Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Happy New Year

As the year is about to end, let us not dwell on the tragedies and disappointments we experienced in 2013. Instead, let's look at the blessings that were given to us. Everything happens for a reason and if we don't learn from these events, then we have just wasted a great opportunity to grow and live a better life. Happy New Year to one and all! 

PS.

Dear Michael, get through this. You were never a quitter and never will be. And so we are not quitting on you. 

 

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Sony MDR-EX60LP

I don't usually make reviews of my gadgets as I am no techie expert, but I guess this one is an exception. I just love the quality I got for the price of the Sony MDR-EX60LP In-Ear earphones. For just P1299, that's approximately $40+, I was surprised at the great buy I had for this one. 

I am actually a fan of Sennheiser, but I'm a bass-head and love my bass loud and deep. This is just something that I can't get from my Senny. Also, my senn is starting to beg for a replacement as the wires have started to split up after about 4 years of use. So I was looking at the Senns for a replacement. I tried a lot of models that fit my budget, but just can't get the right bass that I want. So I was about to go home and think some more of what model to get when I saw the Sony displayed in a store. The salesperson was kind enough to open one for me so that I could try it and the moment I listened to it, I immediately fell in love with this little bugger! Asked how much it was and fell more in love with it! The bass boomed right out of the little in-ear speakers the way I've always wanted them too. The sound is still crisp and clear, and the fit was just great and comfortable. Not too loose or too "suffocating" for my ears. It came with different colors and I chose the blue but it has purple and yellow and pink. It also came with it's untangler. 

For me, this earphone is really a bang for my buck. If you want an affordable in-ear earphones, I'd say this one is a good buy. Don't get me wrong. The Sennheisers are still one of the best out there. But on a tight budget, this is a great buy. I'll continue saving up for a good set of headphones by Sennheiser, but for the meantime, I'm happy and contented with my Sony :)

Monday, August 5, 2013

Leverage: Detox

 
This one was a quick creation. While going home from work and listening to the song Detox by the Filipino band The Oktaves, the image of Parker and Nate in the rehab facility in The 12-Step Job episode just popped into my mind. I've been delaying the creation of the video for several weeks, but finally found the free time to do it. 

I'm gonna be alright... 

Alternate link: https://vimeo.com/71722375

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Leverage: Season 4 - Consequences



Leverage fourth season theme is consequences. An old nemesis returns and tries to teach Nate and his team a bitter lesson.

Music:
Diamond Heist - Joseph LoDuca
Nate Gives Himself Up - Joseph LoDuca

Friday, May 24, 2013

We Bel14ved...So We Achieved


Two years ago, the Alaska team almost made it to the play-offs of the 2011 PBA Governor's Cup only to be beaten out by Petron by virtue of the quotient factor. The team was led by import Jason Forte, who at the first few games were quite unsure of themselves, but gradually developed into a tough team that had a great run at the end of the elimination round. However, it was not the fate of this team to go to the play-offs despite playing well and finishing the elims as the hottest team of the league. The team actually had high hopes coming for the next season because the team was intact, the rookies drafted all seem to be good additions to the team. 

Then the team was hit by the unexpected blow. Tim Cone asked Fred Uytengsu to release him from Alaska. And suddenly, the team was left without the constant figure of our leader. Cone moved to a SMC team, while Alaska literally looked liked a lost dog. It struggled to get wins despite an intact line-up. It finished its first conference without Tim Cone ranking 9th with a 3-11 win/loss record. The year actually turned out to be the worst in the franchise's history in the PBA. A lot of fans left, a few of us stayed. It was painful to watch the team struggle. To watch the team get frustrated because the players know they can do better but just can't seem to get things going right. Coach Joel Banal couldn't get the winning formula for 2 conferences, so Coach Luigi Trillo was tapped to be the interim coach for the 2012 Governor's Cup but the team still continued the downward spiral. 

