Preview: White Collar Season Finale – Out Of the Box
By: Stephanie Sigafoos
Now that USA Network’s White Collar has cemented itself as the stylish new series that had critics raving back in October, it’s time to wrap season one with Tuesday’s “Out of the Box,” a finale that’s as much top-notch entertainment as it is a healthy measure of ‘cool.’
Creator and executive producer Jeff Eastin no doubt knew there was a chance for the audience, himself and the cast to have some fun here – yet the emotional complexities of the script add a new element to a show that has thus far been a mix of breezy banter, a few dabs of polish and mostly uncomplicated, rhythmic storytelling.
What’s different this time around is the twinkle in the eyes of Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer) that has dimmed ever so slightly. The ex-con’s conman talents are on full display as he assembles his crew – pickpocket/fence Alex (Gloria Votsis) and strategist/trusted ally Mozzie (Willie Garson) –for their most daring heist yet. The three are set to infiltrate the Italian Consulate in New York to get their hands on the coveted amber music box Neal has been after all season. Yet to do it they’ll need more than pretty smiles, blue prints, safe-cracking skills and some sleight of hand.
An entertaining scene has Neal (dapper in a vintage suit and hoisting a glass of Ketel One) announce to the crowd, “I’m an internationally renowned art thief, and tonight I’m here to rob you.” The ploy is the kickoff to a doozy of a robbery with a new hitch around every corner. There are security guards, surveillance cameras and smoke screens in play — high drama woven neatly into an amusing rapport between Neal and Mozzie that never gets old.
Along the way, the show doesn’t forsake moral dilemma. Neal is at odds with Peter (Tim DeKay) over the life he wants and what he’s willing to do in order to get it. Peter is more than willing to
give the conman one last chance to “do the right thing,” though he has no qualms about throwing him back in prison. Yet what drives the two apart also brings them together as they aim to take down a nemesis within the bureau now targeting everything (or in this case, everyone) the two men value most.
What carries the story along also propels it into darker territory, but it’s a welcome change for a show where optimism normally reigns even under the most dire of circumstances. The characters are no longer afraid to get their hands dirty when the need arises, and the show is better because of it.
If there’s one real flaw in this finale, it’s the absence of a perfect ending for anyone involved. Twists and double crosses come in ways you don’t expect and the real crime is having to wait at least three months to learn what happens next.
The season finale of White Collar airs Tuesday, March 9 at 10pm/9c on USA Network.
Posted by Adam Wright
on March 8, 2010. Filed under Features, News, Preview.
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