The Chronic Rift

Reposting this from my blog, since it relates back to a discussion that ensued after my Couch Potato Salad segment during the 12 Days of Riftmas's review episode:

Be advised that there are SPOILERS GALORE for White Collar in this post....

Listeners to The Chronic Rift will know that I was very unhappy with the end of the last 2009 episode of White Collar, a show I have come to absolutely adore. One of the things I really love about the show is that Peter Burke, Tim DeKay's Federal agent, is really good at his job, and for all the Neal Caffery's talented and magnificent and cute and all, Burke is always right there with him, and often one step ahead of him. Best, though, is that Burke is a competent, professional FBI agent, in a genre that often favors bumblers to make the ostensible hero look good. (Castle gets this right, too -- Beckett doesn't need Castle, after all...)

So the ending of the 2009 finale pissed me off, with its apparent revelation that Burke is the one who's been manipulating Kate, Neal's long-lost love. On the Rift, I said they really needed to walk that back, or the show's appeal would be lost for me.

I shouldn't have worried.

They not only walked it back, they didn't have to walk it very far. The ring that was such a big clue turned out not to be one (it's a ring that all Federal agents with more than ten years' service time get, and we already know Kate's mysterious stranger is in the FBI), and the reason why Burke was talking to Kate was because -- naturally -- he's smarter than most people and he tracked her down where Neal couldn't.

The best part, though, was that Kate told Burke that she needs a music box that Neal stole -- except, as we find out at the end, Neal never stole it. Everyone just assumes he did. So now Neal has a new side project as a through line -- where before it was chasing Kate, now it's finding the music box -- and it'll be fun to see how soon Burke figures out what he's doing.

I love it. I love this show. It's back, and I'm happy. *smile*