White Collar - Hard Sell

Network: USA
Time: Tuesdays, 10:00-11:00pm
Cast: Matt Bomer, Tim DeKay, Willie Garson, Natalie Morales, Tiffani Thiessen, Sharif Atkins, Alexandra Daddario

Summary: Peter and Neal go undercover to take down a corrupt group of Wall Street brokers.  If they fail, Neal's deal with the FBI could be negated.

Review: When we last left our heroes, Neal was the suspect in a jewelry heist and he escaped from FBI custody.  Also, Peter had a secret meeting with Kate.  Now that we've returned, things have patched up somewhat, but the trust that binds Neal and Peter is tenuous at best, and much of the episode is spent watching Neal act like a spoiled twelve-year-old with an attitude problem.  Neal's certainly never been the most mature character on cable television (or, you know, in the top 25), but this was a new low of immaturity, especially when he risked exposing Peter in an undercover mission because he couldn't keep his mouth shut.  I expected him to cross his arms and stomp his foot and demand Peter tell him the truth.

Luckily for himself, Neal and the audience, Peter is more mature than most, and, when he found out what Neal was whining about, he was honest with him and told him exactly what happened (the details of which are classified; go watch the episode).  At least, we're led to assume he's being honest.  He could, I suppose, be lying through his teeth.  But we got flashbacks, so that makes me assume it's the truth.

Due to the strained relationship, the normally engaging banter between Neal and Peter was lacking for much of the episode, giving it a slightly slow feeling.  It wasn't horrible, but it was a far cry from the first half the season, where every character was pithy and clever.  Matt Bomer and Tim DeKay acted their parts well, but it's just not as much fun to watch two people who are fighting than it is to watch them affectionately exasperated with each other.

However, I really enjoyed this episode, even with the weird chemistry between Peter and Neal.  The Wall Street scam was really interesting.  I appreciated the characters they created for the guy in charge, his partner, and the man who "hired" Neal.  And I really enjoyed the last few minutes of the case, especially the interaction between Peter and Neal as they started to get their situation untangled (again, I don't want to spoil anything for those who haven't seen it, but, for those who have, think kill switch).

And, as is typical for a White Collar episode, there was a twist in the last minute and a half of the episode.  Just when you think everything's resolved, they throw something new in the mix to keep you coming back next week.  And, as is typical for a White Collar episode, I hated that last minute and a half.  I find cliffhangers to be a necessary evil at the best of times, but the White Collar ones always seem superfluous, like they're only there because they thing they won't be able to retain their audience if they don't do it.  Unnecessary plot twists just don't do it for me, and I generally wish they'd just leave them out.


All in all, there were a lot of positives to this episode that I haven't named, and just a few negatives that I did.  So, while the review does seem skewed a little towards the negative, the episode was actually a lot of fun, and I'm really glad this show has returned.


Favorite lines:
Neal: What do you mean you don't invest over the phone?  The Cuban Missile Crisis was handled over the phone.

Neal is trying to sell stocks over the phone to get into the brokerage firm; Peter is acting as the client
Peter: Sounds nice, but I'd have to ask my wife.
Brad: Your sale just died, Rookie.
Neal: Mr. Fairweather, if you invest with me, the only question you'll have to ask your wife is what kind of hardwood floors she wants in her new house.
Peter: I don't know...
Neal: Life comes down to a few moments, Mr. Fairweather.  This is one of them.
Peter: (to the others) He is good.

Rating:
[5] Excellent
[4] Good
[3] Average
[2] OK
[1] Bad

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