White Collar Preview — Tim DeKay, Season 3 Episode 16

Meant to post this yesterday – Tim DeKay (who plays Peter Burke) dishes on White Collar’s baseball episode (set at Yankee Stadium) and on the season finale (and it sounds like the show is going to be just as mean with this finale as the others!).

White Collar Preview — Tim DeKay, Season 3 Episode 16.

Share this post:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • del.icio.us
  • LinkedIn
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • NewsVine
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Technorati
  • RSS
  • email
  • Print

NCIS: LA, House — News and Spoilers — Inside Line

It’s rare that I read a multi-show spoiler article that mostly features shows I actually watch, but this one does, down to every character pictured above! From a Kensi-centric NCIS: Los Angeles episode to a Chase-centric House episode, there’s tons of news! There are also hints at future episodes of Person of Interest, White Collar, The Big Bang Theory, and 2 Broke Girls.

NCIS: LA, House — News and Spoilers — Inside Line.

Share this post:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • del.icio.us
  • LinkedIn
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • NewsVine
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Technorati
  • RSS
  • email
  • Print

People’s Choice Awards 2012 Nominees – PeoplesChoice.com

Well, I told you all who I voted for this year – now to look at the results! Full results list with all the winners and nominees is linked at the bottom of this post.

FAVORITE NETWORK TV DRAMA

I voted for House, Supernatural won.

FAVORITE TV DRAMA ACTOR

I voted for both David Boreanaz and Nathan Fillion, and Fillon won!

FAVORITE TV DRAMA ACTRESS

I voted for Bones’ Emily Deschanel, but The Vampire Diaries’ Nina Dobrev won.

FAVORITE CABLE TV DRAMA

Pretty Little Liars won. I really wish it had been White Collar – an excellent show that more people should be talking about.

FAVORITE NETWORK TV COMEDY

I voted for both The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother, and HIMYM won.

FAVORITE TV COMEDY ACTOR

HIMYM continues conquer as Neil Patrick Harris won. I voted for both him and Jim Parsons.

FAVORITE TV COMEDY ACTRESS

Voted for Kaley Cuoco, but Glee’s Lea Michele won.

FAVORITE CABLE TV COMEDY

Don’t currently watch any, but Hot in Cleveland won.

FAVORITE TV CRIME DRAMA

Voted for my 3 favorite ones, all nominated this year: Bones, Castle, and NCIS. Castle won.

FAVORITE SCI-FI/FANTASY SHOW

I’d only seen Supernatural on this list, so I voted for it, and it won.

FAVORITE TV GUEST STAR

Katy Perry’s appearance on How I Met Your Mother won this, though I preferred Jim Carrey on The Office (wish he would have had more of a role).

FAVORITE NEW TV DRAMA

Surprised that Person of Interest won this! It’s a solid show that keeps improving, but hasn’t seem to create the buzz and fans that shows like Once Upon a Time (which I voted for) have.

FAVORITE NEW TV COMEDY

2 Broke Girls was my vote, and it won.

People’s Choice Awards 2012 Nominees – PeoplesChoice.com.

Share this post:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • del.icio.us
  • LinkedIn
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • NewsVine
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Technorati
  • RSS
  • email
  • Print

People’s Choice Awards 2012

I like voting for things. Especially when they have to do with my favorite shows. So I thought I’d provide a quick rundown of this year’s People’s Choice Award Nominees. Just the TV section, mind you, and only the scripted shows. I usually haven’t seen most of the movies (I did vote for Thor over the very close choice of Captain America), and I’ve don’t listen to nearly all of the music artists.

FAVORITE NETWORK TV DRAMA

Pretty much a no-brainer that I was voting for House. Supernatural hasn’t captured my attention, and while The Good Wife looks like a solid show, I’ve never seen it (blame my lawyer aversion). And Grey’s Anatomy and The Vampire Diaries look FAR too soapy for me.

