15 Reasons to Watch Leverage

Because this show is my jam and it's very widely under-appreciated.  As in, it seems like nobody knows about it.  And that's just SAD, dontcha know :P  Also, seeing as it's Fathers' Day, and my dad likes to watch this with me sometimes, it seemed like a very appropriate time to do this post that I'd been planning for a while :)  So, without further ado and in no particular order, I give you fifteen little reasons to watch the TV show Leverage!  *confetti and general fanfare*


#1.  It's a modern-day Robin Hood.  Yep.  Nate is a wannabe Robin Hood (he's actually called that in the show), and the rest are basically the Merry Men.  Er, Men and Women.  'Cause, you know, there are also two girls on the team.  

#2.  Sophie Devereaux  She is, like the above collage indicates, the heart of the organization.  She's a grifter, so her job is to put on an act, yet her real theatric dreams are slow-coming because, unless it's part of a con, she can't act worth anything.  It's cute :)  Without Sophie's grasp of human nature and gentling presence, the team would be a slightly dysfunctional mess.  Her mentorship of Parker in particular is so adorable, as is Parker's helplessness and reliance on her:  "I will not be fine!  I stabbed that guy with a fork!"  Sophie is a mom figure to the younger three, and she keeps Nate's head above water when he's sinking.  She really anchors the team, probably because she's basically the only one, at the beginning at least, who actually knows how to interact with other people on a normal level.  (I think the cheesiness of the show is rubbing off on me.)  


#3.  Speaking of the cheesiness…  It's so gloriously cheesy!  Seriously.  I mean, parts of it are meant to be silly, and parts of it aim for (and achieve) legitimate feels, but other parts are just too overdone.  To steal borrow a phrase, "Do I care?  Heck no."  Most of the cheesiness is Nate's fault, anyway, and Nate is my least favorite character, so it doesn't really bother me.

#4.  The bromance between Elliot and Hardison.  Honestly, the dynamic between Elliot and Hardison.  They drive each other absolutely berserk, yet you can tell that they really do (grudgingly) care about each other.  They basically become true brothers by the end *beams proudly at them*  


#5.  The last episode.  LIKE.  WUUUUUUT.  

#6.  Despite how corny and overdone it can be at times, there are also moments of surprisingly real, emotional drama.  In my opinion, at least.  I mean, from the very beginning, you've got Nate struggling with the death of his son, which could have been prevented.  Other than that, there's the bio-terrorism episode when Elliot, Parker and Hardison are on their own, the job when every fan ever is freaking out for the entirety of the episode Hardison gets buried alive for a bit, the time when the team didn't get there in time to save that mountain climber, and the time when Nate is calling Sophie and is losing it completely, right before the S2 finale, when she was still on her sabbatical and he couldn't take it anymore.  And that's just a start.  

#7.  Nate Ford.  Yeah, he bothers me (probably because he's kind of a self-satisfied know-it-all at times), but he's a good scout for the most part.  His heart is more or less in the right place, as it were.


#8.  Parker.  Parker is bae.  She's probably my favorite :)  I've talked more about her in this post, if you're interested. 

#9.  Alec Hardison.  Age o' the geek, baby; stay strong ;-P  Hardison is my second favorite, I believe.  He's hilarious.  And sweet.  And I wuvs him.  

#10.  PARDISON.  MAH BABIES.  Oh, how I love these two.  


#11.  For the type of show it is, it's fairly clean.  It's definitely got regular amounts of relatively mild language (for instance, I don't think I ever ran into the s-word or the f-word, or the gd-word, though I could have missed something).  And though, sadly, there are the beginnings of some scenes between Nate and Sophie in the later seasons, they never become graphic and they are relatively few and far between.  Oh, and spoiler alert, nobody ever dies in this show.  (Well, that's not strictly true.  But it's rare.)  Blood and gore are also virtually nonexistent.  

#12.  The plot is pretty basic and repetitive, but on the flip side, that leaves a lot of room for character development.  You get to know these five eccentrics, people.  You get to know their strengths and weaknesses, their humorous quirks and their pet peeves, how they alienate people and how they love them.  You can watch them grow, the precious little bundles of crazy.  


#13.  It's funny.  Have I emphasized that enough?  Each character has their own signature brand of humor, because they're all ever-so-slightly dysfunctional, and it's really darn amusing.  

#14.  Elliot Spencer.  He's got the most proverbial blood on his hands, due to his past, and that's something that he struggles with throughout the whole show.  He worked for some sick people and did some sick things, and he's fighting every day to redeem himself from that.  Plus, how he adores kids but tries not to let anybody know about it is SO STINKING ADORABLE.  



