This Charming Man: USA's <i>White Collar</i> Remains Stylish and Sleek

In its second season, USA's stylish caper drama White Collar, which stars Matthew Bomer, Tim DeKay, Marsha Thomason, Willie Garson, and Tiffani Thiessen, has only gotten more charismatic and accomplished, displaying an engaging mix of sophistication, humor, and complexity while introducing a winning selection of guest stars to the mix.

Much of the first season focused on Neal's efforts to track down his errant ex-girlfriend Kate (despite a decided lack of chemistry between the two), but a cliffhanger ending--in which the plane Neal was meant to be boarding with Kate exploded right in front of him, killing her instantly--has not only given Neal a tragic element to overcome but also sets up the sweep of the sophomore season.

While the action on a weekly basis still focuses on the crime of the week, which gives the superb team of Bomer and DeKay numerous opportunities to bounce off of one another, there's an intriguing overarching plot to the season, one that is soaked in revenge and furtive investigation. Bomer's Neal Caffrey is conducting his own private investigation into Kate's death--aided by the improbably noble and eccentric Mozzie (Garson, here finally being given some much deserved spotlighting)--while attempting to conceal his tracks from the suits at the FBI. Unbeknownst to Neal, of course, Peter and Diana (Thomason, crackling with energy and wit) have the amber music box that provided much intrigue last season, with Diana secreting the clue-laden MacGuffin away from all prying eyes.

The divergent plots are bound to come together over the course of the season but, while the music box/OPR/Kate storylines provide a narrative spine for the season, the true joy of White Collar is the dynamic between criminal Neal and detective Peter, an unlikely partnership that has quickly developed into a nuanced friendship between polar opposites. Bomer and DeKay are both so perfectly cast and so comfortable in the skin of these characters that it's impossible to imagine anyone else playing them at this point.

Their banter--fueled by a competitive male rivalry and a mutual admiration bordering on outright respect--gives the series a vintage feel as well as a true emotional core. White Collar isn't so much a procedural drama about the collaring of criminals as it is the unfolding of a professional and personal relationship set against that backdrop. Neal, prone to slight-of-hand and slick vintage suits, seems a man out of time, a charming player with a penchant for wooing women and engaging in some larcenous behavior. Peter, with his loyal wife, love of Yankees games, and modern police methods, has been subtly influenced by Neal over the last season and a half. While neither of them will ever admit it out loud, they need each other for balance.

Season Two has improved on the first season by bringing Thomason's Diana back into the fold and wedging her between Neal and Peter. While there's likely no chance of any romantic intrigue developing between Neal and Diana, their relationship sparkles with palpable tension. Likewise, a new character--introduced in last week's episode--further complicated the web of relationships in the FBI's White Collar Division. I have to say that I was surprised by just how much I loved Hilarie Burton as insurance investigator Sara Ellis: smart, sexy, and savvy, she seems a perfect match for Neal Caffrey, able to stay just one step ahead of him and more than capable of handling a gun.

Here's to hoping that Burton's Sara Ellis continues to pop up over the course of the season (she will, of course) and that the fact that Sara has that flight recorder data that Neal desperately needs means that she'll become enmeshed in that overarching plot, to boot.

In the meantime, however, White Collar has quickly become USA's smartest and most dynamic series to date, a truly charming series that deftly balances whip-smart dialogue, wry humor, and action in a compelling and accessible package. For those of you who haven't been watching for whatever reason, do yourself a favor and jump on board now. You won't be disappointed.

White Collar airs Tuesday evenings at 9 pm ET/PT on USA.