Leverage/Characters: Difference between revisions

== The Team: Leverage Consulting and Associates ==

 

 

Former insurance investigator at IYS Insurance turned leader of a band of thieves. Played by Timothy Hutton.

** [[Hurting Hero]]

* [[Amicably Divorced]]: He and Maggie are about as amicably divorced as you can get.

* [[The Big Bad]]: If this is a [[Five-Bad Band]], anyway.

* [[Byronic Hero]]

* [[The Leader]]: Type I--he's even called The Mastermind.

* [[Manipulative Bastard]]: Normally he leaves this part of the planning to Sophie, but when he wants to, Nate can be a very good manipulator in his own right. He's not such a good ''actor'', but can even use that to his advantage.

* [[Official Couple]]: With Sophie.

* [[The Shill]]: To Sophie's Roper.

* [[Time for Plan B]]: According to [[Word of God]], "When Nate gets past Plan G, things start to get very hairy."

** In the pilot:

'''Eliot:''' I like Plan M. }}

** In season 4, episode 10:

'''Hardison:''' [[Call Back|Don't I die in Plan M?]]<br />

'''Nate:''' Yeah, usually. Yeah.<br />

* [[Would Hit a Girl]]: Cold cocks a nun in "The Boys Night Out Job." {{spoiler|she wasn't really a nun.}}

 

 

Terrible actress and world-class confidence trickster. Played by Gina Bellman.

* [[Ambiguously Brown]]: Uses it to her advantage in cons, portraying an enormous variety of nationalities.

* [[Bad Bad Acting]]: Any time she's not conning someone. When she's not conning someone, she is absolutely terrible. So terrible that she should be the patron saint of Bad Bad Acting.

'''Nate''': "She can act... When it's an act." }}

* [[Con Man]]: She was a confidence trickster before the team formed.

* [[Giftedly Bad]]: As an actor.

* [[Guile Hero]]: Everything she does is about using her brain to manipulate people into doing what she wants. The show even gets into the psychology behind her manipulations.

* [[The Heart]]: Ironically, as Nate was the "honest man" who got everyone to work together, she's become Nate's moral compass and the emotional center of the group.

* [[Hey, It's That Guy!]]: Whoa, what if [[Coupling|Jane]] was just one of Sophie's cons? She lived in London (i.e. near museums and Buckingham Palace), she had a job that required a helicopter, and no one ever suspects the dumb one.

* [[Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping]]: Gina Bellman has been doing an incredible job, but considering the number and scope of the accents she has to do, it was inevitable that eventually she'd slip on a couple. Her Southern Belle has been specifically mentioned.

* [[Picky Eater]]:

* [[Real Life Writes the Plot]]: Bellman's pregnancy forced the [[Journey to Find Oneself|Journey To Find Herself]].

* [[The Roper]]: Generally plays this role, though sometimes she switches it up with Nate.

* [[She's Got Legs]]: This seems to be something of a [http://www.areyouscreening.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Leverage_Gina-Bellman-1_Ph-Michael-Muller.jpg default wardrobe for her.]

* [[Team Mom]]:

* [[UST]]: With Nate

 

 

"Retrieval specialist" and mercenary. Played by Christian Kane.

** We're also still waiting to find out about [[Noodle Incident|the monkey]].

* [[Deadpan Snarker]]

'''Eliot:''' Yeah, well, hopefully the Russians will only pretend to kill him. }}

* [[Dirty Business]]: Both his current career and his [[Mysterious Past]] are full of it. Little has been given in detail, but he has clearly done some awful, awful things.

* [[Does Not Like Guns]]

** {{spoiler|Subverted all to hell in the Big Bang Job when he uses some to commit the first onscreen killings by a Leverage member.}}

* [[Estrogen Brigade Bait]]: In a pretty obvious way.

* [[Friend to All Children]]: Surprisingly. He has particular compassion for kids who've drawn the short stick of life, but even spoiled rich kids love him. Then there's the [[Berserk Button|hissy fit]] he throws in "The Morning After Job" until Hardison agrees to detour from a job to stop a domestic dispute because there ''could possibly'' be children involved. [[The Atoner|Non-fluffy reasons]] for this have been strongly hinted.

