My gateway into the show was Peter rather than Neal, but I really do adore them both, and one of the things I love most about Neal is that he's so much more than he appears at first glance - his charming con-man ways are tempered by a genuine underlying sweetness and kindness, fidelity and faithfulness. I agree about Neal/Alex - and this isn't because I ship Neal/Sara (I don't, really; I just don't mind it); it's just that Alex would never settle down, and having a relationship with her would almost certainly pull him back to the dark side.