With "Leverage" TNT Proves They Know Drama

I have a bundle package with the cable company to get better rates for high speed Internet and telephone service. Television is included in the bundle so I get more channels. I despise having to pay for television but it costs less to have it as a bundle. I don't like this type of manipulation, either!

There are several shows that have attracted my attention. I'm careful not to get fanatical about any of them so that they become a must-see for me.

I confess, TNT's Leverage could easily become a must-see for me. If TV is part of my entertainment, Oscar winner Timothy Hutton and his highly skilled team of good-guy crooks are very entertaining. The show's premise is the bad guys are the good guys to get. They "design elaborate scams to exact revenge against those who use power and wealth to victimize people."

Present-day reality no doubt has influenced my interest in the show. I've daydreamed about this sort of thing happening to the people involved in Enron, for example. Closer to home, an investment company stole the last dime of their investors. It would be sweet to call Hutton et al to recover as much as or more than these investors lost.

Leverage's cast of characters include:

Hutton as Nate Ford, a former insurance investigator whose son died due to neglect by the sort of bigwigs he and his team plot against. He's the mastermind.

Gina Bellman plays Sophie Devereaux who is known as a grifter. She corners her marks with acting skills.She could have easily played Sybil.

Christian Kane is Eliot Spencer who loves to fight and is very good at it. His character is almost masochistic but he has a soft heart for doing the right thing.

Aldis Hodge is the techie and computer geek, Alec Hardison. A wizard at keeping the team connected and uncovering hidden wealth, he is quite sharp. If Bernie Madoff had any hidden assets offshore or on Mars, he could find it!

Beth Riesgraf is Parker, a petite, innocent-looking mega thief! She can play the part of a sweet 16 year-old or undercover FBI agent. She's adept at repelling off buildings and squeezing into the tightest places. I think she and Alec will get something going before too long.

These characters play well together and have formed an unusual bond. The action is fast, sometimes slow but never boring. It's also furious, precise, clever, meticulously planned and sprinkled with humor. This gang is adaptable and capable of improvising at a moment's notice.

"Together, the team puts their energy, quick minds and keen intellects toward securing justice for society's underdogs," as stated on their website. The site also boasts Leverage, which is executive-produced by Dean Devlin (Independence Day, TNT's The Librarian movies), has scored big in its first season, ranking as ad-supported cable's #1 show in its timeslot.

I tend to skip the commecials but I am usually watching TV on Wednesday nights at 9:00PM. And if bible study lasts longer, TNT repeats the show again at 11:00PM. I don't think I'm hooked. I have this personal creed not to become hooked on something that doesn't help to pay my expenses.

TNT does know drama! The show is fantastic! Following Leverage is another good show, Dark Blue. On occasion, it's good to escape for a bit. Somehow though, I think about reality while watching Leverage because I would love to see justice served with this kind of leverage.

2009 by Avis Ward of GeoVi's Home for Pregnant Teens

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