The second half of season 3 of White Collar has flown by and it is hard to believe that the finale is tonight; that Neal (Matt Bomer) could be a free man by the end of the episode. This all sounds a bit too simple and the ominous title of "Judgement Day" means that Neal's freedom is not a certainty, even if has plenty of people willing to speak on his behalf at his commutation hearing. Neal also has a big obstacle in the form of Agent Kramer (Beau Bridges) who seems hell bent on finding something that proves that Neal is still the con man he was 3 years ago.

The dynamic between Neal and Peter (Tim DeKay) is a huge aspect of White Collar so if Neal does get his freedom it will shift this relationship. The pair are clearly friends and do indeed work well together, but we know that Kramer's suspicions about Peter covering for Neal are indeed true so will this have an influence on Peter's recommendation to the commutation panel? The conflict here that is due to the many times when Neal has strayed out of the legal boundaries, including the most recent Nazi treasure deception. Kramer is offering his guidance to Peter but it appears to be layered with general animosity towards Neal, can Kramer be trusted?

Peter failed to tell Neal last week that Kramer's team had cracked Neal's code in his prison letters to Kate and this bit of information could prove vital in Kramer finding something he can use against Neal. Neal believes the worst case scenario is that he would have to remain on his anklet but Mozzie (Willie Garson) thinks that Neal should always be ready for something worse than that.

Neal will try to correct a mistake from his past to help prove that he is a changed man, but could this land him in more serious trouble? The sneak peeks and the promo below show that we can expect something big from this finale that includes Neal with a mysterious tube and that he will cut his anklet at some point. Also look out for some daredevil antics that involve the Roosevelt Island tram.

Can you see Neal being a free man by the end of this episode? If so will this be as a result of going on the run? Let us know your thoughts on what you think might happen in the White Collar season finale.

Watch the promo and 3 sneak peeks below for "Judgement Day" below.

Tonight on White Collar: Is Neal Going to be a Free Man?

Tonight is the penultimate episode of season 3 of White Collar and Neal's (Matt Bomer) forthcoming commutation hearing is a pressing subject. The team will also be heading to the new Yankee Stadium as a wealthy baseball fan plans to steal a valuable piece of memorabilia; a baseball signed by the legendary Babe Ruth. As the prospect of freedom looms will Neal prove that he is ready for it or will his old habits jeopardize this?

The White Collar production team are the first to shoot inside the new Yankee Stadium, which as you can imagine is a big deal. One thing that I particularly love about this show is how they use and utilize New York and the architecture when they are shooting the city, so you can see why they have been given this privilege first. The promo shot above is particularly striking so you can see why they wanted to film there. The director of the episode is also a first timer and that it is show star Tim DeKay, who is behind the camera as well as in front this week. Unfortunately for DeKay this is a Peter heavy week so he really had to juggle both roles.

Peter has a big decision to make regarding his evidence at the commutation hearing and we have already seen that Peter's mentor Agent Kramer (Beau Bridges) is trying to gather evidence that will prevent Neal from getting his freedom. In one of the sneak peeks below you can see what Diane (Marsha Thomason) decides to tell Peter about her conversation with Kramer at the end of the last episode. Is she loyal to Peter? Tim DeKay spoke to TV Line about the impact of Peter's choice and why it is weighing so heavy on his mind; "Peter will realize his decision is going to not just decide Neal's fate but possibly also decide his own."

Tonight we will also see Neal and Peter swap places in terms of who is getting the giddiest about the priceless artifact that is the target of the con. Normally Peter is less concerned about what it being stolen and just wants to prevent the crime from happening and catch the perpetrator, but not on this occasion and it will be good to see the pair viewing the con in a different manner.

Will Peter make his decision by the end of tonight's episode regarding Neal? Are you looking forward to seeing a con in Yankee Stadium? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.

Watch the promo and 3 sneak peeks for tonight's episode "Stealing Home" below.

Tonight on White Collar: Heading to Yankee Stadium

All seems to have settled down for Neal (Matt Bomer) since the mid-season premiere of White Collar and the end of the Nazi treasure charade, but that doesn't mean that Neal is in for an easy ride as his ex Sara (Hilarie Burton) returns tonight. Sara is not the only character coming back into Neal's life tonight as Peter's mentor Agent Kramer (guest star Beau Bridges) also makes an appearance and Kramer is determined to find out what Neal is hiding.

Sara needs Neal's help in a strictly professional manner and Peter (Tim DeKay) is more than happy to loan out Neal and his services, much to Neal's discomfort. Sara is trying to track down a missing Stradivarius violin; this fact does raise interest from Neal as there are less than 650 of these violins left in the world. This mission with Sara gives Neal a glimpse of what the ideal life could be like, but does this include Sara? Matt Bomer spoke to TV Guide about the pairing and said "He's obviously incredibly attracted to her physically ... but I think at the end of the day it's like, if something happens, great. If not, OK." This doesn't sound all that positive for anything long term between them, but it will be good to see them sparring once again even if it is nothing permanent.

One person who looks like they will be standing in the way of Neal and his perfect life is Agent Kramer, who looks like he could jeopardize Neal's impending freedom. Is Peter going to tell his mentor about Neal's involvement in the hidden Nazi treasure? Peter obviously has a lot of respect for Kramer so he is likely to find it hard to deceive his mentor, but Peter has been repairing his relationship with Neal since the deceit so he will be in a difficult position.

Peter will also be having an interesting time at home as Elizabeth's (Tiffani Thiessen) parents are visiting. Guest starring as Peter's in-laws is Debra Monk (Grey's Anatomy, Damages) and Tom Skerritt (Brothers & Sisters, Leverage) and as the sneak peek shows below Peter isn't exactly excited about the visit.

Are you glad to see Sara return? Do you think Agent Kramer will find out the truth about Neal? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Watch the promo and two sneak peeks for tonight's episode of White Collar "Pulling Strings" below.

Tonight on White Collar: Sara Returns Sneak Peek

White Collar heads a little closer to home for Peter (Tim DeKay) again as some criminal activity might be brewing in his neighborhood. Elizabeth (Tiffani Thiessen) overhears a suspicious conversation but is she overreacting thanks to her recent personal experience or is it more insidious than this? We have plenty of sneak peeks below to tease the crime that Manganiello might commit. Warning spoilers ahead.

Elizabeth overhears the conversation as Peter has left a scanner at home which means that the exact location of this discussion is unknown at first, but she does know it is someone who is a convicted criminal. This leads them to True Blood's Joe Manganiello who is ex-convict Ben Ryan, who lives in their neighborhood.

As the sneak peeks below show, the time and location of the crime that Elizabeth believes will happen appear to be incorrect. However, that doesn't mean that Peter won't indulge her, even if he thinks that she might be a bit paranoid after her kidnapping. Elizabeth doesn't have far to got to find someone that will believe her though and she calls in Mozzie (Willie Garson) to help. I'm a big fan of this pairing so I'm looking forward to seeing them working together. Neal (Matt Bomer) will also play an important part; he took on the role of teacher last week and he will find himself going undercover again but this time he might have to ditch the suit and glasses.

There is a personal connection between Matt Bomer and tonight's guest star Joe Manganiello as they were both in the same graduating class at Carnegie Mellon University (the class of 2000 if you were wondering). This is not the only time you will see them appearing in the same project this year as they are both in Steven Soderbergh's Magic Mike and will both be playing exotic dancers (yep you read that right).

Matt Bomer had another piece of big casting news this week as he will be appearing on Glee this April as Blaine's (Darren Criss) brother. They showcased this singing talent of Bomer's once last season on White Collar and I think it is time to get him harmonizing on the show again.

Watch the promo and four sneaks below for "Neighborhood Watch" below.

Tonight on White Collar: True Blood's Joe Manganiello Guest Stars

After last week's excellent dramatic return and rescue by the White Collar team we get a more run of the mill episode tonight, one that has Neal (Matt Bomer) trying to get back into Peter's (Tim DeKay) good graces after the big treasure con that led to Elizabeth's (Tiffani Thiessen) kidnapping. This case will see the team heading to a New York private school that appears to be the victim of embezzlement at the hands of the always excellent (and sometimes super creepy) Dylan Baker. Light spoilers ahead.

Baker is playing Andy Woods, an American financier who has been an FBI target for some time as it is believed that he has ties to a cartel. Despite these suspicions they have never had anything concrete against him, but the missing money from Manhattan Prep might prove to be the break in the case against Woods. Baker recently guest starred on The Good Wife and it is another Good Wife regular who brings this case to Peter's team; Graham Phillips (Zach Florrick) is Evan, a young whistle blower who attends the private school with the help of financial aid. After Evan was told that there wasn't enough money in the endowment fund to continue this aid he went ahead and did some digging of his own and he discovered that since Woods took over the fund, money has been disappearing. Time to go undercover at the school.

