Let me start off by saying I love, love, love this episode. From start to finish it's a great episode. It’s looking like the writers are becoming more innovative with ways for Neil to go undercover. Bringing in Marsha Thomason this season is a resounding success. Natalie Morales didn’t work for me in terms of chemistry with Matthew Bomer. Tonight’s episode really illustrates what they can accomplish now that Marsha is on the job.
The opening banter between Neil and Peter reveals quite a gem about Mozzie, played oh so well by Willie Garson, that I missed during my first viewing. Apparently Mozzie, a conspiracy theorist as well as quite shady, does vote and vote often. That slipped by me but I find it very amusing. The new case has Neil going undercover portraying an under-the-table media consultant to politicos in trouble. While prepping we learn Neil never graduated from high school, a fact that stuns Peter. This makes me wonder more about how Neil grew up and what turned him into the con-man/thief he became. With all of his charm and sophistication, he may have had some humble beginnings. I wonder if we'll meet any of Neil’s relatives in subsequent seasons.
The villain-du-jour, Gary Jennings (played with perfect smarminess by David Alan Basche), has a straw donor scam going. He's receiving money for his campaign and is cooking the books to hide it. Peter goes in to start their con by being that overconfident, grandstanding FBI agent that usually gets portrayed in most movies. Tim DeKay does an excellent job setting the bait for Jennings so Neil can swoop in as the cocky media consultant, Benjamin Cooper, who's going to get their mark out of this jam.
Once again Peter's holding things back from Neil but this time, it’s more for his own good. I feel like we've already been there/done that from the first season but now Diana's in on the deception.
I have a bone to pick with the director here. I understand that Tiffani Thiessen is on maternity leave and they had to do some creative things to have her in at least one scene each episode but the CGI backdrop in San Francisco seriously?!? Maybe they should have just used her voice on the phone if they did not have good enough special effects to do this scene. I can’t wait for her to actually be physically present on the show again.
The whole sequence with Diana and Neil is fantastic. I love seeing Neil go to Diana’s rescue when he realizes she's going to have to pick up a john. In the scene in the hotel room, we learn more about Diana having grown up as a diplomat’s daughter and traveling the world. Neil and Diana share even more when Diana reveals her bodyguard while she was growing up died in the line of fire for her. This seems like it had a profound effect on her and she tries to work on Neil’s survivor guilt with losing Kate.
Peter and Mozzie together again. I love bringing these two together and how exasperated Peter gets with Mozzie’s paranoia and quirks. I get the feeling Mozzie made the scavenger hunt even more outrageous just to get to Peter more irritable. Loved it!!!
"Need to Know" is a great and very solid episode of White Collar. I especially love them revealing the picture of Peter with a mustache. The show has gotten into a groove and it seems the writers are finding the voices of each character quite well. Can’t wait to see how the season progresses.
Preview for next week: Aidan Quinn is doing television? I know I haven’t seen him in any movies lately but I was surprised to see that he is guest starring on White Collar.
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