sholio | White Collar 3x06

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tv:white collar

White Collar 3x06

So, before I get started on this week's episode, I need to say, because I did not say it before, that I loved last week's episode LIKE WHOA. It was fun and funny and adorable, and the ending was a total squeesplosion.

And about this week's, well, first of all, that scene at the beginning with Peter barging in on Neal and Sara ... WTF, writers, seriously. Because I adore Peter and I love his cat-and-mouse, battle-of-wits thing with Neal, and I still can't figure out a single way to view that scene that wasn't Peter being a gratuitously nosy, cockblocking jerk. The fact that Neal wasn't actually doing anything except enjoying a quiet morning with his girlfriend tipped Peter's generally smirky I'm-onto-you thing from "cute" into "just plain annoying".

Unfortunately this overshadowed the first fifteen minutes or so of the episode, until I was finally too caught up in the general squee to really think about it anymore.

Because, as for the rest of the episode?

I LOVE

THIS SHOW

SO MUCH.

♥

Okay, so -- I adore heists and clever cons and general outside-the-law stuff. But I also want the show/movie/book/whatever to sell me on the idea that the characters are still criminals -- that is, I want to be able to sympathize/empathize with them without feeling like the show is whitewashing them in a transparent attempt to make them more sympathetic to the generally law-abiding audience. It's not that I want them to be portrayed as being clearly in the wrong or punished in the end or anything like that; it's just that, if the show is going to tell me that the characters are [x], [y] or [z] (whether a thief or a con artist or a prostitute or a former street kid or whatever), I want it to give me the good and the bad together -- I want it to make their world feel lived in, and make them seem like they live in that world.

Hustle does a fabulous job of walking that line. And I really do think that White Collar does, also. I particularly loved Neal's conversation with Peter about the "rush" and the addiction of the con -- especially since on some level Peter really doesn't get it, isn't able to see past what he wants for Neal to what Neal wants for himself. It's not simply that Peter's 100% right and Neal's wrong; it's way more complex than that.

The show was totally anvillicious about comparing Scott and Neal's respective situations, and maybe a little over-the-top with Scott giving himself up at the end, but all in all the analogy between the two of them did work for me, if nothing else because it gave us another angle into Neal's emotional state and his past, and an opportunity for more of those sideways conversations that the show does so well. (Some neat, neat bits at the conference table scene in the beginning, and I loved the final scene with Peter and Neal, also.)

And -- HEIST! Going behind Peter's back! but for altruistic reasons! Clever con artists being clever and sneaky! And this is definitely one of those situations where Neal would totally be going back to prison if he got caught, so Peter stepping up to help out with the lawbreaking was another of those big "squee!" moments: because he really does watch Neal's back, and because he also trusts that Neal is doing something important, not going back to a life of crime. He may not know what Neal is up to, but he's willing to put his own career on the line to back up Neal's play. Ohhh yes. It's adorable and hilarious that Peter probably wouldn't trust Neal with his wallet, but he trusts him with his life, or with someone else's life. And Neal's simple answer to Scott's question: Why is he doing it? "Because he's Peter." There's a whole universe of history between the two of them in that simple line of dialogue.

Ahhhhh and then the moment in Carlyle's office when the penny dropped and Peter figured out what Neal was up to, on the basis of a few tiny crumbs of information and a general awareness of how Neal thinks -- oh, I was grinning SO HARD through that whole scene; just the way the whole thing came together and clicked.

I know the fandom hates it, but I am still completely fascinated with, and enamored of, Neal and Sara's relationship. I hadn't realized it was as much of a secret to their friends as it appears to be, but the way that this episode presented it -- I liked it a lot! I liked that it isn't supposed to be some kind of grand romance, that they aren't even (as far as I can tell) in love with each other. I get the impression that it's more an arrangement of mutual convenience, that Sara is mostly in it for thrills, while Neal is still trying (not very successfully) to capture the elusive idea of love/stability/marriage/family that he's apparently been chasing all his life. It has the potential to go just about any direction right now: to develop into something deeper, to blow up horribly in their faces, to quietly fade away when they mutually decide to go their separate ways. There is something about it that's a little gray and a little melancholy and almost 100% doomed, and basically it just works so damned well with my general fondness for relationships that fall outside the traditional falling-in-love --> getting-together --> white-picket-fences dynamic.

