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Geek Girl Authority
3 days ago
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LEVERAGE: REDEMPTION Season Finale Recap: (S03E10) The Side Job
For a finale, Leverage: Redemption, 'The Side Job,' doesn't feel all that final. Not to say it isn't a masterclass in building an engaging and layered narrative. But, honestly, that's kind of a given with this series. It also elegantly bookends the season with Hardison (Aldis Hodge) returning and Parker (Beth Riesgraf) holding him to his six-month reflection on the reason they do what they do. We can only hope Prime Video gives them a few more seasons with which to continue doing. RELATED: Catch up with our recap of the previous Leverage: Redemption episode, 'The Polygeist Job' In this episode, the unique use of black-and-white and color footage to denote the scenes 'in' the con versus adjacent is a multi-purpose device. It sells the film noir style of story. It highlights the epically dramatic lie Parker sells to the mark. Most brilliantly, it reminds us that Parker sees the world in black and white. Always has. Always will. It's her con. Her way. Image Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video Leverage: Redemption, 'The Side Job' Cold open on a black and white pan over Puerto Nuevo, Colombia. In a shadowy pub, a hatted man seated at the bar answers his phone, saying that he needs to get to the island to close the deal before 'the blonde' finds him because she's going to kill him. Further down the bar, the camera focuses on Parker glancing over with a grin. In Louisiana, two weeks earlier, at the Ramirez Processing Plant, the hatted man, wearing a suit and no hat, directs a hesitant worker to dump the load into the bone-grinder. In his office, he finds Parker rifling through his files. He's the plant's owner, Edgar Ramirez (Ricardo Chavira). She's [allegedly] Elise Bannister, a social worker. RELATED: Olivia Morris Shares How The Librarians: The Next Chapter Hooked Her From Page One She's investigating the child labor he uses. As he escorts her out of the building, she notes how small his workforce is, height-wise, and gives the bone-grinder a hard look as she passes it. Outside, he's impressed by the sports car she drives. Putting together her surreptitious entrance, her ransacking of his office, and the fancy wheels, he guesses she's up to something and promises to find out what it is. She scoffs and drives off. Reality As Ramirez heads back into the plant, the picture flips to color. Elliot (Christian Kane) and Sophie (Gina Bellman) drive up, looking for Parker. Sophie checks in with the rest of the team to see if they know what Parker's up to. Breanna (Aleyse Shannon) and Harry (Noah Wyle) are in a hospital room, asking a woman about a boy, Rodrigo (Adan Carvacaño), who lies unconscious in the bed, his arm in an external fixator device. She tells them he had told her that he got a good-paying job, but she didn't know it involved dangerous machinery. She tells Harry they can't sue because Rodrigo had fake work papers saying he was old enough. When Breanna asks where he got the papers, Rodrigo wakes up and says it was Ramirez, but he can't testify because Ramirez will punish his undocumented cousins. Boundaries At headquarters, Sophie asks Elliot if the particulars of this case don't have him worried. Harry gets off the phone with his mom and asks them how to get around answering her questions about Leverage. Breanna enters and debriefs Edgar Ramirez, who repeatedly violates child labor laws. He deflects the bad press onto the employment agency, saying Dean Cisco (Garrett Hines) didn't vet the employees properly. However, Breanna's learned that Ramirez actually owns Cisco's company. RELATED: TV Review: Leverage: Redemption Season 3 Harry wants to know why they're so concerned about Parker. Parker arrives and explains that she is triggered by cases involving kids. She's installed bugs and cameras in Ramirez's office and a backdoor to his computer. Breanna has access to all of it. Parker promises to call if she needs help. When Elliot questions her going it alone, she points out that everyone on the team has their personal side job projects. Elliot looks out for veterans. Harry takes on legal clients. Breanna does her white-hat hacking. The team wishes her well. As Parker leaves, Sophie asks Elliot if he believes Parker's explanation. He doesn't. The Set Up Back in black-and-white. Ramirez and Cisco discuss Parker's visit. Ramirez tells Cisco that she was looking for paperwork on his employees connecting them to Isla Nubla, a tiny island off the coast of Colombia. He remembers receiving a voicemail from a Marta Cabrera from Gold Star Properties asking about employees from Isla Nubla. He plans to go see her in person. RELATED: Dean Devlin Dishes on The Librarians: The Next Chapter's Magical Homecoming In color, at the Gold Star offices, Sophie