'White Collar' brings sophistication to crime drama

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By Emley Kerry

USA Network's newest series "White Collar," a sort of "Catch Me if You Can" for the small screen, follows FBI Special Agent Peter Burke as he tracks down criminals while aided by a former member of their ranks, purportedly reformed white collar criminal, Neal Caffrey.

In the first episode, an imprisoned Caffrey flies the coop to search for his girlfriend three months before his four year sentence is completed. When apprehended by Burke only a few hours later, Caffrey proposed a deal to the agent who had spent three years chasing him the first time he was on the lam: Caffrey would help Burke discover the identity of "the Dutchman," an elusive bond forger, in exchange for a commuted prison sentence.

When "the Dutchman" is finally captured due to Caffrey's ingeniousness, the former inmate is made an FBI consultant under close watch for the next four years. Caffrey's background as a highly successful white collar criminal - who was only convicted of bond forgery, although it is implied he was embroiled in many more affairs - helps him break cases because he understands the motivations and modus operandi of the people he is now chasing

The first shot of the pilot series is a close up of Caffrey that goes in and out of focus, representing the moral relativism in which we are supposed to view the character. Is he a good guy or a bad guy? Hopefully this series will try to blur the lines and find a fitting shade of grey between the black and white that could easily make this a pedestrian crime drama. Our protagonist, an unabashedly white collar criminal by profession, creates an interesting parallel with the white collar workers such as investment bankers and hedge fund managers whose legitimate careers often swindle many people and can inflict extensive damage.

The show's stars aren't household names, but if they pull off this show-which is resting entirely on their shoulders-Tim Dekay and Matt Bomer will be.

DeKay as Peter Burke is supposed to be a gruff agent with a tough exterior but a marshmallow soft heart, yet he comes across as mainly fluffy and cuddly, with none of the stern acerbity that would give real bite to his banter with his co-star. However, he tosses in a sufficient amount of eye rolls to show his annoyance and begrudging affection for the urbane reformed criminal.

Bomer is slightly unconvincing as Neal Caffrey because there is no hardness to his character-he's all charm and style (doe eyes, inviting smile, strong chin, black turtlenecks, and vintage designer suits) with no malevolence. To be a white collar criminal, he certainly has to be a smooth operator, but he also has to have the immorality to do massive harm in large figures.

However, he is exceptionally believable as a debonair young dandy who enjoys the finer things in life and who could possibly be lead to illegal activity merely to continue his bon vivant lifestyle. Tiffani-Amber Thiessen (yes, Kelly Kapowski) is on the bland side as Burke's wife, and Willie Garson (Stanford Blach from "Sex and the City") causes a double-take as Caffrey's go-to intel guy who wears square black rimmed glasses and ascots exactly like Garson's Stanford Blach from "Sex and the City", except this character is noticeably straighter.

The show is a little green, but still enjoyable, and has the potential to grow into something great. "White Collar" premiered October 23 on USA Network. Tune in Fridays at 9:00 pm for more.

Originally Published: Issue 823 - November 11, 2009

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