In the Frame: An Advance Review of the Fall Finale of USA's "White Collar"

I've fallen for the charms of USA's crime procedural White Collar, although I have to admit that I'm usually more enamored of the winning chemistry between series leads Matthew Bomer and Tim DeKay than the cases of the week, which tend to be predictable and a bit flat.

The fall finale of White Collar ("Free Fall"), which airs Friday night on USA, was perhaps my favorite episode of the procedural series since the sensational pilot, which introduced the very unlikely partnership between master thief Neal Caffrey (Bomer) and Peter Burke (DeKay), the dogged FBI agent who had managed to catch Neal not once but twice.

This week's episode of White Collar will definitely put that partnership to the test when Neal is suspected of orchestrating an elaborate jewel heist from Manhattan's most exclusive boutique. Will the duo be able to trust one another long enough to clear Neal's name? Who is putting him in the frame? And how does all of this connect to Neal's missing girlfriend, the mysterious Kate? Well, that would be telling.

The mystery itself is one of the most interesting and suspenseful ones on the season so far. As I mentioned earlier, the series' strengths lie in the rapport between Bomer and DeKay but also in the snappy banter between the two and the slick stylishness of the art direction, which calls to mind not only the vintage suiting Neal Caffrey prefers (along with a rakishly tilted fedora) but also the coolness of It Takes a Thief and The Persuaders, perhaps. There's a nice visual aspect to the series that was unexpected from its initial premise and the producers have wisely played up the throwback aspect of Caffrey's personality; he's a 1960s peacock stuck in a modern world, a Sy Devore suit in the era of Banana Republic.

But the mysteries themselves haven't been quite as original or as dramatic as they need to be; the solution is often the most obvious one and apparent from within five minutes of Peter's briefing to Neal and the FBI agents. So I was intrigued that this week's mystery would involve not only the framing of Neal Caffrey for a job that seems custom-picked for the old Neal but also dovetail quite nicely with the Kate storyline, following last week's reveal that the ringed man holding Kate works within the FBI.

"Free Fall" plays to the series' strengths then, allowing both Neal and Peter to embark on separate investigations to clear Neal's name (or in Peter's case, perhaps to confirm his worst suspicions about his partner) and demonstrating the canny moves of both men as they chase their quarry, even as both of them are themselves being followed by the FBI's Office of Professional Responsibility. Neal in particular gets a chance to shine as he engineers a plan so devilishly complicated that it's a joy to watch it unfold.

There's also an extremely bizarre (and almost surreal) twist at the end of the episode that had me scratching my head. I won't reveal it here but I will say that I'm intrigued to see whether the writers will be able to pay this off in any meaningful and logical way. It's perhaps both very interesting and very odd.

All in all, Friday night's season finale brings the fun and froth and combines it with the wittiness and charm of the very best of White Collar. I can't wait to see just what happens next.



White Collar's fall finale airs Friday evening at 10 pm ET/PT on USA.

Weekend Telly Reminder: USA's "White Collar," PBS' "Place of Execution"

Just a quick reminder to be sure to take a break from your Halloween festivities to tune in to two of the weekend's best television offerings.

Tonight, be sure to catch USA's crime procedural White Collar, which airs its second episode at 10 pm ET/PT. Neal and Peter infiltrate New York's Fashion Week to stop a criminal from selling security data that is stored on a piece of technology woven into the fabric of a runway dress. Given that White Collar is already one of the most gorgeously stylish series on television, the addition of a sartorial-themed plot can only be the icing on top.

While not forgetting of course about HBO's comedy duo of Curb Your Enthusiasm and Bored to Death and CBS' The Amazing Race, be sure to tune into Part One of PBS' extraordinary mystery mini-series Place of Execution on Masterpiece Contemporary on Sunday evening. (Check your local listings for details.)

You can read my advance review of the two-part mystery, which I called "gripping and provocative." The truly haunting (and at times harrowing) mini-series stars Juliet Stevenson, Lee Ingleby, and Greg Wise in a dual-stranded mystery taking place in 1963 and the present-day. It's not to be missed.

Tune-In Reminder: Series Premiere of USA's "White Collar"

Just a quick reminder to tune in to tonight's series premiere of White Collar, which airs tonight at 10 pm ET/PT on USA.

You can read my advance review of the pilot episode, which I called "effervescent and engaging." Matthew Bomer and Tim DeKay are perfectly matched as reluctant partners and the entire series crackles with style and retro charm.

So don a fedora, pour yourself a scotch, and settle in for the first episode of what promises to be a fun and witty series about capers, coppers, and custom suiting.

White Collar airs tonight at 10 pm ET/PT on USA.

