LEVERAGE: The Lonely Hearts Job

Firstly, my sincere apologies for this being up so very late, but I fully blame a Christmas away from my house, an uncooperative DVR and something I don’t even know how to describe.

But, on a day that saw so many people spending it with family, Leverage reminded us all that there’s families that aren’t created just for love and affection.

As we set the stage this week, we find our client is a very rich and well off Bostonian, who’s family probably founded Wellesley College (at least with his last name I’m going to assume that), and he’s just beside himself after his very young, very attractive wife has gone missing. Normally, Nate wouldn’t give him the time of day, but Sophie’s developed a soft spot for love right now, and that means that the case is taken.

We then find the team in the Hamptons for some upper crust male auction. Hardison and Eliot get to be bait, while Sophie and Parker keep an eye out for our mystery wife and the crazy women who keep bidding on them. All the while, Nate meets the photographer of the event, who wants to tell him how to not use more of his very fine alcohol on these people. Actually, she’s the ring leader, we discover, after Parker and Sophie figure out that the women are all grifters who are trying to set up the men that they bid on.

Oh, and I’d also wish that someone had set the emcee’s ugly jacket on fire. I do not find that version of madras at all attractive.

Once Nate is made aware of the photographer’s role, he tries to work his magic and get the information from her. Only, she doesn’t buy it and sets up on a quest to seduce Sophie’s cover. Sophie, once she’s back from a date with the emcee, won’t let Nate tell her the con he wants to run, as it will ruin the moment of it being nature later. Or maybe she’s just playing harder to get with him–I can’t tell at this point.

The other side of the con has Parker running down the photographer’s locations, where they discover nothing, save a picture with the bride’s real name “Julie”. So it turns out Meredith, our photographer/con woman, has seen her recently. Turns out Julie didn’t want to have dear old rich man die because of her, so she left. (Let’s all shed a tear now, please.)

It also turns out that Meredith was working with the emcee with the horrible sense in jackets (let’s have a quick moment to laugh at the man for having Hardison spill some Malbec on him.) But as only our team can do, while Meredith thinks she’s done good, Eliot kicked her accomplishes butt and Parker stole her files. It’s a win for everyone.

Even the old man and his wife get a happy ending.

Of course, that’s all before someone wants the crew to do some job as a set up and the team is now facing some war against an unknown group. Wonderful.