The initial plan is for Peter to pose as a parent, with Neal as his assistant, but thanks to a mix up and Neal's great mind for poetry a certain Mr Caffrey becomes Mr Cooper, the substitute teacher. How will Peter feel when he sees that Neal will be in a position to shape young minds? Peter of course hasn't forgiven Neal for his recent indiscretions with the stolen treasure, and it will be some time before they will get back to the comfortable and almost trusting place they were previously. I think Peter will always have some suspicions towards Neal's motives and actions, he is a con man after all reformed or not. The reveal at the end of last week's episode that Neal's probation could end in 3 months is another new white elephant in the room where the treasure use to be; will Neal actually get the anklet removed or will he do something to screw it up again.

The one person who is willing to stick up for Neal is the person who justifiably could be the angriest with him and that is Elizabeth, she was after all kidnapped. First of all I want to say how pleased I was to see that they didn't treat Elizabeth like a damsel in distress and she managed to break free using her diamond ring of all things. Even though she was the one who was kidnapped she wasn't portrayed as a victim and she managed to pull a con on the person that Keller (Ross McCall) had left to keep guard (ok he wasn't the smartest henchman but it was still pretty awesome). Elizabeth defends Neal to Peter by reminding him that Neal was willing to give up the treasure for them, but the fact that Neal had the treasure in the first place is still an issue for Peter.

This looks like it will be a fun episode and it will be good to see how the dynamic has shifted with the big secret out of the bag and with the Keller story wrapped up. From a purely aesthetic point of view I'm also very happy whenever Neal has to wear his glasses and I'm thinking that the poetry teaching this week will add another element of enjoyment.

Let us know your thoughts on last week's mid-season premiere and what you would like to see happen for the rest of the season in the comments section.

Watch 3 sneak peeks and the promo for "Upper West Side Story" below.

Tonight on White Collar: Neal Gets to Play Teacher

White Collar returns tonight and will resolve the big cliffhanger that they left us with back in August; Elizabeth (Tiffani Thiessen) has been kidnapped by Keller (Ross McCall) and he is demanding the U-Boat treasure in return for Elizabeth's safety. This happens to be the same treasure that Neal (Matt Bomer) has been keeping secret from Peter (Tim DeKay), since Mozzie (Willie Garson) 'acquired' it at the end of season 2.

This web of lies has not only put Elizabeth in danger, but has also put a huge dent in the trust that has built up between Peter and Neal. We have seen how conflicted Neal has been with the weight of this lie, but for Peter this will look like the con man that is up to his old tricks, throw in the fact that his wife is being used as collateral and I think we can expect some fireworks. Matt Bomer spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the impact of this deception and said:

"It's really the most fraught with tension their relationship has ever been. It even gets physical at one point. But in typical Neal and Peter fashion, they find a way to work together and sort of make amends, only to have the tension re-created, I assure you. That's the natural cycle of their relationship, it seems."

This tension can be seen in one of the sneak peeks below as Neal takes Peter to where the treasure was being stored, however Mozzie has since moved it. Neal is fracturing friendships all over the place as he and Mozzie had a falling out over Neal's decision to stay in New York. This disappearance is bad news for Elizabeth as Keller has given them a 12-hour deadline to meets his demands and they need Mozzie to tell them where the treasure is now being stored. Mozzie is obviously very fond of 'Mrs Suit' so I think we can count on him to help out in this time of need, as the promo photo above would indicate. Also does anyone else get flashes of Reservoir Dogs from this promo shot? Just me, ok then...

The relationship and chemistry between Neal and Peter is what makes White Collar such a fun show to watch; this new tension between the pair has definitely expanded this story and now that the truth has been revealed it further adds to this dynamic. Will Peter be able to forgive Neal?

Check out the sneak peeks and promo below for tonight's White Collar mid-season premiere.

Tonight on White Collar: Peter and Neal Must Work Together to Find Elizabeth

It is the White Collar mid-season finale tonight and it looks like things will be getting rather difficult for Neal (Matt Bomer). The stolen Nazi treasure has become the focus again for Peter (Tim DeKay), after Mozzie (Willie Garson) sold the Degas painting that was on the partial artifact manifest list. Will it all unravel for Neal tonight? Warning spoilers ahead.

Neal not only has the watchful eye of Peter to deceive but must also contend with the best from D.C. Art Crimes (guest star Beau Bridges) and foe Matthew Keller (Ross McCall), who evaded both the authorities and the bounty that was on his head last week and will play a part in tonight's proceedings. Beau Bridges will be playing Agent Kramer, who is called in to help investigate the sellers of the Degas painting from the Nazi haul. He is not only a terrific Art Crimes agent but he is also Peter's mentor who taught him everything he knows. Neal also gets tasked with helping on this case; will this catch him in a lie or will it just allow him to stay one step ahead of the FBI? Neal will have to be at his conning best tonight as he has to appear to be working with the FBI whilst he is actually working with Mozzie to stop the discovery of the treasure.

Peter will face concern from home as Elizabeth (Tiffani Thiessen) is concerned with Peter's obsession with this case, likening it to the last time he was after Neal. What Elizabeth doesn't realise is how difficult it will actually get for Peter.

One relationship that does face strain isn't necessarily Peter and Neal who have played this game of cat and mouse on several occasions, but is actually Neal and Mozzie. Neal revealed to Mozzie in the heat of the moment last week that he did have the partial manifest list in his possession, even thought he claimed to have not recovered it from Peter's safe. This lie is a big one and will sow some seeds of doubt between the pair; will this hamper how effective they are together as a team in evading the FBI?

One thing that we can be sure of is that this summer finale will be action packed and it promises to have a jaw-dropping moment that will leave you desperate for more. Overall this season of White Collar has been terrific especially with this added level of deception. The overall theme of choice has been well executed as Neal is clearly in a quandary as to what path he should take; the one that seems natural as a con man or the one in which he stops criminals like himself. With another half of the season to go I'm sure that this choice will not be decided tonight but it might reveal which side he is leaning toward. There is always the chance of course that he could end up with nothing as he has lied to both Peter and Mozzie, so this uncertainty might actually cost Neal his best friend and his freedom.

The second half of the season will air in January, 2012 and you can catch tonight's episode on USA at 9 P.M.

For a sneak peak at this exciting mid-season finale check out the promo below. Let us know in the comments what you think might happen to Neal tonight?

Tonight on White Collar: 3.10 "Countdown"

As we first reported in June, White Collar would be getting a very special guest star this season and tonight is the night that Eliza Dushku is appearing as an exotic Egyptologist with an equally exotic name; Raquel LaRoque. LaRoque also happens to be working for a previous White Collar villain. Warning spoilers ahead.

Tonight we will see the return of Matthew Keller (Ross McCall), Keller last season managed to escape prison after having Peter (Tim DeKay) kidnapped and using this as a distraction to escape from his prison transfer van. Neal (Matt Bomer) vowed to find Keller eventually and it looks like Keller has come back to New York to get something from Neal. Although at first it appears that Keller is in town to steal an Egyptian artifact, this looks like a ruse for his real target and that is Neal and Mozzie's (Willie Garson) Nazi treasure. The same Nazi treasure that has somehow made conspiracy paper front page news (with an added alien technology twist) meaning that Neal not only has to protect his giant lie from Peter but from one of his prime rivals. I have a feeling that Neal is going to have to work super hard in this episode to guard all of his interests.

It is not just these lies that he has to contend with but also with Mozzie who he deceived last week in regards to the partial manifest of the Nazi treasure that he found in Peter's safe. This web of lies that Neal has created now includes his closest confidant and this reveals the uncertainty that Neal is now feeling about this scheme. Neal is now lying to all those that are close to him, is he is in danger of losing everything? Sara (Hilarie Burton) made her choice last week after discovering the truth and whilst it looks like she will keep Neal's secret she will not be living that life with Neal.

This opens the door for new relationships and as it was first hinted when Dushku was announced as a guest star there will be sparks between her character and Neal. Neal must use his charm with Dushku's LaRoque to get to Keller and as the promo shows there is definitely some chemistry between the two- who knew a security wand could create this amount of sizzle?! Bomer and Dushku have played lovers in the past on the short lived Tru Calling (it also starred a pre-Hangover Zach Galifianakis) and they look like they have retained this chemistry. Neal does go undercover this week and even though there is no navy uniform in his wardrobe like last week, we do get to see him rock some glasses which is just as good in my superficial opinion.

