Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Question Post for LEVERAGE 212: "The Zanzibar Market Job"

A bit busy working on the S3 opener, so we'll tackle "Bottle Job" tomorrow (207 posts? Lord). In the meantime, post your questions, Comments, etc. here for "The Zanzibar Marketplace Job". Eliot fulfills a promise from S1, we realize Maggie is indeed the only human Parker even acknowledges exists, and Things Go Wrong ...

255 comments:

1 – 200 of 255   Newer›   Newest»
Unknown said...

Title for 301? Pleeeeease?

This one looks fab. I can imagine what might bring Sterling back to work with the team easily. What I can't wait for is how he manages to turn it all on its ear so he gets a little of his own back.

Livlife said...

207 for Bottle Job just shows how awesome that ep is.

Can't wait for tonight! LOVE the delicious evil of Sterling.

Will be back after the show.....

Sammie323 said...

Thanks in advance.

207 posts means the show's popular, right? :)

Unknown said...

301 title is a giant spoiler.

That Neil Guy said...

FYI. I picked Leverage as my mine "What to Watch" item tonight: http://tinyurl.com/ydlh337

That Neil Guy said...

D'oh! Wrote my and mine in same sentence. Obviously, I should have deleted one of them. I'll let you choose which one.

By the way, did you see Tim Hutton's tweet about tonight's episode? Excellent.

Jen R said...

I just want to know your thoughts on The Louisiana Senator Job.

Murphy Jacobs said...

Christian Kane tweeted a lovely promise and I cannot WAIT!

Unknown said...

Oh! Intrigue! I can wait...

Rayhne said...

Advance question, since the promos kind of give this away, At TorchSong Mark Sheppard said that his son requested a fight between Sterling and Eliot. Was Max there when the fight was filmed? I seem to remember Mark twittering that his family was there when tat episode was film.

And what is the title of the episode 301, you mean person you?

Unknown said...

301 The Sophie Returns Job!

:-P

Tyler said...

Can I guess what the 301 title is, because I have an idea that I'm pretty sure I'm right about.

Anonymous said...

I can see already that I'll be watching this again immediately it's over.

Also: Eliot has beads in his hair! Has he done that before?

Unknown said...

@Tyler, don't please, because I don't want ot have to confirm or deny.

Anonymous said...

The hair, the hair! Inquiring me wants to know what that is in Eliot's hair? They look like tiny pony tail twists in silver.

Denita said...

zenkitty-714: Yes, Eliot has worn beads at the end of his braids in several episodes.

Tyler said...

I will sit on it, then, and inevitably gloat next season whether I was right or not. Such is the magic of ambiguity.

MelodyAnne88 said...

Ahahaha! I loved the interactions between Sterling and the team. Made me laugh on more than one occasion. How awesome was it when Sterling was hitting Eliot with his cane when he jumped him. Haha! Oh and the end with his cheesy speech when he popped out of the trunk of the car? I think Sterling was my favorite part of this already awesome episode.

Will we be seeing anymore of him in season 3? Being hired by interpol can't be good for the team. lol

Kudos!

Rick said...

Zanzibar Marketplace Job, some great moments, and a few unexpected twists.

Point 1: I loved the fake-out with the assistant. "Oh, he's in there with them. He's really the boss. Wait, no, Alexander's making the call, never mind. Wait, twist!" Faked me out nice and proper.

Point 2: Kudos on an especially entertaining fight between Eliot and Sterling. Sterling trying to beat him back with an asp was an especially nice touch.

Point 3: Sterling. Always. Wins.

Question then would be "How big do they make elevators in Kiev? They must be huge that Nate couldn't just stretch out with his foot to snag the gym bag."

Unknown said...

About to watch 212 - super excited for the Eliot smackdown of Sterling AND for the return of Maggie.

In the meantime, 1 general question, 1 general request:

1- Love your commentaries on the S1 DVDs. Will there also be actor commentaries on the S2 set? And will there be a gag reel?

2- Please, please, please... if you ever have another football-watching bonding scene... please could you have a woman there? We chicks love football too. We even understand it! You know, when our little heads aren't confused by all the big strong men in tight pants. ;)

Thanks for all you do...

Matt D said...

We were not expecting the Middleman tonight. Fun casting.

So tell me that on Earth-Leverage, Sterling now gets to cash in and have a TV show based on his international crimebusting exploits with some British actor portraying him (I'm thinking Eccleston).

Murphy Jacobs said...

Excellent episode! One twist after another, lots of arc use (Yay for seeing Maggie and Sterling again -- and Sterling in the TRUNK was a great call back to the Two Horse Job), great misdirection and switching, lots of filling out of characters. Kudos and cookies to the writers!

Are you planning to reuse/revisit others from the team's past? I, for one, would love to see Heather from The Wedding Job pop up on the arm of some sleazoid just so Sophie can pop her one back. There are, in my mind, lots of little bits from the past that could/should catch up with the team one day, or could pop back up just because of the circles in which they travel. Are you making notes for that for future seasons?

Best thing, too -- getting Nate's estimation of Eliot (underestimated on PURPOSE) and Eliot's understanding of Nate (the drinking is a symptom). Good gravy on a stick, I am so hooked! I wish I could afford to go to ConCon so I could buy you a drink or two (but I had to have new tires. Sorry.)

Codger said...

Glad to see Eliot got to deliver the dental work he promised. Yet, even then, he's still getting some hits in with the expanding baton. Sterling. Never. Loses.

Hah! And Tara with the non-verbal grifting of the thug in the park For the win! That and bonding with Eliot over hating Sterling.

OhShinyTomato said...

So, question, Hardison suggesting that they should go to Tokyo to be tourists, not to steal, was he asking her on a date? If so, awwww. Or was he saying the whole team should take a break, while probably still trying to ask the girl out and just make it not look obvious? lol. Parker's so oblivious.

Sterling... damn. Sterling is the shit, honestly. He's amazing. He always pwns LIFE.

And what *is* it with Nate and all these women? Sophie's head over heels, Tara thinks he's sexy, and Maggie makes out with him an elevator and he's still all "Oh, my tortured soul... blah blah." lol. Damn. I wanna smack him upside the head.

SueN. said...

Loved it! Loved seeing Eliot's competence porn and the way the team just naturally accepted his leadership on this one. Also loved watching him uncork on Sterling. ;-)

And so much love for Maggie! Please say she'll be back in S3! She's a great character, and Kari just infuses her with so much warmth, wit and intelligence.

And, again, Sterling. Never. Loses. The man's like a cockroach; he survives everything and skitters away. Mark Sheppard's a genius.

Oh, yeah, I'll be watching this again!!

Anonymous said...

So...This vacation that Hardison is proposing...happening soon? Webisode, perhaps?

Caitlin said...

If we beg for the title of 301 will you tell us?

Tonight was a really good episode! It definitely went places I didn't think it would go, but now I think my prediction for the finale has been solidified a little more, so I'm dying for three weeks from tonight. There's no way I'm going to make it to February 17th.

Anyway, I guess that one question I have involves Maggie...*sigh* Umm...in the Second David Job, she said that she liked Nate a little more, but didn't love him. Tonight, she said that she still liked Nate, but not that she DIDN'T love him. (Did that make sense?) My question is, does this mean that Maggie's feelings for Nate have changed and she does love him again? Is Sophie going to have to get into a mud wrestling match with Maggie for who will win the affection of Nathan Ford?

Also, Eliot seems to be flirting...A LOT more this half of the season than he did in the first half. Is there a specific reason for this, or is that just...the real Eliot coming out?

And a question related to the preview of next week...was Parker crying? Why was Parker crying?! That's bad...like, end of the world bad I think! You and your cohorts leave me in suspsense Mr. Rogers! I salute you all!

Anonymous said...

While I liked this episode better than The Runway Job, I don't feel that it had the same punch that I'm used to from this show. I don't think that it's Tara messing with the dynamic, the writing just seemed a little bland. There were a few good moments but overall it doesn't match up with the brilliance of the first half of the season. Maybe the number of characters involved stretched it a little thin, I don't know. What made the Bottle Job so great was that not only was the job condensed, so were the interactions, the jokes, even the intensity. It seemed like a return to normal after the mild disappointment of the 2.5 opener.

Nate was good, I'm very interested to see where this all leads with him. Sterling, too, was great. His glory hogging at the end was perfect and I had a huge laugh when Hardison messed with his earbud. The preview for the next episode looks really promising, and I'm very excited for the final two episodes.

Lindsey said...

Loved it! This has been the one I've really looking forward too. Sterling is such a snarky bastard.
I have to say the effect that you did with the taser was amazing. Very cool. I was hoping Sophie was Sterling's surprise but meh there's always the next episode. Also Nate and Maggie at the end made me want to cry. The poor guy just can't seem to get it together.

Anyway onto my question.

You seem to be teasing some serious sexual tension between Eliot and Tara. Will we get to see them hook up at all?

WWWeaves said...

That. Was. Fun. I love Elliot in Charge. These past two episodes have been really excellent variations on a theme. There's no way you can keep this up. Please prove me wrong.

Anonymous said...

May was please have more scenes of Parker listing off the technical details of heists? That was simply my favorite part of the season so far. :)

Anonymous said...

May was please have more scenes of Parker listing off the technical details of heists? That was simply my favorite part of the season so far. :)

marga templeton said...

visual realization dawned for me when eliot was explaining how the ransom demand might go, then he walked over to stand with the team... ck struck a very tim hutton posture. me like.

y'know, i don't really have a question now. i'm just enjoying seeing how things play out. i'm certainly not up for demanding a backstory or plot revelation. in fact, the longer it takes, the more i'm enjoying the buildup :-)

Havenward said...

The pacing on this episode was tight, totally keeping me on my toes. The twists were satisfying, and the payoff even more so.

So, as you're starting in on season 3, are you planning to put Eliot in charge again, especially your aforementioned identity issues for Nate? It's always fun to see the team need to switch up roles a little, and I'm kind of curious as to what Eliot's like if you really cross him.

Seeing as Sterling always wins, how long will we have to wait to see his joining Interpol bite the team in the ass? (And is it wrong I'm sort of hoping it's going to be the crazy amazing finale you keep promising us?)

Speaking of which, the payoff of Eliot beating on him was amazing. And the way that Nate only vaguely asks him not to be violent... I'm assuming it was Nate asking that kept Eliot from outright breaking his teeth in?

Ariosto said...

Great episode. Really fun. A few especially fun moments for me:

1) Hardison discussing Tokyo with Parker - loved it.
2) Eliot comments that drinking is a sympton - Eliot just gets cooler and cooler
3) Eliot attacks Sterling on sight - see note above
4) Eliot takes charge of the team - see note above note above.
5) Hardison squelching Sterling - very fun, ESPECIALLY as Sterling seemed to be more directing his comments to Parker.
6) to echo an earlier post, when they brought in the assistant I said, "Okay here's our bad guy" then you twisted with the phone call from Alexander, and had me all over again - well played
7) Nate's commenst to Alexander when the two couples meet - I laughed out loud.
8) I could go on, but I'll just say I love this show.

