Pilot (also known as Snow White and Her Seven Little Men) is the first episode of Season 1 of White Collar, the pilot and the first produced episode. It aired on October 23, 2009.
Synopsis[]
When con man Neal Caffrey breaks out of a maximum-security prison, FBI agent Peter Burke, who originally caught and apprehended Neal, is sent to find him. Peter finds out that he escaped to find Kate, the love of his life, and heads to Kate's apartment in Manhattan. However, he finds the con man there alone. Neal tells him that he was too late, and that Kate is gone.
Faced with another four years in prison, Neal offers to help Peter catch "The Dutchman," an elusive counterfeiter that the FBI has been chasing for years. In exchange for his expertise, Neal wants to serve his new four years out of prison. Peter makes it happen, on the conditions that Neal wears a tracking anklet and that he forgets about Kate. Neal agrees to Peter's terms, and once outside, he befriends well-to-do widow June and trades in his FBI provided motel-room for her palatial Manhattan mansion. June also donates a closet full of her late husband's designer suits for Neal's use.
Peter can't deny that he and the con man make a good team. After the FBI seizes a shipment of antique books headed for the Dutchman, Neal and Peter realize the counterfeiter is using antique paper from the books to forge hundreds of rare 1944 Spanish Victory bonds. With most of the real bonds rumored to have been lost forever, the Dutchman would stand to make millions. Neal's expertise pays off when his shadowy contact Mozzie helps them identify the Dutchman as Curtis Hagen. Neal and Peter pay Hagen a visit but the forger recognizes Neal and books a flight out of the country in a week's time. Another tip leads the duo to Hagen's waterfront warehouse but they still need a warrant to take him down.
Meanwhile, Neal can't stop thinking about Kate. Mozzie is able to dig up information on her whereabouts, but it's not enough. And with only seven days until Hagen escapes, Neal must find a way to link the forger to the bonds, or he'll wind up back behind bars, losing Kate for good.
Entire Episode[]
A man trims and shaves the scraggly beard he's let grow, then dons a guard's uniform he'd presumably hidden behind a toilet. Once he's done grooming himself, he leaves the "STAFF ONLY" restroom and walks past various guards and inmates. A guard inadvertently helps him escape by letting him out of the building. He is then introduced as Neal Caffrey, convicted of Bond Forgery and suspected of counterfeiting, securities fraud, art theft and racketeering. He hot-wires a truck, pops in a cassette tape, then discovers three dollars in the ash tray. He drives to the city and stops to purchase a yellow windbreaker on the sidewalk. He then travels to the airport, where several airport valet workers are also wearing identical yellow windbreakers, and pretends to be a valet to take one of the cars. The car owner asks him to take care of his car and hands Neal a hundred dollar bill. Neal thanks him, then drives the car over the bridge to Manhattan.
Meanwhile, at a bank, agents are working on an operation. The technician slowly cracks open a safety deposit box, relying on a high-grade stethoscope to listen to the tumblers dropping. He finds the code to be 3-2-4 and announces that he's about to open the safe. The agent leading the operation realizes something and yells at the technician to wait, just as a soft explosion occurrs, sending dust everywhere. The agent rushes into the vault and returns with an unharmed technician, who asks what happened. The agent, now furious, berates him for wasting '10,000 man hours to get [that] close to The Dutchman and blowing up [his] evidence.' One of the other agents asked how he knew what would happen, and he tells them to look at their phones and spell out 3-2-4. The other agent reports that it spells F-B-I, and voices his realization that The Dutchman knew they were coming. The lead agent snaps at him,
calls him Copernicus, and pats himself down to clean off the dust from the explosion. He discovers a red fiber on his shoulder and asks if anyone of them knew what it was. When no one offered an answer, he rhetorically asks how many of them went to Harvard, to which many raise their hands. Exasperated, he tells them to put their hands down and is clearly relieved when a woman approaches. He calls her Diana and tells her that '[their] boy has a sense of humor. Diana sighs grimly, which makes the agent focus his attention on her. She then reports that 'Neal Caffrey escaped.'
Walking down a hallway, she hands him a file and tells him that the US Marshals are asking for his help. When he asks why, she points out that he was 'the only one who ever caught him.' The agent is then introduced as Peter Burke, an FBI agent under the White Collar Crime Unit in New York City. He heads to the maximum security prison where Neal was held and meets Director Thompson from the US Marshals. Thompson, confirming that Peter was the agent assigned to Neal's case, asks if Neal escaping is an unusual situation, and Peter retorts, "Why would Neal run with only three months left on a four-year sentence?" Thompson tells him that they're wondering the same thing, and introduces Warden Haskley. Peter identifies him as 'the guy who dropped the ball,' to which Haskley defends himself by stating that, "[Peter], of all people, should know what Neal Caffrey is capable of." Peter reminds him that he spent three years chasing him down, and that the time was wasted after Neal slipped out under Haskley's watch. Thompson cuts off their argument and reminds them that Neal has had a four-hour head start, reducing the time they had of catching up to him.