This is the penultimate episode of the first half of season 3 of White Collar and so be prepared for some big twists and turns to set up for next week's big mid-season finale.

For a sneak look at "On the Fence" and Eliza Dushku check out the promo below.

Tonight on White Collar: 3.09 "On the Fence"

Tonight White Collar fans are in for a treat as the team investigate a military related disappearance. This means that Neal has to go undercover dressed in a Service Dress White uniform (see picture right), and boy does it suit him (though really what doesn't?).

The case has a personal connection to Jones (Sharif Atkins) who gets to be front and center tonight as it is his former classmate from Naval Academy that has gone missing. They suspect that an international private security team could be linked to this disappearance. This looks set to be a dangerous week for the White Collar team as the break-ins, mercenaries and secret messages pile up to reveal what looks like a military conspiracy. In another personal connection but this time to one of the actors on White Collar, the villain of the episode Van Horn is played by Brady Smith, Thiffani Thiessen's (Elizabeth) real life husband.

The other big story of "As You Were" leads on from Sara's (Hilarie Burton) big discovery last week as she saw the hidden treasure on Neal's computer, is she likely to confront him with what she knows or will she hold off from that big question for now? TVLine spoke to Hilarie Burton who believes that:

"As much as she likes Neal, she also likes her freedom and her future. He is a beautiful, tempting man, and that killed Kate — and I don’t think Sara is going to let that happen to her. She is going to fight it as much as she can, because she refuses to be anyone’s victim"

Sara obviously enjoyed the lavish and exciting time that she shared with Neal in last week's episode but it is also clear that she does believe in some aspect of the law; will she crack and tell Peter (Tim DeKay) what Neal has been up to? One element that also looks set to put further strain on the relationship is next week's guest star Eliza Dushku, particularly as Neal does find it hard to resist alluring and mysterious women.

You may have noticed that the old title sequence returned last week after it won the USA poll much to my pleasure, as this was definitely my favourite of the two. So far season 3 has been strong; the underlying deception that Neal commits each week in regards to the treasure has given White Collar a different direction to go in and with just 3 episodes left till the big season break the anticipation is only rising. What do you think so far?

Here is the promo for "As You Were":

Tonight on White Collar: 3.08 "As You Were"

Tonight on White Collar the team take on an expert hacker who has robbed a bank with an electronic method and has drained thousands of accounts including Sara's (Hilarie Burton). To combat what seems like the perfect bank heist, Neal (Matt Bomer) assumes the identity of the criminal to try and lure the hacker out of hiding by having a spending spree with the stolen cash.

What kind of spending spree is it? One that involves a hefty $100 million so expect an excellent montage of Neal and Sara being as decadent as they possibly can. It looks like a plan that only Neal, Sara and Mozzie (Willie Garson) are concocting so it will be interesting to see what Peter (Tim DeKay) will have to say on this method of drawing out the criminal.

As Sara is one of the hacking victims and she is having apartment construction issues, Neal kindly offers his place as somewhere that Sara can stay. This unfortunately brings up questions of where the relationship is heading. These are asked not by Neal or Sara but by Peter who really seems to relish in making these two squirm. The big question is whether Sara will confront Neal with her discovery last week of his fake Victor Moreau passport and if she does will Neal tell her the truth or come up with a suitable lie?

In other White Collar casting news, he will not appear till the second half of the season early next year but some more details have emerged regarding True Blood resident werewolf Joe Manganiello's appearance on the show. The episode will have a Rear Window feel as Elizabeth (Tiffani Thiessen) becomes convinced that their new neighbor (played by Manganiello) is up to something nefarious. Neal goes undercover to investigate and gets to step out of the suit and the loafers and has to adopt a blue collar appearance and manner. It will be good to see Neal with a completely different persona; will he flounder or relish in this challenge? Entertainment Weekly spoke to Matt Bomer about Manganiello's guest appearance and it turns out that they were at college together, Bomer said that "there were only about 20 people in our class, so we obviously got to become good friends over the course of four years." That would have been a good class to be in.

The title sequence on tonight's episode will be the one that received the most votes in the USA fan poll, which do you think it will be?

Check out the promo below which gives a little taste of the big spending spree that Neal and Sara will be having on tonight's all new White Collar.

Tonight on White Collar: 3.07 "Taking Account"

One of White Collar's central themes is the dilemma that Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer) constantly faces; should he be the con man he believes he naturally is, or should he take the moral path and invest in his agreed role with the FBI helping them catch criminals like him? This has been further emphasised this season by the cache of treasure that Neal and Mozzie (Willie Garson) are now in possession of, leading to a daily deception of Peter (Tim DeKay).

Tonight's episode adds to this problem as Neal has to decide whether he should help track down a young con man who is wreaking havoc, or whether he should assist this man in escaping the watchful eye of the authorities.

It looks like the White Collar team will be comparing this new kid on the block to Neal, will he become jealous of the life his young counterpart is living? Will this cloud Neal's judgement in regards to the case and his life choices? There is also the discussion about making changes and how hitting rock bottom is the place that makes this change possible. Neal is rather cryptic about when he hit rock bottom and if he even has. This season is all about choice so tonight will highlight this theme further by giving Neal this big decision to make.

Fans of White Collar also have a choice to make; a choice between which opening title sequence you want to see on the show for the rest of the season. Will you go for the new version or are you a fan of the old more guitar based titles? You can vote until 12 noon ET tomorrow (July 13) and for more details on how to do this head here.

In White Collar casting news, the USA show has managed to score another great guest star; Dylan Baker. TVLine has reported that Baker will be playing another ruthless character, this time a financier who not only has ties to a drug cartel but is also thought to be embezzling money from his own daughter's private school. Baker is a brilliant character actor and has had some memorable guest starring roles, including the super creepy Colin Sweeney on The Good Wife. His episode of White Collar won't air until the second half of the season in 2012, but Baker has been rather busy of late as he will also be a regular on the new season of Damages that premieres tomorrow (July 13, 10 P.M. DirecTV) and he will be playing Katherine McPhee's father on the new NBC musical drama Smash.

White Collar has been performing well this season, last week saw the best ratings since the summer 2010 finale, clocking in 4.2 million viewers. Have you been watching this season? Let us know what you think Neal should do in the comments.

For a look at tonight's episode check out the promo below.

Tonight on White Collar: 3.06 "Scott Free"

When White Collar returned last month it did so with a new opening title sequence, this was met with much derision from White Collar fans who hit up the social media sites Twitter and Facebook to register their dislike for these new titles. Well, the powers that be have listened and have done the most democratic thing that they can do; they are letting the fans decide with a vote.

From today (July 8) until Wednesday, July 13 at noon ET you can head over to the USA networks secondary platform Character Chatter and watch both the new and old title sequences (the original first half of season 1 sequence will not be included- I liked the black background of this one) and then vote on which one you prefer. The title sequence that wins the poll will be air July 19, on the episode "Taking Account". This Character Chatter site will let fans know of this poll by messaging them, as well as posting on Facebook, Twitter and even this Tuesday's episode of White Collar to try and raise awareness of the poll. Alexandra Shapiro the senior vice president brand marketing and digital for USA has said of this poll:

"Our Characters Welcome brand philosophy is predicated on the inclusion of everyone – especially our audience. So when debate ensued among our core White Collar fans we decided crowdsourcing was an optimal way to involve our fans in determining the main title sequence’s fate."

Jeff Eastin, White Collar's executive producer who is a big Twitter user and who has been asking fans of their thoughts of this new title sequence has likened this poll to White Collar character Neal Caffrey:

"Where would Neal Caffrey be without a second chance? Our new main title sequence has been hotly debated with opinions covering a broad spectrum. We respect the opinions of our fans and we couldn’t think of a better way to reward their dedication than empowering them with this decision."

You can watch both opening title sequences below; first the original version which has guitar based music and quick cuts between shots and the second which uses more electronic sounds and frames the stars of the show as if they were in a gallery. Remember to head over to Character Chatter to vote for your favourite, like Neal you have to choose a side. Which is your favourite?

White Collar Opening Titles: You Decide

Tonight sees the White Collar team trying to stop a deadly woman who is suspected of murdering her four wealthy husbands to procure their wealth. Neal (Matt Bomer) and Peter (Tim DeKay) must intercept before this 'black widow' (played by Twin Peaks' Mädchen Amick) before she ensnares her next victim.