lets herself in. Over the cons, Breanna reminds Sophie that Parker wasn't taking anything from Ramirez's files; she was planting the Isla Nubla stuff, including the voicemails from Cabrera. As Sophie wonders why Parker laid a trail to Gold Star, Breanna realizes that Ramirez should be arriving any second. Sophie finds a blue folder with a sticky note on it that reads, 'FOR SOPHIE.' Grinning, she opens it up, picks up some wardrobe props, and acknowledges that Parker set her up. Drawing Sophie In When Ramirez knocks on Gold Star's door, it's back in black-and-white. Sophie greets him as Marta Cabrera. He says he's there to discuss Isla Nubla. She jumps on the topic, explaining that Gold Star owns the island now, and they're waiting for investors to develop a deep-water cruise ship port. Parker makes her entrance, pointing out that the island is empty because Hurricane Frances forces everyone to evacuate, and no one was allowed back on. However, before they can develop, they need someone born on the island to sign off to satisfy Colombia's government's mandate to respect indigenous claims to the land. That person will get a million dollars a year for life as compensation. RELATED: Geek Girl Authority Crush of the Week: Leverage: Redemption 's Parker Outside, Ramirez tells Parker he doesn't need her now. He'll find someone born on Isla Nubla by the weekend. Parker coerces him back with talk of making even more than the payout Mart Cabrera mentioned. She texts him an address to be at in an hour. Something Like That He leaves, and the picture blinks back into color. Parker returns to the conference room and debriefs with Sophie. They agree that the seat-of-the-pants grift was a lot of fun. Sophie guesses that the real reason for Parker's con is that their current jobs are too safe. Parker allows that might be part of it. Parker tells Breanna to meet her at the address she just texted Ramirez. They arrive on the 34th floor of a partially constructed building. Parker tells Breanna she wants to put the mark under stress to distract from the lie. Playing the building's architect, Breanna guesses that the real reason for Parker's con is that she wants to innovate their cons. Parker allows that might be part of it. RELATED: On Location: The Belgrade Fortress on The Librarians: The Next Chapter Flip to black-and-white for Ramirez's arrival on site. Breanna calls Parker and Ramirez over to where they can't be overheard. They step out onto an unfinished balcony. Breanna tells him that Marta didn't divulge that anyone indigenous to the island will get a piece of any business established there. She wants her firm to be the one to build the port. If Ramirez wants in, he needs to buy in at 10 million dollars. She guarantees a ten-to-one return, minimum. Spinning Stories At headquarters, in color, Harry checks in on Sophie, who is reviewing Parker's sting. Sophie explains how Parker's combined two different cons to convince Ramirez to empty his coffers into an escrow account that the Leverage team will pillage. She's concerned that Parker's placing herself in danger in order to close the deal. In black-and-white, Parker attends one of Ramirez's fundraisers. On the dance floor, he accuses her of being a bigger bad guy than him because she uses people to get ahead. His phone pings, and he shows her that Cisco has doctored papers to prove that Ramirez was born on Isla Nubla. This pulls the rug out from under Parker's plan. Recovery In color, Parker sits in the corner of Rodrigo's hospital room. His aunt comes in and tells Parker that he's improving slowly. She tells Parker that she's a good person for helping them. Parker gets up and leaves. RELATED: A Leverage: Redemption Primer: Get Ready to Steal Season 3 Harry gets into his car, unaware Parker's hiding in the backseat. She startles him. He screams and jumps out of the car. She follows and tells him she admires him because he changed. He points out that she did, too. She admits she did eventually, but it started out as a way to do new crimes, a challenge. She says she changed with the team while he changed on his own. He guesses that the real reason for Parker's con is that she's trying to figure out how people change. Parker allows that might be part of it. She asks him to revert to evil lawyer mode temporarily as a favor. At the plant, in black-and-white, Harry finds Ramirez. Calling himself Dexter Cheeble, Harry asks for employment records on Hector Ortez, a 19-year-old born on Isla Nubla, Colombia. Ramirez tells Harry that if he comes back in the evening, he'll get the paperwork for him, and they can discuss some potential financial accommodations. Shaking hands on it, Harry leaves. Ramirez places a call, saying that they've got a problem. Flipped In his office, he tells Parker about Harry's visit. She recommends they pay Harry off. Ramirez argues that blackmailers just keep on taking. They're better off just killing him. He's