10 Harsh Realities of Remembering White Collar 15 Years After Its Debut

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10 Harsh Realities of Remembering White Collar 15 Years After Its Debut

From 2009 to 2014, White collar it broke boundaries within the criminal 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 FBI's white-collar crime division, White collar took the famous gentleman spy idea and turned it on its head. Neal Caffrey is the gentleman criminal. A man who hates guns and loves fine art and is excellent at theft and forgery.

However, his world changes when Agent Burke arrests him and they reach a deal. The next White collar the revival will capitalize on the chemistry between Bomer and DeKay, which is one of the main elements that drove the plot and intrigue of White collar for so many seasons. Although aspects White collar They haven't aged well, overwhelmingly, so it's not difficult to watch the show today. With any luck, the return of Neal, Peter and all their allies will see the next iteration of White collar keep the aspects that worked and improve some of the mistakes.

10

Neal's treatment of women

Neal has a few long-term relationships, but is also a bit of a womanizer

As one of the best procedural TV shows of all time, White collar took a more episodic approach to its format, providing some overarching plot points throughout the seasons. Because of 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 lawsuit. Peter is completely 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 doubt that Neal has some meaningful 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 dismisses his womanizing skills when he needs to and is constantly pulled back into a life of crime, which is difficult for the women in his life. When he flees town with the treasure, leaving Sara behind, it's a blow to the audience and Sara's perception of Neal.

9

Diana deserved more screen time

Your character is one of White Collar's unsung heroes

Marsha Thompson brought agent Diana Berrigan to life in White collar and portrayed the tough, vital member of Peter and Neal's team with nuance. She knows how to balance her duty as an agent with her individual loyalties and saves Peter and Neal many times. While audiences get some glimpses into her past and personal life, it would be interesting to learn more about her and spend more time with her throughout the six seasons.

Series

Rotten Tomatoes critic score

Rotten Tomatoes audience score

IMDB Score

White Collar (2009–2014)

96%

93%

8.2/10

However Diana's character is elevated throughout the show, much of the weight of representation falls on his shoulders, demonstrating a greater problem with White collar​​​​​​. Not only is she one of the few main black characters, but she is also one of the only LGBTQ+ characters. While this representation is important, there should have been additional cast members who cater to the many niches of humanity rather than all the pressure that falls on Diana. It's probably something the reboot will address.

8

Mozzie was a bad influence on Neal

He never supported Neal by going straight

One of the main conflicts White collar Neal is 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. On the other hand, Mozzie is deeply suspicious of the government and doesn't think working within the law will ever get the right results or put deserving people behind bars.

There are many instances where Mozzie makes it impossible for Neal to tell Peter the truth and gain his trust.

Thanks to this perspective, Mozzie is always pressuring Neal to take the easy way out and escape. his simple life forever, as seen when he steals the treasure for Neal and tells him they need to escape town. Although Mozzie increasingly helps with investigations White collarhe never fully accepts the fact that a large part of Neal wants to leave his life of crime behind. There are many instances where Mozzie makes it impossible for Neal to tell Peter the truth and gain his trust.

7

Neal's story was complicated

The additions and developments in Neal's past were confusing

Neal Caffrey is in prison at the beginning of White collarand although Peter knows a lot about Neal's work as a criminal, his history remains unclear. Of course, that's how Neal likes it, as his mysterious nature is part of his allure and how he maintains his anonymity. However, it doesn't take long to White collar to start dropping hints about Neal's past and how he became involved in a life of crime. At first, the audience learns how Neal met Kate and joined New York's art and crime scene, but later his father is introduced.

With the addition of Neal's father, who causes a lot of problems for Neal and Peter, starts to seem as if White collar is haphazardly patching together Neal's story. Whenever the show needs a new source of drama or intrigue, it can come from Neal's troubled past, since there are so many things the audience doesn't know about him. While this may work in the series' favor, these elements don't feel as planned and deliberate as other carefully introduced plot points.

6

Peter trusted Neal too much

It didn't take long for Peter to put a lot of faith in Neal.

Peter is an intelligent man and does not enter into his partnership with Neal lightly, but after they form an emotional bond, Peter is very quick to give Neal a long leash and trust him to get through the FBI. There are concrete reasons why Peter believes this, and he's not wrong to trust Neal personally, as the con artist actually cares about Peter and Elizabeth, but Neal is easily led to think of himself. There are times when you can't believe that Peter is so confident that Neal is being honest with him.

