13 reasons that Leverage is the bestthingever :: PICSPAM.
Reason 1: Characterization is freaking spot on.
[Insert character here] is well-developed, rounded, dynamic and pretty freaking awesome. The writing is just phenomenal, really - so much stuff to work with.
Each of them have solid back stories that play into how they interact with each other, and each one brings a different element to the table. Because of that, all together? You have an OT5 of awesome.
And furthermore - there’s angst to work with, for sure, but it’s not overdone (cough, The CW, cough). Therefore, it’s pretty much left open to the viewer - or fic writer - to pick and choose. Pretty freaking awesome.
Reason 2: Crazy wild shipping possibilities!
For serious - whatever you fancy, there’s a plausible ship for it. You think I’m lying?
Yeah, I’m not. (I could go on, but really now.)
Reason 3: Everyone’s just a liiiiittle bit crazy.
They’re all criminals, right? So of course they’re all freaking lunatics. It’s kind of awesome.
NATE’S IN YOUR CAR, SMASHING YOUR WINDOWS!
Reason 4: Crazysauce DISGUISES!
Every con needs a good waiter/stewardess/repairman/FBI agent disguise element to it. And believe me, these mofos freaking own the whole covert infiltration thing.
Of course, it’s mostly Sophie who gets the good ones (and the good accents. Which would be another reason, but alas, I know not how to cap her atrocious Staten Island inflection) but everyone else gets to have some fun now and then too. My favorite? Eliot as a German/Swiss (it’s not clear) skiing lothario.
Word.
Reason 5: Hi-tech geekery.
They also need schematics. And blueprints, and computers and fancy cell phones that can crash the world’s financial markets and stuff.
The stuff they do (well, that Hardison does) is enough to give you Cybernet paranoia. But it’s worth it. Kinda.
Reason 6: FLASHBACKS.
OF COURSE we need flashbacks. Every good drama needs them. Only we get fun ones. About Eliot’s legendary badassery and Parker’s damaged childhood. (Even funner: each Parker flashback has a different child actress portraying her. I choose to believe that this is because Parker is a fucking bad ass and can change her appearance at will. Like Tonks.)
Also: Hardison has a serious Sci-Fi kink. I like it.
But really, most of the flashbacks are utilized in a fun, light way, which is super refreshing. Of course, there are the Nate flashbacks of his dying son, which are, you know. Not fun. But besides that, it’s usually just Eliot being cool and the bad guys getting screwed over. That’s fun.
Reason 7: Serious Issues.
Guns! Illegally selling orphans! Gangs! Sex toys! These are Serious Issues, guys. You need to pay attention.
Reason 8: Eliot’s COWBOY HAIR OF DOOM.
Oh God, you just don’t even know. Eliot’s hair. It’s - it’s a force of its own. It's Lindsey McDonald - WITH HAIR OF DOOM.
It charms. It seduces. It compliments his serious!face perfectly.
It KICKS BAD GUY ASS IN AIRPLANE BATHROOMS.
It…I don’t know what it’s doing here. But I’m not even kidding, these creepy ponytails are things of magic. If you cut it off his head, he might melt. (And you haven’t even seen the bandanna look. Wow.)
And WHOA LOOK OUT. IT’S BEATING DOWN A METH HEAD.
Reason 9: Kick ass guest stars.
Lots of ‘em! Everywhere! Every episode!
I can’t even count how many awesome people I have here. (That’s a lie. I have 13 caps for this reason. In case you were wondering.)
Why yes, that is Holland Manners and Jonathan Levinson. IN THE SAME EPISODE, WHAT UP. (I’m holding out for Nathan Fillion to come on and play an evil-yet-inept drug dealer. Who wears Hawaiian shirts and gets his ass kicked by Eliot’s hair. Dream episode of awesome.)
Reason 10: Pretty people with crazy-cool clothes.
Not gonna lie, I am really grooving on Sophie’s entire wardrobe. Also Parker’s funky little thief hats. And Nate’s cowboy hat which is technically a disguise and thus could qualify for Reason 4, but he works it so it totally counts.
And the scarves! Hardison’s crazy scarves drive me crazy. And Sophie’s fake glasses. I love it.
Reason 11: It’s like Ocean’s Eleven - only more violent!
It really is. The cons aren’t always that rock solid, and more often than not they end up improvising, but that’s half the fun, anyway. And there’s fighting. And explosions. And guns and orphans and etc. (See Reason 7.)
Reason 12: Timothy Hutton’s mad style.
Timothy Hutton is a pretty damn good reason to watch anything (see: Last Holiday) but he’s in top form here, I promise. TOP FORM.
He’s a bad ass. And pretty much the most intriguing, complex and well-rounded character on the show. Totally worth the time and more.
AND FINALLY.
Reason 13: They’re all a bunch of fucking badasses.
They really are. Each one has a Chuck Norris-esque quality to them that adds this really cool, quirky feeling to the show. Eliot liberated Croatia, and Hardison has scammed every major government agency from here to Hong Kong. Sophie cons the hell out of everybody, and Parker - well, she stabs people with forks. As seen above. (And quite possibly blew up her foster home at a very young age.)
Separate or together, these characters are memorable and just really fun to watch. Perfect for fic writing, or graphics (they’re all quite pretty. As you can see) or vidding - whatever your fancy. It’s quite simply, brilliant.
<3 Watch. The new season will premiere this summer on TNT - you won’t regret it. Swear.