Previewing Season 4 of 'White Collar'

By: Greg Payne



Suave conman Neal Caffrey will return to television tomorrow night (9:00pm, USA), as White Collar opens its fourth season, but he won't be side-by-side with special agent Peter Burke, catching criminals in New York City.

The last time we saw Neal he was airborne with Mozzie, destination unclear to us. The events of the Season 3 finale, 'Judgement Day,' forced Neal to cut his anklet and get out of town, after it became clear to Peter that Agent Kramer was determined to derail his commutation by slapping cuffs on him for a host of trivial charges (by Neal's standards) and relegating him to the nation's capital to continue his sentence.

Fortunately, Mozzie shipped Neal's portion of the Nazi sub treasure out of town ahead of time, giving the pair enough money to live lavishly for several lifetimes.

Here's what we know so far about Season 4 (spoilers that have surfaced might have already revealed more. I don't look at such things, so I'm only going by what's officially been handed to us):

• Neal and Mozzie are apparently living (they don't seem to be running too hard anymore) in some sort of tropical location.
• Peter's put on leave, which suggests anything he does will not be endorsed by the FBI.
• Some other kind of agent (U.S. Marshal, perhaps?) is clearly given the task of finding Neal, and not only does he speak in a very aggressive manner, but he wants Peter's help in the matter.
• Neal seems to have found a lady friend in paradise. I wonder how often they have adult sleepovers...
• Judging by Neal being handcuffed and having a gun in his face, paradise isn't always the friendliest of locales. 
• At some point Neal and Peter connect via telephone, perhaps so Peter can inform Neal that he's being hunted (I'm pretty sure Neal assumed this already).
• At another point, Neal and Mozzie decide they need to run again. Where will they run to and why are they running?

And, more importantly, here's what we need answered: 

• For what duration of Season 4 will Neal and Mozzie be residing in paradise? One episode? Two episodes?
• Will they return to New York City (I'm betting yes), and if so, under what circumstances will it happen?
• How long will it be before we see Peter and Neal work on another case together (their relationship has always served as the foundation of the show, so one would think they wouldn't be apart for too long)? 
• What are our other secondary characters up to? Diana? Jones? Elizabeth? Are Diana and Jones still solving crimes without Peter around? Or are they just doing the typical BS office work and helping Peter on the side?
• Will Agent Kramer be a part of Season 4? Is he the one who sends someone to hunt Neal down? 
• What role will Sara play in Season 4? Will she help Neal sneak back into New York City? 
• Will we see Neal's parents (particularly his father) this season? Remember back to 'Judgement Day' when Neal and Ellen (the woman on Roosevelt Island) discussed them, and she gave Neal a picture of him and his father?
• If things are to return to normal (Peter and Neal solving cases, etc.) what has to transpire in order for that to happen?

Remember, White Collar deals with the law, and as close as Peter and Neal have become, the FBI most likely won't share the same sympathies toward's Neal's predicament with Kramer. Sure, Kramer acted like a royal dick at the end of Season 3, but he didn't break the law. Neal did. This is why it's difficult to predict how Neal and Peter will be able to work together again. If Neal returns to NYC on his own, or is caught and brought in by another agent, why would the FBI hesitate from throwing him back into prison? 

I'm hoping that when the time comes for Neal to face the bureau, the show won't take the, 'Oh, you helped us solve X number of cases and put Y number of dangerous people behind bars, so we'll let you come back as long as you stay on the anklet' route. But I also have a sneaking suspicion that that's exactly what will happen. Hopefully Jeff Eastin and his crew can come up with some better, more creative way to get Neal back in action. 

Our questions will begin to be answered tomorrow night when Season 4 of White Collar kicks off at 9:00pm (EST) on USA.