Timothy Hutton in "Leverage"
courtesy of TNT
“Leverage” (TNT)

“Leverage” is back for the summer on TNT but now it is seen on Sunday nights at 9. The kickoff comes on June20 when there will be back to back new episodes of this exciting show. All of the cast is returning and that means Gina Bellman is back full time as Sophie Devereaux. Bellman had been seen sporadically last season due to her pregnancy. Now she is back full time and that means the show will be all that much better.

Sophie is the “grifter” on the show which means she runs cons. Nate Ford (Timothy Hutton) is the brains of the group but he was last seen being carted off to prison. So that means the first new episode of the year is going to have to deal with getting him out of prison.

Eliot Spencer (Christian Kane) is the muscle of the group. He can take on any small army and come out on top. Alec Hardison (Aldis Hodge) is the computer whiz. He can hack into any system and frequently does in order to help justice of a sort prevail. Parker (Beth Riesgraf) is the thief in the operation. She can get into any locked place without breaking a sweat.

This team operates outside the law to bring justice to people who have been swindled, conned or robbed. Each member has a distinct function but they operate as a unit. The season is composed of episodes involving individual actions.

Hutton is an Oscar winner but if you think he is slumming in this series then think again. As Ford he gets to play an array of characters and it takes all of his acting skills to make them convincing. Bellman is his perfect foil as Sophie. There is a love thing smoldering between Ford and Sophie but it has yet to burst into flame.

The premiere show has Elisabetta Canalis as a guest star. She plays a mysterious woman who hires Ford and Company to go after a dangerous international operator. Canalis is surprisingly good in the role and should have a solid acting career ahead of her – if she wants it.

It is good to have “Leverage” back for the summer. The cast has cohesed into a smoothly run unit that acts and reacts with each other. It is true ensemble acting and makes the audience relax knowing everything and everyone is going to be good.

So tune in to TNT on Sunday, June 20 at 9PM. “Leverage” is back and at its best.
 

 

 

 

 

©2010 Jackie K. Cooper

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