The Two Live Crew Job - Recap

Nate and Sophie meet with Ezra and Olivia Mercer, an elderly brother and sister who run a reclamation problem to acquire art taken by the Nazis during World War II. One piece, a Gustav Klimt, belonged to Ezra's father, who didn't make it out of Europe. A software company owner, North, bought it on the black market knowing its history and has it in display in his office. He's paid off a judge to dismiss the case and the Mercers have no way to get it legally.

The team goes to the offices of the company next to North's office and pose as police officers. They're unaware that another team is on the premises. Eliot, Parker, and Alec go into the closet behind North's office and start drilling through the wall because the security is too hard to penetrate. Alec explains that another team could have only gotten in by hacking a terminal directly… unaware that the rival team sent in one member as a delivery person. She attached a transmitter to the receptionist's computer, and the team's hacker got into the network. The rival team's thief bypassed the secondary security system. Alec and the others discover that the Klimt has been replaced with a picture of dogs playing poker. They notify Nate and Sophie and get out. As they go, the rival team's leader notices Sophie and recognizes her.



The Leverage team minus Sophie goes back to the bar and tries to figure out what happened. They call Sophie, who tells them she's trapped in her apartment. They go up and discover she's holding a vase of flowers with a bomb with a motion-triggered detonator. Parker uses instant pudding to solidify the water and keep the bomb from moving. Eliot tells Sophie to drop the vase and run as fast as she can. The team refuses to abandon Sophie but she tells them to go. Nate still refuses but Sophie insists that he go. Once they're gone, she drops the bomb and runs. A huge explosion blows out the entire apartment.



Later, the team speaks at the funeral of "Katherine," the alias that Sophie was using when she died. Parker starts to ramble and Alec cuts her off, and Nate and Eliot watch the crowd for suspects. Nate figures whoever is responsible will show up to make sure she's dead. Sophie then slips out of the coffin and watches with the others as "she" is buried. Nate tells her to leave but Sophie insists that no one will recognize her. The rival team's leader comes up and talks to Nate, and notes that Sophie's death was no accident

Back at the team's HQ, Sophie explains the man is Marcus Starke, a brilliant grifter and forger. She worked with him on several jobs and Eliot wonders if Nate is concerned because Sophie was with someone else before him. Sophie explains that Starke puts together specialized teams for high-profile jobs and then scatter. She realizes that Starke does a smaller job first to let the team practice, and figures he saw her and realized she knows his favorite team: the Mona Lisa Variant.

Starke meets with his team: martial artist Raquel Diane, break-in artist Apollo, and computer hacker Colin "Chaos" Mason. They plan to steal a rare painting and then put six copies up on the black market for sale.



Sophie has Alec check all the auctions in Boston because Starke goes to them to check out potential buyers. They narrow it down further since the painting has to have a high profile so they can find interested buyers, and Starke specializes in forgeries of the late 1800 impressionists. They realize Starke is going for a Van Gogh. However, if they try to arrest Starke, he'll run and the Mercers will never get the painting back. Sophie suggests they get something to trade for the Mercers' painting, and proposes stealing the Van Gogh.

At the auction house, Nate goes onto the floor while Parker checks the security, disguised as a waitress. Eliot checks the crowd and complains that it's usually Sophie's job. Sophie is out in the van with Alec. Nate tells Parker steal the auction manager's ID and badge. Alec overhears a transmission from Chaos in a nearby van, and Chaos realizes he's been overheard. They start tracking each other and Alec realizes the enemy team is there.

Parker gets the manager's wallet but Apollo takes the wallet from her. Eliot runs into Raquel and they calculate each other's movements off of their opening stances. Starke confronts Nate and tells him to call off his team. Apollo and Parker spar over pickpocketing each other's phones and wallets. Meanwhile, Starke talks about Nate's triumphs and figures he's running the nastiest gang in the U.S. Sophie secretly warns Nate that if he tells Starke the truth, they're blown. Nate tells Starke to get out of Boston but Starke insists he'll only be staying for a day or two.



Alec identifies Chaos and the two of them step out of their vans. They start hacking each other's systems and setting off car alarms.

Eliot and Raquel spend more time anticipating each other. Parker and Apollo move in on the auction manager but are forced to retreat when he realizes his ID card is missing. The manager orders everyone out and triples the security detail. Starke and Nate call off Eliot and Raquel and leave.

