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sheenianniSo the moment finally came. We’re at the end of the series, and I’m still trying to wrap my head around it and decide how I feel about the conclusion.
I’ve made it no secret that I thought Neal faking his death would be one of the least satisfying endings of the show. Even though all of Season 6 pointed in that direction, I still clung to the hope that I was interpreting it wrong, that there were other options I haven’t considered, that… well. In short, for me, watching this episode was like watching the inevitable train wreck – you know it’s gonna happen but hope for a miracle – and then happens exactly what you thought would happen. For about two hours, I felt let down by the episode, and after reading Eastin’s comment with the obligatory “Neal was born bad”, I was going to say “screw it, I’m done”. Then I started typing this, and the more I wrote, the more I came to appreciate the episode for what it was.
First of all, the things that I liked immediately:
The execution of Neal’s plan was brilliant. I loved how the show used that he was a brilliant shooter, how Neal got Moz away from Keller so that he wouldn’t get hurt; loved the Queen of Hearts card, the con and setting up Moz with millions, the way Neal totally played Keller and his tender goodbye to June (even though it was breaking my heart as I watched it). The acting that Tim DeKay and Willie Garson displayed in this episode was beyond fantastic. The Peter-Mozzie bromance were like a soothing balm, and in the beginning we got to see one of the reasons why Neal wasn’t involving Moz with the Panthers. I also liked El telling Neal to make sure Peter was safe, which was very consistent with her character.
Which brings me back to Neal’s plan.
Let’s look at it in detail. In his “last” con, Neal puts several events in motion:
1) he wants the money for Moz
2) he wants to catch the Panthers so that Peter gets his job and Neal his freedom
3) he clearly plans to kill Keller or have Peter kill him (for obvious reasons)
4) he wants to fake his death so that he is free and the people he loves are safe
Looking back, I wonder when exactly Neal came up with each part of this. When Neal tells Moz “Who says that’s all I’m after?” at the end of the first episode of Season 6, he doesn’t know yet about the money and Keller. Does he realize how dangerous exactly the Panthers are? I didn’t think so, but… now I have to wonder. It seemed that Keller warned Neal about the Panthers coming after the people Neal loves, but what if Neal knew from the start and let Keller think he was playing him? It doesn’t feel likely, yet I hesitate to underestimate Neal. If he didn’t know from the start, what was the original plan? Was it something vague like making sure Moz got a piece of whatever the score was, or did Neal lie to Mozzie so he wouldn’t try to persuade him to change his mind? Did Neal ever truly plan to accept his freedom with the contract?
Frankly, Neal faking his death at the beginning of Season 6 feels like a bit of a stretch. Not impossible, since it’s happening only a day or two after the FBI screwed him over and denied him his freedom… but why not go through with the contract? And if the FBI tried anything, then sue them for all they have and go to the papers? We know that Neal was arrested/denied freedom for bogus reasons before (post-Kate’s death, Kramer, end of season 5), but still, faking his death seems a bit nuclear when there are other options. On the other hand, this is Neal who was just denied his freedom… who had just made the inner commitment to go straight, who just went through the whole mess with Rachel and was hoping for a fresh start… and then the FBI stabbed him in the back. We’ve seen before that Neal reacts to perceived betrayal with the “screw them” attitude (cue first half of season 3 and most of season 5). But honestly, I don’t get this hurt feeling from Neal in Season 6 – he is planning, plotting, but not grieving. And frankly, why put Peter and Moz (and June, and possibly El, Sara, the FBI team…) through a hell of a hurt when there are still other options? So – what WAS Neal’s plan at the beginning of Season 6? Did he really just rely on the contract to get his freedom but didn’t want to tell Moz? Did he plan to grab a piece of whatever the score was, or was it something else entirely? I guess we’ll never know.
On with the plan.
So, Neal fakes his death. And hurts Peter and Moz so much I really wanted to punch him in the teeth. You don’t do that to someone you love unless there is absolutely no other option. Which is where I see the weakest point of this episode and of the whole Season 6.
Were the Panthers really so dangerous that Neal had to fake his death to keep “the people he loved” safe? Let’s look at it closely. So, who are the people that would be threatened by the Panthers?
First, there is Moz. Honestly, I don’t believe that Moz would rather live without a possible danger than know that Neal was alive for a year. So, not Moz.
