Post Ep Dish - S5.12 - Taking Stock

[elrhiarhodan]

Hard to believe that this is the next to last episode. And I have to say that the promos and sneak peaks didn't give me a lot to love about this. Not that the story was going to be weak, but that the feels would, again, be off.

I have some thoughts, some of them less than fannish, about what has been happening over the last few episodes, but I'm going to save them for a post season wrap up. Such deep and potentially divisive meta is not the point of the Dish...I'm here to squee about Taking Stock and share my love for the best parts of it.



1 - Neal is making good on his promise that when the time comes, he's cutting all the strings. That's nothing new, and later on, when he's talking with Rebecca, she clearly scores one when she says to him that "who'd have thought, four years ago, you'd be a snitch for the very people who were hunting you down." He doesn't like that. I wonder if he ever really thought of himself as a true snitch.

Back to that initial conversation with Peter, he says he's talked to a lawyer. I hope that lawyer wasn't Mozzie.

2 - The boxing up scene was kind of sweet - a shadow of a shade of their former teamwork. But as a matter of procedure, that should have been done when the FBI removed all of the evidence from her apartment. Chain of custody and whatnot.

But they needed a set up for the case of the week - how to get a phone to ring where they'd hear it, and before the battery died (and as a side note, it's nice that the used a cheap "feature phone" that could hold a charge over a few days. If that was a smart phone, it would have been deader than Curtis Hagen).

3 - And Diana's back!!!!!!! I have missed her. Her snark, her mild contempt for Neal, her fantastic hair. It's unfair that she has such glorious hair. Love the analogy to Diana as Superwoman - and Peter's assessment of her as one of the best agents he knows.

Have to love the scene where Peter's holding baby Theo, freaking out at the idea that Diana's multitasking includes pumping her breast milk, and that she expects him to know his way around a diaper.

Can I say that with the exception of Jones' basement apartment (and the conversation Neal had with Siegel about apartment hunting), the showrunners have no concept about real estate in New York City. Diana's apartment - easily 6k a month (I am addicted to the NYT real estate section). No way she affords that on an 6th year agent's salary, even locality adjusted.

Have to love Diana taking charge of the phone call with Rebecca's new client. Shades of "Danielle" from Upper West Side Story. Only better.

I have always loved Diana as bad ass - but that scene takes all of her badassery and increases it by an order of magnitude.

4 - Neal seems especially emo in this episode (YAY!!!). I know he's mourning the relationship he thought he had with Rebecca, but maybe (hopefully) he's sad about Peter's imminent departure.

I know that Mozzie is Mozzie and he's got big plans for building a criminal empire, but damn him - does he always need to lead Neal astray. It's pissing me off. Does he really think that the FBI won't be watching Neal's every move?

A lot of people talk about Neal never having any character growth - he's not the only one. Moz is pretty much the exact same character he was in the Pilot.

5 - Bringing Rebecca to the FBI offices was a nice move. Her comments to Peter were interesting but there was definitely a subtext there - Peter was formerly a guest of the MCC and he probably has no desire to EVER go back there.

And she's really quite creepy. Her fixation on Neal is perfectly played. She's convinced herself that they are soul mates. For a moment, I can't help but wonder if he's going to be an idiot when it comes to women and he'll probably help her escape or something moronic like that. And she'll kill him the first moment he disappoints her. (Need fic for that, stat!)

I have to say that Neal calling their relationship like an airport novel, the kind you leave behind in the seat back pocket was all sorts of awesome. And recognizing that she's a murderer give me hope.

She's seriously psycho about him - she gives in for the chance to see and talk to Neal, and the moment he gets up to leave, she's willing to give him what he wants.

Interesting to see the disgust on Neal's face when she tells him about Caracas. As Ladyrose42 pointed out, it's like his reaction to Keller's cold blooded murder when he was first getting into the criminal life.

She's getting to him. As I noted above, he clearly doesn't like being called a snitch. But even more interesting is how Peter ends the interview when he sees Neal's distress.

When Neal tells her goodbye - it really looks like he means it - thank goodness. Rebecca looks like she's ready to snap - that if her hands were free, she'd take someone's head off (and it's not like she couldn't).

6 - Did Peter know about the diamond? Because if he didn't know before, he does now. And later on, when they talk about Neal going straight, why doesn't Peter bring up the diamond?

7 - Awww, Elizabeth … the voice of reason, the voice FOR reason. She believes in Neal.