Peter and Haskley follow Thompson into the prison, and Peter asks where Neal got the uniform he used. Thompson tells him that he got it from a uniform supply company on the internet, to which Peter asks if he used a credit card. Thompson shoots Haskley a dirty look, and Haskley explains that Neal used his wife's American Express. Thompson assures Peter that they're tracking the number, but Peter is sure that he won't use it again. They arrive at Neal's cell. Inside are a few sketches and paintings on the wall, piles of books on the bed, and a wall full of tally marks. Peter studies the items around, peering at the wall of tally marks Neal has made as a countdown for his freedom, and asks how Neal got the key cards to the gate. Thompson says that they think he restriped a utility card using the record head on the cassette player on the table, then walked out the front door and hotwired a maintenance truck in the parking lot. As Thompson continued to speak, Peter finds clues as to what Neal's plan of escape was, until he picks up the razor on the bed and Haskley notes that Neal shaved his beard just before he escaped. Peter, finding that odd, says aloud, "Neal doesn't have a beard."
To prove him wrong, Haskley brings him to the security room and shows him the tape of a bearded Neal, explaining that the inmates are photographed every morning as they exit their cells. Peter is surprised to see that he can hardly recognize Neal with it. He asks the technician to run the images back until he finds the one where Neal's beard is barely beginning, then asks for records of everything that happened on that day. {C}He discovers that Neal's girlfriend, Kate Moreau visited him then, and pulls the security footage of their meeting. Since there is no audio of the meeting, he only manages to lipread Kate's last words, "Adios, Neal. It's been real," before she leaves a flustered and confused Neal. Upon hearing that she never visited Neal in prison after that meeting, Peter decides to go look for Kate, sure that this is what Neal escaped prison for.
At an apartment complex, Neal is sitting on the floor with a wine bottle of 1891 Bordeaux in his hands. He is despondent as Peter approaches him and notes that Kate moved out before asking if she left Neal a message in the bottle. Neal tells him that 'the bottle is the message.' Peter then asks if Neal is carrying a gun, and Neal reminds him that he knows Neal doesn't like guns. Peter shares that a lot of people are asking why Neal escaped with only three months left on his sentence, and Neal reflects that Peter is the only one who figured it out. He also tells Peter that he only missed Kate by two days, to which Peter points out that it only took him a month and a half to break out of a super-max prison, and that it was 'damn impressive.' Peter then calls into his radio and tells the others that he's found Neal, unarmed. Neal asks how many were there looking for him, and Peter tells him that counting NYPD, FBI, and US Marshals, everyone's there. Peter then asks what Kate's
message was to him, and Neal says that it's, "Goodbye." Peter informs Neal that he'll have to spend another four years for escaping, but Neal is too despondent and says he doesn't care. Suddenly, Neal looks up and chuckles, telling Peter that his suit is the same one he was wearing the last time he arrested Neal. He suddenly spies something on Peter's shoulder and plucks a strand off of Peter's jacket, asking him if he knew what it was. Peter doesn't know, telling Neal that he got it from his current case. Neal then offers to tell him what it is in exchange for a meeting with him in a week's time. Peter agrees, and Neal informs him that it's a security fiber for the new Canadian hundred dollar bill, and hands it back to Peter as the police enter the room and handcuff him.
Later, Peter is passing through a lobby, where men, presumably Canadians, stare at him. Diana starts walking beside him and he asks her, "What's got the belt and suspender boys all riled up?" Diana tells him it's his doing, and that Neal was right about the security fibers. Since the formulation is still classified, the Canadian Secret Service were curious to know how Peter figured it out. Diana teases him about possibly starting an international incident.
A week later, Peter meets Neal in prison and asks how he knew what the fiber was. Neal is slightly insulted and reminds Peter that it's what he does, then asks how upset the Canadians were. Peter laughs and tells him they were as upset as Canadians can get, then asks what their meeting is for. Neal tells him he knows about Peter's current case, and Peter asks how he knows about it. Neal tells him that if Peter knows a lot about him, then he knows a lot about Peter too, asking if he got the birthday cards he'd sent. Peter tells him they were a nice touch, then Neal tells Peter that he'll help him catch The Dutchman. Peter asks how he could help, and Neal presents him with a work-release brochure where he can be released into Peter's custody, to which Peter responds that he knows Neal, and that the second he's out, he'd go after Kate. Neal promises not to run and offers a solution: a tamper-proof GPS tracking anklet that's 'never been skipped on.' Peter points out that there's always a first time. When Neal asks him to 'think about it,' Peter apologizes and leaves. Neal is once more despondent at seeing his ticket out of prison walk out the door.