* [[Handsome Lech]]: We hardly ever see him actually hook up, but he is indubitably this.

* [[Hates Being Touched]]: Portrayed subtly, but confirmed by [[Word of God]]. Played for laughs.

** Also Robert Duvall's younger self in ''[[Secondhand Lions]]''.

* [[Hidden Depths]]: Out the wazoo. And he keeps uncovering more.

* [[Hired Guns]]: An ex-mercenary

* [[Invincible Hero]]: For a while early on, Eliot didn't even fight anyone who gave him a challenge. Since then, he's taken a few serious beatings, but has yet to actually ''lose'' a fight. It certainly makes him immune to [[The Worf Effect]].

* [[Lightning Bruiser]]

* [[Omniglot]]: Speaks Hebrew and Arabic and possibly other languages. [[Justified Trope|Justified]] because he is a world traveler with a professional need to speak local languages.

* [[Tin Man]]: Particularly in the first season. He ''is'' developing a sense of compassion and empathy, though.

* [[Technical Pacifist]]: Refuses to kill people. Has no problem kicking their knees backwards to make them scream like a girl.

* [[Violence Is the Only Option]]: Subverted, for the most part

Eliot's nostrils flare, his eyes narrow, and he punches Sterling in the face. He doesn't stop there. }}

** Occasionally Eliot does this for laughs: like in Season 1, Episode 2.

'''Hardison:''' I'm sorry it was too far away for you to punch, I'm sure that really frustrates you. }}

* [[Vitriolic Best Buds]]: With Hardison.

* [[Would Hit a Girl]]: But only if she hits him first.

 

 

Computer expert and technologist. Played by Aldis Hodge.

* [[Black and Nerdy]]: He's a hacker. What do you expect?

* [[Brains and Brawn]]: Often plays the Brains to Parker or Eliot's Brawn.

* [[Butt Monkey]]: More and more so recently. Probably because the production crew is taking advantage of the fact that Aldis Hodge knows how to act as one in an especially funny way.

* [[Catch Phrase]]: "Age of the geek, baby."

** "Oh, ''hell no''!" is a recent development - before that it was "Seriously!? ''Seriously!?''"

* [[Character Development]]: By the third season, he's started thinking about some day running his own crew.

* [[Deadpan Snarker]]:

* [[Estrogen Brigade Bait]]: In a less obvious way than Eliot, but the costume director sure likes to show off Aldis Hodge's fine figure in a suit or tank top.

* [[Evil Genius]]: If this is a [[Five-Bad Band]], anyway.

* [[Happily Adopted|Happily Fostered]]: He calls his foster mom "Nana" and speaks of her with great fondness. She was apparently a powerfully positive influence in his life.

* [[Hollywood Hacking]]

* [[Insufferable Genius]]: Interestingly, he's so charismatic by nature that he's generally easy to forgive when he gets into a bragging spiel. The other characters aren't quite as charmed as the audience, though.

* [[Last-Name Basis]]: Everybody else is called by their first names, but the creators loved the sound of "Dammit, Hardison!"

* [[Mission Control]]: Often holed up somewhere safe, hacking and providing support.

** But no one seems to appreciate his contributions.

'''Hardison:''' And analyze your actions and provide intel. [[Beat]]. You didn't think I did all that did you? Does no one respect the van? }}

*** RIP Lucille.

**** Again.

* [[Playful Hacker]]

* [[Rapid-Fire Typing]]

* [[Renaissance Man]]: Paints, sculpts, hacks, plays violin, and he's a decent actor to boot. Oh, and he taught himself a crash course in creating period-looking art that holds up to pretty amazingly close inspection.

* [[Vitriolic Best Buds]]: With Eliot.

 

 

The world's greatest thief. Played by Beth Riesgraf.

