I felt it was more just a companion piece for "The Frame-Up Job" -- paralleling the "Boys' Night Out"/'Girls' Night Out" 2-parter from the previous season, splitting the cast into two groups having simultaneous adventures. It was made clear that the events Elliot, Parker, and Hardison went through in Washington were taking place at the same time that Nate, Sophie, and Sterling were dealing with the art-theft incident in "The Frame-Up Job."