Post Ep Dish - S4.04 - Parting Shots

[elrhiarhodan]

Doing the dish a little differently this week.

I finally realized something - after nearly three seasons of Dishing, that I don't get the chance to enjoy the episode as it airs because I'm trying to capture my thoughts about it in real time. So I miss a lot...and that's no fun. I've looked over the responses to this Dish, and tbh, most of them don't start coming in until 11 pm or midnight, hours after the show's ended.

So - going forward, since I since I DVR the episode anyway and can rewatch it immediately, I'm going to stop the real time squeeing, focus on enjoying the episode, and THEN formulate my thoughts, okay???

But in the interim, if you do want to get the ball rolling, please feel free to start your comments and add your thoughts, thinky or otherwise.



First Impressions

I heard the news today, oh boy,
Four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire
And though the holes were rather small
They had to count them all
Now they know how many holes it takes
To fill the Albert Hall
I'd love to turn you on.

A Day in the Life, Lyrics by John Lennon.


Yeah - Parting Shots is a good, FUN episode, but the story is not it’s strength. Let’s face it, the capers are rarely very solid, but this one, in particular, was more than a little weak. But it was also fun.

We got Sara in the plot in a way that made terrific sense. There’s an insurance payout, she’s an insurance investigator - as my friend rabidchild67 (of Rabid Squee fame) would say: “There ya go!”

Frequent readers of the Post Ep Dish know that I like Sara - I like her character, I like the actress, and I like the Neal/Sara pairing. What’s not to like about watching two smart, sexy people do sexy things to each other?

But that’s not to say that her role has been flawless - the Pulling Strings debacle was horrific example of a fine character given a ludicrous backstory, and I have to put the blame for that squarely on the WhiCo Writers and JE…

But back to Parting Shots, I liked her reintroduction in this episode. A nice amount of snark, a bit of banter and that - as they say - is that. Sara makes it clear she hasn’t been carrying a torch for Neal, and Neal seems just a little, well, cowed? Put out? Definitely unhappy about being pimped out to the blonde and lovely Sophie Covington, particularly in front of Sara, who seems equally put out. But Sara is Sara, and she pulls herself together and focuses on the job.

And since this is the Dish, what’s the Dish without some squeezing/flailing/random comments:

We finally have confirmation that Neal is actually paid SOMETHING, although it surprises me that he doesn’t have direct deposit :) Though this sort of contradicts Peter’s statements in S3.04 - The Dentist of Detroit, when Peter says “This is why we pay you the big bucks” Neal gives him a dirty look, and Peter continues, “If we paid you.” I for one, am glad that Neal is getting paid - it means he has healthcare too. And to continue to digress, that makes the Hurt/Comforteer in me very happy, because he seems to spend a lot of time in hospitals these days.

Peter is too easily creeped out. And those are really not fake glass eyes - those are, for lack of a better term, gag eyes or even an opthamologist’s model eyes. They aren’t prosthetic eyes, which are sort of shield-shaped, rather that a complete eyeball, and are even creepier. (Please take note, I am behaving myself and NOT including a picture of a real glass eye, just because I have the time to add the link).

With regards to Patterson, Peter’s boss - I have ideas about him, and once I have some time (and hopefully soon) I’m going to do a fic on that. I don’t think he’s anywhere nearly as bad as he’s actually behaving. I think there are reasons.

Getting out of Act One - I like how they did the almost kidnapping scene - interspersing Neal’s dawning realization of the danger with the military salute.

A word about that.

Ridiculous.

It looks like the memorial is at Grant’s Tomb (checking DVR now, for the first time). Yup - Grant’s Tomb. I’m not going to go into the legalities of firing any type of salute at the official resting place of a U.S. President - but you don’t just to “request” a 21-Gun salute at your memorial service. It’s an honor reserved for Presidents, heads of state and reigning monarchs, and recipients of the Medal of Honor.

Okay, ‘nuff said.

The pretty blonde widow is sort of meh as a character, but I can see that she’s just the type of woman who’d appeal to a certain part of Neal. She’s got a lot of good qualities - she's smart, intensely vulnerable, mysterious, down to earth, and she appreciates art. Sort of an upscale version of Kate.

As I kept commenting to my pal jrosemary (of White Collar Fixation note and fame), and she commenting back as the ep was airing, Sophie Covington comes across as a little too good to be true. I wish she had a bit more bite to her. Not that she’s a doormat or a cipher - it’s just that I wanted her to be a bit more realistic. Donate all $50 million??? Nah.

