White Collar
Season Three, Episode One, On Guard
Original Air Date: June 15, 2011
Peter is convinced Neal had something to do with the explosion at the warehouse and the theft of the art even though Neal maintains his innocence. Mozzie admits to Neal how he managed to take the art and he and Neal plan their getaway. Meanwhile, Peter and Neal work on a new case where a man believed to have stolen $60 million from the Federal Reserve wants one of Neal's old aliases to help him smuggle the money out of the country.
Neal, Mozzie and David Lawrence (Neil Jackson) are boarding a small plane as the FBI closes in on them. Mozzie starts the plane and begins to take off and warns they won't make it but Neal tells him they must.
Four days earlier, Jones gives Neal a polygraph test as Peter wants to know the truth about whether Neal stole Adler's Nazi treasure from the warehouse. Neal passes the questions but Peter intends to keep him there until he's satisfied. Neal later goes to see Sara and tells her Peter might ask her some questions about the art. She asks if he took the art and he tells her he didn't. As he's leaving, she asks if the art is out there if he knows who has it and he doesn't answer.
Neal arrives home to find Mozzie sitting on his balcony. He takes the card from his pocket and asks Mozzie about it. Mozzie admits how he managed to get the art and blow up the warehouse. They got their white whale and the two toast to their best, and final, score.
Peter still doesn't trust Neal. At the office, Peter asks Neal about Gary Rydell, one of Neal's old aliases. Peter tells Neal of David Lawrence who was suspected of stealing $60 million from the Federal Reserve and they think he left the money behind when he fled the country before they could arrest him. A couple of days ago, they traced an email sent by Lawrence wanting Rydell to help him smuggle the money out of the country.
Neal tells Mozzie Peter knows something but Mozzie maintains Peter is just messing with Neal's head as that's what "suits do". Neal asks Mozzie if there's anything from the heist that can be tied back to him and Mozzie tells him he used the art from the studio where Neal kept his paintings. Neal isn't pleased about what he's being told but Mozzie insists nothing could have, or should have, survived the fire.
At home, Peter looks at the piece of burned painting found at the warehouse. Elle says there are a lot of paintings of the Chrysler Building and it could have been on the sub. Peter insists if Neal didn't steal the art himself it was Mozzie or Alex. She suggests to have the piece tested and if it isn't from the 1930's he'll know. He can't involve the Bureau yet without jeopardizing both Neal and himself and she offers to call in a favor with an old friend at the museum where she worked.
Neal's anklet is removed so he can meet Lawrence at a fencing club. The two men fence and Lawrence severs Neal's tie. As they fence, they talk about what Lawrence wants. He wants Neal to get the money out of the country for him as Peter said. At the office, Neal says he will take the money out by boat. Peter takes Neal's severed tie from the trash wanting to keep it as a souvenir.
Neal and Mozzie continue to make their plans at Neal's apartment. Mozzie has gotten their getaway plane. Neal is worried about Peter thinking he's got a card he hasn't played yet and Mozzie asks what the best way to find out what Peter knows is. Neal goes to see Elizabeth and the two have a talk over coffee. She closes the book of art she and Peter were looking at with the Art Deco Chrysler Building painting in it earlier and covers it. When she goes to get some milk for Neal's coffee he takes a photo of the book cover from the underside of the glass table it is on. At his apartment, Neal sees the picture of the Chrysler Building and remembers the painting he was working on and asks Mozzie if he put it on the sub, which he did. They work out that Peter doesn't want the FBI involved in testing the painting and that Elizabeth could possibly be involved in having it tested.
Neal and Lawrence meet and Neal lays out the plan he has prepared to get Lawrence and his money out of the country safely. Peter goes over the plans with Neal at the office and mentions he heard he talked to Elle. Neal tells him whatever he thinks he's done, they are on the same team. Mozzie calls Neal to tell him Elizabeth is talking to her old boss at the gallery. He sees that a scrap of Neal's painting didn't burn and she gave it to her boss for testing. Neal wants them to run the tests and they will swap it out. The two make plans to create an authentic painting.
Later, Mozzie arrives at Neal's apartment to find him painting another picture of the Chrysler Building in case Peter comes around looking. Mozzie gives Neal the details of when the burned painting sample will be tested. They decide to use June's granddaughter to help them get in to make the switch. Once Neal gets past security and inside, June's granddaughter and Mozzie leave and Neal gets to work creating the replacement for the burned painting piece. Peter calls and talks to Neal while he's working on the painting to tell him Jones will be at his place in 20 minutes.
Mozzie arrives to Neal's to talk to him and Neal assures him he can slip Jones again once they are finished with Lawrence. Neal wants to say something to June but Mozzie reminds him of their rule: no goodbyes. He will miss June as well, he'll miss all of it just as Neal will. Mozzie leaves and Neal takes one last look around his apartment and throws his FBI ID onto the table and leaves.
Neal leaves for the meeting with Lawrence with Jones following and Peter on his way to the harbor. Lawrence takes Neal to where the money is. It is secreted in the air ducts at the fencing club. He reverses the ducts and the money blows into the room where they are standing. Lawrence's men collect the money and get it packaged for transport. One of them spots Jones and he is brought into the club. Lawrence holds a gun on him and Neal questions Jones. Lawrence hits Jones and tells Neal the plan is blown. He orders one of his men to kill Jones. Neal tells Lawrence Jones is leverage alive and he has a backup plan: a plane. Neal calls Mozzie who isn't happy the plans have been changed. Mozzie calls a nervous Peter to pass on the message from Neal about the change in plans.
Neal, Mozzie, Lawrence and Jones board the plane as Peter and the team close in. Jones gets free and overtakes Lawrence and Mozzie stops the plane. Lawrence is arrested and the authorities start taking possession of the boxes of money. Peter congratulates Neal on a job well done and gives him back his anklet.
At home, Elizabeth gives Peter the results of the painting authentication showing it was from the 1930's. Peter goes to see Neal and looks through some paintings and finds the new Chrysler Building Neal had painted. Neal gives the painting to Peter who calls a truce as he might have rushed to judgment. Peter's phone rings and he tells Neal he has to go. As he's leaving, Neal tells him the door's open anytime. At the office, Diane tells Peter they found a part of the original German U-boat manifest and they can make out 22 of the paintings on board. Only two people on the evidence recovery team, she and Jones know about the list, something Peter wants kept that way. At Neal's Mozzie says they must sell something to fund their second escape. Peter knows with the list, if a single painting on it shows up, they have whoever stole the art. Mozzie asks Neal what they should sell first.
White Collar airs Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. (US Eastern time) on the USA Network.
For More Information:
White Collar Official Site: http://www.usanetwork.com/series/whitecollar/
The Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1358522/
TV Rage: http://www.tvrage.com/White_Collar
Showing posts with label Diahann Carroll. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Diahann Carroll. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
US Television, White Collar, Episode 2.16 "Under the Radar"
White Collar
Season Two, Episode Sixteen, Under the Radar
Original Air Date: March 8, 2011
Sarah Ellis brings Neal and Peter the information about what Alder is searching for. A sunken German U-boat off the New York coast, but no one knows why the boat is so important to Adler. When Peter and Neal are abducted by Adler while the two men are tracing Alex Hunter's last known steps in New York City, they are given a dangerous task by Neal's nemesis. What Adler wants Neal to do could lead them either to the greatest treasure in the world or to their deaths.
Peter and Neal are walking and Neal has his arms full of a large box full of evidence (Rolex knock-offs) and is none too happy about it. When they arrive at the office, Neal finds Sarah Ellis standing next to his desk. She has found something "big" in the ocean and Peter is going to get the team together in the conference room. First, Sarah wants to speak to Neal alone. Neal hands the box of watches off to Peter and Sarah tells him they shouldn't ignore the other night if they are to continue working together.
Jones and Diana have a look at the Rolex watches Neal and Peter brought into the office as Peter keeps an eye on Neal and Sarah. A fence in Alphabet City is trying to move 120 boxes of the watches with each box containing 35 watches at $600 each. All three watch Sarah and Neal and Diana asks "when did that happen?" referring to the two getting along. Neal motions for the rest of the team to come into the conference room.
When the entire team has been assembled, Peter tells them they have the chance to take down one of the most notorious white collar criminals in New York: Vincent Adler. Sarah has come up with a fresh lead that Adler is looking for a sunken U-boat off the New York coast. U-boat 869 was launched from Germany in 1945. They don't know what makes it so valuable as the contents of the U-boats sent out by Germany toward the end of the war was unknown. Peter does know that whatever is in that particular boat has caused one person to be shot and two others to be killed. He tells the team that if Adler is looking for the boat off the coast he's using sonar, boats and submersibles and there is a paper trail so they can track him down. When the rest of the team leaves, Peter tells Diana and Jones there is another lead he needs them to find. Sarah gives them Alex Hunter's name and Peter orders them to find her. Sarah tells Neal that she's lived a life too so he owes her nothing regarding his life with Alex. If there's anything between them (Neal and Sarah) she doesn't want him to lie to her. He tells her things were over a long time ago with Alex and they make a lunch date for the following day at his place at one.
At Neals' apartment, Mozzie speculates that plutonium would be an educated guess as to what is in the U-boat. While the antenna is 'warming up', he also theorizes it could be full of "Hitler clones". Peter sees a painting Neal has done of the Chrysler building and asks if he painted it for his "girlfriend". Neal informs him that he's keeping up his technique as it calms his nerves. Peter questions Mozzie as to how close they have to be for the antenna to work. Mozzie says the SOS signal on the U-boat was designed to go into a passive mode which means they would need to be right on top of it in order to detect it. Peter asks Neal if Alex could help them narrow down their search area if she knows as much as they think she does. Neal feels it's worth a shot. He's been unable to get through on her number but he tries again. The phone rings and Adler picks up. Neal asks where Alex is and Alder tells him the lady doesn't want to be disturbed. Neal informs him he knows about the U-boat which comes as no surprise to Adler. He tells Neal to call off his dog and let it go but Neal cannot do that. Alder asks him why he keeps doing this to himself after all he's lost. Both men vow they will not stop and Adler hangs up.
In the conference room, Diana questions if there's any chance Alex and Adler could be working together and Neal feels that isn't possible. However, Peter warns they can't make any assumption about their relationship just yet. If they find Alex, they find Adler. Diana ran Alex's aliases by Interpol and Jones is checking the local fences. Neal consults Mozzie who has learned Alex has moved around a lot. According to Hale, she was in town two weeks ago trying to pawn off more silver through a small-time grifter, Eames.
At Peter's home, Neal tells him about Alex's last known meeting with Eames before she disappeared. Peter sees Eames' rap sheet and feels he can lean on him but Neal thinks there should be a different approach so he and Peter land upon the box of Rolex knock-offs they had earlier. Neal and Mozzie meet with Eames with one of the fake Rolex watches. Neal mentions he cannot find Alex and Eames suggests to check the Interpol website as she is apparently all over it. Mozzie wants to get down to business, shows him the watch and talks it up. Neal wants $300 each for the watches and, after a short haggle, Eames accepts taking the one today and will buy as many more as Neal has tomorrow. When the exchange is made, Peter and Jones enter and Mozzie leads Jones on a chase while Neal and Peter stay behind with Eames. When Eames puts his hands on the table as ordered by Peter, Neal lifts the watch from his pocket and turns to Peter to ask why he's hassling them. Peter does the pat down and finds nothing. When Neal and Eames switch places they hand off the watch so Peter, of course, doesn't find it on Neal either. Peter orders Eames to pack up and get out within five minutes then leaves. Since Eames now owes Neal one, Neal wants him to tell him about the last time he saw Alex. Neal meets up with Mozzie, Peter and Jones to tell them Eames said Alex was heading to the Conservatory Garden after their meeting. Peter orders Jones to check traffic cams to the Garden to see if they can spot Alex on them.
At the Conservatory Garden, Peter tells Neal that security tapes did show Alex arriving and entering the Garden but if she came out, it was on a side not covered by a camera. Neal says that Eames wouldn't say what she was doing there but he admits it is a good place for a meeting or a drop. Neal takes the left and Peter the right with an agreement to meet in the middle to retrace her steps. They walk through the Gardens and, at the middle, Neal isn't there. Peter calls to him then goes to the entrance looking for his friend. All that is there is a black car. His phone rings and it is Adler who is apparently watching him as he knows Peter has drawn his gun. Adler tells him to holster the gun and get in the car. The driver opens the door to the car and Peter sees that Neal is in the backseat. A man with a gun is also in the backseat. Adler orders Peter to hand over his gun, which he has no choice but to do. The window lowers and Adler is sitting in the front seat. He greets Peter and tells Neal it's good to see him again. Neal accuses Adler of killing Kate but Alder turns it back on Neal saying he changed her and the Kate he (Adler) knew would still be alive. When asked where Alex is, Alder tells Neal he can ask her when he sees her. Peter asks what he wants with them and Adler tells him he wants Neal but he will bring Peter along since he can't let him go. He orders Peter to give Neal the key to his anklet. When he does, he orders Neal to take off his anklet. The man with the gun has a glass containing drugged iced tea that will put the men out until they get where they are going. Neal and Peter drink the tea.
When Neal awakens, Alex is in front of him and Peter is pacing behind her. She slaps Neal to bring him to his senses and Peter helps him to his feet. Alex asks if their presence there is part of the plan. They allow themselves to get caught and the FBI runs to the rescue. Peter can only tell her she got the first part right. All she knows is that they are in a warehouse as she was drugged as well. Adler enters the room and Neal asks why they are there to which Adler replies it is better if he shows them. He opens a window and the three of them see the U-boat Alder has been looking for in a large room.
Alder walks with Neal and Peter in the room with the boat telling them that the boat was supposed to reach Argentina in the last days of the war but the German's needed to scuttle it off the U.S. coast with intentions to retrieve it after the war. One of the crewmen survived and he was Alder's father. Neal asks why Adler needs him and Adler tells him the crew rigged the interior with explosives to prevent enemy access. He needs someone who can open it without setting off the charge. Alex will be with Adler so Neal cannot refuse. Although, Adler tells Neal that while he'll say he's doing the job to protect Alex and Peter, Neal will really be doing it because he wants to see what is inside.
They go to the top of the boat and Neal lists off the equipment he will need to perform the job, which Adler has already assembled. Opening the hatch will be a two-man job and Adler has given that task to Peter as he (Adler) will be behind blast-proof glass. Adler warns Neal he will be wearing a remote camera so he shouldn't try to play hero. Adler and his guard leave Neal and Peter on top of the boat and Peter questions if Neal can do the job.
Sarah knocks on Neal's door only to find it opened by Mozzie. Mozzie tells her the antenna is up and running but he's yet to find a signal or hear from "The Suit" about a boat. Sarah tells Mozzie that Neal told her to meet him there and Mozzie tells her that getting involved with a con man isn't going to work out. He paints a picture for her of the life of a con man. She goes to get some wine but Mozzie has drank all the Lafite except for the one bottle he had hidden behind the others, which she finds. Mozzie asks her about her meeting with Neal, which was supposed to be a half hour ago. She tells him she's usually late but he makes a point that Neal usually isn't ever late and asks if she tried his cell phone, which she says went straight to voice mail. Both are worried and get out their phones to call Peter.
Neal and Peter start work on getting into the submarine as Adler and Alex watch. They feed a camera through a metal plate on the surface of the boat and Peter is able to see what looks like a typewriter but he doesn't see any explosives. They remove the bolts from the plate as Peter asks if it's really a two-man job. Adler orders them to stop talking and Neal tells him if he doesn't like it he can come get into the boat himself. They raise the plate and see the machine. It's an Enigma code breaking machine that Peter is sure is wired to blow up and warns Neal to be careful as Neal lifts it from where it rests. Under the machine, they find a lot of TNT.
Diana tells Sarah, who has called about Neal, that thankfully her "boyfriend" is wearing a tracking anklet. Diana calls Jones over while she's talking to Sarah. They learn that Peter took Neal's anklet off at Conservatory Gardens, which Jones remembers to be the last place Alex Hunter was seen. Diana says they'll check it out and since Sarah spoke to Neal last she wants her with them. Sarah tells Diana they are still at Neal's and can be picked up on their way.
Neal and Peter are trying to figure out what they need to get past the machine and the TNT. Adler makes note of the obvious that there are billions of possible combinations. Neal looks to the TNT and notes that beige is usually a neutral or bluff wire but he doesn't know if they bluffed with wires sixty years ago. He says the live wire should be the silver or black. Peter remarks that Elle's favorite color is purple. Neal feels it's either the silver or black and if they cut them both it should work. He gives Peter a tool and tells him that he'll cut the black while Peter cuts the silver. As Adler and Alex watch, on three, the two men cut the two wires. Sparks fly but nothing blows up. Instead, a timer starts and Neal doesn't know how to stop it. Alex suddenly realizes what the code is. She grabs the microphone Adler is using to communicate with Neal and tells him about the legend of Midas. The operator who sent the U-boat's final SOS was her grandfather and told her to always remember the story of Midas. Neal types "Midas" into the Enigma and the timer stops. He and Peter move over to the hatch. Peter turns the wheel and the two men raise the hatch only to find more TNT. They look down into the submarine and Peter remarks that this better be good.
Sarah and Mozzie (who is carrying his antenna) meet up with Diana and Jones. Mozzie reluctantly gets into the federal van.
Neal and Peter enter the submarine and move through the dark interior careful to watch for trip wires. They enter a room full of crates with the German logo on them. Neal pries a crate open to reveal a Van Dyck painting Neal says has to be worth millions. Other crates contain jewels. Nazi plunder from all over Europe worth billions. Peter asks Neal how they get out of there. Neal asks Adler if he's seeing this to which the reply of "yes" comes back. Neal tells him not anymore and takes off his goggles so the feed goes dead for Adler.
Peter asks Neal if he has an idea. Peter informs his friend that Adler could have only found the sub if the antenna was still working and Peter immediately thinks of Mozzie's antenna. The two men continue looking through the boat, always careful of the unstable TNT, for the boats antenna. Peter finds a box that has a symbol on it that looks like their fractal. He opens the box and removes the antenna. Neal tells him if they can get back to the limo he can connect it to a power source. Alder, Alex and Adler's guards enter the boat. Adler is pleased he's into the treasure and looks some of it over. Adler says the three of them (Neal, Peter and Alex) are going for a ride. Alex fights against one of Adler's guard telling him she isn't going back into the limo and orders Adler to shoot them instead. Adler agrees and his guards raises their guns. Peter tells Adler to hold on telling him they will get in the limo like he wants.
Mozzie complains about the ride in the FBI van saying it feels like an abduction and wanting to know if anyone has anything for motion sickness. As they are arguing with him, Mozzie gets a signal that is moving east. Peter, Neal and Alex awaken to find themselves tied up in a dry dock that Adler's men are now filling with water. Mozzie leads the FBI van to where he thinks the signal is coming from. They need to get out of the zip ties binding them and Alex has a knife. The guard searched her but not everywhere; 'just like old times' she tells Neal. They get out of the ties and to the top of the dock where Adler's guards see them and open fire. As one of the guards approaches the side of the dock, Diana and Jones enter with guns drawn ordering the men to lower their weapons. At the top of the dock, the agents take the guards into custody while Neal and Alex share a hug and kiss, which Sarah sees. Sarah turns away.
