Last season Matthew Keller (Ross McCall), a former associate of Neil’s, found out that Neil
was in possession of Vincent Adler’s (Andrew McCarthy) Nazi treasure and Keller wanted it for himself. Neil pulled a fast one on Keller and thought he had him beaten; unfortunately for Neil, Keller had one more move. Keller kidnapped Burke’s wife, Elizabeth (Tiffani Thiessen) and wanted to trade her for the Nazi treasure.
With Elizabeth’s life hanging in the balance Neil (Matt Bomer) and Peter (Tim DeKay) have to con Keller to ensure her safe return. The problem is conning a con isn’t the easiest thing to do. Good thing this is Neil Caffrey. The question is: how will they pull off the con and save Elizabeth from Keller before it’s too late?
The mid-season premiere entitled “Checkmate” has Neil, Mozzie (Willie Garson) and Peter joining forces with Keller to retrieve 
the treasure from a secure police crime scene. There is no question if they can get the treasure back but will Keller double cross them and kill Elizabeth anyway? I don’t want to give too much away but the last few minutes of the episode will leave you shocked. Tim DeKay is a real stand out in this episode. He delivers an excellent performance playing Peter as a man on the edge of an emotional breakdown.
One other thing I want to mention is about the love for New York that Neil and Mozzie feel. In this episode it is mentioned how neither Neil nor Mozzie are able to leave New York City and the lives they have created. Neil says to Mozzie, “It’s a hard city to leave.” To which Mozzie replies, “She’s a stubborn mistress.” New York is a hard city to leave, especially for someone like Neil. Neil is the city. He is sophisticated, smart and never quits. Neil, like New York, has a bit of an edge with a shady past that he is making great pains to move beyond. New York is more like a character in the show than a setting. New York and White Collar are a winning combination.
