Neal Caffrey's heist at the art gallery > Walt and Jesse's train heist on Breaking Bad' this week.
Now that I've grabbed you attention and sparked your outrage, I don't really believe that. 'White Collar' and BB are vastly different shows, but that doesn't mean this week's episode of the former wasn't compelling in its own way.
'Collar' is at its best when Caffrey is on his worst behavior. Looking back through the first three seasons, all the best episodes consist of Neal (and Mozzie) stealing things, deceiving Peter, working an angle and generally getting themselves into trouble.
In 'Honor Among Thieves', Neal was at his best Neal self. He tried to get the information he needed regarding Ellen's murder using Peter's methods, but once that failed he turned to other means. Using Mozzie's awesome toys and the motivation that Rebecca Mader's character blackmailed him into, Caffrey's heist of the mobile was smooth and fun to watch.
Peter, on the other hand, wasn't as impressed when he figured out that Neal did the heist...
"I'm tired of this. I've covered for him, I've fought for him and I almost lost my job because of him."
Peter was fired up and gung-ho about busting Neal, but lo and behold, it only took a few minutes and one phone call from Caffrey to soften him up once again. (I'm shocked that Peter relented!) Not only did he relent on arresting Neal, he immediately changed his demeanor and became genuinely giddy about giving Caffrey the flash drive.
So beautifully played by Neal, who got exactly what he wanted by lying, deceiving, stealing and pretending to do the right thing afterwards. And THAT is what's so great about watching that character do his thing and why this show can be so much fun.
QUOTES OF NOTE:
--PETER (to Jones): "Who would stop in the middle of a museum robbery to get a date? .... Don't say it."
--NEAL (to Jones about Diana): "She plays with her hair when she's nervous."
--PETER (to Jones and Diana): "I'm tired of this. I've covered for him, I've fought for him and I almost lost my job because of him."
RANDOM RAMBLINGS:
--That cemetery at the beginning of the episode looks exactly like the one in the movie 'Double Jeopardy'.
--The "Headless Conman." Greatest. Invention. Ever.
--Ah, I knew it! If I knew she was doing something shady with his hair, how could Neal not?
-- I say this every week and I know it's getting old, but I have to say it again: Mozzie is the best.
--I love shady women. Especially when they are hot. Rebecca Mader's character was fun.
--Tiffani Thiessen (a.k.a. Elizabeth Burke) looks fantastic this season. And this week's installment of Eli's creepiness is complete.
THE SCORE: 87 out of 100
