So I realized, a few episodes ago, what the TV show White Collar is.
Despite having a con artist as one of its main characters, it's not a caper show (like Leverage) or an action/MacGyver-y show (like Burn Notice or, indeed, MacGyver). Instead, it's a cop show, subcategory reluctant-partners. This accounts for the (rather disappointing) paucity of capers, cons, and nifty technological tricks, and the generally slower pace.
(Perhaps this was obvious to others from the beginning, but I heard about the show through fannish osmosis and got the impression that it was much more like Leverage.)
Which brings me to the half-season finale which aired some time ago and which I only watched on DVR tonight.
( spoilers )