Rumors were circulating that the team is leaving the PBA because they just can't compete with the big teams of Cojuangco and Pangilinan. But Fred Uytengsu stayed firm. He hasn't given up on his team, and so why should we? He made a shocking decision to offer Luigi Trillo the permanent position to coach his beloved Alaska Aces. Doubts arose, from basketball analysts to fans like me. Coach Luigi's coaching career is tainted with his 0-28 record in the UAAP when he coached the Adamson Falcons. He hasn't won anything whether in the D-league or PBL and his coaching stint at the 2012 Governor's Cup was a measly 2-7 record, the second 9th ranking for the Aces in 1 season. 

But Fred saw something in the young coach and I guess, his gut told him to give Luigi a chance. So the fans trusted Coach Luigi because Mr. Uytengsu trusted him. Luigi was then given the freedom to choose his coaching staff and make changes to the team. And he chose well. He brought in Louie Alas and Alex Compton. Topex Robinson was retained. He brought in 7 new players in the Aces and the biggest player that he had to let go was LA Tenorio. LA has been Alaska's premiere point guard for several years now. His career blossomed with the Aces and he was the orchestrator on court. But I guess, letting LA go was a blessing in disguise. The Aces were able to get Jvee Casio and veteran DonDon Hontiveros in return. Other new players were RJ Jazul, Raffy Reyes, Karl Dehesa, Aldrich Ramos and of course, the stellar rookie, Calvin "The Beast" Abueva. Veteran Nic Belasco also returned. The Aces team that Coach Luigi formed was definitely a new team, a mix of young and veteran players, but all with one goal. To get back to the winning tradition of Alaska and put the team back on top of the league. 


The start of the 2012-2013 PBA season was an average start for the team, but sooner, rather than later, the team found it's groove. And all of a sudden, the team was winning again! The team chemistry improved game after game, the players learned to trust each other, from their fellow teammates to their coaching staff. However, the Aces run was ended after losing to eventual 2013 All-Filipino Cup champion TNT in their semifinals, 4-2. But despite the loss, you can see that the team has improved massively from the team that they were a year ago. They no longer looked lost, not knowing how to win. This time, they know what they are doing on-court and you can see in every players' eyes that they mean business. 



This attitude continued to the 2013 Commissioner's Cup. They got the perfect import in Robert Dozier. The team's motto for the year is "We Not Me" and indeed, the team showed that there is not one superstar in the team. With this mentality, everyone is contributing, doing his own share for the end goal of winning. And because of this great chemistry, attitude and focus on one common dream, a championship, that dream was realized. The Alaska Aces dominated the 2013 Commissioner's Cup, losing only 4 times the whole conference. It was as if everyone wanted to prove that the Aces can win again. That the Aces can recover from their worst season in the PBA and get back to their winning ways again. To prove that they can win without Tim Cone and to prove that they can beat Tim Cone. 



And it was as if fate was testing them when the team had to face the Cone-led San Mig Coffee Mixers in the Semifinals. The Aces has yet to beat Cone ever since he left the team. And after losing the first game of their series, it was as if, the curse isn't going to be broken just yet. But the team proved that they are a better team now. They proved that they wouldn't just go down without a fight. They have come a long way since the start of the season. They are playing their best basketball ever since the new team was formed. From here, they were finally able to bounce back and break the losing streak, winning convincingly in the 2nd game of the series. And to prove their resilience, to prove that they want nothing but a ring on their finger, they won the last 2 games of the series in a come-from-behind fashion. Since their first win against Tim Cone, they never looked back. Despite the huge wins, the team was so focused in getting the championship that they never celebrated their big victories against San Mig Coffee.

 

Come the Finals, they pounced Ginebra and sweeped the Finals series, 3 games to nil, to finally win their franchise's 14th crown. The team was so prepared in the series that no matter what Ginebra throws at them, they are able to counter. And when the final buzzer finally sounded, the balloons falling on them on the court, we finally saw the players actually celebrating. The huge pressure was released and they got what they wanted. The team that had something to prove has proven that they can get back on top of the PBA and be one of the best teams in the league once again. 




