I was reading Jen’s review of another great episode of White Collar, and I began to think about the role that Willie Garson’s Mozzie is coming to play on the show. Is he the third wheel (in a good, tricycle sort of way) to Caffrey and Burke?
Well, let’s review what we know. Mozzie is Neal’s best friend, the guy he went right to as soon as he was released from prison, both for news on Kate and for help with his case of the week. And while we don’t know the history that these two guys share, it’s safe to say that Caffrey would trust Mozzie with his life, and vice versa.
And then there’s Burke. Peter has enough to deal with in trying to establish trust with Caffrey, a conman who he’s already put in prison once before. Now he’s faced with a second guy, someone of Caffrey’s ilk, who’s being included in whatever the FBI is working on from Neal’s end. So what’s a good federal agent to do? Why, invite Mozzie in with open arms!
Okay, so I don’t think it will ever go that far. And yet, I think Burke is smart enough to realize when the good outweighs the bad. Clearly, if Neal’s mind is a benefit to the FBI, Mozzie’s would be as well. He doesn’t appear to be a wanted criminal, and he is kept somewhat in check by his loyalty to Caffrey, so why not take advantage when the going is good?
And I also really like how Burke and Mozzie play off of one another. Both clearly despise what the other one is, and yet there’s mutual respect there for their respective talents and abilities. I do feel, somewhat, as if Mozzie’s presence relegated Caffrey to the background (think back to the scene when they’re having drinks together), but I’m sure there’s a way to correct that balance. Unless the two cancel each other out when around Burke….
But where I was questioning the need for the character in the beginning — I still am not sure why Caffrey needs his connections, but I’m letting that go here — I can definitely see the benefit to both Caffrey’s development, as well as what I’m sure is the coming evolution from Burke’s stiff agent. They’re the oddest pairing since Cappie and Dale on Greek, but that’s okay, since Cappie and Dale are awesome.
I did want to mention two things that stuck with me after this past episode. One, I was surprised that White Collar is already using the friend reference path by episode four. Isn’t that something that doesn’t come into play until season two, when the writers are feeling burned out and they need to think of some way to get a case in the door?
But that actually goes to my other issue, which was the shoehorning of Elizabeth onto yet another case. It’s such a reach that an agent’s wife would be actively involved in any sphere of an investigation, and yet here Elizabeth was, on the heels of party-planning the model bash, bringing a case in the door and managing her friend’s FBI interactions. I know it was only on the periphery, but it’s also okay if she’s just on the show only as far as Burke’s home life goes. Right?
Maybe she should meet Mozzie, though. They could become pals, like him and Carrie, or whichever one he was friends with on Sex and the City. Now that would be interesting….
Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Nov 17, 2009 @ 13:00 EST5EDT
