US Television, White Collar, Season 1

Season One, Episode One:  Pilot
Original Air Date:  October 23, 2009
After a final visit from his girlfriend a month prior, genius forger Neal Caffrey escapes from the maximum security prison where he's housed with just three months left on his four-year sentence.  The FBI agent who had originally arrested him, Peter Burke, is called in to find Neal a second time, which he does.  Neal makes a deal with Burke that he will help him find the criminal he's current chasing:  .  The arrangements of the deal is that Neal must wear an ankle monitor and if his assistance doesn't lead to the capture of "" he will go back to prison.

Season One, Episode Two:  Threads
Original Air Date:  October 30, 2009
During Fashion Week, Peter and Neal are going after an Israeli counterfeiter known as "The Ghost".  Neal proposes to throw a party so their sole witness can identify The Ghost's voice.  Peter and his boss reluctantly go along with the plan and it almost succeeds but The Ghost figures out they are onto him and leads them to someone else.  Everything changes when The Ghost abducts their beautiful witness and threatens to kill her if what he wants, and Peter Burke is holding, isn't returned to him.  Neal and Mozzie decipher the code Kate left for Neal the last time she saw him in prison.

Season One, Episode Three:  Book of Hours
Original Air Date:  November 6, 2009
When a priceless Bible known as the "healing Bible" is stolen from a church the FBI is contacted by a local crime boss to help recover the book.  The investigation takes Caffrey and Burke to a number of suspects including a homeless man, a beautiful historian and even the nephew of the crime boss himself.

Season One, Episode Four:  Flip of the Coin
Original Air Date:  November 13, 2009
Peter Burke's wife Elizabeth turns up at his office with her best friend who's soldier husband, Jonathan Mitchell, has been accused of stealing antiquities in Iraq.  The evidence leads Burke to believe Mitchell actually might be innocent of the crime.  The trail takes them to a rogue government agent and a news reporter who interviewed Mitchell.  Burke finally gets to meet Mozzie.

Season One, Episode Five:  The Portrait
Original Air Date:  November 20, 2009
Peter and Neal investigate a residential burglary where a valuable painting was stolen.  Neal goes undercover to try to "buy" the painting but the deal goes wrong and the thief, Dorsett, disappears with both the painting and the money.  After Neal steals the painting back, Dorsett calls him wanting it back.  Neal has two days to devise a plan.  He creates a brilliant forgery of the painting so he can return the original to its rightful owner.  Neal, who has been tracking his girlfriend Kate finally gets to talk to her only to learn she wants to know where he hid everything and that is the only way the man with the ring will allow her to return home.

Season One, Episode Six:  All In
Original Air Date:  November 27, 2009
When an undercover FBI agent turns up missing, Neal has to go undercover using one of his former aliases so he can ingratiate himself to the dangerous criminal mastermind, Lao, the agent was investigating.  Things get complicated when Neal learns Interpol is involved and he is offered Kate in exchange for allowing Lao to walk so they (Interpol) can get his boss they feel is a "bigger fish".  Will Neal choose Interpol and the possible promise of Kate or his loyalty to Peter Burke?

Season One, Episode Seven:  Free Fall
Original Air Date:  December 4, 2009
The most exquisite pink diamond in the world is stolen and a brilliant fake is left in its place.  Garrett Fowler arrives and suggests that Neal is responsible for the theft of the diamond.  Knowing that the man who has Kate is in the Bureau, Neal and Mozzie look into the agents Neal works with everyday as well as Fowler.  When Neal is arrested for the theft, Mozzie takes on the role of his lawyer and the two orchestrate Neal's escape so he can get to the truth.  He goes to the one person he can trust to help him:  Peter Burke.

Season One, Episode Eight:  Hard Sell
Original Air Date:  January 19, 2010
Neal goes undercover to infiltrate a group of stockbrokers running a stock scam.  After Neal's escape, Peter warns him they need a win on this case or Neal will be going back to maximum security prison.  To further trap the group, Peter goes undercover as a CEO to exploit the brokers.  Neal suspects Peter might be the man with the ring thanks to Fowler and sees the ring on Peter's hand in a photograph of he and his wife that is hanging in Peter's house.  He later learns the ring is common amongst Bureau agents.  Peter tells Neal he talked to Kate and what Kate is wanting:  a music box (which Neal doesn't have).