#15.  It's just a dang fine show, flaws and all.  It involves five main characters, with some secondaries weaving in and out, and like I said before, they truly become real people to you.  It's got humor, it's got heart, it's got laughs, it's got tears, and bottom line?  I think you should watch it…especially with your dad ;)


So, have I persuaded you to give this show a try yet? ;D  
What would you all say to another "15 Reasons to Watch" post for something else sometime?






Comments

  1. *sees title* yesssssss
    I have a tolerate/really like relationship with Sophie but she does really bring the team together!
    Eliot and Hardison are sooooo awesome together and yes that finale was cray cray!
    Hardison's burial episode was sooooo just no can we not.....
    I don't really like Nate but I appreciate his role on the team.
    PARDISON!!! Man, I'm just fangirling my way through this post cuz I just watched a few episodes I somehow missed the first time around?!
    I like the plot repetitiveness because then you know kinda what to expect. It's interesting to see all the cool plans but they all have a good base!
    Eliot and kids oh my gosh I could watch it all day! It's even more adorable than Macgyver and kids!
    Yes! More 15 reasons posts!!!!!

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    1. *high five* Same here, Ashley! Sophie's not my absolute favorite, but I do love her :)

      YES. THE FINALE EPISODE. I CAN ONLY SPEAK OF IT IN CAPS.

      Ugggghhhhh, I know!! Like just what no. (I mean, I love it. Obviously. It initiates Pardison feels; I must love it. But it's PAINFUL.)

      Yeah. He bugs me, but he has his good moments.

      Ooh, isn't that the best?! I recently discovered that there are a couple episodes I haven't watched, either--like one where Elliot and Hardison are singing duets in the car?? I MUST NEEDS WATCH. Haha ;) Which were the episodes that you had missed?

      EXACTLY!! You know what to expect, and you know that the filmmakers aren't going to rip your heart out for the sheer sadistic fun of it, unlike SOME shows I could mention...ahem. Like you said, each episode is different, but with the same groundwork.

      I know, right?!?! Ooh, I haven't seen MacGyver yet, but I've heard it's good! Would you recommend it?

      Awesome, thanks! I'm SOOOO glad you read and enjoyed the post so much; it's awesome to have people with whom to geek out over this show!! :D Have a great rest of your day/night!

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    2. The Eliot/Hardison duet is THE BEST. Two cool guys, behind the wheel, chasing down bad guys in Lucille! YESSSSS Somehow I hadn't seen the episode where Parker stabs a guy with a fork so I was always a little confused by those jokes but I get it now!!!!!! And the one where they make a miracle. Both very good episodes!

      MacGyver is great if you like action/adventure. It's not as funny as Leverage and it doesn't have that same foundation for each episode but Macgyver's a great guy and if you like all his MacGyverisms check it out! Have a great rest of the week!!1

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    3. I can't wait to see iiiiiiitttttt, my word :D And oh! The stabbing episode! It's so awesome xD

      Cooleo--maybe I'll check it out some time! :) You too, have a wonderful Sunday!

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  2. Yesssss! You make me want to rewatch it! :)

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    1. Rewatching Leverage is always a good idea ;)

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  3. My mom and I are going to start watching this!

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    1. YAYSIES! I mean, like I've said, some of it is exTREMEly cheesy. So take it with a grain of salt, as it were ;D

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  4. I've never seen this show, but this post was quite interesting. (And that gif of Parker and Hardison made me smile. The way she forces her arm back around his shoulder and gives him that disgusted look. Haha. :))

    That's so cool that you watch this show with your dad. :) And yes, more "Fifteen reasons to watch" posts would be awesome!!

    ~Miss March

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    1. Thanks! Haha, I knoooooow <3

      Yeah :) And yay! I'm glad you like the idea of the post!

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  5. I want to rewatch it. This TV show is MAGIC. All of the characters have something about them that makes me love them (though my favorites are Parker and Hardison).

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    1. SAME, GURL. SAME.

      I was anticipating your comment :D

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  6. You should totally do more of these posts--I really love hearing all the reasons why people love particular shows/movies :-)

    I know this sounds like a silly question . . . but what do these people DO? That is, why are they all on a team together, and what's their object as a team? (I'm just curious, since they sound like cool people ;-) )

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    1. Ooh, yay! I think I will, I had fun with this idea ;)

      Hehe, yeah...I knew I should probably explain what they actually do in the post...ah, well. Basically, they help innocent citizens who have been manipulated and wronged by the rich/criminals/whoever had power over them and either stole from them or hurt them or framed them for a crime or killed a loved one. The team does this by utilizing methods "of...questionable legality," to quote National Treasure :D

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  7. I think you should know that I just went and watched a bunch of Leverage clips on YouTube and enjoyed them all very, very much :-)

    So far, I find Nate and Sophie quite annoying, but I LOVE ELIOT AND HARDISON AND PARKER SO SO SO MUCH. They are all my adorable babies and I must see more of them. Pronto.

