Monday, August 24, 2009

LEVERAGE #205 "The Three Days of the Hunter Job" Post-game

This is being banged out between shots, on set, so pardon if it seems a little jerky.

#205 -- one pf my favorites of this season, perosnally -- was an experiment to some degree. Any showruner will tell you 2nd season's the bear. The one where you go from trying to make 13 perfect little movies to making at least 60 of the bastards. That means playing with the various elements of the show. The metaphor I always use is that you're driving down the highway, and you need to be able to change lanes -- character, plot, tone, template, etc -- as many ways as possible to keep from getting stale. Sometimes, you're gonna bang off the guardrail, granted, but it's a necessary process.

So this was an attempt to figure out what we could steal or retrieve for a client that was a bit more ... ephemeral than the standard bag 'o cash. That married up nicely with our desire to take on one of the cable bullies.

The center of the episode is almost thrown away in, well, the center of the episode, when Monica Hunter explains what her job is: "I sell fear." This is one of those things about Pundit Parasites I find particularly offensive (really, John? We had no idea.). I mean, the crime rate in New York is the lowest it's been in 42 years -- it's almost as safe to ride the subway now as it was back when Mad Men was happening, yet nice middle-Americans still treat urban centers as hellholes. Your kid is literally as likely to be struck by lightning as abducted and killed, and yet we're lojacking our kids. We have nice, ill-informed old people with trembling lips begging their Congressmen not to vote for "death panels." All because selling fear, making sure people believe something unspeakable is about to happen at any time is cheap, easy and big business.

There's a general rule we have on the show, in that the villain should be brought down by some version of his original sin. Hunter's sin was selling fear, and that's the fate she earned.

The classic film structure for paranoia is, of course, Three Days of the Condor. Toss that in the bag, add a military base the nice Army Reserve folk loaned us, mix it up, and Bob's your uncle. (For what it's worth, the whole "journalists are lazy"/using the same sources run was mine -- so feel free to address your angry emails in my direction.)

Beth Broderick, as only the second female villain we've had, was amazing. Funny, willing to do anything, and she really got the type of human we were parodying. By which I mean a completely random type of human, not one person. In a litigation sense.

All right, let's dive in to the mailbag. As always, all opinions are mine, this is not an official TNT site, etc., etc.:

@JohnSeavey: How's the show doing on DVD? Happy good numbers? How important are happy good DVD numbers to the continued run of a series on TV?

We won't have DVD numbers for a while, as we have a distribution deal through, I think, MGM. For a lot of shows it makes a difference as -- and this is new -- the studio that owns the network is leveraging shitty ad sales from a low-rated show against the DVD sales of a show with said tiny but passionate audience. (DVD sales are flattening out, however, so that's going to change. ) It's also a matter of building a library for future resale. TV shows accumulate material quickly, rapidly increasing the value of a studio's library.

All that said, we're in a different situation as we're independently produced so the math is skewed.

@ChrisAyers: Many times at the end of a con, the team gives the client a check, presumably for whatever amount he/she/they have coming to them. I've often wondered how the clients explain this sudden windfall to the bank and or the IRS when they go to deposit it...not to mention the kid getting a full fledged business in the ultimate fighting episode. Seems like that much unexplained money showing up could raise several thousand red flags.

Madoff ran a fifty billion dollar Ponzi scheme. For ten years.

All joking aside, Hardison's primary (if visually uninteresting) skill set is moving money around and working within the confines of the modern financial system. He's got the clients covered in complicated lease-to-own agreements.

@Jodih: Last season in the Miracle Job Eliot made mention of a nephew... Are we ever going to hear about him again or find out some other tidbit about Eliot's family?

They live in the shadows as immortals, so it's tricky ... Every time you introduce a family member, you're closing another story avenue. I'm leery of it. In this particular show, we like to keep the characters' backstories as blank-slate-y as possible.

@Bryan-Mitchell: Will there ever be an episode where the issue isn't so black and white? Where maybe it isn't as obvious that the bad guy is "bad" or that maybe the team members are split on if the issue warrants their involvement?

Eh. We'll probably do that at some point (one could argue the Hurley story was one), but as I've mentioned before, we're a pulp show. People tune in to watch banter and evil-smiting. We're pretty happy living in that world.

@catchester: I think the isues of good and evil and the team being split have already been dealt with a lot, considering there has only been 17 episodes. Like in the nigerian job, where the good guy client turned into the bad guy. Or the 12 step job where the bad guy was just mixed up and had good intentions. Or the wedding and beantown bailout jobs that Nate didnt want anything to do with. Then there's the stork job where Eliot thinks kidnapping a child isnt what they do and Parker later goes against the team decision and tries to rescue all the children. Or the fairy godparent job where Sophie and Eliot both object to using a child in their con. Most of Leverage seems to be a gray area to me. Thats one of the things i like about it.

Or ... that. (I honestly answer these questions one at a time, without reading them first, so there you go)

@Anonymous: What PR genius decided to advertise Nancy Grace's new book during this episode of Leverage? This is either idiocy or evil genius.

To be fair, they buy that ad time months in advance. And besides, our show had nothing to do with Nancy Grace. No-thing.

@Samantha: 1. Where do all the characters live in relation to one another? It would be weirdly hilarious/codependent if they all lived in the same building. 2. Parker's bizarre--sexual tension, I guess? with ladies is A+++, but will there ever be a payoff? Or is it just a throwaway gag? 3. Will there be a gag reel on the s2 dvds? My need for outtakes burns with all the blue-white intensity of an O-class star.

1.) Boston's not that big. Although we never establish it, in my head: Hardison got a place near Nate, Eliot got himself a place out on the water, probably Quincy, out on Hough's Neck (rides his motorcycle in to avoid the traffic) Sophie's in one of the new downtown condos, and Parker ... Parker's living arrangements are kind of special.

2.) I think she just has a weird energy with everybody. Although you're not the first person to have mentioned that.

3.) Geesh, wish we were rolling on that take where we opened the door on Beth and Geri and they were making out. I could have knocked off questions #2 and #3 in one go.

@Nicole: My question is this: Is Sophie's leadership suffering this time around because of Nate's control issues (jumping in on her, where while he was drunk he'd be more laid back) and because of her break up? Don't Hardison and Eliot compliment her leadership abilities in Second David Job (which was after the building blown up, to be fair...). I'm just a little confused about how that character arc is tracking...

Running a crew's a bear, and Nate poking her doesn't help. Also, this is her first time running a con where she's not stealing anything. Much trickier. But yeah, with one or two more under her belt, Sophie could run the crew. Although in a high stakes situation that'll be on in the winter, it's actually somebody else who steps into the big chair ...

@adc1966: And was Beth Broderick really climbing that fence herself in a skirt and heels? What a trouper.

Yep. She took the hit from the cop, too.

@cliff: Golf claps for "Project Destiny", good sir.

Hey, you have something from an old movie that's also a decent stripper name? You use it.

@Antisocial Butterfly: Quick Question: What is Area 52? Or at least what do you imagine it to be? Also I love that Eliot knows the truth about the government conspiracies. I'd expect that of Hardison, but it makes sense now that Eliot would know it too.

Area 52 is where they're building the cyborg from Global Frequency -- which would have been episode 13 of the first season, btw. And of course Eliot knows about this stuff. Let's just say that Hardison's phone is not the only one Eliot carries with him at all times. (I may have to hit Warren up to make that canon ...)

@Ashley: Question. Was the scene with Eliot wearing the apron and snapping on the plastic gloves taken from ShowTimes "Dexter," or was it just a coincidence?

It was just meant to be as creepy as possible. Not intentionally Dexter-y, but I don't think you can avoid the comparisons, honestly.