In the conference room, Peter tells the crew that Adler's men aren't talking and it's safe to assume Adler knows Peter, Neal and Alex have escaped and they are looking for him. Sarah wonders if he's escalating his escape plan but Alex doesn't think that's possible. She overheard him saying he was shipping the loot to Europe by boat but cannot do that until the end of the week. Of the warehouse, Alex remembers wooden beams, pre-war architecture, solid steel roll-up door facing west. She also remembers hearing some kind of buoy which Jones speculates could have been a weather buoy. Diana finds four such warehouses along the Brooklyn shoreline and three near Battery Park. Neal wants to go to the waterfront but Peter orders him to go home as he will need him rested.
Sarah takes a moment to talk with Alex and officially introduces herself. Jones alerts Neal to the two women talking and asks which one he's going for telling Neal he'll be his wing man. Neal tells him he's good but if he isn't out in ten minutes send backup then goes to talk with the two women. He asks what they are talking about and Sarah simply tells him she should let the two of them catch up and leaves, looking back once. Alex tells Neal she thinks Sarah is great. He asks how long she's known about the submarine. She admits she's known about it since she was a little girl as her grandfather would take her to Coney Island when no one was around, point to the water and tell her the greatest treasure in the world was out there. Her grandfather received the final SOS signal from the submarine and encoded the SOS antenna design into the music box thinking he'd come to America and build a receiver to find the U-boat. She always thought his stories were just that: stories. On his deathbed he confirmed they were all true and gave her the key to the music box and told her to find it. She tells him he reminds her of the treasure: some fantasy that's just out of reach then gives him a kiss on the cheek and tells him to take care of himself.
Neal goes to see Peter who gets a call from Elle. He leaves to see Sarah who wants to go home. Neal wants to explain about Alex. Peter tells Neal and Sarah they are both invited to his home for dinner as Elizabeth is "making those little chickens" Neal likes.
Neal and Sarah watch as Peter and Elizabeth set the table with a conversation about weather stripping. After dinner, while Peter and Neal are at the table still, Elle and Sarah talk about the relationship Elle and Peter have. She worries but she knew who he was when she fell in love with him and she wouldn't want to change any of that. Sarah asks if Elle trusts Neal. Elizabeth is certain that Neal is a lot of things but when it counts, he can be trusted. Neal glances to the woman and asks Peter if he thinks he's (Neal) in trouble. Peter assures him they're just talking about shoes but Neal knows they're talking about them. Peter tells Neal about time spent with his wife and Satchmo over the weekend when he once again realized he was the luckiest man in the world. Neal doesn't think that is who he is. Peter tells him he needs to figure it out and, when he does, he'll be the luckiest guy. Peter and Elizabeth go into the kitchen as Sarah approaches Neal telling him she should go. He assures her he wasn't lying when he told her things were over between he and Alex. Sarah kisses him and tells him he owes her a lunch.
The next day, the Bureau is outside a warehouse. Peter tells them they've narrowed it down to those fifteen warehouses and they will be going in one by one until the sub is found. He warns them Adler's men are armed so they need to stay on their toes. Peter promises Neal he will not let Adler get away. When the agents have gone in to search, Neal hears a buoy. He goes to the edge of the dock and sees what he heard then turns around and walks to a warehouse door. As he's trying to open it, Adler and his men step up behind him and Adler tells him he always admired his persistence. Adler responds to Neal's comment that the FBI is closing in that there's an 18-wheeler inside the warehouse loaded with art. If Neal helps him get that truck past the Bureau, half of the take belongs to Neal. Neal tells Adler if he wants his help he must tell him why Kate had to die. Adler explains that the explosives on the plane was her idea. She and Neal would parachute out over the ocean, the plane would blow up and the two would live happily ever after. Kate called Adler telling him Peter had arrived and that threatened to ruin everything causing Adler to blow up the plane early.
After Neal declines Adler's proposal, an explosion rocks the warehouse. Peter and his team leave the warehouse they were searching and see the plume of smoke from the explosion. Neal and Adler get the door open to the warehouse but the TNT has already taken it's toll. The fire and smoke and another explosion knock them back and to the ground. Peter and his team run towards the warehouse as the building continues to burn. Adler wants to run into the building to save what he can but Neal tells him it's too late. Adler picks up one of his guards guns and points it at Neal accusing him of causing the destruction of the art. Adler tells Neal "you won't get away with this". A shot is fired and when Adler drops to the ground Peter is behind him, gun raised. Peter asks Neal what Adler meant by "you won't get away with this" but Neal says he doesn't know. When Diana and Jones take Neal from the scene, Peter sees a burning piece of artwork land on the ground. It is from the painting of the Chrysler building Neal had been working on. He calls Neal aside and accuses him of stealing all the treasures from the U-boat, finally seeing the long con on Adler come to fruition. Neal denies that saying he didn't steal the artwork. Peter again says he believes Neal did causing Neal to order him to prove it before walking away.
At his apartment, Neal finds an envelope with a key on the table. Inside the envelope is a card bearing an address and the message "YOU'LL THANK ME". Neal goes to the address and finds all the treasure from the U-boat.
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If there is one thing White Collar can be counted on for it is an awesome cliffhanger. As promised, this show had it all: explosions, bad guys, not one but two women for Neal to choose from and all the great moments of friendship between Neal and Peter that fans have come to love.
The story lines we've followed the past two seasons have come to a close. The questions we've had have been answered and now we have new paths to go down. In recent interviews, cast members and White Collar creator, Jeff Eastin have said that when the series starts back up in June the show will pick up right where this season has left off. Season three will be about choices and I can most certainly see that being the case. Neal Caffrey has an amazing choice ahead of him. He's got more wealth than he could ever imagine sitting before him. Does he keep it or does he turn it over to Peter? Does he do the right thing or does he do what he does for a living?
Sarah Ellis is going to be a regular fixture next season which makes this viewer very happy. I really like her character and I'm glad they are keeping her around. She brings that extra something special to the show and I think she's someone Neal needs in his life. I'm not saying she's The One for him and I'm not saying she isn't, but he needs her in his life. It will also be nice to see if Neal and Peter's friendship suffers any from Peter being certain Neal stole the artwork and Neal demanding Peter to prove it. Who sent the card and who took all that treasure from Adler?
The hardest part about this being the last show of the season isn't the fact it was the last show of the season. The hardest part is knowing there is now a three month or so wait before we get to find out what happens next!
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White Collar airs Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. (US Eastern time) on the USA Network.
For More Information:
White Collar Official Site: http://www.usanetwork.com/series/whitecollar/
The Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1358522/
TV Rage: http://www.tvrage.com/White_Collar
Season Two, Episode Sixteen, Under the Radar
Original Air Date: March 8, 2011
Sarah Ellis brings Neal and Peter the information about what Alder is searching for. A sunken German U-boat off the New York coast, but no one knows why the boat is so important to Adler. When Peter and Neal are abducted by Adler while the two men are tracing Alex Hunter's last known steps in New York City, they are given a dangerous task by Neal's nemesis. What Adler wants Neal to do could lead them either to the greatest treasure in the world or to their deaths.
Peter and Neal are walking and Neal has his arms full of a large box full of evidence (Rolex knock-offs) and is none too happy about it. When they arrive at the office, Neal finds Sarah Ellis standing next to his desk. She has found something "big" in the ocean and Peter is going to get the team together in the conference room. First, Sarah wants to speak to Neal alone. Neal hands the box of watches off to Peter and Sarah tells him they shouldn't ignore the other night if they are to continue working together.
Jones and Diana have a look at the Rolex watches Neal and Peter brought into the office as Peter keeps an eye on Neal and Sarah. A fence in Alphabet City is trying to move 120 boxes of the watches with each box containing 35 watches at $600 each. All three watch Sarah and Neal and Diana asks "when did that happen?" referring to the two getting along. Neal motions for the rest of the team to come into the conference room.
When the entire team has been assembled, Peter tells them they have the chance to take down one of the most notorious white collar criminals in New York: Vincent Adler. Sarah has come up with a fresh lead that Adler is looking for a sunken U-boat off the New York coast. U-boat 869 was launched from Germany in 1945. They don't know what makes it so valuable as the contents of the U-boats sent out by Germany toward the end of the war was unknown. Peter does know that whatever is in that particular boat has caused one person to be shot and two others to be killed. He tells the team that if Adler is looking for the boat off the coast he's using sonar, boats and submersibles and there is a paper trail so they can track him down. When the rest of the team leaves, Peter tells Diana and Jones there is another lead he needs them to find. Sarah gives them Alex Hunter's name and Peter orders them to find her. Sarah tells Neal that she's lived a life too so he owes her nothing regarding his life with Alex. If there's anything between them (Neal and Sarah) she doesn't want him to lie to her. He tells her things were over a long time ago with Alex and they make a lunch date for the following day at his place at one.
At Neals' apartment, Mozzie speculates that plutonium would be an educated guess as to what is in the U-boat. While the antenna is 'warming up', he also theorizes it could be full of "Hitler clones". Peter sees a painting Neal has done of the Chrysler building and asks if he painted it for his "girlfriend". Neal informs him that he's keeping up his technique as it calms his nerves. Peter questions Mozzie as to how close they have to be for the antenna to work. Mozzie says the SOS signal on the U-boat was designed to go into a passive mode which means they would need to be right on top of it in order to detect it. Peter asks Neal if Alex could help them narrow down their search area if she knows as much as they think she does. Neal feels it's worth a shot. He's been unable to get through on her number but he tries again. The phone rings and Adler picks up. Neal asks where Alex is and Alder tells him the lady doesn't want to be disturbed. Neal informs him he knows about the U-boat which comes as no surprise to Adler. He tells Neal to call off his dog and let it go but Neal cannot do that. Alder asks him why he keeps doing this to himself after all he's lost. Both men vow they will not stop and Adler hangs up.
In the conference room, Diana questions if there's any chance Alex and Adler could be working together and Neal feels that isn't possible. However, Peter warns they can't make any assumption about their relationship just yet. If they find Alex, they find Adler. Diana ran Alex's aliases by Interpol and Jones is checking the local fences. Neal consults Mozzie who has learned Alex has moved around a lot. According to Hale, she was in town two weeks ago trying to pawn off more silver through a small-time grifter, Eames.
At Peter's home, Neal tells him about Alex's last known meeting with Eames before she disappeared. Peter sees Eames' rap sheet and feels he can lean on him but Neal thinks there should be a different approach so he and Peter land upon the box of Rolex knock-offs they had earlier. Neal and Mozzie meet with Eames with one of the fake Rolex watches. Neal mentions he cannot find Alex and Eames suggests to check the Interpol website as she is apparently all over it. Mozzie wants to get down to business, shows him the watch and talks it up. Neal wants $300 each for the watches and, after a short haggle, Eames accepts taking the one today and will buy as many more as Neal has tomorrow. When the exchange is made, Peter and Jones enter and Mozzie leads Jones on a chase while Neal and Peter stay behind with Eames. When Eames puts his hands on the table as ordered by Peter, Neal lifts the watch from his pocket and turns to Peter to ask why he's hassling them. Peter does the pat down and finds nothing. When Neal and Eames switch places they hand off the watch so Peter, of course, doesn't find it on Neal either. Peter orders Eames to pack up and get out within five minutes then leaves. Since Eames now owes Neal one, Neal wants him to tell him about the last time he saw Alex. Neal meets up with Mozzie, Peter and Jones to tell them Eames said Alex was heading to the Conservatory Garden after their meeting. Peter orders Jones to check traffic cams to the Garden to see if they can spot Alex on them.
At the Conservatory Garden, Peter tells Neal that security tapes did show Alex arriving and entering the Garden but if she came out, it was on a side not covered by a camera. Neal says that Eames wouldn't say what she was doing there but he admits it is a good place for a meeting or a drop. Neal takes the left and Peter the right with an agreement to meet in the middle to retrace her steps. They walk through the Gardens and, at the middle, Neal isn't there. Peter calls to him then goes to the entrance looking for his friend. All that is there is a black car. His phone rings and it is Adler who is apparently watching him as he knows Peter has drawn his gun. Adler tells him to holster the gun and get in the car. The driver opens the door to the car and Peter sees that Neal is in the backseat. A man with a gun is also in the backseat. Adler orders Peter to hand over his gun, which he has no choice but to do. The window lowers and Adler is sitting in the front seat. He greets Peter and tells Neal it's good to see him again. Neal accuses Adler of killing Kate but Alder turns it back on Neal saying he changed her and the Kate he (Adler) knew would still be alive. When asked where Alex is, Alder tells Neal he can ask her when he sees her. Peter asks what he wants with them and Adler tells him he wants Neal but he will bring Peter along since he can't let him go. He orders Peter to give Neal the key to his anklet. When he does, he orders Neal to take off his anklet. The man with the gun has a glass containing drugged iced tea that will put the men out until they get where they are going. Neal and Peter drink the tea.
When Neal awakens, Alex is in front of him and Peter is pacing behind her. She slaps Neal to bring him to his senses and Peter helps him to his feet. Alex asks if their presence there is part of the plan. They allow themselves to get caught and the FBI runs to the rescue. Peter can only tell her she got the first part right. All she knows is that they are in a warehouse as she was drugged as well. Adler enters the room and Neal asks why they are there to which Adler replies it is better if he shows them. He opens a window and the three of them see the U-boat Alder has been looking for in a large room.
Alder walks with Neal and Peter in the room with the boat telling them that the boat was supposed to reach Argentina in the last days of the war but the German's needed to scuttle it off the U.S. coast with intentions to retrieve it after the war. One of the crewmen survived and he was Alder's father. Neal asks why Adler needs him and Adler tells him the crew rigged the interior with explosives to prevent enemy access. He needs someone who can open it without setting off the charge. Alex will be with Adler so Neal cannot refuse. Although, Adler tells Neal that while he'll say he's doing the job to protect Alex and Peter, Neal will really be doing it because he wants to see what is inside.
They go to the top of the boat and Neal lists off the equipment he will need to perform the job, which Adler has already assembled. Opening the hatch will be a two-man job and Adler has given that task to Peter as he (Adler) will be behind blast-proof glass. Adler warns Neal he will be wearing a remote camera so he shouldn't try to play hero. Adler and his guard leave Neal and Peter on top of the boat and Peter questions if Neal can do the job.
Sarah knocks on Neal's door only to find it opened by Mozzie. Mozzie tells her the antenna is up and running but he's yet to find a signal or hear from "The Suit" about a boat. Sarah tells Mozzie that Neal told her to meet him there and Mozzie tells her that getting involved with a con man isn't going to work out. He paints a picture for her of the life of a con man. She goes to get some wine but Mozzie has drank all the Lafite except for the one bottle he had hidden behind the others, which she finds. Mozzie asks her about her meeting with Neal, which was supposed to be a half hour ago. She tells him she's usually late but he makes a point that Neal usually isn't ever late and asks if she tried his cell phone, which she says went straight to voice mail. Both are worried and get out their phones to call Peter.
Neal and Peter start work on getting into the submarine as Adler and Alex watch. They feed a camera through a metal plate on the surface of the boat and Peter is able to see what looks like a typewriter but he doesn't see any explosives. They remove the bolts from the plate as Peter asks if it's really a two-man job. Adler orders them to stop talking and Neal tells him if he doesn't like it he can come get into the boat himself. They raise the plate and see the machine. It's an Enigma code breaking machine that Peter is sure is wired to blow up and warns Neal to be careful as Neal lifts it from where it rests. Under the machine, they find a lot of TNT.
Diana tells Sarah, who has called about Neal, that thankfully her "boyfriend" is wearing a tracking anklet. Diana calls Jones over while she's talking to Sarah. They learn that Peter took Neal's anklet off at Conservatory Gardens, which Jones remembers to be the last place Alex Hunter was seen. Diana says they'll check it out and since Sarah spoke to Neal last she wants her with them. Sarah tells Diana they are still at Neal's and can be picked up on their way.
Neal and Peter are trying to figure out what they need to get past the machine and the TNT. Adler makes note of the obvious that there are billions of possible combinations. Neal looks to the TNT and notes that beige is usually a neutral or bluff wire but he doesn't know if they bluffed with wires sixty years ago. He says the live wire should be the silver or black. Peter remarks that Elle's favorite color is purple. Neal feels it's either the silver or black and if they cut them both it should work. He gives Peter a tool and tells him that he'll cut the black while Peter cuts the silver. As Adler and Alex watch, on three, the two men cut the two wires. Sparks fly but nothing blows up. Instead, a timer starts and Neal doesn't know how to stop it. Alex suddenly realizes what the code is. She grabs the microphone Adler is using to communicate with Neal and tells him about the legend of Midas. The operator who sent the U-boat's final SOS was her grandfather and told her to always remember the story of Midas. Neal types "Midas" into the Enigma and the timer stops. He and Peter move over to the hatch. Peter turns the wheel and the two men raise the hatch only to find more TNT. They look down into the submarine and Peter remarks that this better be good.
Sarah and Mozzie (who is carrying his antenna) meet up with Diana and Jones. Mozzie reluctantly gets into the federal van.
Neal and Peter enter the submarine and move through the dark interior careful to watch for trip wires. They enter a room full of crates with the German logo on them. Neal pries a crate open to reveal a Van Dyck painting Neal says has to be worth millions. Other crates contain jewels. Nazi plunder from all over Europe worth billions. Peter asks Neal how they get out of there. Neal asks Adler if he's seeing this to which the reply of "yes" comes back. Neal tells him not anymore and takes off his goggles so the feed goes dead for Adler.
Peter asks Neal if he has an idea. Peter informs his friend that Adler could have only found the sub if the antenna was still working and Peter immediately thinks of Mozzie's antenna. The two men continue looking through the boat, always careful of the unstable TNT, for the boats antenna. Peter finds a box that has a symbol on it that looks like their fractal. He opens the box and removes the antenna. Neal tells him if they can get back to the limo he can connect it to a power source. Alder, Alex and Adler's guards enter the boat. Adler is pleased he's into the treasure and looks some of it over. Adler says the three of them (Neal, Peter and Alex) are going for a ride. Alex fights against one of Adler's guard telling him she isn't going back into the limo and orders Adler to shoot them instead. Adler agrees and his guards raises their guns. Peter tells Adler to hold on telling him they will get in the limo like he wants.
Mozzie complains about the ride in the FBI van saying it feels like an abduction and wanting to know if anyone has anything for motion sickness. As they are arguing with him, Mozzie gets a signal that is moving east. Peter, Neal and Alex awaken to find themselves tied up in a dry dock that Adler's men are now filling with water. Mozzie leads the FBI van to where he thinks the signal is coming from. They need to get out of the zip ties binding them and Alex has a knife. The guard searched her but not everywhere; 'just like old times' she tells Neal. They get out of the ties and to the top of the dock where Adler's guards see them and open fire. As one of the guards approaches the side of the dock, Diana and Jones enter with guns drawn ordering the men to lower their weapons. At the top of the dock, the agents take the guards into custody while Neal and Alex share a hug and kiss, which Sarah sees. Sarah turns away.
