Throwing out a White Collar thought for y'all

[sholio]

I had a thought while I was chatting in PM with aqwt101 about last week's episode and figured I'd share it.

She asked me if I thought Peter would still consider Neal a criminal after the anklet came off. And I said no, of course not, he wouldn't be then -- he'd have paid his debt to society and he'd be a free man. (Well, assuming he doesn't pull off a major heist so Peter has to arrest him; then he'd be a criminal, obviously...)

And then I went, HMMM. I think it's quite possible that Peter and Neal are catastrophically failing to understand each other in that scene at the end of 5x01.

I don't think Peter's "You're a criminal" statement means anything like "You're in the category criminal, and you will be forever". All Peter's doing -- or all he thinks he's doing -- is reiterating what is, to him, a fairly obvious thing: that Neal is a criminal on a tracking anklet that Peter is responsible for. And Peter keeps forgetting this, and blurring the lines with "friend", and since he can't stop doing that, he's handing Neal off to another handler who won't keep forgetting that he's Neal's parole officer.

I don't think there's any reason to believe that Peter sees "criminal" as an immutable, fixed category (actually there's quite a bit of evidence to the contrary in the way he treats Neal and other criminals he's dealing with throughout the series), but I do think there's evidence that he thinks of Neal as a criminal right now, i.e. while the tracking anklet is on and Neal is still serving out the sentence he was convicted for. He pretty much has to, no matter how he feels about it personally, because it's factually true. For example, when Neal comments that he's a criminal like his dad in 4x03, Peter kinda looks away but doesn't deny it -- he can't deny it, because it's literally true: Neal was tried, convicted, and is currently serving his sentence. Ditto for the hearing in 3x16, and Peter's comment about not knowing whether Neal is a criminal or not until they take the anklet off and give him a chance to prove it with his actions.

So as far as Peter is concerned, in 5x01, all he's doing is stating the obvious. It hurt to say it, because he's spent a lot of time lately with Neal firmly in the category "my friend" and not in the category "my parolee", but he's basically just reiterating what he thinks they both know.

But I don't think that's what Neal hears. I think what Neal hears (and apparently what a lot of fandom heard *g*) is "You are a criminal and you will be one forever." And I think it's fair to say that this probably plays a role in Neal deciding he's going to go full-on bad guy in 5x04: if even Peter doesn't believe in him anymore, why not? (I also think aelfgyfu_mead made a really excellent point in the comments to my last White Collar entry, and I can't rephrase it better than she said it: "I think Neal really wants to believe he's a sociopath so that he can stop feeling guilt and pain." Augh, Neal. ;_;)

Anyway, so now Neal is seriously pissed off at Peter, and Peter has no idea why. I mean, Peter probably thinks it has something to do with reassigning him to a different handler, and it probably does have something to do with that, but there's a bigger issue that Peter is completely, 100% clueless about. Because what Neal heard is not actually what Peter thought he said. As far as Peter is concerned, nothing's really changed -- he said as much in their walk'n'talk in 5x02. He still thinks of Neal the same as he always has, and can't really understand why Neal is acting so different.

.... they really do need to be locked in a room until they start talking to each other. IDIOT BOYS.

Comments

[shehasathree]

yesss.

[carose59]

With an interpreter. Because the two of them just talking isn't going to cut it. *g*

[sahiya]

This is a really good point. And fandom's interpretation of that scene goes back to the point I made in a previous entry of yours about POV and how the show is very strongly from Neal's POV, even if that isn't always obvious.

I also think that Neal has a lot of bad choices right now, and the choices become easier if he just embraces being a criminal.

[sholio]

It makes sense to me!

[sholio]

ahahaha. So true!

[sholio]

Yeah, I hadn't really thought about it in quite that light before, but I think it makes a lot of sense in terms of character motivation, and I also think you're right that we're invited more to see it from Neal's POV in the show.

And yes, Neal really doesn't have any good options right now, just a series of increasingly bad ones. I think it makes sense for him to choose the way he does in 5x04 (even though, augh!).

[veleda_k]

"You're a criminal. I forget that, a lot. And until you've served out your sentence, that's exactly what you are."- Peter Burke, "At What Price."

So, yeah, I think you're exactly right, and there's not a lot of other ways to interpret it. I don't blame Neal for not really hearing that part of it. I don't blame Neal for being hurt. But what Neal hear was not what Peter was saying.

And something I keep meaning to bring up is that Peter's not doing this just for himself. Peter, rightly or wrongly, believes that rules and structure will keep Neal from doing something that will land him in prison, and if Peter can't provide that structure, he'll find someone who will. He says that too. "This is in your best interest" and then, "I can't risk you going back." And that's so Peter. He would be well within his rights to step back from Neal solely for his own safety. He would be justified in saying, "I've had my career nearly ruined multiple times, and now I've gone to prison for something I didn't do, so I'm going to put some distance between us to protect myself." And sure, that's part of it. But he's still thinking of Neal and how he can protect him.

That scene is just heartbreaking. I swear Peter is on the verge of tears the whole time. He loves Neal so much, but their relationship as it is isn't sustainable.

[sholio]

Yeah, I think it's perfectly understandable (and perfectly Neal!) for him to interpret it as a rejection of himself and his efforts, even if Peter didn't intend it that way. And it's also very Peter to believe that rules and restrictions will help keep Neal on the straight and narrow, in spite of various evidence to the contrary ...

But it's just such a heartwrenching scene, and a heartwrenching situation. Peter is genuinely trying to do what he believes is best for both of them, and particularly best for Neal, even though it's breaking his heart. And Neal is going away with the worst possible interpretation (which, again, I don't blame him for) -- so now they're at odds even though both of them have the best of motivations.

I think that while I had always seen it more or less in this light, I hadn't really looked at it from this particular angle before -- that Neal's anger and hurt is coming from a fundamental misreading of what Peter is saying. It's entirely understandable on both sides, it's just ... god, what a fucked-up situation.