White Collar 4x12 Episode Thoughts!
Feb. 4th, 2013 07:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cookiegirlI finally watched White Collar 4x12. Yay, right?
Um, no.
There were some really great moments, but overall, this was the first episode of WC that I actively disliked and that upset me. So fair warning, this entry will have some less-than-positive thoughts alongside the mini-squees. I don’t want to harsh anyone’s vibe so if you loved the ep, this probably isn’t for you!
Firstly, Neal doesn’t make any attempt to comfort or touch her even when she’s crying. Secondly, I’m not sure why El was told by a stranger that Peter had been in an accident when Diana and Neal were on the phone with him as it happened, and surely would have thought to call El themselves?! Thirdly, El tells Neal to lie to Peter and to keep him away from the investigations with the key, even though she knows he’ll carry on going after Pratt. I don’t see how staying away from the key helps AT ALL. This is a major plot hole for me and totally threw me out of the episode.
I know a lot of people are upset with how El acts here. She’s irrational and also fairly unpleasant to Neal. It feels extremely OOC (and painful) to me, but I can kind of see where she’s coming from. Peter’s been in danger one too many times, often because of Neal, and this time he could have died. So she has every right to be pissed off, scared, and angry at Neal. When Peter’s been in danger before she’s dealt with it entirely differently – and dealt with Neal entirely differently – but still, everyone is entitled to have a bad day or to reach a breaking point. (I think this would have been easier to understand if we’d seen her getting the news about Peter’s accident and thinking it was worse than it is - which would also have ramped up the tension and made a great scene - and the fact that we didn’t makes it harder to grasp why she’s suddenly snapped now rather than any of the previous times. It also makes me annoyed that as a female character she’s being dismissed and used as a plot point rather than granted her own emotions.)
Even so, I hated this scene :( El and Neal just didn’t seem to be acting like people who love each other, in any sense, family or OT3. And whilst Tiffani was great, it didn’t feel like I was watching El at all. If the writers wanted to use El to drive the boys apart, I think they could have done that without making her seem like she’d had a personality transplant. This idea could actually have been quite good (and made sense, because like I say, El has valid reasons to be annoyed), but it’s just so poorly executed.
Neal lies to his face and it’s horrible and I hate it and Peter can tell, and he hates it too, and noooo.
The thing that makes least sense about the entire episode though, is that once Neal’s gone, and Peter’s told El that he knows Neal lied, El doesn’t own up. She must know that Peter’s not going to let it go – he never has when he thinks Neal’s lied about something – so obviously he’ll still be investigating the key, just by himself. This helps EVEN LESS than her original plan – it’s positively counterproductive as not sharing intel will just put the boys in more danger. I just…I don’t get it.
So, to round things up...
Good stuff: Mozzie! Hughes! Diana! A great villain! Peter looking gorgeous at the end.
Bad stuff: Gaping plot holes, wasted opportunities, Neal lacking emotion, Ellll.
I think what most upset me about this episode is that I’ve grown to adore the characters and to love their relationships, both within canon and within the fandom/fanfic, and this felt like one of those horrible moments when you think you know someone and then they turn around and act completely differently.
WOE.
In the next few episodes I really hope the El situation doesn’t get pushed under the carpet, but that it comes to a head, gets discussed between Peter and El and Neal, and gets worked through. (And maybe Neal has some sort of moment when he tells Peter how freaking terrified he was that Peter was going to die).
I also hope they get some better writers in for next season, or at least someone to proof read the scripts! These plot holes wouldn’t get past any average fanfic beta!
*finishes entry by hugging everyone else who found the episode sad (and well, if you liked it, you can have hugs too!), and then going off to anxiously await the next one*
Um, no.
There were some really great moments, but overall, this was the first episode of WC that I actively disliked and that upset me. So fair warning, this entry will have some less-than-positive thoughts alongside the mini-squees. I don’t want to harsh anyone’s vibe so if you loved the ep, this probably isn’t for you!
- We start off with Peter doing a little exposition, telling Neal things that he already knows and that have already been on the previouslies, so even new viewers will know them too. I’m fairly sure Neal won’t have forgotten that Flynn’s dead, so there’s no need to reiterate it. Anyway, moving swiftly on.
