'White Collar' Review: Series Finale Ended On A Perfect Note, With Neal Caffrey Pulling Off His Last, Greatest Con

The final shot of "White Collar" Series finale alluded to the beginning of another chase. The series finale may not have tied up things in a nice, little bow, but it ended on a perfect note. In the pilot episode of this series, a con man and his hunter, an FBI agent, became partners to stop and solve white collar crime. Neal Caffrey never 'truly' reformed but as the final episode showed, he may have crossed over to the dark side and would have become a ruthless demon like Matthew Keller, if there was no Peter Burke in his life. It does not come as a surprise that Neal called Peter his best friend while on his deathbed.

Keller was not a regular on the show but he was a prominent antagonist of the show. He and Neal were once friends and worked together. The two became adversaries after a con job went wrong, in which Keller killed one of their partners and let Neal live as he saw him as a "worthy opponent." In the final episode of the series, three con-men, Keller, Neal and Mozzie, teamed up to steal $30 million from the Pink Panthers. Keller stayed true to his evil character and he could have killed Mozzie this time, if Neal had not been prepared. This time he shot Neal, with the gun that Neal pointed at him. If he had not got his befitting end, Keller would have been proud of his old friend for pulling off one of the greatest con.

Neal's journey in "White Collar" was not about him turning into a good citizen. He never stopped being a con-man. As a criminal informant, he was expected to live shabbily and in a poorly maintained house. But, Neal found himself a plush apartment and a wardrobe full of stylish suits -- thanks to the lady he met in a thrift store, June -- making it clear that he may be a criminal informant, with a tracking anklet, but he is going to live his life on his own terms and in style. If not June, Neal may have found some other way to live in luxury, with his wine collection. But, his carefree ways may have been clipped to some extent. June gave him a permanent nest to live in and because she was a widow of a con-artist, she never questioned him. At times, she helped Neal and Mozzie pull off a con. June appeared in the final episode and she and Neal recalled the first time that they met and Neal showed his gratitude, calling her his "saving grace." It was a scene that made a regular viewer recall the last six years of the show. It would have been appropriate if there was a shot of Neal's apartment after he was gone and Mozzie had returned to the basics, as the apartment was very much a character of "White Collar."

Neal and Mozzie also remembered their first meeting. Neal had conned his now best friend at the time. Neal gave Mozzie the queen of hearts that he got after conning him in his own con game of cards. At the end of the episode, Mozzie left the queen of hearts for Peter to find and realise that the chase is on. The grin on Peter's face when he realises that is worth watching multiple times, as it makes us imagine what is going to happen next and crib that there would be no new episode to reveal what Peter does next.

One of the major highlights of the show was Neal and Peter's bromance. Neal had his share of romantic pairings in the show but "White Collar" was about Neal and Peter's relationship. Probably, that is why it does not seem odd that Sara or Alexandra did not make an appearance, or a new romance was not introduced for Neal in the final season. Over the course of six seasons, Peter became a surrogate father to Neal, thus it does not come as a surprise when it is revealed that Peter and Liz have named their son Neal. Also, it was heart-breaking to see Peter breaking down after seeing Neal's dead body. In one of the scenes, Keller said to Peter that he has a Caffrey in him. And, it was very much apparent when Peter was helping Neal and Keller rob the Federal Reserve funds.

The Pink Panthers case ended on an abrupt note, probably because the final season was never about them but about Neal deciding who he really is. Neal kept his part of his bargain and got the notorious gang members arrested. He, however, did not give FBI a chance to reveal their card. The suave con-man scripted his own escape. The final episode of "White Collar" gave each character a happy ending. And, the one who did not get it, he deserved his sad end.