White Collar 4x03
Jul. 24th, 2012 10:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
citrinesunsetWhat do you know. I actually have time to write a reaction post on the same night as the episode, this week.
First of all, I'm a little surprised that the episode didn't actually end with Peter being reinstated into the White Collar unit. I was totally expecting it, and they definitely made it look like it was going in that direction. I'm not sure how convinced I am by what happened, but I'm not really bothered by it, either. And in any case, it seems like the whole thing with Peter working in Evidence is intended to be temporary, regardless.
Specific thoughts:
- Okay, I'm glad Neal shaved. I wasn't that crazy about the beard to begin with, but it worked better on the island than in New York.
- It's nice to have a case episode. Just the right timing for it, I think.
- Hughes sounds pretty confident that Peter's reassignment is supposed to be temporary.
- I felt like this episode created sort of an interesting role-reversal between Peter and Neal. Peter is in the doghouse and is working with a boss who almost seems to fulfill a sort of watchdog/handler role like Peter had over Neal. His break area is compared to a prison yard. Neal, meanwhile, seems to be settling back into things at the FBI and is more in the loop and involved than Peter is. Though, my headcanon is that Diana is probably keeping Neal on his toes. Diana doesn't take any bullshit from anyone.
- Speaking of Diana, I love the little mention of going ring shopping with Christie. I was hoping their engagement plans would be mentioned again! And I can so see Diana checking out the store's security because the rings bore her. Now we just need a wedding episode.
- I'm glad Peter is holding Neal to his promise to tell him everything. I would have been so frustrated if they ignored that.
- That gym is really nice. Don't think I've ever seen lockers that fancy before.
- Yay! Mozzie is back! And he's using Neal's apartment as his own and is availing himself of Neal's wine collection again. Some balance has been restored.
- I love that June has these valuable diamonds sitting around, and that she trusts Neal with them. June is the best.
- Anything about influencing people with the power of suggestion makes me skeptical, even when it shouldn't, but I like seeing Neal explain how he does things. It's fun when he explains cons.
- Right, so I'm not 100% what we're supposed to get from Peter's decision not to stick around to make the arrest. That he would rather persevere and prove himself the hard way than take a short cut that bends the rules? Again, not sure if I'm convinced by it or not (especially since whether he made the arrest or not, he was obviously involved. It's not like the FBI will have no idea he helped).
- Now Mozzie is like Peter's fairy godfather. He probably likes the evidence warehouse better than Neal and Peter, anyway. And for a guy who's so distrustful of the authorities, he's pretty good at impersonating a fed and looking good in an FBI jacket.
- Finally, more info about Neal's past and his dad. And the name changes explains his cryptic comment when Sara asked him if Neal Caffrey was his real name. I wonder where his dad is now, and what exactly the threat is that has forced Ellen to stay in witness protection all these years.
- Okay, granted, I really don't know a lot about how witness protection works. And I'm guessing that Neal has pretty valid (or valid-looking) papers that ID him as Neal Caffrey, which may not link back to his birth name (assuming he originally had his father's last name) or the name the marshals gave him. But...I find it a little odd that the FBI chased him for three years and there were no red flags. They never tried to look into his family or find out where he came from?
- The preview of next week makes it look like Peter is involved a lot. At this point, I'm not that concerned about how Peter is going to make it back into the white collar unit. It doesn't seem like that serious of a possibility that he won't, and as long as he's involved in the cases and working with Neal, I'm happy enough.
First of all, I'm a little surprised that the episode didn't actually end with Peter being reinstated into the White Collar unit. I was totally expecting it, and they definitely made it look like it was going in that direction. I'm not sure how convinced I am by what happened, but I'm not really bothered by it, either. And in any case, it seems like the whole thing with Peter working in Evidence is intended to be temporary, regardless.
Specific thoughts:
- Okay, I'm glad Neal shaved. I wasn't that crazy about the beard to begin with, but it worked better on the island than in New York.
- It's nice to have a case episode. Just the right timing for it, I think.
- Hughes sounds pretty confident that Peter's reassignment is supposed to be temporary.
- I felt like this episode created sort of an interesting role-reversal between Peter and Neal. Peter is in the doghouse and is working with a boss who almost seems to fulfill a sort of watchdog/handler role like Peter had over Neal. His break area is compared to a prison yard. Neal, meanwhile, seems to be settling back into things at the FBI and is more in the loop and involved than Peter is. Though, my headcanon is that Diana is probably keeping Neal on his toes. Diana doesn't take any bullshit from anyone.
- Speaking of Diana, I love the little mention of going ring shopping with Christie. I was hoping their engagement plans would be mentioned again! And I can so see Diana checking out the store's security because the rings bore her. Now we just need a wedding episode.
- I'm glad Peter is holding Neal to his promise to tell him everything. I would have been so frustrated if they ignored that.
- That gym is really nice. Don't think I've ever seen lockers that fancy before.
- Yay! Mozzie is back! And he's using Neal's apartment as his own and is availing himself of Neal's wine collection again. Some balance has been restored.
