White Collar continues tonight with a whole new episode called, “One Last Stakeout.” On tonight’s show Neal has to pull off a brazen museum heist right underneath the FBI’s nose. Did you watch last week’s episode? We did and we recapped it right here for you.
On last week’s show Peter assigned Neal a new handler to investigate an online black market, but Neal’s loyalties were tested when he discovered the trail might lead to Mozzie.
On tonight’s show as Peter settles into a promoted position at the FBI, Neal has to pull off a brazen museum heist right underneath the FBI’s nose. One little mistake, and Peter will have to look deeper into Neal’s operation. This never proves to be a good thing.
White Collar stars, Matt Bomer, Tim DeKay, Tiffani Thiessen, Willie Garson, Hilarie Burton, Sharif Atkins and Marsha Thomason.
Tonight’s season 5 episode 3 looks like it is going to be great and you won’t want to miss it, so be sure to tune in for our live coverage of USA Network’s “White Collar” at 9:00 PM EST! While you wait for our recap hit the comments and let us know how excited you are for the season 5 episode 3 of White Collar tonight.
Tonight’s episode begins now – Refresh Page for Updates
Neal gets his morning coffee when David finds him. He says he saw by his ankle monitor that he was out and about and wondered if he was coming in to work. Neal says if he’s going to watch him that closely that he’s going to exhaust himself. David says he needs his help and Neal asks him what the case is and he says it’s not a case, he needs an apartment. Neal tells him that were you live in the city is a reflection of who you are.
Neal asks if he’s just been divorced and he says he saw him spinning a ring that’s no longer there. He’s surprised to find out David has no budget since he’s secretly rich. Neal tells him to move to the Village. David asks how he picked where he lives and he says it was in his radius (the one on his monitor). David tells him not to let anyone in the office know that he’s wealthy.
Peter calls Neal in and tells him that the Dutchman got out of jail on a technicality because some evidence was destroyed. He says that he will probably disappear. Peter says they’ve come a long way since that case and Neal says Peter has come a long way – he says he hasn’t. Peter reminds him he’s an invaluable asset. Neal gets a text from a blocked caller to meet him in 30 minutes.
Of course it’s the Dutchman. They meet at a museum. Hagen tells him that prison changed him and Neal says it didn’t. Neal says he’s done and Hagen says it’s not. He tells Neal there’s something there he wants Neal to steal for him.
Neal laughs and says he can’t steal for him. He says he’s on an ankle monitor and now the FBI knows he’s at the museum and if the painting goes missing they’ll know it’s him and he’ll be back in jail. The Dutchman shows him a book – the Musconi Codex – that’s what he wants. He tells Neal he has 48 hours. Neal tells him it’s on a pressure plate that will light up the place with alarms if he moves it. Hagen tells him not to move it and that he only needs chapter 13.
Neal asks the docent for permission to study a book. She asks which one and he says the codex. She tells him it can’t be checked out or even opened. She says it’s a riddle wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a shatterproof glass box. She says she would give anything to be able to look in it. She says Musconi claimed that the greatest wealth in the world was contained in the book. He says they should check it out. She says the owner mandated that it can’t be touched and he asks who the owner is and she says it’s anonymous. She shows him that each chapter is set apart by a gilded page so the only thing they know is that there are 25 chapters.
Peter pulls up to find Neal who tells him he’s been toying with David. He says he gets coffee every day in front of banks and museums to torment him. Peter tells him all about the perks of his new job. He says there’s one really great perk. They’re back at the office and he promotes Clinton – guess promoting people he likes is the part he likes best.
Neal congratulates Clinton and tells him he deserves it. Clinton invites him to go celebrate with them and he declines begging a heavy workload.
Moz agrees to help Neal so long as he doesn’t know anything about what’s in the book. He’s working on a new disguise to keep him off of David’s radar. They come up with a plan to get someone else to rob the museum so Neal can go in to investigate and steal the chapter. Moz says they should screw over Zev – a guy who stole one of Moz’s master plans. He says he’s an idea thief that needs to go down.
Moz talks to someone else about the plan to rob the museum where he knows Zev can overhear. Neal tells David he’s heard chatter about a potential heist at the museum. David says he’ll pitch it to Peter but Neal says he can pitch it so he won’t look bad if nothing comes of it. David does as Neal hopes and gets proprietary and pitches it to Peter himself. Peter says he’d like to go along on the stakeout but Neal reminds him he has the Yankees game with some important suits. He approves the stakeout and Neal and David take off.
Peter is signing paperwork and is miserable. Clinton tells him the old boss had a stamp with his signature and Peter says with Neal around he can’t risk it. Clinton asks if it feels weird to see Neal running around with another handler. Peter says all the changes are good. Clinton asks when he last checked Neal’s anklet and he says 10 minutes ago and that he’s probably home painting something he shouldn’t be.
Moz and Neal plot. Moz is working on pages to sub into the book. Neal says the pages can be blank and Moz says this is his chance to get his manifesto published. He says Zev is all set to go in so they can catch and arrest him. Neal is supposed to go in 10 minutes earlier to tamper with the book. Moz asks how he’s going to get in.