In the conference room, Peter tells the crew that Adler's men aren't talking and it's safe to assume Adler knows Peter, Neal and Alex have escaped and they are looking for him. Sarah wonders if he's escalating his escape plan but Alex doesn't think that's possible. She overheard him saying he was shipping the loot to Europe by boat but cannot do that until the end of the week. Of the warehouse, Alex remembers wooden beams, pre-war architecture, solid steel roll-up door facing west. She also remembers hearing some kind of buoy which Jones speculates could have been a weather buoy. Diana finds four such warehouses along the Brooklyn shoreline and three near Battery Park. Neal wants to go to the waterfront but Peter orders him to go home as he will need him rested.
Sarah takes a moment to talk with Alex and officially introduces herself. Jones alerts Neal to the two women talking and asks which one he's going for telling Neal he'll be his wing man. Neal tells him he's good but if he isn't out in ten minutes send backup then goes to talk with the two women. He asks what they are talking about and Sarah simply tells him she should let the two of them catch up and leaves, looking back once. Alex tells Neal she thinks Sarah is great. He asks how long she's known about the submarine. She admits she's known about it since she was a little girl as her grandfather would take her to Coney Island when no one was around, point to the water and tell her the greatest treasure in the world was out there. Her grandfather received the final SOS signal from the submarine and encoded the SOS antenna design into the music box thinking he'd come to America and build a receiver to find the U-boat. She always thought his stories were just that: stories. On his deathbed he confirmed they were all true and gave her the key to the music box and told her to find it. She tells him he reminds her of the treasure: some fantasy that's just out of reach then gives him a kiss on the cheek and tells him to take care of himself.
Neal goes to see Peter who gets a call from Elle. He leaves to see Sarah who wants to go home. Neal wants to explain about Alex. Peter tells Neal and Sarah they are both invited to his home for dinner as Elizabeth is "making those little chickens" Neal likes.
Neal and Sarah watch as Peter and Elizabeth set the table with a conversation about weather stripping. After dinner, while Peter and Neal are at the table still, Elle and Sarah talk about the relationship Elle and Peter have. She worries but she knew who he was when she fell in love with him and she wouldn't want to change any of that. Sarah asks if Elle trusts Neal. Elizabeth is certain that Neal is a lot of things but when it counts, he can be trusted. Neal glances to the woman and asks Peter if he thinks he's (Neal) in trouble. Peter assures him they're just talking about shoes but Neal knows they're talking about them. Peter tells Neal about time spent with his wife and Satchmo over the weekend when he once again realized he was the luckiest man in the world. Neal doesn't think that is who he is. Peter tells him he needs to figure it out and, when he does, he'll be the luckiest guy. Peter and Elizabeth go into the kitchen as Sarah approaches Neal telling him she should go. He assures her he wasn't lying when he told her things were over between he and Alex. Sarah kisses him and tells him he owes her a lunch.
The next day, the Bureau is outside a warehouse. Peter tells them they've narrowed it down to those fifteen warehouses and they will be going in one by one until the sub is found. He warns them Adler's men are armed so they need to stay on their toes. Peter promises Neal he will not let Adler get away. When the agents have gone in to search, Neal hears a buoy. He goes to the edge of the dock and sees what he heard then turns around and walks to a warehouse door. As he's trying to open it, Adler and his men step up behind him and Adler tells him he always admired his persistence. Adler responds to Neal's comment that the FBI is closing in that there's an 18-wheeler inside the warehouse loaded with art. If Neal helps him get that truck past the Bureau, half of the take belongs to Neal. Neal tells Adler if he wants his help he must tell him why Kate had to die. Adler explains that the explosives on the plane was her idea. She and Neal would parachute out over the ocean, the plane would blow up and the two would live happily ever after. Kate called Adler telling him Peter had arrived and that threatened to ruin everything causing Adler to blow up the plane early.
After Neal declines Adler's proposal, an explosion rocks the warehouse. Peter and his team leave the warehouse they were searching and see the plume of smoke from the explosion. Neal and Adler get the door open to the warehouse but the TNT has already taken it's toll. The fire and smoke and another explosion knock them back and to the ground. Peter and his team run towards the warehouse as the building continues to burn. Adler wants to run into the building to save what he can but Neal tells him it's too late. Adler picks up one of his guards guns and points it at Neal accusing him of causing the destruction of the art. Adler tells Neal "you won't get away with this". A shot is fired and when Adler drops to the ground Peter is behind him, gun raised. Peter asks Neal what Adler meant by "you won't get away with this" but Neal says he doesn't know. When Diana and Jones take Neal from the scene, Peter sees a burning piece of artwork land on the ground. It is from the painting of the Chrysler building Neal had been working on. He calls Neal aside and accuses him of stealing all the treasures from the U-boat, finally seeing the long con on Adler come to fruition. Neal denies that saying he didn't steal the artwork. Peter again says he believes Neal did causing Neal to order him to prove it before walking away.
At his apartment, Neal finds an envelope with a key on the table. Inside the envelope is a card bearing an address and the message "YOU'LL THANK ME". Neal goes to the address and finds all the treasure from the U-boat.
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If there is one thing White Collar can be counted on for it is an awesome cliffhanger. As promised, this show had it all: explosions, bad guys, not one but two women for Neal to choose from and all the great moments of friendship between Neal and Peter that fans have come to love.
The story lines we've followed the past two seasons have come to a close. The questions we've had have been answered and now we have new paths to go down. In recent interviews, cast members and White Collar creator, Jeff Eastin have said that when the series starts back up in June the show will pick up right where this season has left off. Season three will be about choices and I can most certainly see that being the case. Neal Caffrey has an amazing choice ahead of him. He's got more wealth than he could ever imagine sitting before him. Does he keep it or does he turn it over to Peter? Does he do the right thing or does he do what he does for a living?
Sarah Ellis is going to be a regular fixture next season which makes this viewer very happy. I really like her character and I'm glad they are keeping her around. She brings that extra something special to the show and I think she's someone Neal needs in his life. I'm not saying she's The One for him and I'm not saying she isn't, but he needs her in his life. It will also be nice to see if Neal and Peter's friendship suffers any from Peter being certain Neal stole the artwork and Neal demanding Peter to prove it. Who sent the card and who took all that treasure from Adler?
The hardest part about this being the last show of the season isn't the fact it was the last show of the season. The hardest part is knowing there is now a three month or so wait before we get to find out what happens next!
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White Collar airs Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. (US Eastern time) on the USA Network.
For More Information:
White Collar Official Site: http://www.usanetwork.com/series/whitecollar/
The Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1358522/
TV Rage: http://www.tvrage.com/White_Collar
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
US Television, White Collar, Episode 2.15 "Power Play"
White Collar
Season Two, Episode Fifteen, Power Play
Original Air Date: March 1, 2011
When Elizabeth learns from the assistant of her picky and powerful new client that he is involved in a scheme to cause blackouts in New York City she naturally tells Peter. He agrees to meet with the assistant but, when he is held up, Neal impersonates Peter to secure her help. Peter and Neal must trade places and become each other to take down the men responsible for millions in electric costs and the deaths of three people during the blackouts. Meanwhile, Sara Ellis is back with news that furthers their investigation of Vincent Adler and who, or what, he is looking for.
Elizabeth is briefing her people on the specifics of an event they are catering when her ultra-picky client Andrew Stanzler (Richard Schiff) walks in to further clarify what he wants for the event. His assistant, Brooke is clearly troubled. She asks Elizabeth about her husband working for the FBI and tells her everything isn't alright.
Temperatures in New York have soared into the triple digits making life miserable for New Yorker's. Peter must install a window air conditioner in the house because the central air has gone out after a blackout. Elizabeth has a talk with Peter about Stanzler who makes his money as an energy trader, so she thought. She tells him Brooke informed her that she thinks Stanzler has been creating the blackouts. She overheard her boss talking about it with another trader and, after some research, she thinks he's withholding supply during peak hours then selling supply to the city for triple the rates. Peter wants Brooke to come into the Bureau to talk about the situation but she is terrified someone will see her and call her boss. She suggests he come to the museum while Stanzler is out, and he should bring Neal because Brooke is really nervous and he has a calming smile.
Neal and Sara Ellis meet on the street and she tells him Argentina was hot but very interesting. She figured out where the crates they found earlier were being smuggled out of, an estate in southern Argentina. It had been burned to the ground and she is pretty sure it was Vincent Adler who did it as she thinks he was hiding there after he fled the United States. She met some locals including a woman named Rosa who worked in Adler's kitchen. Rosa said he was obsessed with finding a German soldier named Gerhardt Wagner. Neither she or Neal know the name but Sara is hoping the FBI can find out who he is.
At the museum, Elle assures Brooke that Peter will be there soon. While Brooke goes over seating arrangements with Yvonne (Kelly McCreary), Neal arrives alone. He said Peter told him he'd be meeting him there. She asks him to call to see how long it will be before Peter can arrive. Brook receives a text that Stanzler is on his way. Peter tells Neal it will be around 18 minutes before he can arrive. Peter tells Neal to do whatever he needs to do to keep Brooke calm but he can't let her go. Not having any time to spare, Neal introduces himself to Brooke as Agent Peter Burke, much to Elizabeth's surprise. Neal assures Brooke, who is terrified, that the Bureau will take care of her if she'll help them, which she agrees to do. Once Brooke walks away to meet with Stanzler, Neal and Elle talk about who will tell Peter what had to be done. Neal nominates Elle, of course.
Peter isn't happy about Neal impersonating a Federal agent. Neal knows that if they reveal to Brooke that he impersonated Peter she will never trust either of them or Elle and they won't have her help, which they desperately need, to get Stanzler. Elizabeth calls and Peter tells her he and Neal have decided they are going to be honest with Brooke. After speaking with her for a few seconds Peter informs the entire team that for the next hour, and only the next hour, everyone will refer to Neal as Peter and Peter as Neal. They aren't to ask questions (as some want to do), not to laugh (as some are) and never to speak of it again.
Elizabeth and Brooke arrive in the office. Neal gives Elle a quick kiss on the cheek, much to Peter's displeasure. Elizabeth introduces Peter to Brooke as Neal Caffrey. Peter gives Brooke way more information about Neal than she really needs to make a point to him. In Peter's office, Brooke tells them that Stanzler's company is the broker and New York's electricity system is a deregulated market. Peter/Neal suggests Neal/Peter talk to the Commodities Trading Commission before pointing out there's a photo of the real Peter and Elizabeth on the desk. As Neal puts the photo in the desk drawer, Brooke wants to speak to Neal/Peter alone. Neal assures her that while Peter/Neal seems intimidating, he's very useful in cases like hers and is the single most valuable asset they have at the Bureau. She still insists they speak alone so Neal/Peter sends Peter/Neal out to get him some coffee (cream, no sugar).
Once Peter/Neal is gone, Brooke tells Neal/Peter that she believes StanzlerStanzler wants a thief. Neal feels it's too bad Stanzler has already met him or he could find out what is going on. Peter insists the "new Neal Caffery" can find out. Peter orders Neal to talk to Brooke and have her put Neal Caffrey on Stanzlers books.
While Mozzie continues working on the antenna, Neal puts together a fake I.D. for both he and Peter in their changed identities. Peter and Sara arrive at Neal's apartment to show them a DVD as to why Adler is so interested in Wagner. Peter points out Wagner on the DVD and explains he worked as a radio operator in the U-boat headquarters. After the Third Reich fell, he fled to the U.S. and claimed to have top secret information he wanted to share with the U.S. but he was sent to a detention center at Ellis Island. He escaped from the detention center a few weeks later. Sara questions what kind of information Wagner could have had that Adler would be interested in a half century later. Neal feels it's related to the antenna Mozzie has been working on. Peter suggests Wagner may have gotten into the naturalization line. His name could have been changed and his life along with it. Peter says they'll check the archives for matches to Wagner. Everyone leaves and Neal and Sara walk the same way. Someone is following them so Neal puts his arm around her drawing her close so she can keep an eye on the guy following them. He turns her around so he can watch the man. A car speeds up and the man gets into it and it speeds away.
Peter goes over the museum layout with Elizabeth in preparation for his being Neal Caffrey, master thief with Stanzler. She helps him with his impersonation of Neal, helping him make his Neal a charmer. As he's getting ready to leave, she calls him back so he can take off his wedding ring. Reluctantly, he takes it off and gives it to her. Brooke introduces Peter/Neal to Stanzler. Peter tells him Bill Roscoe told him Stanzler was interested in an acquisition and if there is a job he's the man for it. Stanzler laughs the comment off that everyone in his business says the same thing. Peter ups the ante telling him he can rob the museum in under 20 minutes. Peter details the buildings weaknesses and tells Stanzler he would skip the display and hit the private collection to avoid security.
Peter briefs the team that Stanzler wants a thief to steal a flash drive from another trader Frances Luntz. Peter believes Stanzler and Luntz are using their combined market power to create temporary shortages. Luntz doesn't trust Stanzler and secretly videotaped one of their meetings and that video is on the flash drive Stanzler wants stolen. They cannot use a warrant because Stanzler doesn't know exactly what's on the tape. If the video is insufficient they lose their chances of catching either Stanzler or Luntz. He does want a warrant for Luntz home, however. When the team has left the briefing room, Neal tells Peter about he and Sara being followed after they left his apartment the night before. Neal thinks Adler put a tail on Sara who is currently at the Archives where Neal will be meeting her. Peter orders him to stay close to Sara and tells him he'll need some training for his break in. Neal's got him covered.
Peter arrives at Neal's apartment to receive his thief training from none other than Mozzie who first wants Peter to take a pebble from the palm of his hand. When Peter doesn't, Mozzie next asks him to give him $20, which he does. That was lesson one: we take, we don't give. Mozzie pockets the money and continues to the next lesson.
Neal meets up with Sara and they both are free of anyone following them. She tells him it could take up to four weeks to get access to the files they want. Neal has a plan. They tell the woman at the Archives they are looking information about an individual who may have come through Ellis Island in 1946 and need files to match a physical description. They can tell her nothing else because of National Security. The woman is very cooperative once she believes Neal is with the FBI, and after he shows her his fake ID identifying him as Peter Burke. She takes them into a huge room full of ledgers, records and card catalogs--all from 1946.
June brings Byron's "training jacket" up to Peter who Mozzie is trying to teach lock picking. Peter must drop a bug into Stanzler's jacket so the Bureau can listen to him from the van. Dropping the bug isn't the hard part. He must retrieve it without jingling the bells on the jacket. After two tries where he jingles the bells, Peter declares the task impossible. Mozzie reaches in on one try and gets the bug, no bells. June explains Peter must use just two fingers like tweezers so the thumb will never touch the mark, which he wasn't doing.
At the Archives, Neal and Sara continue their search through the mountain of files which Sara admits will take a while. Neal asks her why she's helping, what her angle is on it. She tells him if Adler has spent his life searching for something the payoff must be larger than the billion dollars he's already stolen. Neal questions if that is all and she simply replies she likes the mystery. She tells him about how when she was thirteen her older sister ran away and the family never heard from her again. She used to go into her room and wonder if there were clues there as to where her sister was. She never found any answers. She feels if they find Adler, Neal might be able to have some closure about Kate.
Mozzie, now wearing the jacket, gives Peter one last chance with the bug. Peter steps up next to him, reaches into the pocket and removes his hand. Mozzie feels into the pockets and tells him he didn't drop a bug. True, he didn't. Peter brings up his hand showing the $20 Mozzie had taken from him earlier in the day. Mozzie informs Peter he's ready to commit a crime.
Diana and Jones wish Peter luck the next morning. Neal tells him it's going to take a while to find information on Wagner. Neal starts to give Peter a "be careful" speech but Peter stops him. Neal tells him to go out there and make him look good. Peter meets with Stanzler and drops the bug. Stanzler gives him his instructions to look for anything labeled "Project Edison" once he reaches Luntz's master bedroom. Stanzler will be meeting with Luntz for twenty minutes and that will be all the time he has to find his way in, make the steal and get out.
Stanzler drives up to Luntz's mansion and knocks on the trunk lid of the car, where Peter is hidden. When Stanzler goes indoors, Peter gets out of the trunk and goes inside. He gets a quick glimpse of Stanzler and Luntz's meeting about their scheme then heads off to get the flash drive.
Mozzie helps Sara go through the files at the Archives. She asks if Neal sent him to stay with her to which he replies no one sends him anywhere, he just goes places. The lights go out on them and Mozzie takes that as a sign. He puts on a helmet and grabs a device telling Sara he'll let her know what that sign was, gets up and leaves.
At Luntz's mansion, Peter arrives in the master bedroom. Peter finds a key and Neal talks him through the caper telling him to look for an in-wall safe. He finds one behind a picture of Mr. and Mrs. Luntz. He opens it and finds the video. He makes a copy so the Bureau can have one and the original can be given to Stanzler. Diana alerts the team to the conversation between Stanzler and Luntz about having a guy inside the power company who flips a switch causing rolling blackouts and they will make a fortune. Luntz is reluctant to speak with the man but Stanzler urges him to. Neal informs Peter of this and Peter orders they will wait till Saturday and take down all three men. Peter gets out of the house and when he gets out of Stanzler's trunk, he gives him the drive and retrieves the bug from his jacket pocket. Stanzler gives him his payment and asks if he wants another job. He'll pay him double to be at the museum at 5:00 on Saturday. Peter agrees.
At the Bureau, they watch the video Peter copied from the flash drive. Neal and Peter brief the team about the plan Stanzler and Luntz have and Peter reveals he's been invited to the event as Neal. They can take advantage of the situation and slip video feed onto Stanzler. They installed a camera in place of the lapel button on his suit. Brooke will make sure Stanzler is wearing the jacket with the camera. Jones and Diana will be in the van. Neal will be accompanying Elizabeth, as a precaution.
At the event, Stanzler introduces Peter/Neal to Neal/Peter and Elizabeth. Brooke informs her boss that Luntz has arrived. Stanzler takes Peter/Neal aside and into a room where Luntz is waiting. He tells Peter he wants him to watch Luntz and will have more for him when he returns then leaves. Peter talks to Luntz who apparently believes him to be the inside man from the power company. Luntz thinks the entire scheme has gotten way out of hand and he wants out. Peter asks Luntz straight out if Stanzler told him he was the man from the power company to which he receives confirmation. Peter finds the doors locked and he tells Luntz about Stanzler having him break into his home to steal the video. He contacts Jones to let him know they are locked in the Stanzler Gallery. As Jones is starting to work on that, he gets a call altering him to another blackout getting ready to sweep through the sector. Peter orders Diana to find Elizabeth and the two women head to the backup generator. Peter has figured out Stanzler's plan. He plans to kill Luntz and him (Peter) when the power goes out. Peter is trying to pick the locks while Neal keeps eyes on Stanzler.
