The Three Card Monte Job

[lagilman]

Ok, I might have wanted a little more of the team, but this was a Natecentric epsiode and for that, tv deities, I thank you [Hutton and Skerret? 3 card monte vs speed chess? Bring it, baby]. And everyone was in good form, doing what they do like competent professionals. Overall, quite pleased, except for two gripes. 1. How/why did the team show up like that at the end? [answer: ride the fun train, children] and 2. I have this strong suspicion that the Leverage writers wanted to make Nate an uttah bastid (and Jimmy likewise) but were told to tone it down for Joe and Jane Viewer.

So now I have this urge to rewrite the episode for the rest of us.

I'm not going to. But the urge is there. Jimmy might have gotten on that boat in the end, but it wouldn't have been so well-mannered... and the team would not have called it "kind." Also, I think Parker really should have had more to do. I'm just sayin'...

Ok, no time for detailed breakdown - back to work, me. What did y'all think?

Comments

[oneminutemonkey.livejournal.com]

I love Parker. She clearly has too much free time on her hands. :)

[wolfsilveroak.livejournal.com]

1. How/why did the team show up like that at the end? [answer: ride the fun train, children] and 2. I have this strong suspicion that the Leverage writers wanted to make Nate an uttah bastid (and Jimmy likewise) but were told to tone it down for Joe and Jane Viewer

1- Having just watched it, I'd say moral support and to make sure Nate didn't really kill his dad. Or maybe to watch while he DID.}:P

2- I'd have to agree. He could have been a right bastich if they let him. It did seem rather tame in that regard.

[lagilman]

Yeah, but if they were that close, to overhear, Jimmy would have seen there, and that meant Nate probably would also have known... unless he left his earbud in so they could listen in? Gods, do they leave those things in ALL the time? @-@

[wolfsilveroak.livejournal.com]

Makes you wonder, doesn't it...

[xmurphyjacobsx.livejournal.com]

Loved it. I think it's my fave so far this season. As to the ending -- Nate is, as Rogers often says, not a nice guy. But there's obviously something else in his weird history about his mom and I suspect that his mother WAS "a nice guy" and wanted her son to be one. And if Nate had done his own father in, I think it would have been killing another piece of himself -- and he lost so freaking much when Sam died, I don't think Nate is ready to be a zombie. And as bad as Nate is made out to be, I can't make myself believe that is ALL he is. He's shown too many moments of pure good guy and he isn't faking it or doing it to manipulate someone. He manipulates with his bastard. His good side, the side that loves, doesn't do that.

My theory, at least.

I want more Parker and Sophie. They are just so smooth together! I'm hoping winter season digs in a little more into the psyche of the team members.

[lagilman]

"It's not your job to take down your father."
"No. It's my pleasure."

The possibilities there were just...beautiful. I'm not saying he should have shot Jimmy, but it could have been sharper and nastier a la "creepy/sadistic Nate."

(also: "I'm proud of you, son" was just... cold. Seriously, those two really should have done more damage. I'm good with Bastid!Nate.)

[jperceval.livejournal.com]

I think that Nate's not far enough along in the bad-guy spectrum to shoot his own father. He started out as a good guy, basically, just wanting to get back at the guy who he saw as responsible for his son's death. He's come a long way since then, but he's still pretty much Robin Hood. He hasn't killed anyone else (yet), and I don't see him being able to start down that road with his father. Maybe *before* the retirement-to-Ireland story, but not after that -- you could see the doubt creeping in during that bonding session.

Parker's crazy bank knowledge was a riot, as was her accidentally whacking Elliot in the head with the crowbar.

[lagilman]

Oh, I agree that he wouldn't have shot his dad. Well, not fatally, anyway.

I actually read Parker's "you let him go" as "huh, you stuck with the plan," and that he'd always intended on running Jimmy out of town, not killing him. Although, had the families managed to kill him, well...



[and, had Jimmy not gone to the families, laying low rather than trying to execute his plan, he would have been safe. "on his head be it," as it were.]

[jperceval.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, it was a total test -- "let's see if Jimmy goes to the families...if he does, we'll do A, if he doesn't, we'll do B..."

I liked that. It was on Jimmy to decide whether to be a better person, having just had his fate in the hands of his son.

I took Parker's comment the same way. I think had she been in that position, she might have been a lot more tempted to shoot Jimmy. After all, her father figure was a lot more fatherly and caring of her in his way than Jimmy ever was of Nate.