Hello!
Now that both 1A and 1B have been released, I thought I’d share my own personal thoughts/ review it! So…
SPOILER WARNING!
First thing’s first, if you don’t know what Leverage: Redemption is, it’s a revival of Leverage, a show about a group of thieves that take down the rich and powerful. Leverage: Redemption picks up 8 years after the original, with almost all the original cast members minus lead mastermind Nathan Ford, played by Timothy Hutton, to take down the bag guys, which is incredibly satisfying given some of the real-life bag guys they’re supposed to represent. It’s streaming for free on Amazon Prime and IMDb TV in the US.
Review
Now, first I’m gonna start with 1A. 1A started off strong, with right off the back, giving us the same characters we loved in the original, but fresh and grown. There were many references to the original that I absolutely loved! The cons were awesome! The bad guys were worst than ever. The best part of 1A was the addition of Breanna, who brought in a fresh perspective, not only as a black lesbian but a Gen z woman. As a Gen z woman myself, I saw a lot of the cynicism that Breanna has in the world in me. But surprisingly, she doesn’t let the cynicism stop her from having fun, and wanting to change the world. Harry was a wonderful addition, as the “fixer”, he brought a unique skill set and another perspective on the world, as he was a bad guy lawyer. But he doesn’t replace mastermind Nate, which is good. He’s his own character, and his redemption arc is done well.
Now, onto 1B! 1B went absolutely balls to the wall with its bad guys! And the characters really found their groove and work really well together! The representation in the LGBTQ community and the POC community was refreshing to see. Each actor did bring their A game for the second half, most notably actor Christian Kane, who has some incredibly vulnerable moments as Eliot! The two-part finale was amazing and brought an amazing twist.
Overall, I thought this season did an amazing job of honoring the original while creating something new. The writing was great, and the actors did an amazing job going back into their characters. The satisfaction of having these bad guys who represent real life bad guys get taken down adds for a level of escapism that is incredibly satisfying in a world where justice isn’t always served. I can’t wait for a season 2!
What did you think? Let me know!
Kaylee
Kaylee Santell's Acting Page and Blog 