And the ending! eeeee suspense! It doesn't make a whole lot of sense that Sara would be that surprised that Neal has a fake passport (hello, CON ARTIST) but now there are still more secrets and more angles, and even though on most shows I absolutely hate characters keeping secrets from each other, on this show it's totally part of the charm and the appeal for me. Peter and Diana are closing on the Degas; Sara is picking up her own pieces of the truth; Neal and Mozzie are putting their escape plan together. (Though seriously, Neal, you've never heard of identity farming? I'm familiar with it from suspense novels written in the '80s. C'mon, man.) Plans! Cons! Lies and truth and lies all wrapped up together, and wound around with the fragile threads of friendship and trust and shared history binding the characters together. EEEE SHOW!

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I like Sara, too. I like that it's light and playful between them. And I get the feeling that she would still whack Neal behind the knees with her little collapsible baton for her Raphael :o)

ahahaha, the collapsible baton! That was such an awesome bit. :D

Yeah, I don't think the Sara/Neal relationship would really interest me so much if it were being done in a big "hearts and flowers" kind of way, but it's not -- it's very relaxed and casual, and sort of accidentally slipping into becoming a bigger deal than either of them might want.

I totally love the Neal and Sarah dynamic. No, she shouldn't be necessarily surprised that he has a fake ID. And she works so hard to make Neal, Peter and herself believe she is a tough lady who doesn't play by the old rules (the bit about running out and no toothbrush and no drawer was over the top for the moment). But, underneath she is a woman having a relationship with a guy. No, it may not be true love, but, in general, women come from a more emotional place in a relationship. Surprised? No, but maybe a bit disappointed - that tiny heart drop that Neal is thinking about taking off and stepping into a different identity - leaving his life, and her, behind.

Yes, I loved this ep. Agree with everything you said.

Yeah, Neal and Sara are very interesting to me because they're a lot more complex than just "she's in love with him, he's in love with her," end of story. They are both looking for certain things in the relationship, both bringing baggage to it. Actually, when she first went looking in the safe, I had a little "heartclutch!" moment where I wondered if she'd been playing him all along, if she was either working for a hitherto-unknown enemy or simply trying to dig dirt on him. I like having the relationship be enigmatic enough that you can get that kind of ambiguity with some of the scenes, just like it's often not clear if Neal is truly acting altruistically or if he's spinning the scenario in order to get what he wants out of it (especially in a lot of his interactions with Peter).

I also gotta say that I loved how ridiculously pettily jealous Neal is at the beginning, that Peter is fanning on a new conman - it's not even that Neal & Peter are slashy, but that they have this special exclusive and monogamous lawman-conman bond that is as special to them as any romance, and they both get jealous of anyone else horning in ^^

ahahaha, yesssss, Peter is seeing another con artist behind his back! :D Neal's gotten that way on at least one other occasion, too (I think it was with Keller, when Peter kept comparing them and playfully threatening to let Keller out on an anklet too -- this was before Keller kidnapped him, obviously ^^). They really are a bit (well, more than a bit) possessive of each other on that level of their relationship. And Peter's self-appointed mentorship of Neal was definitely front and center in this episode, too. (I do get a major kick out of the episodes in which Neal goes all mentor-protective on someone else -- there was at least one other ep like that; I can't remember which one -- and Peter is all, NOW YOU KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE ME. XD)

I actually read Peter's behavior at the beginning of the ep as being directly related to the fact that Neal has been keeping his thing with Sara a secret - Peter doesn't like Neal keeping secrets, and especially not secrets that are harmless and that he has no reason to keep. ... So Peter's barging in and nosing about the place was sort of establishing to Neal that yeah, Peter knows what's going on, and he's going to make things difficult for Neal until Neal comes out and admits that they're seeing each other.