8 - Mozzie interfering with Diana's childcare arrangements is this fanfic writer's dream come true. He gets the nanny to quit and he's great with infants (this is something I've had as head canon for years, so go me!)

9 - Diana sends Neal to break into the house without a warrant. And yes, the US Supreme Court does allow for warrantless seizure of evidence if a warrant was in the process of being granted, but it's a very narrow exception. Narrower than exigent circumstances.

10 - Jesus, doesn't Neal EVER wear gloves?

11 - The gratuitous semi-naked woman scene - I guess given how many semi-naked Neal scenes we've had, it's only fair. And I love how this is stolen from the cut scene from Power Play when Peter masqueraded as the wife's lover.

Bunny and Fluffernutter? How … original? It would have been a hell of a lot more interesting if Neal was Bunny's boy on the side. Alas, USA won't go there.

12 - Down on the ground, Diana looked freaked - like all she could think about was Theo.

13 - I have to love Peter's speech to Neal, which was triggered by Diana's comments to Peter - about how he's allowed Neal to skirt the law, to break the law if it meant closing cases. He's admitting that Neal's actions re getting him out of jail were a direct result of Peter's own permissive behavior over the past three years. Well, I for one, had hoped to see this scene but never expected it to actually happen (cut to self-promoting fanfic link - Fruit of the Poisonous Tree).

14 - I have to say that all of the phones ringing with news of Rebecca's escape (which I'd thought so obvious I figured it was something else altogether) was extremely well done. Chilling in its intensity.

And Moz, oh Moz - will you ever learn NOT to enter and talk to the room? Don't you know that creepy stalker lady is right behind you?

Bravo and bravo and bravissimo to episode director Tim DeKay - this one was knocked right out of the park. The pacing was perfect, the cuts and the slow steady build - especially the interrogation room scene - were all hallmarks of a great directorial eye. Here's to hoping you have a chance to do this one more time.

Okay, Collars - let's have those thinky and not-so-thinky thoughts on this penultimate White Collar episode.

Comments

[teaboyfan.livejournal.com]

I'm not crazy about Mozzie, but Willie Garson was more than adorable with the baby, who was totally charmed by him.

[ultracape.livejournal.com]

Creepy Rachel is creepy. That last scene when we all know that she must be there and she comes right out of the dark was excellent. We all knew she had to be there but it was played beautifully.

Also in the interrigation room, she is really psycho. She was playing her characters back and forth working for a reaction from Neal and then noticing his tell, that definitly creeped Neal out.

When Neal said he got he spoke to a lawyer, Elrhirhodan, I thought of Ron and your Paladin Verse, YES. That is a conversation I would love to have heard.

By the way, I don't keep track of when White Collar is shooting and the comings and goings of the actors but it looked to me like Matt had put on a titch of weight by the end of Season 4 and now he really, really looks thin so I guess that it's in preparation for shotting The Normal Heart.

I loved the scene of Neal and the hooker. That was adorable.

So, great episode and the coming attractions leaves me thinking anything could happen. I keep praying for a season 6 and hope we get one.

[kanarek13]

Heeee, we had the same reaction about the lawyer, it immediately made me think of the Paladin Verse \o/

[virgo-79.livejournal.com]

I loved this one. Diana was magnificent, Rachel's psychotic creeptasticness was off the chain, and Neal's revulsion in response to her was visceral. That character is tremendously frightening, and IMO hands down the best villain this show has ever produced.

The talk between Peter and Neal about the example Peter set with his actions didn't really fly for me. It was fine and all, because I feel like Peter is being set up as more sanctimonious than usual to take a long, hard fall, but it didn't do anything to heal the wound for me, because there was no apology. Peter screwed the pooch too hard this time for me to settle for one of his avoidy, half-assed "I see why you think it was okay to screw up the way you did" moments and a drifting back together of the two of them once they've been distracted from their falling out. The show will either truly address it and fix it, or they won't. and I'll see where that leaves me as a viewer. But one thing I'm happy to see is that Neal isn't backing down, and he isn't buckling to Peter's attempts at friendliness without acting like a friend.

I love that he's going to fight to have his sentence dropped, regardless of what Peter says. Neal's biggest obstacle has always been that he lets Peter act as a mirror to his own potential, and I think Peter's tumbled off the pedestal this season. Neal's doing what he believes in and not letting himself be held back. I think that's awesome.