FAVORITE TV DRAMA ACTOR

How can I choose between David Boreanaz and Nathan Fillion? Fortunately, with this award, I can vote as often as I like, so I’ve been alternating between the two. Not so when the two face each other in Round 3 of TV Line’s “Ultimate Law-Enforcement Crushes Bracket Tournament.” I don’t know how I’ll pick. Nathan has Castle and Firefly and Dr. Horrible and now Much Ado About Nothing. David has Buffy the Vampire Slayer (I’m ignoring Nathan as Caleb since I hated him in that role) and Angel and Bones.

Hugh Laurie only gets a distant third in this category, and Ian Somerhalder and Patrick Dempsey are soundly ignored by me.

FAVORITE TV DRAMA ACTRESS

A very easy vote for Emily Deschanel. I haven’t even heard of some of the others on the list: Blake Lively, Ellen Pompeo, Eva Longoria, and Nina Dobrev.

FAVORITE CABLE TV DRAMA

Another super easy choice, as I only watch White Collar. Game of Thrones does sound good, though, and people have recommended Dexter to me. Don’t know about True Blood and Pretty Little Liars.

FAVORITE NETWORK TV COMEDY

The Big Bang Theory gets my vote most of the time for this one, but I’ll occasionally vote for How I Met Your Mother as well. Interesting that Dr. Horrible is competing against his sidekick, Moist. I only enjoy Glee for the music, Two and a Half Men is crude instead of funny, and I’ve never seen Modern Family.

FAVORITE TV COMEDY ACTOR

Hmm, Sheldon (Jim Parsons) or Barney (Neil Patrick Harris)? Same as above, I’ll usually tilt toward the Thursday night show but occasionally choose the Monday night one. Alec Baldwin, Chris Colfer, and Cory Monteith don’t make me laugh.

FAVORITE TV COMEDY ACTRESS

Kaley Cuoco wins hands down over Courteney Cox, Jane Lynch, Lea Michele, and Tina Fey.

FAVORITE CABLE TV COMEDY

I don’t currently watch any of these, though I used to watch Royal Pains (seriously, why is this a nominee instead of Psych?). I may come back to the show later, I’m just not a huge fan of medical shows (House is the only one I watch now) and not too fond of the main character (loved Evan and Divya, though). It does get my vote over the shows I haven’t seen: Hot in Cleveland, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Nurse Jackie, and Weeds.

FAVORITE TV CRIME DRAMA

When I first saw the nominees for this category, I thought, Are you kidding? I’ve mentioned several times on this blog that Bones, Castle, and NCIS are my top three crime dramas, and all three were nominated this year! I voted for each of them. I’ve only seen bits of CSI and Criminal Minds episodes.

FAVORITE SCI-FI/FANTASY SHOW

I’ve only seen Supernatural on this list, so I voted for it, but Fringe has been on my to-watch list for a long while. From what I’ve heard, I think I’d prefer True Blood to The Vampire Diaries (too bad my favorite currently-airing vampire show, Being Human, didn’t make the list), and since zombies bore me, The Walking Dead has only appeared on my radar since its ratings are good.

FAVORITE TV GUEST STAR

I loved Jim Carrey’s appearance on The Office, and would have much preferred his character to Robert California. Katy Perry’s appearance on How I Met Your Mother was funny, but I felt like most actresses could have played the role well. I didn’t see the appearances of Gwyneth Paltrow, Kristin Chenoweth, or Michael J. Fox.

FAVORITE NEW TV DRAMA

Twelve options is a lot to choose from, but Once Upon a Time has wowed me in all three episodes. Ringer is a close second and gets my vote every once in a while. Person of Interest has built slowly but is improving, and Grimm’s two episodes have been good enough for me to keep watching.

Out of the remaining shows, I’ve only seen Unforgettable, which I hated. Pilots sometimes don’t match the rest of a show, but I couldn’t even get halfway through episode two. I’ve heard good things about Pan Am, Terra Nova, and Revenge, but my “new shows to try out” list already had 11 shows on it (plus more than a dozen returning shows). Medically-minded Hart of Dixie and A Gifted Man didn’t sound like quite my thing, and neither did The Secret Circle or Prime Suspect.

