Okay, I Admit That I Officially Like White Collar
Last night, I watched White Collar 1×13 twice in a row, and then spent a full hour watching a goofy internet Q&A with the lead actors.
It’s time to admit the truth: I officially like White Collar.
Oooh, it’s so fun to have a fandom again!
Here are the things that I like about it:
* It’s character-driven. The plots are an excuse to explore Neal and Peter and their relationship. (Which is good because characters are way more interesting than plots, and also because White Collar’s plots kind of suck.)
* I love Neal and Peter and their relationship. They have a fantastic dynamic. Last night, Tim DeKay said that their relationship is a mix of father/son, older brother/younger brother, old married couple, and professional equals who love working together and have their own language that only they can understand. Which, yes, that’s it! The equals with their own language thing, even though they have power imbalances in other areas of life. It’s the key to nearly every ship I’ve loved: Doctor/Master, Sirius/Remus, Brian/Michael, Fraser/Ray, Sam/Gene, even Sharpe/Harper in a way. Or Jaime/Brienne, who work together brilliantly and understand each other better than anyone else, even though they suck at communicating.
* Their interactions get better with each episode, as the actors grow into their characters, and the writing is also getting sharper.
* Matt Bomer is insanely gorgeous. I could just stare at him all day. (I know, I didn’t think so at first, but he grew on me. He’s still too Hollywood-perfect, but his eyes are lovely, and the character is such a great mix of slick/charming and messed-up/vulnerable…)
* They have promo photos like this. Look, I’m only human, okay?
* I've been reading a lot of slash fanfic, and the last episode could've come straight out of one. I mean, seriously, as soon as Neal goes to work with another agent, Peter 1) spends every waking moment thinking about him, 2) can't focus on his gorgeous and engaging wife because he's worried about Neal, 3) intrudes on another agent's crime scene because he CAN'T STAND A SECOND AWAY, 4) is PERSONALLY ENRAGED when he finds out that Agent Rice sold out Neal. Oh yeah, and it goes both ways, with Neal asking his new keeper to pretend to be Peter, and then promising the kidnapped girl that Peter is "the best agent the Bureau has" and "if there's anybody in the world who knows how to find me, it's him."
* And speaking of fanfic, Neal is so the woobie of this show. So far he's been drugged, nearly suffocated, kidnapped and tasered unconscious... and I know, the woobie is one of those tropes that everyone's supposed to hate, but, you know, if I wanted to be high-minded and politically correct, I wouldn't be watching American TV in the first place. Bring on the woobification. *looks forward to more h/c fic*
* The writers do a great job of interacting with their fans. I've really been enjoying following WCwriters and jeffeastin on Twitter. I particularly love the script screenshots that Eastin is posting.
* This show makes NYC look so pretty. I was at this penthouse apartment the other day whose huge bedroom window looks right out at the Empire State Building, and I just about died of jealousy. But anyway, um, watching White Collar in high res on my giant flatscreen TV is almost like having a view.
* My expectations are low, so the show is unlikely to disappoint me. It's not particularly progressive, but it's not terribly offensive either. It's not stunningly dark, or brilliant, or interesting, but it's not incredibly stupid or annoying either. It's just kind of there, and pleasant, and Neal is gorgeous and it's fun to watch him and Peter interact. There's no stress over how the writers might Ruin Everything or how the other fans are Getting It Wrong, because... it doesn't really matter. This is the least invested I've ever been in canon and, oddly, the most I've ever just plain enjoyed it.
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