White Collar Review: Criminology 101

Imitation is the finest form of flattery. This week, a copycat has duplicated one of Neal Caffrey’s alleged art heists and he couldn’t be more thrilled. So, in order to apprehend the thief, White Collar’s dynamic duo must head back to school.

The episode opens with Neal admiring a recent art theft. Neal enlists Mozzie to help locate the painting. Mozzie meets with Alex (Gloria Votsis), who has resurfaced and wants his help. Neal crashes their meeting and is surprised to see Alex. She admits to laying low since the plane explosion and that she heard the painting is in Dubai. Neal receives a call from Peter to return to the FBI.

It turns out that multiple copies (forgeries) of the painting have been found in different countries. Peter has seen this scam before and says, “we have a copycat on our hands.” Diana questions, “who are they copycatting?” And, with a big smile on his face, Neal answers, “me.”

An intuitive Neal examines the forgeries and concludes that someone, most likely a talented student, painted them while standing in front of the original, when it was displayed in afternoon light. The curator states it was available to the public for a pop art exhibition and provides them with a registration log, which leads Neal and Peter to an art student named Justin. After they track him down, Justin explains that he answered an online ad to create the copies of the painting. He didn’t meet who hired him but he watched her drop off his check and drew a sketch of her. An aside, while walking on campus, Peter questions why Neal never attended college but Neal dodges the question.

Meanwhile, Neal goes to his apartment and finds Mozzie and Alex arguing. Mozzie explains that someone is after her and Russell Smith, a criminal from Detroit and whose gold Krugerrands Alex agreed to fence, is going to sell her out to whoever is looking for her. Neal tells Alex, “you know I won’t let anything happen to you.” Neal is still surprised Alex went to Mozzie for help instead of him—Mozzie suggests it is because she doesn’t want to see him heartbroken over Kate but Neal believes it is because of his tracking anklet.

Diana tracked down the girl from Justin’s sketch—another student, Veronica Naylon. She is majoring in archeology but is currently acing a criminology class. According to the syllabus, the class is spending a week on Neal, which delights him. Peter and Neal decide that Veronica might have formed a crew in this class to pull off the art heist. Neal goes to the University to talk to her.

Neal humorously interrupts the criminology class, taught by Professor Oswald and entertains the class with an impromptu Q&A. Afterwards, Neal baits Oswald by telling him that he would like to be involved in their scam since he originally laid the groundwork for it. Oswald invites Neal to a bar where he meets with some students.

Back at the FBI, Peter, Diana and Neal acknowledge that Oswald is the ringleader, taking advantage of his students and will sell out them out if caught. Also, we learn that Neal is not the only one they have copied. The students are inspired by the criminals they are studying and then try to improve their cons.

At the bar, Neal performs a few tricks for the students (Veronica is one of them) including one card trick with Alex, who he introduces to Oswald. Neal privately explains to Alex he has a plan that will close this current FBI case and solve her problem with Russell.

Russell wants to move the coins on Sunday and Neal convinces Oswald and the students to steal the coins. The FBI takes Russell into custody before the “heist” goes down and instead Agent Jones is the one the students take the briefcase holding the coins from. Neal ends up with the briefcase and puts it in a locker for Oswald to later pick up. While waiting for Oswald to show up, Jones informs Peter that Russell made his one call and talked about Alex. Peter is furious with Neal that he used the FBI to help Alex. Since they’ve already waited for hours, Neal says to check the locker, which turns out to be empty as Oswald earlier removed the coins through a false back in the locker.

At Neal’s apartment, Peter requested to speak to Alex but instead meets with her lawyer, Mozzie. Neal and Mozzie reveal to Peter that someone is after Alex, most likely the same people who killed Kate, and Russell was going to deliver her to them. They decide that they need to make Oswald reveal the coins and the painting by using Russell’s connection to the Detroit mob.

With Mozzie, an “expert” on the Detroit mob in the FBI van, he assists Peter in posing as someone from the mob in hopes that Oswald will reveal the coins and painting. Peter threatens Oswald and tells him he wants three million dollars because Oswald stole his coins. The plan is successful—Oswald goes to Alex (who is helping the FBI) to sell the painting and coins. At the end of the Oswald\Alex meeting, the FBI rushes in and arrests Oswald. Due to Neal’s advice, Peter gives Alex a ticket for a flight to Italy and publicly thanked Russell for his help with the FBI. They then go to Oswald’s criminology class to arrest the three involved students.

The episode comes to a close with Peter examining the music box and a mysterious keyhole. While the music box plays, we watch Alex say goodbye to Neal. She gives him the “last piece of the music box,” a key, and kisses him goodbye.

First, let me say that the episode’s scenes of New York were exquisite. I always enjoy the New York scenery but this week they really stood out. I couldn’t help but remember my set visit when Matt Bomer described the New York scenes as White Collar’s love letter to the city.

Mozzie can do no wrong in my eyes and his assisting with this investigation especially made me laugh. Although, I was a little surprised that he would so willingly be in the FBI surveillance van helping out “the suits.” But he did seem to get a kick out of it.

Welcome back but also goodbye again to Alex. I’m somewhat melancholy about this because I like her character and was happy to see her back. I think she fits in well with the boys and I wonder how long she will stay in Italy.

So I have to admit that I’m growing more and more curious about the music box. What could be so important about it or more precisely in it?

Until next week, my fellow Collars, I’ll leave you with two of my favorite lines from this week:

Neal: I still can’t imagine you hunched over a desk with a little visor doing my taxes. You’re lucky the FBI hires mathletes.

Peter: I was not a mathlete. I was an athlete who was good at math.

Neal: Yeah, we fraternity guys called you nerds.

Peter: Oh look at you. You’d think being copycatted was like winning the crime Oscar.

Neal: What, I’m not allowed to revel?

Season 2, Episode 3: Copycat Caffrey (originally aired July 27, 2010)

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Tuesdays at 9/8c on USA Network

Photographs courtesy of USA and Eric Liebowitz.