White Collar Review: Neal Caffrey 2.0

A young conman, “a Neal Caffrey for the new millennia,” has run rampant in NYC stealing extravagant items like a solid gold toilet brush holder from the wealthy, and then making donations to charities. When “Robin Hoodie,” as Neal coined him due to his disguises, appeals to Neal for help, Neal must decide to lends a hand to his fellow conman or turn him in.

The episode opens with Sara (Hilarie Burton) waking up in Neal’s apartment and Neal (Matt Bomer) cooking her a delicious breakfast. This couple just exudes sexiness! Peter (Tim DeKay) shows up and interrupts their romantic morning. Sara and Neal clarify their relationship to Peter—they are in an “awkward undefined stage” and they are taking it one day at a time. I have to admit their relationship has been very smooth…could there be some roadblocks ahead?

The FBI has tracked mini-me Neal Caffrey to an apartment, but as they break down the door they find they’ve been outsmarted. Not only is the young conman not there, he’s left pictures of his disguises and stolen items that spell out FBI on the wall.

Later Mozzie (Willie Garson) turns up at Neal’s apartment to begin plotting their escape. Moz wants to create permanent identities but Neal refuses to do it in the way that involves dead infant birth certificates. Neal does agree to the permanent identities if there is another way to get them.

Back at the FBI office, they are meeting to discuss this new conman, who turns out to be twenty-year-old Scott Rivers (Hutch Dano). Neal is not impressed, calling Scott “a kid who likes shiny things” and he quickly grows tired of people saying Scott is a younger version of himself.

Working late at the Burke’s home, Neal and Peter try to figure out what “Robin Hoodie” will steal next. They discover there’s already been a donation to an organ charity. Elizabeth (Tiffani Thiessen)comes home and lets it slip that Peter plays Angry Birds…awesome! She also helps with the brainstorming—she suggests looking for a motorcycle because hospitals call them “donor-cycles.” Neal and Peter set out to find the individual who owns the most expensive motorcycle in NYC. It turns out to be an extremely pompous man, Chad Stewart (Jeffrey Omura), who at first turns down protection from the FBI at a party he is hosting. To convince him that he needs extra protection, Neal steals his watch in under two minutes and without him noticing.

During the party, Chad proves to be difficult when he keeps revealing that the FBI is there. Neal spies Scott aka Robin Hoodie staring at the motorcycle and starts a conversation, but they’re interrupted by a woman who wants to talk to Scott. Neal catches the woman putting something in Scott’s drink and stops him from drinking it. This causes a scene and Scott makes a dramatic exit, stealing the motorcycle and driving through a glass window.

The FBI arrested the woman who slipped potassium cyanide in Scott’s drink. Diana (Marsha Thomason) interrogates her while Neal and Peter observe. Neal describes Scott as “a kid having the time of his life. He’s impulsive, arrogant and has no idea how in over his head he is.” Peter questions if he can be saved but Neal explains “a con is a rush” or “an addiction” and someone needs to hit “rock bottom” before they can change. Neal throws out he hasn’t hit rock bottom yet. Well, what is rock bottom for Neal Caffrey—any ideas?

Meanwhile, Diana has done some investigating—Scott stole a diamond encrusted bustier and the diamonds were from a different heist. So, if the person who originally stole the diamonds kills Scott, it destroys any evidence connecting them to the original diamond heist. Also, Diana explains Thomas Carlyle was suspected for stealing the diamonds. Peter and Diana pay Carlyle a visit and he denies knowing Scott but says “if someone stole from me recently, they’d regret it.”

Neal and Mozzie meet up. Moz has found a solution for their future new identities and that word on the street is that Scott is looking for Neal. They meet with a man who has identities—Victor Moreau, which is odd because it is Kate’s last name, for Neal and Bob for Mozzie.

Next, Mozzie brings Scott to meet with Neal, but things go a bit awry when the find Carlyle trailing them. To lose him, Mozzie hacks an ATM machine to shoot money, causing a mob of people, which allows Scott to slip away. Neal grabs Scott and encourages him to turn himself in. Scott questions, “you’re Neal Caffrey. Are you really telling me there isn’t another way?”

Back at Neal’s apartment, Mozzie, Neal and Sara plot how to help Scott or if they should. Sara suggests Neal is a role model for him. Scott implores them for help and Neal agrees, saying the first step is to get Carlyle off Scott’s back.

At the FBI office, Diana tells Peter a Degas painting has been posted on the black market. They aren’t sure if it’s on the u-boat log and Peter plans to move the original copy of the log from the office.

Neal, Scott, Mozzie and Sara execute their plan to put the bustier back in the safe and make it look like it was there the whole time. Mozzie trails Carlyle while Neal and Scott, who look dashing in their suits, use an umbrella to block the security cameras while Scott breaks into Carlyle’s office.

Next up is Sara, who is wearing the bustier, and announces to security, “I’m here for Mr. Carlyle.” Scott, pretending to be Carlyle’s assistant, lets her up to the office, but he starts to panic when he sees Carlyle upgraded his safe. Neal is waiting outside the building when Peter shows up to confront him. Neal insists he has a plan and that it’s under control but he needs an hour to try to bring Scott in.

Sara then texts Neal that she needs his help—Neal and Scott work together to try to open the safe. Unfortunately, Mozzie calls with some bad news: Carlyle is on his way to his office. Luckily, Peter stalls Carlyle a bit and when they go up to find his office, it’s empty. But Peter notices that the safe door is open and the bustier inside. Carlyle denies it was in there but Peter says, “you’re alleging a thief broke into your office to crack an un-crackable safe to give you back millions of dollars in diamonds” and then with Jones for backup, they arrest him.

As Peter is arresting Carlyle, Neal does his best sell job to convince Scott to turn himself in. He says, “Peter is the smartest man I’ve ever known. He caught me and he will catch you.” Also, that if he runs Scott will constantly be looking over his shoulder and “can never share your life with anyone.” But Scott disappears.

Back at the office, Neal tells Peter he “screwed up” and thought he was getting to Scott. Just as Peter says he understands, Jones walks in with Scott in handcuffs; he’s turned himself in after all. Neal asks why and Scott responds, “stealing stupid things from rich people was already getting boring. Or ‘cuz what you said got to me. Whichever makes you feel better.” The conmen shake hands. Peter and Neal then have this little exchange:

Neal: “Give him some time. People don’t change overnight.”

Peter: “Believe me, I know. I work with living proof of it. But they do change.”

The episode closes with Neal practicing saying his new permanent identity name, Victor Moreau. He hides the passport in his safe behind the painting in his bedroom, but when Neal goes to get in the shower, Sara notices the picture slightly open to the safe. She opens the passport to see the new identity and doesn’t look pleased. Looks like there will be some trouble in paradise.

Would love to see Hutch Danoagain in a future episode! It was neat to see both Mozzie and Neal in “teacher mode” showing Scott some old school conman ways.

I do think Mozzie is going to end up disappointed by Neal with their plan to escape with the treasure. Clearly, Neal is playing Peter a bit but he’s also kidding himself. I can’t imagine Neal abandoning his relationships with Peter, Elizabeth, June or Sara. It would change the premise of the entire show and the show must go on.

Also, still waiting for Matthew Keller’s return. I miss that Scottish accent…

Collars, get ready for next week with the preview.

Season 3, Episode 6 “Scott Free” (original airdate July 12, 2011)

White Collar airs Tuesday nights at 9/8c on the USA Network

Images courtesy of Will Hart and USA.