# Leverage on TNT: what a bucket of suck! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 9, 2008, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leverage-on-tnt-what-a-bucket-of-suck/476416 "2008-12-09T17:21:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leverage-on-tnt-what-a-bucket-of-suck/476416/1 "2008-12-09T17:21:05Z")
TNT’s newest show _[Leverage](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1103987/)_, starring Timothy Hutton, premiered on Sunday. I’m a big Hutton fan thanks to his amazing work on A&E’s _Nero Wolfe_ series, so I recorded it and watched it last night. Boy, was _that_ a waste of time. It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen such a haphazard pile of cliches, predictability, and bad acting. It was absolutely horrendous, Hutton included. Even Saul Rubinek, an actor I generally enjoy, couldn’t do anything but twitch a lot. The one minor bright spot was Aldis Hodge as a computer hacker type dude, but that was like finding an open candy bar buried in a pile of steaming horse dung. I predict this turkey will be cancelled by episode 4, and it doesn’t even deserve to last that long, even on cable. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leverage-on-tnt-what-a-bucket-of-suck/476416/2 "2008-12-09T17:25:46Z")
I’m still gonna give it a shot. It didn’t blow me away be any means, but it looks like it could be good. It was just rough. It seems like everyone was over acting at the start, but it seemed like it started to mellow out by the end. I’m not gonna write it off just after the first episode. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leverage-on-tnt-what-a-bucket-of-suck/476416/3 "2008-12-09T17:44:58Z")
never mind I’m trying to link to Alan Sepinwall’s review but can’t get it to work. He liked it, but he’s seen the first four episodes. Maybe it’s better after the pilot. ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leverage-on-tnt-what-a-bucket-of-suck/476416/4 "2008-12-09T17:52:02Z")
Hmmm, I thought for a caper-type show, it was pretty good (although I did see the twist coming twenty minutes before the reveal). I’m going to give it another shot and see if it can maintain the energy of the pilot without having to resort to a lot of back story. ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leverage-on-tnt-what-a-bucket-of-suck/476416/5 "2008-12-09T18:00:10Z")
I think it’s trying to be the “Burn Notice” of industrial espionage. It would be nice to see it succeed, but it’s not there yet. I was surprised that it’s set in Chicago. They used some locations to good effect, especially Millennium Park, but there’s so much more they could do. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leverage-on-tnt-what-a-bucket-of-suck/476416/6 "2008-12-09T18:20:05Z")
Hmm. Guess I have high standards. For the record, my wife thought it sucked big time, too. 🙂 ETA: I love _Burn Notice_. I’ve seen every episode of _Burn Notice_. _Leverage_, sir, is no _Burn Notice_. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leverage-on-tnt-what-a-bucket-of-suck/476416/7 "2008-12-09T18:49:57Z")
_Leverage_ looked bad in the promos. That to me is a sure sign of a lousy show (the same principle applies to movie trailers). ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leverage-on-tnt-what-a-bucket-of-suck/476416/8 "2008-12-09T19:39:58Z")
**Jackmannii** , I guess the movie-going public doesn’t share your view about trailers. “Four Christmases” was the #1 movie for the second week in a row… ---
**Author:** ![kasuo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8c91f0/32.png) [@kasuo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kasuo)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leverage-on-tnt-what-a-bucket-of-suck/476416/9 "2008-12-09T20:05:25Z")
> [@Fiddle\_Peghead](#): > > “Four Christmases” was the #1 movie for the second week in a row… Hence marking the coming of the End of Days ™. The show seems fun. I’m gonna DVR it and see if it remains that way. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leverage-on-tnt-what-a-bucket-of-suck/476416/10 "2008-12-09T20:13:54Z")
I didn’t watch the first airing, but then in the promos I recognized Gina Bellman. I want to see what she’s like in a role other than the one that I know her from. ---
**Author:** ![clarkstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@clarkstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clarkstar)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leverage-on-tnt-what-a-bucket-of-suck/476416/11 "2008-12-09T20:36:39Z")
i could have told you that, as soon as I heard it starred Timothy Hutton. which i just heard a commercial for about 10 minutes ago. when’s the last time he was in anything good besides the outsiders ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leverage-on-tnt-what-a-bucket-of-suck/476416/12 "2008-12-09T20:48:39Z")