Well, yeah, that is exactly why he's doing it -- but it still comes off as petty and nosy, IMHO, especially when he's dealing with someone as private as Neal is. Generally I really love their push-and-pull, you-have-secrets-and-I-find-them-out dynamic, but Peter's smirky glee at poking into Neal's life is usually justified -- he's nosing around because he has to, because Neal really does get up to a lot of things that have the potential to blow back on both of them in a major way. It works because it's more-or-less equal; Neal seems to enjoy hiding things from Peter as much as Peter likes finding them out. But this wasn't any of that: it wasn't related to a case, it wasn't related to any of Neal's extracurricular projects (though, giving Peter the benefit of the doubt here, he had no way of knowing that, at least at first) -- it's just Peter ferreting out secrets of Neal's personal life that really are Neal's option to share, or not share. Neal's sex life really isn't any of his business as either his parole officer or his friend.

Though I do think you're right about the guys-being-guys thing -- guys giving each other shit is part of guy friendship, and for Peter especially, he's very much a typical "guy" in a lot of ways.

I was confused myself by Sara's evident surprise at the end - surely she's seen other fake passports of Neal's before? He's gotta have a pile of 'em! So how could she realize that this one was special? Or was it just that she realized he'd recently been looking at it, so might be planning a trip?

Frankly I think we're thinking more about it than the writers did. *g* I do get the impression in the show that Sara is supposed to be surprised simply because it is a fake passport under a phony name -- maybe she thought Neal didn't have any of those anymore because he's going straight now, but in that case she's a total idiot because she JUST helped him pull off a con, so she knows he still dabbles in the trade! Oh show. But I am very curious to see how this shapes up next week ...

(though, giving Peter the benefit of the doubt here, he had no way of knowing that, at least at first)

Not to mention, Neal's girlfriends are often involved in his cons as well, as with both Kate and Alex. Given that most of Neal's personal life is closely tied to his criminal life, it only makes sense that Peter looks into it more than is polite; it's how he stays on top of Neal. Besides, considering Neal has no problems with going over to Peter's place and bothering Elizabeth whenever he wants, not to mention playing any of his friends for his own ends, I don't think Peter was that out of line. They both cross boundaries that probably wouldn't be crossed in a normal friendship - but that's hardly what they have!

Frankly I think we're thinking more about it than the writers did.

Ahahah ain't that always the way?

Ohhhh ... you know, (re)reading this comment, it just gave me kind of an epiphany about that scene! Because, yes, one of the things I actually like about the way Neal is written -- one of the things that makes him read like a "real" con artist (well, allowing for TV-show artistic license ^^) -- is that he can't turn it off. When he wants something from his friends, conning them is the only way he knows to get it -- or at least, it's his instinctive response and often the one he goes with, even if he kind of knows better. And that is exactly what Peter is doing here! He can't turn off being a detective any more than Neal can turn off being a con, and particularly being nosy about Neal -- it may be a failing of his, but it's a very logical one, just like Neal occasionally scamming Elizabeth or Diana (and Peter, a lot, except Peter never falls for it ^^) is a logical failing for Neal to have.

... I think I actually like that scene now! Because it's one of the few times in the series that we've seen Peter do that: step across a personal boundary that he probably shouldn't have crossed because his habit was to do so, in much the same way that Neal steps across those boundaries without meaning to, because it's his habit. And in both cases it makes sense!

*laughs* It's funny, because I really liked that scene myself (which is why I kept poking at it like this) but I wasn't really analyzing why, other than that it was funny and I like Peter & Neal's interactions. But I think this is why it worked so well for me - because it is about Peter's flaws, and why his and Neal's friendship works so well. Peter doesn't really get offended when Neal tries to con him - he gets irritated, and he wishes Neal wouldn't, but he understands that's the way Neal is. And Neal understands the same about Peter, which is why he was annoyed but not really offended. Being conned is a hazard of being friends with a conman; being snooped is a hazard of being friends with a g-man. It gives a certain balance to their relationship (and it's one they both enjoy, in a way - on a certain level, I think Peter likes being conned by Neal, because he likes the challenge of seeing through him; and Neal likes being snooped by Peter, because he likes the challenge of pulling stuff over on him. Even if neither of them can get away with it, really...)