Question: I really love what you've been doing with Eliot lately, but I'd like to see a bit more with Parker and Hardison. Those two characters are great, but seem to me to get a bit less play (and I may be mistaken on that I havent actually tracked it). Can we expect to see a few stories that let them both shine a bit more? Either together (Parker and Hardison) or singly?

Anonymous said...

Haven't posted in a while but i wanted to say that i saw a very nice moment where Maggie busts Nate for using his intercom voice.

It's nice because it sort of explains that there IS a particular blindness at work when our team is talking to one another in front of the mark and they don't twig.

Also, because it reminded me of when Nate busted sophie for using her "Grift" voice.

Also: I may be the first to say so, but i am going on record as saying that Tara is NOT a spy. That i sincerely doubt that anyone like Tara, or Sophie for that matter, says anything by accident. That slip of the tounge about being trained in crypto, is anything but. I'm not buying it. No sir.

This of course begs the question: What is Tara hiding?

Nikki said...

I can't think of any good questions so I'm going to ask a really dumb one. Are we going to see more physical gags this season? I generally hate those in other shows but Leverage does them so well. Parker falling off the catwalk was okay, but I about fell over when Hardison shot to the ceiling of the elevator during the magic show. Same for Eliot knocking the tar out of Sterling.

monica said...

Loved this one!!! Eliot trying to explain how he's really not violent, then hearing Sterlings voice..... Boom! Parker's expression when watching Eliot fight was priceless...the girl likes violence...should Alec be worried???
This ep had it all, Great Con, Funny banter, team bonding, and fustrated Eliot.

Also I think it's funny how the "kids" try to hide the fact that they've been calling Sophie over the last few eps. I don't know if it's meant to be funny..they could be trying not to hurt Nate, but they are just so bad at hiding it (Eliot's little 'Touchdown' in the ep before last had me giggling).

So My question is. Does Nate realize that they are in contact with Sophie and is he just letting them think they are fooling him. Or is he so unfocused that he truly doesn't know.

Red said...

Interesting that Tara speaks Russian. What if no one on the team did? How would they have pulled that off?

Love the Eliot in charge and Nate pointing out that it's delIberate that Eliot's underestimated

Mel said...

Awesome episode!

I did have one comment - I really wanted to see Eliot wail on Sterling! Instead, I get one solid punch followed by a bunch of shots of the rest of the team watching the fight! While I liked the camera work a lot, I really longed to see the whole fight. Where was the Eliot "competence porn" that I was looking forward to?

Unknown said...

Wow. 12 kinds of fawesome. As other have noted: loved the pacing, the twists, the Sterling beatdown, MAGGIE, the little character beats, and E in Charge. Also loved the beads in CK's hair.

As a straight woman, I am usually struck by (struck dumb by is more accurate) the beauty of the men on this show. Tonight I was really struck by the beauty of the women. Jeri, Beth, and Kari all looked stunning in their party dresses, wow. As a vegan I'd like to ask - are any of the cast vegan? Beth has the body / clear skin of a vegan.

1 more question: Are you pissed at the promo monkeys who spoiled the Parker-retrieves-the-bomb scene?

burromama said...

My favorite episode ever! Loved Eliot's death stare!!! Thought Sterling came thru the smack down in VERY good shape...I was surprised...and disappointed. I wanted Eliot to clean his clock!
Is Maggie going to be a recurring player?
Somebody was sittin' on Nate's dad's barstool when he and Maggie were in the bar at the end. Can we assume that was Nate's dad????

Unknown said...

Shit - sorry - forgot to say that one of my favorite character moments was when Hardison & Parker grinningly settled in to watch Eliot beat up Sterling (after paying off the bartender- awesome). But wouldn't Sterling have been more bruised/in pain after that?

Also loved the Fugitive Bag.

Also loved the Tara/Eliot bit in the park.

Also loved when Nate called Maggie 'my wife'. Very telling.

The rotary phone and Hardison & Eliot's impatience with it was a great touch.

Oh - also loved 2 shoutouts to the pilot's label: Retrieval Specialist.

And loved the party 'double reverse'. And Eliot's 'show me a 5-3-5-2-2'. And Tara's 'I'm not Sophie'. And Hardison & the feedback & Parker's delight in it. And 'that's your intercom voice voice'... and..........

Well hell. Loved the whole thing. Nice job.

Vanessa said...

Am I right that the auction scenes were filmed at the Governor?

Unknown said...

Alexander Lundy? Really? REALLY?

Too funny. Hint as to father-of-Nate (I'm in the James Garner camp)? I could go with that choice.

Becky said...

The thing Sterling was smacking Eliot with is one of those expandable defense batons, right?

Loved the episode. I was very happy to see The Middleman.

Calla said...

Well, that was one hell of an episode! This season just continues to get better and better. Kudos all around.

I asked in a previous post when Eliot would get to run a con - and, lookee, he got to run a con! I loved how different his style is from Nate's. Unlike Sophie who was trying to mimic Nate's style (to humorous effect), Eliot clearly already has his own style and he slipped into it so effortlessly. I think the coolest part was how quiet Eliot was during the con, saying only what needed to be said and nothing more. Every bit of how the con unfolded to how it was filmed showed Eliot's controlling hand. Even how Nate complimented Eliot for a job well done fit with how Eliot had orchestrated it all. It was brilliantly done.

And, thank you for that little Eliot look at the end. Perfect.

I have only one complaint and that has to do with Sterling. I loved how he fit into the whole plot line - that was great. And I loved that we got the slo-mo of Eliot right-hooking him! That was awesome. However, I'm disappointed we didn't get to see more of the fight and that, hard-hitting sounds we heard and subsequent bag of ice, there was really no physical damage. After what Sterling did to them, I think we deserved to see some blood and bruises. You could have at least given us a split lip or a bloody nose.

Other than that, I loved this episode!! I can hardly wait for the DVDs and all your commentaries. Thanks for working so hard.

USRaider said...

Can this show get better?

Besides bringing back both Sterling and Maggie with an appropriate story, it also still expanded on the mythology of the show.

Observations:

Loved the battle between Sterling and Eliot at the beginning. Sterling wailing away on Eliot with a PR24 and Eliot pounding on him with his fists...perfect!

Noticed the button cam that Maggie bought for Nate being used by Hardison when he and Parker met up with Alexander.

DID NOT SEE the aide being the one who was behind everything. Although Alexander's condition during the final 1/2 hour showed he couldn't be behind it.

Could Sterling's outfit as he got out of the trunk been any louder? Think he got design styles from Prince on that one!

Maggie's comment to Nate at the end was heartbreaking. (Paraphrasing) "I like what you have become. I don't think you do." There seems to be too much truth to that with Nate.

Questions:

Are we setting up for a "who will choose Nate" scene? The kiss in the elevator between Maggie and Nate could be written off as a "good life" type issue, but Tara has made the comment of "sexy because I'm broken" and we all know Sophie's take. This could be a continuing issue.

The second half of the season has been quite Nate-centric. Have we actually seen the extreme of Nate yet?

Finally, Sterling cannot win in the long run. Is there a way to end him much as Blackpoole was?

Calla said...

P.S. I just wanted to add that I appreciate that you seem to try to avoid spoilers here. I vote for you NOT revealing the titles for future episodes. Thanks.

Rebecca said...

The show was so awesome that I don't even have a question about it. It was so quick paced that I didn't even have time to notice if there was anything off key. You guys have really ramped it up this season. In fact, my questions are about that rather than this episode.

First let me say that it's mind boggling how you are able to come up with so manny quality heist/con shows. I recognize that there really can't be anything easy about it at all. Given that, though...

1)I would assume that the writers are finding it at least a little easIER writing for the characters now that they know them better, or no?

And it's probably expected that a show become at least a little bit better each season until it peaks, then will be at least good enough to keep viewers coming back until it's not anymore, at which time it gets canceled. BUT...

2) Are all of you feeling just how outstanding this season is?

I mean, obviously, we all love it and have from the beginning. And you also see the love in the numbers, particularly that our raves have created a word of mouth progression upward. We loved the first season and just lapped up the second. But 2.5 is amazing, seriously.

Since the episodes are airing long after you've written and filmed them, though, I'd really like to know if you realized how good they were before they were aired and you got the feedback.

BTW, I'm also seconding the person who asked the question about the promo spoiler for Beth's great elevator moment AND whoever said they didn't see how it was possible keep up this quality, but please prove us wrong.

Excellent, excellent job. Just amazing. I sincerely hope you guys start getting some award attention, because you certainly deserve it.

wv=shippo shipping a hippo? Sounds like a possible plot line to me.

Unknown said...

@kinesys: Last week when everyone was tossing 'spy' around my first thought was 'Interpol' I figure Tara was Sophie's Detective Fix before Nate was her Inspector Javert. Maybe Sterling's new gig will come back to bite the team in the form of him looking up Tara's employment records...

Rob Pugh said...

Living in Japan - as of 7:48 Thursday evening - I cannot find a decent copy of the most recent episode online.

As someone who bought the first season DVDs and had them shipped [from America and regular Amazon, no less] and has "illegally"? watched this seasons eps online [via torrent] I can only ask... I WANT TO GIVE YOU MY MONEY [OKAY, VISA/MASTERCARD] TO WATCH YOUR SHOW. IT IS THE AWESOME. WHY WON'T YOU LET ME?

I know it's beyond the purview of the blog, but honestly, original eps [or episodes, or single issues, vis a vis the comics model] are loss leaders. I support shows/comics via DVDs and Trades... Amazon and Lulu [and have bought more, in the last three years than I ever have before... just ask my credit cards.]

The business model is broken. John Rogers realizes that... why can't the rest of the folks? Honestly.

And really, all of this comes from NOT KNOWING WHAT The Tanzibar Job is all about. And really, I just WANT TO KNOW WHAT ELLIOT DOES.

Agh. Sigh. Totally buying Season 2 on DVD. Wish people stole digitial TV faster. God bless EZTV.

Klep said...

Is there a particular reason why Eliot has taken to giving himself "jedi apprentice" braids? It may be a sign Kane's hair is a leeetle too long...

Rob Pugh said...

And you know what kills me? Somebody [though far from me to say it's your corporate overlords] sees fit to flood the torrent sites with fake files. RE-TARD-ED. What is it they think they're doing beyond developing negative will towards the corporate masses. [You know the fake uploaders were, at some point, hired by the corps.]