So, OP, how do you _really_ feel? 🙂 I enjoyed the pilot thoroughly, though I actually agree about the predictability and cliches. Not so sure on the bad acting–it was up to snuff for me, though there’s no guarantee that I don’t have low standards. In fact, quite the opposite–I don’t ask a lot out of television. A bare level of competence, nothing terribly annoying, and a certain ‘gee whiz’ factor, whether in the form of memorable/endearing characters, slick gadgets, or something else, will keep me happy. All the more so now that I’ve rediscovered my ability to effortlessly suspend disbelief for all but the most unforgiveable inconsistencies. (Those shows that go beyond, of course, are the rare jewels of television, and I appreciate them as such.) Given that several of my favorite shows are either on their way to the chopping block or already gone, I’ll be following this one, at least for the moment. Given that it’s a heist/con show (one of my favorite plot premises) and Timothy Hutton, whom I adore from back in his Nero Wolfe days, I’ll probably be able to put up with quite a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leverage-on-tnt-what-a-bucket-of-suck/476416/13 "2008-12-09T20:53:05Z")
Well, watching the show costs nothing. I don’t have any pressing business tonight. So I’ll tune in for Episode #2, even though the pilot wasn’t impressive. Because I’m shallow. The preview showed Christian Kane in a suit, with his hair slicked back–reminding me of that lawyer with an Evil Hand. And Gina Bellman does have range–she was a ditz on _Coupling_. And she was also _Mrs Jekyll_. Maybe the showrunners can do something with the raw material. If not, no great loss… (What do you mean by “even on cable”? _Mad Men_ is a cable show. No, I hardly expect _Leverage_ to rise to those heights. But there are damn few news shows I bother to watch–on the networks & on cable.) ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leverage-on-tnt-what-a-bucket-of-suck/476416/14 "2008-12-09T21:39:23Z")
> [@clarkstar](#): > > i could have told you that, as soon as I heard it starred Timothy Hutton. which i just heard a commercial for about 10 minutes ago. when’s the last time he was in anything good besides the outsiders _Kidnapped_, from a couple years back on NBC. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leverage-on-tnt-what-a-bucket-of-suck/476416/15 "2008-12-09T21:46:50Z")
I really enjoyed it. I thought it was a lot of fun to watch. I like Timothy Hutton. It was a little too cliche and somewhat predictable, but that’s OK. I’m not often surprised these days anyway, so that’s OK. I didn’t care for how ‘weird’ they made the girl. Quirky is ok, weird isn’t IMHO. I’ll definitely be watching it again tonight. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leverage-on-tnt-what-a-bucket-of-suck/476416/16 "2008-12-09T22:01:02Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > And Gina Bellman does have range–she was a ditz on _Coupling_. I found her character on _Coupling_ to be incredibly annoying. And then came the episode with [Jake the Truth Snake](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6iksNg9IdQ) and I laughed my ass off. It would be interesting if she pulled a Laurie; went from ditzy British comedy to an American drama. ---
**Author:** ![Katriona](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/katriona/32/113_2.png) [@Katriona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katriona)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leverage-on-tnt-what-a-bucket-of-suck/476416/17 "2008-12-09T22:06:51Z")
> [@clarkstar](#): > > i could have told you that, as soon as I heard it starred Timothy Hutton. which i just heard a commercial for about 10 minutes ago. when’s the last time he was in anything good besides the outsiders 😕He wasn’t in The Outsiders. Are you thinking of Taps? [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000459/](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000459/) ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leverage-on-tnt-what-a-bucket-of-suck/476416/18 "2008-12-09T22:10:00Z")
Agreed about Gina-it’s a pity so few of the others from that show haven’t jumped the pond. Jack Davenport’s the only one I know of offhand. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leverage-on-tnt-what-a-bucket-of-suck/476416/19 "2008-12-09T22:15:39Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > Agreed about Gina-it’s a pity so few of the others from that show haven’t jumped the pond. Jack Davenport’s the only one I know of offhand. Sarah Alexander was in _Stardust_ last year (in heavy makeup, easy to miss her) and I recognized Ben Miles in some Masterpiece Theater period piece. Jeff and Sally are the only two I haven’t seen in anything else. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leverage-on-tnt-what-a-bucket-of-suck/476416/20 "2008-12-09T22:57:39Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Sarah Alexander was in _Stardust_ last year (in heavy makeup, easy to miss her) and I recognized Ben Miles in some Masterpiece Theater period piece. Jeff and Sally are the only two I haven’t seen in anything else. Thanks for the info. I personally would find it hilarious to see Jeff as The Doctor. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leverage-on-tnt-what-a-bucket-of-suck/476416.md?page=2)