#leverage 2x01

[leveragecentral]

hardison + pastoral suit

[lehdenlaulu]

I have neither the time nor the mental energy to write the recap post tonight, so if you'll excuse me, I'll jump straight into S2.

...aaand immediately I can't find a subtitle file that is in sync. 😤

Finally, ugh.

Now we're in Boston?

And that's why we don't do fancy computer stuff in cars.

Go Nate?

Ooh, new title card.

And opening credits, kinda. Which immediately and rather unsubtly establish the OT3. Nice.

Oh Sophie.

Ooh, Parker's hair!

Come on guys, don't be like that.

Sophie's hair too!

Ah, to still live in a world where implying Nazis are bad wasn't controversial.

Tell him what? You're pregnant?

Kidding, but... I think the actress might be? Some pretty suspiciously loose tops and strategic shots.

Oh Parker.

Aw, the kids are so happy to be back together.

Aw you two.

First knives now locks? What's Hardison's metaphor I wonder?

I mean, we are in Boston. 🙄

Oh Eliot. But also damn, Eliot.

I know Nate's kinda the main character but do they actually need him?

Oh Hardison, you're precious.

Why are they in Eliot's pants again?

Yeah, I think she's pregnant. And this is not me body-shaming, I want to make that clear.

Elioottt, that was mean.

Baby girl, I get the feeling you should hang out with Parker.

Oh, the dude playing Leary is good.

Well, at least they're not in his pants anymore.

Ah, we've hit the smartphone era.

"What happened to our man?" 😏

Is it? Boyfriend I mean. Hmm.

Well done, Nate.

A slutty werewolf mercenary, a hacker prodigy, and an autistic cat burglar walk into a bar...

[eg515]

the way both Sun and Wolfgang just take punches without flinching at all. sometimes even smiling. and then going and giving it back ten times worse. reminds me of Eliot Spencer

[mistressvera]

[kajaono]

And Parkers name tag said: "Alice"

We got a return of Duchess Charolette AND Eliot’s sandwich!!!

[apoloadonisandnarcissus]

Adar and Sauron Recognition in Season 2 (Halbrand/Elrond) and Saurondriel kiss

The tent scene in 2x07 is a direct parallel with 2x01 scenes between Adar and Sauron/Halbrand in Mordor. And it’s so painfully obvious, it hurts.

Why? Because these were “the seeds” Sauron “planted” back at 2x01 in Adar’s mind (minus Galadriel getting captured), and he’s there to see the battle through and Eregion destroyed. And free Galadriel in the process, because he needs her to get to Eregion, take a hold of the rings of power (like Celebrimbor naively does, believing he’s keeping the Nine safe from Sauron, when he’s doing exactly what Sauron himself knows he would do), and bind himself to her at the finale.

Sauron is a mastermind and a control freak, and once folks understand what kind of villain he is, and just how calculating and organized his character is, it all falls into place. Sauron not being Elrond in that tent is completely OCC, because there is no way a micromanager, taskmaster, perfectionist and authoritarian villain like Sauron would ever entrust Galadriel’s life and his own plans to Elrond. “Rings of Power” has Tolkien experts to assist with the writing of the scripts, nothing of this random.

You don’t even need to read my whole megathread on the subject (Part I and Part II), this is it: the ultimate proof it was Sauron, and not Elrond, not that tent with Adar in 2x07, and he’s the one who kissed Galadriel. 

In both scenes, Elrond/Halbrand meets Elrond with the same purpose: “let my people/Galadriel go”. Or "yours will die". In 2x01 this is explicit, in 2x07 it’s the subtext.

Both scenes, start with Adar sitting down in a place of power, and getting up to approach Halbrand/Elrond:

Adar can’t see a pretty boy, both with Halbrand and Elrond:

And Sauron is screaming internally by this mention of Melian, “that b*tch!” Full explanation here. And he gets triggered enough to start threatening warmongering:

Halbrand/Sauron (2x01): Let my people go. Or yours will die.

Adar rubs the might of his war forces and Orc legions on Elrond and Halbrand’s faces, and how they can’t possible expect to defeat him:

Adar (2x01): My people defeated the Men of these lands. We defeated the Elves who came to their aid. We even defeated their allies, the Men from beyond the sea. There is no one left for us to fear.