When the blackout occurs, Neal pulls out his fake identification and orders everyone to stay calm. He runs after Stanzler and is stopped by a locked gate. Again, he pulls out his ID and orders a guard to open the gate. Jones informs Peter Stanzler is making his move. Neal puts agents on the move to the Stanzler Gallery to save Peter and Luntz. Stanzler arrives in the gallery with Peter and Luntz. Diana and Elizabeth arrive at the generator which has been disengaged. Jones asks if she can turn it on. Stanzler begins firing toward Peter and Luntz in the dark. The generated lights come back on and Neal enters announcing the FBI, ordering Stanzler to drop his weapon. Peter overtakes Stanzler and he is arrested.
Peter and Neal chat outside the museum and Peter tells Neal that he (Neal) enjoys being him (Peter). Neal admits there is a certain allure to the profession and Peter admits being Neal Caffrey has its charms. When Peter sends Neal off with a "good work" he slyly takes Neal's fake ID from his pocket. Elizabeth finds her husband and gives him his wedding ring back.
Neal arrives at the Archives where Sara is still working and brings her some food. The power goes out on them and Mozzie, who is looking at microfilm. Neal and Sara share a kiss and things begin to escalate farther when the power returns. Mozzie catches Neal and Sara when he returns to tell them he found something. Wagner went through immigration with the name Michael Hunter who died in New York. He has one surviving family member, a granddaughter, Alexandra Hunter. Alex takes a call and informs the caller she's heading to the location now. She's being followed by the same man following Neal and Sara.
--
From the episode description I knew this show was going to be great. It didn't disappoint. This episode was awesome! One of my favorites yet.
The humor was amazing. I loved the point Peter had to make to Neal when he first met Brooke. She didn't need to hear everything Peter wanted to tell her but he made sure Neal was surely aware that he could send him back to jail at any time. The humor was rolling through virtually every scene from the briefing where Jones and Diana wanted to know about Peter's meeting with Stanzler masquerading as Neal right to Mozzie teaching Peter how to be a criminal. Peter learned from the old pro Mozzie pretty fast, didn't he?
I like Neal and Sara as a couple. It's always a pleasure to see Sara in the show. She's tough and no-nonsense. I think she and Neal together is an interesting twist seeing as how she's pursued him in the past to put him in jail.
With the new developments concerning Alex and Sara, I'm sure that next weeks season finale is going to be something else!
--
White Collar airs Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. (US Eastern time) on the USA Network.
For More Information:
Official Site: http://www.usanetwork.com/series/whitecollar/
The Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1358522/
TV Rage: http://www.tvrage.com/White_Collar
Season Two, Episode Fifteen, Power Play
Original Air Date: March 1, 2011
When Elizabeth learns from the assistant of her picky and powerful new client that he is involved in a scheme to cause blackouts in New York City she naturally tells Peter. He agrees to meet with the assistant but, when he is held up, Neal impersonates Peter to secure her help. Peter and Neal must trade places and become each other to take down the men responsible for millions in electric costs and the deaths of three people during the blackouts. Meanwhile, Sara Ellis is back with news that furthers their investigation of Vincent Adler and who, or what, he is looking for.
Elizabeth is briefing her people on the specifics of an event they are catering when her ultra-picky client Andrew Stanzler (Richard Schiff) walks in to further clarify what he wants for the event. His assistant, Brooke is clearly troubled. She asks Elizabeth about her husband working for the FBI and tells her everything isn't alright.
Temperatures in New York have soared into the triple digits making life miserable for New Yorker's. Peter must install a window air conditioner in the house because the central air has gone out after a blackout. Elizabeth has a talk with Peter about Stanzler who makes his money as an energy trader, so she thought. She tells him Brooke informed her that she thinks Stanzler has been creating the blackouts. She overheard her boss talking about it with another trader and, after some research, she thinks he's withholding supply during peak hours then selling supply to the city for triple the rates. Peter wants Brooke to come into the Bureau to talk about the situation but she is terrified someone will see her and call her boss. She suggests he come to the museum while Stanzler is out, and he should bring Neal because Brooke is really nervous and he has a calming smile.
Neal and Sara Ellis meet on the street and she tells him Argentina was hot but very interesting. She figured out where the crates they found earlier were being smuggled out of, an estate in southern Argentina. It had been burned to the ground and she is pretty sure it was Vincent Adler who did it as she thinks he was hiding there after he fled the United States. She met some locals including a woman named Rosa who worked in Adler's kitchen. Rosa said he was obsessed with finding a German soldier named Gerhardt Wagner. Neither she or Neal know the name but Sara is hoping the FBI can find out who he is.
At the museum, Elle assures Brooke that Peter will be there soon. While Brooke goes over seating arrangements with Yvonne (Kelly McCreary), Neal arrives alone. He said Peter told him he'd be meeting him there. She asks him to call to see how long it will be before Peter can arrive. Brook receives a text that Stanzler is on his way. Peter tells Neal it will be around 18 minutes before he can arrive. Peter tells Neal to do whatever he needs to do to keep Brooke calm but he can't let her go. Not having any time to spare, Neal introduces himself to Brooke as Agent Peter Burke, much to Elizabeth's surprise. Neal assures Brooke, who is terrified, that the Bureau will take care of her if she'll help them, which she agrees to do. Once Brooke walks away to meet with Stanzler, Neal and Elle talk about who will tell Peter what had to be done. Neal nominates Elle, of course.
Peter isn't happy about Neal impersonating a Federal agent. Neal knows that if they reveal to Brooke that he impersonated Peter she will never trust either of them or Elle and they won't have her help, which they desperately need, to get Stanzler. Elizabeth calls and Peter tells her he and Neal have decided they are going to be honest with Brooke. After speaking with her for a few seconds Peter informs the entire team that for the next hour, and only the next hour, everyone will refer to Neal as Peter and Peter as Neal. They aren't to ask questions (as some want to do), not to laugh (as some are) and never to speak of it again.
Elizabeth and Brooke arrive in the office. Neal gives Elle a quick kiss on the cheek, much to Peter's displeasure. Elizabeth introduces Peter to Brooke as Neal Caffrey. Peter gives Brooke way more information about Neal than she really needs to make a point to him. In Peter's office, Brooke tells them that Stanzler's company is the broker and New York's electricity system is a deregulated market. Peter/Neal suggests Neal/Peter talk to the Commodities Trading Commission before pointing out there's a photo of the real Peter and Elizabeth on the desk. As Neal puts the photo in the desk drawer, Brooke wants to speak to Neal/Peter alone. Neal assures her that while Peter/Neal seems intimidating, he's very useful in cases like hers and is the single most valuable asset they have at the Bureau. She still insists they speak alone so Neal/Peter sends Peter/Neal out to get him some coffee (cream, no sugar).
Once Peter/Neal is gone, Brooke tells Neal/Peter that she believes StanzlerStanzler wants a thief. Neal feels it's too bad Stanzler has already met him or he could find out what is going on. Peter insists the "new Neal Caffery" can find out. Peter orders Neal to talk to Brooke and have her put Neal Caffrey on Stanzlers books.
While Mozzie continues working on the antenna, Neal puts together a fake I.D. for both he and Peter in their changed identities. Peter and Sara arrive at Neal's apartment to show them a DVD as to why Adler is so interested in Wagner. Peter points out Wagner on the DVD and explains he worked as a radio operator in the U-boat headquarters. After the Third Reich fell, he fled to the U.S. and claimed to have top secret information he wanted to share with the U.S. but he was sent to a detention center at Ellis Island. He escaped from the detention center a few weeks later. Sara questions what kind of information Wagner could have had that Adler would be interested in a half century later. Neal feels it's related to the antenna Mozzie has been working on. Peter suggests Wagner may have gotten into the naturalization line. His name could have been changed and his life along with it. Peter says they'll check the archives for matches to Wagner. Everyone leaves and Neal and Sara walk the same way. Someone is following them so Neal puts his arm around her drawing her close so she can keep an eye on the guy following them. He turns her around so he can watch the man. A car speeds up and the man gets into it and it speeds away.
Peter goes over the museum layout with Elizabeth in preparation for his being Neal Caffrey, master thief with Stanzler. She helps him with his impersonation of Neal, helping him make his Neal a charmer. As he's getting ready to leave, she calls him back so he can take off his wedding ring. Reluctantly, he takes it off and gives it to her. Brooke introduces Peter/Neal to Stanzler. Peter tells him Bill Roscoe told him Stanzler was interested in an acquisition and if there is a job he's the man for it. Stanzler laughs the comment off that everyone in his business says the same thing. Peter ups the ante telling him he can rob the museum in under 20 minutes. Peter details the buildings weaknesses and tells Stanzler he would skip the display and hit the private collection to avoid security.
Peter briefs the team that Stanzler wants a thief to steal a flash drive from another trader Frances Luntz. Peter believes Stanzler and Luntz are using their combined market power to create temporary shortages. Luntz doesn't trust Stanzler and secretly videotaped one of their meetings and that video is on the flash drive Stanzler wants stolen. They cannot use a warrant because Stanzler doesn't know exactly what's on the tape. If the video is insufficient they lose their chances of catching either Stanzler or Luntz. He does want a warrant for Luntz home, however. When the team has left the briefing room, Neal tells Peter about he and Sara being followed after they left his apartment the night before. Neal thinks Adler put a tail on Sara who is currently at the Archives where Neal will be meeting her. Peter orders him to stay close to Sara and tells him he'll need some training for his break in. Neal's got him covered.
Peter arrives at Neal's apartment to receive his thief training from none other than Mozzie who first wants Peter to take a pebble from the palm of his hand. When Peter doesn't, Mozzie next asks him to give him $20, which he does. That was lesson one: we take, we don't give. Mozzie pockets the money and continues to the next lesson.
Neal meets up with Sara and they both are free of anyone following them. She tells him it could take up to four weeks to get access to the files they want. Neal has a plan. They tell the woman at the Archives they are looking information about an individual who may have come through Ellis Island in 1946 and need files to match a physical description. They can tell her nothing else because of National Security. The woman is very cooperative once she believes Neal is with the FBI, and after he shows her his fake ID identifying him as Peter Burke. She takes them into a huge room full of ledgers, records and card catalogs--all from 1946.
June brings Byron's "training jacket" up to Peter who Mozzie is trying to teach lock picking. Peter must drop a bug into Stanzler's jacket so the Bureau can listen to him from the van. Dropping the bug isn't the hard part. He must retrieve it without jingling the bells on the jacket. After two tries where he jingles the bells, Peter declares the task impossible. Mozzie reaches in on one try and gets the bug, no bells. June explains Peter must use just two fingers like tweezers so the thumb will never touch the mark, which he wasn't doing.
At the Archives, Neal and Sara continue their search through the mountain of files which Sara admits will take a while. Neal asks her why she's helping, what her angle is on it. She tells him if Adler has spent his life searching for something the payoff must be larger than the billion dollars he's already stolen. Neal questions if that is all and she simply replies she likes the mystery. She tells him about how when she was thirteen her older sister ran away and the family never heard from her again. She used to go into her room and wonder if there were clues there as to where her sister was. She never found any answers. She feels if they find Adler, Neal might be able to have some closure about Kate.
Mozzie, now wearing the jacket, gives Peter one last chance with the bug. Peter steps up next to him, reaches into the pocket and removes his hand. Mozzie feels into the pockets and tells him he didn't drop a bug. True, he didn't. Peter brings up his hand showing the $20 Mozzie had taken from him earlier in the day. Mozzie informs Peter he's ready to commit a crime.
Diana and Jones wish Peter luck the next morning. Neal tells him it's going to take a while to find information on Wagner. Neal starts to give Peter a "be careful" speech but Peter stops him. Neal tells him to go out there and make him look good. Peter meets with Stanzler and drops the bug. Stanzler gives him his instructions to look for anything labeled "Project Edison" once he reaches Luntz's master bedroom. Stanzler will be meeting with Luntz for twenty minutes and that will be all the time he has to find his way in, make the steal and get out.
Stanzler drives up to Luntz's mansion and knocks on the trunk lid of the car, where Peter is hidden. When Stanzler goes indoors, Peter gets out of the trunk and goes inside. He gets a quick glimpse of Stanzler and Luntz's meeting about their scheme then heads off to get the flash drive.
Mozzie helps Sara go through the files at the Archives. She asks if Neal sent him to stay with her to which he replies no one sends him anywhere, he just goes places. The lights go out on them and Mozzie takes that as a sign. He puts on a helmet and grabs a device telling Sara he'll let her know what that sign was, gets up and leaves.
At Luntz's mansion, Peter arrives in the master bedroom. Peter finds a key and Neal talks him through the caper telling him to look for an in-wall safe. He finds one behind a picture of Mr. and Mrs. Luntz. He opens it and finds the video. He makes a copy so the Bureau can have one and the original can be given to Stanzler. Diana alerts the team to the conversation between Stanzler and Luntz about having a guy inside the power company who flips a switch causing rolling blackouts and they will make a fortune. Luntz is reluctant to speak with the man but Stanzler urges him to. Neal informs Peter of this and Peter orders they will wait till Saturday and take down all three men. Peter gets out of the house and when he gets out of Stanzler's trunk, he gives him the drive and retrieves the bug from his jacket pocket. Stanzler gives him his payment and asks if he wants another job. He'll pay him double to be at the museum at 5:00 on Saturday. Peter agrees.
At the Bureau, they watch the video Peter copied from the flash drive. Neal and Peter brief the team about the plan Stanzler and Luntz have and Peter reveals he's been invited to the event as Neal. They can take advantage of the situation and slip video feed onto Stanzler. They installed a camera in place of the lapel button on his suit. Brooke will make sure Stanzler is wearing the jacket with the camera. Jones and Diana will be in the van. Neal will be accompanying Elizabeth, as a precaution.
At the event, Stanzler introduces Peter/Neal to Neal/Peter and Elizabeth. Brooke informs her boss that Luntz has arrived. Stanzler takes Peter/Neal aside and into a room where Luntz is waiting. He tells Peter he wants him to watch Luntz and will have more for him when he returns then leaves. Peter talks to Luntz who apparently believes him to be the inside man from the power company. Luntz thinks the entire scheme has gotten way out of hand and he wants out. Peter asks Luntz straight out if Stanzler told him he was the man from the power company to which he receives confirmation. Peter finds the doors locked and he tells Luntz about Stanzler having him break into his home to steal the video. He contacts Jones to let him know they are locked in the Stanzler Gallery. As Jones is starting to work on that, he gets a call altering him to another blackout getting ready to sweep through the sector. Peter orders Diana to find Elizabeth and the two women head to the backup generator. Peter has figured out Stanzler's plan. He plans to kill Luntz and him (Peter) when the power goes out. Peter is trying to pick the locks while Neal keeps eyes on Stanzler.
When the blackout occurs, Neal pulls out his fake identification and orders everyone to stay calm. He runs after Stanzler and is stopped by a locked gate. Again, he pulls out his ID and orders a guard to open the gate. Jones informs Peter Stanzler is making his move. Neal puts agents on the move to the Stanzler Gallery to save Peter and Luntz. Stanzler arrives in the gallery with Peter and Luntz. Diana and Elizabeth arrive at the generator which has been disengaged. Jones asks if she can turn it on. Stanzler begins firing toward Peter and Luntz in the dark. The generated lights come back on and Neal enters announcing the FBI, ordering Stanzler to drop his weapon. Peter overtakes Stanzler and he is arrested.
Peter and Neal chat outside the museum and Peter tells Neal that he (Neal) enjoys being him (Peter). Neal admits there is a certain allure to the profession and Peter admits being Neal Caffrey has its charms. When Peter sends Neal off with a "good work" he slyly takes Neal's fake ID from his pocket. Elizabeth finds her husband and gives him his wedding ring back.
Neal arrives at the Archives where Sara is still working and brings her some food. The power goes out on them and Mozzie, who is looking at microfilm. Neal and Sara share a kiss and things begin to escalate farther when the power returns. Mozzie catches Neal and Sara when he returns to tell them he found something. Wagner went through immigration with the name Michael Hunter who died in New York. He has one surviving family member, a granddaughter, Alexandra Hunter. Alex takes a call and informs the caller she's heading to the location now. She's being followed by the same man following Neal and Sara.
--
From the episode description I knew this show was going to be great. It didn't disappoint. This episode was awesome! One of my favorites yet.
The humor was amazing. I loved the point Peter had to make to Neal when he first met Brooke. She didn't need to hear everything Peter wanted to tell her but he made sure Neal was surely aware that he could send him back to jail at any time. The humor was rolling through virtually every scene from the briefing where Jones and Diana wanted to know about Peter's meeting with Stanzler masquerading as Neal right to Mozzie teaching Peter how to be a criminal. Peter learned from the old pro Mozzie pretty fast, didn't he?
I like Neal and Sara as a couple. It's always a pleasure to see Sara in the show. She's tough and no-nonsense. I think she and Neal together is an interesting twist seeing as how she's pursued him in the past to put him in jail.
With the new developments concerning Alex and Sara, I'm sure that next weeks season finale is going to be something else!
--
White Collar airs Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. (US Eastern time) on the USA Network.
For More Information:
Official Site: http://www.usanetwork.com/series/whitecollar/
The Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1358522/
TV Rage: http://www.tvrage.com/White_Collar
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
US Television, White Collar, Episode 2.14 "Payback"
White Collar
Season Two, Episode Fourteen, Payback
Original Air Date: February 22, 2011
Matthew Keller claims he has information about forged passports that is crucial to national security and will talk only to Peter Burke and Neal Caffrey. Keller wants to give the information to Peter in exchange for not being transferred to another prison where he will be in danger from the Russian's he owes money to. When Peter and Neal go to the studio of Keller's former partner in crime, Jason Lang, to check out the story, Peter is led into a trap and abducted by Lang. Lang and Keller want $2.5 million to pay off the Russians or Peter will die. Is it a straightforward attempt to keep Keller safe from the Russians or does he something even bigger in mind?
Hughes brings word that Matthew Keller plead down to manslaughter after Peter and Neal brought him in for murder. He was sentenced to twenty years. Yesterday, Keller contacted the Department of Justice saying he had information critical to national security. Keller refused to talk to Homeland Security insisting he would only talk to Peter Burke. Both Peter and Neal doubt Keller has any real information but Hughes wants Keller's information checked out all the same.
Peter and Neal pay a visit to Keller in prison where the latter has a less-than-sparse prison cell complete with Dominican cigars, a chess game and liquor. Peter asks about the information Keller has and after a couple of vague statements he challenges Neal to another game of chess. While they are playing, Keller says he feels like he's made a home for himself at the prison he's currently in. His deal is that if they make sure he stays where he's currently at he will, in return, provide information about forged passports that he hopes will lead to an ongoing relationship between he, Peter and the Bureau. Peter makes him no promises but he says if the information pans out he will see what he can do. Keller gives them the name Jason Lang (Adam Goldberg).
At home, Peter and Elizabeth have a discussion about his forgetting to pick up the dry cleaning. He wished she would have called to remind him and feels she's angry he forgot and will hold onto it all day. He doesn't want to be the husband that forgot the dry cleaning and she doesn't want to be the wife that has to call to nag. They share a tense kiss before each of them leave for work.
