Cover Page Send to a Friend Print Version Contact Us Advertise Post a Free Classified

'White Collar,' cool
if you're 14 or so

USA copper pairs up an FBI agent and an ex-con

By Tom Conroy
Oct 23, 2009

Though it strenuously avoids originality, the new crime drama “White Collar” could be a relatively pleasant way to unwind after a long week of work—or, more likely, middle school.

Premiering tonight at 10 p.m. on USA, the series pairs two mismatched crime fighters, a plot device so overused that it’s basically gone from being a cliché to being a genre.

Peter Burke (Tim DeKay) is a workaholic FBI agent who leads a boring middle-class life with his sexy, understanding wife, Elizabeth (Tiffani Thiessen). He works with Neal Caffrey (Matthew Bomer), a young criminal mastermind who has been released from prison on the condition that he help Peter catch another criminal mastermind, nicknamed the Dutchman.

Within hours of his release, Neal, who is wearing one of those electronic ankle bracelets, sets himself up with a rich widow (Diahann Carroll) whose husband has left her with a Manhattan mansion and a closetful of bespoke suits that happen to fit Neal.

Neal has already escaped from prison once—using a series of tricks that would be impressive if they didn’t seem quite so impossible—and we’re left guessing whether he might try to flee again in order to chase down a girlfriend who left him during his incarceration.

Bomer is charming and looks good in his ’60s suits, but he never reveals the side of the character that would explain why he chose a life of crime. And some of his ingenuity is just plain surreal, like the ability to calculate 65 years of compound interest in seconds.

It also seems unlikely that young men are still using the Rat Pack as a touchstone of coolness.

While nailing the professional side of his character, DeKay is forced to struggle with inconsistencies in the agent’s personal life: Would a buttoned-down FBI man slip so quickly into buddy mode with a criminal? (It took Nick Nolte most of “48 Hrs.” to warm to Eddie Murphy.) And would he ask that criminal for tips on what to do with his wife for their anniversary?

The pursuit and apprehension of the Dutchman are a little perfunctory, though it’s a relief that the resolution isn’t preceded by the usual chase scene.

“Monk” fans might want to stick around to see if these characters work for them, but the best audience is probably boys in their early teens who are still trying to work out their own definition of coolness.

Tom Conroy is a Connecticut writer and longtime TV critic.	© 2010 Media Life Magazine

Latest headlines Your client cutting up on the ice Weak return for ABC's 'FlashForward' Leno wins week two by smaller margin Words and ideas: New York Magazine 'Life,' visually stunning as life itself Message right under your feet: Go NFL! It's official: Amanpour joins ABC News Rachel, what do I do about this woman? Jerry Buhlmann rises to CEO at Aegis Group Sandy Kolkey becomes president at Draftfcb New York Lane Soelberg and Christine Bensen join Moxie Interactive Icaro Doria becomes group creative director at Goodby Paula Abdul's new gig falls through Jeff Zeleny, Matt Bai and Jim Rutenberg shift roles at NYT Tony Sherman becomes director of product operations at LogicLab Beau Bridges joins NBC's 'The Rockford Files'