By John Keegan
Considering that the season premiere was foreshadowing some nasty future direction for Claudia, I think a number of fans were expecting her search for a "solution" to Steve's death was going to lead her down that path. This episode makes it clear that things are going to be a bit more complicated in that regard. Claudia seems destined for darkness, but perhaps not quite yet.
An episode that rubs salt in the wound that is the Annie/Auggie non-relationship sounds like it ought to be a step in the wrong direction for "Covert Affairs". Instead, it feels right; this is what we've come to expect from the show this season. Annie remains competent, the character dynamics remain strong, and the episode itself was gripping, to say the least.
I'm really loving how "White Collar" is refusing to brush aside the consequences of everything that's happened in the past few episodes. Ever since Peter gave Neal the go-ahead to run from the law in the previous season finale, he's been finding himself going further and further outside the bounds of authority. And now he's paying for it. With plenty of people in the Bureau gunning for him, Peter is re-assigned to perform menial, repetitive tasks in an evidence warehouse, lorded over by his new boss (played by one of my favorite TV actors, Brett Cullen).