Neal and Mozzie discuss Keller and Mozzie brings up the fact Keller has used Kate before to provoke Neal and that he might try it again. Neal insists that it doesn't matter what Keller does, the forged passports won't stop the transfer and he's moved past Kate. Keller has no way to torment him.
At the office, Peter is looking over files regarding Lang and Keller and feels he's figured out Keller's game. He wants Lang investigated. Keller and Lang worked on the Belmont bond forgeries three years ago. The deal went south and Keller took two bullets from Lang's gun. Peter spoke with the case agent who said the relationship dissolved Lang destroyed the bonds. Neal realizes Keller is wanting to take out the man who shot him, secure a stay in a Federal hotel room and tweak him (Neal) in the process. Hughes still wants Peter and Neal to find out if Lang is making phony passports. Peter tells Neal they won't be releasing Keller on an anklet.
On the way to see Lang, Peter and Neal talk about the argument Peter had with Elizabeth that morning. Peter feels bad that he didn't say "hon" to his wife that morning before she left for work. It is their way of saying "I love you" to one another. Neal suggests Peter call her and leave a voice mail and to not forget to say "hon" before he hangs up. Peter, all smiles, says he'll do just that as soon as they are done with Lang.
At Lang's studio, Peter asks Lang if he's involved in making passport forgeries. Lang doesn't deny it right off. He merely laughs and asks who told him that. Lang gets a phone call interrupting his discussion with Peter giving Peter a chance to speak with Neal who has been looking around the studio. Neal has found two printers that would be ideal for making forged passports. When Peter tells Lang he needs to talk to him about his work, Lang does a runner. Peter follows ordering Neal to stay at the studio, which he doesn't do. Neal sees Peter being ordered to drop his gun and cell phone then taken hostage by Lang and another man with a gun. He runs to Peter but cannot reach him in time. Peter's cell phone rings and it is Keller. The game is on and if Neal stops playing, Peter will die.
Peter is held by Lang who he now knows is working with Keller. Peter warns Lang that Keller will betray him but Lang wants him to worry about himself and allow him to deal with Keller instead. Peter knows roughly where he's being held and he also knows that Lang needs him for something as he hasn't killed him. He wants to work something out with Lang but the latter trusts Peter less than he does Keller. Neal goes to see Keller and demands to know where Peter is. Keller informs Neal that unless his problem goes away with the Russians (he owes them $2.5 million) he won't be able to help him with his problem (saving Peter). Neal tells him he doesn't have that kind of money but Keller reminds him of something he acquired in Scotland six years ago. He gives Neal three hours to find that item and take care of the problem.
Neal calls Diana to tell her Peter has been taken. Hughes jumps into action getting every agent in the office involved in tracking down and finding Peter. In Hughes' office, Neal relates the details of his conversation with Keller following Peter's abduction. Neal stresses that Keller will kill Peter if he doesn't engage him but Hughes insists the Bureau will not bow to Keller's demands. Keller will still be sent to the Supermax prison he doesn't want to be at. Hughes tells Neal to let them do their job and they will bring Peter home safely.
Mozzie calls Neal with the information that he got a call from an unidentifiable voice from an unknown number that gave a time and place for a meeting and instructions to tell Neal. He asks if it is Keller. Neal wants Mozzie to meet him in a half hour at Madison Square Park. As he's wrapping up his conversation, Elizabeth walks into the office. Hughes is posting a team at she and Peter's home in the event contact is made there. When she can talk with Neal she asks about Keller. He gives her honest information that Keller thinks 10-12 moves ahead and has already anticipated everything the Bureau is doing to find Peter. She asks what he (Neal) is doing and he asks what she wants him to do. She replies "whatever it takes to bring him home".
Diana warns Neal against making a deal with Keller while she is escorting him home. He tells her about a three-man job Keller pulled early in his career where one of the men said he thought he left his passport behind. Keller killed the man without question even though the passport was in the guys back pocket all the time. Keller didn't wait to find out. Neal was the second man on the team. She tells Neal she will go get a cup of coffee but he must meet her back where they are standing now in one hour.
Neal meets with Mozzie who is equipped with a bag full of hammers. They are at the place in the park where Neal and Kate used to visit and tells him about a life he'd thought about with Kate. With one of the hammers, he removes a ring from a statue, a McNally Solitaire worth $2.5 million at its last appraisal. Neal tells Mozzie who thought they had depleted his resources that he was still holding out with hope that Kate wasn't gone. Mozzie asks his friend if "the suit" is worth the ring. Neal replies that keeping Peter alive is more important than holding a candle for someone who isn't.
Peter sees the dry cleaning number inside his jacket attached with a safety pin. He works the pin free so he can try to unlock the handcuffs he's wearing. Lang's men tell him Caffrey is on his way to the exchange. Lang wants them to stay with Peter and not to interact with Peter in any way. Peter, from the information he overhears, questions Lang about an escape during Keller's transfer. Lang doesn't intend to hurt Peter. Keller will be the one to kill him once he's free.
Mozzie goes to see Elizabeth. He assures her that between the Bureau agents and Neal, Peter will be home in time for dinner. He tells her that Neal is meeting with the bad guys to ensure Peter's return. She talks about the fight they had this morning. Mozzie knows how hard it is for Elizabeth especially since the suits won't say anything. He gives her a device because he's going to drop a bug in the other room so she can hear what the suits hear when they hear it.
Neal arrives for the meeting with Lang and asks about Peter. He refuses to give over the ring until he can see Peter and know he is alright. Lang insists the ring comes first so Neal gets up to leave. Lang calls him back and makes a call. Lang gives Neal the option for one question and tells him to make it a good one. The question is what cell phone number was Caffrey using the first time Peter caught him. Peter asks to see the text and says he doesn't have his glasses and needs the phone closer. Peter gives the number then Neal gives Lang the ring and Lang leaves the meeting.
Neal buys a sketch pad from a street artist while Diana questions him about giving the ring to Lang and them not returning Peter. He writes down a series of letters to decipher the message peter sent from his question. Neal figures out the message was "no transfer". Diana calls Jones to get him to stop the transfer. Jones calls the transfer drivers but they are working for Keller and don't respond. Jones follows the transfer bus into an alley and sees Keller escape the bus. He goes into pursuit as Diana and Neal are trying to get to the location. She gets a call from Jones that Keller has escaped. As Hughes is giving a briefing, Diana and Neal arrive and he orders them into his office.
Peter continues talking to Lang about Keller. Lang insists he knows what he's doing and that he is going to finish the job he started when he shot him once. Peter gets the handcuffs open as Lang puts his hand through the bars to shoot him. Peter lunges forward and knocks Lang out. He takes the arm of a mannequin to get Lang's phone from his pocket. As Neal and Diana are leaving the Bureau office, Peter gets a call through to Jones. He wants to talk to Neal. He tells him he's in a locked cell with Lang three feet away next to his gun and Keller is en route. He wants Neal to talk him through a jailbreak. Elizabeth, who is listening thanks to Mozzie's bug orders the agents at her home to put Peter on speaker.
Peter explains the cell and his surroundings to Peter and Neal reconstructs everything in the office so he can work Peter through the escape. Neal tells Peter they need to short the backup to the lock before they cut the electricity. He tells Peter to follow the conduit running alongside the cell to the fuse box. Neal walks him through shorting out the backup. The final step in getting free is using the cell phone battery meaning they will have to disconnect the conversation. Jones has a lock on Peter's location as Lang is waking up and reaching for his gun. Peter disconnects the phone and everyone waits. After a few tense seconds, the phone rings again and it is Peter letting them know he's out. Everyone, including Elizabeth, moves out for the location.
They arrive at the location and Neal gives Peter a hug calling him "escape artist extraordinaire, Peter Burke". Keller never showed. Peter has the ring Neal gave Lang and tells him the Bureau can't legitimately hold it if it isn't stolen and belongs to Neal. Neal replies that it doesn't belong to him and that he might want to contact the Scottish Royal Museum. Outside, Elizabeth and Peter share a kiss and call each other "hon". Keller calls Neal apologizing for not making the surprise party. Neal vows that he will find Keller.
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I find it difficult to talk about White Collar episodes without doing a little bit of fangirling because I enjoy the show so much. There isn't anything for me to pick on and this episode was no different.
As with many other episodes of White Collar, we got to see just how strong the bonds of friendship are between Peter and Neal. Neal sacrificed the last (or what we think is the last!) of his secreted stolen objects to save his friend. I love what he told Mozzie in the park that keeping Peter alive is more important than holding a candle for someone who isn't. That made me smile as it truly shows how much Neal thinks of Peter.
Ross McCall was back in tonight's episode as Matthew Keller. I love that guy. He is so brilliant in any role he's given that if there was ever to be a television series with him cast in the lead I'd watch just for Ross and would love the show because of him. I first saw him in Luther last year and had to find other work of his because he so impressed me. I was thrilled when he showed up in White Collar as Keller. He's such a great bad guy that I look forward to seeing him pop up in future episodes.
--
White Collar airs Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. (US Eastern time) on the USA Network.
For More Information:
Official Site: http://www.usanetwork.com/series/whitecollar/
The Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1358522/
TV Rage: http://www.tvrage.com/White_Collar
Season Two, Episode Fourteen, Payback
Original Air Date: February 22, 2011
Matthew Keller claims he has information about forged passports that is crucial to national security and will talk only to Peter Burke and Neal Caffrey. Keller wants to give the information to Peter in exchange for not being transferred to another prison where he will be in danger from the Russian's he owes money to. When Peter and Neal go to the studio of Keller's former partner in crime, Jason Lang, to check out the story, Peter is led into a trap and abducted by Lang. Lang and Keller want $2.5 million to pay off the Russians or Peter will die. Is it a straightforward attempt to keep Keller safe from the Russians or does he something even bigger in mind?
Hughes brings word that Matthew Keller plead down to manslaughter after Peter and Neal brought him in for murder. He was sentenced to twenty years. Yesterday, Keller contacted the Department of Justice saying he had information critical to national security. Keller refused to talk to Homeland Security insisting he would only talk to Peter Burke. Both Peter and Neal doubt Keller has any real information but Hughes wants Keller's information checked out all the same.
Peter and Neal pay a visit to Keller in prison where the latter has a less-than-sparse prison cell complete with Dominican cigars, a chess game and liquor. Peter asks about the information Keller has and after a couple of vague statements he challenges Neal to another game of chess. While they are playing, Keller says he feels like he's made a home for himself at the prison he's currently in. His deal is that if they make sure he stays where he's currently at he will, in return, provide information about forged passports that he hopes will lead to an ongoing relationship between he, Peter and the Bureau. Peter makes him no promises but he says if the information pans out he will see what he can do. Keller gives them the name Jason Lang (Adam Goldberg).
At home, Peter and Elizabeth have a discussion about his forgetting to pick up the dry cleaning. He wished she would have called to remind him and feels she's angry he forgot and will hold onto it all day. He doesn't want to be the husband that forgot the dry cleaning and she doesn't want to be the wife that has to call to nag. They share a tense kiss before each of them leave for work.
Neal and Mozzie discuss Keller and Mozzie brings up the fact Keller has used Kate before to provoke Neal and that he might try it again. Neal insists that it doesn't matter what Keller does, the forged passports won't stop the transfer and he's moved past Kate. Keller has no way to torment him.
At the office, Peter is looking over files regarding Lang and Keller and feels he's figured out Keller's game. He wants Lang investigated. Keller and Lang worked on the Belmont bond forgeries three years ago. The deal went south and Keller took two bullets from Lang's gun. Peter spoke with the case agent who said the relationship dissolved Lang destroyed the bonds. Neal realizes Keller is wanting to take out the man who shot him, secure a stay in a Federal hotel room and tweak him (Neal) in the process. Hughes still wants Peter and Neal to find out if Lang is making phony passports. Peter tells Neal they won't be releasing Keller on an anklet.
On the way to see Lang, Peter and Neal talk about the argument Peter had with Elizabeth that morning. Peter feels bad that he didn't say "hon" to his wife that morning before she left for work. It is their way of saying "I love you" to one another. Neal suggests Peter call her and leave a voice mail and to not forget to say "hon" before he hangs up. Peter, all smiles, says he'll do just that as soon as they are done with Lang.
At Lang's studio, Peter asks Lang if he's involved in making passport forgeries. Lang doesn't deny it right off. He merely laughs and asks who told him that. Lang gets a phone call interrupting his discussion with Peter giving Peter a chance to speak with Neal who has been looking around the studio. Neal has found two printers that would be ideal for making forged passports. When Peter tells Lang he needs to talk to him about his work, Lang does a runner. Peter follows ordering Neal to stay at the studio, which he doesn't do. Neal sees Peter being ordered to drop his gun and cell phone then taken hostage by Lang and another man with a gun. He runs to Peter but cannot reach him in time. Peter's cell phone rings and it is Keller. The game is on and if Neal stops playing, Peter will die.
Peter is held by Lang who he now knows is working with Keller. Peter warns Lang that Keller will betray him but Lang wants him to worry about himself and allow him to deal with Keller instead. Peter knows roughly where he's being held and he also knows that Lang needs him for something as he hasn't killed him. He wants to work something out with Lang but the latter trusts Peter less than he does Keller. Neal goes to see Keller and demands to know where Peter is. Keller informs Neal that unless his problem goes away with the Russians (he owes them $2.5 million) he won't be able to help him with his problem (saving Peter). Neal tells him he doesn't have that kind of money but Keller reminds him of something he acquired in Scotland six years ago. He gives Neal three hours to find that item and take care of the problem.
Neal calls Diana to tell her Peter has been taken. Hughes jumps into action getting every agent in the office involved in tracking down and finding Peter. In Hughes' office, Neal relates the details of his conversation with Keller following Peter's abduction. Neal stresses that Keller will kill Peter if he doesn't engage him but Hughes insists the Bureau will not bow to Keller's demands. Keller will still be sent to the Supermax prison he doesn't want to be at. Hughes tells Neal to let them do their job and they will bring Peter home safely.
Mozzie calls Neal with the information that he got a call from an unidentifiable voice from an unknown number that gave a time and place for a meeting and instructions to tell Neal. He asks if it is Keller. Neal wants Mozzie to meet him in a half hour at Madison Square Park. As he's wrapping up his conversation, Elizabeth walks into the office. Hughes is posting a team at she and Peter's home in the event contact is made there. When she can talk with Neal she asks about Keller. He gives her honest information that Keller thinks 10-12 moves ahead and has already anticipated everything the Bureau is doing to find Peter. She asks what he (Neal) is doing and he asks what she wants him to do. She replies "whatever it takes to bring him home".
Diana warns Neal against making a deal with Keller while she is escorting him home. He tells her about a three-man job Keller pulled early in his career where one of the men said he thought he left his passport behind. Keller killed the man without question even though the passport was in the guys back pocket all the time. Keller didn't wait to find out. Neal was the second man on the team. She tells Neal she will go get a cup of coffee but he must meet her back where they are standing now in one hour.
Neal meets with Mozzie who is equipped with a bag full of hammers. They are at the place in the park where Neal and Kate used to visit and tells him about a life he'd thought about with Kate. With one of the hammers, he removes a ring from a statue, a McNally Solitaire worth $2.5 million at its last appraisal. Neal tells Mozzie who thought they had depleted his resources that he was still holding out with hope that Kate wasn't gone. Mozzie asks his friend if "the suit" is worth the ring. Neal replies that keeping Peter alive is more important than holding a candle for someone who isn't.
Peter sees the dry cleaning number inside his jacket attached with a safety pin. He works the pin free so he can try to unlock the handcuffs he's wearing. Lang's men tell him Caffrey is on his way to the exchange. Lang wants them to stay with Peter and not to interact with Peter in any way. Peter, from the information he overhears, questions Lang about an escape during Keller's transfer. Lang doesn't intend to hurt Peter. Keller will be the one to kill him once he's free.
Mozzie goes to see Elizabeth. He assures her that between the Bureau agents and Neal, Peter will be home in time for dinner. He tells her that Neal is meeting with the bad guys to ensure Peter's return. She talks about the fight they had this morning. Mozzie knows how hard it is for Elizabeth especially since the suits won't say anything. He gives her a device because he's going to drop a bug in the other room so she can hear what the suits hear when they hear it.
Neal arrives for the meeting with Lang and asks about Peter. He refuses to give over the ring until he can see Peter and know he is alright. Lang insists the ring comes first so Neal gets up to leave. Lang calls him back and makes a call. Lang gives Neal the option for one question and tells him to make it a good one. The question is what cell phone number was Caffrey using the first time Peter caught him. Peter asks to see the text and says he doesn't have his glasses and needs the phone closer. Peter gives the number then Neal gives Lang the ring and Lang leaves the meeting.
Neal buys a sketch pad from a street artist while Diana questions him about giving the ring to Lang and them not returning Peter. He writes down a series of letters to decipher the message peter sent from his question. Neal figures out the message was "no transfer". Diana calls Jones to get him to stop the transfer. Jones calls the transfer drivers but they are working for Keller and don't respond. Jones follows the transfer bus into an alley and sees Keller escape the bus. He goes into pursuit as Diana and Neal are trying to get to the location. She gets a call from Jones that Keller has escaped. As Hughes is giving a briefing, Diana and Neal arrive and he orders them into his office.
Peter continues talking to Lang about Keller. Lang insists he knows what he's doing and that he is going to finish the job he started when he shot him once. Peter gets the handcuffs open as Lang puts his hand through the bars to shoot him. Peter lunges forward and knocks Lang out. He takes the arm of a mannequin to get Lang's phone from his pocket. As Neal and Diana are leaving the Bureau office, Peter gets a call through to Jones. He wants to talk to Neal. He tells him he's in a locked cell with Lang three feet away next to his gun and Keller is en route. He wants Neal to talk him through a jailbreak. Elizabeth, who is listening thanks to Mozzie's bug orders the agents at her home to put Peter on speaker.
Peter explains the cell and his surroundings to Peter and Neal reconstructs everything in the office so he can work Peter through the escape. Neal tells Peter they need to short the backup to the lock before they cut the electricity. He tells Peter to follow the conduit running alongside the cell to the fuse box. Neal walks him through shorting out the backup. The final step in getting free is using the cell phone battery meaning they will have to disconnect the conversation. Jones has a lock on Peter's location as Lang is waking up and reaching for his gun. Peter disconnects the phone and everyone waits. After a few tense seconds, the phone rings again and it is Peter letting them know he's out. Everyone, including Elizabeth, moves out for the location.
They arrive at the location and Neal gives Peter a hug calling him "escape artist extraordinaire, Peter Burke". Keller never showed. Peter has the ring Neal gave Lang and tells him the Bureau can't legitimately hold it if it isn't stolen and belongs to Neal. Neal replies that it doesn't belong to him and that he might want to contact the Scottish Royal Museum. Outside, Elizabeth and Peter share a kiss and call each other "hon". Keller calls Neal apologizing for not making the surprise party. Neal vows that he will find Keller.
--
I find it difficult to talk about White Collar episodes without doing a little bit of fangirling because I enjoy the show so much. There isn't anything for me to pick on and this episode was no different.
