Leverage Redemption Season 3 Episode 3 Recap: The Scared Stiff Job

With the return of Christmas, the third season of Prime Video’s action-thriller series ‘Leverage: Redemption’ taps into one of its most enduring strengths—using the spectacle of the con to reveal deeper truths. The third episode of the installment, titled ‘The Scared Stiff Job,’ doesn’t just revive a fan-favorite tradition; it sharpens it, placing the Leverage crew against a ruthless scammer who profits off the dead, exploiting grief for personal gain. What unfolds is more than just a holiday-themed hustle—it’s a reminder of why the team’s brand of justice resonates so deeply.

There’s tension, the familiar rush of outwitting the villain, and sincerity beneath the sleight of hand. It’s a carefully constructed blend of heart and heist, with each scene echoing the show’s core belief: the powerless deserve champions—even during the holidays. Packed with sharp dialogue, inventive turns, and that unmistakable ‘Leverage’ spirit, this episode feels like a gift, unwrapped twist by twist! SPOILERS AHEAD.

A Chilling Business of Cryonics and Con

The third episode of ‘Leverage: Redemption’ season 3 kicks off with an unsettling premise: an elderly man dies, and before his daughter can even grieve, a shady company swoops in to claim his body, demanding storage fees. The daughter reaches out to Sophie Devereaux, devastated and confused. She reveals that her father never signed the contract that allows this, and now, seven years later, they have not only withheld the body but doubled the fees. Sophie quickly recognizes the man behind this predatory practice: Peter Luna, a modern-day snake oil salesman running a cryonics company.

Luna convinces vulnerable clients that if they preserve their bodies after death, future technology will revive them. What he doesn’t advertise is the financial ruin their families suffer afterward. There’s no resurrection, only contracts that drain them dry. The team realizes Luna preys on the fear of death and manipulates it into a revenue model. With Sophie emotionally invested and the entire Leverage crew onboard, it becomes clear that they are not just dealing with a scam artist but a man who thinks he owns death itself. His ideology is warped—he calls his service “The Gift of Time,” claiming that death is a tragedy that science will soon overcome.

Yet, Luna’s company isn’t based on hope—it’s built on grief, fear, and control. The team splits up to gather intel: Parker infiltrates the ventilation ducts of his office, Sophie confronts his eccentric secretary Bobbi Cramer, and Eliot Spencer observes his growing obsession with his deceased wife Danielle Luna, who, we later learn, may not have existed at all. This opening act lays the groundwork for one of the show’s most twisted cons to date. It’s not just about scamming the scammer—this time, it’s about shaking the very foundation of his delusions.

The Leverage Crew Pulls a “Christmas Carol” on Peter Luna

As the episode transitions into its second act, the Leverage team turns to one of their favorite classic literary texts for inspiration—Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol.’ But instead of a ghostly trio, Luna faces something far more convincing: the illusion of resurrection. With Christmas approaching, the team stages an elaborate ruse to make him believe that he has died and been revived 30 years later. This psychological con is brilliantly layered. Eliot covertly injects something into Luna, making him pass out during a Christmas party in the insurance company upstairs. When he wakes, he’s disoriented in a sterile hospital room with futuristic elements, convinced he has been “brought back” decades later.

Harry Wilson enters the scene dressed like a futuristic corporate overlord, claiming that Peter is now his Fully Owned Entity (F.O.E.)—a darkly comic twist that both mocks and mirrors Luna’s own logic. Sophie arrives with fake news footage of Luna’s “death” in a car crash at age 39 and tells him no one attended his funeral—not even Bobbi. The moment is laced with black humor as Luna, shaken, mutters that he’s in heaven. This belief is deepened when Harry explains that life expectancy has doubled and that Luna now belongs to him for another 60 years unless he dies again. The brilliance of this segment lies in how the team flips his fantasy into his nightmare.

Sophie, posing as another “F.O.E.,” adds emotional weight to the farce. Her comment that they no longer own their bank accounts pushes Luna to the edge. The episode leans into absurdity, but never without purpose. This “Christmas Carol” not only serves as revenge, but it also forces Luna to confront the emptiness of his ideology. The man who claims ownership over other people’s deaths suddenly finds himself a powerless puppet in someone else’s afterlife.

The Gold at the End of the Lie

As Peter Luna begins to unravel, the Leverage team tightens the noose. While he scrambles to escape what he believes is a futuristic dystopia, he stumbles across familiar yet twisted faces—Eliot dressed as a medieval knight threatening him with a komodo dragon-poisoned blade, Breanna Casey trying to “rescue” him, and Sophie constantly reminding him that there’s no going back to the world he knew. The con reaches its peak when Luna, desperate and confused, rushes to his secret vault—only to be confronted by the ultimate reveal: there is no Danielle.

The tragic love story Luna had built around his cryonics venture turns out to be nothing more than a fabrication, a myth to make his scam feel noble. Danielle’s remains, which he had claimed to be protecting, were just a cover for storing his hidden stash, solid gold worth a fortune. The revelation cracks Luna completely. In a final act of desperation, he tries to flee to Vreeland, convinced he can salvage his wealth and reputation. But the Leverage team is waiting. When Luna threatens to call the cops, the crew simply vanishes, leaving him alone with his delusions.

Breanna delivers the final blow in style, accusing Luna of stealing her van, which conveniently “contains” stolen gold. Authorities step in, sealing his fate. The irony is rich: the man who built a business on promising second chances is now out of luck in his own first life. This section is both satisfying and poignant. The con may be fictional, but the consequences feel very real. For once, justice isn’t just poetic—it’s literal, cold, and golden.

Legacies, Goodbyes, and Found Family at Christmas

The episode closes with warmth, reflection, and a dash of bittersweetness. After Luna is brought down and the families finally reclaim the bodies of their loved ones, the Leverage team gathers to celebrate Christmas. Alec Hardison arrives just in time, and the camaraderie between him and Parker is on full display—they joke, laugh, and share a kiss that showcases their bond. Harry reveals that he’s finally going to visit his mother—a small but poignant moment that quietly signals the beginning of personal healing. Meanwhile, Sophie delivers perhaps the episode’s most emotional moment as she brings up Nathan Ford’s enduring legacy.

It’s a heartfelt reminder of how this crew first came together, and of the driving force that continues to guide them, even in Nate’s absence. There’s a sense of full-circle comfort as they discuss being a family. The mission may have started with revenge, but it has evolved into something more meaningful—restoring justice, protecting the innocent, and finding joy in each other’s company. The episode doesn’t just end with victory—it ends with a sense of peace. The families affected by Luna’s scam can finally grieve properly. Having been emotionally manipulated by Luna, Bobbi finally sees the truth and takes back control of the company, declaring that she will dismantle it piece by piece.

Bobbi’s parting line—“You’ll die one day, and I won’t be at your funeral”—is both savage and cathartic. This emotional wind-down, set against the backdrop of twinkling Christmas lights and quiet laughter, gives the episode its heart. ‘The Scared Stiff Job’ may be packed with cons, gold heists, and twisted sci-fi illusions, but at its core, it’s about letting go of what’s false and holding on to what’s real—love, memory, and found family.