Burton and Shannon

[iconicsoup]

I thought I'd start a new thread for this since the other one is concentrating on the Nick/LuLu stuff, but I'm quoting from Linda's post in that thread:

Linda said:

Nor are those issues going to become any closer to being resolved if that besotted old fool Burton wants to foster or adopt Shannon. I can't see any child welfare agency allowing a 71-year-old who's not in the best of health with a family member on probation for a drug offense who was present at the time of the subject child's mother's death to forster or adopt said child, especially since said child is of the opposie sex.

I wonder what the criteria are for becoming a foster parent - I don't know much about it, but I think the only real objection would be Burton's age. He's not in poor health that we know of (gas and eye surgery don't count!) and Shannon has already lived with him for several months. Plus, I assume Shannon wants to live there.

There's also the possibility that Mary makes her wishes known before she dies - that she wants Burton to take Shannon in.

Would Nick's drug offence really be relevant? The suitability of foster parents is surely not assessed according to the criminal records of their relatives? Maybe someone has some valid information about this. I've never heard of foster parents having their relatives testify for them. Social workers assess potential foster parents.

I do think this storyline has lots of potential, and I hope it goes ahead. I can imagine Nick's discomfort at seeing Burton's affection with Shannon, because he never got that kind of attention himself. I think the 12-year-old inside of him will resent it, even though as an adult he can see that it's doing Burton and Shannon the world of good.

Nick and Burton have been doing really well this year - I think we need another wedge between them, another challenge to their relationship, and I think Shannon could be it.

[atotaltotalfan]

I'd love to see a lengthy Burton/Shannon scenario. After all, Shannon could be a second chance at parenthood for Burton. Seems to me he keeps trying -- in his own fumbling way -- at a second chance with Nick.

But as he says in one of the episodes from the first season -- Nick is a man now. Any chance Burton might have had at correcting the mistakes he made when Nick was a 12-year-old boy has....maybe not vanished....but become terribly hard to access.

So now he gets a chance with another 12-year-old. Guestion is: Will Nick be resentful, happy or both for Burton?

[cecilia]

I wouldn´t question Burton´s possibilities(?) of becoming a foster parent....but why would a 71 year old man, who is still taking care of his business , want to start dealing with a teenager?....I may sound silly, but my mother was a terrific grandmother and she couldn´t stand my teen nieces more than two or three hours a day....I don´t see any reality on that thread....yes, it could bring new friction with Nick, but I still feel Burton would send her back shortly.....

[lambertoise]

iconicsoup said:

I think the 12-year-old inside of him will resent it, even though as an adult he can see that it's doing Burton and Shannon the world of good.

I am surprised by the fact that Burton is supposed to be 71 years old. I never saw that. The only 71 I read about was the year he founded Fallin & associates

I do believe this new avenue could be interesting. Each state has its own rules to assess foster parents. And when these become scarce like it is now the case in many places - because children are more and more difficult to handle and the money is not that good, - agencies tend to loosen their criteria : age, experience or sexual orientation don't matter as they used to.

In my opinion, Burton, whom I thought was in his sixties, could be a valuable foster parent. But what could it mean for Nick ? I agree with you, Iconic, the 12 year old inside of him could resent it and in the same time, be ashamed by this uncontrollable reaction.

[jevees]

My god Burton has 71 years old... i want the cleaning cream his using in his face! ;D
Now, really speaking as lambertoise i thought he was younger like 65 or something....
I think Burton becoming a foster parent is a nice twist in the show, but i don`t think is fear for Nick.... Poor guy, his mother died and his father after this, sent him to boarding school so he nearly saw him meaning he actually lost his two parents when he was 12, or at least that`s how i would feel. So his problems of not sharing things come from that fact he had to take care of himself and tried to go on... Let`s face it Burton even when he has time he doesn`t usually spent time with Nick... and now Shannon is gonna have that little time on her own it`s just so unfear
About his reaction to this foster parent idea, he certainly is not going to like, but how is going to show it....mmmmm well it`s going to be hard. I would like to know how you all think his gonna take it.... his first reaction.....any thoughts about it? i`d really like to hear them!