I want to give you my money. You won't let me. [Thet's, of course, the 'generic' 'you' - not the 'you' John Rogers whose show running and Blue Beetle comics I love and have bought beyond rational discourse.]

Little Klep said...

Parker's kit for Maggie was the cutest thing ever! Why does Parker relate better to Maggie (The honest one) than she does to any of the people around her who for the most park share her interests and um... hobbies? She even seemed to be closer to Maggie than Sofie.

Lexie said...

I remember you saying that in the pilot Eliot's line was supposed to read "I don't like guns, but you knew that" Are we ever going to find out how Nate knew Eliot had a gun issue?

Unknown said...

We didn't see Tara get paid tonight. Are we to assume we didn't need to see it by now to know she did, or shall we assume she didn't get paid? I'm assuming the former, figuring the latter will happen on camera.

Sorry I ever mentioned 301. I will figure out and do suitable penance. I'm in the no-spoilers camp myself, so thanks for not giving the title away.

David Anderson said...

Love the Parker line re: Maggie:

"Maggie is the most honest person we know, besides that, she is okay..."

True Parker

Idlewild said...

Yeah, definitely re-watching some time today. Zanzibar and Bottle Job made for two fantastic episodes, back to back.

The opening, with Nate asking Eliot not to do anything violent, and then the fight, was an awesome payoff to First David Job, and might be my favorite opening of the series so far. (BTW, I understand why they didn't have Eliot really beat the hell out of Sterling - the con would have been much harder to do with Sterling in the hospital the whole time.)

Eliot remarking about Nate's drinking being a symptom and Nate's later comment about Eliot being underestimated on purpose made for good bookends for this episode. We got to see a lot about the relationship between the two characters in those lines.

I love it, too, when Eliot has a quick line that startles people.

Tara saying nothing in the park, and Eliot with the homicidal eyes just about killed me, that was hysterical.

The twist with the assistant was well done. I suspected something when they threw him into the basement with Nate and Maggie, but had no idea that Alexander was completely innocent.

Thank you for return of Maggie and Sterling. The actress who plays Maggie does such a lovely job. And Mark Sheppard makes me want a spin off for Sterling. Not that Mark Sheppard isn't already pretty busy on TV...

Anyway, thanks to everyone behind this episode!

Joan said...

@Mel It was a different kind of competence porn. Eliot took over Nate's role as the mastermind and did an amazing job. I loved his confidence and that they all trusted in him, even Tara.

I do agree that it wasn't what I most wanted to see though, we still haven't seen him retrieve anything. And Sterling should have had at least a mark from those punches.

Talking about competence porn, I loved Parker explanation of why it was an inside Job. And her 'fugitive bag' for Maggie.

Improper Bostonian said...

1.) Sterling's drunk act makes me wonder how much of a con he can pull off.
2.) Sterling working for Interpol! Wow that will make for future interesting jobs.
3.)Each ep is better than the last and that must qualify for a bottle of Tums and Jack daily!
and 4) mildly OT. We see where Nate lives. You've mentioned Eliot's "possible" digs. I'm curious, where would Parker live? (No Meffa jokes allowed! :P. )

Erin said...

I know Eliot's hair decoration isn't a new thing, but it's getting increasingly flashy in S2.5. Are we ever going to get an on-screen explanation for it?

Lisa said...

What a great ep! :) Great to see Sterling again, evil as he is. Loved him and the team giving each other grief the whole time, and of course, lovely to see Maggie again. On with the questions!

1. The drunk act Sterling put on to distract the guards for Parker, is that something he came up with on the spot, or is that something he's done numerous times during his investigations for IYS?

2. "I can explain." How long has Nate been saying that to Maggie to try to get out of trouble?

3. Did Christian and Mark enjoy doing the fight scene at the bar together?

4. How was the team sure about what kind of bomb had been planted on the elevator, and that it would be ok for Parker to snatch it up and make the switch?

5. I liked seeing Elliot's leadership skills emerge and showing us *again) that he's more than mere muscle and brawn. Did Christian like the idea of getting to "channel Nate" as it were, and to show that Elliot is capable of leading the team and shouldering the responsibility of the teams success and safety?

6. I know you've said that Sterling never loses, but the next time the team runs into him (and I'm assuming/hoping that Sterling will be back), will they at least be able to take him down a peg or two, if not deliver a complete smackdown?

7. I loved Parker's care package for Maggie! But is what Parker put together a standard gear for criminals on the run in Crime World, or is this package a "Parker Special?" If Hardison, Tara, and Elliot had put a package together, would they have included other things?

8. Did they just leave Alex in Kiev to fend for himself? Did they have to do anything to make sure he'd stay quiet and not blab on the team? And how hard did he take it when Maggie broke things off?

SueN. said...

Ooh, ooh, I have a question (now that I am over my first happy rush)! In "Bottle" Nate didn't want Eliot to like Cora. In "Zanzibar," he didn't want Eliot flirting with the waitress. Seems he doesn't much care for Eliot's "super power" with women.

Now, is this a part of Nate's dysfunction ("if I can't be happy, I don't want you being happy") or is it more along the lines of Nate not wanting Eliot to shit where the team sleeps. The bar is their "office," and they seem to have the run of the place. If Eliot breaks the hearts of the wait staff, maybe the ride ends.

So, why does Nate keep harshing Eliot's mellow?

Codger said...

One thing I am disappointed about. At the end, after Maggie had dumped her boytoy for not being able to handle a bomb, and sadly walked away from Nate, I think it would have been perfectly hilarious if she'd handed Eliot her card again on the way out of the bar.

Unknown said...

Could someone please tell me how long the delay is for the netflix streaming episodes?

DaveMB said...

Gordon -- Tara didn't get paid because the team didn't get paid. (I presume she gets a percentage of the revenue from each job, before the innocent victim is paid off.) She mentioned this near the end of the episode and said that she therefore hated Sterling, Eliot said this made her finally one of the team.

WV: "unhan" -- different from Harrison Ford

Anonymous said...

aaargh. the scene is slow today. STILL no torrent anywhere (except a few fake ones with viruses and stuff). But nothing from eztv. DAMN. What am I going to watch tonight?

Anonymous said...

@Rob

I also live in Japan, and am watching the season via iTunes. But then, I'm in Yokosuka, so possibly it's not available for download elsewhere?

Also, to whomever is in charge of getting it into iTunes, kudos on the timeliness. It was up by 7 PM Thursday night Japan time, about 5 AM on the East Coast. Even with the internet being annoying, I had it downloaded and watched by shortly after midnight.

Also, Tara? Definitely spy. NOT NSA, which does not, to my knowledge, have field agents. But covert operations directorate from the CIA? Probably have a little bit of knowledge of basic cryptography and codes, plus a bit of knowledge on how to put the squeeze on hirelings like Chernoff.

My guess is she got burned on an op, and that's how Sophie met her. Sophie taught her how to grift. Unlike the others, Tara is a good guy who became a bad guy. That's my take on it, at any rate.

John said...

Just wanted to say, I've been watching the show from the beginning, and reading your blog since the show started (though I don't remember if I've ever commented).

I thought this was the best episode yet. Not one second felt frivolous or extraneous. I've been watching (and will continue) not just because I like the show but because I've had this feeling that when you (all) finally found your rhythm, the show would ascend to a whole new level, and I felt like you finally achieved it last night. Bravo, Mr. Rogers, to you and your team.

Ariosto said...

@Anon aaargh - re-watch old episodes :) I've been rewatching episodes on netflix with friends of mine to introduce them to the show, and I enjoy each episode just as much as the first time, even knowing whats coming. Thats pretty strong appeal for a twist based story concept to be just as enjoyable on a re-veiwing.

Speaking of watching with friends, I had a friend over to watch Zanzibar Market, and she commented at one point "That's Nate's wife?" after said refernce in the episode. I repled "Ex-wife," and she said "oooooh," so well written, so well played. There just isn't anything else out there right now (and few shows in the past) that bring us such chemistry. This show is very much a "whole is greater than the sum of its parts" deal.

thought of another question: Hardison mentions Tokyo, Sterling is moving on to Interpol, Sophie's been jet-setting around the globe, I'm feeling a real push to take the team international. They all have clearly stated international history (except Hardison, I dont recall much from Hardison about major gigs outside the US). Is this something we should expect for season 3? (please say yes :) ) Would it be a significant part of team's focus? (i.e. will we regulary see them at exotic locals, or will that just be a few times a season? (cause we all know there must be several more seasons (and I wonder how many imbedded paranthesis I can do))).

anyway, thanks so much for interacting with the fan base. I realize it takes up valubale time, but its greatly appreciated and really does heighten the enjoyment factor for the show.

Unknown said...

DaveMB said: Gordon -- Tara didn't get paid because the team didn't get paid. (I presume she gets a percentage of the revenue from each job, before the innocent victim is paid off.)
I don't believe that this is true. I think the team has paid Tara out of their own (or Nate's own) money. They didn't make anything on the Runway Job since they stole $50K and stated that they gave $50K to the OV (original victim). It was unclear whether they took a cut of the stolen Irish money before they returned it to the borrowers/victims... but it seemed they did not. And I may be making this up in my fanwank mind - but I THINK Rogers or Devlin somewhere confirmed that the team is paying Tara out of their own pocket.


To those trying to watch online: It is already available on amazon video on demand AND iTunes, and is usually available streamed from netflix within 24 hours.


I also think it would have been funny if Maggie had given her card to Eliot!

WahKeetcha said...

I very much enjoyed Sterling's return, kind of find him an interesting character. Also, great episode all the way around. Enjoyed how Eliot finally got to be shown as more than 'muscle' or 'backup', although kind of wished he got to do a little bit more, but hey, can't complain.

awesome episode and the previews for next week looked amazing. It's hard to wait for Wed. nights to come around. Great job!

Anonymous said...

Did the wuss Alexander work for the embassy? Why didn't he get his girlfriend out of jail? Or maybe I missed something.

Mariah said...

Ok... Just to start off, I have to say. I'm only 13 and I am absolutely absolutely obsessed with this show. It seems like in every conversation I have, I can relate it to an episode. I wish I could be on Leverage. lol Anyhoodle, I have a few questions...

1. Where does everyone live? In the same building as Nate?

2. Was Parker CRYING in the preview for the next ep? Or was it just for a job. Gees...

4. On the S2 DVD, will there be a gag-reel? :) On Beth's chat I asked her if she had a lot of bloopers, and she said she did because she laughs too much... LOL I am an actress and I laugh a lot too. :)

Thanks so much for making a wonderful (usually) clean show. :) God Bless.

Anonymous said...

PS: Awesome episode, they just keep getting better & better! I loved Eliot in charge. Did Nate know what Eliot's plan was? because he was off the coms at that point.

Unknown said...

Thanks, Brooke.

Chris said...

