White Collar - Season 4 Episode 3 - Recap and Review - Diminishing Returns

In some ways, tonight’s White Collar was a filler episode. After the previous two weeks dealt with wrapping up last season’s plotlines, tonight was all about setting the board for what is to come. In a lot of ways, however, that is exactly what we needed.

Last week, I mentioned how it looked like the show was done with the overarching theme of “Neal running, Peter trying to catch/stop him.” As I said, after three seasons that well was pretty dry. This week all but confirmed out loud that, yes, White Collar is moving in a different direction creatively. Interestingly, it appears as if the show will be focusing on Neal and his history. In other words, we are going to explore what made Neal, what inspired and influenced him to become the man he is today. I am all for this.

Let’s face it, for as long as we have known Neal, we really do not know that much about him. His motivations for everything we have ever seen him do can be summed up in two words: Kate and freedom. Why did Neal choose a life of crime? What were the events that led him to this point? These are critical questions that need to be answered, and ones the show has never truly asked in the first place. It seems, however, that we are finally getting around to answering these topics, by looking into Neal’s dad’s past.

I am really excited for this development, because it strips back all of the layers of Neal and gets right down to his core. Do not get me wrong, I love when Neal is charming and putting on a performance. Hell, it is half the reason to watch the show. Still, seeing what makes Neal tick and understanding what is behind the façade is very intriguing. Tonight laid the pieces out for exactly that.

I also really appreciated that White Collar gave us something we have not had in a long time, a great Peter and Neal episode. At the height of last season’s drama, with all of the lying and fighting, I was not sure if the boys would ever get back to a good place. If Neal’s charm is half the reason to watch this program, Peter and Neal’s relationship is the other half. It was great to see them working together so well, especially because it was not out of necessity. Nobody had to be saved, there was no big huge crisis, it was just them simply wanting to be together and solve a case. The bonding the boys shared this episode was fantastic, and their father-son relationship was highlighted many times over with great moments. It is just good to seem them back to this level.

Certainly not the most exciting episode tonight, but one that needed to happen for the show to keep moving forward. The board has been set, and now we just get to sit back and watch it all play out.

Quick hits:

So did Neal’s dad do it? I have no real opinion here yet, because we know next to nothing about the case and what happened. It looks like he was definitely dirty, but we just do not know how dirty. This is easily the new big plot going forward, and might even last multiple seasons.

The case-of-the-week was pretty good tonight. I especially enjoyed Neal’s con he taught Peter in regards to the gems. White Collar gets into some pretty involved plans, so it was nice to see something so subtle and simple used. The boys were absolutely adorable planning everything out. You could really tell how much they missed doing that sort of thing with each other.

I am also glad to see Peter has not just made it out of the Cave just yet. It would have just been too easy. Also, did anybody note that Jones and Diana were a little standoffish and short with Neal? Do not forget, Neal running burned them just like it did Peter. It was nice to see that idea carried over.

So Mozzie is back. Glad to see that they did not drag that out, because I mean come on. Loved that he helped out Peter with the phones, so sweet. I do wonder though, how has Mozzie not been burned in the criminal community? He has helped the FBI out so much, you would think somebody would have put together that the people he gets information on all of sudden get involved in Bureau affairs. For that matter, how Neal’s face has not been plastered EVERYWHERE by that same criminal community as somebody who official works for the feds is beyond me. Just a plot hole we willingly accept, I guess.

I just cannot with the fedoras. If any man could make a fedora work nowadays it is Matt Bomer, and even he cannot really do it. Tonight’s was especially painful, because it looked too small for his head. Just burn them please.

Is Elle not the perfect wife? Her and Peter are one of the best married couples on television, and credit must be given to DeKay and Thiessen for their chemistry together. They just feel so believable and real when I see them on my screen.

Crazy prediction: Ellen is going to die. Remember when she said that Witness Protection was going to move her because she had become too high profile? She also said they were going to wait a few months, because that makes sense. Calling it now, Neal is going to start to find some stuff out about his dad and what he was involved in, and it is going to end up bad for Ellen. Hope I am wrong, because I like the character.

How does stealing things like diamonds only have a 5 year statue of limitations? What? Why am I not stealing diamonds and hiding for five years? Totally in the wrong career field here.

Til next week!