Post-Ep Dish - S5.03 - One Last Stakeout

[elrhiarhodan]

Okay folks, time for this edition of the Post Ep Dish. I’m going to apologize in advance. Had a crappy night followed by a crappy day following by an equally crappy evening and came into this with a bad frame of mind. So, the squee of consciousness got a little dismal at points and please don’t take it as squee-harshing, just my own bad, bad mood.

At least I'm co-watching with my dear friend, theatregirl7299, who's doing her very best to ignore the funk of negativity that I've been wallowing in.



And it's another beautiful day in fantasy-land New York, where the weather's always 80 degrees, there's no humidity, the sky is a perfect blue and there are no homeless people around to interfere with Michael Bloomberg's vision of NYC as the home for the wealthy and corrupt. /end editorial and go vote DeBlasio

It’s time for a bunch of interesting David Siegel factoids. He’s recently divorced - phantom ring. Doesn’t like ironic eyeware? That rules out Williamsburg - most definitely. But when money’s no object, how about Greenwich Village. Yeah, ONLY when money’s no object.

So, we’re really supposed to believe that Siegel’s secretly rich? Huh? Don’t buy it for an instant. Something tells me he’s blowing a lot more smoke up Neal’s ass. (Or maybe not?)

I find myself actually liking the guy. He’s smart, but not THAT smart and he treats Neal with respect. I don’t want him to hang around for more than another two eps though. Get thee back to the midwest.

Great line, Neal: “Give a conman a secret - you live a dangerous life.”

Peter’s surprisingly copasetic about Hagen’s release. I guess he’s moved on already. Already scoping out townhouses in Georgetown, Assistant Director Burke???

Nah, prison didn’t change him - of course not.

Hagen’s fucking insane. He only needs Chapter 13? But Hagen is, probably, the best villain of the series since Keller.

And so we meet The New Love Interest. She’s cute and another Ginger, but no Sara. A little to sweet and fluttery. And I need to point everyone to the totally awesome meta, by veleda_k, which only makes me miss Sara that much more.

Just realized that Rebecca reminds me a bit - mostly mannerisms - of Edward Walker's assistant from Withdrawal. She was a ginger too - gotta say that the casting directors have as much of a type as Peter.

Gotta love Neal’s playful side - going to coffee trucks outside of ATMs just to taunt his new handler.

And JONES IS PROMOTED!!!!! Finally. But I’m sad that Neal didn’t go join the celebration. It’s like he’s punishing himself.

"Suit the Sequel" Very cute, Moz.

Got to love the dialogue in this episode - a treasure trove of really great lines. Very snappy, very fresh.

"There are some lies not even I can stop." Of course if Moz stops drinking, the show has to end.

Zev!!!!! I’ve used that name in a character. Not quite in the same way. Gotta love that Moz has a literal enemies list.

Okay, the fake combover on Moz is revoltingly adorable.

Neal in vest - always worth watching. And he’s running a rig on Siegel… Brilliant. But he should be doing that with Peter.

And the slightly sad look on Peter’s face, and in truth he’s not REALLY all that sad, is he? Guess he needs time to shop for a historic center hall colonial in Alexandria.

Baked parchment, just like mamma used to make. Mozzie - hate to tell you that you don’t know if your mamma baked or not.

Boy, Neal can sell it. And then, not? You really see how he switched the charm on and off.

Interesting that the Ford plate is now blacked out. I guess when you’re no longer a sponsor, you get wiped away!

Elevator button fortune. Cute. Okay, so maybe the fortune’s real.

“Neal - stay put.” What is he, a dog?

And Peter shows! Do I have to remind you Neal that the best laid plans…

Oooh, it’s Neal’s turn to be cruel. And boy did that hurt. Neal, Peter and ME. That wasn’t a bandaid being ripped off, it was a knife in my heart.

Mozzie without glasses is almost unrecognizable. I keep forgetting he’s got baby blue eyes.

Apparently Zev’s better than Moz thought.