** Or more, given her sociopathic tendencies; she's simply not much of a fighter.

* [[Brains and Brawn]]: Sometimes plays the Brawn to Hardison's Brains.

* [[Cannot Spit It Out]]: But Hardison understands.

* [[Classy Cat Burglar]]: Well, a cat burglar, anyway...she has the look, but none of the attitude.

* [[Cloudcuckoolander]]

'''Eliot:''' That's what I said. }}

* [[Dark and Troubled Past]]: Bordering on [[Hilariously Abusive Childhood]] at some points.

* [[Dark Is Not Evil]]: She wears a lot of comfy black clothes, even when she's not on the job.

* [[The Dark Chick]]: If this is a [[Five-Bad Band]], anyway.

* [[Friend to All Children]]: Not just orphans, either. In "The Wedding Job," she is seen teaching a young girl how to pick a lock. [[Dead Little Brother|There are]] [[Parental Abandonment|pretty]] [[Dark and Troubled Past|specific]] [[Abusive Parents|reasons]] she is drawn to kids.

* [[Green-Eyed Monster]]: She becomes jealous when Hardison is a little too friendly with other women. This was most notable in "The Double-Blind Job."

'''Parker:''' She looks like a terrorist. }}

** Later she [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9waEwRU7oBw shatters a beer bottle with her bare hands] in a jealous rage.

* [[Heroic Comedic Sociopath]]

* [[In Harm's Way]]: She's a heck of an adrenaline junkie.

'''Parker:''' Warm? Cold? Why are we staring? }}

* [[Money Fetish]]: "I don't like stuff, I like money."

* [[Phantom Thief]]: According to [[Word of God]], Parker alone of the group has ''never been caught.'' {{spoiler|[[Word of God]] may not be taking "The First David Job" into account.}}

** From John Rogers' blog, post-"The Ice Man Job":

*** But she has been in Juvie.

* [[Required Secondary Powers]]: Mentioned in The Maltese Falcon Job

'''Parker:''' I hang from buildings with my fingertips. }}

* [[Shameless Fanservice Girl]]: Wastes no time switching between disguises, to Hardison's chagrin. Or joy.

* [[Unresolved Sexual Tension]]: With Hardison.

** {{spoiler|They're now together as of "The Long Way Down Job"}}

** She's also rather [[Moe|adorable when]] [[Perpetual Frowner|she pouts.]]

 

 

== Allies ==

 

Nate's ex-wife, expert in art. Played by Kari Matchett.

* [[Amicably Divorced]]: She still tries to be friends with Nate.

* [[Blondes Are Evil]]: Despite what one would expect, given that she's a main character's ex, no. Not even close.

* [[Hot Librarian|Hot Art Expert]]

* {{spoiler|[[Sixth Ranger]]: Temporarily.}}

* {{spoiler|[[The Bus Came Back]]: Returned in the season 4 finale.}}

* [[UST]]: Still seems to have some with her ex-husband.

 

----

Tropes associated with Tara:

* [[Con Man]]: She's a fabulous grifter, but tends to play characters that are completely different from any of Sophie's.

* [[Hidden Depths]]: "The Girls' Night Out Job" reveals that she was trained at Quantico.

** [[The Bus Came Back]]: In "The Girls Night Out Job."

* [[Replacement Scrappy]]: For a while, an in-universe example, until the team learns to trust her.

* [[Sixth Ranger]]: While Sophie is on her [[Journey to Find Oneself|Journey To Find Herself]], Tara fills in as the Grifter.

 

----

Tropes associated with Archie:

* [[Fake Brit]]

* [[Faking the Dead]]

* [[Grandpa What Massive Hotness You Have]]

* [[Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping]]

* [[Papa Wolf]]: Don't disrespect Parker in front of him. He might just taser you.

 

Police detective with whom the Leverage group occasionally crosses paths. Played by Robert Blanche.