    (I have to admit, though, I'm shipping Parker with Eliot a lot more than with Hardison. Cause . . . well, I don't know why. I just do stuff like that :-) )

    Also, I bet you've seen this fanvid already, but if you haven't I bet you'd like it:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8E_WH08wVT8
    I clicked on it because I LOVE the song "I Lived" and I thought it really fit :-)

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    1. GAAAAAHHHH THESE HAPPIES.

      Yes, I agree. Quite so. ;)

      (As a matter of fact, I also used to ship Parker with Elliot. Rather passionately, actually, and I continued to do so through the whole first two seasons. Then gradually I changed my mind. But I still think, though I'm diehard Team Pardison now, that Parker and Elliot would be cute, too ;D)

      AAAAAAAAAAAHHHH! I hadn't watched that fanvid, and OH MY FEEEEEEEEEEELLLLSSSSSSS!!! Thank you so much. I needed that ;D

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    2. I'm alllllllllllmost done with Season 5 (1 more episode to go) . . . and Parker + Eliot is rapidly becoming my OTP. Like, seriously. I LOVE THEM BOTH SO MUCH AND I SHIP THEM SO SO SO HARD. Soary, Team Pardison, I can't help it :-)

      YES IS IT NOT THE MOST PERFECT THING EVER. I already was a huge fan of that song "I Lived," and seeing it together with all the Parker, Eliot, and Hardison clips . . . like, WOW. That's one of the best things about the show, I think--those three and the friendships they develop.

      Do you have a favorite episode? So far (out of seasons 1, 3, and 5, which is all that's on YouTube), I like best the bioterrorism episode, the episode with the cooking school, and the last two episodes of Season 3 (about Damien Moreau).

      That moment in the cooking-school story where Eliot was telling Parker, "This is my art," to try to show her how to access her dormant feelings again . . . I kind of melted in a puddle of feelings. It was almost too much. BUT IT WAS SO COOL.

      So yeah. Basically. Leverage is awesome and I am officially obsessed with it. THANK YOU. :-)

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    3. Whoa, you're about to watch the series finale? Hehe. Good luck and have fun ;D Parker + Elliot would be adorable, I admit. Oh, and Jessica, I just re-watched the episode (part of it was in the music video) when Elliot buys flowers for Sophie and Parker but lets Nate and Hardison take the credit--IT'S TOO STINKING SWEET I CAN'T.

      Yes, yes indeedy.

      Ooh, yikes…a favorite episode…well, I love the "Grave Danger Job" (which is in S4, I think), and the bioterrorism episode is really cool. I do like the finale a lot…I can't decide! There are so many awesome ones :D

      I knoooooooooooooooow, the wee babies <3 <3 That episode is really cool, too.

      ACK YES MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. I can't tell you how thrilled I am that you and Rosie are now Leverage people with me :D

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  8. Well, I must admit, I'm more eager to watch this show than before I read your post. ;D Frankly, I am going through 4 TV shows at the moment (two are MOVIE ones - the other two are "The Voice and "House Rules" (like a renovation show)) so I don't really have time right now to watch this... but it DOES look like something I'd like. :) (And another Robin Hood type movie? I've seen ssooo many of them. :P)

    I loved the way you wrote this, so yes, I'd definitely like it if you wrote another "15 reasons to watch"!! :D

    ~Miss Meg

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    1. Haha! I'm glad of that :) (Ooh, I don't think I've heard of House Rules…though I do enjoy renovation shows.) And I so get not having time to dive into a new tv show at the moment--just put it in your pocket and save it for a rainy day ;D

      Awesome, thanks!!

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  9. I've never heard of this before. I should check it out. :P

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  10. I think this show is too stinkin' cute and I own the first two seasons now, mostly thanks to you! Good job.

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  11. You've persuaded me. I want to watch it. Now I just have to FIND it and we'll be getting somewhere....;-P

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    1. YAY!!!! I think you'll like it, despite its quirks/flaws. After all, it has young Hub McCann, so...

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  12. This is so funny because my brother actually just convinced me to watch the first episode with him!:) I have to admit, I wasn't really expecting to like it but I actually did!

