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White Collar – “Return to Sender” Retrospective. Wally and Beaver.

Season 6, Episode 2

Air Date: Thursday, November 13, 2014, 10/9c on USA

Rating: ★★★★★

We have a problem. Look, I don’t know how it happened, but it happened.” – Neal Caffrey

The Boys together again.

Neal’s (Matt Bomer) future hangs in the balance as the FBI agrees to give him his freedom as long as he can take down the notorious criminal organization known as the Pink Panthers. But when someone from Neal’s past reemerges, the stakes suddenly become much higher.

Fans who have been clamoring for information about White Collar’s final season knew the notorious villain Matthew Keller (Ross McCall) would be returning. Keller is one of the most prominent protagonists on the show having kidnapped both Elizabeth (Tiffani Thiessen) and Peter Burke (Tim Dekay). Bomer does such a fantastic job conveying the sheer terror Neal experiences at the first sight of Keller, even I had anxiety.

The emotional bar has been raised early this season. It isn’t that White Collar hasn’t had deep emotional story lines in previous seasons, as illustrated by the eventual death of Kate (Alexandra Daddario) and Keller’s kidnapping Elizabeth. Perhaps my own feelings for the show are spilling over but little things, like Peter’s breathing  as he conveys the seriousness of Keller’s return to Neal in “Return to Sender,” now stand out.

White Collar creator Jeff Eastin has said in interviews that not killing Keller off was one of his biggest regrets. Personally, I think Keller’s return for the final season is great for the fans and takes the intensity of “Return to Sender” to a whole new level. In a twist I never saw coming, the writers find an excellent way to make Keller’s return feel fresh. I can’t wait to see the fans’ reaction to the revelation of Keller’s benefactor, and whether this will change anyone’s feelings for the psychopath.

Following Rebecca’s (Bridget Regan) surprising death last week, I thought there would be more of a lingering impact on Neal but there is no mention of it in “Return to Sender.” Could mixed emotions be festering inside Neal? After all, it was the FBI who shot her. Or, is Rebecca’s quick death simply a casualty of having only six episodes with which to tie up loose ends?

Peter and Neal are no strangers to going undercover and pretending to be someone else. But when Neal’s charm fails to win over Bianca (Paloma Guzman), who runs the Sotheby’s of the black market, Peter is forced to step in. I couldn’t help laughing when Neal appears caught off guard by Peter’s new persona. Frankly, I’m surprised it has taken the writers six seasons to put Peter and Neal in this situation. Looking back, I realize part of what makes this scenario so enjoyable is because the writers haven’t done this until now.

Heartfelt conversation.

Peter’s conversation with Bianca is fascinating due to the many levels of meanings layered in his words as he describes his relationship with Neal. Now that the Burkes are expecting their first child, Peter’s words take on additional significance. Speaking of children, I’ve come around to the idea of Elizabeth being pregnant. Countless shows have used pregnancy as a plot device, especially as a series winds down. So, the more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea. How touching would it be for one of the final scenes of the series to be a jump forward four years. You see a kid playing in the yard by himself and you hear Dekay shout, “Neal, come in, it’s time for dinner.” I hope the Burkes have a boy and name him Neal Theodore Burke.

Watching “Return to Sender,” I found myself wondering if Neal is just a little too hell bent on taking down the Pink Panthers. I get that his freedom is tied to his mission being successful but every time Peter tries to get Neal to ease up, Neal gets pissed. I wonder if there is something in Neal’s past that connects him to the Panthers that is contributing to his rage.

Will it be a boy or a girl?

I admit I’m a little worried given that “shocking” is the word those in the know use to describe the series finale. Other than Elizabeth revealing something crazy — like she’s pregnant with Mozzie’s (Willie Garson) baby — I’m struggling to think of ways you can have ‘shocking’ without someone dying. With only four White Collar episodes remaining, we will find out soon enough.

“Return to Sender” is a great episode but as a fan of the show, something is missing – a goodbye. When Peter meets with David Piller (Deshane Granger) to discuss Neal’s deal and the two discuss the past, I kept thinking this would have been a perfect opportunity to acknowledge the passing of James Redhorn, who played Reese Hughes on the show from 2009-2012. Even though Hughes was phased out over the last few seasons, he continued to be a beloved character by the fans, as displayed on social media when his death was announced March 21, 2014. While it may not have been possible to recognize Rebhorn’s passing in the episode itself, it would have been nice had a notice of his death, and an acknowledgement of what a great asset Rebhorn was to the show, had rolled after the credits.”

Let me know what you think of “Borrowed Time?” Leave your comments below or tweet me @StaffaRoadTrip.

Tune in to White Collar Thursdays at 10/9c, only on USA.

For more on the show, visit the official website at http://www.usanetwork.com/series/whitecollar/.

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All photos © 2014 USA Network, a division of NBC Universal, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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.

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.