Intense feelings are about to envelop Alec Hardison.

As Leverage prepares to premiere its fourth season on June 26, Aldis Hodge wants viewers to prepare for a deeper relationship between his character and Beth Riesgraf's Parker.

"It gets very emotional," Hodge told me today. "They deal with feelings nether of them anticipated and they depend on each other in ways neither anticipated."

So... does this mean Hardison and Parker will finally get together romantically? Not necessarily.

Hodge would simply tease that viewers will be "pleasantly surprised" by developments between the pair on episodes five and seven of the new season, labeling the latter as a "stepping stone" in their personal growth.

As for Hodge's real-life relationship with Christian Kane, he makes it clear that it mirrors the brotherly way in which Hodge interacts with Eliot on screen.

"He's my boy," Hodge says of his co-star. "We rode up the elevator together and waited in the hallway together for auditions... We shoot pool, cause a bit of trouble off set. We respect each other and need each other on the show and it helps to have that in real life, too."

Hodge is equally excited to hype the guest stars that he says make season four the best yet.

There's Leon Rippy, who will come on board as the villainous Latimer ("But is he really a villain?" Hodge teases). And there's Danny Glover, who will appear on a special episode that Hodge labels his "favorite" in show history.

"It has a very different look, it's beautifully narrated and it's a big change for Leverage," he said of the season's fifth installment.

Leverage returns to TNT on June 26. Look for TV Fanatic to cover it all summer via in-depth recaps, reviews, spoilers and more!

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.