The Sunnydale Herald

I tend to be drawn to complicated dynamics, but this one wrecks me in the best way. Peter and Neal are deeply unconventional: they lie to each other constantly. They manipulate, outsmart, outmaneuver, and infuriate each other. They test each other’s loyalty at every turn. And yet, when it matters most, they always choose each other.

Their dynamic is a delicate dance of trust and betrayal, where boundaries blur and loyalties shift. Peter bends rules he once swore to uphold, and Neal risks his life for a man who once put him behind bars. It’s not an easy friendship, but it’s earned.

Fair warning for HUGE SERIES FINALE SPOILERS AHEAD. Read further at your own risk.

There’s a moment that lives rent-free in my heart: Peter is shattered by the belief that Neal has died. Then we learn he named his first born Neal, and that says everything (his wife was pregnant when Neal supposedly died). And in the final moments, his face shifts into a relieved smile (perhaps even proud) as he follows Neal’s trail of clues and realizes the truth: Neal faked his death and moved to France. Caffrey’s last big con.

But he didn’t vanish to escape Peter; he left clues because he knew Peter would follow them. Because he didn’t want Peter to spend the rest of his life haunted by his death. Isn’t that the most considerate con of all? And Peter simply chose to honor the escape, not pursue it.

In a world of cons and crimes, they were each other’s anchor. Flawed, frustrating, fiercely loyal—Neal and Peter show us that friendship isn’t about perfection. It’s messy, painful, and laced with lies, but it’s also about showing up when the other most needs it.