(Peter's snooping does make me wonder about him and Elizabeth - either he's learned to turn it off somewhat with her, or she just accepts it as a part of being with him. We've seen a little of that already - that she knows he investigated her before asking her out, and she found it cute; but it probably took some negotiation somewhere along the lines. It's not even that Peter wouldn't trust her, or that he's a busybody, I don't think; he just so loves puzzles that it's difficult for him not to try to figure out the secrets of people close to him...)

...dangit, I said I'm not fanning on this show anymore and look at me ramble on! What have you done? :P

We've seen a little of that already - that she knows he investigated her before asking her out, and she found it cute; but it probably took some negotiation somewhere along the lines.

ahhhhh, when I wrote the above comment, I was trying to remember if that was canon or something I'd read in a fanfic (... I've read so much fic for this show lately that I'm starting to have a little trouble remembering what's canon and what's fanon). Elizabeth is so laid back and understanding ... she has to be, really, in order to get along with a driven Type A personality like Peter the way that she does. Presumably she's either laid down the law in certain areas, or she's just accepted it as something she has to put up with -- more maybe a little of both.

But anyway, regarding Peter and Neal, yeah - I like viewing it that way, so I shall proceed to do so. XD I think it's a really good point, that their little keep-away game isn't just restricted to professional stuff, but personal stuff as well ... and yes, it is mutually irritating for both of them (albeit in a generally playful kind of way), but it's part of the way their weird relationship works.

...dangit, I said I'm not fanning on this show anymore and look at me ramble on! What have you done? :P

Heeeee~! NOT THAT I MIND OR ANYTHING. I'm definitely still in that initial fan-high where I can natter on about this show all day, and it's delightful to have someone to natter at! XD

Edited 2011-07-15 20:37 (UTC)

Neal told Peter that he has a date with Sara one ep earlier. His relationship with Sara isn't a secret at all. Peter could have simply asked "Is Sara here?" and Neal would have told him the truth. There was no reason to detect what they did together during the night. It's not only an invasion of Neal's but also of Sara's privacy.

I thought it was pretty interesting that Neal left the passport where Sara could find it -- like he subconsciously wants to be stopped from leaving.

Oh, that's a really interesting point! Especially in light of the way that this episode played up Neal's dilemma and seemed to have him coming down more strongly on the "stay" side than the "go" side.

to be honest, I thought Neal was going to give his new identity to Scott. Up until he told Scott to turn himself in at the end of the show, I fully thought the Vic Morrow ID was going to go to the newbie. I also think, even just saying the words 'turn yourself in' to Scott, who is so obviously representative of himself, is telling. There's a part of Neal, whether he likes to admit it or not, that would have liked to have a different life. Calling the con an addiction has connotations of 'this is not a good thing.' That Neal recognizes that is indicative of a lot more self-awareness than I think anyone on the show (except maybe Elizabeth) gives him credit for.

Let's not forget that Neal 'asked' Peter to snoop with that crack about his 'detecting skills.' And once Sarah actually came out of the closet, he backed down, toned down the 'ooohh, you've got a GIRL over!!!' vibe. Besides, dudes give each other crap about that sort of thing all the time - they never ever grow up. *sigh*

The Sarah/Neal thing still strikes me as being very Thomas Crowne-y. She knows what and who Neal is. That scene where she found his new ID didn't read so much as surprised to me as chagrined. "Oh, Neal, not again," is what I saw (but then that could be wishful thinking). There's a part of me that is very hopeful that Sarah IS emotionally involved. Truly, because it would be DELIGHTFUL for me to see someone who CAN be emotionally involved with someone, but also be sensible about who that person is. I hope the writers manage to keep her coolness. (also, can I just say, Hilary Burton is knocking this role out of the park? I absolutely love her in this role!)

