Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Question Post for LEVERAGE #202 "The Tap out Job"

Post your questions here, I'll get to them in a day or so.

A little behind, as we're in the home stretch and Felix's bag of tricks is getting a bit skint. I'm basically living off 3 hour naps, breakfast bars and Guiness at this point ...

144 comments:

Havenward said...

First, I just want to say this was a brilliant episode, and I love the bait and switch from the teaser ads to the actual moment of tension (that it was the other fighter to supposedly die and Eliot was in no danger at all). Kudos all around!

But the question:
Eliot mentions in his conversation with Sophie that he learned a long time ago he can't control the violence. Do you guys plan to divulge any of that sort of background for him this season? Or do you plan to leave us hanging on the mystery, like you've mentioned wanting to do with Parker?

Anonymous said...

So just how did Eliot learn to fight so well and who taught him??

Emily said...

agree w/ Nicole! Brilliant! I love getting to see the depth of CK's acting chops. This was the ep where he got cut because he did his own stunts right? How much of the fighting was actually Christian?

Anonymous said...

Was the build-up to Eliot snapping and beating the other guy down supposed to have a "Bill Bixby is about to have a Hulk-out" vibe? I expected that dramatic chord to sound as soon as his eyes bugged out.

david golbitz said...

Why Lincoln, Nebraska for this particular episode? The jokes were great. Just wanted to have some fun with flyover country? :)

vampirefan said...

Solid episode! Hardison's dialog, when he was being held down by Parker, cracked me up!

Loved the moments between Eliot and Sophie.

I don't really have a question. Just a big THANK YOU for a shirtless, wrestling Eliot. That was... Yeah.

Feelred said...

How was the atmosphere on set when Beth had Aldis in that grapple? hahah. im pretty sure the hacker enjoyed it as much as he was acting in pain ;D haha

Anonymous said...

Thanks for another AWESOME episode! Christian Kane is an amazing actor! I really didn't see the last part of the con coming--it was very clever.

Are there really radio controlled golf balls? Too funny!

Unknown said...

Oh, get ready. The moaners have already invaded the TNT board, and are gunning for you. Somehow, the episode boils down to who does or doesn't eat chicken fried steak. Good luck!

BobbyNash said...

Great episode. A lot of fun.

Bobby

Jim Wright said...

"Everything on my plate is yellow."

"Pork rinds? How you peel a pig?"

God, I love the dialog in this show. Brilliant as always, Rogers. Thanks.

Ashley said...

During the ELIOT SMASH! scene, I did notice that there was a whole lot more power behind the reactions of the fight result, especially coming from Sophie. Was that merely her being overly dramatic just to fool Rucker into seeing the situation at hand as something much more than what it really turned out to be, something to instill a greater sense of fear into him and eventually scare him off?

Calla said...

This was an excellent episode - riveting - even better than ep 201. Great bait-and-switch plot line; I love the team getting caught-out like that.

My only quibble is with how you're filming Eliot's fight scenes. If Christian Kane had a double doing most (or even some) of his stunts, then I could understand the heavy editing, super close-ups, and quick cut-aways.

But, CK does his own stunts, so pull back a little, let us really see the man work.

Remember Fred Astaire? When he danced, he insisted on being filmed from head-to-toe, because he knew that you had to see it all to really appreciate it. And, honestly, isn't a good fight scene as beautifully choreographed as a good dance sequence? Yes, yes it is.

Still, it was an excellent episode - thank you (and the crew) for all your hard work!

Becky said...

I loved this episode. The conversations between Sophie and Eliot revealed layers and depth to Eliot's character we'd only seen tiny glimpses of in previous episodes.

The final fight had me on the edge of my seat and for a horrifying second, I thought Eliot had really killed the guy. Which lead to a rapid series of thoughts as to how the rest of the group would deal with that.

My question doesn't really have to do with the episode. I was just wondering why they don't show the preview/clip for the next episode of Leverage until after Dark Blue. Wouldn't it make more sense to show it after the Leverage credits?

Ed D. said...

Another fine episode although I'm still kind of fuzzy on how exactly the father came to hire The A-Team, uh, I mean our heroes.

Oh, and I know you'll hear this a million times but... chicken-fried steak in Nebraska? Seriously?

Unknown said...

so, first and foremost, i must very much thank you for solidifying everything fanfiction has been saying for the 7 months. my friend and i probably scared the hell out of our neighbors with all the squeeing that this ep entailed.
loved that sophie and eliot seem to be getting closer, even after the david job incident. it's great to see the team starting to act less like co workers, and more like family.
on the subject of family and eliot's backstory, will we ever hear more about eliot's nephew/sibling(s)? i thing protective!uncle!eliot would be amazing.

