White Collar 1x08

[stillane]

Things that made me go \o/:

- PETER!!!

- NEAL!!!

- ELIZABETH!!! Elizabeth knows what's going on! Of course she does! Have I mentioned before how much I adore that we actually have a marriage between two bright, successful people on TV and it works? They adore each other! They have a comfortable house, and a dog, and a level of coolness that cannot be rivaled! (And they both look at Neal like they are figuring out the best way to talk him into staying in that comfortable house with them. I'm just guessing, here, but I do not think it would be a hard sell.) ETA: I just looked up the actual title of this episode. Heh. That was not on purpose.

- Neal looked like the whole world had just ended when he thought Peter really was behind it. There were watery eyes. Chess pieces everywhere. This show, guys. *headshake*

- "Just because I don't like guns doesn't mean I can't use one." Okay, I have to fess up that this is one of my favorite hero tropes ever. Blame it on Atticus Finch, IDK. It's some combination of "X is secretly a badass" and my ever-present competence kink, and oh my god was that hot. Ahem.

- Neal being dangerous in general is fascinating. He's excellent at making you forget that he's really kind of one tough customer - seriously, four years in a supermax - and then bam! Angry Neal is a little scary, and he knows it. I loved that tiny moment in the pilot where Neal acknowledges that he's not a fluffy bunny, and that Peter's perfectly aware of it, when he reaches out to pick the debris off Peter's shoulder and waits for permission. I also love Peter's wary confusion while Neal's going off the rails, because Neal isn't like that with him.

- I love Peter asking for Neal's trust underneath even while he's selling him out on the surface. It's gloriously twisty, and Neal goes with it. And then Peter gets that proud little mastermind-y grin going when Neal picks up on the hand Peter's given him to play, and I squeak a bit.

- "Peter is the best thing that ever happened to you, and you're smart enough to know that." I... can't actually add anything to that, to tell you the truth. *blinks*

- THE PANIC ROOM!!! Neal closes the door to save Peter, and Peter opens it to save Neal! I'm still going all O_O about the breathing device thing, because that was so damn blatant it's not even funny. (I was kind of waiting for the dueSouth-style buddy breathing, not gonna lie.) And then Peter looks both ruthlessly pulled together and absolutely freaked the hell out when he hits that switch, because he is ready to go down fighting but omgNeal'snotbreathing and that is really bad. *adores*

- THE BACK PORCH CONFESSION!!! I love that Peter gets to remain a super badass (yay for no retconning!), while still being one of the good guys. I'm not sure whether we can take Peter's recall as gospel (I'm slightly wary that TPTB might still be screwing with us), but I really, really want to. Kate is in on it! Angrysuperspy!Peter from the last scene of the finale came out to play because somebody was using Neal, and Peter was pissed. He went outside FBI channels, while under investigation, and just generally did not play by any rules because Neal was in trouble. He told Kate to stop screwing with Neal's heart. I... just... Wow. You don't even have to try, with this show. Clearly, USA Network loves us and wants us to be happy. *g*

- Incidentally, the ring thing wound up being surprisingly hot. I love when Peter gets to be exactly as clever and manipulative as he can be, and wearing the ring to meet Kate was all kinds of Why yes, I am more dangerous than the alternative. Do not test me.

- Of course Neal is the Knight. Of course. Heh. Never moves linearly, always knows how to work his set patterns against you, and is quite possibly the prettiest piece on the board.

In conclusion: PETER! ELIZABETH! NEAL! Go OT3 of Awesomeness!

Comments

[denorios.livejournal.com]

I'm actually kinda in awe at the epic levels of slash this show is reaching considering we're only on the eighth episode. I fully expect this show to finish with an episode in which Peter and Elizabeth each fret over the best way to tell their spouse that they love Neal too and can he move in and be part of their adorable menage a trois. Because where else can it go from here?

[stillane.livejournal.com]

Hee. I kind of wonder how much of this is on purpose and, alternatively, how they can be unaware of the dynamic they're setting up. I mean... it doesn't feel like they're playing with the slash/threesome vibe, if that makes sense. There's no little "Haha, we are aware that this exists and are tossing in some subtext just for fun" aura about it, which is entertaining in its own way, don't get me wrong (Hi, Psych!). TPTB are either completely oblivious to what's coming across, or playing it... well, if you'll pardon the pun, straight. On network TV, I'd know already not to bother hoping, but here... I'm not so sure. I don't know if they have the guts to go there for real, but I'm not entirely convinced that they don't, either. *is slightly hopeful*

[katikat.livejournal.com]

Neal's little "You've got my back... Right?" broke my heart. He sounded so desperate!

[stillane.livejournal.com]

Yes! A sad Neal is a sorry thing indeed. I was so thrilled when Peter's uncertainty about telling him just up and died there, and I love the direction this whole arc puts Peter, Neal, and Elizabeth in. There is potential to have this all come down to them against the world (with assists from Mozzie, June, Jones, and Cruz) and I am so on board for that it is not even funny. *g*

[thegrrrl2002.livejournal.com]

This ep delivered on all sorts of levels, didn't it? So. Awesome. They're all absolutely adorable. I loved Neal selling over the phone to Peter. They were both having so much fun with that.

This show fills me with glee!

[stillane.livejournal.com]

Eee! *joins you in the glee*

I'm kind of glad that I had to wait for this, and that the previous finale left everybody in such a tizzy. It's such a high when you get a payoff like this after fretting about it. *g*

I loved Neal selling over the phone to Peter. They were both having so much fun with that.

Yes! shetiger said that they were flirting in front of everyone, and it's so true! And flirting with Historical Quotation Jeopardy, even, which I can't decide whether to calk up as a little suave or a whole lot geeky. Probably both. I love this show! *g*

[grammarwoman]

This show is one of my happy places. I don't even care about the crime fighting so much, but the CHEMISTRY. I mean, DAMN. It's all snap-crackle-pop in here!

Have you seen astolat and shaenie's recent fics? Both Neal/Peter/Elizabeth (another thing I love about this show, is how fiercely awesome Elizabeth is, that no one wants to cut her out of the action!), both HOT HOT HOT.

[stillane.livejournal.com]

So. Much. Yes. About the chemistry. I was aware going in that Matt Bomer could hit it off with a rock, but everybody else was relatively new to me, and I never expected the whole show would be one big sizzlefest. Add to that the fact that everyone gets to be bright and competent, and I am so gone. Yay for surprises! *g*

I've been kind of awful at keeping up with fic lately, and I hadn't seen shaenie's WC stuff at all! Thanks so much for the rec!

[grammarwoman]

You're welcome! I'm so abjectly awful about commenting and posting lately that it feels redeeming or something to pass on recs.