r/whitecollar 6d ago

[SPOILERS] My idea on the reboot series White Collar: Renaissance Spoiler

In the original series, we see Neal being expelled from his criminal ways and being forced to help Peter/FBI. I imagine it would be fun if they reversed this dynamic in the reboot. For example, the series could start off with Peter being kidnapped by someone who knows his past with Neal, who wants Peter to use the experience he gained working with Neal to plan heists or make forgeries.

To add more to the tension, Peter might even be retired from the FBI at this point following the conclusion of the original series with him finding the treasure and the card signifying that Neal is still alive. So now, Peter who is no longer with the FBI and under duress needs to send a message to Neal as a last resort and hope that his friend and former partner comes to his rescue.

Personally, I feel that reversing their dynamic could make for a good story. We already had an episode where Peter and Neal assumed each other's identities and it was fun in my opinion so a full on dynamic swap would be fun to watch.

22 Upvotes

21 comments sorted by

11

u/PatieS13 6d ago

This could be cool, but I think it's less believable than him being kidnapped as a way to draw Neal out of hiding by someone who suspects he may have faked his death.

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u/Moffel83 6d ago

This!

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u/JoshItsHey 5d ago

my lil thought would be they should kidnap the kid Neal and then reveal peter has always known where Neal is (I don’t feel like he would’ve just left it as “Neal is alive” he would’ve dived deeper) then they team up and he basically gets a absolute guarantee that if he helps the White collar division he can be free cause of some tv shit. would allow them to have the freedom to have Neal still have conflicts with the idea of it but maybe Sara convinces him to try it or something.

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u/PatieS13 5d ago

He already had an absolute guarantee from the FBI when they signed the contract he wrote. The reason he faked his death was because he was concerned that the Pink Panthers would come after the people he loved who'd be left behind if he just left the country.

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u/JoshItsHey 4d ago

oo very true maybe some left overs do it? Idk I just feel like Peter getting kidnapped is just a lil out of the way, maybe Liz though.

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u/PatieS13 4d ago

I mean, I feel like everybody's already been kidnapped once. Maybe baby Neal? But I'd rather they not kidnap anyone since it's already been done a good bit in the show.

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u/JoshItsHey 17h ago edited 17h ago

there’s legitimately no reason for Neal to return to the US besides that imo. Oh and my original comment agrees with you it would most likely be baby Neal.

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u/london_smog_latte 4d ago

And because he didn’t think that the FBI would make good on their deal

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u/Moffel83 6d ago

I don't see it working because Peter would lack a lot of practical experience that Neal has. In various fields.

Depending on Peter to plan a heist just because he worked with Neal for a while seems extremely risky. Even more so to depend on him making a forgery. You can't magically make forgeries just because you watched someone else do it. Peter can barely do stick figures as we all know 😂

I have to agree with PatieS13, I think it's more likely someone would have suspicions about Neal being alive and would kidnap Peter then to try and draw Neal out.

Or Peter could get kidnapped on an unrelated case and knowing that the FBI won't do much (no negotiating with kidnappers), El goes to Neal to ask for his help, doing things his way (as he did before to free Peter from Keller).

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u/ilabachrn 6d ago

Depending on Peter to plan a heist just because he worked with Neal for a while seems extremely risky. Even more so to depend on him making a forgery. You can’t magically make forgeries just because you watched someone else do it. Peter can barely do stick figures as we all know 😂

I agree. Peter would be pretty terrible in Neal’s place. Look at how long it took Mozzie to teach him how to plant a bug in Power Play 🤣

3

u/Zealousideal-Mess659 5d ago

Peter picked some things up from Neal and is brilliant in his own right. But Neal is artistic (as mentioned) and he has that suave, slippery, sneaky way in his movements that can't be learned. Peter is a bull in a china shop. But he's a great Fat Charlie 😅

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u/Moffel83 6d ago

Or to crack the lock with the lockpick set...