In both scenes, "Sauron" is mentioned in connection with the Elves and Eregion:

Adar: There is no one left for us to fear. Halband: There is one [...] An ancient sorcerer, to instruct the Elves in forging a new weapon. One you first told her [Galadriel] about. A power over flesh. Do you remember those words? A power that will allow him to use your children as slaves in his army once more. Set my people free, and I will tell you where he can be found. So you can destroy him, and rid us both of his evil.

Adar: Sauron is my enemy as much as yours. Give me what I need to defeat him and let us all be rid of him. Elrond: Is it not you that has done his bidding by laying siege to Eregion? Adar: Eregion has fallen into shadow. It belongs to the Deceiver now, as does every Elf within its walls.

In both scenes, Halbrand and Elrond use the Orcs lives as leverage against Adar:

Halbrand: A power that will allow him [Sauron] to use your children as slaves in his army once more. Set my people free, and I will tell you where he can be found.

In 2x01, Galadriel is mentioned by Halbrand, and in 2x07, she’s actually there, and she’s the prisoner (instead of Sauron) and the “my people” Elrond is actually there to free.

Halbrand: Since Galadriel's defeat, she sought out a new ally. An ancient sorcerer, to instruct the Elves in forging a new weapon. One you first told her about. A power over flesh.

“I would recognize you, anywhere.”, and this is true in both scenes (2x01 and 2x07):

And we see this change in Adar’s demeanor in 2x07, from this moment on:

And this is the reason why Adar looks into Elrond's eyes at the end of the episode: he's checking if it's actually Elrond, and not Sauron.

Death threats coming full circle between 2x01 and 2x07, with Halbrand and Elrond:

Adar: You will tell me everything you think you know of this sorcerer now. Or I will spill the words from your throat. Halbrand: If I die, all that I know dies with me. You can't kill me. Adar: In time, you will beg me to.

Adar: The Ring for Galadriel's life. What is it to be? Elrond: Ask me on the field, when the neck with a blade against it is yours.

In both scenes, Halbrand and Elrond deceive Adar (swearing fealty/the pin):

"If looks could kill": Halbrand and Elrond giving Adar's servants murderous stares, in 2x01 and 2x07:

The Kiss

In Season 2, we had a pretty obvious visual clue of this kiss happening, in 2x04:

The “kiss scene” is a parallel to Galadriel and Halbrand’s dagger scene in 1x03:

And even Galadriel’s “what is happening?” reaction is similar:

This connects with the "Halbrand is Sauron" theme of Season 2.

It doesn’t matter what physical form Sauron takes in the Seen World, he’s always the same immortal spirit.

Sauron is not a “physical being” and he’s not bound to his physical form: he can choose to appear in whatever form he wants. He can also walk invisible (spiritual form) if he chooses to, for that matter.

In Season 2 finale, we saw him appearing in the physical forms of the major players in the Three rings of power plot from Season 1 finale: Galadriel and Celebrimbor. But Elrond was also there, and Sauron spent “weeks” with him at Eregion. Of course he knew he could pull this off. And he’s the “great deceiver”, after all.

This is actually Sauron kissing Galadriel. And this explains why this scene is romantic-coded; the kiss was the point of the scene because that’s what the camera angle and the music tells us.

And this is why there’s no “Elrond’s theme” on the OST to this scene (only Galadriel’s), which is what usually happens when characters kiss, their themes appear joined in the soundtrack. But there’s no need for “Sauron’s theme” either, because his and “Galadriel’s theme” are similar: the Galadriel and Sauron ostinatos share a similar contour of upward moving minor scales (Bear McCreary).

I don’t care about interviews (this argument always comes up when discussing this theory), and besides the full explanation for this kiss is missing from the one place it truly matters: the “Behind the Scenes” interviews for 2x07, and this is the official place to talk about it.

And there is no reason for the show writers to give Elrond a scene to parallel and provide continuity to Sauron and Adar’s from 2x01, in Mordor; other than the “Elrond in the room” being Sauron himself.

And this can also explain why Sauron and Adar didn’t share a “final scene” in 2x08, when their connection and feud was also a huge theme in Season 2: they already had it in 2x07.

