From 2009 to 2014,White Collarbroke boundaries within the crime procedural genre on television, allowing it to become one of the most memorable TV shows of the period. Starring Matt Bomer and Tim DeKay as Neal Caffrey and Peter Burke, an unlikely but undeniable crime-fighting duo working in the white-collar crime division of the FBI,White Collartook the famous idea of the gentleman spy and turned it on its head.Neal Caffrey is the gentleman criminal. A man who hates guns and loves fine art and just so happens to be excellent at thieving and forgery.
However, his world is upended when Agent Burke apprehends him, and they strike a deal. The upcomingWhite Collarrevivalwill capitalize on the chemistry between Bomer and DeKay, which is one of the major elements that propelled the plot and intrigue ofWhite Collarfor so many seasons. Though aspects ofWhite Collarhaven’t aged well, overwhelmingly, it’s not difficult to watch the show today. With any luck, the return of Neal, Peter, and all their allies will seethe next iteration ofWhite Collarkeep the aspects that worked and improve upon some of the missteps.
10Neal’s Treatment Of Women
Neal has some long-term relationships, but he’s also a bit of a womanizer
As one of thebest procedural TV shows of all time,White Collarhad a more episodic approach to its format, providing a few overarching plot points across the seasons. Due to this, it can be difficult to give the protagonists a recurring love interest, as the development of these relationships takes a backseat to the case-of-the-week in a procedural.Peter is stalwartly faithful to his wife, Elizabeth (Tiffani Thiessen),throughout the show, but Neal is a free agent, and part of his character is his charm.
He struggles to be a good partner throughout the series.
There’s no question that Neal has some significant long-term relationships, like those with Kate (Alexandra Daddario) and Sara (Hilarie Burton). However, he struggles to be a good partner throughout the series. Neal easily brushes off his skills as a womanizer when he needs to and is consistently pulled back into a life of crime, which is hard on the women in his life. When he skips town with the treasure, leaving Sara behind, it’s a harsh blow to both the audience and Sara’s perceptions of Neal.
9Diana Deserved More Screen Time
Her character is one of the unsung heroes of White Collar
Marsha Thompson brought Agent Diana Berrigan to lifeinWhite Collarand portrayed the tough and vital member of Peter and Neal’s team to life with nuance. She knows how to balance her duty as an agent with her individual loyalties and saves both Peter and Neal many times over. While the audience gets a few glimpses into her past and personal life, it would be interesting to know more about her and to spend more time with her throughout the six seasons.
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ThoughDiana’s character is elevated throughout the show,a lot of the weight of representation falls onto her shoulders, demonstrating a larger issue withWhite Collar. Not only is she one of the few leading characters of color, but she’s also one of the only LGBTQ+ characters. While this representation is important, there should be additional members of the cast who fulfill the many niches of humanity instead of all the pressure resting on Diana. This is likely something that the reboot is going to touch upon.
He never supported Neal going straight
One of the major conflicts inWhite Collaris Neal being torn between his two worlds, crime and crime fighting, represented by his best friends, Peter and Mozzie (Willie Garson). Peter hopes that working with the FBI will reform Neal and show him that fighting for the good guys is a great way to use his skills. Conversely,Mozzie has a deep distrust of the government and doesn’t think that working inside the law will ever get the right resultsor put the people who deserve it behind bars.
There are many instances when Mozzie makes it impossible for Neal to tell Peter the truth and gain his trust.
Thanks to this outlook,Mozzie is always pressuring Neal to take the easy way out and escapehis straight-edged life forever, as seen when he steals the treasure for Neal and tells him they have to skip town. Though Mozzie helps the investigations more and more throughoutWhite Collar, he never fully embraces the fact that a large part of Neal wants to leave behind his life of crime. There are many instances when Mozzie makes it impossible for Neal to tell Peter the truth and gain his trust.
7Neal’s Backstory Was Convoluted
The additions and developments to Neal’s past were confusing
Neal Caffrey is in prison at the start ofWhite Collar, and though Peter knows a lot about Neal’s work as a criminal, his backstory remains hazy. Of course, this is how Neal likes it, as his mysterious nature is part of his allure and how he maintains anonymity. However,it doesn’t take long forWhite Collarto start dropping hints about Neal’s pastand how he got involved in a life of crime. At first, the audience learns about how Neal met Kate and joined the New York art and crime scene, but then his father is introduced.
With the addition of Neal’s father, who causes a lot of trouble for both Neal and Peter,it starts to feel as thoughWhite Collaris cobbling together Neal’s backstory at random.Whenever the show needs a new source of drama or intrigue, it can come from Neal’s checkered past, as there’s so much audiences don’t know about him. Though this can work in the series' favor, these elements don’t feel as planned and deliberate as other carefully introduced plot points.
6Peter Trusted Neal Too Much
It didn’t take long for Peter to put a lot of faith in Neal
Peter is a smart man, and he doesn’t enter into his partnership with Neal lightly,but after they form an emotional bond, Peter is pretty quick to give Neal a long leash and trust that he’ll come through for the FBI. There are concrete reasons why Peter believes this, and he isn’t wrong to personally trust Neal, as the con artist does truly care for both Peter and Elizabeth, but Neal is easily swayed to think about himself. There are moments when it isn’t believable that Peter would be so confident that Neal is being honest with him.
