White Collar Recap: "Honor Among Thieves"

White Collar returned this week after a long (one week) absence with the episode “Honor Among Thieves.” Unfortunately, Ellen did not survive the attack on her and the episode began with Neal and Peter at her funeral. Neal starts to tell Peter about the other cop Ellen had been planning to meet and then he spots him watching the funeral from a distance. Peter asks what Neal wants to do and Neal shouts his name. Sam immediately turns and runs away. Neal and Peter chase him, but it’s too late. Peter wants to do what he can to help Neal, but he has to do it by the book. Mozzie wants to help Neal too, but Neal insists they’re going to do it Peter’s way.

 As Peter and Jones prepare for Peter’s first official case back on the job, Jones notices that Neal isn’t there and Peter says he needs time to grieve. Jones is surprised that he’s not keeping a closer eye on him and Peter points out that he can check Neal’s anklet and he does…only to find Neal standing in front of them. He wants to help and keep busy. Peter brings him up to speed on the case: a janitor found a piece of equipment that jams security in a museum of contemporary art. They want to catch the would-be thief in the act so Peter and Neal are going to pose as patrons while Diana goes undercover as a museum worker. Neal wants to be the museum worker, but Diana points out that the museum doesn’t want Neal Caffrey posing as an employee. Neal says he’s suddenly rooting for the thief.

Peter asks Neal how he would steal something and Neal says that he would spill his drink on it so the museum workers are forced to take it to the restoration room where there is less security. Peter spots a woman keeping tabs on the guards and they think she is after the new exhibit that is in the storage room. Peter goes to check it out while Neal and Diana talk. The thief sees Diana checking her out and the two start flirting. After Diana walks away, the thief recognizes Neal. He plays it cool and she makes a comment that she might have a score for him. She slips away and pays a kid to set off the alarm. The FBI is able to identify her as Abigail Kincaid. Abigail calls Diana and Neal points out to Peter that Diana is nervous when she’s on the phone with her. Peter changes the subject and admits the marshals are not being very forthcoming. Neal freaks out and Peter sends him home to calm down.

Later, Neal and Mozzie are casing the building where the marshals are keeping their files. Abigail shows up and tells Neal that she knows he switched sides and is working for the feds. That was the real reason she’d had the kid set off the alarm. She shows Neal a picture of what she wants from the museum and offers to steal the case report on Ellen for him if he steals the art for her. She starts massaging his shoulders and playing with his hair and he’s confused as to why since she was clearly into Diana. Neal tells her that he needs to think about her offer. When he gets home, Mozzie is there and he has some new gadgets to show Neal that will make it easier for them to commit crimes.

Neal notices Diana isn’t happy when she’s on the phone with her fiancée and afterward, when she’s on the fake date with Abigail, Neal points out to Peter that he feels awkward when Diana tells Abigail that she’s seeing someone, but they’re having problems. Peter thinks it’s all part of her act, but Neal doesn’t agree. Abigail surprises everyone by turning down Diana’s offer for a sneak peek at the exhibit. Peter wants to know why and Neal says maybe she’s waiting for a better way. He’s obviously feeling guilty and he asks Peter again if the marshals are going to give them anything. Peter says there’s always a way.

Abigail shows up at Neal’s place and he turns down her offer and hints that she should walk away from the museum piece. She’s already stolen the report for him and points out that the marshals will find strands of his hair at the scene and the FBI will be able to tell that his anklet was near the building earlier. Neal and Mozzie agree that she did a great job of setting him up and Neal says that even he wouldn’t believe his story. Neal is upset he didn’t tell Peter the truth from the beginning and the two plot how to steal the art while Neal is supposed to be standing next to Peter.

As the FBI is planning their sting, Neal offers Diana an ear if she needs one. She tells him that it’s not the time. Peter makes a comment to Neal about him being outside the marshals’ building and he says that he’s not planning on stealing the report. The guys watch from the van, waiting for Abigail to make her move, but instead of stealing something, she kisses Diana. Mozzie shows up at the museum and uses his new gadgets to block his face and turn off the security camera. Peter and the agents rush into the museum and Neal changes his clothes, turns off more cameras, takes the art and hides it in a trashcan, which Mozzie wheels away from the scene while Neal returns to Peter’s side.

Peter and Jones are going over the video footage and Neal is making suggestions about what the accomplices could have done. Peter sends him home and points out to Jones that Neal is not in much of the footage with the FBI agents. Meanwhile, Neal feels guilty for stabbing Peter in the back, but Mozzie says one it’s a piece of art weighted against finding out who killed Ellen. After Mozzie leaves, Diana shows up and tells Neal that he was right and things are not good with Christie. She admits that she enjoyed the undercover assignment because it let her run away from her problems. Neal understands and she asks him what a person has to do to stop running and he tells her that person needs to be willing to give something up. Peter pages Diana and she is not happy when Peter tells her he thinks Neal was involved in the theft. She tells him and Jones that she was just with Neal and she broke up with Christie.

Diana and Peter are angry and plan to take Neal and Abigail down when they make the exchange. Along with Jones, they watch on the monitors as Neal goes to the meeting point with the art. But then Peter is surprised when he hears Neal saying that Abigail blackmailed him. He gives her the art, but refuses to accept the report. He tells her the price was too high. She walks away and he calls Peter and tells him where to find Abigail, but Jones and the other agents are already arresting her. Neal asks when he figured him out and Peter explains. Neal tells Peter that he never would have believed him and asks if he’s going to jail too.

Back at FBI headquarters, Diana doesn’t want to be the one to interrogate Abigail. Neal understands and the two share a nice moment. Peter tells Neal that lying is not protecting him. He convinced the marshals not to press charges since they don’t want it getting out that someone broke into their building. Neal tells him that his trust is more important than the report. Peter pulls out a copy he had made for ‘evidence’ and tells Neal he needs to let him know if he finds Sam. Neal is extremely grateful and after he leaves, Peter pulls out a second copy. Later, Peter tells Elizabeth that there’s a part of him that thinks Neal was running one long con and knew that he’d get the information for him. A gleeful Neal boots up his computer to read the report.

This was not my favorite episode. The case itself was pretty dull even though I did enjoy seeing Rebecca Mader as Abigail (I miss Lost). I liked seeing a more personal side to Diana and her leaning on Neal was a nice touch. Of course I loved the bromance moment with Neal and Peter, but once again, if Neal was playing him (which he seemed to be), that’s not very nice, even if it is for the right reasons. Until next week, feel free to leave your comments, thoughts and speculations below.