Parents' Guide to

Leverage

By Will Wade, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Entertaining heist series has a Robin Hood twist.

TV TNT Drama 2008
Leverage Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

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age 12+

Based on 12 parent reviews

Iz27
Iz27 Parent of 14-year-old
August 23, 2020
age 13+

One of my favorites!

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
1 person found this helpful.
katiegracef
katiegracef Adult
September 14, 2015
age 14+

Love the show, but lots of cursing and a fair amount of sexual innuendos

First of all, I have only watched 4 of the 5 seasons on Netflix, so I do not speak for the final season...but I will give you the skinny on the first four...I will try my best to not give out any spoilers Great Messages: As far as great messages go, Leverage is full of them, but in ways you wouldn't expect. This show has a Robin Hood-esque feel to it. Our main characters take down a corrupt CEO to help the regular Joe who has been ripped off. The main characters work towards a common goal of helping their client get back what was owed. The Robin Hood idea can be debated back and forth: Is stealing OK if it is helping the common good??? That's up to you. Great Role Models: Unlike the messages, our characters are not the most admirable. Nate Ford, the leader of the Leverage team, has a severe drinking problem, and it is addressed quite often in the story line. Sophie Deveraux is a talented grifter who lies incessantly to make things go her way. The other character's lifestyles are built upon thieving and general trickery. This is not to say that each character has not had their touchy-feely revolution moments, but overall, these characters are no role models. Violence: This show does glorify violence, but in an elegant way. One of the characters is a hitter who is very good at what he does. Punching, very mild blood makeup, and gunfire, although punching is the most prominent. Younger kids would be disturbed, but a mature kid 13+ can take it in stride. Sex: There are many sexual innuendos in this show. Nate and Sophie flirt heavily throughout the first three seasons, and they mention sleeping together during the fourth season, but no part of it is shown. As a grifter, Sophie flirts with her marks quite a bit, and there is a small amount man on woman groping, probably once or twice a season. Overall, again, you need to judge the maturity of the child to decide. I would watch it with younger kids (aged 10-13), and talk about the events. Swearing/Cursing: Cursing is moderate, really the only word used is d**n, but it is used quite frequently. "D**n it Hardison!" is uttered at least once an episode, and is used by all the characters moderately frequently. The F word has not been used, but has been shadowed three times. Twice, a character held up a sign with "f*** you" with the word fuzzed out. Once, a character finished an insult with "mother-" and the scene changed to someone saying "-found it" Consumerism: There is not much consumerism in this show, but you can tell that some companies have endorsed the script, such as "I am uploading the picture to my SkyDrive now." It is not common, though, and did not take from enjoying the episode. Drinking/Drugs/Smoking: Drinking: Nate Ford, one of the main characters, has a severe drinking problem that is addressed frequently throughout the show. Supporting characters talk about how he comes up with better plans drunk than sober. This can bring up conversations about the consequences of alcohol. Drugs: Often times, the mark that our team is trying to bring down is in the drug-dealing business. No one is literally shown doing drugs, and nobody talks about doing drugs, but cocaine in the trunk of a car is not uncommon. Smoking: N/A Summary: Overall, Leverage is one of my favorite shows, up there with Sherlock. This is definitely not a show where you can turn off your brain, it makes you think. There are a few rough characters, some colorful swearing, and some drinking, but Leverage is a must-watch for the mid-teen and older. I'd recommend it to anyone!

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
1 person found this helpful.
See all 12 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Veteran insurance investigator Nathan Ford (Timothy Hutton) quits in disgust when his employer refuses to cover his son's medical claims and the boy dies. Out of work, Ford realizes that the same skills he developed to track down stolen property can be put to use taking down rich, powerful people who abuse their authority and exploit the less fortunate. So he recruits some of the same criminals he used to pursue -- including Sophie (Gina Bellman), a skilled grifter; hacker extraordinaire Alec (Aldis Hodge); "retrieval specialist" Eliot (Christian Kane) and Parker (Beth Riesgraf), a slightly unstable but very talented burglar. The result is a dream team of thieves, con artists, and computer experts that pulls off one exciting and elaborate sting after another.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (12 ):
Kids say (22 ):

The thrill of watching LEVERAGE comes from watching Ford and his colleagues plan and execute their daring heists. The team members have a range of impressive skills, and the jobs blend elements of the best scams, the most nerve-wracking computer crimes, and the most brazen burglaries. They may be criminals, but they're pros, and it's always fun to see experts showing off their skills.

This satisfying and engrossing heist series also adds a layer of altruism. Ford and his team aren't just in it for the money; they target the rich and powerful who take advantage of the less fortunate. Yes, they're breaking the law, but their victims pretty much deserve what they get. It's like Mission: Impossible without the fancy disguises.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about crime. Ford and his team try to justify their crimes by saying they're helping people who need assistance. Is this kind of vigilante justice acceptable? Do you believe that helping others is their only motive, or are they in it for the money, too? Is it OK to steal under certain conditions? Why do you think the producers felt it was necessary to give the characters this Robin Hood-esque motivation? Would viewers (or network executives) be uncomfortable with a show that promoted crime if they couldn't paint the criminals as essentially good people?

TV Details

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