Throwback Thursday is a weekly article in which we look back at our favourite TV episodes from the past.
After both Neal and Peter unsuccessfully try to get rid of the guy, our seventh and final member, Elizabeth Burke comes through and sweeps the gentleman off his feet, telling him to run home ASAP. In the end, it's a very typical ending. The bad guy is caught and Peter gets his badge back (not before he rides a horse through the park to catch Larson though). All is well, until the episode ends with Neal and Mozzie, Peter and Diana discovering who is really behind everything. SHOCK! then cut to credits.
Quotes:
I am a massive fan of heist movies, such as, Oceans Eleven and Catch Me If You Can, Going in Style, I could go on for a while! So when i found a show that felt like a continuation of Catch Me If You Can I jumped at the chance to watch it.
White Collar is a show revolving mainly around a Con man named Neal Caffery and a FBI Agent called Peter Burke. Neal works for the FBI White Collar Division (Art Crime) and Peter, while planning heists and escapes to help his own interests.
Plenty of crazy high jinks ensue throughout the series and the episode Burke's Seven is one of my favourites from the 6 year show.
Spoilers ahead for seasons one and two of White Collar!!
Burke's Seven is season two episode 10 of White Collar. This season focused on determining who killed Neals girlfriend (Kate) at the end of season one. A music box is the teams only connection to the mystery. Later, they are led to a man named Julian Larsen, a middle man for the person behind Kate's murder. However, just before the FBI went to arrest Julian, the previous episode ends with him shooting Mozzie (Neal's closest friend and partner in crime) because he was getting too close
Burke's seven involves Neal and Peter working with forgers to flush Julian Larsen out, Once the FBI arrest him though, the only fingerprints found on the weapon are a match for Peter! This gets Peter immediately suspended and Larsen free. Without the FBI to help, Neal persuades Peter the only way to catch Larsen and clear his name is to pull a con.
The change in dynamics for this episode immediately made it one of my favourite and what I'd say is one of the strongest episodes of the whole series. Not to mention everyone bands together to help Peter. Over the course of the episode, the team and plan come together! Neal and Peter settle on a "sting" to trick Nigerian Prince Bilal into moving his contraband to a location of their choice.
Sara Ellis joins the team with her fancy voice changing tech, Diana fills in Clinton Jones (Peters close co-workers) and join the "sting" (as Peter calls it, not a Con). That's five. Once Mozzie feels better, Elizabeth (Peter's Wife) persuades him to come out of early retirement (a slight overreaction on his part) to help catch his shooter. That is six!
Once the "sting" is in action, everything quickly goes south. Diana distracts Bilal while the cell signal is knocked out so Bilal's phone call to Larsen can be rerouted through a phone booth. However! It was not meant go that smoothly. Another gentlemen uses the phone booth to finish his conversation with his wife.
I'm really not giving the episode its proper praise. I highly recommend you watch it, even if it's just this singular episode. If you do watch this one, the follow-up episode is also amazing and is an origin story of how the main characters met.
To round this out, I've got some of the best quotes from Burke's Seven. Enjoy!
- SarahR
Quotes:
Neal Caffery: Because of your... situation...
Peter Burke: You make it sound like I'm dying
Mozzie: I know, you're all surprised to see me!
(Everyone averts their gaze)
Mozzie:... Not one of you is surprised to see me?!
Elizabeth: Hello?
Business Man: Angela, is that you sweetie?
Elizabeth: Honey, I can hardly hear you. Can you call me back later?
Business Man: We can't leave our conversation the way we did...
Elizabeth: Okay, Honey this is what I want you to do. I want you to go, and I want you to buy me some flowers. You know the ones I love. When you walk through the door, I want you to kiss me. Then you're going to sweep me off my feet, and you're gonna make love to me. Can you do that?
Business Man: Uh... Yea I can...
Elizabeth: Good. I'm going to pretend that this conversation never happened, and so are you. Now get off the phone and go.
Elizabeth: Now its The Burke Seven.
