Quick Thoughts: WHITE COLLAR, "Upper West Side Story"

"Upper West Side Story" was one of those episodes that really didn't add all that much to the overall story of White Collar, but there were enough fun moments and pop culture references to keep me entertained.

Honestly, I could have cared less about the case-of-the-week (something I've been repeating a lot in regards to the procedural shows I watch) because it had to do with rich people and their problems. To be fair, the kid involved had to earn his keep, but I'm over all of the NYC prep school cliches, and it felt like staging this episode in this environment was an excuse to have Neal wear glasses and quote poetry which was pure fangirl service. Not that there's anything wrong with that; it just didn't make for a deep episode.

As always, the key to "Upper West Side Story" was the chemistry between Neal and Peter, and they're becoming the only reason to watch this show (along with the rest of the characters, but these two are the heart) since the cases are getting less and less interesting. I just hope we get some new plot points that will reinvigorate the series now that the treasure arc's wrapped up, but we'll just have to wait and see.

While I didn't love "Upper West Side Story," there were some definite moments that had me laughing (Harry Potter references and jokes about Say Anything will never disappoint), so it was ultimately a winner. I did find myself questioning the show's longevity though because it's starting to feel a little repetitive.