While season 5 ended on a cliffhanger (Neal’s abduction), Eastin says he’ll be closing out White Collar by refocusing on the show’s core tension between mostly reformed con artist Neal Caffrey (Bomer) and FBI agent Peter Burke (Tim DeKay).
“It’s to create this idea of Neal vs. Peter — what the show always has been, and always should be — and really run at that,” Eastin says. “That’s the approach this year: Make the show when it’s at its best. And to me, the show is at its best when Neal and Peter are talking and they’re happy and smiling, and then as soon as Neal steps out of the room, Peter’s eyes narrow, because he knows he’s up to something. So it’s taking that to the extreme and saying, ‘What do both these guys want more than anything?’ Let’s take Neal to his logical extreme, and Peter to his logical extreme, and crash the two things together and see what happens.”
“It’s to create this idea of Neal vs. Peter — what the show always has been, and always should be — and really run at that,” Eastin says. “That’s the approach this year: Make the show when it’s at its best. And to me, the show is at its best when Neal and Peter are talking and they’re happy and smiling, and then as soon as Neal steps out of the room, Peter’s eyes narrow, because he knows he’s up to something. So it’s taking that to the extreme and saying, ‘What do both these guys want more than anything?’ Let’s take Neal to his logical extreme, and Peter to his logical extreme, and crash the two things together and see what happens.”
Source:
More at EW
Ugh, I am so sick of Peter and Neal fighting and so are others. It's a tired trope and needs to stop. We prefer it when they get along! And I don't want to spend the final season on them fighting.
ReplyDeleteI'd prefer a final season where Neal and Peter have to deal with a young Caffrey, even if it'd bring back some old rivalries between the lead characters. I don't want to see Neal as a fugitive again, it's just overused.
ReplyDeleteNo matter what it will end with them respecting and liking each other. I would like to know what will happen with Mozzie?
ReplyDeleteExactly! why can't they just respect and care for one another? They've showed on many ocations that they'll go to great lengths to protect each other, so why can't they build from that, instead of rehashing the same old trust/mistrust storyline? it got old a couple of seasons ago...
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you and klutzy_girl. Reading the interview makes me wish even more that the show ended with Season 3.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could be that confident. But this artificial return to tension, and Eastin's view of Neal as a "tragic" character who is never allowed to have/keep anything good in his life, has me very concerned about these final 6 episodes.
ReplyDeleteEastin is right in the sense that the best part of the show was when they worked together but only because they needed. It didn't rule out respecting each other (hell, Neal had already respected Peter because he was able to catch him and Peter respected Neal's talent), but that was the real spice.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that they screwed it up when they started to turn Neal into a real good boy, but weren't able to give up the "Peter doesn't trust Neal" trope. The show originally wasn't about to "domesticate" Neal - his Arsene Lupin like character works only until he does his tricks because he enjoys to do them, not because he is forced to do them. Turning him into a tragic hero simply doesn't work in this show. I'm afraid they will follow the Burn Notice path - build up a big drama with very little fun but chicken out at the endgame.
"And to me, the show is at its best when Neal and Peter are talking and they’re happy and smiling, and then as soon as Neal steps out of the room, Peter’s eyes narrow, because he knows he’s up to something". I kinda like the sound of that and I think that's how the show will end with Neal finding freedom and resolution but not without some ambiguity. I don't think with 6 eps we'll get the same old "you are a criminal" drama of the last season. I am optimistic. I don't think Neal and Peter will settle into an happily ever after with the FBI, and I don't want that for Neal either, but I don't think they'll part as enemies either. Jmo.
ReplyDeleteI fear the same thing. It's such a shame.
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