Season One, Episode Nine:  Bad Judgment
Original Air Date:  January 26, 2010
David Sullivan comes to Peter begging him to investigate what he feels is a case of mortgage fraud.  Peter agrees to look into the case but makes no promises.  The case takes them to a corrupt judge and into an investigation that could cause Peter his career.  Elizabeth asks Neal and Mozzie to go to extraordinary lengths to save Peter.  Peter discovers a bug in his home leading he and Neal to further suspect Fowler.  Fowler returns to the White Collar Crime Unit to work out of the unit for a time.

Season One, Episode Ten:  Vital Signs
Original Air Date:  February 2, 2010
June's granddaughter, Samantha, needs a kidney transplant and was removed from the donor list.  June was approached by a woman who said she could find a kidney for a large "donation".  Peter and Neal investigate the organization and Peter must go undercover with his "magic hands".

Season One, Episode Eleven:  Home Invasion
Original Air Date:  February 9, 2010
Neal meets with an old friend, Alexandra Hunter, about the music box.  A stock trader the FBI has had under surveillance is murdered under their eyes and their prime suspect gets away.  They must recover a priceless set of Japanese elephants before the case can become an international incident.  Neal and Peter become roommates while Peter's house is being re-wired.

Season One, Episode Twelve:  Bottlenecked
Original Air Date:  February 23, 2010
Neal receives another mystery chess move and it move reveals his opponents identity.  Neal goes into work early to look over a heist at the Museum of Natural History which he and Peter later go to investigate and end up witnessing the hit and run death of the heist suspect:  Manuel Campos.  Neal suspects Matthew Keller, his mystery chess and professional opponent, of the museum heist in order to counterfeit a rare, and impossible to fake, bottle of wine that once belonged to Benjamin Franklin.  After Keller issues a challenge to Neal as to which one will be the first to fake the Franklin bottle, the race is on to find a way to nail Keller not only for forgery but for Campos' murder.

Season One, Episode Thirteen:  Front Man
Original Air Date:  March 2, 2010
Alex responds to Neal's request to see her about the music box, which he is still searching for and makes her an offer in exchange for her help in obtaining it.  Kimberly Rice, an agent from Kidnapping & Missing Persons, arrives in White Collar wanting the help of Neal and Peter on a ransom case.  Neal has a history with the prime suspect--and not a positive history at that.  Peter is worried about Neal working with Agent Rice and drops in to check up on him and the two end up doing a little investigating of their own on Rice's case.  Things take a turn for the worse when the kidnapping suspect takes Neal out from under Rice's nose to use as a front man for the operation he's currently working on.  Peter must work fast to save both the kidnapping victim and Neal.  Neal finally learns the location of the music box thanks to a meeting with Alex.

Season One, Episode Fourteen:  Out of the Box
Original Air Date:  March 9, 2010
Alex reveals the music box is in the Italian consulate and Neal calls Fowler to make arrangements for getting the box.  Peter, knowing something is up with Neal, follows Caffrey to his meeting with Fowler.  Fowler gets Neal's tracking device deactivated and raids Elizabeth's office to occupy Peter to keep him from Neal.  Fowler takes Peter's gun and badge when Peter becomes enraged and hits Fowler at Elizabeth's office.  Peter calls an old friend from the Bureau he can trust to look into Fowler:  Diana.  The plan to steal the music box goes full steam ahead.  Neal gets the box but Alex double crosses him and takes it and later returns it to him.  Neal turns the box over to Fowler.  Peter and Diana's investigation brings the Mentor Project to light.  There is heartbreak for Neal when he's finally free to be with Kate.

US Television, White Collar, Introduction

What happens when one of the smartest and smoothest con men teams up with one of the smartest and toughest FBI agents?  That's the question White Collar answers every week.