@Gordon: Question time: Monica Hunter was obviously quite substantively based on the Queen Bottom Feeder, Nancy Grace. Given HN and TNT are part of the same corporate "family," how did this help, hassle or hinder your creating the character?

I have no idea what you're talking about. Anyway, I think there are a fair number of cable humans who could reasonably pass for Monica Hunter. For a bunch of corporate overlords in suits, TNT are pretty cool about letting us nail whatever corporate overlord in a suit catches out passing fancy.

@heartspeed: Is Parker really that gullible? I wasn't sure if she was just joking around with them in her strange off beat way or she really was totally going for it all Area 52 and The Council lol. / @Kes: Does Elliot actually believe the moon landing was faked or is he just playing with Parker's head?

Parker's knowledge of anything non-thief related is sketchy (much like Sherlock Holmes). I think the answer is whatever you find most entertaining.

@Anonymous: So Parker is "killed" right outside the studio and then gets up and walks away while everyone watches? And this miraculous recovery never gets back to Hunter? Hmmm....

Ah-HA, my friend. No one else at the station met Beth, Hunter leaves that location directly, talks to the Nate, is then only back in the studio for five minutes before she freaks out, and the rest of the episode rolls out without interruption. No time for pipe, Doctor Jones!

@SapphireSmoke: How is it that all of the characters can act as well as they do? Most people have difficulties acting, especially under stressful situations. And even Parker, who at one point couldn't act to save her life... for being so socially inept and always bluntly honest, she seems to have progressed so far with lying/acting in such a short time. Granted, she's still not the best, but I just find it a little unrealistic that all of them can do it as well as they do.

Each one can act in very specific contexts. You can not let Hardison do the long con (as will be made painfully clear in Ep #208), as much as he wants to. Parker's okay as long as the character is meant to be off-putting, and she has Sophie in her ear. Eliot, ironically, is the second best grifter after Sophie. But, again, in very specific circumstances.

@sjrSpike: General question -- Nate is Nate, Eliot is Eliot, Sophie is Sophie, Parker is Parker -- so why is Alec Hardison? They all call each other by first name, except Hardison.

There's something about "Hardisonnnnn" through gritted teeth that makes it funnier. Honestly, just by sound. I also have a habit of calling people by their last names, so some of that probably blended in.

@VideoBeagle: Something that ocured to me.. the pilot made "we're funding this with an alternate revenue stream" was gonna be a reoccurring phrase...yet it didn't. Does the team still play the market to make the money to keep them funded and keep the toys coming in?

Yes, and they take a small percentage for operating expenses.

@Coren: But I want [the song from "Twelve Step"] now! How might I go about this? Also, are there more? If so, gimme!

I'd love to do a soundtrack, actually. We'll look into it.

@NancyH: (1) Was the reference to Area 51 & Area 52 an intentional play on the containers in "Homecoming?" (2) Is there a good site to see what the viewer numbers per episode are?

1.) No. 2.) You know, I don't know. If you follow the #leverage Twitter tag, somebody usually throws up a link.

@McDevite: my boyfriend and I, both of whom work in politics, wanted to know how much of the latter half of the Hunter story was influenced by Glen Beck?

Even Monica Hunter isn't as crazy as Glenn Beck.

@Anonymous: if Nate worked art fraud for IYS, how did he end up chasing Hardison? Did Nate work computer fraud or did Alec steal some art?

Nate ran across Hardison as the financial mastermind in a couple complicated insurance scams, more as a back-end facilitator.

@Alexandra: the cons seem to be moving further away from "stealing stuff" and closer to mind control (Order-23 and this one, though the Tap-Out Job had hints of it as well). While I love this direction, I'm wondering if this season will bring us just a straight up stealing-lots-of-money-from-somebody episode?.

That was, as mentioned above, intentional. A big part of the show's moral satisfaction comes from the villain's suffering, not just losing an "amount." And hey, 60 episodes, at some point in the low 30's you stole everything interesting you're gonna steal.

That said, we steal a lot of stuff over the course of this 15 episodes. Money, diamonds and a Russian artifact all coming up in the back 6.

@Bates: How much of your casting process is the standard casting director/auditions/etc. versus approaching a particular actor? (Or, for that matter, even creating a role from the get-go with someone specific in mind?)

Pretty much all of it is through casting directors, although we have a combo burrito with Lana Veenker in Portland and April Webster and Scott David in LA. Occasionally we have actors in mind, but usually we submit the breakdowns or scripts and let the casting directors do their jobs. We've brought very, very few actors in from other cities -- generally one an episode -- so almost everything goes through straight casting.

The only role I can think of that was written for a specific actor was Sterling. We did the full-on casting dance, but we intended for Mark Sheppard to play that role and fate decided to reward us.

@Calos b. (and others): Why was Nate wearing a black-and-white urban camo uniform (which isn't worn by the Army) when all the other soldiers were actually wearing the correct uniforms? Was this meant to add to the "black ops" conspiracy theme, or was this just the only uniform you could find in Portland?

We found plenty of real uniforms in Portland -- as a matter of fact, all the soldiers at the Army base are Reservists wearing their own uniforms. Portland has yet to disappoint on any aspect of the film-making process.

No, our problem was a purely production-oriented one: we didn't want to buzz Nate's hair and live with the look for, oh, say, five damn episodes. As a result, we really couldn't put him in a standard general's uniform. We almost spiked the character until, nicely enough, our former Army/spook dude consultant let us know that the Special Ops guys back from Afghanistan often sport long hair and beards when they return from working abroad, and don't cut it between assignments. We matched that with the black and white urban camo -- which checked out with our guys, but hey, YMMW -- and went with that look. It seemed to mesh nicely with the conspiracy tone of the episode. So, it was as close as we could get -- which, I will remind everyone, I've stated will never, ever be quite right.

@619: I personally HATE fanfic so I was wondering..... 1)How do YOU feel about fan fiction? 2)Does it irk you that so many people "borrow" your characters and use them in their own crappy stories? 3)Do you think of fanfic as a form of flattery? 4)Do the other writers and the actors feel the same way?

1.) I think fanfic is the sign of a healthy show. Here's what it boils down to: you're telling me that in today's crowded media space, our show made someone love it so much they take time out of their own life to talk about it? Holy. Crap.

To be fair, I have a somewhat different attitude toward media/fans than most people. I think what TV/corporate media had wrong for a long time was how they understood the idea of a "water cooler show." They saw it as making the audience talk about their show, on their terms. So any fan-created media is them losing control of their material. I see this more as the natural evolution of culture in a shared digital age. I will be blunt -- other than the satisfaction of our own creative urges (and all that entails: the quest for perfection, artistry, craft, etc), our job in media is to give you stuff to talk about in your conversations, to integrate into your social circle in whatever way you see fit. I doubt that's TNT's official stance, btw, but they are much cooler about this stuff than most companies.

2.) As far as "borrowing" our characters -- to paraphrase Alan Moore, they didn't go anywhere. There they are, sitting right up on the shelf. Waiting for us to let them loose again. Besides, how many people read a fanfic story? A couple hundred, tops? We have, on average 3.5 million viewers, well into the 4 million range when you get the DVR numbers in. I just don't see someone taking control of our Ideaspace through sheer force of Slashfic.

Sure, a lot of fanfic is crap. Of course it's crap. It's written by people who are not professional writers. If I paint, what I paint is crap. Does that mean I should give up painting and displaying stuff in my neighborhood art show?

