White Collar - Episode 3.11 - Checkmate - Preview

White Collar returns on USA Network at 10/9 C on Tuesday, January 17. You don't want to miss it because the ending may just change everything between Peter and Neal. Quite frankly, I never saw it coming.

Last season White Collar left us with a bang of a cliffhanger. Keller kidnapped Elizabeth and was ransoming her off for the Nazi treasure Mozzie stole from Adler, the same treasure Neal lied to Peter about for months. As Checkmate opens, we start right where we left off and man is Peter angry. Getting Neal alone outside, he slams him into the wall and confronts him. "You have the treasure." Neal: "I didn't steal it." Peter: "You SOB. I don't care. You have it. Keller knows. You're going to give it to him so that I can get my wife back." It's a powerful opening scene with a livid Peter. He has every right to be angry and Neal knows it. No excuses, no lies this time. Neal is ready to cooperate. Unfortunately, Keller interrupts the scene with a phone call. They have 12 hours to get the treasure to him. Keller: "So nice to see a married couple so in love after all this time. I'd hate to come between that." Now I'm a big fan of Keller as Neal's foil, but even I start hating him for that line. Peter and Elizabeth are sacred - one of the few married couples on TV that don't turn it into a joke or complaint fest about each other. I love that about them.

Since this is TV a major obstacle must stand in the way. Mozzie has already moved the treasure and disappeared. It's a race to find Mozzie before the 12 hours is up. In an ingenuous hat tip to continuity, Mozzie gets the heads up and since it is Elizabeth, he's on board too. But how do they keep Keller from killing Elizabeth after he gets the treasure? Like him or not, Keller's smart. This one has to be good. It's an ambitious con and suddenly the four of them are working together. Let's just say that not everyone wants to play nice. This episode has a lot of going for it. Highlights include (not in chronological order):

A bit of Keller and Neal history
A bit of real history
Elizabeth's intelligence and general penchant for awesomeness
Gladiators
Hidden talents
Neal admits that he doesn't want to leave New York
Neal and Mozzie's relationship
Peter and Neal's rocky relationship
The ruthlessness of Keller
And everything that happens in the last 15 minutes

Great lines :

"Already done."
"First rule in a fight: Always go for the weak spot."
"He's crazy. I respect that."
"I will not let anyone die on this. That's not up for debate."
"It's a shame I removed that price on your head."
"It's gonna be fun. Who's excited?"
"No beer? Caffrey, you're a terrible host."
"Survival is overrrated."
"That means prison. A lot of it."
"Til the next chapter."
"What part of no killing do you keep forgetting?"
"Welcome to container 10, sweetheart."
"We've been playing by Keller's rules. Let's change the game."
"You could always learn to be a lefty." "And you could learn to walk on one foot."

Checkmate premieres on Jan. 17 at 10/9 C on the USA Network. You don't want to miss it because in the next couple of episodes everything could change.

Screencap by USA Network
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