| “ | Let's go steal a dream date. | ” |
— Sophie | ||
Sophie dates a fake billionaire who scams dating app users to fund his luxury lifestyle. The team creates an irresistible profile to catch this catfish and end his million-dollar con.
Client[]
There's no traditional client for this episode but the Leverage team help Neal's exes that he conned.
Mark[]
Neal Trividi
Summary[]
Sophie Devereaux meets up with her online date: Neal Trivedi, a charming man who claims to be a wealthy gem mogul. He impresses her with tales of his success and even gifts her a sapphire ring. However, Sophie's spots the ring is a fake and suspects Neal's intentions are far from genuine.
The team uncovers that Neal is a professional con artist who uses dating apps to scam both men and women. He lures his victims by posing as a billionaire, convincing them to invest in his fraudulent ventures. He then extorts more money under the guise of needing protection from fabricated enemies. Sophie meets with Neal’s ex-partners. One of whom is Roger, an accountant, who is still deeply in love with Neal and doesn’t believe Sophie about him.
To dismantle Neal's operation, the team devises a plan where Sophie poses as a wealthy investor interested in his business. They arrange a meeting in Havana, with Eliot and Parker infiltrating the scenario by posing as the flight crew. Neal's sister, Reena, accompanies Sophie for the trip.
In Havana, Neal whisks Sophie away to the hotel’s aquarium-surrounded restaurant. In the lobby, Eliot notices Reena on her phone and overhears her saying something about a British woman. They are unable to warn Sophie as the hotel’s walls have ferrocement that block transmission. In the restaurant, Neal is warned by his sister that she received information from Roger that Sophie is a con artist. Neal leaves Sophie to be taken out by his guard, but Parker manages to save her just in time.
Back at headquarters, Breanna and Harry reveal that Neal rewarded Roger for his loyalty by making him his new money manager. Sophie believes they can get Roger to follow the money and realize the truth on his own.
The team turn to Harry as their new lure. Breanna makes Harry over into Arthur Bennett, a public interest lawyer with old money. Neal matched with Harry on the dating app and arrange a date, where Becky spots them.
After the date, Harry invites Neal to his fictional ancestral estate. On that date, they walk through the pastures with horses and meet with Reena for a picnic. Harry tells Neal that he’s donating the land to charity. Reena proposes that she and Neal manage the land for Arthur/Harry.
Later, Reena ambushes them, having her guards tie them up at gunpoint. Reena demands $20 million from Arthur/Harry. Neal explains that the fortune’s gone but promises to get his sister the money from Roger. Roger refuses, however. He no longer believes Neal, as he follows the money and discovered the entire scheme. As Parker and Eliot come to save Harry, they let Reena and Neal get away. At the Mumbai airport, Reena presents her bag for inspection. It’s full of counterfeit cash and gems, courtesy of one of his angry exes: Jolene.
Guest Cast[]
- Maulik Pancholy as Neal Trividi
- Auden Wyle as Becky Wilson
- Annnet Mahendru as Reena Trividi
- Jessie Terrebonne as Jolene
- Sean Hankinson as Roger
- John Neisler as Edgar Allen Wright
Aliases[]
- Sophie: Violet Cesario
- Harry: Arthur Bennet
- Parker: Special Agent Dinero
- Eliot: Special Agent Pound
Episode Notes[]
- Harry's lack of opposition to pretending to date a man and Becky's reference to his past exploits on Mardi Gras may imply that Harry is less heterosexual than previously thought.
- Harry wears cuffed jeans, which is occasionally a flag for bisexuality.
Trivia[]
- Sophie's Violet Cesario alias is a reference to Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare.
- Harry's Arthur alias may be a reference to The Librarians, which frequently referenced King Arthur and Arthurian mythology.
- The Hartfield dating app may be a reference to Emma by Jane Austen. Emma, who made romantic matches between her friends, lived at a home called Hartfield.
- Another Jane Austen reference might be Arthur's name Bennet, which was the surname of the Bennet family in Pride and Prejudice.