Leverage - Season 5 - DVD

Content: New headquarters, same mission. Even after moving to Portland, the team at Leverage Consulting & Associates is all about fighting against any form of injustice. Nathan Ford (Timothy Hutton), genius hacker Alec (Aldis Hodge), weapons expert Eliot (Christian Kane), cunning thief and cat burglar Parker (Beth Riesgraf), and actress and con artist Sophie (Gina Bellman) do their best to continue to put the squeeze on the rich and powerful who believe they are above the law. Whether they have to prevent a professional hockey player's dangerous injuries from being orchestrated by their own club just for profit, get cheerleaders legally regulated safety measures, or solve an old case of airplane hijacking from the 70s, the skills of each team member are challenged more than ever before. All the while, only Eliot suspects that Nathan is plotting a much bigger caper on the side, one directly related to his son's death...

After a pleasantly self-deprecating beginning in which Portland, the series' filming location since Season 2, finally gets the appreciation this city deserves, Leverage shows one last time in fifteen new episodes what the strengths of this entertaining crime series are. Charming characters, exciting stories, some of which are literally taken from life, as well as neatly staged action sequences make up the high fun factor of the series. Some guest stars worth seeing, a dash of self-irony, a pinch of romance and some drama also ensure that it never really gets boring.

Although especially the finale is absolutely successful, but still remains at the end the feeling that the fifth season is not one of the best of the series and that the creators have not fully exploited the potential that lay in the final story arc. While that doesn't make the final episodes a bad or weak season by any means. One would have wished Nathan and his team just maybe a more spectacular exit, which works not only as a season finale, but also as a conclusion for the entire series. But fortunately there are enough good moments that make up for this weakness. For example, when Parker has to try her hand at coaching cheerleaders while the rest of the team is desperate to get politicians to support a controversial bill, when the series takes a trip back in time to the '70s, or when the unscrupulous manager of a hockey team is literally led up the garden path, it again becomes very clear why Leverage has grown so fond of its fans over the course of five seasons.

And even if the concept here now shows some small signs of wear and tear, the way in which often very serious topics, which can actually only make you angry because of their injustice, are told in such an entertaining and amusing way without being drawn into ridicule, works very well again in the last attempt. So if you already liked the first four seasons or just love classic crime series with a light touch of the popular Ocean`s movies, you should definitely not leave this last box in the store. And that`s why, in conclusion, once again: absolutely worth watching!

Picture + Sound: The technical implementation of the series can also convince in the last season in the usual quality. The picture is very clean and the overall sharpness is on a decent level. Especially positive, however, the powerful colors stand out. For a TV series, this is all more than adequate. The audio is in a pleasantly lively Dolby Digital 5.1 mix, which transports the soundtrack and dialogue powerfully and well-matched from the speakers. Every now and then there is some surround feeling thanks to sound effects like explosions or gunfire. Good!

Extras: The final box has just under 13 minutes of bonus material to offer. This consists primarily of additional scenes for two episodes on Disc 1 and three episodes on Disc 3. The fourth DVD then has some nice outtakes to offer. There is no bonus material on the second DVD, even though this is announced on the label of the DVD itself. To the series farewell one would have wished oneself as a fan here nevertheless somewhat more.

Conclusion: The final season of Leverage shows once again, where the strengths of this entertaining crime series lay. Thrilling cases, plenty of humor, a little drama and action make the adventures of the team from Leverage Consulting & Associates quite enjoyable. Even if the last fifteen episodes are not among the best of the series and the concept shows slight signs of wear in some episodes, the worthy ending then absolutely reconciles for the minor weaknesses of this final season. The DVDs are technically as usual well realized, only the bonus material is this time a bit too meager. Nevertheless, especially for fans of the series also applies to this box unfortunately for the last time: Recommended!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp