White Collar: Pilot

Aired Date: October 23, 2009

Time Mike wanted to see it: I've been a fan of USA since it stopped showing reruns and started actually making television shows, and I wanted to see this right around the time it started getting a lot of buzz, so just a couple months after it came out. I guess 2 years isn't too bad.

Reason Mike procrastinated: I don't know if I procrastinated, or just waited until it took almost no effort to see it. Although, it was on my Netflix instant queue for a couple months before I finally watched it.

Category: Television, mystery, cop/con

Mike says I liked the pilot quite a bit. I'll say that right off. This show has a fun feel, and I dig the whole "rat-pack throw back" vibe (Internet, witness the coining of a phrase!).

It's also a fairly clever premise, although one has to wonder if the show came from plans of a failed series version of Catch Me If You Can. And I do enjoy when criminals have a better sense of high society and etiquette than the cops.

Seeing Bomer bounce his witty style off the generally serious and glum agents is a lot of fun, as is wondering how far he'll push the envelope.

I really don't have a lot to say, because the show is fairly simple. A little humor, a little drama, and some seriously quirky characters is kind of the USA formula, and it works pretty well.

I do have to mention, though, that I differ from Kate in my feelings about DeKay. For some reason, I don't trust his character. Perhaps I've seen him as a villain one too many times, maybe I like Bomer so much that I have sided with him against the FBI. I'm not really sure. The show puts a lot of effort into making the audience like him... but I can't help but feel a little...wary. Hopefully, that'll clear up as the show goes on.

While White Collar isn't my usual type of show, it's a good compromise show for my wife and me, keeping me interested with the humor, and keeping her interested with the crime and mystery. I look forward to seeing where it goes!

Kate says when I learned that Bryce Larkin of Chuck had his own show, I was not surprised. Matt Bomer has the looks and charisma, intensity and humor to pull off a leading man role.

Nevertheless, I'm very glad the producers paired him with Tim DeKay. Not only does DeKay remind me of Rubert Graves (Lestrade in BBC Sherlock)--so much so that the American accent actually throws me--but the relationship/repartee/guy-romance between Bomer and DeKay is really what makes White Collar work. For one thing, unlike Patrick Jane and Lisbon (whom I still watch), I feel like DeKay can actually control his maverick ("Get in the car!"). Also, Bomer manages to sell his character as fundamentally kind and even decent (Simon Baker is too good at playing damaged and unaccountable characters--I really mean that; his unfixable Jane persona doesn't help the show work, but boy, is he good at it!).

White Collar's concept is engaging. The pilot is more than the usual 50 minutes (ah, remember the old days when pilots were two-parters? I confess I prefer one-hour pilots), but I hardly noticed. Like many pilots, naturally, way too much stuff was thrown at me at once (rich widow! FBI Agent's wife! missing girlfriend! lesbian co-worker?) but the main plot/necessary information was adequately and quickly provided.

I went ahead and watched the next episode "Threads" and I'm happy to report, the "stuff" calms down quite a bit. However, I still sense an unevenness. Is the show supposed to be some kind of 24-deal? Or some kind of Leverage-deal? I prefer my producers and directors to know right off the bat.

I'll probably pick up a few more episodes before I decide if I'm a long-time fan. If no vision appears in the next few episodes--eh, there's so much more to watch. But I adore Willie Garson, so that might keep me coming back. (That's the adorable Marty from Stargate SG-1!)