Cooper. Is there a Sophie heavy episode coming up in the future that she had to shoot? There was also very little Hardison as well, what made it work out that way? 
4)Please don't tell me that "Saying goodbye to the people you care about always is [tough] is a foreshadowing reference. Is that the theme of the season? 
5) I didn't pick it up the first time but there were huge clues about Stephanie and Steve, as in her not having Reynolds as a last name, indicating they met after the hijacking. And "all of our information came from her" that one I did catch. 
6)Did Nate!McSweeten actually notice Parker!Stephanie looking down at the magazine or was that just him looking down at the drawing, I ask because he had a little puppy head cock that indicated he might have noticed something was up.
7)If McSweeten Sr. didn't know about Steve Reynolds why'd he offer him the job at the FBI? 
Same question for if he did know.
8)Was the not cutting his hair just a joke for Eliot or McSweeten trying to cover up for Reynolds/Cooper? 
9) I know you probably not going to answer, but I have to ask. Did McSweeten Sr. ever figure it out and if so when? 
10) Did Reynolds' wife really have nightmares about the hijacking or was that just a show he put on for the FBI? It seems like she could have really been traumatized even though it ended well for her, like dreaming Steve died, etc.
11) Why did Eliot!Reynolds encourage Nate!McSweeten to keep looking for D.B. instead of quietly steering him elsewhere? 
12)Was Eliot!Reynolds hair styled/curled so that it look like it grew and shortened? I know possibilities of a wig were mentioned earlier.
13) Unfortunately, the face was obscured, did Eliot!Reynolds actually do his stunt jump into the boxes? I could tell he did the car slide, nice shout out to Dukes of Hazzard/Starsky and Hutch. 
14) Did McSweeten Sr. know about Daniel Cooper (the real one) before Nate told him? 
15) On a meta note, were there any of our earlier villains that could have been redeemed? They seem pretty cold hearted other than the Carnival Job guy and Hurley. 
16) Did Eliot!Reynolds tamper with Novak's memory, say implying features that weren't right, etc etc? Whatever happened to that sketch that Novak made? 
17) So far, Nate flat-out told Hardison what is going on, implied it to Eliot, and told Sophie, how exactly does he intend to broach this subject with Parker, who could be stated as the one who needs the team the most, being the least apt to deal with society and in someways the most childlike (someways the most nuts) and trusting of Nate. She is the first one to jump on a crazy plan bandwagon.
18) Can Nate both build and destroy at the same time? 

1A.) Yes. B.) Joe LoDuca wrote that tune.  He is amazing.

2.) Nope, although if it makes us look smarter to you, then "yes."

3.)  As above, a scheduling thing.  We were doubling up like mad to get the money set aside for the summer season finale.

4.) Ahme.

5.) Yep, we played fair.

6.) I think only Nate-Nate noticed.

7.) McSweeten serve din combat, and knew what post-Vietnam life was like for Steve.  Regardless of whether he figured things out later, I think that's the relevant factor.

8.) Our way of not cutting Kane's hair for a period piece.

9.) Not answering that.

10.) I think it was a mix -- some nightmares, but that was Steve masking his anger at anyone making fun of his best friend and redeemer.

11.) Because McSweeten would never have given up short learning the truth.

12.) Nope.  Just different looks.

13.) All stunts were Kane.

14.) Nope, he missed that one.

15.) Nate has not been in the redemption business.  Although you'll see later this season that he's considering taking a run at it ...

16.) Lost to editing, Steve fouled the description. It was a nice scene, too, based on a similar scene in Body Heat.

17.) Don't assume he's told Hardison everything.

18.) Ask Oppenheimer.

@Carol: Okay, so there was a British cop show in the 70's called McSweeney, which inspired much of the style and feel of Life on Mars. Now I know 'McSweeten' was a name created ages ago, but did someone in the writers room make a McSweeney/McSweeten reference and that's how the idea was born?  I'm probably reaching, but with the whole 70's thing I can't help but think maybe I'm on to something.

The show you're thinking of was The Sweeney, actually.  Which influenced the far superior British Life on Mars, which was itself the primary influence on this episode.  And also allows me to post my favorite Life on Mars promo:

@TJ: P.S. Was it really "sleeps 90 minutes a day", "grows his own food" "crawled through a billion length tunnel in Yemen (?)" Eliot, who said that that jump couldn't have possible been survived? Seriously?

Not survivable by other men.

