What do you get when you combine Robin Hood, con artists, and impossible heists? The answer is Leverage, a TV show that ran from 2008 - 2012. Starring Timothy Hutton, Gina Bellman, and Christian Kane, this show features 77 episodes that are roughly forty-five minutes long. While this show doesn't get talked about a lot, there are plenty of fans and today I'll be reviewing the series.

After Nathan Ford loses his son, his wife, and his job in a short of period time, his life falls apart and he hits the bottle. He finds fulfillment in organizing a team of con artists and thieves to get payback for everyday people who are wronged by the rich, powerful bigwigs. His team is made up of:

• The Brains - Himself

• The Grifter - Sophie Devereaux

• The Hitter - Eliot Spencer

• The Hacker - Alec Hardison

• The Thief - Parker

Together this motley crew with diverse personalties and strengths travel the world, stealing everything from paintings to elections to trains to artifacts. Soon the five become close friends and as they pull off heists they also dodge Nate's nemesis Jim Sterling (starring Mark Sheppard), help each other with their pasts, and fall in love.

The character development is solid, with little to no melodrama. Nate's backstory is focused on the most, though Parker's and Eliot's are also featured. The antagonist that pops up every season, Jim Sterling, is unique, poses as a real threat, and is an overall original nemesis. The characters have their own quirks and play off each other beautifully, especially Hardison and Eliot.

Each episode is different with no repetition. There's edge-of-your-seat action that's offset by plenty of humor and witty comments. The plots are original with lots of twists and tension.

In each episode there's swearing, mostly a**, d**m, h**l, and b**ch. A few f-bombs are implied, but never outright said. Nate spends most of season 1 drinking to cope with his hurt but everyone looks down upon it. Eliot knocks at least one person out every episode, though there's rarely blood.

There are several sexual innuendos and the women will wear revealing dresses and flirt in order to accomplish something for a heist. Eliot is a bit of a womanizer and a few of his ex-girlfriends show up. While there's no shown nudity or sex scenes (except for Parker's bare back and shoulder's as she pulls off her shirt to change), it's heavily implied the characters sleep together.

This show is rated TV-PG and best for older teens and up. There are five seasons total. The companion series to this is Leverage: Redemption.

What do you think? Would you want to watch Leverage? If you've already watched it, what are your thoughts? Tell me in the comments below!