You know, I just realized something - Season Four is breaking with tradition - in S2 and S3, the fourth episode was a Mozzie ep - By the Book and the aforementioned Dentist of Detroit. I sort of miss that. Moz has some fine, fine moments here. I particularly love his interactions with Aunt Ellen.

And speaking of Aunt Ellen - what’s not to love about her tales of Wee Conman Neal! I wonder if that was the start of Neal’s aversion to watch-wearing (Matt Bomer commented that Neal doesn’t wear a watch at the Paley Event in May 2010, but he certainly knows his watches, as demonstrated in the limo scene in this episode).

As much as the plot was filled with holes, there was so very much to love. The banter between Peter and Neal when Peter completely failed at giving him an alias is one of the best exchanges between them since the “Bad Cop - Good Criminal” scene in Need to Know (even though Peter preferring Eisenhower is simply wrong. “Eisen” is German for “Iron”).

Can I say something about the scene where Peter gives his statement to Diana? (Of course I can, this is my Dish, after all). When I saw it in previews, I actually thought that Neal was only there in Peter’s head the first time I watched it. Neal had almost no interaction with anyone else, and it wasn’t until J-Ro pointed out that Hughes dismissed Neal that I realized that Neal wasn’t just a figment of Peter’s imagination. I am re-reading too much of my own fic.

I am pretty much going to skip to the highlights now:

Neal dodging the tail - the smile he gives to Peter and Clinton;

Reconvening Burke’s Seven at the Burke Residence, less Mozzie (who is entertaining Aunt Ellen, and Diana, who is probably planning her wedding). At least Peter still has a badge in this episode.

Moz trying to dig up dirt on Neal’s childhood - but asking if he wore ties to preschool is a little odd, since when he and Neal met, Neal wasn’t a suit kind of guy (Forging Bonds)

Peter’s bad puns

Hughes - “Don’t worry, I’ll be there to keep an eye on you. Ever tell you how much I hate that van.” If I were Copperbadge and keeping score, I’d say that Reese Hughes wins the episode. For this scene, and for what comes afterwards - the annoyance, the facepalm - and then giving Peter the go-ahead to take Mailer down.

YAY for Clinton taking off Neal’s anklet, though we don’t actually SEE him doing it. I wonder if there was any talus tickling that we weren’t privileged to see.

Neal’s quick thinking in the limo - getting Sophie safe and out of the car. Impressive.

I don’t know that if I were Mailer, I’d buy the brand of cheese Neal’s selling - but this is White Collar, and Neal can sell anything to anyone, right? And it’s true - a dead body’s a pain to get rid of. I should know :D

And for the record, this tuxedo is an improvement on the one he wore for Dentist, and no slick-backed hair, either. But his bow tie seems all out of proportion.

I love the scene between Hughes and Peter - “Careful, Peter - I don’t want you to wake up one day and not recognize yourself.” Hughes clearly has the same worries about him that Kramer (die die die die die die die) does.

Even better is when Neal reads out the board’s decision regarding Peter. “It is our recommendation that he be reinstated as Special Agent in Charge of the Manhattan White Collar Division, effective immediately.” We finally have a full title for Peter Burke - he’s SAIC!

And then there’s the eye-fucking between Neal and Peter as Neal gives the toast - “To Peter Burke, the man we all wish we could be more like.”

And the canon back story just keeps coming - Sara’s sister has a name - Emily. And from the way she speaks - she was borrowing Sara’s clothes - it seems that she’s the younger sister. I definitely got the impression from Power Play that her sister was older. Hmmm.

The climatic scene - wow! I mean I knew this was going to happen - there were spoilers out about a death of an important, but non-major character - for months. But my heart aches for Neal.

Is it the week after next, yet?

Remember - this is a wank-free zone, no character bashing, no mean-spirited comments, no ass-hattery of any shape or form will be tolerated. I am an admirer of John Scalzi and his blog Whatever. He doesn't hesitate to wield the modly Mallet of Doom, and I won't either.

Comments

[lionessvalenti.livejournal.com]

I actually watched White Collar live! The Reds were tied and I'm going to bed early for a long day tomorrow, so if I didn't, I wouldn't be able to watch until Thursday. I can't avoid spoilers on Twitter for that long, lol.

