This is why some cars are red and some cars are green...

[liz_marcs]

Leverage is so incredibly...*bleh*

And this is from someone who likes movies and books about con men. I'm supposed to be the target audience for this show.

Now granted I missed the 2-hour premiere, but I have watched no less than 3 episodes via video-on-demand. And I also admit that my delay in even trying Leverage has a lot to do with the fact that I know shows like this tend to go down like a rollercoaster somewhere around mid-season because it's a hard show to keep fresh.

But since just about all of my FList has been wibbling about it, I figured that maybe it was an exception. Can I just say that I am somewhat disappointed? I was expecting something slightly more entertaining and slightly less boring.

The actors are reasonably likeable, true, but that's just about the only thing it has going for it. (Also an unpopular opinion: Christian Kane is kind of the weak link in this show. I'm not sure if the fault lies with the character or the actor.)

But let's be honest here: It's The A-Team with 10 more IQ points.

I confidently predict that by the beginning Season 2, the Leverage gang is going to be building the con man equivalent of a tank every single week.

*sigh*

You know, you'd think I'd be used to be the odd person out in fandom by now. Firefly bores the tits off me (I always could guess the ending within the first 10 minutes of an episode). Supernatural enrages me due to its sexist/racist issues (They say it's better this year, but they said the same thing last year, the year I nearly put my fist through the television). And I kept unfavorably comparing Smallville to Lois & Clark.

*sigh*

I'll be over here at the Leverage h8terz table ---> Table for 1

Comments

[deird1]

Haven't seen Leverage myself, but had to chime in with thunderous agreement on the Supernatural-and-Smallville front, for the same reasons as you. (My opinion of Firefly goes up and down.)

[liz-marcs.livejournal.com]

Don't waste your time. Seriously.

Go rent a good con job or heist movie instead. You'll be far more entertained.

[liptonrm.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Leverage is not all that great. I tried it for Aldis Hodge and because I was supposed to be studying for finals and had a very meh reaction. It mostly made me want to watch some Hustle.

I haven't had the chutzpah to try Merlin yet, even though my f-list is all a-twitter over it. I just have this feeling that if you've seen one show with adolescent boys being adolescent boys you've seen them all.

[liz-marcs.livejournal.com]

I like Hodge's character, even though it appears he can do anything with a computer...including things that you can't technically do in the time he does them. *rolleyes*

Although I like the fact that the Mr. T equivalent is being played by skinny white guy this time around. Okay, he's playing it somewhat unconvincingly, but like I said, I'm not sure if the actor is actually to blame for it, or the writing.

[timeofchange.livejournal.com]

OMG, so true! After reading squee all over my Flist, I watched a couple of episodes this past weekend. Zzzzzzzzzzz.

[liz-marcs.livejournal.com]

I suspect that quite a lot of that squee is related to Christian Kane being a regular and Mark Sheppard as recurring — that's assuming you have a ton of Whedon-verse fans on your FList like I do.

Like I said, I like the actors just fine. They do a pretty good job with the material they have. In the case of Timothy Hutton, he even brings it up just a smidge above the writing.

But it's so horribly formulaic in the same way that House is. It's even got the same pattern of plan--->failboat--->fix--->success--->profit!

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

Not entirely an outlier. I saw one episode of Leverage. It didn't do much for me. I never got into Smallville or Supernatural. And Firefly also bored me.

Damages, I'm watching.

[liz-marcs.livejournal.com]

I gave it 3 shots because soooooo many people seem to lovelovelove it. Plus, it was on VOD, so it was pretty easy to say, "Hmmmmm, maybe it's just a weak episode." But once you say it for three episodes, you've got to conclude that it's a weak series.

I started watching Damages last year, but I kind of lost track of it 4 or 5 episodes in. I figure that'll be one of the series I'll catch up on via DVD.

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

I missed half of last season and just started again at 2.01./ For a convoluted/plotty show, they gave a pretty good internal recap.

[viciouswishes.livejournal.com]

Haven't seen Leverage yet. But I did like the A-Team. (Granted, I was a small child then...) I'll probably give it a loop around.

I found Firefly interesting, but I definitely agree with you that the plots were very predictable 10 minutes in. 100% in agreement about Supernatural and Smallville.

[liz-marcs.livejournal.com]

See, when I was a kid, the A-Team was hell a fun. Recently I tried watching it on...TBS? TNT? Spike? Anyway, one of those networks was re-running the series.

I caught an episode from Season 2 (one of the good seasons), and I couldn't believe it. Seriously. I just sat there slack-jawed because I used to love it. (Okay, even way back in the day I fell out of love with it just before its final season.) It just hasn't aged all that well.

The problem with Leverage is that it's fallen into the same repetitive-cycle trap that the A-Team perfected. And given the show's premise, I'm not entirely sure how they'll be able to break out of it.

[sylo-tode.livejournal.com]

The only episode of the A-Team that I (intentionally) watched was in the last season when they started working for Robert Vaughn, David McCallum was the guest star villain and the show was formatted just like The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

[redbeardjim.livejournal.com]

The one major thing I remember about the A-Team was that they hosed around incredible amounts of bullets each week, and yet *no one ever got shot*. The one time someone actually *did* get hit by a bullet, they based the entire episode around it.

[a2zmom.livejournal.com]

Leverage is cute but it's not all that and a slice of toast.