Then there is Sara. However, she is safe in London, and it seems like a stretch that the Panthers would find someone to hurt her all over the way across the ocean when she and Neal broke up and Neal supposedly moved on with Rebecca/Rachel. Not Sara either, then.
Third, June. Here, I think Neal’s concern is valid. June is undoubtedly extremely capable and has her contacts, but if someone hires a killer to get to her… June is a sitting duck in her mansion, and given how Neal lost Ellen, who was supposed to be protected by the Marshals… If the Panthers wanted to go after someone close to Neal, June would be a good target.
And finally, there are the Burkes – and here is where it gets complicated.
First of all, Peter is an FBI agent. Most people would think twice before going after a fed and his family, so the badge is largely protecting Peter. Also, if Neal was so worried about Peter, then why involve him in the first place? Why make him one of the Panthers’ crew? But when you look at it closely, it does sort of make sense… sort of. If you squint. Because Woodford and his crew might not want to pay for a hit against a fed, but their motivation would increase significantly if said fed was also the best friend of the rat who betrayed them. With Neal alive, the Panthers would push that much harder to have someone hurt the Burkes, and Neal knows this. And frankly, this is where I think the baby comes in as a plot device. Because despite the risk, Neal might have still decided to stay if the danger was just to Peter and El. But El’s helpless baby? You do NOT let someone hurt your best friend’s kid. Without El’s pregnancy, I would have said ‘trust Peter and the badge to protect the Burkes’. But the kid completely changes the board. Nobody allows to hurt the kid.
So, does Neal have a good motivation to fake his death? Is it justified, when he hurts them all, manipulates them, lies to them, makes their choice for them and basically screws them so he can have his freedom and keep them safe?
Well… I don’t know. I don’t know if the Panthers present a strong enough danger to justify this kind of hurt. However, the show has actually done a wonderful job with showing us just how violent and dangerous the Panthers could be. Interpol agent, dead. The “fake” rat chosen by Keller, dead on spot. More waving guns than anyone would like.
What is even more important is to look at Neal’s past. The last three or four years have had:
- Kate killed by Neal’s old mark/enemy
- Ellen killed by people who found her through Neal
- Mozzie shot by people trying to get to Neal
- El kidnapped because Keller went after Neal
- Peter kidnapped because Keller was playing games with Neal
- Peter in jail because of James/Pratt
- Neal, Peter, Moz and everyone manipulated by Rachel because she wanted to use Neal to get to the diamond
I might have forgotten someone, but I think I made my point. Looking at this list, is it really so hard to see why Neal would fake his death so his enemies couldn’t hurt the people he loved? If faking his death decreases the chances of them getting hurt, isn’t it worth it?
Of course, it’s not this simple. The Panthers might not even have the means to hurt anyone after their arrest. And he might be trying to protect his people, but I’d say that Neal is doing this as much for himself as for them. He didn’t give anyone a choice. Ironically, I see a parallel to Peter and his decision at the beginning of Season 5 to stop being Neal’s handler. Peter’s decision then was completely valid and understandable, but I honestly doubt it was for Neal’s benefit as much as for Peter’s. Here, Neal doesn’t want to see anyone he loves hurt, so he chooses the simpler, perhaps selfish way and removes himself from the picture. Cruel, but understandable and not really unreasonable choice.
And as much as Neal does this to protect his people, he is still a con at heart. He lies and manipulates to execute his plan, he abuses Peter’s trust for many things, including stealing the money for Moz, and he even uses to Mozzie to execute his plan. When Neal was “dying” and telling Peter how he was his best friend, I wanted to punch him in the teeth knowing he was conning Peter – but at the same time, I don’t think it was a con. It was the same thing Peter did to Rachel – he manipulated her by telling her the truth. And Peter is Neal’s best friend (together with Moz) – Neal wasn’t lying to Peter, just telling him what he needed to hear to make his “death” easier. In not so many words, Neal told Peter he didn’t blame him, he loved him – that their partnership was worth it. It doesn’t take away the pain of Peter thinking Neal dead, but I’d say Neal did it to make things the tiniest bit easier for Peter – as much as he could without jeopardizing the plan.