The 'rock bottom' thing, though. rock bottom doesn't necessarily have to be down and out at your last rope. It's just that point at which you understand, fully and without any doubts, that the life you're leading is not good. I think that moment for Neal was when Kate was murdered. Something in him is balking seriously at Mozzie's plan to get them 'back' into the life. Bah! I just can't wait to see where this season is going! Whoot!

sorry for hijacking your lj! I'm just squeeing right along with you about show!

Heh, you can always ramble away in my journal! Especially when the subject is White Collar. :D

I also think, even just saying the words 'turn yourself in' to Scott, who is so obviously representative of himself, is telling. There's a part of Neal, whether he likes to admit it or not, that would have liked to have a different life. Calling the con an addiction has connotations of 'this is not a good thing.'

Yes! I really liked the way that this episode used Scott to play out Neal's dilemma, and give a strong indication of where his heart really lies, without Neal himself ever having to come out and talk it through (much), or even get to the point where he can openly acknowledge it (though he kinda does at the end, a little bit).

The 'rock bottom' thing, though. rock bottom doesn't necessarily have to be down and out at your last rope. It's just that point at which you understand, fully and without any doubts, that the life you're leading is not good. I think that moment for Neal was when Kate was murdered. Something in him is balking seriously at Mozzie's plan to get them 'back' into the life.

Yeah, though I don't know ... I think he might have been sincere when he implied to Peter that he hasn't really reached that point yet, or maybe that he's reached it but won't acknowledge it. He's definitely VERY conflicted about his current dilemma, and I really enjoyed the way that this episode played out a lot of Neal's own internal conflict externally. I think the show's been pretty open about Neal's craving for safety, home and love, at the same time that he also craves danger, adventure and excitement. And now the two have come into open conflict with each other. In a lot of ways Neal really likes where he is now -- he likes working with Peter, he likes the people he's around and the life he's built up here. But he's still drawn by the allure of the life he left behind.

I'm completely fascinated to see how this is going to play out over the rest of the season. :D

I think there's also an element of him allowing himself to like his current life because he didn't have a choice about it. Like, it's okay for him to be all domestic and helping Peter out and settling in, because it's not like he chose that, he had to do it. But now that he has a choice, it's like he feels he has to go because that's how he's always thought of himself. He's not ready to admit that who he is and what he wants may have changed. He was always the guy who did the con and left, so if he wants to maintain this belief that that's still who he is, and the past few years is an aberration, he has to go.

To barge into this comment thread several weeks late...

I think that's a good point, actually, and I think you're absolutely spot-on with this! What's happening to him right now -- and one of the reasons why I'm loving this season's main arc so much, I think -- is that he's being forced to confront his own self-image and decide what kind of man he really is and what he wants to be. And I love the idea that it was okay for him to let himself like it because he could always convince himself that it was something he didn't have a choice about. Now he has to decide whether this is the life he really wants to have.

My issue with Peter barging in on Neal (other than, obviously, him barging in on Neal again) was toward the end of that scene, with Sara flustered and embarrassed and rushing out and Peter just standing there grinning about it. That he had basically embarrassed both Neal and Sara really bothered me. And guys being guys or not I would think he would at least be polite to Sara and step outside for a bit so Sara and Neal could say see-you-later in private.

But other than that and how quickly the kid gave himself up, it was still a good episode. I love the cons being awesome cons, and all the twist and turns toward the end, and I love that we're finally seeing a lot more concrete issues with running rather than just hints.

Hee, I loved Peter being bothered over "the Sheriff of Nottingham." :D

You summed up Neal and Sara's relationship nicely, because it's something I haven't really been able to wrap my head around. I think Neal wouldn't mind it being more but all things considered and with everything he's been through with Kate, neither does he mind it being casual. As you said, it's open to go in any direction, to become something more or end in a way that isn't painful.