This one was funny as hell, too. And that baby is absolutely gorgeous. what a doll.

[zou2.livejournal.com]

Neal told Peter about the diamond last week. But even if he didn't there is nothing about searching for a lost twin to the hope diamond that is illegal unless it was stolen and the statute of limitations on that have not expired on that theft.

Di's apartment is appropriate,

[wendybnyc.livejournal.com]

She has *way* more money than just her salary. When she talked to Neal about her childhood (was it season 1?), with the bodyguard and the hotel rooms and her dad being a diplomat... that's not ordinary State Department family perks. Her dad was a big donor kind of ambassadorial appointment. (her clothes are way out of her salary range, too).

And I've decided Neal's lawyer is an old friend of June's. Problem solved.

Now I have to rewatch "Controlling Interest" to remember what the shrink told Neal about the odds against him ever reforming when he was drugged/suggestible, and decide how much he might have taken it to heart.

Re: Di's apartment is appropriate,

[swanpride.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that was my thought too. Diana always had contacts and resources way out what a woman in her position normally has. I bet she has a nice little trust found or that the apartment was a nice little Christmas present - who knows.
And she talks about it in "Need to Know", Season two, episode two. Still my favourite episode of the whole show which isn't a mid-season or season finale or season premiere.

I wonder if Neal really wants to go back to criminal life...when he first talked about "being back" and "cutting all his strings" it sounded that way, but now I have the feeling that he plans to cut his strings and then show everyone that he is able to toe the line, no matter what they think. Searching for the diamond is in itself not illegal after all. If he and Mozzie find it and opt to make the find public instead of selling it on the black market, they could life in riches for the rest of their life, perfectly legal.

[countess-k.livejournal.com]

Even though I liked the outcome of the episode (yay for creepy stalker lady) the episode itself bored me in many parts. I really really didn't care about all the stock market hullabaloo. Did we really need to get into that much detail about the case when its main purpose was to reconnect Rebecca and Neal?

I'm sad to say the Neal/Peter relationship is dangling dangerously on the ledge. In only a few episodes they have damaged it beyond repair. Is this seriously the same Peter who, when Neal ran off to the tropics, risked life and career to protect him? What the heck did Neal do recently that was so bad that it reverted Peter to pre-anklet agent? And it's more agrevating considering he knows Neal got nothing but grief out of his last deal and did it all to save Peter's ungrateful ass.

This is how my other favorite show Supernatural has turn out in its ninth season. I lost interest in my champion OTP Destiel because how badly writers and the showrunner treated it this season. To see it happen to WC, my second favorite show, too makes me think the TV gods have something against me.

I missed Diana too, but in light of how much needs to be fixed between Neal and Peter I didn't care much for her taking up screen time. That relationship going sideways (and the fact that Neal and El too haven't talked in so long) is souring the whole show for me so that I can't even enjoy the side characters or their stories without feeling a lump in my throat.

And I know Diana is badass but I don't like her snark, or her baseless contempt for Neal. Again what has he done to deserve it really? This is the same problem I had with Sara that kept me from liking her.

I was patient with Peter and his cold shoulder to Neal up to this episode, but his refusal to give Neal the recommendation was the straw that broke the camel's back. That's why when Mozzie came to talk to Neal about building yet another empire I cheered him on and said do it and shove it in Peter's face to teach him a lesson.

Loved Rebecca's story though. Having a criminal stalker obsessed with Neal is a really fresh storyline and a nice face lift of the tired trope of a man stalking a woman. I hope this will continue onto the next season (since it looks like there will be one even though they haven't announced it.)

And for the record, I too would've found it more interesting if Neal played it as the guy's callboy. In fact at first I thought that was the angle they were going for. Still enjoyed that whole scene though.

I don't know what they are planning for the finale but if they don't fix the thing they broke (or at least give the promise of fixing it next season) I may not be back to watch. I like Mozzie and Diana and Clinton and El, but the true reason I watch the show is for Peter & Neal.

[swanpride.livejournal.com]

That's not contempt. The two have sort of a sibling relationship, with Diana being the older one who constantly tries to keep the annoying little brother at bay. But they both know that they will be there for each other if needed. It's just their way of communicating with each other.