- Neal finds the much-anticipated key, and gives it to Mozzie to ‘work on’, which is wonderful because then we get a Mozzie-Clinton team-up! Peter remains deliciously in charge of them when giving his orders to work together ♥
- (I’m not really sure why Clinton had to be involved at this stage, and why Peter wouldn’t trust Mozzie with finding things out about the key alone. Obviously Moz would share his findings with Neal, and Neal appears to be sharing all his intel with Peter, so I don’t see the problem. Never mind!)
- We get to meet Senator Pratt, and I actually like him. Not in a want-to-be-friends-and-do-each-other’s-nails way, but in the way that he’s a plausible, intelligent, powerful, somewhat-chilling villain who should prove an impressive adversary for the boys. I love-to-hate him straight away \o/
- Neal’s oddly bitchy towards the senator, which isn’t the most subtle or sensible thing to do, and Peter gives him various ‘what the hell, Neal’ looks before sending him away. We know Neal can control himself better than this, but at least he is Having Emotions at this stage. Which is nice, and doesn’t last much longer.
- We get a mini-con with Neal and the senator’s assistant! I always love the mini-cons and all the tiny ways Neal manipulates situations :-)
- The team decides to plant a bug on Pratt at the hair salon, which leads to an adorable convo where Peter asserts he only spends $200 a year on grooming and Neal looks a mixture of appalled and desperate to give him one of the proper shaves which he then describes in an oddly aroused tone of voice. \o/
- They send Diana in undercover, because she’s better than Sweeney Todd with a straight razor. WHAT? When did she learn this? Is it standard for diplomat’s daughters to have that skill?! Never mind. The scene at the salon is fun and Diana is awesome. Plus, Mozzie gets to talk to Pratt on the phone and he is EPIC. Neal’s expressions during the convo are also of the awesome.
- We meet Mozzie’s friend the Keymaster. This is…weird. It’s fun and entertaining but all the guy really ends up doing is putting the key in a solution (which looks like a glass of coke, though I’m guessing it’s more advanced than that) to get the rust off. I don’t believe Mozzie couldn’t have done this by himself, considering everything else he manages, but never mind (again).
- And then we have Peter’s car accident, which was no surprise to anyone who’d seen the trailer. I was surprised that Peter didn’t even blow his horn or anything. He was oddly passive. Maybe he knew his accident was essential to the plot and had come to terms with it in advance.
- AND THEN WE GET THE FIRST SCENE OF HORROR /o\
Firstly, Neal doesn’t make any attempt to comfort or touch her even when she’s crying. Secondly, I’m not sure why El was told by a stranger that Peter had been in an accident when Diana and Neal were on the phone with him as it happened, and surely would have thought to call El themselves?! Thirdly, El tells Neal to lie to Peter and to keep him away from the investigations with the key, even though she knows he’ll carry on going after Pratt. I don’t see how staying away from the key helps AT ALL. This is a major plot hole for me and totally threw me out of the episode.
I know a lot of people are upset with how El acts here. She’s irrational and also fairly unpleasant to Neal. It feels extremely OOC (and painful) to me, but I can kind of see where she’s coming from. Peter’s been in danger one too many times, often because of Neal, and this time he could have died. So she has every right to be pissed off, scared, and angry at Neal. When Peter’s been in danger before she’s dealt with it entirely differently – and dealt with Neal entirely differently – but still, everyone is entitled to have a bad day or to reach a breaking point. (I think this would have been easier to understand if we’d seen her getting the news about Peter’s accident and thinking it was worse than it is - which would also have ramped up the tension and made a great scene - and the fact that we didn’t makes it harder to grasp why she’s suddenly snapped now rather than any of the previous times. It also makes me annoyed that as a female character she’s being dismissed and used as a plot point rather than granted her own emotions.)
Even so, I hated this scene :( El and Neal just didn’t seem to be acting like people who love each other, in any sense, family or OT3. And whilst Tiffani was great, it didn’t feel like I was watching El at all. If the writers wanted to use El to drive the boys apart, I think they could have done that without making her seem like she’d had a personality transplant. This idea could actually have been quite good (and made sense, because like I say, El has valid reasons to be annoyed), but it’s just so poorly executed.