One of the fun aspects of this show is when one or more of the characters has to go undercover and this week is no exception. Quite often it is Neil that has to perform these duties, and as the person going undercover this week needs to become a perfect catch for this 'black widow' it would seem likely that with his set of charm and flirting skills that Neal would be the perfect choice. However, this is not the case this week and it is Peter with his less robust set of flirting tools who will be the person sent in to play the rich bachelor.

As we have seen throughout the series and was first highlighted in the season 1 episode "Vital Signs," flirting is not Peter's strong suit but he does have a certain charm with women. His inability to flirt is something that his wife Elizabeth (Tiffani Thiessen) finds hilarious and this aspect of his job is not something that she has worried about in the past. I hope that they will show her finding the humorous side tonight as their marriage is one of the most refreshing that is currently on TV (particularly as Friday Night Lights draws to a close).

Executive producer Jeff Eastin did tell TVLine that "Veiled Threat" is "one of the funniest episodes we’ve ever done" and that it allows Tim DeKay to shine in a more comedic manner. Eastin also reminds us of DeKay's roots:

"He’s actually a really, really good comedic actor. People forget that he was Bizarro Jerry [on Seinfeld], and started his career in comedy. He’s definitely got that ability."

It is a role reversal to see Neal in the van with the surveillance team and after amusing previous occasions with Neal in this position I think we can expect more of the same, even amongst the threat of murder. Though I'm sure as the photograph above suggests we will also see Neal working the party in some undercover aspect, he never stays too long in the van and is always up to some mischief.

In exciting White Collar casting news a werewolf has been captured; True Blood's Joe Manganiello (Alcide) will play an ex-con who moves in across the street from Peter and Elizabeth and will bring trouble to the neighborhood. He has already started filming his role but his episode won't air until the second half of season 3 in January. Yep this is indeed a long wait but you will also be able to catch Manganiello on this Sunday's True Blood.

For a look at tonight's episode check out the promo below.

Tonight on White Collar: 3.05 "Veiled Threat"

Tonight on White Collar a mobster from Mozzie's (Willie Garson) past poses a real threat to the 'suit' hating con man that means that he has to turn to the FBI to save his skin.

The mobster is from Detroit and when he comes to Manhattan, it not only could mean danger for Mozzie but could also risk a full on mob war. Peter (Tim DeKay) and Neal (Matt Bomer) will have to try and prevent this impending violence by taking part in an old scam with Mozzie that will take the gangster down. Not only will Mozzie have to put his life in the hands of the very people that he mistrusts but he will also have to reveal some of his past actions that got him to this place in a very cool flashback. We will get to see Mozzie as a 12 year old boy who started his con days early and managed to scam $500,000 from the mob, hence why he is in so much danger in this episode. Former Ghostbuster Ernie Hudson appearing in the episode as he plays Mozzie's mentor.

So far this season we have had episodes that have taken elements from films such as The Da Vinci Code and The Devil Wears Prada, and this weeks episode takes some cinematic cues from the 1973 classic con man movie The Sting, which stars Paul Newman and Robert Redford. The Sting was one of the films that Matt Bomer watched when he was first preparing for the role so it is good to see the show referencing this influential con man film. On a purely superficial level there is also some tuxedo wearing tonight which is never a bad thing.

This looks set to be another great outing for the White Collar team and despite all the danger that seems present in tonight's episode you can be sure that there will much comedy as Mozzie has to become a protected witness, a moment that Peter will surely relish and use for much mockery.

For tonight's promo watch the video below.

Tonight on White Collar: 3.04 "The Dentist of Detroit"

Last week saw the White Collar team seeking treasure, this week the investigation focuses on a big pharmaceutical company whilst dabbling in undercover work. We also look in to recent casting news that contains some spoilers for future episodes.

Diana (Marsha Thomason) is the one who gets to play dress up this week as she becomes a journalists assistant, in order to protect a women's life from the company that she has been investigating. This reporter played by Jayne Atkinson (Criminal Minds, Gossip Girl, 24) adds a little Devil Wears Prada in to the episode as she takes a page from the Meryl Streep/Anna Wintour handbook. We will also be seeing more of Sara (Hilarie Burton) this week, who despite having been made a regular character this season has had very little to do so far.

In White Collar casting spoiler news TV Guide exclusively reported that Beau Bridges (Brothers & Sisters, Stargate: Atlantis, Stargate SG-1)  has been cast to play Peter's (Tim DeKay) mentor in the mid-season finale that will air August 9. Bridges will play Agent Kramer, a well decorated federal officer and art expert who trained Peter at Quantico. He has a paternal relationship with Peter that is in contrast to his intimidating presence. No other details have been given regarding his role in the show but I think it is likely to have something to do with the Nazi treasure. Another piece of casting news regarding mentors is that Ghostbuster's star Ernie Hudson will be playing Mozzie's (Willie Garson) mentor, as we find more about his past.

We already know that Eliza Dushku will be guest starring this season, reuniting her with former Tru Calling co-star Matt Bomer and some further details have been released about what will happen when her character is interrogated by Peter and Neal (Matt Bomer). Neal it seems will take the idea of 'good cop/bad cop' to a new level, Bomer spoke to E! and revealed that:

"There's an interrogation scene and at the end of it, Eliza's character gives Neal a pretty nice embraced kiss in front of Peter in the interrogation room."

This sounds like it could get pretty steamy and that it will be surely annoy Peter, something that Neal relishes in.

Season 3 has started strong, the deception plot of Neal actually being in possession of the stolen Nazi submarine treasure adds a new twist to the series and has made sure that the show will not go stale. We also still get to see Peter and Neal work together, and the chemistry between these characters is still at the core of what makes White Collar such a joy to watch.

For a look at tonight's episode watch the promo below and let us know your thoughts on the season so far in the comments.

Tonight on White Collar: 3.03 "Deadline"

Last week White Collar returned for season 3 and introduced a new element of deception that will shape this season. Neal (Matt Bomer) and Mozzie (Willie Garson) are in possession of the treasure from the Nazi submarine and intended on leaving with it, that was until their escape vehicle had to be used to save Jones (Sharif Atkins) from certain death. The plan is to still leave with the treasure but funds are limited meaning that they will have to sell some of this art that they have acquired. Sounds simple enough but unknown to them a partial inventory of the treasure from the boat has been recovered and is in Peter's (Tim DeKay) hands, so he will likely know when the stolen art will be sold.

This is the story that will be the thread of the entire season, there is no big enemy but there will be a battle of wits between the leads who we are accustom to generally being on each others side. This new conflict between the two men will heighten the tension as they both know the other so well after years of playing cat and mouse.

Tonight's episode will see the pair try to put aside their differences and resume the truce that they agreed on last week (though Peter is still not convinced of Neal's innocence, rightly so), and try to solve a case that begins as a treasure hunt that leads to a kidnapping case. The treasure hunt starts after the treasure map is found hidden in a forged will, the inheritance is the treasure and can only be found with the map and clues. Neal and Peter start the hunt but the stakes are raised when the beneficiary's daughter is kidnapped by those who also want to get their hands on the bounty. It is a classic race against time story that I am so fond of on shows such as this (The Good Wife is another show that has done some great cases with limited time deadlines), it immediately ups the ante and means that Peter and Neal will have to work together fast. It also looks like Peter will bring in his wife Elizabeth (Tiffani Thiessen) to help them get through the clues quickly and find the treasure in time. The dynamic between these three characters is always fun and I'll be glad to see Elizabeth get more screen time this year after Thiessen's real life pregnancy reduced her role last year.

White Collar performed rather well in the ratings last Tuesday; 4 million viewers with 1.6 million of those being in the all important 18-49 bracket and 1.7 million being in the 25-54 one. This is encouraging to see and this show really has found it's stride in regards to having a charming central pairing of characters and having great stories to match them. With this new direction that the show is going in in regards to Neal actively choosing the root of deception, I'm very much looking forward to how this story will play out and how it will put a strain on the fantastic Neal/Peter relationship in the long term.

What do you think? Where you happy to see this new direction the show is going in? How long before Neal and Mozzie sell a painting that is on the list? Let us know in the comments below and check out the promo for this weeks episode below.

Tonight on White Collar: 3.02 "Where There's a Will"

Tonight the hit USA show White Collar returns for season 3 and it looks like there is a rift in the relationship between con man Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer) and FBI agent Peter Burke (Tim DeKay).

