LEVERAGE: The French Connection Job

It’s rather hard to recap a show where so much is watching a very complicated con work out in forty-four minutes.

Last week, I came away from the episode with a sense of knowing that Hardison and Parker are one step closer to being a real couple. This was what I love most about the episode in the end. I’m a sucker at heart and I love their dynamic. Well, that, and the fact that the team’s take down was all done to make one man look crazy to save the man who was already made to look crazy before. That’s a special skill set right there.

That’s a bit of a brain twist right there.

The general synopsis for this week’s episode is the Leverage team goes inside the world of culinary schools and celebrity chefs to bring down a corrupt restaurateur who destroys lives in his pursuit of fame and money. The French Connection Job is directed by Tawnia McKiernan, written by Paul Guyot and created by John Rogers & Chris Downey.

Before we begin this week, why is the adorable doctor from Crossing Jordan have to be the big bad this week? Is it the accent? I don’t like when all of the character actors I love end up being bad guys here. Small problem on my part, I think.

Hardison, after all the gains you made last week, why did you just leave Parker just as she was going to tell why she’s down? Your Nana raised you better than that! You’re such a better man than that, even if you do love your toys.

This isn’t a case about drugs, even with talk of selling things at 12 a kilo. This is a case about truffles. That’s why there’s bridges and far off places in France, Hardison. Even I can tell that and I’m pretty stupid all things considered.

Eliot gets to be in his element as a chef this week, again. There’s also Hardison playing with lasers just to piss off Eliot and my heart wants to give all of the awards for the two of them having to bicker at each other for this con. These are a few of my favorite things about the show. The two of them being forced to work together, even though they normally drive each other crazy.

It’s a really bad sign when I get the actual con before the team does. Or does it just show that I’ve been around too many other shows that deal with food to know where truffles come from? Maybe I’m not so stupid after all.

Sophie’s acting school scares me. Anytime anyone gets to trust Sophie with acting work, I really worry about their sanity and life choices.

I’m sad that Parker doesn’t have a passion that she likes in the same way that everyone else does. She doesn’t have a passion outside of stealing things. Parker doesn’t really emote. This is her problem right now. She’s not feeling anything.

Is Nate really going to con this guy on getting French truffles from somewhere other than France? Open Source food in Portland. The show really does know the community in which they live. To find sixteen thousand acres of truffles in Oregon, well, that’s worth something. Even if that means this con is really utilizing people in Oregon who have nothing to do with cookie. Did we just put a bird on it to make it appropriate for everyone else in Portland?

Parker now playing the food critic might make my night. Just for something that reminds me of her Gaga impression. Her poor skills at tasting the first few courses were worth it, however. Until Sophie coached her into thinking of the food like she does during cons.

This other guy is going to go after Eilot? That can never end well. Evidence of that never ending well, a few well-placed hits to the man sent in. French guy is sending in another man? Oh crap. Watching it happen over and over again, though, never gets old. I could live off a video of Eliot beating up people. Is that something someone’s already done?

Parker had an emotion! I feel like we all need to remember where we were when that happened.

Using liquid nitrogen to blow a save is pretty inspired, I have to admit. Hardison, you really do like playing with toys, even in a freezer.

Eliot gets to fight again in a kitchen? How many more times are we going to see that? Not that I’m complaining, mind you.

We only have a few minutes left and I’m not sure that we’re going to see how this con is pulled off. Is that a bad sign?

Never have I ever seen that much rage in Eliot as I did while he finished off Rampau. Four years to see him that angry. Maybe there is character development after all.

Someone else got to use a taser besides Parker. That hurts my soul just a bit. But, I do like that Fish and Wildlife managed to get our big bad while the team watched.

Parker emotes again? Over stealing, no less.