- ALSO, where was the Neal angst? He seems pretty unaffected by Peter being in the hospital, especially in the following scenes. This could have been an awesome opportunity for angst, guilt, hurt/comfort, etc. Instead we don’t get anything and it feels like a huge waste. Peter can’t have very many life-threatening accidents, so to throw one away like this without any real emotionally affecting scenes between the two seems insane. *cries*
- After the hospital there’s major cuteness when Mozzie volunteers to donate his spleen to Peter (somewhat unnecessarily) and Neal makes some sort of case-related breakthrough by sticking his fingers in Diana’s drink. There’s also a great tiny scene with Hughes and Neal (which I loved, having recently read some excellent Hughes and Neal fic…and, I admit, even some Hughes/Neal fic!)
- Oh, and Neal pretends to be an architect in a con that feels a bit rushed but gets results (and includes a tense almost-getting-discovered-by-Pratt-in-an-elevator moment where I was genuinely on the edge of my seat).
- Hospital again. Peter’s awake, Neal’s back and El’s still sticking to her weird plan. At least we get a sweet moment where Neal tells Peter he looks good and gives him a membership to a beer club \o/ And also an arm in a box, though that’s from Mozzie.
- Then Peter asks about the progress with the key and Neal…
Neal lies to his face and it’s horrible and I hate it and Peter can tell, and he hates it too, and noooo.
The thing that makes least sense about the entire episode though, is that once Neal’s gone, and Peter’s told El that he knows Neal lied, El doesn’t own up. She must know that Peter’s not going to let it go – he never has when he thinks Neal’s lied about something – so obviously he’ll still be investigating the key, just by himself. This helps EVEN LESS than her original plan – it’s positively counterproductive as not sharing intel will just put the boys in more danger. I just…I don’t get it.
- I got even more confused when Neal then went and antagonised Pratt for no reason that I can think of. How is that helping?! HAS EVERYONE GONE INSANE?!
- And then we hear the news about Hughes. Hughes! I can’t believe it, he was such a solid fixture and I thought he’d always be there. I love the way he leaves though, so sad but dignified and impressive and just awesome. I liked his conversation with Neal too.
- We end on a tense, sad moment with Neal and Peter and then scenes of them working separately on the key thing and argh. NO.
So, to round things up...
Good stuff: Mozzie! Hughes! Diana! A great villain! Peter looking gorgeous at the end.
Bad stuff: Gaping plot holes, wasted opportunities, Neal lacking emotion, Ellll.
I think what most upset me about this episode is that I’ve grown to adore the characters and to love their relationships, both within canon and within the fandom/fanfic, and this felt like one of those horrible moments when you think you know someone and then they turn around and act completely differently.
WOE.
In the next few episodes I really hope the El situation doesn’t get pushed under the carpet, but that it comes to a head, gets discussed between Peter and El and Neal, and gets worked through. (And maybe Neal has some sort of moment when he tells Peter how freaking terrified he was that Peter was going to die).
I also hope they get some better writers in for next season, or at least someone to proof read the scripts! These plot holes wouldn’t get past any average fanfic beta!
*finishes entry by hugging everyone else who found the episode sad (and well, if you liked it, you can have hugs too!), and then going off to anxiously await the next one*
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no subject
Date: 2013-02-04 08:53 pm (UTC)This was my biggest problem with this episode, really. I can get El wanting Peter to be kept out of it for his own safety. I can even get her asking Neal to lie to Peter. She doesn't necessarily know the gravity of that act; she may assume through everything that's happened in the past several seasons that it wouldn't be the first time, and at least it's for a good reason.
But... it IS the first time, and it visibly breaks Peter's heart, and Neal... the division this puts between them, and El put it there, and I agree. It felt like she was a plot device rather than a character, just made to do what she did in order to put a barrier between the boys for presumably the majority of the rest of this season :/
Not liking. First episode in a long time that I really, really did not like :(
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Date: 2013-02-04 09:17 pm (UTC)Oh but good news! I have icons for you (sorry they took a while lol!) :) I'll get them put up in a minute :D Really enjoyed making them, it was nice (and heartbreaking) to rewatch the Klaine scenes from this season! I'm a couple of eps behind though so hoping for some happier times when I catch up!