3.) Is fanfic flattery? Again, depends on how you define flattery. If someone's writing fanfic with intention of currying favor for some ... er, frankly unguessable benefit, then they're really engaged in an exercise in futility. If you mean flattery as in: it's flattering to think someone is so entertained by our work that it inspires them to talk about it and create around it, then aces.

4.) Most writers and actors don't feel this way. Some, including writers I both like personally and greatly admire, hate the idea of fanfic.

Look, end of day, you should always be trying to create your own material. But fanfic, etc, is a different process than original creation -- which I think is the source of a lot of the controversy.

People who do original creations assume the fan is taking some sort of unearned ownership, somehow implying their act is the same/as difficult as the original act of creation. Which, of course, tees them off (doesn't tee me off, but I'm a very relaxed and often drunk guy).

And some fanfic humans are under the impression that creating fanfic is the same creative process as creating original material -- and are sometimes frustrated that they're not accorded the same respect as the original creators. That's also wrong. Fanfic to me is spiritually much closer to the fan-created music videos.

The basic rule I follow here is one I learned in stand-up comedy: Always punch UP. I am a relatively successful typing human whose words are physically produced using millions of dollars and is distributed nationally by a massive billion dollar corporation to millions of people. Exactly how is a free web page with a 1000 word story about Eliot and Hardison fighting a trans-dimensional incursion of Elves hurting my brand, exactly?

Tell you what -- if some fanfic writer is so good they manage to amass a million-person audience with their web-distributed free stories using my characters, I am going to consider that evolution in action and hire that bastard. Or, at the very least, urge them to go create their own show. But odds are it ain't gonna happen. And that's okay. We write for different reasons.

Wow, that response could be its own blog post. I may break it out later, and shine it a bit.

@catchester: There was a brief overhead shot used when Eliot told Parker he couldn't discuss the council. Until the tap out job that angle was used to show them separating. In the tap out job it was used to show then becoming a team, following each other after a disagreement. I cant see the point of this shot though. Does it have any significance, or do i need a life?

Nope, just an interesting angle. Dean recently retired that shot from the show's vocabulary, coincidentally. It'll be a long time, and in a very specific context, before you see it again.

@Kerri: Was the Parker/gas mask moment a nod to Doctor Who? Or was that just me? Are you my mummy?

Beth found the gas mask among the props and improv-ed that moment.

@Anne: Obviously, the relationship between Nate and Sophie has been foregrounded for much of the series, and has gotten a lot more focus and screentime than any other relationship. Will there ever be an episode or plot arc that puts more significant focus on the (non-romantic) relationships between the other three?

Ep 2o8 comes close, and we have been trying to break the Eliot/Hardison "Defiant Ones" for two damn years. You'll certainly see more of that as the show progresses.

@Shelley: Different sort of questions: How does Emmy nomination work? Is the show eligible with a split season? Do you as the creators and production team decide to send in material for consideration or does the network?

It's a mix between network and studio, I think ... you know what? I never asked. Let me get back to you on that, and ding me if I forget.

@Anna: Are there any plans for a con in Chinatown or some other place like that? I loved Sophie speaking Mandarin!

Ep 209 kind of, although that's a pretty high-concept one that doesn't really live in Chinatown. That one's a bit odd, to tell the truth, to have it as our winter season opener. Although it's a fine ep, if we'd known that was the slot it was going to have, we probably would have developed it differently.

Natalie: This is an odd, random question, but I was wondering about Parker's dating/sex life -- it doesn't seem as if she's had a serious boyfriend, as emotional attachments are probably hard for her, but she's probably not still a virgin. Random hookups, maybe?

... you know what? Gonna pass on that one. But I will say no, no serious boyfriends. I think. I'll check with Beth Riesgraf to see if she agrees. Beth is the Guardian of Parker.

@Jocelyn: Does Eliot really require the use of glasses? (And in turn does Christian as well?) Or are they just something he uses to help build a type of character for a con?

Christian doesn't require them, Eliot does. Although he recently went for lasik -- without anaesthetic.

@Lesley: there was a mention of "stars and bars" when Sophie was coaching Nate on how to get onto the Army base with a stolen ID. If that was actually the line, then why "stars and bars" instead of "stars and stripes"? Here in the South, the stars and bars are the rebel flag. Maybe there's a military meaning that I'm not familiar with. Or Sophie is British and doesn't know the difference. Or I got the whole quote wrong.

By "stars and bars" Sophie meant the general's stars and his medals, or bars. It's a passing beat, but that level of familiarity with military culture shoudl not go unnoticed.

@Mary Sue: Question: Did y'all purposefully dress Parker up like Corky Sherwood-Forrest from Murphy Brown?

Mayyyyyybe.

@briddle: Regarding the 'competence porn'; will they go back to an 'office' setting? It's just not as sexy sitting around Nate's living room. Or are you focusing on the family dynamic instead?

You know, people seem split on the "living room"/"office" choice. Oddly, I'm not sure the couc area works, but I love having a kitchen for them to hang out in. Of course, after the season finale, everything will be different anyway...

@Anonymous: Did Eliot teach Parker how to fake getting hit by a car? I remember he got himself hit in the juror job too. Also, will Hardison ever get to beat someone up? Aldis is a hunk, let him use those muscles! ;)

They're cross-training a little. And while Hardison does not lack bulk ... well, high CON, low DEX, and leave it at that.

@Tania: My question: is there a line you aren't going to cross re the 'baddie' of the week, either because you aren't 'allowed', or you think it would change the tone? For instance, would you take on a paedophile, or a Homeland Security power misuse?

First off, your spelling reveals you're torrenting. Consider yourself spanked. Second, there are villains we talk about who are a bit grungier, but they don't generally have anything interesting to steal. Tone is more important than offending the Man, but also systemic abuses are harder to "go after" than corrupt individuals. We tend to make certain individuals representatives of a corrupt system, and tackle things that way. The Congressman in "The Homecoming Job", for example.

@Jocelyn: Any chance there could be a cast only commentary on the season 2 dvd set of Leverage?

We couldn't have the actors on last year because they were still filming while we were prepping the DVD commentaries. They should wind up on a few of the S2 DVD's

Whew. Okay, I'm going to go watch Tim Hutton yell at the other actors. And I mean YELL. Nate Ford is not in a good place by the season finale, and he's not making very good choices. In a field where bad choices can get somebody killed ...

130 comments:

gwangung said...

Although in a high stakes situation that'll be on in the winter, it's actually somebody else who steps into the big chair ...

Hm. Only three choices...Parker would be the most interesting, but we've already seen her out of her element in the Juror No. 9 Job. Hardison in the big chair doesn't seem that much different/contrasty from his hacker role. Which leaves Eliot...where the usual muscle has to be the brains and leave any physicality to others...

Sounds good...

Bardic Lady said...

I'd like to object to the spelling point. I've never lived outside the US, went to public school, and at some point just picked up British spellings. "Colour", "favourite", "paedophile", etc...

Thank you, once again, for the incredible show you give us.

Christina Lollobrigida said...

I will say this, I am so glad that you do have such a direct connection with the fanbase. This blog, your twitter, everything is just another way that we the viewer can learn a bit more about the show we love. If we had this sort of insight into shows ten-twenty years ago I can't even imagine what television would be today.

I'm also really glad that you touched on the fanfiction topic. It really is one of those things that can be sensitive for those of us that do write it, and those in the industry that don't like that we write it. I personally will take that challenge for a million readers to my writing and if it ever happens I'm gonna hold you to at least tell me to get my own show.

Personally I think it's amazing that you have written not only engaging characters that inspire people to fill in those unseen moments of their lives, but that they have enough structure to them that they can feel comfortable doing it.

I also promise I put all of your toys back where I found them, ready and waiting to go steal something else by Wednesday.

