White Collar – Recap & Review – Copycat Caffrey

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White Collar
Copycat Caffrey

Original Air Date: Jul 27, 2010

Brittany Frederick – Staff Writer
brittanyfrederick @thetwocentscorp.com

We’ve heard since the beginning of the series how good of a con man Neal is, and how that’s earned him many enemies – so it is not surprising in the least that someone might try to take after him, or even frame him. He and Peter investigate the heist of a particularly ugly but valuable painting, which leads him to Alex (unfortunately), who claims the painting’s already been fenced in Dubai. Yet Peter, Jones and Diana all claim they’ve also found it. Seems that kind of grab and switch is Neal’s M.O. and he’s quite flattered.

Confronted with all the forgeries, Neal quickly begins to decipher the crime and wonders who would have gotten close enough to the painting. The trail leads to a university student, and on campus we learn Peter’s dad worked in construction and Peter was a scholarship student studying advanced math and accounting before he joined the FBI. (The credits also tell us that Sharif Atkins is still listed as a guest star despite being around seemingly all the time. What?) He confesses to making seven copies of the painting for a lot of money, and sketches a picture of his fence for good measure. Diana identifies her as someone named Veronica, a fellow student…who’s taking a criminology class that includes a unit on Neal, no less. Neal is even more flattered.

He goes back to campus to sit in on the course and, as expected, draws attention to himself. Of course this draws some invasive questions that allow him to see some possible suspects in the students…not to mention the teacher himself. Seems he and his merry band of student thieves have copied everyone he’s been teaching. Neal goes to a meeting of said students to poke their brains, roping Alex along with him. Alex is not impressed, as if she ever is. Did I mention I’m tired of her already? Neal’s idea is to bait them with another perfect crime, getting a monkey off Alex’s back and putting them where they belong at the same time. The two cause a huge scene on campus to sell the crime and it works perfectly.

Oh, look, it’s Spin City’s Michael Boatman playing said monkey on Alex’s back. They arrest him and give his stolen coins to Jones, who takes over the part of the fence and sets up the perfect opportunity to get himself robbed. (Nice to see him not just sitting in the van.) Neal takes the merchandise and puts it into a locker, waiting for the kids to pick them up…which doesn’t happen. Seems Michael Boatman blabbed about Alex and Peter is not happy with being played, especially when they find the locker empty.

He’s so annoyed, he pays a special visit to Neal’s apartment to chew out Neal and Mozzie. Neal admits he was trying to save Alex at the same time he was trying to solve the case. Peter decides he’s going to use Mozzie and pretend he’s part of the mob that the coins were stolen from to intimidate the crap out of the professor. He’s pretty damn good at it too, sending him running to Alex to fence not only the coins but the paintings in order to get the mob off his back. She proves useful, getting all his information and the merchandise so the FBI can bust him within seconds. For her trouble, Peter sends her to Italy, where I hope she stays.

Back on campus, Peter decides he’s going to be a substitute teacher, namely to turn up and arrest the little band of criminals, who all squeal as they’re being dragged off. Between him and Neal it’s the perfect FBI recruiting speech. Later, Peter meets with Diana to take a look at the music box and discovers there’s something inside, while Neal confronts Alex about a missing painting from the professor’s stash. She gives him the last piece of the music box and tells him to move on with his life…before she kisses him which makes me cringe. We now know Neal has the key that will open the box if only Peter would tell him where it is. Oh, the drama.

Another entertaining episode, though I hope that lovesick Alex is gone out of Neal’s life for good. She calls him obsessed with Kate while she won’t get her claws out of him. However, the plot with the music box continues to hold interest and I can’t wait until Neal and Peter’s secret investigations converge, which by all means looks to be next week. Later this week, stay tuned for my Q&A with the White Collar cast from Comic-Con!

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