Ahhhh, it felt so good to have Sara back. I love her character so much. I obviously have shippy feelings and what not, but I don't care about them as long as she's on the show. She was kind of breaking my heart a little there at the beginning and at the end. She needs hugs. Or some healing cock. That works, right?

When Peter came up behind her while she and Neal were watching Jones interviewing Sophie, and Peter touched the small of her back, I had an involuntary flail. I have SUCH a soft spot for Sara/Peter in any sense, but that gesutre was so comfortable. (Peter and El should totally have taken Sara home for aforementioned healing cock --and clit-- after the little get together at Neal's -- I should stop writing fanfic in my comments.)

I liked Sophie and I liked the chemistry between her and Neal (Armstrong!). It felt really nice and natural. I liked her. I would like her as a real romantic interest for Neal and not just on a case.

There was a lot of Hughes in this episode! I like it! He hates the van! Poor van. I need some anybody/van fic. Stop writing fanfic.

The end was D: and I had a feeling at the beginning of the episode that something was going to happen to Ellen soon, but I wasn't expecting THAT. Meh. :(

Blah on waiting for two weeks, but I don't mind drawing it out. I'm probably the only person who liked hiatuses as much as watching the show. Anticipation is half the fun.

[elrhiarhodan]

So glad you watched it live. I have friends who think I'm crazy - but then they don't understand fandom (and have no idea about fanfic).

I agree that it was good to have Sara back - and I like the way she was brought it. I loved the relationship between Peter and Sara in the car - her slight disgust over the sandwich was just precious!

And I definitely don't mind having fanfic written in comments. Keep it coming!

I don't mind hiatuses if they aren't six months long. It was 170+ days between the first and second parts of S3 - and that's just too long. If my calculations are correct, the break will be about 3.5 months. Just long enough!

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

I watch in near-real-time but don't always get online right after. I like your new approach.

The in-two-weeks bit had spoilers from the Voiceover. That ticked me off.

Yay for getting the band back together. And yay for Neal giving Sophie the keywords so that Peter would act.

[elrhiarhodan]

Thank you! It's actually a lot more work to be cogent and not flaily, but I think I like it better - to just be able to sit back and relax.

And definitely YAY for getting Burke's Seven (sans Moz) back together. El did need more lines this week, but she's so adorbs when she's part of the scooby gang.

[surreal-44.livejournal.com]

This was an...ok episode. I don't particularly care for "fake love interest" story lines, but this wasn't as bad as I feared.

I didn't care for Sara (surprise :p ) in this episode. I get very tired of her attempts to make it clear to Neal that he is not-so-important to her, when it's clear that he does have significance in her life.

This is an on-going issue with not just Sara, but other characters as well...particularly Diana, and all too often, Peter. I don't always understand how they treat Neal, and I feel that most of the characters who are supposed to be 'good' try putting Neal in his place (beneath them, apparently) a little too often. It gets less and less amusing as the seasons progress.

And I realize probably no one will agree with me, but that's just how I feel when I'm watching certain scenes.

I was vastly disappointed that we didn't get at least one more episode with Agent Patterson and "the Cave". That was comedic gold, and provided some of the best and most hilarious moments of the series, I thought.

Ellen's death (or is it??) was not a huge surprise for me. Ellen was a woman Neal loved, and there's usually only one way they end up. :p

Sophie was darling. I thought she and Neal were adorable together, and the kiss they shared was positively steamy.

Hughes was amazing (when isn't he?), and now I want a fic with him, Jones, and Neal commiserating on how they hate the van.

ETA: Since Ellen said to trust Sam with her dying breath, I am immediately and completely convinced that he's evil. For what it's worth. :p

[sahiya.livejournal.com]

I actually liked Patterson. He might've been as one-note as Collins, but he's a lot more believable. Petty bureaucrats are a dime a dozen in government work, and he clearly enjoyed having someone like Peter under his thumb.

Also: Yay, Sara! I felt for her here, especially at the end. Those walls are in place for a reason, clearly.

[elrhiarhodan]

Share a secret - I like Patterson too. And I suspect that he's not quite the hard-ass that he's playing.

[swanpride.livejournal.com]

I like him too...well, not like him, but I understand why his character is the way he is. I have a whole backstory for him in my mind. Though I don't think that he takes personal enjoyment from treating Peter like he does, he is just a sticker to the rules, and most likely a little bit annoyed that his contribution doesn't get the same attention as big arrests.

