The TV Chick

White Collar returns tomorrow night and the mid-season premiere is pretty fantastic. I think I had forgotten just how much I love this show. Here’s some info on the premiere: In the shocking summer finale, Peter Burke’s (DeKay) world crumbled to pieces when he found out Neal (Bomer) was in possession of the stolen Nazi treasure and his wife Elizabeth (Thiessen) was kidnapped as a result.  Now with an uncertain future and both his personal and professional life at stake, what will Peter do? What has happened to Elizabeth? And will Neal choose a side? It all happens tomorrow night! And I’m thrilled to offer this great giveaway. Keep reading to find out how to enter!

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The big White Collar summer finale is tomorrow and I am super excited about it! Will Neal go with Mozzie? Will he decide to stay and remain loyal to Peter? And what about Sara? Is she still a factor in all of this? And what about the Degas? Clearly, I have a lot of questions, but mostly excitement. So I am thrilled to offer this great giveaway. Keep reading to find out how you could win a fantastic prize pack!

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When we last left our favorite FBI agent and former con-man, they had arrested their foe of the season, Vincent Adler, and watched a warehouse full of very expensive Nazi art explode. Or so we thought. The season three premiere, titled “On Guard,” picks up right where we left off, but the relationship between Peter and Neal has changed significantly. Peter finds a piece of charred painting that he saw on Neal’s easel prior to the explosion, and suspects the worst (i.e. that Neal stole the art). The premiere episode focuses on that suspicion, as well as Neal’s struggle with his former self. I’m not going to spoil too much and tell you who did steal the art, but your questions will be answered in the very beginning of the episode.

Continue reading “ADVANCE REVIEW: Season 3 Premiere of White Collar “On Guard”” »

I am so glad that White Collar is back on my TV. Not just because Matt Bomer (who plays former con artist gone FBI agent/helper Neal Caffrey) is extraordinarily good looking but also because I absolutely adore the show. The dynamic between the aformentioned Bomer and Tim DeKay (who plays FBI agent Peter Burke who is slowly beginning to trust his “partner”) is fantastic, the supporting cast is just as fantastic and it’s full of intrigue, drama and even bits of humor where it’s needed most. White Collar might be about specific FBI cases on an episode by episode basis, but the true core of the show is the Caffrey/Burke relationship. Their friendship (I think it is safe to call it that at this point) has really developed and grown in such a great way. Peter is starting to trust Neal completely and vice versa. The fact that Neal used to live the life as a con-man is not lost on Peter, but both of them have come to a point where they are working towards the same thing. At the end of last season, they were trying to figure out if Fowler killed Kate (it turns out not really) and that continues into this second half of the season. The mid-season finale ended on a huge cliffhanger with Mozzie getting shot, and “Burke’s Seven” picks up right where it left off.

Continue reading “ADVANCE REVIEW: White Collar “Burke’s Seven”” »

Who doesn’t love free stuff? I’m thrilled to offer this great giveaway for one of my favorite USA Network shows that is returning next week! Tuesday, January 18th, USA Network is bringing you the premiere of all new episode of White Collar at 10/9c! Find out what happens to Neal, Peter, Mozzie and the rest of the crew after a huge cliff-hanging finale last summer. WHITE COLLAR stars Matt Bomer, TimDeKay, Tiffany Thiessen, Willie Garson, Marsha Thomason and Sharif Atkins. Visit the official White Collar website at http://www.usanetwork.com/series/whitecollar/, for games, photos, videos and weekly prizes. Become a fan on Facebook for the latest news, exclusive features and more at http://www.facebook.com/whitecollar.

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Tonight is the big mid-season finale of White Collar and if it’s anything like the season one finale, it’s going to be a huge cliffhanger. Neal’s big mission this season has been trying to find out who killed Kate, in addition to looking super handsome while solving FBI cases. It really is a fantastic show that highlights the relationship between Peter Burke (played by the lovely Tim DeKay) and Neal Caffrey as they learn to trust each other and become friends in the process. At Comic Con, I had the chance to catch up with the show’s cast and producers. Matt Bomer talks about what the future holds for Neal and whether we might see him reprise his role on Chuck.

Continue reading “INTERVIEW: Matt Bomer (Neal Caffrey) from White Collar” »

White Collar continues to be amazing in its sophomore season. The Neal/Peter relationship is developing and twisting in new ways every week, and I love it. I also adore Marsha Thomason and Willie Garson, so I’m very happy to see them both take on bigger roles. Two weeks ago, we were introduced to Sara Ellis, an insurance broker who goes head to head with Neal. I recently had the chance to visit the set of White Collar, where Hilarie Burton (who plays Sara Ellis) talked to us about her new role, life after One Tree Hill and working with Matt Bomer, who she quite aptly dubbed one of the seven wonders of the world.

