White Collar's a Comin!

[kriadydragon]

Last night I finally saw a White Collar ad. I am so excited. And maybe a touch nervous but that, too, is how I know I really love a show. I really wasn't happy with the second half of season two. We had some excellent eps like What Happens in Burma but... there was just so much I wasn't happy with. The show going from sex light to, suddenly, sex! was, obviously (if you know me) one of them. I loved that the show was sex light, that it didn't need sex to bring up the ratings. It had snark, cleverness, the occasional shirtless Neal and it was all good. But with Neal/Sara now in play, that's going to mean more bedroom scenes. Not a big deal if they interject the bedroom scenes sparingly, but it's going to be quite obnoxious if they try to squeeze one in every chance they get (or, more likely, squeeze in a make-out scene in which Neal and Sara are forever trying to rip each other's clothes off).

Which leads to another concern - less Neal and Peter time to make room for more Neal/Sara time. Really, I'm neither here nor there about Neal/Sara. I'm not one who really takes notice of the whole chemistry thing and whether two characters have it or not. I think it's awesome that Neal has found someone. Do I think she's good for him? To be honest, not really, but I don't think Alex is good for him either. For Neal to get with Alex runs risk of Alex talking him back into a life of crime, plus she strikes me more as the love 'em and leave 'em type. Sara I do think has the potential to settle down with someone, but she has such a dominating personality that could easily clash with Neal's, and we can't say for sure just yet if she's attracted to Neal the person or Neal the guy who lives the exciting life.

That said, I do prefer Sara over Alex for the reasons stated. But Sara as Neal's happily ever after? I don't know. I want Neal to have his happily ever after but, deep down inside, the writer-who-likes-interesting-plots in me wants to see the show explore the complications with the relationship (just please, please, please not in that obnoxiously messy way in which the relationship is so all over the place that the characters do stupid things that are so not like them and the characterization goes down the tubes).

Anyway, back to what I was originally talking about, the Neal/Sara time better be light to make plenty of room for Neal and Peter time. No Neal going off to research so he can make out with Sara while Peter does all the heavy lifting. I fell in love with this show for the Neal and Peter interactions, and if the "bedroom" scenes get in the way of that, yes, I'm going to be monumentally annoyed.

But don't let my rambling complaints fool you. These are actually minor concerns, because I trust the writers and producers (except when if comes to "bedroom" stuff) and trust that they understand what made the show popular. Therefore, I trust that they know better than to mess too much with the dynamic. The last half of season two may not have been their best (for me), but as I said it still had a few good eps to show for it.

And I can't wait for them to explore the whole Nazi loot scenario. Who saved it? Will Neal return it or keep it? What will be the new story arc now that Adler's out of the picture? And, most importantly, will there be Neal whump? ;)

Comments

[tj-teejay.livejournal.com]

I'm totally with you on all the Neal/Sara concerns. It's like you're speaking my mind. I'm a bit nervous about that too. Did you watch Matt on Jimmy Fallon? Because I thought Matt shared something interesting there that took away some of my concerns for season 3. But I don't wanna spoil, so let me know if you'd like me to tell you. It's not a huge spoiler or anything, but I think it speaks to your questions about the Nazi loot scenario.

As to whether there will be Neal whump? As much as we'd all love to see it, I don't think so. And if there is, it's gonna be light and barely there. You know, kinda like when Peter was drugged. They have to gloss over it, because this is not a hospital or doctor show. I mean, I share your craving, but I think the network would have Eastin's head if he wrote what all the whump fans wanna see. :o)

[tj-teejay.livejournal.com]

And you know what I just realized? If I wanna write canon fanfic for season three, I'm gonna have to somehow involve Sara. Because I'm guessing she's gonna be a big part of Neal's life now. Argh. Do not want! So I guess there's gonna be lots of creative thinking on how we can make Sara skip town. I mean, she goes on a lot of business trips in her job, right? Like, loooong ones. That'll estrange her and Neal. Right? Right?

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

I think that as long as Sara doesn't actually move in with Neal - which I don't think she will for various reasons (her company is still after that Raphael, for example) - then I think we'll be safe. My other fandom had two characters paired up, but for those of us who didn't want to write it, we just didn't and it worked fine. Sort of like how not every season one or two fanfic mentions Kate.

[swanpride.livejournal.com]

The only good thing with Sara is, is that she is very easy to remove or ignore (a fact which actually doesn't speak for her presence in the show at all...if she is THAT inconsequencial, she is fairly useless imho).

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

Yes, I want to know! I actually like spoilers, because I hate being unpleasantly surprised so much more than I like being pleasantly surprised that I like to know what I'm getting into.

I've long ago accepted that WC is whump light. So when I say "whump" I don't mean something major like Neal getting shot or beaten within an inch of his life or half the episode spent in the hospital. I mean something along the lines of what we saw in season one (when Neal almost suffocated, or when he was drugged), something that reminds us that the characters aren't untouchable, and that every episode isn't going to be merely one close call after another and that's it.

[tj-teejay.livejournal.com]

Here's what Matt said when Jimmy asked him about the next season of White Collar. I guess that can be interpreted in different ways, but I wanted to read into it that they're gonna use the Nazi treasure storyline for more than just the first episode or two: "At the end of last season, he [Neal] basically stumbled upon the biggest score you could ever hope to get as a con artist, and so this season is really about sort of the duplicity of this. Is he gonna stay and do the right thing, or is he gonna take the score and go?"

