Contributor: Gregg Wright
“Stealing Home” was touted as being the directorial debut of Tim DeKay. Aside from a few unnecessary stylistic flourishes in the editing and cinematography, the direction is exactly what you’d expect for an episode of “White Collar”: simple, classic, and elegant, much like Neal’s fashion choices. It’s something I never mention, but have always appreciated about “White Collar”. It typically relies on steady, well-placed camera angles and a more subdued approach to editing that allows you to take in the characters, costumes, and sets; savoring them like a fine wine. That might be overstating it a bit, but regardless of the intent behind the directorial style, I’ve always found it to be appropriate for the material. I’m glad that DeKay doesn’t deviate significantly from that standard.
Somehow, it doesn’t surprise me that Peter would be a former baseball player and enormous fan of the sport, and neither does it surprise me to find that Tim DeKay use to play the game himself. So it makes sense that DeKay would be given (or chose himself) the job of directing this episode. There’s an obvious reverence for the sport present throughout the episode, much of which occurs through Peter, who was forced to stop playing for fear of ruining his arm for good.
I found it especially interesting to see Peter defending baseball memorabilia as art to Neal, who, as we know, takes a much more traditional view on the subject. Exposing these little character secrets and bring them to the forefront of case-of-the-week episode can sometimes seem contrived and cheap. It’s generally better for the writers to try to tie the episode in with a current character arc. But when they work, as seen here, they can serve to elevate the episode above the usual procedural material.
But the episode isn’t just about Peter. It does tie in with Neal’s current arc, as the final episode before the big finale, which is expected to answer the question of whether or not Neal will finally receive his freedom. In addition to working things out with Sara, at least to the extent that she’s willing to testify in his behalf at his hearing, Neal is also given one last temptation to return to a life of high-stakes crime. Not surprisingly, Neal stands firm, and it’s Mozzie who wavers. (Unlike Neal, Mozzie never really left the con game.)
It makes sense to create a job that epitomizes the appeal of the con game, and it makes sense to create a character who could serve as the perfect representation of what Neal could have become if he’d stayed in the game. Like Neal, Taylor is a thief with a code of honor and no shortage of style. He’s exactly the kind of guy that Neal and Mozzie would work with on a long-term basis. It’s easy to sympathize with Mozzie’s hero-worship of the man, as well as his decision to tip Taylor off so he can escape.
There is, of course, very much a “calm before the storm” feel to the episode, particularly in that final scene with Neal and Peter playing catch in the Yankee Stadium. Kramer has obviously discovered something highly incriminating in those letters to Kate, and now Peter knows what it is. A more resourceful fan than I may have paused the episode and tried to pick out the message from the letter (assuming that I’m properly understanding the decoding mechanism), but I haven’t bothered to look around online to see. I’m happy to wait a week.
The buildup to the finale has been a bit lighter than I would have liked, but it’s definitely there. In addition to setting up the finale, “Stealing Home” offered a slightly above-average case-of-the-week with some good comedic and even heartfelt moments. The idea of Neal going undercover to help nab a thief is nothing we haven’t seen before, and the actual con job itself could be a tad cheesy in parts (thanks to Tim DeKay’s slight overuse of slow-motion shots and one particularly irritating case of choppy frame-rate). But the baseball element added a nice dose of character and nostalgia, and the story works well enough in the context of Neal’s impending commutation hearing. I think it’s best to look at the current phase of “White Collar” as being one of transition, from an old age into a new one to begin in the 4th season. Hopefully the finale will provide some clues as to what that new age will be like.
Rating: 8/10