Neal waits outside the museum and runs into the docent. She introduces herself as Rebecca. He tells her he has something he was hoping she could help him with. He flirts with her and lifts her badge. She takes off awkwardly. Outside the Gershon, David meets him and says he’s glad to see him there early. David tells him he was apartment hunting in the Village like Neal recommended and says he’s right about the good pizza. He even brought some for Neal.
Elizabeth tells Peter the owner’s box was great but wants to know why he’s distracted. He tells her he misses the stake out. He says he could still join them for the stake out but she encourages him to stop cold turkey.
David tells him his family got rich from elevator buttons and Neal is intrigued. He asks why the FBI. He says that he grew up surrounding by crooks – only they wore suits.
David tells him that it’s exciting sitting outside a museum waiting for someone to steal a painting. He says that it was more exciting when he was the one stealing paintings. David says that he likes Neal because he’ll either make or break his career. Moz strolls by in disguise and Neal points him out. He suggests one of them follow him in case he’s the crook but one should stay in case it’s not. David tells him to stay put and hops out. Neal waits a moment and then is about to get out too but then Peter pops into the driver’s seat. Neal is stunned and he only has 8 minutes to get and do the heist!
David follows Moz who calls Neal to find out where he is but gets no answer. Peter looks at the empty pizza box and says he should have saved him a slice. Neal says he didn’t know he was coming. Peter says he’ll keep David’s seat warm. Neal says he shouldn’t be there – he says they’re not partners anymore and if he wanted to go he should just go. Peter says he’s right and leaves. It’s 5:54. Six minutes left. He hops out and calls Moz to make sure the cameras are off. They are and he uses Rebecca’s badge to get in.
David stops the guy he was following and checks his bag. It’s got a picnic basket in it. David realizes he was wasting his time. Moz tells him that David is headed back to the car and Neal tells him to keep occupied. Zev shows up and Neal says he has to distract him from Zev because they need his robbery. Moz can’t let David see his face because he’ll recognize him from Little Star.
Zev is in the museum and is cutting the painting off its frame. Neal is sliding the chapter he needs out and the fake one in. Zev is rolling up the painting. David is pursuing Moz. Then the alarm goes off and the metal doors all come locking down. Neals says to Moz that I thought you said Zev was good and Moz says his desire for revenge may have caused him to overestimate.
Neal makes it to where David is and they head in to deal with the alarm. But Zev got away! Peter gets a text that the painting was stolen. Peter chews Neal and David out for letting the thief steal the painting under their noses. Peter says he has a lead – he says an employee used her badge right before the theft and she may have been working with the criminal. He’s going to talk to her now. Neal likes stressed. If she recognizes him, he’s done!
Peter has Rebecca in an interview room. David and Neal watch from another office. David says he’s not feeling too good after his first Peter Burke lecture. He asks if Neal is coming and he follows. He plays it off that he was doing reconnaissance because he thought it might be an inside job. They ask if anyone could have stolen it – a new neighbor, a stranger on the subway.
Peter tells her that David will continue the interview. He pulls Neal outside and says it’s his fault for distracting him on the stake out. He says he doesn’t want it to be a black mark on David’s record. He asks if he thinks Rebecca is involved and Neal says no.
Moz tells Neal they have to catch Zev because this is the second time he’s stolen a heist idea from him. Neal is more worried about Rebecca. Moz says the good news is that he stole the right chapter. He made a copy so they can study it after they give the original to Hagen. Moz tells him to fake like he’s solving the case and that’s how they can catch Zev. Neal worries if they don’t solve it quickly that they’ll take a closer look at the museum and figure out something else is missing.
Peter meets Neal at the museum and tells him they’re going to solve it together – one last case. In the room with the codex, they are packing up the exhibit. Peter says the owner wants it back because of the theft. Peter says they are checking the pieces before they go back. Someone goes to open up the book but Rebecca runs over and chastises them.
Peter and Neal are in the room reenacting the crime. Neal demonstrates how he would pop off the security panel to get around the door. He pulls his gloves off and they realize that’s what the thief likely did. The FBI shows up to the bar where Zev is toasting with his friends to arrest him for the theft. Guess he left prints.
Neal and David are chatting. David tells him they’re both self-made just in different ways. He tells him he knows Neal could get his anklet off any time he wants and says that Neal is choosing to do good work there. Peter comes in and David says that Peter should have taken credit for the bust but Peter says it was his case.
Neal and Moz chat as they walk. Neal is bringing the chapter to Hagen. The Dutchman comments that he made quite a ruckus. Neal wants to know when they’re done and Hagen says when he gets what he wants. David sits in a car watching Hagen and Neal chat from a distance. He doesn’t look happy.
Neal comes back to the museum with the crew when they’re returning the painting. Clinton asks why he’s there and he says that someone like him doesn’t often get to return something stolen. Clinton spots Rebecca and says he should have known it was about a girl. Rebecca tells Neal she was fired because her key card was stolen. She says it doesn’t matter because her hope was that she would get to study the codex and since that’s not possible it doesn’t matter. She walks away.
At the FBI, Neal walks in as people stare. Peter walks up to him, says nothing and walks away. Neal follows. On the street they stand over David’s body. He’s been shot in the heart and Peter tells him the report was a mugging gone wrong.