White Collar is an hour-long drama airing on the USA Network.  The popular series is in its sophomore season and stars Matthew Bomer as former con man Neal Caffrey and Tim DeKay as FBI Special Agent Peter Burke.  Peter Burke was the only FBI agent that could ever find and bring Neal Caffrey to justice.  When Kate, the love of Neal's life, says goodbye to him in prison, Neal escapes to find her and find out what's wrong.  Peter catches Neal for the second time and returns him to prison.  Neal presents Peter with a deal:  get me out of prison and I'll help you with your cases.  Peter secures Neal's release and the two become the best white collar crime fighting team the Bureau has.  Neal, now sporting an ankle tracking device, lends his considerable criminal know-how to Peter and his team while, when he's off the clock, he and his friend Mozzie try to unravel the ever-increasing mystery surrounding Kate.

Neal Caffrey (Matthew Bomer) is a charming, highly intelligent and sophisticated con man and forgery artist.  There isn't a statue, painting or manuscript he cannot re-create and not a single con he cannot successfully run.  He's almost a big kid at times and possesses a good sense of humor and zest for the finer things in life.  He's hardly ever seen without his "classic Rat Pack" look:  a fine suit and trademark fedora.  Underneath Neal's perfect con man ability to lie, forge and swindle is a man with a good heart.  He often does what he feels is right regardless of what anyone else thinks.  He loves Kate more than life itself and is tired of running.  He wants to have a life of his own for a change.  Neal can count those he can truly trust and call 'friend' on one hand and still have a finger or two left over.

FBI Special Agent Peter Burke (Tim DeKay) is smart, tough and FBI agent through and through.  He works in the White Collar Crime Division of the Bureau and has an excellent record for closing cases.  He's also the only law enforcement agent, from any branch of the services, who can claim the title of having been able to find and capture the elusive Neal Caffrey.  Peter is loyal to the job and follows the law but isn't beyond allowing Neal a little leeway here and there to bring down the most dangerous of white collar criminals.  Peter is a loving husband to his beautiful wife, Elizabeth (Tiffani Thiessen) and perhaps one of the best and most trusted friends Neal Caffrey could ever have.

Mozzie (Willie Garson) is quite the character!  A long-time friend to Neal, Mozzie has a way of finding out just about anything anyone could ever want to know.  Much like Neal, he's adept at forgeries and running the perfect con.  Mozzie is ever-paranoid and a raging conspiracy theorist.  He's distrustful of Peter at first but warms to him a bit over the course of the series, although, it's highly unlikely he'll ever fully trust Peter regardless of what happens as Peter is, and always will be "the suit".

Last, and most certainly not least, the other characters rounding out White Collar are FBI Agent Clinton Jones (Sharif Atkins), FBI Agent Diana Barrigan (Marsha Thomason), Lauren Cruz (Natalie Morales, season one only) and June (Diahann Carroll).

The characters in White Collar are all brilliantly developed and portrayed by the perfect actors.  Neal and Peter have a relationship that goes beyond two individuals who just work together.  They are friends and the two men trust and respect one another.  When one is in trouble, he automatically knows he can trust the other.  Mozzie is thoroughly charming and brings a wonderful bit of humor to the show.  It's impossible not to love the character.  Elizabeth Burke is a loving and understanding wife.  She's Peter's rock and even becomes someone both Neal and Mozzie feel comfortable with.  Thus far, she hasn't been as prominent in season two, which is a shame.  June, Neal's wealthy landlord, is the widow of a con man.  She feels a certain camaraderie with Neal and Mozzie and enjoys having Caffrey around the house.

The storylines of White Collar are smart.  There's a nice balance of humor, drama and straightforward crime show.  No one element overshadows another.  The chemistry between the actors is perfect further drawing the viewer into the world of Peter Burke and Neal Caffrey.

If you love a well-written mystery with sharp and engaging characters and a setting and environment that is just as much a character as the main players then White Collar is a show you shouldn't miss!

White Collar airs Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. (US Eastern time) on the USA Network.
For More Information:
Official Site:  http://www.usanetwork.com/series/whitecollar/
The Internet Movie Database:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1358522/
TV Rage:  http://www.tvrage.com/White_Collar

US Television, White Collar, Episode 2.10 "Burke's Seven"

White Collar
Season Two, Episode Ten, Burke's Seven
Original Air Date:  January 18, 2011

Peter Burke and Neal Caffrey begin work on their investigation into finding out who shot Mozzie and bringing that person to justice.  However, their investigation is interrupted when a Department of Justice agent arrives and removes Peter from his job after a single print belonging to Peter is found inside the gun that was used to shoot Mozzie.  Peter and Neal must organize a con to bring Mozzie's shooter to justice and restore Peter's good name.

