Leverage “The Lonely Hearts Job” 

I don’t know about you guys but ever since Leverage returned to the airwaves in November, I think we’ve been blessed with five excellent installments: “The Experimental Job,” “The Office Job,” “The Girls’ Night Out Job,” “The Boys’ Night Out Job” and now “The Lonely Hearts Job.” It’s like the show has entered this whole other level in the latter part of this fourth season. Some thoughts, observations and favorite moments from “The Lonely Hearts Job,” an episode that kept me smiling almost the entire time:

• Good to see Major Charles Winchester from M*A*S*H guest-starring in the episode. David Ogden Stiers was the one that hired the Leverage group to help find his missing wife.

• When Walt Whitman Wellesley IV starts crying in front of Nate and Eliot, the guys don’t know how to handle it. Their immediate (and hilarious) reaction is to go get Sophie.

• Eliot bets Hardison a steak dinner for whoever pulls the highest bid at the bachelor auction. It’s a Sophie’s Choice if you ask me. Not that they’re asking me to decide who I would bet on but if they were, I couldn’t do it. I love them both. So much. However, technically Hardison wins. But because of the grifter situation, the bet is null and voided. Eliot (the awesome foodie/chef that he is) promises to make Alec a prime rib dinner (well done, bone in). Can we see that dinner in a future episode, please?

• It’s also good to see Emma Caulfield, the head grifter and bad guy for “The Lonely Hearts Job.” Somebody get this actress a series, pronto. I love that Caulfield guest stars on things like Life Unexpected, Once Upon a Time and Leverage. But I’d like to see the Buffy and Beverly Hills 90210 alum on a more regular basis. Just putting that out in there in the universe since pilot season’s coming up.

• Love that Sophie and Parker notice that the room’s full of grifters almost right away. It was all about the faux clumsiness. I know I always get suspicious when I see a whole room full of women tripping into the arms of some hot men. They’re not stupid. But they are up to something.

• Parker’s version of picking a fight with Hardison’s date means giving the girl a smackdown. Subtlety isn’t one of Parker’s strengths. And I’m okay with that.

• Nate being jealous of Sophie and that Oscar dude was pretty cool. Of course, he had nothing to worry about since this was all part of the con. Timothy Hutton and Gina Bellman generated some serious heat and some seriously adorable moments. I have much love for Nate and Sophie in this episode.

• On Leverage, Rule #7 (on page 189) means “the bet’s off.” In real life, Rule #7 refers to a line in a Kane song (Kane is Christian Kane‘s band) called “The House Rules.” It means “don’t touch the women but they can grab whatever they want to.” Hilarious that Christian worked that in. I assume that he was the one to insert the Kane reference. Although, I’m sure the Leverage writers know the cast enough to work something like that in the mix when they want to.

• While Nate and Sophie provide much goodness during this entertaining hour of TV, I’m going to have to make Eliot the all-star of “The Lonely Hearts Job.” He was badass in so many different ways. He lived up to his “Hitter” title, of course. But his foodie and sommelier skills were on display as well. Plus, he went for 10,000 bucks at the bachelor auction; he arranged for romantic music to serenade “Gus” and “Lady Charlotte” (otherwise known as Nate and Sophie); helped run fingerprints on a picture; and he managed to make Nate and Hardison look good by procuring romantic gifts for both Sophie and Parker. He’s so awesome he should have probably gone for much, much higher at the auction. Just saying.

• Nate and Sophie sitting in the park (as Gus and Lady Charlotte) was nice, sweet and romantic even though it was for “show.” There are real moments between the characters in that scene i.e. the baseball story (I’d like to think anyway); and Nate telling Sophie she’s beautiful. Can’t get enough of these two.

• The “I picked you” scene followed by the Nate/Sophie kiss is one of my favorite scenes of “The Lonely Hearts Job.” They’re just too adorable together. Even though their relationship can’t quite be defined.

• Meredith’s assessment of “Gus” was awesome. She could tell he was already half in love with Lady Charlotte. She got something wrong though. Nate’s already 100% in love with Sophie. He’s a goner.

• One sour note. I just want the overall story arc to move forward at this point. We’ve been teased enough all season long. I’m getting impatient. I do wonder who Latimer’s talking to and how Nate turning down this “case” is going to play out. What does “war” mean? Inquiring minds want to know. And they want to know soon.

Leverage airs Sundays at 9/8c on TNT.