Channel Surfing: Angie Harmon Targets "Chuck," Natalie Morales Tries On "White Collar," Richard Curtis to Pen "Doctor Who" Script, and More

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing, on this the first day back to work after the Labor Day three-day weekend.

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Angie Harmon (Women's Murder Club) has been cast as a guest star on NBC's Chuck. She'll appear in the third season's fourth episode--slated to air sometime around late March/early April--where she will play Sydney, a covert agent for the enigmatic organization The Ring who wants to eliminate Captain Awesome (Ryan McPartlin). (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Former Middleman star Natalie Morales has been promoted to a series regular on USA's upcoming crime dramedy White Collar, where she will play Lauren Cruz, described as "a smart junior FBI agent in the white-collar division who holds her own with her superiors and the master thieves she's investigating." Morales was originally meant to guest star in two episodes. Elsewhere at USA, Eric Lively (24: Redemption), Kari Matchett (Heartland), and Eion Bailey (ER) have been cast in USA's drama pilot Covert Affairs, with Lively and Matchett signed on as series regulars and Bailey as recurring. (Hollywood Reporter)

Richard Curtis (best known for Notting Hill, Love Actually, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Blackadder, and Vicar of Dibley) will reportedly write one of the upcoming scripts for Season Five of Doctor Who, which is expected to air next year on BBC One and BBC America. Season Five of the British sci-fi series stars Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor and will be overseen by new head writer/executive producer Steven Moffat. There will be a monster. And a famous historical figure will battle the monster," said Curtis of his script. ""It's tremendously good fun and a treat for my children," Curtis told today's Sun. "These days the things you can watch together as a family are much fewer so when you get something like Doctor Who or The X Factor it is such a pleasure to sit down as a family. I am very interested in time travel for some reason or other. I am writing a film about it but on a low budget with no spectacular special effects. Maybe it's a desire to get out of being old. Sometimes you do just love the idea that you could go back in time and change things." (Guardian)

Desperate Housewives creator Mark Cherry has produced eight 35-second commercials for ABC and Sprint that will offer viewers a glimpse into a "murderous love triangle" starring Rebecca Staab and David Chisum, who who will also appear on Desperate Housewives as "background extras." The ads, which will run over eight weeks during the Desperate timeslot, essentially work as pod-busters, forcing the viewer to stop rewinding and tune in to short-form content that's actually a cleverly disguised advertisement. The first segment will launch during the September 27th season premiere of Desperate Housewives. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

New York Magazine's Adam Sternberg profiles Jonathan Ames, author and creator of the new HBO comedy series Bored to Death. (New York Magazine)

Rami Malek (Night at the Museum), Julian Morris (ER), and Hrach Titizian (24) have been cast in multiple-episode story arcs on Day Eight of FOX's 24. Malek will play Marcos, an Arab-American wannabe suicide bomber; Morris will play a CTU SWAT agent; Titizian will play President Hassan's second-in-command. (Hollywood Reporter)

ABC has given a script order for multi-camera workplace comedy Family Business, about a highly dysfunctional family in the Midwest who attempt to keep their grocery store open after the family is shattered by divorce. Project, from ABC Studios, will be written by Sonny Lee and Patrick Walsh of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and executive produced by Mark Gordon. (Variety)

HBO has pacted with author Richard Russo to write the pilot script for an untitled drama series about the Catskills Gas Rush and its resulting class conflicts in upstate New York. Russo will write the script, based on a 2008 New York Magazine article, executive produce with Mark Johnson and Will Gluck. (Hollywood Reporter)

NBC has confirmed that Michaela Watkins and Casey Wilson will not be returning for the thirty-fifth season of Saturday Night Live, following the hiring of Jenny Slate and Nasim Pedrad, who have joined the cast. The move is surprising as Watkins had received favorable reviews for her many performances. (Variety)

Etienne de Villiers will step down from his post as chairman of BBC Worldwide at the end of the month. He's served in the role since January of 2006. (Variety)

Lifetime has ordered telepic Pregnancy Pact, inspired by a real life situation where seventeen teenage girls allegedly formed a pact to all get pregnant at the same time and did. Script will be written by Pam Davis and Teena Booth, with Frank Von Zerneck and Robert Sertner executive producing. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Honor (and Style) Among Thieves: An Advance Review of USA's "White Collar"

Imagine the high stakes tension of Steven Spielberg's Catch Me if You Can crossed with the rapid-fire humor of The Thin Man films and the slick, elegant style of Mad Men.

Still with me? Combine those elements and you begin to approximate the effervescent and engaging new crime drama series White Collar, which launches in October on USA.

