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The Pretender 208: Hazards
I actually watched this ep on Friday, but I've had a busy weekend out, and a migraine for much of today. :-P
Jarod discovers Twinkies! I've heard that they're delicious, but they look disgusting with their creamy filling. Are they really as good as I hear and Jarod obviously thinks? You know, when Jarod started the container filling up with foam, my first thought was "Nova! Shaving foam!" But then I thought: "Twinkie filling!" and was right. OK, people, what does that stuff taste like?
I was warned that this ep was disturbing, but it really was nowhere near as bad as I feared, given all the Holocaust, genocide, and medical experimentation stuff I read before I was 13. I knew what was going on as soon as I heard Dr Krieg's (Dr War's!) accent. I actually found Sydney's slightly crazed smile as he told Parker he was wearing new underwear a bit more worrying. But really, Sydney? It took till now for you to realise that you've been behaving like Krieg for years? You even experiment on twins; the parallel has got to have occurred to you before.
I kind of love that Parker talked him out of his gun--then put a silencer on it. Nice twist. Don't ever change, Parker.
Sydney is dating someone called Bernice? I imagine her as a middle-aged, well groomed redhead. :-) Do we get to meet her? Heh, I knew the answer to the light bulb joke. I've heard that one before. but for social workers.
And hmmm, Sydney seems more familiar with guns than he leads others to believe. I hold to my original theory that it was him who shot Raines' oxygen tank (though he may well have been aiming for his head).
His parents seem to be called Jean Mikhail and Greta; odd names for Belgians. Or have I got that wrong? But then, Sydney and Jacob aren't exactly your normal Belgian names--as far as I know.
I hope Sydney and Jarod go fishing one day. but I'm not exactly going to hold my breath. And it just occurred to me that Jarod is only two letters off Jacob. I wonder if that's significant.
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We do not, sadly, meet Bernice.
Jean-Michael, actually; that's the French pronunciation of the English spelling of Michael. Belgium actually has a lot of Dutch/German names, because of the Flemish population, and English names also seem to be really popular there, for some reason.
And I know, how deep was Syd's self-delusion all these years? :)
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English names also seem to be really popular there, for some reason.
I have a friend who used to live in Argentina, and she said one of her friends there named her baby Kevin. Kevin! Why? "Because it sounds so exotic." :-P
You'd think it might have hit Sydney when he got Jarod to draw Krieg, or when Jarod saw his Dachau number. Yes, the self-delusion in impressive. I was glad to hear that Israel extradited the bastard.
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I really don't think Baby Sydney would have picked it up; the denial was so strong in that one. He had no doubt whatsoever that there was no comparison between Jarod's experience and his. You would think the "experimenting on twins" thing would hit him and Jacob both with a clue stick, but it's possible they mentally framed it as a rejection of Krieg's work rather than a continuation of it, trying to disprove his work or make some good come out of it, or who knows what; hard to say. (And it's quite possible that their work with twins was quite ethical, unlike the work with Jarod, although the electric shock aspect does give one pause.)
Oh, and, no, Twinkies aren't that good. They're a generic mass-produced supermarket snack cake, which somewhat limits the heights to which they can aspire. :)
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I wonder that Jarod doesn't make himself sick eating all that jelly and sugar.
I should go to bed now.
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Most children like them, but not too many adults.
This is a short discussion of the book in the next link.
http://www.divinecaroline.com/article/22107/35281
http://www.amazon.com/Twinkie-Deconstructed-Ingredients-Processed-Manipulated/dp/1594630186
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BTW, the Wall Street Journal had an article recently about lamingtons:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123317164828425285.html
which I knew were some kind of cake, but apparently are what I would call Hostess SnoBalls...only GOOD.
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They're very, very sweet in the kind of way that appeals to children, but they don't really bear any resemblance to actual food. :)
I was warned that this ep was disturbing, but it really was nowhere near as bad as I feared, given all the Holocaust, genocide, and medical experimentation stuff I read before I was 13.
I find fictional stuff that brings up memories of real-world horror much more disturbing than that which stays safely in the land of fictional angst, personally. Despite that (or perhaps partly because of it), I did find this a really, really good episode.
I knew what was going on as soon as I heard Dr Krieg's (Dr War's!) accent.
Yeah, I had a pretty good inkling at that point, myself, although the details still kind of shocked me.
I actually found Sydney's slightly crazed smile as he told Parker he was wearing new underwear a bit more worrying.
Apparently that's what Sydney's like after he's had a really, really good night. :) I think it's kind of adorable, personally, but seeing anybody at the Centre that happy is kind of frightening.
But really, Sydney? It took till now for you to realise that you've been behaving like Krieg for years? You even experiment on twins; the parallel has got to have occurred to you before.
There's a fascinating piece of psychology behind that, I'm sure. I've been trying to understand it ever since I watched this ep. :)
I kind of love that Parker talked him out of his gun--then put a silencer on it. Nice twist. Don't ever change, Parker.
This, IMHO, is a serious contender for the most awesome moment in this entire show.
Do we get to meet her?