----

Tropes associated with Bonanno:

* [[Reasonable Authority Figure]]: [[Word of God]] notes that {{spoiler|he knows Nate brought down the guys who shot him up, and if you're Irish or Italian from Boston, you do not let that just slide.}}

** In "The Boys Night Out Job," Bonanno reveals that he's definitely well-aware of Nate's activities (even [[Continuity Nod|knowing about Nate's escape from prison]]) but isn't particularly interested in bringing Nate down. He's even on good enough terms with Nate to join him for a poker game at Nate's place.

 

Two FBI agents Leverage Consulting & Associates tends to come across from time to time. They're not aware of the Leverage group, however, as they believe that Parker and Hardison are FBI superiors. Played, respectively, by Rick Overton and Gerald Downey.

----

* [[Hidden Depths]]: They may appear to be your run-of-the-mill bumbling cops, but in season 3, Taggart is revealed to be a Krav Maga instructor for the FBI.

* [[Inspector Lestrade|Agents Lestrade]]: To some extent. Leverage works alongside them as if they were FBI agents sent as reinforcements; Leverage delivers the bad guys so they can make the arrest.

* [[Those Two Guys]]

 

An investment banker with a large number of addictions, he steals from a charity in a flawed attempt at helping them, making himself the target of one of Leverage's cons. He proves to be an alright guy underneath everything, and returns in a later episode. Played by Drew Powell in "The 12-Step Job" and "The Boys' Night Out Job."

----

* [[Anti-Villain]]: He wants to help people, he just has no idea how.

* [[Big Fun]]/[[Fat Bastard]]: Toyed with. He tries to be the former, appears to be the latter, and falls somewhere in the middle.

* [[Kindhearted Cat Lover]]: He notes in his second appearance that he has bought a cat.

 

A friend of Parker's whom she met while on jury duty, Peggy is the only person outside of the team whom Parker regularly talks to. Appears in "The Juror #6 Job" and "The Girls' Night Out Job."

----

* [[Frying Pan of Doom]]: Beats a Venezuelan bomber up with one.

* [[Kindhearted Cat Lover]]: Meets guys through websites about cats. One of the flat-out nicest people to ever appear on the show.

* [[Nice Girl]]: If rather frustrated when it comes to dating. Oh, and don't touch her kitchen knives.

 

 

== Recurring Antagonists ==

 

The first antagonist of the series, Victor Dubenich of Bering Aerospace brings the Leverage team together to steal files from a rival of his, while claiming that they were originally his. His attempt at murdering the team to cover up his own tracks makes him the victim of their first con; {{spoiler|he returns in the Season 4 finale to get his revenge}}. Played by [[Saul Rubinek]].

* {{spoiler|[[Disney Villain Death]]: He falls off of a dam's concrete platform in a struggle with Latimer going for a gun Nate set down at the edge to kill the other.}}

* [[Fat Bastard]]

* [[It's Personal]]: With Pearson Aviation {{spoiler|and Nate after he gets sent to prison.}}

* [[The Man Behind the Man]]: {{spoiler|The brains behind Jack Latimer's attempts to manipulate the team.}}

* [[The Mark]]: By partway through the first episode.

* [[Out-Gambitted]]: Come on Victor, did you really expect Nate and Sophie to lose control of the situation for more than a minute?

* [[The Rival]]: Seems to see Pearson as his personal rival as well as a financial one.

* [[Smug Snake]]

* [[Starter Villain]]

* {{spoiler|[[You Killed My Father]]}}

 

 

----

Tropes associated with Sterling:

* [[Ambition Is Evil]]

* [[Badass]]: '''[[Word of God|Sterling. Never. Loses.]]'''

* [[The Chessmaster]]

* [[Evil Brit]]

* {{spoiler|[[Papa Wolf]]}}

* [[Sympathetic Inspector Antagonist]]: Despite what Sterling says, his one-upmanship with Nate is treated as a game of wits -- not the pursuit of some high ideal.

* [[We Used to Be Friends]]: Though Nate would beg to differ. Sterling later admits that he no longer recognizes the person Nate has become.

** {{spoiler|And Nate admits they were friends!}}

* [[Wild Card]]: Whose side he's on generally depends on which side will serve him best. So basically his own.

