Still desperate to get an in with Gilroy (not really sure why, unless he wants to kill the guy and offer this up to the CIA as proof that he's still really one of the good guys) Michael meets with him in a French restaurant (there's an amusing exchange with Sam outside in which we find out that the former Navy SEAL definitely does not appreciate French cuisine) and is rail roaded into stealing into an embassy with an accomplice of Gilroy's choosing. A thief who goes by the name of Claude.
On Claude, I initially wondered if his background was English, because he had a sort of British accent, similar to the one Michael affected in an early Season 2 episode, but not quite as obviously fake. It turned out that he was actually Australian, formerly of the Australian Secret Service. If American shows are going to cast a character as Australian I do wish they'd at least find an Australian actor, or at the very least a New Zealander (similar to Manu Bennett playing an Australian agent in Arrow), because for some reason Americans CANNOT replicate an Australian accent. This one sounded sort of East End London, but never really entered Australian waters. Thank goodness the character only lasted for one episode.
While Michael is deciding whether or not to take the job, and being urged not to by Fiona, a flashy car rolls up and out gets Sugar. For those who cannot remember Sugar used to live downstairs from Michael. He was a flashy low life drug dealer and Michael 'convinced' him to move out.
Understandably Michael didn't think he'd ever see Sugar again. This time he wants to hire Michael. A vicious, but successful criminal is using his mentally disabled cousin on a job he's planning. Initially Michael doesn't want to take the job, because working for Gilroy is hard enough without having to babysit Sugar on a job. Fiona pressures him into doing it. Apparently she thinks it's rather cute that Sugar is looking out for his cousin. Sam also becomes rather attached to the young man when he meets him.
Sugar's willingness to get involved gets him shot and Michael is lucky to get out and get the drug dealer into hospital.
His method of dealing with the criminal was one of his usual represent himself as another criminal with connections and a willingness to play dirty, then double-cross them and leave the police to make an easy arrest.
Claude's penchant for free climbing is his undoing when Michael sabotages the climb prior to Claude going up and he breaks his ankle. Gilroy still wants to go ahead with it, just Michael gets his wish of working alone. Gilroy claims Claude died of complications with his broken ankle. This is concerning, that Gilroy will so blithely kill anyone he doesn't need, because Michael will try and double cross him.
It may be a result of watching them back to back the way I am, but the show has become a little formulaic. I think what interested me the first time around wasn't the jobs Michael pulled, but more his interactions with his friends and family.
That's on display again in one of the show's nicer moments. To Michael's concern Maddie gets a good citizenship award from the local police force. She got it for reporting stolen cars, usually ones that Michael himself had stolen! The kicker was that Sam nominated her, and he doesn't even really live in the neighbourhood as such. Understandably Maddie wants to show her son off at the event, Nate's still in Las Vegas trying to get his limo business off the ground. She even buys Michael an awful clip on tie to wear. Initially he says he can't go because of the job he's working on. He does eventually attend complete with the gauche tie. Him showing up was all that was important to Maddie and they leave before she's even given her award, she also tells him that he can ditch the tie, which he gratefully does.
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