The Pretender 216, 217, 218

[vilakins]

I really should post these the day after I watch them, because my memory gets a bit hazy on details, especially if I've seen more episodes since these. I shall try to remember my reactions at the time. :-)

216: Silence

Who takes a cat to a Laundromat? I spent this ep worrying about that furry little plot device. Thank you, Jarod, for finding it. :-P

Jarod was lovely with the little boy, talking to him without talking down, and trusting him to keep the photo of his mother safe. And awwww, he discovers chocolate milk! I bet he'd be fascinated by custard: how a pale pink powder turns into a gooey bright yellow substance. :-) Poor little past Jarod, withdrawing into silence too. I'm glad that adult Jarod can still find some joy in a discovery like that as his past seems to be bothering him a lot more.

Sorry, but the name EINNAD was a dead giveaway: it was obvious it was DANNIE backwards.

217: Crash

Oh hell, I could see this one coming. As soon as Jarod gave his ticket to the young guy, and he was so grateful--"You saved my life"--I knew that plane was going down. And of course the cute little girl was on it too; why else show her? I did like how the conversation between the guy and Jarod was shown in flashback, but why, oh why did Jarod tell his parents he had given his seat to their son? Surely they'll end up resenting or blaming him? I'd have just said I'd met him before the flight, pass on what he'd said, and leave it at that.

Ahaha, I can't see Parker as the missionary sort either. She didn't even make the slightest attempt, but then she snaps "What!" when she answers the phone (as I would love to), so she has fewer social graces than I do. :-)

And Jarod has tracked down Lyle's past. Bobby Bowman, huh? I wonder why he took his adoptive father's name when they obviously hated each other. Man, that was a dysfunctional family, and what's the story behind the imaginary dogs? Also, he seems to have been adopted out by the Centre, then visited and somehow changed by someone from the Centre. Why would the Centre leave a kid with farmers for 15 years before doing whatever they did to turn him mean? Ah yes, the headless body trick has been used more than once. I wonder who Lyle found to use when Parker shot [at] him, and how he did it so quickly. He's certainly an even nastier piece of work than I'd previously thought.

218: Stolen

An interesting start in that we see Jarod at the end of a successful pretend. And wow, the kidnapping of the little boy certainly brought up a lot of buried memories for Jarod, and he's very shaken by them. Yep, it looks as if he's starting to come apart, or at least not be in control of himself as much as before.

Ahahaha at Raines thinking that Jarod was after his stock by going for the pharmaceutical company he has shares in, his "nest egg". Sydney's right: if Jarod were, Raines would be broke.

Why does Parker try to shoot Jarod though? Is she a good enough shot to bring him down without serious injury? And what's the point in killing their valuable pretender? Awww, Sydney steps in front of her gun. Either he knows she's not that serious, or he just loves Jarod that much; I suspect the latter, and that he's secretly pleased that Jarod is out there doing good things for people.

"You'll make a great father some day."
Yeah, he would, but somehow I doubt he ever will.

Comments

[astrogirl2.livejournal.com]

because my memory gets a bit hazy on details, especially if I've seen more episodes since these.

It's amazing how quickly it becomes difficult to keep straight exactly what happens in which episode. That's one reason I find keeping track of spoilers for this show so problematic. :)

Jarod was lovely with the little boy,

Jarod really is marvelous with kids. I actually kind of wish we'd gotten to see him dealing with them more often.

it was obvious it was DANNIE backwards.

Heh. I don't remember it being at all obvious to me, I think mainly because I had no idea you could spell "Danny" that way. Of course, I couldn't figure out why anybody would spell "Enid" that way, either. Also, I thought Enid was a girl's name. :)

I knew that plane was going down

Unpredictability really isn't generally an attribute of the A-plots. :)

but why, oh why did Jarod tell his parents he had given his seat to their son?

As guilty as he already felt, I somehow can't imagine he'd be able to bear the idea of lying to them on top of it. But I like to think maybe they're capable of more perspective on Jarod's guilt than he is at that point.

I wonder why he took his adoptive father's name when they obviously hated each other.

I'm sure there's some deeply twisted psychological motivation for it. Maybe it's a symbol of how he stole the guy's life or something.

He's certainly an even nastier piece of work than I'd previously thought.

Oh, man, you have no idea...

Yep, it looks as if he's starting to come apart, or at least not be in control of himself as much as before.

I really found that scene where he almost completely loses it and keeps beating on the guy very effective and shocking... and believable. It's remarkable that Jarod's doesn't get to that point more often, really.

Sydney's right: if Jarod were, Raines would be broke.

I occasionally wonder why he doesn't go out and wage financial warfare against the Centre. Based on his track record, he seems quite likely to pull it off.

Is she a good enough shot to bring him down without serious injury? And what's the point in killing their valuable pretender?

It's unclear to me whether she would have shot him or not, but I'm pretty sure she was seriously considering it. She might have been able to shoot to wound; I imagine she is a pretty good shot. She might have chanced it. And, even though she doesn't want to kill him... if she does, it's over. And she does want it to be over. That might be a bit of an incentive to pull the trigger, however subconscious.

Either he knows she's not that serious, or he just loves Jarod that much; I suspect the latter,

Yes, I think it's the latter, too. :) Also, while she might be able to shoot to wound Jarod at that distance, Sydney's positioned so she'd damned near have to kill him, and that I'm sure she's not willing to do. (Speaking of not remembering details, I wouldn't have remembered that one, either, except that I was re-reading some of my episode posts recently. I'm finding myself glad I made them. They're a nice memory refresher. :))

Yeah, he would, but somehow I doubt he ever will.

*sniffle*