Is trouble brewing for the Leverage crew on the final two episodes of the season? Seems so, at least according to series star Beth Riesgraf (aka Parker).
"They did it in a way where they could go on from here but it's definitely a shocker," the actress shared of the final fifth-season moments during a recent visit in The Hollywood Reporter Cover Lounge. "People are going to be excited, they're going to be surprised, maybe a little scared."
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The finale, titled "The Long Goodbye," sees the team of five taking on their riskiest con yet when group leader Nate (Timothy Hutton) takes on a case linked to the death of his son. The personal ties are what magnify the significance of the crew's latest task -- and it comes across onscreen.
"You always hear us talking about, as a cast -- on set and off set -- we're a family and it really is true. In this last episode, you really see the fruits of our labor. That family dynamic is so strong in this episode -- it's heart-wrenching how much we care about each other and the strength that we have as a team," Riesgraf revealed. "It's really come to a head in the end. This is really it, this is where they've all arrived. They can't live without each other basically because they are essentially a team."
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The final Leverage episode of the year, airing Christmas evening, will have an unexpected spin that may throw viewers for a loop.
"There's a little spin in the episode; there's always a con under a con under a con," Riesgraf said. "In this one, the shift is that audiences may be expecting a con and they may not have one."
Though TNT has remained mum on the future of the show, Riesgraf said that a decision on whether Leverage will close its doors for good or move on with a sixth season could come in January.
Executive producer Dean Devlin told THR that he would be up for the challenge to figure out a way "creatively of how to come back from from the finale." However, he says, when viewers see the finale, "you may go, 'Wow, you've set a high task for yourself.' "
Leverage closes out season five 10 p.m. Dec. 25 on TNT.
E-mail: Philiana.Ng@thr.com
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