Leverage's first season was a perfectly self-contained story. They could have ended it all right there, but why would they? The concept has so much potential left to be explored. But with the main storyline of the series resolved, what is there for a Season 2 to accomplish? Well...
Unlike the first season, Season 2 of Leverage doesn't have that much of an overarching storyline, at least not until the last four episodes of the season. This is a bit of a double-edged sword for the season, as on one hand, it can focus more on characters who aren't Nate. Sophia gets an entire character arc in the first half before she leaves for the second half, and Eliot, Parker, and Hardison have their own episodes throughout the season. However, the lack of a driving force for most of the season means that it lacks the same satisfying buildup as the first. It also makes most of the first half of the season a bit dull, as it's not until The Two Live Crew Job where the quality really starts to be great and the show starts to experiment a bit more, with parallel teams, a bottle episode, and a trip to Kiev being among the highlights. And while there are a ton of strong episodes in the second half, it's just not as consistently entertaining as the first.
The final five episodes, however, are definitely the highlight of the season. Sterling's role as a partner who quickly turns into the season's antagonist is excellent. He's so deliciously cruel, but you can't help but love him. Nate's storyline about slowly falling back into drinking also finally starts to progress, adding a strong sense of dread to this final stretch. And while Sophie's replacement Tara was a solid addition to the team, I'm so glad that she's back as of the finale. Speaking of which, the season finale was once again great, tying together all of the disparate character arcs and generally making the season feel more consistent. As a whole, Leverage's second season isn't as consistent and satisfying as the first, but there is still a lot to like about it. If you're like me and you love seeing the team interact and pull of heists, then this season is still a good time throughout.
There are a lot of strong episodes this season, especially in the second half:
The Two Live Crew Job: As mentioned above, this is the point where the season becomes really great, it's probably the best episode so far! The concept of the Leverage team facing off against an evil parallel version of them is so much fun, and it's brilliantly executed. The subplot about Sophia faking her death is also great, and sets up her departure next episode really well.
The Bottle Job: First of all, I love the pun in the title. It's a bottle episode that takes place in a bar! Second, I don't know if I've made this clear yet, but I adore bottle episodes. Limitation breads creativity, and seeing the team race against time to pull a heist in a single enclosed location is so just entertaining to watch. It also finally deals with the looming threat of Nate drinking again that has been building up all season.
The Zanzibar Marketplace Job: I liked how this episode revisited the events of Season 1. We finally get to catch up with Maggie and Sterling (who reappears soon after), along with a fun con in Russia. Sterling teaming up with Nate was awesome, and I especially loved the final act which had Nate kidnapped and the team stuck with Sterling.
The Maltese Falcon Job: While not as satisfying as last season's finale, this was far more intense, with the stakes raised to an insane degree. This finale has easily some of the coolest scenes in the whole show so far, from the fun antics in the hotel to the climactic showdown on the titular ship. And that final scene with Nate turning himself in and collapsing after getting shot is a tense cliffhanger.
Overall, Season 2 isn't quite as well-done as the first, but it has a strong second half, some great character arcs, and the same sense of fun that made the first season so entertaining.
3/5 Stars
No comments:
Post a Comment