Leverage
I DVR’d this initially because I expected it to suck really bad, in that special way a Timothy “I Won An Oscar, So I Just Won’t Even Try” Hutton project sometimes has of sucking.
It doesn’t suck at all; Hutton is quite good, I like Christian Kane, and Leverage‘s rogues’-gallery continuing-capers concept is one of my favorites in film and TV.Unfortunately, the characterization is consistently inconsistent, with traits we saw established in the pilot sacrificed for a not-funny-enough-to-merit-it punchline in the next episode, then brought back again later, sometimes in another character.Smith had that problem too, which is perhaps why nobody but me watched it: the pilot brings together a group of people who don’t trust one another, some of whom have emotional problems, but then partway through the second episode the audience is expected to buy into a familial bond among them for the sake of the show’s continuing premise.The plot of each episode is fantastical enough; let’s not strain every bond of writing credulity at once.
Also, Aldis Hodge is asked to do entirely too much Chris-Tucker-esque “say whaaaaaaat?” mugging.Isn’t the audience to assume that Hardison is the best at what he does?And shouldn’t that mean that Hardison should occasionally keep his cool?
It’s better than I’d expected; it’s probably not quite good enough to keep on the season-pass list.
Tags: Aldis Hodge Chris Tucker Christian Kane Timothy Hutton TV
My favorite new show! I had hoped for A-Team meets Mission Impossible, and I think it delivers something pretty close. I hope they leave all the personal angst behind and just let it be a caper/action show. Of course, since I like it, it’s sure to be cancelled any minute, so I’m just going to enjoy it while it lasts. I just hope they let the characters settle for a few more episodes before they pull the plug, because yeah, some consistency would be nice.
Thanks for the review, Sars. I’ve been considering checking this out, due to my continuing love for Christian Kane, but wasn’t sure if I wanted to put in the time. Now…enh, maybe I will, now that I don’t have My Own Worst Enemy to watch anymore (damn NBC anyhow…).
They had me at “Timothy Hutton” and, while I totes enjoyed Christian Kane in Angel, the third episode of this series was a showcase for how… annoyingly soulful and chick-magnetty the character’s been written. And, seriously, by episode four, the other members of the team seem to have slid into repetitive and trite, audience-appeally dreck, entirely consistent with Dean “Independence Day” Devlin’s back-catalog. That said, did I mention Tim Hutton? He’ll get me back for episode five.
The last segment of your very last sentence, Sars, will probably dictate.
Thanks for the heads up on this one, Sars. But I won’t be drawn in until they green light a whole second season. That’s right, I said it. The minute I start to like something it gets cancelled.
@bstewart23: I too am loving Mr. Hutton enough to stick around.
I was mildly hopeful when I saw the sneak peeks and so far I’m not annoyed enough to boot it. It’s funny that you mentioned the ‘Chris Tucker-ing’ of Aldis Hodge as we were discussing that after the 3rd episode. On the canceling it note, the non-networks are doing pretty short runs of their dramas so I think we will have time to like it. TNT has that show “trust me” coming on in January so I’m betting Leverage is like Saving Grace and it will just have 10 episodes or so and then take a break and come back later in the year if everyone likes it.
I’m enjoying it enough– I have had a lifelong crush on Timothy Hutton so that was enough to get me started, and knowing 3/4 of the team well enough to care about what they’re doing with their careers was a good incentive as well. I think you have to cut the show a break about the pilot vs. series business– it’s something I noticed when I watched MAD MEN all in one go last month. I almost gave up on it after watching the pilot because I felt like it was trying WAY too hard and people were having ridiculous conversations about really obvious things, but I realized (and I think this pilot fell into this as well) that the creators had to squeeze every option, every possibility for how the show was going to proceed so that the network would want to pick it up. Some of that stuff set up in the pilot will pop up later and some won’t, they were just giving themselves options. And I think characters are allowed to trust each other sometimes, like when things are going well, and still try to sell each other out later when the going gets tough. We’ll see.
Aww I’m completely smitten with this show. As long as I don’t think too much, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it. Of course, I could watch CB and TH read installation instructions for a dishwasher and be sighing contentedly. I was hoping for more of a ‘thinkin’ show, but they haven’t lost me yet. My husband consistently falls asleep in the first 10 minutes so maybe it’s completely a crush thing.
I do have to say I love D B Sweeney but the whole miracle story lost me. I definitely like the chemistry between the characters though. It may be unrealistic but i like the whole ‘pseudo-family’ dynamic, rushed though it may be.
Like I said…as long as I don’t think too much….
I’m actually enjoying it, much to my surprise.
The show’s creator, John Rogers, writes one of my favorite blogs – Kung Fu Monkey – and he’s written a number of posts about the show. His Leverage Production – Day 3 post has a couple of great anecdotes about Timothy Hutton NOT phoning it in.
(Rogers has some outstanding political posts, too, like I Miss Republicans and Lions Led by Donkeys – there’s a partial best-of from August 2006.)
I have yet to watch this show, but I thought it looked pretty good based on the trailers I was deluged with while watching my daily Law & Order reruns. I like Hutton more than most, and the fact that Gina Bellman, one of the stars of the absolutely hilarious original UK (and, really, the only true) version of “Coupling”, is on it had me even more interested. I might just have to give it a look now. Thanks for the review, Sars.
