I Watch TV: Leverage Redemption

 

Leverage: Redemption

Leverage: Redemption returns, with the crew dealing out vigilante justice in the form of heists and cons. Last season the Redemption spotlight turned this way and that but was mostly on Harry Wilson, former evil lawyer, trying to make amends. At the end he decided to set up as a good lawyer, using his knowledge of how bad guys operate to get wins for the little guy.

Sophie decides to bring him back for his legal knowledge for one job, as a consultant; inevitably he rejoins the crew full time. (On a couple of occasions cases begin when someone seeks legal help and so come to Wilson’s office). Harry spends a bit of time wondering if he wants to be a thief, or a lawyer, but that’s not really his story; he’s there to give Sophie perspective.

Sophie runs into several people from her past, who she… wronged. Or ran away from. Or framed. Or didn’t frame but allowed to take the blame. This puts her a bit off balance in some of the cons, meaning the others have to step up. This is the most ongoing story, taking in four of the thirteen episodes.

Also off balance in a few scenes is Parker, whose uber-hacker boyfriend Hardison makes a few appearances before having to go to space*. And Eliot has two episodes, one where an old army buddy’s death sparks the case, and another in his home town where he has to face his family. And Breanna too, as the new hacker, starts by clashing with Hardison, her brother, and later has to awkwardly match dating with con-ing (?) to the detriment of both. This all flirts more or less with the idea of redemption, or at least laying old ghosts to rest.

As for the con of the week, there’s a few high concept situations (an e-sports tournament, a secret society, a university plagiarism case, a pyramid scheme, a music industry assistant who walks directly in their way as they try and pull a job and notices bad things are going on etc). Also the crime-within-a-crime comes up, they take on polluters and smugglers, and even some asset stripping. Some of it is a little old-school, a second (or third) go at something they’ve done before, but on the other hand in reality new crimes are mostly old crimes updated so that’s fine.

Watch This: Fun, fast moving witty vigilante cons and heists
Don’t Watch This: The crimes are dark and real and this light-hearted silliness is no way to engage with them

 

* This entertainingly allows Aldis Hodge, playing Hardison, to facetime in from orbit, keeping a presence in the show despite a heavy acting schedule in other films and shows, one of which he references in the finale when he claims he’s missed at least three DC movies.