Chaka said...

What do those fangirls mistake hardison for? Couldn't catch what he said some thing like; im not a tailback for who?

Eventide said...

Dee- I was totally thinking about his family the other day! He's the only one who has family (so we've been teased to believe) that would be awesome to explore.

Can't tell you how much I am loving the golf club-cozies.(Never pass up the opportunity for a monkey joke, right?)

Is it just me or those nano-promos "You're watching Leverage on TNT!" things so bizarre--it's the four of them in a hospital: Nate & Parker as med techs and the rest I think as cops. I get that it's probably from an upcoming ep (yay!) but it's so random. I'm watching along and *bam* am I watching L&O, ER or Leverage? Odd choice, TNT.

Props for the enjoyable alliteration:
"Pork rinds? How do you peel a pig?"
"I can't hack a hick!"

Eventide said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Coren said...

Cornhuskers. It's a pretty big college football team in Nebraska.

You had me sold on there being no final con until Tank was "dead", then I knew it was coming like a freight train - kudos!

One small quibble - Hardison seemed to get the short end this episode - between hacking a hick and not having the financials in order til episode's end, it just felt very un-Hardison (not that he could do anything about the cousin in South Dakota)

Anonymous said...

The car Nate revved off in after dumping the producer. Did I miss something? Was that a set-up plant so he'd have a way to bugger off?

Save-vs-DM said...

Excellent episode, as they always are. I actually had a really hard time spotting the PDX landmark this time, which is credit to your shooting crew.

I loved that the team finally got caught out in their con, but simply rolled to adapt as things went along. I knew that there would be a con coming in the end, but I had no idea what it would be.

Man, this one really reminded me of some great Shadowrun games of the past, where the team hits a major hitch and has to try something different.

As a writer, have you ever pulled out experiences from running a game as a DM to inform just how cons might go wrong? We all know that players don't do what you expect most of the time, so was that good trying when it comes to writing a twist?

marga templeton said...

well scripted, well acted, well presented, all around!

any possibility you might serve up cameos from other "experts" in other fields? we got matt lindland tonight... maybe we get a renowned scientist? or software creator? actor? artist? chef? medical doctor? astronaut? magician?(just spitballing here)

it might be fun to see the team members go up against somebody who's just a leeeeeetle bit better than they are at what they do :-)

and thank you for doing a great job!

Alexandra said...

An amazing episode, and a great reminder that Christian is a damn good actor on top of everything else. He about near broke my heart during that little moment with Sophie.

Are the episodes airing in the order they're produced this season?

IIRC, they aired out of order last season, which led to some weird back and forth with the character development, learning things and then not knowing them the next week.

Also, how do you pick who becomes the emotional center of each episode in its order? I mean, Eliot is the obvious choice for a fight story, but what makes you say, let's focus on Eliot specifically in the 2nd episode of this season?

Jim Kakalios said...

OK - as a physics professor I can tell you why golf balls have dimples (it's so they can maintain, through their no-slip zone, laminar flow at higher velocities, and avoid energy depleting turbulence) and also how a gyroscope works (conservation of angular momentum of a disc quasi-isolated from the outside world).

As a physicist yourself - I know that you know as well.

So was Hardison's radio remote controlled golf balls just your way of saying to your pal Will Whedon - hey, we can do techno-babble too?

For a while I suspected that the team deliberately got themselves busted as part of the con. Shouldn't that be more of a concern for the long cons that extend over days and require someone to put up a LARGE amount of cash - that they would call around to verify the grifter's bona fides?

A great job - just wish TNT would show the next week teasers as they promise at the end of the episode.

Oh, more Parker, duh!

Unknown said...

You guys are masters of subtle awesome goodness. One of my favorite moments was Eliot's "WTF" glance at Hardison as he floated like a butterfly before getting pwned by Parker.

My question - did I see a saxophone in the Trunk Full o' Guns at the end? Or was that my midnight snack playing tricks on me? (Yeah, I time-shift. Sorry.) If it indeed was a saxophone, is there a reason or is it just Parker being Parker?

Living in the Gray said...

First off, I really enjoyed this episode, but as someone who lives in Lincoln, Nebraska, I had some quibbles.

1. What was up with the accents? A lot of the folks, including your bad guy, seemed to have quasi-southern accents.

2. It was a great gag, but we really do have some good restaurants here, and they serve things other than chicken fried steak. I promise.

3. Did you really mean for the episode to be in Lincoln? We don't have a meat packing plant here, although there are a few in the state. We also haven't been hit as hard by the recession, since Lincoln is a college town. The comment made by Eliot that the only things left are pawn shops and bail-bondsmen hurt.

