The Pretender 216, 217, 218
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.