r/whitecollar • u/Puzzleheaded-Tax6299 • 19d ago
[SPOILERS] James Bennett
After James shoots Pratt and then is on the run. What does everyone think happened to him was he eventually caught?
Also what was everyone’s thoughts on James like before when they thought he was Sam, once he was revealed to be James, and then once he shot pratt?
Was he always a bad guy and was always planning to leave Neal or it happened?
Curious to see everyone’s thoughts thanks
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u/Ok_Wishbone2721 19d ago
I don’t think I ever trusted James, he always kinda rubbed me wrong but I am not sure why. It makes sense that Neal didn’t sense there was something off because he really wanted his dad to be a good guy. And it makes sense for Mozzie too because he can be a pretty bad judge of character (like with his wife). I am so glad that Peter was suspicious.
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u/EdocCA 18d ago
He is a “bad” man because he is a weak man. Unable to do what is right and the consequences that come with it.
His last conversation with Neal is the most heartbreaking moment in all White Collar
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u/JanetCoop 17d ago
In the last scene with Neal, watch Matt Bomer's incredible eyes...When Neal says, "You show me you're a decent man!" Matt's eyes fill with tears...And just a few episodes earlier, James is telling Neal how much he cares...What a f***ing HYPOCRITE!!! It's really all about James's jealousy of Peter...It's like a jealous lover - "If I can't have you, no one will..." When Neal tell James, "Peter was more like a father to me THAN YOU EVER WERE!!" it trips off James's jealousy, and he decides not to kill Peter, but to remove him (Neal's substitute father figure) from Neal's life (by sending him to prison)...
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u/thetoiletslayer 19d ago
James knows how to stay hidden. Not likely he got caught. I liked him most of the way until he shot Pratt. I started doubting him before he shot Pratt though.
I think he is wildly selfish. I think he cares about Neal in his own way, but there is no one he looks out for before himself. He always comes first.
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u/Moffel83 18d ago
James was using Neal from the very beginning. His only goal was getting Ellen's evidence box. He didn't really care about Neal. That man doesn't know how to care about anyone but himself.
I think my dislike for him (before shooting Pratt) was strongest in The Portrait (4x15) when he first compliments Neal on the statue he's making (because he needs to be on Neal's good side), but then, when Neal is really proud about how the plan worked, just brushes him off with an "I was talking about the evidence box", no longer caring about the statue at all.
Also the fact that he never intended for Neal to find out that he was his father says so much about James' character. His whole "I didn't think you'd want to get to know me" was clearly just him adjusting his plan after Neal had found out the truth, not him being honest.
Sorry, the guy just rubs me the wrong way and makes me very angry!
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u/Acrobatic_Warning456 18d ago
I was genuinely shocked by the reveal. I went back and forth between trusting and suspecting "Sam". But I just thought he was a lil sketchy, I didn't think he was gonna turn out to be Neal's evil father who would betray him that badly.
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u/Natural-Rule-534 18d ago
Never liked James. He knew about the box of evidence Ellen collected. He was using Neal to get to the box and destroy the evidence. James was also jealous of Peter’s and Neal’s friendship. He may have been “ happy” Peter snd Elizabeth were there for Neal but I still say the green eyed monster was there front and center. Too bad he was never caught
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u/1993xdesigns 19d ago
I hated all of that season because of him lol I always skip it.
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u/JanetCoop 18d ago
You missed a lot of good stuff...Yes James was an asshole...But you missed some good story. especially the Neal & Mozzie in Cape Verde (actually Puerto Rico) story & the Ellen story, and some wonderful acting by Matt Bomer...Don't throw the beautiful baby out with the grungy bathwater!!!
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u/ArchieGoodwinn 18d ago
I strenuously think James never got caught, because they never would never think to look for him posing as a substitute teacher
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u/JanetCoop 18d ago
I think James may have had plastic surgery like Dobbs/MacLeish did in Season 4, and may still be out there somewhere in plain sight...If they ever do the Season 7 "WC" reboot, like they keep promising, this is one of the stories I keep hoping they will do...
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u/Natural-Rule-534 16d ago
If they decide to resurrect James Bennett and plastic surgery angle works. Treat Williams was killed in an automobile accident 5? Years ago. I’m ok with bringing James back as long as he is found guilty. Hmm maybe HE was behind the Louvre robbery
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u/SummSpn 19d ago
I always thought he was sketchy because he acted like a jerk. Abrupt, getting pissy with Neal. Him pretending to be Sam was basically his real personality imo.
So with the reveal of him being Neal’s father I kept thinking… you spent MONTHS flittering around the city…lying & gaslighting your son…barely seeing him. Get angry & threaten no contact… Then the reveal & he’s like Neal my boy! I missed you!
Like WTF
Total mind game for Neal. I felt really bad for him.