4. Parker wearing a Nebraska hat was AWESOME.

~Jerusha

BenSpark said...

is was an excellent episode. I love how you developed more depth to Eliot. I loves how Sophie sold it where she described Eliot losing control as "You took the safety off the gun!" That was fantastic. Love how there was such character development of Eliot and also an understanding happening between Sophie and Eliot. I think that we are seeing the rift between Eliot and Sophie (from The Second David job where Sophie conned the crew) beginning to heal. She gains understanding of who Eliot is and respects him more. I loved the whole episode and especially when Parker takes down Hardison. So funny. Keep up the fantastic work! @benspark on twitter.

puu said...

i'm just wondering...how many times have you guys seen "the sting"? sometimes it feels like every time you've got nate rolling into a con, he's doing an homage to paul newman's entrance into the poker room on the train in "the sting".

not that it's a bad thing!

are we working toward an end game with eliot and sophie? it seems to me they have had an understanding of each other since the pilot and their references to the chinese border. christian and gina were both excellent last night.

one last thought: are the sophie's-not-hungry jokes some kind of in-game because gina's pregnant?

Liz said...

You really got me with this episode. The con was blown so badly and the mood so serious after that for a while I wasn't sure that a reset was coming. I think the scene with Sophie and Eliot at the ring really helped sell that -- and while we're on that subject let me say that might be one of my favorite moments of the series so far, especially Eliot's last line. Because of what Eliot does, the emotion and honesty there are nicely unexpected. Cool also, as another poster mentioned, to see Eliot and Sophie come to a sort of understanding after the rift between them last season.

One thing I would love to see is the previews for next week actually come at the end of the episode instead of partway into Dark Blue. I never get to see them anymore because I don't want to sit through 10 minutes of Dark Blue waiting. No offense to the folks who do that show, it's just not my thing.

GinaFan said...

Damn it, I missed the beginning again! I can't watch video at work. They block it all. Off to the library.

The "That's what he does" tag that Sophie delivered, at the end, felt a little uncomfortable.

The twist was great. Really sneaks up on you.

While watching the DVD's I got the same feeling that someone else mentioned, that this show could make a good feature film. I was wishing the episodes could be a little longer. :)

Unknown said...

This season, is the network letting you run episodes in the order you want?

DaveMB said...

Fangirls: Hardison said something very close to "For the last time, I am not the tailback for the Cornhuskers. I don't even know what a Cornhusker is." As above, a Cornhusker is a U of Nebraska athlete.

Saxophone: After ordering the $6000 worth of guns in the sketchy pawnshop, Parker pointed out of shot and said "Oh, and that too." This was apparently the saxophone -- looked to me like just Parker being Parker. (A good move for the writers, as she hadn't done anything particularly bizarre in a while.)

WV: "nessne" -- something to do with Scottish cryptozoology...

Nato said...

OK, I take back my critiques from last week about one-dimensional villains. Rucker, thanks in part to the actor playing him, was a great bad guy -- mean, cunning, and greedy in an entirely believable way. Kudos also to Albert Kim for some great dialogue: "You fight like something's trying to get out of you" and "You just took the safety off the gun!" were particularly memorable.

Christian Kane also turned in a hell of a performance, I gotta say.

Loved Parker's idea of a convincing disguise to blend in with the locals, and Eliot's "Hulk-out" moment -- for a second there, I thought he was gonna turn green.

My questions:

1) That WAS a virgin Bloody Mary Nate showed up on the golf course with, right?

2) Was "Triana" a Venture Brothers shout-out?

Jimbo said...

Just seen TNT's promo for next week's episode...would Elliot's comment about Enron guys be a small reference to the made for TV movie Christian Kane made about the Enron fiasco?

If so, can we expect a shoutout to Gina's old show Coupling soon too?

Anonymous said...

The Cornhuskers line, was that a nod to Aldis's role as in Friday Night Lights.

Also, any chance we migh get ome outtakes from the Parker/Hardison fight in the DVD extras! It looked like they had a blast filming that.

Jason said...

I consider it a tribute to the characterization that as soon as I heard "I had to spread it out over a few places online", I immediately thought "Hardison".

Unknown said...

Love the ep last night. Can not get enough of CK. the scene where Rucker is threatening Sophie and Nate and Eliot come to her rescue. I would have Eliot enter frist and get up in the guys face and go off about how you dont hurt women, dont threaten to hurt women etc etc etc.

Jay said...

