Leverage 107-110

Leverage is so much better when Nate isn't drinking. I really don't understand why they had to do this arc, his alcoholism. I think it was unnecessary and it turned some people off. At least for me, it was a big reason to stop watching the show the first time around. When Nate doesn't drink - like in eps 107-110 - the show flows so much better. Yes, the characters still have their issues but they are not jerks. The same goes for Sophie and her incessant whining about how Nate doesn't appreciate her enough.

I liked that 107 was Eliot centric and 109 & 110 Parker centric. Or Parker and Hardison centric. We found out so much about them in these eps. It was wonderful. I think Nate has been grooming Hardison to become something more, to be more than the resident nerd, he has been guiding his growth. And it's wonderful. It feels like a... father & son relationship.

TV Show Tidbits

So, apparently, the CW is planning a Supernatural spin-off: link. A new character will be introduced around ep 20 this season and then spun off. Hm. Honestly? By now, I'm not sure I care. I guess it will depend on the character. I thought I wouldn't like Benny and I ended up loving him, so...

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Person of Interest made Amy Acker's Root a regular: link. I still haven't seen S2, so I can't really say if I consider this a good idea or not, but I'm not sure I like how they are bloating the cast.

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I have never been a big fan of Agent Coulson in Marvel's movies, but I think that might change once Agents of SHIELD airs. I like what I've read about his mysterious resurrection so far: link.

Leverage 111-113

The less said about 111, the better. Nate was a drunk dick, Sophie was a whiny nag. I ffwded through all their scenes and watched only Eliot, Parker and Hardison who were glorious, of course - like in the last scene. At least Aldis Hodge got to really spread his acting wings in this one.

112 and 113... everything up to the last con? Eh. How could Sophie do that? Her con soured the character even more for me. As Nate told her, you don't con your own team. Like, really? Really, Sophie? But the last con, the one that rested on Sterling being a "self-serving, utter bastard" was glorious!

Speaking of Sterling, Mark A. Sheppard? A revelation, really. He's simply perfect, in all his roles. His Sterling is the perfect foil for Nate and his team, smart enough to be a danger to them but not really... vindictive. He just wants to win. Though you could see that he hated their - his and Nate's - old boss too, his expression when the old guy made fun of Nate's loss... Yeah.

And I'm done with S1!