Thank you again, for your time and your words.

PS - I recently rescued a Commander Riker action figure from the Winnebago County Fair. He's seen better days, but I couldn't help but save him from the carnies.

Anonymous said...

Even though I didn't submit a question for this one, I still wanted to thank you for taking the time to answer so many questions. It is most appreciated.

And yes, I can easily see a separate blog topic on the fan-fic alone.

Unknown said...

Is it still bad if keep a US address and Credit Card on file with iTunes and buy the eps from there when I move to the UK?

Unknown said...

You know, I would *like* actor commentary, as a perk, but I was really shocked that the S1 DVDs didn't have subtitles. To quote Hardison, among others, "Seriously?" Who doesn't have subtitles these days? I have no idea if you as the writer have any control over such things, but if you have any input at all, then please, please, when S2 comes out, please let there be subtitles.

Tom Galloway said...

"Parker's living arrangements are kind of special."

MIT steam tunnels and/or hidden wall space (preferably in the Great Dome)?

More seriously, if the show's still set in Boston for season 3 (or, hopefully you've already done this in eps 7-15), wouldn't at all mind your doing something with the distinctive MIT setting.

I mean, you've got tunnel and roof hacker/explorer types for Parker, CSAIL (Computer Science and AI Lab) for Hardison (and I suppose that Frank Geahy abomination of the Strata Center CSAIL building for Parker to figure out how to climb), and the general hacker culture vis a vis grifting and cons. Heck, I once stole a marching band and alumni section while working there; organized the MIT Marching Band plus extras getting into the 1982 Harvard-Yale game disguised as the Yale Precision Marching Band, then passing out (dressed in Harvard colors) 1,174 red and white placards to the Harvard alums telling them it'd spell "Beat Yale" rather than the actual "MIT". Taught me the lesson that if you look and act like you know what you're doing, you can get away with a whole lot.

And re: Hardison's real talent being financial system manipulation. Um, that makes three distinct and very separate areas that he's extremely world class level at, what with his software and hardware skill sets. And he may be at four, as I think you could distinguish between his general software skills and his computer security god status. He's approaching Batgod-level uber-multi-competence, and likely should be hanging out at MIT just for intellectual stimulation given all that.

Darkrose said...

Tell you what -- if some fanfic writer is so good they manage to amass a million-person audience with their web-distributed free stories using my characters, I am going to consider that evolution in action and hire that bastard.

You realize that some of us will take that as a challenge, right?

Seriously, thank you for saying this. We who are about to commit fic salute you.

zvi said...

Tell you what -- if some fanfic writer is so good they manage to amass a million-person audience with their web-distributed free stories using my characters, I am going to consider that evolution in action and hire that bastard.

Do print writers -- novelists or short story writers -- typically make the transition from page to screen with success? There's quite a few professional novelists of whom I know who started in fanfiction or who continue to play both sides of the fence even after they've gone pro. But I can only think of, er, two fanwriters who went the television way. And I can't think of that many published novelists who successfully transition from books to screen, either.

I always figured that the problem was that print writers are generally verbally expressive, but writing for the screen requires a very visual conception of storytelling. But then, while I make some pretense at fanwriting, I've never had any ambition towards visual storytelling. (I don't even like reading comics: too many pictures.)

Rob Pugh said...

"...to paraphrase Alan Moore, they didn't go anywhere..."

I always thought that quote was from Raymond Chandler? Moore, like all great artists, must've stolen it :)

Havenward said...

Thanks so much for the answers, especially when you're up to your neck in the finale. Most people don't take the time to begin with, and to take the time when things are probably at their tightest is awesome and kind of touching, in a completely geeky way.

I'm looking forward to seeing who takes "the big chair", and whether it'll be cross training in action, or another player altogether. :D

Let's just say that Hardison's phone is not the only one Eliot carries with him at all times. (I may have to hit Warren up to make that canon ...)
I think my geeky little heart just stopped. Because that? Would be way too cool for words...

Regarding fanfiction - I love your stance. It really is a way for fans to revel in their love of a show and to share it with others, and I've heard of more incidents of people being turned on to a show by being exposed to it through stories than turned off. The painting comparison was poignant and perfect.

Good luck with the rest of filming, we've all got our fingers crossed for season 3...

Havenward said...

For the sake of conversation, Zvi - Author Neil Gaiman has confessed to starting writing in fanfiction when he was young, before moving on to journalism, and he's a successful novelist, comic book writer, and has several screenplays that were successful movies.

I think it's probably a matter of interests and industry as much as it is a matter of skill. Considering you tend to hear about movies made from novels, rather than movies novelists have written for, stories tend to be butchered on a number of levels...

trail of bread said...

I'm a Brit, and I'm not Torrenting. But I am waiting. And Waiting... any news of a UK showing. It hurts to be reading about the 2nd series when we can't even get the first.

bluehex said...

First off, your spelling reveals you're torrenting. Consider yourself spanked.

Kinky....

...but not necessarily justified. Most of your fans from abroad (like myself) would tend to use British spelling rather than American, because language schools usually teach British English. And in my country Leverage is available on VOD. Perfectly legal, unless the cable company committed some kind of fraud. On the other hand, some spanking may be lovely... ;)

Thank you so much for your comments and answers! I think it is wonderful of you to give us so much attention. I love "Leverage", the smarts and wit of it, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the third season (an maybe some additional eps for the winter season, too? What, a girl can hope.)

Also, I recently realized I am looking forward to your comments as much (or maybe even more) as to the episodes themselves. I guess I'm not the only one here who'd just LOVE to have a few beers with you!

Unknown said...

I hope they count online viewing in your numbers. Our house lives in ancient times, and only get broadcast tv, so I watch online each week. (Though I did buy the DVDs, too.)

Another writer friend told me your show would suit me perfectly, and it does. I look forward to it every week. Thanks for a stimulating and entertaining show.

Anonymous said...

I'm loving the blogs. Thank you.

As for the fanfic thing, there's some crappy stuff out there. There's also really good stuff. And some of these stories (I'm talking in general, not just Leverage) are written by professional writers. So while one typically lumps "crap" "slash" and "fanfic" into the same category, I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss it.

The misconception here is that fanfic authors think they're producing high literature. Of course not. So many disclaimers state that the writers "are playing in the sandbox". Maybe authors do write original works. But if the imagination is tweaked by a show or concept to the point that it makes a story, follow it. If nothing else, it is a perfect venue for those who always wanted to write to begin doing it. If nothing else, that is the best reason. Your painting analogy is a perfect one.

I say take the fanfic for what it is. The authors do.

Kam :)

Jason Orrill said...

I bet there's more than three choices of people to "step into the big chair." My first thought was that it would be Sterling, though how they would get to that point is frightening to contemplate...

Anonymous said...

My first thought was that it would be Sterling, though how they would get to that point is frightening to contemplate...

However it happens, I hope his plan is sheer elegance in its draconian complexity.

Anonymous said...

Don't tease me Rogers.

I still haven't managed to get a Global Frequency Ringtone.

The idea of Nathan Ford and Miranda Zero going head to head, or Hardison VS Aleph makes me breathe a little shallower.

Actually screw that. It'd have to be a rematch between Hardison and Aleph.

And you'd have to call it the "You would have missed." Job.

Seriously. Don't tease. And call that English maniac and see if he's got a "Dark Heart" in the bank for you.

Damn. Now i'm going to have to dig that sucker out and watch it all over again.

someBrad said...

I must say, I think it's awesome the way you take a fair amount of time to answer questions about the show. I also love the dropping of hints. It makes me feel like I found the secret club for Leverage fans. I also appreciate the way it serves the same tutoring role for wannabe writers this blog has done for as long as I've read it. Kudos.

