Episode Reaction: Under the Radar
Spoilers!
So... I guess I haven’t done one of these in awhile. Let me start by saying Praise Be to the gods of megaupload and mostly to someone called Trixie for making it possible for me to watch the episode tonight. I have no idea why Bravo just stopped carrying this show in Canada (grrr). I was away last week, but that meant that I got to watch Power Play with my man at his place in Seattle on the weekend. It was just so bloody marvellous to see the show on a massive 52 inch screen for once. I was giggling hysterically the whole show while my fella was laughing too, but mostly at me.
Neal’s pretty, but I think it’s Tim that deserves a “Congratulations” on his face. Tim’s face is capable of the most awesomely awesome facial expressions. He can telegraph so much with just a look. Peter’s so darn sweet with El, but the faces he pulls at Neal’s antics are priceless. Case in point being when Neal says safe-breaking gives him a sense of purpose, and when Neal has to stick his face into Alex’s décolletage, and when he’s observing Neal and Sara getting cosy in the conference room. I’m also remembering the scene in Countermeasures where Peter nixes the dinner party plan, only to realise Neal just instantly called El instead. His set of faces right there and then definitely makes it to my ultimate favourite moments of S2 movie reel.
Sara. Ok. So. I was on the fence when she was introduced in Unfinished Business. She wasn’t meant to be a loveable character then, but I was willing to wait and see what they did with the character. Personally, I think she went from being “I want to throw your ass in jail” to “hee you’re cute and I want some” a bit too quick, but that’s TV land for you. Yeah, yeah, she found out about how Kate died and she sympathised with Neal and she remembered her lost sister etc etc. Ok, so maybe I can buy it. But I’m not sure I like how Sara’s been portrayed as all capable and tough when it comes to her job, but faced with Neal’s charms, she turns into this moony-eyed schoolgirl.
As for Neal, it’s been what, 8, 10 months? since Kate died (it was snowing when the plane blew up, and Peter was huffing about installing an A/C last episode in a heatwave)... maybe in TV land that’s enough time for him to get over losing the love of his life. But I suppose to be fair, the last time they were truly a couple was before Neal went to Copenhagen with Alex to try for the music box. A few minutes across a glass window with prison guards listening in doesn’t really cut it. Over the last 7 or so years, Kate has represented an idealised dream of the picket fence and been something he couldn’t have, more than something real and tangible. Poor Neal. I think he kissed Sara in the library because he’d just seen Peter and Elizabeth so happy in each other’s arms and it reminded him of what he’s lost, and the life he wanted. That being said, I think Neal and Alex have waaay more chemistry than Neal and Sara. That smooch tonight made my laptop fans work a bit harder. While I will never complain about shirt ripping! scenes involving a certain Mr Bomer, last week’s nookie in the stacks felt... mechanical. I felt kinda sad for Alex, the way she described Neal as a fantasy that’s out of reach. I think she loved him, but knew he was all about Kate before, and maybe she thought she’d gotten past that. Guess both Alex and Neal wanted people they couldn’t have.
The music box code. So I got it partially right. In my episode reaction for Point Blank, I speculated that the code could be for a geographic location for some Nazi stash (art, jewels, money). Turns out the code was for how to get to the location of Nazi loot. Heee...not bad I guess. Now I make another divination. Who switched the U-Boat collection with Neal’s painting(s)? (so Neal DOES do originals? This is fic-worthy. Ha. Or was that a replica of some famous painting of the Chrysler Building?) Neal seemed genuinely hurt/angry that Peter would accuse him of setting up the explosion and also genuinely surprised upon finding the key and note on his table. (sidenote: angry! Neal has eyes like laser beams) Given what we’ve seen so far, the most obvious choice would be some combination of Moz and Alex. But they’re both cons too. Why wouldn’t they keep (at least some of) the loot for themselves? Also why blow up Neal’s paintings? Symbolic of something? We’re also assuming that it was Neal’s collection of therapy paintings that got blown up. Between the time that Peter notices the painting of the Chrysler Building in Neal’s apartment, and the time that he sees the scrap of the painting burning outside the warehouse, was there time for Neal to finish the painting and move it into storage? If he didn’t, whoever took the Nazi collection must have snuck into Neal’s apartment, took the Chrysler Building and placed it rather strategically in the warehouse for explosion purposes. I’m trying to figure out the astronomical odds of that scrap of burning canvas landing at Peter’s feet, conveniently with a recognizable part of Neal’s newest painting for identification. That aside, Moz is too obvious of a choice. Don’t know why Alex would spend her whole life searching for the treasure and then give it away to Neal.
