What I’m Watching: White Collar

White Collar: Season 1, Episode 11 “Home Invasion” (B+)

An episode title like this would usually indicate a horrifyingly violent installment of a crime drama where a house gets burglarized and any people inside get tortured and or killed. I think I like this a lot better, because it’s far infinitely lighter and understandably much more entertaining. Peter being evicted from his home due to electronic repairs was a nice setup, and it was amusing seeing him as the one more put out and in need of assistance when Neal usually occupies that role. Peter’s sarcastic line, “su casa is not even su casa” was terrific, and his discovery of his “motel with an M” which was severely lacking a TV put the icing on the cake, setting the two pals up for the necessity of shacking up together. Their need to constantly one-up each other is hilarious and awesome. Peter’s response to Neal’s claim of “that’s my chair,” was brilliantly childish: “I didn’t see your name on it.” Peter’s delight at watching Neal squirm with embarrassment at the guy who kept trying to be like him and wear a hat was fun. It was inevitable that their being roommates wouldn’t work out, and the finale was great. Their exchange was priceless, staring with “What kind of friend would I be if I made you get your own bags,” and ending with “it’s for so many reasons, Peter.” Peter’s warning that anyone who messed with anything in his house would be answerable to his wife was terrific. I’m extraordinarily impressed by Neal’s ability to transmit Morse code while disabling his anklet – that’s pretty damn cool.