Created by Jeff Eastin (Hawaii) and directed by Bronwen Hughes (Burn Notice), White Collar is a cat-and-mouse chase with a twist: the bad guy was caught years ago by the good guy and now assists him in tracking down other nefarious types using his criminal skills, deductive powers, and roguish good looks.

The good guy in this case is FBI Agent Peter Stokes (Tell Me You Love Me's Tim DeKay), a grimly determined G-man assigned to the bureau's white collar crimes division. Which means that he spends his days (and often nights) tracking down art forgers, embezzlers, and con artists with a mix of relish and reluctance, given the quality time he's missing with his beautiful and supportive wife Debbie (What About Brian's Tiffani Thiessen).

As for the bad guy in this equation? It's impish criminal genius Neal Caffrey (Chuck's Matthew Bomer), a man who could charm the skin off a snake... and steal its fangs at the same time. He's so utterly charming that Peter Stokes spent years tracking him down and landing him in a maximum security prison to serve out a four-year sentence.

Which is where we find Caffrey at the start of White Collar's exuberant 90-minute pilot. But Caffrey's not staying put and hatches a plan to escape a Supermax prison... and he pulls this off with without breaking a sweat. (Let's just say that Michael Scofield should take notes.) Caffrey's not looking for freedom but rather his true love, a woman named Kate Moreau who breaks his heart while he's in prison and disappears without a trace. Peter Stokes, pulled off a forgery case, tracks Caffrey down at Kate's flat and it's back to prison for him.

Or is it? Caffrey manages to cut a deal with a highly reluctant Stokes: in exchange for getting him released from prison (his little escape plot landed him an additional four years), he'll be released into Stokes' custody, fitted with an ankle monitor, and he'll bring his criminal expertise to helping Stokes track down the biggest and baddest white collar miscreants, like the enigmatic forger The Dutchman (guest star Mark Sheppard), a man nearly as elusive as Caffrey himself.

And that's where White Collar's story really kicks off, as Caffrey becomes a valuable (if not quite trusted) member of Stokes' crack FBI task force and opts for a cushier life than the one that Stokes arranges for him at a fleabag motel, instead moving into a luxe mansion owned by June (Diahann Carroll), a gorgeous widow whose husband had himself been a stylish felon like Caffrey. Besuited and bedecked in the finest vintage fashion labels (Devore, no less), Caffrey cuts quite a figure. But it's not enough to earn him even a batted eyelash from Stokes' FBI probie Diana (Lost's Marsha Thomason), a gorgeous lesbian agent who Stokes jokes would rather wear Caffrey's fedora than swoon over it.

Despite being inside for four years, Caffrey still has a few tricks up his stylish sleeves and a network of informants, information-gatherers, and criminal experts to turn to when he's gently bending the rules of his release agreement. One such underworld contact is the shadowy and hysterical Mozzie (Sex and the City's Willie Garson), a career criminal with a penchant for banter and intelligence gathering.

While White Collar could be a run of the mill crime drama, it's elevated to new levels by the charisma and chemistry between DeKay and Bomer, who are both so perfectly cast and at ease in their roles that it's easy to fall for their inimical charms. DeKay nails the role of a weary FBI agent whose job it is to stay two steps ahead of the most mercurial individuals while never seeming like a dull stick-in-the-mud or irritatingly lifeless. Bomer effortlessly pulls off Caffrey's charming and debonair ways with a carefree energy and wicked spirit. These two are so brilliant in these roles that it's hard to imagine any other actor playing them with such panache. In their capable hands, Stokes and Caffrey engage in a deliciously mismatched partnership based on mutual distrust, respect, and oneupsmanship.

Kudos too to Thomason for turning what could be a one-dimensional role into a dynamic and memorable character whose sexuality isn't her defining quality but merely one aspect of her overall personality.

The writing in the pilot, courtesy of Jeff Eastin, is whip-smart and there are some great dramatic plants and payoffs as well as sly banter between the two leads and some nice surprises along the way. Director Bronwen Hughes keeps things moving at a brisk pace but also deftly showcases the beauty of the New York skyline and Caffrey's throwback fashioning with a real sense of love and admiration for time gone by. The feeling is something modern but embedded with nostalgia of an era long past; it's fast-paced but never loses sight of Caffrey's devilish nature.

Ultimately, White Collar is a perfect addition to USA's stable of quirky procedural dramas but also pushes the formula into a new direction, infusing the old tropes of criminal investigation with a sense of style, whimsy, and elegant fun. Sy Devore and the Rat Pack that he so chicly clothed would be proud.



White Collar premieres Friday, October 23rd at 10 pm ET/PT on USA.