Ep 2. The Tap Out Job

The Tap Out Job is the second episode of the second season of Leverage. This episode follows the team as they work to help a former MMA fighter who was swindled out of his gym by a corrupt businessman and his crooked lawyer.

When Nate and the team are approached by Victor Dubenich, an ex-client who double-crossed them in the previous season, they are understandably cautious. However, when Victor offers to give them information that will help them with their latest job, they are intrigued. Victor tells them about a former MMA fighter, Jack Hurley, who was cheated out of his gym by a corrupt businessman named Frank Lawson and his crooked lawyer, Tom Baker. In exchange for their help with Jack's case, Victor promises to give the team the evidence they need to take down a wealthy hedge fund manager who he says is responsible for his father's death.

The team decides to take on Jack's case and begins to investigate the gym's financial records. They quickly find evidence that Frank and Tom tampered with the records in order to cheat Jack out of his share of the gym. In order to get closer to their targets, the team devises a plan to infiltrate a high-stakes poker game that Frank and Tom will be attending. Sophie poses as a wealthy oil heiress in order to gain the trust of Tom, while Hardison hacks into the game and rigs it in their favor.

The plan seems to be working until Eliot is beaten up by one of Frank's thugs outside of the game. Frustrated and angry, Eliot insists on paying Frank back immediately, which jeopardizes the rest of the team's plan. However, Nate comes up with a new plan and uses the chaos caused by Eliot's outburst to his advantage. Nate confronts Frank and Tom and tells them that he knows they cheated Jack out of his gym and threatens to go to the authorities. In exchange for keeping quiet, he demands that they cancel all of their debts and investments and give the money back to the people they wronged.

The team manages to retrieve the funds that were stolen from Jack and return them to him, giving him back control of his gym. They also find evidence linking the hedge fund manager to a Ponzi scheme and give it to the SEC. In the end, Victor is arrested for his part in the scheme and the team walks away with a sense of satisfaction knowing that they helped right a wrong. The episode ends with a surprise twist that sets up the rest of the season's storyline.

Overall, The Tap Out Job is a thrilling episode full of action, suspense, and clever twists. The team's plan to infiltrate the poker game is both exciting and hilarious, and the way they outsmart Frank and Tom is incredibly satisfying. Plus, the episode's moral of standing up to corruption and doing what's right is both inspiring and thought-provoking.