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Date: 2013-02-04 09:19 pm (UTC)Klaine... not necessarily in a great place right now, but there's reason to believe they might be headed toward one ;) hehe
Ooooooh, icons!! :) hehe Thanks so much, can't wait to see them! :)
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Date: 2013-02-04 09:59 pm (UTC)My take on El asking--no, demanding--that Neal lie to Peter and him actually doing it (WTF?!?) is that without the whole "can Peter and Neal trust each other" tension, the show really fizzles out. Last season's weak attempt to generate tension with the mystery of Neal's father is proof of that. It's like the writers really don't know what to do with themselves when the boys are on the same side. So they manufactured this scenario, and made El and Neal act completely out-of-character, to get that tension back.
Like you, I think it backfired. Peter is genuinely hurt and puzzled, El comes off as extremely irrational, and Neal ridiculously cold and callous.
I had hopes that Neal lied in such a blatant manner that he meant for Peter to know he was lying, and that Peter would figure out he was covering up for something. But if that's the case, Peter didn't get it. Or at least we haven't seen that yet. Ugh.
Here's hoping this week is better. :/
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Date: 2013-02-04 11:17 pm (UTC)I had hopes that Neal lied in such a blatant manner that he meant for Peter to know he was lying
I wondered about this too, because he could have probably managed to get round the question using his usual misdirection, so I did wonder whether he meant to clue Peter in. But on the other hand...I'm not sure I trust the writers to be smart enough to think up something that complex /o\
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Date: 2013-02-05 03:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-02-05 04:11 am (UTC)But no, you're right, this probably isn't the post for you...although you really should watch White Collar ;)
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Date: 2013-02-05 04:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-02-05 05:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-02-05 09:18 pm (UTC)I really don't see why none of the writers, or actors, or anyone overseeing it didn't say EXCUSE ME, THIS MAKES NO SENSE.
I'm feeling a vague sense of doom about tonight's ep, I hope they start to fix things.
The only positive slant I can find is that Peter's gonna have to dish out some 'consequences' for this at some stage, right? \o/
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Date: 2013-02-05 03:51 pm (UTC)Some of what you said really resonated with me, and I wanted to throw a couple of thoughts out there. After watching this episode, I found myself thinking that it maybe works better on paper than it ended up working as it was ultimately executed. I think the *idea* of having El be so distraught b/c of Peter's accident that she tries to get Neal to keep Peter out of some part of the investigation could work. No, it's not logical (he didn't get hurt because of the key, but because he was investigating Pratt in the first place, and Elizabeth readily admits that Peter won’t stop that investigation), but in the heat of the moment, when we are really scared, we don't always think logically. And having a way to bump up the ever-present trust issues that isn't due to something Neal (or Peter) did/instigated is theoretically a good thing.
However…the accident itself (as filmed) didn't look that scary, Peter's injuries are serious but not life-threatening, and neither Diana nor Neal seems overly worried once they get to the hospital. Also, while I love Tiffani, I didn't find her totally convincing in the hospital scene. So I think, for me at least, the whole situation didn’t play out as scary enough to warrant Elizabeth’s reaction/behavior (especially since she didn’t seem to blame Neal for either Peter’s kidnapping or her own). For some additional context, I totally bought both previous occasions when Elizabeth asked/told Neal to do something that was dangerous to himself in order to help Peter (steal the tape from the corrupt judge, go against the FBI to save Peter from Keller).
So in the end, for me, I guess I felt like I understood what they were trying to do, but it didn’t really work.
Regarding Neal antagonizing Pratt, I read a really great episode tag fic in which Mozzie confronts Elizabeth about what happened, and the author’s take is that Neal is basically waving a flag at the bull to make himself a target to try to protect Peter for Elizabeth. IDK if that’s what the writers were going for, but I can see it as a possible explanation. :-)
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Date: 2013-02-05 09:14 pm (UTC)Yeah, I think in theory this definitely could have worked, and would have been an interesting way to put pressure on the boys' relationship. If she'd requested something that made more sense it would have been better, but even without that it still could have worked, like you say, if it had been done better. And I don't really understand why it wasn't done better, because the writers have been so good previously. Even with average writers, it's surely not that hard to film a scary-looking accident and make the worried wife - who we all already love - appear sympathetic? Lesser shows do it all the time, so I don't know what happened here /o\
Ooh yes, I take it that's
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Date: 2013-02-05 09:22 pm (UTC)And yes, that's the fic (by florastuart) that I meant - I thought it was awesome as well.
