Leverage: Redemption star Beth Riesgraf has given her views on the dramatic standoff between Parker and Astrid, and how this shapes the characters’ future dynamic. Leverage: Redemption season 3 is currently airing on Prime Video, and the return of Astrid – Interpol agent and Sophie’s stepdaughter – saw her and Parker face off as both tried to steal the Grand Complication Marie Antoinette watch. A rooftop face-off between the two culminated in Astrid appearing to stab her nemesis, before the episode later revealed she’d cut herself, spared Parker, and the two women went on to form an unconventional bond.
In an interview with ScreenRant, Riesgraf discussed working on the episode ‘The Grand Complication Job,’ and how the events helped shape Parker and Astrid’s relationship dynamic moving forward. She heaped praise on Astrid actress Alexandra Park, discussing how it was a joy to work with her, and how the two characters can move forward with a new spin on their relationship. Check out Riesgraf’s full comments below:
“Oh, I got so excited, are you kidding me? It was very Run Lola Run. I talked with our writer, AJ, about that aspect of it, seeing her start out with lasers and running. And we had night shoots, which automatically makes the show look more dangerous and slick and cool and international feeling. I just loved everything about it. And then, getting to dance with Alexandra Park, who plays Astrid, was so fun.
The mirroring of our actions throughout the night, the competitive nature between the two of them, the emotional stakes are so high between the two of them. When it comes to that climax moment on the roof, we really wanted people to not know what had happened. I think people would have bought, like, ‘Oh, one of them really just got stabbed, right? Who is it? What’s going to happen here?’ I just thought Dean Devlin directed the heck out of that episode in such a great way.
But yeah, I loved being able to play with the journey of Astrid and Parker, and winding up at the end where it’s like, ‘Oh, this new sisterhood and camaraderie is there,’ and we have really good chemistry. I love working with Alex. We improvised the cake smash at the end, and did all these little beats where we’re like, ‘What if we did this? What if we did that?’
She was totally ready to play and have fun. The physicality of it, the stunt work was really challenging, we didn’t have a ton of time, and she just did the dance with us, and it was so fun and so cool. She’s phenomenal.
Yeah, I think had they not had the familial connection, what is there to lose, really? If Astrid wasn’t connected to Sophie, Parker doesn’t trust her, so I think if she were coming at her, she would have had a really tough decision to make there, and she may have made the one that is a little scary.”
What The Insight Means For Leverage: Redemption Season 3’s Parker Arc
The New Dynamic With Astrid Could Make For An Unexpected Friendship
Parker has always been one of the most complex and layered characters in Leverage: Redemption, and seeing her spar with nemesis Astrid again has been a real season 3 highlight for many viewers. The two women have a complicated relationship, and Astrid’s return to the show has not only provided opportunities for more conflict with Parker but also for resolution. The pair have grown a lot over the course of the show, and, whilst they are natural rivals, having them become frenemies of sorts, by the end of the episode, will make for an interesting future.
This also means there will be a chance of future appearances from Astrid, and she could even team up with Parker in the future as well. Since Aldis Hodge’s Hardison left the Leverage: Redemption team he has been a big miss for audiences, and having Astrid return sporadically could help to fill some of this gap. What’s more, there is also the familial link between Astrid and Sophie, which makes it a little easier for Parker to trust her, and will certainly help with the bonding process between the two moving forward.
Our Take On Parker & Astrid’s Leverage: Redemption Development
It’s Been A Formative Season For The Two Women
Despite being on opposite sides of the law, Astrid’s true problem with Parker has always been that she felt Parker stole her (step)mother in Sophie. And, whilst Sophie is somewhat of a surrogate mother to Parker, she has a different type of relationship with Astrid. Now that the two women have put this issue behind them, and Parker revealed she never really had the love of a mother growing up, their rivalry appears to have softened. If Leverage: Redemption season 4 is renewed, it will be interesting to see how prominent of a role Astrid could have.
Leverage: Redemption season 3 is now available to stream exclusively on Prime Video.
Leverage: Redemption
- Release Date
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July 8, 2021
- Network
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Prime Video, IMDb TV, Amazon Freevee
- Writers
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Marque Franklin-Williams, Mel Cowan, Chuck Maa, Alayna Heim, John Timothy, Christine Boylan
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Gina Bellman
Sophie Devereaux