The team reviews the records of their opposite numbers and Sophie secretly admits to Eliot that Nate has been challenged and he'll come up with a riskier plan. He does and Sophie has to remind him that their primary objective is helping the Mercers.

Starke reviews the records of the Leverage team with his team. He figures they can take the team. Nate figures the same thing but the others aren't convinced. They have to go in tonight and Nate insists they get the painting no matter what. Starke tells his team the same.



The auction security team activates the motion sensors and goes on a final patrol before turning on the laser sensors. Outside, Alec spoofs the security cameras and continues to work on the motion sensors. Sophie is outside driving into position. Nate pretends to be a drunk and pounds on the doors and draws the guards' attention while Parker and Eliot sneak past. Eliot covers the entrance route while Parker gets into the vents. However, Alec warns her that something has triggered a motion sensor. It's a bird, and Parker runs into Apollo, who is carrying a bird cage. In the basement, Raquel arrives and confronts Eliot, and the two square off.



Chaos hacks into the cameras, and Alec counter-hacks. Chaos responds by counter-hacking him. Nate tries to keep the guards distracted but Starke arrives: he's pretending to be Nathan Ford with the insurance company. He leads Nate off.

In the vents, Apollo and Parker wait for their hackers to get control of the motion sensors and discuss the proper usage of birds to set off motion detectors. They then take off crawling for the auction room.

Eliot and Raquel continue to spar. Outside, Starke explains how helpful the security guards were once they thought he was Nate.

Parker gets to the auction room on the wrong side, and finds Apollo dropping down to steal the painting. Chaos gets control of the lasers and cuts off Alec's power, and Alec manages to warn Parker. She's trapped in the middle of the laser field and Eliot is being beaten. The police arrive outside and Starke wonders if Nate is out of tricks. However, Sophie gets out of the police car and Starke is surprised to see her alive. She explains that they went through everything to save him.



Parker leaps through the laser beams, avoiding every one. She drops Apollo to the floor, puts a gun down next to him, and then switches to a police uniform.

Alec switches to a hand-crank generator and powers his system back up and then activates the motion sensors.

The security guards run in and Parker "arrests" Apollo and turns him over to them.

Eliot moves in close with Raquel. They start to kiss… and he handcuffs his wrist to hers. They're both happy with the situation.

Alec comes in, disguised as a police officer. Parker takes out Apollo with the painting as evidence. Eliot, also posing as a police officer, takes Raquel out. Alec thanks the security guards for their hard work and leaves.

Outside, Sophie explains that they figured someone else sent her the bomb. She realized that Starke thought she was still a thief when he told Nate how nasty his crew is. In fact, Starke planned to recruit her for his team. He told the rest of his team, and Alec checked the security cameras and saw Chaos going into Sophie's apartment. Chaos admits to Starke that he planned the perfect double-cross, and he didn’t want to go up against Sophie. Sophie points out that there's probably a bomb in Starke's car like the one Chaos left for her. Starke doesn't believe it… until his car up the street blows up. Sophie and Nate offer him the release of his people in return for the first painting, and point out that if other criminals find out he got his people arrested, his reputation would be ruined. Nate also offers the Van Gogh and Starke immediately agrees, and notes that Nate does run the nastiest crew in the States.



Later at the bar, Parker and Apollo compete at breaking down electronic devices, while Eliot and Raquel compare battle scars. Starke brings in the painting and gives it to the Mercer, and is mildly disgusted at their praise. Once they're gone, Starke points out that Nate is still a thief no matter how he dresses it up. He wonders what happened to the Sophie who would never waste her time, and Sophie points out that she "died." Satisfied that he's still won, Starke leaves. Nate confirms that they gave him one of the fakes. Alec tracked Parker's stolen phone to Starke's hideout, found the five forgeries, and gave one to Starke.

At the airport, Chaos is trying to leave the country. Customs discovers he has a crate with four fake Van Goghs… and the real one, complete with a helpful note explaining it's real.



Later, Sophie goes to see her own fake tombstone. Nate comes by and Sophie admits that she's not Sophie any more. Nate and her crusade killed Sophie. She knows all of her aliases and all of their backgrounds, and that even Nate doesn't know her real name. He invites her to do so but she says she wants to bury Sophie and all of her other identities until the real her is left. Nate wonders how long that will take and starts to kiss her, but she turns away and leaves.



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