The revival ofWhite Collarshould make one big change from the original, allowing the reboot a fresh start ten years after Neal Caffrey’s (Matt Bomer) story came to a close.Details onWhite Collar: Renaissance’sstory have been kept to a minimum, resulting in manytheories surrounding theWhite Collarrevivalcirculating from audiences who loved the original series. In a similar vein, several concerns surrounding the revival have been presented, especially regarding how the revival will impact the original’s legacy and avoid the mistakes of the past.

White Collarwas and continues to be a strong procedural, weaving together its overarching storylines and character arcs with ease. Even so, othershows similar toWhite Collarand its solid structure have had lackluster revivals, asreturning to that longer procedural form hinders more than helps reacquaint audiences with these stories years later.Fortunately,White Collar: Renaissancecould break that pattern through a simple solution, allowing it to truly follow Neal and Peter Burke’s (Tim DeKay) journey without the risk of narrative clutter that audiences have seen before: limiting its episode count.

A custom image of Neal from White Collar looking at something offscreen with Peter and Elizabeth in the blue background.

White Collar Renaissance Should Have Fewer Episodes Than The Original Show

Fewer Episodes Would Force The Revival To Focus On The Characters And Main Plot

White Collar: Renaissanceshould have fewer episodes than the original show’s average season run, condensing the amount of added detail within the story.White Collar’sfirst five seasons had an average season length of 13-16 episodes, giving the show plenty of time to let their larger plot points unfold. Season 6’s six episodes, by contrast, limited the story to the Pink Panther arc as well as the final beats of the arc surroundingNeal and Peter’s relationship, wrapping the core story up succinctly by the series finale.

This White Collar Character Needs To Return For The Revival Despite Having Only Appeared In 1 Episode Of The Matt Bomer Show

Despite only appearing in a single episode, this supporting White Collar character needs to return for the upcoming revival of the Matt Bomer show.

TheWhite Collarrevival should copy the latter formula, condensing itself to fewer episodes to maximize story potential and give audiences the aspects of the narrative that are the most anticipated.Having fewer episodes would let the revival focus on the shifts in Neal and Peter’s dynamicand how the years apart have impacted them. Attempting to replicate the original’s more elaborate case-of-the-week format would not work as, much like other revivals, the time away has transformedWhite Collar’scharacters enough that returning to the status quo would be unnecessary.

Neal walks the streets of Paris in White Collar

Why White Collar Doesn’t Need Another Multi-Season Case-Of-The-Week Show

Returning To That Format Would Erase What The Time Away Did To Neal And Peter

White Collardoes not need another multi-season procedural show after how it ended.White Collarseason 6may have left the door open for a continuation, but it wrapped up most storylines.Neal and Peter’s separation and Neal’s new life in Paris should be at the forefront of the show, with Neal’s characterization and what could have shifted without Peter’s presence acting as the anchor point for the mystery that ultimately reunites them. Returning to the show’s case-of-the-week format, however, would likely ignore this in favor of maintainingWhite Collar’s original formula.

The procedural format would force the story and characters to reset.

white collar

While that return could honor the series' legacy, it would also harm the story’s potential. So much has likely changed in the gap between the finale and the revival and exploring that should be the revival’s top priority.The procedural format would not allow for that, forcing the story and characters to resetand causing the same story issues as other reboots. By having fewer episodes, the revival ofWhite Collarcan avoid those problems and showcase how the impact of time cannot be so easily ignored by Neal, Peter, and those who love them.

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.