As with many other episodes of White Collar, we got to see just how strong the bonds of friendship are between Peter and Neal. Neal sacrificed the last (or what we think is the last!) of his secreted stolen objects to save his friend. I love what he told Mozzie in the park that keeping Peter alive is more important than holding a candle for someone who isn't. That made me smile as it truly shows how much Neal thinks of Peter.
Ross McCall was back in tonight's episode as Matthew Keller. I love that guy. He is so brilliant in any role he's given that if there was ever to be a television series with him cast in the lead I'd watch just for Ross and would love the show because of him. I first saw him in Luther last year and had to find other work of his because he so impressed me. I was thrilled when he showed up in White Collar as Keller. He's such a great bad guy that I look forward to seeing him pop up in future episodes.
--
White Collar airs Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. (US Eastern time) on the USA Network.
For More Information:
Official Site: http://www.usanetwork.com/series/whitecollar/
The Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1358522/
TV Rage: http://www.tvrage.com/White_Collar
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
US Television, White Collar, Episode 2.13 "Countermeasures"
White Collar
Season Two, Episode Thirteen, Countermeasures
Original Air Date: February 8, 2011
When Ford, an old friend of June's husband arrives, Neal is immediately suspicious of him. Wanting to protect June, he takes a coin Ford touched in for prints and the trail leads to someone entirely different. Neal's suspicions are confirmed when he and Peter learn of a major counterfeiting operation that is being planned with Ford right at the center.
After a meeting with Mozzie to discuss how the building of their fractal, Neal arrives back home at June's house to find a man, Ford (Billy Dee Williams), sitting at the table. Ford is an old friend of June's husband, Byron, who has just moved back to Manhattan. June, as her nature is, is being very generous with Ford and helping him establish himself in Manhattan once again. Neal isn't completely trusting of him and asks Diane to check up on him. He gives her the coin Ford was playing with to run prints.
Elizabeth and Peter bring Satchmo home from the vet after having to have a handcuff key extracted. Before Peter and Elizabeth can sneak away to have lunch together, Diane calls to tell Peter she should see the results of the print she ran on the coin for Neal. The prints belong to a Jonas Ganz, a person of interest in the Sturdevant heist a few years previous, and is a suspect for murder. He had been in and out of correctional facilities for roughly the last decade. Neal looks over the case file Peter is holding and knows immediately the file is for the wrong man based on the photo with the file.
The investigation begins and Jones finds a connection between Ganz and June's husbands old friend, Bradford Tullman. Ford (who was incarcerated for real estate fraud) and Ganz were cell mates. Ford and Byron were booked twenty years ago for running a rooftop casino and Byron is listed in Ford's file as a known associate. One big question is why Ford doesn't have any fingerprints. Peter orders Jones to find out where Ganz is staying and to have Diana begin surveillance of him. He wants to know what Ganz and Ford are doing in his 'backyard'.
Neal arrives to his apartment and finds June there looking for a photo album for Ford. It is full of photographs of June, Byron and Ford. The two of them look through some of the photos and June mentions Ford asked about an old suit of Byron's, if she still had it. Once she leaves, Neal heads to his closet where he finds the suit Ford is looking for. He looks over it and finds a receipt hidden in the pocket. A knock at his door interrupts him and it is Ford who wants to come in. Neal steps aside to allow him to enter. Ford wants to set the record straight because of his "background". He hopes Neal will understand his situation. June enters as Ford is telling Neal about the good old days. Ford and June would like Neal to join them for dinner that night. Neal asks Ford why he's there and receives the reply that he's looking for a second chance. The two men shake hands but Neal is still clearly not convinced Ford is on the up and up.
Neal gives Mozzie the receipt so he can try to make it more legible. Neal receives a call from Peter with word that Ganz is putting together a muscle-for-hire crew to plan another heist. Peter wants to talk to Ford. Instead of having him come into the office, Neal suggests that Peter and Elizabeth attend the dinner party that night with Ford and June. Peter doesn't want to bring his wife to a covert operation and he's definitely not sold on the idea when Neal informs him that he might have implied Peter is a less-than-noble citizen. He wants Neal to find another way for the men to talk. Neal's "other way" is to call Elizabeth and invite her to the dinner party. She accepts.
At the dinner party, June and Neal sing One For My Baby (And One More For the Road) while Ford plays the piano. June and Ford talk about dancing and Elizabeth reveals that she and Peter took a salsa class last year and that Peter is a great dancer. Peter is becoming increasingly impatient and wants to get to talking with Ford. Mozzie calls Neal to give him information he learned about Ford, who was a major mastermind with very impressive credentials. Neal has never heard of him because he is a "whisper"; no reputation is the best reputation. The receipt is from a furniture store for a walnut coffee table that is currently in Byron's study. There is also an additional charge for labor and modification.
When June starts to pick up the photo album, Ford, who is sitting at the piano, gets up and tells her he will put it away for her. Both Elizabeth and Peter immediately take note and they sit down with June to look through the pictures. Neal is in the study looking over the coffee table and finds a secret compartment containing a printing plate for counterfeit $100 bills. As he's leaving the study, he meets Ford in the hall who says he's looking for Byron's record collection. Neal directs him to the library then goes back downstairs and takes Peter back upstairs to the table. When he opens the secret compartment, the plate is gone. Elizabeth meets them on the stairs to tell them Ford just caught a cab outside and is gone.
Neal and Peter go up to Neal's apartment, where Mozzie, dressed for the party, is waiting. Neal takes out a book to show the 1991 $100 bill that would be easier to duplicate and still be valid currency. To find out what else Ford will need to counterfeit the money, Neal needs to borrow some "reading materials"--from the U.S. Treasury.
Under the watchful eyes of three Treasury agents, Neal very happily looks over his "reading materials". The plate is real but is only a start. Ford will need the right press and cutter, but most importantly, the right inks and paper. Diana enters to tell Peter that as they were sitting on Ganz's place someone showed up. An agent enters with Ford in handcuffs.
In the conference room, Peter and Neal question Ford about his relationship with Ganz. He tells them Byron stole the plate from him. Ford thought the deal would have been a big one for he and Byron, their final score, but Byron didn't want to do the job. He was protecting Ford from himself. He tells them he came back to protect June from Ganz and that he did tell Ganz what else he needed to do the counterfeiting. Unable to control his curiosity, Neal asks Ford how he doesn't have any prints. Ford rubbed his fingers with a pumice stone every morning.
Peter doesn't think Ford is being honest but Neal is unsure. Peter suggests they send both Ford and Neal undercover into Ganz's group. The operation is set up and Ford and Neal go in. Ganz is suspicious of Neal but Neal wins him over when he identifies I.D.'s as being fake and even gives him details. Ford mentions a phony baseball to Ganz who immediately goes on alert. Peter orders his team to gear up as Ganz pulls a gun. Again, Neal's ability to talk his way out of any situation wins over Ganz. Ganz orders Ford to wait on the sidelines and that it is up to Neal to give him (Ford) his share.
That night, Peter and Neal talk about what Neal saw in Ganz's place. Neal is able to give Peter the names he saw on all the fake I.D'.s (by using simple word association). Joseph Dowd, Kenny Estrada and Dylan Fleeks. Neal has an association for every cop and crook he ever met. Peter laughs and asks if his was "Burke the jerk", to which Neal says nothing. Neal looks over the fingerprints they took that morning and finds dark green ink. He had already mixed the dye for the money. Ganz is now going after the paper.
Diana ran the aliases and found that Joseph Dowd has been staying in a hotel that is near the BCU plant that supplies the Bureau of Printing and Engraving with paper stock. Peter orders her to contact the Treasury and Secret Service so they can be waiting in the event Ganz's crew try to hit the BCU.
Neal returns to June's where he and Mozzie talk about Byron. Neal feels he wanted out of the life. Jones and Diana bring Peter the news that both Ganz and Ford have slipped surveillance. Peter calls the Treasury to inform them the theft may be underway and is informed the paper is in transit. He orders a team to Neal's. The doorbell at June's house rings and Neal's phone rings. When Neal opens the door, Ganz is standing there and takes Neal from the house. Mozzie answers the phone and tells Peter about Neal having been taken. Ganz wants Neal to identify the paper when they hit the truck en-route.
Ganz's crew overtake the truck and force the guards to open the doors. Neal identifies some boxes of paper as what they are wanting. Ganz takes Neal back to where Ford is waiting with a case full of newspaper cut into money-like bundles. Ganz forces the printing process to begin and Neal and Ford get to work. Ganz wants every bit of the money printed.
Peter goes to Mozzie for help. He asks him where he would go to hide if he had broken some laws, which would be someplace he's never been caught that is already set up with his tracks covered. Peter remembers Ford wanting to take the book of photos and he and Mozzie look through them again. They stop at a photo of the Lenox Lounge, where Byron used to run the back room some twenty-five years ago. The counterfeiters hear sirens wailing in the distance and see police drive up outside. Ganz pulls a gun wanting the case of money, which Ford gives to him, the case he thinks is full of newspaper. Ford called the police and he takes the case full of newly printed money. More sirens are heard and this time, it is Peter and his team. Diana arrests Ganz who has the case full of counterfeited money as Neal had switched the cases when the sirens were first heard. Neal gives Ford the option to make another choice. Peter and his team go inside as Ford makes his choice. He chooses to run. Neal takes Peter inside the room where Neal expresses his disappointment to Peter as Ford discovers he has the case full of newspaper.
At June's, Neal finds her looking through the photo album and listening to music. She understands what kind of man Ford was. She let him in to remember what she and Byron had and that perhaps she wanted to go dancing again. Neal extends his hand to her and they dance to the music she's listening to. Mozzie finds Neal sitting on some steps and tells him he found parts for the fractal but Neal's mind is elsewhere. He asks Mozzie if he ever thinks about how everything will end. Neal tells his friend that the printing plate may have found its way back inside the table "for a rainy day".
--
How nice it was to see Billy Dee Williams in this episode! He's most certainly a legend and he was excellent as Ford. I've always enjoyed him in everything I've seen him in and this performance was no exception. Ford was almost a sad character. He couldption. Ford was almost a sad character. He could have turned his life around and lived out his years there in Manhattan with June as a true friend, but he instead chose the last big score. He thought it would bring him the happiness and security he wanted when he should have realized that money couldn't have brought him any of that.
As with every White Collar episode, there was some great humor here. I loved how Neal tricked Peter into attending June's dinner party. Poor Peter, he's got it from both sides. Neal tricking him and Elizabeth going along with it. And Peter even had to apologize to Satchmo for the uncomfortable eating of the handcuff key.
It was a nice treat to hear Diahnne Carroll singing a brief bit of One For My Baby (And One More For the Road) with Matt Bomer joining her. I'm never one for musicals or singing in much of anything but this was nicely placed. It wasn't the focus and it was handled with some humor.
--
White Collar airs Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. (US Eastern time) on the USA Network.
For More Information:
Official Site: http://www.usanetwork.com/series/whitecollar/
The Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1358522/
TV Rage: http://www.tvrage.com/White_Collar
Season Two, Episode Thirteen, Countermeasures
Original Air Date: February 8, 2011
When Ford, an old friend of June's husband arrives, Neal is immediately suspicious of him. Wanting to protect June, he takes a coin Ford touched in for prints and the trail leads to someone entirely different. Neal's suspicions are confirmed when he and Peter learn of a major counterfeiting operation that is being planned with Ford right at the center.
After a meeting with Mozzie to discuss how the building of their fractal, Neal arrives back home at June's house to find a man, Ford (Billy Dee Williams), sitting at the table. Ford is an old friend of June's husband, Byron, who has just moved back to Manhattan. June, as her nature is, is being very generous with Ford and helping him establish himself in Manhattan once again. Neal isn't completely trusting of him and asks Diane to check up on him. He gives her the coin Ford was playing with to run prints.
Elizabeth and Peter bring Satchmo home from the vet after having to have a handcuff key extracted. Before Peter and Elizabeth can sneak away to have lunch together, Diane calls to tell Peter she should see the results of the print she ran on the coin for Neal. The prints belong to a Jonas Ganz, a person of interest in the Sturdevant heist a few years previous, and is a suspect for murder. He had been in and out of correctional facilities for roughly the last decade. Neal looks over the case file Peter is holding and knows immediately the file is for the wrong man based on the photo with the file.
The investigation begins and Jones finds a connection between Ganz and June's husbands old friend, Bradford Tullman. Ford (who was incarcerated for real estate fraud) and Ganz were cell mates. Ford and Byron were booked twenty years ago for running a rooftop casino and Byron is listed in Ford's file as a known associate. One big question is why Ford doesn't have any fingerprints. Peter orders Jones to find out where Ganz is staying and to have Diana begin surveillance of him. He wants to know what Ganz and Ford are doing in his 'backyard'.
Neal arrives to his apartment and finds June there looking for a photo album for Ford. It is full of photographs of June, Byron and Ford. The two of them look through some of the photos and June mentions Ford asked about an old suit of Byron's, if she still had it. Once she leaves, Neal heads to his closet where he finds the suit Ford is looking for. He looks over it and finds a receipt hidden in the pocket. A knock at his door interrupts him and it is Ford who wants to come in. Neal steps aside to allow him to enter. Ford wants to set the record straight because of his "background". He hopes Neal will understand his situation. June enters as Ford is telling Neal about the good old days. Ford and June would like Neal to join them for dinner that night. Neal asks Ford why he's there and receives the reply that he's looking for a second chance. The two men shake hands but Neal is still clearly not convinced Ford is on the up and up.
Neal gives Mozzie the receipt so he can try to make it more legible. Neal receives a call from Peter with word that Ganz is putting together a muscle-for-hire crew to plan another heist. Peter wants to talk to Ford. Instead of having him come into the office, Neal suggests that Peter and Elizabeth attend the dinner party that night with Ford and June. Peter doesn't want to bring his wife to a covert operation and he's definitely not sold on the idea when Neal informs him that he might have implied Peter is a less-than-noble citizen. He wants Neal to find another way for the men to talk. Neal's "other way" is to call Elizabeth and invite her to the dinner party. She accepts.
At the dinner party, June and Neal sing One For My Baby (And One More For the Road) while Ford plays the piano. June and Ford talk about dancing and Elizabeth reveals that she and Peter took a salsa class last year and that Peter is a great dancer. Peter is becoming increasingly impatient and wants to get to talking with Ford. Mozzie calls Neal to give him information he learned about Ford, who was a major mastermind with very impressive credentials. Neal has never heard of him because he is a "whisper"; no reputation is the best reputation. The receipt is from a furniture store for a walnut coffee table that is currently in Byron's study. There is also an additional charge for labor and modification.
When June starts to pick up the photo album, Ford, who is sitting at the piano, gets up and tells her he will put it away for her. Both Elizabeth and Peter immediately take note and they sit down with June to look through the pictures. Neal is in the study looking over the coffee table and finds a secret compartment containing a printing plate for counterfeit $100 bills. As he's leaving the study, he meets Ford in the hall who says he's looking for Byron's record collection. Neal directs him to the library then goes back downstairs and takes Peter back upstairs to the table. When he opens the secret compartment, the plate is gone. Elizabeth meets them on the stairs to tell them Ford just caught a cab outside and is gone.
Neal and Peter go up to Neal's apartment, where Mozzie, dressed for the party, is waiting. Neal takes out a book to show the 1991 $100 bill that would be easier to duplicate and still be valid currency. To find out what else Ford will need to counterfeit the money, Neal needs to borrow some "reading materials"--from the U.S. Treasury.
Under the watchful eyes of three Treasury agents, Neal very happily looks over his "reading materials". The plate is real but is only a start. Ford will need the right press and cutter, but most importantly, the right inks and paper. Diana enters to tell Peter that as they were sitting on Ganz's place someone showed up. An agent enters with Ford in handcuffs.
In the conference room, Peter and Neal question Ford about his relationship with Ganz. He tells them Byron stole the plate from him. Ford thought the deal would have been a big one for he and Byron, their final score, but Byron didn't want to do the job. He was protecting Ford from himself. He tells them he came back to protect June from Ganz and that he did tell Ganz what else he needed to do the counterfeiting. Unable to control his curiosity, Neal asks Ford how he doesn't have any prints. Ford rubbed his fingers with a pumice stone every morning.
Peter doesn't think Ford is being honest but Neal is unsure. Peter suggests they send both Ford and Neal undercover into Ganz's group. The operation is set up and Ford and Neal go in. Ganz is suspicious of Neal but Neal wins him over when he identifies I.D.'s as being fake and even gives him details. Ford mentions a phony baseball to Ganz who immediately goes on alert. Peter orders his team to gear up as Ganz pulls a gun. Again, Neal's ability to talk his way out of any situation wins over Ganz. Ganz orders Ford to wait on the sidelines and that it is up to Neal to give him (Ford) his share.
That night, Peter and Neal talk about what Neal saw in Ganz's place. Neal is able to give Peter the names he saw on all the fake I.D'.s (by using simple word association). Joseph Dowd, Kenny Estrada and Dylan Fleeks. Neal has an association for every cop and crook he ever met. Peter laughs and asks if his was "Burke the jerk", to which Neal says nothing. Neal looks over the fingerprints they took that morning and finds dark green ink. He had already mixed the dye for the money. Ganz is now going after the paper.
Diana ran the aliases and found that Joseph Dowd has been staying in a hotel that is near the BCU plant that supplies the Bureau of Printing and Engraving with paper stock. Peter orders her to contact the Treasury and Secret Service so they can be waiting in the event Ganz's crew try to hit the BCU.
Neal returns to June's where he and Mozzie talk about Byron. Neal feels he wanted out of the life. Jones and Diana bring Peter the news that both Ganz and Ford have slipped surveillance. Peter calls the Treasury to inform them the theft may be underway and is informed the paper is in transit. He orders a team to Neal's. The doorbell at June's house rings and Neal's phone rings. When Neal opens the door, Ganz is standing there and takes Neal from the house. Mozzie answers the phone and tells Peter about Neal having been taken. Ganz wants Neal to identify the paper when they hit the truck en-route.
Ganz's crew overtake the truck and force the guards to open the doors. Neal identifies some boxes of paper as what they are wanting. Ganz takes Neal back to where Ford is waiting with a case full of newspaper cut into money-like bundles. Ganz forces the printing process to begin and Neal and Ford get to work. Ganz wants every bit of the money printed.
Peter goes to Mozzie for help. He asks him where he would go to hide if he had broken some laws, which would be someplace he's never been caught that is already set up with his tracks covered. Peter remembers Ford wanting to take the book of photos and he and Mozzie look through them again. They stop at a photo of the Lenox Lounge, where Byron used to run the back room some twenty-five years ago. The counterfeiters hear sirens wailing in the distance and see police drive up outside. Ganz pulls a gun wanting the case of money, which Ford gives to him, the case he thinks is full of newspaper. Ford called the police and he takes the case full of newly printed money. More sirens are heard and this time, it is Peter and his team. Diana arrests Ganz who has the case full of counterfeited money as Neal had switched the cases when the sirens were first heard. Neal gives Ford the option to make another choice. Peter and his team go inside as Ford makes his choice. He chooses to run. Neal takes Peter inside the room where Neal expresses his disappointment to Peter as Ford discovers he has the case full of newspaper.