Finally, we skipped a year to learn that Neal is alive and happy in Paris. The newspaper gives two possible interpretations – one, Neal went back to being a thief, two, Neal now consults for Louvre and other museums. My first thought was the second one, but when I think of it, Neal going back to being a thief makes more sense – it’s easier to be done; no need for a new identity or anything. At the same time, Neal going back to being a thief increases the possibility of the Panthers learning that he is alive. Are the Panthers no longer a threat? Again, we don’t know. Still, I like the ambiguity of this ending (I’m ignoring everything Eastin said in his article, since I became allergic to his favorite “Neal was born bad” about three years ago when I first started watching).
In conclusion – Mozzie and Peter are friends. Mozzie is happy, Peter is somehow also happy, with El, the baby and the FBI (and wow, now someone needs to write a fic where Peter finds himself pushing the conventional boundaries and thinking of Neal). And Neal has made a new life for himself in Paris (as a thief or possibly a consultant) – and we know how good Neal is at starting anew (Maya at the island proved that).
For a moment, I was upset about Neal faking his death to possibly going back to being a thief. Did the four years with Peter mean nothing? Did the character not change at all? What about all those musings about “con or a man”? But those aren’t the right questions.
Eastin basically said the “moral” was “once a con, always a con”. I see a different story. If Neal is a thief again, it is his choice – but it is also because at the end of season 5 when he could have regained his freedom, the FBI screwed him over. We make our choices within the circumstances the world offers us. Which just shows that Kramer was both completely right and wrong in season 3.
Frankly, I’m amazed how so many things came back together over the course of the show.
If Neal really went back to being a thief, I should probably be upset that he made the morally wrong choice… but you know what? As long as he’s happy, Peter’s happy and Mozzie’s happy, I don’t care. Maybe I got conned by the show; maybe Eastin believes Neal really was conning Peter – I don’t give a fuck. I love this show, and I’ve chosen an interpretation that makes me happy.
Because Neal helped catch the Panthers and only disappeared after they were caught, I choose the believe the contract is still in place thanks to Mozzie’s paranoia. So if the Panthers stop being a danger, Neal can one day choose to come back (possibly after a legal battle to keep him free). Peter and Moz now know that Neal is alive, so the three can be reunited. The Burkes and June are safe, and I even can see Neal reuniting with Sara or possibly Alex, or someone else entirely (though Sara would probably kick Neal’s ass first for the whole faking death thing). If Neal is a thief, he might stop being one… or not, if it makes him happy (purposefully not worrying here over imaginary stolen artwork).
I hated baby Burke being named Neal, but with Neal alive, the baby no longer has to carry a dead man’s legacy – he is just named after Peter’s best friend. I can live with that.
(Also, can someone write a “Theo” and “Neal” getting in trouble together story? :D )
“Au Revoir” wasn’t the ending I hoped for; however, it felt real and it managed to conclude with hope for all the characters we love. It’s a solid conclusion to the show and it’s open enough to give us possibilities for the future.
I’m happy with that.
I’ve made it no secret that I thought Neal faking his death would be one of the least satisfying endings of the show. Even though all of Season 6 pointed in that direction, I still clung to the hope that I was interpreting it wrong, that there were other options I haven’t considered, that… well. In short, for me, watching this episode was like watching the inevitable train wreck – you know it’s gonna happen but hope for a miracle – and then happens exactly what you thought would happen. For about two hours, I felt let down by the episode, and after reading Eastin’s comment with the obligatory “Neal was born bad”, I was going to say “screw it, I’m done”. Then I started typing this, and the more I wrote, the more I came to appreciate the episode for what it was.
First of all, the things that I liked immediately:
The execution of Neal’s plan was brilliant. I loved how the show used that he was a brilliant shooter, how Neal got Moz away from Keller so that he wouldn’t get hurt; loved the Queen of Hearts card, the con and setting up Moz with millions, the way Neal totally played Keller and his tender goodbye to June (even though it was breaking my heart as I watched it). The acting that Tim DeKay and Willie Garson displayed in this episode was beyond fantastic. The Peter-Mozzie bromance were like a soothing balm, and in the beginning we got to see one of the reasons why Neal wasn’t involving Moz with the Panthers. I also liked El telling Neal to make sure Peter was safe, which was very consistent with her character.
