If your a regular reader of Leverage, you already know that we at the TV Legion love the show. Every week the show has been entertaining. The show takes a tried formula (the heist genre) and makes it unique and original every single week. Add in the fact that every single character is unique and interesting and I don’t know how you could not love this show. For those of you who have TNT and aren’t watching Leverage, watch it immediately. There are few better shows on television today. As far as this week’s episode is concerned, it was probably the second weakest episode of the series but it showed why Leverage is still so great.
Looking around the web I am seeing that a lot of people thought this was the worst episode of the series. I have to disagree with that fact. While the episode started off pretty slow, I don’t know how you couldn’t have been satisfied with the ending. The show continued to have it’s witty writing and it was still entertaining.
So let’s get into the episode itself. This week the gang decides to rob a corrupt judge that takes bribes in order to let people get off for their crimes. The gang is about to finish their heist when their plan is foiled when the bank they are currently in is robbed (isn’t that just convenient). While you would think that would get the gang down, it actually give them an opportunity to frame the judge and also bring some kidnappers to justice.
So the robbers end up being good guys that only rob the bank in order to get enough money to pay off a ransom for the safe return of their mother/wife. Nathan and Sophie help the robbers from the outside while Eliot, Parker, and Alec help from the outside. Eliot beats up some meth heads in his normal awesome fashion. Eliot and Parker pretend to be FBI agents so they can handle all the hostage negotiations. They also provided probably the funniest part of the episode when Eliot listed off the bank robber’s demands which included pizza, 4 Hall and Oates cds, an etch a sketch, and some barbecuing equipment for a tailgate. While this was a hick town (their SWAT sharpshooter looked like a guy just taken off the street), I want to know how in the world they didn’t think there was anything up with the demands. I guess they think robbers have enough time to tailgate while robbing a bank.
Eventually the corrupt judge finds out that the gang is trying to hustle them so he ends up getting the robbers gun and end up becoming the hostage taker. I don’t know how a judge wouldn’t realize that this is a bad idea. The gang ends up framing him for the whole robbery in a hilarious manner that makes him look crazy as well.
The son and father are reunited with their mother/wife and everyone is happy. The corrupt judge will also be spending quite a long time in prison.
Quotes:
Alec: “This is so not good.”
Nathan: “Have you ever robbed a bank that is being robbed?”
Parker: “There’s always a first time.”
Eliot: “Because meth heads are so punctual.”
So what did you think of the Leverage episode The Bank Shot Job? Also be sure to check back next Tuesday for a preview of the next Leverage episode and next Wednesday for discussion of the episode.
I know most didn’t like it as much as some episodes, but I loved it. It showed how the others could work without direction. This series has yet to disappoint.