That night, a guard is walking down the cell block when his radio cackles. The guard, Bobby, is ordered to make sure the inmates shut the lights. He tells Neal to turn his light off, and Neal asks for another minute, which Bobby congenially allows. Neal asks if it's already midnight, and Bobby confirms that it is, his tone indicating that this happened habitually. Neal sits up on his bed and looks at his wall of tally marks before adding another one. A few moments
later, he swipes through them violently, drawing multiple X's over them, signifying that he's lost all those days and accidentally shattering the naked light bulb in the process. He runs his fingers through his hair and turns to the opposite wall. He makes a new mark: the start of his second four-year imprisonment, then hangs his head.
Peter is sitting at his dining table, piles of papers spread out in front of him. He picks up a card with a picture of cupcake and the words "Happy Birthday" on it, presumably one that Neal had sent before. He sets it back down as a woman comes down the stairs and asks if he's 'coming to bed' as she comes up and hugs him from behind. Peter, preoccupied, absently answers yes, and she asks him what was wrong. Even as Peter answers, "Nothing," she
sees the papers spread out on the table and recognizes them, commenting that she has 'been competing with Neal for three years.' Peter notes that he'd be out that day if he hadn't escaped prison, and she asks if he's considering Neal's offer, then answers her own question by stating that of course he was, otherwise Peter would be in bed with her already. She then asks if Neal can really help Peter find The Dutchman. Peter tells her, "Neal's smart. You know how much I like smart," and she jokingly asks if he's as smart as 'those Ivy League Co-eds they throw at you?' Peter answers that Neal's almost as brilliant as the woman he married.' Pleased at his answer, his wife then asks what the problem was with Neal helping out. Peter points out that there was more to Neal's situation than 'some lost love,' revealing that Peter was trying to look for 'some side angle he's playing.' His wife then points out, "So you're suggesting he escapes a maximum security prison, knowing full well that you'd catch him, just so he could trick you into letting him out again?" Chagrined, Peter tells her that it's 'a working theory.' She tells him to keep working on it, then asks if it's so hard to believe that a man would do such a thing for the woman he loves. Peter points out that Neal had bought himself four more years in prison, "for what?" His wife then asks, "If you were Neal, you wouldn't have run for me?" Speechless, Peter thinks it over once more, then makes the petition for Neal's work-release program.
When Neal exits the super-max, Peter immediately asks to see the anklet to make sure that it's on. Neal shows him that he's tagged, and Peter asks him if he understands how their deal works. Neal gives him a highly summarized account of the deal, and Peter reminds him that if he escapes again, he'll catch Neal and bring him back to the super-max for good. He then addresses the Kate factor, telling Neal not to look for her. Neal tells him that the bottle meant good-bye, and Peter replies for him to 'leave it at that.' Peter also tells him that their deal is probationary, and that once they've caught the Dutchman, they can make the deal last until Neal's sentence is up.
Peter brings Neal to the Empire Motel, a rundown place that Neal is not happy with. Peter tells him that his stipend is only $700 a month, and that for $700, the motel is what he can afford. He tells Neal that if he can find something better for the same price, then he can take it. He adds that there's a thrift store down the block so that Neal can buy clothes. Despite his obvious dismay at his living conditions, Neal is simply given his 'homework,' informed that Peter will come by to pick him up at 7, and left to fend for himself. He heads to the thrift store to purchase clothes and meets a woman donating her late husband's suits. Neal compliments the clothes and learns that suit was a Devore, and that the woman and her late husband Byron used to play poker
with Sy Devore himself. Byron won the suit by beating Devore in a back-door draw. Intigued, Neal converses with the woman and soon discovers that she lives 'not far' from where they were, and that she had a spare guest room and a closet full of Byron's clothes. Neal either convinces her to put him up as a boarder, or she offers to do so herself. Either way, he gives up his room at the Empire Motel and moves in with the woman.