FAVORITE NEW TV COMEDY

2 Broke Girls was super-easy choice for this category, though Suburgatory has been good and New Girl has been okay. Guessed to be not my cup of tea by the previews: Whitney, Up All Night, Last Man Standing, and Man Up. I don’t watch animated TV (the only way I think I ever would was if Joss Whedon created an animated show), so no Allen Gregory.

 

What did you vote for? Are there any shows mentioned that you think I should be watching?

Share this post:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • del.icio.us
  • LinkedIn
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • NewsVine
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Technorati
  • RSS
  • email
  • Print

Top 10 Favorite TV Opening Credits

Nothing invokes the memory of a favorite TV show faster than its opening credits. That may be why I always feel a bit cheated when a show doesn’t have any, or when they’re terrible, or when they don’t match the show at all.

White Collar is a prime example of how attached fans get to show intros. When season three debuted with new opening titles, fans were very vocal about their dislike. Eventually the network hosted a poll, and the fans voted the old opening back in.

I didn’t include any classic shows in this list – in fact, only one show had episodes airing before the year 2000. There are no animated shows, and it’s also limited to shows I actually watch. I made my decisions based on the music, visual appeal, how well they meshed, and how well they matched the show. I included some unique ones as well.

I had a terrible time narrowing the list down to just ten, and that’s even with leaving out the shows that only have title and creator in their intros (like White Collar above and How I Met Your Mother) or have voiceover intros (Burn Notice’s “My name is Michael Westen, I used to be a spy” and Castle’s “There are two kinds of folks that sit around thinking about how to kill people – psychopaths and mystery writers”). This list changed several times even as I was writing this article, and the main excuse I gave myself for leaving Bones off was that I couldn’t find a good video for the credits!

#10 – Alphas

I love the music to this theme, and how well the lyrics fit the show. I also love the mysterious quality – it’s hard to catch everything the first few times you watch it, which works well for a show that has a lot under the surface.

 

#9 – The Cape

This theme sticks in my head long after I’ve watched the intro, and I love the way the comics dissolve into the show’s characters. Hate that this got cancelled.

 

#8 – Community

The folded paper design of this intro is just plain fun.

 

#7 – Chuck

The cartoon Buy More guy getting in and out of trouble is perfectly in keeping with the lighthearted tone of this show.

 

#6 – Warehouse 13

I love the mysterious quality of these credits, and the music fits perfectly! It’s cool seeing the artifacts “at work,” too.

 

#5 – Covert Affairs

Unfortunately, this clip cuts off the cool intro whistle (which plays before the credits actually start). I like the juxtaposition of the actors over the virtual background.

 

#4 – Veronica Mars

Yes, this is NOT the season 3 opening, which I disliked (it wouldn’t have been as bad if they’d simply changed the visuals, but they messed up the song, too). Bonus points for perfect lyrics (which were even quoted in an episode)!

 

#3 – Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Apologies for the quality of this clip. Love how this opening meshes scary and funny. I rock out to these credits whenever I’m watching Buffy by myself. 🙂

 

#2 – NCIS

A classic, solid, intro, with fun music and great transitions. I especially love McGee’s rocket pack impression.

 

#1 – Psych

No, I didn’t make this my top choice simply because it’s my theme this month and I’m giving away a season. I love how it matches the show, with zany moments and apt lyrics. I also love how they change it up to match special episodes – Spanish lyrics, a Christmas version, even a Bollywood rendition.

 

What openings would be in your top 10? Did I miss any good ones?

