Leverage is a show with a formula that works nearly every time. Each week team is introduced to the latest corporate villain, portrayed in such a manner as to clearly divide the good guys from the bad guys, and then they do their tricks to bring him/her down. The character are very likable, each with their own quirks, so nothing can go wrong. The show can even stray from the formula, as was the case with "The Van Gogh Job," and it works because it is significantly different than the usual episode.
Something was off with "The Carnival Job," though. It strays from the formula, but not enough to be unique in any way, and left me wanting the formula rather than what was actually given. Basically, the episode turns into Elliot saving a little girl. Yes, Elliot is an awesome badass who can only be taken down by a roller coaster, but it's nothing new. The plot was one of the thinnest of any Leverage episode, and the episode felt like cobbled scenes of the show's characters instead of an entire story.
Score: 8.0/10