Peter arrives at the motel the next morning to pick Neal up, the receptionist gives him a note from Neal, telling him that he's moved out and is living '1.6 miles away' at 87 Riverside Drive. When Peter gets to the address, he gapes at the tall manor and seemingly can't believe how Neal had talked himself into being a boarder at such a beautiful place. He knocks on the door, and a uniformed maid answers it. There, he meets a lady holding a dog and wonders briefly if he's got the wrong address before asking for Neal. The lady correctly assumes that he 'must be Peter' and informs him that Neal is upstairs. Peter opens the door to the roof, where Neal is lounging in a robe, reading a newspaper. Neal notes that he's early, and Peter tells him they've got a 'hit on Snow White ' at the airport. Neal recites what it is, showing off that he'd done his research. Peter addresses the fact that he moved, and Neal points out that it was nicer than the motel. Peter comments that the motel didn't
have a view, and Neal tells him about meeting the woman, June, to whom Peter refers to as the 'lady with the dog.' Neal reminds Peter that he said if Neal found a better place for the same price he should take it. Chagrined, Peter confirms that he said that, and double-checks that the rent is still $700. Neal responds in the positive, but adds that he has to help out around the house, like washing the car and watching June's granddaughter from time to time. Peter scoffs at the idea of Neal baby-sitting, but then meets Cindy, who is a beautiful young woman. Neal explains that she's an art student, which he's clearly pleased by, and Peter sourly tells him to get dressed before sitting at the table. He asks Cindy if she minded his presence, to which she tells him to go ahead and eat, so Peter takes a few bites and sips his coffee as June joins them. He notes that 'even the freaking coffee's perfect,' making June laugh. He then tries to warn June that Neal is a felon, and June reveals that her late husband was a felon as well, which is perhaps why she had pity on Neal and took him in.
Once Neal is all dressed up, he walks down the stairs and shows his outfit off to a disbelieving Peter, who tells him he looks like a cartoon after Neal twirls a hat onto his head. Offended, Neal tells him that the suit is classic Rat Pac and a Devore original. Peter apologizes sarcastically and calls him 'Dino.' Neal starts playing with the hat, clearly pleased with himself, and Peter exasperatedly tells him to stop playing and go to the car. Neal notes that he's upset, but calls him 'sour grapes.' Peter overhears and snaps at him to repeat himself, and Neal, chagrined and tired of Peter's attitude, asks Peter to tell him what rule he broke and he would return to prison willingly. Peter silently admits that Neal hasn't broken a rule, but still expresses his opinion (vaguely) that Neal doesn't deserve to stay at June's. Neal disregards his comment and redirects the topic, claiming that Peter is jealous of June's coffee and offering to get it for Peter. Exasperated, Peter orders Neal to the car, and they drive to the airport.
Upon arriving, Peter introduces Neal to Diana, who Neal is attracted to. He's pleased when Diana compliments his hat and gives Peter an 'I-told-you-so' look. Diana then reports that a man named Tony Field was flagged by Customs as he came in from Spain, in response to the FBI's Snow White BOLO. They discover that he was carrying three suitcases full of copies of a book entitled Blanco Nieves Y Los Siete Enanos. Neal translates it to Snow White and Her Seven Little Men even as Peter expresses his disbelief and asks what Tony Field was doing with these books. Diana says he's a rare book dealer, and that there was nothing wrong with his paperwork. He had also brought in the same books in the same quantity on three previous trips and declared them each time. Peter turns to Neal, asking if they're just wasting their time, and Neal points out that since they're not limited runs or special editions, then they can't be worth much either, which makes Peter wonder why the man would go through all the trouble of flying them in. Diana notes that the man was nervous, even though he had all the right paper work. This makes Peter want to talk to him, and Diana leaves to set it up, offering to get Peter some coffee. Peter thanks her and tells her to get him anything but decaf. Neal tells her that he'd take his coffee straight, which is ironic because Peter later tells him that Diana has a girlfriend. Diana tells Neal the coffee shop is just outside, indicating that she wouldn't get him his coffee.
When Peter goes to see the book dealer and asks about the Snow White books, the dealer points out that Snow White had many different versions, not just the widely-known Disney adaptation. Peter asks if the man means folklore, then shows of his knowledge about the virginally pure queen, and Alexander Pushkin's Tale of the White Princess and the Seven Knights. The book dealer is caught off-guard at this, and Peter then asks what the books are for. Before Tony can answer, the door bursts open, and a man introduces himself as the book dealer's lawyer (credited as Gaines), who tells him to not talk to his client. Frustrated, Peter goes to find the Customs Inspector, and Diana reports that Neal was right and the books aren't worth much. Peter is only half-listening, intent on berating the Customs Inspector as to why he wasn't informed that the book dealer had called his lawyer. The Customs Inspector tells him that he hasn't call anybody, and Peter realizes he was duped and rushes back into the room with everyone on his tail. He bursts through the door and finds the man dead, a hypodermic needle in his neck.
After settling things with the dead body, Neal, Peter and Diana are pouring over the suit cases of books, looking for clues. Neal eventually figures out that The Dutchman is after the top sheet of each book. Peter doesn't look impressed until Neal points out that it is a blank piece of 1944 Spanish press parchment. Diana then rationalizes that The Dutchman was going to counterfeit something that was originally printed on that kind of paper. Peter then searches for more clues through the dead man's wallet and finds a visitor's pass to The National Archives. They head there next, leaving Diana in charge of gathering the books and the dead man's things as evidence.