Finally, it's nice to have the team stealing intangible things. One of my few gripes is that the members of the team are all filthy rich but go through crazy schemes that could leave them dead, arrested, or both to get money for clients. And sometimes it seems like they probably spend as much or more money running the con then they get for the client. The clients try to help by saying some version of "it's not about the money" but I prefer a more structural solution to the problem so stealing a reputation back works for me.

Thomas said...

"Always punch UP."

As a beginning stand up, I want to thank you for succinctly summing up what was bothering me about most of the people at any given open mike night. It's so simple I'm annoyed it wasn't intuitive.

Any chance you'll ever discuss more about stand up?

Codger said...

wish we were rolling on that take where we opened the door on Beth and Geri and they were making out.

Beth and Jeri Ryan making out? Don't tease us like that! :-D

Rayhne said...

My first thought was that it would be Sterling, though how they would get to that point is frightening to contemplate...

That wouldn't surprise me in the least. If the team (for some reason minus Nate) needed someone to scheme a scheme, I suspect Sterling would be their first choice. But how to convince him to do it ...

Cunningham said...

"Wow, that response could be its own blog post. I may break it out later, and shine it a bit."

Please do...lots of slices in that pie.

Tara O'Shea said...

zvi said...

"Do print writers -- novelists or short story writers -- typically make the transition from page to screen with success? "

I don't know about typically--and I don't know about pro authors becoming pro television writers. Though House's Doris Egan is a novelist in addition to a television writer, and Peter David wrote novels and comics before tackling television in the 1990s.

But in terms of fan writers... without outing anyone, off the top of my head I can name a half dozen folks who work in television today in both the US and UK who cut their teeth writing fan fiction in their youth. I can probably name another half dozen in comics, and many many more who have successful novel series at major publishers.

However, I will say that every single one of them suceed in their fields as professionals because they have the drive, talent, skills, and discipline to write professionally for a living. That's the main reason folks go pro--because they can.

Not every fan writer has the ambitions of writing for money as well as fun, and not every fan writer who has talent also has the drive and ability to turn around a script on a deadline week in and week out, or work collaboratively within a writer's room. Or write a 4 book series for a major publisher.

And it's no value judgement implied or otherwise. Just that the folks who do make it as professional writers make it because they work hard at it and are adaptable.

Good writing is good writing is good writing, no matter the arena. But it's in different circumstances, with different challenges, and different expectations.

Jonquil said...

"Always punch up" is a lovely rule for life, and one I hadn't heard before. Thanks!

gwangung said...

I bet there's more than three choices of people to "step into the big chair." My first thought was that it would be Sterling, though how they would get to that point is frightening to contemplate...

D'oh!

anna said...

Your comments about fanfic are intriguing to me. I'm told by friends who have been in fandom for much longer than I, that there's supposed to be some kind of "fifth wall," where people like you and the actors you run around with aren't really supposed to *know* about fanfic. (Especially RPF, real-person-fic.)

I think your throw-down of a million readers of specific fanfic could happen. I think if the fic were awesome-enough, it really could.

When I was a n00b on LJ, friends pointed out to me "The Shoebox Project," (with which I promptly fell in love) which is a rather lengthy fanfic based in the Harry Potter world, about the Marauders.

I, of course, missed it entirely as it was coming out in sections, but as a complete project, it is awesome, well-written, creative, funny, dead-on, both respectful of the Potter-world's rules and challenging of them... in short, it's as good or better than the original series. Which I'm told, occasionally happens in fanfic.

I present for your edification:
http://lomara.org/sbp/

(It's the pdf version because the owner's LJ was hacked because there were so many readers.)

I don't know if there ever were "a million" readers... but if you back to the site on LJ there are pages and pages of comments. I'd guess there were readers in the many-thousands...

Hope you get a change to read it, and enjoy it, if you like Harry Potter. If you don't like HP, I'll quietly fuck off in a corner. But it can happen, it has happened, is all I'm saying.

Anna

Anonymous said...

I realise you're crazy busy at the moment so thanks for taking the time to do this and i'd love to hear more of your thoughts on fanfic/copyright etc.

Most fanfic writers dont take themselves too seriously (okay, some do, but the rest of us point and laugh at them). I know why people do it rather than original fiction, because it's easier.

You'd think it would be harder to follow someone else's rules with characters but actually, when there are no limits, i find it much more difficult to pin a character down. With fanfic i can "hear" the characters in my head, with my original work i sometimes dont have such a clear picture.

Just like you, as a professional writer, made those Parker and Hardison skits on you tube, playing in someone else's world is fun and helps re-start my creative juices when i'm having problems.

And as a dyslexic who went though school never measuring up in the language and literature departments, i would never have been inspired to write anything original if i hadnt started writing fanfic.

Tell you what -- if some fanfic writer is so good they manage to amass a million-person audience with their web-distributed free stories using my characters, I am going to consider that evolution in action and hire that bastard.

Thats just mean! Most novels only have a print run of between 2 and 10,000!

On the issue of torrents, I refuse to incriminate myself until i find out who is doing the spanking!

And for the record, i am ignoring your little hints and pretending you are talking about tea. I have zero patience and waiting until the new year for the rest of the season will be hard enough as it is, without you taunting us too!

Oh, and you can tell HTC that their sponsorship is working, i chose a their Magic over a new Blackbury today.

@Melissa - Those sites usually block users from outside the states by identifying their IP address, so even if you kept a US address and card, they know you're not accessing the site from the US. Big Brother is watching! :(

SueN. said...

@Rogers: Of course, after the season finale, everything will be different anyway...

Oh, my God, are they gonna blow up their home again? Jeez, pretty soon they're gonna be reduced to operating out of a Winnebago …

Seriously, add me to those giving thanks and praise to you for this blog and the time and effort you give us. It just seems to support the vibe given off by the show, that you (and the whole team) believe in and respect the intelligence of your viewers and fans.

If only more show runners/writers/etc. did the same …

Anonymous said...

Regarding the dubious means of watching leverage, is there any news on a distribution of the series on a UK network.

Kirby Crow said...

Tell you what -- if some fanfic writer is so good they manage to amass a million-person audience with their web-distributed free stories using my characters, I am going to consider that evolution in action and hire that bastard

You hired Cassandra Clare? :)

Anonymous said...

Kirby: ...yes, but then everyone realised all the good banter actually came from Joss Whedon and Pamela Dean.

David Hunt said...

Elliot on the GF? Now that's a really interesting thought. I can just see the end of an episode with him walking away answering his phone:

"666."

kinesys,

Seeing the GF people would be awesomwe, but a head to head vs the Leverage team would be the wrong way to go. First, there's not really a reason for them to be going up against each other.

Second, the time frame of the two groups work under is generally entirely different. The GFers are usually responding to some sort of emergency that just blew up and is gonna kill bunches and bunches of people if it isn't solved within an hour or so. Team Leverage is usually working the long con.

Third, and I hate to admit it, Miranda Zero and the Global Frequency would kick the Leverage team's butts. The GF is too defuse and difficult to get a handle on, whereas Leverage is five guys who all meet at Nate's apartment.

Finally, because it would be way more cool to have an opening like this.

Interior: Nate’s aparment. The team is sitting around doing wrap-up from a heist. Eliot’s phone rings with THAT ring tone.

Eliot: 666

Aleph: There’s a FedEx package arriving in 20 seconds. Distribute the phones to your teammates. Eliot Spencer, Nathan Ford, Alec Hardison, [Real First Name] Parker, [Sophie’s real name]. You are all on the Global Frequency.

