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Crackpot theories regarding White Collar
Want to hear all my theories on Sam? Of course you do!
I was thinking about it this morning and it turns out that I have a lot of headcanon on Sam/James. I don't know if this is the direction the show is actually going to go, but this is definitely where I hope it goes, because a) I think it is really well supported by the evidence we have so far, and b) it ties into the show's themes very well.
Basically, here is my headcanon for James. I don't think he is either pure evil (a cop-killer) or a stand-up guy who was completely innocent until he was set up. I think he's in between.
I'm putting down my (metaphorical) money now that it'll turn out James was taking small bribes, got in over his head with the Flynns and ended up taking the fall for something much bigger that he didn't do. I think there is quite a bit of subtle circumstantial evidence to support James being mildly unethical in that way (particularly Ellen's "James was a lot of things ..." comment to Neal, and the way that James encourages Neal to steal the digital tracker) but not so unethical that he'd actually kill someone.
And I like this theory because it reflects Neal's own flaws, as well as still leaving Neal in the same situation he was in before vis-a-vis "do I become my father or not?" Because, if Neal's father is truly evil, then that's not something that Neal is really in danger of becoming; and if Neal's father is squeaky clean, basically another Peter, then the entire question of "am I my father's son or not?" becomes pointless (and James is redundant as a role model, since Neal already has Peter). But if James had been on the take in a small way, and ended up on a slippery slope that got him over his head, then he becomes a direct cautionary tale for Neal. Because I can totally see Neal's personality flaws being reflected in James and coming out that way (and for that matter, the way that Neal already acts towards the FBI and his CI position).
Neal's biggest flaws, the ones most likely to land him in trouble, have always revolved around his "something for nothing" attitude and generally situational ethics -- it's okay to take this thing because no one was using it/because they were so rich they'll never miss it, it's okay to break the rules as long as I stay in control of the situation and put everything back afterwards, etc. I'm not saying everything Neal's done has been wrong, just that most of Neal's character flaws revolve around thinking in the moment rather than looking ahead, always wanting to cut corners and get the big payoff now, rather than putting in the work to earn it the harder (but more ethical and less likely to get him in trouble) way. And given what we've seen so far of Sam/James, I can totally imagine him taking this approach to police work -- where (like Neal) he really is well-intentioned and wants to help people, but he also doesn't see anything wrong with letting a few people slip him a little extra sometimes. And maybe a piece of evidence might go missing once in a while, when the kid needs a birthday present or he'd like to have a little extra cash for that trip he's been promising the wife ...
And if that's the case, then we have a really fascinating setup with Neal vs. James, and James vs. Peter as role models. If James is a killer, then Neal following in his footsteps is not at all likely (though Neal might worry about it) -- but if James is a very low-key kind of dirty cop, the kind who always accepts the free dinner or the Yankees tickets or the envelope full of cash, and tells himself that no one's getting hurt and the strings which might be attached can be worried about on another day, and ended up on a long slippery slope to hell ... that would be an interesting situation, because I can see both Neal and Peter seeing that as a possible outcome for Neal. And there would be lots of interesting potential for little moral dilemmas to play out in the show, if Neal starts seeing his dad as a likely test case for himself in 30 years, and looking at his own actions through that lens ...
So. Thoughts?
I was thinking about it this morning and it turns out that I have a lot of headcanon on Sam/James. I don't know if this is the direction the show is actually going to go, but this is definitely where I hope it goes, because a) I think it is really well supported by the evidence we have so far, and b) it ties into the show's themes very well.
Basically, here is my headcanon for James. I don't think he is either pure evil (a cop-killer) or a stand-up guy who was completely innocent until he was set up. I think he's in between.
I'm putting down my (metaphorical) money now that it'll turn out James was taking small bribes, got in over his head with the Flynns and ended up taking the fall for something much bigger that he didn't do. I think there is quite a bit of subtle circumstantial evidence to support James being mildly unethical in that way (particularly Ellen's "James was a lot of things ..." comment to Neal, and the way that James encourages Neal to steal the digital tracker) but not so unethical that he'd actually kill someone.
And I like this theory because it reflects Neal's own flaws, as well as still leaving Neal in the same situation he was in before vis-a-vis "do I become my father or not?" Because, if Neal's father is truly evil, then that's not something that Neal is really in danger of becoming; and if Neal's father is squeaky clean, basically another Peter, then the entire question of "am I my father's son or not?" becomes pointless (and James is redundant as a role model, since Neal already has Peter). But if James had been on the take in a small way, and ended up on a slippery slope that got him over his head, then he becomes a direct cautionary tale for Neal. Because I can totally see Neal's personality flaws being reflected in James and coming out that way (and for that matter, the way that Neal already acts towards the FBI and his CI position).
Neal's biggest flaws, the ones most likely to land him in trouble, have always revolved around his "something for nothing" attitude and generally situational ethics -- it's okay to take this thing because no one was using it/because they were so rich they'll never miss it, it's okay to break the rules as long as I stay in control of the situation and put everything back afterwards, etc. I'm not saying everything Neal's done has been wrong, just that most of Neal's character flaws revolve around thinking in the moment rather than looking ahead, always wanting to cut corners and get the big payoff now, rather than putting in the work to earn it the harder (but more ethical and less likely to get him in trouble) way. And given what we've seen so far of Sam/James, I can totally imagine him taking this approach to police work -- where (like Neal) he really is well-intentioned and wants to help people, but he also doesn't see anything wrong with letting a few people slip him a little extra sometimes. And maybe a piece of evidence might go missing once in a while, when the kid needs a birthday present or he'd like to have a little extra cash for that trip he's been promising the wife ...
And if that's the case, then we have a really fascinating setup with Neal vs. James, and James vs. Peter as role models. If James is a killer, then Neal following in his footsteps is not at all likely (though Neal might worry about it) -- but if James is a very low-key kind of dirty cop, the kind who always accepts the free dinner or the Yankees tickets or the envelope full of cash, and tells himself that no one's getting hurt and the strings which might be attached can be worried about on another day, and ended up on a long slippery slope to hell ... that would be an interesting situation, because I can see both Neal and Peter seeing that as a possible outcome for Neal. And there would be lots of interesting potential for little moral dilemmas to play out in the show, if Neal starts seeing his dad as a likely test case for himself in 30 years, and looking at his own actions through that lens ...
So. Thoughts?
no subject
(Anonymous) 2012-09-30 10:47 pm (UTC)(link)My favorite speculation is that Neal's dad is in fact very much like Peter; he has stuck with undercover work all those years in pursuit of Justice. That given, where does that place Ellen (is that her name? migraine city maybe) in Neal's regard, and how does Neal deal with running off into the night to become a lawbreaker because he believes that he's Bad by birth? His highly romantic dream was to be a wonderful cop just like his father; once the image of the heroic father is shattered, he pursues an equally romantic, headlong dash in the other direction, determined still to be his father's son.