So, I'm here in Midwest USA, where we've just had 5 inches of snow fall. The sun is trying to peek out of continuing snow clouds. It's a perfect day to talk TV. One of the things I love most about SpoilerTV, besides the awesome fans I interact with daily, is that it encourages me to try shows I have either missed or never thought I would like. I've seen shows from The Vampire Diaries to Firefly because of this site. Granted, some I've liked better than others but I'm a more informed TV viewer now. It even led me to my current favorite comedy, Raising Hope, a show I would never have tried based on the synopsis.
So the question becomes what TV show should others watch. Is there a great show you watch that doesn't have enough viewers? Maybe you've seen a new show that everyone has to see or there's a show that you just can't stop thinking about even though it was cancelled a decade ago. Perhaps you know a show, like Raising Hope, whose promos and synopsis may turn people off but is really excellent when you start watching it. I'll go first…..
White Collar is about a convicted bond forger who works for the FBI to help solve white collar cases like art theft and counterfeiting in return for staying out of jail. It has the disadvantage of coming in a season full of one crime procedural after another. At the risk of sounding like every other crime show fan, this one is different. First it comes largely from the criminal point-of-view. Think the movie Catch Me if You Can with dare I say it, a hotter lead actor. Like Frank Abagnale, Jr., Neal Caffrey is a smart non-lethal forger who finally gets caught by Peter Burke, the FBI agent who has chased him for years. However, this story begins once they start working together. It examines the changing relationship between forger and agent as they discover each other's talents. In a lot of ways, Peter is like the older brother trying to keep his rapscallion younger scamp of a brother out of trouble.
White Collar works best when it integrates its unique secondary characters. My favorite is Mozzie, Neal's closest confidante and renowned skeptic. Mozzie has never met a conspiracy theory he didn't like but with a photographic memory and ability to find even the most guarded secrets, he is a great asset. He and Peter have directly opposite viewpoints which make their scenes hilarious. Diana and Jones fill out Peter's team. They are smart and fiercely loyal. Diana recently moved back to New York City with her girlfriend to work with Peter again. She's a heck of a shot and cool in every crisis. Jones is the agent who often gets stuck watching Neal. I loved when he played a mob enforcer to help Neal and Mozzie get information from a passport forger. Elizabeth, Peter's wife, is also fun although she has not been in this season as much due to Tiffani Thiessen's pregnancy. Elizabeth grounds Peter and provides a buffer between Peter's by the book ways and Neal's laissez-faire attitude.
Probably the best reason to watch White Collar though is that it is fun. While most crime shows are either gory forensic gross-outs or intense morally-vague dramas, White Collar remains generally light. Not to say there isn't drama or an overarching storyline, but it's made to entertain first and foremost - like everything else on USA Network. You can pop into the show on any episode for a fun time or delve into every story in-depth. It's the best of both worlds. White Collar isn't my favorite show, but it's one I never miss and I'm always glad I've seen it.
This Tuesday is the premiere of the flash back episode. It's guaranteed to have bad hair, great jokes, and a prelude to the characters. It would be a great time to try it. So check out White Collar on Tuesday on the USA Network, 10/9 central.
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