My first thought is that the people who are finding reasons to believe Eliot was abused are looking for them so that they can believe he's got a reason to be who he is that is other than he's a badass.

One of the reasons I like these characters is that they are thieves and liars, not angels or even people looking for redemption, and I hope that never changes. They love the con, the control, the manipulation, and the money.

My first thought is that the people who are finding reasons to believe Eliot was abused are looking for them so that they can believe he's got a reason to be who he is that is other than he's a badass.

I have no problem with him just being a badass. The reason I suspect a history of abuse was how he sussed out what was going on with the kid in a very short time, and from a little bit of a distance. I also wouldn't be surprised if the show just leaves it as a bit of an open question.

While I must admit that Eliot being an abused kid was my first thought, there's lots of other ways that he would be able to pick out the signs. I like that it's an open question, something for us to learn more about later.

I hope they do leave it open. The abused child turning into a badass seems done to death to me, especially since I already watch Burn Notice.

I seem to recall the conversation between him and Parker starting with her saying that, and him saying that's just what they called her.

ah. I must have missed that.

My first thought is that the people who are finding reasons to believe Eliot was abused are looking for them so that they can believe he's got a reason to be who he is that is other than he's a badass.

I don't think that people are finding reasons, we were led there by the show.

The abused child turning into a badass seems done to death to me, especially since I already watch Burn Notice.

oh, I hope that you dodged than anvil they dropped last week, I almost got hit.

I actually liked last week's Burn Notice ep, anvils and all, but I don't really expect much from the show.

I'm also not sure how I feel about more MichaelWestonWoobie!Eliot.

I do wish that they'd done just one more line of dialogue with the marshal where he explained that he worked for the federal government, not the police. I don't know that most kids would know what a US Marshal was.

I could not agree with Sparky more. Not one speck more.

The abused child turning into a badass seems done to death to me

And this is me.

I know I've ranted about this in other threads over the years but the K-Pax school of storytelling continues to give me a ferocious pain. Not EVERY serial killer, whacknut, malcontent or bully is such because they were abused as kids. Yes, lots of abused persons have ongoing issues, but not all of us are doomed to be broken, or even haunted for the rest of our lives. It's just sloppy-shorthand writing and I resent it.

I haven't seen last night's Leverage yet...my usual outlets don't seem to have it up this morning...so I can't comment on those specifics but I totally missed the 'he's been abused vibe' from Eliot last week. "Reasons" doesn't necessarily translate to abuse in my mind, despite living it AND being trained to spot the signs.

On a completely different note, Eliot and Hardison were extra adorable last night, squabbling like an old married couple.

Ever since I read shrift's fic, I am slashing them all over the place. Anyone want some good Hardison/Eliot, go here: [link]