White Collar 2.01 blow by blow - It's good to be back! (Plus a quick Covert Affairs review)
Happy Tuesday people! It's been a while, yeah? Last we saw our boys things were exploding, and all of us were wondering if Kate's really dead.
And now. NOW. :grabbyhands: I hope I catch all the USA shout outs the writers et al put in. I do love a good easter egg ;)
Recap of recapiness is both brief and covers everything.
Oh Neal. Neal I want to hug you...
Hi Peter! I guess this is an internal whatchamacallit.
I'm adoring that skyline. And kind of annoyed by... the superior/prosecuter/whatever his name is a pain in my ass.
Woo! Diane! I love it. :D
Ah Fowler. Still on the hook, I suppose, with whoever the hell is pulling strings.
Aw, boys, I love how you ping back and forth in your conversation. While I'm annoyed with the fact that they put Neal back in jail, considering how hinky everything was at the end of last season, I'm not surprised. Whatever laws may or may not be in place that would allow Peter to put Neal in jail as he liked, slipping his leash (or the FBI thinking he has, whatever Peter says) would be the deal breaker...
MOZZIE!! yay! I love how he calls Peter Suit, I doooo.
How is it that two of my favorite shows start with a jail break? LOL. Oh... or not a jailbreak? Interesting.
I daresay he took Peter's deal already, no?
Sweet lift, Neal. :taps lips: What are you up to? That...... is a lot of cash.
And picking out all the dye packs too. Clever boy.
Hullo again Peter! And Jones! And I so called it. Love the new anklet...
Neal is a good thief. I like good thieves. The run of dialog is not as hot awesome as Parker rattling off details though...
Dear Neal: Peter sees through your mask. I'm just sayin'.
Oh. Oh Neal. With shaky hands. Oh...
Chalk on the sidewalk? With arrows? :confused:
...... That's so Mozzie. It's gotta be. XD
Awesome. And adorable.
Section 8! .. Sorry, too much MASH lately.
I love that the two of them are worried about Neal and sort of helping each other to take care of him. Like a lot.
Oh Neal. What with the obsessiveness.
So the question is whether or not Neal will sniff him out for his interest...
It's the Vice President! I mean. Um. (Too much West Wing...)
Smart guy is smart. And dangerous, I think. We'll see, I suppose.
Especially since he totally just shut them down. Wam bam. "Don't get caught!" what a send off, keep it smooth...
The pacing tonight is tight. I can't believe we're already halfway through!
"He got to you, don't do anything stupid" ILU Peter.
Of course that's why a thief would do it. Adrenaline ftw...
That doesn't look like having dinner with El, Peter. I'm just sayin'.
Oh Neal. You are going to do something stupid aren't you...
Aww, the CGI scene cos Tiffany hadn't had her baby yet!
Another good hand off. Taking a page from Apollo Robbins boys? (I wonder who their consult is.)
Aw, Peter. Aw El. I love you two. With fuzzy hearts around you.
Dude, they're really playing up the sleight of hand. I'm proud of y'all.
Is this your version of a blow of, Neal? Wow. Wow. Jesus...
I've got a friend betting it's the assistant not the VP. (I'll learn his name when the ep is over, i'm sure...)
No visual, clever clever.
Wow. Feel the need to brag there Architect?
... Why should he have problems? I'm confused. ... Ok, really? That's being a little over dramatic.
:raises eyebrow: Oh Neal. You softie. Can I hug you? Going and revealing your heart. (Well, assumign you're not playing Peter. You wouldn't play Peter would you?)
Aww, of course y'all aren't friends. No, not at allll.
That's quite the misdirect. ... Ohoh. That's not going to end well.
Are they after something specific, then? You've gone from a thief to men in masks...
ROFL. The basement was only the easiest. I love it.
Fun times on the roof!
(And apparently I just missed Peter calling Neal Sundance cos David muted the TV. :sighs:)
I love how Neal is better at keeping down than Peter is.
LOL I love that Neal kept the card too. Thiiiief.
Tense moment is tense. Where did the boys go? ... Ah~
Hey guys, you maybe don't want to wait til she's already tied up. I'm just sayin'...
