The Pretender

Great series - Sadly, NBC killed the show with its Friday Night slot and inconsistent airing - finally killed off for the short-lived XFL. So fascinating watching Jarod experience the world as an adult that was isolated from so much. Miss Parker and the push-pull between them adds to the dynamic. Somewhat dated today, but still entertaining and interesting. One of my favorite series of all time. This is one of those shows that was just getting going and killed by a Network that never knew how to market or schedule. Back to Back with "The Profiler" was probably the best two hours of TV - Problem was that their market audience was generally out for the evening during the original airings.

A forgotten gem. The series is about Jarod which has the mental capability to impersonate other peoples mindset to near perfection (=Pretender). This make him the ultimate problem solver. He got abducted by an organisation as a child which used him for their (often shady) gains and he escaped as a young adult. The series is about him searching for his family and using his ability to help other people while the organisation tries to get him back. The series is a bit like The A-Team. Jarod solves the problem of the week with his abilities and continues. The overarching story arcs are the search for his family, the hunt for him and the many shady secrets of the organisation. The character interactions are well done. Because Jarod lived in a sort of glided cage he is quixotic and unfamiliar with many thinks. This is well played by his actor. The supporting cast has his caregiver from the organisation which cares for him (they are nearly father and son) but can help him only in secret and his female captor which was his childhood friend and her team. Also the bad guys are interesting. There are lot of plots of gaining more influence in the organisation, family relations and secrets of the past that I will not spoil. The stories are well told and you feel satisfied when the bad guys get what they deserve (arrested, not killed with 1 exception = A-Team style). My only true complaint is that the ending of the series is not good (That kind of story that should be continued in a new season with they did not get). There are 2 movies that continue the story which I have not seen yet (maybe there is a fitting ending?). Overall it was a series which I enjoyed watching.