In the fifteenth and penultimate episode of season three of Leverage, my body was not built to handle this episode. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Leverage.
I’m not okay.
Atherton
God, I went into “The Big Bang Job†thinking that this episode would focus on the team taking out Atherton so that they could then direct their attention towards Moreau in the finale. It’s a little like the set-up to “The Ho Ho Ho Job,†in that the target at the start of the episode is a total red herring. By halfway through this episode, Atherton doesn’t even matter anymore. Granted, he’s a pretty despicable person. I thought it was obvious that the team was going to obliterate him. For good reason! He’s such a jerk to Yasmin, and he was only mildly bothered that she was “killed†by Damien Moreau. That’s a pretty good sign that someone is an awful person.
I fell for this, hook, line and sinker, and thus, the remainder of this episode was like being shoved off a cliff.
Eliot Spencer
I fucking can’t.
How long had this show been waiting to reveal this? Even if it wasn’t something that was planned for years, it still fits so neatly within what we already knew of Eliot. That is not my way of saying that I wasn’t shocked by Eliot giving his real name to Moreau’s henchmen in order to keep the con going. Oh, no, I was FUCKED UP, and it only got worse. Obviously, the fact that Moreau knew Eliot confirmed that their working relationship was real. But how far had Eliot gone? How much work had he done for Moreau? Well, enough that Moreau chose to trust him over Hardison.
WHO GETS KICKED INTO A POOL WHILE HANDCUFFED TO A CHAIR.
This episode does an incredibly risky thing with Eliot Spencer. He’s always been a likable character to me, and his clear moral standard is what makes him so appealing to me. The man sticks to certain standards; he recognizes injustice and unfairness in seconds; he is always willing to fight for the underdog. And yet, he did some shit. I knew Eliot’s past was wild and storied and violent. But how? How could the Eliot we know now work for someone as despicable as Moreau?
Of course, it only gets worse.
The Worst Thing
Like Sophie’s name, I don’t know that I need Leverage to give me the details about what it is that Moreau had Eliot do that would count as the worst thing in his life. The mystery holds a horror and an uneasiness that details can’t quite provide. Eliot’s red-eyed glare at Parker when she asks what he did? That says more to me than anything that would spell it out to us. And I could tell that Eliot was serious about this and that more than any person there, he knew exactly how powerful Moreau was. Why else would he be so secretive about knowing him?
IT GETS WORSE.
The Bomb
Moreau sees everything as an asset or a liability in his world. That’s what he tells Atherton at the beginning of “The Big Bang Job,†and it’s clear that he views everything through this lens. In the case of the massive EMP bomb he sold, he doesn’t care about the lives lost through its use. He just cares whether or not it’ll make him wealthy. HE IS THE ACTUAL WORST, Y’ALL.
And yet, what happens because of this? Parker. And. Hardison. Look how quickly Parker absolutely trusts Hardison in that train car. After getting him to jump on a moving train (he’s learning!!!), she then defaults to his expertise when dealing with a device that could kill them in either scenario. She doesn’t freak out. She doesn’t panic. She trusts him, and by god, I thought that was enough for me to run with.
Pretzels. Pretzels. Stop it, Leverage.
The Big Bang
I have to acknowledge this first. This show has done such a stupendous job building Eliot’s characterization that I knew what a huge moment it was when he looked down at that gun. That scene was years in the making. I am not ashamed at how loud I shouted during that bit because OH MY GOD. I never doubted that Eliot was good with guns. If he read that situation and knew he had to violate his own personal mantra to save others, then that meant EVERYTHING WAS FUCKED UP AND AWFUL. And if you’re finally going to put a gun in Eliot’s hand and have him shoot it, then this is exactly what that character deserves.
It’s is fucking ridiculous, and I’m glad it was. I’m glad it was visceral and poetic and incredibly disturbing. Unlike hand-to-hand combat, there is a much higher chance for death with a gun, and it’s one aspect of Leverage that’s allowed it to feel so light in tone. But here, Eliot kills – what? Three guys? Ten? I don’t even know. Not only that, but he literally slides on his knees across the floor while shooting and while dodging bullets and then there’s an explosion because WHY THE FUCK NOT.
This show isn’t okay.
Cliffhanger
THIS FELT ENTIRELY LIKE A SEASON FINALE BUT IT’S NOT. While Moreau was given The Italian’s crimes (OH SHIT, THAT’S WHAT WAS IN THE FILE) and Lt. Bonano was roped in to help make him a fugitive, he still escapes. I mean, he’s a mega-rich dude with a gun and a private jet. HE WAS GONNA GET AWAY. But who is the Italian? Who does she work for? Who is the mole that hung her out to dry?
Most importantly: HOW THE HELL ARE THEY GOING TO BRING DOWN DAMIEN MOREAU IN A COUNTRY WITH NO EXTRADITION TREATIES? Please tell me they’re going to steal the whole country. PLEASE.
The video for “The Big Bang 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!