That tells me that Neal is not going to hand in the treasure in the first one or two episodes. Nor is he telling Peter about it just yet. If they really wanted to drag it out, they'd wait until the very last episode of the season (or maybe the winter hiatus finale) until Neal does. And then Peter's gonna be mad and (think about) lock(ing) him up again. I personally like that they're not gonna wrap this up in the first few eps, because that's what I had been fearing. But I'd like to think that Neal will eventually tell Peter.

I usually tend to stay away from spoilers, because I absolutely love going in blind, even if that means there may be negative surprises. Often that's kinda hard when you're this involved in the fandom, but I've become good at dodging them as best I can. For instance, I didn't watch the season 3 clip they showed on Jimmy Fallon.

Neal whump light may be entirely possible, and I really hope there is going to be some! My inner McPunisher personally would love lots of angst and/or conflict too.

[swanpride.livejournal.com]

I'm so with you there! My biggest fear was that he will give it up fairly easily...and that's simply not Neal.

(I couldn't resist, and really, with everything I see or hear about the episode, I get more excited!)

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

I'm on the fence about it myself. On the one hand, if they do drag it out, then it'll be interesting to see where they take it. But it depends on how they drag it out, because on the other hand, I'm not a fan of easy-to-solve complications (i.e. complications that arise from the characters being stubborn, or not thinking, or being overly emotional and things could be solved quick and easy if they would just stop being stupid). And if Neal keeps the loot out of spite, or greed, or stubborn pride... yeah, I'm not going to be too happy about that (I mean, it's Nazi loot. And if Neal keeps in to fence off that is not going to do any favors for his characters and I'm going to hate what the fanficcers will say about it. I seriously don't want another round of tags similar to the ones we got for Point Blank).

But if he keeps it because he's having a moral crisis but in the end makes the right decision, or keeps it in order to find out who sent it, or if the complications aren't obnoxiously complicated, then I'm cool with it. But if they do resolve it quickly, I'm actually cool with that as well (I like that the show gets on with it and gets back to normal pretty quick, because I hate it when a story arc takes over to the point that it buries all the things you loved about the show). What it all comes down to is how they handle it, thus why I'm undecided.

However, I really hope they don't drag Neal keeping the treasure out to the hiatus or even the end of the season. I don't want an entire season of Peter and Neal tip-toeing around each other, because it runs the risk of getting old, fast.

[swanpride.livejournal.com]

Yeah, exactly that...it would be disappointing if they more or less end the treasure-storyarc in the very first episode after the hughe build up, but I don't want it to take over the show either...the nice thing about the Kate story-arc and the music box story arc was that both worked fairly well in the background and the cases were the main focus. The Adler story arc was definitly too dominating (especially combined with the love triangle), overshadowing the episodes to much.

I think, mid-season finale is a good point to find some sort of solution for the treasure...but as you said, everythings depends on how they handle it. But I think we can't judge this before the second episode.

[swanpride.livejournal.com]

Well, in that case you will be happy to hear
SPOILER!!!!

that according to someone, who has seen the premiere already (I wish I were so lucky), in this episode everybody gets its screentime...Elizabeth is there, June(with granddaughter), even Jones is allowed to leave the van....but Sara has only one minute screentime. And you have no idea how optimistic I'm now are!

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

Heh, that is promising ;) Nothing against Sara, myself, but if they can start off without her being front and center then it means we won't have to worry about it becoming the Neal/Sara show.

[swanpride.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm more hopeful now, too. I really disliked this tendency in "Power Play" and "Under the Radar"

[(Anonymous)]

As far as Neal and Sara are concerned... This is the show with Peter and Elizabeth's marriage. I am cautiously optimistic. I think I can grow to like them if they are given meaningful interactions together, outside of the physical. If a couple is only shown being physically intimate, I feel like the writers are trying too hard without giving the couple any real substance. It can be done, though, and I hope it will be.

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

I think I can grow to like them if they are given meaningful interactions together, outside of the physical. If a couple is only shown being physically intimate, I feel like the writers are trying too hard without giving the couple any real substance.

Very true. There has to be more to Neal/Sara than them being in bed together, and that's what's making me nervous. As long as there's an actual relationship going on (and as long as it doesn't overshadow Peter and Neal time) then I'm totally cool with it. But if it's just going to be lots of spontaneous making out or Sara and Neal in bed, then I do not want.

[swanpride.livejournal.com]

True...one of my three main objections against Sara. At the moment, I have the feeling that her only purpose is to draw more audience in with the popularity of the actress and to show Neal shirtless as often as possible...nothing against shirtless Neal, but I don't watch the show for the sex, quite the opposide in fact. What I really loved about it until 2.5 was the lack of it.

[flingslass.livejournal.com]

I'm with you that this is a dhip free show except for El and Peter. We don't have time for another roomance.

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

Overall I don't mind that Neal finally has someone in his life but, yeah, let's not consume the show with it. I usually don't mind the romantic aspects of a show except when a show makes in messy and all-consuming for dramatic *cough*sex scene!*cough* purposes or because they think it picks up the ratings.

[flingslass.livejournal.com]

Indeed! ( I really beed the Teal'c eyebrow icon :))

[wildcat88.livejournal.com]

Read something today that should put your mind at ease. Spoiler alert! Only click if you really want to know.

Spoilers! (http://omg.yahoo.com/news/eliza-dushku-to-stir-things-up-on-white-collar/64084)

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow. Interesting, but in a way not surprising.