I wonder how the bad guy is going to explain the $6,000 worth of guns, given that it was paid for with his money? I totally bought that the con was blown and wasn't sure if there was going to be a reset, but that didn't get past me.

All of this speculation about whether certain character names or lines are "shout outs" to this movie or that TV show reminds me of when someone asked J. Michael Straczynski if a minor throwaway line in an episode of Babylon 5 was a reference some book or TV show.

His response was something to the effect of "if you kept track of all of these supposed tributes and homages, you'd get the idea that I never had an original idea in my life."

I'm not saying that there are no awesome pop-culture references in Leverage, but I think people tend to look for things that aren't there.

Michelle said...

Fantastic episode. I totally fell for the con and thought they were blown and Eliot was in trouble. I did think for a split second that they would have brought their own water, but you did have me going. The beating that Eliot took was really hard to watch. I found myself wanting to hide my eyes.

I watched and finished all the DVD commentaries this weekend and they were really interesting and gave me insight that I am taking into watching this season.

You talk on the commentaries about breaking them into groups and fleshing out the relationships to see how people do together and I think this week it was a home run (knock out?) with Eliot and Sophie. They have always rubbed each other a little bit the wrong way, and this week gave them a chance to meet in the center and I think although Eliot appreciated the opportunity to put Sophie a little in her place, I think that Sophie really gained insight and respect for Eliot and that was really powerful. The CK and GB both killed those scenes and they were remarkable to see.

Thanks again for more excellent tv.

I do agree with most of the other people, I can't hang out and watch 10 mins of Dark Blue for the previews. I wish the Network would not try to bribe their viewers that way.

Unknown said...

When Eliott was about to go crazy in the ring, you focused in on his eyes. Was that an Incredible Hulk homage?

I honestly expected him to turn green there.

Kenn said...

I would think just the Guiness would do the job.

Phil Hendricks said...

I was wondering why all the computer screens in your show emit weird futuristic space sounds, like you're in a cockpit. Computers don't really do this, of course, and it's the only thing about the show that made me want to turn it off.

Unknown said...

Season 2's looking good so far, and I'm really looking forward to 2.7 when Wil's spot comes up. His blogged production diaries are what brought Leverage to my attention in the first place.

My only gripe about 2.2 comes towards the end, when Hardisan is tracking Rucker on his phone and says he's heading into Iowa... If he were heading into our great state, he should've been going east. The map on Alec's phone shows him about to cross into Kansas.

But good show, and good second season thus far. If season two is going to have some more glimpses into the motivations/backgrounds of the team, I'm really looking forward to more of what makes Parker tick. A girl doesn't just start out blowing up a house over getting to keep 'Bunny', after all. :)

Liz said...

Hey! Saw the sneak peek for next week and am looking forward to this one. Have they really got one hour to run a con?

Nate's line "I'm thinking!" is great, by the way.

Luci said...

So you've had a hockey player on as a guest star...how about having an episode with an ice hockey theme? I'd love to see some of the Leverage team strap on some skates!

Robert said...

I enjoyed the show overall, although this episode's dialogue tried a little hard. The speech that Sohie gave to the bad guy at the ring was a little...complete and run-on(?) for the scene...I think short and punchy would have been a better fit with the dynamic of the scene. It seemed oversold, I guess, to me.

Also, I hate to see in the media the casual abuse as demonstrated by Parker on Hardison demo'ing the MMA techniques. If the roles had been reversed(I picture Parker already being a much better fighter than Hardison [nerd stereotypes], EVERYONE would have protested the hit in the face, and the wrestling/hold scenes would have been seen by many as over the top and abusive! Sophie could have been learning self-defense within character...

A toned down role-reversal (Hardison taking down an over-confident Parker, but without the punching) would have been a real trope-buster and more original....
That or have Sophie do it, so there can't be any offense of "make on female" violence.

Why we continue to excuse female-on-male violence as pure laugh-riot material I will never know.

Anonymous said...

Is Parker's phone an HTC Excalibur?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTC_Excalibur

Cat said...

Quick question, totally unrelated to this episode, but which of the writers is the Doctor Who fan?

Unknown said...

Leverage continues to be such a great show: excellent writing, acting and directing!

One of the things that I noticed while viewing the commentaries is how many were shot out of order. Is that the case this season as well? Or are they being shot in the same order that they're being shown?

Lara said...

The comments suggest I'm wrong, but I really though getting caught as con men was part of the overall plan.

jenniebee said...

I thought the con was blown when the gym owner saw Parker in the studio as Hardison's assistant. She was the caddie for the golf game he'd played at the beginning of the episode, I was sure that using her again was going to be what tipped the mark off.