[bandykullan.livejournal.com]

I've felt a bit down for the first episodes, they've been good but not in my top list. This one definitely goes up in the top, I loved it. There were some small nitpicks, like I couldn't see any reasy to remove Neal's anklet, it felt just like a plot device. And we all know that he always gets abducted when they remove the anklet.

The case itself I felt was ok, at first I thought it was going to be a regular "black widow" case, but the twist with Mailer made it more interesting.

What I really loved though were the characters interaction. I didn't like Sara when she was introduced, but they way she's being used in this episode makes me like her more and more. I love the tension between her and Neal, at the same time it's clear that she has her own life and can go on without Neal.

Hughes! I think I'm turning into a Hughes fangirl, his comment about the van and looking at Peter, his comments to Peter. He's just soo good. That was my squee of the episode.

Ellen. Now I've been totally spoilerfree so I didn't suspect that she was going to get killed, at the same time when it happened my first reaction was actually. "that's good for the story". I've liked Ellen, and her glimpses into Neal's past in this episode were perfect, at the same time I've felt that she's too much of an open door into Neal's background. It would be too easy for her to be around and just tell everything, now he will remain a bit of a mystery. That's the way I like it. This Sam character might be able to tell us about Neal's father, but nothing about Neal himself.

I'm still worried that the big reveal about Neal's father is going to be anti-climactic though. What was Ellen investigating that was enough for anyone to come back and kill her after such a long time?

[sahiya.livejournal.com]

What was Ellen investigating that was enough for anyone to come back and kill her after such a long time?

Yeah, this. People don't get put in WitSec for nothing. I'm thinking organized crime at this point.

[kanarek13]

Hmmm... I liked the episode but not as much as the previous one... I could have easily gone with another ep or two not dealing with serious past issues, I keep fearing Neal's poking around is gonna once again put a dent in the newly restored bromance goodness...

But there were still a lot of great moments in that one, yes, the eye-fucking continues and that is always a win \o/

Hughes wins on all levels - I have missed that man so much :D :D :D

I also gotta lol about the attempted kidnapping, I had such high hopes for that scene and I've been waiting for it for months... and didn't even get a tiny scratch on Neal *le sigh* However, I would pay that 50 mills for a fic in which the bad guy doesn't buy Neal's story and just puts a bullet in him so that Peter can arrive at the scene and do all the rescuing and begging and putting pressure on the wound :P

I have to admit that I didn't get the Eisenhower bit at first but now I think it's more about the pronunciation - Eis like eyes as in all those fake eyes in The Cave? I think that's the only thing I can come up with that makes sense :D

And now we have to wait two weeks *sad face*

[embroiderama]

I have to admit that I didn't get the Eisenhower bit at first but now I think it's more about the pronunciation - Eis like eyes as in all those fake eyes in The Cave? I think that's the only thing I can come up with that makes sense :D

Yeah, I thought it was more of Peter's awkward body-parts punning, and it made me giggle. :)

[elrhiarhodan]

I agree.

The episode was enjoyable - good fun - but not a great episode.

And yet, there was the wonderful moments with Peter and Neal - the opening scene, the alias-fail scene, the eye-fucking at the party at Neal's.

There's Hughes being a SBAMF who gets all the hugs this week.

And then all the bits of canon fill in - Neal getting paid, Peter's full title, Sara's sister's name. A rich, rich basket.

It was definitely "Eis" and in "Eyes" and it was hysterical - not so much for the bad, bad puns, but for the interaction. Neal's terminal annoyance, Peter's cluelessness, and just oh, OUR BOYS...

::smishes them so hard::

Yeah - two weeks!!! But each week the season lingers is one week less for hiatus!

[aragarna.livejournal.com]

It didn't look like Grant's tomb to me. :-/

But I so understand when you say about trying to think of what you'll write. I have a movie blog where I post reviews, and sometimes I think too much of what I am going to say in my review and it kind of takes me away of the "moment".

[elrhiarhodan]

I think you're right - it's not Grant's Tomb, but a reasonable facsimile...but I'm going to double check tonight.

[swanpride.livejournal.com]

I thought that Sara was very pointless in this episode. You could have cut her out, it would have made no difference - aside from Neal and Peter or Peter and El getting this scene on the balcony. I would have prefered some closure for them over setting up the idiotic missing sister story again. And I really, really hope that the writers don't intend to rekindle the so called romance between Neal and her, considering that Neal doesn't seem to miss her at all.

