S01.E04: Flip of the Coin

[sinkwriter]

I've never been a huge fan of "Flip of the Coin." I'm not sure why.

 

There's some cute stuff with Neal and Mozzie, there's humor with Neal and Peter, and I like how Neal gets into the tv studio by pretending to be the new sports anchor and bringing coffee for everyone so the guard has to let him through since his hands are full. And it's funny how Neal digs through the journalist's desk while Peter's trying to hold her off.

 

I like that they manage to catch that journalist for her part in all of it by staging a 'story' for her to cover, interviewing Neal who busts her. And I like that Peter officially meets Mozzie in this episode.

 

I like the relationship stuff between Neal and Peter, the way we start to see them talking (even off hours) and slowly becoming partners. (And the close-up shots of the two of them in the opening scene are delicious. They both have beautiful eyes. LOL. Just sayin'.) 

 

And they make me laugh with their "Clue" commentary (and how they're starting to finish each other's sentences, just a little bit):

 

Peter: What are you thinking?

Neal: I'm thinking it was the accountant. In the law office.

Peter: With the illegal wire transfer.

Neal: Either that or Colonel Mustard in the library.

Peter: We can pull prints on the candle stick.

 

But for some reason the case itself doesn't do much for me. I suppose I should feel invested because it's Elizabeth's friend and her husband's in trouble and he's being framed, which sucks for him, but in an overall sense I just find it kind of boring. And Elizabeth's friend is kind of annoying, especially with all the crying that freaks out Peter. Plus, just the fact that Peter can't handle her tears becomes too much of a silly 'bit' for me.

 

In short, I love the Peter-Neal relationship building scenes throughout this episode, but I think it's one of my least favorite episodes of the season. Especially noticeable because in great contrast I really love the episode that follows this one.

 

But commentary on that's going to have to wait for another night! *GRIN*

 

What does everyone else think of this episode? Do you love it? Do you find it boring? Is it a favorite or least favorite or just somewhere in between?

Edited June 5, 2014 by sinkwriter

[sinkwriter]

Okay, okay, one thing I do really like about this episode is the entire conversation Peter, Mozzie and Neal have over drinks late one night. It's Peter's first time meeting Mozzie, and Neal desperately wants Mozzie to leave out of fear that Mozzie will say something that Neal doesn't want Peter to know, but Peter entices him to stay, and they end up getting a little drunk together and talking about the fine line of rules versus freedom. 

 

Peter: Is this why you guys do it? Is this what it's all about?

Mozzie: It's not about the stuff.

Neal (shaking his head, warning): Moz.

Mozzie: It's about doing what we want to do. Who cares about nine to fives and 401ks? Playing by the rules only makes borders that just take away everything that's good about living life.

Neal: Moz, Moz, you lived in a storage unit.

Mozzie: Yeah, but I live there, man. I lived. Long as I don't have to live under anyone else's time or dime, I'm a free man. I can do whatever want.

 

And I feel a bit of pain for Peter during that scene, as he looks at this stolen coin in their possession and knows there's nothing he can do about it, that he can't use it to convict the bad guy (or in this case, the bad 'girl,' because it's the female journalist who's guilty). He's a little drunk, and going on about not being able to use the very damning evidence they found. And Mozzie's making it worse by pointing out that they're "your rules, tin man, not mine." And Neal's practically begging Peter to hand over the coin, because it's a temptation and a dangerous piece of property that Peter shouldn't have in his possession. But Peter keeps talking...

 

Peter: I can see it now, FBI agent illegally obtains evidence, news at eleven.

 

It just breaks my heart. Because this is evidence of the difference between him and Neal. Peter's trying so hard to be upstanding and have integrity in the work he does, and here are these two guys who don't play by the rules and live and think very differently from him, but they also manage to use their twisted connections to get the evidence needed to convict a bad person of a terrible crime. And Peter can't play that way. But if he could... it's a bit of the "devil on your shoulder" kind of scene, where Peter gets a taste of "If I could just use this coin..." But he can't and he won't, and that's why he's a good man and a good agent. 

 

But I also like that as this season progresses, Peter learns that sometimes going over the line or outside of the box is a necessary thing, and a 'grey area' that he never considered before. Neal learns more structure, here and there, and Peter learns to bend a bit. Sometimes for good reasons, and sometimes to his (and Neal's) detriment. It's a fascinating question, though, about how far one would be willing to go, and where the line gets drawn, and how the line sometimes moves.

 

So even though this isn't one of my favorite episodes from the season because of a seemingly never-ending case, it's still made better by a hell of a lot of interesting character stuff throughout the episode. For Neal, for Mozzie, and especially for Peter.

Edited June 5, 2014 by sinkwriter