In the fourteenth episode of the third season of Leverage, this is just magical. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Leverage.
It’s too beautiful. I’m stoked by how cheesy and exuberantly joyous “The Ho Ho Ho Job†is because it fits perfectly within Leverage’s oeuvre. It’s about the powerless getting help; it’s about this team coming to depend on one another; it’s about injecting fun and silliness into an action genre that often takes itself too seriously.Â
All of that is here in this glorious Christmas episode. LET’S DISCUSS.
Parker
I have to talk about her first because no one steals the show more than she does. I adore that she loves Christmas without shame. You often see stories involving people who spent time in non-traditional families (those who were adopted or in foster care or orphans) despising Christmas and the holiday season. Those stories certainly have their place, and I count myself as someone who, for many years, hated any and everything to do with Christmas. I’ve warmed up to it over the years. In 2013, I bought these two tiny pine trees to decorate, and I strung up these adorable little light sets from IKEA to get into the mood. I drank a lot of (non-alcoholic) nog. I baked cookies for the first time in my studio apartment. And that was also the first year I did Holiday Fic cards, which got me extra ready for the season. BECAUSE WHAT SAYS HAPPY HOLIDAYS QUITE LIKE WRITING SMUT AND ABSURD FANFICTION FOR TOTAL STRANGERS???
Nothing, I say.
So I like that the show completely avoids this with Parker. Instead, they choose to make her the arbiter of holiday cheer. Yes, it’s adorable and blisteringly funny. (HER ELF VOICE!!! Her reindeer ears!!! EVERY SECOND SHE IS ON SCREEN!!!) But because I have an endless amount of emotional attachment to Parker, I couldn’t help but read something else into her behavior here. Parker is comfortable being the source of Christmas cheer with these people. I don’t know that the Parker in “The Nigerian Job†would be fine with acting this way with the rest of the team. I know that’s not something that’s spelled out by the script, so I accept this might just be my own headcanon. But she’s so forthcoming with Nate at the opening of “The Ho Ho Ho Job,†eager to get help for Frank/Santa, and I think that’s a sign of her growth over this show. She’s knows that a wrong has been done here, and she has no problem attaching that to her love of Christmas, either.
I just have a great deal of feelings about Parker, and I’m always so happy when we get episodes like this that put her front and center, you know? I AM NOT SORRY.
The Con
While I did figure out that Chaos was behind the actual con taking place here, it took me awhile to do so. I love when this show can keep me guessing, and part of the excitement in “The Ho Ho Ho Job†came from how willingly the writers were to have the team undoubtedly lose. Not once, but TWICE. Twice, Chaos bests them. First, he tricks them into falling for Dooley as the ringleader of the fraud, and then he tricks them into basically opening up the federal depository for him and his men. It’s a brutal thing to watch, not only because Hardison and Eliot are quick to blame each other, but because ultimately, they actually have to admit that Chaos won.
At least for the moment, of course. After the death of Lucille 2 (CAN’T HARDISON JUST KEEP A VAN FOR MORE THAN A COUPLE YEARS? WHY YOU GOTTA DO HIM LIKE THAT, CHAOS???) and the potential risk that Chaos’s scheme has to ruin thousands of people’s lives and finances, the team re-groups. They stop blaming each other (well, after Nate takes responsibility for not seeing the big picture), and they figure out a way to utterly finish Chaos. He’s such an absurd villain, one that’s written so that Wil Wheaton can be ridiculous. I think his cheeseball persona works so well because Chaos believes he’s a lot cooler than he actually is. He’s clearly obsessed with action films and sees himself as the mega-cool, pun-dropping hero who gets what he wants at the end of the day. So he spouts out these silly lines because that’s what he’s always fantasized about. But it’s a persona, one linked to his nerd entitlement and anger. Like, I’m pretty sure Chaos would join GamerGate; that’s totally his style, isn’t it?
So yeah, I’m totally into the team destroying him.
The Gifts
Well, I was not ready for that wave o’ feelings at all. NOT AT ALL.
I’ll chalk up that final scene as evidence that the Leverage team is at a point where that kind of affection can happen. Eliot tries to shy away from it, BUT HE’S STOKED, ISN’T HE? I love how thoughtful the gifts are, particularly since Parker’s calls back to her love of cold, hard cash. BUT SOPHIE AND NATE. Oh my god, the “Your Name Here†necklace??? DID SHE WRITE HER REAL NAME ON THAT NAPKIN? She did, didn’t she? Nope, not okay, EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL.
Bless this show.
The video for “The Ho Ho Ho Job†can be downloaded here for $0.99.
Mark Links Stuff
– The Mark Does Stuff Tour 2015 is now live and includes dates across the U.S., Canada, Europe, the U.K., and Ireland. Check the full list of events on my Tour Dates / Appearances page.
– My Master Schedule is updated for the near and distant future for most projects, so please check it often. My next Double Features for Mark Watches will be the remainder of The Legend of Korra, series 8 of Doctor Who, and Kings. On Mark Reads, Diane Duane’s Young Wizards series will replace the Emelan books.
- Mark Does Stuff is on Facebook! I’ve got a community page up that I’m running. Guaranteed shenanigans!
– If you would like to support this website and keep Mark Does Stuff running, I’ve put up a detailed post explaining how you can!
– Please check out the MarkDoesStuff.com. All Mark Watches videos for past shows/season are now archived there!