At the National Archive building, the archivist (credited as Vincent) tells them that he remembers Tony Field, who had visited twice--once several months before, then again the previous week. He had come to see the Spanish Victory Bond and took several photographs of it, claiming he was going to write a book about it. Vincent shares that the bond has a fascinating history as Neal identifies it as a Goya and Peter pulls out the blank parchment from the book and lays it over the bond, showing a perfect fit. He then proclaims that Neal is starting to earn his $700 per month. Neal ignores the jibe and prompts Vincent for the bond's history. As Vincent tells them the bond's story, Neal discovers that the bond in his hands is a forgery. The ink was an iron-gal dye mixed to match the period colors that hadn't dried yet, evidenced by the smell of gum arabic that was still present on the paper. Vincent and Peter sniff it, and Vincent denies the forgery claim, stating that the bond has been in the Archives since 1952. Neal disagrees, saying it had been there for less than a week. Peter confiscates the bond and takes it back to the office.
In the FBI White Collar Crime Unit conference room, Peter has gathered Neal, Diana and another agent to brainstorm for The Dutchman's agenda. Peter questions the logic in replacing the original bond with a forgery, and Neal suddenly asks if the bonds are still negotiable. Peter confirms that it has a zero option, meaning it never expires, then asks what it's worth. While Diana and the agent bend over a calculator, Neal mentally solves it on his own, answering $248,000. The agent, impressed, agrees with his answer. Peter doesn't bat an eyelash at it, merely points out that The Dutchman already has 600 sheets of the stuff. Diana instantly looks to Neal, who catches her look and thinks furiously for a moment before answering, "150 million, give or take." Peter acknowledges that The Dutchman would be a rich man if he could pass them off, but that it still didn't explain why the real bond was replaced with a forgery. Neal says that it does and points out the process for authenticating the bonds. Peter reasons that the 'newly discovered' bonds would be taken to the archives and compared to the original, which The Dutchman has already switched out with one of his own copies, which ensured a perfect match.
Peter's phone suddenly rings, and Diana looks at it and announces, "It's Elizabeth." Peter shoos everyone out and answers the phone, vainly making the effort of convincing her that he was on his way. However, Elizabeth understands that he'd lost track of time, and Peter hopes she didn't make dinner. Elizabeth did, but she tells him otherwise and redirects the conversation to Neal before whispering to their dog, Satchmo, and gesturing for him to head on to the table to eat what was supposed to be Peter's dinner. Peter tells Elizabeth that Neal had met Diana, and Elizabeth comments on him finally meeting 'a woman who can resist his charms.' She then asks if he's helping, and Peter is pleased to tell her that they were on to something. Elizabeth says that she won't wait up, but feeling guilty, Peter promises to leave soon. Elizabeth hangs up and looks at Satchmo, saying, "Chew your food. You sound like your father." Satchmo obeys.
Peter drives Neal back to June's apartment. On the way, Neal asks if he has any big plans for the weekend, clearly hinting at something. Peter tells him about fixing the sink and then catching the game. Bewildered, Neal clarifies that he's doing this with Elizabeth, and Peter tells him that "she's into it. How cool is that? She likes to watch the Giants." Incredulous, Neal reminds him that his anniversary is on that weekend, and Peter brings the car to a halt in the middle of the street, completely frustrated with himself and claiming that he can 'see this stuff coming from six months out and then [he takes] it right in the teeth, every time.' Neal tells him that he still has a few days left to plan for something special, but Peter tells him that the same thing happened the year before, and he'd already promised to make up for it with something special. Neal tries to help by asking Peter what Elizabeth likes, but Peter doesn't know. Neal grills him for not knowing, pointing out that Peter had known his shoe size and what time he woke up when Peter had been chasing after him, but Peter claims that it was his job to find that out, and that a relationship isn't work. The conversation turns sour when Neal asks if a relationship isn't work, and Peter points out that Neal can't lecture him on relationships when his own girlfriend changed her name and fled the country. Neal grows quiet, and Peter apologizes for beings so harsh. Neal then asks if Kate had really fled the country, and Peter says he doesn't know.
