couldn't ask for a better day

[aria]

It appears that I'm only updating roughly once a week, usually to talk about White Collar. Now that White Collar is over for a while, I'll have to find other things to talk about or you'll never hear from me again!

Lately I have been up to things like: watching Burton's Alice in Wonderland, fighting my way through my schoolwork, staying up late rewatching New Who and writing my End of Time fic in increments, running errands and sorting out my life so that I will not be at loose ends in two months, and mainlining Babylon 5. Third season here I come! Life is good even though the warm sunny weather makes me unaccountably cranky.

Anyway, I am going to talk about White Collar!

"We all have our weakness. Kate's yours." I don't know whether it's DeKay's delivery or just my inability to convince myself that the show isn't made of sparkly OT3, but the way Peter said that made it sound like the unspoken end of the thought was And you're one of mine.

I ... am not quite sure what I am supposed to do with a scene of shirtless Neal caressingly creating the statue of a naked man. Is it that Neal too is art? Is it just eye candy for all? Is it supposed to be vaguely homoerotic? Who knows!

There are no words for how much I love Peter in this episode. He knows exactly what Neal's up to all the time; he walks into Fowler's trap because he loves El just that much; he's disappointed in Neal but he understands Neal and all his motivations. I suspect that deep in his soul Peter's actually a little pleased that Fowler took his badge, because it means he can't arrest Neal (which he clearly didn't want to do) and that he can do much sneakier things than he might've otherwise. PETER. <3

DIANA IS BACK. I KNEW THAT BUT THEN I FORGOT AND SO I AM ALL AGLOW WITH JOY. I am so hugely pleased that she has Christie the Offscreen Girlfriend, too, and I don't mind if said Christie is never actually on-screen as long as she just plain exists and doesn't die or vanish.

I spent the Alex half of this season fairly unsure of her, but okay, I think she's a class act after all. I'm not that terribly interested in her, and now that I think on it, the only woman I'm sold on Matt Bomer really having chemistry with is El, so I hope to god that they never try to pursue anything approaching a Neal/Alex plotline, but that said: I like Alex! She makes smart life choices and I approve.

Wow, Mozzie is so in love with Neal. Don't cry, Moz! Neal appreciates you! Also at this point I don't need to know what Mozzie's deal is, or his background, or any of that -- I'll just accept that he's in love with Neal and leave it there. (Meanwhile I might have to do a season rewatch to figure out wtf Fowler's motivations are given that he switches tactics so often. Maybe he just wants to kill Neal and Peter and everyone they hold dear as a ... hobby or something?)

Neal sent Elizabeth flowers! He fixes what he broke! And El can identify the difference between loving the idea of someone and loving who they really are, which is really goddamn important and Neal should listen to her.

And the last scene! THE LAST SCENE. Peter is the only one who might change Neal's mind, and there's something so ridiculously rending about Neal sort of hovering on the airstrip halfway between two choices because he loves them both. Of course it follows that Peter saved Neal's life by keeping him on the airstrip that much longer, which -- that's going to keep Peter up at night, good god.

I suppose I want to know who blew up that plane and why? I hate that almost non-existent Kate had basically no agency ever, though, and that they fridged her. THUMBS UP, GUYS.

So when does it come back?

Comments

[china_shop]

there's something so ridiculously rending about Neal sort of hovering on the airstrip halfway between two choices because he loves them both

OMG, yes! NEAL! *is still incoherent*

I really really hope Alex did something with the music box while she had it.

the only woman I'm sold on Matt Bomer really having chemistry with is El

Me too! I try not to feel that way, because I don't want to be all possible-new-love-interest hatin', but I can't help it. OT3!!!

[feverbeats]

WHY IS THIS FANDOM NOT WRITING ME NEAL/MOZZIE? WHYYYYYYY. I want to hear about their epic romance of days gone by!

ALSO OH MY GOD THE LAST SCENE.

[jolly_utter]

You! You should be on the internet/ lurking in the background on skype more, I miss you! I can appreciate being busy, though- the end of semester work has hit and I have too many essays and not enough time at the moment. Which is, of course, why I'm procrastinating on the internet. =)
'White Collar' sounds interesting, from skimming though your comments- do you think I would like it?

[polarisnorth]

Way to get "The Boxer" stuck in my head!

Aaah I am totally watching this when I get home. WHAT MATH PAPER.

[meresy]

I am still kind of agog that that last scene even happened for real. Angst! Declarations! Soulful looks of gayness love gay love! (JUST KISS ALREADY.) Explosions!

I'm not all that impressed with the fridging of Kate, but by God I will enjoy the angst and Neal-fixing fic that comes after.

