In the twelfth episode of the third season of Leverage, Sophie takes charge of a con involving a smuggling ring and refugee children. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Leverage.
Goddamn, yet another fantastic episode, I’M A BROKEN RECORD. I’d actually forgotten about the Damien Moreau arc that was introduced in this season’s premiere until it was mentioned here. I don’t really have a problem with that; the past ten episodes between “The Jailhouse Job†and this one have been a joy to watch. Plus, it’s not like there’s no serialization here. “The Rashomon Job†relies on having seen a great deal of the show so that you understand how much the characters have changed.Â
I do admit that I prefer highly serialized shows over those that are not. I feel like there’s a higher chance for more engaging storytelling. That’s one of the reasons I’m so impressed by Leverage, though. I didn’t think I’d like an episodic show as much as have, given that I don’t watch too many of them. But Leverage is just so satisfying!!! Every episode, I’m taken on a thrill ride and I’m laughing and then A WAVE OF FEELINGS hits me and I’m ruined. This episode? I feel like it had everything in it. EVERYTHING.
This also works incredibly well after “The Rashomon Job†because it’s about morality and history. When little A’Yan is carted away by customs agents, unknowingly part of John Keller’s smuggling ring, it hits Eliot hard. It hits Sophie even harder. What I appreciated about the placement of this episode is that Sophie forces herself to confront an uncomfortable truth about her own past. We laughed at the glimpse of the past in the last episode, but here? Nope. Sophie isn’t certain that she didn’t take part in the same sort of brutality that Keller enables. What if she did? She can’t claim that she didn’t hurt anyone while stealing from the rich, and I’m glad that the show makes that distinction. So her behavior in “The King George Job†is a reaction to that. If she’s going to participate in all of this, she’s going to do so in a way that doesn’t harm other parties. She doesn’t want collateral damage.
I was also stoked that once Nate tried to be concerned about her emotional attachment to all of this, she quickly dismissed him, pointed out that he is also emotionally attached to the Damien Moreau case, and then EXPERTLY EXECUTED THIS CON ALL THE WAY TO THE END. She doesn’t fail; she deals with every twist and turn along the way, motivated by her desire to help A’Yan and stick it to Keller. THAT’S SO AWESOME. I’m glad that the show doesn’t sideline or diminish her passion because it’s “emotional.†EXCELLENT JOB.
Now, as far as all the stuff about British royalty, I can’t say I necessarily understood it all, nor can I verify that any of it is true. But that didn’t leave me feeling lost; I understood what Keller was after, and I understood what it was that Sophie was offering. Watching her disappear into this role as the Duchess Charlotte Prentiss was what really sold me on all of this, though. While the others certainly had significant roles in this (particularly Hardison, who HACKED HISTORY), this was Sophie’s show. Up until the end, she had Keller’s attention and his interest, and it was stunning to watch her manipulate him so expertly.
So it was thrilling to see how the writers chose to mix things up a bit. In the first scene with Keller, Nate nearly blows his cover, which I wasn’t expecting. And then, THE COUNTESS OF KENSINGTON. I think it’s one of the biggest shockers this show has ever given us, because THE COUNTESS ACTUALLY KNEW SOPHIE. At first, I thought that perhaps they were both grifters before, and Aunty knew to just assume a persona. NOPE. Is Sophie an actual princess??? Who is William??? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME, LEVERAGE? That scene… fuck, Gina Bellman handles it so beautifully. You see her panic. You see her sadness when she talks of William. You see her guilt. And all of it is just a mere glimpse of a life we may never, ever get to see.
It must mean that this persona isn’t so much of a character as it is her actual past. Part of me wants to know more; I don’t think that’s unreasonable to desire. I want to know what set Sophie on this path. I want to know why she gave up her life in Britain in order to rush about the world, stealing from the rich and powerful. At the same time, the mystery makes her such an intriguing character, and I like the idea that we’ll only ever get small details. We’ll never get a fuller portrait like we have for Parker or for Nate. That works for me because I like that Sophie’s story is about her making a new story for her life instead of relying on the old one. She wants to grow. She went away in season two to spend time with herself and figure out what she wants. What we’re seeing in this season is a reflection of that, you know?
It’s a delicate balance, I admit, but I like it. I like the mystery, and I also like the context. I was pleased with how this episode ended, given how terrifying and tense it was in the second half, because it’s another sign of how far these people are willing to go in order to help someone who desperately needs it. (Again, shout out to Hardison for what he pulled off. HACKING. HISTORY.) And that little girl needed their help badly. Does this mean we’re moving more definitively into the Moreau storyline??? Are they going after his next lieutenant???
The video for “The King George Job†can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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