Last year USA Network rolled out another series that was on the fantastic end instead of the here we go again side. That series was WHITE COLLAR and I talked when the first season came out about how great it was, how the cast worked, the stories worked, etc. The fact is that with season two now out on DVD you can discover just how much better it got and catch up as season three begins.
As with my review for BURN NOTICE SEASON FOUR, here’s a refresher for those who haven’t seen the show: Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer) is the ultimate con man and a gent who seems to always find a way out of trouble. In prison and placed there by FBI agent Peter Burke (Tim DeKay), Caffrey attempts to escape but fails, caught once more by Burke. But there was a reason why Caffrey, so close to being released, attempted that escape. He talks to Burke and gives him a part of the reason, his girlfriend has disappeared and he’s concerned about her. Burke gets Caffrey a work release deal that has him wearing an ankle tracker and as long as he co-operates assisting the FBI on other cases, Burke will help him with his problem as well. By the end of season one, Caffrey’s girlfriend Kate was blown to pieces in a plane explosion that he was set to be on as well.
Season two begins with Caffrey trying to find out who was behind the whole situation we saw him in in season one. Along with his best friend and fellow con artist Mozzie (Willie Garson), Caffrey follows the clues to this puzzle while at the same time assisting Burke take down white collar criminals for the FBI. One major piece that comes into play here is a music box that Caffrey comes into possession of. He may have the box but Peter has the key to the mystery that will reveal just why it is so important. And that information will lead to the biggest case the pair have ever worked on and the possible killer of Kate.
Other cast members that come into play throughout the series include Tiffani Theissen as Peter’s devoted wife Elizabeth, a woman that Neal becomes close with, a friend he never really had. But the same holds true for Peter as well. While the pair has been at opposite ends of the criminal world throughout most of their careers, there is a certain amount of respect they share for one another. And as they solve each new case, the bond of friendship between the two builds. But all of that may dissolve by the end of the season as each one plays out their own search for the answers to their important question, never quite knowing if they can trust the other.
The thing that makes this show click is, to start with, the ensemble they’ve collected to play these roles. Not only that, the characters themselves makes the show not just fun to watch but interesting as well. So many times we are presented with characters that you either care for to much or don’t care for at all. Here you worry about each, you care about them all and you root for not only the good guy but the bad guys too. Well at least some of the bad guys.
Each of the actors is perfectly suited for their role. Bomer exudes the confidence that a con man needs, easily fitting into an upper crust society while being from a low level life. DeKay not only looks, feels and sounds like an FBI agent, he comes off as a man who wants to accomplish his job but at the same time has a heart as well. And Garson as Mozzie is a treat. Smart, paranoid and quirky, he completes the main trio of male roles that forms a bond that just works.
If you take the chance with this series, you’ll find yourself drawn in not just by the weekly cases they have to solve, great writing and shows in their own right, but also drawn into the whole mystery that began with the very first episode ever. This is a well crafted series that will hold your interest better than most offerings on TV these days. Who could ask for more from a show?
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