[kanarek13]

This was a fantastic episode \o/ Tim did an exceptional job as the director, awww ♥ And I think they have created the best WC villain ever because Rachel is one creepy gal *shudders* I think what makes her especially creepy and dangerous is her obsession with Neal, it's one thing to be a professional hit woman, but it's something entirely different when she is not only capable of murder but also not completely in touch with the reality.

She definitely got to Neal and that freaked him out.

And Diana!!! Awww, she is so gorgeous and badass and I missed her so much :D Loved her when she stood by her decision and called Peter on the many times when he did the exact same thing :D

The scene with Mozzie posing as a gas company inspector was priceless. LOL, that was one scene I was so looking forward to and it did not disappoint. Mozzie is awesome with kids, he's gonna make a great uncle :P That's my head canon too \o/

And Neal, our beautiful Neal. I honestly have no idea what to do with him, heee :D Awww, he doesn't want to work without Peter ♥ At least that's my partial head canon :P Now more seriously, I am not so sure this is the best moment for letting Neal go off-anklet. I want him to be free and happy, of course, but considering his current state of mind, I worry that he might do something stupid that would land him back in prison for good :(

The events of this season have messed both of them more than they are ready to admit and for the same reason I don't want Peter to run away to DC. The ideal solution would be for Peter to stay and continue working with Neal, at least until Neal's sentence is up or until they have dealt with the issues that are still between them, so that they could both address the future while standing on solid ground. I love that El has faith in Neal, Neal does deserve it, and if we were talking about the end of s3 commutation, it would be a no brainer for me. But I thins point, it's really 50/50 as far as the outcome is concerned :D

I am totally clueless as to what they will drop on us, it has to be something big that will keep Peter in New York. Somehow rabidchild's theory about Neal faking his own death seems more and more probable :P

[virgo-79.livejournal.com]

There was some alluding to the faked death thing early in the season, but I don't know. As big an ass as Peter is being, I'm not sure Neal would do that to him. Plus, that would put us more or less in the same place as the end of S3/beginning of S4, with Neal on the run.

I tend to think it's going to be Rachel hurting Neal that keeps Peter in New York. she's been set up as so menacing and formidable, and they've taken that fixation so far, that it feels somewhat inevitable to me. Plus, I honestly think the writers are positioning Peter for a really vicious wake-up call. He's become so unsympathetic I have to believe it's deliberate, and they're placing him where he is, with all that self-righteousness and distancing, to the very specific end of having a brutal moment of clarity.

I don;t know if she'll do something to him deliberately, or if he'll just catch the edge of her crazy, but I really think something ugly is coming.

ETA - and there's still the copy of the file on Neal's childhood that Peter had Jones make floating in the ether. I still feel like that has to be significant; they didn't need to include it in Rachel's intel to drive home how extensive her research was, nor did they have to make sure Peter had a copy of it coming his way once it was included if its significance was only to show how much she had on everyone. That's got to be important to something that has yet to develop, and I still think it could be key to Peter really having a revelation about why Neal has lived the way he has.

[swanpride.livejournal.com]

I hope that the season ends with Rebecca kidnapping Neal so that Peter decides to stay and get him back. Either that or Peter leaves but comes back at the start of the next season.

[sheenianni.livejournal.com]

What a great episode!

Diana's back, and in every scene, she reminds me why I missed her so much. I loved how she stood by her decision about the thumbdrive and called Peter on his past choices, leading us to Peter and Neal's "I allowed you to scratch that itch" discussion. And the way her motherhood was handled was perfect - her whole world didn't stop just because she became a mom, she was still super-capable and awesome as an agent, but there were some soft glimpses there too and it was obvious how much Theo was important to her. And she finally got a nice undercover role :)

Also, I loved all Diana's moments with Peter, Neal, Moz and Theo.

Mozzie and "Teddy" - SQUEEEE!!!! :D This is what I've been waiting for since Theo was born. Please please pretty please, more Moz-Theo moments? Or more Moz-kids moments in general? Now I need a story where a few years after "Taking Account", Moz meets a child prodigy hacker with paranoia that rivals his own - and then finds out that the kid's mom is the Vulture and does his math... (Or Mozzie going legitimate and taking over the orphanage from Mr. Jeffries, or him corrupting Neal and Sara's kids. Just give me Mozzie and kids and I'm one happy fan!)

Rachel is showing up to be such an amazing psychopatic creep! And apparently Neal wants nothing to do with her - smart choice, though not surprising. If Rachel had been just another con artist, then I might have been worried - but violence/murder is one thing that Neal will never stand for. Good for him!