Great blow-off on the substitute job, I have to say. Whatever they'd set up to work their way out of the original plan, it couldn't have been as neat and perfect as what ended up happening. Serendipitous, no?

Lesley said...

Loved the episode and I was so happy it was Eliot-centric. CK was fantastic this episode and really nailed all of his scenes. The fight scene was brutal and beautifully shot - was that done with a steadicam?

Great twist at the end, neat set up and I howled with laughter at Parker being Parker and buying a saxaphone with the guns :)

Sophie had some great lines this week, the running gag about the chicken fried steak made me laugh and the "how do you peel a pig" line made my housemate, sitting in the next room listening, pay more attention to the episode. (Sooooon I will lure her to the dark side. Sooooon.)

Season 2 is looking really good so far, my compliments and thanks to all involved.

Eventide said...

Question: is the doctor's recommendation for Eliot to get a CT scan just good advice (which it is) OR are you foreshadowing future medical issues? Please tell me he's going to be okay and I'm just over-thinking!

Chris said...

This episode definitely had me on the edge of my seat and I was "watching" it at work on my iPod again. Tonight, a proper viewing.

I'm really happy to see a couple of moments between Eliot and Sophie, given the way they were introduced last season. Fantastic.

Now, about those aliases...

Unknown said...

Great episode. Was Sophie's bit about "He's not like other fighters, it takes all his self control not to kill his opponent" a true description of Elliot or something she told the bad guy in order to sell the scam more?

Steffie said...

Loved the episode, very intense!
The only thing I didn't like so much is how Sophie used Eliot's "controle issue" (for lack of a better word) in the con to scare Tucker. The talk she had with Eliot seemed a little bit to private for that.

So, Eliot is teaching Parker how to fight! I can't help but wonder, did he offer it or did she ask?

NJM said...

I thought that it was a solid episode with much tighter writing than last week's ep.

As a Nebraska native, though, I did have to throw a minor fit - not due to any offense, but for the sloppy research. Lincoln a dying agri-industrial center? Umm, it's the state capitol with one of the best-funded state universities in the country. The villain escapes southbound on I76 and dashes across the state line?

That's quite a trick, since Iowa is 60-odd miles east... on I80...

Yeah, you guys could have spent 10 minutes on Wikipedia and fixed a lot of tiny mistakes. Basic errors like that undermine the good work you guys do.

Annie said...

First, I believe the Okie must have written all the Nebraska jokes and B, some people can make even a "Sooner" cap look good. Seriously ... congratulations for a great episode - hard to watch the Okie get hit - like all the episodes. Comment on the DVD Commentaries: If we guess the 3 Guinness episode do we get a prize?

Anonymous said...

Wonderful episode! I enjoyed the whole show but I have to say it was the scenes that CK played against the baddie that really caught my attention. Christian played the crap out of the scared/vunerable/in over his head act. His eyes and body language just sold the scene. I loved it, ranks right up there with the Eliot flustered scenes!

Question: How long until Sphie is begging Eliot to make her a chicken fried steak dinner?

Denita said...

I enjoyed this episode very much but boy, that fight scene was brutal to watch. I loved the scene near the beginning when Parker downs Hardison and I thought that Christian did an excellent job on this episode, as did Gina Bellman. The ring-side scene between them was wonderful, so much so that it almost made me forget about what happened last season.

Almost but not quite-which brings me to my question. Did the team just excuse Sophie's lame attempts at an apology and forgive her or what?

Adding my voice to the chorus: I wish Eliot's fight scenes were a bit slower, too.

Anonymous said...

Loved the ep! We were practically doing a countdown to the ep. It was great as usual...but in the end, I felt like I was missing something that I can't quite put my finger on. Anyway, Gina mentioned in an interview that Sophie would not be pregnant on the show...but last night made me wonder. She was constantly hungry, practically turned green at the table at the mention of chicken fried steak...and then, in the end, was happily munching on fried piggie peelings. (snerk) Now I think back to ep 201 where Parker says "You didn't tell him." Hummmm...was it really about the boyfriend??? I honestly hope that Sophie isn't pregnant on the show...I'm thinking it would open an awkward can of worms...but then your own version of a grifter, hacker, hitter, theif and a baby might be kinda funny. The Diaper Job. (grin)

Denise

Unknown said...

Excellent episode! Loved the oh so subtle dig at Disney and manufacturing the next teen heartthrob!

Anonymous said...

Also? I really, really love how Sophie told the absolute truth about Eliot at the end, even though it was part of the con. He's a wonderfully complex character, and I love how more and more we're seeing how perceptive/intuitive she is about her team mates.

Eitan said...

Does anyone know how long it takes for TNT to post episodes on its site?