Oh that was FUN!! Another episode that made me want to watch it again the minute it was over.

One utterly random question I've had for years: How hard was it to find the rotary phone on the Ukrainian cop's desk? I have a hard time remembering the last time I saw a corded, non-office phone so that jumped out at me.

Jen said...

To the folks asking about CK's hair decor - I remember reading somewhere (his bio on his new personal site maybe?) that CK has some Native American blood, and he wears the beads to recognize that - I think he's instilled that into Eliot's character as well. Like the darker color too.

Anyway, I can't believe no one has asked about the Butcher of Kiev! (What is it with you guys and the Ukraine anyway?) I didn't think Eliot actually killed him in The Wedding Job (the guy was built like a brick shit-house, I doubt a bonk on the head with a baking sheet is gonna do him in), so I'm surprised that you guys used Kiev again without even mentioning the Butcher.

Thank you John, and everybody who takes time out of their schedules to treat the fans to a little background on the show, whether on a blog or twitter or facebook or whatever. It's awesome, and very much appreciated! The show is one of my all-time favorites, and I'm looking forward to another kick-ass season.

Silke said...

Just dropping by to say that this was one of the best episodes ever! Thank you!

DaveMB said...

Brooke -- I agree that the source of the payments to Tara is Nate and perhaps the other members of the team, since they normally give all the proceeds of a job to the clients/victims. And you're right that John has confirmed this here.

But what I meant is that I think the amount that Tara gets is a percentage of the gross, as she keeps speaking of "her cut". So for the Runway job she would have gotten x% of $50,000, and for this job she gets nothing.

Anonymous said...

Alan Rickman would have a hard time doing a better bad guy than Sterling in this new episode!!!!! There was just enough Jeri Ryan and it was very nice to see Gina again. She is greatly missed!!! Parker and Hardison were of course amazing and funny. They make watching TV fun again. Hutton was amazing and really getting into his stride with Nate and his facial expressions tell so much of the unspoken story. Eliot OH Eliot what can you say...HOLY CRAP BATMAN!!! It was wicked fun to finally watch him do his THANG!! The growling is a welcome addition to his one line zingers FREAKIN AWESOME!!! There does need to be more blood in the fight scenes...I know it is like a broken record LOL LOL Thanks for an amazing show and I cannot wait to see the rest!!!!!! SMOOCHES

Codger said...

Re: getting paid for this job. Sterling did say he'd hired Nate as a consultant to IYS to help with the insurance claim/theft investigation. And Nate did in fact help recover the item so they didn't have to pay the insurance. So he didn't need to share the glory but as a self-professed honorable man, Sterling should have paid Nate a salary. Which Tara could get a share of.

And re: "NOT NSA, which does not, to my knowledge, have field agents." No, there are no NSA agents; special agent, field agent or any other kind. The National Security Agency (aka "No Such Agency") is a US military unit charged with electronic eavesdropping/hacking and counter-hacking.

Anonymous said...

Have you considered making Sterling more of a recurring character? He really does add a nice bit of chemistry to the show...and am I wrong to assume that this episode was a foreshadowing for an episode where Eliot has to really take charge whether Nate's behind him or not?

Kerri said...

Loved seeing Eliot in charge and that everyone was comfortable following his lead. There is more to Eliot than meets the eye...

This is sort of a general production question - In those scenes where the characters write something or whisper something that the audience never sees/hears, is that information in the script for the actors? Or is it just whatever?

Rayhne said...

Nate seems to use his own name a great deal. Isn't he wanted by ... well .... some agency?

Mel said...

@Joan: Of course, I greatly enjoyed watching Eliot running the show - it was stellar. But every week, I like to see Eliot do what Eliot does best!

Anonymous said...

To those trying to watch online: It is already available on amazon video on demand AND iTunes, and is usually available streamed from netflix within 24 hours.

Only if you're in the US. Anyone not in the US should apparently go fuck themselves, according to studio execs, and watch horribly dubbed and recut shows 3 years after they came out in the US.

guess what I think about that.

BobbyNash said...

"The Zanzibar Marketplace Job" might just be my favorite episode of the season. Great stuff.

Bobby

gwangung said...

I'm thinking of Tara as someone who wasn't in the operations side of the CIA (or some other TLA), was frustrated at that and got Sophie's help to get out (i.e., fake her death). I mean, Tara's not her birth name....

Rebecca said...

Aaaannnndd, another thing...

Yeah, that's right, if the team was hired to get the egg back, shouldn't they have gotten a finder's fee? Or did they forfeit it in return for Sterling letting them know Maggie was in trouble and helping them get her out of it?

Also, re the rotary phone. I think there was a little bit of a missed opportunity there. A throwaway line from Hardison was in order there, something along the lines of that thing belonging in a museum and preceded by a really great Hardison look of disbelief/awe. I mean, weren't those things obsolete before he was even born? He probably thinks of them in the same way he thinks of dinosaurs.

Raligh said...

AWESOME episode!
But I have a problem. Between this episode and last week's, I no longer have room in my Top Five Favorite Leverage Episodes. How am I supposed to have a Top Five, when I can't limit my favorites to five?

They all have clearly stated international history (except Hardison, I dont recall much from Hardison about major gigs outside the US)
Hardison has definitely gotten in trouble in other locations around the globe. In The Second David Job when Sterling is going over the team's outstanding warrants, it is mentioned that Hardison is wanted in Iceland.

Want to second the questions on (a) whether or not Nathan Ford is wanted - by that name - by anyone (legal organization or ...not) (b) What about the Butcher of Kiev?

Was Kiev just a random choice that fit (miserable prisons, nice artifacts, Cold War remnants easily available)?

One other question - there's been a lot of discussion lately over what specific skill areas certain characters should and should not be able to use. As he used to chase all kinds of thieves, it makes sense for Nate to be something of a Jack-of-all-trades. That being said - where/why/how did he learn to strip live wires to make a DIY-stungun?

Thanks so much once again!

Inconstant Reader said...

At this point, pretty much all of my questions/comments have been asked/noted. Still, I wanted to add my kudos for the ep, for Eliot in charge, for "underestimated on purpose," and for the Tara/Eliot extortion in the park, which had me in stitches. I also caught the "Alexander Lundy" reference, though that guy's not nearly cool enough.

wv: "povenu": someone who's newly poor and acts like it.

SueN. said...

re: the various Kiev and the Butcher questions … as soon as Kiev was mentioned last night, my 12-year-old asked, "Ooh, will the Butcher be there?" I was so proud!

Of course, this is the same 12YO who wanted a set of lockpicks for Christmas and who has decided she wants to be Parker.

So, um, yeah. Thanks for that, Rogers.

Anonymous said...

Mostly commenting to say how much I enjoyed the episode.

It was really great to see Eliot take over the con, no hesitation, and successfully completing it. I also really liked that the point was made that the reason Eliot is underestimated is because that's the way Eliot intentionally plays it. Getting an Eliot/Sterling mini-fight was FTW! Obviously Eliot was making the effort to hold himself back (even if initially he couldn't resist the temptation to punch and restrain him). And the "look" in the park (that whole scene w/Tara actually) --> priceless!

Sterling now working for Interpol: gee, sounds like Mark will be back for more Leverage ;) .. cause this just really opens up Sterling's opportunities for going after the team.

Last remark, I have to say I really like when Eliot wears the beads in his hair. Actually, this time was bit hard for me to tell if straight-out just beads, but still really liked.

lark8girl said...

Thank you so much for finding a way for the team to work with Sterling! I was looking forward to a more evenly matched fight with E though. I picture Sterling with a questionable early background and that he would surprise E with a good fight. (before losing to E of course)

And let's not forget - Sterling isn't the bad guy. He's an adversary and sometimes a jerk (Maggie with Alexander.)More, more, more!

T. B. Back said...

@ Codger and Brooke:
Maggie doesn't have to give Eliot her number. She got his in S1. Think she ever use it?

I must stop whimper when Sterling gets hurt. Hubby is getting suspicious.

When will Mark Sheppard return?

scooter5203249 said...

Great ep! I love seeing Tim and Kari work together, and I hope Maggie will be back in Season 3.

Parker in the elevator switch was terrific, as always, but I thought she'd show a little more reluctance giving up that egg.

Not a question about this ep, per se, but in the Writers Panel at Con-con, will you be using a script from the second half of Season 2 as a basis for the discussion, like "The Bottle Job" (five stars!) or "The Zanzibar Market Job" or one of the upcoming episodes?

I can't possibly memorize two seasons between now and March, but if you give us a hint I could have my own personal marathon leading up to Con-con. Just so I'd be ready.

chopdog7 said...

How real was the
caning" of Kane? It looked VERY painful yet Christian did'y flinch!!!

Anonymous said...

Great episode - and I also said that about the Bottle Job, so cheers to exceeding expectations every week.

Only issue I had was "the Ukraine." One doesn't say "the France," so hence just Ukraine.

Can't wait to see how the rest of the season plays out and thanks for wading through all the snarky comments and giving us the backstory on this fantabulous show.

Anonymous said...

ok, finally a non-fake source on the bay of brigands .. not scene though and not that good looking but if the alternative is nothing at all ..

anyway, great episode!

and, just to reiterate, if there was a way, I'd love to pay to legally watch Leverage (and by "watch" I mean "within a day or two of it airing, in English", even though I live in Germany and I apparently shouldn't want that or something).

Anonymous said...

a question from me as well: it is never really specified what "retrieval specialist" actually really means. Does Elliot just retrieve objects?

Or is he also the kind of specialist a first world country would use to secretly pay ransom-money to some kidnappers in a Colombian jungle? I kinda picture him in that role ..

Ariosto said...

@Raligh Woot! thanks for the reminder, forgot about that. So there you have it, our international crew needs more international work.

Rayhne said...

lark8girl, we really need to talk ... :)

Anonymous said...

Eliot doesn't like guns. But he can use them, one assumes quite well, as he does everything else he does, and is so familiar with them as to tell them apart by sound. So *why* doesn't Eliot like guns? There has to be a reason, and I bet Nate knows what it is.

I loved everything little thing about this episode. I will point to Eliot's evil little smile, basically right into the camera, when the bomb went off. That? Was hot.

briddie said...

No questions, just a heartfelt "thank you". Leverage is the definition of awesome.

becky said...

i loved maggie's little comments to nate about sophie. it was really cute how excited she was at the idea of them getting together!

will we be seeing more of maggie in the future

CNK said...

Nate drinking again kinda scares me. Is this just one more sign that he's gonna self destruct before the end of the season? And when he does can we please not have it be Eliot who has the broken ribs this time? Just saying that every time a team member majorly screws the pooch, Eliot ends up with a concussion... those lost brain cells don't grow back

Melissa in St Louis said...

Loved this episode.