already engaged some men from Cisco's bunch. They'll wait for Harry in the plant parking lot and kill him as soon as he arrives. Parker turns to one of her hidden cameras and shoots a meaningful look at Breanna. Breanna's surveillance footage is in full color. She tries to raise Harry on the coms to warn him. Next, she tries Elliot. Meanwhile, Harry arrives at the plant. He gets a warning text from Breanna just as a black SUV squeals up behind him. The goons chase him into the plant. RELATED: Read the Recap of the Best Leverage: Redemption Season 3 Episode, 'The Grand Complication Job' Parker slaps Ramirez in black-and-white, accusing him of screwing up by ordering the hit on the lawyer at the plant. He suggests they leave. In color, Harry fights the goons until Elliot arrives. Harry runs out and confronts Ramirez and Parker in black-and-white. Parker pulls out a gun and shoots Harry twice. Ramirez takes it from her and puts a final slug in his back. Elliot arrives, and Ramirez criticizes his hitman skills, leaving Elliot to dispose of Harry's body in the bone-grinder. Ending It Once Ramirez and Parker leave, the scene reverts to color. Elliot compliments Harry on his fall and helps him to his feet. Back at headquarters, Parker tries to make light of the real hired killers she didn't anticipate. Sophie and Elliot insist she finish the con immediately. She agrees once Breanna assures her that they will get every cent of Ramirez's money. In black-and-white, Ramirez leaves the plant with his papers. Parker drives up and offers him a ride. He gets in, and she stuns him with a taser. Grabbing his phone, she messages the plant supervisor to clear the floor and send everyone home because of a spot inspection. RELATED: TV Review: Cross Season 1 In color, Sophie's waiting at the Gold Star offices and tells Breanna and Harry that Parker's late. They ping her phone and discover she left it at headquarters. Back at the now-empty plant, black-and-white Parker prepares to send Ramirez through the bone-grinder, explaining that a little while ago, someone asked her why she does what she does. When the others asked her, they didn't let her answer: they just kept guessing. Starting up the bone-grinder, she gets ready to tip Ramirez in, stating she's not sure what she's going to do. The bone-grinder stops. Faint with relief, Ramirez sees Elliot and assumes he's there to stop Parker. Elliot denies this and walks away. Got Your Back Parker follows him in color and asks him if he's going to stop her or tell on her. He tells her that they aren't like the others. Whatever she chooses to do, he's got her back. In black-and-white, Parker rushes back to the bone-grinder. She turns it on. Desperate, Ramirez tips the trolley and rolls out. By the time Parker follows him out of the building, he's disappeared. Flashforward to the Colombian pub. Cisco tells Ramirez that the papers he traveled on aren't from him. Parker walks over and ends the call. RELATED: Read our Leverage: Redemption recaps Full color when the phone hits the bar. She tells him his papers are hers. Flashback: After Parker and Breanna pulled the construction site con, she had Breanna use Cisco's software to create new Colombian papers. In the pub, she tells him he's been traveling as a wanted fugitive. Her real reason for the con is redemption. She tells him his redemption begins with empathy. In the U.S., he's dead. Flashback: Parker leaves his shoes, wallet, and cell phone next to the bone-grinder opening. Now that he has to live in a country with no papers or resources, hiding from the law, maybe he'll understand the lives of the people he exploited in his plants. Not Just the Side Job Parker returns in time for Breanna to go pick up Hardison. Before Sophie leaves for a weekend with Jack, Harry asks her to meet his mother because he wants his mother to meet his best friend. Once Hardison's home, Parker gives the team her report, the product of six months of analyzing why she does crime. She's concluded that she's a thief. She breaks the rules because the rules sometimes say it's okay to hurt others, and that's not right. This is her way because it's their way. All three seasons of Leverage: Redemption are now streaming on Prime Video. Come on, Prime Video. Let's give Leverage: Redemption three more seasons. REVIVAL: Check Out 9 First-Look Photos From Melanie Scrofano-Led Series Diana lives in Vancouver, BC, Canada, where she invests her time and energy in teaching, writing, parenting, and indulging her love of all Trek and a myriad of other fandoms. She is a lifelong fan of smart sci-fi and fantasy media, an upstanding citizen of the United Federation of Planets, and a supporter of AFC Richmond 'til she dies. Her guilty pleasures include female-led procedurals, old-school sitcoms, and Bluey. She teaches, knits, and dreams big. You can also find her writing at The Televixen, Women at Warp, TV Fanatic, and TV Goodness.