Why did “Rings of Power” went with this route for Saurondriel kiss?

Instead of having the physical form (Charlie Vickers) the audience is familiar with?

The obvious answer would be not to piss off the Tolkien fandom, but they had “Elrond” do this, and that’s way more “offensive” than Charlie’s Sauron. Everyone must be aware of this by now, but Galadriel is Elrond’s future mother-in-law, and is like a mother figure to him. No Tolkien fan would be ok with Galadriel and Elrond kissing. And the backlash speaks for itself.

“Rings of Power” follows the “Game of Thrones” formula; it’s filled with red herrings and “mystery boxes” to give the fans something to speculate about. The showrunners (and Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO, himself) want the “Rings of Power” fandom to be like “Game of Thrones” fandom; speculate, theorize and analyze every clue, foreshadowing, etc. the episodes provides. Meaning: we aren’t suppose to take everything that happens on-screen for granted. And like in “Game of Thrones”, the actors will bullsh*t its audience in interviews until it’s time for the actual reveal.

Galadriel herself is probably aware of this fact (it was Sauron and not Elrond who helped and kissed her), already, thanks to being bound to Sauron. So, I’m not sure how they will reveal this to the audience; unless it’s a flashback of some sort. But this probably also had some weight in Galadriel joining Sauron in 2x08, until Nenya stopped her, too. And Sauron being so comfortable doing something like this could also indicate that Galadriel and Halbrand might have, indeed, shared a kiss, off-screen.

[amuseoffyre]

"We should steal something" - Leverage 2x01 & Leverage: Redemption 1x01

aka Parker's method of cheering Sophie up

[alchemypanda]

Leverage Redemption 2x01 The Debutant Job || Eliot drops the bag Parker

[fluffypotatey]

Leverage 2x01

Yo ✌️ been some time since I’ve watched this show, but I am here!!!! New season new heists idk what I am getting into

Episode calls itself “the Beantown Bailout Job” 👀 so someone will be going to jail??? We’ll see I guess

the hell is Nate doing at an office??? no heist???? 🥺🥺🥺

no wait y’all they got back together end of s1 right????

the cut off at the finale was a fake out right???? my criminal found family are still in touch with each other right????

NATE IS NOT GETTING AN OFFICE JOB NO

lmao he did a batman (and yes!!! you would have hated it there Natty-boy)

ooooh ok and here we have our new poor souls for the episode 

????

Oh he’s the banker????

What are you doing dude listen to your daughter 

NATE NO

OH SHIT

ok if they hit Nate that will be a little funny

what a way to meet a new client lmao

DAM

OH SHIT

oh no the dad is gonna die

shit

Stressed

Leverage stop stressing me out challenge 

Oh hey! Dad isn’t dead

WE HAVE AN INTRO?????

Oh it’s so dated but I love it

Ok ok I think I see where this is going

Boss is so shifty. How dare you be so judgmental about alcoholics to Nate >:( he has just placed you on his shit list

awwww poor babygirl 🤧 

SOPHIEEEEEEE

SHE IS IN SOUND OF MUSIC

OH MY GOD

OH MY GOD

OHHHHHHH MY GOF

REUNIÓN

THEY 

THEY

REUNION

TO SEE SOPHIE

y’all I’m crying 🤧 so bad 

how dare they give Sophie bad reviews >:((((( 

Eliot 😂😂😂😂

“That’s very….Catholic” HELP 💀

Parker I love you

Hardinson I love you

ELIOT NO

“Not me!” Says the most criminal of them all

“I am not a thief” says the biggest thief of them all

OH SHIT

Sophie what accent was that???