Anonymous said...

Question:

This episode deals, in part, with guilibility. Who do think is more guilible: honest people or habitual liars? (I ask because in my experience, habitual liars assume everyone else is basically honest.)

Denita said...

Honest people. Because they aren't constantly looking for a lie and are probably easier to screw over.

Jason said...

As satisfying as it was for the team to pull out the con in the end this week, it now makes me want to see an episode where they don't pull it off/settle for a tie kind of situation. Something to rattle their confidence a little. Or, could be the long arm of the Sterling at work... Man, I love this world!

Anonymous said...

Great episode with some wonderful work by GB and CK. Nice to see that dynamic get some play.

Was that the first time we've had an overhead 'scatter' shot where they didn't scatter but followed each other? Yeah, a little more than a team.

Is Gina Bellman's pregnancy going to have an effect of your shooting schedule or the writing? Please pass along our very best wishes to her!

Chaz said...

This was a really great episode and it was nice to get a bit of a closer look at Eliot and his thinking behind what he does. It was also really interesting to see the team get caught out! A reminder, maybe, that even the best can't rest on their laurels? Can't wait to see what else you guys have up your sleeves.

Here's my question, though it doesn't quite have much to do with the actual show. There has been a long standing rumor that Christian has tattoos on one or both of his legs but you don't see any sign of that in the episode. So, maybe you can answer the question once and for all...does he have them and were they covered for the fight scenes or is this pure rumor? Thank you! :)

Michael said...

weird how my reaction is completely in the other direction compared to everybody else. The episode was a complete "meh" for me, and I'm still trying to analyze _why_ that is.

First idea: empathy with characters. In order to _care_ about the outcome of a story, it is necessary to empathise with the characters in it, otherwise you just shrug about it. See also wikipedia, "eight deadly words".

I then mentally went through all of last seasons episodes and 'lo and behold, there was also one "meh"-episode in there, and it was the one with the horses .. So, to put it into RPG-terms, Eliot is apparently an NPC for me. Necessary to move the story along, but somehow I just can't bring myself to care about what he thinks/feels/does.

Plus, of course, I also didn't feel the slightest shred of empathy for the plight of the original victim, i.e. the father of the fighter. Not exactly sure why, but I do guess it has got something to do with the whole wrestling/fighting thing.

So maybe I just can't click with characters who are about violence in one form or another.

Anonymous said...

Look more closely cause the tats are there. At least one of them is. CK did an awesome job and I'm glad to see he's finally getting the recognition he deserves. I would just like to see less nit picking about the show...I mean it's TV....not real life....Keep complaining and they might just take the show off the air and I don't think anyone wants that.....

Unknown said...

Fantastic episode, as always. You guys never disappoint. CK was phenomenal on so many levels and I love getting to see more focus on him (Favorite character! ^-^). Are you thinking of doing an episode focused on Hardison any time soon? Even though it seems like his background is pretty simple I feel like were missing something and I'd be sweet to see more of Aldis. :)

Cuy said...

I missed the qs. for the first episode but I wonder if you guys had inspiration from the british series Ashes to Ashes - the character there of Keeley Hawes lives above a bar and the setting is in the 80s (like the fashion that Parker wears from the boxes)...

The second ep was great and the first time I've seen Elliot showcased since the Horse ep.

Is there any chance you guys could work with British screenwriter Steven Moffat on an episode of Leverage? Would be fun to have an ep. set in England with Gina around... ^_^

Anonymous said...

I'm probably overthinking this, but is the saxophone a specific message? The most famous saxophonist named Parker is Charlie (also called "Bird"). So is this little flourish the team giving Rucker the "bird"?

Anonymous said...

Did this episode do as well in the ratings as the S2 premiere, which I hope hooked new viewers?

Bates said...

So, I was surprised that Sophie was caught speechless when confronted about the con.

Given how adaptable she's proven to be, I expected her to spin Rucker's accusation -- That guy may not be a promoter, but I really am a producer. Don’t know what his game is, but he must be conning BOTH of us. Hey, why don't we turn the tables? Etc. etc.

But I like the turn it took instead, that the gang can sometimes get caught with a hand in the cookie jar. Exploring that theme of control -- them having it, not having it, regaining it, and so on. Not all cons run smoothly, and your leet skilz may not always work.*

That in mind, gotta disagree with another poster's comment on Hardison getting the short end. He was shown out of his element, sure, but also had the golf ball schtick, the director con, and took down Rucker's financials in the end.

Only problem I had was Sophie’s speech about Eliot's Hulk-out. Felt over the top (and not in a Sylvester Stallone shout-out fashion -- though that would’ve been awesome); less is more might've been better.



