vilakins | The Pretender 121: Dragon House

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the pretender

The Pretender 121: Dragon House

I finally saw the final episode of season 1. I have decided to post reviews before looking at astrogirl2's so I won't decide I have nothing to add.

Man, that was full of revelations and all sort of good stuff! I'm not sure how coherent I will be, but here are some disconnected observations.

I did actually see the Kyle being a brother thing coming, mainly because I suspected from the birthing chair that Jarod's parents were imprisoned and forced to breed, so that all the rescued children were Jarod's siblings. I'm not so sure about that now, as his parents are in fact free and have a grown-up daughter called Emily. I'm sure Emily will turn out to be significant as she must be a Pretender (whether trained or not) too. I don't think abilities actually run in families like that, but never mind, this is SF.

I don't think Angelo's a brother. I in fact think Angelo may be Raines' son because there's a certain physical resemblance, and Raines is an evil enough bastard to exploit his own kid--perhaps fathered on some poor prisoner of SL27. [shudder]

Kyle is played by the Burn Notice guy which was sort of strange as he came across just like Michael from that series, and Michael is pretty good at pretending too. I was hoping he'd be killed off because of being an evil torturer, but I'm not sure whether he's as bad as Raines has tried to train him be. I also think he survived that fire; he's a resourceful guy. When Angelo quoted the "I decide who lives and who dies" and set off the alarm, I began to wonder whose phrase that is--Kyle's or Angelo's. Has Angelo, the letter-writing CJ, been influencing him from afar?

So Miss Parker's mother was a near saint. I have no idea how she ended up marrying a bastard like Mr Parker then. That guy is seriously implicated in all that's going on. He knows, and only want Miss Parker to report to him so he knows how close they're getting.

Raines didn't get blown up, dammit. They don't know who shot his tank, but I'm betting it was our Sydney. You need more practice on the firing range, Syd.

The Parker apartment is awesomely art deco. I love it.

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I don't think abilities actually run in families like that, but never mind, this is SF.

I think Astro and I decided after the Christmas Episode Made Of Flail that probably all the science in Pretenderworld was just very slightly askew. Dude was experimentally confirming ESP in twins, you know? :)

Where all these kids come from is the mystery that keeps on giving. Even when you think you know, you don't know.

I began to wonder whose phrase that is--Kyle's or Angelo's. Has Angelo, the letter-writing CJ, been influencing him from afar?

Other way around; Angelo is the one who absorbs stuff, through magical Pretenderworld science. :) Interesting he's been writing letters, though, isn't it, when everyone deems him pretty much incapable of any independent decision.

So Miss Parker's mother was a near saint. I have no idea how she ended up marrying a bastard like Mr Parker then.

I did comment after this episode that he made sure he married an orphan, which is mildly creepy. No one to ask too many questions about her or get used as leverage.

I, too, love the art deco. It gets even deco-ier on set next season.

Welcome to S2! I think you'll like this one. :)

I think Astro and I decided after the Christmas Episode Made Of Flail that probably all the science in Pretenderworld was just very slightly askew.

Hell, yes. And I really have felt much more comfortable with it all since I came to the conclusion that it really was science fantasy and decided to roll with it. :)

Where all these kids come from is the mystery that keeps on giving. Even when you think you know, you don't know.

And a "Hell, yes" to that, too. So very, very true. Every time they seem to be telling me more, I understand less. :)

Welcome to S2! I think you'll like this one. :)

S2, IMO, is pretty darned awesome. :)

S2, IMO, is pretty darned awesome. :)

So I gather from what I've seen on both LJs! Maybe we'll get more time to watch when Greg stops work (I hope) next week.

Where all these kids come from is the mystery that keeps on giving.

And how Mrs Parker got them all away. One, maybe, but all of them?

Angelo is the one who absorbs stuff

Perhaps he absorbed Raines. I dunno, he was certainly writing to Kyle and using an alias, so he has a lot more autonomy than people seem to think. And if he was a kid when Jarod and Kyle were, man, he's aged badly. Alsi if he was being Kyle when he said that, why set off the alarm?

Good point about Mrs Parker being an orphan. Nasty.

I just have to get Greg to watch more, but luckily other series are finishing. He's working about 12 hours a day ATM to finish a project so come home too tired to watch much.

And how Mrs Parker got them all away. One, maybe, but all of them?