I really like this show, no matter how trite and unbelievable the storylines may be. I think it’s the cast and their chemistry that’s drawing me in–they seem to have a great time working together and are having fun. It’s not great, but seeing that I don’t watch anything else on Tuesday nights, I’m hooked. It’s staying on the season pass list for now.
Plus, Aldis Hodge is hot. I never noticed it when he was on Friday Night Lights, but that was probably because he was a thorn in my sweet Matt Saracen’s side the whole time.
FYI, apparently they’re running the episodes out of order– which explains some of the issues I’ve had. But overall it’s a fun show, and I’m enjoying it more than I expected to.
I watched the first two eps and bailed. I love me some caper flicks to an unreasonable degree, but this one just missed my mark and I couldn’t figure out why.
Then, I read the credits: Executive Producer Dean Devlin. Ah, so that’s what’s wrong here. Hutton’s got Devlin all over him. No kidding: that doesn’t wash off without scrubbing.
Devlin is responsible for the Matthew Broderick Godzilla. His hallmark is glossy, pretend-smart schlock. Check, check and check!
They’re airing the eps out of order, which I think is a big part of why the characterization is so inconsistent. If I can ignore that, I pretty much love everything about this show–okay, except Christian Kane’s hair. But the A-Team is my favorite TV show of all time, so I’m biased. :)
Gina Bellman also drew me in, not so much because of “Coupling” but because of her scary good (and just plain scary) performance in “Jekyll.”
I LOVE this show. Yeah, it’s lost a little steam since the pilot, which was damn good, but it’s still good enough to keep me coming back. Like Sars, I love this caper-style storytelling. Christian Kane is always gorgeous, Gina Bellman is very cool. My one gripe is with Parker. In the pilot she was scary in that “she could shoot you at any moment for no reason” sort of way, and now she’s just weird and tick-y. Beth Reisgraf is a very good actress and the writers are doing her a disservice. Otherwise, I can’t wait to see where TPTB take this show.
LTG: I hear you on the Bellman/”Jekyll” thing, but whatever the X factor that gets me worked up, Hutton IS the antidote, so I’m not into “Leverage”.
Is this a remake of the UK show “Hustle”?
It really benefited from timing — we are normally too busy to add another hour to our Tivo addiction, but right now there is nothing else on. Good call, TNT, and now we love the show.
ILOVE this show so far! It’s very Ocean’s 11-ish. I love how they show the ins and out of the plan after the fact. I’m not really digging Parker yet though. And, seriously, I adore Christian Kane so much. In fact, he is why I started watching. But…his hair is just plain a.w.f.u.l. He is so gorgeous that it’s nearly impossible to make him unattractive. Yet, somehow, the stylists on this show have managed it. His hair just bothers me so much. Not enough to stop watching or anything but, for the love of all that is good, give the boy a wash and a cut!!
None of the characters is bugging me, which surprised me. With Parker, I expected another “gorgeous blond smart-mouthed ass-kicker”, which has been done to death, and already done much better. No one is better than Buffy. But Parker *isn’t* supposed to be that, so she’s OK with me. I’m glad they’ve toned down the insane angle with her. I prefer that she’s just a little weird.
It’s annoying enough that TNT airs Law & Order reruns out of order. (Claire dies. Oh wait, there she is.) I don’t get the point of doing it with first run episodes. It can’t be easier, or is each episode just sitting in a pile somewhere, and the techs grab whatever is on top?
Beh! Whatever. I love the show, despite its flaws. Like a lot of the cable shows, the Case of the Week barely matters. I watch it for the characters. And, of course, Timothy Hutton.
I’m liking it. Maybe it’s because it’s been such a sucky tv season in general, but so far I’m in.
@ Siobhan yes it is. AMC has series 3 available On Demand.
I do not understand why networks run episodes out of order like this. Even if it’s a procedural like CSI, there’s still some character development that goes on. Hell, even L&O: Original Recipe gives you some of it, just through the cast changes and the inevitable “I don’t trust you. now I kinda trust you. now we’ve worked together enough that I trust you as much as I trust anyone”. Easiest way to screw up a good series for absolutely no real benefit.
I’m still liking the show, however. The capers are suitably twisty and so far they don’t seem to be doing too much deus ex machina nonsense. Hutton & Bellman are my favorite cast members so far and they have a nice chemistry. I especially like Hutton’s wry amusement at reigning in his band of Black Hats.
So, I am not sure if we are all watching the same show, and as I typically agree with what is on this site, there are several fatal errors in this show. And by several, I mean I was so annoyed, bored and frustrated with the show within the first 1/2 hour, that I stopped paying attention and only checked back in every now and again to once again be greeted by the horrors of stereotypical, Ocean’s 11 wanna-be’s that fail miserably at both acting and interecting. I hope you enjoy your brainless television, and I also hope that it gets cancelled.
Well, why don’t you get angry about it?
It’s a fantastic show. Wit, imagination, twists, turns. It’s great ensemble fun. The creators have set themselves a daunting task in keeping the capers sharp, the characterizations consistent and the dialogue snappy. Keeping that creative level up is like juggling torches while logrolling, but while they do it, I’ll be watching with delight.