#pro dad

We meet again, Blue-Eyed Brilliance and Brown-Eyed Bosses 🥰

Look at the way Schneider naturally rocks his pupper gently and soothingly from side to side.

Note the utter calm and contentedness of said pupper.

I love that Neal Caffrey and Mike Ross are in their late 20s/early 30s while still in critical need of parental figures and reining in. Something more people need to realize is that no birthday automatically transforms someone into an adult. I'm not referring to ridiculous slackers who do nothing but eat cereal and play video games all day because their mothers enable them. Different experiences can cause some to grow up quickly or extremely slowly. The physical body aging means nothing if the mind hasn't caught up to it for whatever reasons. Even more fascinating, Neal and Mike are both geniuses overflowing with potential. They are hindered by their troubled pasts, being raised by women unprepared to be single parents to boys, untreated mental issues, and a severe lack of positive male role models for most of their lives. When that last detail is rectified, things start falling into place for them.

Similar to Mike, Neal's problems are rooted in having his childhood abruptly flipped upside down. Though Neal's drastic change- learning his 'hero' cop father was actually a crooked one- did not occur until his 18th birthday, it completely tainted his childhood and entire world view. Since his whole life, including his name, became tainted, lying became second-nature for him. Sometimes without him realizing it. Though he primarily goes by Neal Caffrey, he uses a wide range of aliases with varying experiences and areas of expertise. This chameleon ability almost comes off as if he might have a touch of multiple personality. Honestly, I believe he's a young boy playing dress-up, wanting to be anyone but himself. Peter has even referred to him as an 'alias savant'.

Neal's genius is different from Mike's magical memory. Neal is self-taught and learned a great deal while traveling all over the world. Though he doesn't have so much as a high school diploma, not limiting his education to the American public school system, made him an expert in the fields he loves. He's also a lightning quick-thinker, able to adjust to the unpredictable without letting panic show. This likely comes from him being like Johnny Storm and seeing the world as a great big hedonistic game. A very favored coping mechanism for many. He's also highly empathetic and able to read people. He uses it for manipulation at times, but at his core, Neal is a kind, loving, compassionate but very damaged person.

I've mentioned before that something great about male bonds is that the elders don't fill the novices with false platitudes and entitlement. They drop hard truths all the time and this is true of Peter as well. The agent was the first adult to take such a focused interest in him without trying to recruit him for a heist. Neal adored his attention so much, he sent him birthday gifts. Peter is also the one most honest with him and any information he doesn't immediately disclose is entirely for Neal's protection. For someone so accused of being inept with children and emotions, Peter's love, physical affection, and interest in Neal says otherwise.

For Neal, he doesn't just crave Peter's attention but genuinely looks up to him with the same reverence a child has for his father. Despite his defiant moments, Neal is quite submissive to Peter, but not in an unhealthy or derogatory way. When he's really conflicted on something- like flying off with Kate or Mozzie- he avoids Peter because he's the one he just can't say goodbye to and who can talk him out of things. No matter how many insanely dangerous situations Neal survives, earnest anxiety only kicks in when Peter is harmed or unhappy with him. Whenever he's about to be reprimanded, Neal always resembles a small boy dreading punishment. When Peter is disappointed in his CI, Neal tries to atone with good behavior, gifts, or simply by being adorable. He also takes opportunities to emulate Peter such as taking over his office chair, coveting his Quantico pen, or mimicking his mannerisms.

When Neal is upset with Peter, he doesn't get loud and argumentative. His petulance is displayed through stubborn silence and passive aggressive remarks. It also never lasts very long because at the end of the day, he knows Peter only has his best interests in mind. He almost never pulls the 'but I'm an adult' card, either. He loves working with and being around Peter. None of his successful heists fill him with self-esteem the way the smallest compliment from the agent does. As much as he plays the peacock, Neal carries a lot of self-loathing.

On Peter's part, being there for Neal is an instinct seemingly out of his control. Neal isn't his biological offspring, but there is this almost divine designed unbreakable link between them. Peter has a huge radar where Neal is concerned and needs very little time to piece together his CI's schemes and rationalizations. He claims to keep Neal closely monitored to prevent him from having a criminal relapse, but I'll never believe that's the full reason. Peter is only ever comfortable leaving him in the care of his team. Whenever Neal works with another agent, Peter acts like a parent on predator alert. In season three, when Neal muses about going away to college if he's released, Peter shuts that train of thought right down. He claims it's because he's still deciding about the sentencing, but it's obvious he knows Neal is a kid unprepared to be on his own yet. Nope, to him, Neal is better off settling down with Sara Ellis, right there in New York so Peter can watch his grandkids grow up. He also senses when Neal is spiraling, like the anxiety attacks after Kate died or calling him out of the blue- unaware Neal has broken into his house- to tell him he deserves to be happy and he'll always be there for him.

