White Collar: Nice to Meet You

Last week, as I was contemplating White Collar, I wondered when and how Peter would meet Mozzie. This week my question was answered and I loved every minute of it! Mozzie, Neal’s go-to sidekick, stole the show with his witty and humorous lines and his help turned out to be critical for Neal and Peter.

The episode begins with Elizabeth surprising Peter at the office with her distraught friend from high school, Dana Mitchell. She tells him that the FBI has issued an arrest warrant for Dana’s husband, Captain John Mitchell, for stealing valuable gold artifacts while serving in Iraq. The evidence against Mitchell looks airtight because his fingerprints and hair were found on the gold. An adamant Elizabeth wants Peter to investigate and has Mitchell turn himself in to Peter. He tells Peter that he is innocent and was set up by Patrick Aimes, a former state department employee, who asked him to smuggle the artifacts into the U.S. but Mitchell refused.

Before Peter goes to see Aimes, the duo discuss the FBI’s theory that some of the gold artifacts may have been melted down. Neal informs him that you can’t melt down gold without getting “splash blisters.” So whoever tried to melt down the gold would be marked. Peter talks to a rather uncooperative Aimes, who now works for a private security contractor and notices blisters on the arm of his bodyguard. After seeing that, Peter reexamines the artifacts. The duo decides they are too clean and that they only have left hand fingerprints on them.

After having a drink, the pair comes up with a “print theory;” that Mitchell must have had drinks with someone who then used the prints off his drink and transferred them to the gold. Elizabeth confirms this for them with Dana—he had drinks with Alisha Teagen, a reporter who was embedded in Mitchell’s unit in Iraq, and also forgot his Yankees hat at the bar, which would explain the hair fibers.

At the TV station, Neal poses as the new sports anchor to follow Alisha while Peter waited in her office to interview her. Neal sees her lock a piece of paper in a drawer and then go meet Peter. During Peter’s interrogation, Neal is able to pick the lock and make a photocopy of the paper, which turns out to be a pawnshop ticket. Mozzie is enlisted to discover what the ticket is for.

Later, Peter is kicked out of his house so Elizabeth and Dana can have “girl time.” Peter can’t take Dana’s crying anymore so it works for him. He goes to Neal’s, with beer, “to discuss the case” when Mozzie also arrives. Neal tries to get Mozzie to leave before Peter sees him, which doesn’t work. Mozzie then claims he is Dante Haversham, a man who is courting June. Peter doesn’t buy it and knows he is Neal’s cohort but Peter agrees to go along with the farce and call him by the alias, Mr. Haversham. Peter tells Mozzie, “I thought you’d be taller” and Mozzie responds with “me too.” Mozzie and Peter bond over drinks much to Neal’s displeasure. Surprisingly, the new trio comes up with a plan to trick Alisha into confessing.

The plan works and Alisha admits to her and Aimes’ involvement meaning that Mitchell is innocent. They then concoct a new scheme to catch Aimes, with Neal posing as a private buyer for the artifacts. Neal does not like the car the FBI gives him for the scheme, so he and Mozzie, using FBI credentials, commandeer a limo. (Mozzie also poses as his driver)

At the museum, where the artifacts are hidden, the meeting with Aimes goes bad and he escapes. Peter pursues him and Aimes shoots at him but Mozzie comes to Peter’s rescue. While eating Chinese food, sipping champagne and listening to opera in the limo, Mozzie takes a break, just long enough, to hit Aimes with the limo so Peter can arrest him. “I was never here,” claims Mozzie as he then drives off in the limo. This was my favorite scene and it was laugh-out-loud funny!

What stood out the most to me from this episode was Mozzie. He was hysterical and filled the episode with sarcastic and funny lines. Like when Neal told him to hurry up, he responded with “I walk at a delicate pace.” I loved Peter and Mozzie’s interaction and how they bonded!  I am curious to see how their relationship will play out in the future! The show continues to have a great supporting cast and the NYC scenes bring it to life!

On a side note, I miss Sam & Dave’s “Hold On, I’m Comin” from the premiere. It would be a great theme song!

For another take on this episode, check out A Golden Opportunity by Renata Sellitti.

Season 1, Episode 4: Flip of the Coin (originally aired November 12, 2009)

For more on White Collar, click here.

Fridays at 10/9c on USA Network

Photographs courtesy of USA, Electric Artists