White Collar: What Are Friends For?

True friends are there for you in your time of need and have always got your back. We’ve seen Neal and Peter’s friendship grow stronger throughout the season. Last week, Neal helped Peter out of a jam by erasing the judge’s tape of him and this week Peter returns the favor. Who doesn’t need a friend who will steal incriminating tapes for you?

While watching June’s granddaughter’s (Samantha) soccer game, Neal learns that Samantha is in need of a kidney transplant but has been bumped off the transplant list. June was then contacted by Melissa Calloway, from the Hearts Wide Open organization, who stated that for a donation of $100,000 they could find a kidney for Samantha. Neal is skeptical about the organization and interrupts the Burkes’ breakfast, a very entertaining scene, to tell Peter about Samantha. Peter is amused that Neal is bringing him a case and gives him the go ahead to carefully check it out.

Neal sets up an interview with Melissa and Mozzie, June’s “financial adviser,” while he breaks into Melissa’s car to further investigate. However, a cop interrupts, so Neal poses as a prosecutor and gets the cop to open the car for him. Caffrey, you really are smooth! Inside, he goes through Melissa’s paperwork and sees an invite for a tennis tournament.

Peter warns Neal about not trying to “run the show on his own.” The doctors Neal saw in Melissa’s documents all belong to Doctoral Global Initiative, a group based in third world countries. The duo speculates that Hearts Wide Open is using the third world as its own illegal organ bank. They attend the tennis tournament in the hope of finding some answers, and pretend to be DGI doctors. While there, Neal and Peter split up—Peter distracts Melissa, who has taken a liking to him, by flirting, while Neal talks to Dr. Wayne Powell, the founder of Hearts Wide Open. Their suspicions are confirmed when Powell tries to enlist Neal to find organs for him.

After the event, they learn that Powell has kidney disease and needs a specific match. Powell has the perfect cover to search for his new kidney with his fake charitable organization. Peter guesses that there are incriminating records in Powell’s clinic. Neal and Mozzie decide to check out the clinic on their own—with Neal as a doctor bringing in a crazy patient, Mozzie, who thinks he is Bruce Willis. Unfortunately, Neal gets caught in Powell’s office while faxing a list of doctors to Peter. Powell’s crooked associates strap Neal to a gurney and inject him with some sort of drug.

Peter receives the fax and tracks Neal’s anklet to the clinic; he is furious and concerned that Neal is going to go back to prison. Elizabeth gives Peter the idea to call Melissa to get into the clinic sans warrant to find Neal and she actually coaches him through the phone call.

At the clinic, Peter finds a very loopy, weak and loudly singing Neal. Neal begins confessing things like how he stole manuscripts using carrier pigeons and then states, “out of all the people in my life, Mozzie, Kate…you’re the only person in my life I trust.” After this, Peter leaves Neal for a few and returns with the surveillance tape, which will keep him out of jail. Neal says, “Peter you stole that for me?” As Peter helps the drugged Neal out he replies, “Yeah, it’s a regular Kodak moment.”

Neal and Peter need more evidence on Powell so they concoct a plan to make Powell spend the money donated for organs—they trick him into thinking his kidney is failing and Neal, posing as the doctor from DGI, calls him to say he found a match. They “fly” him to India, and pretend Powell had renal failure. Neal convinces Powell to tell him about the bank account and they arrest him! Great ending for Neal’s first case that he brings to Peter!

The episode happily ends with June’s granddaughter being placed back on the donor list and Peter sharing a romantic evening with Elizabeth.

Again, Mozzie is the best and you can always count on a great performance from Willie Garson! His crazy Bruce Willis impression—priceless! Elizabeth and Peter are perfect for each other! It was amusing how she made fun of Peter for his undercover flirting and helped him call Melissa. I’m curious to see if they will work Tiffani Thiessen’s real life pregnancy into White Collar…could lead to some funny storylines!

Not only are Neal and Peter FBI partners but also friends who continue to have each other’s backs. At times, they seem to have an almost brother-like relationship; they poke fun at each other but are always there to help when one is in a tight spot.

Until next week, I’ll leave you with some White Collar banter…

“Look at you bringing me a case.”-Peter

“That’s what us lawmen do.”-Neal

“Woah, you haven’t flirted in the 21st century?”-Neal

“A New Yorker who does not take the subway is not a New Yorker you can trust.”-Mozzie

“I don’t take the subway.”-Neal

“Precisely.”-Mozzie

“You had to flirt? You hate flirting…Please tell me there is surveillance video of this!”-Elizabeth

Season 1, Episode 10: Vital Signs (originally aired February 2, 2010)

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Tuesdays at 10/9c on USA Network

Photographs courtesy of USA and Myles Aronowitz.