White Collar: Blindsided by Deception

How do you pause one of the best new TV shows midseason and keep viewers engrossed? Mix deception, betrayal and lies with a shocking cliffhanger and the result…viewers will be counting down the days until its return in January. The episode begins in typical White Collar fashion with Neal pining after Kate and a new case to work on, although that changes quickly.

An expensive NYC boutique runs a promotion displaying the “world’s most exotic pink diamond.” The FBI is called in when the manager believes the diamond may have been stolen and replaced with a forgery because the security footage shows a masked man in their vault. After Neal’s examination, he concludes the diamond is fake.

Back at the FBI headquarters, Garrett Fowler of OPR (Office of Professional Responsibility), the Internal Affairs of the FBI, shows up for a “standard review” but he really wants to pin the jewelry heist on Neal. Fowler has persuasive evidence against Neal including six hours that are missing from the tracking of his ankle monitor on the night of the heist.

Neal and Peter interview their top suspect, Adrian Tulane, a well-known forger. Tulane has an alibi, on the other hand, Neal does not. Burke begins to doubt Neal and has Agent Jones find Neal’s signature on his forged bonds. The next thing we know Neal’s signature has also been found on the forged diamond and Fowler arrests Neal.

In jail, Peter tells Neal he let him down but Neal retorts that he was set up. Neal also believes that whoever set him up with the diamond is also involved with Kate’s disappearance. Mozzie poses as Neal’s lawyer; they launch a crafty plan that gives them access to FBI files and allows Neal to make a dangerous escape out of the judge’s office window during his arraignment, which Peter witnesses.

Burke is once again asked to find Neal but his job is made easier because Elizabeth brings Neal to their house after he calls her asking for help. Neal explains his theory to Peter that Fowler set him up and that he even bugged his house phone. He also confesses to trying to find Kate, his suspicion that the man holding Kate is FBI and shows Peter the picture of the man with the ring. Peter agrees to try to clear Neal from the jewelry heist and investigate Fowler and OPR.

The duo later meets up at the boutique to take a closer look at the vault. Inside it, they discover a tunnel connected to the vault that the masked man used to escape. By the exit of the tunnel, a building has a security camera, which caught Adrian Tulane on tape. During an interrogation, post-arrest, Tulane says, “the more I learn, this whole case seems like a setup.” I couldn’t agree more.

At the FBI, the agents and Neal celebrate the capture of the real jewelry thief when Neal receives a phone call from Kate. She tells him again to give the man what he wants (what would that be?) and not to trust anyone. Later, Mozzie tells Neal about a hotel room rented by Fowler. Neal rushes over there expecting to find Kate but instead walks in on Fowler and a bunch of FBI agents working on “operation mentor.” Fowler mocks Neal as he yells out for Kate. Neal confronts him about following him and tapping his phone. Fowler explains that he didn’t bug his phone. The episode ends as we see Kate walking into a room with the man with the ring sitting in a chair who says “hello Kate.” She responds “hello PETER,” yes the man with the ring appears to be Agent Peter Burke who states, “we need to talk about Neal.” Totally didn’t see that coming!!!

My gut reaction–Peter is not the “bad guy!” Peter comes across as a very straight and narrow FBI agent. For him to make a complete 180-degree character change would be unbelievable. If Peter has kept Kate from Neal, it would destroy this dynamic duos’ partnership, which is the premise of the show. Also a pinky ring is too flashy for simplistic Agent Burke who often wears the same suit and prefers his old watch to the expensive new one Elizabeth gave him in the episode “Threads.” Could it be a bug/tracking device and he is undercover?

I don’t entirely trust Kate, perhaps she is conning Neal. She seems very free for someone who is being kept from Neal. She looked shocked to see Peter, which I don’t think you’d be that surprised to see the person who is controlling you. Other theories…could she be an undercover FBI agent or being coerced to help the FBI? Is the bureau using Kate to get to Neal or his hidden stash? Is she somehow related to Elizabeth or Peter?

These theories seem to lead to more unanswered questions like what is the “mentor operation?” Why is Fowler investigating Peter? We are definitely missing a few pieces to the puzzle.

Kudos to USA Network and White Collar’s creative team for a superb fall finale! They certainly heightened anticipation for the renewal of the show in January. Message boards are abuzz with viewers’ opinions on what will happen next.

Cannot wait to see what happens on the 2010 premiere of White Collar, on its new night, Tuesday Jan. 19^th! Let me leave you with some clues from White Collar creator/executive producer, Jeff Eastin’s twitter…“don’t assume anything you see is what it seems” and “clue: it was set up from the beginning. How does Peter find Neal in the pilot?”

For another take on this week’s episode, check out OhMyGod OhMyGod OhMyGod by Renata Sellitti.

Season 1, Episode 7: Free Fall (originally aired December 4, 2009)

For more on White Collar, click here.

Fridays at 10/9c on USA Network

Photographs courtesy of USA, Electric Artists, and David Giesbrecht