Notes From Nancy's Noodle: White Collar

It's not long before Catherine, the suspected thief, leads the duo down a completely different path. It seems she is trying to adopt a child from overseas, but runs into a legal snafu with the birth mother. At least that's what the attorney, Luke Donovan (John Larroquette, Night Court, Boston Legal), said. He asks for one hundred grand to fix the problem. Alarm bells are quickly raised.

Larroquette is an actor well known for a variety of roles. Those viewers familiar with his work on Night Court will appreciate just how sleazily he plays his character. There is a scene early in the
episode with DeKay which is compelling. The adeptness with which each holds ground without giving way to the other shows how strong these two are as performers.

Depth is added with the element of organized crime. Watching Bomer and Larroquette at the poker table is a visual feast. The look is authentic, but the fascination comes with seeing each actor play with intensity. Both understand how high the stakes are.

Hilarie Burton is back as Sara Ellis, the insurance investigator who is under the distinct impression Neal has stolen a painting. Since the painting has yet to be shown, the question is debatable. However, Sara is even more determined to nail Neal after a package disappears from her apartment. This is not the typical parcel. It's the voice recording, aka "black box," from the plane Kate Moreau died in the midst of an explosion ("Out of the Box").

The contents of the recording are best not revealed here. I will say the mystery deepens a bit. Here's a small hint - another person is involved. Who, exactly? Hard to tell. The sound effects team does a decent job of creating a muffled piece of equipment. A little too well might be the better description. It is quite garbled, to the point of being easily misinterpreted. This being said, the options are open as to John or Jane Doe.

Article first published as TV Review: White Collar - "In The Red" - Video - Blogcritics on Blogcritics.

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TV Review: White Collar - "In The Red" - Page 2 - Video - Blogcritics

Being part of an FBI task force to take down criminals is a risky profession. While there is skill involved, not to mention a serious amount of training, some things can't be known beforehand. Take the case of the missing merchandise. Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer) should have the easy part. Meet with a woman who has offered to trade expensive jewelry for $200,000. If the items are the ones stolen, strike up a conversation using a specific codeword so the FBI team can make an arrest. After a problem arises with the woman's son in the back seat, both Neal and FBI Agent Peter Burke (Tim DeKay) realize there is more to the story.

It's not long before Catherine, the suspected thief, leads the duo down a completely different path. It seems she is trying to adopt a child from overseas, but runs into a legal snafu with the birth mother. At least that's what the attorney, Luke Donovan (John Larroquette, Night Court, Boston Legal), said. He asks for one hundred grand to fix the problem. Alarm bells are quickly raised.

Larroquette is an actor well known for a variety of roles. Those viewers familiar with his work on Night Court will appreciate just how sleazily he plays his character. There is a scene early in the episode with DeKay which is compelling.
The adeptness with which each holds ground without giving way to the other shows how strong these two are as performers.

Depth is added with the element of organized crime. Watching Bomer and Larroquette at the poker table is a visual feast. The look is authentic, but the fascination comes with seeing each actor play with intensity. Both understand how high the stakes are.

Hilarie Burton is back as Sara Ellis, the insurance investigator who is under the distinct impression Neal has stolen a painting. Since the painting has yet to be shown, the question is debatable. However, Sara is even more determined to nail Neal after a package disappears from her apartment. This is not the typical parcel. It's the voice recording, aka "black box," from the plane Kate Moreau died in the midst of an explosion ("Out of the Box").

The contents of the recording are best not revealed here. I will say the mystery deepens a bit. Here's a small hint - another person is involved. Who, exactly? Hard to tell. The sound effects team does a decent job of creating a muffled piece of equipment. A little too well might be the better description. It is quite garbled, to the point of being easily misinterpreted. This being said, the options are open as to John or Jane Doe.

Article first published as TV Review: White Collar - "In The Red" - Page 2 - Video - Blogcritics on Blogcritics.

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Thursday, August 12, 2010

TV Review: White Collar - "Unfinished Business" - Video - Blogcritics

TV Review: White Collar - "Unfinished Business" - Video - Blogcritics

Article first published as TV Review: White Collar - "Unfinished Business" - Video - Blogcritics on Blogcritics.org.

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Wednesday, August 04, 2010

TV Review: White Collar - "By the Book" - Video - Blogcritics

Ever since Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer) decided to earn his living as a con artist, his life has taken a series of twists and turns he probably would not have considered as possibilities. Getting caught by the FBI would be one of them. Good thing Peter Burke (Tim DeKay), one of the top agents, gets to be the guy who catches Neal. Twice, actually. Long time love Kate leaving him, though, is more than Neal's heart is prepared to handle.

At the moment, I do not have too much trouble believing Kate is dead. The plane she is in blows pretty much to kingdom come, and chances of her survival are slim. The bigger question is who would go to such lengths. Revenge? It's a reasonable assumption. The tactic sends Neal a message of just how high the stakes are. Especially if someone close to him is no longer around.

No wonder Neal is willing to help Mozzie (Willie Garson), when Gina (Diane Farr, Numb3rs), whom Mozzie has an affection for, goes missing. This is merely a crush, but the chances of real trouble are a possibility. When they discover Gina's place has been trashed, both realize action has got to be taken. There's only one problem - the issue of asking the FBI for help.

Garson just might be one of the greatest character actors out there. He brings an over the top wit to the show which adds special moments to each episode. Viewers have gotten to see just how complex Mozzie is, which says something about the talent Garson has. For starters, Mozzie is a nickname Neal uses, and even Peter does not know who the bespectacled short dude really is. In fairness, there is perhaps only one thing "Mozzie" could be short for, which doesn't make sense with his lactose intolerance. A certain adjective, though, might work better.

Watching Garson enter the FBI bureau is movie magic. Not only does Mozzie shuffle his feet, indicating his high level of discomfort, the tune "Flight of the Bumblebees" is a brilliant touch. Matt Bomer could have come off a bit more sympathetic, as he appears to blow off Garson's distress. I thought Garson just might faint on the way up to Peter's office, but that would probably have been a bit over the top.

Of course, the episode would not be worthy of White Collar if there was not a chance for an undercover sting. Under ordinary circumstances, the job would fall to Neal with the Feds close behind. Seeing Bomer in the humidor of the cigar bar early on is reminiscent of "Pilot", and DeKay gets to set up the scene for the final showdown later. By the time it happens, the viewer is left on edge as to how things will turn out, which heightens the tension factor.

Elizabeth is almost back. Tiffani Theissen has been absent for several episodes after giving birth earlier this year. However, the scene between her and Peter at lunch reminds folks just how good the chemistry between DeKay and Thiessen is.

For now, the music box storyline is left aside. There will be plenty of time down the road for things to come to fruition. Less than a month of episodes remain before the summer finale, but the series will continue its run come January or so after the fall premieres have had time to air and get cut due to low ratings.

Article first published as TV Review: White Collar - "By the Book" - Video - Blogcritics on Blogcritics.org

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