Leverage season 1 should be watched in a different order. The crime show follows Nate Ford and his team of criminals as they try to be "good guys," mostly taking down rich executives to help working-class people. Leverage premiered on TNT in 2008 and the original series ran for five seasons into 2012, then returned in 2021 as Leverage: Redemption on Freevee. However, while the series' original order certainly made an impact, it's actually not the best way to enjoy the show.
Leverage season 1 is the shortest season of the show with 13 episodes, starting with "The Nigerian Job" and ending with "The Second David Job." Leverage and Leverage: Redemption can mostly be watched in any order. Each season has its own overarching plot and big bad, but they're mostly just relevant in the finales. Yet, Leverage season 1 has some minor inconsistencies, like a brief gag about two characters who haven't been introduced yet. Because of this, Leverage season 1 shouldn't be watched in its original broadcast order.
Leverage Season 1 Was Shown In The Wrong Order
Leverage season 1 was shown in the wrong order. Producers John Rogers, Chris Downey, and Dean Devlin created the first season with a specific order in mind. But TNT had a different plan, so completely changed the schedule of episodes 3-9. As a result, many of the show's plotlines don't make complete sense.
This surprising approach wasn't actually uncommon at the time of release. Networks would often push episodes they thought would get the most ratings to earlier in a season. But this was sometimes to the detriment of the show because the story wouldn't make sense anymore. And for viewers binging Leverage season 1 now on Freevee, the order can be especially confusing.
Why The Leverage Season 1 DVD Order Makes More Sense
The Leverage season 1 DVD box set has the episodes in their original intended order, which makes more sense. One of the most glaring inconsistencies is between Leverage episodes "The Wedding Job" and "The Two Horse Job." In the former, Eliot tells Hardison about a girl he almost married when he was younger. In "The Two Horse Job," the girl then appears. But TNT switched "The Two Horse Job" and "The Wedding Job," meaning Eliot is telling Hardison about a girl he has already met.
Nate's character arc also makes more sense in the DVD order. In episode 11, "The 12-Step Job," the team forces Nate to enter rehab due to his alcoholism. It gives him a clear head to enter episode 12, "The First David Job," which leads directly into the finale. But TNT switched episodes 10 and 11, slotting "The Juror #6 Job"—a Parker-centric episode—in before the finale and interrupting Nate's development. So while Leverage season 1 is available online in the broadcast order, the DVD order is actually the best order to follow.