(Oh, if Rebecca/Rachel really hurts Mozzie in the next episode, I'll make a voodoo doll and stick needles into her. NOT MOZZIE!!!)

I think just searching for the diamond isn't illegal - although if they find it, there are probably laws about turning it in for some sort of finder's fee. Not that it's really relevant with Rebecca back in the picture.

I still have mixed feelings about Peter-Neal. I liked Peter admitting that he allowed Neal to toy with the law during their cases, but that was only a first and very tiny step in the right direction - the bromance is in no way repaired; they've just (finally) stopped breaking it even more. Frankly, if the show ends without the boys talking properly, I'll be really disappointed - they both have things to say and BOTH need to hear them if there should be any chance for the relationship to became what it once was. I don't think Peter and Neal will ever stop being friends on some level, but there's friends and "friends", and the idea of a future when the boys exchange a Christmas card once a year and maybe a birthday call makes me really sad.

And as for Neal and the anklet - I say, let him have his commutation. I could understand Jones's argument in S3 ("Neal should do his four years and be grateful that he had such a good deal"), but what Peter basically said here is that right now Neal's emotionally compromised, that he's not sure that this is the "right moment" to set Neal free. Well, when will be the right moment? I know that what happened with Rachel was dificult, but the truth is that shit always happens around Neal and I don't think that will ever completely stop, not with his past and not while he is with the FBI. If Neal hasn't learned anything from his time with the FBI by now, then I doubt that an additional year or two will fix that. Jones, Diana, June (and Peter and El) will still be there as Neal's support system. Peter can't keep holding Neal's hand for the rest of his life - he can guide, but the ultimate responsibility for his choices has to be Neal's. Neal has come to him with this request, he has obviously thought it through and he has even talked to a lawyer - this is not some sudden hasty decision, this is Neal trying to take control of his life in a legal, honest way.

I don't know if Neal deserves to be free with all the crimes he has commited (pre-prison and while with the FBI). However, if Peter's hesitation comes only from his need to control Neal's life (even if that's for Neal's own good), then I think he should let him go, even if he's right and Neal ultimately screws up and goes to prison again. But I do believe that Neal is ready, or as ready as he's likely to be.

(Are there STILL no news about season 6? I guess we'll see next week.)

[palombaggia.livejournal.com]

Well, yay to Diana, I missed her so so much. I didn't really care about the case though...
Finance stuff, stock market boring..
But Moz and baby Theo...YEEEE. So perfect
Neal ( I mean Matt) srsly needs to stop getting skinnier. I know it's for TNH but woaw.
He looks so thin...I guess it gives him a tragic aura, which by the way will come handy when we move forward to the next chapter of this tragedy.
The show is so dark this season...definitely moved from thriller/comedy to dramedy IMO. Whether it's deliberate or it's because the show runner is working on another show at the same time..i don't know.
But definitely tragic events ahead....I don't want to spoil since maybe there are some of us that want to remain spoiler free...
I can't see how all this is going to end well.
I thought the dialogues were good this time, much more in character than in some previous episode.
Hugs to you all.

[kerrylang.livejournal.com]

That is a gold idea, Rebecca kidnapping Neal!! I would like that more than she shooting at him and that being the cliffy.

Neal kidnapped, the anklet cut, no one would know where he is and it would take Peter, Jones and Diana to get him back. Wow, that would be fanfic come true and I love it.

Please, show!!!!

Faking his own death, well, I don't know. That would be too obvious, because he already did it pre-prison and Peter knows about that. It wouldn't be enough to make Peter coming back.

About this ep, I loved every minute of it!!! Diana, yay!!! She always makes the right comments, she knows how to treat her men. :))

I have to tell you, I love Rebecca!!! She is really the best villain the show ever created. And for me it was surprising because I would never have thought that she would turn out that bad and a murderer after Jeff Eastin twittered that Neal will get a lot of romance this season. oO I thought, great a new love, can't wait to see it, and then I got the cute bed scene and then...bang, she is sooooo much different. Of course I noticed early that there must be something behind her cute attitude but it made it more interesting to geht to know her better.

Mozzie was cute with little Theo. Tim twittered that they had 4 babys on set for those scenes and you can really tell the difference :))). One little guy had cute locks.

