WHITE COLLAR “Stealing Home” airing February 21, 2012 on USA Network

WHITE COLLAR
Advance Review
“Stealing Home” airing February 21, 2012 on USA Network
Story by Mark Goffman and Jim Campolongo
Directed by Tim DeKay
Guest stars: Hal Oszan and Yankee Stadium
February 19, 2012
By Valerie Leung
Warning: minor spoilers

Dear Readers, please indulge me and allow me to have a few fangirl moments as I review this special episode.

First off, there’s Tim DeKay, who plays FBI Special Agent Peter Burke, making his TV directorial debut. Having watched the episode, I am surprised it is his maiden effort because it looks like every other episode; and by this I mean it is every bit as amazing, seamless and smooth as we have all grown accustomed to.   

Second of all, there’s baseball.  As a DeKay fan who’s watched him throw a few balls in HBO’s Carnivale, and playing in the celebrity softball game last year, I had been eager to see Agent Burke play ball on WHITE COLLAR.  The excitement you see on DeKay’s face in the Stadium Museum and Legends Hall, not to mention getting on the field, is so genuine that I wish I could bottle it.  It is the perfect amalgamation of his passion for baseball and acting (baseball’s loss is the acting world’s gain).

As if this is not enough, for anyone who saw Matt Bomer co-hosting the Today Show last March demonstrating some smooth moves at the pool table, you will be happy to know that Neal Caffrey has even smoother and more impressive moves to show off.  The real pool sharks will no doubt tell you those moves are just for show, but this is television, after all, so who is going to complain?

Before I get too much more carried away with my fangirling, there is actually a story to tell on “Stealing Home”.  As Neal’s commutation hearing approaches, Peter warns his friend not to make any careless moves that may see him risk his chance for early release.  As we have seen in recent episodes, Neal has made it clear he loves New York and his life there and has no intention to leave.  But there is still the matter of a list of character witnesses willing to testify on Neal’s behalf, some of whom, including former flame and insurance investigator, Sara Ellis (Hilarie Burton), may or may not support the idea of Neal going free.

With Agent Kramer (Beau Bridges who returns in the season finale) seemingly determined to dig into Neal’s past indiscretions and keeping Peter out of the loop, Neal needs to be on his best behavior.  However, trouble always manages to follow him, and sometimes, it comes in the form of Mozzie (Willie Garson) and the temptation of a big score with a popular and beloved criminal named Gordon Taylor (guest star Hal Oszan).

I have often wondered how else Neal supplements his FBI paycheck and Byron’s leftover wardrobe to maintain his classy lifestyle.  We may not know all the details but the heist that Mozzie proposes is another hint that he and Neal have done many other jobs we don’t know about.

Although suspected of many high profile heists, Taylor has no criminal record and is revered by Mozzie and Neal.  So when Mozzie tells his friend that Taylor has asked specifically for Neal to be their point man for his next job to steal a valuable Babe Ruth memorabilia from Yankee Stadium Museum, Neal is flattered but cautious, knowing that Peter has Taylor firmly in his cross-hairs.  As you would expect, Neal comes up with a plan to allow them to play both sides of the fence.

Getting in with Taylor is not like any typical interview.  Taylor believes that he can learn a lot about a person by the way he plays pool, so we get to see another hidden talent of Neal’s – apparently he was a bit of a pool shark as a kid growing up in St Louis, Missouri (dun dun dun! Another clue to Neal’s childhood).  Of course Neal passes his “audition” with Taylor, and seeing Mozzie officially involved, working both sides of the law, makes for an interesting situation.  Can Mozzie ever be fully trusted by Peter? 

While this episode features another fun, slick heist and one that occurs inside Yankee Stadium, it almost takes a backseat to the revelations that we see throughout about our characters’ pasts and clues to what the season finale will bring (as showrunner Jeff Eastin promised, we will find out about Neal’s history in the season finale). Peter’s fond recollection of his first ball game with his Dad at Yankee Stadium brings some sadness to Neal’s face in contrast.  And the revelation that Peter had played for the Minors gives Neal pause to consider the choices that Peter has made in his life compared to his own life choices in the past and the choices he still has to make that will affect his future.

Here are some of my favorite moments from “Stealing Home”:

“Stealing Home” is another fun thrill-ride mixed in with some intense moments, but ultimately will leave a smile on your face as infectious as Tim DeKay’s.  Savor the moment because the season finale will leave you a bundle of nerves.  Seeing how easily Neal slips back into a life of crime with Taylor, can he ever truly change and be reformed?  Just what do the codes in Neal’s prison letters to Kate reveal?

Oh, and if you pay careful attention to the museum heist scene, you will spot a couple of familiar faces from the WHITE COLLAR family on your screen (hint: they share the director’s last name and DNA).  Enjoy!