Share this post:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • del.icio.us
  • LinkedIn
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • NewsVine
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Technorati
  • RSS
  • email
  • Print

Buffy the Vampire Slayer – Killed By Death

Okay, I don’t know who came up for the title for this episode, but it’s vague to the point of annoyance. I had to see a screenshot of the episode to remember what it was about. On top of that, it seems inanely redundant. I know the kid calls the monster “Death” and its German name means “child death,” but even as someone who watched the episode before, I didn’t make the connection of the title to this episode. Death is all too common in the Buffyverse.

Names aside, this is one of the few Buffy episodes that’s as spooky as Supernatural. Hospitals are creepy enough on their own, but add an invisible life-sucking creature that goes after kids and you have the stuff nightmares are made of. Buffy’s memories of what happened to her cousin and her delirious state only add to the dream-like quality.

This episode follows up with “Passion” well, having Angel come after Buffy twice in her weakened state, but her friends (especially Xander) have her back. Is Angel ready to kill her yet, or just torment her in her weakened state? At the cemetery it seems that his plan is to pick off her friends, one by one, preferably in front of her.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, the Scooby gang manages to add a huge helping of humor to an otherwise somber episode, perhaps to prove that laughter is the best medicine?

Xander:  Man, Buffy! My whole life just flashed before my eyes! I gotta get me a life!

Cordelia:  So this isn’t about you being afraid of hospitals ’cause your friend died and you wanna conjure up a monster that you can fight so you can save everybody and not feel so helpless?
Giles:  Cordelia, have you actually ever heard of tact?
Cordelia:  Tact is just not saying true stuff. I’ll pass.

Xander:  Finding out who this thing is takes priority. Cordy, you should go with Giles.
Giles:  Why do I have to have… Uh, good thinking. I could do with a research assistant.
Cordelia:  Let’s go, tact-guy.

I love Willow pretending she’s crazy by screaming that she’s covered with frogs (if I remember right, that’s the one animal she’s afraid of) to distract the security guards. One of the guards (the one Cordelia distracted earlier) is played by Willie Garson (Mozzie on White Collar). Until Eliza Dushku’s guest role on White Collar a few weeks ago, he was only credited actor to ever appear on both shows.

Other notable bits in this episode: We get to see Buffy as a little girl, and she sees herself in the role of the hero even then (perhaps an early hint of her awareness as a Potential?). Cordelia knows Xander’s not over Buffy. And Oz is once again absent.

The episode ends with a fun scene as the trio of friends lounge in Buffy’s room, watching TV and generally acting like six-year-olds:

Buffy:  Oh, mom?
Joyce:  Mm-hm?
Buffy:  I wanted crunchy peanut butter.
Joyce:  Oh, sorry.
Buffy:  A-and I said extra jelly.
Joyce:  Anything to help my daughter get well.
Willow:  Oh, and while you’re up, could I get a refill? It’s just I’m so comfortable.
Joyce:  Of course.
Willow:  Thanks.
Xander:  Oh, oh, oh, and another bag of cheesy chips.
Joyce:  Uh, you ate the last one.
Xander:  No, there’s another bag hidden behind the raisins.
Joyce:  (sighs) I’m on it.
Xander:  Your mom’s tryin’ to Bogart the cheesy chips. What’s that all about?

Share this post:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • del.icio.us
  • LinkedIn
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • NewsVine
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Technorati
  • RSS
  • email
  • Print

White Collar – Cruel Cliffhangers

The summer finale of White Collar was last night, and once again, the writers left us with a mean cliffhanger. I wonder if they get paid on a sliding scale based on how much they torment viewers.

And with USA Network’s split schedule, they get to have cliffhanger moments twice as often. In the 2 1/2 years the show’s been running, there have been five cliffhangers. And I clearly remember every one.

Suffice it to say, there are going to be plenty of spoilers below. So beware!

I sort of envy people who came to the show late, like my parents and siblings. They avoided months of restless wondering.

The first mid-season finale (halfway through season 1) ended with Peter confronting Kate, in a way that made it seem like he was the one who’d been controlling her moves. And for weeks we wondered – could Peter be the bad guy? Was he betraying Neal? And if not, what was he doing there, wearing that ring?

