‘Leverage’ returns to TNT on Wednesday with these six episodes to complete the second season
TNT’s Leverage returns to the schedule on Wednesday with six new episodes running weekly through February 17. The series, co-created by former Blue Beetle writer John Rogers, was one of the network’s bright spots when it debuted in December 2008.
As the second season opened this past summer, the Leverage team reunited in Boston to settle more scores against those who use power and wealth to victimize others. The gang is led by former insurance investigator Nate Ford (Timothy Hutton), who first got into the racket after his former employer refused to pay for treatment that could have saved his son’s life. His highly skilled team includes Sophie Devereaux (Gina Bellman), a grifter who uses her acting skills to corner her marks; Eliot Spencer (Christian Kane), a “retrieval specialist” with bone-crunching fighting skills; Alec Hardison (Aldis Hodge), a gadget and technology wizard who keeps the team informed; and Parker (Beth Riesgraf), a slightly off-center thief adept at rappelling off buildings or squeezing into tight places.
SPOILERS AHEAD if you haven’t seen the second season so far and don’t want to watch the marathon before Wednesday’s premiere…
By the end of summer, the Leverage team had scammed a hedge-fund manager who happened to be in the custody of U.S. Marshals; used Eliot’s martial arts skills to corner a corrupt fight promoter; and took over a private school to recover millions of dollars lost in a Ponzi scheme. They also went head-to-head with an almost identical team of grifters to recover a painting that had been stolen by Nazis during World War II.
But for Sophie, something just wasn’t feeling right. Her conflicted relationship with Nate left her questioning if she wanted to continue working with the team. She decided to take some much-needed time away, but not before she arranged for a friend and fellow grifter, Tara Cole (Jeri Ryan), to fill in for her. Tara immediately proved her worth by not only helping the team save a client’s estate from a corrupt lawyer, but also fooling everyone into thinking she was the client’s attorney. (Of course, Bellman is merely taking a maternity leave but they have written her out in a nicely dramatic fashion.)
Here’s a look at the upcoming episodes (SPOILER: with brief plot synopses) and we’ll have a review of the first two on Tuesday.
“The Runway Job” – Premieres Wednesday, Jan. 13 at 10 p.m. (ET/PT)
In order to take down an oppressive sweatshop owner, the LEVERAGE team infiltrates the fashion world.
Directed by Marc Roskin
Written by Albert Kim
“The Bottle Job” – Premieres Wednesday, Jan. 20 at 10 p.m. (ET/PT)
The LEVERAGE team runs a high-tech version of a classic con on a predatory loan shark in order to save McRory’s bar.
Directed by Jonathan Frakes
Written by Christine Boylan
“The Zanzibar Marketplace Job” – Premieres Wednesday, Jan. 27, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT)
The team is forced to work with their old enemy Sterling in order to
free Nate’s ex-wife, Maggie (guest star Kari Matchett) from a Ukrainian
jail and clear her name.
Directed by Jeremiah Chechik
Written by Melissa Glenn & Jessica Rieder
“The Future Job” – Premieres Wednesday, Feb. 3, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT)
The team goes after a con man masquerading as a psychic medium (guest
star Luke Perry) in order to drain the life savings of his bereaved
clients.
Directed by Marc Roskin
Written by Amy Berg & Chris Downey
“The Three Strikes Job” – Premieres Wednesday, Feb. 10, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT)
While trying to take down a corrupt local mayor exploiting his love of
baseball, the LEVERAGE team runs into an unexpected complication.
Directed by Dean Devlin
Written by John Rogers
“The Maltese Falcon Job” – Premieres Wednesday, Feb. 17, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT)
Surrounded by FBI, the team decides to hide in plain sight, while
continuing to take down the corrupt mayor and his gunrunning partner.
Little do they suspect that Nate has a different endgame in mind for
them all.
Directed by Dean Devlin
Written by John Rogers