LOL and now he's calling Peter Dirty Harry. I love it.
Neat trick with the phone. Hope Peter does get it back...
I love that Neal wants to go after them.... The timing to just vanish is pretty epic.
:raises eyebrows: A lawsuit now? We've only got 10 min left...
Arrogance is usually what gets them caught though, isn't it?
"Hell hath no fury like a fed scorned" hahaha
Oooo, I love it when Neal starts putting pieces together, I dooooo.
And Peter's not happy. Not happy at alllll.
Haha, dead uncles. Always good for a con...
Is she gonna rabbit? Oh, I'm close, she's got a gun.
Yeah, I love the bickering with each other. And them telling her to hold on.
Good trick with the dye packets. Very very nice.
HAHAHA. Next time, don't get caught...
I love how just has to do the one golf shot.
:giggles: So he gives Mozzie the newspaper thing. I do love this shooooow.
hahaha, good-great.
Awwww Peter. "He's my friend too."
PINEAPPLE!!
I... oh... What the hell Diana??! Ok, this better be better than it looks I swear to god. I really like her.
And fuck me but what a button to end on.
I LOVE THIS SHOW SO HARD.
And stay tuned! I'll be back after Covert Affairs to throw some quick thoughts out about the pilot. :)
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...
...
...
Just in case y'all need a little separation.
The pacing of this show is amazing, and I have to admit, I'm impressed at how slick they are with their exposition. Ok, most of their exposition.
My problem with the pilot is this: Kari Matchett's character. It's not that she's a little psychotic - the problem is she doesn't get enough screen time to establish it properly. The whole scene where she bitches out Annie for going to see her old professor? I'm sorry, you never stopped to ask how she asked for the information specifically? You don't see a more advanced linguist as a good asset? You don't discuss why he wouldn't be a good asset (which there could be history there given he doesn't like the CIA)? Is she being bitchier than usual because she sees herself in Anni and she's been burned by the director that looks like he'll soon be her ex-husband? We'll never know because it was choppy.
Kari Matchett is an amazing actress... she's selling me on most of the character. But the writing needs to give her, and the character, the space necessary not to feel awkward and crammed in. Also? The strange divorce-fueled enmity between her and the director feels shoe-horned in as well. Kari's given me enough that I want to enjoy (possibly enjoy disliking) her. Hopefully it's just a pilot-shaped flaw, and things will be a little smoother.
Right. With that out of the way?
Oh my god, this show is fun. FUN with sparkles and everything. Ok, Piper's cutey voice when she's playing certain roles kinda bugs me, but that's very mild. And Chris Gorham? Is pretty epic as Auggie. They've got great chemistry, and they play off of each other superbly well. Other scenes that might have just been stupidly tense or awkward really work.
I was worried, too, because Auggie is supposed to be blind. Gorham isn't. Now, I've known a few blind people, not many, but I think he did a pretty good job. Part of me is conflicted because part of me wonders if hiring someone who is actually blind would have been appropriate. How hard would it be for a blind person to function on set? Would they sell the facial expressions as well? I don't know.
What I do know is that I think he's doing the part justice. As are the writers. The fact that he's identifying women by their perfume doesn't feel like a cheap trick - it seems (to me) like an appropriate adaptation for someone who works in the CIA. Also, I really like his little laser sight thing.
And Annie... She feels to me like an amazing successor to Sydney Bristow. I'm not sure yet how I feel about her ex. Her apparently meta plot significant ex. However, they sold me on the romance and the chemistry enough that I'm not annoyed by it yet. It wasn't too heavy handed. And she pulls off the girl-next-door-spy thing pretty damn well. It's not too heavy handed, I don't think, and she's fun to watch in action sequences. Plus? They write her as slick. The way she plays people is Sophie Devereux smooth, and no joke.
The dialog is fun and light (barring my aforementioned issues). It suits the pacing, and there was more than once that David and I were both laughing out loud. Like the way Annie and Auggie played it when they got caught at the morgue. Oh man, that was amazing.
I'm really, really, really enjoying this show. I suppose the highest praise I can give it is that I want to cross it over with Leverage already. Not with the immediacy that Justified hit me, perhaps, but that's an entirely different animal.
