Series overview Leverage (TV series)

plot

nathan nate ford former insurance investigator , leader of team staging elaborate cons clients victimized holding wealth , influence avoid legal reprisal.

the team comes when victor dubenich, wealthy aerospace executive, persuades ford, disgraced , alcoholic after death of son, lead team of talented criminals steal aeronautical plans allegedly stolen him competitor. after successful heist, dubenich withholds payment , attempts have them killed, whereupon implicate him in bribery attempt, leads arrest fbi. thereafter, practice similar deceptions avenge civilians cannot use legal system redress grievances. subplots include nate s struggle alcoholism, complicated relationship grifter sophie devereaux , budding romance between hacker alec hardison , thief parker.

the team operates free of scrutiny leverage consulting & associates , until nate s former colleague, james sterling, attempts capture. in response, steal collection of valuable art nate s former boss, ian blackpoole, returning in exchange blackpoole being kicked out of own company, , disband 6 months.

season 2 begins in boston, nate s hometown. team reunite , resume activities, still followed sterling, until nate surrenders latter in exchange others freedom, admitting sterling , himself thief.

as season 3 begins, ford in prison , team attempts free him, until mysterious italian woman blackmails them bankrupting untouchable criminal damien moreau. @ season s end, moreau imprisoned in san lorenzo, fictional latin american nation formerly under control.

season 4 opens days after team s return san lorenzo, when discover has been bugging headquarters, later identified wealthy businessman jack latimer, has been profiting victories , offers information on evildoings of other major corporations, in exchange profit on each company s downfall. nate refuses offer, , suspicions justified when latimer revealed working victor dubenich (the team s first victim) against team.

season 5 opens nate having moved team portland , setting shop in microbrewery (bridgeport brew pub), season premiere ends revelation nate working hardison on secret project unknown others. after series of extremely intricate confidence tricks, secret project revealed , carried off, despite recurrent sterling. season s final episode, broadcast on christmas day 2012, reveals drastic changes in lives , dynamics of team, assures audience of continuity.

setup

most episodes follow set story structure: after meeting client, leverage team researches villains find weakness exploit. each con, either planned or complications develop, typically requires specialized skills of members of group. towards end of each episode, villains seem upper hand, outwitted team. because of narrative has seemed follow team s point of view, audience momentarily uninformed how have succeeded in con. flashback reveals how seeming complication either anticipated leverage team, or used in clever improvisation. these flashbacks, featured in episodes, excepting 113, reveal in retrospect earlier scene clue leverage team s plan. more often, flashbacks reveal new information viewer has not been privy. formula followed every episode in seasons one, two, , three. exception of final season, each season ends two-part finale involves two-part, multi-stage con designed bring down major adversary, such international crime financier in season three, ending advances team s story new season.