Well, not all of them. She didn't manage to get Jarod away, for instance.

And if he was a kid when Jarod and Kyle were, man, he's aged badly.

He's had a rough life. :) Actually, there are scenes later where he IMO he looks rather less, well bad, and you can maybe see that he is about Jarod's age. The guy playing him is pretty darned amazing that way.

Alsi if he was being Kyle when he said that, why set off the alarm?

He's a complicated guy, and there's more of him left underneath that sponginess than hardly anybody realizes. That's my answer, anyway.

I just have to get Greg to watch more,

Good luck! I'm on a hiatus again, so you've got a chance to catch up a bit. :)

Yay, Vilakins!

I started re-watching in Season Two, without revisiting S1, but I've so enjoyed reading RSR's and Astro's reviews and commentary, and now there's yours, too.

I love this series for the most part, and am glad to see a mini-revival of interest among friends.

Mr. Parker is indeed a nasty, nasty man, and so is Raines.

It's a whole Pretender renaissance! :)

I remember it being on, but I thought the basic premise wasn't that interesting. I had no idea about the dark background and the wonderful characters. Better late than never!

Heh, we have the same source image of Parker.

I remember thinking it sounded vaguely interesting, and people I respected liking it, but I just never quite bothered. Silly me. :)

Good review. I'm glad and surprised that people seem to be discovering The Pretender now. I loved the show when it was on. The goings on at The Centre were always fascinating, most of the characters are multi-dimensional and there is so much to speculate on.

Yes to all of that! I had no idea when it was on that it was anything other than a show about a guy who took different roles each week. The back story ad the characters really make it.

My understanding from reading posts about Heroes is that "X is Y's sibling" is not exactly a fixed value.

I'll tell ya, the family issues on this show almost make Heroes look simple by comparison. :)

Yeah, "I am your father" (or mother) seems a bit overused.

I have decided to post reviews before looking at [info]astrogirl2's so I won't decide I have nothing to add.

Yay! Because I never believe you about having nothing to add, you know. :)

I'm not sure how coherent I will be,

Join the club. ;)

as she must be a Pretender (whether trained or not) too.

Not necessarily. Even if it is genetic, it might be recessive or something. Really, we know nothing at all about Emily, other than that she exists.

I in fact think Angelo may be Raines' son because there's a certain physical resemblance, and Raines is an evil enough bastard to exploit his own kid--perhaps fathered on some poor prisoner of SL27. [shudder]

This is a possibility that also occurred to me a time or two, actually. You'd hardly put it past him, would you? But it was too horrible to contemplate, so I tried not to. :)

but I'm not sure whether he's as bad as Raines has tried to train him be

I don't think he is, quite. When you consider the stuff Raines did to him, it's a wonder he's anything remotely resembling a functioning human being at all.

I began to wonder whose phrase that is--Kyle's or Angelo's. Has Angelo, the letter-writing CJ, been influencing him from afar?

RSR has this right, I'm quite sure. It is the other way around. Angelo receives rather than broadcasts, so to speak.

I have no idea how she ended up marrying a bastard like Mr Parker then.

Really bad judgment, maybe. Although he can sort of turn on a bit of charm when he wants to, I guess. Or maybe he was slightly less awful when he was younger.

You need more practice on the firing range, Syd.

I was kind of surprised when we found out he could handle a gun at all! (Although I shall refrain from commenting on the subject of Whodunnit at this point. :))

Angelo receives rather than broadcasts, so to speak.

Yes, but he wrote letters, used an alias, deliberately reveals clues to Sydney, Parker, and Broots, gave Jarod the medal (what is that BTW?) and has his own little life in the ducts. He has a lot of independence of thought which I think he's concealing.

And really, for a security-conscious place to design their facility with such enormous ducts? Or did someone with an agenda change the plans? I'm also surprised that Jarod and Kyle didn't use them.

Although I shall refrain from commenting on the subject of Whodunnit at this point

So we find out. :-) I hope Raines doesn't.

He has a lot of independence of thought which I think he's concealing.

Oh, no argument there. The special psychic ability or whatever it is definitely goes the other way, but I suppose just about anybody can influence people by writing letters. :)

And really, for a security-conscious place to design their facility with such enormous ducts?

The Centre has some odd security lapses here and there, it really does. :)

So we find out. :-)

I am saying nothing! :)

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The Pretender 121: Dragon House

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