White Collar: Q&A with Jeff Eastin

Today I had the opportunity to participate in a Q&A session with Jeff Eastin, creator/executive producer, of USA Network’s new hit show, White Collar. I was so excited to hear his thoughts and get the scoop on one of my new favorite shows. He was very generous with his time and details, spending an hour answering a multitude of questions. So, my fellow White Collar fans, here is what I learned…

Favorite scenes

Some of Eastin’s favorite scenes involve the interaction between the four main characters, Neal, Peter, Mozzie and Elizabeth. He specifically mentioned the episode, “Bad Judgment,” when Mozzie met Elizabeth and debugged the Burkes’ house as one of his favorites. Also one of my favorites! The four main characters are like a dysfunctional family unit and hopefully we will see more of them together.

A pregnant Elizabeth?

Unfortunately, Tiffani Thiessen’s pregnancy will NOT be worked into White Collar.

Fowler & the Big Bad

“The Big Bad” is the nickname given by the writers to the man who Fowler reports to. Yes, there is someone pulling Fowler’s strings but why? We will learn more about Fowler’s backstory and “the Big Bad” in season two.

Burn Notice/White Collar crossover?

Eastin believes that a crossover between these two shows is “the most logical and the most fun (option).” On a side note, Matt Nix, the creator of Burn Notice, is one of his good friends. The question he posed is would they send Neal to Florida or Michael to NYC? Also, the writers had recently come up with the idea that Mozzie could be Sam’s (from Burn Notice) nephew. Stay tuned…but a crossover event is ultimately up to USA Network.

Different location?

Except for the possible crossover event with Burn Notice, White Collar will not take place in any other city except NYC.

Planning White Collar

Here is a fun fact. Before White Collar, Jeff Eastin had never been to New York City but thought it was perfect for the show. He used Google Maps Street Views to help plan locations for shooting.

More singing?

Remember Neal singing while drugged in “Vital Signs?” It is a possibility, in season two, that we will see June (Diahann Carroll) and Neal singing together, which would be awesome!

Mozzie!

According to Jeff, in season two, we will learn more about Mozzie’s background, his involvement in the crime world and why he is called “Mozzie.” Jeff described Mozzie as “one of the most fun characters” plus he brings “a certain special spark to that particular scene.” I couldn’t agree more.

The Dynamic Duo

According to Eastin, at this point, Peter is not afraid that Neal is going to run. The only real trust issue between them is Kate, which will linger, but ultimately “they really enjoy each other’s company.” Off screen, Matt Bomer and Tim DeKay are also bonding, which Jeff thinks factors into the chemistry between Neal and Peter.

Grey areas with Peter

Over the past few episodes, we’ve witnessed Peter become more willing to help Neal; for example, by stealing the surveillance tape (“Vital Signs”) and assisting with stealing the wax (“Bottlenecked”). Will this come back to haunt Peter? Jeff confirmed it would. Something takes place in the season finale that will shake his “unwavering belief in the system and bureau.” It will not completely change Peter but we may see him more willing to bend the rules which will factor into season two.

The Writing Team

When writing, they focus on what he called each “character’s specialty”—Peter’s problem solving; Neal’s ability to look outside of the box at a problem; Mozzie’s street-level expertise. Finally, Elizabeth’s strength is her emotional intelligence and her ability to look at situations through a more human perspective.

Surprises in filming season one

A couple things surprised Jeff. First, he expected Tim and Matt to be big stars but he was surprised by Matt Bomer’s star quality and how quickly his picture was up everywhere in NYC.

Also, with White Collar, Eastin’s goal was to create an intelligent show and he wasn’t sure it would be accepted in an “MTV world.” He said they don’t rely much on action or have girls in bathing suits and it is “refreshing to not have to.” Kudos to their smart show!

Season Two

The writers have been working on season two for about two weeks now, explained Jeff. No real big adjustments from season 1 to 2—the basis of the show, the relationship between Neal and Peter, supported by Elizabeth and Mozzie, will remain the same. They will try to duplicate their successful first season in season two.

Twitter

Following Jeff Eastin, White Collar and the White Collar writers on Twitter is a must! Jeff made a point to say he enjoys tweeting with fans of the show. USA Network, their shows, actors and producers/writers do an unbelievably great job at connecting with fans and promoting themselves! It is very impressive!

Finale

Prepare yourselves White Collar fans; Jeff stated that the Season 1.5 finale (in two weeks) will end with “a major cliff hanger!!”

Well, this was an enlightening and fabulous experience for me. Hope this Q&A answered some of your White Collar questions. Thanks to Jeff Eastin for sharing some inside information. Don’t miss White Collar on Tuesdays, 10 pm EST, on USA Network!!

For more on White Collar, click here.

Tuesdays at 10/9c on USA Network

Photographs courtesy of USA and Nigel Parry.