As stern and suspicious as he can be, Peter receives a unique joy being around Neal. He really does consider him smart, talented, adorable, and precious. Neal's impish moments around the office only make him smile. Peter offers Neal gentle touches without provocation, as if he can detect his touch starvation. His tendency to do this in season three seemed to be a subconscious means of re-enforcing their familial tie despite the fallout from the nazi treasure.

There's another thing about the third season. After months of hiding the treasure along with it resulting in Elizabeth's kidnapping, I thought it would take a long arc for Peter to even look at Neal without disgust. Wow has a theory of mine never been more wrong. Immediately after those game-changing events, Peter acts like a displeased father to a son who stole the car over the weekend to take his buddies to a concert. While undercover, he refers to Neal as his bright but impulsive son. He even describes Neal's crimes as misbehaving. These implications lead me to believe that while Peter keeps him out of prison, Neal faces actual consequences in private between the two of them.

Neal claims at one point that Peter would not have been able to save him if they met when Neal was a teenager. All evidence makes that pretty unbelievable. A mere couple of years working with Peter has such a profound affect alone. There's no way teen foster child Neal would not have gone to college then straight into the FBI to join Dad's team.

It was pretty out of character for Peter- naturally so possessive of the kid- to encourage Neal to give wanted rogue cop and deadbeat dad James a chance. But I'll let that go due to how events unfolded. It was like watching the major flaw in open adoptions. The biological parent pops in to talk about some superficial similarities while the adoptive parent continues to do all the work. Why was James so useless when Neal got sassy at the dinner table? Where was James with a pickle juice remedy for the hangover HE caused Neal to fall into?! Did James survive an attempted vehicular assassination only to refuse to stop helping Neal get answers?!! No, all of that and more was Peter, Peter, PETER! Even Neal told that blue-eyed bum that Peter is his real father. And James almost HIT Neal for trying to stop him from leaving. Neal tried to furiously fight Peter in boxing and he only reacted by trying to calm the kid down.

In all honesty, 30-something Neal got appropriate closure from his jacked up past. The heroic father he believed in turned out to be a myth. Throughout the series, Neal describes Peter to others as this steadfast, all-knowing, dependable force of nature he can always count on. This real heroic father he acquires much later finally gave him a wonderful example of what a man should be.

I didn't know James Brown sang I Got You for years. I didn't know any black person sang it because I heard it mostly on dominantly white shows 😅

This dance sequence plays in my head during daunting chore lists- yes, some royals have those 😉

Moms have to try twice as hard to be half this cool 😎

Don't kill yourself.

Baby Bottles: Peter always opens Neal's beers and drinks for him. Cuz Neal's 2 😅

Even when he's at Neal's place, Peter's the one getting them ready.

Bonus points for this one because Neal is really upset about Rebecca still and Peter's spoiling him 💛

White Collar Family Moments

Season Four 4x04 Parting Shots

Whether they're separated by Bureau locations or continental boarders, they're still Papa Peter and Daddy's Boy.

Neal having to behave himself because Grandpa Reese ain't about to put up with any shenanigans. This isn't like Kramer trying to make Neal sweat. Reese doesn't have to try 😁

Reese: Dag-nammit! Burke skips the country to bring this mangy pup home and I get stuck playing baby monitor 😒

And I swear Hughes is one of those grandpas with the mentality of, 'I don't care what you do, but if I have to get up, it's on' 👱👴

Peter's integrity is too strong to neglect his evidence assignment for himself. For Neal? The Earth comes to a screeching halt 😎

Really missing you, Burke's Seven 💛

That last look shared between Neal and Peter speaks maximum volumes ☺

Bonus Musings: Picture Neal stuck inside on a stormy day during a weekend at the Burkes. To keep him from developing insufferable cabin fever, Peter distracts Neal with case files and stories about old busts. In-between Neal helping El cook and playing tug-of-war of with an equally restless Satchmo.