For those of you who don't know, White Collar is a buddy-cop drama series following the lives of FBI White Collar Crimes Agent Peter Burke and his unlikely accomplice Neil Caffrey, a former fraudster who was released from prison to help Burke catch a suspect. Tim DeKay stars Burke, whilst Matthew Bomer stars as Caffrey. The two leads have very good chemistry and play off of each other incredibly, with razor-sharp wit and a little bit of guy love.
What White Collar Isn't.
White Collar isn't a gritty, dark cop show. Whilst it has it's dark elements, for example, Caffrey's girlfriend being kidnapped, the show doesn't rely on heavy drugs use and violence. Instead the show thrives off of Caffrey's masterful intelligence, the same goes for Burke. The banter between the two of them is sharp and witty and the show definitely thrives upon this chemistry between the leads. This makes for great family viewing.
White Collar also isn't a deep, meaningful look into the lives of FBI agents. But this show doesn't claim to be some exposé on corruption in the FBI, so trying to look for this meaning and criticising it is pointless. It is just good, solid entertainment, and in a world where everybody and there mother believes they can write some sort of social dialogue, White Collar is very refreshing. And just because it doesn't have some great, all-encompassing meaning doesn't mean that this show is shallow. The characters are well developed, and they intrigue us. The bond between Burke and his understanding wife Elizabeth, played by Tiffani Thiessen who is best known for her role as Valerie Malone in Beverly Hills, 90210, seems very real, which is what we expect from two veteran actors.
Why You Will Enjoy The Show.
Matthew Bomer has definitely come into his own since his days as Bryce Larkin on Chuck, the role of Caffrey suits him down to a T, as his wit, charm and his good looks sum up what Caffrey is about, an intelligent, witty womanizer. He also provides eye-candy for the female viewers, and if he isn't a big-name actor in the next few years I'll eat my hat.
Tim DeKay perfectly juxtaposes Bomer's character. He epitomises the live-for-work agent, who regularly comes home late enough to find his wife in bed. DeKay really pulls this character off well and nails the tone of the show, which isn't either an extreme dark or completely silly, but is smart, funny and above all light.
Another reason to enjoy the show is that there is no gratituous violence, no random killing to fill up airtime. The closest you'll get to full-on violence is gunpointing, which is great if you have children that are about 12/13 as you can let them enjoy some great TV in a world where most of the best TV shows and films are full of violence, drugs, and sex. Not that those are bad, but it is definitely refreshing, White Collar is the sorbet at the end of a heavy meal.
To Conclude.
White Collar is perfect if you want something light, and engaging to watch. The characters show great chemistry, the plots whilst not entirely memorable make you want to watch the episode from start to finish, and there is no reason to worry about whether this will be suitable to watch in front of your kids. However, if you want some heavy, serious drama watch The Wire, as White Collar will not suit your needs. Overall, I rate this show 7/10, not quite the best new show on television, but definitely a contender.
Trailer.
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