On the Tube
It takes a criminal mind to catch one
The newest TNT series, “Leverage,” is an entertaining, high-tech version of the kind of old-fashioned series that the broadcast networks rarely make anymore.
Witty, fast-paced and loaded with decent twists, the series has some of the spirit of NBC’s “Chuck” (without the romance) and the movie series that started with “Oceans 11” (without the high-profile stars).
“Leverage,” which has a special premiere at 10 p. m. Sunday before moving two nights later to it regular time slot of 10 p. m. Tuesday, stars veteran actor Timothy Hutton as former insurance investigator Nathan Ford.
Ford assembles a team of younger professional criminals, the kind of people he used to pursue when he was retrieving millions of dollars of stolen merchandise in his former job.
Now they are enlisted to be on the side of the little guy against giant corporations, drug companies, corrupt politicians, military contractors and other powerful organizations. They specialize in an “alternative revenue stream.” In other words, they have creative ways to get money for their work, though not all members decide to keep it.
The skills and psychology of his team members are introduced via quick, amusing flashbacks, as they are shown developing them earlier in their wounded lives.
It’s a diverse crew of individuals who are reluctant to become a team but come together because of Ford’s vision and drive to get those who abuse their power. His mission is fueled because of his outrage over an insurance company’s denial of medical benefits that could have saved his son’s life.
“I know you children don’t play well with others,” Ford tells his crew at one point before they learn how to do just that.
The crew includes:
• Alec Hardison (Aldis Hodge), a computer hacker with a great sense of humor. While showing his crew all the visual gadgets he has assembled for their new office in Episode 2, Hardison, who is black, notes that he added pro sports packages via DirecTV. “I throw in a little hockey because I know you people like that,” he says. When overhearing a politician doing something scandalous, he cracks: “I’m a professional criminal and I find that disturbing.”
• Parker (Beth Riesgraf), a relatively quiet thief who can scale walls, rappel from skyscrapers and contort her body in various dangerous ways needed to steal things.
• Eliot Spencer (Christian Kane), a so-called “retrieval specialist” who is better than James Bond in battling 10 people at a time. And he also cooks.
• Sophie Devereaux (Gina Bellman), the worst professional actress in the world who somehow turns into Meryl Streep when she is working a con.
In the first two episodes available for review, Ford’s team takes on a guy who tries to steal airplane design plans and a contracting firm making billions in Iraq with the help of an ethically challenged congressman who has some similarities to convicted Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens.
Viewers should check their cynicism at the door, because hardly any of the action in this series from Dean Devlin (“Independence Day”) is believable for a second. But that doesn’t matter because the twists are so good, the humor is enjoyable and it is fun to see the plans of the really bad powerful guys explode in their faces.
There are preposterous getaways, transparent double-crosses, faked illnesses and silly plot holes (why would this team of criminals be left alone in a hospital room after being arrested), but the absurd spirit of “Leverage” makes them all forgivable.
After they all miss one obvious double-cross, Ford is asked by his teammates why he even missed it. “Because I’m not a thief,” he responds.
At another point, computer hacker Hardison wonders why Eliot is chosen to fake being a computer guy in one scam. “I want you actually being the computer guy,” explains Ford.
In an interview this summer in Los Angeles, Devlin and writer-producer Rogers acknowledged that “Leverage” is different from the law and order shows that appear on TNT, including “Law & Order.”
“What this show is doing is people who are too big, too important, too connected, too rich for the heroes of the other shows to catch, sometimes you need bad guys to go after them,” said Rogers. “So at the core of it, even though we have some irregular heroes, it’s still about justice.”
“The heart of the show is that these are five people are are all broken in some way or another and they find that when they’re together something magical happens,” added Devlin.”
After the anemic nature of the new fall broadcast schedule beyond “The Mentalist” and the coming arrival of numerous reality series, magic may be too much to expect. But TNT gets some leverage merely for trying a scripted show that is so much fun. And it pays off big time.
TV Review
“Leverage”
★★★½
(Out of four)
10 p. m. Sunday on TNT
