Review: White Collar, Season 3, Episode 12 – “Upper Westside Story”

Airdate: Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 10/9c on USA

Rating: ★★★★★

After the rush of the mid-season premiere and the potentially game-changing news dropped into Neal Caffrey’s (Matt Bomer) lap, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from “Upper Westside Story” in terms of character development and connection. As is usual for this series, the episode plot and case-of-the-week is tight with a crafty, clever con and a layer of sentimentality that further endears our favorite con and FBI agent, Peter Burke (Tim DeKay) to us.

A battle of words more potent for use of Byron.

What is surprising to me, however, is that this episode seems to be a bit of a character reset from the end of the previous episode. There are many times where Peter rehashes Neal’s past transgressions – both in conversation with his wife, Elle (Tiffani Thiessen), and with Neal himself – more or less forcing Neal to apologize repeatedly for the position he put Elle in and for being dishonest with Peter.

But I find myself able to see it from both perspectives. On one hand, Peter is hurt and feels betrayed and because of Neal’s actions went through one of the biggest terrors of his life when Elle was kidnapped. On the other hand, in the previous episode, he told Neal he appreciated what Neal was willing to do to make it right, and what he sacrificed for Peter. But then in this episode, he backtracks, telling Neal he isn’t sure if he’s going to sign off on the Keller case, holding the outcome over Neal’s head until the end of the episode and waffling on his feelings of trust.

Elle: “He had the treasure and he gave it up for us. That says a lot about his character.”

Peter: “He had the treasure. That says a lot about his character.”

The interesting overlay with this question of trust and the case that comes across Peter’s desk – courtesy of a highly observant prep school student, Evan Leary (Graham Phillips) – comes out when Peter goes undercover to investigate possible scholarship embezzling at Evan’s prep school. Fronting as a wealthy businessman looking to enroll his (non-existent) son in the school, Peter slyly refers to Neal when describing his son and seems to be working out his own internal struggle of Neal skirting the law and getting away with it.  After all, Peter believes in consequences.

I'd stand on my desk for this teacher.

Meanwhile, while Peter is playing his role with the mark, Andy Woods (Dylan Baker), Neal goes in as Peter’s assistant, but sees an opportunity to help the case by standing in as a Western Poetry substitute teacher. He’s every romantically inclined, Romeo and Juliet-besotted high school girl’s dream as a teacher, quoting Rainer Maria Rilke and practically creating his own Oh Captain! My Captain! scene.

While Neal’s focus on the job is admirable, the fact that he once again goes rogue pushes Peter’s already primed irritation button. But when it offers them another way to get information on the embezzlement case – via an at-home tutoring session with Woods’ popular and beautiful teenage daughter, Chloe (Elizabeth Gillies) – Peter relents and drafts a new game plan for Neal to follow, with strict instructions for him to “focus on the work.”

However, it’s hard to miss the light in Neal’s eyes as he easily slips into the role of educator. It’s obvious that Peter appreciates Neal’s quick thinking and chameleon-esque abilities when they find themselves in a very tricky situation. Toward the end of the episode, I can practically see the vapors of Peter’s trust issues as they dissolve in light of Neal’s efforts to help solve the case.

The jig is up!

And let’s not forget the layers of sentimental romanticism infused in this con. After all, Neal is teaching Byron and The Bard. And while Evan is acutely worried about the scholarship embezzlement jeopardizing his continuing high school education, he is also full-on crushing on Chloe. This creates an opportunity to keep Mozzie (Willie Garson) engaged by helping “the little guy get the girl,” as well as distract him from the pending date of Peter’s decision on the Keller case. Mozzie helps redirect Chloe’s attention from being in love with romance to being romanced by love by forging a sonnet and filling Chloe’s locker with roses from Evan, which is, in his words, “the equivalent of the hoisting of the boom box.” (Awesome shout-out to John Cusack, my 80’s crush.)

When Peter’s cover – sustained by a clever Hail Mary tossed by Diana (Marsha Thomason), who stands in as Peter’s girlfriend – is blown and Neal is able to both save his life and expose the bad guy, Peter admits that Neal’s efforts show true dedication. He believes their partnership could work – and shows it in his actions with the Keller case.

So, is this the continuation of a beautiful friendship? Or will Neal’s past and his apparent inability to stray too far from the con find a way to rekindle Peter’s trust issues and remind him of the sting of betrayal? I know which way I’m hoping it’ll go.

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

All photos © 2011 USA Network. All rights reserved.