White Collar

Think of White Collar as a little bit "48 Hours" (the Eddie Murphy, Nick Nolte classic) and a little bit "Catch Me If You Can" (the DiCaprio & Hanks rollick). "Law & Order" this ain't. Call it "fun TV".

The premise: What do you do with an amazing criminal mind (white collar, of course) frittering away in a super-max prison, that he can apparently escape from at will? The answer soon comes when said genius criminal Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer) offers to help the FBI agent who originally caught him solve a case that's been frustrating him for years. Agent Peter Burke (Tim DeKay) while wary, realizes this "may"...repeat "may" be a way to finally catch the bad guy.. White Collar is another USA "Characters welcome" offering, and it's a great one.

Tim DeKay is pitch perfect as the agent who lives his job. He has a kind of "Tom Hanks meets young Jack Lemmon" quality that is spot on for the tone of the show. He's written as real guy in a tough spot. He truly loves his wife, but tireless dedication to "the job" causes him to forget anniversaries, and regularly arrive home after his wife is long 'a bed. His wife Elizabeth (Tiffani Thiessen) often eats dinners alone... well, sort of.

Matt Bomer, soon to be a household name, vaults from his supporting role of Bryce on "Chuck" straight into a major lead role that fits him like a glove... like he was born to do this. Along with class A hunky good looks, Bomer also has a vulnerable quality that is quite touching. Ladies, he's Oooo so cute, slick, smart and gosh darn lovable, that your significant other may actually allow you to gaze... This show has something for everyone. The story line is not at all predictable. You want to watch how this might end.

Tiffani Thiessen is actually a lovely surprise, having matured nicely as an actress from her 90210 days. Amazing for a pilot, there is sweet gentle chemistry with her FBI hubby.

This FBI version of the "truly odd couple" takes straight off on a smart, well written, snappy crime-solving adventure. The dialog is zippy, and once the obligatory plot setup is laid down, the laughs come early and often. This too makes White Collar good family entertainment.

If the series follows the pilot's lead, there will be ZERO gratuitous violence, another reason to appreciate the show. Caffrey charms and disarms all creatures great and small, while using his near savant abilities to see what the FBI cannot. The lead characters are perfectly complementary. The casting is sublime. Even the score is hip, something that USA recently seems to have cornered the market on.

Personally I can't wait for the next installment of what promises to be a seriously entertaining and original show.

Even though White Collar originally was on from 2009-2015, I just now got around to watching it now in 2024. I'm actually upset with myself for not watching it earlier because it was a really fun show to watch. Netflix acquired the rights last year and it immediately went to the Top 10 watched list and stayed there for months. It did so well that they're talking about rebooting it again. The reason the show works so well is its two stars, Matt Bomer (Neal Caffrey) and Tim DeKay (Peter Burke). Their chemistry is just fantastic. I'm currently on Season 4 right now. I've been flying through it, watching several episodes at a time. This is just an easy show to watch so if you're looking for a show that's just a fun watch then give White Collar a try.

White Collar is an exceptional TV series. I just bought it on DVD and it does not disappoint. The characters are so good. The dynamic between Peter and Neil, Peter and Elizabeth, Mozzie and Elizabeth, Neil and Mozzie and the list goes on. Seasons 2, 3, 4, and 6 are the best in my opinion but there are very few misses in this show and most of those are at the beginning when there are just finding their footing. The acting and chemistry is especially on point with Willie Garson, Tim Dekay and Matt Bomer. But everyone is incredible. Overall it is very entertaining. Though they do overuse the Neil going rogue trope a bit too much, but other than that this show is perfect.

White Collar is one of the shows I watch on repeat, and it still holds up. It's a procedural in the best sense-most episodes are new cases, with a few overarching mysteries tying a given season together-but it isn't rote or predictable like procedurals can sometimes be. Tim DeKay and Matt Bomer have *fantastic* chemistry, and watching them both work together and try to outsmart one another is a joy. There's some excellent supporting cast members as well (and since it's a procedural a lot of different actors come through for single episodes, some of which are big talents that I know from shows like The Americans). I appreciate that, unlike most crime shows, there's less violence. Still some violence, mind, but it's not a central theme, this isn't a murder mystery kinda show. A lot of the cases are really interesting, at least if you're compelled by forgery and heists.

The show ended where it needed to buy goodness I wish we could get another round!

If you are a fan of the buddy cop genre (if not, start with French Connection and work forwards), you'll know the basic rules:

1 - One 'straight' cop, one 'rogue' cop

2 - The two have a love/hate relationship, although deep down, it's love

3 - The pair learn about themselves and each other while solving wacky crimes

4 - Hilarity ensues

Since the genre itself starts off very close to satire, it's easy for a show to devolve into parody and idiocy - remember when David Addison turned into a freaking frog on Moonlighting? Luckily, White Collar hasn't gone in that direction.

In fact, it is funny, clever, well written, the cast is great, and they have obviously made a clear choice to focus on character relationships and not to obsess over getting all the real-life details exactingly accurate.

If you want heavy, serious drama you should watch The Wire; if you want silly comedy, watch Chuck; but if you want something smart and funny, but light, try White Collar. You can think of it as Burn Notice's older, more mature, brother.

(For the record, I like and enjoy every show mentioned in this review - except for maybe that frog episode.)