Also, I have just added you as a friend. :-)
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Date: 2013-02-05 09:29 pm (UTC)And yay, thanks! :)
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Date: 2013-02-10 12:41 am (UTC)Hee, I bet that was it.
We quite agree on this episode. I was pretty unhappy when the episode finished, not least with El and the stupidity and sillyness of it all. Only positive thing about the whole debacle was that it apparently made my brain so upset that it decided to take matters into its own cerebral cortex in order to fix it. It gave me the best White Collar dream, complete with a case and a happy ending. No lies, plenty of support from El, and Peter-Neal h/c. Then I woke up and went back to being annoyed.
Anyway, I said the same things about El's situation in my own review-ish post. Just doesn't make any sense.
Neal has seemed somewhat cold to me for a while now. We saw some emotion with James, but otherwise I feel like what we've mostly been seeing has been anger a little else. I miss seeing a bit of energy in him, perhaps some boyishness, and some general caring. I get why we might not be seeing these things right now, but I miss a little bit of Neal sparkle and "positive" emotion. Also, I understand that playing along with the villains with a smile on your face is no easy task, but he's not really coming off as a particularly good conman lately.
I do think that Neal confronting Pratt at the end was a reaction to Peter's accident. I choose to believe that when Neal said 'family' he meant James, Peter, El, Mozzie, Jones and Diana. Oh and Satchmo, obviously. I saw it as a mix between Mozzie's version in florastuart's fic and a straightforward, angry "if you threaten my family, I will end you" reaction. It didn't really put Peter in (further) danger. Peter's so called accident made it clear that the senator views Peter as threat in his own right, and in theory he would have more reason to go after Peter, because Peter's position makes him the bigger threat (on the surface at least). My point is that Pratt wouldn't really need Neal as a reason to go after Peter, because Peter has already made himself a target. Neal didn't necessarily worsen his own situation, either, because Pratt already knew who he was (how did he know? Was it James who told him? Could James be one of the bad guys? Please?). Not that Neal was aware of this when he confronted Pratt, so in that sense it was a dumb move. Plus, you know, some villains get easily annoyed. As a general rule it's probably best not to emote so intensely at them.
I love Pratt so far. I really dig him as a villain, all calm and in control. I hope they do right by him.
All in all I'm with you on both your list of good stuff and bad stuff. And I hope you don't mind me commenting out of the blue like this :)
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Date: 2013-02-12 12:03 am (UTC)I envy your dream :( (and am impressed that you even got a proper case in there!)
Yeah, Neal definitely seems to be fading a little, I suppose he's been through a lot and it's taking its toll on him. And El hasn't really helped with that, I'm guessing it's probably weighing on him. I'm a bit worried that if James turns out to be no good then it might send Neal over the edge! :o But hopefully Peter will find a way to make things better.
I'm starting to want a big blow-up scene where Peter and Neal and El all discuss the whole lying thing and get angry at each other and then make up, but I doubt that'll happen.
As a general rule it's probably best not to emote so intensely at them.
Lol, true. I'm really interested to see what they do with Pratt. And I was just getting all excited, thinking I'd find out tomorrow, and then, err, no. We have to wait another week and I forgot /o\ Maybe I'll rewatch last week's to make up for it :D
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Date: 2013-02-12 05:42 pm (UTC)I think that would be best *nods*
I really hope that James turns out to be a bad guy. Not sure there’s much point in hoping, though, but I will keep it up till they prove me wrong. He doesn’t have to be the big bad, not necessarily, but I don’t want him to be the guy that he appears to be. Neal might reach his limit, but since this is White Collar where ‘too dark’ is a no-go I don’t think there’d be any radical or permanent change to the character.
I was just getting all excited, thinking I'd find out tomorrow, and then, err, no.
I know! I’m not in the US and I didn’t realize that there was going to be a skip. I feel so bereft. I won't be watching last week's episode, 'cause it bored me like no White Collar episode ever has, but do another one... Gloves off, maybe. And hopefully people will take the opportunity to write fic!
no subject
Date: 2013-02-12 05:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-02-13 05:52 am (UTC)I didn't mind last week's ep, and I need to rewatch it anyway so I can do a reaction post cos I've forgotten half of it lol! But it's definitely not as good as Gloves Off :D Half-naked Neal and Peter and adorable boxing-training scenes are worth many, many rewatches ♥