I can't remember if Sara knows about the whole deal with the treasure. Because if she does, in which case, that's why she was surprised by the passports. If not... well, we'll see what her thoughts were next episode. Could be she's just curious about what Neal is up to, could also be that the passports will be a catalyst to force her to finally figure out her relationship with Neal.

My issue with Peter barging in on Neal (other than, obviously, him barging in on Neal again) was toward the end of that scene, with Sara flustered and embarrassed and rushing out and Peter just standing there grinning about it.

Yeah ... I think that's where the scene tipped over the line for me, too, though I also think I've come around on it a little bit -- see this whole comment thread for the full reasoning process *g* -- because it demonstrates that Peter has flaws in much the same way that Neal has flaws: neither of them can turn the professional side of themselves "off" in a personal relationship. Neal cons his friends occasionally, without seeming to be able to help himself (or, rather, because it's the only way he really knows of interacting with people); Peter noses into his friends' personal lives because he's unable to leave his detective side at the door. There's a weird sort of symmetry to it, and like

xparrot said, it was nice to see the flaws in Peter, especially since they parallel Neal's flaws in such an interesting way.

Hee, I loved Peter being bothered over "the Sheriff of Nottingham." :D

Ha, yes, I liked that too -- he was so bugged by the whole idea of being the "bad guy" in that scenario, and it was sweet that Neal tried to reassure him about it at the end. Both of them seem to care a lot what the other one thinks of them, which is really adorable.

I think Neal wouldn't mind it being more but all things considered and with everything he's been through with Kate, neither does he mind it being casual.

Yeah, that, exactly. I don't think he's ready to get into something more serious yet; he's still carrying a torch for Kate (when Neal loves somebody, whether it's in a romantic sense or otherwise, I get the impression that he loves deep). But he's also still got that side of him that yearns for love and stability, and right now he's able to indulge it in a mutually fulfilling kind of way without getting into something he's not ready for. I can see his relationship with Sara going plausibly in any of a number of directions. But right now it seems to be something that is not terribly serious, but both of them are getting what they need out of it.

... well, except for the passport thing. XD I don't remember if she knows about the treasure, either, but I don't think she does? She helped Neal get information from Diana and Christy, but I don't think she actually knows why. I'm interested to see how it develops. We're starting to close on the mid-season cliffhanger now ... which I'm simultaneously looking forward to and dreading, heh. Their cliffhangers in the past have been so evil! And this'll be the first one that I've encountered in real time, and had to wait for the resolution along with the rest of the fandom.

because it demonstrates that Peter has flaws in much the same way that Neal has flaws: neither of them can turn the professional side of themselves "off" in a personal relationship.

Okay, this does help to put a better spin on the scene, and, yes, makes a lot of sense.

I love hanging on the edge of this fandom - in it just enough to squee with you but not in it enough to be bothered with what folks think of relationships, character actions, etc. :D

I like Neal and Sara, and I like them together. I thought Peter's caution to Neal to not let his "bad" ways rub off on her was interesting. Peter has great insight.

I didn't think Sara looked surprised at finding a phony passport. Conflicted, maybe. Does she mention it to Neal? To Peter? She has to be wondering what Neal is up to, especially to have one so good (and she has to be able to recognize the quality), and what her place in Neal's life really is.

It's an awfully fun show! I didn't expect to get into it in such a deep fannish way, but I'm trying to stay on the fringes of the fandom, because I don't really want to let other people's opinions rub off on me too much. It's just fun and light and exactly what I needed right now.

I am really looking forward to seeing which way the passport thing goes. She's got to know that Neal has phony IDs around, unless she thinks he's completely reformed ... but surely she has enough evidence that that's not the case!

*sighs* Well, to me Sara is like a black hole which sucks the squeel out of nearly every scene she is in (at least since she changed from a great antagonist too the blushing girlfriend -urgh, worst character deconstruction ever, and she pulls Neal with her to boot). Add to that the fact that baby Neal fell flat. What's the point of using disguises when everybody knows who you are nevertheless? Peter needed ages to finger the real identity of James Bonds, The dutchman or Ghovat. Robin Hoody is not even remotly in the same league.