Each championship is very sweet and this one truly has it's own way of being special. It's the start of a new winning era for Alaska. And for sure, this team wants more. As they say, when you're at the bottom, there's no way to go back up. The Aces hit rock-bottom after Cone's departure. And indeed, they went nowhere but up. They didn't stop until they reached the highest point and be crowned Champions once again. Cliche as it may sound, this time, it again rings true...Wala Pa Ding Tatalo sa Alaska. 

 




Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Leverage: Raise Your Glass



This was a request from Youtube user BoomBoxSaula who asked if I could do a Leverage team video with the song, Raise Your Glass by Pink. I hope you like it BoomBoxSaula and thank you for suggesting the song :)

Also, I think it is appropriate for Leverage as well. Our dysfunctional family of thieves was the fighter for the underdogs and the show deserves a toast for 5 awesome seasons!

Music: Raise Your Glass by Pink


Alternate Link: https://vimeo.com/63088330

Monday, March 18, 2013

Leverage: Season 3 - Patience



Aaaaannnd it's fan video time once again. This is the third installment of my "Season Themes" Leverage Fan Video. I'm telling you, it's getting harder and harder to do these because there is so much going on right now in the seasons. I must admit my favorite video so far is still Season 1 - Trust. We can really see in the scripts of Season 1 how the stories evolved around the theme. But hey! This is not to say that the other seasons are bad. They are great in their own way. And the way Rogers, Downey and Devlin made Leverage, each season is a stand alone season, so it's really unfair to compare them from each other. 

So season 3 of Leverage is about Patience. Patience in doing the cons, in dealing with each other, in knowing Sophie's real name, in wanting pretzels and in taking down Damien Moreau. This season also dwelled on the character development of Eliot, Parker and Hardison after the first 2 seasons centered more on Nate and Sophie.

Saturday, March 16, 2013

More Than Meets The Eye

The recent sad news about a University of the Philippines (UP) Freshman taking her life due to financial problems ignites the flame once again about the tuition fee increase that the State University has implemented for the past years. 

My take on this is that, we should take this issue from all sides. Don't simply blame the University, and don't simply blame the family. Suicide is a very complex issue. It does not stem from a single factor, but I believe that someone commits suicide because of several things that may have accumulated over time. And from this burden, a small trigger can result to the person losing control and jumping to do the inevitable.

Articles and news reports were very quick to blame the University for the reason the student committed suicide. They said that the reason the student took her life was because the she was forced to take a Leave of Absence after not being able to pay the tuition fee for the semester. And from this, the University was put under scrutiny once again. People started to complain and campaign against tuition fee hikes. For your information, the State University charges 1000 PhP (Philippine Pesos) per unit. This was a 300% increase from my tuition last 2004 (which was 300 PhP per unit). This 300% increase took effect a few years after my graduation and the UP community was divided with regards to this issue. I, for one, was in favor of this. Not because I'm an alumni already and wouldn't be paying the increased fee (thus not caring if they increase it or not), but because after studying in the university for 4 years, I believe that it is indeed time for it to increase its budget to maintain the high quality of education that it gives. The 300 PhP per unit fee was the tuition fee for, God knows how long. The University hasn't increased or adjusted its fee with the economic struggles, inflation and all other financial problems that the country has faced for the past 2-3 decades. How then do you expect it to maintain its buildings and resources in good condition? The hallways are dark and gloomy. The chairs are definitely older than the students. The microscopes we use in our college are working, but not in their best conditions. I could go on and on about these things, but I won't. My point is that, this tuition fee increase is justified. Now, people are saying that UP is a state University and the tuition fee of its students is subsidized by the Filipino taxpayers. So why the increase? Then ask as well, if indeed it is subsidized by the taxpayers, then why is the University budget so low? If the budget is decent, then the University doesn't need to do this tuition fee hike. Thus, it stems to the Government and the education budget. This is a very complicated discussion and I don't want to go into it. I just want to say that one should not be quick to blame the University for having these tuition fee hikes. If you want to continue with quality education, you have to have a good budget to fund your teachers and resources. If the Government can't give the school the budget, then UP has no choice but to increase the tuition fee. You cannot expect the University to live on a budget that was made 20 or 30 years ago and still deliver the same quality education. 