 

Did I mention that '''[[Rule of Three|Sterling. Never. Loses?]]'''

 

 

A hacker with skills that rival Hardison's. Initially hired by Marcus Starke, he betrays Starke and sets off on his own. Played by [[Wil Wheaton]] in "The Two Live Crew Job" and "The Ho-Ho-Ho Job."

* [[Evil Genius]]

* [[Geek]]: To Hardison levels.

* [[Hollywood Hacking]]

* [[Insufferable Genius]]

* [[Mad Bomber]]: Tries to blow up both Sophie and Starke.

* [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast]]: His handle advertises his [[Chaotic Evil]] status.

* [[Out-Gambitted]]: By Nate in "The Two Live Crew Job" and Hardison in the "The Ho-Ho-Ho Job." He himself inflicts this on Marcus Starke in the former, and the entire Leverage crew during the first part of the latter.

* [[Rapid-Fire Typing]]

* [[Villain of the Week]]: Twice

 

 

Name unknown, origin unknown. What is known is that she has a lot of behind-the-scenes power (she can keep Nate out of jail and in Boston after he has escaped a Massachusetts state prison), and has blackmailed the team into taking down the world's most powerful criminal banker. Played by Elisabetta Canalis.

* [[No Name Given]]: As stated above, name unknown, origin unknown.

 

 

The world's most feared criminal banker and target of Season 3's [[Myth Arc]]. Played by Goran Visnjic.

* [[Evil Cannot Comprehend Good]]: Seems to keep trying to figure out ''why'' the Leverage team are ruining his life without considering that maybe he just deserves it.

** Well, he also has ''no idea who they are''. Which triggers [[Fridge Logic]] given the team's reputation in "The Two Live Crew Job".

* [[Faux Affably Evil]]

* [[Hey, It's That Guy!]]: [[ER|Dr. Kovac!]]

* [[Paid Harem]]: Surrounds himself with a travelling parade of women in bikinis.

* [[Praetorian Guard]]: Every single one of his henchmen have innocent blood on their hands. {{spoiler|Including Eliot.}}

* [[Sinister Shades]]

* [[Smug Snake]]: Moreau's smarter than most of the marks that the team goes after, but for the most part he relies on his money and connections to keep him out of prison. He has no idea how to cope with the unexpected, and his inability to adjust once Nate sets his sights on him contributes immensely to his downfall.

* [[The Unseen]]: Until ''The Big Bang Job''.

* [[Villainous Breakdown]]: Slowly but does break down over the course of his story arc as he realizes a handful of people he's never heard of {{spoiler|and one former employee}} are destroying everything he's built.

 

 

A professional investor who's been keeping tabs on Leverage Consulting since their run-in with Dubenich, Latimer repeatedly tries to get the team to work for him. A recurring menace, he is played by Leon Rippy throughout Season 4.

* [[Disc One Final Boss]]: Is set up as [[The Big Bad]] of Season 4, but he's actually {{spoiler|being manipulated by Victor Dubenich}}.

* [[Evil Old Folks]]

* [[The Man Behind the Man]]: To Earnshaw Pharmaceuticals, DuberTech, Wakefield Agricultural, and Merced Financial, all of whom were exposed by the Leverage team.

* [[Manipulative Bastard]]

== Other Characters ==

 

 

A hulking giant from the Russian Mafia, with a grudge against Eliot, a penchant for using cooking ware as weaponry, and a very ugly reputation in the underworld. Appears in "The Wedding Job."

* [[Slasher Smile]]: Only has two facial expressions--grimacing and this.

 

 

A nondescript mercenary employed by Sterling in "The First David Job", Quinn ambushes Eliot and gives him an absolutely brutal beating, before being taken down himself. Portrayed by Clayne Crawford.

* [[Attack Hello]]

* [[Badass]]: He's the first person we see inflict any damage on Eliot. Definitely a [[Badass]].