Which brings me back to Neal’s plan.
Let’s look at it in detail. In his “last” con, Neal puts several events in motion:
1) he wants the money for Moz
2) he wants to catch the Panthers so that Peter gets his job and Neal his freedom
3) he clearly plans to kill Keller or have Peter kill him (for obvious reasons)
4) he wants to fake his death so that he is free and the people he loves are safe
Looking back, I wonder when exactly Neal came up with each part of this. When Neal tells Moz “Who says that’s all I’m after?” at the end of the first episode of Season 6, he doesn’t know yet about the money and Keller. Does he realize how dangerous exactly the Panthers are? I didn’t think so, but… now I have to wonder. It seemed that Keller warned Neal about the Panthers coming after the people Neal loves, but what if Neal knew from the start and let Keller think he was playing him? It doesn’t feel likely, yet I hesitate to underestimate Neal. If he didn’t know from the start, what was the original plan? Was it something vague like making sure Moz got a piece of whatever the score was, or did Neal lie to Mozzie so he wouldn’t try to persuade him to change his mind? Did Neal ever truly plan to accept his freedom with the contract?
Frankly, Neal faking his death at the beginning of Season 6 feels like a bit of a stretch. Not impossible, since it’s happening only a day or two after the FBI screwed him over and denied him his freedom… but why not go through with the contract? And if the FBI tried anything, then sue them for all they have and go to the papers? We know that Neal was arrested/denied freedom for bogus reasons before (post-Kate’s death, Kramer, end of season 5), but still, faking his death seems a bit nuclear when there are other options. On the other hand, this is Neal who was just denied his freedom… who had just made the inner commitment to go straight, who just went through the whole mess with Rachel and was hoping for a fresh start… and then the FBI stabbed him in the back. We’ve seen before that Neal reacts to perceived betrayal with the “screw them” attitude (cue first half of season 3 and most of season 5). But honestly, I don’t get this hurt feeling from Neal in Season 6 – he is planning, plotting, but not grieving. And frankly, why put Peter and Moz (and June, and possibly El, Sara, the FBI team…) through a hell of a hurt when there are still other options? So – what WAS Neal’s plan at the beginning of Season 6? Did he really just rely on the contract to get his freedom but didn’t want to tell Moz? Did he plan to grab a piece of whatever the score was, or was it something else entirely? I guess we’ll never know.
On with the plan.
So, Neal fakes his death. And hurts Peter and Moz so much I really wanted to punch him in the teeth. You don’t do that to someone you love unless there is absolutely no other option. Which is where I see the weakest point of this episode and of the whole Season 6.
Were the Panthers really so dangerous that Neal had to fake his death to keep “the people he loved” safe? Let’s look at it closely. So, who are the people that would be threatened by the Panthers?
First, there is Moz. Honestly, I don’t believe that Moz would rather live without a possible danger than know that Neal was alive for a year. So, not Moz.
Then there is Sara. However, she is safe in London, and it seems like a stretch that the Panthers would find someone to hurt her all over the way across the ocean when she and Neal broke up and Neal supposedly moved on with Rebecca/Rachel. Not Sara either, then.
Third, June. Here, I think Neal’s concern is valid. June is undoubtedly extremely capable and has her contacts, but if someone hires a killer to get to her… June is a sitting duck in her mansion, and given how Neal lost Ellen, who was supposed to be protected by the Marshals… If the Panthers wanted to go after someone close to Neal, June would be a good target.
And finally, there are the Burkes – and here is where it gets complicated.
First of all, Peter is an FBI agent. Most people would think twice before going after a fed and his family, so the badge is largely protecting Peter. Also, if Neal was so worried about Peter, then why involve him in the first place? Why make him one of the Panthers’ crew? But when you look at it closely, it does sort of make sense… sort of. If you squint. Because Woodford and his crew might not want to pay for a hit against a fed, but their motivation would increase significantly if said fed was also the best friend of the rat who betrayed them. With Neal alive, the Panthers would push that much harder to have someone hurt the Burkes, and Neal knows this. And frankly, this is where I think the baby comes in as a plot device. Because despite the risk, Neal might have still decided to stay if the danger was just to Peter and El. But El’s helpless baby? You do NOT let someone hurt your best friend’s kid. Without El’s pregnancy, I would have said ‘trust Peter and the badge to protect the Burkes’. But the kid completely changes the board. Nobody allows to hurt the kid.