Let's have a quick catch up of where season 2 ended to understand why Neal and Peter might not be such good partners at solving crime in this season 3 opener (for a full review of the season 2 finale head here). Neal had got to a point where he was distancing himself from the whole con man bit and becoming more on board to the life of crime solving. This was until the cliffhanger of the season that left Neal with the greatest score of a lifetime from the treasure filled Nazi submarine. This bounty had been made to look like it had been destroyed in a fire when it had actually been moved to a secure location before any of this destruction occurred. It had in fact been replaced with what looked to be Neal's own paintings that he had been doing in his spare time and Peter had seen earlier in the episode. It was a fragment of one of these that led Peter to accuse Neal of some involvement in the theft, blowing the trust that they had built up to smithereens. The cliffhanger did reveal that someone had told Neal where the treasure was stored and now he has to decide what path he will continue on, the one of con man or the one with the FBI?

So what direction with Neal go in? It is the age old battle of nature vs nurture and White Collar has developed such a strong relationship between Neal and Peter that the answer won't be a simple one. Even if Neal does choose the straight and narrow, the trust that has built up between himself and Peter will need to be developed again and it is this relationship between these two men that is central to the show. Peter has spent so much time trying to get Neal to realise that he has the potential to be a great man with his talents that don't involve crime, so when he saw that fragment of Neal's painting that implicated Neal in the deception it likely made it seem that all this work was for nothing. As Peter has no proof that Neal was indeed involved in the whole thing it means that the two of them will have to work together still but there will be tension.

Tonight's case will see them try to put their differences aside to catch a thief who has broken in to the Federal Reserve, will Neal and Peter be able to work together successfully? We will also get to find out the identity of who organised the treasure to be moved to the secure location, will it be someone we have met before or a new adversary?

Another development that occurred at the end of season 2 was between Neal and Sara (Hilarie Burton) who looked to be moving beyond flirtation and library quick fumbles. Hilarie Burton has been made a regular for season 3 so it will interesting to see how this relationship will move forward and whether Neal's inherent ability to flirt with any pretty woman will cause conflict for their relationship. We spent so much time with the Kate's (Alexandra Daddario) ghost both when she was alive and after she had been killed so it is a welcome change to have Neal invested in a woman who the audience have got to know, rather than being told what she is like as was the case with Kate.

Some other things to expect from season 3 of White Collar include a flashback episode for Mozzie (Willie Garson), Game of Thrones star Lena Headey to play a hacker love interest for Mozzie, more background information regarding the great supporting cast of Elizabeth (Tiffani Theissen), Jones (Sharif Atkins) and Diana (Marsha Thomason) and guest star Eliza Dushku.

So what side will Neal choose? Are you looking forward to the return of White Collar? If so check out a couple of promos for tonight's return and let us know your thoughts on the show in the comments below.

Tonight on White Collar: 3.01 "On Guard"

Season 3 of White Collar begins next week and just in time to amp up the excitement for the return of everybody's favorite con artist Neal Caffrey(Matt Bomer), it has been announced that Eliza Dushku (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dollhouse, Tru Calling) will be guest starring in at least one episode. This sees Dushku being reunited with her former co-star Matt Bomer who played her ill fated love interest on the short lived (but very enjoyable) Tru Calling.

Dushku won't appear until midway through the season where she will shake things up for Neal in the romance department. Last season we saw Neal embark on a romantic liaison with insurance investigator Sara Ellis (Hilarie Burton), who he flirted it up with for most of season 2 and finally hooked up with at the end of last year. This union looks like it will continue in to season 3, but by the time that Dushku makes her appearance they will have hit a rough patch and have broken up at this point. Dushku and Matt Bomer have some good chemistry and it is no surprise that they will exploiting this on White Collar, executive producer Jeff Eastin has told The Hollywood Reporter that her character will be someone "who’s obviously very sexy.” Her character will also be working for Matthew Keller (recurring guest star Ross McCall) who is one of Neal's enemies that he has managed to build up over his years as a con man. Eastin also revealed that Eliza Dushku's appearance in this episode might not be a one off and that they have left it open for her to return.

Last season ended with a dilemma for Neal about which direction he should go with his life, should he go the way of his instincts and talents as a con man after he is gifted a major haul of treasure or should he return to the straight and narrow with Peter (Tim DeKay)? This is coupled with the fact that Peter accuses him of being involved in the big scam and their trust is broken once again. Trust is and has been a major factor between these two and it is this relationship between the leads that is central to the show and why White Collar works so well. The conflict between Neal and Peter is because they really care about each other but that there is always an unspoken issue of trust that comes from one of them being a criminal and the other an officer of the law. If this suddenly went away then part of the dynamic of the show would be gone and after last seasons big accusation I can't see that happening any time soon.

Are you looking forward to Eliza Dushku guest starring? Any other former co-stars of Matt Bomer that you would like to see appear on the show? Let us know in the comments below.

White Collar returns Tuesday June 7 at 9/8c on USA and for a look at the promo for season 3 check out below.

White Collar Guest Star News and Spoilers

I have noticeably mixed feelings about the season finale of White Collar. On one hand, “Under the Radar” was a solidly-execution to the Adler story and all the drama that’s been driving the series from the very beginning. On the other hand, it features yet another problematic cliffhanger from a series that seems destined to produce problematic cliffhangers.

I adore White Collar, I really do. It was on my top 25 of 2010 and had I more time before this episode aired, I was going to write a piece about how it was far and away the best series in USA’s current stable of programming. I think there’s really no question about that. But for whatever reason, this series has a problem with its cliffhangers. This might sound weird, but I think the White Collar writers try too hard to make their cliffhangers cliffhanger-y. With any cliffhanger, there’s an obvious intent to shock and surprise the audience, hoping those feelings with convince them to come back for more in the next season or half-season. But good cliffhanger writing balances the shock value with logic, believability and character consistency. The White Collar writers have clearly nailed the first half of the equation, but they’re still figuring out how to execute the second half.

This whole season, especially the back-half, has been all about Neal’s changing perspective. He’s slowly put Kate behind him and grown to recognize that there is some value in the work he’s doing with Peter and the FBI. When his sentence is up, he could return to a life of capers, cons and crime or he could (presumably in this world) continue to work with the FBI, catching the kinds of people he used to call friends. During the series’ Paley Fest panel the other night, EP Jeff Eastin said that Neal is inherently bad trying to be good, but I think it’s the exact opposite. Without question, Neal Caffrey is a good guy. He’s made some questionable decisions over the years, but even during his most “villainous” periods, it doesn’t appear that Neal was too bad. Sure, he didn’t want to get caught by Peter and the FBI and did all he could to avoid that fate, but it’s not like he was a vicious murderer or even particularly aggressive in his con-work. And before this episode, it was pretty clear that Neal was leaning more towards “good” rather than “bad.”

But the cliffhanger of “Under The Radar” betrays all that work the season has done. Adler’s been taken care of, the nonsense with Alex and the music box is now complete, but now Peter believes that Neal stole all the precious art found in the Nazi submarine. And as the final scene of this episode suggests, Peter might be right. Whether or not he actually did the stealing himself — a question that is more problematic based on the note and key left in his apartment — Neal knows exactly where all the art is. It’s in his possession and he’s told Peter that it’s not, so the trust built up over the season is now gone. Perhaps Neal has been running a long con this whole time, perhaps he just stumbled into this and figured it was best to get his final, bloodless revenge on Adler for killing Kate. But nevertheless, this is a troubling development.

It might just be my personal hang-ups that I think Neal betraying Peter sucks and undercuts the last half-dozen episodes of development. I understand that this series is probably going to run for a while and having your sneaky lead character become completely “good” by the end of the second season isn’t the best kind of “development” for a series that could go 80 episodes. But even separate from that, this feels like a cliffhanger that the series is going to have to back away from, just like they did Peter’s conversation with Kate or Mozzie’s shooting (which was admittedly less problematic and more just obvious). The point is, I don’t know as if season three works if it’s all about Peter trying to catch Neal in a lie or a mistaken secret. That feels like the first few episodes of season one. It’s a retread. And if the story doesn’t go that way, it will probably involve a quick conclusion to what happened here, with a Neal apology, some wise cracking, etc. and then onto the case of the week. That is a cop-out. Of course, the series could pull out an entirely different exploration of this cliffhanger and I’ll be wrong. But even if I’m wrong in July, I’m not sure that makes me entirely wrong now. This cliffhanger is still a bit sketchy, and the series needs to stop doing it.