[everysecondtuesday]

DIANA IS BACK. I KNEW THAT BUT THEN I FORGOT AND SO I AM ALL AGLOW WITH JOY. I am so hugely pleased that she has Christie the Offscreen Girlfriend, too, and I don't mind if said Christie is never actually on-screen as long as she just plain exists and doesn't die or vanish.
I made trufax high-pitched dolphin noises of glee at this. This is one of those shows I watch with my mother (because we bond over fun, silly TV), so it was a good thing I was already out, because I suspect there was very little ambiguity over my big gay crush on Diana. And she is now USA's FIRST CANON REPEATING QUEER CHARACTER. It fills my chest with bubbles of joy.

Wow, Mozzie is so in love with Neal.
I'm so glad I'm not the only one who thinks this.

I hate that almost non-existent Kate had basically no agency ever, though, and that they fridged her. THUMBS UP, GUYS.
This would be why I haven't made a post on it, yet. :\

But whatever, they gave me back DIANA. I am totally riding this train as long as there's track.

[aria]

I cannot believe how psuedo-canon they are! PETER IS THE ONLY ONE WHO MIGHT CONVINCE HIM TO STAY. *flaily hands*

Me too! I try not to feel that way, because I don't want to be all possible-new-love-interest hatin', but I can't help it. OT3!!!

Heh, yeah. Honestly I think part of it is that Neal just pings me as really queer, but I also think that a lot of the het tension that they push is just ... not there. See: the occasional moment where they want Neal/Cruz, how they basically told-not-showed us his relationship with Kate, &c.

But also OT3, in a big way. XD

[aria]

MAYBE I WILL WRITE YOU FICLETS. Now that there is no more show for a while I am really tempted to write fic. (After I finish the End of Time fic. Aaaand my due South big bang. /o\)

PETER AND NEAL'S LOVE IS SO RIDICULOUS.

[aria]

I should be on the internet more, because I miss you too! I keep telling myself that I should write you a long rambly updating email, but honestly a lot of the time I suspect that between my journal and whatever Amelia might mention in passing, you probably know everything that is up with me. Still, I would like to find out what is up with you! *makes note to send you rambly updating email*

White Collar is pretty awesome, if sometimes absurd! I think you would like all the main characters, although I have no idea if the show itself is the sort you'd like. Give it a go, anyway.

[aria]

Mwahaha.

TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!

[aria]

I know! *flail* I keep on thinking that Neal and Peter's love could not become more canon AND THEN IT DOES.

I think everyone needs to write Neal-fixing fic. I will get on that myself! (Once I am done with my due South big bang, anyway.)

[polarisnorth]

Having read some other reaction posts now, the general consensus seems to be that Kate is probably not dead, and either escaped somehow or was in on it? The "not true until we've seen the body" thing applies here, of course, and there's also the fact that White Collar strikes me as one of the least likely shows to kill off cast members. We'll have to wait and see, of course, and Neal might think she's dead, but maybe you won't have to be disappointed at the fridging?

[polarisnorth]

BRB watching now.

[aria]

I AM SO EXCITED THAT THEY HAVE SOMEONE AS AWESOME AS DIANA RECURRING FOR REAL. I'd love to see Christie the offscreen girlfriend, too, but considering that we don't know anything about Jones' or Cruz's lives outside of work, I wouldn't feel crushed if we didn't.

Mozzie's motivations only make sense if he's in love with Neal!

My fridging-of-Kate rage did not come through as strongly as I actually feel it, because I was writing the post as I watched and I had to run to dinner pretty much as soon as I was done with the episode; if it had been a more premeditated review I would probably have FLAMES ON THE SIDE OF MY FACE.

Although they are indeed somewhat mitigated by Diana. Still! But I am with you on this train. :)

[china_shop]

I also think that a lot of the het tension that they push is just ... not there. See: the occasional moment where they want Neal/Cruz

Yeah, I never saw any Neal/Cruz, but mostly because she seemed to treat him like a puppy -- kind of annoying but cute. And his "flirting" was so obviously just testing her out.

[aria]

Oooh, yeah, good call. I have no theories yet, but I am about to start reading around reaction posts, and on reflection I would much rather Kate is still clever and in on it and not dead, because then [a] she is awesome and HAS AGENCY and [b] there is not Fail. *hopes*

[polarisnorth]

Oh my god! Peter's desperate little "please don't do this!" talk! WOOBIE.

Fowler is definitely being played by someone else. And he is not happy about it. I wonder if someone has the same thing going with him that he has over Kate.

What was with all the naked Neal in this episode? I mean, pretty, but what?

EL AND PETER ARE THE MOST ADORABLE EVER, OH MY GOD.

HI DIANA YOU ARE GORGEOUS AND AMAZING.

I'm liking Alex better now, though her past and present sexual tension with Neal still annoys me. But she's a good con artist, and those are always fun to watch. And they pull a really excellent con! The statue thing was a great idea; I love that Neal regretted destroying it. I also love Alex for telling Neal that he should try making smart decisions; she is totally right.

