A Thinker in Space

Unlike the previous season-by-season articles about the show Leverage (Season 1, Season 2) I have not finished White Collar. I’m going into this show completely blind, knowing nothing about the main plot points and how they resolve. For Leverage, I have watched and rewatched each and every episode at minimum 4 times. For this show, I have only seen each episode once. This is an exciting prospect, as there are quite a few seasons and I am hoping to review each as I watch through them! It will be more like my Cosmere reviews in that sense, specifically the Stormlight Archive review series I have been working on.

I don’t often watch shows on my own nowadays. When I do have time to do something relaxing on my own, I often either choose to play a video game, a solo board game (I am currently working through Oathsworn and Sleeping Gods, which are both excellent in their own right), read, or write for this blog. Because of this, most of my show viewing is with family. I was introduced to this show by my parents, and we often watch an episode when we spend time with them. Because of this, these reviews will naturally have lengthy gaps in between them, but will be collected in the season-by-season series page!

The format will be the same as my format for Leverage: this article will have a spoiler-free review, but articles reviewing additional series may not. I will highlight some episodes that stood out to me (though with a bit less confidence than my chosen Leverage episodes, as the things that stand out to me often change with subsequent rewatches).

Note: This review series is going to tie to the original White Collar series, not the continuation slated to arrive later in the year.

Spoiler-Free Review

My review of this show is influenced only by its first (and part of its second) seasons, unlike Leverage when it was informed by the knowledge of the complete series. As such, I might include another Spoiler-Free review later on, or write a review of the entire series upon completion. But I will say this – even after one season, this show has already cemented itself as an excellent addition to my list of favorites. I will likely be rewatching this on more than one occasion after finishing it, as I anticipate it will only get better as it continues.

The premise of the show is introduced from the get-go: Peter Burke, an FBI agent, has caught an elusive thief, art forger, and conman named Neal Caffery. He offers him a deal – Neal must serve his sentence, but instead of serving it in a prison cell, may join Peter as a consultant on cases to take down people who live in the world he has been ripped from.

The episodes follow a formula that lets you know what to expect when going into a new one – there is a new bad guy in town, and Neal and Peter need to track him/her down, and find a way to get proof of wrongdoing. The criminals they are going after are white collar criminals, meaning that they are usually nonviolent and mostly seeking power or money. This makes the show a bit more palatable than some crime dramas for a wider audience.

Episodes often have twists and turns, and sometimes go in ways that you do not expect. There is an overarching but not overwhelming story that we get tidbits of throughout the show, with occasional episodes that make the season’s storyline the central plot.

The strongest aspect of this show, in my limited experience, has been the characters. Each character is excellent in their own way, but the highlights are Neal and his friend Mozzie – their relationship (and personalities) are very well-developed and established over the course of the season. Peter Burke and his wife Elizabeth are both excellent characters as well, and their relationship is excellently developed. They are a portrayal of a healthy marriage, which I am always a huge fan of, and both of them are intelligent with a solid moral compass.

Of course, the selling point for the series is the relationship between Neal and Peter, which is just so well done throughout the show. There are a ton of great moments between these two as their trust and suspicion of each other wavers in a delicate balance. A show like this has a tendency to keep the criminal one step ahead of the “good guy”, but this show doesn’t do that – Peter Burke is smart, and there are so many great sequences when Neal thinks he has the upper hand, but Peter knows him too well. The balance works incredibly well, and results in a fantastic dynamic that carries the show through the intrigue of its plotlines.

Spoiler-Filled Review

The first season of White Collar has 14 episodes, and though the show takes an episode or two to find its legs, none of these episodes are bad. It is a solid freshman season, with an interesting overarching story and plenty of great character moments. The episodes tend to blend together, but I will do my best to pick out some of my favorites!

1.3 – Book of Hours

I was sold on this show pretty early, but if I wasn’t already this episode would have done it for me. The mystery is intriguing, Neal’s character has a lot of development, and the twists are satisfying. Definitely a solid entry to the season!

1.6 – All In

This is a great, fast-paced and high-stakes episode, with Neal going undercover to try and take down a big bad guy who might have taken out an agent. There are plenty of twists and turns here as well as high-tension moments where Neal needs to wheel, deal and outsmart the people around him. An excellent episode for sure!

1.7 – Free Fall

This is the second-best episode of the season, with a ton of crazy things happening throughout. It starts with Neal’s sudden arrest, and is packed with action and great scenes as Neal tries to clear his name and take out the people who framed him. It then ends with a showstopping ending that leaves you clamoring for the next episode!

1.9 – Bad Judgement

This is another great one, with our season antagonist Fowler returning to continue to be a thorn in the side of our protagonist duo. The stakes are high, and it almost feels a bit like a Leverage episode as the team tries to take down a corrupt judge who is very good at covering her tracks.

1.12 – Bottlenecked

This is another great one – a rival from Neal’s days as a criminal drops in out of nowhere and gets Neal wrapped up in a high-stakes game to forge a rare bottle of wine. This is another Leverage-feeling episode that keeps you invested until its climax.

1.14 – Out of the Box

This was definitely the season highlight – all of the plot threads come together in a climactic finale that completely changes Neal’s storyline, for better or for worse. Setting up Kate so effectively throughout the season just to kill her off in this episode is surprising (though I have my doubts that the death will stick). I am looking forward to where the show will go from here!

Final Thoughts

I am loving White Collar, and can’t wait to keep watching through this show. The characters are well-written, the stories are interesting and keep you invested, and the dialogue is witty and enjoyable. I am looking forward to seeing where Neal and Peter’s story leads, and am enjoying the Leverage-style feel both in content and in the way season arcs are done (a large season arc peppered into independent episodes). If you have never heard of this show, now would be a great time to check it out, as the revival is on the horizon!

Related Reading