Geek Girl Authority
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Girl Authority
LEVERAGE: REDEMPTION Recap: (S03E06) The Swipe Right Job
When you do what the Leverage: Redemption team does, catching frauds and exploiters in their own webs, you just can't turn it off. In Leverage: Redemption Season 3 Episode 6, 'The Swipe Right Job,' Sophie (Gina Bellman) discovers her most recent dating app match catfishes vulnerable dates. At the same time, Harry (Noah Wyle) is dipping his toe in the dating pool as well. This comes in handy. RELATED: Catch up with our recap of the previous Leverage: Redemption episode, 'The Grand Complication Job' From the sidelines, Parker's (Beth Riesgraf) theories on the evils of dating apps border on the surreal. Elliot's attempts to explain his relationship experiences are a masterclass in digging oneself into a hole of self-actualization. Breanna (Aleyse Shannon) runs the op from headquarters, thoroughly disgusted by their mark's depraved abuse of those desperately seeking love. Leverage: Redemption, 'The Swipe Right Job' Sophie's on a date with Neal Trividi (Maulik Pancholy). He shows her a sapphire ring he retrieved at great physical risk and insists on giving it to her. When she asks how he got into the gem business, he tells her his sister motivated him to make something of his life. He offers to fly Sophie to Havana in his private jet on their next date. At headquarters, Harry's daughter, Becky (Auden Wyle), begs him over a video call to let her see his dating profile. He assures her his dating life is going well and says goodnight. Sophie enters. They compare notes. Harry's date ate an entire fish head while Sophie argues that her date was even fishier. The ring he gave her is a fake, and he made an obvious business overture. RELATED: Geek Girl Authority Crush of the Week: Leverage: Redemption 's Parker Breanna deep dives on Neal. He made millions by pretending to be a billionaire to people he met on dating apps. He takes their money as investments that he never pays back and then hits them up for more to pay for 'protection' from his enemies. She pulls up the profiles of the partners he's landed, both men and women. Sophie wants to know who lost the most money to Neal's scheme. She meets with the ex-partners. One, Roger (Sean Hankinson), an accountant, is still deeply in love with Neal. Another, Jolene (Jessie Terrebonne), hates him, and when they parted ways, she stole cash and gems to even the score. However, they turned out to be counterfeit. Let's Go Steal a Dream Date The team regroups, has a quick discussion about how they find romantic partners, and then, Sophie lays out the plan. They're all going to Havana for her date. Elliot and Parker con a pilot into leaving the airport and take his place on the plane. Unfortunately, Elliot's never flown a plane before. Uh-oh. Sophie arrives, a new cover story in place that she's an owner in a thriving mining enterprise. As she approaches the plane, Neal's sister, Reena (Annet Mahendru), steps out of the car. She tells Sophie that Neal's already in Havana. Reena will accompany her instead. RELATED: TV Review: Leverage: Redemption Season 3 On the way to Havana, Reena shares that she manages Neal's savings. It's a bumpy ride. Parker, as the flight attendant, dumps the pretzels on Reena at one point. Upon arrival, Reena leaves to do some work while Neal whisks Sophie away to the hotel's aquarium-surrounded restaurant. Neal pours champagne while dropping hints about his investment connections and the dangerous people who target him. Sophie innocently asks him for some business advice. The Apps Are The Enemy In the lobby, Elliot and Parker stand watch. Parker muses about how dating apps aren't helping Sophie and Harry find partners. Elliot notices Reena on her phone and overhears her saying something about a British woman showing the person on the phone a video of Neal. Parker tries to warn Sophie, but the coms aren't working because the