I don't really know if Neal could be a good citizen. In season 3 I was sure that he was content with his life on or off anklet. I think his behavior know is a result to Peter's going to DC. For him Peter has always been an idol, everything he did at work he did for Peter. He wanted to be like Peter, but now he feels abandoned by Peter and he reacts to that in a way that says, "if you don't want to work with me anymore, then I won't do it for/with anyone
else, either".
So, he wants off anklet, to be free. Cutting strings like Peter does. No Peter, no work for the FBI.

I can understand that. And that's because there must be something making Peter realize what he's about to give up.

Well, we'll see. One ep left. Oyyyyyyyyyy, only one! :((((


Edit: I have a question: Wasn't Jones being promoted to Peter's former job? So why is he still sitting at a desk in the bullpen instead of in Peter's former cubicle office?

[love-82.livejournal.com]

I think Jones was promoted to Supervising Agent, I could have the title wrong, and Peter's old title was Special Agent In Charge. So I don't think it is the same thing. But then who has Peter's old job? So maybe Jones was promoted to Peter's job but just doesn't use the office.

[pooh-collector.livejournal.com]

My head canon most definitely came true when Moz did his thing and took over as Theo's sitter. Loved those scenes! (self promotion - Christmas Gifts)

Neal in the interrogation room with Reb/Rac, incredible on both of their parts. She was evil, like shivers up my spine evil, and he was many things, hurt, manipulative, troubled.... Loved it.

I know Peter made the attempt to rectify things a bit with Neal in this ep, but it felt kind of half-hearted. "You do bad things because I've let you, but I'm not apologizing for calling a spade a spade". I still think Peter is lacking empathy for Neal right now. I know, absolutely that he has that empathy in him. I'm still hopeful for a real clearing of the air conversation next week. Fingers crossed. Also, I don't think Peter's right in his thought process. I think Neal would have done anything, regardless of Peter's permissive attitude to get Peter out of jail. Especially after El told him to do it using whatever means were necessary. Selling his soul to Hagan, that wasn't about stealing or conning, that was about self sacrifice. That's the part that Peter's just not seeing, YET.

Neal and the lack of gloves, it stands to reason that the bad guy would never call the cops, since he would be reporting the theft of his evil, destroy the economy of the whole country program. Which is what Jones/Peter theorized in regard to bad guy 1 trying to steal it from bad guy 2 as well.

Diana was fantastic in this ep. so glad to have her back. And, Peter's face when he's holding Theo, priceless.

Personally, I loved the scene with Neal playing rent-a-boy. I feel like it harkened back to earlier Neal, when pulling cons was fun, being quick on his feet was a thrill. And, he does look great in silk. Also, I think the nicknames bunny... were meant to be hackneyed to play off on the whole trite idea of the rich guy with his mistress who shows up lace and 5 inch heels.

I agree with others on the thread in regard to the diamond. I don't think there is anything illegal about going after it. It's hidden somewhere and has been for more than 100 years. It's fair game. Mozzie even says something to that affect when he talks about using their legally acquired money to fund his new illegal empire.

[doctor-fangeek.livejournal.com]

Can I just say that I pretty much agree with this entire comment. :-)

Moz & Theo was adorable and made of win.

Rebecca/Rachel & Neal was creepy and scary and the two of them sparring, such as it was, was terrifically done.

Loved Diana. Loved Neal as the wife's boy toy (and the quick thinking of it). Think your points re: gloves and also the diamond make sense.

And we are so on the same page re: Peter (both in this ep, and I think, based on a previous conversation in Ang's journal, overall). I still do understand a lot of where he's been coming from this season (trying to make distance after having gone to prison, being angry and conflicted when he finds out how he was freed), but I have also been critical of how he's handled some of that (e.g. the fact that it is literally true that Neal is a criminal doesn't make saying it as you're cutting ties with him in a major way a good idea).

And I agree with you about the conversation in this episode. It felt half-hearted to me, as well. Although TBH, I didn't really 'get' all of it. I mean, Peter admits that he's been allowing, even in many cases encouraging, Neal's illegal behavior, which is true (and which I think he needed to see/come to terms with). But the part about letting Neal "scratch an itch"? I mean, a lot of things Neal did with the FBI boil down to conning people to get evidence and/or solve the crime, and that's not illegal (you say 'con,' I say 'sting'). And I don't know that letting Neal "scratch his itch" in that regard is a bad thing. Finding legal outlets for the part of Neal that loves the thrill of the con? That seems like a positive.