Maybe Adler did it? “You’re as close to a son as I ever had” was real, and the gun was a bluff and he was hoping to get Neal to go with him and he wasn’t expecting Peter to shoot-to-kill? While we’re at it, Matt keeps talking about casting someone to play Neal’s father. Maybe his father is some legendary conman too (Hey Neal had to have learnt his skills somewhere. He was already fabulous at bond forging before he met Moz) and his father is in on this Nazi treasure hunt somehow and snuck in to steal Adler’s loot. I guess that’s a stretch. Also Neal already told Peter that his father was a dirty cop. Dirty cop with serious moving skills :P
Though, like I mentioned earlier, we’re assuming that someone switched out the Nazi loot with Neal’s entire collection of therapy paintings. Could’ve been just that one painting of the Chrysler Building plus blank canvasses or cardboard boxes for all we know. Wouldn’t they run forensics on the contents of the warehouse and realise that there weren’t any jewels, antique clocks etc in the wreckage, and that bits of the paintings (like the one that landed conveniently for Peter’s viewing pleasure) could be dated to, I dunno, last week? Honestly, I don’t usually nitpick my TV shows and I’m not particularly bothered by plot holes. Well. As long as they’re not gaping crevasses. Definition debatable.
Read somewhere that S3 is all about Neal making choices. So I'm guessing that means Neal isn't going to run to Peter straight away like a good little boy. How adorable was that gobsmacked look on his face when he steps into that room? and the grin that followed? I'd like to think he was just relieved that all that precious art was saved. But he's not entirely reformed yet! Can't wait to see what they'll have Neal do with his treasure trove.
Well. That’s just initial thoughts. Will probably rewatch the episode tomorrow. Off the top of my head, Peter’s line about the “little chickens” was probably my favourite. I have neighbours that probably wonder what goes on in here every Tuesday night.
So... I guess I haven’t done one of these in awhile. Let me start by saying Praise Be to the gods of megaupload and mostly to someone called Trixie for making it possible for me to watch the episode tonight. I have no idea why Bravo just stopped carrying this show in Canada (grrr). I was away last week, but that meant that I got to watch Power Play with my man at his place in Seattle on the weekend. It was just so bloody marvellous to see the show on a massive 52 inch screen for once. I was giggling hysterically the whole show while my fella was laughing too, but mostly at me.
Neal’s pretty, but I think it’s Tim that deserves a “Congratulations” on his face. Tim’s face is capable of the most awesomely awesome facial expressions. He can telegraph so much with just a look. Peter’s so darn sweet with El, but the faces he pulls at Neal’s antics are priceless. Case in point being when Neal says safe-breaking gives him a sense of purpose, and when Neal has to stick his face into Alex’s décolletage, and when he’s observing Neal and Sara getting cosy in the conference room. I’m also remembering the scene in Countermeasures where Peter nixes the dinner party plan, only to realise Neal just instantly called El instead. His set of faces right there and then definitely makes it to my ultimate favourite moments of S2 movie reel.
Sara. Ok. So. I was on the fence when she was introduced in Unfinished Business. She wasn’t meant to be a loveable character then, but I was willing to wait and see what they did with the character. Personally, I think she went from being “I want to throw your ass in jail” to “hee you’re cute and I want some” a bit too quick, but that’s TV land for you. Yeah, yeah, she found out about how Kate died and she sympathised with Neal and she remembered her lost sister etc etc. Ok, so maybe I can buy it. But I’m not sure I like how Sara’s been portrayed as all capable and tough when it comes to her job, but faced with Neal’s charms, she turns into this moony-eyed schoolgirl.