Continue reading “INTERVIEW: On Set with Hilarie Burton (Sara Ellis) from White Collar” »

The second season premiere of White Collar ended with a big cliffhanger. Marsha Thomason, who plays Diana, has been upgraded to a series regular and all we know is that she has something to do with the music box. While Neal and Peter might be the main cast, Diana was one of my favorites last season and I’m so glad she is taking on a bigger role. I recently had the chance to visit the set of White Collar, where Marsha Thomason chatted about Diana (is she good or evil?), her own TV addiction (she’s a Gleek!) and the support she’s had from the gay community.

So season two episode one ended on an interesting note, can you give us some spoilers?
I don’t remember what happened at the end [laughs].  We’re shooting episode six now. they all merge into one.

You opened the safe...the Music Box.
Oh, right yeah, oh yeah.  So it’s, is Diana good or bad right?

Yeah.
Well I can’t say.

Well I’m curious to know, you know, you’re signed up for season two with a bigger role. And how has that been, taking on a bigger role from season one to season two?
Oh it’s been great.  I mean everybody’s so lovely here, and it’s such a great part, it’s a wonderful environment.  And, you know, it sounds so cheesy when we say that, because I’ve lied in the past when I’ve said that on shows [laughs].  But actually, in this instance, it’s really true, like everyone is so lovely and it’s such a pleasure to come here.  And it’s just, it’s been really great. I’m loving working in the city, you know, being here.  New York is such a big pie, it’s like a character of its own on the show and its been really great.

So how do you like being in New York compared to being back [home]?
Well, I live in LA, I’ve lived there for almost ten years, so I feel almost like an American now.  I know I don’t sound like one but it’s been great being here, it’s such a great city, it’s so vibrant, I’ve loved it, really loved it.  It’s always been a dream of mine to work in New York.

When you came in on season one did they tell you that it was possibly going to be a season two recurring role?  Or did they tell you we’ll see what happens?
Yeah it was kind up in the air, we didn’t really know what was going to happen with it, which is often the case in this business as you know.  So it’s great to be back for this second season [with the] boys.

And you play a really strong female character who’s gay, and do you think we might see your relationship in the future?
I think you might, yeah.

[laughter] Oh, she knowingly nods.
She knowingly raises a brow [laughs].

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White Collar is back with an amazing 2nd season premiere tonight. The series stars Matt Bomer as Neal Caffrey and Tim DeKay as Peter Burke (a ex-con artist and FBI agent respectively). Burke is the only to ever successfully catch Caffrey, and they form an unprecedented partnership. Slowly but surely they become friends who trust each other, even with Neal’s shady past. The season two premiere brings a whole new mystery to the table, a new regular cast member (former recurring star Marsha Thomason) and lots of Matt Bomer. I recently had the chance to visit the set of White Collar, where Matt Bomer chatted with us about the Neal/Peter dynamic, shooting in New York, and his newfound role as a sex symbol.

So, Hilarie [Burton, guest starring on the episode we saw taping] just told us that you were one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
Now, there’s no way I can live up to that. But I paid her actually, before I came in here, so I guess I’ll have to cough it up now. That’s very sweet of her, and I think she’s one of the Seven Wonders of the World herself.

We had to start out believing that Neal really loved Kate and this whole thing. But as the time went on, and now with her dead, it turns into more of like, is she a symbol, is she a mystery? Because it seems a little bit more of an obsession that a love now?
Well, what I always loved about the character is that his romantic life is where he got sloppy. It’s sort of his tragic flaw, Achilles heel. So, I truly believe, I do think Neal is a little bit obsessive-compulsive in a lot of ways. I think that’s one of the benefits and probably drawbacks of being as intelligent as he is. I think he probably over thinks a lot of things. But yeah, she was definitely an obsession, but I think in his heart he truly believed that she was the one for him. And whether it’s rational or not at a certain point, is sort of irrelevant for him. So, yeah, I think in his heart and his mind it’s love.

And we talked about this with Peter, but one of the overarching themes of last season and this coming season seems to be one of trust.
Yeah.

Neal told Peter that he didn’t want to run anymore. In your mind, do you think if he would have stayed with Peter? Do you think that that trust relationship is going to continue to develop?
Well, it’s always been my hope for the character that he’d never just jump over to the other side of the moral spectrum. I hope he always stays in the gray area and loves it and enjoys it and he’s always testing his boundaries with Peter. But yeah, trust is really one of, if not the central theme of the show. It plays into every scene in all of the different characters, and when I’m approaching the work, whether it is with Kate, you know, at a certain point it’s like how much could I trust her last year? My trust for her came into question. My trust for Peter came into question. My trust for Mozzie came into question. So, it’s something that sort of shows its face a lot on the show in all the different relationships, and I hope it continues to be a central theme. Even with the introduction of Hilary’s character, immediately we have trust issues. So, I love it. It’s fun to play because there’s a surreptitious quality to it that as an actor is fun to play. You’ve got things to hide, and things are never—it’s like a good poker game. It’s never, you can’t ever take it at face value. There are always things going on underneath, and as an actor that’s really fun to play.