Not unless she suddenly shows up in S4, alas. I do wonder about her.
And hmmm, Sydney seems more familiar with guns than he leads others to believe.
He really does, doesn't he?
His parents seem to be called Jean Mikhail and Greta; odd names for Belgians.
I thought it was Jean-Michel, but I see RSR says it's spelled Jean-Michael, and she's much more familiar with French than I am. I did wonder if perhaps his mother was of German extraction, but I don't think that's a given. "Sydney" definitely seems odd, though, however you look at it. Then again, "Patrick" seems like an odd name for a Belgian to me, too, so hey.
I hope Sydney and Jarod go fishing one day.
So do I. *sniff* That scene just wrecks me.
And it just occurred to me that Jarod is only two letters off Jacob. I wonder if that's significant.
I'd noticed that, myself. It's probably just a coincidence, but given the odd things this show likes to do with names, maybe not.
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From the article:
Fortunately for us Aussies, it seems our Kiwi cousins aren't interested in claiming lamingtons -- at least not yet.
Wrong! They're ours too! I love them, but they have to be chocolate; none of that upstart strawberry. They and trifle or tiramisu are about the only way I'll eat sponge because of the strong added flavours.
I once made a plate of them for a work do, and seeded them with three made of foam rubber, also iced and coconut-ed. One of the manager I didn't like much (ex-Canadian army officer who expected us programmers to salute and jump to his orders) got one, and he really, really tried to eat it. Man, the look on his face (and probably mine)! He was determined to get his teeth to meet, but failed. That made the annoyances and misery he put us through--almost--worthwhile.
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He really does, doesn't he?
"That's no Shepherd!"
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I think even the fictional stuff has happened; there's no limit to the horrible things people will do to other people. I'm not exactly inured to the horror; it's just that I know a lot about the Holocaust and have met a number of people who survived it. It's something I've thought about enough to not be shocked by any more. Appalled and disturbed, yes, but I've thought it through so thoroughly as a child and adult, wondering how I'd have lived through and with it, that Sydney's story didn't shock; it just saddened. I'm not sure if that makes sense.
Apparently that's what Sydney's like after he's had a really, really good night. :)
Ah, so Sydney got laid after the comedy show? Good for him, and well done buying the new and possibly snazzy underpants. I can't imagine him wearing anything with holes or a perished waistband though; he's far too well groomed.
This, IMHO, is a serious contender for the most awesome moment in this entire show.
It is! I love it when a cliché is turned on its head, and I love it even more that Parker is a hard woman who will never (so Red says) be softened.
Not unless she suddenly shows up in S4, alas. I do wonder about her.
Does she get any more mentions?
Then again, "Patrick" seems like an odd name for a Belgian to me
Patrick didn't surprise me; it's fairly common in France, being a saint's name. Jacob could be Flemish (originally Hebrew of course), but Sydney seems odd. Huh. Behind the Name (http://www.behindthename.com/) says:Really? I've not met any female Sydneys, though I do know there's a French girl's name Sidonie.
Aha! Maybe Sydney was Sidonius (another saint) and anglicised it.Sidonius and Jacobus perhaps?
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Oh, no, it makes perfect sense. I did kind of have the impression it was a topic you might find particularly disturbing, hence the warning. But, yes, one is far less likely to be shocked by things one has already thought through carefully. And it is more saddening than anything. Well, it is also kind of shocking, I think, to find that out about Sydney.
Ah, so Sydney got laid after the comedy show?
They didn't explicitly say so, but he certainly seemed to have a really, really good time. Personally, I imagine the answer is yes. Go, him! :)
Good for him, and well done buying the new and possibly snazzy underpants.
Well, I think the underpants were a joke. One he'd stolen from the comedy show, apparently. :)
Does she get any more mentions?
Alas, no. At least, not that I've seen so far. I think she may have just sort of faded out of his life after this. Aww. You know, I think there should be fic to fill in the gaps there. :)
Really? I've not met any female Sydneys,
I know one in elementary school. Come to think of it, she also had an identical twin!
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Which is an excellent survival skill in his environment. :)
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I firmly beleive that the pretender gene includes some kind of enhanced metabolism; it's the only explanation for why Jarod isn't obese and/or dead by now, with what he eats. XD
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But I can see him buying new ones for a hot date!
I know one in elementary school. Come to think of it, she also had an identical twin!
Not Jacqui by any chance? ;-)
My sister and I were always taken for non-identical twins, being exactly the same height for most of our school years, and we were befriended by lots of twins, esp on holiday when we could play along. There must be some sort of twin attraction thing there.
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Ha! Yes. I love that. Out of curiosity, why redhead?
I hope Sydney and Jarod go fishing one day.
*sniff* Me too.
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There was an actor called Sydne Rome (without the Y); she used to be in European films. A name of two cities!
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I dunno; just the image I have. She has dark brown hair but prefers a more vibrant red; she believes in making the best of herself. She's husky-voiced and fun, and has a disconcertingly loud laugh.
Maybe I should write a fill-in fic for her.
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Heh. No, sadly. :)
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