Upper West Side Story

Last updated

"Upper West Side Story"
White Collar episode
Episode no.Season 3
Episode 12
Directed byRussell Lee Fine
Written byAlexandra McNally & Jim Campolongo
Original air dateJanuary 24, 2012 (2012-01-24)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Checkmate"		Next →
"Neighborhood Watch"
List of episodes

"Upper West Side Story" is the 12th episode of the third season of the American comedy-drama television series White Collar , and the 42nd episode overall. It was first broadcast on USA Network in the United States on January 24, 2012. The episode was directed by Russell Lee Fine and written by Alexandra McNally and Jim Campolongo.

Contents

The episode features several themes of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet , and contains various allusions to Shakespearean and Victorian-era literature. After a student (Graham Phillips) at a prestigious prep school approaches Peter Burke and Neal Caffrey about missing scholarship funds, they begin investigating the father (Dylan Baker) of the boy's crush (Elizabeth Gillies).

According to the Nielsen ratings system, an estimated 3.472 million household viewers watched the original broadcast of the episode, with 1.1 million in the 18–49 demographic. "Upper West Side Story" received positive reviews.

Plot

Neal (Matt Bomer) and Peter (Tim DeKay) are approached by Evan Leary (Graham Phillips), a student at the prestigious Manhattan Preparatory Academy. Evan explains that he believes the money from his scholarship fund was embezzled by a rich investor by the name of Andy Woods (Dylan Baker). Peter quickly takes the case, realizing that Woods is already believed to be associated with a major cartel.

Peter visits the school under the guise of the parent of a potential student. Neal is to pose as his assistant, but he instead takes on the role of a substitute English teacher after learning that both Evan and Woods' 15-year-old daughter Chloe (Elizabeth Gillies), are in the class. Woods soon discovers that Peter may not be who he says he is after learning that he lied about his hotel arrangements; Peter covers for this by admitting that he spent the night with his mistress. Later, Neal tells Mozzie (Willie Garson) about Evan's silent attraction to Chloe, and that he plans to set them up using a sonnet.

Peter discovers that Woods may be working with Graham Slater (John Rothman), the school's headmaster, in order to embezzle the funds. The following day, at the school, Neal sees Slater drop an envelope into Chloe's locker. In order to check the contents of the envelope, Peter pulls the fire alarm. Neal finds the school's quarterly finance report inside.

Chloe later asks Neal to tutor her at home; he accepts and invites Evan to come as well. Woods invites Peter to dinner the same night, and asks that he bring his mistress along as well. Diana (Marsha Thomason), posing as Peter's mistress, accompanies Peter, and, while there, stages a quarrel. Peter, feigning frustration, opens a door to exit, setting off an alarm in the process. Woods turns the alarm off; this allows Neal to easily break into his office and clone Woods' hard drive. Chloe follows Neal into her father's office and accidentally pocket dials Woods. Realizing something is wrong, Woods goes downstairs to his office and discovers Neal with Chloe. Evan quickly enters, taking the blame for the mistake.

The next day, Evan lets Neal know that Woods suspects something. Peter is taken hostage by Woods and held in the shop classroom, where Woods quickly discovers that Peter is with the FBI. Neal takes Chloe's phone and calls Woods, forcing him to step out of the room. Neal and Mozzie create a smokescreen out of lab chemicals and free Peter; Diana meanwhile arrests Woods. Neal explains to Chloe that her life will not be easy, and she begins a relationship with Evan after discovering roses and the sonnet left by Neal and Mozzie.

Later, Peter must give a statement to the commutation committee about Neal's involvement with the Keller case. Although Neal's actions had caused the kidnapping of Elizabeth (Tiffani Thiessen), Peter opts to omit the details surrounding Neal's theft of the art.

Production

I love that part of White Collar a lot because it's fun, it's light, there's a lot of heart in those episodes.

Tim DeKay [1]

The episode was written by Alexandra McNally and Jim Campolongo. [2] It was McNally's fifth episode since joining the series during the second season, and Campolongo's sixth overall. It was their first time to collaborate on an episode. "Upper West Side Story" was directed by Russell Lee Fine, [2] his third directing credit for the series after the episodes "Payback" and "On Guard". Working titles for the episode included "Well Endowed" and "Hangin' with Mr. Cooper". [3] [4] It was first reported on July 11, 2011 that Dylan Baker and Elizabeth Gillies would appear in an episode of White Collar as Andy Woods and his daughter. [5] Other guest stars to appear in the episode include Graham Phillips.

Series star Tim DeKay stated that he enjoyed working on the episode, in part because it was primarily a standalone. [1] Bomer said, speaking of "Upper West Side Story", that he enjoys portraying different aspects of Neal's undercover roles. [1] Bomer stated that he received a phone call from Campolongo requesting that he memorize a Byron poem by the next morning. [1] The poem was ultimately included in a scene in which Neal is teaching an English class. Kenny Herzog of The A.V. Club pointed out that the episode contained various references to Shakespearian and Victorian-era literature, specifically mentioning Romeo and Juliet. He stated that these metaphors helped move the plot forward. [6]

Reception

Dylan Baker's performance as Andy Woods was met with mixed reactions from critics. DylanBakerFeb08.jpg
Dylan Baker's performance as Andy Woods was met with mixed reactions from critics.

