White Collar - An Overview
Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer) is our show's slick star, a world-renowned art thief and master forger who,
under unfortunate circumstances, now works for the FBI. Suspected of many art crimes and forgeries all
over the world, he was only ever convicted of one - bond forgery - by Special Agent Peter Burke (Tim
DeKay) Neal's one true foil. After escaping prison with only 3 months left of his sentence, Neal is caught
once again by Peter, and sentenced for another 4 years. But when Neal unexpectedly helps Peter crack
open a big forgery case, Peter agrees to Neal's request to be released under Peter's supervision as a
Confidential Informant (CI), with a safeguard of a GPS-powered tracking anklet that allows Neal a FBI-
defined-generous 2 mile radius. And so, Neal becomes a member of the agency that was on his trail for
years, and his life has turned around, assisting the men he evaded for years to catch the likes of criminals
who followed in Caffrey's legend of a legacy.
Throughout the series, we see that though it is Peter who caught him the first time, and in the pilot
catches him once more, Peter and Neal's relationship is unlike any other friendship, and though they don't
initially realize it, each will have the other's back when push comes to shove. Neal also comes to realize
that, if given a chance to escape everything for "one last score," his new life, and all the people he has
come to know and care for, may not be something he can give up so easily.
The show revolves around Neal's central conflict of this should-I-shouldn't-I idea of returning to crime, or
really turning his life around and continuing to work for the FBI, where he has a strong impact, regardless
of how much he opposes it. Where Peter acts as Neal's angel on one shoulder, telling him to stick to the
righteous path, Neal's devil on the shoulder is portrayed by the lovable Mozzie. Not necessarily evil,
Mozzie sticks to his beliefs that the way of the con man is his, and Neal's, true calling, and at a certain
point, they have to realize this and give up the current pseudo-life of good that they are leading. However,
though he is a part of the Bureau, that doesn't stop Neal from continuing with his old conning ways,
whether it be for the benefit of the Bureau, or to aid himself in whatever questions he needs answered.
From the very first con that Neal pulls in the pilot, I was already on his side and rooting him on to escape
the cuffs of the FBI. Of course, had that happened, there would be no series, and my summer would have
consisted of a lot less television watching. But I digress. Even as he gets caught again, he's calm and
collected, and you as a viewer know he's up to something at any given moment. It's this element of his
persona that keeps every other character on the show a bit reluctant to trust him, because he may be all
smiles, but he is, after all, a con man, and he smiles for a living. However, it's also this aspect to his
character that is his greatest asset, especially to the FBI, as his no-gun, silver-tongue methods allow him
to get out of danger's grasp more often than one would give him credit for. Aliases and deception can get
you so far, but it always helps to have Special Agent Peter Burke and the FBI as backup for you when an
operation goes awry, and the suspect finds out that Neal is not, say, Nick Halden, or Steve Tabernackle.
Speaking of backup, Neal's ace in the hole isn't the FBI. Though not much is revealed about Neal's past,
we speculate that he started from scratch, working up from nothing, we learn that he got his true start in
grand scheming upon meeting his then accomplice and now close friend, Mozzie (Willie Garson). Also
known as Dante Havisham, or simply Mozz, he is self-described as the "brains behind the brains."
A curious label, as he seems to be the exact opposite of Neal, the quirkiness to Neal's charm, the
bumbling disposition to Neal's charming suave. Regardless of all these traits, as well as being overly
paranoid about, well, everything, Mozzie is one of Neal's greatest assets and allies, and without question
will help Neal without a moments notice. On top of that, Mozzie provides us, the viewers, with endless
moments of quirky humor, and we often get to see him in action, showing us viewers that he is as smart
and well-versed as Mr. Caffrey himself, if not smarter - Neal has been taught everything he knows by
Mozzie, of course.
Ultimately, through 2 and half seasons thus far, the writers have done a tremendous job in displaying a
change in Neal's mentality and feelings towards his newfound FBI life. Characters such as Peter's wife
(Tiffany Theissen), and the ladies in his life that he does not want to lose, he continues to struggle with
the choice of staying or running, and each season finale is bigger and better than the last. Currently in the
middle of its third season, White Collar has been top-notch from pilot to end, executing cliff-hangers in
unexpected ways that don't seem trite or awkwardly placed.
I implore anyone who enjoys a well-written, smart comedy-drama series to watch White Collar. The plot
consistency is great, and the tie-ins to earlier episodes, old characters, twists and turns and ridiculous
cons throughout, coupled with a solid, well-thought and highly capable cast, Neal Caffrey's FBI life serves
as thorough entertainment, and produces a solid, smart, well-written series.