The season one finale ended with a plane exploding. Who wanted Neal and Kate dead? How would Neal get over losing her?

The second summer finale (halfway through season 2) ended with Mozzie being shot. The outcry I read over and over online was, “Not Mozzie!” He was just enough of a secondary character that he could really have died, but such a favorite that no one wanted to imagine the show without him.

The season two finale ended with Peter accusing Neal of faking a fire to steal the Nazi treasure, and Neal hotly denying it, only to later find out that someone close to him had done exactly that. Out of all the cliffhangers, this was the one I minded least, but the complications that arose were far-reaching.

The third summer finale ended with Keller telling Peter he’d seen the treasure, and kidnapping Elizabeth to get it.

While the mid-season finales seem to be more intense in terms of “what if?” emotional turmoil, it’s the season finales that drive the action for the following seasons. We find out Mozzie’s not dead and Peter’s not the bad guy quite quickly once the season resumes. So I’m hopeful they’ll find El in the next episode – but that one episode will be amazing.

If anything could postpone Mozzie’s island getaway, finding out that Mrs. Suit is in danger will. Mozzie is closer to her than to anyone else on the right side of the law (and perhaps even on the wrong side, too), and it’s his stealing of the treasure that got her kidnapped. His putting the bounty on Keller that gave him the opportunity to escape the FBI.

Not that Neal’s going to be feeling any less guilt. Keller is his enemy. Neal’s lies to Peter led to this.

But my guess is that the treasure’s only going to be a side issue during the next episode. The focus will be on getting El back.

I just hope that, when this is all hashed out, that Peter realizes that Neal was having to choose between Peter with all the confines of the anklet, and Mozzie with all the treasure he could imagine. And that in the end, Neal chose Peter.

Share this post:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • del.icio.us
  • LinkedIn
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • NewsVine
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Technorati
  • RSS
  • email
  • Print

Rizzoli & Isles – High Heels and Handcuffs

I watch too much crime drama, so last summer I was reluctant to jump into Rizzoli & Isles. But since there were few shows airing new episodes during the summer, and since Sasha Alexander (Kate from the early seasons of NCIS) was one of the co-stars, I decided to give it a try.

The 10-episode first season was great. Pairing two very different characters together to solve crimes has been done way too many times, but when it’s done well, it works. Rizzoli & Isles has the unique twist of having the duo be two females, instead the usual man and woman (Bones, Castle, etc.) or two guys (Psych, White Collar). Boston was also a fresh setting, for me at least.

The first season had a great mix of conflicts – Rizzoli dealing with both her past and present with the murderous Hoyt, crazy fun Italian family issues, and breaking in a new partner while still working with her old one; Isles with uncovering secrets about her past and naivety about certain situations. The show had some great guest stars too – in fact, Donnie Wahlberg’s character in a few episodes directly influenced me trying out Blue Bloods that fall.

But so far, the second season has bored me. The drama has felt overwrought, and none of the episodes that have aired so far has gripped me. It must be still doing well as far as viewers go, since TNT just ordered a 13-episode third season, but I’m not sure I’ll keep watching. I’ll probably finish out this season at least, especially since late August and early September will be a bit empty as far as new episodes go. I’m still hoping the show will pick back up, since it has a good cast and did so well in season one.

Share this post:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • del.icio.us
  • LinkedIn
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • NewsVine
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Technorati
  • RSS
  • email
  • Print

Tru Calling – Reliving Days

I began watching this show for two reasons: Matt Bomer and Eliza Dushku. I’d heard the two were reuniting in an upcoming episode of White Collar (which aired earlier this week and was awesome), so I figured it was time I checked out this “canceled before its time” show.

