White Collar’s international incident

Let’s call it unlikely that the writers of White Collar read my weekly show review. Then let’s double that when considering whether they’d take my advice on the show, let alone in time to reshoot an episode that was undoubtedly wrapped and ready to go last week.

Keeping that in mind, it looks like the writers of White Collar have heard my cry! Last night’s episode had nothing to do with Kate, Fowler, or the music box, and it was awesome!

Peter and Neal were called in to help free an American citizen arrested in Burma — Myanmar to you purists — on charges of stealing what I can only describe as a big hunk of raw meat … only it was a gigantic pigeon blood red ruby. From the start it was clear there was something fishy about the whole thing; I’m sure the State Department is just as territorial as the FBI. But certainly I didn’t see the endgame coming.

What I did see returning was the parking ticket thing. The battle between diplomats and the City of New York has been raging for years; there are estimates that huge chunks of New York’s budget deficit could be erased if only UN delegations would pay their fines. So I loved when Peter had the Burmese Ambassador reply “diplomatic immunity” to every single ticket as a stall tactic.

I didn’t buy Neal’s original sob story about his father, but I’m not sure that I’m into the dirty cop tale either. Mozzie said something about Peter being able to help Neal … are we going to have to suffer through a “clear my father’s name” plot on this show? Because the “if I was a father/you were a father” moment that Peter and Neal shared wasn’t even remotely in-character for Peter, let alone for Neal. They tried selling us a bill of goods, and I said no thanks.

But that tiny moment was the only one I didn’t go for … well, that and Diana modeling the ruby necklace; after everything she’s done on the show they needed her character to sell sex? Anyway, Mozzie and Neal making synthetic rubies was like the culmination of a million moments between them, and it was as cool as when they made that fake old bottle of wine. It would be awesome if Mozzie started trickling fake jewels onto the market.

The scam to get the ambassador’s assistant to empty the contents of the diplomatic pouch on the ground was great, and I loved Mozzie and his smoking jacket. Shouldn’t the smoking box have been something that Mozzie and/or Neal looked to fix before heading out on the day of the con?

And the scene with Neal’s cover, George Donnelly, was amazing. I loved the full story, complete with pictures. The real question is, who lets Neal take a picture of them so he can pass it off as his wife Nancy and their son Dylan? And let’s not forget Neal naming Peter Mr. Satchmo, after his dog. Great!

Collins (Richard Short) the smuggler was good fun too. It’s unfortunate that he was somewhat wasted … he could have been a good adversary from Neal’s past. But I enjoyed him even briefly.

Great episode! Thanks for listening!

“The FBI has a gem vault, and you didn’t tell me?” – Neal
“Like giving an alcoholic a drink.” – Peter

“In my field it’s rare to be recognized for your work.” – Collins the smuggler to Peter, after Peter compliments him

Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Feb 02, 2011 @ 15:00 EST5EDT