Hardison finally gets the chance to run his own con, targeting a brother and sister who run a fake "gold buy and sell" business. However, his scheming may be too much for his own good.
Tropes stolen in this job:
- Break the Haughty: A friendly example as Nate tells Hardison he had to learn a lesson in hubris and "perfect" plans in order to know how to work a real con in the future.
- Chekhov's Gun: In the beginning of the episode, Nate writes down something in an envelope and gives it to Hardison. At the end, Hardison opens it to reveal the three things Nate needed to make his backup plan work.
- Complexity Addiction: Hardison in spades as his desire to create the "perfect" con just ends up being too complex to work. It's even pointed out by the rest of the team how this is too much.
Sophie: Let me great this straight. The watch, the chest, the cipher, the Cantonese Bible, the tunnel cave-in, a staged, tragic death...for a land deal? I once pulled off a land deal with half a glass of champagne and a low-cut dress!
- Framing the Guilty Party: How the team takes the siblings down, making it look like they stole their own gold for the insurance. The agent laughs that "is the worst insurance scam story I've ever heard."
