In just a few minutes, I’m going to be watching the White Collar season two premiere for the third or fourth time, and I’m sitting here really looking forward to it. And following the show on the social networks—the writers, creator, and some of the cast take time to tweet or post on facebook—keeps me anxiously looking forward to the new episode each week. I know I’ve said a time or two that you’ll probably be hearing a lot about the show here, so it occurred to me I should take a moment for a proper introduction for those of you who might not have had the pleasure just yet. So, sit back for a minute or two, and I’ll tell you all about the object of my obsession.
First, the basics. White Collar stars Matt Bomer as Neal Caffrey (partially reformed con artist extraordinaire), and Tim DeKay as Peter Burke (FBI agent extraordinaire). When we first meet them, Caffrey is escaping from a maximum security prison (but don’t get me started on why a white collar criminal would be in such a place to begin with), and Burke is soon brought in to catch him. We quickly learn that Burke’s services were requested because he’s the guy who put Neal in the slammer to begin with. We also learn that Neal skipped out on the slammer in search of the love of his life after she dumped him through the visitor's glass.
Once Burke catches up with Caffrey for the second time, Neal offers a deal in exchange for getting out of prison: he’ll help the feds catch the folks still engaging in the sort of crimes he used to pull off so effortlessly. Burke is hesitant at first, but ultimately agrees, taking on Neal as his partner/consultant. Caffrey’s cooperation is ensured with an ankle tracker that limits his movement to a two mile radius, as well as his ongoing quest to find the girl who got away, which he fully recognizes can’t be done from inside a cell.
So begins the unlikely partnership that is just so much fun to watch. Peter and Neal are your typical odd couple—polar opposites on the surface, but who really share some fundamental values underneath, even if they do accomplish things in different ways. Watching them bicker and banter their way from wary cooperation to true friendship is like watching a master craftsman creating a work of art: it starts off a little messy but the final product is amazing to behold.
Of course, Peter and Neal don’t exist in a vacuum. There’s a nice ensemble of support around our main characters, including a trusted confidante for each of them. Peter has his wife of ten years, Elizabeth, brought to beautiful life by Tiffani Thiessen. She’s both an understanding cop’s wife and a successful professional in her own right, and she’s the perfect sounding board when Peter is confused by his new partner.
For Neal, the sounding board comes in the form of the man known only as Mozzie, played by the wonderfully funny Willie Garson. Mozzie and Neal seem to go way back, bonded together by shared cons, close calls, and who knows what all, though they are seemingly even more different than Neal and Peter. While Neal is the suave and charming one, at ease in any situation, Moz is nervous and paranoid and looks like he does actually live in the storage container we hear mentioned but never see.
Some of the best scenes to date in the series come when these two groups of people cross paths: Peter and Mozzie, Neal and Elizabeth, Elizabeth and Moz. It’s never boring.
And, really, that’s the truth about the show in general: it’s never boring, always fun. It’s part of the USA Network lineup, and fits perfectly in their “characters welcome” and “blue skies” motif. White Collar deftly combines drama, comedy, and action together in the beautiful setting of upscale New York City, and lets us watch some unique people go about finding the bad guys, finding lost loves, and maybe finding themselves somewhere along the way.
If you haven’t yet made this delightfully breezy show part of your Tuesday night viewing, do yourself a favor and give it a try. I think you’ll be glad you did.
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