Welcome to Gleason's Uptown. Review: White Collar - "Gloves Off"

White Collar, S4, E09: “Gloves Off”

Airdate: Tuesday, September 11, 2012, 9/8c on USA

Rating: ★★★★★

“You gotta pick who you can trust, right?” – Neal

The writers for White Collar weren’t kidding around with the title of this episode. “Gloves Off” comes out of the gate swinging and doesn’t let up until we’re left watching Peter (Tim DeKay), bereft of words, as Neal (Matt Bomer) storms away in a cloud of betrayal, confusion, and pain. Picking up where last week’s cliffhanger left off, the mysterious beta max tape reveals a much younger Ellen (guest star Sprague Garyden) speaking to Neal.

However, the tape doesn’t answer as many questions as it poses, and the two things that stood out to me are Neal’s hummingbird-like blinking to stave off the obvious emotions he feels surging up at the memories Ellen’s words evoke, and the fact that those words plant strong seeds of doubt about Sam (Treat Williams) in my mind and Peter’s. Ellen never directly identifies Sam in the tape; she simply tells Neal the only people who know the truth are his father, herself, and an undercover cop.

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The gloves are off and tensions high well before the boxing match starts.

From the onset of “Gloves Off,” I started spinning theories about Sam. Is he, perhaps, Neal’s father? Neal hasn’t seen his dad since he was three. I don’t know about you, but I can’t remember much before the age of five. It’s possible Ellen kept the secret of Neal’s true parentage from him to protect him as she vowed to do in the 30-year-old tape. Or, is Sam the one who committed the crime Neal’s dad copped to? Was Neal’s father protecting Sam and has Sam been keeping that truth from Neal all this time – again to protect him? We aren’t provided any of these answers – they’re wisely being saved for the summer finale – but I was left with an overall bad feeling about Sam.

Peter, attuned to Neal’s pain and conflicting emotions, urges him to make a pact: neither will talk to anyone about the tape – Sam, Diana (Marsha Thomason), and Jones (Sharif Atkins) included. In an effort to protect Neal, Peter is concerned about going outside the lines with this situation. Not directly involving the FBI feels all kinds of wrong to him, but Neal is convinced Sam will rabbit at the first sign of a badge. However, what Peter doesn’t seem to take into consideration is that Sam is the only connection the young conman has to his nebulous past.

When Neal invites Sam to his apartment the next day, I was admittedly nervous. It always seems that the trust between Neal and Peter is as thin as a spider’s web and just as easily swiped away – and Neal’s actions are typically the first to endanger that trust. Except for Mozzie (Willie Garson), everyone seems to expect Neal to betray them. Peter tends to treat Neal like a rebellious brother – quick to offer Neal chances to prove himself worthy, but just as quickly believing the worst before he has all the facts.

I sympathize with Peter; Neal’s far from blameless and has let Peter down on more than one occasion. But I’m also frustrated for Neal: how does he become trustworthy if he’s never fully trusted?

The scene with Sam is quiet and poignant. Sam sharing stories of Neal’s father – like how proud he was of Neal – gives Neal a piece of his very scattered puzzle. I love the small, hopeful smile on Neal’s face when Sam tells him about a visit to the precinct where Neal wandered off and they found him in the Captain’s office, trying on the Captain’s hat.

Sam: “Guess you always had a thing about hats.”

Unfortunately, the stroll down memory lane is cut short when Elle (Tiffani Thiessen) visits, concerned for Neal. Being the wife of an FBI agent has honed her observational skills and she alerts Peter to Sam’s visit. I have to admit, I was impressed (mostly with the self-parking car), but I was also disappointed that Peter jumped to the conclusion that Neal had broken their pact.

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It’s hard for Neal to maintain his cover with Dunham with his anger burning so bright.

This underlying tension spills over into the current case the White Collar team is working: Erik Dunham (Victor Webster), a former cohort of last season’s baddie, Vincent Adler (Andrew McCartney), is being investigated for insider trading. Conveniently, Dunham knows Neal under his alias of Nick Halden, so the team has their in. Dunham plays hardball, though, causing Neal to think on his feet and putting Peter and team in one or two awkward positions.

While Peter’s flailing and near heart attacks at Neal’s curve-ball negotiation tactics with Dunham are amusing to watch, Neal is the one in the field, having to dance about a tough situation or risk exposing the whole operation (or put himself in danger) and is making it work. It’s evident that Neal trusts Peter and the team to follow his lead, make use of his hunches, and perform their expert smoke-and-mirrors tactics to keep Neal’s cover intact. This time, it’s not only Neal’s cover, but Peter’s as well the team is able to maintain.

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Rule Number One: there must be more White Collar Fight Club.

Dunham gives out his trading secrets in a unique way: only those who win an underground boxing match get the inside tip. It’s Fight Club with one or two rules other than, “don’t talk about Fight Club.” If you ask me, there’s not enough boxing in the show overall. White Collar needs to come up with more reasons for Neal and Peter to be shirtless (end shallow moment). Since the case will go better if Dunham gives the tip directly to an FBI Agent, the team decides to choreograph Peter vs. Neal a la Ali vs. Foreman, with Neal in the role of George Foreman.

The practice session is perfect. Mozzie and Jones are the corner men, giving boxing tips on when to jab, when to roll, how to duck, and how not to break Neal’s jaw (please don’t, we like that pretty face just the way it is) when ending the match.

Before the fake fight can go down, though, Peter finds Sam through a background check he has Diana run. He tries to convince the older cop to work with him, but Sam is hesitant, edgy. Peter’s heart is in the right place, but I think he might need to stop trying to protect Neal so much and pull Neal into some of his background plotting and scheming.

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Neal has a wicked left hook.

The fight between Peter and Neal begins with Neal worked up after finding out Peter paid a visit to Sam. His face is tense, his eyes are hot and he is trembling with anger. He blows their choreographed plan out of the water, venting years of pent up aggression and pain with his punches – sometimes pulling short, sometimes sending Peter spinning. Mozzie is totally baffled but Neal clears it up for him.

Neal: “Peter went to Sam and Sam’s gone!”

Mozzie: “The answer is not assaulting a federal agent who also happens to be your second best friend!”

Reigning it in as he’s had to all of his life, Neal eventually plays through the plan, letting Peter win the fight, but the moment he’s out of the ring, any concern Neal had for a successful operation evaporates. He makes a bee-line for Sam’s place and Peter follows, where they find an empty, tossed apartment and no Sam. The conversation in front of the brownstone broke my heart a little – especially the way Peter’s face fell with the realization of how he’d screwed up, and how close to the edge Neal really is.

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Peter learns where he went wrong.

Neal, bruised and shaking with indignation, tells Peter he never showed Sam the tape. He just met with Sam because the ex-cop was his only link to his past.

Neal: “That’s the heart of our problem. You still don’t trust me.”

Wrapped up in his pain, Neal doesn’t see how his parting words visibly gut Peter – either because Peter thought they could be true, or because Neal believed them.

Neal: “This is exactly why Sam didn’t want you running his name. They found him because of you. They found Ellen because of you. I may be a ward of the state, and I will do my job for the FBI, but as far as my personal life, we are done.”

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m glad we don’t have to wait too long to get some of our questions answered, and find a way to repair a friendship that has changed and shaped these two characters into the men we love to watch.

Tune in to White Collar, Tuesdays at 9/8c, only on the USA Network. For more on the show, visit the official website at http://www.usanetwork.com/series/whitecollar/.