I do also agree with you that simply saying that Peter's permissive behavior led to what Neal did to get Peter out of jail is not really getting at the heart of the matter. Neal (and the team) were presumably trying for those 6 weeks Peter was in prison to get him out legitimately, and they were running out of time. At that point I think Neal would, as you have said, done anything. And I think you're right - it wasn't about stealing or conning, it was "pis aller," a move of last resort, and freeing Peter from the mess his father created was more important to Neal than the threat of being beholden to Hagen. IMHO. :-)

And now I need to go get a make-up biology lab started....

[pooh-collector.livejournal.com]

Great minds, doc!

I had totally forgotten about the 'scratch an itch' line. And, that definitely boils down the con/sting distinction that was first made in Burke's Seven for so much of what Neal has done over the years on the FBI's behalf. In this particular case, Peter might have a bit more ground to walk on though, since Neal stole the thumb drive. He was told to by Diana, he didn't come up with his own plan and execute it, like he has been known to do from time to time in the past, but it was breaking and entering. There was no warrant. It was still a weird way for Peter for phrase it and in the broader context, it doesn't really ring true.

[doctor-fangeek.livejournal.com]

:-)

FYI, I was totally taking the "scratch an itch" line as meaning in the broader context, since Peter referred to his own sanctioning of Neal's activities over the course of their partnership (and the line in question was part of that). And Peter didn't tell him to steal the drive, Diana did. So I don't think that line was in reference to this case at all, but to the whole "I've allowed and even encouraged" thing.

[sheenianni.livejournal.com]

May I just say I agree with all that you and pooh have said here about Peter?

I'm not unsypathetic to his situation, but I do believe that he could have handled things with Neal much better. Also agree about the whole Hagen/stealing /conning thing. The FBI had beeen trying to free Peter for six weeks, and it seems that they had nothing; honestly, at that point, I doubt even finding James would have done them any good (unless he still had Pratt's gun on himself - but that would have been extremely stupid). Peter would have lost his job - worse, he faced a life sentence and I can easily see him being convicted (physical evidence combined with motive make a strong case). Neal's deal with Hagen wasn't a smart move, it wasn't a well-planed move, but it was done out of sheer desperation. I wish that Peter would acknowledge that, especially knowing that he had been willing to cross some serious lines for El and Neal too. (Then again, Peter still doesn't really know the full picture - but honestly, at this point I'd think that he would have figured it out.)

I do hope that we get a real talk between Neal and Peter and that next episode will bring more of the reconciliation that I've been hoping for pretty much the whole season.

[love-82.livejournal.com]

Wasn't it Neal's idea to look for the diamond? Unless I am remembering the end of the other episode wrong, Neal was the one to suggest looking for the diamond and Mozzie got all excited. Like others have said I don't think there is anything illegal about it.

I wonder if Peter will recommend for Neal's sentence to be terminated. I think he will. But then it is a moot point because I don't think it is going to happen. Like Peter going to DC is not going to happen. It feels to me like everything that has been going on this season and between Peter and Neal is leading to some revelation and/or something really bad happening. My guess is that someone is going to get shot. At first I thought it would be Peter since he hasn't been shot yet but now I think it might be Neal. I would love to see one of them take a bullet for the other. All those fanfics playing out.

I was thinking too like others that Neal might fake his death for some reason but I am not sure about that. I think it would be more like it looking like someone is dead and they are not or not knowing if someone is dead or not. I want the show to do a presumed dead story.

I liked the scene with Neal and the girl. Although she is not a very discreet mistress, parading around in the entryway in her underwear. :) But I guess the guy knew his wife would not be coming back home right then. I thought once that Neal was going to say he was there for the guy too.

It is great to have Diana back. I have missed her. And her and Neal together. That baby was so cute!

I liked the conversation between Peter and Neal at the end and the one between Peter and Elizabeth. Elizabeth, always the voice of reason. And she is right.

I am looking forward to seeing how everything ends in the finale next week. I can't believe we are at the season finale already. Weren't we just complaining about the long hiatus?

[byjinder.livejournal.com]

Did anyone else see the look in Theo's eyes when Diana left him with Peter? I was like no Mommy don't go, this man knows nothing about babies, save me! (Or was that just me?) Kudos to all Neals's facial tics this episode. His facial expressions while interacting with Rebecca were more powerful than the words he was saying.