Hmmmm. If I had the ego to think I could write even average fanfic, I'd working on that tonight...

David Hunt said...

And yes. I did have the arrogance to assign Eliot's GF Number. What better than the Number of the Beast?

My word verification: ribless

Stefan Jones said...

Thanks again for taking the time for these Q&A sessions.

'unlesons': New part of speech, created to deal with introduction of [REDACTED BY BUREAU OF PANTEMPORAL AFFAIRS, CAUSALITY PRESERVATION DIV.]

gwangung said...

Second, the time frame of the two groups work under is generally entirely different. The GFers are usually responding to some sort of emergency that just blew up and is gonna kill bunches and bunches of people if it isn't solved within an hour or so. Team Leverage is usually working the long con.

Brute force vs. finesse (more or less).

As you say, the Leverage team is more likely to be recruited by Miranda, than to be rivals (i.e., their targets are likely to be the same, but the reasons why are on different scales).

Sammie323 said...

Thanks for taking the time to answer all these questions.

Do you find yourself influenced by fans' reactions? I know both Lost and Supernatural have killed character arcs because of fan reactions.

Word verification: dinkpope

Sammie323 said...

Thanks for taking the time to answer all these questions.

Do you find yourself influenced by fans' reactions? I know both Lost and Supernatural have killed character arcs because of fan reactions.

Tara O'Shea said...

catchester: re: "I know why people do it rather than original fiction, because it's easier."

I wouldn't say by definition easier--that's a pretty broad statement, and dismissive at that. Writing "derivative" work (i.e. not your own original characters in your own original world, but derived from an existing work) be it as part of a television series writer's room, or a licensed tie-in, or a comic book character started in 1938, or what have you, has its own challenges that are still challenges even when you're not creating the world and people from scratch. Matching established characters' voices, and the tone of an existing universe, while writing a brand new story that fits seamless with the existing canon can in fact be fucking hard. So is taking an established status quo and writing a format-breaking story that illuminates a core truth about the characters while they still remain recogniseably those characters, across different mediums.

It's just a different kind of hard than starting world-building from the ground up every single time. And the oft-repeated "if you were any good, you'd create your own" characters is pretty much a slap in the face of anyone who does in fact write and write well as part of a production team, write licensed tie-ins (and that includes 90% of mainstream comics, if we're looking at everything that's not creator-owned, may I add), or even--GASP!--unlicensed tie-ins in the form of fan works.

There's good fanfic and bad fanfic the same way there's good professional fiction and bad professional fiction. Sturgeon's Law (90% of everything is shit) applies equally. The ratios remain constant, but what changes are the sample sizes. Fan publishing lacks the filters built into professional publishing. One would hope that only readable, worthy work gets produced in the professional world, and the slush pile remains the nightmares of the editor only. But I think we all know based on the less-than-stellar books we've picked up in bookstores the world over that's not necessarily true.

And while every 15 year old on the planet can post their work-in-progress to Fanfiction.net, that does not mean that good fan writing is "easier" or any less good writing than published work. there are a lot of authors who put as much time and work into their fan writing as they would if they were being paid. It's just a different area--not inherently lesser just because it doesn't involve a paycheque at the end of the day.

The people who work hard at it will always be better at it than someone who just dashes something off and posts it without polishing it and working at it. But easier? That's a gross oversimplification.

Video Beagle said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Video Beagle said...

Melisa: re US iTunes in England. You'll likely hit technical limitations rather than legal ones.


And who doesn't want to see an episode "about Eliot and Hardison fighting a trans-dimensional incursion of Elves" ?

Rob said...

I don't know how I missed the term "competence porn" earlier, but it bears mention that it's a brilliant concept that should get more attention, like possibly in journals.

NEVER underestimate the power of competence porn. Surely you would have noticed, but Global Frequency was just hardcore triple-X competence porn from start to finish. I'm not sure it should have been legal at that strength.

On the other hand, it's important to note that Ayn Rand managed to build an entire global cult of assholes on the back of nothing but competence porn. With great power comes great responsibility (unless you've been reading Atlas Shrugged).

Anonymous said...

Tara makes good points. Also, I really don't think the relative ease of fanfic vs. original fic is the reason many people who write the former don't write the latter.

In my experience, only one of the goals of writing fanfic is to tell a story. Other, perhaps equally important goals (depending on the writer) are to react to and interpret the source material, and to engage with the community of fans. In some ways, fanfic writers are more like people who write reviews and participate in discussions about their favorite shows/books/etc. They just choose to express their thoughts via fiction rather than essays and blogs.

I'm not trying to sound all high and mighty here -- a lot of fanfic is for fun or sexual fantasy or whatever. But then the same is true of the various other ways that people respond to their entertainment.

Tania said...

Don't spank me, bro!! ;-)

Torrenting is just an 'alternate revenue stream'... ;-p
I bought season 1 on dvd, and I'll buy season 2. I wouldn't do that if I didn't already love the show, would I?

Anonymous said...

@Tara

Easy: Not difficult, requiring little effort.

Easier: To be comparativly less difficult.

Saying something is easier doesnt mean it's easy, full stop. Thats not what i wrote nor what i meant.

Also, what is easy for one person can be dfficult for others. I find physics and maths relativly easy, but playing scrabble is my ides of hell.

Tara O'Shea said...

catchester: and what I reiterate is that I don't think writing something new in an existing universe is less difficult than writing an wholly original work--only that it's a different kind of challenge. "Different" to me does not mean easier (or inherently better or worse), it just means different.

That's a big reason why I often enjoy television as a medium more than film. Because you have a larger canvas on which to tell stories over time, and you can draw on context to give stories depth. It still takes skill to tell a new story in an existing universe. It just often requires different skills than writing a pilot or an original novel.

But I maintain that doesn't make it "easier".

Sorry if I came off as harsh--the premium placed on original work and the value judgement that comes along with it, where derivative work is concerned, is a hot button for me.

At the end of the day, what matters is the ability to tell a good story.

MrSparkle said...

After reading this post and some of the comments now I'm tempted to start a Leverage fanfic if only to spite some people. I don't think I'll get a million hits (hell, on the blog where I do write some original fiction I'm lucky to get 20 people who aren't family members to read it), but it would be a nice exercise.

Eventide said...

I love that Eliot's life/ quirks read like the Chuck Norris facts meme:

*Eliot Spencer only sleeps nine minutes a day.
*Eliot Spencer killed a man with an appetizer.
etc.

Eliot vs. Chuck Norris... hmmm

briddie said...

Eliot as spook would explain a lot of things; thanks for the image. I too am hoping he's the one in the big chair later. I'd like to see him in a more cerebral role once in awhile.

Between Dean's tweets and your blog I'm guessing there's another explosion in the making, but it must not be the explosion shown in the previews for this week. Oh, well.

Anonymous said...

Elliot Vs. Chuck Norris...

Hmmm...How about an episode where Texas succeeds from the union and the Leverage team tries to steal it back?

Anonymous said...

David Hunt:

Yes, the two teams are on the same side, which is OF COURSE why they would end up having some minor misunderstanding and then be at one another's throats. It's classic comic trope man.

And of course, once THAT happens, you wanna talk about competence porn...

So the mastermind who manages such a masterful game of "Let's you and him fight" laughs his way to the exit, then they realize they've both been had and team up.

The other option of course, is that Sterling, in an effort to get rid of the team calls in the GF as repayment of a favor. You could conceivably see an incredibly competent insurance investigator on the GF couldn't you? And you know, I don't think Sterling exactly has to LIE in order to paint the Leverage crew as law-breakers and evil doers...

'Verse crossing excursions aside though, I certainly wouldn't mind having Leverage occasionally rub up against the world of espionage as there is SOME overlap.