Neal finally gets back to June's and starts climbing the stairs, but he pauses at the sound of someone pouring a drink. Reaching for a cane out of the umbrella stand, he creeps towards the intruder, but lowers it when the man speaks and he recognizes the intruder's voice. Neal switches on the lights and gently rebukes Mozzie for sitting in the dark, then, out of respect for June, tells him he can't just help himself in June's house and asks how he got in. Mozzie explains that he already introduced himself to June and thought she was great. Neal then thanks him for coming, indicating that he'd called for Mozzie. Mozzie asks to see the anklet, and Neal shows him, asking if there was a chance of picking it. Mozzie tells him he can't, so Neal moves on and asks if he's seen Kate or knows where she went. Mozzie tells him that she'd done a superb job of disappearing, and that not even he could find her. Neal asks him to keep looking, and then shows him the Spanish Victory Bond and asks for help figuring out who made it. Mozzie compliments the work, then comments that the worst thing about art forgery is that the artist can't take credit for his own work, giving Neal an idea.
After Peter finishes shaving, he calls for Elizabeth and, upon hearing no reply, starts rifling through her things, including her laptop. He finds a picture of them and comments that while she hasn't changed, he's changed a lot. Suddenly, his phone rings, so he closes Elizabeth's lapop and replaces her things, then answers the phone. His agent identifies himself as Jones and promptly tells him that Neal triggered his anklet and asks if he was with Peter. He answers no and rushes off, yelling to Elizabeth that he had to go. He stops when he finds Neal sitting on the couch with a laughing Elizabeth, then tells the agent that Neal was with him after all. Elizabeth greets him a good morning, and Peter points out that Neal is on his couch. Neal says that he came to talk to him, then compliments him for having 'such an amazing wife.' Peter agrees and says he likes her, then tells Neal to get off his couch. Elizabeth tries to help, but that only seems to stroke Peter's anger, and he threatens to put Neal back in prison. Neal announces that he knows who The Dutchman is. Intrigued, Peter hears him out, and Neal tells him that it's Curtis Hagen. Peter
hangs up the phone, so Neal continues to explain that Hagen signed the bond and shows him. Tucked into the pants on the Spanish peasant are the initials C and H. Peter isn't sure, but Neal argues that the bond is a masterpiece, and that if he'd done something like it, he would've signed it. He adds that he'd signed the forgeries Peter had caught him on. Peter asks where, and Neal suggests that he look at the bank seal under polarized light sometime. Peter winces at having missed it. Neal adds that Hagen is doing a church restoration, and Peter tells him to meet him in the car. Neal says goodbye to Elizabeth, and she tells him it's nice to meet him too, 'after all these years.'
They head to the church where Curtis Hagen is currently working at, and a priest approaches him and tells him that they're closed, therefore Peter and Neal can't come in. Peter is ready to leave, but Neal takes the priest aside and appeals to him by spinning a story portraying Peter as conflicted married man who was lusting after his assistant, and himself as a good friend who wants to stop Peter from ruining his life and faith. The priest sympathizes, but adamant that they can't stay until Neal lies and tells him that this is where Peter was married, to which the priest finally allows them to stay for five minutes. Suspicious as Neal drags him to the site, Peter asks if he'd lied to a priest, to which Neal asks if Peter finds Diana attractive. Peter says, "Sure," so Neal figures they were in the clear. They walk up to a painting where Neal finds the signature, and he and Peter banter over the possibility of it being a C-H signature until a man approaches them. He recognizes Neal and drops a hint
about seeing his face on a most wanted webpage, and Neal introduces himself. The man disdainfully refuses to shake his hand on the grounds that he was an art thief, but Neal points out that he was never arrested for that. The man acknowledges that, but mentions that Neal was known as 'quite the Renaissance criminal,' and that having him in 'his' space brings much concern. Neal and Peter finally realize that the man is Hagen as he addresses Peter and asks who he is. Peter replies that he's just a friend, and Hagen finally sends them away. Neal asks Peter if he finally saw the signature, and Peter admits that he's curious and will check Hagen out. On their way out, the priest tells Peter to 'listen to the spirit, not the flesh,' and Peter tells him he would before asking Neal in a whisper what it was all about. Neal doesn't comment.
Back at the office, Peter enlists Neal's help sorting through Elizabeth's digital information to find the perfect anniversary gift. Neal takes a look at Elizabeth's visa bill and half-listens to Peter as he goes through a list of what she likes, but he quickly tells Peter that he's not going to find an answer among her Ebay bids. Peter then points out that Neal was a romantic and asks what was up with the bottle. Neal shares that it was an '82 Bordeaux, to which Peter notes that costs $800 per bottle, when it's full. Neal then reveals that when he and Kate met, they had nothing, and that he got the bottle and filled it up with cheap wine and pretended with Kate that they were 'living in the Cote d'Azur' instead of their apartment, eating cold pizza. He says that the bottle was a promise of a better life, and Neal wasn't able to fulfill that promise, having been locked up in prison for almost four years. Neal tells Peter to not promise Elizabeth things, because promises can be broken. Diana suddenly knocks on the door, cutting their conversation off. Peter closes Elizabeth's records and asks what she has. She reports that Hagan booked a flight out of the country on a private charter company in Barcelona, leaving them only one week to catch him. Peter surmises that seeing Neal had tipped him off. After telling Diana to get every good agent on the case to find a connection between the books, the bonds, and the murder, and to forge his signature in case she's road blocked by anything, Diana leaves, and Peter tells Neal that if they lose The Dutchman, he's going back to prison and they can't renew the deal they made.