But my mayor issue with the ep was actually the end scene. I'm way more bothered by the timeline there, by seeing Sophie calling Peter, him GOING to the van instead of simply calling, then all of them going back to the bureau - by the time Peter explained what was going on and that the money should be transfered, Neal should have been dead trice. Nevermind that Neal should have worn his watch, that's pretty stupid of the FBI to assume that the grab would be made at a special spot and that Sophie didn't even tell Peter where she was. Stuff like that irritates me more than a complicated capor which somehow works nevertheless.

All in all my least fav episode in this season so far...the stories about little Neal were cute, though.

[elrhiarhodan]

I disagree with you on all your points.

[kerrylang.livejournal.com]

@kanarek13:
You win!!!! You are the only one that got the meaning of Peter's Eisenhower! Armstrong was about the arms, Hand-le-man about hands, and Eisenhower about the eyes, because Peter pronounced it really "Eye-senhower"! Congratulations, the minute I read your comment I clapped my hand to my forehead! :D

As for the ep:
I'm pleased that here are more Sara-fans, I thought I may be the only one because at Twitter and other platforms most of the people despise her. I like her banter with Neal, she is the female counterpart to Peter for Neal.

I liked all the scenes with Sara and of course with Neal/Peter and Hughes gets a candy from me because he appreciates the potential Neal and Peter have together. Kramer on the other hand was envious of the understanding Neal and Peter have even without words or even only with some clues.

The welcome back party was so great, those looks between Peter and Neal... Can I get a slashy fanfic, please? ;) There must be SOME reson they were at Neal's, right? LOL

Sara's giving up on Neal made me sad, and of course seeing the look of Neal when he realised what had happened to Ellen had me almost in tears. I hadn't thought that she would be hurt that quickly. Is now the gang who did this going after Neal? I already have a cliffhanger for the 10. episode before the hiatus in my mind and I so not hope that I'll be right.

Now 14 days waiting, I so don't like that!

[swanpride.livejournal.com]

I got it...and I'm not even a native speaker....

[embroiderama]

Let’s face it, the capers are rarely very solid, but this one, in particular, was more than a little weak. But it was also fun.

So true. I don't honestly pay that much attention to the plots of the capers, but as long as they hang some good character moments and some pretty-pretty on the frame of story I'm totally happy. And this one had plenty of both to satisfy me.

[elrhiarhodan]

There have been good capers - most of them in S2, to be honest - but you're right. I don't watch for the plot of the week, I watch for the characters, the sparkling wit, the very pretty boys and their UST - and this ep had all of that.

[elainasaunt.livejournal.com]

It's good to have WC back (I'm barely keeping up with this season), but I'm not greatly inspired by these last two eps. I think we're going to miss the Cave.

I figured Ellen for a goner from the first ep.

Sara's a good character - I like the way she meshes with the others, isn't unnecessarily scrupulous, speaks her mind.

Do we have any idea yet who's playing Sam?

[elrhiarhodan]

Treat Williams is playing Sam.



The short, sickly looking guy is Jeff Eastin.

[coffeethyme4me.livejournal.com]

Who died???

(Love that toast, d'aww!)

[coffeethyme4me.livejournal.com]

Ah, Ellen. Never mind.

I'm sure she'll live on in fic.

[ultracape.livejournal.com]

I rarely get to see the show "live" but this was one of them and I also wish we had one more with Paterson and the cave and I agree that there's more of a story there. I also loved how Neal kept alluding to the whole situation as a prison. I also am confused especially by the way Diana treats Neal. She'll risk her career for him and yet, the "what is it Caffrey," comment like he's beneath her feet is just so wrong. She doesn't like the con but she does like the man and she has trouble figuring out which Neal is being maybe.

I loved the back story about Neal in second grade and especially that he loved school because it just makes his story so much more tragic. Who can blame this man for his aliases and his cons when he grew up with an alias, his whole life being a lie, and everything and it seems everyone he loved being brutally ripped away from him.

One thing though, while I liked Ellen when we first saw her there's something I just don't trust about what she told Neal. She was hiding a lot and I don't think it was all to protect Neal. I mean Neal asks her, if his father actually did kill the cop and Ellen's answer is, "it was a long time ago." Huh? that's ridiculous.