Ratings

The initial broadcast of the episode drew 3.472 million viewers, and earned a 1.1 rating in the 18–49 demographic. [7] "Upper West Side Story" ranked seventh place among cable series for the night in the 18–49 demographic and fourth in its timeslot, surpassed by Teen Mom 2 , Storage Wars , and The Game . [7] The original broadcast of the episode overlapped with the 2012 State of the Union Address for the first 17 minutes; [8] however, viewership for the episode increased slightly from the previous week.

Reviews

"Upper West Side Story" received mostly positive reviews from critics, with many praising the mostly standalone format and the rebuilding of Neal and Peter's relationship. Morgan Glennon of the Huffington Post called the episode "a really fun undercover romp that still deals with the fallout between Neal and Peter." [9] Michelle Carlbert stated that she "felt like it put Neal and Peter back on track" and that she enjoyed the standalone case. [10] Brittany Frederick of Starpulse.com said that "this is an episode that reminds me why I fell in love with White Collar." [11] Frederick compared the episode to "Mr. Monk Goes Back to School", an episode of USA Network's Monk ; she likened Baker's character to that of Andrew McCarthy's in Monk, stating that as a villain, McCarthy was evil yet endearing, while Baker appeared genuinely evil. [11] She also praised the series for utilizing comedy rather than drama. [11] Kenny Herzog of The A.V. Club gave the episode a more mixed review, stating that while the series was "at its caper-hatching best," it was "also its most excessively ludicrous." [6] Like Frederick, Herzog praised the use of comedy, though he felt that Baker appeared to be more like "a cartoon bully." [6] He ultimately gave the episode a B−. [6]

Related Research Articles

Draupnir Gold ring possessed by the god Odin in Norse mythology

In Norse mythology, Draupnir is a gold ring possessed by the god Odin with the ability to multiply itself: Every ninth night, eight new rings 'drip' from Draupnir, each one of the same size and weight as the original.

<i>Into the Woods</i> 1987 musical by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine

Into the Woods is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by James Lapine.

Matt Bomer American actor

Matthew Staton Bomer is an American actor. He is the recipient of accolades such as a Golden Globe Award, a Critics' Choice Television Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.

She Walks in Beauty 1814 poem written by Lord Byron

"She Walks in Beauty" is a short lyrical poem in iambic tetrameter written in 1814 by Lord Byron, and is one of his most famous works.

Dylan Baker American actor

Dylan Baker is an American character actor. He gained recognition for his roles in the films such as Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987), Happiness (1998), Thirteen Days (2000), Road to Perdition (2002), Spider-Man 2 (2004) and Spider-Man 3 (2007) and on the television series Murder One (1995-1996) and The Good Wife, the latter of which earned him three Primetime Emmy Award nominations.

Tim DeKay American actor

Timothy Robert DeKay is an American actor. He starred in the USA Network series White Collar (2009–2014)

Willie Garson American actor (1964–2021)

William Garson Paszamant was an American actor. He appeared in over 75 films and more than 300 TV episodes. He was known for playing Stanford Blatch on the HBO series Sex and the City, in the related films Sex and the City and Sex and the City 2 and in the spin-off And Just Like That..., Mozzie in the USA Network series White Collar from 2009 to 2014, Ralph in the 2005 romantic comedy Little Manhattan, Gerard Hirsch in the reboot of Hawaii Five-0, and Martin Lloyd in the sci-fi series Stargate SG-1.

<i>The Boys</i> (comics) American superhero comic book series

The Boys is a comic book series, written by Garth Ennis and co-created, designed, and illustrated by Darick Robertson. It was originally published by WildStorm before being bought and moved to Dynamite Entertainment.

<i>Law & Order: Special Victims Unit</i> (season 8) Season of television series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

The eighth season of the television series, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit premiered September 19, 2006 and ended May 22, 2007 on NBC. The series remained in its 10pm/9c Tuesday timeslot. With the introduction of a new partner for Detective Stabler, early episodes of season 8 took on a significantly different focus when compared to those of previous seasons.

<i>White Collar</i> (TV series) American police procedural drama television series

White Collar is an American police procedural drama television series created by Jeff Eastin, starring Tim DeKay as FBI Special Agent Peter Burke and Matt Bomer as Neal Caffrey, a highly intelligent and multi-talented con artist working as Burke's criminal informant. Willie Garson and Tiffani Thiessen also star. The show premiered on October 23, 2009, on USA Network, and aired six complete seasons, with the final season concluding on December 18, 2014.

Neal Caffrey Fictional character

Neal George Caffrey is the main character of the USA Network original series White Collar. Neal is a criminal consultant for the White Collar Crime Division of the FBI in New York City. He is a world-class forger and conman, with a fondness for art, fine wine, Sy Devore suits, fedoras, and beautiful women. Neal speaks eight languages, including conversational Swahili, and has 27 known aliases.