But as you know, that was just the last five minutes. Otherwise, “Under The Radar” was pretty great. I suspected that the series would somehow skirt around any substantial developments with Adler or quickly get rid of him under the guise of introducing AN EVEN BIGGER THREAT like Burn Notice likes to do, so I was pleasantly surprised to watch the narrative unfold here. Andrew McCarthy got enough screentime to be chew some scenery and be evil and the story wasn’t short-changed at all. I really liked how this episode tied Adler, Kate, Alex and the music box all together without making it seem completely hackneyed and contrived. I mean it’s a little contrived, but I’m willing to go with the fact that Alex has known way more than she’s ever let on. Despite my issues with the cliffhanger, the first 40 minutes of the episode did a great job of concluding the last two seasons of stories and wiping the slate clean for what’s to come in the future. White Collar will only be gone for four months, but I kind of already miss it, mediocre cliffhangers or not.

Other thoughts:

• I will continue to say this: Neal and Sara are awesome together. I tweeted last night that I’m glad my major crush on Hilarie Burton has apparently been justified in that she’s gotten another decent job afterOne Tree Hill. I am so glad she’s going to be a series regular in S3.
• I’ve talked a lot about the chemistry with the cast and this week’s primary evidence to that point: Diana and Jones poking fun at Mozzie while they drive around the van. These people are all so charming, it’s stupid.
• Neal and Peter trying to diffuse a possible bomb on a Nazi submarine was probably more exciting than it should have been.

White Collar 2.16 "Under The Radar" Review

When you have two fantastic leads like White Collar does, that can get you through even the worst of episodes or any sort of gimmick. “Power Play” might use a gimmick device in its storytelling, but it is certainly not one of the series’ worst episodes. After last week’s middling and disappointing effort, “Power Play” is a tremendously strong and entertaining episode that sets up what should be an explosive finale. I was particularly impressed how this episode balanced the case of the week — with Peter and Neal switching roles/lives for a few days — and Sara’s return and the refocusing on the hunt for Vincent Adler. Usually, USA series wait until the end of a penultimate episode to set up what’s going to happen in the finale, but “Power Play” had a few scenes along the way that made the final pay-off feel earned enough.

Like I said, having Neal pretend to be Peter and Peter pretend to be Neal is a total gimmick, one that not all series could pull off with such grace and fun that White Collar does here. When well-executed, gimmicks can be fun and that’s most certainly the case here. As I watched this episode and totally enjoyed all the scenes with Diana and Jones hazing Peter for the various things he has to do while posing as Neal, I began thinking about the cast’s chemistry and how it compares to other television series. And honestly, I’m not really sure what other series features a group of people who get along so clearly and easily like White Collar does. When Diana and Jones are clowning Peter or when he gives some of it back to Neal when he talks about how “Peter” has “married up” with Elizabeth, we can totally tell that the cast is having a good time playing those scenes out and it completely adds to the believability of the bits. The identity swap could have been played as an awkward fish-out-of-water kind of tale, but the episode went for gags and laughs from the very beginning and it was never not funny. The plot itself worked really well, but it was so much more enjoyable because of those throwaway lines and bits about the swap.

Moreover, even though it worked completely on a humorous level, I thought Neal and Peter’s swap continued to extend this half season’s thread about Neal’s future and how he’s changed. He’s spent a number of episodes this season talking about the future and moving past Kate and this episode was really no different. We could tell that Neal saw some of the benefits of being Peter, most notably the structure of the job and having the beautiful, supporting wife (of course, Peter saw the fun in Neal’s way of life too). Thus, by the time this episode ends and Neal realizes that it’s probably time to take a shot with the unbelievably charming Sara, it feels earned. He might still be searching for Adler in hopes figuring out why exactly Kate was killed, but Neal is really ready to move past Kate. Series like this usually don’t ask so much of their lead character as far as development goes, so I’ve actually been really impressed with how willing the Collar writers have been to make sure Neal actually grows and develops.

Plus, who doesn’t love Richard Schiff? The former West Wing star has popped up on so many USA series that it’s hard to keep track, but he was well (read: sparingly) used here in a nice little case about insider energy trading. This felt like one of the cases the writers would have dedicated an entire episode to in the first season and it would have been a bit boring. But with the fun identity swap gimmick, Sara’s return and the hunt for Adler, Schiff and the plot didn’t have to carry much weight and that’s fine.

As for the search for Adler, like I said, I enjoyed how the episode made sure to address the developments throughout the episode and just not at the very end. Of course, those developments were not particularly interesting and randomly had something to do with possible Nazis and just all sorts of weird stuff I didn’t totally comprehend, but anytime I get to see Mozzie in some kind of miner’s hard-hat doing research in the dark, I’m smiling. It looks as though Alex is distant family member of this Nazi person, so she’s in trouble and the crew is going to have to save her from Adler. I’m not sure how that brings us any closer to a conclusion of the Kate mess, but I don’t suspect season two of White Collar season two ends on as big of a cliffhanger as season one did. But that doesn’t mean I’m not very excited for next week’s finale.

White Collar 2.15, "Power Play" Review

After a week off White Collar returns with “Payback,” an episode that probably won’t stand out amid some of the season’s best but still had a lot to offer. Series like this, with fairly stagnant week-to-week storytelling — and I don’t mean that in a particularly bad way — always benefit from recurring villains and supporting players. Burn Notice, for all its narrative flaws, is pretty damn good at cycling through some fantastic villains who pop up once a season to raise some hell for Michael, Fiona and Sam. These are characters that don’t have to be involved in the larger ongoing narrative, but still serve as fun antagonists for 43 minutes every season.

“Payback” tries to kick off that approach for White Collar* by bring back Matthew Keller, who first appeared in last season’s “Bottlenecked” and although the character isn’t especially interesting or well-portrayed by Ross McCall, I still think he served a nice catalyst for a fairly entertaining episode and a few little solid beats for Neal.

*I think he’s the first returning hell-raiser. Correct me if I’m wrong.

There’s a lot about Keller’s reappearance here that’s groan-worthy: His ridiculously cushy prison set-up, his terrible monologues that are laced with chess references, his desire to literally play chess with Neal, I could continue onward. I would really pay someone at least $50 to remove all chess metaphors out of Hollywood dialogue. Anyway, Keller isn’t that interesting of a character and the episode even states outright that he’s not as impressive as Neal. There’s never really much malice behind what Keller says or does even though Neal tries to convince the FBI and us at home otherwise. He’s basically here to kick off the action and then randomly appear to spit out some awful dialogue, which isn’t necessarily the worst thing in the world.

Moreover, I do think Kelller’s appearance allowed the episode to briefly touch on an obvious theme the writers have been interested in exploring in the back half of this season: Who is Neal Caffrey? He’s lost Kate and is apparently ready to really move on from all the drama surrounding their relationship. He’s much more willing to follow Peter’s lead and he’s basically stopped breaking the law unless it’s necessary to help a friend like he does here in hopes of freeing Peter from his kidnapped position. As a former rogue partner of Neal’s Keller points out how Neal has now basically started acting like a “lawman,” one who has left his criminal life behind in hopes of moving on/growing up/whatever else you want to call it. I don’t think this is going to be a massive part of the end of this season or even into next season, but I do like how the series is slowly hinting at the fact that Neal has changed and started to explore what that means for the people from his past and those in his present.

As far as this episode’s actual plot goes, I can’t really complain too much. Having Peter be kidnapped obviously raised the stakes for everyone at the FBI, Neal and Elizabeth and that’s fine. The Burke’s fight was noticeably manufactured and dumb in hopes of making Peter’s kidnapping seem more desperate and sad, but I liked that the episode continued to poke fun at that by having both Neal and Mozzie laugh off the stupidity of Peter and Elizabeth’s argument in the first place. There really isn’t a whole lot the series can do with Elizabeth on a weekly basis and so I cannot really bring myself to complain too hard about the lightweight false drama this episode tried to create with their fight and his subsequent kidnapping.

However, if only because their relationship is more established, I thought Neal’s reaction to Peter’s kidnapping was great. I’ve noted before that I think this season has been good at avoiding any sense of false conflict between the two of them and it has instead focused on their real, father-son-esque relationship. Therefore, I totally believed that Neal would do whatever it takes — including getting rid of his super-pricey engagement ring he planned to give to Kate — in hopes of saving Peter’s life. And it’s not like Neal’s reaction to the kidnapping was especially melodramatic or anything. He reacted within reason with the right mix of emotion and reason and that’s good enough to sustain a fairly straightforward plot like this one. I also enjoyed the fact that Mozzie was a bit worried about Peter as well, that was a charming little touch.

And I can never complain about an episode that includes a guest bit for Adam Goldberg. He always brings a stupid amount of crazy and charm to even the smallest of roles and the little touches with the scarf and the horrible gun-holding made the character fun for the short time he was on-screen. I’d actually prefer to have his character return again before we saw Keller again.

With only two episodes to go, I imagine that White Collar will offer up better efforts than “Payback” before the season is over. Nevertheless, this is still a breezy little episode that I can find little to complain about.

