Quick Thoughts: WHITE COLLAR, "Taking Account"

Another week, and another really good episode of White Collar. While most of this season has been focusing on the relationship between Neal and Peter, we've finally got a glimpse at how Neal's secrets will impact Sara. On top of that, we also got little hints at what makes Neal tick.

The Case of the Week had a lot of potential, a cyber-hacker cleaned out a major bank and Sara was affected, but it quickly took a back seat to all of the relationships between all of the characters. Hacking and cyber-crimes are no longer the future, but the present, so I'm a little surprised that White Collar does not dedicate more time to these types of cases, or at least give us one with more meat than the Vulture and her accomplice. I just didn't feel like those behind the bank robbery were that much of a threat despite their radical political views. It all felt cliched and half-baked. That being said, I did like the addition of Sally who could be a romantic interest for our boy Moz.

I can forgive "Taking Account" for its ho-hum case because of all of the tension that was introduced between Neal and Sara. It was fun watching the two of them con the bank so they could steal the initial thief's fake identity and then go on a lavish shopping spree. Seeing them flirt, have fun, and grow closer was a nice touch. I'm even starting to get on board with them as a couple, which is hard for someone who was pro-Alex to admit. Of course, it wasn't all roses and, and we got to see how different Sara and Neal really are. He's a dreamer while she's more practical, and you got the feeling that their time is almost up, especially after she found the webcam to his vault of stolen art work.

Getting to see Neal's relationship with Sara was a nice change from just seeing how his actions impact his bond with Peter. This group of people have created a dysfunctional team that is still able to work, but they've also grown closer, which will make the eventual fall out between them all even more compelling.

It's a good time to be a fan on con-man shows as Season 3 of White Collar and Season 4 of Leverage have been examples of the two at the top of their game. Viewers are getting new kind of stories, better developed characters, and a renewed focus on relationships instead of cases/jobs while still being a lot of fun. Good stuff all around.

P.S. - Another high note of the episode: the return of the old opening sequence. It immediately psyched me up and added to my enjoyment of the overall episode. I'm so happy that it ended up winning the fan vote.