'White Collar' Recap: 'In the Wind'

The season finale of White Collar on USA Network had a shocker of an ending. The episode was the apogee of the season and particularly the quest for Ellen's box. The episode had some shocking turns.

The new boss Amanda Callaway established a task force to scan and search the Empire State Building. She allowed Peter to lead it but under her close eye, and constant intervening. Peter's former boss Reese Hughes called him and they met. Reese told him his connect from NSA had recorded a call from Amanda to Pratt, proving she was in Pratt's pocket. Peter called an emergency meeting at Neal's house with Mozzie, James, and Neal to discuss their plan to acquire the box before Callaway could.

However, things became more difficult when Senator Pratt decided to get involved and rented out the 51st floor to oversee the box's acquisition. Mozzie came up with a plan to distract Pratt and gain access to his office on the floor and retrieve the box. Neal and James meet Pratt in a park under the guise of making a deal. And James sat close to Pratt on a park bench with a device that could somehow read his code for his office in the building and relay the numbers to Mozzie who hid in the distance.

After that encounter, everyone was at the Empire State Building executing their plans, from Callaway's task force to Neal and his team. Peter wore Neal's ankle bracelet and confronted Pratt to draw the attention of Callaway, and help the crew. In addition, he made Pratt decide to leave his office and oversee the raid because he was vexed Peter was able to confront him and concerned about Neal's whereabouts. Peter was relieved from duty and handed over his gun to Callaway. Once he left his office, Mozzie and James went into Pratt's office with the stolen code and removed the box from the floor of the 51st floor.

The removal of the box caused damage to the floor and made the ceiling of the floor beneath fall and alert the task force. The task force rushed to respond and Pratt sent a crony to retrieve the box and James. Pratt's goon managed to capture James with the box and bring him to Pratt. But Mozzie had made a switch of the boxes and brought the real one to Neal on the roof. James was in front of Pratt, who opened the box to find nothing. He and James were both confused. Pratt pointed a gun at James. However, Callaway's purse (conveniently) was on Pratt's desk, and with Peter's gun hanging out. James grabbed it and aimed back at Pratt. Peter rushed in and saw the standoff. He urged them to both put down their weapons, but James shot Pratt. Peter checked Pratt's pulse, which was non-existent. James gave Peter his gun and took Pratt's. He ran off and Peter fired a warning shot, but was caught with the gun over Pratt's dead body. Callaway arrested Peter.

Meanwhile, Neal saw the box's content and caught James in his apartment scurrying and rummaging to find the content. Neal confronted him about the truth, the truth that was in the box. Neal received a call from Diana who explained Peter's situation. Neal pleads with James to confess to the killing and he will support him. James refused and walked out the door. The episode ended.