On another note, I've said that suicide is a complex matter. The patient, in this case, has been showing classic signs of depression. But the support was not there. This is where our competency in Mental Health comes in. A colleague of mine has posted in his Facebook account about how sad this was. If the student was given Mental Health support or just counselling, then this tragic event could have been avoided. So this time, it's our health sector that is under scrutiny. Mental health still has the stigmata in our society today. Sadly, this should not be the case. Because Mental Health is as important as our physical health. If someone is not mentally healthy, one can suffer from anxiety, depression and eventually, a person loses control, becomes psychiatric or worse, suicide is the end result. We should really try to remove the stigmata from Mental Health problems. The act of simply reaching out, telling a person that maybe one needs help is a big thing. These people who are depressed or anxious just needs someone to reach out to them, to listen. It's not bad to seek professional help about this. Psychiatry is not for those who have lost their minds. Psychiatry addresses Mental Health issues which includes depression. And a depressed patient is not just someone asking for more attention. Severe depression is serious and shouldn't be taken lightly. 

I don't usually talk about heavy stuff in this blog, but I felt I just had to say something about this issue because people have been very quick to blame the University for the suicide. It is just the tip of the iceberg and it is not the sole reason for the suicide. As I said above, suicide is a complex issue. Let's not make this a simple issue of tuition fee hikes. There is more to it than meets the eye.



 

Thursday, March 7, 2013

030709 #EraserheadsTheFinalSet

March 7, 2009 - My first Eheads concert after a loooooonggg time. And long means really long since the last time I saw them live on-stage was way back in high school when they performed at our annual small variety show during the Miriam High School Fair. Nung high school, sa auditorium lang sila nagperform, infront of hundreds of teenagers. We were jumping up and down as Alapaap was played, enjoying every beat, singing along with them lyric for lyric. Fast forward to 2009, more than a decade later (naku, bukingan na ng age..), and I'm in my last few months of internship in medschool. Our rotation was pediatrics and I really requested our interns' monitor.."please, wag mo akong ilagay na duty sa March 7. Okay lang postduty (medyo bangag nga lang ang feeling after, but I'll take it), pwede na din ang pre duty, wag lang duty!" And luckily my request was granted. Arriving at the concert grounds, nakakatindig balahibo (yes...:D) kasi THIS IS IT! ERASERHEADS concert! Who would have thought that they'll perform again as a group after the break-up? And after what happened in the reunion concert. They say lightning doesn't strike twice, but we were given a 2nd chance to see them again and I'm glad I was there to witness it. Parang back to my high school days, jumping up and down during songs like Magasin, Toyang, singing every lyric along with the band and all the other people beside me. But this time, hindi lang hundreds of people, but thousands and thousands more! Di magkakakilala, but singing as one. Astig diba? It was great doing the tribute to the late, great, Mr. Francis M. together with the millions of people in the concert ground. My friends and I were overwhelmed with the adrenalin and emotion during and after the concert. Wala yatang nakatulog afterwards! It was truly a great concert, one for the history books. I'm sure everyone who attended it have their own great story to tell. It was a great escape from reality, at least 2 hours of great music, singing the songs that I grew up with na pinapatugtog sa radyo, casette at cd. After that night, we had to go back to the hustle and bustle of hospital life, but this experience is really something I'm going to treasure for a very very very long time :)
 
4 years ago. We were there...somewhere! Sana maulit muli (with Ethel Solon, Cindy Sotalbo and Charisse Te)

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Leverage: Nate/Sophie - Telling the World


This was a spur of the moment video. My iPod played the song and it just inspired me to make this short video. What can I say? I'm a sucker for Nate and Sophie's pairing. This is their happy ending :) 

Alternate Link: https://secure.vimeo.com/60375615

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Why We Love Them!

