White collar
May be a police procedural, but the show isn’t afraid to explore romance when it comes to its leading men, Neil and Peter. White Collar first began airing on USA Today in 2009, where it ran for six exciting seasons. During this time, Peter Burke, played by Tim DeKay, and Neal Caffrey, played by Matt Bomer, worked together to track down major criminals and shed light on corrupt police within the FBI organization.
The show explored the relationship between Peter and Neil White collar As they worked through their preexisting biases and frustrations with each other, however, the show included many more relationships that provided additional growth and challenges for Peter and Neil. From the relationship that pushed Neal to escape prison at the start of the show, to one that endures throughout the series’ run, there’s a lot more to dig into than just the dynamic duo of a cam man and an FBI agent. What caught him. In the first place. But not all White collar Relationships are equal.
5
Neil Caffrey and Kate Moe
Starting with Neil and Kate, the couple that kicks off the show. Kate Moreau, played by Alexandra Daddario, is the only individual who inspires and influences the events that lead to the beginning of the show. Neil was in love with Kate, and they spent some time together as friends, before eventually making things official. The biggest road block early in their relationship was that Kate was already involved with someone, but she eventually chose Neil and the couple settled down together.
Their relationship lasted for some time, with Neil and his best friend Mozzie began to train Kate on how to draw the faults along with them. However, things soured when Neil tried to get Kate to accompany him on a job in Europe with his former romantic partner. Despite Kate’s protests, Neil goes anyway, and the relationship never fully recovers. However, when Neil realized his mistake, he tried to fix things with Kate, and in this confused and emotional state, he was captured by agent Peter Burke and locked up for four years.
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Things didn’t end there though, as Neil continued to try and communicate with Kate, and when he lost track of her completely just a few months into his freedom, Neil chose to break out of prison months before he was due to go free. Neil didn’t find Kate, but he did find a message that clearly indicated she had moved. Tragically, a short time later, Neil and Kate almost rekindled things, but she was killed in a fiery explosion. Ultimately, while this is a pivotal love story, it is by no means a healthy or good one. Both Neil and Kate are bad for each other, and their relationship only causes further tragedy.
4
Neil Caffrey and Sara Ellis
in White collar Season 2 Neal Caffrey meets Sara Ellis for the first time. Initially, the relationship is professional, as Sara is an insurance investigator looking for crimes she suspects Neil of committing. However, things quickly turn from passionate to flirtatious, and the pair share a deeply electric connection. In the early stages of their relationship, Sara struggles to trust Neil, but she becomes his longest consistent girlfriend on the show.
Throughout most of season 3, the pair continue to have a romantic partnership, and they clearly grow close. However, when Sara learns that Neil is hiding secrets from her, she finally accepts that things between them are unlikely to go the distance, because morally, they are completely different people. Sara breaks things off, but it’s clear she still has feelings for Neil in every subsequent appearance throughout White collar Seasons 3 and 4.
While the relationship lasted for a considerable amount of time, and Sara and Neil had some really heartwarming moments, things were doomed from the start. There was no trust at the beginning of the relationship, and even at the top, it was still strained at best. Neil’s past and his continued involvement in less than legal activities made things challenging for the couple, and Sara was actively on the opposite side of the law when it came to Neil’s actions. Despite any lingering affection of Sara for Neil, things always went to plateau and fizzled out.
3
Neal Caffrey & Rebecca Lowe / Rachel Turner
Some time later, in season 5, Neil met Rachel Turner, although he first came to know her through her false identity, Rebecca Lowe. The relationship was almost the opposite of Neil and Sara’s, with Neil being much more committed to his life as an FBI informant, and Rachel turning out to be a criminal mastermind. At the beginning of their relationship, Neil does some things that put Rebekah in a challenging place, causing her to lose a high profile job at the Gershon Museum. Although this causes a bit of tension, things are resolved quickly due to their deep connection.
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Rebecca is recruited by Neal and Mozzie to help them work on a secret treasure hunt that revolves around artifacts and stories that Rebecca has an expert knowledge of, so it makes perfect sense for her to help out. However, once Neil and Mozzi manage to recover the treasure, Rebecca is apparently captured by other criminals who are on the hunt for the same artifacts. In this moment, when Rebecca’s life is in danger, Neil reveals his deep feelings as he goes to extreme lengths to save her. However, he soon discovers that Rebecca is a false identity, and Rachel Turner is an assassin and former MI5 secret agent who was fired for treason.
In Neil and Rachel’s relationship, Neil was canned, but there were genuine feelings that were reciprocated. Rachel was also a more even match for Neil, although she was the one whose moral compass strayed too far due to her willingness to kill others. Neal ultimately chose the FBI over Rachel, and he played a major role in getting her locked up. The relationship had obvious problems, like the others listed above, but it was real for Neil. When Rachel dies later in White collar Season 6, it really affects him, and reinforces how much Rachel meant to him.
2
Neil Caffrey and Alex Hunter
However, Neal’s best relationship, and the only one that had any real chance of continuing into the show and beyond, was between Neal and Alexandria Hunter. Alex has a lot in common with Neil, and both are on the same page when it comes to pulling off heists and avoiding murder. On top of that, Neil’s connection to Alex predates the show, and she returns several times until season 4. Alex is actually the girl who wanted Neil to come and pull off some hits in Europe while he was dating Kate, whom he Chosen to go with despite being in a relationship.
While Kate was dating her previous boyfriend, Neil was romantically involved with Alex, although they kept their relationship primarily physical. Throughout the show, Alex returns several times, and on each occasion, there is a clear electricity between the pair. In earlier episodes, Neil is still keen to pursue criminal activities, and Alex tends to bring out the side of him. Although not legal, the pair have fun and grow close through their shared connections and skills.
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However, as the show progresses, Neil tries to help Alex leave her life of crime in the past. He recruits her to work alongside him as an FBI criminal informant, and together they pull off a huge sting operation, but Alex leaves Neil hanging to take the blame, despite his good intentions. They meet again after that moment, but Neil is clearly hurt by Alex’s willingness to betray him, and her lack of desire to change. The last meeting between the couple happens in White collar Season 4, but it’s possible that things could change in the future and Neal and Alex reconnect.
1
Peter and Elizabeth Burke
All this said, Neil’s relationships in White collar Proving to be weighed down by illegal criminal activity, trust issues and general baggage on both sides. It’s not to say that Neal can’t find true love one day, but as far as the show is concerned, none of his relationships last long enough to really get invested. But there is one relationship that stands out from the first episode straight through to the last. Elizabeth and Peter Burke are the perfect couple White collarWith both parties being strong, independent, intelligent, resourceful and deeply supportive of one another.
Peter’s job is highly demanding, and can take him away from home for long stretches, especially if he is undercover. On the flipside, Elizabeth is strong-willed and resilient enough to run her own bustling business, Burke Premier Events, meaning both parties have their own career goals and pursuits. The couple had been married for ten years at the start of the show, so they had plenty of time to iron out any kinks and get comfortable as a couple. However, they are not so comfortable that they have lost interest or respect for one another.
Peter and Elizabeth constantly raise each other and seek to support their partner at all times. Elizabeth is instrumental in helping her husband grow and face the challenge of working with his former rival, giving Neil, a convicted con man, a fresh start in life. They understand each other, they appreciate each other, and they do everything they can to make sure that they continue to work in their relationship to not only make it work, but see it thrive. As a result, they are easily the best couple in White collar.