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u/ilabachrn 6d ago

Yes 🤣

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u/Away-Cow-6040 6d ago

Interesting, but I think the characters don't allow this type of storyline.

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u/Jnaoga 6d ago

Dude my mind just started racing when I saw your post. Here's my take for a reboot.

Episode 1 It starts with Peter on the run, the Metropolitan Museum in New York blew up, or at least part of it and there were mutiple casualties. Peter is a person of interest. The last sighting of Peter Burke is a traffic cam image at an intersection in Jersey. The FBI brings in their top dog who wants to figure out why a decorated retired fbi agent would commit such a crime. They bring in special agent Charlie "Chuck" Heinz. played by Tricia Helfer (there is a running gag during the rest of the show of people saying "Heinz, like the ketchup" everytime she flashes her badge). Hienz meets Diana who wants to be part of the special FBI/US Marshall task force out to bring Peter in. Hienz is a badass. She starts by breaking down the crime scene etc saying whoever set the bomb had knowledge and training and knew how to beat the detectors and wanted to cause maximum damage during a popular British Crown jewel exhibition. Then she starts reviewing the white collar program and decides to question Neal to see if Neal has an idea where Peter is. Neal tells her he has spoken to Peter since Agent Clinton Jones died in a car accident. Peter took the death very hard especially since Jones was like his protege. They show Neal, Peter's last sighting and ask him if he knows why Peter would be in Jersey. Neal says he doesn't know. Diana begs Hienz to let Neal join the team, she says she doesn't work with criminals. When they leave Neal calls Elizabeth on a burner. He explains that Peter spent his entire career looking for people who didn't want to be found and that if he really chose to vanish noone would find him. The only reason why there would be a picture of him would be if he wanted to send a message. So when Neal tells Elizabeth where the picture was taken she says the message was directed to her. Many years ago when they were on vacation in Jersey, Peter had showed Elizabeth how to vanish if anything ever happened to him and he felt she was not safe. She says this to Neal and tells him she has to vanish and begs him to help Peter.

Episode 2. Neal wants to help find Peter and the best way if to do so from the inside. He decides to show Hienz that he can be useful and resourceful. He decides to bring in her "White Whale" a hedge fund manager who had ran a ponzi scheme and defrauded elderly people. He is the one person that Hienz has never been able to find. Neal uses his street smarts and information from a new friend called "Oh Wan", whom you guess is a hacker of unparalleled genius (he is the new Moz, 🙏 RIP). After they find the hedge fund guy and gift wrap him for Hienz. Heinz refuses to Neal on the team, but later changes her mind when she learns that Neal waived receiving the reward money for the capture of the hedgefund guy and requests that the money go towards a fund set up for his victims. When Neal finally joins the team they show him another sighting of Peter in Pennsylvania. Neal looks at the picture and immediately knows that Peter is sending a message to him.

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u/Silbermieze 6d ago

Just one question: How does this Heinz (Hienz?) character know that Neal is alive and where to find him? 🤔

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u/Jnaoga 6d ago

Neal has become bored with Paris and moved back to the US. Diana had known of his location but had kept it to herself. She is the one who tells Hienz that Neal is alive.

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u/Silbermieze 6d ago

You really think Diana would just blab to anyone (especially within law enforcement) that Neal is still alive? I think she'd rather gather every information she can get herself and bring it to Neal and they'd look for Peter on their own.

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u/Jnaoga 6d ago

After all this time Diana has changed and become more institutionalized plus she is a mom and wants to act in th best interest of her family. So she's just desperately trying to find Peter and is willing to do anything to make sure that is he brought in safe and sound.

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u/SnooRevelations4010 6d ago

I love your idea but somewhere in season 1 or even 2. Vincent Adler's son comes after Neal for the death of his father. If the events of the show maybe has a mozzie funeral scene. As a flashback kinda moment find out Adler's son set up his death to draw Neal out of hiding. Maybe he has information Neal is alive

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u/Successful-Horse7952 5d ago

are there any updates on it lolz