As for Neal, it’s been what, 8, 10 months? since Kate died (it was snowing when the plane blew up, and Peter was huffing about installing an A/C last episode in a heatwave)... maybe in TV land that’s enough time for him to get over losing the love of his life. But I suppose to be fair, the last time they were truly a couple was before Neal went to Copenhagen with Alex to try for the music box. A few minutes across a glass window with prison guards listening in doesn’t really cut it. Over the last 7 or so years, Kate has represented an idealised dream of the picket fence and been something he couldn’t have, more than something real and tangible. Poor Neal. I think he kissed Sara in the library because he’d just seen Peter and Elizabeth so happy in each other’s arms and it reminded him of what he’s lost, and the life he wanted. That being said, I think Neal and Alex have waaay more chemistry than Neal and Sara. That smooch tonight made my laptop fans work a bit harder. While I will never complain about shirt ripping! scenes involving a certain Mr Bomer, last week’s nookie in the stacks felt... mechanical. I felt kinda sad for Alex, the way she described Neal as a fantasy that’s out of reach. I think she loved him, but knew he was all about Kate before, and maybe she thought she’d gotten past that. Guess both Alex and Neal wanted people they couldn’t have.
The music box code. So I got it partially right. In my episode reaction for Point Blank, I speculated that the code could be for a geographic location for some Nazi stash (art, jewels, money). Turns out the code was for how to get to the location of Nazi loot. Heee...not bad I guess. Now I make another divination. Who switched the U-Boat collection with Neal’s painting(s)? (so Neal DOES do originals? This is fic-worthy. Ha. Or was that a replica of some famous painting of the Chrysler Building?) Neal seemed genuinely hurt/angry that Peter would accuse him of setting up the explosion and also genuinely surprised upon finding the key and note on his table. (sidenote: angry! Neal has eyes like laser beams) Given what we’ve seen so far, the most obvious choice would be some combination of Moz and Alex. But they’re both cons too. Why wouldn’t they keep (at least some of) the loot for themselves? Also why blow up Neal’s paintings? Symbolic of something? We’re also assuming that it was Neal’s collection of therapy paintings that got blown up. Between the time that Peter notices the painting of the Chrysler Building in Neal’s apartment, and the time that he sees the scrap of the painting burning outside the warehouse, was there time for Neal to finish the painting and move it into storage? If he didn’t, whoever took the Nazi collection must have snuck into Neal’s apartment, took the Chrysler Building and placed it rather strategically in the warehouse for explosion purposes. I’m trying to figure out the astronomical odds of that scrap of burning canvas landing at Peter’s feet, conveniently with a recognizable part of Neal’s newest painting for identification. That aside, Moz is too obvious of a choice. Don’t know why Alex would spend her whole life searching for the treasure and then give it away to Neal.
Maybe Adler did it? “You’re as close to a son as I ever had” was real, and the gun was a bluff and he was hoping to get Neal to go with him and he wasn’t expecting Peter to shoot-to-kill? While we’re at it, Matt keeps talking about casting someone to play Neal’s father. Maybe his father is some legendary conman too (Hey Neal had to have learnt his skills somewhere. He was already fabulous at bond forging before he met Moz) and his father is in on this Nazi treasure hunt somehow and snuck in to steal Adler’s loot. I guess that’s a stretch. Also Neal already told Peter that his father was a dirty cop. Dirty cop with serious moving skills :P
Though, like I mentioned earlier, we’re assuming that someone switched out the Nazi loot with Neal’s entire collection of therapy paintings. Could’ve been just that one painting of the Chrysler Building plus blank canvasses or cardboard boxes for all we know. Wouldn’t they run forensics on the contents of the warehouse and realise that there weren’t any jewels, antique clocks etc in the wreckage, and that bits of the paintings (like the one that landed conveniently for Peter’s viewing pleasure) could be dated to, I dunno, last week? Honestly, I don’t usually nitpick my TV shows and I’m not particularly bothered by plot holes. Well. As long as they’re not gaping crevasses. Definition debatable.
Read somewhere that S3 is all about Neal making choices. So I'm guessing that means Neal isn't going to run to Peter straight away like a good little boy. How adorable was that gobsmacked look on his face when he steps into that room? and the grin that followed? I'd like to think he was just relieved that all that precious art was saved. But he's not entirely reformed yet! Can't wait to see what they'll have Neal do with his treasure trove.
Well. That’s just initial thoughts. Will probably rewatch the episode tomorrow. Off the top of my head, Peter’s line about the “little chickens” was probably my favourite. I have neighbours that probably wonder what goes on in here every Tuesday night.