Neal Caffrey sure looks good in a suit! And, what about the fedoras? Not everyone can pull off that look, but Caffrey sure does! Oh, sure, much of that credit must go to the gorgeous Matt Bomer. Over the last three seasons, Bomer has graced our screens as the complicated and slick character of Neal Caffrey. Through his performance, we have grown to love this former (?) con man.
Deb and Jane have joined me in reflecting on White Collar‘s Neal Caffrey.
Describe Neal Caffrey in 3 words.
Deb: Charmingly suave and ingenious
Jane: Whip-smart, debonair, evolving
Carla: Delicious, clever, artistic
Who does Neal truly love? Mozzie? Peter? Sara? Anyone else?
Deb: I think Neal loves them all. He’s a good person at heart and has never let a con hurt any of the people in his life.
Jane: Peter definitely. Mozzie. Sara (though I’m not convinced it’s totally romantic). Adding June and Elizabeth to the list. They comprise his surrogate family.
Carla: Neal seems to have lived a life full of people that disappointed him. Over the last four years, he finally began to trust people and ultimately love them. When Mozzie asked him to run away with the treasure, he realized he grew to love those around him. They had become, as Jane said, his “surrogate family.”
Neal said he wanted to stay in New York and appreciated his new life, but then ended up running. Why?
Deb: Neal ran as a testament to how much he loves his new life. He loves and trusts Peter, Peter told him to run, so he ran. If Peter thought that the only way that Neal could protect himself was to run, then Neal had no choice. It’s a solid way for Neal to prove his loyalty to Peter.
Jane: Neal ran to protect his NY life, rather than succumbing to Kramer and his efforts to move him to DC. Agree that his trigger for taking off was his trust in Peter, and in this case, flight rather than fight not only made more sense, but it is rooted in his base instinct.
Carla: The pain in Neal’s eyes when he was flying away was heart-wrenching to watch. He didn’t run away for the treasure or the next score. I hope we find out that there was more to his decision than just Peter’s head shake. Neal and Peter are in tune with each other, but not that much.
What do you want to see for Neal when the show comes back this summer?
Deb: I want Neal to be able to come back and resume his life, sooner than later, with two more years on his sentence and his anklet still on (I’m not ready for Neal to be free). I want Kramer to go away with his tail between his legs, never to return … but you didn’t ask me that, did you?
Jane: When the show resumes this summer, I’d like to see Neal come back to NYC sooner, rather than later. And I’m intrigued by the can of worms that is delving into Neal’s background: his father, his history and who the heck Judith Ivey (an actress I love) is in all this. Plus I’d like to see more June, mostly because I like her relationship with Neal and Mozzie. Oh — and I’d like to see Kramer get his comeuppance.
Carla: I’d like his escape to be part of a bigger picture, rather than just running away from Kramer. The USA Network has filmed overseas on Covert Affairs; it would be fun to see Neal and Mozzie in Europe for a few episodes. How amazing would it be if Neal was on loan to Interpol for a case or two? Ultimately, he needs to return to NYC to his new family and to deal with his past.
Do you love Neal as much as we do? Have a favorite Caffrey moment? We’d love to hear about them!
Clacked by Carla Day 
on Mar 08, 2012 @ 11:01 EST5EDT
I agree with all of the above–from my stand point the show was doing fine without a Kramer, and frankly the sooner he leaves the better. In fact his continuing part in the show would make me feel similar to how I felt when it looked like they had killed off Mozzie in season 2.