What would make a man –– with only three months left on his four-year prison sentence –– try to escape? Love, of course. And what would make a career criminal agree to work as a consultant for the FBI? Well, still love.

That’s the premise of White Collar, which is now streaming on Netflix. Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer) is a lifelong con artist, thief, and forger — one of the highest caliber. No art, antiquity, jewel, or designer suit is safe when he’s on the loose. He evaded capture for many years but was finally detained by FBI special agent Peter Burke (Tim DeKay). When Neal’s girlfriend, Kate Moreau (Alexandra Daddario), visits him after three years in prison to inform him that she’s leaving him, he hatches a plan to break out and convince her to stay. 

Agent Burke catches Neal yet again. While he’s being taken back to prison, the con man proposes a solution: He can help Burke and his division catch white-collar criminals (like himself) in exchange for a lighter sentence and the opportunity to reconnect with Kate. Peter reluctantly agrees, and what ensues is six seasons of what’s sure to be your next must-watch.

What’s White Collar about?

White Collar, which aired from 2009 to 2014, follows the adventures of Neal Caffrey and Peter Burke. The dapper criminal and by-the-book FBI agent make an unlikely duo, but one that’s easy to root for as they break into New York Fashion Week, suss out forged bottles of wine, and investigate a diamond heist — and that’s just during the first season.

Special agent Peter Burke works in the FBI’s white-collar crime unit and has a near singular focus on Neal Caffrey. Neal is a white-collar con artist, thief, and forger; he specializes in high-end heists, such as art, jewelry, and antiquities. And he’s good at it. After all, it took Peter three years to nab him and send him to a supermax prison for four years. 

With only three months left on Neal’s sentence, he uses his artistry to escape. It doesn’t take long for Peter to figure out what led Neal to break out: his girlfriend. Kate is also a con artist and has been with Neal for a long time, which is why it’s surprising that she showed up at the prison when Neal had only three months left on his sentence to tell him she’s leaving. 

By the time Neal breaks out and makes it to her apartment, all that’s left is a bottle of Bordeaux. Agent Burke and his team capture him there, and he goes without a fight since he’s distraught about Kate. But when Neal notices a piece of fiber on Peter’s jacket, he starts to hatch another plan. An expert in many, many things, Neal knows that this fiber is from the new Canadian $100 bill — and he also knows that he has a lot of information that could be invaluable to the FBI. He proposes his new plan to Peter. In exchange for working as a consultant for the white-collar crime unit, he will get an ankle monitor instead of prison for the next four years. Peter and the FBI reluctantly accept.

Still a convicted criminal, Neal is given only a $700 monthly stipend from the FBI for food, clothing, and less-than-stellar room accommodations. However, he has a penchant for the good life and lucks into a penthouse apartment and a wardrobe full of designer clothes. As with many things that Neal does, this drives Peter crazy — but it means that viewers get to see Bomer dressed to the nines. 

Neal has experience in art forgeries, rare jewels, financial schemes, and more, which means he’s a valuable consultant, but Peter knows this also means he’s constantly tempted throughout the cases they work on. He keeps an eye on him and warns him to let Kate go. Peter fears that looking for Kate will just tempt him to get back into the business with her. But Neal can’t let it go — he knows there’s more to the story. He enlists the help of his friend Mozzie (Willie Garson), yet another con artist, to help him figure out what really happened to Kate. Mozzie occasionally lends his expertise to help the FBI, too, but in secret the two con men try to locate a music box that was believed to be stolen by Neal (it wasn’t) that could lead them to Kate.

On official business, Peter and Neal are a great team: Peter follows all the rules to a T while Neal colors way outside the lines. Together, they are able to close cases, which keeps Peter’s bosses happy and keeps Neal out of prison. While they don’t always trust one another, they build a working relationship that slowly turns to friendship. 

Who’s in the cast of White Collar? 

Throughout the six seasons of White Collar, Neal takes on a number of cases — some sanctioned by agent Burke and the FBI, some not — where he meets all sorts of colorful characters. Here are the key players we meet at the beginning of the series: 

• Matt Bomer (Magic Mike, American Horror Story) as Neal Caffrey, a high-end con artist working in tandem with the FBI to avoid a prison sentence
• Tim DeKay (1923) as FBI special agent-in-charge Peter Burke, the head of the white-collar crime unit and Neal’s de facto handler
• Willie Garson (Sex and the City) as Mozzie, Neal’s best friend and a fellow con man
• Alexandra Daddario (Baywatch, The White Lotus) as Kate Moreau, Neal’s girlfriend and a con artist
• Tiffani Thiessen (Saved by the Bell) as Elizabeth Burke, Peter’s wife
• Marsha Thomason (Lost) as FBI special agent Diana Berrigan, a member of Peter’s white-collar crime team
• Sharif Atkins (ER) as FBI special agent Clinton Jones, a member of Peter’s white-collar crime team
• Natalie Morales (Parks and Recreation, Dead to Me) as FBI special agent Lauren Cruz
• Diahann Carroll (A Different World, Grey’s Anatomy) as June Ellington, Neal’s landlady who gifts him her late husband’s designer wardrobe and becomes fast friends with Mozzie

Where can I stream White Collar?

All six seasons of White Collar are streaming on Netflix now.

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