Pilot (<i>White Collar</i>) 1st episode of the first season of White Collar

"Pilot" is the debut episode of the American comedy-drama television series White Collar. It was first broadcast on USA Network in the United States on October 23, 2009. The episode sets up major story arcs for the series, including Neal Caffrey's collaboration with FBI Special Agent Peter Burke, and the significance of the disappearance of Neal's girlfriend, Kate Moreau.

"Neighborhood Watch" is the 13th episode of the third season of the American comedy-drama television series White Collar, and the 43rd episode overall. It was first broadcast on USA Network in the United States on January 31, 2012. The episode was directed by Andrew McCarthy and written by Jeff F. King.

"Pulling Strings" is the 14th episode of the third season of the American comedy-drama television series White Collar, and the 44th episode overall. It was first broadcast on USA Network in the United States on February 7, 2012. The episode was directed by Anton Cropper and written by Channing Powell.

<i>Justified</i> (season 3) Season of television series

The third season of the American television drama series Justified premiered on January 17, 2012, on FX, and concluded on April 10, 2012, consisting of 13 episodes. The series was developed by Graham Yost based on Elmore Leonard's novels Pronto and Riding the Rap and his short story "Fire in the Hole". Its main character is Raylan Givens, a deputy U.S. Marshal. Timothy Olyphant portrays Givens, a tough federal lawman, enforcing his own brand of justice in his Kentucky hometown. The series is set in the city of Lexington, Kentucky, and the hill country of eastern Kentucky, specifically in and around Harlan.

<i>The 5th Wave</i> (film) 2016 film by J Blakeson

The 5th Wave is a 2016 American science fiction action film directed by J Blakeson, with a screenplay by Susannah Grant, Akiva Goldsman, and Jeff Pinkner, based on Rick Yancey’s 2013 novel of the same name. The film stars Chloë Grace Moretz, Nick Robinson, Ron Livingston, Maggie Siff, Alex Roe, Maria Bello, Maika Monroe, and Liev Schreiber.

Matt Bomer on screen and stage Wikipedia list article

Matt Bomer is an American actor who, as of 2021, has appeared in 18 films, 22 television productions and 6 stage productions. His first stage appearance was at the age of seventeen as one of the young collector in an Alley production of the play A Streetcar Named Desire, while in high school. Bomer went on to appear in several television shows in the 2000s, including the soap operas All My Children (2000) and Guiding Light (2002–2003), and the supernatural series Tru Calling (2003–2004). He made his film debut as a flight attendant in Robert Schwentke's psychological thriller Flightplan (2005), his highest-grossing release. Bomer's first leading role came in the David DiGilio's drama series, Traveler (2007), he gained a higher profile after that.

Ange Godard

Ange Godard is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, played by actress Dawn Steele. She first appeared in the series twenty-one episode "China Crisis", broadcast on 8 January 2019. Ange arrives at Holby City hospital to work as a consultant general surgeon on the Young Adult Unit (YAU), a ward she helps to create. Steele was cast in the role following a meeting with the show's production team. She was "delighted" to join the show's cast and it was soon publicised that Ange would have a number of "explosive" secrets, which would then drive Holby City stories forward. Ange is characterised as "ballsy", "tenacious" and "stubborn". Steele has stated that Ange is portrayed as the most emotional surgeon imaginable. Her empathy for patients is often displayed in scenes, which Steele believed was a result of Ange's past experiences.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Ng, Phillana (January 17, 2012). "'White Collar' Duo Matt Bomer and Tim DeKay Say Season-Ending Cliffhanger Is 'Biggest' One Yet". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  2. 1 2 "Upper West Side Story". White Collar. Season 3. Episode 12. January 24, 2012. USA Network.
  3. ↑ Eastin, Jeff (January 25, 2012). "Twitter / @jeffeastin: #WhiteCollar trivia: our original title was "Well Endowed"". Twitter. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  4. ↑ Eastin, Jeff (January 25, 2012). "Twitter / @jeffeastin: #WhiteCollar Trivia: another title option was "Hangin' with Mr. Cooper"". Twitter. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  5. ↑ Gelman, Vlada (July 11, 2011). "Exclusive: White Collar Captures Dylan Baker". TV Line. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Herzog, Kenny (January 24, 2012). "Upper West Side Story". The A.V. Club. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  7. 1 2 Seidman, Robert (January 24, 2012). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: Teen Mom,' 'Storage Wars' Tops + 'The Game,' 'White Collar,' 'Justified,' 'Southland' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on January 28, 2012. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  8. ↑ VanDerWerff, Emily (January 24, 2012). "The State Of The Union bumped most everything off the air tonight, so why not give White Collar a try?". The A.V. Club. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  9. ↑ Glennon, Morgan (January 10, 2012). "White Collar Winter Season Preview". Huffpost TV . Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  10. ↑ Carlbert, Michelle (January 24, 2012). "White Collar "Upper West Side Story" Review". Daemon's TV. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  11. 1 2 3 Frederick, Brittany (January 24, 2012). "'White Collar' Recap: 'Upper West Side Story' (3.12)". Starpulse.com. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.