This was written by the ‘baby writers’, right? Please pat them on the back

Just watched again on NetFlix (I am out of town so no DVR) This is a particularly stunning visual episode! Kudos again

Questions & Comments (no snark)

When Sterling is running the background in Nate’s apt…
1) Does it tick Nate off?
2) Why do they have all the passports out? Just to look for some acceptable to make for Maggie?
3) Should they be doing that in front of Sterling?
4) Love Eliot’s response that he is NOT working with Sterling.

Why can’t Maggie know the team helped?

Is it just me, or did Nate seem upset that Lundy’s assistant’s name was Sam – his son’s name?

The look on Sterling’s face when Nate said that Lundy would get what was coming to him soon was terrific.

I don’t understand why the Russian cop actually CALLED the number Eliot wrote down for him. What compelling event transpired that we didn’t see? And – was the number to a Russian throw away phone?

Wouldn’t Sterling have already run a credit history on someone he thought was a suspect?

Love Sterling trying to figure out how Parker got into the IYS office.

Loved Parker’s “tourist moment” at the museum was around the security – not the actual museum.

Always enjoy a growling Eliot. Did think “the imagined Love is always better than reality” a bit out of place though

Love Eliot & Parker verbal competence porn in this one! Both segments were great.

Who pulled Parker up out of the elevator?

Am I the only one who didn’t like Maggie’s dress? (okay – maybe a tiny bit of snark)

General question – How does the team know what to pack for an out-of-town con? I mean – they have no idea what they are going to run into. Hell, I have a hard time packing for a week long business trip and I KNOW what I am getting into.

The GOV looks great! Even more excited for ConCon now.

GinaFan said...

Is Sterling a symptom?

Is Tara chummy with Sterling or just comiserating?

Reed said...

Great episode. Unfortunately, Human Target did a nearly identical plot yesterday, with a US spy auctioning state secrets at a party at the Russian embassy.

The two shows are so different in tone and execution that it didn't cause a problem but, I was wondering...If you that another show, one that's entirely different in tone and on a different network, whatever, is doing a show with a similar story...if you're not already writing/shooting the episode, will you try and change yours?

(Terrible phrasing, but you get the idea, I hope. If not, then my question is 'Why does everyone think the iPad is so awesome when it's really just a giant iPhone?)

Rebecca said...

I'm so sorry, seriously, this is the second week I needed 3 comments. From now on, I'll just make notes to myself for a few days and then see if I need to post one. But, for now, I haven't seen this one and I realized it had been floating nebulously at the back of my mind since I was watching the show.

*IS* there such a thing as the Zanzibar Marketplace, or something similar, some black market only known to the global underworld and diligent researchers for con plotlines? Or was it just completely fabricated in the writers' room.

If the market does exist, what about that whole ultraviolet only invite? Where did that come from?

I think what happened is that I was so blown away by the last couple of eps that my brain kind of shut down in order to absorb all the goodness. Looks like it will need a good 12 hours at least to bounce back.

Al said...

1) Can't wait for Sophie to return. Tara's fine, but Gina Bellman's chemistry with Timothy Hutton and the rest of the gang is so good that you really feel her absence in these episodes. Smart job of writing her absence so that the other characters are feeling the same void the viewers are.

2) Kind of hard to take Christian Kane's death stare seriously when his hair has flips that would make my beauty shop Barbie Styling Head from circa 1982 jealous.

3) I'm not even a fangirl, and I'm looking for development in the dynamic between Nate-Eliot. Other than Sophie, Eliot is the closest thing to Nate's equal in the crew, and they have some interesting contrasts and similarities, potential for conflict, all the good stuff. Do the writers have any plans in the near future of looking more directly at those two and their relationship?

4) I was kind of surprised Nate didn't guess that Sam was the real culprit. Did he fixate on Lundy just because he was jealous or did he just miss that one?

5) Is it just me, or is Sterling handing Nate drinks every chance he gets? Very insidious way of keeping a bit of the upper hand in their relationship?

David Wintheiser said...

No questions about 212 -- well done, folks -- but one about the possible future. Apologies if it's already been asked.

I understand that there's a plan to bring back the Evil Team of Evil Leverage. And I know from the episode that they're missing a grifter (the 'mastermind' tried to hire Sophie, after all).

Is Tara going to come back with the EToEL after she departs our team?

Oh, and @Reed, the iPad is cool *because* it's a giant iPhone. (Or, as I call mine now, an iPad Nano.)

CanadianSarah said...

First off...please inform wardrobe to put Christian in that blue shirt at every available opportunity.

Secondly, this may be one of my favorite episodes ever.

I love how Tara's induction into the team has been slowly handled...a bunch of thieves and such are not going to trust her instantly, Sophie's blessing notwithstanding.

Lastly, Beth is now my favorite person in the world. Parker was just so perfect in this episode and her portrayal the internet girlfriend was perfect!

Spot on! 10/10

Nina May said...

I didn't really notice the shirt colours on Eliot, but liked the ill-fitting shirt and tie getup while retrieving Maggie, while Hardison was beautifully meticulous. Nice character bits for on the con. Also, on the clothes bit, I really like the visual character cues where the team lurks in the neutral grey-black-cold colour scheme when they're just "themselves", and how they "paint" themselves in more colourful clothes when they take on characters for cons. Especially the bright colours on Parker, like she enjoys the opportunities to play dress up, even though she doesn't really see herself that way (in the way she dresses the rest of the time).

Also liked her sitting on the benchtop. To me it felt like a moment of saying she will instinctively retreat to a more enclosed space, and put her back to a wall, when she isn't in her element - not that she has to, or even does it a lot, but that's how she feels most comfortable.

Liked the blind side this revealled of Nate - that because Lundy is smug, and an outrageously successful businessman in a shady corner of the world (as he appeared to be in the inital meeting) Nate immediately assumes Lundy's "definitely guilty". Long before he knew about Maggie going out with him. The idea that Joe schmoe lawyer is using his boss, rather than the other way around, doesn't even occur to him.

And ditto on loving Sterling as the antagonist but not the bad guy. Like the complexity in that relationship, and I personally would be as sad to see he and the team go formally head to head as I would be to see Nate and Eliot do so. I love that the team hate him but can't justify going after him as they do their other targets because he's technically a good guy - he goes after bad guys. He's just a total bastard. Just like Nate, actually, but a little less scrupulous. And the relish and complete lack of apology he has for being a self-serving bastard is quite endearing.

@Melissa
Did think “the imagined Love is always better than reality” a bit out of place though

Huh. I thought that was deliberate; Eliot makes comments to see what reaction they get, to get a better read on the person. He's been doing it to Nate, and a little to Sophie, through the whole series. So it was meant to indicate that (rightly or wrongly) he was picking up the "broken from love" vibe from Tara (everyone on the team is broken somehow), and was testing the theory. Also indicating that he rates her as a player in the team power structure above Hardison and Parker, who he pokes to annoy, not to read. I would call Clue, intended to play on several levels there.

Dang, Rogers. Give us a comment post, and we take a forum-full. Cheers!

Katrina said...

Just 2 comments, because they occured to me while reading these comments:

I see Parker reacting to Maggie more like... well, someone taking in an orphan person/animal. Dad! The puppy needs a bowl of water! And a blanket! And a chew toy! And you can't even think of leaving it without... It's as if Maggie being a "normal" human means that Maggie is entirely too naive to understand the Real World (in Parker's eyes), and the fact that it's Parker seeing her this way just makes it more fun.

On Tara, I'm not sure that she's not a spy, or even Interpol but.. women are in the military, in various fields. Some intelligence fields even. They teach some crypto in various fields of the military, but especially intelligence. Regular training might include some basic fighting skills, so she could just have a smidge of military in her background. Maybe a national guard with intelligence/MP training?

Also, they teach crypto in some colleges. She didn't have to learn it in a job situation. I think her past is as checkered with "good" and "bad" guy stuff as the others, and that's part of why Sophie trusts her to get the job done.

Loved this ep, loved that you got me with the Sam/Alexander twist, and loved Parker smirking while Hardison squelched Sterling. Can't wait to see more! Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Things that are awesome:
-the opening Matrixy sequence
-Beth in that pink dress (I say this as a straight woman)
-Nate & Maggie's makeout session
-Parker & Hardison's simultaneous headshakes at the end re: Sterling
-Eliot

Tyler said...

I dunno whose idea it was for the stellar camera work in the bar as Eliot beat up Sterling, whether something like it was scripted or if it wast the director, but either way it was great. You don't see that on TV much.

Anna said...

Great episode! Elliot takes point and there's an explosion!

Loved Hardison and Parker's reactions to the Sterling/Elliot match-up. Priceless. And Sterling's off to Interpol? I can imagine him smirking and snarking his way all over the world now. :D

So, we can assume Elliot has handled his fair share of kidnap-and-ransom affairs? Plus, why did Nate and Tara use their real names for the con? (Assuming that "Tara Carlyle" is in fact "Tara's" real name.)

Tom Galloway said...

Great ep all around; plot, characterization, dialogue.

One question though; why would Sterling leave a powerful, well-paid, position (he's up to VP, right?) with a major insurance company to "join Interpol"? Run Interpol, be on the twelve member Executive Committee maybe, but I'm not seeing how this really links to his motivation as previously shown such that it counts as Sterling. Always. Wins.

Anonymous said...

Is it tomorrow yet?

Anonymous said...

-Beth in that pink dress (I say this as a straight woman)

May I, as a straight man, also convey my deepest thanks on that bit? Thank you.

/me sighs and drools a little

Nate/Sophie shipper said...

I have a general Leverage question. Did you get an inspiration for the Nate/Sophie relationship from The Thomas Crown Affair movie? There are a lot of similarities between Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo characters' relationship and Nate and Sophie's backstory. Been wondering about this ever since season 1.

Anonymous said...

What inspired you to cast the Middleman in this one?

Anonymous said...

just watching again in HD .. and do my eyes deceive me, or do I correctly detect a slight flick of Parkers tongue in the bar-scene whilst she's watching Elliot beat up Sterling?

that's kinda disturbing.

And kinda hot.

word verification: werman. A man who turns into a man every full moon?

Sihaya said...

Sam Phillips, the famous record mogul? That name kind of telegraphed the assistant's intentions, but it leaves the question of his real identity open. Was Sam actually a disgruntled employee, or was he a con artist who'd hoped to skim some money from a real estate mogul, only to find him flat broke?

SueN. said...

And one more (see what happens when you feed us?)

When we first see the team, Parker and Hardison are at the bar discussing the tourist thing (and Parker's inability to understand that outside the context of stealing is priceless), but Nate, Eliot and Tara are at a table going through possible cases. Together. We've never seen that before. The understanding (or my understanding, anyway) has always been that Nate selects the cases by himself, *then* discusses them with the team.

