Shadow Worlds

The TV series White Collar juxtaposed Peter's world of the FBI with Mozzie's shadowy existence as a con artist and thief. Much of the dramatic tension was derived from Neal who straddled both domains. In Caffrey Conversation, Penna and I have nudged the two worlds closer together. At first, Mozzie merely tolerated the new coexistence. Now, more often than not, he is cooperating with those he used to lump together as the Enemy. With Crossed Lines, I added a second shadow world to the mix—the magical realm of witches, vampires, and other supernatural spirits. Can they also learn to coexist?

Warning for minor spoilers to Dark Rabbit

Since the supernatural realm is the Winchesters' wheelhouse, I sought guidance from the lore found in canon episodes. I discovered a rather surprising amount of tolerance is shown for the monsters Dean and Sam are supposed to hunt and kill. Apparently, just as with thieves and law enforcement agents, shades of gray are common. Benign ghosts are left alone. The brothers admit some witches can be very useful. They've even known a demon or two who tried to be good, although eventually they usually fell off the wagon. How about vampires? Even there, the Winchesters have met a few friendly ones. In general, Dean and Sam don't pursue the undead unless they're engaged in a crime spree.

Enter Crowley who just wants to be left alone to get rich while staying off the radar of both the FBI and White Collar. Yes, he's a demon, but in Crossed Lines he likes to think he's not a vicious one. He's fond of Scotch. He enjoys a joke just as much as anyone else. As demons go, Crowley's not that bad. In canon, he underwent wild swings from being one of the nastiest demons on the block to helping the brothers out. In Crossed Lines, Crowley's a medium shade of gray. I see him as an opportunist who likes a degree of comfort. He's willing to cross lines when he perceives it to be in his self-interest.

With Electra and her pure-blood brood, Crowley senses an opportunity. If he can keep them from killing, hunters won't be a problem. ID fraud, though, places him in the crosshairs of White Collar. Peter's learned to tolerate certain members from Mozzie's world, but it's unlikely he'd ever join forces with the likes of Crowley. Or is it?



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