Warning: Spoilers for White Collar season 2 episode “What Happens in Burma.”
Fans of the TV show White Collar will recall the tantalizing lack of information about Neal’s family and childhood. One of the first glimpses we got was in season 2 episode “What Happens in Burma.” That’s when Neal says his father was a cop. Shortly after he shares that information with Peter, Neal is back in his loft, talking to Mozzie. They’re discussing the revelation Neal had made about his dad, and also the case of the week about a diplomat’s son falsely accused of stealing a ruby. In that scene, Mozzie makes a comment that goes something like, “Maybe you should tell him. He could help.” Neal shoots that down and the conversation moves on.
In retrospect, I realize that Mozzie meant Neal should tell Peter the rest of the story about his dad, because Peter might be able to help Neal find the truth. However, when I first watched the episode I thought Mozzie meant that Neal should tell his father about the case, because Neal’s dad might be able to help the diplomat’s son.
That took my mind down a path of Neal’s father having moved beyond police work into a role of some importance and influence in the government. Probably not an elected official, but someone in the State Department maybe? Perhaps an ambassador… For some reason he and Neal were estranged. Was that because Neal had turned to a life of crime, or did Neal turn to a life of crime after the estrangement to annoy this mysterious father? Oh, the possibilities that ran through my mind.
When we actually met Neal’s father in canon a few years later, I realized my mistake but didn’t abandon my initial imaginings. I simply made the ambassador Neal’s maternal grandfather instead.
Also in canon we got the impression that Neal’s mother wasn’t great. I wanted to counter that with better female relatives. I’ll dedicate a later post to Noelle, and will skip over to Edmund’s wife for now. I’d thought Edmund might be rather stuffy, and could use someone more lighthearted to balance him. What if Edmund’s wife had been some kind of performer? Maybe he’d disapproved of her profession but fell in love with her anyway.
The character of Irene Caffrey came to me over a Thanksgiving vacation in 2013. I was visiting family, and one night we went to see the movie White Christmas in an old, restored movie theater. Seeing the 1950s era singers and dancers in the musical numbers inspired me. I decided that the ambassador’s wife was one of those dancers in the chorus, and selected the name Irene. She has an old Hollywood magic that makes her fascinating and irresistible, allowing her to overcome Neal’s doubts about reconnecting with the Caffrey family.
As I was outlining “Caffrey Flashback” it occurred to me that diplomats and actors both could benefit from the skills of a con artist. A successful diplomat convinces people to agree with his proposals. A successful actress convinces people to believe her in whatever role she takes. They might not be pleased to learn their grandson had become a criminal, but they could certainly realize that he had inherited some of his skills from them.
Thinking about Edmund’s disapproval of those who sing or dance or act for a living, it occurred to me that he might have come from a family of musicians and artists who were barely scraping by. His military service and college degree were steps toward separating himself from that life, and he’s proud of what he accomplished with his career. Thus he’s dismayed at the thought of his granddaughter Angela wanting to study music in college, afraid that she’ll fall back into the life he’d escaped from. And yet, he can’t help acknowledging the singing talents of all of his grandchildren while proudly claiming that they got those great voices from his side of the family. I wove those elements into my stories, hoping to make Edmund interesting and sympathetic.
Silbrith added a lovely twist by making Edmund an alum of Columbia University. That gives him an additional bond with Neal that I’ve particularly enjoyed. In fact, I used it in the chapter of “Caffrey Flashback” where Edmund describes how he and Irene met and fell in love.
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