So, does Neal have a good motivation to fake his death? Is it justified, when he hurts them all, manipulates them, lies to them, makes their choice for them and basically screws them so he can have his freedom and keep them safe?
Well… I don’t know. I don’t know if the Panthers present a strong enough danger to justify this kind of hurt. However, the show has actually done a wonderful job with showing us just how violent and dangerous the Panthers could be. Interpol agent, dead. The “fake” rat chosen by Keller, dead on spot. More waving guns than anyone would like.
What is even more important is to look at Neal’s past. The last three or four years have had:
- Kate killed by Neal’s old mark/enemy
- Ellen killed by people who found her through Neal
- Mozzie shot by people trying to get to Neal
- El kidnapped because Keller went after Neal
- Peter kidnapped because Keller was playing games with Neal
- Peter in jail because of James/Pratt
- Neal, Peter, Moz and everyone manipulated by Rachel because she wanted to use Neal to get to the diamond
I might have forgotten someone, but I think I made my point. Looking at this list, is it really so hard to see why Neal would fake his death so his enemies couldn’t hurt the people he loved? If faking his death decreases the chances of them getting hurt, isn’t it worth it?
Of course, it’s not this simple. The Panthers might not even have the means to hurt anyone after their arrest. And he might be trying to protect his people, but I’d say that Neal is doing this as much for himself as for them. He didn’t give anyone a choice. Ironically, I see a parallel to Peter and his decision at the beginning of Season 5 to stop being Neal’s handler. Peter’s decision then was completely valid and understandable, but I honestly doubt it was for Neal’s benefit as much as for Peter’s. Here, Neal doesn’t want to see anyone he loves hurt, so he chooses the simpler, perhaps selfish way and removes himself from the picture. Cruel, but understandable and not really unreasonable choice.
And as much as Neal does this to protect his people, he is still a con at heart. He lies and manipulates to execute his plan, he abuses Peter’s trust for many things, including stealing the money for Moz, and he even uses to Mozzie to execute his plan. When Neal was “dying” and telling Peter how he was his best friend, I wanted to punch him in the teeth knowing he was conning Peter – but at the same time, I don’t think it was a con. It was the same thing Peter did to Rachel – he manipulated her by telling her the truth. And Peter is Neal’s best friend (together with Moz) – Neal wasn’t lying to Peter, just telling him what he needed to hear to make his “death” easier. In not so many words, Neal told Peter he didn’t blame him, he loved him – that their partnership was worth it. It doesn’t take away the pain of Peter thinking Neal dead, but I’d say Neal did it to make things the tiniest bit easier for Peter – as much as he could without jeopardizing the plan.
Finally, we skipped a year to learn that Neal is alive and happy in Paris. The newspaper gives two possible interpretations – one, Neal went back to being a thief, two, Neal now consults for Louvre and other museums. My first thought was the second one, but when I think of it, Neal going back to being a thief makes more sense – it’s easier to be done; no need for a new identity or anything. At the same time, Neal going back to being a thief increases the possibility of the Panthers learning that he is alive. Are the Panthers no longer a threat? Again, we don’t know. Still, I like the ambiguity of this ending (I’m ignoring everything Eastin said in his article, since I became allergic to his favorite “Neal was born bad” about three years ago when I first started watching).
In conclusion – Mozzie and Peter are friends. Mozzie is happy, Peter is somehow also happy, with El, the baby and the FBI (and wow, now someone needs to write a fic where Peter finds himself pushing the conventional boundaries and thinking of Neal). And Neal has made a new life for himself in Paris (as a thief or possibly a consultant) – and we know how good Neal is at starting anew (Maya at the island proved that).
For a moment, I was upset about Neal faking his death to possibly going back to being a thief. Did the four years with Peter mean nothing? Did the character not change at all? What about all those musings about “con or a man”? But those aren’t the right questions.
Eastin basically said the “moral” was “once a con, always a con”. I see a different story. If Neal is a thief again, it is his choice – but it is also because at the end of season 5 when he could have regained his freedom, the FBI screwed him over. We make our choices within the circumstances the world offers us. Which just shows that Kramer was both completely right and wrong in season 3.