If you haven't watched it already... what are you doing here? TRACK IT DOWN ALREADY!
And now. NOW. :grabbyhands: I hope I catch all the USA shout outs the writers et al put in. I do love a good easter egg ;)
Recap of recapiness is both brief and covers everything.
Oh Neal. Neal I want to hug you...
Hi Peter! I guess this is an internal whatchamacallit.
I'm adoring that skyline. And kind of annoyed by... the superior/prosecuter/whatever his name is a pain in my ass.
Woo! Diane! I love it. :D
Ah Fowler. Still on the hook, I suppose, with whoever the hell is pulling strings.
Aw, boys, I love how you ping back and forth in your conversation. While I'm annoyed with the fact that they put Neal back in jail, considering how hinky everything was at the end of last season, I'm not surprised. Whatever laws may or may not be in place that would allow Peter to put Neal in jail as he liked, slipping his leash (or the FBI thinking he has, whatever Peter says) would be the deal breaker...
MOZZIE!! yay! I love how he calls Peter Suit, I doooo.
How is it that two of my favorite shows start with a jail break? LOL. Oh... or not a jailbreak? Interesting.
I daresay he took Peter's deal already, no?
Sweet lift, Neal. :taps lips: What are you up to? That...... is a lot of cash.
And picking out all the dye packs too. Clever boy.
Hullo again Peter! And Jones! And I so called it. Love the new anklet...
Neal is a good thief. I like good thieves. The run of dialog is not as hot awesome as Parker rattling off details though...
Dear Neal: Peter sees through your mask. I'm just sayin'.
Oh. Oh Neal. With shaky hands. Oh...
Chalk on the sidewalk? With arrows? :confused:
...... That's so Mozzie. It's gotta be. XD
Awesome. And adorable.
Section 8! .. Sorry, too much MASH lately.
I love that the two of them are worried about Neal and sort of helping each other to take care of him. Like a lot.
Oh Neal. What with the obsessiveness.
So the question is whether or not Neal will sniff him out for his interest...
It's the Vice President! I mean. Um. (Too much West Wing...)
Smart guy is smart. And dangerous, I think. We'll see, I suppose.
Especially since he totally just shut them down. Wam bam. "Don't get caught!" what a send off, keep it smooth...
The pacing tonight is tight. I can't believe we're already halfway through!
"He got to you, don't do anything stupid" ILU Peter.
Of course that's why a thief would do it. Adrenaline ftw...
That doesn't look like having dinner with El, Peter. I'm just sayin'.
Oh Neal. You are going to do something stupid aren't you...
Aww, the CGI scene cos Tiffany hadn't had her baby yet!
Another good hand off. Taking a page from Apollo Robbins boys? (I wonder who their consult is.)
Aw, Peter. Aw El. I love you two. With fuzzy hearts around you.
Dude, they're really playing up the sleight of hand. I'm proud of y'all.
Is this your version of a blow of, Neal? Wow. Wow. Jesus...
I've got a friend betting it's the assistant not the VP. (I'll learn his name when the ep is over, i'm sure...)
No visual, clever clever.
Wow. Feel the need to brag there Architect?
... Why should he have problems? I'm confused. ... Ok, really? That's being a little over dramatic.
:raises eyebrow: Oh Neal. You softie. Can I hug you? Going and revealing your heart. (Well, assumign you're not playing Peter. You wouldn't play Peter would you?)
Aww, of course y'all aren't friends. No, not at allll.
That's quite the misdirect. ... Ohoh. That's not going to end well.
Are they after something specific, then? You've gone from a thief to men in masks...
ROFL. The basement was only the easiest. I love it.
Fun times on the roof!
(And apparently I just missed Peter calling Neal Sundance cos David muted the TV. :sighs:)
I love how Neal is better at keeping down than Peter is.
LOL I love that Neal kept the card too. Thiiiief.
Tense moment is tense. Where did the boys go? ... Ah~
Hey guys, you maybe don't want to wait til she's already tied up. I'm just sayin'...
LOL and now he's calling Peter Dirty Harry. I love it.
Neat trick with the phone. Hope Peter does get it back...