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Of course, it’s not a truly blind trust, asPeter still tracks Neal and keeps tabs on his movements,proving that he’s the best at catching Neal time after time. However, for the amount of time that Neal goes behind Peter’s back, even if it’s for the greater good, Peter probably should’ve benched him more often. WhileWhite Collarwouldn’t function properly without Neal and Peter keeping each other on their toes, Peter’s kindness sometimes gets in the way of his objectivity.
5The FBI Constantly Underestimates Peter And Neal
Though they have a great track record, they’re always under surveillance
One ofthe most frustrating parts ofWhite Collarwas when an agent higher up at the FBI would infiltrate the white-collar divisionand attempt to break up Peter and Neal’s partnership. Though this was a strong source of conflict, it got in the way of whatWhite Collardid best, which was seeing the pair in action solving crimes. Despite the fact that the two of them bring in criminals and have incredible results, their unorthodox style sparked discussion within the Bureau, and agents who didn’t understand them were brought in for oversight.
However, each time,Peter and Neal prove that their methods are effectiveand that they don’t need a babysitter. There are ways that theWhite Collarreboot should change the original format, such as doing away with the smaller issues that were often used as filler episodes and focusing in on Peter and Neal facing off with a masterful criminal. When the writers cut out the red tape and let the partners shine, this is what makesWhite Collarso fun to watch.
4Keller Wasn’t A Good Foil To Neal
It becomes clear inWhite Collarthat while Neal and Peter are true foils, their relationship evolves, and they start to see each other as partners and friends more than rivals. This is part of the reason why Matthew Keller (Ross McCall) is introduced as the “blue-collar” criminal who challenges Neal. Unfortunately,Keller doesn’t have the charm or magnetic energy that Bomer brings to Nealand isn’t the iconic antagonist the series was hoping he would be.
For Keller to be comparable to Neal, he needs to have more substance.
While there are brief moments when Keller puts Neal and Peter in some nerve-wracking situations, they always escape and outsmart him. ThroughoutWhite Collar, there’s a missing piece, and it’s thatNeal never has a challenger who can match him in terms of wits, skill, and heart.Part of Keller’s characterization is that he doesn’t have personal connections to the world, but this is why audiences are so drawn to Neal. For Keller to be comparable to Neal, he needs to have more substance.
3Neal And Peter’s Conflicts Became Repetitive
The push and pull of trust and betrayal was predictable
Along the same lines as Peter being too trusting of Neal, many of their biggest issues, both personally and professionally, can be boiled down to Peter placing his faith in Neal and Neal betraying him.Neal gets a lot of second chances inWhite Collar,and though he does sincerely try to change, it’s easy to guess when he’s going to cave and double-cross Peter. A version of this drama plays out in almost every season ofWhite Collar.
Since it’s such a major theme in the show and their relationship, it’s not surprising thatWhite Collaruses this story conceit so often, but it does grow repetitive byWhite Collar’s end. What keepsWhite Collarfresh is the fact thatNeal and Peter’s dynamic and sincere love for each other is believableand compelling. Without Bomer and DeKay’s amazing chemistry, the relationship between Peter and Neal would’ve gone stale early on in the show.
2Elizabeth Often Got In The Way Of Investigations
She tries to intervene in investigations and ends up complicating things
Peter and Elizabeth’s relationship inWhite Collaris the truest romantic love story of the series,and the fact that Elizabeth is so supportive of Peter’s dangerous career is a credit to her character. Though she worries for him and pushes back when he’s taking needless risks, she values his work and has a life of her own outside their marriage. However, there are moments inWhite Collarwhen Elizabeth puts herself and the investigation at risk without understanding what’s at stake.
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It wouldn’t be fair to relegate Elizabeth to the sidelines,and her character does deserve to get in on the action, but there’s no question that she’s not an agent or a criminal expert and that her help sometimes does more harm than good. It’s stressful when Elizabeth is in danger because she’s such a likable character. She wouldn’t normally put herself at risk even though she knows she should stay behind the scenes during an investigation. However, when she’s brought into the fold on purpose, she typically plays her part well.
1The Later Seasons Of White Collar Aren’t As Strong
As the show progresses, some of the weaker aspects start to appear
Every season ofWhite Collarhas its pros and cons, and it’s generally agreed upon that the show is at its best during the first three seasons, with season 3 being its peak. While there are plenty of great moments in seasons 4 through 6, the formula and dynamic ofWhite Collarstarted to change. To break away from the more repetitive elements of the show,White Collartook some risks in the last few seasons, and they didn’t always pay off.
This doesn’t mean that viewers should stop watchingWhite Collarafter season 3, as there are still many exciting plot points and character moments in the remaining installments. Though short-lived, season 6 has a compelling arc, and theWhite Collarseries finale is an iconic conclusion. However, when audiences and critics talk about the heyday of the TV show, they’re typically talking about the earlier episodes, when Peter and Neal were forming their bond and drawing the viewer into the story.
White Collar
Cast
White Collar is a crime drama television series featuring Neal Caffrey, a skilled con artist and art thief, portrayed by Matt Bomer. After being captured by FBI agent Peter Burke, Neal agrees to help the FBI catch elusive white-collar criminals as a consultant, leveraging his unique skills. The series explores the evolving partnership and mutual trust between Neal and Peter, blending elements of crime-solving and personal redemption.