Smallville is actually (dare I say it) pretty good this year. I think this loss of Lex Luthor meant they had to write actual plots. And it freed them up from the whole it's got to tie into the comics. I watched in the past solely to mock, but this year not bad.

I am not fannish about SPN at all but it is much better this year. My biggest problem is I can spot the plot twists a mile away usually. Whedon surprised me a lot, this show rarely at best.

None of these are contenders for current favorite shows however.

[lillian13.livejournal.com]

Hee! As I always say, if everybody liked the same things we'd be out of Rocky Road ice cream really fast.

Smallville has always annoyed me, for most of the reasons you mention. Supernatural has gotten better. We'll have to agree to disagree on Leverage. :-)

Have you tried Burn Notice? It is well-written, and it's enlivened by Bruce Campbell.

[jetpack-monkey.livejournal.com]

I loved the first two episodes but everything after has sent me away screaming. So apologies if my earlier squee led you astray.

A friend thankfully swooped in and introduced me to Hustle and I'm much happier now.

[vincentursus.livejournal.com]

Perhaps it's just me, but "The A-Team with 10 more IQ points." sounds better than most of my television-viewing options.

[hilleviw.livejournal.com]

I like it. One of the things it has that the A-Team didn't is, well, women. Parker intrigues me, kind of a lot.

[denny-dc.livejournal.com]

I scanned the responses to your post and can I say - how smart these people are:)! Seriously.

Leverage is a major disappointment. SPN is better than last year - even sexier in spots - but plotting is too easy. Smallville - yes, looks better, but sorry, I just can't watch it anymore. But frankly, I didn't watch it that much before this season and no matter what they do with it, I'm not thrilled.

My favorite show - True Blood (and still I could and do complain). Next I'm enjoying 'Life' - but I've got a girl crush on "Reese" who used to be on "The L Word."

[bigsciencybrain.livejournal.com]

I wasn't un-impressed with Leverage, but I wasn't all that impressed either. It wasn't quite intelligent enough for me and you're right, that's a very hard formula to maintain.

[invisionary.livejournal.com]

Have you tried Burn Notice? It's similar in many ways, but I think the writing is considerably better. Plus, it has Bruce Campbell, who's always fun.

[lostakasha.livejournal.com]

I can't abide SPN for exactly the reasons you mention, and, truth be told, I've always wondered who CK had to...um...please to get an acting job. I do like Aldis Hodge, though, and when comparing Leverage to recent Bones episodes I actually enjoy it.(Probably because I've been sitting at the Bones h8terz table for about a year and a half now. *sigh*)

[menomegirl.livejournal.com]

I've always wondered who CK had to...um...please to get an acting job.

LOL! I've often wondered the same thing about David Boreanaz.

[madripoor-rose.livejournal.com]

It's a little uneven, but I've been enjoying it. It's the characters that sell me on a show more than the overall writing (or I wouldn't have stuck with Stargate Atlantis as long as I did) and I'm liking Parker, the squirrely little blonde bank robber.

It's trying way too hard to be Burn Notice, but so far it hasn't actively made me want to slap somebody and it's a fairly fast-paced hour.

Also: it isn't reality tv. That wins them fifteen bonus points right there.

[magyarok-saman.livejournal.com]

We've been watching Leverage since it started, and I have to agree, it's a meh kinda show. Not sure why but it just doesn't "grab" me.

Maybe we're too spoiled but the CSI series...

Hugs,
L

[simonf.livejournal.com]

You ever watched Spooks? (Re-titled MI5 for the States). It still manages to surprise and engage the viewer.

[grey-bard.livejournal.com]

Heh. I like Leverage, but it isn't a Deep Fannish Passion or anything. "The A-Team with 10 more IQ points" sounds about right, and is *exactly* the viewing experience that I want it for. Mmm, brainless relaxing caper show with some funny bits. I totally get how it isn't for everyone.

[menomegirl.livejournal.com]

Hmm you know what they say, different strokes for different folks. :)

Leverage makes me laugh. It might not be the best thing on tv at the moment but it's better than most, IMO.

But then again, I hate cop shows, medical shows and reality shows, don't care much for sci-fi or westerns, so that doesn't leave much does it?

*G*

[4thdixiechick.livejournal.com]

You know, you'd think I'd be used to be the odd person out in fandom by now. Firefly bores the tits off me (I always could guess the ending within the first 10 minutes of an episode). Supernatural enrages me due to its sexist/racist issues (They say it's better this year, but they said the same thing last year, the year I nearly put my fist through the television). And I kept unfavorably comparing Smallville to Lois & Clark.

I thought I was the only one with those opinions...
I didn't bother with Leverage because I was a fan of Hustle, but it lost steam pretty quickly.

[drmercurious.livejournal.com]

All my friends heap praises on Firefly too. I find it predictable and the characters unlikable for the most part. As for Leverage, I didn't watch it because it sounded like the type of show that dies quickly. Personally, I'd rather spend my time watching The Secret Saturdays.

[zed42.livejournal.com]

i thought it was much closer to the original mission: impossible than a-team... a group of conmen/spies have to convince an evil kgb agent/company/executive that doing X is a bad idea, or steal some documents/money and not get caught...

i think the show is fun for now, but i agree that it's going to have a very short life if they can't find a way to do something more than "con $foo into/out of $bar" every week...