White Collarmay be a police procedural, but the show isn’t afraid to explore romance when it comes to the leading men, Neal and Peter. White Collar first began airing on USA Today in 2009, where it continued to run for six thrilling seasons. Over that 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 therelationship between Peter and Neal inWhite Collaras they worked through their preexisting biases and frustrations with each other, but the show included many more relationships that provided additional growth and challenges for Peter and Neal. From the relationship that pushed Neal to escape prison at the start of the show, to one that endures throughout the entire series run, there is a lot more to dig into than just the dynamic duo of a con man and the FBI agent who apprehended him in the first place. But not allWhite Collarrelationships are equal.
5Neal Caffrey & Kate Moreau
Starting off with Neal and Kate, the couple that kicks off the show. Kate Moreau, played by Alexandra Daddario, is the sole individual who inspires and influences the events that lead to the show beginning. Neal fell head over heels in love with Kate, and they spent some time together as friends, before eventually making things official. The biggest roadblock early on in their relationship was that Kate was already involved with someone, but she eventually chose Neal and the pair settled down together.
Their relationship lasted some time, with Neal and his best friend Mozzie beginning to train Kate on how to pull cons alongside them. However, things soured when Neal tried to con Kate to accompany him on a job in Europe with a former romantic partner of his. Despite Kate’s protests, Neal leaves anyway, and the relationship never fully recovered. However, when Neal realized his mistake, he tried to repair 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 Neal continued to try and communicate with Kate, and when he lost track of her completely just a few months shy of freedom,Neal chose to break out of prison months before he was due to go free. Neal didn’t find Kate, but he did find a message which clearly indicated she had moved on. Tragically, a short time later, Neal and Kate almost rekindle things, but she is murdered in a fiery explosion. Ultimately, while this is a pivotal love story, it is in no way a healthy or good one. Both Neal and Kate were bad for each other, and their relationship only caused further tragedy.
4Neal Caffrey & Sara Ellis
InWhite Collarseason 2, Neal Caffrey meets Sara Ellis for the first time. Initially, the relationship is professional, as Sara is an insurance investigator who is looking into crimes that she suspects Neal of committing. However, things turn from fiery to flirtatious quickly, and the pair share an intense electric connection. In the early stages of their relationship, Sara struggles to trust Neal, but she does become his longest consistent girlfriend seen 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 Neal was 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 that she still has feelings for Neal in every subsequent appearance throughoutWhite Collarseasons3 and 4.
While this relationship lasted for a considerable time, and Sara and Neal had some genuinely heartfelt moments, things were doomed from the start. There was no trust at the start of the relationship, and even at the peak, it was still strained at best. Neal’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 Neal’s actions. Despite any lingering affection from Sara for Neal, things were always going to plateau, and fizzle out.
3Neal Caffrey & Rebecca Lowe/Rachel Turner
Some time later, in season 5, Neal met Rachel Turner, although he first came to know her by her false identity, Rebecca Lowe. This relationship was almost the inverse of Neal and Sara’s, with Neal 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, Neal does some things that put Rebecca in a challenging spot, which causes her to lose a high profile job at the Gershon museum. While this causes a little tension, things are resolved quickly due to their intense connection.
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Rebecca is recruited by Neal and Mozzie to help them work on a secretive treasure hunt which revolves around artifacts and stories which Rebecca has an expert knowledge in, so it makes perfect sense for her to help. However, once Neal and Mozzie manage to retrieve 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 jeopardy, Neal 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 a murderer and former MI5 secret agent who was fired for treason.
In Neal and Rachel’s relationship, Neal was conned, but there were genuine feelings that appeared to be reciprocated. Rachel was also a more even match for Neal, 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 part in getting her locked up. The relationship had clear problems, as did the others listed above, but it was real for Neal. When Rachel dies later inWhite Collarseason 6, it genuinely affects him, and reinforces how much Rachel meant to him.
2Neal Caffrey & Alex Hunter
However, Neal’s best relationship, and the only one that has any real chance of continuing within the show and beyond, was between Neal and Alexandria Hunter. Alex has a lot in common with Neal, and both are on the same page when it comes to pulling off heists, and avoiding murder. On top of this, Neal’s connection to Alex precedes the show, and she returns multiple times up until season 4. Alex is actually the girl who wanted Neal to come and pull off some heists in Europe while he was dating Kate, whom he chose to go with despite being in a relationship.
While Kate was dating her previous boyfriend, Neal got romantically involved with Alex, though they kept their relationship primarily physical. Throughout the show, Alex returns multiple times, and on each occasion, there is a clear electricity between the pair. In earlier episodes, Neal is still keen to pursue criminal activities, and Alex tends to bring out that side of him. While it’s not legal, the pair have fun and grow close through their shared connections and skills.
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However, as the show progresses, Neal 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 Neal hanging to take the blame, despite his good intentions. They meet again after this moment, but Neal is clearly hurt by Alex’s willingness to betray him, and her lack of desire to change. The last meeting between the pair happens inWhite Collarseason 4, but it’s possible that things could change in the future and Neal and Alex reconnect.
1Peter & Elizabeth Burke
All of that said,Neal’s relationships inWhite Collarprove to be too weighed down by illegal criminal activities, trust issues and general baggage on both sides. It isn’t to say that Neal can’t find true love one day, but as far as the show is concerned, none of his relationships hold up long enough to truly 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 inWhite Collar, with 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 enough and resilient enough to run her own bustling business, Burke Premier Events, meaning that both parties have their own career goals and pursuits. The pair were already married ten years at the outset of the show, and so, they have had a lot 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 up, 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 Neal, a convicted con man, a fresh start in life. They understand each other, they value each other, and they do everything they can to ensure that they keep on working at their relationship to not just make it work, but see that it thrives. As a result, they are easily the best couple inWhite Collar.
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.
