I watched the full marathon yesterday. What, was working from home, might as well have yummy background visuals.

I've gotten to where I can handwave much of the "but it doesn't work that way" type of stuff, but there were a couple of interpersonal things that bugged.

In the Miracle Job, Maggie calls Nate to tell him about the church and such, so she knew how to contact him. She also must have stayed in the area to know what was happening there. Why was it such a surprise to see her in The First David Job?

Also, in so many of the cons where Parker has to interact with others, she is awkward and has to take her clues from the others (calling for help while dangling from a skilift...hello?). But in The Wedding Job, when she is stuck in the screening room, she comes up with the perfect way to get out and break up the conversation all on her own.

Why was it such a surprise to see her in The First David Job?

I think a lot of that has to do with her being on Eliot's arm. In theory, without introducing her there, they should have gotten through the con without bumping into her.

As for Parker in what was intended to be episode 3, that is way early for her to be that deft, but I guess the temptation to set up Hardison's reaction was too hard to resist.

I handwaved the Parker being deft as something akin to Sophie being able to act during a con but not on stage--it's just situational, and she still has no understanding of how Hardison would react.

That if there were a treatment out there that might save my son, I get it done, and work out how I'm going to pay for it later, insurance or no insurance. But is that not how it goes for experimental stuff? Do you really have a bunch of papers to sign that include your credit report before they'll do that kind of work?

I think that they had already done that. Nate talked about how they'd mortgaged the house, maxed out the credit cards, etc. They'd probably want the money up front, especially with an experimental treatment.

As for Parker in what was intended to be episode 3, that is way early for her to be that deft, but I guess the temptation to set up Hardison's reaction was too hard to resist.

This is something that bugs me in general. Writers give characters particular traits (i.e. how Joey in Friends was the stupid one), and they exploit those traits for comic effect, but when they need them to not have that trait, they just drop it for the bit.

The one handwavium that they've been doing is that Parker has different instincts in "professional" situations than personal. Kind of like how Sophie's bit as the nun in the fake horror movie was good because she was in character.

Side Note: Are they trying to set Parker up as lesbian?

BTW, I LOVED the new Leverage HQ being MC Hammer's old house.

I always figured Paker's less-than-convincing acting job on the ski lift had more to do with her impatience with the role she was asked to play (i.e. damsel in distress) more than with her lack of social skills.

Side Note: Are they trying to set Parker up as lesbian?

I've figured her behavior towards Hardison just indicated she doesn't have particularly good romantic radar (which I think is Buffista conversation 324).

BTW, I LOVED the new Leverage HQ being MC Hammer's old house.

Me too. Hammer has been pretty open about his financial mistakes...gold toilets and all. Bless him. I hope he doesn't mind the joke.

The thing that bugged me the most is that Maggie was unaware of this experimental therapy and Nate never told her. WTF? If that was my kid, I sure would have known about it! Even if my husband didn't tell me about it, I would have been right there researching cures and treatments. I would have been talking to the doctors. I would have been on the horn with every damn specialist and medical center in the fucking country. I would have known about it. Sorry, that was just such an emotional cop-out for me, it really tempered my reaction to the son's death and Nate's over-the-top "NOOOOO."

Frank - you are probably right about that example and her not wanting to ask for help when she could easily have saved herself.

The more I think about it though, she is kinda like Sophie in that she can pull it off when she is playing a role, such as a cop in The Bank Job, or a drunken bridesmaid. But not so much when she just has to be a "normal person", such as when she was on jury duty.

Parker's more often than not socially inept, even in-con, but she is supposed to have improved over the season. But that early on? Even in that ep she was awkward enough to make the chief bridesmaid cry. Perhaps they should have had someone prompt her to act drunk, and then she added on the Hardisex.

They're also situationally deaf over the comms, but I guess they have to pay attention to other things too.

Nate talked about how they'd mortgaged the house, maxed out the credit cards, etc.

Ah. I missed this.

Agree with Sail about that aspect of it, though.

I think I'm caught up after the marathon, but maybe I'm not. Or maybe the order is just jacking with me. Is there a good ep guide up somewhere?