I wasn’t all that impressed with the first few episodes. Dushku’s portrayal of Tru didn’t seem all that different from her portrayal of Faith on her early Buffy the Vampire Slayer days, and the other Davies siblings were annoying. Zach Galifianakis wasn’t as funny as I’d anticipated, and it took a while for Matt Bomer to show up in more than a scene or two. The show quickly fell into a formula – the first 10-15 minutes was the original day, and the rest of the show was Tru reliving the day and trying to save the victim.

I was kind of seeing why the show got canceled.

Then things started to change. Episodes delved deeper. Writers played with the formula. Bland characters gained added complexity. Harrison and Davis found out about Tru’s ability and helped her out. People closer to Tru – both friends and enemies – were put in danger. The mythology behind the show expanded, and a villain began to emerge.

And now, with ten episodes left, I’m starting to get attached to Tru Calling.

I still wish Eliza Dushku had decided to take the Faith spinoff show instead of doing this one, for several reasons. One, knowing this show only got 26 episodes. Who knows how long “Faith the Vampire Slayer” would have run? Two, because Joss Whedon pretty much makes anything better. Three, if the spinoff was a hit, it would have helped things out with Angel, especially if there were crossovers, and perhaps Angel wouldn’t have been canceled.

And is it just me, or do the intro credits seem to have a lot in common with the Dollhouse credits? Plus the graphics for the day rewinding remind me of the memory wipes on Dollhouse.

Share this post:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • del.icio.us
  • LinkedIn
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • NewsVine
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Technorati
  • RSS
  • email
  • Print

White Collar – Listening to Fans

Season three of White Collar opened with two new aspects – a con driving a wedge of mistrust between Peter and Neal, and new opening credits.

The revelation in the first episode that Mozzie was the one who stole the treasure and faked its destruction makes Neal’s dilemma a bit more believable. He can’t simply “do the right thing” and turn everything over to the Feds – he’d be betraying Mozzie. Yet escaping with millions in art will mean cutting all his ties in New York – Peter, the FBI, Elizabeth, June, Sara.

Some close calls and quick decisions in the first few episodes tabled the issue for a while, and I’m glad that it won’t overtake the entire season. The past two episodes have been fun character portraits.

“Dentist of Detroit” dives into Mozzie’s past, including how he got started in the con business, how he got to be so well-read, and where his name comes from (you don’t think someone that paranoid would tell a fellow con artist his real name, let alone the Feds?). Interesting note – Mozzie’s mentor played Gus’s dad on an episode of Psych.

“Veiled Threat” has Peter going undercover to catch a black widow. We got to see a new side of his relationship with Elizabeth, and my heart broke for her when she had to walk away after Peter was nearly hit by a car. This episode had so many fun aspects as well: Neal doing the painting for Peter. Mozzie as Peter’s valet. Peter tangoing like a pro. Neal bring Diana an awesome meal as a thank you. And the end of the episode was so sweet!

Many fans were disappointed in the new opening credits, myself included. They just don’t fit the tone of the show, especially the new music. It’s hard to believe a network that has been spot on with such credit sequences as Psych and Covert Affairs could get this one so wrong (though I imagine that’s more of a decision for showrunners). But after catching wind of fans’ dislike of the new credits (creator Jeff Eastin tweeted: How are you feeling about the new #WhiteCollar opening? Be honest, I can take it…), USA Network is allowing viewers to vote on keeping the new opening sequence or reverting to the old one.

I think this is a huge step for a show and a network to take, moving toward and flowing with the inevitable changes media is taking. Someday soon I think we’ll see the option for fans to vote for which shows get canceled, what pilots get picked up, and which guest stars make an appearance. But in the meantime, cast your vote here (voting starts today!) and be a part of history. And let me know which side you’re on in the comments below.

What do you think will change in TV during the next few years? I’d love to hear your predictions and thoughts!

Share this post:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • del.icio.us
  • LinkedIn
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • NewsVine
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Technorati
  • RSS
  • email
  • Print

Supernatural – Pilot

It was only recently that I’d even heard of the show Supernatural. It popped up a few times on TV blogs and articles, and I gathered that it had a strong fan base. Without probing too deeply (trying to avoid spoilers!), I learned that two brothers, trained by their dad after the death of their mom, hunt all sorts of supernatural baddies.

