WHITE COLLAR: The Best Show I Haven’t Been Talking About

I’ll be the first one to tell you that my hard partying days are behind me. A good Friday night means I’m hanging with a few friends and a couple of bottles of Chardonnay. Most Friday night’s I don’t even go out. And on those nights, when I find myself kicking off the weekend with the good ‘ol tube, I’ve got a new favorite show to watch – WHITE COLLAR.

Those of you who follow me on Twitter know that I’ve really taken a liking to this show. It got an instant season pass on my DVR after just the first episode.  But you may not know that because I really haven’t said much about the show here on GMMR. Maybe it’s because it’s part crime procedural, I don’t know, but I haven’t felt inclined to do a weekly synopsis. For some reason, it doesn’t seem like the type of show that lends itself to that kind of discussion. But that’s no reason not to tell you guys that WHITE COLLAR is certainly worth your DVR space, because it is. WHITE COLLAR is actually one of the smartest and sassiest new shows of the Fall season.

If you’re already a fan, then you know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t yet given the show a shot, read on. Get acquainted. Take a look at WHITE COLLAR next Friday at 10pm on USA (or check for re-airings during the week) and tell me if you like what you see.

So a little background on WHITE COLLAR…

The say it takes all kinds. But did they ever think an elusive con-artist and a seasoned FBI agent would make for one of the freshest crime fighting duos we’ve seen in some time? The incredibly gorgeous Matt Bomer (Bryce Larkin from ‘Chuck’) plays Neal Caffrey- a man who is a true artist, when it comes to the art of the con that is. His effervescent charm, his beyond smoldering looks and his keen observational skills put him in a league of his own. No one can keep up. No one except FBI agent Peter Burke (played by Tim DeKay) that is.

The show’s season premiere hinted at along standing cat and mouse game between Caffery and Burke which ended when the cat finally caught the mouse and put him behind bars for good. Agent Burke captured Caffrey. Game over. Or so he thought.  When Caffrey escapes from prison, it’s Burke who once again tracks him down. Little did Burke know that that was Caffrey’s plan all along. Ah, to be a criminal mastermind.

Understanding that sometimes that the only way to catch a crook is to leverage the mind of one, Caffrey brokers a deal with Burke and the FBI – Neal offers his unique expertise in white collar crime in exchange for his eventual freedom.

Over the past few episodes we’ve seen Caffrey and Burke develop an unstoppable and improbable partnership which at the root is actually based in mutual respect. Together they’ve meddled with the mob, tracked down a skilled counterfeiter, and even took on New York Fashion Week (remember, it’s white collar crime).

Each of these men have their own ‘partners in crime’ so to speak.  Peter’s most trusted ally is his beautiful and loyal wife, Elizabeth (Tiffani Theissen). She understands her husband’s work and does her best to be supportive…to a point. Also on Peter’s side is FBI Agent Lauren Cruz (Natalie Morales). Agent Cruz knows a thing or two about Neal Caffrey as he was the subject of her thesis. She knows to keep a close eye on him…not that she’s complaining.

Being a conman, Neal is used to getting what he wants.  But not even Neal could have predicted how good life on the outside could be. After a fortuitous run-in with June, a classy and rich widower, Neal went from living behind bars to living the high life in the lap of luxury. June makes sure Neal is well taken care of…and impeccably dressed.  Also looking out for Neal is Mozzie (played by Sex & the City’s Willie Garson). A man that knows how to get things, Mozz has deep connections. I said deep, not legal.

While Neal sometimes brings Peter too close to the edge of the wrong side of the law, it’s Peter who is bringing Neal over to the right side. The two men need each other to get the job done, whether that job is catching the crook, or staying out of jail long enough to be reunited with the love of your life. Yes, Mr. Caffrey has a lady friend…the elusive Kate. We don’t know much about Kate right now, but something tells me she’ll play a big part as the season rolls along.

Flip of the Coin…

Last night’s episode, “Flip of the Coin”, found Peter & Neal trying to prove the innocence of Captain John Mitchell, a soldier wanted by the FBI for smuggling stolen Iraqi artifacts back to the states. The case hits home for Peter – literally – as the wife of the accused, who happens to be a good friend of Peter’s wife, is staying at his home.

All evidence points to Capt. Mitchell. His fingerprints are all over the stolen artifacts.  But when the soldier mentions that he recently refused to transport goods back to the states for Patrick Aimes, a U.S. official (Garrett Dillahunt), Peter starts to think there is something to the soldier’s story. But what about those fingerprints?

All the pieces start to come together after Neal realizes that someone had to plant Capt. Mitchell’s fingerprints. As it turns out, the Captain’s fingerprints were lifted by Alisha Teagan, a reported embedded with his unit in Iraq. Teagan was working with Aimes to get the artifacts back to the states so they could be sold of to the highest bidder.

Of course the bad guy (and girl) was caught and the case solved.  And that is my one issue with WHITE COLLAR. Sometimes the “bad guy of the week” story is a little weak. While the premise of the show is hearty, their adventures tend to be a bit on the shallow side. Perhaps the show would benefit from a story arc that extended over a few episodes. Something to add a little weight to it.  Every week things are wrapped up just a bit too neatly for me. Hey, who would I be if I didn’t have a few complaints, right?

Loved that Willie Garson had a bigger role to play this week. He’s had some great one-liners. And now that Burke knows who he is, he might prove to be a bit more useful in the future.  Here’s to hoping that the same can be said for Elizabeth Burke. Seems a waste to have Tiffani Theissen in the role if they aren’t going to give her good storylines to play with. I’m sure Kelly Kapowski will be all wrapped up in a mystery of the week soon enough.

So that’s my spiel on WHITE COLLAR. Since I’m digging the show so much I probably should have told you about it a few weeks ago, but hopefully you found it on your own, and you like it as much as I do.  If you haven’t checked it out, give it a shot and let me know what you think.

For your viewing pleasure, here’s the pilot episode of WHITE COLLAR.

Any WHITE COLLAR fans out there yet?  I refuse to believe that at least a few GMMRers haven’t found their way to a show that stars Matthew Bomer! Talk to me.