Things going through my head during the first 12 minutes of the Season 5 premiere of WHITE COLLAR...
1. Wow, it took all of 12 minutes for the show to return to its status-quo with the charges against Peter being dropped. I should be impressed, though, since that's almost a record-long wait for a USA show. (How long until it turns out Peter doesn't get the promotion and remains as Neal's handler?)
2. Neal lied to Peter, no way!
3. I'm happy for Marsha Thomason for having her first child, but selfishly it's a bummer that she might be marginalized this season.
4. How did the feds authenticate the voice recording? How did Neal and Co. beat the authentication process? If you can't even trust the feds not to botch an authentication, who can you trust?
5. Is Neal really trusting Mark Sheppard's character here? C'mon, we all know he's out for revenge and trying to screw you. Neal didn't have much of a choice to play along, but he could have at least done some reconnaissance on his motives/end-game.
I thought we we headed for one of the worst episodes in the show's history.
But then I saw Mozzie in that ridiculous disguise atop the roof and all those concerns went away. Because problems with storylines and predictability aside, god dammit, if that scene with Mozzie and the negotiator didn't make you laugh and/or smile than you never liked this show to begin with.
As I've said many times, this show is at its best when Mozzie and Neal are up to no good. The crap they pulled off in this episode was far-fetched and ludicrous, but it sure was entertaining. It's precisely why I like this show so much and the only thing that could have made it even better was an appearance from the goddess herself, Alex (Gloria Votsis).
By the way, apologies that this review came so late. Somehow, I completely forgot that White Collar was coming back. Epic fail.
QUOTES OF NOTE:
--MOZZIE: "This fine piece of technology took nine months and most of your wine cabinet."
--DIANA: "It's not Neal's."
--MOZZIE: "How far-fetched, the world's most secretive organiziation keeping alien technology for their own gain" (His delivery of that line make this perhaps my favorite Mozzie quote of all time, and that's saying something.)
RANDOM RAMBLINGS:
--It bears repeating: Mozzie's disguise was one of the greatest things I've ever seen. That scene on the roof was the role Mozzie was born to play.
--Somehow I think Matt Bomer in a fireman's suit hit the sweet spot and fulfilled a fantasy for a lot of viewers.
--"Change can be good Peter," says Neal. If only the showrunners took that advice for more than 12 minutes at a time.
--First fire, let's see how he handles it!? Haha, tough crowd.
--I should have known Mozzie cracking that anklet was too good to be true. Shucks!
THE GRADE: B