Mozzie is rushed to the hospital where Neal stands vigil over his friend who is in a medically induced coma.  Peter convinces Neal to leave and get to working on the case so they can get the guy who shot Mozzie.

Neal and Peter start burning all of Julian Larson's (Paul Blackthorne) aliases so he will have to have more created and, hopefully, leave a trail for them to follow right up to him.  They agree to let Julian buy an alias they choose.  Peter interviews old associates of Julian's to get as much information on him as possible while Neal invites all the best identity creators in the city to one location.  He wants them to give Julian the identity of Justin Springer.  Once they know it isn't for Neal, but for Mozzie, they are all in agreement.

Mozzie awakens and is his usual quirky self.  He's worried that he's now "in the system" but Neal assures him that isn't the case.  He was registered to the hospital under the name "Ivan Bliminse" aka Invisible Man.  Mozzie is unable to identify the shooter despite Neal showing him a picture of Julian Larson.

Neal calls Peter to let him know Mozzie is awake but cannot remember the face of the shooter and Peter tells him Diana has burned the last of Larson's I.D.'s.  When Neal ends his call with Peter and starts to walk away, Larson is behind him.  Neal walks down an alley and Larson follows.  Neal, knowing he was being followed, jumps out from the shadows at Larson, pins him against the wall and wants to know why he shot Mozzie.  Larson gets the upper hand and pins Neal against the wall telling him he wants to make a deal as his FBI friends are making it hard for him to disappear.  He offers to deliver the man behind the curtain that ordered Mozzie's murder but Neal refuses.  Neal tells Peter about the deal and that, this time, things will be done Peter's way.  His revenge will come in the justice.

The next morning, Diana brings in news that Justin Springer booked a flight to Samoa one week from Tuesday.  Springer was tracked to an apartment in Queens and there is a search warrant being put through as they speak.  The FBI raid the apartment and arrest Larson then search the apartment for information.

Mozzie tells Neal about the code from the music box and that Larson had taken his notebook so the bad guys have the equation as well.  Mozzie doesn't want them to solve it before he does.  Mozzie confesses to Neal that he was the one who told Peter about him going after Fowler and that he is a Judas for doing so.  Neal thanks him for telling Peter explaining that he might have killed an innocent man.

Larson refuses to cooperate with Peter.  Hughes pulls him from the interview telling him they couldn't make a match from the bullet.  A Department of Justice agent steps up to say the outside of the gun was wiped down.  Hughes reveals a single print was found inside the weapon which the DOJ agent says belonged to Agent Peter Burke.  He puts Peter on leave until the investigation is completed.  Hughes takes Peter's gun and badge as Neal and Diana look on.  Larson is released as they cannot hold him despite protests from Neal.

Neal goes to see Peter at home.  Peter tells him Diana called because DOJ has pulled all of Peter's files to investigate him for evidence tampering.  Neal can explain to Peter how Larson put his print inside the gun but where the print came from is another story.  Peter remembers his missing coffee mug and they both know that was where the print came from.  Diana and Jones check the FBI cameras and find a man dressed like Neal going into Peter's office and leaving with his coffee mug.  They also learn he was on Peter's computer.  Jones wants to know what Peter and Diane have been investigating and she tells him Peter should be the one to tell him that.

Thanks to a secret key logger Peter keeps on his computer he was able to know that Larson erased something from his own file.  He erased the name Fredrick Bilal, a Nigerian prince who likes international horse racing, owns a number of shipping companies and handles a great deal of import/export out of New York Harbor.  Bilal spends days at the New York Yacht Club.  Peter calls in a favor with Sara Ellis to get into the Yacht Club.

