White Collar Forums

When did they ever mention Peter & Elizabeth can't have kids? From the interviews I read with Tiffani and the producers, the timing of her pregnancy would have made it difficult to properly address in the show. Nobody mentioned how it might conflict with any previously established backstory.

I agree that it would change how some of the characters think, but not necessarily as much as you might think. Plenty of people in law enforcement are parents, they don't all take safe desk jobs so they can avoid dangerous situations. And besides, Peter already has a wife he tries to come home to every night. While I'm sure his perspective would change somewhat, I don't think it would be a huge shift.

I disagree that there's no place for babies on a tv set, as long as proper care is taken to ensure the baby is well looked after. The bigger problem is when the writing on the show suffers as a result because they wrote in the kid without thinking it through. And on this show, the main concern is whether they could devote enough screen time to the baby to justify having one in the show, without taking too much time away from the other characters and storylines. Of course, Peter & Elizabeth do seem like the kind of couple that would want kids at some point, although both of them working full-time makes it tricky(they don't strike me as the type that would bring a child into their family just to dump him/her off on a nanny).

And yes, Mozzie & a babysitter would be comedy gold.

Don't get me wrong, I know parents are federal agents and they are no better / worse than non-parents.

But it changes the dynamic of the show in terms of writing either because a character would have to change a little, or the network have to rethink some plots because the perception of a reaction from groups / fans / etc.

Ooohh, Carl remember that episode we wanted to do where burglar's break into the house in the middle of the night and hold the two of them hostage? A lot of danger, guns going off, very intense scenario. If we do that with an infant in the room the parent groups are going to go ballistic.

Or Oooh, we wanted to do an episode where their marriage is on the rocks because he has an affair (or thinks about it). How will our fans react to him doing that now that he's a parent.

Granted, our main fed is a husband in a stable long-term marriage, so that would change the dynamic less than... say...

- Annie Walker on "Covert Affairs" becoming the adoptive mother of her deceased sister's kids. There you're going from single care-free young woman who's a spy, to young woman balancing being a spy and having kids. Different show, but some forum posters think it might happen.

- Barney on "How I Met Your Mother" becoming a father, going from self-appointed singles expert to dad. Very different show.

The 2 above are farther down the spectrum, but even with White Collar things would change.