I loved the scenes between Neal and Peter and everything related to the Neal possible flight, but they were few and far between. And yeah, the ending didn't make any sense...plus, I'm getting defensive of Neal's privacy. Mozzie storms in whenever he wants (and he wants it mostly when he knows that he can interrupt Neal and Sara), Peter is actually snooping around in his bedroom and brings a murder suspect in his home and Sara is riffling through his private stuff (I get that she would take a look at the figurine, but she had no business to search through his things).

I've come around to a more positive take on the Peter and Neal scene at the beginning -- see this thread for complete details, but basically, it's a scene that develops Peter's flaws, in the way that the show normally develops Neal's flaws instead: their mutual inability to keep their respective strengths from becoming liabilities in their personal relationships. Peter can't check his detective side at the door, any more than Neal can stop conning his friends (well, not easily) -- it's who they are. And the more I think about it, the more I like seeing that, even if it did rub me the wrong way at the time. (I still think it's highly intrusive, but intrusive in a way that's logical for the character, if that makes any sense?)

And in a way, it means they're getting more comfortable in each other's spaces. Neal moved right in and made himself at home in Peter's house in season one (over Peter's objections) and now Peter is doing more or less the same thing in Neal's apartment -- they're just getting a bit easier around each other, even if there are some ruffled feathers along the way.

The thing is: It is a big difference if Neal turns up in Peter's kitchen or living room, or if Peter turns up in the room which is Neal's complete living space, including the bedroom. And Peter had plenty revenge when he was a guest in Neal's home in season one and basically treated Neal like his wishes didn't count at all.
Plus, if Peter really wanted to, he could easily restrict Neal from his house, it's out of Neal's radius after all. Neal on the other hand can't even protest if Peter oversteps his boundaries, and the few time he did, Peter brushed him off.

Plus, Neal's flaws get adressed all the time in the show. Peter's not so much.

...if Peter really wanted to, he could easily restrict Neal from his house, it's out of Neal's radius after all.

Well, but by that token, Neal could just easily keep Peter (or anyone else) out of his home if he wanted to -- by asking June not to let them in. It's her house, after all, and it's not as if Peter (or Mozzie, or any of Neal's other guests) could trespass on June's property without her permission. I also suspect that if it really came down to June having to choose Neal vs. Peter, she'd take Neal's side in a heartbeat.

In "Home Invasion", Peter really did cross a definite hospitality line -- and Neal responded by rescinding his invitation, once Peter had somewhere else to go. Which Peter was perfectly willing to do. (That episode bugged me a bit in general because I thought it pushed Peter a little OOC for the sake of the odd-couple-style humor they were clearly going for, but I do think it was clear at the end that Neal was putting up with it mostly out of friendship, not because he didn't have a choice: when he got fed up enough with Peter's lousy guest behavior, he threw him out, albeit politely.)

They've both got the ability to take the nuclear option on each others' liberties with their personal space, but, in general, neither of them does ... because neither of them really minds all that much, certainly not enough to risk the damage to their personal relationship that would result from one of them actively shutting the other out.

Which isn't to say that they don't abuse the trust from time to time -- Peter gratuitously invading Neal's personal space or becoming overbearing with the amount of power that he actually does have over him; Neal manipulating and conning his friends -- but I think either of them could do a whole lot more to stop it than they actually do; they just don't, because when it comes right down to it, neither of them minds. At least, they would mind losing the friendship a whole lot more.

I also kind of love that Neal is all NO DEAD BABY BIRTH CERTIFICATES. Because, looked at one way, it doesn't really harm anyone. But clearly that's a line he won't cross, living the life of someone dead. Interesting his little moral live wires.

Also woo on Mozzie for bringing out the D&D alignment jargon for Scott--chaotic good, indeed.

*nods* I like that he has lines he won't cross. Neal definitely has a moral compass, even it's oriented a little bit sideways of the law-abiding citizenry. *g*

I've actually been thinking of Neal as chaotic good for awhile now, so that line cracked me up. *g*

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White Collar 3x06

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