White collar
is officially being revived, but now the show has the enormous task of finding ways to bring back the main cast and create a new story. White collar began airing in 2009. The show introduced the world to the incredibly talented conman, Neal Caffrey, and the FBI agent who caught him, Peter Burke, as the two were forced to work together. Although the duo initially butted heads, over time, their relationship evolved and they began to have mutual respect and appreciation for each other.
However, the show had a solid six-season run to explore the relationship, and it ended with Neal finally breaking free from the FBI after they went back on their promise to make him a free man. But years later, the show is set to be renewed with White Collar: Renaissance (through Deadline). And while this is an exciting development, it raises questions about how the show will return and what the story will be in this updated revival.
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Reuniting Neal Caffrey and Peter Burke
It has been confirmed that Matt Bomer and Tim DeKay will return for the revival, meaning Neal and Peter will likely get a reunion. Considering the entire White Collar series has revolved around these two characters, it only makes sense to bring them back together and see what's in store for them. However, the show will need to find a solid reason for the pair to meet again. The last time Peter saw Neal, Neal faked his death and received a private note confirming that his friend was still alive and well.
Now, years later, it's likely that Neal and Peter are at very different points in their lives, so it will be interesting to see how they bring them together. However, it is almost certain that the revival will feature a moment in which the characters reunite, and this will probably happen right at the beginning. After all, this relationship between Peter and Neal is what White collar it was all first. Uniqeuly, the revival could approach this relationship as the reunion of old friends, which will be a stark contrast to how the pair met in the original series.
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Honoring and Moving Beyond Mozzie After Willie Garson's Death
In 2021, Willie Garson passed away seven years after the show ended. In the original White collar series, Garson played a character named Mozzie, who was Neal Caffrey's longtime friend and accomplice. Like Neal, Mozzie was an experienced thief with incredible technological skills and a gift for researching materials and obtaining answers from obscure sources. Mozzie was the only person who left with Neal when Neal faked his death, and so it is likely that the two have been together since they left New York. But with Garson's passing, the show will need to fill in the gaps.
Mozzie's death could be a strong starting point within White Collar: Revivaland could act as a way for the cast and crew to recognize and pay tribute to the actor. If Mozzie's fate resembles Garson's, it could inspire Neal to return to his friend Peter and seek help. Whether it's because there's a case to investigate or because Neal is alone and isolated after losing his closest and oldest friend, either way, this could be a great way to start the new series.
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Bringing Neal Caffrey back from the dead
However, if Neal returns to New York for any reason, there will likely be many questions about how a legendary con man survived and escaped FBI detection. Bringing Neal back from the dead White Collar: Renaissance it would be a challenge for Neal to maintain his freedom and could direct negative attention to Peter as someone who knew and allowed Neal to evade capture. Considering Peter just got promoted in the end, it could be damaging to his career and reputation if this secret gets out.
So it will be important to address how exactly Neal managed to disappear, cover up that Peter had such knowledge, and try to do all of this by keeping Neal a free man rather than forcing him to wear a leg bracelet once again. or worse, send him to prison. The series will have to navigate this, but it could provide an interesting place to start the story and a solid arc to explore over the course of a series or more depending on how the revival performs. Neal should be dead anyway, so it's essential to bring him back.
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Peter Burke running New York's white collar division
As mentioned above, Peter Burke was promoted to lead the FBI's New York City white collar division. The department where he worked for many years to track down people like Neal, and the same department where he partnered with Neal as an informant and criminal consultant. The department suffered from a lack of cohesion, with some agents having additional loyalties and people wanting to take advantage of people like Neal Caffrey for their benefit and that of their unit.
Peter was never that callous, but he had a strong work ethic. In fact, early on in the show, Peter would occasionally miss meals with his beautiful wife, Elle, because he was working late. Now, as head of the department, it seems likely that his workload will be greater than ever, which means he needs to find a balance. Interestingly, sometimes it was Neal who helped him maintain that balance, and having his old friend back could be the perfect way for Peter to realign his priorities and turn his attention back to the relationship, while also cleaning up the department.
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Tracking down Neal Caffrey on the run
However, there is a distinct possibility that Neal returned to his old ways after leaving Peter. After all, he was a criminal and was very good at running cons. Despite his genuine satisfaction in working with the FBI, Neal was forced into continued action because the agency never gave him an official release despite promising it, and so he never had the chance to start over. With his new life starting with a lie about being killed, it is very likely that he continued to run cons after he was killed. White collar.
If that's the case, what brings Peter and Neal back together could be Peter on the trail of Neal's crimes. Previously, it was Peter who caught Neal when no other agent could. He saw the patterns in his work and became intimately familiar with the workings of Neal's mind. So if Peter uncovers the trail of Neal's crimes once again, it could lead him to track down and capture his old friend. Of course, it would be necessary to explain why there was a long gap in their activity, but this is a plausible way for the revival to reunite Neal and Peter.
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Neal getting an official release
Neal worked alongside Peter as a criminal informant for years. Initially, Neal Caffrey was only supposed to serve a few more months in prison when White collar began, but he escaped from prison and had his sentence extended. However, he was given a one-time offer as a way to serve his sentence serving the FBI as an informant and reduce his remaining time. Despite this offer, and Neal's acceptance of it, the FBI went back on their word and always found ways to extend his sentence, which resulted in an additional six years under surveillance.
Although the show ended with Neal breaking free from this phrase, he was never officially freed. Neal would be arrested again and forced to continue working for the government with intense restrictions. A revival show could have Neal come back, accept that he still has time to serve, and eventually receive that freedom. With Peter's new position, it appears that Neal is in a stronger position to be freed than ever before, but he can't be freed until he takes responsibility and stops running from the consequences of his actions.
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Neal working as a white collar officer
If Neal manages to gain his freedom, accept his punishment, and come out the other side still strong, it could also be the perfect time for Neal to step up and get a job as an official white-collar FBI agent. Neal loved his time working with Peter, and his skills as a criminal made him especially suited to getting into the minds of criminals. He was an incredible asset and the FBI would be lucky to have him. And Neal enjoyed doing the work he just couldn't live with the continued lack of freedom and trust.
White collar the revival could give Neal the redemption he sought, allow him to come back and embrace all that awaits him, and then get to work legitimately. Because he knows the boss, he already has the strength to help him get the job. However, there would still be a learning curve as Neal tries to figure out how to operate as an official agent rather than a criminal who bends the rules to suit his situation. Ultimately, this or any other theory about what will happen next White Collar: Renaissance It remains to be seen when the series will finally be released and Neal and Peter's fate will be revealed.