[cecilia]

About Burton being 71....he is 71 or more...in some of the first episodes he says he was born sept. 12 1930 or 1931.....not closer than 1932....
Still, I don´t see WHY he would want to do that. Just for the sake of keeping Nick angst? ....well, that´s a good reason....but doesn´t sound realistici to me! ;D

[jevees]

i don`t think Nick has anything to do with Burton decision, he just want to help Shannon, because he thinks he can have another shot to redeem himself about being a father. But what angry me a bit it`s just that exacly he thinks more about Shannon than Nick... .
Burton Knows so little about Nick and i noticed that he wants to get closer and Nick just pull him away...but sometimes nick wants to open up and talk to him and Burton just don`t listen to him... I remeber the part when Nicks told Burton that he asked ony half a hour of his time, that he(Burton) had promised to be there and when he needed his support he wasn`t there....Burton answered IF HE WAS TALKING ABOUT THEM LIKE PARTNERS OR FATHER/SON....(remember? that time Burton was at court with the statal contract)... I usually like burton but that day hanging him seemed a very pretty idea!

[atotaltotalfan]

I agree Burton would be surprised by the challenge of being a foster parent to Shannon. I bet he has no idea, especially given the baggage she is already lugging around. Poor kid. But I think it's great that Burton wants to help her -- I got the sense that those two really bonded.

Still, someone here made the great point that Burton doesn't even have time for Nick, though he sure tries. Can't imagine him juggling both his kids. Maybe he'll be taking a break from F&F. He'll be needing lots more time...

[cecilia]

Hey, Jevees,....esto es en espaniol porque creo que voy a ser desterrada del maravilloso mundo de nick fallin...
tuve la mala idea de exponer (en yahoo!) que aunque creo que nick es lo mas sexy que hay en la television, y SB esta muy bien en el papel....no me parece que sea taaaan buen actor.....Creo que las fans me van a matar!
.....buaaaaaaaaaaaa!......mala idea, sin duda....
y lo peor es que me encanta!....y todo por defender a WM ......por las dudas me despido, fue un placer compartir estos posts!........

[jevees]

They are not going to kill you(well maybe a little)... it`s just another opinion, maybe you don`t like how he acts, so what? It`s not that we all have to think at the very same way... you like TG as much as the rest of us... even once you told us that someone told you that you need a live insted of waching the show!(hey that was hard)
I mean i also thinks he is sexy! but i like him as an actor too, it`s seems to me that he(SB) is not very much a like to Nick so that`s difficult...to show or react to something like you were somebody else! ;D
I`m going to say something in spanish to make myself more clear:
Segui como hasta ahora publicando lo que pensas, no corresponde que te echen solo porque no pensas como ellas, siempre fuiste respetuosa con las demas opiniones.... Bueno a ver si me contas de donde sos que te mande un mensaje instantaneo a tu casilla y me parece que no lo viste!
Segui participando, disfruto de nuestras conversaciones! Porrrrr Favorrrrrrrrrrrr

[iconicsoup]

Burton is actually 69 - he turns 70 in September this year. This is the date (1933) he gave during his interview for the federal bench.

However, Burton's employment file for Clayton Steel back at the start of season 1 gave 1927 as his year of birth. This file had all kinds of silly information including that he was 5 foot 2" tall!

Dabney Coleman was born in 1932.

[Hales]

I think Burton looks 66 but that's just me.

I'm not sure about the Burton fostering Shannon, maybe I'll wait until I read that summary *winks at Gin* before I judge.

But I do want more Nick/Burton bonding

[Jeannie]

Burton strikes me as too old to be fostering a twelve year old girl but I loved Shannon so I am happy to see her back. A more plausible plot might be to have Burton be an unofficial adoptive grandparent. I have heard of such arrangements when a child, who doesn't have living grandparents, is matched with people who want children in their lives but who don't have their own grandchildren or live to far away to interact on a regular basis. Mind you, I personally know of a situation where an older couple have fostered a family of three and it has worked out extremely well.

[atotaltotalfan2001]

I know he's up there in years, but I think Burton would make a great foster parent. He has already bonded with Shannon, and I'm betting, after some initial spoiling, he will be in charge enough to keep her under control. I think she'll be a handful, given all the baggage she already brings with her. Poor kid.

[Cassandra]

I've been reading this board for all 2nd season --- am also a real 'sphere' addict, needing a dose a day.

So now he gets a chance with another 12-year-old. Guestion is: Will Nick be resentful, happy or both for Burton?

The first Christmas that my brother was married, my parents gave equal, if not the exact gifts, for my sister-in-law and me. I was the only daughter, and you can bet that I was resentful of her receiving "equal" to me.

Definitely should provide a new twist to the Nick/Burton relationship -- even better than if Burton had replaced Nick's mother this season.