Back at June's house, Neal informs Mozzie that he has one week to catch Hagen in the act or he's going back to jail. Mozzie promises to help, and then Neal asks after Kate. Mozzie is pleased to tell him he found a lead, showing him a picture of Kate taken from an ATM in San Diego. Neal is dismayed to realize that he might lose her again, to which Mozzie replies that he'd just found her. Neal points to the hand touching Kate's shoulder and tells Mozzie that someone else found her too.
On the way to work, Neal shows Peter the picture of Kate, with the half where the man's hand sliced out of the photo. He tells Peter that Kate was going by the name Kate Perdue, meaning 'lost,' and asks if Peter could give him a few days after The Dutchman case to find her in San Diego. Peter declines it, telling him to get over Kate, and Neal pretends to agree before redirecting the topic to Peter's plans for his anniversary. Peter says he's
close to a breakthrough, to which Neal translates into Peter still being clueless. Neal suddenly spots Mozzie in a crowd of smokers and tells Peter he was going to grab a quick smoke. Peter notes that he hadn't known Neal smoked, and Neal replies that he'd gotten the habit in prison and has been trying to quit. Jones is also smoking in the crowd, so Peter asks him to look after Jones. Neal 'bums' a cigarette off Mozzie, who subtly tells him to tear the filter off. Neal notes that Mozzie doesn't smoke, to which Mozzie sarcastically asks if he should've fired a flare instead. Just after Mozzie claims to be 'hard core,' he chokes on a breath of smoke, making Neal look at him dubiously.
Back at the office, Neal fiddles with the cigarette and tears of the filter. Inside, there's an address. Neal looks it up and goes to present it to Peter. Meanwhile, Peter accesses his computer and sees the same background of a beach that was on Elizabeth's laptop and finds inspiration for their anniversary. When Neal enters his office, he announces that he's 'found [his] bottle,' and Neal tells him he found Hagen in a warehouse down by the docks, running it through a shell corporation out of Guatemala. When Peter asks how Neal found out, Neal tells him that the FBI doesn't rely on rumor as much as Neal does. Peter agrees to check it out.
At the dock, they find the warehouse heavily guarded. Peter and Neal are out of sight, next to a large door, and from inside, they can hear the printing press. However, they can't get a search warrant without probable cause, so Peter tells Diana to bring some recording equipment 'down here immediately,' indicating that he told her where they went. Diana assures him she'll get people on it, and they leave the scene. Back at the conference room, Peter assures Neal that they know Hagen is their guy, but that they still don't have enough to get a warrant. Neal tells him to just open the door, but Peter tells him they can't do that, then gets a book and tells Neal to read up on his laws. He then asks to meet with 'Neal's friend,' but Neal tries to deflect. After Peter backs him into a corner, Neal assures him that he'd set it up the next morning.
At June's, Neal is reading up on the Warrant Law book and gets an idea, 'borrowing' June's keys to the Jag, then leaves. Meanwhile, Peter is awoken by his cellphone buzzing, and is told that Neal left his two-mile radius. Elizabeth wakes up as well, asking what was wrong. Peter tells her that Neal ran.
Down at the warehouse, Neal gets out of the car and starts taking pictures. A look-out working for Hagen stops him and brings him inside, tossing him into Hagen's glass office. When they aren't looking, Neal locks the door. A guard threateningly tells him to open the door, tapping the glass, and Neal smiles and tells them that the glass sounds like inch-thick Lexan, bullet proof. Hagen sends a man to get the spare keys. While Hagen glares at him from outside the room, Neal inspects his desk, sits on his chair, then puts his legs up and tells Hagen that he shouldn't have signed the bonds. Hagen tells Neal that he's a dead man, just as sirens sound nearby. Neal tugs back his pant leg to reveal the tracker, and Hagen realizes that Neal led the police to them. Outside, Peter is smiling as he tells the team to knock the doors down, catching everyone who was trying to hide the evidence. Peter then announces that this is 'what the law calls an exigent circumstance,' smugly asking Diana to explain. She announces that exigent circumstance allows law enforcers to pursue a suspect onto private property without obtaining a warrant, and to seize any and all evidence that is discovered in plain view, regardless of the connection to the original crime.
