I'm A Sucker for Flashbacks; 2.11 Episode Commentary

I feel absolutely nauseous today. And sick. And it’s disgusting and it needs to stop but that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop doing a commentary, so let’s get on with the show. Speaking of this show, considering it’s the flashback episode … shout out to my own two little criminal informants. You know you love me, guys. I give you the miles.

Neal is painting. And Peter is … bringing home the groceries. Insert “Honey, I’m home!” here.

“Wow. Don’t even need a corkscrew.”

My mother was talking the other day about how wines don’t use corkscrews anymore. So this is funny to me.

“Crimes I don’t know about.”

What, Peter? You thought he had none left?

“Did you kill anybody?”

Oh my god, he’s giving him full immunity! THAT’S ADORABLE. So much adorable, so little time.

HELLO MOZZIE WITH HAIR WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? THAT’S JUST SO STRANGE THAT I CANT EVEN.

Neal! You look so young, darling! I wonder if this is before the two of them knew each other.

He’s reminding me of Bryce, or his character in the traveler. His face, I mean. Because he looks so different than Neal before. That shirt, that hair. He looks absolutely delicious. He looks more delicious than normal, which is saying something.

And of course he won the money, because – because he switched the card and that’s just how things work.

“I’m the guy from the park.”

EPIC.

And he has less hair and called him kid.

“Only to distract from his toupee.”

Since he was a kid? Hah, the mental images of that are <3.

“Notice my lack of surprise.”

And notice my face SQUEEING in delight! The fact that Neal and Peter can now have actual sit down conversations – it means a lot. It certainly means that they trust each other enough to do that, now. And for Peter to trust him enough to give him full immunity for the night. That is a thing of beauty and also joy.

“By eye? You are very talented, kid. With you as my partner, we can move way beyond the street hustle.”

IDEK BUT THIS IS ADORABLE. Look at you guys, planning your first real con. Way to go, you two. Be the bird, be the tree, I don’t quite know what I’m saying because I’m way too excited for actual normal speech or coherency.

“I just got to the city and I’m too young to retire.” <3

Also, geekery moment: Adler, Sherlock Holmes. <3. Geekery. WHAT, THAT’S A WORD.

“Did you have to fight to take my case?”

Oh do we get to see Peter now – OH DEAR LORD THAT MUSTACHE. This is the first time he’s seeing the case. This is a thing of beauty.

Something that’s bugging me: ‘Guest starring: Sharif Atkins’. Why isn’t he a full cast member?

Oh, you so do recall, Peter. Out with it. JAMES BONDS.

“Shaken not stirred.” There is so much love for this show I can’t even it’s like a giant UNF FEST.

(Neal’s on top.)

AND OMG SATCHMO IS A PUPPY. WHO IS TAMPERING WITH FEDERAL EVIDENCE. I love that she’s helping him even now!

“He can do it all.”
“Well, so can you.”

Can you guys just form one giant family now and be happy?

Mozzie has binoculars.

“Know thine enemy and you will win.” Hee, quote dropping. I don’t think there’s a single reason why I’m not absolutely loving this episode right now.

“In his head. He’s too smart to keep it anywhere else.”
“We can’t just walk up and ask him.”

You can if you’re Arthur and Eames. BRMM. (I’d let Neal incept me any time.)

Hah, I love how Neal totally knows everything that’s going on right there.

“So?”
“That means fed.”
“I’ve never met a fed before.”

I so love how he definitely goes up to him. That’s absolutely fantastic. There is so much win at this.

HE GAVE HIM A LOLLIPOP OH MY GOD WHAT MY HEART SO MUCH LOVE. HERE, PETER, HAVE A SUCKER. Oh dear. Oh dear lord, so much love.

“He’s not a nanny goat in a petting zoo he’s a fed. “ One of my own personal CI’s would definitely say ‘Is there a difference?’ (Oh yeah, Temp, I’ve got your number.)

“Nick Holden.” ß that’s definitely the first time he’s used that name. It’s the little moments that make Chelsea (read: me.) smile!

BORDEUX BOTTLE! Sdlfjsd. That’s where this is going to come in. (We can thank the second CI, we’ll call her DECAF here, for that little moment. And for the fact that – heyyy, Kate, where’s Athena? – that’s the Rapheal he stole. I love having a second person who catches all the things I miss.)

I really didn’t ask for any commercials about vacuums, so we can we please get back to the show? Thanks. I’m going to kick you in your dyson balls if you don’t get back to my show, USA! And no, I don’t care about your unlimited breadsticks I want to get back to Kate! And she doesn’t care about your unlimited breadsticks either!

(… shit. Now I’m hungry.)

“You like it?”

Obvious “… it’s breathtaking.” Flirting is obvious and adorable.

Oh, he’s so talking about her that’s freaking adorable.

“The romance of being a starving artist wore off very fast.”

I like her voice. I thought I’d mention. And her face. I’m jealous of it.

“Good luck, Nick.”

It’s sad because we know how this ends, okay?

Hahhhh, he just switched that out like a little… switchy man. Go Neal.

“With someone who looks better in a cocktail dress than you.”

… disturbing mental image was disturbing. And also disturbing.

All I can think whenever they say “singer” is showing machines.

