“Camping’s like sooo much fun,” says Aleyse Shannon with a laugh when asked to sum up Leverage: Redemption Season 3, Episode 9. But don’t let the sarcasm fool you—this episode, The Polygeist Job, is a wild, trippy ride full of psychological tension, mysterious retreats, and one truly unforgettable run through the woods with 30 pounds of camera gear strapped to her chest.
We sat down with Shannon, who plays hacker extraordinaire Breanna Casey, to talk about the episode’s technical challenges, character shifts, and why she might never trust a pair of shoes again.
Fear, Cameras & Unexpected Gardening
This episode leans heavily into visual storytelling and creeping dread, something Shannon says was both a challenge and a thrill to shoot. “Lots of shots, lots of angles, lots of technical elements while keeping energy extremely high,” she shared, giving props to director Doug Aarniokoski for managing the chaos. For Shannon, fear—whether it’s from a machete-wielding co-star or an eerie situation—is actually a blast. “It’s definitely cathartic.”
As for stories from the set? Well, let’s just say she learned the hard way not to skip the shoe-fitting. “They ended up a half size too big, so I ended up with shoes FULL of dirt and mulch at the end of each day. I could’ve started a garden.”
Breanna is often the voice of reason in the Leverage crew, so what happens when she faces something that doesn’t add up? Shannon loved the chance to explore that. “My favorite thing about my character is that she makes up her mind about things very quickly, even if she’s proven wrong later,” she explained. But in this episode, Breanna finds herself in over her head—and Shannon relished playing with that tension.
“She can’t quite find her grip on a situation or set of people,” she said, calling it the beginning of something new for Breanna. “When you make space for what’s different, you only stand to gain, grow.”
MORE: Leverage: Redemption Season 3, Episode 9 Review: ‘The Polygeist Job’
Courage, Chaos & Camera Rigs
Asked who she had the most fun playing opposite in this episode, Shannon couldn’t pick just one. Between Gina Bellman’s hilariously unhinged retreat leader and Christian Kane’s horror movie energy, it was already wild. But the true chaos? That came from Beth Riesgraf.
“Beth makes me break character…EVERY TIME,” Shannon admitted. But the real MVPs might be the polycule—Ben, Cher, Adam, and Kayli. “Firing on all canons,” she said, describing the group as one collective character that kept her on her toes.
Every actor has that one moment during filming where they know something’s going to lookincredible. For Shannon, it was the sequence where she was outfitted with a rig that looked like armor, complete with a camera mounted on a long arm pointing directly at her face. “That thing was easily 30lbs,” she recalled. Then the director asked, “You ready to run?” The result? “I was sprinting but I was probably moving 1 mph in hindsight.” Iconic.
When asked what kind of “weird case” she’d love to see the team take on next, Shannon didn’t hesitate. “Aliens. Settled.” And as for Breanna? “I think the team would be hard pressed to try to get Breanna to come home.” Honestly, same. Breanna in space? Let’s make it happen.
Beyond the scares and surreal visuals, Shannon hopes fans take something meaningful from this episode: “A ping of courage when you don’t have something figured out.” Because sometimes, as Breanna learns, you don’t need to have all the answers—you just have to meet the moment and trust your instincts.
Also? Maybe double-check your shoe size.
Leverage: Redemption Season 3 is streaming on Prime Video.