PARKER

WHY ARE YOU A NUN

Hardinson already hacking shit my beloved

HARDINSON MY HACKER MY BELOVED

Eliot looks so excited saying he nabbed a briefcase

THEY ALREADY HAVE A PLAN I LOVE THEM

“What, you think she dresses like a nun for no reason?” “….she’s Parker.” no yeah that’s valid

Y’all we cannot just be 15 minutes in help me

This is such a nice apartment for one guy

Poor Eliot, always the guy (child) caught in the middle of the Nat/Sophie disaster affair

HARDINSON

OH MY GOD

fucking dying Parker the nun and Hardinson the priest help me

“I did look for you” NOBODY TOUCH ME

Parker are you flirting 👀👀👀

They just made his apartment their new office lmao

Love how Hardinson knows how to play Nate

“Oops,” says Hardinson because he, in fact, did see Eliot before he left and sent him to go look for more shit which just so happens to be in mob territory :)

YES ELIOT

LETS GO!!!! FUCK EM UP

Parker I love you

Nate :) it’s ok :) don’t hold yourself back :) help them out :) just this once yeah?

He can’t even help himself it’s so funny. He has to speak. He must share his knowledge 

I love how they all are like “yeah of course, Nate. Just one last job. Of course.”

YES HARDINSON AND PARKER FBI DUO BACK AGAIN (they aren’t playing fbi rn but you know what I mean)

Eliot & Hardinson my beloved

“Jimmy Ford’s kid” oh? They know his dad?

Love you Sophie <333333

Ohhhhhh I get it

Wait so is the dad going to die?????

Nate’s fatherly behavior coming out my beloved

NATE’S FATHERLY BEHAVIOR ACTIVATING HIS MOTIVATION FOR THIS SEASON

ok so I just know they did some extra shit we didn’t see which will tie this heist up nicely but AGH I WANNA KNOW

“There’s a problem” oh no! how will this interfere with the heist! i sure hope they have many contingencies 

Oh shit wait ok this is a big problem

“Make this up as we go” oh fuck 

Wait this guy sounds sO familiar

ELIOT!!!! ELIOT DAMGER

man, i sure hope Nate recorded all of that 👀

Eliot will not die 

WHO

NO 

WAIT HE IS FINE THO RIGHT???

Oh ok he’s fine it’s just Sophie

Sophie what are you planning 

Aw poor O’Hare

Love how Hardinson changes his voice for intimidation 

You are going shoot the dad in a hospital. Where the gunshot will be heard. As if no one will catch you. Yeah, sure go for it banker man

HAHA

LMAO THEY DID ROB IT

Awwwwww happy ending 🥰

“Still your last job?” Lmao 

Sophie you fucking liar you do not have a boyfriend

No 🥺 (y’all she doesn’t right?)

NO NATE >:( stop being dumb (ok fine just sniff it like a weird person i guess)

Well at least he paid 🙄

YES!!! APARTMENT OFFICE

THE GANG IS BACK

General thoughts: 

THE GANG IS BACK :D 

My only hope is that they don’t separate ever again in the future. Please. They are so lonely without each other. The fact that a Hardinson looked for Parker 🥺 and how he has probably looked for the rest of them. Just to keep tabs. Also how Hardinson knows a lot about Pakistan through White House emails and Eliot was in Pakistan!!!!! My ot3 heart 🤧(Yeah I am totally believing Hardinson checked the White House emails to keep tabs on Eliot. what about it?)

And how Sophie invited all of them to her show as a way of reuniting them, and her and Parker may have stayed in touch since they seem to have planned a surprise like 🥺 idk just the fact that Sophie and Parker are close gives me the warm and fuzzies

Omfg and the fact that their new office is Nate’s apartment and how everyone just falls into their roles so nicely. Like they never left it. As if it they’re all meant to be together 🫠

Love this show

[lemonhemlock]

The way I am in no way a book purist and this is just confusing me. I am hoping with the full episode some things make more sense, but it is not looking good. Even for the characters they created, they had to retcon some during this single season? Not even between seasons one and two? Alicent from 2x01 is not Alicent in 2x08. And I am never given clear reasons why she becomes this version of herself, the things that happen don’t lend themselves to her surrendering her whole family.

they just want to paint this picture of her being a powerless woman who slowly realized the patriarchy is BAD. like rhaenys told her back in S1. and she feels so sorry for wanting her awful children to not be killed by daemyra. because all men are bad and her sons are men and they are thus they mean to her because they are MEN and that is what MEN do to WOMEN (invariably). or, at least, aemond is, aegon hasn't really done anything to her but he is Not!Rhaenyra so he is guilty just by breathing. we're not going to ask how the de-facto ruler of westeros for many years is so isolated and without resources and has no power even though she comes from one of the richest and oldest families in westeros and is effectively their sole political representation at court.