The Leverage cast and Executive Producers made something special once again for the fans. And this is why we love them! 



It was the best acceptance speech that I have ever heard in all the awards show that I have watched :D As I have said over and over again, the PCA is not for the fans, but for the Leverage team. It is our way of showing them how much we appreciate their work, their effort in making Leverage such a great television show. For us, Grifters, Leverage is not just a TV show. It became a passion, a family that embraced its fans and in return, we give them our loyal and undying support. Gina Bellman wrote in her article (http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2013/feb/02/gina-bellman-twitter-fans-social-leverage) how the fandom is a world that has no prejudice. I believe that this doesn't just apply to the Leverage fandom, but it also applies to how the show appreciated the fans, making sure that the fans stay involved in the show. Their warm reception to the fans thru the tweets, the blogs, the facebook statuses enabled us to feel that we really are a part of the Leverage family. They took care of the fans, and in return, we also took care of them in form of support, votes, fan videos, fan fiction and loyalty.  Right now, we are still fighting for the show. We still want to save Leverage!

Again, thank you Dean, John, Chris, Tim, Gina, Aldis, Christian and Beth. We love you guys! ♥ xoxo
 

Friday, February 15, 2013

Worthwhile

Well, this just makes all the hardwork of voting endlessly worthwhile. It's really our way of saying THANKS to the Leverage Team! 



Sunday, January 27, 2013

Leverage Season 5 DVD is a Go!


Good news indeed for Leverage fans! Dean found a distributor for the Season 5 DVD and this comes a great relief for every Grifter. Days after the cancellation, Dean revealed to his twitter followers that there might not be a DVD for Season 5 as the distributor backed out due to lack of sales for the Season 4 DVD. This was the second dagger to the hearts of the Grifters as our favourite show gets cancelled days before Christmas, and now it seems that we won't be able to complete our Leverage collection. 

But, yesterday gave us hope that things may still be looking good for Leverage. First, we were able to give them the People's Choice Award. Leverage became the only show in the history of PCA to win an award after being cancelled. Then, now, Dean gave us good news that the DVD will be released under Fox (thank you Fox!). I'm surely going to buy one, even if I have to order online and pay for those expensive shipping and customs rates. I have the DVDs for Seasons 1-4, but unfortunately, only Season 2 came with the extras and commentaries (dammit region 4 DVDs). I don't want to miss out the extras and commentaries for Season 5, which as of now is the last season for Leverage, so I'm willing to order it online. 

I hope the next good news we get to hear about Leverage is that we were finally able to steal a new network for Season 6! 

Thank you for not giving up Dean! And you can bet, we haven't given up on Leverage as well! Not just yet.

 

Thursday, January 24, 2013

More Ramblings About Leverage

The thing that probably frustrates me the most regarding the cancellation of Leverage is that, for the first time in so many years, a TV show that I follow gets cancelled before I get tired of it. In fact, I can't remember a show that I am still very much into, that got cancelled. Usually, the shows run for so long that I get tired of it or I lose touch with it. But not with Leverage. Yes, I lost touch in the middle of the 3rd season, but I have medical school to blame for that. I had to live in a dormitory without cable TV and when I get home during the weekends in our place with cable TV, I'm too tired to wait for the reruns at night (am I being too defensive here? Lol!) 

But anyway, as I was saying...it was pretty unusual for one of my favourite TV shows to get cancelled. I think it never happened to me before! The shows I came to love before such as Friends, Chicago Hope, Ally McBeal, ER, I believe, if my recollection is correct, had a proper farewell season where the fans were given a heads-up that this is the last season for the series. And that is why I hate the way TNT cancelled the show. To think the show gave them 5 years of great viewership (S5 may have dipped, but still respectable numbers in my opinion), they could have at least given Leverage the proper farewell season.

