Good episode of White Collar this week. I think the show’s settled into a really solid place, even if the distractions of plot-staple Kate and one-hit-wonder Sara Ellis (Hilarie Burton) keep on getting in the way.
Neal’s definitely added some much appreciated looseness to our FBI crew. First Jonesy playing a character last week, and now him and Peter betting on whether or not the opening jewelry heist was an inside job. I like them loose.
The ever-talented John Larroquette graced our show with his presence as shady adoption lawyer Donovan, shaking down his clients to pay off his gambling debts. It’s a shame that his nickname wasn’t “the Shark.”
I’m still trying to work out how Neal beat the polygraph. He had to match his lies about the tape to his truthful responses about his name and eye color, so was he pricking his finger during all but the answers he wanted the machine to think were lies? Wouldn’t the stress in his voice from the pricks be more discernible than the stress from the non-prick lies?
Jonesy and Diana going under as an adoptive couple was fun as well. Diana’s game for anything and everything they throw at her, isn’t she? I’m not complaining, just squaring that away with surly Cruz (Natalie Morales) from last season. I accept the argument that Marsha Thomason (Diana) gets utilized better, but that can’t just be coincidence. She must actually be better, at least as far as fitting in with everyone else.
I don’t know who remembers, but we’ve actually seen Neal’s Nicholas Halden alias before, when he infiltrated a Pai Gow game in season one. It must be his high roller persona. Loved the “shuffle up and deal” shout out, as well as Neal trying to pocket $100,000 of his winnings. No offense, but didn’t he earn that? Besides, how’s that extra $800,000 going to be logged into evidence? As ill-gotten gains?
It seemed very low-class watching Neal getting arrested. The NYPD’s the best, but Neal getting arrested by anything other than a Federal manhunt seems … pedestrian. I’m snobby like that. But I’m disappointed in him for failing to hide the tape better. What happened to the way he hid that storage room key, behind a socket, down the wall, accessible only by magnet? Come on, Caffrey!
It’s a weird coincidence that has Elizabeth only appearing this season either on the phone or out to lunch with Peter. What happened to the larger role she played last season? Is Tiffani Thiessen limiting her work schedule now that she’s a mom? And how come their conversations are only ever about Neal? It’s like their relationship only exists now as a platform for Peter to work out his Neal concerns. Strange.
John Larroquette did not plan his running from the mob very well … thirty minutes to get out of town? Calling the money drop for the night before may have worked out a whole lot better for him.
So we, and Neal, finally got to listen to the infamous black box tape … one question: why in the world would the flight’s cockpit recording, used to capture the pilots’ conversations during flight, have captured Kate’s phone call while the plane sat on the tarmac? I’m all for following clues, but that’s ridiculously far-fetched.
But that aside, were we meant to be surprised that it sounds as if Kate was in on the explosion (and that she’s likely still alive)? Because I’ve been sure of that since the plane exploded….
Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Aug 19, 2010 @ 11:00 EST5EDT
They were probably filming while Tiffani was pregnant, that’s why we only see her from the chest and up.
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Maybe … my money is on her scenes having been filmed after she gave birth, because she had a baby mid-June. At latest she would have been eight months pregnant in her scenes. In the season two premiere she and Peter were clearly having lunch in front of a green screen; my guess is that’s because it was shot after everything else had been wrapped.
Everything I have read says that TAT was 8 1/2 months pregnant when the beginning of the season was being shot. She couldn’t make the trip to NY due to her condition. So the show took a crew to her and green screened her scenes. I have heard that last night was her last green screen, but can’t vouch for it. In any case, she is back on set so she should be a more important presence from here on out.
Jeff Eastin tweeted that this week was the last episode with her filming on a green screen. I took that to mean she was back filming her regular schedule and with the rest of the cast starting next week.
*POST AUTHOR*
LindaH and CJ – Thanks! That explains that … I knew her scenes all looked poorly done.
I still wonder why the focus of Peter and Elizabeth’s conversations always seems to be Neal. That’s the direction the writing is taking their relationship, not the actresses’ availability. There were a lot more dimensions to them last season … at least her presence on-set will bring her into contact with everyone else.
Didn’t Neal say the $100K was in the office in a drawer under some manual (firearms)? I took that to mean the FBI office?
*POST AUTHOR*
I’d assumed he was talking about somewhere in his apartment, but either way, wouldn’t he have put it there to take for himself later?
Sure – but don’t you trust Neal?
*POST AUTHOR*
I think we know him enough to realize that he also seizes opportunities as they come to him. I don’t think he would have lied and built an elaborate ruse to hide the money, but on the off-chance that someone overlooked the missing money….
I’ve now caught up on all the S2 White Collar episodes and I have to say they’re just writing better for Diana. Even when they put her in similar situations to Cruz, I enjoy Diana moreso i.e. Neal initially mistaking Cruz for a lady of the night vs. Diana’s interaction with Neal as one. I don’t know if it’s the character or the actress, as Morales does way better on her new ‘Parks & Recreation’ gig, but Diana definitely gets awesome writing. Plus, in at least 2-3 of S 2’s episodes, the characters mention how much they enjoy having her back.
On Elizabeth, I wasn’t initially crazy about her last season, but enjoyed her towards the end. She’s gone from 40% to 10% and they could at least bust her up to 15%.
*POST AUTHOR*
But I still can’t imagine they refused to work with or write for Morales (not that you’re suggesting that). The writers have to be feeding off the vibes between the actors themselves. Thomason must just be a better fit.