** {{spoiler|[[Badass Long Hair]]: In his second appearance}}.

** [[Hidden Badass]]: Eliot really didn't see that one coming.

* [[One-Scene Wonder]]: Shows up out of nowhere, gives Eliot his toughest fight to date, and then vanishes from the show. It's been noted that this is exactly how Eliot himself probably appears to your average [[Mook]].

** {{spoiler|As of Season 4 this is no longer the case. Still a [[One-Scene Wonder]] in that episode though}}.

* [[Punched Across the Room]]: Does this to Eliot.

* [[Smug Snake]]: Has an arrogant bearing and displays a very cocky attitude throughout the fight.

* {{spoiler|[[The Bus Came Back]]: Returned in the season 4 finale.}}

* [[Why Won't You Die?]]: Demands to know why [[Determinator|Eliot]] won't go down and stay down.

 

Nate's former boss at IYS, and the man who let his son die. Serves as the final mark of Season 1. Played by Kevin Tighe.

----

* [[Wicked Cultured]]

 

A superb grifter and forger who operates out of Europe. He shows up in "The Two Live Crew Job," where his and Nate's cons cross paths. He plays both The Mastermind and The Grifter on his team. Portrayed by Griffin Dunne.

----

* [[Horrible Judge of Character]]: He trusted [[Card-Carrying Villain|Chaos]]. Not the best move there, buddy.

* [[Manipulative Bastard]]

* [[Out-Gambitted]]: By Chaos and Nate in rapid succession.

* [[Sharp-Dressed Man]]

* [[Smug Snake]]: Of the "failed Magnificent Bastard" variety. He's very good, but just not up to Nate's (or presumably Sterling's) level, and makes the key mistake of trusting Chaos.

 

A former [[Mossad]] agent who serves as The Hitter in Marcus Starke's crew. Has a [[Foe Yay]]-filled confrontation with Eliot. Portrayed by Noa Tishby in "The Two Live Crew Job."

----

* [[Hot Amazon]]

* [[Improvised Weapon]]: Once killed a man with a mop.

 

Starke's Thief, Apollo specialises in infiltration, corporate espionage, and bypassing physical security. Played by Apollo Robbins in "The Two Live Crew Job."

----

* [[Hired Guns]]: A corporate spy and infiltrator for hire.

* [[Nice Hat]]

* [[Only One Name]]

* [[Phantom Thief]]

* [[White Collar Crime]]: Nate lists this as his specialty.

 

The Mayor of Belbridge, Massecheussets and apparent [[Final Boss]] of Season 2. Played by Richard Kind in "The Three Strikes Job" and "The Maltese Falcon Job."

----

* [[Screw the Rules, I Have Connections]]: Uses his status as an FBI snitch to stay abreast of state police investigations into his activities and keep law enforcement away from Kadjic's business.

 

Mayor Culpepper's partner-in-crime and the real brains of the operation, Kadjic makes his living running guns from Third World countries to American gangs. Portrayed by Paul Blackthorne in "The Three Strikes Job" and "The Maltese Falcon Job."

----

* [[True Final Boss]]: Of Season 2 (unless you want to give that position to [[Hero Antagonist|Sterling]]).

 

A psychotic doctor in the employ of Wakefield Agricultural who conspires to unleash a blight on the world's wheat so that the company can benefit. Portrayed by Lisa Brenner.

----

* [[Mad Scientist]]

* [[The Mark]]

* [[Smug Snake]]: God yes.

* [[The Sociopath]]

 

Nate's father, and a former South Boston bookie, loan shark, and fixer, Jimmy has a strained relationship with his son. He appears as the villain of the "Three Card Monte Job," and is played by Tom Skerritt.

----

* [[Taking the Heat]]: Went to prison because the Three Families needed him to. Their refusal to pay him what was owed him for this plays a major role in "The Three-Card Monte Job".

 

 

A nasty piece of work who seems to have some history with Eliot, he appears in "The Carnival Job", where he provides the muscle for the Russian [[Villain of the Week]]. Played by Urijah Faber.

* [[Would Hurt a Child]]