Neal and Peter learn of a psychiatrist who seemingly manipulates reformed criminals to become criminal again. To gather evidence, Neal goes undercover as her “patient.”
Tropes:
- Amnesiacs are Innocent: Because Griffiths was under psychological duress and due to his drug-induced memory loss, all charges against him are dropped.
- The "Be Careful!" Speech: True to form, Peter asks Neal to be careful during his session with Dr. Summers, concerned that she might get into Neal’s head.
- Comforting Comforter: When Neal falls asleep on Peter’s couch after the drug experiment, Peter gently puts a blanket on top of him.
- Congruent Memory: Neal cannot remember what he revealed to Dr. Summers while under the influence of the drug. To trigger his memory, Mozzie recreates the substance and administers it to Neal. It works.
- Deception Non Compliance: Unbeknownst to Peter and Jones, Jacoby has Griffiths' son at gunpoint when they visit Griffiths to question him. Griffiths sneakily tells Peter and Jones that he has no time for them since he has to pick up his son from school. Because his son’s backpack lies on the couch in plain sight, Peter and Jones immediately realize what is going on.
- Declaration of Personal Independence: At the end of the episode, Neal tells Mozzie that he wants to be free from everyone, including Hagen and the FBI.
- Don't Call Me "Sir": When Griffiths calls him “Mr. Caffrey”, Neal immediately declines the formality and requests to be addressed by his first name.
- For the Evulz:
- Neal asks Dr. Summers why she stole the money. Her answer: because it was there.
- Neal gives Mozzie the same answer when he asks Neal why he stole the 2 million dollars.
- Hesitation Equals Dishonesty: While Neal has drugged himself, Peter uses the opportunity to ask Neal if he knows anything about Siegel’s murder. Neal hesitates before saying he doesn’t know anything which makes Peter realize that he is withholding something.
- I Have Your Wife: Jacoby attempts to force Griffiths into revealing the whereabouts of the 2 million dollars by threatening his son.
- Implicit Prison: Following Siegel’s murder, Neal is temporarily put on house arrest until he has a new handler. Mozzie compares this situation to Neal being imprisoned.
- It's All My Fault: Neal wonders if Agent Siegel’s death is his fault, as he was shot close to where Neal met up with Hagen.
- Then Let Me Be Evil: Downplayed. Under the influence of Dr. Summers' manipulation, Neal starts to wonder if he can really be reformed or if he is destined to be a criminal. At the end, Neal starts to slip into criminal activity again, telling Mozzie that he also wants to sever his ties to the FBI.
- Mask of Confidence: Dr. Summers suggests that Neal's confidence is a facade used to conceal his insecurities, which he hides by smiling a lot.
- More than Mind Control:
- Dr. Summers manipulates her patients, former criminals, by drugging them into a vulnerable state and then putting suggestions into their head, making slip back into criminal behavior. Neal demonstrates this to Peter by making him guess a number between one and ten and, after correctly guessing it, explaining to Peter how he manipulated him into picking the number nine.
- Dr. Summers manipulates Neal during their session, exploiting his insecurities and making him believe that he cannot truly be reformed. She uses questions rather than statements to make Neal think those doubts come from his own mind.
- Nervous Tics: Dr. Summers admits that she picks her nails when she is nervous.
- No Warrant? No Problem!: When Peter and Neal are denied access to a vault because they lack a warrant, Neal creates a fake ID badge for Peter, allowing him to pose as a manager and distract the probie so that they can find out who owns the vault.
- Psycho Psychologist: Dr. Summers manipulates her patients, former criminals, exploiting their fears and weaknesses to coerce them into committing crimes. Using drugs, she puts them in a vulnerable state and implants suggestions that lead them back into criminal behavior. During her session with Neal, she also drugs him to extract information about the FBI's investigation on her.
- Reformed Criminal: Inspired by Neal's transformation, Griffiths genuinely wants to leave his criminal life behind and focus on his family.
- Slipping a Mickey:
- Dr. Summers drugs her patients by spiking their water, using it as both a truth serum and to induce amnesia. When Neal visits her while undercover, he is drugged as well during which Dr. Summers questions him to find out what the FBI has on her.
- In the end, Neal pulls off this trick on her to get her to confess to her crimes.
- The Sociopath: During their session, Dr. Summers labels Neal as a sociopath:Dr. Summers: You work on perception, the perception of others. How you think they'll feel. This influences your actions and thoughts more so than your own emotions. Deceit and manipulation are the essential characteristics of the disorder — you excel at both.
- Truth Serum: The drug used by Dr. Summers not only induces amnesia but also functions as a truth serum.
- Word Association Test: Dr. Summers administers a word association test to Neal during their session to gain insights into his thoughts and emotions:Dr. Summers: Job.
Neal: Confined.
Dr. Summers: Jealousy.
Neal: Weak.
Dr. Summers: Money.
Neal: Prop.
Dr. Summers: Women.
Neal: Hope.
Dr. Summers: Peter.
Neal: Worthy.
Dr. Summers: Theft.
Neal: Capable.
Dr. Summers: Caught.
Neal: Oops.