Peter should – say something about Kate, and then he did, so.

“She had a boyfriend.”

His name was Percy Jackson. Remember the name.

I like magic too, Neal.

This is just absolutely adorable.

Is he going to put that necklace on her? Yeah, he is.

Also, what. Because she looks so much like El. (Whose face, dare I say, I am also jealous of.)

WELL FUCK MICHAEL WITH A SHOVEL.

“Are you going to go?”

No. DON’T BREAK HIS LITTLE HEART.

“You’ll like Chicago.”

Now I’m thinking about that Chicago song. … no, wait. That was Boston. Er, nevermind. Ignore the moron typing this, thanks.

They’re leaning on the railing and drinking beers and making my heart go thump thump thump.

Alex Hunter. Nobody invited you to the party.

Awww, he looks so crushed.

And he’s going to go with her now to avoid thinking about Kate.

“Go with her” meaning, apparently, meaning screw her.

She’s looking for the music box.

She left origami flower! This show wins points for consistency.

Neal, you look delicious in black.

Tell me that’s … Kate at the door.

Heee, ain’t that adorable.

“Why?”
“Because you’re here.”

Cue the kiss.

“You had it all.”

Don’t remind him.

“The kind that has corks.” Oh, Neal.

Mozzie, don’t rain on his parade.

Look, it’s the hat!

Peter might have a sketch, but Neal’s got a password!

“Like the hat?”

I do, if that counts.

Heee, this scene is absolutely adorable.

“I feel like I could blink and it would all be gone.”

-kiss-

“You just blinked. I’m still here.”

“then nothing else matters.”

Here goes Mozzie with the quotes.

THEY IS HAZING SEXY TIMES.

“I want more.”
“You’re insatiable.”
“Pizza.”

Ohgod. Oh dear lord my heart is DYING.

NEAL IS DANCING NAKED I CANT OMFG WHAT. I want to be one of those damn neighbors, all right? Like a good neighbor, Neal’s penis is there.

My apologies to anyone who just read that.

Shittttt. Now they’re not going to have jobs anymore, and everything is going to start to fall apart.

“Here’ssss Peter!”

Jones!

New!Jones. For a special white collar task force of WIN.

Lololol, profile. Because he was on Criminal Minds once. Obviously, he’s coming from the BAU. WHAT. DNOT LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT.

He’s still got the sucker. SO MUCH LOVE.

“The password was an anagram. For nice try Neal.”

Oh my god, he’s being adorable with her. And he kissed her cheek and that’s just <3.

“If we’re going to do this…”

<3

“I’m not Nick Halden. My name’s Neal Caffrey.”

OH MY GOD YOU GUYS THIS MEANS THAT’S HIS REAL NAME OKAY? DO YOU KNOW HOW HAPPY THAT MAKES ME?

Caffeine break!

“I just got a few beers left. I’m curious.”

Guh. This show.

THAT IS SO NEAL IN A POLICE UNIFORM I CANT EVEN. And hey, Kate. HAH. Officer, I’ve been a naughty girl. Arrest me?

Hah, I wonder what that note says.

“You know, Moz, you look better without the hair piece. Very handsome.” <3

“To the best of times.”

And now they’ve got pizza and wine. Oh, my heart. It’s breaking. They’re doing that thing where they pretend and guh, my heart.

“That FBI agent. Burke.” ß is your best friend now, so SHH.

She saw the origami from … Dx.

“You can’t just say hey, Kate… “
“You just tried to con me.”

Come on, don’t leave him…

He looks so distraught. Poor baby.

“Without Kate, it fell apart.” Kind of like he’s been falling apart?

He started running cons to get her attention? <3

“You knew about Steve?”

<3.

Hey, Diana.

“How do I catch you?”
“Stake out my girlfriend?”

Everyone’s faces right there. Hah.

Also, she doesn’t look as tough right now. She’s all new and things. ß intelligent language, I’ve got it.

“Oh, no, did your pigeon die?”

I love these two. They remind me of myself and TDOMS, actually. (Which, btw, sounds like a name of a rapper or a condom. … oh dear, let’s not say that one out loud.)

Anddd that’s how Peter caught him.

Fairly Legal: “You almost got killed for what, coffee?”

I’ve got a friend who would totally accidentally get herself killed for coffee.

‘Forging Raphael.”

“I missed you. I lied to you about a lot of things, Kate, but I never lied about loving you.”

She did this little thing right there, where she smield. And now she’s almost crying and she just told him that she loves him which totally means that she always loved him WHAT NOBODY ASKED YOU OKAY? ;)

The way he’s holding her face right now.

Oh, shit. Shit, shit, shit. SHIT. The way that he said “It’s okay.”

“Thank you. I never would have found her without you.”
“It’s my pleasure.”

And a handshake.

THE VAN. It’s like its own character, okay?

Oh my … the way he looks back at Kate.

Andddd he’s eating the sucker. THAT’S SO IDEK.

This episode. It’s totally <3.

OMG IS THIS THE ONE WHERE THEYRE GOING TO SWITCH? No, it’s not. But still. Looks awesome, guys!

I LOVE STARTING INTERNATIONAL INCIDENTS. (My CI just said the same thing. At the same time. Let's start one.)