Frankly, I’m amazed how so many things came back together over the course of the show.
If Neal really went back to being a thief, I should probably be upset that he made the morally wrong choice… but you know what? As long as he’s happy, Peter’s happy and Mozzie’s happy, I don’t care. Maybe I got conned by the show; maybe Eastin believes Neal really was conning Peter – I don’t give a fuck. I love this show, and I’ve chosen an interpretation that makes me happy.
Because Neal helped catch the Panthers and only disappeared after they were caught, I choose the believe the contract is still in place thanks to Mozzie’s paranoia. So if the Panthers stop being a danger, Neal can one day choose to come back (possibly after a legal battle to keep him free). Peter and Moz now know that Neal is alive, so the three can be reunited. The Burkes and June are safe, and I even can see Neal reuniting with Sara or possibly Alex, or someone else entirely (though Sara would probably kick Neal’s ass first for the whole faking death thing). If Neal is a thief, he might stop being one… or not, if it makes him happy (purposefully not worrying here over imaginary stolen artwork).
I hated baby Burke being named Neal, but with Neal alive, the baby no longer has to carry a dead man’s legacy – he is just named after Peter’s best friend. I can live with that.
(Also, can someone write a “Theo” and “Neal” getting in trouble together story? :D )
“Au Revoir” wasn’t the ending I hoped for; however, it felt real and it managed to conclude with hope for all the characters we love. It’s a solid conclusion to the show and it’s open enough to give us possibilities for the future.
I’m happy with that.
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no subject
Date: 2014-12-19 06:42 pm (UTC)I am also right with you in thinking of (and wanting) the interpretation where Neal didn't go back to being a thief. But you make a really interesting - and valid - point about the potential "why" of Neal choosing to go back to a life of crime. And I could also see, as you allude to, Neal going back to being a thief and at some point coming to the conclusion that that isn't what he wanted after all. That was one of the possible futures I thought of as I was pondering the episode. Neal fakes his death to protect his "family," but also to get his freedom in a way that it can't be snatched back from him. And maybe he believes that the "right" or best choice is to do what he knows, what he has known for most of his life. But he might find that the lure of that life *isn't*, in the end, stronger than the lure of family. Or he meets another Amy and is reminded of what he *doesn't* want to be. Or...well, who knows?
Because, as much as Eastin seems to think otherwise, the ending was open to interpretation and to multiple different futures.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts - I think we had similar feelings about a lot of this, and you gave me some additional food for thought. :)
no subject
Date: 2014-12-22 08:17 am (UTC)I also prefer the option with Neal going into security consulting. It's more complicated than becoming a thief again, because obviously the art world knows Neal as a thief, and Neal can't really have anyone wouch for him because it would raise red flags. That said, it's certainly not impossible - someone would just have to take a chance on him. And now I really want to write that fic... hmm. Maybe I will.
You're welcome and I'm happy if this post gave you any interesting thoughts :)
no subject
Date: 2014-12-19 07:41 pm (UTC)I don't know how I feel about whether or not Neal is back to his old ways. I choose to believe he's working as a security consultant. Yes, starting a new identity and all that is hard work vs just hiding away and stealing things, but that's just something to be glossed over because it's Neal. I mean, when has JE ever been realistic? I still don't know how they create fake passports when there's a database and they have to be swiped!! So yeah... the ending was definitely left for us to believe what we want. I don't agree with JE's vision or view of Neal 'born bad' because he wasn't. His father was a good cop at that point.
I'd like to think Neal has changed, and he was honest when he told Elizabeth that they were his family. He didn't give all that up just to go running around the world again. He did it for their protection. I think it's very interesting how you broke it down, and the reasons to fake his death or not. June is a very big one. Peter has the badge. But the baby changed everything - you're totally right on that one. In my fic - I made my villain to have a vast network that was threatening him. So I feel that was a let down and a cop-out regarding the Pink Panthers. Yes, they were gun-happy and dangerous, but not so vast and threatening in my opinion. How were they different from any other group they'd faced?
...and this comment has been interrupted so much I've lost my train of thought so I'm going to leave it here.
no subject
Date: 2014-12-22 09:04 am (UTC)Intersting point about the fake passports. I mean, it's simple outside of traveling if you need it just as an ID card, but otherwise... hmm. But hey, so many movies I've seen presume it can be done, I wouldn't worry about it.