hotel's walls have ferrocement and block transmission like a Faraday cage. RELATED: TV Review: Cross Season 1 In the restaurant, Neal is very interested in Sophie's ruby mine in Myanmar. His bodyguard interrupts to hand him a phone. He steps away to talk to Reena, who warns him that the British woman Roger warned them about must be Violet (Sophie's pseudonym). Neal returns to the table and tells Violet/Sophie that he's just heard a very interesting story. In the lobby, Elliot and Parker see a couple of goons arrive. Elliot intercepts them on the stairs while Parker runs to rescue Sophie. An Empire of Lovers Neal interrogates Sophie, believing one of his marks hired her to come after him. He tells her that his empire of lovers may not be as precious as gems, but they are far more loyal. Once she's done her champagne, his goons will take her to the local police. Neal has a close relationship with them, and they'll punish her for her betrayal. Leaving, he calls Roger to thank him. He leaves the area, and Parker pokes her head out of a nearby door, sickened by the lovey-dovey talk Neal pours over the phone. She grabs a fire hose. At the table, Sophie chats with the silent bodyguard. They hear a shot fired and jump. Sophie describes what could happen if her rescuers puncture the aquarium glass with their bullets. Water starts pouring in under one door. Sophie advises the guard to run out the other one. He leaves. She opens the first door, revealing Parker holding an open bottle of champagne and the running fire hose. RELATED: Read our Cross recaps Back at headquarters, having escaped Cuba in the hold of a boat owned by one of Elliot's friends, a smuggler, Sophie shudders at the memory of being covered in shrimp. Breanna and Harry reveal that Neal rewarded Roger for his loyalty by making him his new money manager. Roger still believes the money is legitimately made in the gem industry. Sophie believes they can get Roger to follow the money and realize the truth on his own. Now that Sophie, Parker, and Elliot are burned, they need a new lure. Harry's the guy. Breanna makes him over into Arthur Bennett, a public interest lawyer with old money. Meanwhile, Sophie coaches him on how to run a long con. Leverage: Redemption, Setting Humanity Free Waiting for Roger to arrive at work, Parker and Elliot discuss dating apps again. They're wearing FBI jackets. Roger arrives, and they spring into action. At headquarters, Breanna's makeover is complete. On his plane, Neal checks his matches on the app and swipes right on Arthur Bennett. RELATED: TV Review: The Wheel of Time Season 3 Parker and Elliot knock on Roger's office door. They intimate that an estate Roger recently began managing is a front for money laundering. He protests that the money tracks back to a billionaire. Parker questions whether all the money is the billionaire's. Roger suspects Reena and wants to warn Neal, but Parker and Elliot point out that it would make him an accomplice if Neal turns out to be the criminal. Introducing Arthur Bennett Over dinner, Harry flirts outrageously with Neal. Suddenly, Becky's there. Harry goes over to her. She congratulates him and tells him she's proud of him. Telling him she loves him, she hugs him and leaves. When he turns back to the table, Neal's seat is empty. Panicking that he's lost Neal, Harry turns and finds him standing behind him. Neal says he overheard the conversation and thinks it's beautiful that 'Arthur' and his daughter are so close. They return to the table to finish the dinner and date. The next day, Neal texts 66 times, leaves a voicemail, and sends a dozen red roses. When he phones again, Harry answers. Before Neal can invite him to Havana, Harry invites him to the Bennetts' ancestral estate. RELATED: Read our The Wheel of Time recaps Walking through a pasture with horses, they meet up with Reena. Harry tells Neal that he's donating the land to charity. As an aside, he mentions there are untapped oil reserves under the