I bet Miranda Zero knows where the Monkey is.

Anonymous said...

What is the name of the bar in Portland that Nate and Sophie met clients in? I've lived here all my life and can't recognize it, I know you guys use a fake name on the show.

I'm so glad you guys are filming here. I'm exceptionally biased, but Portland is a great city. I hope you guys come back every season, we'd love to continue to have you!

Anonymous said...

@Tara - I was speaking puerly from a personal perspective.

With fanfic, because 99.9% of readers are familiar with the source material so i dont have to explain relationships, history, settings or appearance. I can just jump straight into a story and i find that very freeing.

Tania said...

With all the fun of being 'spanked', I didn't notice this:

Nate Ford is not in a good place by the season finale, and he's not making very good choices. In a field where bad choices can get somebody killed ...

Yikes. Should we be worried for the team members?

hodag said...

Russian artifact hmmm? Egg or Icon or Putin's hairpiece?

Anonymous said...

re the Global Frequency ringtone: would I get sued if I made mine available to others? (that's a question to our host, I guess).

How to make one: in the pilot, there was one scene where we hear the phone ringing (once) without any other noise in the same frequency-band ... quite near the beginning, as the cop is examining the half-corpse. There's just a low-frequency rumbling noise underneath it and a bit of high-pitch hissing. So, use mplayer/mencoder to extract that bit of audio, use some audio software to run a high-pass filter on it (to remove the rumble) and then create a wav file with sampling-frequency of 22050 Hz, which effectivel (IIRC) removes the high-pitch hissing.

normalise, mp3-encode, transfer to phone. easy.


re the torrenting: well .. if you do get any stats on dvd-sales to overseas, you can chalk pretty much 100% of those up to "would never have happened without bittorrent". Because who would buy a dvd box-set of a TV-show without ever having seen the show? I wouldn't.

word verification: indoatra. that something indian? or maybe a character from starwars. hmmm.

Anonymous said...

On the subject of the GF pilot...

Does anyone know how I can LEGALLY,obtain a copy of the pilot. I'm going to Seattle in October and I'd like to get a copy for my friend who I'm staying with. He's a big Warren Ellis fan and when I told him that Michelle Forbes was playing Miranda Zero, his face lit up and he exclaimed (Something that he is not in the habit of doing.) that it was perfect casting. And this is a guy who refuses to see "Watchmen" on principle.

Cunningham said...

Working in someone else's fictional backyard is a different experience. Whereas I can allow myself to roam freely in my original work, I find when I work on licensed properties I am focused on trying to illuminate aspects of the character and world that have always been there just never fully explored.

So I would put forth the theory that it is a matter of focus that makes the difference between original work and licensed or "fanfic" work.

I think there's a ton of very talented writers out there with something to say - they just need the structure and focus of someone else's sandbox to play within.

Then there's those wanks who want to just mash stuff up for the shock value -- literary masturbation. That, to me doesn't do either the writer or the original works any good. Punch UP indeed.

Rayhne said...

Being a Sterling fan, I find myself writing fan fiction based around him simply because I don't see enough of Sterling in the show. :) And because, well, I have a story to tell.

24jg13 said...

I think the obvious choice for the "big chair" in winter is....

MAGGIE

if Nate has hit rock bottom or is over the edge, who better to return and help "fix" things.

Also I heard she was suppose to make an appearance this season, so it just fits.

24jg13 said...

Question: What are the chances of you setting one in Las Vegas? Sure would love to have you here.

Unknown said...

Honestly folks, I see a lot of love for the idea of Eliot as part of the Global Frequency, but it's not nearly as likely as finding out that Hardison came in a close second to Aleph *grin*

gwangung said...

Hm. If the show goes long enough, it stands to reason we WILL see everyone take their shot in the Big Chair.

Dave K said...

Does anyone know how I can LEGALLY,obtain a copy of the [Global Frequency] pilot.

You can't. It was never meant to be released for public consumption. The closest you'll get are those 'grey market' bootleg Pilot/Lost Episode DVD sellers you tend to find at comic cons who basically operate only because they're almost always left alone.

Or, you could just scour the net and save the $15.

AntiSocialButterfly said...

Since you don't have a question post for #207 I thought I'd comment here and say that was AWESOME! By far my favorite episode. I was in giggle fits for the entire episode.

No questions, just kudos! That was incredible.

buzz said...

Please, please tell me the name of the actress who played Elliot's counterpart on "The Two Live Crew Job". Gorgeous!

Denita said...

@buzz-Her name is Noa Tishby. Wasn't she wonderful?

DougBot said...

Was the pitch for "The Two Live Crew Job" something like "What if the Leverage crew had their own version of The Master"?

My wife thought it might be the Mirror Universe, which also works. Fantastic episode!

Unknown said...

I would like to point out that all Lasik is done without anesthetic (when I had mine done they gave me Valium, that's all). There are no nerve endings on the eyeballs, so there's no pain. But I'm sure Eliot could handle root canals without the Novocaine just fine.

Anonymous said...

@24jg13 - Oh yes, taking on a big casino. Very interesting.

Though it might spark unwanted comparisions with Oceans 11, i guess.

Cunningham said...

@Dougbot - I thought of it as the Superfriends meeting The Legion of Doom...

T. B. Back said...

Is Eliot turning into Agent Orange?

Because unless Hardison is sneaking carrot-pills into Eliot's food, someone should go down to makeup and fix it.

You might not be the one to ask, but you must know someone who can make this right. There's been three episodes with orange Eliot, and two with orange Sophie, so far this season. All in indoor 'happy yellow' lighted scenes.

P.S. As long as the writing is snappy, I'll watch even if you decide to color code all characters.

CLynnGo said...

@Anonymous

I live in Boston, and I was so disappointed when I learned that the show doesn't film here! Too bad they can't move to the East coast. Portland makes an ok stand in, but it doesn't capture the full feeling of Boston.

DrGaellon said...

Must give credit where credit is due, sir. :) Sure, a lot of fanfic is crap. Of course it's crap. In the words of the late great Theodore Sturgeon, "Ninety percent of everything is crud."

Anonymous said...

Hardison in the big chair doesn't seem that much different/contrasty from his hacker role.
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Courtney said...

By "stars and bars" Sophie meant the general's stars and his medals, or bars. It's a passing beat, but that level of familiarity with military culture shoudl not go unnoticed.

All those ribbons and medals are often referred to as "fruit salad". Hubby was in the military and that's what they all called it.

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Penyakit ini umumnya muncul karena penderita mengejan terlalu keras pada saat buang air besar. Dengan mengejan terlalu keras, maka pembuluh darah di sekitar anus dapat melebar dan pecah menimbulkan infeksi dan pembengkakan yang berakhir pada masalah wasir atau ambeien tersebut.

Unknown said...

Penderita Penyakit kondiloma atau Kutil Kelamin yang telah terinveksi disarankan untuk segera melakukan pengobatan secepat mungkin sebelum Virus HPV penyebab kutil kelamin makin banyak berkembang biak di dalam sel darah makin lama dibiarkan akan memperparah kondisi organ vital karena kutil kelamin akan terus membesar sehingga terlihat seperti jengger ayam untuk penderita yang baru tertular kurang dari satu bulan biasanya akan lebih cepat ditanggulangi obat kutil kelamin Paling ampuh dari De Nature dan terbaik ada hanya di http://obatkutildikemaluan.blogdetik.com/ untuk mendapatkan informasi yang lebih jelas mengenai pengobatan kutil pada kelamin silahkan kontak langsung di nomer 0852 808 77 999 atau 0859 7373 5656 Bagaimana mengobati Ambeien itu sendiri. pengobatan yang terbaik untuk Ambeien adalah dari luar dan dalam sehingga Ambeien benar benar tuntas dan tidak akan kambuh lagi. obat Ambeien terbaik "Ambeclear dari De Nature" AlamiAdalah obat Ambeien herbal yang memang terbaik untuk mengobati Ambeien, dan sudah terdaftar di badan obat dan makanan (BPOM) dengan nomer registrasi POM TR: 133 374 041. terbuat dari bahan alami antara lain terdiri Daung Ungu, Mahkota Dewa dan Kunyit Putih.