So why the committee approach now? Have they always done it this way, or is it a tacit nod to Eliot and Tara as the "grown-ups," with Nate acknowledging Eliot as his equal and Tara as pseudo-Sophie? Or is it Eliot and Tara cutting themselves in and maybe acknowledging they don't quite trust Nate's judgment right now?

Or was it just a convenient way to have Eliot there when Sterling showed up?

I'll try to stop now. Maybe …

CanadianSarah said...

I already left a comment but forgot one thing...

I will never again underestimate Eliot as a character or Christian as an actor. Never again. Eliot taking charge was so beautifully handled, the only thing I think was a little off was his line "It's my job"...what happened to "It's what I do" which I always thought was a fun line to throw back and forth plus it all links back to the pilot which makes us want to re-watch...and you want us to re-watch don't you?

And is it just me or is there a hint of smouldering sexual tension between Eliot and Tara? Could just be me...or it’s Chris’ thing with long-legged blondes coming through...

Nato said...

Much to love about this week's episode, I thought. Kari Matchett and Mark Badger are always great, and in the wake of "The Middleman," additional Matt Keeslar is always a welcome presence on my television screen.

I enjoyed Eliot's prolonged beating of Sterling, and especially Parker's idea of tourism. (I'm not sure whether she honestly didn't know Hardison was asking her on a date with the Tokyo trip, or was using her general weirdness as an excuse to keep him at a certain distance because she's scared of real human interaction. Probably both.)

And kudos to you guys for having an episode with not one, but two atypical antagonists.

Sterling was his usual jerkish self, but actually helped the team, and came out better than ever. I like the idea of a character who's not good or evil, but just fundamentally driven by self-interest.

And Sam was not only a nice swerve from expectations, but a pretty fascinating choice for a bad guy, since he has the same basic motivations as most of the folks the team ends up helping.

Two questions:

1) Did Sophie sign off from the video chat just as Nate walked in? I thought it weird that he wouldn't even acknowledge her, but then, it IS Nate, and he HAS been drinking.

2) You guys are TOTALLY setting Eliot and Tara up for a little somethin-somethin, aren't you?

SueN. said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Was the location for the elevators where the bomb was the South Waterfront area?

SueN. said...

Sorry, need to learn to spell, dammit. So, again:

Can I vote for the Eliot-Tara somethin'-somethin'? I think it would have the pyrotechnic potential of Eliot-Mykel, and would have the added plus of making Nate's head explode.

Sihaya said...

@Canadian Sarah:" [..]the only thing I think was a little off was his line "It's my job"...what happened to "It's what I do" which I always thought was a fun line to throw back and forth [...]"

I think, "That's what I do," is meant to be triumphant, cocky and fun, and is an indicator that the speakers feels that way. Eliot is saying, "It's my job," to convey the opposite meaning. He's in the middle of the work, it's no fun, and he needs you to sit up straight, take the gum out of your mouth, stop passing notes and pay attention. He's got to convey engaged competance rather than aloof cockiness right at that moment.

Anonymous said...

Loved the episode. Eliot is "underestimated on purpose". Somehow I think that is going to come up again...soon.

The only question I have is about the comment by Eliot to Tara when they were discussing reality versus fiction. Eliot says "Like love". From where in the heck did he get that one? It kind of threw me.

Hmmm. Maybe the Tara/Eliot hookup isn't out of the question. Nate does seem a little negative when Eliot works his charm on a friend or someone at the bar. It would be funny if those two did hook up, especially with all of the dancing and dodging about by Nate/Sophie & Parker/Hardison. Eliot doesn't strike me as the type to not make a move when he's made up his mind to do so. He certainly proved that in this episode with taking lead of the con.

Loved every scene with Nate & Maggie. Tim & Kari are adorable together. As much as I like Sophie, I really do think that Nate is still kind of in love with his ex.

And the Sterling was tops. Although I really do hope he goes down in the end. As Tara said, "no one is as good as you think you are". IMO, this applies to Sterling, as well. And ITA with him not being beat up quite enought to suit me. Eliot owes him a little more of a beatdown..with blood & bruises. Now he's with Interpol. Oye. That cannot be good for our team.

Anonymous said...

Did Tara and Sophie meet in Russia? That might explain why they are both so knowledgable about Russians/Soviets (Sophie saying you can talk your way out of Russians, and Tara's knowledge of cryptology and telling Eliot and Hardison that you can't budge a Soviet/Russian Bureaucrat with mere paperwork?

Did Sterling need any help with Hardison's equipment when he was running the briefing?

Was there any significance to the numbers Eliot asked the auction people to flash to authenticate the recording?

Is there a name for the technique Tara used with the guy in the park where she just stayed silent, stared him down, and just the poor guy blabber and tell them what they know?

Thanks! Love the show and am a big fan. :)

Caillie said...

You mentioned Eliot having a line about spending a lot of time in embassy basements; was this the episode it came from? Was the line deleted for time, or content?

Michelle Tackabery said...

LOVED THIS EP, pitch-fracking-perfect to me. My favorite line was the last ones:

Tara: (about Sterling) I hate that guy!
Eliot: Now you're part of the team.

Priceless.

EmanG said...

Great Ep, first time I actually found myself concerned for the health of the characters. And I mean that in the best possible way.

But since no one else has mentioned it, what is up with Hardison's super remote? That thing looks about as big as my mini van key fob yet he has instantaneous access to multi-media presentations, all internet info and anything else called for by anyone. Any tech background on this unit? Can I have one?

Joan said...

Watched it again and loved it even more. Adored Eliot taking on the mastermind role and that the rest trusted him. Loved Maggie's return and I'm even starting to like Tara. Her and Eliot in the park was my favorite scene of this episode.

Two questions:

1. I know it had to be explained for plot but I'd think that in his line of work Eliot should have come across something like the 'Zanzibar marketplace' at least once. Shouldn't he already have known, or have an idea, what it was?

2. Maggie doesn't want Nate to work with the team, or use the team to get her out, but at the end she says "I really like the man you've become". Isn't he that man precisely because he has the team?

kausingkayn said...

Hey, first, I want to say that Leverage was in this weeks "Entertainment Weekly" magazine! I was excited that it got some coverage. It was a little clip, but better than nothing!

One question about this week. You have been doing a great job of covering Kane's new scar, but this week his make up (along with everyone elses) was really orange. A few scenes I thought that they had, like, a bad tanning bed problem or something, lol. Kane, Hutton, Shepard, and Ryan all looked orange in a few scenes...was it the make up, or just me?

Lol, now that I'm done, just want to say that I loved this episode, especially since we got to see more into Eliot's job. Plus, all the leather didn't hurt.

Anonymous said...

I noticed the orangeness too. It looked like Maggie had been hitting the self-tanner a bit too hard. Several times I've noticed the ladies' faces looking a little darker than the rest of them. Maybe it's my tv?

GinaFan said...

Stirling to Interpol. Needs greater international reach? Sophie's international right now.

Sammie323 said...

>301 title is a giant spoiler.

I just hope at some point Nate says, "Let's go steal Sophie"

Jeff R said...

So was Alexander Lundy a tip of the hat to Alexander Mundy AKA
Robert Wagner from the 1960's
"It Takes a Thief"
It's the show that made me want to be a cat burglar - just as "Leverage" and Parker has my daughter practicing lock picking.

Anonymous said...

My favorite scene from TZMP :
E : Let me run this..
Sterling: We(erm?)track the calls...
E : Sterling, *I'm* the retrieval specialist - that's my job..
Question: Was this written so clearly to show that Eliot is an equal to Nate..but,Sterling is NOT an equal to Eliot?;) To Eliot (and now confirmed to me as well!) Sterling just knows "his job" which is insurance, nothing more than that. Hence it was well played that Eliot stresses on the "that's my job?"
IMO Sterling lost his (shallow/fake?)"credibility" to Eliot big time in this scene ;D
Sterling tried to "reclaim" his huge bruised ego with this comeback: "Your friends lives hang in the balance, and you're gonna take your cues from a punch up artist - instead of me?!!" WTH!! Sterling was looking for "support" from a bunch of people who really hated him already!! Worse, "Call me when you need me..cos' you will need me?!" LOL! Sterling lost, lost, lost it to Eliot's coolness..Sterling was reduced to a really desperate man there !
Question: Will Sterling pose a direct threat to the team in the future - like the bounty money he was so keen on getting? Is it my imagination or I sense Sterling looking at Eliot as a "threat" to his longevity in the "insurance business too?"
Question: Will Nate ever get the chance to give Sterling what he deserves..?
Oh yes thank you so much for putting Eliot in-charge here. Nicely done. Woh Eliot has been a hostage negotiator too..for the government?
I love it that Nate (Tim Hutton is great!) seems to be preoccupied, but able to tune in to Eliot's attempts in (cough!) "making friends!" I just burst out laughing at Eliot "what? I can't have friends?" line - Nate obviously doesn't want the added attention of "new friends?"
Going to watch this again!

Mortsage said...

First: Loved the episode, it made me squee like the fangirl I fully admit I am.

However, I'm just wondering. I don't suppose there are any sort of "tells" for when us poor fans should ACTUALLY worry about our favorite dysfunctional Robin Hoods? By this point I think most fans care about them dearly, and the idea of something happening to one or all of them makes us, or at least me, filled with dread (...and/or glee. ^^; ) Here again, though, it seems as though most of them had it under control when we audience didn't know that (while not picking at other people's plots, even if Parker had gone for the egg first, THEN seen the bomb and put it in the other elevator...?)

I'm all for suspense. I like suspense. It just seems like the characters are drinking invulnerability potions before every episode.

SueN. said...

Okay, so I'm back. Yes, I'm obsessed, but it's your fault, so...

Picking up on one of Puspa's lines of thought (the Eliot v. Sterling, I'm in charge here thing), Sterling's denigration of Eliot as a "punch-up artist" made me wonder - how much does he know about the team? Does he really only know Eliot as a hitter and not as a retrieval specialist, or was he just trying to belittle Eliot in an attempt to sway the team to letting *him* take charge?

Did he chase them all as Nate did? Or was he just not as obsessive as Nate in getting to know all he could about them? Not that anyone, really, could ever be as obsessive as Nate about anything ...

Anonymous said...

Does this make our guys the nastiest crew on the OTHER side of the Atlantic too?

Unknown said...

Think it's possible those guys who tried to screw with Mary Landrieu's phones thought it would work because Leverage has pulled similar schemes and those always worked?

Unknown said...

First I have to comment that it's really enjoyable to read the comments here... they are always insightful and smart. It's a welcome departure from other 'fanboards'/message sites, etc. (Even those that cater to snark.) I wonder if it's the show (having smart fans) or this forum specifically. Hmm.