*And, as anyone who’s played Shadowrun knows, that’s pretty much to be expected.

briddie said...

If these guys are the best at what they do, then they have to be very intelligent. It was nice to see that in Eliot; up to now he's played more of the dumb jock. I also liked the way he was filmed from below, so Sophie is looking up at him. But why did she feel a need to protect him by suggesting they find another way to handle it?

I loved the way it was very subtly shown that Eliot and Parker had been working together on some wrestling moves. The sax was great!

Is Sophie a food snob? What's wrong with chicken fried steak? I too was wondering if you were leading up to a "Sophie's pregnant" storyline.

Anonymous said...

I understand the point about the casual female-on-male violence that ends up on TV all the time, but you may be overthinking things.

I suspect what most guys liked about that scene was the thought of Parker's legs wrapped around their heads. The punch in the face was just the price paid. And a bargain at that...

Anonymous said...

I would just like to say...I hate you and Chris Kane...you both made me cry...twice.

No. Honestly, crying aside, I LOVED this episode! Eliot has always been the character I'm most fascinated by, and to get to see this side of him, a side we have long suspected but never known...it was illuminating.

The scene in the ring the night before the fight with Eliot and Sophie was quite possibly the most beautiful thing this show has done...so far. It was the first tear-filled moment of the night for me. Not only did it show a new side of Eliot, as I said above, it also tied into what you were saying a couple of blogs ago about every member of the team having a different relationship with each other. Eliot speaks to Sophie like this...but I can't see him being quite so open with anyone else. The way Eliot speaks of himself, and the honest sincerity Chris gives the performance...it it absolutely stunning.

Though...the thing that bugs me...right from episode 1 of this season Eliot and Sophie are acting like nothing's wrong...when as I recall he was still miffed at her at the end of season 1. Are we going to get a story behind this or did you just want them to get over it?

I really thought you had Eliot kill a guy for a second...and while I'm sure Eliot has killed before...that stung. Kudos to Chris again for pulling off the stunned and sad expression when the doctor accuses Eliot...priceless!

A gigantic round of applause for Chris for pulling off a very interesting episode...with the perfect balance of humanity, mystery, and kick ass. You rock!!

Lesley said...

I forgot to say that, judging by the double rainbow shot we saw, the weather when you were filming the golf scene was extremely wet. Did it hold up shooting?

Denita said...

Though...the thing that bugs me...right from episode 1 of this season Eliot and Sophie are acting like nothing's wrong...when as I recall he was still miffed at her at the end of season 1. Are we going to get a story behind this or did you just want them to get over it?

That's exactly why earlier in this thread I asked if the team was just going to excuse Sophie's lame attempts at an apology. Because she really didn't make one-she just tried to justify her actions.

Anonymous said...

Great episode, but I'm afraid it did play into a running joke/issue my daughter and I have. We noticed a few years ago that every show we watch eventually has its "Fight Club" episode. Having just watched Torchwood's Fight Club episode on DVD a couple days ago, this long-running conversation was fresh in our minds.

Perhaps it says more about the shows we watch then TV in general, but seems most have them:

Angel
Dark Angel
Smallville (twice, I think)
Supernatural
Witchblade
Sanctuary
Torchwood

We're keeping a count going on how long it take before True Blood succumbs to the temptation. Given the lack of true superpowers I hadn't thought of Leverage having its episode, but it makes sense. Just more human and realistic than normal.

nobodez said...

First off, loved the episode, though as others mentioned, the effects were a little off (anything with a glowing rectangle really, from the cell phone to the computers).

Loved the Hulk-Out moment.

Also, I knew it was a reset con as soon as the online bookies were mentioned.

Oh, and watched it on Netflix. Thank TNT for me, would you?

Anonymous said...

Don't know what happened but something is affecting my perception bout Nate.Don't know if it is that does not seem as much as master mind as in S1 or if that being between drinking not drinking has made his character to wash out a bit. It feels that Elliot has taken over everything. I used to enjoy that Nate showed his analytical perspective and that, that was more powerful that any other weakness in him or the others. The fact that he showed such a master mind made the other characters also more powerful mind wise. Now, I see the show more playful wish is ok. It is just a first and personal impression. Margie

briddie said...

Two things I've noticed after watching again. First, the con has the same formula as the other one that went wrong (Bank Job), in that they just planned to scoop up the money and leave without taking down the mark in any other way. Was this a conscious decision on your part? Also, when Rucker tells Eliot to take on Tank, Eliot says "I've got five seconds to kill out of my day." Nice setup!

Michael the G said...