I love that Neal wants to go after them.... The timing to just vanish is pretty epic.
:raises eyebrows: A lawsuit now? We've only got 10 min left...
Arrogance is usually what gets them caught though, isn't it?
"Hell hath no fury like a fed scorned" hahaha
Oooo, I love it when Neal starts putting pieces together, I dooooo.
And Peter's not happy. Not happy at alllll.
Haha, dead uncles. Always good for a con...
Is she gonna rabbit? Oh, I'm close, she's got a gun.
Yeah, I love the bickering with each other. And them telling her to hold on.
Good trick with the dye packets. Very very nice.
HAHAHA. Next time, don't get caught...
I love how just has to do the one golf shot.
:giggles: So he gives Mozzie the newspaper thing. I do love this shooooow.
hahaha, good-great.
Awwww Peter. "He's my friend too."
PINEAPPLE!!
I... oh... What the hell Diana??! Ok, this better be better than it looks I swear to god. I really like her.
And fuck me but what a button to end on.
I LOVE THIS SHOW SO HARD.
And stay tuned! I'll be back after Covert Affairs to throw some quick thoughts out about the pilot. :)
...
...
...
...
Just in case y'all need a little separation.
The pacing of this show is amazing, and I have to admit, I'm impressed at how slick they are with their exposition. Ok, most of their exposition.
My problem with the pilot is this: Kari Matchett's character. It's not that she's a little psychotic - the problem is she doesn't get enough screen time to establish it properly. The whole scene where she bitches out Annie for going to see her old professor? I'm sorry, you never stopped to ask how she asked for the information specifically? You don't see a more advanced linguist as a good asset? You don't discuss why he wouldn't be a good asset (which there could be history there given he doesn't like the CIA)? Is she being bitchier than usual because she sees herself in Anni and she's been burned by the director that looks like he'll soon be her ex-husband? We'll never know because it was choppy.
Kari Matchett is an amazing actress... she's selling me on most of the character. But the writing needs to give her, and the character, the space necessary not to feel awkward and crammed in. Also? The strange divorce-fueled enmity between her and the director feels shoe-horned in as well. Kari's given me enough that I want to enjoy (possibly enjoy disliking) her. Hopefully it's just a pilot-shaped flaw, and things will be a little smoother.
Right. With that out of the way?
Oh my god, this show is fun. FUN with sparkles and everything. Ok, Piper's cutey voice when she's playing certain roles kinda bugs me, but that's very mild. And Chris Gorham? Is pretty epic as Auggie. They've got great chemistry, and they play off of each other superbly well. Other scenes that might have just been stupidly tense or awkward really work.
I was worried, too, because Auggie is supposed to be blind. Gorham isn't. Now, I've known a few blind people, not many, but I think he did a pretty good job. Part of me is conflicted because part of me wonders if hiring someone who is actually blind would have been appropriate. How hard would it be for a blind person to function on set? Would they sell the facial expressions as well? I don't know.
What I do know is that I think he's doing the part justice. As are the writers. The fact that he's identifying women by their perfume doesn't feel like a cheap trick - it seems (to me) like an appropriate adaptation for someone who works in the CIA. Also, I really like his little laser sight thing.
And Annie... She feels to me like an amazing successor to Sydney Bristow. I'm not sure yet how I feel about her ex. Her apparently meta plot significant ex. However, they sold me on the romance and the chemistry enough that I'm not annoyed by it yet. It wasn't too heavy handed. And she pulls off the girl-next-door-spy thing pretty damn well. It's not too heavy handed, I don't think, and she's fun to watch in action sequences. Plus? They write her as slick. The way she plays people is Sophie Devereux smooth, and no joke.
The dialog is fun and light (barring my aforementioned issues). It suits the pacing, and there was more than once that David and I were both laughing out loud. Like the way Annie and Auggie played it when they got caught at the morgue. Oh man, that was amazing.
I'm really, really, really enjoying this show. I suppose the highest praise I can give it is that I want to cross it over with Leverage already. Not with the immediacy that Justified hit me, perhaps, but that's an entirely different animal.
If you haven't watched it already... what are you doing here? TRACK IT DOWN ALREADY!