Leverage - 2x01-2x06

[sholio]

Am finally caught up on season two Leverage. General thoughts on the various episodes so far, with the caveat that I watched a couple of them back at the end of July, so I'm trying to make my brain reach that far back:

2x01, The Beantown Bailout Job - This was incredibly fun; I actually enjoyed it more than I enjoyed the previous season in general. Maybe just because it was fun to see the cast again? I'm still not super-fannish about this show, but it's awfully fun. Nice snappy dialogue and likable characters go a long way in my book!

2x02, The Tap-Out Job - This episode was so unmemorable that I had to refresh my memory on IMDB as to what, exactly, it had been about. Not one of my favorites. I also was bothered by the city characters' (and the writers') generally supercilious attitude towards the rural locals. Not that this never happens on TV (actually one of my favorite things about the first couple of seasons of SPN is that it wasn't like that), but it bugged me. Just generally underwhelmed all the way around by this one. Though they are making me like Elliot, as a character rather than just occasional comic relief, which really surprises me (but in a good way). And the banter continues to be fun.

2x03, The Order 23 Job - Easily one of my favorites this year. For the most part I'm kind of "meh" about the general concepts of their cons, but this one was hilarious, and I loved watching them put it all together.

2x04, The Fairy Godparents Job - There were a lot of LOL bits in this episode, but I really had trouble getting past my discomfort at watching them con a bunch of kids. I tend to feel kind of sorry for the innocent bystanders in general in this series, but especially here, because I hated the way they were messing around with the other kids' self-esteem while trying to "fix" whats-his-name. Especially the over-achiever little girl ... I know we were probably supposed to find her obnoxious, but I sort of identified with her (sad to say, I think I was that kid in school...) and it didn't seem fair that she was trying so hard and constantly getting passed over in favor of the soppy one who wasn't trying at all.

2x05, The Three Days of the Hunter Job - OMG, I loved this episode to bits! My other favorite of the season. I love seeing them have to improvise when their cons start going wrong; I much prefer that to the "but wait, we had it under control all along!" endings. And I adored Hardison's reaction to being caught by the military because it is about damn time the show textually acknowledged that he's going to face some risks the others don't.

2x06, The Top Hat Job - This one had some really fun parts, but I couldn't quite buy it ... even less so than most of their cons, I mean. There were too many parts that made me go "... but that wouldn't work!" -- I can overlook a few of those (actually, with this show, you pretty much have to) but this was just a perfect storm of implausibility, and the fun/silly wasn't enough to make up for it. Also, here we go with the Nate-angsting again!

By the way, am I the only one who starts giggling hysterically when they flash the words "Mastermind" over Nate's picture on the theme song? I always want to put little quote marks around it.

Comments

[wildcat88.livejournal.com]

I just love this show. I'm not fangirly (though finding out Christian Kane can sing and is from Dallas almost put me over the edge), but I find it hilarious and completely entertaining. Sometimes I roll my eyes at the antics (like the CEO in the magic box) but the sense of team is beginning to make itself known.

Elliot is easily my favorite character with Hardison ranking a close second, and I found his passionate reasoning for being impressed with the fighters in the second ep made me rethink my position on it. I really like guys with control issues. :D

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

Elliot is growing on me slowly. I fell for Parker and Hardison right away, but it's only this season that I've begun to really enjoy Elliot in his own right, rather than liking him as a foil for the other two. And yeah, they're starting to come together as a team; I feel like they gel as a group a lot better this season than they did last season overall. They always had their moments, but it feels like the actors have gotten really comfortable in their roles and the writers have really gotten into writing the back-and-forth between them all. (Also, the way they just moved in with Nate and STAYED, while he was trying to have his Gloomy Batcave of Gloom, really cracks me up.)

[livrelibre.livejournal.com]

I am still just enjoying this show so much:) And once I throw out plausibility in some cases and focus on the banter and byplay, I love it even more. Team!

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

It's really a lot of fun! I'm still having a bit of trouble getting past the implausibility (it's a comedy, dammit; I need to just look at it that way), but I definitely look forward to getting new episodes. :)

[flingslass.livejournal.com]

I love Leverage! It reminds me of The A-Team. Totally implausible but hilarious with heaps of teamy goodness. I love each character for their indivual idosyncracies (did I just use that word? Better still, did I spell it correctlly :D). I like that they are keeping it to a smaller season and keeping us wanting more :D

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

I think you're right on with the comparison to the A-Team (a show that I never really enjoyed all that much - a little *too* implausible for me - but my sister loves it so I've heard a lot about it!).