Oh so pretty...

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. This has been the USA network programming mantra for ages (near as I can tell) and their latest offering fits right in with the rest of the family. White Collar is just as fun and effortless to watch as you'd expect from USA network, and quite frankly, that's all right with me. In all honesty, the show could just be Matt Bomer reading a book on the history of chimney sweeps and I'd probably be tuning in. Good god that man is attractive... and dressing like a rat-packer certainly doesn't hurt either...

Bomer (whom you'll recognize as the late Bryce Larkin, Sarah's ex-paramour on Chuck) stars as Neil Caffrey, a convicted felon of the Ocean's Eleven-ish variety (art theft, forgery, bank robbery, etc.), who has forged a partnership with FBI agent Peter Burke (played by Tim DeKay), who had put him in jail several years prior. Burke needs help catching bad guys and Caffrey wants to stay out of jail (for obvious and not so obvious reasons--apparently his would-be ex-girlfriend might be in trouble or something), so the duo teams up to help each other out in a tenuous partnership.

The show is very light and has a definite Catch Me If You Can vibe to it that's easy to watch and enjoy. As you'd expect, Caffrey plays the charismatic, rule-breaking, reckless free spirit to Burke's straight-as-an-arrow, by-the-book G-man. It certainly isn't an unexpected dynamic, but as with every other time it's been done (which is quite a few, I'd say), it's a lot of fun to watch and gives both actors a considerable amount to play with. Bomer is perfect as the charming cad of a criminal and DeKay does a nice job playing the fed, but without going overboard on the type A personality front (which would have been all too easy). They make for very nice, if a bit too convenient foils for one another and I have high hopes. The overall lighthearted tone and semi-procedural narrative approach of the show will limit the depth of their relationship to some degree, but I think the show has left the door open for quite a bit of exploration into each of these characters.

As with most USA network projects, White Collar injects a fair bit of humor into its genre (which in this case would be somewhere between spy thriller and cop show) and so far, there's very little at stake for anyone involved. It's one of the perks and failings of shows on USA network. Now, don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy a show that's nice and easy to watch (low commitment, high reward is always a nice balance to strike), but at the same time, I appreciate a show that makes me work a little harder for it. Judging from the pilot alone, I'm guessing White Collar will be one of those delightful shows that goes down easy, but that doesn't have you freaking out and throwing things at the TV. I have a fondness for such effortless enjoyment, but it does tend to limit a show's scope and emotional depth. It's a trade off and fine line to walk, and hopefully the writers will make it work--just as the other USA network shows seem to have perfected. Tonally, I'd say White Collar fits between Psych and Burn Notice. It's not as silly as Psych, but not as explosive or pulse-pounding as Burn Notice. It's not the widest gamut in the world, but the network does it proud.

The obvious center of the show (aside from the A-plot of the week) will be Caffrey's relationship/partnership with Burke. Caffrey has just gotten out of prison, and in spite of being the personification of charm, is mostly alone in the world. He has a very affable air about him, but at the end of the day, his girlfriend has basically disappeared and his most meaningful relationship over the past several years has been with the man who caught him. Burke is in a similar situation, in a way, in that his dogged pursuit of the Neil Caffreys of the world has led to a fairly lonely life--to the extent that he doesn't even know what his wife of 10 years would like as a gift for their anniversary (an anniversary Caffrey has to remind him of). Their relationships with the people around them (or lack thereof) puts these seemingly dissimilar men in the same boat. They each know each other better than they know just about anyone else, and although it's ostensibly an adversarial relationship, there's a familiarity there they makes them both feel comfortable in the other's presence.

In spite of a kind of playful antagonism between them, neither of them ultimately knows if he can trust the other. Caffrey has to wonder if Burke will send him back to jail and Burke has to worry that Caffrey will give him a reason to. It makes for an interesting (if somewhat predictable) dynamic that's quite a lot of fun to watch. They both appear pretty comfortable with their arrangement on the outside, but neither is sure how firm the ground is beneath them. In the pilot, Caffrey seems delighted to be helping out the FBI (a means of staying out of jail as much as a ploy to show off his skills and knowledge), but there's also a certain admiration for his criminal contemporaries. I have an inkling that honor among thieves and professional courtesy might just muddy the waters somewhere down the line. Caffrey wants to stay out of jail, but he also clearly respects the criminals he's trying to catch. At some point, that admiration just might get the best of him--a prospect both Caffrey and Burke should be concerned about.

Caffrey and Burke form the core of the show, but rounding out the cast is Saved By The Bell and 90210 alum Tiffani Thiessen (please reserve judgment until at least the end of this paragraph) and Willie Garson (although I'm not sure he's a series regular...). Thiessen (which I'm not even going to try to spell correctly) plays Burke's loving, understanding, and very easy-going wife who accepts the fact that her husband spends more time with criminals than with her. It was nice to have a wife character that wasn't the disapproving, nagging shrew for once. Thiessen was only in a few minutes of the pilot and I honestly didn't mind her. I've heard the pilot really doesn't do her justice and that her character becomes rather endearing in the episodes to come. I assumed I'd hate her from minute one, but she was actually pretty likable overall. Willie Garson did a wonderful job as Caffrey's friend/criminal colleague and I'm hopeful he's a regular on the show. His character helped flesh out just how alone Caffrey really is when even his friends have a cloak and dagger vibe to them.

Anyway, it's not the most innovative conceit and White Collar certainly won't be turning the industry on its ear, but what they've done has been done well and it's pretty clear that all parties involved are having as much fun at their jobs as the audience is watching them. USA network has a surprisingly solid track record with this kind of show and I'm confident they'll make this one as much of a joy to watch as everyone else in the family. After watching only the pilot, I already care about all the characters, but in the non-committal, casual kind of way that only USA network seems to be able to pull off.

Besides, as mentioned, Matt Bomer is very easy on the eyes, so even if the writers opt out of having any actual storyline or character development, we should still be good to go. (Not that I'm shallow or anything--I just have a really big TV and these kinds of things must be taken into consideration. There's a reason I don't watch CSI:Miami--well, many reasons, but a giant David Caruso is pretty high on the list.)

Pilot Grade: B