Advance Review: White Collar, Season 3, Episode 11 – “Checkmate”

Airdate: Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at 10/9c on USA

Rating: ★★★★★

Picking up where the mid-season finale left off, “Checkmate” delivers on the USA Network’s enticement to ‘jump back in.’ This episode has it all: action, drama, witty dialog, chases, escapes, friendship, sacrifice, a con within a con, and one expertly-wielded ancient gold shield as Peter (Tim DeKay), Neal (Matt Bomer) and Mozzie (Willie Garson) race to save Elizabeth (Tiffani Thiessen) from Matthew Keller (Ross McCall).

The gang's all here....

It is so good to see these guys again – all of them. The two leads may be easy on the eyes, but the mid-season premiere brings with it a strong showing from a dynamic ensemble cast, setting this show apart from the crowd of savvy, tightly-written procedurals on TV. Each player has a beat and the story works seamlessly because of that rhythm.

Prior to the hiatus, Agent Peter Burke confidently told Neal he could either be a con or a man – he couldn’t be both. Meanwhile, Peter had been working behind the scenes with Agent Diana Berrigan (Marsha Thomason) to find out what Neal was hiding – namely the Nazi treasure. It’s ironic how Peter insinuates being a con is less than being a man since he’s been running his own long con all season (perhaps without consciously realizing it), complete with the sleight of hand and misdirection needed to keep Neal from suspecting the truth.

On the flipside, pre-hiatus Neal began to discover things about himself: the existence of a conman is a lonely one. He has a life in New York and he’s no longer willing to betray his friends for the sake of the heist. One of the things I carried through the hiatus was the impression that as carefully as Peter watched Neal, he never saw the real truth: Neal was in a no-win situation with the treasure. Either way he moved – telling Peter about the treasure or keeping it a secret – he risked losing someone who helped define a piece of him.

In the second half of this season, the chess board is shifting once again, showing us that when we strip away the lies of convenience and replace them with lies of necessity, we’re left with an interesting version of the truth. To rescue Elizabeth, the gang unites in a manner that momentarily erases previous hurts and betrayals. They become a true team and in doing so, we get to see not only what is at the core of our heroes, but also what each of them is willing to do to save a friend.

“Checkmate” sets the stage for an entirely new game, one where even Neal – who has survived this long by being one step ahead of everyone – might not be able to anticipate his opponent’s next move. Or really who his opponent even is. It’s fairly evident where his loyalties lie at the end of this episode and what that will mean to his friendship with Peter. But what is still in question (for me, anyway) is if Peter truly trusts this stripped-down version of Neal.

In the final moments of “Checkmate,” we’re offered a rather large tease for the upcoming six episodes. I’m left wondering if Peter and Neal realize how much they’re subtly shifting positions and perspectives – the lawman running a con and the conman upholding the law. Will they recognize how much their friendship has changed them as individuals? And will they allow those changes to alter the paths they’re traveling? Tune in on January 17^th to find out!

Tune in to White Collar, Tuesdays at 10/9c on the USA Network.

All photos courtesy of Will Hart / © 2011 USA Network. All rights reserved.