White Collar Episode Review
Okay, first off, Neal got a haircut, I'm sure of it. It looks nice. either that or he's even thinner.
Second off - Mozzie did it, so congrats to the people who guessed him.
Third off, mixed feelings ahoy! I can't say that I'm happy. Yes, the treasure thing has yet to be resolved, the show didn't go straight for a quick fix. But... not really happy with what happened. I thought for sure it would be more Neal dithering over whether to go or stay, to tell Peter and clear his name or not to tell. Not jump straight to escape plans. It just... weirded me out that we go from Neal no longer wanting to run to Neal ready to bolt. What the heck did I miss?
The only thing I can figure is that Peter's accusation followed by seeing all the treasure acted as a kind of trigger for Neal. Peter doesn't trust Neal, Neal figures that to tell Peter would only get him into more trouble, he's frustrated, he's tired of his current life, tired of never being trusted, under the impression that everything he and Peter have been through means nothing to Peter, so he thinks "why the heck not?" and decides to take what he has and run.
Or, some of you will say, the temptation was just too much for Neal to pass up.
But it was just such a sudden and easy decision, and it made me really uncomfortable throughout the episode, especially the whole deal with switching out the piece of painting. It all just felt rather OOC to me. I also kept expecting a twist. Not the twist of the plane being used to smuggle the money, but something else - such as, for example, Neal changes his mind or Neal was going to give the treasure to Mozzie but stay behind. The show has a bit of a bad habit of doing this: making you think things that aren't actually happening or going happen. For example, many of us believed that Kate was still alive, that Kate was working for Adler and didn't really love Neal, that Alex was working for Adler, and so on. In the case of this episode, I kept feeling like there was more going on with Neal and Mozzie preparing to run, but apparently there wasn't. But I chalk that up to my frustration with how easily Neal decided to run, and with stolen "Nazi" loot. Ugh, I do not look forward to the fanfic for this ep. I wonder how many are going to have a falling out with Neal for keeping the loot (or how many are going to crow that this proves just how much of a bad person Neal is) *shudders*
(And, actually, it does feel like a quick fix but a different kind of quick fix - getting Neal and Peter back to their tentative relationship. Which I know is something a lot of people wanted, but, again, so sudden and so easy. Too easy, even.)
But, my issues aside, I'm hopeful, because this is just the premiere, and this episode opens up a whole new character arc for Neal. I can see his "dithering" progressing, each episode giving him a reason to stay. I really hope that's the case and it isn't nothing but cat and mouse between Neal and Peter with no development. I like that there was trust starting to form, plus I don't want Neal portrayed as "once a criminal, always a criminal." The show is going to have to make up it's mind at some point in time whether Neal continues his criminal ways or not. Being a Neal fan, I crossing my fingers for the former. I really don't want to see him go through everything he goes through just to end up back at square one. I want to see him have a happily ever after - a legal happily ever after.
It didn't start off with Sara and Neal sleeping together, yay!
The fencing scene was intense. I'm not a fencing fan (apologies to those who are) but that fight was crazy awesome. Neal's a dangerous guy when he wants to be. I love it :D
That Neal set aside his escape plan to save Jones also gave me hope.
Another thing I like about this ep is that we see both men's flaws - Peter's black and white mentality making him quick to accuse (and a bit of a smug jerk), Neal's need for the good life making him cave to temptation. Which I think will make for a good character arc for the both of them. Hopefully, the show won't just be about Neal winning back Peter's trust, but Peter winning back Neal's trust as well, to the point that Neal ends up telling Peter about the treasure (another reason I'm not looking forward to the fic for this ep. There's a tendency to make Peter always right, Neal always wrong and putting Neal in his place, and I really hate running into those kinds of stories).
Finally, what the crap happened to the previews! It just ends and jumps straight to Covert Affairs. No credits, no nothing. *Iz Annoyed!*
ETA: Okay, okay, okay, I know what it is that I felt like was missing - Neal actually voicing his anger and frustration and saying something along the lines of it being time to go. I think the show was relying a lot on show rather than tell, something I'm all for and that probably worked well enough for some, but for me I would have liked a bit of tell, just something to really help drive home why Neal was running and help to make Neal seem less that he was just caving to greed. I do think Neal running is more than just "yay I have my riches!" and I would've liked to have that confirmed.
