What I’m Watching: White Collar (Season Finale)

White Collar: Season 2, Episode 16 “Under the Radar” (B+)

We’ve only had seven episodes of this series since it returned in January, and already its over. What that means, of course, is that we had a nice little arc involving mega-villain Vincent Adler that started only a few weeks ago and wrapped itself up already. Andrew McCarthy got to chew plenty of scenery in this installment, and now we have an even bigger mystery and someone pulling the strings that may or may not actually be a bad guy. Neal’s reaction to that final scene indicates that he hasn’t necessarily given up his old ways, and there’s still something about the thrill of theft that is still appealing to him. That’s a matter for next season, of course, and it’s worthwhile to appreciate this episode for its success as a finale as well as its tying up of all of the threads of this season. It was great to see both Sara and Alex again, and interesting to see how Neal feels about both of them and asks on his impulses in the heat of the moment. Both Neal and Peter have been ending up in some serious dangerous situations lately, and it’s a good thing they didn’t get drowned or buried this episode so that they can live on to bust another con and give each other a hard time in the future. The great thing about a short second half of a season means that the next one can’t be far off, and this show should be back again for another go in just a few months in June.

Season grade: B+
Season MVP: Willie Garson as Mozzie