White Collar - 3x07 "Taking Account"

[tj_teejay]

My overall reaction to this episode is similar to last week's. It gets a tentative thumbs up, but it had issues. Quite a few of them. So lemme see.

1. The hotel story. I thought it was kinda cute. Hm, maybe cute isn't the right word. Gave us more of an insight into Neal's past life. So he never allowed himself to live a life of luxury because he was constantly on the move? At first I wasn't inclined to buy it, but then I thought back to what he was wearing in "Forging Bonds", and maybe it's true. He was a blue jeans and t-shirt kinda guy before he met Adler (and Mozzie).
2. Okay, so Sara only has one bank account (or several) with Manhattan Mutual? I mean, seriously? She doesn't have any other money to fall back on in case of an emergency? She must earn a hefty sum of money. And when her bank gets hacked, she's so broke she can't afford a hotel room for another few nights? Bullshit alert. Do not believe.
3. The surreptitious and worried glances from Neal to Sara at his desk from the conference room. Why was Neal so skittish? Was he worried they wouldn't catch this guy and Sara would be thrown into eternal poverty? I find it hard to believe that insurance takes months to come through when it's people's existences on the line. (I will admit that I know nothing about this stuff.) I mean, I like that he genuinely cares about her, but it seemed just a little over the top. Was that just me?
4. Sara moving in. I actually kinda like that notion. I've become somewhat of a master of not really liking Sara but liking Neal with Sara. Does that even make sense? I'm sort of blanking out the parts of her I don't like when I see her with Neal. Don't ask me how I do it, but it's my way of coping with the fact that he's attached to her this season. And that seems to work quite well for me.
5. "I was, uhm, looking at porn." Really, Moz? I don't know, I didn't even find that funny.  But I loved the Neal/Mozzie moment that followed. Totally loved this line: "When we get to sell our treasure, there will be countries in your price range."
6. The Neal/Mozzie/Sara con. Don't know what to think about that. Mostly, I frowned over it. Maybe not so much the fact that they conned the bank, but more the fact that they actually started spending big. We know Neal gets like a little kid when he's excited, so in a pinch, I can still buy that part, but Sara playing along? I don't know. It just didn't sit right with me. I mean, what were they thinking? That they could just keep their purchases? That the FBI would never find out? Talk about shortsightedness. Do not like.
7. The Dupont alias. I had seen pictures of Neal's pinstripe do, and I hated them. The slicked back hair is instant kryptonite for me. However, I was positively surprised that in the actual episode it didn't look all that repelling. Yay! Loved the red tie too.
8. The Sterling Bosch box with case files. If those are so secret, why would Sara put them in a box that anyone can open? Granted, even if she had put them in something lockable, Neal could probably pick his way in easily, but still. It seemed like such a cheap plot device. I was almost certain that it'd come up again later in the episode (like Neal taking a peek), but it never did. WTF?
9. Catching Neal off guard. Sara finding his Moreau passport certainly did. He was scrambling for a good explanation. The Caffrey mask slipped off for a second there, and I actually like the fact that Sara makes Neal vulnerable. Or makes his carefully crafted Caffrey veneer vulnerable.
10. "Same page? We're not reading the same book. We're not even in the same library!" Loved the scene where Peter barges into Neal's apartment and gets mad. Really mad. Loved even more how Neal acted like a scolded child caught in the act. He didn't even defend himself too much. Because obviously he realized he'd overstepped. Oh Neal. You're such a kid.
11. But, uhm, patterned dark red shirt? Eugh! The fugly hurts my eyes. Neal, take it off! Now! Please!! I like the slightly shorter hair, though.
12. "I wouldn't be too concerned. He's [Mozzie]  very good with boundaries." That scene with Mozzie on the Burkes' patio was so awkward (and not in a delibarate TV writing kind of way).
13. Why would Neal, Peter and Mozzie leave their car windows open in the rain when they also want to appear clandestine? Oh, wait, I know. So that the camera can actually see their faces as they're being filmed. Hm..... I hate it when TV gets too removed from reality.
14. So Mozzie is the handsome one? That's kinda cute. "Consider that a lesson in modesty."
15. Gee, look, I learned a new acronym today. WMD = weapon of mass destruction. Yeah, like I'm gonna be using that one a lot...
16. Mozzie got laid. Schweet! Score one for the ditzy geek.
17. The Bomer can play the guitar. Not that you can really tell from the episode, but I trust Eastin's word. Or tweet, as it were.
18. Man, the pasword reading scene off of the guitar reflection was such an obvious setup. Guys, you're really not so good with making the plot devices feel remotely natural this season. Or is it just me? Besides, I can't even see Neal being that careless to bring up the Treasure Cam in Sara's presence. I kinda liked the conversation about Neal's (not so) daydream, though. I really like it when he opens up emotionally.
19.  "Sara did complain about my anklet. I toss in my sleep and she bruises easily." Hee. Yeah, I can very much peg Neal for a tosser. "How about I take off your anklet?" - "That'd be great." - "Then we'll see if Sara prefers conjugal visits." Cute, Peter. :-D
20. Why does Neal somehow take it personally, learning that Peter was bluffing when he was closing in on Neal after the Corsica heist? I mean, yeah, I get that it plays into the whole "Neal reminisces the good old times" theme, but was this supposed to add to the awkwardness between Neal and Peter? Maybe I'm overanalyzing this. It was probably just supposed to show us another glimpse into Neal's past. Which I actually like.
21. Sara/June scene. "Give Neal time, he'll let you in." That's actually really endearing. But would he? And would he leave his laptop lying around for Sara to just use? It goes right against what they just insinuated: That Neal has secrets he doesn't like to share.
22. Yes! Neal admits that he actually wants to stay in New York. Thank you, thank you, thank you. And of course that would upset Mozzie.
23. "Neal, what did you do?" Uh oh. This is gonna be when Sara breaks up with Neal, right? I wonder if they're gonna be featuring any of the aftermath of this particular discovery on Sara's part in tonight's episode. And, uhm, is there gonna be a mid-season finale? That should be coming up soon, right? I can kinda see this being the big cliffhanger thingy. Uh oh.
24. Last but not least, I really liked the musical theme they used for that last scene here. It sounded like a bit of a more melancholy but dynamic take on the music box theme. Cue end credits.

Also, and this is totally unrelated... I realized the other day that it never rains on Neal's rooftop patio. I mean, yes, of course I know why that is. It's a studio set, so if they wanted rain, they'd have to get a sprinkler system in there or something equally expensive and messy. Still, kind of a shame from a fictional point of view. I'm kinda hung up on Neal out there in the rain one lonely night, feeling blue. Hello fan fiction. Any takers?