White Collar 2.14 "Payback" Review

Let’s just get this out of the way first: The actual case narrative and the guest stars in “Countermeasures?” Not so good. I like Billy Dee Williams as much as the next guy, but this was not his strongest performance and the guy playing Jonas Ganz was also messy. Moreover, there was a point about 45 minutes into the episode when I realized I didn’t really know and/or care what the heck was actually happening with the narrative. Neal going undercover was fun as usual, but it felt like “Countermeasures” tried really hard to keep zigging when I expected it to zag and zagging when I expected it to zig. I don’t mind the occasional random twist, but this episode seemed to have two or three too many of them.

On that level, I found this episode to be a fairly substantial disappointment. I was just not invested in what was going to happen with Williams’ Ford or the Ganz character.

However, the implications of these events for Neal helped make “Countermeasures” much, much more enjoyable and interesting. Though this is a USA series and therefore doesn’t require or include a whole lot of character development, especially in such a short amount of time, White Collar has done a good job of allowing Neal’s current circumstances influence his overall outlook on life. Obviously, he was this thief with a heart of gold from the beginning, but it is apparent that Neal’s time with Peter and the drama with Kate, the music box, etc. has taken a toll on his perspective. And I don’t really mean that in a bad way.

In season one, Neal probably would have let Ford sneak off and then subsequently cover up for him to Peter. I don’t think he would have participated in some of the maneuvers Ford took in this episode, but in the end, he might have just let it be because of some misguided loyalty to con men and the honor among thieves. That isn’t necessarily the worst thing in the world because that’s the world that Neal comes from, but Neal isn’t the same guy as he was at the beginning of the series. He might pretend to be subversive to Peter’s wishes and outlook, but when it comes down to the end, he’s going to be there supporting Peter’s directives and making sure he does the right thing. There’s been a greater sense of trust between the two of them in the second half of the season and along with trust comes change. Neal now has a stronger moral compass and finds the differences between right and wrong to more black and white than just shades of grey.

Thus, with Ford’s reappearance and dedication to the whole “one last job” shtick, Neal starts to recognize that he actually has a future outside of his time with the FBI and he’s going to have to make a choice about what kind of man he wants to be. Peter always gives him the pep talks about not being an evil person as part of his makeshift father role, but it seems like all that’s finally starting to sink in. Neal has done a lot of good in the world since coming to work with Peter and the FBI and theoretically, he could stay on as a consultant even after getting the bracelet off. Of course, he could also use all the tips and tricks learned from Peter to create even better long cons.

But at this point, I think it’s going to a take a lot for Neal to take back his trust in Peter, Elizabeth and to a lesser extent, Diana and Jones. He doesn’t want to end up like Ford, always chasing the last job or one final score, even if that means being a more subdued, boring guy living in one place with a family or something. He might not have Kate, but Neal has a major support structure around him that is legitimately dedicated to making sure he knows what decisions to make, but now and in the future.

It’s nice to have an episode that seems to be a moderate failure on the basic levels still work on a more macro, ongoing sense. The series has done a nice job with Neal this season and I only hope the writers continue to make him a more well-rounded individual and not just a sly representation of Matt Bomer’s inherent charm. Not that there is a whole lot wrong with that, but you know what I am saying.

White Collar 2.13 "Countermeasures" Review

After the first two episodes of season 2.5 focused on the major narratives, White Collar fell comfortably back into its procedural charms with “What Happens in Burma.” And unlike most series where I’d rather spend time discussing the overall threads, I find myself enjoying episodes like this one much more. I don’t have an overt problem with the series’ attempts at mythology or world-building, but usually that means more angst from Neal and that’s just not as fun. It’s nice to go that direction, but I prefer fun, tricky Neal.

“What Happens in Burma” has one of the worst teaser loglines ever: “Peter and Neal must travel to Burma in order to prove the innocence of the son of an American diplomat.” While the second half of that statement is true, the team never, ever leaves New York City in this episode and although that’s certainly a bit disappointing, it’s probably for the best. I’d rather be lied to by the network’s promotions department then watch a moderately budgeted cable series try to fake a foreign locale that’s rarely presented on television.

In any event, this was a fun episode with a well-executed plot. The cases always work better when there is some sort of alias, costume or minor gimmick in play and I think they used everything in the chamber for “What Happens in Burma”: Neal uses a few aliases, Diana goes undercover as a sexy model, Mozzie and Neal literally make a ruby and Jones gets to wear a cool scarf! Good episode for everyone. The villains of the episode could have easily fallen into stereotype territory, but for the most part, “Burma” avoids that. The embassy folks are moderately evil and only because they’re trying to cover their own ass for what is actually happening in their home country; there isn’t any sort of exotic mustache twirling or anything like that, so much appreciated there.

Moreover, this series has gotten really good at setting up and paying off little moments within individual episodes. Early on here Peter complains about the embassy people’s inability to pay for their parking tickets because they have diplomatic immunity and by the time the episode ends, that’s a big part of the solution to Peter and Neal’s problems. It’s a small little beat, but in a series with unlimited charm and charisma, it’s fully worth it. Similar to that, Peter’s general hatred towards diplomats is one of those random character traits that not only adds a bit of depth to a character but also serves as a possible avenue for more stories in the future.

The beats with the diplomat and his long-lost son were well-played without a whole lot of histrionics or melodrama and that’s always appreciated. I think there perhaps could have been more clarification about the various political and social upheavals that the captured son was involved in because it became a bit murky there at the end, but that’s such a small part of the episode that it doesn’t really matter.

More importantly, the tension between the father and the son gave the episode the opportunity to continue to dive through Neal’s past, an area we still haven’t been too often. I love that Peter presents his honest-to-goodness caring as professional curiosity and also appreciate that Neal respects Peter enough that by the end of the case he was willing to tell the truth about his dirty cop of a father. There’s a moment in the second half of the episode where Neal says he has to illegally help the diplomat to get the son back and he knows that if it were Peter’s son or Neal’s son, Peter would do the right (read: illegal) thing. Though it’s a really quick moment, it totally proves that Neal knows that Peter cares a lot about him and even though his father was kind of a dud, he’s found something of a surrogate in Special Agent Burke. In general, I’d prefer that we learn more about the pasts of the characters in this way instead of doing full-blown flashback episodes like last week’s sort of-messy effort, but I understand the overall appeal.

There’s nothing original found within “What Happens in Burma,” but it’s a well-paced, well-acted episode of a series that is now so obviously confident in its storytelling techniques. This is just a fun hour of television.

White Collar 2.12 "What Happens in Burma" Review

Flashback episodes are always, always tricky. And I always say this. But that is because it’s true. As a writer, you run the risk of spending too much time on pointless details, creating backstories that aren’t important or generally going against what the fans thought happened “back then.” This seems to be particularly true for a series with a moderately sized mythology wherein the fans could definitely like the background context given to a character or a situation, but they don’t necessarily need it.

White Collar feels like that kind of program. In theory, dipping back into the past and finding out how Neal became an expert con, how he met Kate, what Peter was doing to catch Neal, etc. seems like a really fun idea. But it’s also not information that the plot or the characters must have/experience in the present to keep the overall narrative moving forward. The series has done a good job of discussing past issues between Neal and Peter or Neal and Mozzie or whomever else thus far. And after watching “Forging Bonds,” I mostly feel like the series could have just as easy executed the beats about Neal and Kate and the new big bad with nearly the same amount of effectiveness in a present day story.

But of course then we wouldn’t get those two minutes with Tim DeKay in a freaking ridiculous mustache. Or Willie Garson in various terrible wigs. In that sense “Forging Bonds” feels a bit like the series stepping out for a bit of excessive fun and exposition that isn’t completely necessary, but it’s still a fairly enjoyable episode. Sure, sometimes this effort gets too caught up in making sure we know where every. single. one. of the characters was eight years ago and what they were doing and also seems really, really interested in letting Matt Bomer take his clothes off, but it wasn’t like I was ready to press fast forward on my DVR or something.

Last week, I praised the mid-season premiere for quickly telling us who the new villain was and sort of addressing what he wanted. “Forging Bonds” builds upon the work done in “Burke’s Seven,” but doesn’t succeed in the same ways. Vincent Adler is nicely embodied by the always reliable Andrew McCarthy, but there isn’t a whole lot in this episode that’s actually about him. Adler is a younger version of Bernie Madoff who ended up swindling most of his patrons out of their money…and then disappeared. Though I liked McCarthy’s interactions with Bomer, this is information that we totally could have been given in a post-teaser task force meeting with Neal, Peter and Diana. For the most part, the only real new bit of information this episode presents to us is that the fractal apparently points to a specific thing. More MacGuffins! That’s okay.