At June's, Neal finds her looking through the photo album and listening to music. She understands what kind of man Ford was. She let him in to remember what she and Byron had and that perhaps she wanted to go dancing again. Neal extends his hand to her and they dance to the music she's listening to. Mozzie finds Neal sitting on some steps and tells him he found parts for the fractal but Neal's mind is elsewhere. He asks Mozzie if he ever thinks about how everything will end. Neal tells his friend that the printing plate may have found its way back inside the table "for a rainy day".
--
How nice it was to see Billy Dee Williams in this episode! He's most certainly a legend and he was excellent as Ford. I've always enjoyed him in everything I've seen him in and this performance was no exception. Ford was almost a sad character. He couldption. Ford was almost a sad character. He could have turned his life around and lived out his years there in Manhattan with June as a true friend, but he instead chose the last big score. He thought it would bring him the happiness and security he wanted when he should have realized that money couldn't have brought him any of that.
As with every White Collar episode, there was some great humor here. I loved how Neal tricked Peter into attending June's dinner party. Poor Peter, he's got it from both sides. Neal tricking him and Elizabeth going along with it. And Peter even had to apologize to Satchmo for the uncomfortable eating of the handcuff key.
It was a nice treat to hear Diahnne Carroll singing a brief bit of One For My Baby (And One More For the Road) with Matt Bomer joining her. I'm never one for musicals or singing in much of anything but this was nicely placed. It wasn't the focus and it was handled with some humor.
--
White Collar airs Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. (US Eastern time) on the USA Network.
For More Information:
Official Site: http://www.usanetwork.com/series/whitecollar/
The Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1358522/
TV Rage: http://www.tvrage.com/White_Collar
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
US Television, White Collar, Episode 2.12 "What Happens in Burma"
White Collar
Season Two, Episode Twelve, What Happens in Burma
Original Air Date: February 1, 2011
When the son of the Undersecretary of Asian Affairs is held in a Burmese prison charged with smuggling a rare and valuable ruby from the country the man contacts Peter and Neal for assistance. He believes the case was fabricated. They have one week to prove the young man innocent. But did the Undersecretary contact Peter and Neal for reasons other than their ability for solving crimes by the book?
Neal and Peter discuss the many countries Neal visited while on the run and, when Neal questions Peter as to where he would go if he could choose any country in the world Peter answers "Sweden" because he "likes Vikings". They arrive at their destination to meet with the Undersecretary of Asian Affairs, Adam Wilson. Christopher Harlow, an American college student, is being held in a Burmese prison having been accused of smuggling a ruby from the country. The State Department believes the charges are trumped up because Harlow has no criminal past or no contacts in the region and the tense relations between the U.S. and Burma. There has been talk the ruby was smuggled out of Burma and is in Manhattan. Finding the ruby will destroy the case against Harlow. That's where Neal and Peter come in.
Peter briefs his team on the ruby Harlow is supposed to have stolen, The Mandalay Ruby. It is a 237 karat "pigeon blood", which is a local description of the deep red color of the most prized Burmese gems. It had been under armed guard at a state mining facility in the middle of a jungle for the last year. Neal lays out the complications of stealing a prized gem in such a location. It wouldn't be an easy task and makes a point to note it's one he's never thought of undertaking. Peter instructs his team they are working under the impression Christopher Harlow is innocent. He sends Jones and Diana to see if any of their usual gem fencers have been in Burma recently while Neal is to check with his contacts to see if anyone has tried to fence the ruby.
Peter and Neal pay a visit to the Burmese Ambassador who gives them a copy of a DVD of Christopher Harlow's confession which the Ambassador assures them will prove Harlow is being well-treated. Peter asks if they can prove someone else stole the ruby if Christopher will be released. The Ambassador admits he will take the evidence to their courts. Christopher will be sentenced in one week. After that, it will be extremely difficult to reverse the decision. At their car, Neal stresses to Peter how important it is to get the evidence they need before Christopher is sentenced. Once his sentence has been issued, no civilian court will overturn it.
Back at the FBI, Peter, Neal, Diana and Adam Wilson watch the DVD given to them by the Ambassador. On the video, Christopher is being questioned and admits he stole the ruby and that he did it alone. He says he crossed a stream to get into the base and bribed a guard to get the ruby. Neal and Peter figure out that Christopher is Adam Wilson's son and that is why he enlisted the help of the FBI to find the ruby. Wilson admits it's true and he worries that his son will be used as a bargaining chip if it his real identity is learned. Neal noticed that Christopher was doing something with his hand that might have been a signal. Diana, a diplomats daughter herself, tells them the children of diplomats are trained to use signals in the event they are in trouble. They need to see the rest of the tape.
Peter tells Neal his father would have gone to the same lengths as Wilson is to save him were he in trouble then asks Neal about his father. There's a gaping hole in Neal's life before his 18th birthday. Neal reluctantly admits his father was a policeman which surprises Peter.
Neal arrives home to find Mozzie there wanting to know why Neal went to his arch rival about the ruby instead of coming to him. Neal promises he will go to Mozzie first next time. He asks Mozzie if he's ever curious about his birth parents, which Mozzie isn't in the least. Mozzie asks if Peter knows about his father and Neal says he told Peter his father was a cop. Mozzie wonders if Neal will tell him stating he could be useful. Neal ends the discussion.
Peter and Neal go to see Randy, with Neal wearing glasses which he claims will make it better to see the gems (despite the fact he has 20/20 vision). Neal explains about a trunk show Randy is having and how he likes stones that have an interesting story moreso than a valuable cut. Neal wants to do the talking because Chris doesn't have time for a warrant and he's positive if the ruby is there, he will find it.
Randy greets Mr. Donnelly (Neal) warmly and they talk briefly about Donnelly's family, which Neal actually provides a photo of. He introduces Peter as Nancy's (his wife's) brother, Mr. Satchmoknow about the ruby.
At the office, Neal and Peter bring Diana up to speed. Randy didn't know the name of the man who sold him the ruby. He was a British man and the first time he'd done business with him. They need to make the man come to them so they decide to use the trunk show to host a showing of exquisite gems and invite the Who's Who of the jewelery world in hopes the smuggler will turn up. Neal points out a problem that Randy's inventory is well-known and they will need something much more spectacular if they're to be successful.
Peter confides in Neal that the FBI has a gem vault. He never shared the information before because "why give an alcoholic a drink?". Jones brings a few gems into the conference room and Neal surveys them. He agrees they are nice but none will threaten their smugglers corner on the market. They need a pigeon blood to draw him out. Neal tells them he'll need an oven that reaches 2000 degrees Celsius and some equipment.
With the equipment in place, Mozzie and Neal start working on creating their gems. Peter arrives and questions if the gem will fool the smuggler. Neal eventually agrees it will. Mozzie thanks Peter for the equipment, which Neal promised him he could keep as Mozzie doesn't work for free. Six hours later, Mozzie pulls the cooked ruby from the oven and Peter holds it while Neal does the cutting. Eventually, they have a very large and very perfect ruby. Neal hits it once with a mallet to give it flaw. The show at Randy's is set for tomorrow night and Mozzie assures them that unless someone is looking at the ruby under a microscope they will be fine. Neal thinks he has a fix for that.
The next night, Diana is all dolled up and wearing the fake ruby so she can take the runway with the other jewelry models. Sure enough, the guy they are looking for shows up. Neal strikes up a conversation with him and tells him he (Neal) discovered the ruby last month at a castle in the Scottish highlands. The man knows right off it's a story and Neal compliments him on his Maharajah story as well but says the paperwork is suspect for such a high profile gem. Neal admits to him that he arranged the show just to meet him and to think of the money they could make if they combined their efforts.
Neal and the smuggler go downstairs to talk business where the man pulls a gun on Neal. Jones, Peter and Diana enter and the man is taken into custody. Peter wants to talk a deal with him. Back at the FBI, Peter compliments the man on the ruby theft and asks if he's ever seen Christopher Harlow, which he man denies. The next day, Peter assures Adam Wilson that Christopher will be fine as the Ambassador promised to call as soon as the thief's statement to the Burmese authorities was taken and Chris is released. Wilson admits the relationship between he and Chris is poor but that Chris made his choice and he didn't want to be with his father. Neal tells him he should have kept trying because a 12 year old doesn't know what he does and doesn't need. Diana brings news the Ambassador's aide has called wanting to see him.
The British ruby thief, in front of the Ambassador, has identified a picture of Christopher as the man who helped him with the theft. Peter says he showed the man Chris' photo and that he denied knowing him to which the man simply replies he didn't recognize him at first. When they met Christopher had a beard. The Ambassador refuses to let Peter have Collins (the thief) back to be charged with attempted murder. Collins will be able to go home while Chris remains in jail. Peter promises the Ambassador it isn't over.
At his home, Peter tries to get Neal to talk more about his father, which he will not do. Peter will not let the issue rest and Neal agrees to tell him everything his mother had told him. His father died when he was 2 in a hail of gunfire taking out a gang of bad guys. He grew up wanting to be just like him. A call comes in from Diana that she was able to get a copy of Christopher's video.
At the office they watch the unedited video. Christopher is touching letters on his shirt, letters that spell "rocker" which is his girlfriend's nickname. They call Wilson back in. The Burmese were able to get to Christopher's girlfriend first. Someone broke into her place that morning and stole her external hard drive. She keeps a backup flash drive. Chris was in Burma getting information for a documentary about the democracy of the region he was making. She shows them a video she got from Chris last week where he says he's going to see the KNLA with someone he knows there in Burma. Wilson feels guilty that his son was taken. His sons girlfriend shows him another video where he is quoting something his father said. That video can be used to establish Christopher's whereabouts at the time of the theft.
Peter and Neal go back to see the Ambassador. They want to search the vehicle of the Ambassador's aide as well as her since her car was at Christopher's girlfriends at the time she was robbed. They can search all except her bag which is a "diplomatic pouch". The Ambassador comes outside wanting to know what is happening. He refuses to let them search the pouch and tells them to take it up with the State Department. Neal gets a message and needs to leave. He meets with Wilson who begs Neal to not let the hard drive leave the country. He wants Neal to steal the drive back.
Peter asks Diana if her father knows Wilson and what other connections he could have to the Bureau. He is bothered about why Wilson chose them. They realize that Wilson wanted Neal from the get-go because of who he is and what he can do. He tells her to get Neal's tracking information for the last 36 hours.
Neal and Mozzie go over the details of when, where, who and how the diplomatic pouch leaves the country. Mozzie warns him that anything in the pouch is property of Burma, stolen or not, and if he steals the drive from the pouch, he will create and international incident. Neal must get the aide to remove the drive for him. They will use the fake ruby to get her to open and dump the pouch. Peter arrives and asks what they are doing. Mozzie, who's coat is now smoking severely from the box containing the ruby, goes outside so Peter and Neal and talk. Peter doesn't want Neal to do anything but Neal insists he can help Wilson. Peter makes him aware of the dangers involved and Neal accepts them.
Neal is waiting on the aide when she leaves the embassy and shows her the ruby. She takes it indoors and shows it to the Ambassador. Diana takes Peter news that Neal is at the embassy. Peter doesn't want him to get caught and goes to the embassy. The Ambassador and aide come back outside and he and his aide go to the car. Peter arrives and asks what Neal needs him for. The smoking jacket isn't smoking so they need to stall the Ambassador and his aide. Peter jumps into action using a parking ticket on the car. The Ambassador hands his aide the pouch while he shows Peter the vehicle registration. Peter continues to stall and the pouch starts smoking. The aide opens and dumps it. Neal rushes in and grabs the drive and gives it to Peter.
A new Burmese Ambassador arrives to meet with Peter, Neal, Wilson and Chris' girlfriend. He apologizes for their inconveniences and Chris gets out of the back of a car. Wilson thanks Peter and Neal for saving his son. Neal tells Peter the truth about his father. His father was a dirty cop. Neal asks "If I'm not my father's son, who am I? Certain things are in my blood." Peter doesn't believe that.
--
There isn't too much to say about this episode other than it was excellent, as usual.
We got a little more insight into Neal Caffrey's mysterious past in this episode. We learned a little bit about his father. Or, at least we learned what Neal wanted to tell about his father.
Isn't Mozzie the best? It was very funny to see him standing there in Neal's apartment with his jacket smoking. Only Mozzie!
--
White Collar airs Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. (US Eastern time) on the USA Network.
For More Information:
Official Site: http://www.usanetwork.com/series/whitecollar/
The Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1358522/
TV Rage: http://www.tvrage.com/White_Collar
Season Two, Episode Twelve, What Happens in Burma
Original Air Date: February 1, 2011
When the son of the Undersecretary of Asian Affairs is held in a Burmese prison charged with smuggling a rare and valuable ruby from the country the man contacts Peter and Neal for assistance. He believes the case was fabricated. They have one week to prove the young man innocent. But did the Undersecretary contact Peter and Neal for reasons other than their ability for solving crimes by the book?
Neal and Peter discuss the many countries Neal visited while on the run and, when Neal questions Peter as to where he would go if he could choose any country in the world Peter answers "Sweden" because he "likes Vikings". They arrive at their destination to meet with the Undersecretary of Asian Affairs, Adam Wilson. Christopher Harlow, an American college student, is being held in a Burmese prison having been accused of smuggling a ruby from the country. The State Department believes the charges are trumped up because Harlow has no criminal past or no contacts in the region and the tense relations between the U.S. and Burma. There has been talk the ruby was smuggled out of Burma and is in Manhattan. Finding the ruby will destroy the case against Harlow. That's where Neal and Peter come in.
Peter briefs his team on the ruby Harlow is supposed to have stolen, The Mandalay Ruby. It is a 237 karat "pigeon blood", which is a local description of the deep red color of the most prized Burmese gems. It had been under armed guard at a state mining facility in the middle of a jungle for the last year. Neal lays out the complications of stealing a prized gem in such a location. It wouldn't be an easy task and makes a point to note it's one he's never thought of undertaking. Peter instructs his team they are working under the impression Christopher Harlow is innocent. He sends Jones and Diana to see if any of their usual gem fencers have been in Burma recently while Neal is to check with his contacts to see if anyone has tried to fence the ruby.
Peter and Neal pay a visit to the Burmese Ambassador who gives them a copy of a DVD of Christopher Harlow's confession which the Ambassador assures them will prove Harlow is being well-treated. Peter asks if they can prove someone else stole the ruby if Christopher will be released. The Ambassador admits he will take the evidence to their courts. Christopher will be sentenced in one week. After that, it will be extremely difficult to reverse the decision. At their car, Neal stresses to Peter how important it is to get the evidence they need before Christopher is sentenced. Once his sentence has been issued, no civilian court will overturn it.
Back at the FBI, Peter, Neal, Diana and Adam Wilson watch the DVD given to them by the Ambassador. On the video, Christopher is being questioned and admits he stole the ruby and that he did it alone. He says he crossed a stream to get into the base and bribed a guard to get the ruby. Neal and Peter figure out that Christopher is Adam Wilson's son and that is why he enlisted the help of the FBI to find the ruby. Wilson admits it's true and he worries that his son will be used as a bargaining chip if it his real identity is learned. Neal noticed that Christopher was doing something with his hand that might have been a signal. Diana, a diplomats daughter herself, tells them the children of diplomats are trained to use signals in the event they are in trouble. They need to see the rest of the tape.
Peter tells Neal his father would have gone to the same lengths as Wilson is to save him were he in trouble then asks Neal about his father. There's a gaping hole in Neal's life before his 18th birthday. Neal reluctantly admits his father was a policeman which surprises Peter.
Neal arrives home to find Mozzie there wanting to know why Neal went to his arch rival about the ruby instead of coming to him. Neal promises he will go to Mozzie first next time. He asks Mozzie if he's ever curious about his birth parents, which Mozzie isn't in the least. Mozzie asks if Peter knows about his father and Neal says he told Peter his father was a cop. Mozzie wonders if Neal will tell him stating he could be useful. Neal ends the discussion.
Peter and Neal go to see Randy, with Neal wearing glasses which he claims will make it better to see the gems (despite the fact he has 20/20 vision). Neal explains about a trunk show Randy is having and how he likes stones that have an interesting story moreso than a valuable cut. Neal wants to do the talking because Chris doesn't have time for a warrant and he's positive if the ruby is there, he will find it.
Randy greets Mr. Donnelly (Neal) warmly and they talk briefly about Donnelly's family, which Neal actually provides a photo of. He introduces Peter as Nancy's (his wife's) brother, Mr. Satchmoknow about the ruby.
At the office, Neal and Peter bring Diana up to speed. Randy didn't know the name of the man who sold him the ruby. He was a British man and the first time he'd done business with him. They need to make the man come to them so they decide to use the trunk show to host a showing of exquisite gems and invite the Who's Who of the jewelery world in hopes the smuggler will turn up. Neal points out a problem that Randy's inventory is well-known and they will need something much more spectacular if they're to be successful.
Peter confides in Neal that the FBI has a gem vault. He never shared the information before because "why give an alcoholic a drink?". Jones brings a few gems into the conference room and Neal surveys them. He agrees they are nice but none will threaten their smugglers corner on the market. They need a pigeon blood to draw him out. Neal tells them he'll need an oven that reaches 2000 degrees Celsius and some equipment.
With the equipment in place, Mozzie and Neal start working on creating their gems. Peter arrives and questions if the gem will fool the smuggler. Neal eventually agrees it will. Mozzie thanks Peter for the equipment, which Neal promised him he could keep as Mozzie doesn't work for free. Six hours later, Mozzie pulls the cooked ruby from the oven and Peter holds it while Neal does the cutting. Eventually, they have a very large and very perfect ruby. Neal hits it once with a mallet to give it flaw. The show at Randy's is set for tomorrow night and Mozzie assures them that unless someone is looking at the ruby under a microscope they will be fine. Neal thinks he has a fix for that.
The next night, Diana is all dolled up and wearing the fake ruby so she can take the runway with the other jewelry models. Sure enough, the guy they are looking for shows up. Neal strikes up a conversation with him and tells him he (Neal) discovered the ruby last month at a castle in the Scottish highlands. The man knows right off it's a story and Neal compliments him on his Maharajah story as well but says the paperwork is suspect for such a high profile gem. Neal admits to him that he arranged the show just to meet him and to think of the money they could make if they combined their efforts.
Neal and the smuggler go downstairs to talk business where the man pulls a gun on Neal. Jones, Peter and Diana enter and the man is taken into custody. Peter wants to talk a deal with him. Back at the FBI, Peter compliments the man on the ruby theft and asks if he's ever seen Christopher Harlow, which he man denies. The next day, Peter assures Adam Wilson that Christopher will be fine as the Ambassador promised to call as soon as the thief's statement to the Burmese authorities was taken and Chris is released. Wilson admits the relationship between he and Chris is poor but that Chris made his choice and he didn't want to be with his father. Neal tells him he should have kept trying because a 12 year old doesn't know what he does and doesn't need. Diana brings news the Ambassador's aide has called wanting to see him.
