Review: White Collar, S3, E7 - "Taking Account"

Airdate: Tuesdays at 9/8c on USA

Rating: ★★★★★

“The only question is how do we spend $100 million dollars?” I’ve got an answer for you, Neal (Matt Bomer)—let’s go on a millionaire’s shopping spree! This episode expertly captures the elements that draw in and keep viewers for the past three seasons. It’s fun, peppered with clever entendres and witty dialogue, and revealing, allowing us to see some different sides of our lead characters. But it also left me with a bit of a pit in my stomach thinking through the ramifications of the last scene.

Review: White Collar, S3, E7 - "Taking Account" 1

Shopping spree ahoy!

Sara Ellis (Hilarie Burton) is really growing on me. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about Neal having a love interest after Kate Moreau (Alexandra Daddario) died. Drama on shows such as this tends to dictate that the relationship between Sara and Neal won’t last—either Sara will get scared off by Neal’s true nature, or Neal will sabotage it himself. However, her involvement in the cons as she peels back the different layers of Neal’s character has been really engaging this season.

Like Neal, the episode title, “Taking Account,” is also layered, referring not only to the case at hand, but also to Neal’s stance on the whole do-I-stay-or-do-I-go dilemma he’s been chewing on since the start of the season. The Bureau is up against a skilled hacker who, using a “V for Vendetta”-like mask on his web message, has managed to rob the Manhattan Mutual Bank (which just so happens to hold all of Sara’s funds) simply by transferring the funds from the bank’s accounts into a Swiss account. Yikes! Made me want to pull my money from my bank and stuff it into my mattress.

As Neal sympathetically observes, this theft leaves a lot people without a back-up plan—including Sara. Under Peter’s (Tim DeKay) observant, yet amused, eye, Neal watches Sara worriedly as the team breaks down the case, the expressions on his normal poker face telling anyone who is paying attention that he’s falling for her and completely unsure what to do about it.

Review: White Collar, S3, E7 - "Taking Account" 2

Resistance is futile, Neal.

Sara’s moving in with Neal, albeit temporarily until they recover her money, has Peter practically picking out china patterns for them, with all his talk of closet sharing and ironing shirts. I think it also gives Peter a feeling of security when it comes to his “partner.” Tell me you don’t love it when he refers to Neal with that term! Peter hasn’t been able to fully trust Neal since the warehouse blew up at the end of the second season; this offers him a tiny bit of assurance that Neal might be inclined to settle down.

Neal and Sara’s plan triggers a couple of things aside from the thief’s attention: Peter’s ire at their side-step of due process, and Neal’s nostalgia for a time when he had everything and everyone around him who made him happy. Still heady from the rush of their spending spree, Neal begins to soften, and comes close—too close—to sharing his secret with Sara. It’s evident from his expression and hesitant words that he wants this pampered life he’s tasted again to continue, Sara by his side. (Aside—Neal playing a guitar? Yes, please.)

I think Neal is wavering; the missing manifest may no longer be the only thing keeping him from selling the treasure and making a break for it. Beginning with the fact that he didn’t steal the treasure in the first place and adding to that the lesson he tried to teach Robin Hoodie (from last week’s episode, “Scott Free”) about “always looking over your shoulder, never having people in your life you can trust,” the level of intimacy he’s gained with Sara has further weakened his resolve to almost nil.

Review: White Collar, S3, E7 - "Taking Account" 3

"V" for Vulture.

And let’s not forget Mozzie’s (Willie Garson) influence on Neal—playing the role of confidant and enabler. For Mozzie, any con (even one involving Sara) is a step toward the life he chooses to live, rather than the life he’s forced to live due to Neal’s proximity to and affection for Peter—and Mozzie’s proximity to and affection for Neal. Even Mozzie’s tryst with Sally (Game of Thrones’ Lena Headey), the beautiful hacker known as “the Vulture,” doesn’t sway his resolve to escape with the treasure. I have to say, though, I melted a bit when he asks Sally if her name is short for “Salieri,” especially since we found out in “The Dentist of Detroit” what ‘Mozzie’ is short for.

Neal’s reticence to leave is turning Mozzie skittish—and as a result, I’m thinking he is going to take action that could force Neal’s hand. And while Peter may detect a shift in Neal, he’s not letting go of his cautious suspicions about Neal’s true self. After all, Neal hasn’t hit bottom, and a tiger doesn’t change his stripes without extreme provocation.

But it’s what Sara discovers at the close of the episode that has my storyline anxiety meter (patent pending) spiking. Things could get really bad really fast, depending on how the next few episodes play out. Is it Tuesday yet?

Tune in to White Collar, Tuesdays at 9/8c on the USA Network.

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