Leverage

Leverage is just a flat out fun show. Is is realistic? Of course not. But it's an entertaining show where every episode is smartly written and acted with lots of twists and surprises. Each episode is about this group of former criminals who come up with a con to steal from the rich and help out the needy. It has a very Oceans Eleven feel to it. As you can see by reading through the reviews it's a show where most people who saw it had fun watching it. Obviously people liked it because they brought it back for a reboot with the original cast almost a decade after it went off the air (except Noah Wyle replaces Timothy Hutton bc of Huttons legal problems)!

Leverage is such an underrated show. The series is about some reformed criminals who put their unique skills to good use by helping regular citizens against big companies of both corporate and government that take advantage of those regular citizens. The come up with elaborate scams targeted against these greedy corrupt people and help the victims get justice. I love how at the end of each episode they do the flashbacks at everything we missed to make the plan come together and be successful. It's the same thing as the Oceans movies did. If you're looking for a fun show to waste a little time with then give Leverage a chance.

Finally there is a show that combines all the charm and intelligence of the Ocean's 11 franchise with the uniquely memorable personalities of the A-Team. Watching the pilot episode of Leverage was really a treat. It's been a long time since I've seen a show at the end of which I found myself truly satisfied.

There is a depth to Nathan Ford's plans that constantly leaves you guessing what will come next which makes every episode so much more than just the two-dimensional plot-lines that we have come to expect with even the "deepest" of today's shows. And the individual members of his team are every bit as interesting. The combination of an arrogant, sociopath of a combat expert, a psychopathic thief, a brilliant improv actress and a savvy tech genius come together to give us a TV family that we can actually get behind.

The concept of a Robin Hood-esquire plot-line seems almost to be grossly overdone in today's culture, but by accomplishing it through the use of some truly colorful anti-heroes, who truly are in it just for the money, we end up with some great House-Like characters. It's never the client who is truly important, they're just the justification.

In short, Leverage is a truly refreshing experience that should attract fans of a number of different prior franchises. The acting is superb, as is the writing. All these factors combine to make a show that is truly original and a joy to watch.

After catching the first few episodes of TNT's new series "Leverage" I can honestly say that I'm hooked on the adventures of Nathan Ford (Timothy Hutton) and company.

The series involves Mr. Ford, formerly an insurance investigator, and his crew of felonious recruits: Alec Hardison (Aldis Hodge), a very technologically savvy cyber-criminal. Eliot Spencer (Christian Kane), the muscle man with sincere martial arts training and speed that would make Jet Li envious. Parker (Beth Riesgraf), an expert cat burglar and thief. And Sophie Devereaux (Gina Bellman), a charismatic con-artist with aspirations to the acting world.

I believe Nathan Ford says it best, "I am an honest man leading a team of criminals." And I find that premise to be truly entertaining with Timothy Hutton at the helm.

Each episode Nathan Ford and his team are hired by individuals looking for their own brand of justice. Ford and company provide the means to an end, focusing on gathering a form of leverage to force the villains to pay their due.

All in all, it's a series I would recommend for those who like a bit of comedy with their justice. Or at least comedy with their criminal activity.

"Leverage" is an entertaining, fun show. The cast is stellar, the writing snappy, and the characters are likable. It's nice to see a show that doesn't focus too heavily on the "dark side" of everything and can exist without a message.

That's not to say that there aren't poignant moments. (Nate in "The Snow Job" and Parker in "The Stork Job" are particularly memorable.) But they aren't in the majority. Although not every episode is brilliant, none have failed yet to make me laugh at least once.

The show follows a group of thieves who take on corporate villains who have too much power for their victims to defend themselves under normal means. Timely? Oh, yeah.

Timothy Hutton is the much-advertised Oscar-winning face of the team's leader, ex-insurance investigator Nathan Ford. At first, I was incredibly underwhelmed by Hutton's performance. After a few episodes, however, I started to think that maybe he was deliberately underacting (while the others are overacting) to contrast Nate's "honest man" to the thieves who make up the rest of the cast.

Gina Bellman plays a sympathetic Sophie Deveraux. Sophie is the team's "grifter" who moonlights as an actress. How well does that go? As Nate puts it, "she can act... when it's an act." Although she's hilarious, Bellman isn't the funniest of the cast by any means. Christian Kane, the badass Texan you might remember from "Angel," is even tougher, funnier, and angrier as the team's strangely likable fighter Eliot Spencer. Beth Riesgraf contrasts his deadpan humor perfectly as Parker, the crazy but lovable money-obsessed thief. And Aldis Hodge is hilarious, playing the cool geek of their techie, Alec Hardison.

The group has their conflicts, and in the first season, it looks like their biggest problem might be staying together. But the quirkiness and bickering creates a team of misfits that will have you rooting for them from the beginning.

"Leverage" is a good, escapist show where everything is sexy and exciting and the good guys always win. I can see this show becoming a cult hit, or I can see it failing after only a few seasons. Either way, if nothing else, it's fun!