The British ruby thief, in front of the Ambassador, has identified a picture of Christopher as the man who helped him with the theft. Peter says he showed the man Chris' photo and that he denied knowing him to which the man simply replies he didn't recognize him at first. When they met Christopher had a beard. The Ambassador refuses to let Peter have Collins (the thief) back to be charged with attempted murder. Collins will be able to go home while Chris remains in jail. Peter promises the Ambassador it isn't over.
At his home, Peter tries to get Neal to talk more about his father, which he will not do. Peter will not let the issue rest and Neal agrees to tell him everything his mother had told him. His father died when he was 2 in a hail of gunfire taking out a gang of bad guys. He grew up wanting to be just like him. A call comes in from Diana that she was able to get a copy of Christopher's video.
At the office they watch the unedited video. Christopher is touching letters on his shirt, letters that spell "rocker" which is his girlfriend's nickname. They call Wilson back in. The Burmese were able to get to Christopher's girlfriend first. Someone broke into her place that morning and stole her external hard drive. She keeps a backup flash drive. Chris was in Burma getting information for a documentary about the democracy of the region he was making. She shows them a video she got from Chris last week where he says he's going to see the KNLA with someone he knows there in Burma. Wilson feels guilty that his son was taken. His sons girlfriend shows him another video where he is quoting something his father said. That video can be used to establish Christopher's whereabouts at the time of the theft.
Peter and Neal go back to see the Ambassador. They want to search the vehicle of the Ambassador's aide as well as her since her car was at Christopher's girlfriends at the time she was robbed. They can search all except her bag which is a "diplomatic pouch". The Ambassador comes outside wanting to know what is happening. He refuses to let them search the pouch and tells them to take it up with the State Department. Neal gets a message and needs to leave. He meets with Wilson who begs Neal to not let the hard drive leave the country. He wants Neal to steal the drive back.
Peter asks Diana if her father knows Wilson and what other connections he could have to the Bureau. He is bothered about why Wilson chose them. They realize that Wilson wanted Neal from the get-go because of who he is and what he can do. He tells her to get Neal's tracking information for the last 36 hours.
Neal and Mozzie go over the details of when, where, who and how the diplomatic pouch leaves the country. Mozzie warns him that anything in the pouch is property of Burma, stolen or not, and if he steals the drive from the pouch, he will create and international incident. Neal must get the aide to remove the drive for him. They will use the fake ruby to get her to open and dump the pouch. Peter arrives and asks what they are doing. Mozzie, who's coat is now smoking severely from the box containing the ruby, goes outside so Peter and Neal and talk. Peter doesn't want Neal to do anything but Neal insists he can help Wilson. Peter makes him aware of the dangers involved and Neal accepts them.
Neal is waiting on the aide when she leaves the embassy and shows her the ruby. She takes it indoors and shows it to the Ambassador. Diana takes Peter news that Neal is at the embassy. Peter doesn't want him to get caught and goes to the embassy. The Ambassador and aide come back outside and he and his aide go to the car. Peter arrives and asks what Neal needs him for. The smoking jacket isn't smoking so they need to stall the Ambassador and his aide. Peter jumps into action using a parking ticket on the car. The Ambassador hands his aide the pouch while he shows Peter the vehicle registration. Peter continues to stall and the pouch starts smoking. The aide opens and dumps it. Neal rushes in and grabs the drive and gives it to Peter.
A new Burmese Ambassador arrives to meet with Peter, Neal, Wilson and Chris' girlfriend. He apologizes for their inconveniences and Chris gets out of the back of a car. Wilson thanks Peter and Neal for saving his son. Neal tells Peter the truth about his father. His father was a dirty cop. Neal asks "If I'm not my father's son, who am I? Certain things are in my blood." Peter doesn't believe that.
--
There isn't too much to say about this episode other than it was excellent, as usual.
We got a little more insight into Neal Caffrey's mysterious past in this episode. We learned a little bit about his father. Or, at least we learned what Neal wanted to tell about his father.
Isn't Mozzie the best? It was very funny to see him standing there in Neal's apartment with his jacket smoking. Only Mozzie!
--
White Collar airs Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. (US Eastern time) on the USA Network.
For More Information:
Official Site: http://www.usanetwork.com/series/whitecollar/
The Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1358522/
TV Rage: http://www.tvrage.com/White_Collar
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
US Television, White Collar, Episode 2.11 "Forging Bonds"
White Collar
Season Two, Episode Eleven, Forging Bonds
Original Air Date: January 25, 2011
When Peter finds Neal in the same photograph with Vincent Adler, he goes to see his friend wanting to know more about Neal's involvement with the billion-dollar swindler, Adler. Neal relates to him the story of how he came to know Mozzie, Adler and even Kate and Alex. Peter, in turn, tells the story of his investigation of Neal and what led him to capture one of the smoothest and best con men in the business.
Peter is going through the case file of a billion dollar ponzi scheme involving Vincent Adler (Andrew McCarthy) and finds Neal in the background of a picture of Adler. Later that evening, Neal is at home working on a painting, purely for relaxation purposes, when Peter arrives. He shows Neal the picture of the two of them and asks Neal about Adler. Neal admits Alder is the man who made him who he is today and that he himself just figured out Adler was responsible for everything that has happened.
Over beer and wine (that cost as much as the beer), Peter asks Neal how he knew Adler. He wants the entire story from the beginning so they can catch Adler. Peter will not take 'no' for an answer, even though the story includes crimes he doesn't know about. He puts his badge on the table and makes Neal a deal: full immunity for anything he says from that moment until the sun rises over the balcony as long as he didn't kill anyone (which Neal didn't). Neal takes the deal and starts the story.
Neal shows Peter the fractal Mozzie built from the music box code and tells him he saw one like it before in Adler's office when he worked for him. When Peter asks how he met Adler, Neal says to know more about Adler they have to start with Mozzie.
Eight years ago, Neal was a newcomer to New York and knew nothing about the city. He stops to watch a game of "find the lady" that Mozzie (sporting a goatee!) and another man are running. Neal ends up betting $500 and takes them for another $500 when he "finds the queen". However, he left another card in place of the real queen. Mozzie pays a kid to follow Neal then he later shows up at Neal's apartment. He wants to partner with Neal because of how good he was at switching the queen. They go over some forged bonds Neal is working on and Mozzie knows immediately that the two of them could go far together. He wants to do the "Everest of Swindles" with the mark being Vincent Adler.
When the issue of the bonds arise, Peter admits they were the first time he came across him. Peter, complete with his Mario mustache, gets the case. Neal asks what his nickname was since every case gets one. Peter reluctantly admits it was "James Bonds". Peter and Elizabeth were just moving into their new home together, with puppy Satchmo, and Peter is, as usual, consumed by work--Neal's case. Peter can see Neal's potential in just one forged bond.
Neal continues to tell Peter about Adler. He and Mozzie studied and researched Adler before starting the con: "know thine enemy, and you will win". They need just two pieces of information to re-route Adler's money wire transfer from the Cayman islands: his account number and password. That's where Neal comes in. He has five months to become Adler's trusted friend and get the information. He had to cash in a few more bonds to be able to get into a charity dinner to meet Adler, which gave the FBI their first visual on Neal Caffrey.
However, Neal wasn't the only one to make a mistake. Neal and Mozzie overhear Peter talking to the bank manager outside the bank after Neal cashed in some of his bonds. Neal gives Mozzie the money and walks right up to Peter and talks to him about the money in the bank, bonds and even gives him the sucker the teller gave him when he cashed in the bonds. That night, Neal comes up with his first alias, Nicholas Halden after seeing the surname on an advertisement. Mozzie has gotten him a fine suit and has even prepared a fake bottle of fine wine for him to give to Adler.
At the dinner, Neal spots the Mark and gives him the wine. In the course of ingratiating himself to Alder, he meets Kate, who is, at that time, Adler assistant. He and Kate discuss art even though Neal is completely taken by the lovely Kate. Neal switches seats at the dinner with Adler's date (unbeknownst to her) and Adler gives him to the salad course to state his case. Neal admits he wants to work for him. He gives Adler a tip about a firm buyout Adler is getting ready to embark upon (the Singer deal) and gives Adler his card so when the information he provided turns out to be true Adler can call him to offer a job. One month later, Adler ditched Singer and brought in Neal. Part of his job was to know everything about everyone Adler dealt with, which Neal was adept at.
The whole time he worked with Adler, he also got to spend time with Kate, who had a boyfriend at the time. She tells him her boyfriend asked her to move to Chicago with him in one months time, which she agreed to do.
Neal sees the fractal, something Adler was obsessed with, for the first time in Adler's office. Neal found the "culprit" that was looking into Adler's business dealings. Neal brings her into the office and we see it is Alex Hunter. From the get-go, Adler wants to know who Alex is working for and plays hardball from the start. He gives Alex one chance to "fix her mistake" and allows her to leave. Adler gives Neal a reward check once Alex leaves which Neal wants to invest with Adler. Adler makes an exception for Neal and allows him to do so.
Peter questions what happened to Alex. She confronted Neal outside Adler's office. The two have a drink to discuss what Alex is working on. They end up at Neal's apartment where she admits that, even then, she's looking for the music box. Alex promised to send Neal a message if she ever needed his help: a paper flower. Things changed with Kate. Instead of going to Chicago, she shows up at Neal's apartment wanting to be with him instead. A few days before the con is to expire, Neal still doesn't have the password. Mozzie informs Neal "The Suit" has been asking around about him and that they should finish the con and move on. During a fitting for a $10,000 suit Adler is buying Neal, Neal informs his boss about an irregularity with his account in the Cayman's. Adler gives him the password to the account. Neal tells Mozzie he didn't get the password and that he is in love with Kate.
Later, when Neal and Kate are at his apartment, they see the news story of Adler's disappearance with hundreds of millions of dollars of his clients money. Clinton Jones joins Peter in the White Collar Division. Adler left one dollar in his account and the password he gave Neal was an anagram for "nice try Neal". Neal promises a distressed Kate that everything will be alright now that it's just the two of them. He tells her the truth about who he is and what he does. He taught her how to survive and how to con. He explains to Peter how they stole a 16th century manuscript. He wants them to leave for France because of Peter but she doesn't want to go because Neal tried to con her into going to Copenhagen for the music box with Alex. Neal went without Alex but the job fell apart since it was a 3 person job and Kate wasn't there to help. Kate was gone when Neal returned to New York. Peter and the FBI knew a lot about Neal and another of his aliases, Steve Tabernacle. Diana gives the team the idea to stake out Kate.
Mozzie brings Neal news of Kate's location, even though it appears to be a trap. The two meet and express their love for one another and, sure enough, the FBI raids and Peter is arrested by Peter. Neal thanks Peter for helping him find Kate.
Their next step: find Adler even though it will be near impossible. The key is the fractal. Seeing a clue that lets him know Alex was there that day, Peter asks what she thinks the fractal is. He reveals it is a fractal antenna that responds to a specific frequency for an emergency beacon. If the fractal is built and put into a radio, it will lead to a boat, plane or something else that disappeared in the 1940's. Adler wants it and they must find it first.
--
I loved this episode! We got some great backstory here on how all of our favorite characters met and what made them who we know and love them to be. And how great was it to see Mozzie with that goatee and Peter with that crazy Mario mustache?
Not only all that, but the entire storyline is propelled forward with the reveal of the importance of the fractal and what they must find to catch the man who has made their lives miserable. I can only begin to imagine that they are looking for and know it will be something amazing.
What do you think the fractal will lead them to?
--
White Collar airs Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. (US Eastern time) on the USA Network.
For More Information:
Official Site: http://www.usanetwork.com/series/whitecollar/
The Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1358522/
TV Rage: http://www.tvrage.com/White_Collar
Season Two, Episode Eleven, Forging Bonds
Original Air Date: January 25, 2011
When Peter finds Neal in the same photograph with Vincent Adler, he goes to see his friend wanting to know more about Neal's involvement with the billion-dollar swindler, Adler. Neal relates to him the story of how he came to know Mozzie, Adler and even Kate and Alex. Peter, in turn, tells the story of his investigation of Neal and what led him to capture one of the smoothest and best con men in the business.
Peter is going through the case file of a billion dollar ponzi scheme involving Vincent Adler (Andrew McCarthy) and finds Neal in the background of a picture of Adler. Later that evening, Neal is at home working on a painting, purely for relaxation purposes, when Peter arrives. He shows Neal the picture of the two of them and asks Neal about Adler. Neal admits Alder is the man who made him who he is today and that he himself just figured out Adler was responsible for everything that has happened.
Over beer and wine (that cost as much as the beer), Peter asks Neal how he knew Adler. He wants the entire story from the beginning so they can catch Adler. Peter will not take 'no' for an answer, even though the story includes crimes he doesn't know about. He puts his badge on the table and makes Neal a deal: full immunity for anything he says from that moment until the sun rises over the balcony as long as he didn't kill anyone (which Neal didn't). Neal takes the deal and starts the story.
Neal shows Peter the fractal Mozzie built from the music box code and tells him he saw one like it before in Adler's office when he worked for him. When Peter asks how he met Adler, Neal says to know more about Adler they have to start with Mozzie.
Eight years ago, Neal was a newcomer to New York and knew nothing about the city. He stops to watch a game of "find the lady" that Mozzie (sporting a goatee!) and another man are running. Neal ends up betting $500 and takes them for another $500 when he "finds the queen". However, he left another card in place of the real queen. Mozzie pays a kid to follow Neal then he later shows up at Neal's apartment. He wants to partner with Neal because of how good he was at switching the queen. They go over some forged bonds Neal is working on and Mozzie knows immediately that the two of them could go far together. He wants to do the "Everest of Swindles" with the mark being Vincent Adler.
When the issue of the bonds arise, Peter admits they were the first time he came across him. Peter, complete with his Mario mustache, gets the case. Neal asks what his nickname was since every case gets one. Peter reluctantly admits it was "James Bonds". Peter and Elizabeth were just moving into their new home together, with puppy Satchmo, and Peter is, as usual, consumed by work--Neal's case. Peter can see Neal's potential in just one forged bond.
Neal continues to tell Peter about Adler. He and Mozzie studied and researched Adler before starting the con: "know thine enemy, and you will win". They need just two pieces of information to re-route Adler's money wire transfer from the Cayman islands: his account number and password. That's where Neal comes in. He has five months to become Adler's trusted friend and get the information. He had to cash in a few more bonds to be able to get into a charity dinner to meet Adler, which gave the FBI their first visual on Neal Caffrey.
However, Neal wasn't the only one to make a mistake. Neal and Mozzie overhear Peter talking to the bank manager outside the bank after Neal cashed in some of his bonds. Neal gives Mozzie the money and walks right up to Peter and talks to him about the money in the bank, bonds and even gives him the sucker the teller gave him when he cashed in the bonds. That night, Neal comes up with his first alias, Nicholas Halden after seeing the surname on an advertisement. Mozzie has gotten him a fine suit and has even prepared a fake bottle of fine wine for him to give to Adler.
At the dinner, Neal spots the Mark and gives him the wine. In the course of ingratiating himself to Alder, he meets Kate, who is, at that time, Adler assistant. He and Kate discuss art even though Neal is completely taken by the lovely Kate. Neal switches seats at the dinner with Adler's date (unbeknownst to her) and Adler gives him to the salad course to state his case. Neal admits he wants to work for him. He gives Adler a tip about a firm buyout Adler is getting ready to embark upon (the Singer deal) and gives Adler his card so when the information he provided turns out to be true Adler can call him to offer a job. One month later, Adler ditched Singer and brought in Neal. Part of his job was to know everything about everyone Adler dealt with, which Neal was adept at.
The whole time he worked with Adler, he also got to spend time with Kate, who had a boyfriend at the time. She tells him her boyfriend asked her to move to Chicago with him in one months time, which she agreed to do.
Neal sees the fractal, something Adler was obsessed with, for the first time in Adler's office. Neal found the "culprit" that was looking into Adler's business dealings. Neal brings her into the office and we see it is Alex Hunter. From the get-go, Adler wants to know who Alex is working for and plays hardball from the start. He gives Alex one chance to "fix her mistake" and allows her to leave. Adler gives Neal a reward check once Alex leaves which Neal wants to invest with Adler. Adler makes an exception for Neal and allows him to do so.
Peter questions what happened to Alex. She confronted Neal outside Adler's office. The two have a drink to discuss what Alex is working on. They end up at Neal's apartment where she admits that, even then, she's looking for the music box. Alex promised to send Neal a message if she ever needed his help: a paper flower. Things changed with Kate. Instead of going to Chicago, she shows up at Neal's apartment wanting to be with him instead. A few days before the con is to expire, Neal still doesn't have the password. Mozzie informs Neal "The Suit" has been asking around about him and that they should finish the con and move on. During a fitting for a $10,000 suit Adler is buying Neal, Neal informs his boss about an irregularity with his account in the Cayman's. Adler gives him the password to the account. Neal tells Mozzie he didn't get the password and that he is in love with Kate.
Later, when Neal and Kate are at his apartment, they see the news story of Adler's disappearance with hundreds of millions of dollars of his clients money. Clinton Jones joins Peter in the White Collar Division. Adler left one dollar in his account and the password he gave Neal was an anagram for "nice try Neal". Neal promises a distressed Kate that everything will be alright now that it's just the two of them. He tells her the truth about who he is and what he does. He taught her how to survive and how to con. He explains to Peter how they stole a 16th century manuscript. He wants them to leave for France because of Peter but she doesn't want to go because Neal tried to con her into going to Copenhagen for the music box with Alex. Neal went without Alex but the job fell apart since it was a 3 person job and Kate wasn't there to help. Kate was gone when Neal returned to New York. Peter and the FBI knew a lot about Neal and another of his aliases, Steve Tabernacle. Diana gives the team the idea to stake out Kate.
Mozzie brings Neal news of Kate's location, even though it appears to be a trap. The two meet and express their love for one another and, sure enough, the FBI raids and Peter is arrested by Peter. Neal thanks Peter for helping him find Kate.
Their next step: find Adler even though it will be near impossible. The key is the fractal. Seeing a clue that lets him know Alex was there that day, Peter asks what she thinks the fractal is. He reveals it is a fractal antenna that responds to a specific frequency for an emergency beacon. If the fractal is built and put into a radio, it will lead to a boat, plane or something else that disappeared in the 1940's. Adler wants it and they must find it first.
--
I loved this episode! We got some great backstory here on how all of our favorite characters met and what made them who we know and love them to be. And how great was it to see Mozzie with that goatee and Peter with that crazy Mario mustache?
Not only all that, but the entire storyline is propelled forward with the reveal of the importance of the fractal and what they must find to catch the man who has made their lives miserable. I can only begin to imagine that they are looking for and know it will be something amazing.
What do you think the fractal will lead them to?
--
White Collar airs Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. (US Eastern time) on the USA Network.
For More Information:
Official Site: http://www.usanetwork.com/series/whitecollar/
The Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1358522/
TV Rage: http://www.tvrage.com/White_Collar
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