TNT has really started to come up with creative original series, and right now they have some of the hottest TV: The Closer, Raising The Bar, Saving Grace, and one of their newer shows Leverage. What appealed to me about Leverage from the first time I saw it was the Robin Hood-like pretense, and the quirkiness of the five main characters. They are each memorable in their own way and add just enough to the show for it to be a hit ensemble cast. The show is premiering its second season on July 15th, and just in time the first season is being officially released on July 14th. This is the perfect time to pick up the first season and learn all about this show before it starts again, and for you fans to get a happy reminder of this adventure Ocean's Eleven-esque show.

Timothy Dalton stars as Nate Ford, a former insurance fraud investigator who was famous for taking down multiple crooks, but he was screwed over by his own company when it really mattered. Unfortunately for his family, it was his little boy that paid the ultimate price and died of a horrible illness. Turning to booze and bitterness, Ford was talked into doing a job with four actual criminals to get back at his insurance agency. Instead the five of them were tricked and almost killed by their client. After successfully turning the job on him, they banded together to make their own company called Leverage. They help people who can't help themselves get back at big companies or crooks, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor/disgruntled. The ends justify the means!

Ford has an expert team under him, and they're each very unique. Eliot Spencer (Christian Kane) is their enforcer, a martial artist and weapons expert that hates guns and protects the team. He also connects to Nate on a genuinely friendly level, often trying to get to their leader's emotional center and bond. In a gruff, boy's club kind of way. Then there's Sophie Devereaux (Gina Bellman), a horrible actress on the stage but a brilliant con-woman when it counts. She and Nate have unresolved romantic feelings for one another and while she does acknowledge them, she warns Nate if he waits too long she'll simply walk away from it. Parker (Beth Riesgraf) is a disturbed and odd master thief who loves money just to love money, and blew up her own house as a child. She is very sensitive about children, especially if their target is hurting children. Finally they have Alec Hardison (Aldis Hodge), their computer genius and resident geek. He's a fan of Doctor Who, Star Trek, and Star Wars. He often covers for the team with his technical genius and has a little crush on Parker.

Leverage is one of the most successful TNT programs, and it's not too hard to figure out why. The show is overall very entertaining with a little bit of humor, romance, espionage, and action. Like Han Solo or Jack Sparrow, these are characters who do bad things in order to get good results, and their roguish attitude only makes them more appealing to wide audiences. Over the course of season one the team banded together and then broke apart due to Nate's alcohol problem and his difficulty accepting his new life of crime. Where this will bring them in season two is anyone's guess, but it's definitely worth jumping on!

The DVD contains multiple special features, such as a behind the scenes clip, a look into the stunt fighting, deleted scenes, and several other little extras. The best thing about the DVD is a commentary track on every single episode. For real! This was a really startling addition, and an appealing one as well. It is rare to find a DVD set with that much commentary, plus they are all very informative and interesting about the set and reasons for certain choices. I might just fault every TV box set that doesn't include that many commentaries from now on, because it is worth it if you're a fan. And I definitely am.

The Leverage: The First Season DVD is out in stores on July 14th, so pick it up and get ready for the highly anticipated premiere of season two. Give this rogue group a chance and you won't be sorry. It's a fun show with an excellent cast, smart writing, and a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor.

ComicsOnline.com gives Leverage: The First Season DVD 4.5 capers out of 5.