Totally agree with all the love for E-In-Charge... but I am also really enjoying all the comments about how the little Beth moments revealed so much about Parker (sitting with her back to the wall in the IYS office, treating Maggie like a puppy, the great job as the Internet GF, etc).

Also agreed with posters who noted that Sterling is handing drinks Nate pretty liberally.

DAVEMB: Aha, understood, thanks. I agree that the amount must usually equal a percentage - even though the source is Nate. I believe she did comment that she didn't get paid for this one.

SueN: Hee. My 12 yo ALSO asked about the Butcher!!!

Canadian Sarah said: First off...please inform wardrobe to put Christian in that blue shirt at every available opportunity. WORD!

Nato said: Mark Badger Heee! Was that a purposeful funny? I assume you mean Mark Sheppard / aka Badger from Firefly (aka Romo from BSG & Crowley from SPN)....

Hey, first, I want to say that Leverage was in this weeks "Entertainment Weekly" magazine! I was excited that it got some coverage. It was a little clip, but better than nothing! Really? Excellent! Online or in the magazine? I wrote them a nasty email recently asking why they never cover Leverage.

And finally - my question to John:
There are always a lot of comments about / love for Eliot. I am right there on the Eliot love-train myself. Do you attribute the love to the sort of Hot Tough Guy With A Woobie Heart Of Gold characterization (a la Logan from VM, Riggins from FNL), or more to the charisma/looks/appeal of CK, or more to the layered acting that CK brings to the part?

Thanks for one of the best eps yet!

Anonymous said...

Is there a name for the technique Tara used with the guy in the park where she just stayed silent, stared him down, and just the poor guy blabber and tell them what they know?

The Vetinari, of course. "[..] his abilities as a listener (often people tell him things simply to fill his silence) [..]"

HTH, HAND

Mori said...

I'd really love to know what's behind all the 'Eliot is a womaniser' scenes lately. He's been 'engaged to be engaged' once but other than that he's been rather inconspicuous on the romance and flirt front. So why the recent emphasis on Eliot flirting with basically each and every pretty face around him? It seems a little off to me.

Rayhne said...

I feel the need to point out a couple things.

Sterling won. Whether anyone likes it or not. Eliot had to go to him to borrow the egg and he made a deal that totally benefited Sterling, not to mention making Sterling even more dangerous to the team. And also Eliot has had to reveal one of his major strengths ... the fact that he isn't just a hitter. Sterling will never under-estimate him again. Plus he knows much more about the team then he did before.

Tyler said...

And Tara's like an undercover government official who's gonna screw the whole team, is my guess about THAT.

Nina May said...

@Rayhne:
Sterling won.
... the fact that he isn't just a hitter. Sterling will never under-estimate him again.


Agreed, Sterling won. Or at least, didn't lose. By his reckoning, I'd say he came out on top (and the team certainly don't seem to think they won). And in terms of realizing that Eliot isn't just a hitter, I'd say that actually strengthens his position – both because he's unlikely to be taken by surprise by it in the future, but also because I suspect Sterling views the team as assets.

He doesn't want to take them out, because they're useful to him, and that's his guiding star – not ego. After all, they almost blew him up at the end of First David, and instead of being all, "Grar, I will hunt them to the Ends Of The Earth!!!" he's just, "Meh, I got what I wanted." I'm not saying they don't irritate the hell out of him, but he doesn't let that get in the way of using them to benefit himself. So Eliot being better than he thought is a bonus.

On the other hand, it doesn't put Eliot or the rest of the team at any real disadvantage. Eliot lets people underestimate him, and that gives him an edge, but it's hardly the only edge he has. He doesn't rely on it, he just lets it work for him because it does; the only time I've noticed him playing it up is on a con.

Which reminds me – "Seriously? You have one, just laying around." Nice lampshading there, writers. And his attempt at a death-glare was hysterical, although I don't know how much credit you can take for that. Hardison's material during the wedding visa scene was brilliant, though, and Hodge definitely made a meal of it, and thank you very much for it!

Anonymous said...

Hey. I have a little UV light in my purse. It's also a pen and flashlight and a laser pointer. What?

On third re-watch, I noticed Parker, on completion of the bomb switch, saying "Go." in the same tone as Eliot when speaking to the kidnapper. I don't recall hearing her say that before. Was that deliberate, having her echo Eliot?

ita said...

@Rayhne:

Sterling won. Whether anyone likes it or not. Eliot had to go to him to borrow the egg

Well, we have it from the horse's mouth that Sterling never loses. But he was wrong. Eliot absolutely knew how to get his people back, and he didn't have to give the egg up to do it. They didn't need Sterling's leadership or brains either.

Rayhne said...

They didn't need Sterling's leadership or brains either.

Which is a pity. I would have loved to have seen that.

gwangung said...

They didn't need Sterling's leadership or brains either.

Which is a pity. I would have loved to have seen that.

Season 3, folks.

Rayhne said...

#gwangung, I've kind of wonder about that ...

Nina May said...

Hey. I have a little UV light in my purse. It's also a pen and flashlight and a laser pointer. What?

Well, imagine the scene without the line. As far as I understand, lampshading is putting the audience's likely reaction to something too convenient or weird into the mouth of another character, acknowledging but glossing over the need for suspension of disbelief.

Me, not having a UV light in my purse (or a purse, at that), would pretty much reacted to Hardison having one like Eliot did, but he/the writers got there first. Obviously MV, but if Eliot thought it was unexpectedly convenient, I'm okay with thinking it too.

Zenkitty-714 said...

@Nina May Yeah, I know. I was joking. My reaction to Eliot's reaction, if I'd been there.

Also: not only was Parker astonishingly hot in the little pink dress, it appears that she's learned how to walk in heels. I think those were slides, even.

Nina May said...

@Zenkitty
Ah, cheers. Didn't translate well, maybe my brain was glitching. I'm supposed to be studying, after all.

And re: Parker in the pink dress ... she was cute, but for some reason I loved her in the Russian webbride outfit. I think it was the crazy gold top. I'm beginning to think there's some colour-coding going on in wardrobe as well as the cards in the writers' room. That would be an interesting meta....

SueN. said...

@Mori re: Eliot and the womanizing front, that was pretty obvious in S1, too. In "Mile High," he said he'd learned about the spare stewardess uniform requirement because he'd slept with a flight attendant.

In "Snow Job," his idea to switch the MRI signals came from his having dated a radiologist. And in "Stork Job," he picked up the rental car chick. Also, in the pilot, he was flirting with Dubenich's secretary while impersonating the IT guy.

So it's not really new at all.

Anonymous said...

Sterling's denigration of Eliot as a "punch-up artist" made me wonder - how much does he know about the team? Does he really only know Eliot as a hitter and not as a retrieval specialist, or was he just trying to belittle Eliot in an attempt to sway the team to letting *him* take charge?
SueN.

Actually..neither? IMO lol Sterling was jealous, may be? Didn't Nate tag Eliot right off as the retrieval specialist in front of team AND Sterling? That information was for Sterling's benefit too, I think! Nate mentions it right after Eliot says "I'm NOT working with HIM!!" Nate says no, he doesn't have to, he (Nate) will do that. So Eliot being the RS, he (Eliot) will do just that and "retrieve" his wife :)
So,why does Sterling throw a fit about the team better off taking the cues from him rather than a "punch-up artist? I'm guessing Sterling was trying testing?)to "steal" the team's loyalty from Nate?;D
Question: When Sterling says Nate's a "better liar" now, Nate agrees..I felt Nate could have shrugged it off, to show he's not on "good terms" with Sterling?
Just an observation of the "final" exchange between Eliot and Sterling:
Eliot throws the valuable "egg" way across the room for Sterling to catch -(& to get himself into the booth of the getaway car with it!)- Of course Eliot than puts the empty case into the elevator. Sterling comes out of the booth later to claim he saved the stolen egg..
Question: Was the above scenario to show that Eliot had already succeeded in his own plans, priority being saving Nate/Maggie, so he couldn't care less if Sterling missed that long, long catch of the egg and dropped it?!;)
I noticed that the Runway Job had the Triad(s),Interpol most wanted and a fake Interpol ID for Nate..now Interpol is mentioned again, with an "offer" for Sterling to join them, anything for the team to worry about here?!

Anonymous said...

Loved “Zanzibar” and “Bottle Job” -- the team doing what they do best and then some, plus super guest star performances -- so it’s disappointing to see the latest ratings. "Leverage" has been hemorrhaging in the key 18-49 demographic, down almost 40% from the first episode this season. “Psych” competition didn’t help, but the slide had already started pre-”Psych.”

Is there some thinking among the producers or TNT that the beginning “saga” is a turnoff (Dean Devlin is polling fans on Twitter about whether it should be overhauled or dumped)? Should we be worried, or is the Season Three renewal guaranteed?

Stephanie said...

Absolutely loved the ep. Just two questions tho. Is there a reason the clip of Eliot and Sterling fighting looped? Where Sterling was trying to hit Eliot's knees and Eliot blocked him before throwing him on the table? Also, are we gonna find out why Eliot hates guns? (This may have already been answered, but i don't know.)

Keep up the awesome work and Woot for S3!

Stephanie said...

Oops forgot a comment. The team seems to really look to Eliot to keep an eye on Nate. Is there a reason behind that or is he just making sure the mastermind stays alive and relatively sober?

Murphy Jacobs said...

Comment I've been thinking about for a while -- I can't see Sterling making the move to Interpol. I doubt the pay is high enough, and I bet the office is smaller. All the news story said was that he'd received an offer. I doubt he'd really do it, though. If nothing else, he'd then be required to do things by the book, according to law, and to document how he did everything. It's an intergovernmental organization, and you can BET they like paper work :) I'd speculate he has a lot more leeway working for IYS.

ita said...

There was an Asian actor sitting up near the front of the auction scenes that I'm surprised didn't have a speaking role--I know I've seen him in stuff before, and although I can't remember his name I figured he was higher profile than crowd scene.

Were there lines that were cut for him?

Mike Cane said...

THIS episode is what drew me to Leverage originally. So far there's been too much fun and not enough train. This one brought in the damned train. Keep the damn train coming in!

Sihaya said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sihaya said...

@Brooke - I suspect that the love for Eliot has to do with good acting as much as the scripting - because when he was on Angel, Kane was a truly convincing slimebucket. Blech.

Nina May - what, you don't have a UV light lying around? An electronic parts store will have a whole bunch of handy-dandy UV lights available. A bunch of them sit in the penny bins behind the cash register at out local shop. Hardison would have said, "Oh, and get me one of those!" while ringing up his last shopping spree.

Or, if he was geeking out, he would have bought a sonic screwdriver at the local comics shop. They cost twelve to fifteen bucks - invisible ink in one end, UV light in the other.

Nina May said...