this goes beyond book purism or different takes in characterisation, they want us to believe this woman has somehow not acquired an ounce of power (hard OR soft) or leverages for herself despite planning a coup for many years and having recently successfully executed it

[fallenangelontheceiling]

Leverage 2x01 is full of sexual innuendo

[eg515]

I finished rewatching Elementary s1 a week or two ago and before s2, I was planning to rewatch Leverage s1, maybe even finish The Originals s1. but... yeah, no, I need the motivation of good tv, aka Leverage, to be able to get through Mycroft and Lestrade. so, Elementary 2x01 it is, and maybe a few more episodes, before the second half of Leverage s1.

[leverage-ot3]

nate in 2.01: get out of my house!

hardison, who just bought the building:

[cakeandpi]

Parker to Sophie, Leverage 2x01: “I know what will make you feel better. We should steal something.”

Parker to Sophie, in the Leverage Redemption preview: “We should steal something.”

[apoloadonisandnarcissus]

What's the deal with Sauron and Elrond connection in Season 2?

We all know of Sauron’s obsession with Galadriel, but what about how Elrond kept showing up on his plot in Season 2?

First, we have this interaction with Prince Durin in 2x03; where Annatar/Sauron joins Celebrimbor conversation with Durin and Disa, and they are discussing Elrond. And Durin sees right through him.

I assure you, Herald Elrond said he could think of little else. than helping his Dwarven friends. He speaks of you so fondly. […] Elrond said that you were the wisest of all the Dwarves.

Prince Durin being suspicious of Sauron might be a Easter egg for Tolkien nerds, because Mairon was a Maia of Aulë, and betrayed his Vala to join Melkor/Morgoth. The Dwarves are Children of Aulë, created by Aulë himself as companions (I won’t go into the whole tale in here because it’s beside the point). So having one of them being distrusting of Sauron, and seeing right through his deception can be a nod to that.

Anyway, this is not the last time Elrond will show up in connection with Sauron in Season 2. In 2x05, when attempting to manipulate Celebrimbor into making the Nine for Men, Sauron gives a few examples of Men who rose above darkness (and he must have been screaming internally mentioning every one of them):

Yes. You are right. Of course. Men are capable of great frailty. But when the darkness falls, there are always some who rise forth and shine. Eärendil, Tuor, Beren, son of Barahir.

Eärendil is Elrond’s father, and son of Tuor (Elrond’s grandfather who married Elwing, Lúthien and Beren’s granddaughter). Which means, Sauron is going through all of Elrond’s genealogy in this scene.

And then, Adar, in 2x07, mentions Melian; Elrond’s ancestor. We have both Sauron and Adar bringing up Elrond’s ancestry in Season 2.

In fact, the entire “tent scene” with Adar and Elrond in 2x07 is a direct parallel to Adar and Sauron’s scenes, in Mordor, in 2x01:

Both scenes, start with Adar sitting down in a place of power, and getting up to approach Halbrand/Elrond;

Both Elrond/Halbrand-Sauron meet Adar with the same purpose: “let my people/Galadriel go”. Or "yours will die". In 2x01 this is explicit, in 2x07 it’s the subtext;

Adar rubs the might of his war forces and Orc legions on Elrond and Sauron's faces, and how they can’t possible expect to defeat him;

In both scenes, "Sauron" is mentioned in connection with the Elves and Eregion;

In both scenes, Sauron and Elrond use the Orcs lives as leverage against Adar:

In 2x01, Galadriel is mentioned by Sauron, and in 2x07, she’s actually there, and she’s the prisoner (instead of Sauron) and the “my people” Elrond is actually there to free;

Adar is deceived by Sauron and Elrond in both scenes: swearing fealty (2x01); the pin (2x07).

Death threats coming full circle between 2x01 and 2x07, with Sauron and Elrond:

Adar (2x01): You will tell me everything you think you know of this sorcerer now. Or I will spill the words from your throat.

Adar (2x07): The Ring for Galadriel's life. What is it to be? Elrond (2x07): Ask me on the field, when the neck with a blade against it is yours.

