The Insider.com

When we left White Collar, Peter's life was turned upside down when Keller kidnapped his wife Elizabeth to use as a bargaining chip in his quest to take control of Neal's Nazi treasure.

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The mid-season premiere picks up right where we left off: with Neal in Keller's -- and Peter's! -- crosshairs!

"These six episodes start off in a really high-stakes place and it only gets progressively more and more intense," Matt Bomer exclusively tells TheInsider.com. "I would say that it's the most physical conflict we've ever had. It's a new way to play into the trust dynamic that's so fragile between the two of them."

"Just like any relationship, it blows up because they have more invested in each other," Tim DeKay adds. "Certainly with Elizabeth being gone, and Peter knowing that Neal is instrumental in it."

And now you can see just how physical the confrontation gets in this exclusive sneak peek at the season premiere, titled Checkmate!

White Collar premieres January 17 at 10 p.m. on USA.