And what the FUCK is with Elizabeth? Last week, it’s all “oh, you need to talk to Neal. This week, it’s “Just cut the damn cords and forget about him.” Dear friend and fellow squee-er, theatregirl7299 , suggests that maybe El's getting seduced by all the goodies that are coming with Peter's promotion.

Rutroh! - Neal’s going to get fingered by Rebecca. But not unless he does some fingering first

Hmmm, Peter’s taking the blame? Because he distracted Neal? Furrows brow, trying to buy it.

“Do what you and Peter always do. Solve it.” Cute, Mozzie. If only it was that easy. And apparently it was. Peter and Neal together again, one last time. And it doesn't take them 10 mins to figure it out.

And another Rutroh! Neal was really sweating that one. But Peter inadvertently rescued him. Hmmmm. Next time.

"Knockoff Suit". The MacGuyver references. FLAILS - DIES The banter between Neal and Moz is some of the best of the series. And I love how Neal recognizes that he's off his game, making mistakes. As theatregirl7299 wisely pointed out, Neal is scattered without peter so he's making mistakes.

And holy shit, Siegel's been tracking Neal - because that's what he does. And what he's supposed to do.

Now comes Elr's big mistake. She thought the ep was over and didn't want to see anything to do with Covert Affairs. Thank goodness that theatregirl7299 screamed at her to watch the very end.

I AM SHOCKED. Seriously, utterly and completely shocked. And in a good way.

Nothing bad ever happens in White Collar land. Come on - Moz gets shot and survives without so much as a scar. Neal gets shot and climbs a tree 12 hours later. Elizabeth is kidnapped - TWICE.

And they kill off an EFF BEE EYE agent. Just like that. Someone that wasn't a baddie. Someone who was likable and decent and someone I was prepared to tolerate for a few more episodes until he decided to get back together with his wife and settle down in the San Francisco field office.

I found myself rethinking my less than complimentary thoughts about the ep - that it was too much. Too fast paced. Too hard to bear - sort of like what happened in As You Were. It couldn't imagine how they were going to recover the relationship. I've been left feeling that way a lot by White Collar over the seasons, and if there's one thing I keep forgetting - it's that they never let the bitterness between the boys go on too long. And watching the Next Week on White Collar, it seems that Neal's going to come clean.

I'm also reminded that we were warned that Peter and Neal wouldn't be "in the same room" for a while in Season 5. I thought that they meant that literally. And I know that our show runner is notorious for his misdirection, and after Peter was released early in At What Price, I just discarded it as a bit of JE's slight of hand. But not, apparently. Peter and Neal really haven't been in the same room - and hopefully with the next episode, that will change.

The only thing I'm sorry about is that this means the end of Mozzie's wonderful wigs and hairpieces.

One final thought. What happens when Peter checks Neal's tracking data and sees that he was at the very location where Siegel was shot not a few hours before?



Anyway - this is the Dish, Season Five, Episode Three - One Last Stakeout. Share your thinky and not-so-thinky thoughts. Where you as blown away as I was?

Comments

[monkeyonthelam.livejournal.com]

Just a quick note, I was shocked too. But, then I talked to Damietta and she reminded me about how Kate blew up in a plane. I wasn't the biggest fan od Kate, so it didn't resonate with me as much, but it still counts as a death. Neal did see his girlfriend blown up in flames, and then there was Ellen, so Neal is not entirely unaccustomed to good people dying.

Baby blues

[ruahnna.livejournal.com]

Willie has gorgeous baby blues. There are a couple of wonderful pics of them...could melt your heart, they could! I find Mozzie quite appealing, and not just in a "weird friend" kind of way--he's smart and accomplished and well-read and I love his clothes. What were you saying again?

[caseyf123.livejournal.com]

I have to say, I wasn't expecting that ending. Nice move on WC's part.

[meeni (from livejournal.com)]

I have to say after Kate this is the time i am in shock...

i kinda started liking the new handler and want the Dutchman or Crowley or Hagen behind bars like NOW
ETA:

what was Seagal going to ask Neal? and why he didn't ask?

