A Tale of Two Saras

In the TV show White Collar, the relationship between Sara Ellis and Neal Caffrey ia one of the most complicated of the series. Sara's an insurance investigator who found herself attracted to Neal even when she was at odds with him. At times, she protected Neal, but in other instances she sought to have him arrested.

Neal and Sara have much in common. Like Neal, she's stylish and sophisticated and enjoyed a life filled with luxury. She's skilled in the art of the con and even carries around a set of candy-apple lock picks. In canon, Neal and Sara had a major hurdle to overcome. In her eyes, Neal was a criminal. She knew him by reputation before she met him and testified against him at his trial. After he was released into Peter Burke's custody, she found it difficult to trust him. Compounding the problem was Neal's own reluctance to give up his life as a con artist. The question of whether or not he reformed sufficiently to give them a chance of lasting happiness was up in the air.

In the pre-series Caffrey Conversation, both Sara and Neal are much younger. Neal was never in prison and Sara is less worldly. They became friends in Caffrey Flashback when she knew nothing about his history. He was introduced to her as Henry's younger cousin. In Sara's eyes, Neal is first and foremost a friend, not a criminal. That distinction with the TV series makes a big difference in her relationship with him.

Sara was a polarizing character in White Collar with both devoted fans as well as critics. She has also proved to be somewhat controversial in Caffrey Conversation primarily because readers already have formed opinions about her before our series began. Penna and I have also had different views about how to develop her story. Penna wrote about this in her post: Where the Conversation is Now: Partnership. As we worked through various options for Sara, it was an invaluable lesson for me on how to develop a character.

In the alternate universe of Caffrey Conversation, Neal was given the opportunity for a brighter future because of a chance meeting in St. Louis with Peter Burke. Sara's character is also evolving along different lines.

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