Peter goes into the bar and watches, and talks, horse racing with Bilal while Sara and Neal remain outside.  Neal and Sara pose as Mr. and Mrs. Frank Wellington (Jr.) in order to get a look at the boat captains log book.  Neal learned that every time Larson came to New York, Brian Blitek (one of Larson's aliases) rented the yacht.  Normally, a search warrant of the docks and wire taps would be the next step.  Since that isn't an option, Neal suggests to do things his way:  get someone else to arrest them.  Peter is in as long as it isn't anything illegal and as long as it brings Larson down. 

The first step is to form a crew, Burke's crew.  Diana and Jones are brought in by Peter and Neal brings in Sara Ellis.  They both tell the recruits about the music box and the code.  Jones agrees to help as does Sara.  Elizabeth takes Mozzie his care package and ends up bringing him back to Peter's house to help the group.  Peter and Neal lay down the plan of how they will work the sting against Bilal and Larson.

According to plan, Diana approaches Bilal.  Mozzie jumps in to do his part and an innocent bystander gets drawn into the plan by accident.  Diana stalls while the rest of the team gets the bystander out of the way.  The man is expecting to speak to his wife.  Elizabeth answers the phone and succeeds in getting the guy off the phone so Bilal can use it.  Neal takes the call and, using the prepared list of words, he makes Bilal think he's talking to Julian Larson and sends him to a pre-determined location.

When Bilal arrives, Neal, Diana and Peter are there to meet him.  He has a large crate with him that contains china with a Nazi swastika on the back.  Julian calls Larson as instructed by Peter and Neal.  Sara's part of the plan kicks in.  She goes to the FBI office to file a complaint that her client is being harassed by Peter Burke.  She takes the DOJ agent to meet her "client".  Hughes, after being told by Jones that Peter needs their help, follows.  The DOJ agent, Jones and Hughes arrive and find Larson with latex prints on his fingers to frame Peter for guns he places into the crate containing the china. 

Neal, Peter and Diana watch from across the street and Sara joins them.  They watch as Larson is being led out in handcuffs.  Larson escapes, overpowers the agent and takes his gun.  Peter takes a New York City police horse and pursues Larson.  He tackles him and gets the gun under the watchful eyes and cameras of locals and tourists.  Peter tells Sara the Nazi dinnerware Larson was shipping is going to Argentina which is out of the Bureau's jurisdiction.  She says it's not out of hers as her company has clients in South America and she has vacation days coming up.

Peter is back in his office and Diana presents him with a new mug.  He interrogates Larson a second time and Larson wants to know what the offer is for him to tell who the man behind him is.  Peter tells him the deal is closed.  The only deal he'll make is to protect Larson from him.  As Peter is leaving, Larson speaks up that the man's name is Vincent Adler, a name Peter apparently recognizes.

Neal calls Moz to let him know they arrested Larson.  Moz "sees his accomplishment and raises him one":  he built the equation and he should see what he found.  Moz shows him a bendy-straw created fractal design that was encoded by the music box.  Neal recognizes the pattern and knows who is behind everything.  It's "the man who made me everything I am today".

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What a great start off after such a long break!  I loved the use of "Burke's Seven".  Now that Jones knows everything about the music box and Fowler, I sure do hope we see him in the mix when that particular storyline is the focus.  Jones is an awesome character and any chance to see him on screen is fantastic.  Elizabeth sure proved herself to be quite useful in a con, didn't she?  I'm sure that was a side of her Peter hadn't seen before!  It was great seeing Sara Ellis back in the show as well.  I like her character.  She's tough, smart and the perfect match for Neal.  I hope we see her a lot over the course of the rest of this season.

Peter going after Larson on horseback was another favorite part of the episode for me.  I love the humor splashed here and there throughout every episode of White Collar and the horseback take down was brilliant!  I couldn't help but smile seeing Peter leading Larson back, Peter on horseback and Larson on foot.  It was like a modern-day Old West bad guy roundup.

I'm very pleased with how the second part of season two has kicked off.  This was a great episode that I enjoyed very much.  I can't wait to get all the details on the mysterious Vincent Adler!
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White Collar airs Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. (US Eastern time) on the USA Network.
For More Information:
Official Site:  http://www.usanetwork.com/series/whitecollar/
The Internet Movie Database:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1358522/
TV Rage:  http://www.tvrage.com/White_Collar