In the fifth episode of the fourth season of Leverage, the team deals with a frantic and last-minute con while Nate and Sophie navigate a possible relationship beyond a working one. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Leverage.
I’ve seen so much of this show, y’all, and it still thrills me. It still excites me to see them try to pull off a con and a heist like this, and I find it rewarding to watch this show keep up its energy. I don’t ever feel like it’s sluggish or lacking in ideas. Even after such a massive episode like “The Van Gogh Job,†I’m not disappointed by what follows it. THIS SHOW IS SO MAGNIFICENT.
Sophie
I know that Sophie and Nate’s second sexual encounter hangs over “The Hot Potato Job,†but I appreciated that the show went out of its way to avoid a pretty common trope here. Sophie is not portrayed as incapable of doing her job just because she’s had sex with Nate. Nate? Well… he’s distracted a few times, he says a few choice things to Sophie, and it’s a clever reversal. I’m used to media portraying women as emotionally unable to handle relationships and work spaces, so I’m glad that Sophie absolutely fucking kills it here.
LIKE, CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW INCREDIBLE HER GRIFT IS HERE? Without any preparation or initial help, she puts herself into Jana West’s vehicle and convinces her that she’s actually part of VerdAgra’s security contractors. Yes, Hardison does help her remotely, but the bulk of the grift is based on Sophie’s ability to be confident enough that Jana barely questions who she is. On top of that, it’s utterly hilarious to watch how she slowly turns into Hardison with the way she talks. I mean, it’s a nice touch because she uses that accent and her dependable tone to gain Jana’s confidence, enough that when she moves into the Snipe Hunt con, Jana is eager to believe that she’s going to save VerdAgra all by herself.
I genuinely think this is one of Sophie’s best grifts. What a spectacle! SHE ACTUALLY PICKS OUT A REAL MOLE DURING HER CON WHICH IS MEANT TO FALSELY ACCUSE PEOPLE OF BEING A MOLE. Oh my god, she’s incredible. I also love that she’s the one pursuing casual sex with Nate because… well, why the hell not? They enjoy it, they enjoy each other, IT’S SO PERFECT. Oh my god, I bet this means my prediction is now going to come true. There’s a 0% chance the rest of the team doesn’t know what’s going on.
Parker
Like the brilliance of Eliot teaching Sophie how to punch, I appreciated that brief moment where Parker guided Hardison through a lift. Did I find it romantic? You bet your ass I did. But I think it’s indicative of the way that this team works with one another. They’re at a point where they understand that they work best when they have a myriad of talents instead of relying solely on their prime role. I mean, everyone recognizes that Hardison is only a good grifter when they need someone who is absurd and ridiculous, but that doesn’t mean he can’t benefit from learning sleight of hand.
At the same time, there’s always going to be a thrill in watching Parker do her thing, y’all. That scene in the hot vault with the lasers??? Getting the chance to watch her slide on her knees away from an explosion, much like Eliot did last season? I’m still maintaining that all my collected good karma is coming out in this show.
Trevor
I know that there’s not any greater sort of story told through this character, and yet? It’s kind of rad that Nate and Hardison take this kind under their wing solely to entertain him. He most likely acts up because of a need for attention, so they give him that, and look what happens. The joy on that kid’s face at the end of the episode is so real, y’all. I appreciate that. I appreciate that they gave him a day he’ll never, ever forget. JUST BECAUSE.
VerdAgra
Two marks in one episode!!! And one of them is played by Mitch Pileggi!!! Wow, it was so easy to hate both Jana West and Colin Saunders. The corporate agriculture industry is a terrifying place, and there’s a factual basis to what VerdAgra tries to do to Emily Margold here in “The Hot Potato Job.†Of course, that’s the basis of a great deal of these stories: people or organizations who have access to an unreal amount of power will often wield that power to exploit others. That exploitation is at the heart of Emily’s problem. VerdAgra knows that it can make a massive profit off of the work that Emily did, but they’ll just justify it as helping her out. (ahaha, SHUT UP, SAUNDERS.)
Here’s what fucks me up: the team expertly takes down both Colin Saunders and Jana West. They utterly destroy them! And yet, Jana West is acquitted??? How the fuck is that possible? I’ve never seen a con undone like this before, and it’s DISTRESSING. How??? Is it someone else? Is it related to the people bugging Nate’s place??? This honestly makes no sense to me at all, and that’s not good. It means that I will not be prepared for the explanation of it.
The video for “The Hot Potato Job†can be downloaded here for $0.99.
Mark Links Stuff
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