Of course, this is not truly blind trust, as Peter still tracks Neal and monitors his movements, proving that he is the best at capturing Neal time and time again. However, during Neal's time behind Peter's back, even if it was for the greater good, Peter probably should have benched him more often. While White collar it wouldn't work properly without Neal and Peter staying alert, Peter's kindness sometimes gets in the way of his objectivity.

5

The FBI constantly underestimates Peter and Neal

Although they have a great track record, they are always under surveillance

One of the most frustrating parts of White collar this was when a high-ranking FBI agent would infiltrate the white collar division and try to break up Peter and Neal's partnership. Although this was a strong source of conflict, it hindered what White collar did the best, which was seeing the duo in action solving crimes. Although the two brought in criminals and had incredible results, their unorthodox style led to arguments within the Bureau, and agents who didn't understand them were brought in for supervision.

However, each time, Peter and Neal prove their methods are effective and that they don't need a babysitter. There are ways to White collar the reboot is expected to change the original format, such as eliminating the minor issues that were often used as filler episodes and focusing on Peter and Neal taking on a masterful criminal. When writers cut through the red tape and let partners shine, that's what makes White collar so fun to watch.

4

Keller wasn't a good foil for Neal

White Collar never had a true villain to rival Neal

It is clear in White collar that although Neal and Peter are true foils, their relationship evolves and they begin to see each other more as partners and friends 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 Neal and he's not the iconic antagonist the series hoped he would be.

For Keller to be comparable to Neal, he needs to have more substance.

Although there are brief moments where Keller puts Neal and Peter in stressful situations, they always escape and outwit him. All over White collarThere's one piece missing, and that's it Neal never has a challenger who can match him in terms of intelligence, skill and heart. Part of Keller's characterization is that he has no personal connections to the world, but that's why the audience is so drawn to Neal. For Keller to be comparable to Neal, he needs to have more substance.

3

Neal and Peter's conflicts became repetitive

The push and pull of trust and betrayal was predictable

In the same vein as Peter trusting Neal too much, many of his biggest problems, both personal and professional, can be boiled down to Peter putting his faith in Neal and Neal betraying him. Neal gets a lot of second chances in White collar, and although he sincerely tries to change, it's easy to guess when he will break down and betray Peter. A version of this drama plays out in almost every season of White collar.

Since it's such a major theme in the series and their relationship, it's not surprising that White collar uses this story concept so often, but it becomes repetitive White collar'to send. What keeps White collar cool is the fact that Neal and Peter's dynamic and sincere love for each other is believable and convincing. Without Bomer and DeKay's incredible chemistry, the relationship between Peter and Neal would have felt stale by the start of the series.

2

Elizabeth often hindered investigations

She tries to intervene in the investigations and ends up complicating things.

Peter and Elizabeth's relationship in White collar is the truest romantic love story in the series, and the fact that Elizabeth is so supportive of Peter's dangerous career is a credit to her character. Although she worries about him and backs down when he takes unnecessary risks, she values ​​his work and has her own life outside of her marriage. However, there are times when White collar when Elizabeth puts herself and the investigation at risk without understanding what is at stake.

It wouldn't be fair to relegate Elizabeth to the background, and her character deserves to get into action, but there is no doubt that she is not an agent or criminal expert and that her help sometimes does more harm than good. It's nerve-wracking when Elizabeth is in danger because she's such a likable character. She normally wouldn't put herself at risk, even though she knew she was supposed to stay behind the scenes during an investigation. However, when she is brought in on purpose, she typically plays her role well.

1

White Collar's Final Seasons Aren't That Strong

As the show progresses, some of the weaker aspects begin to appear

Each season of White collar It has its pros and cons, and it is generally accepted that the series is at its best during the first three seasons, with the third season being its peak. While there are many great moments in seasons 4 through 6, the formula and dynamics of White collar started to change. To break away from the show's more repetitive elements White collar He took some risks in recent seasons and they didn't always pay off.

This doesn't mean viewers should stop watching White collar after season 3, as there are still plenty of exciting plot points and character moments in the remaining installments. Although short-lived, Season 6 has a compelling arc, and the White collar the series finale is an iconic conclusion. However, when audiences and critics talk about the TV show's heyday, they're typically talking about the earlier episodes, when Peter and Neal were forming a bond and drawing the viewer into the story.

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