land, and he doesn't want to deal with it. He walks away on a phony phone call, leaving Neal and Renna making meaningful eye contact. Trouble in Paradise As they picnic in a pasture, Reena tries to steer the conversation to proposing that she and Neal manage the land for Arthur. When Neal persists with cutesy romantic talk, she asks to speak with him in private. Alone, they argue over the approach. Reena wants a business deal. Neal wants to marry Arthur and then inherit everything when Arthur mysteriously dies. Reena tells him he would never have been successful without her. He gets on his phone and texts Roger, telling him to lock Reena out of the accounts. Reena screams in frustration and storms off. RELATED: TV Review: The Bondsman Back at the picnic, Harry's concerned that the con will require him to marry Neal. Sophie reassures him and tells him it's time to reveal his true self. As they walk through the stables, 'Arthur' confesses to Neal that he's already given away all his worldly assets. Neal proposes Reena's idea of buying this last property from Arthur and maintain it for him. Reena ambushes them at the stable door, pointing a gun at them and flanked by the bodyguard. Crying Wolf Forcing them into a vehicle, Reena and the guard drive them to an airplane hangar where they're tied up. Reena demands $20 million from 'Arthur,' but Neal explains the fortune's gone. Reena hits Neal with the gun's handle. He promises to get her the money from Roger. She dials Roger with Neal's phone and holds it up as a video call. In a call very similar to the fake one he sent to marks before, Neal begs Roger to transfer three million dollars to Reena. RELATED: Read our recaps for The Bondsman Roger doesn't believe Neal. He tells him he followed the money and discovered the entire scheme. Roger admits he'll be lonely but needs to learn to love himself. He says goodbye to Neal. Neal begs 'Arthur' to help him out with some money. Harry informs him he doesn't even have his restraints anymore. Parker pops up, having cut Harry's zip ties. Elliot takes care of the bodyguard. Breanna sneaks into the room. Reena starts to run but returns at Neal's pleas for rescue. The two of them board a plane. Breanna calls ahead to the Mumbai airport. Propped Up No Longer At the Mumbai airport, Reena presents her bag for inspection. It's full of counterfeit cash and gems, courtesy of Jolene. Flashback to the plane where Breanna stashed the items Jolene stole in Reena's bag. The Mumbai police drag the siblings away. At headquarters, Sophie sits down with Roger. She lets him know that Neal can never pull his scam on anyone again. Roger thanks her and admits that he's ashamed of being fooled. She tells him she wishes she were more like him. Because of her own loss, she is quick to spot all the red flags in potential future partners. Roger loves wholeheartedly, flaws and all. They promise each other they'll keep trying. RELATED: Read our Leverage: Redemption recaps Parker and Elliot sit at the bar. She's changed her thinking on the dating apps. With Hardison's help, she plans on creating their own dating app that saves humanity. Harry and Becky are at the other counter. Becky helps Harry select his next match. Sophie bids Roger goodbye, joins the others, and shares a smile with Harry. Leverage: Redemption Season 3 streams on Prime Video with new episodes every Thursday. HOUSE OF THE DRAGON: Season 3 Cast Adds 3 New Faces Diana lives in Vancouver, BC, Canada, where she invests her time and energy in teaching, writing, parenting, and indulging her love of all Trek and a myriad of other fandoms. She is a lifelong fan of smart sci-fi and fantasy media, an upstanding citizen of the United Federation of Planets, and a supporter of AFC Richmond 'til she dies. Her guilty pleasures include female-led procedurals, old-school sitcoms, and Bluey. She teaches, knits, and dreams big. You can also find her writing at The Televixen, Women at Warp, TV Fanatic, and TV Goodness.