Reseller De Nature said...

obat kutil kelamin
Pengobatan Wasir
Pengobatan Wasir Tanpa Operasi
Pengobatan Wasir Dengan Propolis
Pengobatan Wasir Secara Alami
Pengobatan Wasir Bafar
Pengobatan Wasir Stadium 2
Pengobatan kutil kelamin dengan cuka apel
Pengobatan kutil kelamin di anus
Pengobatan kutil kelamin di bandung
Obat kutil kelamin
Obat kutil kelamin di apotik
Obat Sipilis Instan atasi gonore dengan cepat
Obat Sipilis Apotik
Obat Sipilis Di Apotik K24
Obat Sipilis Di Apotik Terdekat
Obat Sipilis Paling Ampuh
Obat Sipilis Ampuh
obat kencing nanah selain ace maxs
obat kencing nanah apa
obat kencing nanah apa ya
obat kencing nanah atau gonore
obat kencing nanah akut
obat kencing nanah amoxicillin
pengobatan herbal penyakit kencing nanah atau sipilis
obat dari penyakit kencing nanah
obat alami penyakit kencing nanah
obat apotik penyakit kencing nanah
obat apotik untuk penyakit kencing nanah
obat kencing nanah
obat dokter untuk penyakit kencing nanah
obat resep dokter untuk penyakit kencing nanah

Unknown said...

cara mengobati kutil kelamin pada wanita tanpa harus menggunakan operasi cukup dengan menggunakan obat khusus kutil kelamin paling manjur dari klinik de nature manjurserta sangat aman untuk ibu hamil

Unknown said...

Berhati-hatilah anda yang suka berganti-ganti pasangan seks, karena sangat besar sekali kemungkinannya untuk terkena penyakit kencing nanah atau gonore maupun yang lainnya.



Unknown said...

Bagi anda yang sedang mencari obat herbal buat kencing nanah atau gonore, kami sarankan untuk memilih obat herba dari De Nature dengan nama Gang jie dan Gho Siah sebagai pengobatan alternatif tradisional alami untuk kencing nanah atau gonore.

Unknown said...

Obat sipilis di apotik adalah antibiotik. Fungsi dari obat ini adalah untuk menahan pertumbuhan bakteri penyebab sipilis. Namun sayangnya adalah obat ini tidak seampuh yang dikira.

Unknown said...

Berapa Harga untuk Obat Wasir Ambeien alami daun ungu AmbeclearAmbeien adalah gangguan atau penyakit yang terjadi pada saluran pencernaan manusia

Pengobatan Ambeien Wasir said...

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Unknown said...

Bukan hanya pengobatan medis saja tapi ada juga pengobatan rumah alami yang dapat digunakan untuk menyingkirkan penyakit kutil kelamin ini. Intinya, karena kutil ini muncul di daerah yang sensitif, maka anda harus mencari pengobatan yang terbaik pada kulit Anda dan jika diperlukan juga dibantu dengan tenaga medis yang professional. Sebab dokter akan menjadi sumber informasi yang baik untuk mengobati penyakit ini.

Cara Mengobati Wasir Ambeien said...

ayo belajar berhitung 1

Cara Mengobati Wasir Ambeien said...

MANTAB * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

obar herbal manjur alami said...

MANTAB * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *******

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Unknown said...

Cara yang sering di lakukan untuk menghilangkan kutil kelamin adalah dengan cara pembedahah atau operasi, cara ini tentu memerlukan dana yang tidak sedikit. metode Pilihan pembedahan yang dapat Anda lakukan

Unknown said...

MANTAB * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * **********

Pengobatan Ambeien Wasir said...

wkwkwkwkwkwkwkwkwkwkwkwkwkwkwkwkwkwkwkwkwk

Unknown said...

Bukan hanya pengobatan medis saja tapi ada juga pengobatan rumah alami yang dapat digunakan untuk menyingkirkan penyakit kencing bernanah ini. Maka anda harus mencari pengobatan yang terbaik pada penyakit Anda dan jika diperlukan juga dibantu dengan tenaga medis yang professional.

kLINIK oBAT mANJUR said...

Bismillahhirrohmaanirrokhim.... *************************

Unknown said...

Kadang disertai
dengan sakit saat kencing, perih, organ intim terasa panas menyiksa,
gatal,..

Unknown said...

Sekitar Vagina Tumbuh Daging, Berbahayakah? Kutil Pada Kepala Penis mirip bunga kol atau jengger ayam, Merupakan Penyakit Yang diakibatkan Oleh Virus.Kutil kelamin, atau disebut juga condyloma acuminata, adalah kutil atau daging berwarna kulit atau keabuan yang tumbuh di sekitar alat kelamin dan

obar herbal manjur alami said...

Bismillahirrohmannirrokhim ..................

obar herbal manjur alami said...

Bismillahirrohmannirrokhim ........................

Unknown said...

Obat Ambeien Resep Dokter Ambeclear dari De Nature Ampuh Tuntaskan Ambeien Sampai Tuntas

Cara Mengobati Wasir Ambeien said...

Bismillahirrohmannirrokhim ........................

Unknown said...

Sebelum kita membahas tentang pengobatan ambeien, dalam kesempatan ini
saya ingin menjelaskan sekilas tentang ambeien, agar kita semua bisa
memahami benar apa itu penyakit ambeien

kLINIK oBAT mANJUR said...

Bismillahhirrohmaanirrokhim.... ***************************

obar herbal manjur alami said...

Bismillahhirrohmaanirrokhim.... ************************************

obar herbal manjur alami said...

???????????????????????????????????????

kLINIK oBAT mANJUR said...

1111111111111111111111111

kLINIK oBAT mANJUR said...

111111111111111111111

obar herbal manjur alami said...

111111111111111111111111111111

Obat Keputihan Herbal Alami said...

1111111111111111111111111111111111111111

Unknown said...

manjur manjur manjur manjur manjur manjur manjur manjur manjur manjur manjur manjur manjur manjur manjur manjur manjur manjur manjur manjur manjur manjur manjur manjur manjur manjur manjur manjur manjur manjur manjur

obar herbal manjur alami said...

alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami alami

Anonymous said...

Wasir atau dikenal juga dengan ambeien merupakan salah satu jenis penyakit

Anonymous said...

Bagaimana cara terbaik untuk mengobati wasir secara alami?

Anonymous said...

Wasir atau dikenal juga dengan ambeien merupakan salah satu jenis penyakit

Anonymous said...

yang sangat mengganggu. Ambeien atau wasir ini muncul..

Anonymous said...

yang sangat mengganggu. Ambeien atau wasir ini muncul..

Anonymous said...

yang sangat mengganggu. Ambeien atau wasir ini muncul..

kLINIK oBAT mANJUR said...

obat ambeien wasir paling manjur mengobati penyakit wasir ambeien tanpa efek samping terbuat dari bahan alami herbal seperti daun ungu mahkota dewa kunyit putih

Anonymous said...

Assalamualaikum wr.wb, Salam Sehat semuanya. numpang komen ya gan.

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