What's the backstory?

Back in 1x08, Sauron/Halbrand also spent weeks with Elrond in Eregion, since he was also there the entire time, overseeing the work alongside Galadriel; since this was the task Gil-galad appointed to him.

Elrond is the one who finds Galadriel in the Glanduin river, after she rejects Sauron’s offer and he flees.

And despite Galadriel keeping Halbrand’s true identity under wraps, and not revealing what truly happened, Elrond is the one who puts two and two together, and realizes Halbrand is not the King of the Southlands, and tricked them.

Season 2

However, only in 2x01, Elrond is made aware that Halbrand was, in fact, Sauron, when Galadriel herself reveals it to him and Gil-galad.

And Elrond is furious, because he absolutely trusted Galadriel, and that trust is now broken. Galadriel did allowed the Three rings of power to be forged, even though she knew that Sauron has been at Eregion all along.

Adding this to fact that Galadriel was so obsessed in finding Sauron in Season 1, and even talked about this with Elrond himself in 1x01, when he advises her to return to Valinor and find healing there:

During Season 2, Elrond is also the one who sees right through the rings of power, and understands they might be a ploy on Sauron’s masterplan. And he’s absolutely right. Because we know, from Tolkien legendarium, the Three are connected to Sauron’s power, and become mere pieces of jewelry when the One Ring gets destroyed on the Third Age, losing all of its magical properties. “Rings of Power” build upon this, and had Sauron himself at Eregion, handling the mithril (and probably infusing it with his intention to heal Middle-earth from Morgoth’s corruption, which is his goal).

In Season 2, Elrond is, clearly, Sauron’s greatest opponent in his rings of power plot concerning the Elves. Until he, too, gets deceived, because we know from Tolkien’s letters, these rings are not “wholly good” and the Elves are in the wrong by using them.

Anyway, Elrond not only attempts to have the rings destroyed (wrecking Sauron’s plan), but he also keeps antagonizing Galadriel by her wearing Nenya, perhaps in the hope she might take it off, or see the ring as evil. And Sauron is aware of all of this.

And can this be the reason why Elrond also seems to be on Sauron’s mind? Indeed, but there also might be another reason on top of this.

@love-and-doom shared one of their theories with me, and I think it makes sense, and explains a lot. According to them, Sauron might blame Elrond for his failure in bringing Galadriel to his side in 1x08.

Galadriel herself confessed to Celebrimbor, in 2x07, that she wanted to take Sauron’s offer and that she wanted what he offered her (be Queen of Middle-earth with Sauron as her king). And, maybe, had not Elrond show up, Sauron might have succeeded. What this theory implies is that Sauron show Galadriel the vision of her drowning in the Sundering Seas (the moment when he saved her), but we don’t know how this vision was supposed to end from Sauron POV because Elrond shows up and Sauron has to flee.

Sauron clearly has the background check on Elrond (as we’ve seen in 2x05), and is aware he is a thorn on his side. This might also be another Easter egg because of Sauron vs. Melian during the First Age; and not only Melian herself but Melian’s daughter (Lúthien), too, who was responsible for Sauron’s greatest and most spectacular defeat.

Then, we also have other parallels between these two characters:

Sauron and Elrond in connection with white horses:

Sauron's illusion in 2x06:

Elrond mourns his horse, 2x07:

Elrond and Sauron (+ Galadriel) with the same face wound (Elrond in 2x07; and Sauron and Galadriel in 2x08):

I saw several fans making the comparison of these wounds with Arwen’s in “Fellowship of the Ring”, because it’s on the same side and very similar, indeed.

However, I’m not sure what is this suppose to mean: Elrond is Arwen's father, and Galadriel is her grandmother, yes, but what does Sauron have to do with it?

Then, Elrond is the one who picks up Nenya (the ring Sauron wanted), and uses it to heal Galadriel, in 2x08:

He also returns Nenya to Galadriel, as a nod to their scene in 2x04; when Galadriel gives it to him for safe keeping, and he reluctantly agrees. Now he returns the ring in good will, to symbolize the end of their feud, and how Elrond now trusts the Three:

I’m curious to see if this dynamic will continue to play out in Season 3, and I wonder what all of this means.