Bambi on Ice. Review: White Collar - “Ice Breaker”

Season 5, Episode 6

Air Date: Thursday, November 21, 2013, 9/8c on USA

Rating: ★★★★★

“You say problem, I say opportunity.” – Mozzie

When a search for a Russian who forges US passports leads Peter (Tim Dekay) and Neal (Matt Bomer) to a hockey rink controlled by the Russian’s cousin, Sergei (Mike Dopud), the two go undercover as coach (Peter) and agent (Neal) of Katya (Annet Mehendru), a Russian figure skater who is looking to get out from under the Russian’s thumb.

For a while now, I have been wondering if something is going on behind the scenes of White Collar. The series’ creator, Jeff Eastin, has been noticeably silent, and Thursday brought the announcement that co-executive producer Joe Henderson had left the show. That leaves me to wonder who is steering the ship? This is reflected in “Ice Breaker,” which, while a good episode, feels out of pace with this season’s time line.

For the past several episodes, the writers have ignored such huge events as Agent Seigel’s (Warren Kole) murder, Hagen (Mark Sheppard) being free, and Neal in possession of a chapter he stole from the Moscone Codex book. Suddenly, with “Ice Breaker,” these topics are back on the writers’ minds and being addressed. The other thing that feels out of place is Elizabeth’s (Tiffani Thiessen) sudden concern about Peter following the Seigel incident when in “Master Plan,” she showed no signs that things were bothering her. Had “Ice Breaker” been two episodes earlier, it would have fit much better and the various emotions displayed by the characters made more sense.

“Ice Breaker” is the first time watching White Collar that the editing seems off. I don’t know if scenes were cut or simply not written but there are several times when it seems like part of the scene is missing. I especially felt this in the scene where Neal is searching Sergei’s office. I got the feeling there was more to the scene as Neal is finding bits and pieces of what went into making the forged passports. Did he pocket some of what he finds? I would have liked it had that scene and others been explored more.

One of the things I enjoy about White Collar is the undercover work because it allows us to see the characters in environments we never could have imagined. Unlike other workplace shows, here we get to see our favorite characters taking on different personas each week. But who would have thought Peter Burke could pull off the role of professional figure skating coach? It mixes things up while remaining true to the character, and I hope to keep seeing more undercover work done in the future.

Am I the only one who finds it odd that everyone keeps referring to Rebecca Lowe (Bridget Regan) as Neal’s love interest? Seems more like she is still a mark given her knowledge about the Codex. If there is any kind of relationship between the two, it is more out of guilt on Neal’s part for wrecking her life. Will a real relationship evolve as Neal corrupts her or is he simply using her to get what he needs? Speaking of the Codex, if there is no chapter 13, doesn’t that mean Neal stole chapter 14, or is there a deeper meaning to what Neal is in possession of? Could this be the ultimate set-up by Hagan in that Neal stole something that does not exist?

At some point, I think Peter is going to have to step down as ASAC (Assistant Special Agent in Charge), and I am hoping the scene with Elizabeth wasn’t the writers’ attempt at laying the groundwork for some turmoil between the two. The Burkes’ home has always been something special. When Neal needs to talk to Peter as a friend, that’s where he goes. When things were bad for Peter, he could always count on Elizabeth being there. Speaking as a fan, I really hope things don’t get rocky in the Burkes’ marriage forcing Peter to have to choose between being ASAC and his marriage. What do you think?

Earlier in the season, I said this could be White Collar’s strongest season. I may have jumped the gun a bit as now we are surrounded with several mysteries. I guess we’ll have to see how they play out before my statement can be backed up. That isn’t to say this has been a bad season but rather, a distracted one. The continuity is an issue for me as major plot points have been either forgotten or ignored. Peter also seems to be all over the place. Two million dollars go missing and Peter barely blinks, but Neal goes missing for an hour or two and Peter spends hours trying to figure out where he went and what he was doing. Maybe it’s just me but one of Peter’s agents was murdered and he seems more worried about where Neal went. Last I checked, Neal never killed anyone.

Tweet me @staffaroadtrip or leave a comment below to let me know what you think about “Ice Breaker.”

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Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.