[sinfulslasher]

OMG they killed off Siegel!!! O_o /o\ I swear I didn't see that coming! I thought he'd be around for a couple more eps, tbh, and I didn't expect him to die! I liked the guy! I liked how he kept Neal on his toes! Ack!

Um yeah. Had to get that off my chest.

Other than that, it's 3-0 as far as I'm concerned. Loved this ep. Love the caper, the "early seasons feel" to the show, wigs!Moz, banter between Neal and Siegel (it's reminiscent of the early Neal & Peter banter, and you gotta love the cat-and-mouse-play) and the best one-liners between Neal and Moz. There's Hagen, which is always a plus. Gives me the creeps, the guy. *smishes Mark Sheppard*

Now, I don't dislike Rebecca but I don't see much chemistry between her and Neal. I did like seeing Neal flirt and be all charming though. *swoon* And it's nice to see that he learns the hard way that there are consequences to his actions. Innocent by-standers get hurt by what he does.

The boys broke my heart in the car. Oh Neal. I know he said the things he said to get rid of Peter, but...the looks on both of their faces. D: *smishes them hard* At least he apologized later on.

I know people will love Jones getting promoted. Good for him, I just don't much care either way about the character, so... *g* Still, he deserves it, so yay. :) Too bad he's gonna have to be demoted again once Peter loses his current position. LOL! (Come on, they're not gonna keep things at status quo, are they?)

I'm still reeling a bit and should probably go rewatch the ep. That last minute blew my fucking mind. O.o And next week looks awesome, so I can't wait for that one!

[kerrylang.livejournal.com]

I was a bit spoilered about Siegel. Tim said something about the new handler in an Interview and I knew in an instant that the man won't last long but that he is gonna be killed by Hagen or someone Hagen told to do the deed like in the Pilot, I never would have guessed.

I am really shocked about it and as much as I love Neal I think it's time to come clean because to be honest, it's quite enough now. An agent was killed and yes, Neal is responsible for that.

All in all it was not the best ep for me. The new girl is cute and I want to see her and Neal together without Neal planning a heist. Mozzie was funny and I think they killed Siegel partly for him as well, so he can live along without Siegel being able to recognize him.

So, there is nothing to squee about for me this time. I'm sad that the need to kill of a young man to make Neal realize that he made big mistakes. And I don't know if he really is going to confess to anything in the next ep.

And where was Peter's "I need you to come with me" from the preview? I'll tell ya, I hate those previews because they are nothing than misdirection :(((((.

Have to read some light fanfic to get over this ep.

[ultracape.livejournal.com]

Except for the feel of Neal's house of cards about to fall each and every episode, I've been enjoying them all.

I was getting to like Segal. He was like Peter in that he gave Neal a lot of respect, which was real, and he was no fool, despite the fact that Neal was playing him. I think he accepted that Neal was playing him on principle, not on any specific thing and so he kept close tabs on him on principle. I also liked his back story. He actually was very like Neal as well, he lost everything for the sake of what he thought was right. Neal and Peter could both end up back in prison with what's going on, both for the sake of what they think is right.

El, I just can't figure out anymore unless it's all about control. She wants control over Neal so that he'll do her bidding and she's using Peter's friendship with him like a carrot to control both of them. She'll let Peter out to play just enough to keep the bond going but then she'll reel Peter back in when they are slipping the leash.

One thing should be clear though, everytime Peter does not follow his instincts, something goes wrong, in this case, the museum heist. Really, if Peter was there and Neal could not go through with the heist, there wasn't anything Hagen could do if he didn't want to lose his golden goose.

Okay, Segal's murder, could be Hagen, could be somebody from his family or who he arrested, or, and this is a long shot here, it could be Mozzie.

Mozzie had no problem putting a hit out on Keller so the idea of having someone murdered is not out of the question for him.

Because of Segal, Mozzie lost everything and Segal could make Mozzie. If he did, Peter would know Neal was covering for Mozzie, well he knows that already. But there might not be anything he could do to protect Neal as it's Segal who saw him. Let's say that while it's doubtful, I wouldn't be surprised if it was Mozzie who was behind it.

