Leverage: The Five Faces of Robin Hood

It's a simple premise. Take five people who don't trust each other, give them a common foe, and force them to work together. It's been done a hundred times on ensemble shows. Why does it need to be done again? And why has Leverage struck such a chord with its audience?

Brooklyn South (Fandom Listing)

Brooklyn South

One of only a handful of modern police dramas I have enjoyed, this series was produced by Steven Bochco, who is more well known for his work on a similar show in the 80s: Hill Street Blues. Unfortunately however, CBS was unable to find a niche for this one. The characters were wonderfully drawn, and the show was well written, but it suffered from poor ratings and was cancelled after a single season.

I only discovered it after having watched another show with Yancy Butler, who plays Officer Anne-Marie Kersey. I had the good fortune of being able to pick up the series very cheap (about $10) and I'm glad I did!

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Castle (Fandom Listing)

Castle

I checked this show out in 2009 because I was curious about the protagonist being a writer. Although the first season has some twitchy moments, I have to congratulate the creative team, because I've lost count of the times I found myself echoing Castle in his "writer" mode. There were even times I said his lines before he did. The most compelling character for me, though, is Kate Beckett, and she's the real reason I decided to tune in for season 2. I wanted to know what happened to her and if she found her mother's killer. I'm not sure at this point that we'll ever have the answer to that question, but I'm definitely glad I stuck around. Season 2 was top notch, and I'm eagerly waiting to see where things will go in Season 3.

Ships

Castle/Beckett (What else?)

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DCAU (Fandom Listing)

DCAU (DC Animated Universe)

I'm including all the DCAU shows that I watch in a single post because they have the same continuity, so I consider them to be a metaseries.

I will say upfront, I'm not really into comics. I gave up reading them when I was a kid because I didn't like having to wait so long between issues and when I realized that different writers have handled the same comic at various points in history, I felt like I never knew what the "real" story was.

Weird? Maybe. But that's how I felt at the time.

Out of curiosity, I have used the internet to trace the stories around particular superheroes or hero teams that I like, and usually enjoy a good superhero movie, but I can't speak to how well something does or doesn't stick to the comic plots/characterizations.

DCAU Shows I watch:

Batman: TAS/The New Batman Adventures

BTAS is my favorite. I stuck out The New Batman Adventures just to see what happened, but I wasn't thrilled.

Superman: TAS/The New Batman/Superman Adventures

This series didn't quite live up to BTAS, and I think it's gotten a worse reputation than it deserves for that reason. It was still a good show in its own right, and I enjoyed it.

Batman: Beyond

I wasn't sure how I felt about this concept when the show started, but Terry McGinnis won me over despite himself.

Static Shock

One of those shows I wish would have lasted a LOT longer.

Justice League (JLA/JLU)

Given the choice, I prefer JLA, but again, I stuck with the story and I enjoyed it.

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Battlestar Galactica 2003 (Fandom Listing)

Battlestar Galactica 2003 (BSG)

I'm including this show because my completest nature won't let me leave it out. Despite the widespread acclaim the series has received, including having been named among Time Magazine's Top 100 TV Shows of All Time, it has the dubious distinction of being one of only four shows I ever quit watching after I had watched two full seasons and become invested in the lives of the characters. This is even more remarkable because Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell are two of my favorite actors.

So, if you are a BSG fan, you can start sending me hate mail now, because if I ever post about this one, you will not like what I have to say.

Ships

(Yes, I did have some before I quit the show, and in my happy place, they still exist.)

Roslin/Adama

Kara/Lee

Saul/Ellen

Six/Gaius

Dee/Billy

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Battlestar Galactica-Original (Fandom Listing)

Battlestar Galactica

Another show that is a fondly remembered part of my childhood. My favorite character was Adama. Between this show and Bonanza, Lorne Greene became permanently embedded in my subconscious as the model for father figures. The other big draw for me was the brother dynamic between Apollo and Starbuck.

It's on the list of shows I'd like to watch again, but until I do, I'm not going to be able to offer much commentary.

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Bionic Woman-Original (Fandom Listing)

The Bionic Woman-(Original) (2)

This was my very first fandom. As most of my readers will probably know, it was a spin-off of The Six Million Dollar Man. Jaime Sommers appeared as a love interest for Steve Austin and was so well received that she was given her own series, which ran for three seasons. My affection for the show is based on a child's perspective and admiration for Jaime Sommers, so I can't offer a very balanced commentary. Hopefully, I'll get to watch the show again as an adult.

Ships

Jaime/Steve
Jaime/Chris

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Bionic Woman 2007 (Fandom Listing)

Bionic Woman 2007 (3)

This show was one of the most unfortunate casualties of the WGA strike in 2007-2008. Although it was highly anticipated, the show struggled to find an audience and was ultimately cancelled after only 8 episodes. The premise and characters deviated quite a bit from the original, which I suspect was off-putting to some fans, but it far less different in spirit an tone than the reinvisioned Battlestar Galactica is from its source material.

I fell in love with it from the outset, and I believe that if the strike hadn't blown the entire 07-08 TV season off course, it would have found its footing. The characters were rich and complex, the relationships believable, and while the plot seemed too convoluted at times, this could have been remedied if time and care had been taken.

Ships

Jaime/Antonio*

Sarah/Jae

Ruth/Jonas

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Babylon 5 (Fandom Listing)

Babylon 5 (1)

I discovered this show during its initial broadcast run on TNT. I was in my teens at the time, and since no one in my family liked it, I could only catch episodes here and there. Despite this, the show stayed with me and has become a strong influence on my science fiction. In 2010 I finally had the pleasure of seeing B5 in its entirety from start to finish. It is a remarkable experience and one that I recommend to anyone who enjoys the unfolding of a story. Season 5 has some weak spots in comparison to the other four, but from listening to the DVD commentaries, I gather that JMS was told to wrap up his storylines in s4 and subsequently got the greenlight for a final season. With that information in mind, it's pretty clear that the problem with season 5 is the loss of momentum from the previous year.

Ships

Sheridan/Delenn *

Susan/Marcus

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Leverage: The Awesomeness of Us.

There is a strange and marvelous phenomenon sweeping the fandom garden. It's called Leverage, and if you haven't heard of it yet, you will. Actually, if you haven't heard of it yet, all I have to say is, you must live in an alternate reality.

Leverage runs on TNT, and I am about to explode with anticipation of tonight's season 3 premier. I love this show, folks. I love it in a way that is scary because I swore to myself that, after SG-1's cancellation, I would never allow myself to get this invested in a fandom again. Well, so much for that. Good job, Rose--or maybe, good job Leverage writers...

Whoooooooooo are you?

That's the question of the hour, isn't it? The short answer is that I am a long-time fan of speculative fiction, movies and television. The longer answer is that I am a picky person who chooses her fandoms and fan-related activities carefully. I won't jump on every bandwagon that comes along, but when I do decide I like something, I will devour it until I know (almost) all there is to know.

And I have opinions. Lots of opinions. So many opinions that I decided I should find a place to write them all down. Hopefully, in the process I'll find a few people with similar ones to share with me.

I'm generally open minded, and I welcome intelligent discussion, whether or not you agree with what I have to say. Remember, though. I said intelligent. That means, if you have nothing to say except , "Ur rong! U suk!", you should find an adult education center and learn to speak in complete sentences, then find something else to do with your time.

Enjoy your stay!

(Oh, and anyone who can tell me who said, "Whoooooo are you?" gets today's secret prize.)