Top 5 LEVERAGE Episodes

One of my new favorite shows, Leverage, comes back this Wednesday to finish up its sophomore season, and I decided to celebrate the occasion by listing my favorite five episodes from the first season and a half.

1. "The Nigerian Job": Very few pilots nail it right off the bat. Fortunately, "Nigerian" was one of those pilots that got everything right.  We quickly understand what the show is all about, we get a good idea of the characters involved, and the humor was just as great the first time around than it is now.  Sure, some of the later episodes might have been stronger overall, but "Nigerian Job" gets points for being such a great first effort.

2. "The Beantown Bailout Job": The season 2 opener originally felt off to me mostly due to the emphasis on special effects and explosions, but after a repeated viewing it quickly became one of my favorite eppys due to the humor and chemistry of the cast.  The crew brilliantly cons Nate into coming back out of retirement in their classic "wink, wink, nod, nod" style. Hardison, Parker, and Eliot also play their mischievous scamp roles perfectly.  Seeing the crew get back together was just as great as when we saw them assemble for the first time.

3. "The Miracle Job": This season 1 episode ranks fairly high on my list because it still has one of my all-time favorite scenes of any TV show.  Hardison has to make people believe that a church's statue of St. Nicholas is blessed by a miracle by making it cry blood.  One of his solutions is to shoot it with a paintball gun, which excites Eliot due to the fact that it's a firearm.  The best part is when the paintball misses, hits the plexiglass as Parker is walking by, and she say's, "Don't shoot Santa" and the boys yell back, "It's not Santa!" You really have to see it to appreciate the brilliance of the scene.

4. "The First David Job" & "The Second David Job": I really enjoy the episodes where the Crew really gets in over its head, and the two "David" episodes are great examples of this.  Not only do the characters ban together to avoid Nate's old insurance firm, but you really see them gel as a team and a family.  Great stuff.

5. "The Two Live Crew Job": "Two Live Crew" is similar to the "David" episodes because it's about the Crew being thrown of its game, this time by a rival team of con-artists.  It's just fun seeing them have to deal with other grifters, hackers, and thieves with the same mark in mind but with very different motives.

Leverage is hands down one of the best television shows on right now, and for those not familiar with the show, TNT is having a Viewers' Choice Marathon this Wednesday from 1/12c to 10/9c.  Everyone should definitely check it out.

Also, check out TNT's Top Ten Leverage Jobs.