TVSquad

(S01E03) "I like my miracles with more smiting and lightning." - Burke

Would the FBI really help a bad guy get a church Bible back? Sure, it turned out to be a very important Bible, but the way that Barelli just comes into the FBI and asks for their help in getting the book back and the chief takes him seriously from the get-go didn't ring true to me. Sure, Burke told him to just go to the local police, but then the chief pulls him aside and says that he doesn't need the Archdiocese breathing down his neck about it. That just seemed like a way for the writers to justify the plot in the first place.

But all that aside, this was another fun episode of White Collar. I like how this show is focusing not just on murders (though there seems to be one in almost every episode), the main plots have to do with theft, something being counterfeit, and other elegant crimes. At one point in tonight's episode a detective says to Burke, "What are you doing here? This is a murder, not an art exhibit," and I nodded my head in agreement.

Well, not really, because I watched the show alone and I'm not crazy, but I just agreed in my mind that I want this show to focus more on the clever crimes and not murders. There are already 312 other shows that focus on murder on TV right now.

Shows like White Collar are all about the journey to the resolution: how they figure things out, the banter between Caffrey and Burke, Mozzie (Willie Garson) helping Caffrey in his quirky way, the sharp dialogue, confrontations between Caffrey and Burke and other investigators, etc. Which is why I can completely overlook the rather lame endings we've seen in the last two episodes.

In the last episode some international criminal mastermind was caught by foolishly coming alone to a meeting in a park and being tackled, and in this one the female crook is captured by pulling a gun on Caffrey in an empty lot and then being surrounded by 20 cops in cars and vans. I hate it when shows have smart villains act dumb, but like I said, the show is getting everything else right and it's entertaining from start to finish.

More thoughts:

- I like how the Burke hasn't even met the Mozzie character yet, though he knows that someone is helping Caffrey. It should be fun when they actually come face-to-face and/or work together on a case.

- In my review of the first episode, I mentioned that I didn't believe that Tiffani Thiessen would be married to Tim DeKay because he looks a lot older than her. I don't really care about all that anymore, but I do like how Thiessen is fitting into the cast. She's not just there as a wife at home worrying about how her FBI husband is doing at his job. There's always one scene where she actually helps her husband and Caffrey further the case along (it's a nice touch she was a con person in another life too).

- I want more Diahann Carroll.

- The ongoing subplot with Caffrey's ex Kate still being missing and Caffrey finding hints and clues along the way is a smart device to use. The NYC subway map hidden on the wine bottle tonight was a nice touch.

- For a recently released con, Caffrey has an awesome apartment. USA is having a contest where the winner will live like Neal Caffrey for a few days: trip to New York City, dinner at trendy restaurants, etc. I'm going to enter it right now.

[Watch clips and episodes of White Collar and other shows at SlashControl.]