Christian Kane twirling props: a series. Part 6/?

Leverage Redemption Season 1

LEVERAGE: REDEMPTION (2021—)

My favorite part of The Bucket Job is that Blanche had to have thought Eliot was such a shitty spy.

@laser-tripwires: #honestly it's my favourite bit as well#like#i enjoy just how much that episodes takes the chance to lightly poke fun at eliot's character archetype#because as much as we joke about parker... eliot's core conciet is that he used to be the guy standing next to the bond villain#(y'know. the henchman who has to be distracted and/or booked on a flight out of the country before the hero can get a shot at the bad guy.)#and even IGNORING THAT#eliot was CANONICALLY an assassin for the us government at one or possibly several points and was in deep millitary shit#he essentially WAS a spy#(maybe not in the same way as tara or robert blanche but he WAS)#and yet#AND YET#bucket job has him playing essentially himself only far less and far more cool.#it's an INSPIRED writing choice#plus plus plus that torture scene? best eliot moments in redemption hands down. i love this episode.

im having a meltdown they LITERALLY wrote leverage redemption episode 9 with the fucking plot of a LIBRARIAN becoming a HERO or detective of some sort WITH NOAH WYLE SITTING RIGHT THERE my brain is on fire

Coloring page of Harry, Robert Blanche and Eliot in "The Bucket Job"

This was such a sweet moment in Leverage: Redemption. The librarian the team is there to ‘help’ is reading a book by Lieutenant Bonanno. 

Robert Blanche, the actor who played Patrick Bonanno, passed away in January 2020. In the Leverage-verse however, Bonnano appears to be enjoying a second career as a novelist. 

Bonanno last appeared in Season 4, but Leverage doesn’t forget its characters.  <3 I love this show. 

5.11 The Low Low Price Job | 1.9 The Bucket Job

#i've been thinking about how much more comfortable breanna seems in 1b #and i keep coming back to this scene #because we see her interact with sophie plenty in 1a #even spend time together just the two of them in the van or at hq as they oversee the rest of the team in the field #but this scene just feels different #i think part of it is that sophie seems more comfortable #she's been masterminding in 1a but this is really a step back into her comfort zone of directing #and that naturally helps breanna relax around her too #but i think it's something deeper than that #because at the start of the series breanna must know of sophie from parker and hardison's stories #knows that sophie is charismatic and clever and an excellent grifter #and most importantly she knows that sophie is hardison's family #that he and parker and eliot all love this woman #breanna comes into the crew knowing that sophie is /important/ to them #that her opinion matters #that she is family #but breanna doesn't know /her/ #so breanna joins the crew knowing she needs to be on her Best Behavior #knows that's what you do in a new home - be good and quiet until you know if you're safe to be yourself #and i think this is the moment breanna starts to feel comfortable with sophie #starts to trust that sophie is someone she can be herself around #because prior to this scene the only hint breanna gives in front of sophie that she's gay is her speech in the card game job #poignant for those who get it and easy to brush off for those who don't #and we don't see the crew interact with any other textually gay characters #but the bucket job starts with a gay kid asking sophie to help him #to help reward a man who made him feel safe and loved when he was scared #and while breanna could be thanking sophie for giving her and the crew what they're asking her for #i think it's much deeper than that #because the way breanna looks at her #the weight she gives the moment before she says thank you #something she says she's bad at just a few episodes previously but she feels strongly enough to do now #breanna is watching sophie and it's a little in awe #and at first i thought it was about seeing sophie in her element #and i do think that's part of it #but the way breanna swallows before she can work up to the thank you #the way her eyes are misty with emotion #the relieved and open smile at the end? #'thank you for doing this for us' means 'thank you for helping scared gay kids like maurice and me' #'for helping us by rewarding our safe space' #'for believing we /deserve/ a safe space' #i think that she's thanking sophie for seeing the value in what robert blanche did for him #for kids who felt alone the way she did #and i think this scene was so important because it was the moment sophie became safe to her #the moment she stopped fearing that she would cause a problem with her brother's family #the moment she stopped worrying that she would have to choose between being part of the crew and being herself #and after this scene we see her start to be more open as a lesbian /specifically/ in front of sophie #sharing her conclusion about the identity of stella's love #bonding with stella in front of sophie #telling sophie she found emily cute and even asking how to deal with that in the middle of a con #and each time sophie was quietly supportive #not making a big deal or prodding but nodding and smiling and offering gentle advice #breanna started to get to know sophie in 1a #but i think this is the moment she started to think of her as family #the moment she started to feel at home