I know, I'm not yet over it... But with all the free time I have these days, this is the only thing that I think about. There is no F1 or Michael Schumacher to keep me busy every 2 weeks, no games for my favorite basketball, baseball or football (that's soccer) team, my work is on hiatus...

But hey, I am slowly moving on...ever so slowly, but still, taking baby steps forward. Yesterday, I was finally able to watch The Long Goodbye Job for just the 2nd time since I watched it during Christmas. I was putting it off (re-watching), because when I watched it during Christmas, my emotions were all over the place. I had to watch it alone because the people around me didn't understand why I love the show so much and how much the cancellation has affected me. And, my oh my, watching with all those emotions of excitement because I know the episode is going to be one helluva ride, sadness because I know it's the last one, fear that maybe just maybe John Rogers and the gang decided to do something drastic to our favorite band of thieves, happiness when I got my wish (and Sophie's?) that Nate finally gave in and proposed to the best Grifter, Sophie, who is the love of his life, bestfriend and his compass, and sadness again because the characters (and probably the actors themselves) are crying while saying goodbye to each other and me feeling that this is really it, and then amazement when the "kids" had their moment in the end with the most unlikely person to take the Mastermind's role (trying not to give spoilers here, except maybe for the proposal part..)----all these emotions bottled up in one episode...I tell you, it was not easy to watch episode no. 77. So, that was why I was putting it off. I usually watch an episode 2 or 3 times within a week to see what I missed. But not here. Not yet. UNTIL, yesterday, I just got the urge to watch it again. And this time, I watched it with an analytical perspective, and BOOM! I was able to finally enjoy it! Brilliant writing, really, to JR and CD. They did say, they have conned everyone except the audience. And they sure did con us. Superb episode, probably the 2nd favorite episode after the Pilot. It gave the right closure for the show and kudos to John, Dean and Chris for ending the series the right way. I didn't feel sad, but felt contented. As Parker said, "I think I'm okay with it" and so Nate answered, "That's why we can go."

But the fight for Leverage continues. Don't get me wrong. We, Grifters, are making as much noise as we can to keep others informed about the show. Because maybe, just maybe, the noise reaches the right person, and that someone out there is listening and is willing to revive this great show. 
 

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Leverage - Season 1: "Trust"


Hey hey hey! I can't seem to stop making videos. Yep..got lots of spare time! I plan to make one video per season for Leverage focusing on the season themes that John Rogers told us before. Season 1 is all about TRUST.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Weebly Website

Well, with too much time in my hands nowadays, I got into the trap of creating my own website. I don't know what came into me...I'm not selling anything, I'm not a good blogger, but hey..I have my own website! Heck, it was just for the fun of it. I'm probably the only one who visits it! I just like everything to be in one place that I can easily access anytime, my photos, my videos, my tumblr and my blog. 

I really should get a job now..and a life! 

http://oldnate.weebly.com/ 

Thursday, January 10, 2013

The People's Choice Favorite Cable TV Drama - LEVERAGE


The endless hours of clicking, voting, retweeting, tweeting to give Leverage the People's Choice Award for Favorite Cable TV Drama paid off today. Every Grifters' effort was rewarded with a simple but powerful line in the People's Choice List of Winners for 2013. 

The feeling was amazing. It was elation. It was happiness and joy. It was relief. It was invigorating to the fighting spirit of the Grifters that maybe, just maybe, we can still save this great show.

Some may say it is just a People's Choice Award. It is not an Emmy nor a Golden Globe. But I will take it anyway. An award is an award. A Grifter mentioned how ironic it is that this PCA enabled us to give Leverage some leverage, as we try to help look for networks or whatever ways to bring the show back on air. Apart from this, I also view this award as the fans way of giving thanks to the wonderful cast and crew of Leverage for giving us 5 amazing years. It is a joy to be part of this Leverage family and I am proud to be called a Grifter. 