The pilot introduces the Winchester brothers, Dean and Sam (played by Jared Padalecki, who I knew as Dean from Gilmore Girls, which made things a bit confusing). The entire episode was quite creepy, something I wasn’t expecting. Most of the speculative shows I watch involve vampires or superheroes, and fighting them means physical battles. As such, they tend to be more scary/suspenseful than creepy, but Supernatural’s pilot ranks right up there with the handful of episodes that were creepy (Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s “Hush” and Angel’s “Room w/a Vu” come to mind).

The pilot featured Life and Fairly Legal’s Sarah Shahi. The acting and effects were above par, and it contained enough of a hook to make me want to watch the second episode. The only thing that didn’t ring true was Dean’s comment to Sam that they made a great team. Their teamwork wasn’t impressive at all in this episode – they seemed to just stumble onto things individually. (A bunch of shows come to mind that have much better teamwork in the pilot episode that ultimately brings the characters together to form the show – Leverage, Bones, White Collar, Burn Notice . . .) But I’m guessing this improves with future episodes. I’m looking forward to what a regular episode will bring.

Share this post:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • del.icio.us
  • LinkedIn
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • NewsVine
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Technorati
  • RSS
  • email
  • Print

White Collar – Con Man vs. Lawman

I don’t remember what first perked my interest in the show White Collar. I likely heard something about it while watching another USA network show such as Psych or Burn Notice. And generally, if a show is on USA, I usually don’t need to hear anything else to try it out, or at least watch a few promos and uncover the premise.

If I wasn’t hooked already, the first five minutes of the pilot episode would have been enough to do so. It opens in a prison, where an inmate shaves his beard, changes into a guard’s uniform, swipes a forged key card, and proceeds to walk out the front door. That is our first introduction to Neal Caffrey, con artist extraordinaire.

FBI agent Peter Burke, the only man who’s ever been able to catch Caffrey, is called in. He deduces the reason Neal would escape with only a few months left on his four-year sentence, and brings him back in with four more years added to his sentence.

But con artists know how other con artists work, and Neal is able to strike a deal with the FBI – serve out the remaining years while working to catch other criminals for the FBI’s white collar crime division, under the supervision of Agent Burke.

Peter’s solidness and by-the-book methods contrast with Neal’s charm and out-of-the-box thinking, and the two gradually come to trust each other. Since the show focuses on white-collar crimes, it’s a refreshing change from most crime dramas’ “murder of the week” scenarios. It also keeps the show free from most gruesome images, sensual scenes, and crude language.

Neal is played by Matt Bomer, who had a reoccurring role in Chuck as Brice Larkin. And I can’t write about White Collar without mentioning Neal’s friend, Mozzie, an OCD conspiracy theorist who doesn’t trust Feds (or as he calls them, suits. Peter is the Suit, his wife Elizabeth is Mrs. Suit, and FBI agent Diana is Lady Suit).

White Collar just finished season two, ending a major plot arch and adding a final twist for the cliffhanger. I must admit, though, it wasn’t nearly as powerful of an ending as the previous 3 (season one ending and the two mid-season breaks). In a way, I’m grateful, as those 3 made me nearly go crazy waiting to find out what happened. This one has far less emotional ties.

I’m still ambivalent about White Collar adding Sara Ellis as a permanent member of the cast for season three. I didn’t feel much chemistry between her and Neal these last few episodes, though I think they had some earlier this season.

Even though the season didn’t end as strongly as I hoped, much of season two was excellent, particularly the third episode from the end, “Payback,” the mid-season finale “Point Blank,” and the retrospective “Forging Bonds.”

Share this post:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • del.icio.us
  • LinkedIn
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • NewsVine
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Technorati
  • RSS
  • email
  • Print