Moreover, even though this is also the most time we’ve ever spent with Kate in the series’ short history, it feels like she still gets the short shift again. The character has never actually be a character, just a goal for Neal to accomplish along with stealing the music box or whatever else and that doesn’t really change here. We learn how the two of them met, how they got together and kind of why they broke up. But she still doesn’t get much definition. Kate just IS, apparently.

My final criticism is a small one, but still generally relevant: This episode tries way too hard to integrate everyone. No offense to Jones or Diana, but I can’t imagine that too many people really cared about how they joined the NYC branch of the FBI with Peter. And we especially didn’t need to see them come in randomly and make a big addition to the case just as a way to impress Peter. It just felt forced and a bit ridiculousness and monotonous when there were seemingly bigger things happening around them. Same goes for Alex. It’s almost as if the writers thought to themselves, “OH CRAP, Alex! Just throw her in there somewhere. Oh, sex scene with Bomer? Sure!”

Fortunately, “Forging Bonds” is a wonderful showcase for Bomer. The series has made a concerted effort in season two to give him more shades of Neal to play and obviously a flashback into the days when he was just becoming a superstar thief is any easy way to accomplish that goal. Even though both Adler and Kate are less developed than they could have been, they are basically used to give us more insight into Neal’s psyche more than anything else. Bomer is good at embodying the younger, greener version of Neal and at least Kate’s appearance means that the romantic version of the character makes more sense in context.

In the end, “Forging Bonds” isn’t as strong as “Burke’s Seven” and doesn’t add as much to the characters’ backgrounds as it could have, but it’s still a lightweight, fun effort that gives us at least some information that should be helpful moving forward. Plus, Burke-stache!

White Collar 2.11 "Forging Bonds" Review

White Collar is a program that gets a good deal of mileage out of the general likability of its characters and the chemistry the actors have with one another. The overarching “mythology” of the series is not awful or completely muddled like the last few years of Burn Notice, but it’s also seemingly less important as well. Jeff Eastin and his team tried hammering home a certain kind of storytelling in season one with that terrible mid-season cliffhanger and thankfully they’ve backed away from nonsense like that ever since. And even then, the episode-to-episode narratives didn’t always hang together consistently.

But the first half of season two, which aired last summer, was fantastic. The writers figured out how to make white collar crimes more compelling on a procedural level — oftentimes by wrapping them up in “normal” crimes like murder and whatnot — and the chemistry between the whole cast, not just Matt Bomer and Tim DeKay, improved. Despite a goofy cliffhanger that I can’t really hate on because this is a USA series and there’s always some dumb finale bit that gets resolved in three minutes when the series returns, White Collarwas good enough to make my top 25 of 2010. This is a big honor.

That’s all a long-winded way of saying that I’m super excited to have the White Collar crew back in my life. This is especially true for an episode like “Burke’s Seven,” which fully relies on the audience’s desire to simply watch Neal, Peter, Mozzie and company hang out, crack wise and catch bad guys. As the title suggests, this is an episode that uses every lead character in a fairly successful manner in hopes of bringing down not only the guy who shot Mozzie in the fall finale, but also his boss. Peter shows Neal that he can run a pretty great con/sting when the shooter Larson gets him suspended for evidence tampering, Jones finally gets to know what the hell is going on with the music box and Mozzie’s murder, Neal and Sara (returning Hilarie Burton) continue their flirtatious partnership and even Elizabeth gets a few good ideas in. It’s a full team effort to bring down Larson, including costumes, gimmicks and a whole lot of trickery. This kind of approach to the case is very Burn Notice-y but I don’t really care. When your series has a number of charming actors who look good in costumes or with aliases, it’s a good route to take.

Though it is the built-in framework, the series has been good at moving away from any sort of antagonism between Peter and Neal in season two. Instead of their mistrust in one another being a melodramatic plot device, they’ve figured out how to play it for light-hearted fun more often this season and I’m glad that continued here in an episode that could have gone off the rails otherwise. The two of them run into problems when they don’t trust each other and therefore it was great to see them both agree with the other’s logic throughout this episode. This is an obvious statement, but their partnership works well because Neal helps Peter let loose a bit and Peter forces Neal to play it straight more often and the series has been doing a great job of making sure the comfortability between DeKay and Bomer actually translates to a comfortability between Peter and Neal. Smart.

Moreover, I continue to gush over Hilarie Burton’s Sara Ellis. There seemed to be some weird backlash towards her in the summer episodes that I just didn’t understand and I hope that goes away after this episode because she is simply infectious in the role. I unfortunately watched all of One Tree Hill during its first six years and most of that probably has to do with Burton. She’s a surprisingly good performer, particularly when called upon to be both flirtatious and strong-willed. I would much rather see Neal try to unlock her mysterious brain than continue to mope over the seemingly lifeless Kate. Well, of course she’s lifeless, she’s dead. But living Kate sucked too.

On a macro level, there’s also a lot to live about “Burke’s Seven.” This episode introduced two major mysteries that I assumed would be the catalysts for a lot of nonsensical drama over the next half-dozen episodes. You know, because that’s what USA series do. And things started right down that path when the original baddie Larson started ranting about how he was hired by an EVEN BIGGER BAD GUY just as these kinds of series do. Then Mozzie started talking about how the music box code created an equation for “something” that I also assumed wouldn’t be figured out before the penultimate episode. But you know what? “Burke’s Seven” (sort of) handled both of them by the end of this episode! Larson’s boss is presumably the same guy who has patented use of this equation thing: Neal’s jedi master of crime, if you will. Not only do these reveals avoid any sort of delayed answers to questions we ultimately don’t really care about, but they allow the series to dive into Neal’s past, which has always been one of the most intriguing cards the series hasn’t played yet. This is exciting.

I’m willing to go out on a limb and say this is probably the best episode of White Collar yet. It not only rests on the casts charm and chemistry, but doesn’t worry about holding onto frivolous answers when the audience knows it will be moving on to something else right after. This is a smart episode and most importantly, a fun episode. So good to have White Collar back.

White Collar 2.10 "Burke's Seven" Review

All series have a shelf life. So do their characters and plotlines. While they may start hot, storylines can just as quickly paint a good show into a bad corner, or completely change it around. (And I don't just mean "When will Character A and Character B get together?" That's the least of my worries.) Here are five elements from some of my favorite series that are just aching for resolution.

1. How much time does Nikita's Michael (Shane West) have to pick a side?

Forget Nikita or Alex. The character I'm most concerned with in CW's spy saga is Division's permanently agitated right-hand man, Michael. He's the only person whose loyalties aren't clear. While Michael's been a good soldier, we saw in "Rough Trade" that he's had his doubts about his work for a few years, and his recent interactions with Nikita have only exacerbated his confusion. He's not sure if he's on the right side anymore, and it shows; in "Resistance" Percy feels the need to test Michael's loyalty.

It's Michael's inner conflict that makes him Nikita's most fascinating character. Every week, he clearly struggles trying to rationalize what he believes to be true with what chasing Nikita is showing him. (And it's not because of her, either.) This vulnerability is a unique aspect to his character that no other incarnation has had, and it's given Shane West plenty of material, which he's capitalized on in spades. His Michael is neither idiot nor fool, as we've seen in his confrontations with boss Percy (Xander Berkeley), so each week as tension mounts, I can only wonder when he'll finally decide he's had enough and join Nikita and Alex in taking down Division.

While Michael's defection from the bad-guy ranks is pretty much inevitable, it will also mean Nikita will be an entirely different series. Shane West will still have plenty of material to mine as Michael starts a whole new arc, but the writers will need to find something to replace the "when will Michael turn sides?" tension that keeps the fans just as interested. It will no doubt come in the form of two other questions: after trying to protect her, will Michael be willing to leave Alex behind (unless he figures out first that she's on Nikita's side)? More importantly, who will Percy replace Michael with in the hunt for Nikita? It had better be someone truly great and more than a little intimidating, because Michael is going to be one tough act to follow.

Prognosis: Variable. It depends on how the writers organized their series; if they had a 13-episode plan, we might see it happen by the end of the initial order. Will they push the game-changing moment to episode 22 now that they have a full-season run? Or will they hold their trump card for into season two and beyond? All of them could be possibilities. One thing's for sure: once they let Michael come to his senses, there's no going back, so they'd better choose wisely.

Speaking of people named Michael...

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How Much Time Does "Nikita's" Michael Have? (& 4 Other Burning Questions)