#prepare your dash for a million gifsets of this episode im not sorry

[crowtits]

so I'm in the middle of my leverage rewatch and I think I've finally realized why all of Eliot's scenes in The Big Bang Job hit as hard as they do.

Aside from the obvious (angsty backstory reveal, the cuny blue shirt/holster combo), thr first confrontation with Moreau and his guys is the first time we see other people treat Eliot as a Serious Threat right from the beginning. That is to say, usually when confronted by the bad guy's goons, they tend to underestimate Eliot because he's just one guy. As the audience we know that he has it handled and the fun is getting to see how he pulls it off.

But Moreau's men, they treat him like a threat. Like an Eliot level threat. At least ten guys, guns trained on him, with absolute seriousness. Like he could get out of it if they don't keep him in sight at all times. After three seasons, we finally get people treating Eliot like he's...Eliot. That's super compelling.

And Moreau is clearly testing him! Trying to see if this Eliot is the same Eliot that he knew, or if perhaps, he's grown a little softer? Gotten some teammates to care about? Sorry, but it's obvious that if Eliot had so much as blinked during the Pool scene that Moreau would've used Hardison against him (and it woulda worked)

Then Boom angsty backstory hints, the if you ask me I'll tell you thing (weeps), and of course Eliot being self sacrificing (I'll spare y'all my thoughts on that because they're just me screaming).

And then The scene. The kill box shootout. It's unclear if Eliot's shooting to kill but a) the significance of him picking up a gun again and b) the emotional weight that the scene has makes me think that what were supposed to imply. Seems unlikely he'd be able to avoid killing people between all the bullets and the explosion. Anyway, in this scene were shown just how much Eliot has been holding back. Something that's been implied up till now and here's the glorious payoff.

And oh how glorious. This scene is also 90% fanservice, and I say that positively. The shirt. the harness. the hairography. he slides around in avaiation grade lubricant. and you know it's tearing him up inside to have to do this. to be this man again. What more could you want??

And then the final gut punch: Eliot (backed by flames ofc) is confronted by Chapman, who brings up his hatred of guns. and then instead of the usual light hearted leverage reveal (oh haha it's a fake gun, or even just tossing aside the gun to use his fists), Eliot shoots him. repeatedly. And yes it's all very badass and he even gets a quippy "I Don't" in response. but it's like oh. oh no. we've been given a glimpse of who Eliot used to be, we reveled in it, and now we have to watch him live with it, all over again.

I love this show so much.