The TNT series Leverage has been off the air for nearly a decade, which means that the timing is perfect for a revival. With a tentative title of Leverage 2.0 set to be released on IMDb TV, Leverage will be back with everyone's favorite team of grifters returning for a second round.
Technically, only four members of the series' famous team of five will be returning, with original leading man Timothy Hutton not included. New cast members are joining the series, but not much else is known so far about how Leverage 2.0 will fare in comparison to the original.
Need: As Much Hardison As Possible
As one of the major changes that possibly could take place during Leverage 2.0, original series cast member Aldis Hodge will only be returning in a recurring capacity due to his work schedule.
Ideally, the show will be able to work around his schedule, in order to ensure that for as much Hardison as possible. He is and always has been the heart of the Leverage team, and Leverage is really nothing without the age of the geek.
Definitely Don't: A Hefty Of Eliot
By contrast, if there's any original member of the Leverage team that the series would do best to err on the side of caution with, it's Eliot. Always the least compelling member of the team, Eliot was rarely allowed to break out of the brawny hitter stereotype.
Episodes that focused too intensely on his personal life or background don't hold up when compared with other standout moments of the crime caper series. As a result, Leverage 2.0 hopefully won't delve too much deeper into this relatively shallow pool.
Need: The Return Of Tara
In season 2, Jeri Ryan's Tara Cole was introduced as a temporary replacement for Sophie during cast member Gina Bellman's pregnancy leave. Tara didn't fit in with the team at first, with suspicions raised by virtually all members of the team at one point or another.
But by the time she left, Tara was a welcomed presence in the series; a voice of dissent and outside expertise for the insular team. Her return in season 4's "The Girls' Night Out Job" is one of the series' best episodes, so hopefully the revival will once again allow her to return.
Definitely Don't: The Return Of Sterling
For better or worse, the always smarmy and self-interested Jim Sterling was a recurring player across Leverage's entire original run. But if one thing is clear about the revival, it's that's there's no place for Sterling in a show without Nate.
From the very beginning, and all the way to their not-so-bitter end, Jim was Nate's nemesis and Nate's nemesis alone. While he presented a threat to the Leverage team as a whole, his vendetta was a deeply personal one.
Need: More Timely Social Commentary
Leverage, in many ways, was ahead of the curve when it came to telling stories of social corruption, whether in politics, medicine, business, education, or virtually any other industry.
At the end of the day, the unconventional (almost) good guys always win in their world. And these days, that's the kind of story that audiences need more than anything else right now. Leverage is and always has been a smartly written show. Hopefully, it will continue to be this way as the series returns.
Definitely Don't: A New Romance For Sophie
For the series' entire run, the flirtation between Nate and Sophie was one of Leverage's main storylines. Their history together ran deep, with Sophie as a conwoman and Nate as an insurance agent hot on her tail. They could always be counted to have incredible chemistry, even when they were at odds.
Their feelings for each other were always undeniable, even when they were too proud to acknowledge them. In the series finale, the two stubborn members of the team finally got engaged. It would be a real shame for the revival to rewrite history with a new romance for Sophie, when it was so clear that Nate was always the one.
Need: Parker And Hardison's Romance
Nate and Sophie weren't the only couple that Leverage spent five seasons developing. Parker and Hardison had a slow-burn relationship, and was barely glimpsed at throughout the series' later years.
But these two weird kids clearly had real feelings for each other, as they needed and depended on each other in equal measure. Hardison and Parker both opened each other up to new worlds in many ways, and hopefully, the revival will continue to make the most of their innately sweet and warm connection.
Definitely Don't: Too Many New Characters
In the absence of original leading man Timothy Hutton, Leverage 2.0 will be introducing Noah Wyle, an actor who has worked with series producer Dean Devlin in The Librarian series of films. There has also been a report of the addition of Hardison's younger sister, a next generation hacker.
Reboots and revivals always bring back series that viewers loved, but reinvent them in fresh and engaging ways for new times and new audiences. Hopefully, Leverage 2.0 can accomplish this without overdoing it in terms of new cast members.
Need: The Same Feeling Of Family
What separates Leverage from other crime procedurals, and from other heist fare for that matter, is the relationship between its central cast of characters. Fitting neatly into the beloved fiction trope of "found family," Leverage follows five people from different walks of life who somehow find belonging in each other.
With one key member of the team out of commission for the revival, and with the team half disbanded at the end of the original series' run, it will be interesting to see if Leverage 2.0 is able to keep that loving sense of family in tact.
Definitely Don't: Nate Is Dead
From the very beginning, Leverage was Nate Ford's story. Originally, it was his mission and his personal trauma that drove the team. It was he who made the team a reality. While Leverage 2.0 may be existing in a world without Nate, it would be cruel and beyond unnecessary, to unceremoniously kill Nate off screen.
Killing Nate would darken the world of the Leverage universe in innumerable ways. It would put a damper on the new series from the very beginning and fundamentally change the structure of the series' key relationships forever.