Neighborhood Watchkaren11400July 28 2017, 18:30:26 UTC
Really, this episode seemed so beneath the writers. It had few redeeming features. I did like when Neal shared with Mozzie how a stakeout usually went with Peter, and I did like how Neal talked El through picking a lock while he was hanging outside of a window. But, overall, it really lacked the cleverness and panache that were usually a hallmark of the series. Elizabeth was so ditzy in this that it felt like slapstick comedy. However, Joe Manganiello was a treat as a baddie, although I preferred him more in those Magic Mike flicks because I saw more of him!! Just sayin....
The main thing I noticed is how many viddable scenes I'm missing. I've used the "Peter&Neal chasing the robbers" sequence so many times, but I completely forgot about the safe explosion, and getting shot and everything around it.
I rather liked the episode, with Neal getting to play both the responsible "Fed" for El, and the out-for-crime "criminal" for Ben. At the end he stands by Peter's side and tells Ben he's no longer a criminal. But he did have a lot of fun guiding El on her first B&E.
And Moz and El get to play the detectives too, which they overall did quite well, up to the part where El tells the criminal to "get his stuff". What did she expect would happen?
El tells the criminal to "get his stuff". What did she expect would happen?
El's just trying to stall them for time. She doesn't want them splitting up the loot. She wasn't very Fed-like, certainly, not a terribly credible threat, but they would have to stop and think what to do. If I were them, I'd have grabbed everything and split out the back - tho if the Feds are there, they would be watching for that, maybe even trying to spook them to do just that (since they might not have a warrant for the club, but could stop them on the street).
OTOH, giving a dangerous criminal an out is a good play if you are not actually LE and can't deal with armed criminals. So sending him away from her where she would not be a threat to him is a relatively safe thing to do.
The ep has a lot of goofy, cringe-worthy moments, and this is one of them. El would make a very credible Fed if she would act like she's dealing with a screw-up supplier *g*
Yeah, unfortunately I don't think Moz ever gets to see El when she's dealing with recalcitrant suppliers/clients/husbands. We do, but don't think Moz is ever in those scenes. So he doesn't know *sighs* He's missing out *g*
It ought to have been a fun ep, El taking on an investigative role, with Moz and Neal as back-up. Like El's "By the Book" ep. But the writers struggled to find the right tone, or something.
Bits I found noteworthy: 1) Peter and Vikings! :D
2) artist!Neal knows his colors: Peter: That's a bright eyeshadow. What color would you call that? Neal: Kingfisher. Peter: What? Neal: It's in the turquoise family. Peter: Oh.
3) Peter's on-going digs at Neal:Neal: Then I show up at the parole office as a fellow ex-con struggling to stay on the straight and narrow. Peter: A role you were born to play. It's understandable, after recent events, that Peter's still got Neal-the-con uppermost in his mind, but remarks like these don't help Neal think of himself as going straight (yes, there's the "stay on the straight and narrow", but "born"? and "struggling"? - those say that Peter thinks of Neal as inherently a con, unlikely to change). Plus, Peter's remark is just a dig - not meant for anything but a reminder that Neal's a con. Not
( ... )
But this is one of those supposedly undercover remarks that is really telling in Neal's true feelings:
Neal to Ben: Isn't that the way it is with guys like us? You've been to Lompoc, you're guilty. At some point, you got to say, "If the world sees me that way, it's who I am."
Neal throws it out, but it goes to the core of how he feels about himself. Too bad we don't see Peter's reaction to this.
Neal is kind of hypocritical here. Because he didn't just spend time in jail. He just recently stole the art (or helped Mozzie after he stole it), and was about to run with it. The only reason he's not back in jail is because Keller took the credit, and Peter kept his mouth shut.
Going back to what Peter said in "Upper West Side Story"
El: He had the treasure, and he didn't leave. He gave it up for us. I think that says a lot about his character. Peter: He had the treasure. That says a lot about his character.
Peter's not talking about the past, he's talking about the present.
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I rather liked the episode, with Neal getting to play both the responsible "Fed" for El, and the out-for-crime "criminal" for Ben. At the end he stands by Peter's side and tells Ben he's no longer a criminal. But he did have a lot of fun guiding El on her first B&E.
And Moz and El get to play the detectives too, which they overall did quite well, up to the part where El tells the criminal to "get his stuff". What did she expect would happen?
Reply
El's just trying to stall them for time. She doesn't want them splitting up the loot. She wasn't very Fed-like, certainly, not a terribly credible threat, but they would have to stop and think what to do. If I were them, I'd have grabbed everything and split out the back - tho if the Feds are there, they would be watching for that, maybe even trying to spook them to do just that (since they might not have a warrant for the club, but could stop them on the street).
OTOH, giving a dangerous criminal an out is a good play if you are not actually LE and can't deal with armed criminals. So sending him away from her where she would not be a threat to him is a relatively safe thing to do.
The ep has a lot of goofy, cringe-worthy moments, and this is one of them. El would make a very credible Fed if she would act like she's dealing with a screw-up supplier *g*
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Moz should have used that one, instead of his 'dredge up your evil gov't soul' attempt.
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Bits I found noteworthy:
1) Peter and Vikings! :D
2) artist!Neal knows his colors:
Peter: That's a bright eyeshadow. What color would you call that?
Neal: Kingfisher.
Peter: What?
Neal: It's in the turquoise family.
Peter: Oh.
3) Peter's on-going digs at Neal:Neal: Then I show up at the parole office as a fellow ex-con struggling to stay on the straight and narrow.
Peter: A role you were born to play.
It's understandable, after recent events, that Peter's still got Neal-the-con uppermost in his mind, but remarks like these don't help Neal think of himself as going straight (yes, there's the "stay on the straight and narrow", but "born"? and "struggling"? - those say that Peter thinks of Neal as inherently a con, unlikely to change). Plus, Peter's remark is just a dig - not meant for anything but a reminder that Neal's a con. Not ( ... )
Reply
Neal to Ben: Isn't that the way it is with guys like us? You've been to Lompoc, you're guilty. At some point, you got to say, "If the world sees me that way, it's who I am."
Neal throws it out, but it goes to the core of how he feels about himself. Too bad we don't see Peter's reaction to this.
Reply
Neal is kind of hypocritical here. Because he didn't just spend time in jail. He just recently stole the art (or helped Mozzie after he stole it), and was about to run with it. The only reason he's not back in jail is because Keller took the credit, and Peter kept his mouth shut.
Going back to what Peter said in "Upper West Side Story"
El: He had the treasure, and he didn't leave. He gave it up for us. I think that says a lot about his character.
Peter: He had the treasure. That says a lot about his character.
Peter's not talking about the past, he's talking about the present.
Reply
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