@Caravelle:  what was up with the gun at the end ? It was all the more strange that we're supposed to sympathize with the guy, and there he is making off like he considered shooting Nate or something.

I don't think he would have shot Nate, he just wanted the room to run.

@allyone: 1)That "it's not cocaine, it's cyanid" bit seemed odd. Was that just a straight riff on 70's cop show dialog or was there a scene missing?
2) Was that a local kid playing little Todd? Did Hutton spend a lot of time with him on set? They seemed pretty natural together.
3) How did Roskin shoot/block that Nate/Parker scene? It looked fantastic. 
4) Parker seemed almost worried in that scene with Nate. Was she worried they were gonna get off-the-rails Nate again? He did seem almost in Jimmy-revenge mode there.

1.) Nope, just 70's cop show melodrama.

2.) A fine young local actor.  Tim has a nice touch with kids, generally, to tell the truth. 

3.) Ever since we put the glass in that HQ, we've been wanting to do a scene like that.  This was just the first time we had a shot, and Roskin made sure he had the time.

4.) She was concerned, until he made the turn.  Obsession/vengeance is his drug of choice, after all.

@Matthew: 1. Shall we, in this Season, finally see members of the Team, to SHOW that they care about Eliot, fear for him, and worry?

Huh, I think we see that a lot.  But most of the attitude that's hitting you comes from the fact that Eliot doesn't WANT that relationship with the others, and the others respect his wishes. That said, you get some nice Hardison/Eliot stuff coming up in the winter season opener.

@Sabine: So Hardison knows what Nate is doing but maybe not why, Sophie knows why but maybe not what, Eliot knows something but not much, and Parker knows nothing. Why the patchwork secrecy? Just Nate's sicko need to control people, or is there another reason Nate is letting out these squirts of information?

Hardison knows what he needs to know, Eliot's suspicions are his own, and Sophie's just getting hints of an attitude change.  None of them know what's coming, really.  Yet.

@Anonymous... you know, you can always watch Breaking Bad.  That is a very good show.

@oppyu: 1: Awwwwwwwww, poor McSweetums. Is there a way you could give the actor a hug from me?
2: Is there a way you could have moustache!Eliot and moustache!Nate in future episodes? Both men were sporting epic facial hair, although Hardison wasn't too bad either. 
3: Did Oliver Schmidt have a moustache?
4: Did Daddy McSweetums know about the whole 'DB Cooper is his partner' thing?

1.) I hug Gerald whenever I see him.  For precisely one second too long to be comfortable.

2.) I do not think we could survive the awesome of that much moustache again.

3.) No.

4.) Up to you.  I vote no, actually.

@Amelia: What was it like for Tim Hutton and Ronny Cox to be working together again after thirty years? I love "Taps" and I about lost it when Nate went in to interview Peter McSweeten for the first time. :D

They had a lovely time.  Mr. Cox was great to have on set.  Much like Danny Glover, he shot giant bits of script with very little prep time and killed it.

@Anonymous: I wasnt going to post but after reading other comments i have to ask u Rogers - did u expect a lot of parker/hardison/eliot posts? Afterall, i remember u saying in reference to the 12-step job that it was the hug that lit up the message boards. did u pair eliot & parker partially to tease and/or see the reactions?

Oh hell yeah.  At this point it's very much out of our control.  I think part of being a modern showrunner is understanding that you write the show you write, but the text is just going to be torn apart by the fans, and just to lay back and enjoy the energy.

@talea: OK, this season's theme is redemption.Season 4's was "consequences." What were the themes of Seasons 1, 2 and 3? 

1.) Trust 2.) Family 3.) Patience 4.) Consequences 5.) Redemption

@Kate: Have you guys ever run the Leverage RPG in the Writer's room? 

No, but we have screwed around with the excellent villain generator in the game.

@Anonymous: Personally, I think this whole Eliot/Parker/Hardison thing should be resolved just like that: get all three of 'em together, and thus kill the ship wars. ;)

I'll let you guys and Livejournal handle that for me.  Thanks!

@Glenn Hauman: Why was Parker dressed up like Magnus Robot Fighter?

Dammit, go watch the DVD extras for the secret subplot where past-Parker FIGHTS ROBOTS!  Thanks for ruining it, Glenn.

***********************************

Go ahead and argue OT3 to your hearts' content, kids, I'll check out at this point.  Coming soon -- Matthew Lillard insight! Into Matthew Lillard.  INSIDE LILLARD!  Fear it!