Many of the television shows have a low re-watch value. Once you have seen the season once there is really no reason to watch it again. “24” for instance is hard to re-watch on DVD because the real suspense is gone (it is part of the reason why I have not gotten the past few seasons on DVD). Even shows like “Scrubs” and 
“How I Met Your Mother,” are not the same the second time around, even though I tend to make it through the series over the corse of the year. I recently watched a show that falls into a completely different category. The show is “Leverage” and I have watched both seasons twice within the past three months (gotta love Netflix and its watch instantly catalogue) and enjoyed it equally both times.
“Leverage” is basically an updated Robin Hood. Nathan Ford (Timothy Hutton,) a claims investigator for a big insurance company, lost his son because the very company he worked for would not pay for the experimental procedure that could have saved his life. After months of drinking heavily and doing nothing bit dwelling on his loss, he is given an opportunity to get even; help steal from a company that has insurance through his former employers. He is teamed up with Hardison (Aldis Hodge) a brilliant computer hacker, Parker (Beth Reisgraf), a thief who steals for the thrill of it and Eliot (Christian Kane) a “hitter” who has a knack for violence. Rounding out the team is Sophie (Gia Bellman) a “grifter” or con artist. What starts out as a one-time gig, turned into a place for people to go when the law is not enough.
The opening says is all:
So what makes the show good, well besides the heists, it is the characters. They are probably some of the strongest written characters on television now. Most of the humor in the show comes from Parker. Her people skills are next to non-existant. She does not understand many social conventions— things like the concept of subtlety. She tends to be honest to a fault. In one episode they are on an airplane and Parker has the job of playing the part of a flight attendant. When she gives the announcements she makes her own additions including that if the plane did crash in the water, the impact would probably kill them anyway. All of the characters have their own distinct personalities that make them unique.
The heists are really clever and it is fun to catch the small things they do to achieve the end result. At the end they revisit key moments during the con when the switch took place or the key move that was made that allowed the Leverage team to gain the upper hand.
“Leverage” is, quite possibly, the most fun way to spend an hour. Not only are the characters great to watch, but also the heists are extremely fun. True, you know they are going to get away with it, but even during my second viewing I loved every minute of it. Season two kicks off again on Wednesday January 22, 2010 at 10 p.m. and I will be there on my couch watching the Leverage team bring the rich and powerful to justice.
Leverage airs on TNT on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. starting Jan.22