You play such a brilliant criminal mind, do you ever when you’re in a bank or something, does Neal kind of pop out and you know, I could take this place?
Well, you know, one of the real bonuses we have this season is that I now have an advisor, a con artist who advises me on set on a lot of things. So, I am getting a little bit more confident with my pick-pocketing skills, and I can actually pick a lock now. So, watch out. But as far as breaking into a bank, I’m not going to try to go there, because the main difference between me and Neal Caffrey is my ass will get caught.

Does any part of you wish that you were a smidgen less attractive?
You all need to come in here and see me before I go through hair and makeup, and then we can revisit this conversation. I don’t, to be honest with you, I mean, that’s sort of an impossible question to answer. That’s [I’m an] asshole on either front or completely fake. I don’t think about it. I mean, I think as human beings we have a tendency to see some of our drawbacks more than we see our benefits. So, I don’t ever, I’ve never really thought of myself as anything special in that regard. So, thank you for that question. It’s brightening my day a little bit, but I don’t really know how to answer it.

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White Collar returns with a bang tomorrow night on USA Network. It quickly became one of my favorite dramas last season with its quick wit, interesting cases and um, have you seen Matt Bomer?! One of the lucky ones who gets to work very closely along side Bomer is the extremely talented (and lovely) Tim DeKay. He plays Peter Burke, the only FBI Agent who was ever successful in catching former con-artist Neal Caffrey (Bomer). While Peter is sort of the yin to Neal’s yang, he clearly enjoys his new found parternship, trust and friendship they have formed. Combine all this with drama and mystery, and it keeps me tuning in and on the edge of my seat week after week. I recently had the chance to visit the set of White Collar, where we toured the FBI and the homes of all of the characters. Tim DeKay chatted with us about Peter’s relationship with Neal, the gorgeous locations they have filmed at around New York City and what he hopes is coming up for his character. 

Your banter with Neal is awesome.  How did you guys establish that relationship in the first place?

I don’t know we just, it goes back to—I feel like some of you have heard this already.  It goes back to when he had been already cast in the role.  And then I, there was a chemistry read it was called, where, and I think there were, you know, they’d seen a lot of people.  And then I was shooting New Adventures of Old Christine at the time.  And they called me in to do a chemistry read with him, and I saw quite a few other people there that were very recognizable, and it concerned me. But I went in and we just started reading and there was an immediate trust between the two of us, that it would be—I liken this to sports.  In that, if he has the ball he throws it to me, I have the ball I throw it back.  And the best time is when the ball is between us and neither one of us really have it so it’s going back and forth like that.

How much of that is improv or is scripted?

I couldn’t give you a percentage, but I’ll attempt it, maybe 80 percent is scripted.  Most of the improv you’ll see is at the end of a scene.  Where the writer has written an ending to it, the scene closes and then he and I will kind of riff after that and they’ll keep it rolling, keep the cameras rolling until ad nauseum.

When did you think that the relationship between Neal and Peter changed between the convict and the person who caught him, to an actual friendship?

For me, it was when he was, it was an episode called Vital Signs.  And there was a time where, in order to get Neal out of that clinic—he was drugged at the time—in order to get him out, Peter had to one, go in there and get him and there was a moment where Peter had to make the decision to steal the surveillance tapes from that clinic.  And that was a moment where Peter, you could say, crossed the line and did something illegally, and it was simply for him, it was for Neal and no other reason other that.

And I think, you know, you talked about it a little bit but trust has been sort of an overarching theme through season one.  And it seems like it’s going to continue through season two, so how does that continue to play out as the season continues?

It’s great because you have, you saw the first episode so I guess we can talk about that. Jeff has set up this great duality, where I’m looking into something concerning the accident, Neal is looking into something concerning the accident, and neither one of us can tell each other what we’re doing.  And yet we’re closer because of what we said to each other prior to the accident.  So, it’s similar to other relationships that we have, that the closer you get in some ways, because you get closer if you don’t disclose something in that close relationship, then the trust lessens in a way, and it becomes compartmentalized.  I still think all that’s great, but I think perhaps the greater value of Neal and Peter is just the two of them—bickering is not quite the right word.  But, I don’t know what they do, when they’re in a stakeout.  I think that’s what’s, I enjoy that the most.

All the mystery surrounding the accident, is that something that’s going to play all season long or for a chunk of the season?

For parts of the season, in and out.  It won’t take, it won’t drive the season certainly, but it will, yeah, it will be part of the season.  Because again he’s, Jeff set up this thing where—now I can’t trust you with that.  Before it was I can’t trust because I know you want to get to Kate.  Now I can’t quite trust you because I know you’re going to dig into who had the plane blow up.

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