White Collar Review: Criminese

“You know what they say—old con men never die. Our smiles just fade away.”

This week, White Collar takes a walk down memory lane when June’s late husband Byron’s old partner in crime reemerges, igniting a protective streak in Neal. The old friend is Bradford “Ford” Tullman (Billy Dee Williams), who has moved back to Manhattan. Neal doesn’t trust Ford, and asks Diana to run his fingerprint off of a coin. It turns out the print belongs to Jonas Ganz, a criminal with a long rap sheet who also happened to be Ford’s cellmate in jail.

Diana begins to trail Ganz. Meanwhile,  June shows Neal an old photo album of her, Byron and Ford. She also mentions that Ford asked about a specific suit that belonged to Byron. Neal finds the suit in his fantastic closet (I’m jealous!), and inside he discovers a hidden piece of paper. Later, Ford visits Neal in his apartment and reminisces about the casino he used to run there with Byron. He also invites Neal to dinner with June.

Neal enlists Mozzie’s help in figuring out what’s so important about the slip of paper. Neal believes Ford is trying to finish a con he began with Byron.

Neal and Moz are interrupted by call from Peter, who explains Ganz is forming a crew. Also, he would like to bring Ford into the FBI office to talk to him. Instead, Neal invites Peter and Elizabeth to dinner to talk to Ford, but Peter adamantly shoots down Neal’s “covert interrogation” idea. Neal, however, goes behind Peter’s back and calls Elizabeth, who agrees to the dinner, admitting a fondness for mixing business and pleasure. Peter’s expression during this scene is priceless.

In the phenomenal dinner scene, Neal and June sing a duet while Ford plays piano. We also learn Peter and Elizabeth took a salsa class last year, which greatly amuses Neal. A phone call from Mozzie alerts Neal the paper from Byron’s suit was a receipt for a walnut leather coffee table, which had some custom work done. In Byron’s study, Neal finds a money plate for one hundred dollar bills hidden in the very same piece of furniture. Minutes later, Neal brings Peter to show him the hidden plates only to find they’re missing, and that Ford is gone.

Peter and Neal realize that to print false money Ford will need ink, paper, and a press. They theorize that Ganz and his gang are planning to steal the additional items. Diana’s stakeout of Ganz and his crew is successful when they’re able to apprehend Ford at Ganz’s hideout. Ford spills the beans that this was supposed to be his final score with Byron. He also confesses he rubs his fingers with a stone every morning so his fingerprints won’t show up on things he touches.

The plan to stop the printing of the forged money is to send Neal and Ford undercover into Ganz’s crew. Neal makes the mistake of questioning whether or not Ford is ready to go undercover. Ford’s snarky response? “Son, I once walked out of the Met holding a Renoir.”

It takes some convincing, and to Peter in the surveillance van it sounds like they’re speaking “Criminese,” but Ganz eventually accepts Neal into his crew.

Neal notices some green ink on the forger’s fingerprints from his arrest and deduces Ganz is still after the paper for the fake currency. Unfortunately, Ganz shows up at June’s house and forces Neal to come with the crew to steal the paper while it is en route.

Ford has also eluded the FBI and is at the hideout where Neal and Ganz are heading with the paper. We glimpse Ford filling a briefcase with newspaper cut into stacks like money. Ganz forces Ford and Neal to start printing the money, which looks to be quite an elaborate process.

Peter, with Moz’s help, figures out Byron must be hiding out at the old Lenox Lounge, seen in June’s photo album. Sirens spook Ganz, which gives Ford time to switch the briefcases so Ganz will take the case filled with newspaper. Neal sees this and switches the briefcases back. Outside, Ganz tries to get away but Diana forcefully arrests him.

Inside, Neal offers to help Ford and gives him the option of working with the FBI as a witness rather than running. Unfortunately, Ford shoots down Neal’s offer and decides to run with what he thinks is the money, but is really the briefcase filled with newspaper. Peter tries to comfort Neal and tells him, “One thing Byron figured out that Ford never did, there is no such thing as a final score. Only the next one. Unless you figure it out, you’re going to lose in the end.”

Back at June’s house, June, who is visibly upset, discusses Ford with Neal. She explains she knew what type of man Ford was but wanted to remember “what Byron and I had. Even if it was just for awhile. Maybe I wanted to go dancing again.” Neal asks June to dance, leaving me a bit misty-eyed.

Moz and Neal meet, and Neal asks Moz if he’s thought about “how this is all going to end?” They discuss options—big score, big house, or the true love route (which Moz insists is the biggest con of all). Neal also reveals the money printing plate has found its way back inside Byron’s table for a “rainy day.”

Hats off to White Collar writer Jim Campolongo for a memorable episode overflowing with witty lines! It was enjoyable to see each character in the cast shine and, of course, a more June-centric episode with special guest star of Billy Dee Williams. To have both the legendary Diahann Carroll and Billy Dee Williams together in this episode was an exceptional treat!

Two weeks until a brand new episode  and the return of my favorite White Collar villain, Matthew Keller (Ross McCall)!

For another opinion on this week’s episode, see “Lando Strikes Back” by Josh Hatala.

Season 2, Episode 13 “Countermeasures” (original air date February 8, 2011)

White Collar airs Tuesdays at 10/9c  on USA.

Images courtesy of Will Hart and USA Network.