"What about us?" OH MY GOD, PETER. Also, June is the best ever, I love her.

Oh my god, Neal and Moz. "May you live in interesting times." And Moz is all wibbly! I WANT TO HUG HIM FOREVER. And the flowers for El! Asking her how she knew! ♥

Peter's desperation. Oh, baby. ALSO HELLO REVERSE CASABLANCA. WAY TO MY HEART, BABY. Oh my god, they are so in love.

(The explosion effect was really bad, btw. I still think there was enough time for Kate to get off the plane somehow, though. I don't think they would bring up all the trust issues and Kate not being what Neal thinks she is if they were just going to explode her.)

[themeletor]

i accidentally misread that as "flirting my way through schoolwork" and was like, "really, aria? i mean, i knew you were wicked fuckin' classy, but that's amazing!"

but then i learned to read.

WHICH IS BAD BECAUSE THEN I READ THE LAST TWO LINES OF YOUR POST, AND POOP. BECAUSE I'M SO NOT DONE WATCHING WHITE COLLAR YET. :[ nice work, meletor.

[shadowspirit]

There's some thoughts going around that Kate could still be alive lol. Door on the other side of the plane or something XD I don't know. I think just in case I'll stick with the idea that a character is never dead unless we've seen the body.

Curse your plane exploding though, Kate! I wanted to know what Neal was going to say to Peter D:

[damned_colonial]

Have you ever seen a plane with doors on both sides? Because I haven't. Ever.

[shadowspirit]

Actuuuually I think I have XD ...but it wasn't in the States, and that was a scary airport anyway.

But eh, I can't remember exactly what some folk on LJ were speculating.

[damned_colonial]

Hmmm, well, I can't claim to have been on every plane ever, so maybe there are some. Or maybe they built one specially like that, for this very purpose! That would make as much sense as anything else Kate-related :P

[shadowspirit]

I suppose she could have shimmied out of one of those escape windows.

I think there are escape windows on planes. I think I remember being nervous sitting next to one. ...God it's been ages since I've been on a plane.

But really, yes, Kate has a very nonsensical storyline. I think on the writers' twitter they said we'd get some explanations next season at least. Though I'm more looking forward to seeing Peter catch Neal the first time, rather than Kate's background, but that's besides the point.

[aria]

Flirting my way through schoolwork would be hilarious. XD

AHH I AM SORRY! If it helps, no one thinks she's dead? Something like that.

[aria]

*flail* Re: the writers' twitter, d'you mean that next season we're promised lots of tasty backstory? Because I may DIE OF JOY if that is the case.

[themeletor]

... to be honest i don't think i can remember what it said now, because your comment made NO SENSE to me. oh man, my ADD brain is in fact awesome.

[rusty_halo]

Is it supposed to be vaguely homoerotic?

Vaguely?

I hope to god that they never try to pursue anything approaching a Neal/Alex plotline, but that said: I like Alex!

I like Alex too, but the Neal/Alex thing feels very forced. I think it's because they introduced Alex as a plot device and as a potential love interest, but didn't spend much time developing her as a character in her own right. The pairings that are really interesting almost always grow organically--you get to know the characters as people first and wonder what it would be like if they got together. The writers have to get you to want it first--if they just shove the couple together at the start, there's no anticipation built up and it feels very "meh."

I don't really think Kate is dead, and even if she is, I'm not any more bothered by the fridging of her than by the rest of her storyline. She was never a character--she was an ideal on a pedestal. This show has some weird gender issues--some great female characters, but also a tendency to use female victims who need to be saved as a shortcut to show how heroic the lead men are.

[versaphile]

I'm almost certain that Kate is a) Alive and b) Evil, because, that's what they were setting up with all the warnings to Neal. And that she set up the plane as a trap to kill Neal.

[aria]

*g* Maybe not vaguely, no.

I like Alex as a character, but I think I would actually love her as a character if they were not pushing the Neal/Alex tension. I don't mind them having a history, I just ... wish it was a more subtle history, I guess? I'm very much with you on the pairings that are interesting growing organically. (Although, I guess a bit ironically, I was sold on Peter and El's marriage in about thirty seconds. So I guess it depends on the writing and the actors involved.)

I'm becoming more convinced by the second that Kate can't be dead, or her plot thread is going to dangle awkwardly forever even if Neal does figure out who blew up the plane. Also, what a waste if they killed her, because then she'll never, ever be even remotely compelling as a character.

I don't even know what to do with the show's gender issues half the time. If I just pay attention to El and June, and now Diana, I think my blood pressure will remain okay.

[aria]

I'm becoming more convinced of this by the moment. If Kate's alive and evil, then not only is the plot more interesting, but I'm actually a bit interested in her, too.