White Collar S01E01, "Pilot"

[kate_nepveu]

SteelyKid is sleeping in this morning, so:

White Collar: new TV show, art forger reluctantly helps FBI to keep from going back to prison, having escaped to look for his girlfriend, who has gone *poof*. Fairly appealing leads, good diversity in cast, not hugely caper-y but had some clever moments. Didn't love it, liked it well enough, will do until Leverage comes back. (Speaking of which: "Accessories," a crossover between the two, general-audience, gen, 1300 words.)

Quick spoilers:

No, the dodge about the warrantless search probably wouldn't work—if I were defense counsel I would have such a good time at the suppression hearing—but I liked that Peter knew right away what Neal was doing, and that Neal is loyal to his friends.

Also, yes, as soon as someone in custody says "I want a lawyer" that's end of game, so they did get that right.

(However, the tone of the show is kinda light for dead bodies.)

Needs more June, the awesome landlady, and Diana (?), the awesome FBI agent. Not sure about Peter's wife Elizabeth, though maybe it's because I'm still in " . . . but she was in Saved by the Bell" mode. At least he came up with the present himself eventually?

(Neal knows Peter's birthday and wedding anniversary when he doesn't, and a million slash stories sprang spontaneously into life.)

Thank you, camera, for not being exclusively male gaze and giving us shirtless male leads (including Neal with really no attempt at excuse).

And that's all I can think of.

Comments

[scifantasy.livejournal.com]

No, the dodge about the warrantless search probably wouldn't work—if I were defense counsel I would have such a good time at the suppression hearing

I was wondering that. Leaning towards a "no" but I wasn't sure. I actually thought about bringing it up to my Crim Pro prof.

[kate_nepveu]

It's not my field, but I know you can't *create* exigent circumstances, and Neal _is_ working with the FBI. I think the question would be whether an objective agent with Peter's knowledge would have reasonably believed, on pulling up to the warehouse, that Neal had chosen to run & throw in with Mark Sheppard [*] despite having a tracking bracelet, or that he's trying to get them in to avoid going back to jail for 4 years.

And I can see a judge contorting to get the evidence in, but it just doesn't pass my yeah-right threshold. But, like I said, not my field. Ask your prof!

[*] Dear caper shows, you can _so_ throw off your viewers by making him turn out to be trustworthy.

[scifantasy.livejournal.com]

I know you can't *create* exigent circumstances, and Neal _is_ working with the FBI.

Exactly. I might ask the prof--but then, we have finals in two weeks, so I should focus on that, eh? *grin*

Dear caper shows, you can _so_ throw off your viewers by making him turn out to be trustworthy.

Seriously.

[veejane.livejournal.com]

I've watched just enough of this show to discover that they cast the fellow who plays Neal most likely by sitting him down with the show's tailor, and comparing him to the dressmaker's form. Because I don't think I've seen him wear anything that isn't form-fitting, and he changes outfits 5-6 times in an episode (even if the episode takes place over 2 days). (Okay one of those times it was clearly an editing issue, with the story rearranged post-shooting, because Neal wore the same outfit twice in three days, and I totally disbelieve he would do such a thing.)

It's one of those shows that has to tread verrry lightly. The minute you spare a thought for the people Neal has scammed -- they can't all be jerks -- the premise stops being enjoyable. Hence my focus on the sartorial.

[kate_nepveu]

It's always a problem with things that have criminals as sympathetic leads, yup. Though I think having him _almost_ have finished his sentence is a nod in this direction.

[mcswan.livejournal.com]

The one thing I've enjoyed so far is that, unlike a lot of these "criminal with a heart of gold helps the good guys" themes, is that the good guys are not de facto idiots. Peter is competent, confident, and believably qualified to do his job. The FBI just need a little help and Neal is filling in the gaps, rather than single handedly saving the day every episode. Unfortunately, the way it's looking in the later episodes, they might be leaning in this direction.

Peter is learning new tricks just as much as Neal is, and I like that we still see little glimpses of the con-artist/thief in Neal. Nobody's going to rehab overnight, and I can see a major transgression on Neal's part adding some drama in the future.

[kate_nepveu]

Yes, I like that Peter is smart (though I could have done without the anti-intellectual dig about Harvard-educated agents).

Neal skipping out to rescue his damsel in distress is the gun over the mantelpiece and I would be shocked if it doesn't go off by/at the end of the season.

[abigail-n.livejournal.com]

Having watched the first half-dozen episodes, I'd class the show as sub-Leverage (even sub- that shows' second season, which has been pretty slack). For one thing, June and the awesome landlady disappear, and Diana is replaced by Natalie Morales (yay!) playing a straight FBI agent who already has the hots for Neal (boo!) and who wore three different revealing outfits in her first episode (BOO!). Perhaps more importantly, the plots just aren't tight enough. When I watched the pilot I assumed the problem was in the extended runtime - it's harder to tell a tightly plotted story in 60 than in 40 - but now I think the writers just don't have what it takes to write sharp con stories.

[kate_nepveu]

I got about 1/3 of the way into the second episode, so have seen her (and her first revealing outfit, a criss-cross strap-y thing that made me want to poke her between the shoulder blades and say, "stand up straight!"). I already had two quibbles in the first 20 minutes (minor spoilers, ROT13: jul gurl qvqa'g ybbx ng gur ibvpr-bayl jvgarff nf n fhfcrpg, naq jul gurl qvqa'g obgure jvgu gur ibvpr vq orsber gurl zbirq va ba gur jebat thl), so this doesn't really bode well, but it is at least undemanding DVR material for when I have to keep one eye on SteelyKid to make sure she doesn't climb up the dining room shelves or yank the dog's tail or tip a chair over on herself or or or . . .