Also, I'm thrilled that they switch to Thursday so I can finally see this when it's broadcast instead of having to wait. However, next week really looks like a good one and it's my birthday as well, but do I get to sit home and enjoy the show. NO, I have to work. Darn. Well, there's always Optonline and Amazon.

[maiac.livejournal.com]

Mozzie had no problem putting a hit out on Keller so the idea of having someone murdered is not out of the question for him.

I think Mozzie put the hit out on Keller out of desperation, and could do it because Keller was a homicidal psychopath. At least, I don't want to think that Mozzie is so amoral he could wish death on someone who wasn't evil. Anyway, if he's going to whack somebody, why not Hagen? Hagen's the bigger threat.

[joy2190.livejournal.com]

Wow, did not see THAT coming! I can't see how Peter will ever forgive Neal for his involvement in Siegel's death, however peripheral. He was an agent after all. Looking forward to seeing how they are going to resolve this.

[maiac.livejournal.com]

So, we’re really supposed to believe that Siegel’s secretly rich? Huh? Don’t buy it for an instant. Something tells me he’s blowing a lot more smoke up Neal’s ass. (Or maybe not?)

Yeah, there was something about Seigel that pinged my bullshit detector. He was so confiding, I didn't believe a word of it. It just felt like everything he said was contrived to gain Neal's confidence -- like he was more of a con artist than Neal.

Peter’s surprisingly copasetic about Hagen’s release.

Yeah, that was definitely handwaving. Peter makes a very big deal about telling Neal that the evidence against Hagen has been moved into the FBI building; Peter gets suspicious and checks the evidence floor; Peter finds out the evidence was damaged beyond usefulness and Hagen is released... and Peter's not suspicious? Oy.

Just realized that Rebecca reminds me a bit - mostly mannerisms - of Edward Walker's assistant from Withdrawal. She was a ginger too - gotta say that the casting directors have as much of a type as Peter.

She reminded me of Agent Melissa Matthews, somehow, though Matthews was blonde. Maybe it's the glasses, and the "shit happens" pragmatism about losing her job. (Matthews didn't lose her job, but she was well aware that she could lose it if anybody found out she'd told Neal about the manifest.)

I’m sad that Neal didn’t go join the celebration. It’s like he’s punishing himself.

I think he had to go plot a robbery with Mozzie.

it’s Neal’s turn to be cruel. And boy did that hurt.

It did hurt, but then I realized that it was kind of justified. You can't have it both ways, Peter.

Now comes Elr's big mistake. She thought the ep was over and didn't want to see anything to do with Covert Affairs.

I made the same mistake, but then I found out that there Was More. Yikes. I was very surprised; I thought Seigel was going to be in more episodes. I'm Not Happy that the show is (once again) resorting to murder as plot device. There are so many ways the storyline could be suspenseful and imaginative without killing people.

What happens when Peter checks Neal's tracking data and sees that he was at the very location where Siegel was shot not a few hours before?

(a) Handwaving will occur: Peter won't check Neal's tracking data. After all, when he got Suspicious Face in the last episode, he went up to check the evidence floor instead of just pulling up Neal's tracking data to find out whether he might be up/over there.

(b) Since Seigel's been overeagerly checking Neal's tracking data, the obvious explanation is that he went to the neighborhood to find out what's there that might interest Neal and Something Happened unconnected with Neal's presence. Neal will have thought of an alibi for why he was in the neighborhood.

[sheenianni.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. I liked this episode. Not as much as the previous one, but I liked it.

When Mozzie and Neal said that they would have to solve Hagan's puzzle to outplay him, I thought "uh-uh - that sounds way too easy. There'll be a catch." However I did not expect Siegel to be shot. I'd been waiting for bad things to come from Hagan - he had that book dealer killed in Season 1 just because he might possibly talk - but this didn't even occur to me. It's the first time in a long while that the show caught me completely by surprise, and I like it - except I want Siegel back!!!