The way this award made Dean Devlin, John Rogers, Chris Downey, Tim Hutton, Gina Bellman, Beth Riesgraf, Christian Kane, Aldis Hodge and all other people involved with the show so happy made all voting efforts worth it. 







Monday, January 7, 2013

Fandom Heartbreak


I never thought saying goodbye to a television show would be as hard as saying goodbye to an old friend. But that is what I actually felt when Leverage was cancelled after 5 seasons. Yes, we should all be thankful that the show had 77 great episodes or that the show was even thought of (by the creative minds of Dean Devlin, John Rogers and Chris Downey). This series is the only series apart from NCIS wherein I was able to watch all episodes, from pilot to series finale. I admit that I got lost in the flow somewhere in the middle of the 3rd season due to unforeseen circumstances. But luckily one day, I saw Leverage’s facebook status update and I remembered..”yeah…whatever happened to this show?” Then, I did my homework and caught up with the show and just when I got caught up with it, the show got cancelled. I, along with other devoted fans of Leverage are still fighting for the show and trying to help another network pick it up. It is a long shot but it is still worth trying. After being so emotionally invested in a show, we are not just going to throw in the towel easily. I just want to do something as long as something can still be done. If everything fails, then at least we could all tell ourselves that we all did our best.

I don’t know what Leverage has done to me but I haven’t been so dedicated to a show this way before. But I don’t regret it because the show allows me to escape from reality for 40 mins and just sit back, relax, laugh and cry (the cry part is for the epic finale). When I was doing the Leverage marathons to catch up with the show, I immediately found the reason why I loved it way back in 2009 (in my case, as I live in the Philippines) when it was first shown in our cable tv. The cast has amazing chemistry that cannot be faked because they genuinely (not generally..as Tim Hutton corrected ;) ) like each other. The writing was fresh, funny, witty and yet has the right amount of drama to hook anyone up. As the cast and crew has always said, it is a fun train and it surely was one hell of a ride. For me, I got introduced to the talented Gina Bellman, Beth Riesgraf, Christian Kane and Aldis Hodge. And as for Tim Hutton, the show allowed me to rediscover this truly amazing actor, plus I got to see Tim’s comedic side which is probably as good as his well known dramatic side. And because the Leverage Cast and crew were ever so generous to the fans by allowing us to interact with them directly thru twitter and blogs and podcasts, we all felt like we were also part of this Leverage Family.

The characters of Nate, Sophie, Parker, Eliot and Hardison became real to us like they were our friends. As we all grew up in our own lives for 5 years, these characters also grew up in the Leverage-verse and we were able to witness how they became one family from a bunch of strangers. And I was just so happy for Nate and Sophie who finally had their happy ending while the “kids”, Parker, Hardison and Eliot, got the blessing from the “parents” that they are now ready to run the crew by themselves.

That is why saying goodbye to the show was just as painful as saying goodbye to a great friend. But I guess, I would have to quote my favorite athlete who himself retired this year (which broke my heart as well). Michael Schumacher has always said during his retirement that it is better to say goodbye now, when people are still asking why and wanting for more, rather than say goodbye when people are already telling you that it is indeed time to go. For me, Leverage has become a classic series that was a fresh breath from the barrage of reality and crime shows that it was shown with. If this indeed is the end of the road, at least it went out when it was still being wanted by its fans. And the ratings for the series finale were great, enabling them to go out on a high, with their heads held up.

I’ll end this with the tweet I sent to the Leverage Family right after the cancellation news.

Thank you Dean, John, Chris, Tim, Gina, Beth, Aldis and Christian. You guys are the best. #Leverage




Nate/Sophie - Science and Faith, Rule the World


Yes, I'm a Nate/Sophie shipper. I love their love story and I'm glad it ended happily. Enjoy!