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    1. That's so cool!! I'm thrilled your brother talked you into it ;D

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  13. I just wanted to tell you that after reading this I've started watching episodes and I LOVE THIS SHOW :) Elliot is of course (is that of course? it is to me) my all time favorite, but I also like Parker and Hardison. I find Sophie amusing at times with her acting alllll those different characters but at the same time she DRIVES ME INSANE with her selfishness and general I-Am-Better-Than-You attitude. Did you feel that way about her? Nate . . . don't get me started. Suffice to say that other than a grudging admiration of his intellect, I hate his guts :)

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    1. ISN'T IT DARLING?!?!?! I'm soooo glad you and Jessica have started it and are enjoying it, Rosie :D Those three are definitely my favorites, yes ;) Sophie…I like Sophie. I can't remember if I felt that particular way about her--maybe in the first few seasons, but I did certainly grow to love her :) Nate is my least favorite, indubitably. But he has his moments, I suppose ;D

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    2. Oh yes DARLING is the word for it. What is it that you like about Sophie? Because frankly I find it hard to appreciate any good that may be in her, seeing as she is such a controlling person. I'm sure there is good, but could you maybe point it out? :P

      Yes, Nate does have his moments, though a lot of the time his a total jerk. I could go stronger and quote Elliot, but that wouldn't quite be proper for the comment section of such a nice blog :D Still he is an INTJ like me, and as such I follow his thought processes really well.

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    3. ROSIE. YOUR PROFILE PICTURE! How happy it makes me :D

      Hmm, what is it that I like about Sophie…well, in the first place, I don't think I would say that she has that much of a superior attitude (though I have been known to miss such things, I'm sure). I think the thing is that she is the most socially apt member of the team, and one of the things I like about her feeds off of that--she actually cares about people, in my opinion. Now, it's not like the rest of the team don't, but Sophie (and Elliot, I think) takes the time to recognize and validate other people's feelings and circumstances. So I like that about her :) As to the other things, I guess it's just a general liking of her--I think she's a pretty cute, sweet character overall :) (The accent probably helps.)

      Mhmm. I agree. Haha! Why, Rosie McCann, who would've thought that the star of the County Down would turn out to have such a wild tongue? ;D Oh, he is?! That's so cool! Have you and Jessica MBTI-d any of the other team members? Because I think it's really cool when you guys do that :)

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    4. I hope you don't mind if I answer the last question ;-)

      So, basically, a MBTI blog that I followed typed Nate as INTJ, Sophie as ENFJ, and Parker as ESFP; and I concur with all three of those typings. Now, as for Hardison and Eliot: I'm almost 100% sure that Hardison is an ENTP. Eliot is a bit harder to figure out, but my best guess is that he's an ISFP.

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    5. Hahaha! Nate is an INTJ? NO WONDER I like him! My hubby is an INTJ too, and I regularly find them fascinating.

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    6. He absolutely is--he's a bit of an unhealthy INTJ (with his addiction and control issues and all that), but an INTJ nevertheless.

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    7. Nice! Now I'll have to go look up the descriptions of all of those types--they're all quite different, that's for sure.

      "My hubby is an INTJ too, and I regularly find them fascinating." That made me smile, Hamlette xD

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    8. And the rest of the time, I find them dull as tombs. They can be such an interesting mixture of, "I've got an elaborate plan and here's exactly what you need to do" and "Now I have to talk for twenty minutes straight about some tiny thing that you have absolutely no interest in, but you should."

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  14. Tagged you for The Simple Questions Tag : )

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  15. Discovers this like four years later... but I still feel the need to put my two sense (cents?) in. I've been a long time fan of Leverage, and as an English major, I spend a lot of time analyzing the things I like. I read through the 15 reasons for watching Leverage, and I never really realized how clean this show really is. They do get shot, and Eliot's catchphrase is "dammit Hardison" but they don't go out of their way to make things graphic or explicit. Another reason to love it. I also went thorough the comments about the character of Sophie, and I'm glad I'm not the only one that is frustrated by her. I think she exists to keep the team together, but she is heavily lacking in character development. The producers/writers poured all of their effort into Parker, Eliot, and Nate, and left Sophie and Hardison hanging. I am not a huge fan of her, but I don't hate her in the way a lot of people seem to. As for Nate, he seems to be the crusade for the entire show, and you're not supposed to like him. I write into this world a lot, and he's always the one that gets them in trouble. Yeah.

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    1. Love this! Thanks for contributing.

      I really don't mind Sophie?? As a general rule, that is: I think she loves people and wants to help them, and I think she's decently good at it. <3 Neither she nor Hardison strike me as terribly underdeveloped; obviously, they're not developed as MUCH as the other three, but I think we do get some quality "insights" into both of them.

      Huh, that's a really interesting thought about how we're not SUPPOSED to like Nate. I'll have to mull over that. ;)

      Thanks for commenting!

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