Eliot's "Secret" Chili Recipe

For a "secret," this recipe sure is getting thrown around lot, huh?

(that's fine, because y'all KNOW what i can't fucking wait to make today and eat off all week)

I feel like the inclusion of the Nutrition Facts mean this was perhaps written down in the first place as instructions for the food trucks.

(Visible) Ingredients:

1.5 lbs of ground 80/20 beef

2 cups yellow onion

3 tbsp of crushed garlic

1 tbsp smoked paprika

2.5 tbsp ground cumi

2.5 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp black pepper

2 tspcourse salt

1 bay leaf

1 chopped jalapeno

1 minced habanero

1 c water

1/2 can tomato paste

1 can crushed tomatoes

1 bottle dark or amber beer

2 tbsp corn masa for thickening agent

Directions:

she's adorable. that is all.

Eliot: gets a call about his Dad from someone called “J”

Me:

Leverage: Redemption 1x09

Thinking bout how Operation Kansas was around Christmas and Breanna saying Hardison was right Eliot IS grumpy around Christmas and Hardison being the one to send the kid over with specifcally Eliot's name looking for help because he knew that Eliot needed to be actively saving/helping somebody round this time of year to make up for one of the biggest times he failed to do that/actively did the opposite

OH GOD WAIT eliot has the red haze and just words, just names, can trigger intense flashbacks, and he’s hurt and in pain and suffering ptsd and he can’t just leave the memories, not drugged up like this, and he keeps flinching, jerking, tears run down his face and he whimpers, mutters words unintelligible to the crew and maybe when he was lucid and parker rescued him and sophie was in the van, ready to grab him and sits him down beside breanna and he says “get, get her away from me. all of you. get away from me” and that only makes parker get closer and he says “I don’t want to hurt you my heads confused” but parker presses up against eliots side in a way she has a knack of doing and he explains what’s happening to him and his fists clench tight on his thighs and parker watches helplessly, wondering if she should grab his hand, force it flat, but she doesn’t do anything but watch. and maybe, when he’s safe at home and his team is around him and he throws his head back to keep quiet, maybe parker says “do you remember that one winter in boston? where hardison bet you he could build a functioning igloo?” and suddenly, eliots there. he’s watching hardison in his minds eye as he shuffles around the apartment, winterwear thrown everywhere, he’s ranting, waving his arms and parkers beside him, they share a look and a knot forms in his throat in reality. “yeah,” he says, voice raspy like he had been screaming. “yeah I remember” and then sophie speaks up and says “there was a restaurant when we went to new mexico, they had that salsa that-“ “that made you cry” eliot finishes and he’s there, laughing around the table with his family as nate hands over his drink like the carbonation wouldn’t make it worse, while parker is laughing, spooning a huge chipful in her mouth and hardison is asking for milk or sour cream or don’t y’all have dairy here? and eliot lets out a shaky breath in reality. harry and breanna stay silent, while blanche sets up a saline drip to flush the red haze out of eliots system, as parker and sophie talk eliot through their good memories

I loved the tribute to Robert Blanche. I was sad to hear the actor passed away, Leverage made me care and love their side characters as much as their main ones. Another reason why Leverage is my favorite show!

I love how she’s so clearly reaching to do it on purpose. Love taps.