Peter picks up a bond and smiles at Hagan, asking if he remembered him. Then he notes the man ("Gaines") standing next to Hagen and points out, "Hey, there's your lawyer." Neal lights up a cigar and opens the office door as Peter approaches. Peter tells him he's really bad at escaping, and Neal shrugs and offers him a cigar. Peter asks if it's Cuban, and Neal smiles and tells him he should be arrested. Peter says he'll let the cigar go, and Neal looks behind him to an open safe. Peter is pleased to see the original Spanish Victory Bond, laughing as he sat on the desk with Neal. He then points out that he's '3 and 0' on catching Neal, and Neal notes that he's 'not trying hard enough.'
Peter borrows Neal's (June's) rooftop and sets up a Carribbean-style date for his and Elizabeth's ten-year anniversary. He brings a blind-folded Elizabeth there, and she's surprised once she sees the set up. The rooftop has been decked out like a beach scene, complete with deck chairs, fake palm trees, an umbrella, and a surfboard. In the middle, there's a fire going, and strings of Christmas lights border the walls. Elizabeth looks confused, so Peter explains that he's always promising her that they'd go to the Carribbean, and it's 'sort of what [she] wanted.' Elizabeth jokes that if she kept her eyes closed, she could imagine them there. Pleased, Peter leads her to the deck chair with him, the both of them sitting down on it as Peter hands her a bottle. Peter asks her if it's too cheesy, and Elizabeth agrees that it is, but adds that it's also 'sweet.' Peter then pulls out a pair of tickets and tells her that he's finally 'found the time' and that they had a week to stay in Belize, on a beach front villa in Sarteneja that was seized from a narco trafficker. Elizabeth is pleasantly surprised and touched, thanking him for his thoughtfulness.
Neal is looking out at the view on the roofdeck when Peter arrives. He asks if Elizabeth liked the surpise, and Peter assures him that she loved it. Neal offers him coffee, and they sit at the table together. Neal comments that he's going on vacation, and Peter tells him he'll be back in a week. Neal, suddenly serious, asks if 'they' had made a decision regarding his sentence. Peter pulls out a wallet and shows Neal that he's 'official,' saying that if they hadn't, he'd end up making a badge on his own. Pleased and relieved, Neal laughs and accepts the badge, looking happy. Peter reminds him that he's a consultant, and that he owns Neal for four years. Neal tells him he doesn't mind. Peter asks if Neal would still be in New York when he got back, and Neal points out, "Where else am I gonna go?" Peter gives him a look, then leaves. Neal picks up his newspaper. Inside are both parts of the Kate photo. He looks at them, and then glances up with a determined smile.
Quotes[]
Technician: What happened?
Peter: I said wait, you didn't wait! Ah! Ten thousand man hours to get this close to the Dutchman and you blow up my evidence.
Jones: Agent Burke, how did you know it was going to do that?
Peter:[dusting himself off] Three-two-four. Look at your phones. What's it spell?
Jones: Oh, FBI. Apparently knew we were coming.
Peter: You think so, Copernicus?
Peter:[pulls a red fiber of his jacket] Somebody wanna- wanna tell me what this is? Huh? Anybody? Nobody knows what it is. Great. Look at you. How many of you went to Harvard? [Most of the agents raise their hands. Peter is exasperated.] Don't- don't raise your hands. Don't.
Diana: Neal Caffrey escaped.
Peter: Why would he want me?
Diana: Probably because you're the only one who ever caught him.
Haskley: You of all people should know what Caffrey's capable of.
Peter: I know I spent three years of my life chasing him and you let him walk out the front door.
Cast[]
- Matt Bomer as Neal Caffrey
- Tim DeKay as Peter Burke
- Willie Garson as Mozzie
- Marsha Thomason as Diana Barrigan
- Tiffani Thiessen as Elizabeth Burke
Guest Starring[]
- Mark Sheppard as Curtis Hagen
- Sharif Atkins as Clinton Jones
- Michael Gaston as Thompson
- Stephen Singer as Vincent
Special Guest Star[]
Co-Starring[]
- Neal Matarazzo as Warden Haskley
- Denise Vasi as Cindy
- Mike Houston as Customs Official
- Arnie Burton as Tony Field
- James Biberi as Gaines
- Anthony Gallo as Warehouse Guard
- Yogi Laser as Salvation Army Clerk
- Don Kurt as Rich Man
- Derek Millman as FBI Technician
- Alexandra Daddario as Kate
- Billy Griffith as Bobby
- Reathal Bean as Priest
- Lanny Flaherty as Motel Clerk
Filming Locations[]
See Also[]
Season 1 | ||
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Pilot · Threads · Book of Hours · Flip of the Coin · The Portrait · All In · Free Fall · Hard Sell · Bad Judgement · Vital Signs · Home Invasion · Bottlenecked · Front Man · Out of the Box |