Road trips with Peter and Neal

Shortly before the announcement that White Collar’s run was ending, there had been rumors about plotlines under consideration by the show’s creative team. One rumor mentioned Peter and Neal on a road trip. As much as I loved the show's use of the New York setting, there was so much possibility for the characters learning more about each on a visit to a new location. I regretted that a road trip episode didn't make it into the final season, and was inspired to send the duo on a few trips when I started writing about them.

Things That Go Bump in the Night

On Halloween, Penna forwarded me a tweet of a traditional Scottish prayer:

"From ghoulies and ghosties
And long-leggedy beasties
And things that go bump in the night,
Good Lord, deliver us!"

It was the perfect message for the day I posted the first chapter of Witches' Sabbath, and it also made me think about our characters' fear triggers.

The Hidden Power of Flowers

Neal avoids the use of firearms even though he's an expert marksman. Instead, he prefers the non-lethal weapons at his disposal—a glib tongue and lightning-quick reflexes. Criminals could view him as a lightweight, someone who can be easily intimidated. Compared with the arsenal Dean and Sam Winchester carry in their car trunk, Neal's defenses may seem no stronger than those of a flower. But the potential power of flowers shouldn't be dismissed.

Titian and Vampires

Witches' Sabbath is the second story in the Crossed Lines series—a fusion of Supernatural with Caffrey Conversation. The premise is about crossing lines or, as Egon in Ghostbusters would say, blending the streams. The process was started in the first story, Whispers of the Night, when I mashed the FBI world of Peter and Neal with the rogue warrior domain of the demon-hunting brothers Dean and Sam Winchester. In Witches Sabbath, Neal's home turf of art is added to the cauldron.

Caffrey Conversation Halloween Trivia Challenge

Welcome to the first Caffrey Conversation trivia challenge! Can you guess when these spooky events occurred and to whom? Click on the question to find out the answer. I've listed the stories in chronological order below to help refresh your memory. Good luck—let us know how you did!

Swordplay in Caffrey Conversation

The image of a swashbuckling Scarlet Pimpernel is very appealing to Neal Caffrey. The canon writers took advantage of the concept during the Season 2 episode "Point Blank" when Neal slashed a banner with a sword to swing off a balcony in an Errol Flynn maneuver. For someone who dreams of being a swashbuckler, fencing is the ideal sport, and the writers knew it. In the Season 3 episode "On Guard," Neal showed off his expertise with a foil when he fenced under his alias of Gary Rydell. We've maintained his skill in our series.

Unraveling Kate

The character Kate Moreau heavily influences Neal’s actions in the first two seasons of White Collar, and yet we see very little of her. She appears mostly in brief, cryptic moments and in Neal’s memories. While Neal is certain she’s on his side, Peter is equally certain that she’s using Neal. Neal’s memories of her raised as many questions for me as they provided answers. How was I to untangle the strings from the series for Caffrey Conversation?

Warning: spoilers for Caffrey Conversation stories and the first two seasons of White Collar.