Leverage: Redemption Season 3 has a high bar to clear after the Prime Video series’ very long hiatus — and vaults over it with style and substance. It’s been almost two and a half years since the Season 2 finale, and a lot has changed since then; the show isn’t even on the same platform, with Amazon having folded Freevee into its main streaming service. But to the credit of Electric Entertainment, the long wait and all that comes with it has been incorporated into the three-episode premiere, which actively works in Leverage‘s favor.
Season 3 opens with a three-episode binge-drop that effectively justifies viewers waiting so patiently for new episodes. Yet it doesn’t just catch the audience up on what’s happened with Sophie, Elliot, Parker and the rest of the crew. The Leverage: Redemption Season 3 premiere moves the show forward in new ways, both technically and in terms of much-appreciated character development. Of all the seasons of Leverage, both the original and the sequel, this one feels the most dynamic.
Leverage: Redemption Season 3 Adapts to the Show's Big Hiatus
The Time Away From Fans Actually Helps the Story
Any TV show that’s been off the air for several years has to win back its audience, and spend a certain amount of time re-establishing who the characters are and what the premise is. The Leverage; Redemption Season 3 premiere has every reason to just be a functional, cut and dried block of television, dumping tons of exposition with a plot twist or two thrown in to grab viewers’ attention. But the scripts go in the completely opposite direction, and that’s what makes the first three episodes so refreshing. Aside from the first few minutes explaining how the crew got into their present predicament, there’s not a lot of looking back, and even that sequence integrates the details in such a way that it feels organic.
This season also has to continue to work around the fact that some of its cast members have other series regular roles, and Leverage not only accomplishes that, but has a bit of fun with it. An early joke about Harry Wilson growing a beard is a clear nod to the fact that actor Noah Wyle has one while starring as Dr. Michael «Robby» Robinavitch in Max’s medical drama The Pitt. Meanwhile, the fact that Aldis Hodge is starring in Prime Video’s own Cross is also handled in a way that makes complete sense for his character Hardison. It’s a testament to Hodge and the writers that Hardison has such a presence in Leverage: Redemption, even with how much the actor’s career has deservedly blown up since the original series ended, and it’s very much appreciated.
Some viewers might be disappointed by the fact that Wyle has relatively limited screen time in places, which is obviously just a side effect of him not just being on another show, but being a huge part of said show (he’s a star, director, writer and executive producer on The Pitt). But he makes the most of it — there’s one visual gag involving a costume change that isn’t explained and that’s why it’s hilarious. The first three episodes of Leverage: Redemption Season 3 take everything that should work against it and make something positive, which is very much in keeping with the spirit of the series. If only every other TV show was this forward-thinking.
Leverage: Redemption Maintains Everything That Viewers Expect
Season 3 Is as Fun and Light-Hearted as Ever
After so many years playing these characters, no one could fault the original Leverage cast if they were starting to get bored, or just run out of new things to do. But the core group — Gina Bellman as Sophie, Christian Kane as Elliot, Beth Riesgraf as Parker and Hodge as Hardison — are clearly still having fun at work, and that energy is what carries the entire show. From a production standpoint, some of the entertainment in Season 3 comes from just appreciating how easily they work together after so many years, and how they still find ways to make the characters feel fresh. The best example is Kane’s performance as Elliot. There are some hallmarks (plenty of fight sequences and the trademark «Dammit, Hardison!») but Elliot also has a significant part in Hardison’s character development.
There’s also some fun in watching Wyle and Hodge back in this space, given that each of their other shows are so incredibly dark and serious. It’s most noticeable with Wyle, given that The Pitt just ended after he spent the whole season exploring Robby’s unresolved trauma. Seeing him crack jokes and do quirky things is almost a relief. Hodge still has to do some dramatic lifting because the first episode back is important to who Hardison is as a person and his relationship with Parker, but particularly in his scenes with Riesgraf, it’s obvious how much Hardison has grown and how much Hodge has gotten better, too. This is not to shortchange Aleyse Shannon as Breanna Casey, who has found her own groove in the ensemble. Yet it’s actually very poignant to see where Hardison goes, because he brings up something that not only is crucial for him, but relevant to the entire group. Even after this many years, these people still have evolving to do.
At this point, the cast and creatives know what fans want, and Season 3 serves it up on a silver platter. There’s Elliot fighting a bunch of mob guys in what should be a losing battle but isn’t. There’s no shortage of banter, but it’s astute banter and not just empty laughs, such as when it’s mentioned that Sophie’s relationship with her daughter Astrid isn’t unlike her relationship with her late husband Nate Ford. And the cons are still incredibly creative; despite knowing there are plot twists coming, viewers will be surprised and impressed by how the group pulls things off. As usual, it’s the small details that seem insignificant at the start that pay dividends later — so it helps to pay close attention. At the same time, the series never gets too weighty; this is «blue sky» entertainment at its finest.
Leverage: Redemption Season 3 Welcomes a Chicago PD Alum
A Very Familiar Face Is Among the Early Guest Stars
Leverage has always needed memorable guest stars to do its world-building, thanks to its «con of the week» format. Leverage: Redemption Season 3 gets off to a great start with the presence of Jack Coleman in the first episode as a power broker who’s so arrogant, he has a giant painting of himself in his living room. After what happened to Bob Ruzek on Chicago PD, it’s great to see Coleman in a less angsty role, and the veteran actor understands the assignment perfectly. He’s charming in the slimiest way possible — making a wonderfoil foil to Bellman’s smooth and understated work as Sophie. The emotional reward of Leverage comes from disliking the bad guys so much that viewers cheer their downfall, and that’s still true here.
Leverage: Redemption Season 3 takes a step forward both in-universe and technically. From one of the most efficient openings in TV history that drops fans right back into the world with some incredible camera work, to the actors still bringing so much energy, to the writers not just keeping the characters in their lines, it all comes together. Some of the necessary changes to wrangle the side effects of the hiatus aren’t ideal, but for the most part, this season is spot-on. It’s a charmingly fun ride led by TV’s most charismatic cast, and more than worth the wait.
Leverage: Redemption Season 3 premieres April 17, 2025 on Prime Video.
- Audiences may be disappointed at some of the workarounds.