All aboard the Fun Train!

This is starting to bug me, rather like a piece of sand in the swimtrunks so I have to ask. How are the injured parties (in this weeks ep, the local boy done wrong and his daddy) contacting the Leverage crew?

I know this sort of thing is where we punch our tickets for the Fun Train but that particular part of suspension is problematic. Then again, HOW DID the vic's contact the A-team?

Anonymous said...

Michael - In the Homecoming Job Corporal Perry said he's found the team on the internet (i remmeber the nurse saying "yeah, cos that always ends well"). I've assumed thats how their clients find them.

Video Beagle said...

Jason@ as soon as I heard "I had to spread it out over a few places online", I immediately thought "Hardison".

Well, to be honest, it was pretty blatant. They mention "lots of people online" and then follow it with "I can't get ripped off by a bunch of people". I mean, it's a put a smile on your face bit, but it's very obvious.

TrentC @ shout-outs...the Hardison as Cornhusker has to be a shout out to something. Otherwise it's a joke about all black people look alike/the only black people in Nebraska play football, and Leverage isn't that kind of show.

Hating to be negative, I'm gonna go with a bit of a Meh..meh+ on this one...mainly the Hulk Out/You took the saftey off the gun part..just felt so over the top.

Something I didn't follow..why was Elliot the favorite? Some new guy who no one's seen (most of the you tube hits were faked) vs someone called "Tank" who was a local, towered over Elliot and had presumably been winning (legit or otherwise). It's just sort of a given that betting on Tank would be a pay day if Elliot lost...but no reason is really given why anyone (the public, bookies) wouldn't think that was going to happen anyway.

And again, the show needs beagles.

Anonymous said...

Kudos for Leverage season 1 and now a season 2 - very awesome!

I hope we're going to see some more of Nate being a bit of a bastard, after all, he did say he was worse when he was sober, right?

And also, more of Mark Sheppard, those two are fantastic on screen together!

Rock on!

Deb said...

I just got a chance to watch The Tap Out job and wow. Just wow. What a wonderful episode. CK is such a fantastic actor.
Question: Eliot's swollen black eye at the very end of the episode - was that make up this time of did Christian actually get himself punched in the face?

Anonymous said...

Why were Christian's eyes hazel instead of blue?

GinaFan said...

35 seconds. That's how long it takes before you are hit by the wave.

As I'm re-enjoying S1, I've been noticing how Gina affects people, including me. She can get your attention, because she's pretty, but Beth's behavior is more effective at that. But, if you are given enough time to watch Gina, something wonderful will happen. You start to feel adoration, or something, welling up inside you, and then, when you can't help yourself any longer, you blurt out something like "Gina is really beautiful with that hair...". - Frakes, Juror #6 commentary.

Then, you hear everyone else you are watching with say "oh I know...". They've all been hit by the wave! You're not the only one.

Exactly 35 seconds from her first appearance with Brent Spiner. I don't know how he managed that scene. :) Good things can happen when you get to hang on a longer scene.

Unknown said...

Great episode! A couple things got to me though:

When they got busted that they just gave in so easily. I was expecting that Sophie would try to argue that she was an actual producer, who was being conned just like the fight manager. That would get him on the fight manager's side, and they'd 'go after' the 'real' con artists. So when things crumbled so quickly, I knew the writers had come up with some cool twist they wanted to pull at the end, a twist that required the heroes to give in totally when caught. This sort of dampened my belief in the scene with Sophie and Eliot - but for others' reactions I was the only one. And the twist was still very clever and clean.

The chicken fried steak bit was fun (chicken fried chicken would have been even funnier) - but maybe you could be a bit more accurate about the Midwest - if one could argue there's a single Midwest, since there are actually several, from the industrial midwest to the Ozark region to Appalacia etc. It's nice you all tried to set things in a flyover state, but it would be nicer if you did so in a way that's more representative of the actual where places you're setting your scenes.

Emily Blake said...

Great episode. I ADORE MMA so I was really glad to see Elliot's passion for the sport.

One observation. When all those dudes approached Elliot to test his mettle outside the ring, I thought -ooooh time to see Elliot's krav maga skills. But then he took the guys on one at a time. We know he's capable of fighting multiple guys, but lately it seems they always wait their turn instead of bumrushing him. Are we going to see any battle royales any time soon?

Kevin said...

Incidentally, John, I appreciated you calling out "Costikyan" in #201!

- PCat

Unknown said...

If we watch the show on Netflix a day or two after it airs, does that "count" as a viewer in any way that does you any good?

Anonymous said...

Are they going to have season 3 of Leverage?
Who is Gina Bellman husband?

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