- I love that June has these valuable diamonds sitting around, and that she trusts Neal with them. June is the best.
- Anything about influencing people with the power of suggestion makes me skeptical, even when it shouldn't, but I like seeing Neal explain how he does things. It's fun when he explains cons.
- Right, so I'm not 100% what we're supposed to get from Peter's decision not to stick around to make the arrest. That he would rather persevere and prove himself the hard way than take a short cut that bends the rules? Again, not sure if I'm convinced by it or not (especially since whether he made the arrest or not, he was obviously involved. It's not like the FBI will have no idea he helped).
- Now Mozzie is like Peter's fairy godfather. He probably likes the evidence warehouse better than Neal and Peter, anyway. And for a guy who's so distrustful of the authorities, he's pretty good at impersonating a fed and looking good in an FBI jacket.
- Finally, more info about Neal's past and his dad. And the name changes explains his cryptic comment when Sara asked him if Neal Caffrey was his real name. I wonder where his dad is now, and what exactly the threat is that has forced Ellen to stay in witness protection all these years.
- Okay, granted, I really don't know a lot about how witness protection works. And I'm guessing that Neal has pretty valid (or valid-looking) papers that ID him as Neal Caffrey, which may not link back to his birth name (assuming he originally had his father's last name) or the name the marshals gave him. But...I find it a little odd that the FBI chased him for three years and there were no red flags. They never tried to look into his family or find out where he came from?
- The preview of next week makes it look like Peter is involved a lot. At this point, I'm not that concerned about how Peter is going to make it back into the white collar unit. It doesn't seem like that serious of a possibility that he won't, and as long as he's involved in the cases and working with Neal, I'm happy enough.
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no subject
Date: 2012-07-25 04:47 pm (UTC)- So I kinda liked Matt Bomer with the beard, but it didn't suit Neal.
- Peter being in Evidence, was softened by it being a case episode. And I understand why he wanted to go through the process. He wants his name cleared the right way. The stunts they've pulled with Neal probably piss off more people then they impress. He wanted to show he still knows how to follow the rules... which is so Peter. He needs to have faith in the system.
- I think it was the role reversal that made it interesting. We really haven't seen Peter put down this far on the totem pole, usually he's top dog or he's not there. Actually I think this is the first time we've actually seen Peter with a personal loss and depressed.
- Oh there better be a wedding episode. I can see her pulling a gun in all sorts of formal wear.
- June is awesome. There is no doubt, she's the con-men fairy god mother. We knew Mozzie had to comeback if nothing else for teh past 4 years he had barely been without Neal. Plus I think he misses his FBI connection. Plus we know how good Mozzie is from that stuff from the Roosevelt Island archives in s2
- They use that power of suggestion in every con show. My sister did something like that to me when I was ten.
- Peter should have gotten a lot of red flags when he chased Neal the first time. And he might have and not known it. Neal could have used his real birth certificate to be Neal Caffrey. You can call yourself anything you want as long as you're you. And then disappeared until he showed up on his radar. Then again I'm not even sure when they learned his name.
- I was kinda hoping Neal Caffrey was his witsec name. Cause it would give him a full legit background. His mother and Ellen would have been moved and given new names after he left. (thank you, 2 seasons of In Plane Sight)
- I think Peter had guessed a lot of this before, because he didn't seem that surprised. He might have hit red flags when trying to find his mother, but respected them enough and focused on the task. He never asked about his mother when they were talking about in father in "What happens in Burma..."
- I can't remember now but the name "Danny Brooks" seems familiar, I can't remember if he's used it in a different episode.
- I think they are just going through the motions with Peter out of White Collar. Just like there were never any doubts that's the X-Files would be reopened and I can't think a good second one at the moment. They are doing their best to power through it.
- So El, seems resolved this season and even happy that Peter now has a second wife in Neal.
no subject
Date: 2012-07-26 02:58 am (UTC)- Yeah, I'm kind of curious about how Neal created the Neal Caffrey identity, exactly. Especially since I get the sense that it really was always meant to be him, and not just an alias. (And I think canon implied that he didn't make in-depth aliases until he met Mozzie.)
- I remember Peter seeming genuinely surprised when he learned Neal didn't finish high school, but if they didn't have any records of him prior to the age of 18, then they wouldn't have any idea (but no records coming up would be one of those red flags, I'd suspect). But I wouldn't be surprised if he did suspect or even know some other things. And in this episode, he seemed to already know that Caffrey was Neal's mother's maiden name.
- Hmmm. Now you have me curious. Not sure if Danny Brooks rings a bell for me or not.
- They do seem to be going through the motions, which feels a little silly. There's not a lot of suspense right now over whether Peter will come back. I'm okay with that, but it makes me want them to just finish this plot point soon.
- El is awesome. I think even now, she probably knows how important Neal is to Peter more than Peter does.
no subject
Date: 2012-07-25 11:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-26 03:35 am (UTC)