About the Panthers posing a danger - well, we never really found out how vast exactly their network was. I do think they had a lot of contacts... More importantly, they're said to be super-talented and super-smart (not that we really saw that, but hey...). If you think of all that Keller accomplished while in prison or on the run, and he didn't even have as many contacts as the Panthers might have... well, I'd be concerned.
(On a slightly unrelated note - I just don't understand why anyone would actually want to join their group? Granted, they're great thieves, but Woodword is grumpy all the time and there's no joy or fun amongst them, mot to mention you get shot on spot if you're suspected of being a mole. To me, they seem like a group of highly intelligent thugs. Ummm, no thanks. On the other hand, Keller probably would have fitted right in perfectly with them.)
Thanks for the insightful comment :)
no subject
Date: 2014-12-19 11:36 pm (UTC)Plus we can write reunion fic until the cows come home.
EDIT: Okay, we are born some things. Not everything can be overcome. But a lot of things can. And what was the point of the last six seasons if Neal doesn't change? Pff. Eastin can go play on Graceland. The rest of us will be here in the White Collar sandbox.
no subject
Date: 2014-12-22 07:33 pm (UTC)Let Eastin play with Graceland and leave White Collar to our fanfic.
no subject
Date: 2014-12-21 02:41 am (UTC)You made some interesting points about why Neal would fake his death. Lesser criminals have been involved in the earlier death/injury of his loved one so given how much worse the PP are supposed to be, I can see why he wouldn't want to take a chance with their safety.
Yes he is a con man so I am not surprised he saw a con as the only solution to his problem. But over the years he has shown us that there is a heart there as well. Yes he manipulated events & people but it was not for selfish reason. It was done out of love & with sincerity & to protect his family in the only way he knew how.
Maybe Neal pulls a small con every now & then but I believe he would try to live a life Peter would be proud off.
I love how the bottle of wine was used. At the beginning the bottle of wine from Kate was a message to Neal and at the end the bottle of Wine is a message to Peter from Neal. Kate's was a good bye but Peter's is "until we meet again".
no subject
Date: 2014-12-22 07:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-01-08 10:38 am (UTC)(Ha, I don't even know how I ended up on your journal - I clicked my way through a confusing number of links... but I am glad I found it!)
no subject
Date: 2017-02-12 02:52 pm (UTC)For example, as painful seeing a favourite character faking his own death, with all the grief caused to his friends, I do realize that it was probably the only way Neal knew how to protect his "family" (at least until the Panthers were brought to justice) and obtain the freedom too many times had eluded him in a way that couldn't be taken away from him.
Jeff Eastin unnerved me no end, not just with his comments on the finale and in interviews at the time the finale first aired, but more in general towards the end of the series' run, because it seemed his heart was no longer in White Collar, as he seemed too involved in his new series Graceland.
Please stop commenting on it? He doesn't understand his own characters...
Exactly right!!
I think the actors understood the characters better, especially from the way they played them :)
I also refuse to believe the mantra that Neal was "born bad"... please. He's not a murderer, for a start. He's a far better person than his father, or rather, compared to what his father had become, since James had seemed a decent enough guy, imperfect as he was obviously, before he took that money from the Irish mob family and killed his own supervising officer.
My headcanon for Neal post-finale is that he might well be tempted to pull a small con now and again, but that he won't revert to a full time criminal life (especially if it means having to deal with/work with dangerous psycopaths like Keller). And that he cares about Peter and Peter's good opinion of him too much by now not to try and lead a life that would make Peter proud. ♡
Security consultant? Art or jewellery appraiser? Art or literature teacher? (I loved him so much as "Mr Cooper" in Upper West Side Story!) He could do that, and a lot more. And if did that while staying in regular touch with the Burkes and Mozzie and Sara maybe, even if they don't live in the same city, it would be nice.
And I loved too how the wine bottle was used at the end. Circularity with the pilot and the bottle of bordeaux left by Kate with clues for Neal to find her.
Circularity also in Peter saying, during their last dinner before the heist, that a long time ago a friend had introduced him to "cappuccinos in the clouds"...
Oh, my boys ♡♡
Thank you :)