Second off - Mozzie did it, so congrats to the people who guessed him.
Third off, mixed feelings ahoy! I can't say that I'm happy. Yes, the treasure thing has yet to be resolved, the show didn't go straight for a quick fix. But... not really happy with what happened. I thought for sure it would be more Neal dithering over whether to go or stay, to tell Peter and clear his name or not to tell. Not jump straight to escape plans. It just... weirded me out that we go from Neal no longer wanting to run to Neal ready to bolt. What the heck did I miss?
The only thing I can figure is that Peter's accusation followed by seeing all the treasure acted as a kind of trigger for Neal. Peter doesn't trust Neal, Neal figures that to tell Peter would only get him into more trouble, he's frustrated, he's tired of his current life, tired of never being trusted, under the impression that everything he and Peter have been through means nothing to Peter, so he thinks "why the heck not?" and decides to take what he has and run.
Or, some of you will say, the temptation was just too much for Neal to pass up.
But it was just such a sudden and easy decision, and it made me really uncomfortable throughout the episode, especially the whole deal with switching out the piece of painting. It all just felt rather OOC to me. I also kept expecting a twist. Not the twist of the plane being used to smuggle the money, but something else - such as, for example, Neal changes his mind or Neal was going to give the treasure to Mozzie but stay behind. The show has a bit of a bad habit of doing this: making you think things that aren't actually happening or going happen. For example, many of us believed that Kate was still alive, that Kate was working for Adler and didn't really love Neal, that Alex was working for Adler, and so on. In the case of this episode, I kept feeling like there was more going on with Neal and Mozzie preparing to run, but apparently there wasn't. But I chalk that up to my frustration with how easily Neal decided to run, and with stolen "Nazi" loot. Ugh, I do not look forward to the fanfic for this ep. I wonder how many are going to have a falling out with Neal for keeping the loot (or how many are going to crow that this proves just how much of a bad person Neal is) *shudders*
(And, actually, it does feel like a quick fix but a different kind of quick fix - getting Neal and Peter back to their tentative relationship. Which I know is something a lot of people wanted, but, again, so sudden and so easy. Too easy, even.)
But, my issues aside, I'm hopeful, because this is just the premiere, and this episode opens up a whole new character arc for Neal. I can see his "dithering" progressing, each episode giving him a reason to stay. I really hope that's the case and it isn't nothing but cat and mouse between Neal and Peter with no development. I like that there was trust starting to form, plus I don't want Neal portrayed as "once a criminal, always a criminal." The show is going to have to make up it's mind at some point in time whether Neal continues his criminal ways or not. Being a Neal fan, I crossing my fingers for the former. I really don't want to see him go through everything he goes through just to end up back at square one. I want to see him have a happily ever after - a legal happily ever after.
It didn't start off with Sara and Neal sleeping together, yay!
The fencing scene was intense. I'm not a fencing fan (apologies to those who are) but that fight was crazy awesome. Neal's a dangerous guy when he wants to be. I love it :D
That Neal set aside his escape plan to save Jones also gave me hope.
Another thing I like about this ep is that we see both men's flaws - Peter's black and white mentality making him quick to accuse (and a bit of a smug jerk), Neal's need for the good life making him cave to temptation. Which I think will make for a good character arc for the both of them. Hopefully, the show won't just be about Neal winning back Peter's trust, but Peter winning back Neal's trust as well, to the point that Neal ends up telling Peter about the treasure (another reason I'm not looking forward to the fic for this ep. There's a tendency to make Peter always right, Neal always wrong and putting Neal in his place, and I really hate running into those kinds of stories).
Finally, what the crap happened to the previews! It just ends and jumps straight to Covert Affairs. No credits, no nothing. *Iz Annoyed!*
ETA: Okay, okay, okay, I know what it is that I felt like was missing - Neal actually voicing his anger and frustration and saying something along the lines of it being time to go. I think the show was relying a lot on show rather than tell, something I'm all for and that probably worked well enough for some, but for me I would have liked a bit of tell, just something to really help drive home why Neal was running and help to make Neal seem less that he was just caving to greed. I do think Neal running is more than just "yay I have my riches!" and I would've liked to have that confirmed.