Also, I'd love to know how she was found because, thought I doubt they'll bring him back, could it have been because Collins was looking into her?

So I'll end with my heart being torn by that look on Neal's face at the end.

[xcpb.livejournal.com]

Sometimes stupid plot points are .....stupid. For me, it made no sense for Sophie to take Neal's hat after the attempted kidnapping. The whole "avoiding the paparazzi" excuse was silly.

She was at the memorial which obviously put her in full view of any photographer who was nearby. She has her own personal security/driver so why not hop in the car to hide?!?! The viewer would know that the grieving widow's ride would have been close.

Loved Hughes, the Ellen foreshadowing was laid on too thick and I wish Neal's leather jacket would disappear. *keeps her Sara viewpoint to herself*

Edited to add: Peter's comment to Hughes "Tap me like a geyser"...brought forth all kinds of weird squick for me. I see Hughes as Peter's FBI mentor. I don't see them that "way" at all.

[elrhiarhodan]

Edited to add: Peter's comment to Hughes "Tap me like a geyser"...brought forth all kinds of weird squick for me. I see Hughes as Peter's FBI mentor. I don't see them that "way" at all.

Hmm - I didn't see any sexual innuendo there at all. Sometimes a cigar is really just a cigar.

[virgo-79.livejournal.com]

I adored this episode. The exquisite, sensitive, and very realistic portrayal of Sara, delving into the runaway issue and what it means for her and Neal (whether they're going to be lovers or friends), Hughes, Ellen (sob) -- great stuff all the way down the line.

I loved Neal's "you are such a dork" look at Peter in the alias discussion, and then the way he just turns and walks away. And his toast about wanting to be more like Peter.

I agree with you about Sophie. She was nice. Sweet. Nobody I found in any way compelling enough to care about seeing again. (She's a total Guenivere, and I'm fonder of the Morgan le Fays of the world.) I agree with whoever it was that said she was an upscale Kate. (Or at least, Kate as she wanted to be perceived. I have my doubts about her.)

Two moments that put a lump in my throat: "Things get stolen and people disappear. Most of the time you don't get them back." and "I'm family!"

Peter's line: "Good thing we were on the other side of that door. The guy who lives here would've shot ya." I cracked the hell up.

[elrhiarhodan]

I agree with whoever it was that said she was an upscale Kate. (Or at least, Kate as she wanted to be perceived. I have my doubts about her.)

That was my thought ...

Sophie was nice - but oh-so-bland and too good to be true. Give me more Sara - or women like Sara anytime.

I thought her role in this week's episode was one of her best - perfectly understated. Didn't you just love the scene at the Burkes when Peter's all but pimping Neal out to the Widow Covington and Sara's so uncomfortable, but because she's who she is, she can just get with the program.

[lauracollared.livejournal.com]

Honestly, I loved this episode. I thought Sophie was great, and I liked their chemistry. Peter Hermann wasn't so great in the episode, but I mean, what can ya do. Matt acted his ass off and I am very happy with that. And his balls were on display in the tight tux pants in the limo, so I mean: win!

And very happy to have Sara back. Can't wait to see more of that storyline.

There are always flaws with the caper, etc. but when it doesn't distract me much, I am fine with it. :)

The ending was expected because of spoilers, etc. but really well done and sad and still shocking.... Poor Neal! :(

[maiac.livejournal.com]

I've been in Canada, so I only just got to see the episode today. The story was meh, the banter between Peter and Neal was delightful, and Mozzie was MOZZIE. I enjoyed Hughes' bitching about the van, and I hope he continues to be in each episode. But! Jones and Diana were holding down the fort, but they barely had a role in this episode.

I bet Neal's description of Peter as "the man we all wish we could be more like" gave Peter a lot to think about, because it's not a stretch to assume that by "we all" Neal meant himself. (It's also ironic after Hughes expressed his concern that Peter might be losing "Peter Burke".)

I was glad to find out that Peter's not just a Special Agent, but a Special Agent In Charge. He certainly has enough responsibilities. Now I want to know Hughes' and Bancroft's titles.

I'm almost sad that Peter's already been freed from The Cave. Patterson was almost human in this episode, until Peter went off without an explanation before the work was done. I have sympathy for Patterson -- he doesn't seem to be an SOB, but rather a man who gets no respect for doing important work that requires intelligence and skill.