Nate quotes from Leverage

Eliot

Nate, it's not drugs Lampart is dealing. It's bigger, a lot bigger.

If it's not drugs, what is it?

Eliot

Truffles.

Sophie

Oh, Nate, you know that the core of good acting comes from persistence of tectonics.

No idea what that means. Very concerned that you do.

[over comms] Sophie, we're gonna run a version of the White Van Speakers. Your acting students, do you think they can handle it?

Sophie

Of course they can. They're my students.

What was that?

Sophie

It's just Zachary getting to his authentic place.

Eliot. Not worth it. Give him to the cops.

Call off your dog. He's crazy.

Eliot

Crazy? I'm gonna cut your freaking head off and serve in on a platter.

Serve his head on a platter, huh?

Eliot

Was it too much?

No, actually, I liked it.

Eliot

I felt like it was a lot. Like, right when I said it, I felt like I may have gone too far.

Parker

What do I know about teenage girls?

Um, You were a teenage girl?

Parker

Only sort of.

Sophie

Did you know about this, girls being dropped from 20 feet? It's unbelievable.

Parker

I know, right? 20 feet. Pfft, walk it off.

Sophie

Parker, you do know that normal people don't just walk off a 20 foot fall, right?

No.

Eliot

I thought it was funny, Parker.

No way in hell was it funny.

Eliot

You were always upside down, man.

I fell off a building, yeah I was upside down.

Eliot

Like a pinwheel, like a Himalayan tree frog.

You call me a frog?

Eliot

[makes popping sounds while gesturing with his hands]

You call me a damn frog?

Eliot

Pop pop and upside down. Yeah.

Say it to my face.

Guys, maybe focus. Guys, focus.

Damn frog.

Sophie

I love government. Shady deals, back-room meetings. It is grifter paradise.

Eliot

This is wrong. We work outside the law, not smack-dab in the middle of it.

Relax, Eliot. Elected officials are the easiest marks in the world. Between their ego, the greed, and the politics, more hooks than a bait shop.

You said you like back-room dealings.

Sophie

I like stealing things that are real. Cash, of course. Land, sure. Art, yes, please. Corn subsidies? Not so much.

Are you for real, man? You telling me you bought a congressman with a lunch?

It was a nice lunch.

Sophie, where are you?

Sophie

Trying to improve the air quality standards in Massachusetts.

Okay, for corn subsidies?

Sophie

[frustrated] No, to get me the fishery concessions, that I then trade for logging rights, to get me the redistricting deal, that gets me the grant funding, that gets me the solar subsidies, that finally gets me the bloody stinking corn subsidies. I don't know how anything gets done around here. You have to be a grifter to run government.

Hardison? How you doing?

Look, Nate, I'm good with systems. You know that. But this, this system hacks back. I got 7 million dollars sitting right here, set aside for mad cow testing, which nobody uses, because, I mean, you know, nobody wants to know that they got mad cow cows.

Yeah, so give them to the cheerleaders.

[beyond frustrated] I can't, man. There's a law right here that says that there has to be money set aside for mad cow testing, which nobody does! Makes no sense. There's no rhyme, no reason, no... [to himself] It's cool. Don't pop a nerve. Don't pop a nerve. Don't throw a book.

Parker

Okay, Ashley. Where's Madison?

Can I have some water?

In a minute. Why don't you tell us again, from the top?

I don't know where Madison went.

Parker

[loudly] Don't give us that. The girls say you're her best friend. Best friends talk, Angela. Are you gonna talk, huh? Are you? Huh?!

Easy. Easy. Easy. Your coach gets a little hot under the collar.

Am I in trouble? Are you gonna call my parents?

Hm. [Exchanges a glance with Parker] You can parent up. That's your right.

Madison talked to me in confidence.

Parker

A big word for a little girl.

Where's Madison?

Ready. Ready. Ready. Ready. Ready, let's go.

Ready?

Ready!

Sophie

Ready.

Eliot

Ready.

Parker

Ready.

Let's go.

You underestimated me. People underestimate cheerleaders all the time. I didn't. I saw a niche, and I exploited it. Every girl wants to be a cheerleader. Every girl wants to be pretty. Every girl wants to be popular. And they will pay anything to get it. Cheerleaders built me a $300 million a year company because I didn't underestimate them.

Hm. You know, I really don't think I underestimated you. In fact, I think I estimated you just...about...Wait for it... [Baran's phone starts ringing] ...right. You’re gonna want to get that.

(answers phone)What?

We have a problem. There are Federal Agents here with a warrant.

For what?

Insurance fraud.

What? Why are the... The money. Where did you pull the money from?

The only place I could... The National Cheerleading Insurance And Underwriters.

So, back to square one?

I prefer back to the drawing board. It's more hopeful.