I was surprised how much Siegel's death shook me. I couldn't really read him last episode, but now I was truly starting to like him - as you said, he was smart, he had respect for Neal... He has won me over in this one, and I want him back! I liked the way he was starting to connect with Neal but more than that, I want him apartment hunting and getting that new start. The guy deserved so much more more than being shot in an alley. I want Hagan to pay - and not just being shot as the show loves to do with their villains, I want him locked up for the rest of his life: a) because the guy's a psychopath, b) because he had a chance to start anew (not that he would - he's Hagan - but Neal gave him that chance) and instead went to commit another murder - in this case, karma should be a bitch.

I really like the direction the show is going so far. Neal has made the deal with the devil - and now he has to play, but can he win? And eventually it might not matter, because people are already getting hurt - Rebecca. Siegel. Who's next?

Also, as for Rebecca, being a huge Neal/Sara fan, I thought that I would dislike her - but I don't. She definitely connects with Neal in a different way than Sara, but maybe it's not a bad thing. Not making any hasty judgments yet but I'm willing to give her a chance.

Mozzie and his wigs were hilarious :D Also, more criminal!Neal was fun to watch.

And Neal FINALLY admits that he's been sloppy lately. The coin heist? So many mistakes I wanted to scream at the screen who is this that possessed our Neal Caffrey.

What will happen now between Neal and Peter? I guess this is the point where they both admit that the calls they've made don't make them happy. But... what now? Siegel is dead and Neal is responsible for setting Hagan free.

This isn't just someone losing their job or being conned - Siegel died. It's exactly the reason why making a deal with someone like Hagan is a really bad idea. Was it worth it to set Peter free - to save his job? And Neal might have made that call, but he certainly had help - most notably from El, but there's been others who suggested that certain boundraries should be blurred when friends/family are involved - including Peter.

It's an interesting moral dilemma.

This was a very strong episode that moved us forward with the mythology. I'm curious to see what's next.

[swanpride.livejournal.com]

Pretty much my reaction...I just started to like him and then he is suddenly dead? Need Fanfic! Now!

On the other hand....a twist I didn't see coming! Yeah! all the ramifications! Yeah! And the big riddle...who killed him? My money is on Rebecca - either that or it was Hagen and Siegel was more dirty than he let on. After all...he was playing Neal.

[damietta.livejournal.com]

I wasn't spoiled so it did come as a shock. I thought he'd been reassigned and Clinton would become Neal's handler for awhile (he certainly knows Neal).

I don't know how they are going to get out of this one. Neal has committed crimes and if he confesses Peter is going to have to put him back in prison like it or not. If Neal comes clean.

I'm curious as to how long they are going to play the Hagen thing out. Peter's already suspicious. And, El is just pissing me off.

Where does Rebecca fit into all of this with her 10 out of 13 episode arc?

Neal was like a jilted spouse in his stakeout conversation with Peter. "You hurt me first, so how does it feel now that I'm hurting you". They are both little boys sometimes.

I'm also curious as to what Mozzie comes up with to deal with Hagen. His "Hagen doesn't know my face" was an interesting throw away line.

Speaking of throw away lines....what was Siegel going to ask Neal?

[palombaggia.livejournal.com]

Well, finally managed to download....so frustrating to be in France sometimes.
OMG they killed the new handler..I totally didn't see that coming.
Neal being harsh to Peter in the car...oh my heart....please show stop tearing those boys apart..
Ugh.
Yes,ugh.
This looks really complicated for Neal now....I believe tons of guilt and PTSD...why is Peter taking him to watch a dead body anyway? Doesn't Peter know Neal gets really nervous around violence and death?
ugh again.
I hate this.
We'll see but I guess Neal WILL HAVE TO TALK to Peter pretty soon..
OMG.
And I really need to finish writing this fic I started to write in April ( don't laugh) because I had the same plot ( ie Neal obliged to steal stuff for a badie) altough my angle was totally different ( no Hagen...). Nevermind.
Hmm, I think this season will lead to a lot of fanfic anyway.