See, now I'm horribly conflicted. The geek-love I have for all my geek friends wants me to make some kind of joke about using a bag of holding for assorted gadgets looted from the Tardis, Q's laboratory and the Vulcan Science Academy, with a spare babel fish for good measure. The casual science nerdiness in me wants to know just what is currently possible to make of all these things they use. The fine arts training in me wants to curl up on the fun train as far as all this is concerned and whimper that I'm an artist, I notice colours.

The rest of me just wants to giggle at all our silliness. :)

Oh, and word on the acting - except that on Angel he was a convincing slimebucket who was a very compelling and interesting character. I always thought it was a pity they didn't/couldn't give him more.

Robin said...

@Raligh: "...where/why/how did [Nate] learn to strip live wires to make a DIY-stungun?"

I thought that was fairly common knowledge. Or maybe that's just for those of us who watch too much TV...

@Anonymous: "Only issue I had was "the Ukraine." One doesn't say "the France," so hence just Ukraine."

I've known Ukranians who use both variations, but for whatever reason most of the English-speaking world often adds the "The". Perhaps a holdover habit from the days of "The Soviet Union".

@Melissa: "I don’t understand why the Russian cop actually CALLED the number Eliot wrote down for him. What compelling event transpired that we didn’t see?"

Clearly, Eliot gave the guard his Scary Eyes (TM). ;)

"Am I the only one who didn’t like Maggie’s dress?"

I didn't love the bodice, but the skirt was nice and the color was very pretty. Of course, she still looked good in it. You could put Kari in a makeshift garbage bag poncho and she'd look good.

----------

As for all the comments about Eliot's flirting, I'm pretty sure that's just Kane being Kane. The man's gorgeous and charming and knows how to use that to his advantage (as evidenced by his playing up the shy smile and the long lashes and the baby blues and the husky Southern parts of his voice when doing so). Hell, I would if I were him.

Was the choice of 53522 for the live feed confirmation a shoutout to Browntown, WI, or am I trying too hard to be clever?

Rayhne said...

What is the range of the ear buds?

GinaFan said...

The fox is in the henhouse. The fool is in my head. Sterling is working with our justice league. This is an upside-down world.

I love it, Glen Reider. The use of Sterling felt a hint of 12 step, but that was a Berg Downey. Hmm.

GinaFan said...

Almost forgot. Aren't the Olympics in Vancouver. Are you guys able to steal them? :)

Mhay said...

Why did Nate called Maggie as his wife rather than ex-wife? Does that mean that the reason why he and sophie cant be together is because he is still in love with maggie?

Anonymous said...

"..the Russian cop actually CALLED the number Eliot wrote down for him. What compelling event transpired that we didn’t see?"
@Melissa

Clearly, Eliot gave the guard his Scary Eyes (TM). ;)

Methinks..Eliot killed 2 birds with one stone!:)
1.Eliot gave (knew?)a *real* Minister's home/office number? That in itself placed the Russian official/police in a curious position...
2.Eliot perhaps knew that said Minister strikes fear/has clout to "make (bad) things happen..if crossed..
...3.He made Tara reveal she spoke a foreign language.. (Gina did laugh with Tara about some escapade they had together in Tashkent in the Runway Job?)
Eliot wouldn't have known if the Russian police would actually release Maggie on the (faked) American embassy paperwork offered to him. So, I'm guessing he put Tara in to intercept any such "phone numbers" he may need to convince of Maggie's "status?";D

Will said...

So do you have to pay Zach Snyder and/or Alan Moore 20 bucks for that hairspray thing?

ChelseaNH said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ChelseaNH said...

So do you have to pay Zach Snyder and/or Alan Moore 20 bucks for that hairspray thing?

Freshman year in college, the night before all the freshman calculus final exams, this guy on the first floor of my dorm, known for reasons which shall become obvious as "Mongo," decided in the spirit of scientific exploration to discover exactly what happens when you set fire to an aerosol spray.

What happens is you set off the fire alarm in the middle of the night and everybody has to stand around in the freezing cold until the fire department shows up and determines that the dorm is not, in fact, burning down.

This was December of 1982. Which leads me to conclude:

1) I am a geezer.
2) "That hairspray thing" is in the public domain.
3) Somebody owes me 20 bucks. With interest. Compounded.

wv: prizings - What Leverage should be nominated for

SueN. said...

@ChelseaNH, wow, thanks for the trip down memory lane! I, too, remember an evening in a college dorm room (UT had just beaten SMU and the Pony fans were getting uppity) when several of us decided to see what would happen if we combined hairspray, a lighter and a window that opened right over the heads of some unhappy SMU types.

Damn, sometimes I really miss college.

Sihaya said...

College? I remember the hairspray/fire thing in a public high school classroom. Some boy asked the same question - does anything really happen if I light a lighter in front of my girlfriend's Aquanet can? Yes. Yes, indeed.

Anonymous said...

Re: "my wife"--Nate has serious ownership issues when it comes to women. See also his lying to Maggie for her own good.

(And no, I didn't like Maggie's dress either, but I've never understood empire waists--it's impossible to look not pregnant in them not matter what you do.)

Unknown said...

something I just thought of: please, Mr Rogers, don't take our little focus group here the wrong way and keep sexing up Parker.

Having her look glamorous all the time would be .. wrong, even though it might get our hormones flowing.

Parker needs to stay quirky and socially awkward, at least a bit, so that scenes like the dress in this episode and the one in the two davids job hit us even harder (right between the eyes).

my EUR 0.02 at least.

Odie said...

What I don't understand is why the team would allow Sterling so much access - to the planning, the communications, all of it. None of them trust him that much, so why give him so much insight into the way they work?

wv: coniarfe- what happens after one too many rides on the roller coaster

Jeff said...

Hmm, posted right after the show but it did go through. So let me try again.
Was Alexander Lundy's name a tip of the hat to Alexander Mundy? AKA Robert Wagner.

Livlife said...

I will throw my compliments into the pile with the rest. This ep was awesome. I agree with all the other love. Eliot. Nate. Park scene.

Sterling. Obviously.

Can't get enough. Am surprised that Parker crying in the preview garnered so much attention. Parker cried in front of Hardison in The Stork Job, if I recall correctly.

Evidently I am the ONLY one who doesn't like Maggie. Weird. She's so condescending to Nate-and the rest of the team, frankly. I love the commenter who assessed Parker's interest in her as not thinking Maggie understands the "real world". Totally agree with that, exactly how I view it. I remember in David 2 she stroked Maggie's hair and said "you're adorable" in response to some question of how the team would do what they do. I totally think Parker sees Maggie as non-threatening but needing protection, thus the bag. And since Parker seems to miss things like sarcasm and condescension, maybe that's why she doesn't bug Parker--but does bug me?

I thought the Eliot/Sterling fight scene was perfecto. Obviously Eliot could kill Sterling with his bare hands, we all know that. But, he was holding back, for Nate and because I don't think his own moral code allows for obliterating people who so obviously can't take it.

Love me some Sterling, though.

And my take on Eliot not liking guns? Easy. That same moral code. He knows that killing is easy for him. He can break just about anyone (anyone we've seen at least) apart with his bare hands. Given that his skill set is already so much higher than everyone else, I think he doesn't use a gun to even the score. If he was Eliot WITH a gun, can you imagine how easy it would be for him to destroy his enemies. And how much easier it would be to kill. Controlling the violence inside of him means that he doesn't kill easily or often. And he levels the playing field by letting bad guys use guns while he is *unarmed*. My take.

And for my questions:

1) What happened to Nate's hats? In S1 there were tons of great hats and not only for cons. This season he's had a couple specific ones for cons (I'm thinking Top Hat) but mostly...not. What's up there?

2)'Cause apparently I'm in a wardrobe kind of moment--Where are Eliot's glasses? I remember reading in one of these Post Games (no idea which one and too lazy to wade through the annals) that you said "Eliot needs them, Kane does not". So, did Eliot get Lasik? Contacts?

3)Will Sterling ever be the victim? I'd love to see them having to save his ass...even if Sterling still wins in the end.

Lastly, does it seem to anyone else that an awful lot of 12-year-olds watch this show?

Once again, I bow in gratitude and supplication at the feet of John Rogers. FTW!

wv: undra= "Cheers!" in Ukrainian

Rayhne said...

A question I forgot. How did Sterling find Nate and the team? Did he always know where they were?

Rayhne said...

3)Will Sterling ever be the victim? I'd love to see them having to save his ass...even if Sterling still wins in the end.

In all honesty, I'd love to see Sterling end up saving their asses .... :)

Anonymous said...

Re: Nate and Maggie: remember Nate's sermon in The Wedding Job? He was talking about himself and Sophie.

"When Adam looks at you, Maria," Nate says, staring straight at Sophie, "he knows that you’ve made him a better man…And now that he’s known you he could never go back."

That says it all.

Ryan said...

Awesome episode, I LOVED everyone's faith in Eliot.

Which leads to my two questions of a) will we ever see more of Eliot's back story? and b) will we ever see more of shirtless Eliot?

Anonymous said...

Oh, wow. Missed this episode due to my ever-so-inconvenient life, and had to pirate it off the Internet. (Sorry!) Awesome stuff!! Eliot being all smart and contributing without punching anyone! Maggie's lust for Nate! Tara being fierce! Sterling being a douche! Eliot crushing Sterling! Parker doting on Maggie! Okay, I'll stop. For questions:

1. When Parker grabbed the egg, where did she hide it? Her clutch didn't look big enough.

2. Can we get more smart!Eliot moments? I like them. Also, he hasn't cooked in awhile. Can we get some more of that action, too?

3. When are people in the show going to recognize that Eliot is Batman? Could Hardison pull a comic book reference at some point?

4. Did Eliot decide he liked the hair-beads from the Runway Job and just keep them?

5. When he pretended to be drunk, was Sterling intentionally copying Nate, or is that just a really easy act lots of insurance men can pull if necessary?

6. Could you explain the whole Zanzibar Marketplace a bit? Sophie's explanation was really quick, and I didn't quite understand how the bids worked. No zeros? How does the auctioneer tell the different between a $12 million bid and a $1.2 million bid? Do they just count on there not being that much variance?

7. Can we get Noa Tishby back up in here? I keep raving about her to my family members. I spotted her in an episode of "The Deep End" and totally flipped. Seriously, you should get that woman on your show as much as physically possible. If Eliot ever pulls a Sophie and disappears for a bit (secret government mission, personal justice vendetta, whatever) can Noa be his stand-in?

Anonymous said...

I'm still not very clear why the Nate kissing his ex and being jealous of her boyfriend bit was done in this episode. What was the point of that in general in terms of Nate character development? Did he get a closure of some kind?

Anonymous said...

Well, he didn't initiate the kiss.

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