The Pretender

1996

The Pretender

7.5 | en | Drama

Raised in a secret facility built for experimenting on children, Jarod is a genius who can master any profession and become anyone he has to be. When he realizes as an adult that he's actually a prisoner and his captors are not as benevolent as he's been told, he breaks out. While trying to find his real identity, Jarod helps those he encounters and tries to avoid the woman sent to retrieve him.

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Seasons & Episodes

EP1 The World's Changing

Sep. 25,1999

Once again a prisoner of the Centre, Jarod discovers a plot to murder a team of nuclear researchers, giving him even more motivation to escape. Meanwhile, Sydney and Broots try to find Miss Parker and Miss Parker tries to find her father -- and figure out who to trust.

EP2 Survival

Oct. 02,1999

Jarod joins the Army CID to investigate the suicide of a soldier in POW survival training. Meanwhile, he gives Mr. Lyle and Miss Parker a taste of that training by trapping them together in a shipping container.

EP3 Angel's Flight

Oct. 30,1999

Jarod infiltrates a Goth con game to locate a missing girl. Meanwhile, a faceless wax head sent by Jarod leaves Miss Parker and company trying to fill in the pieces.

EP4 Risque Business

Nov. 06,1999

Jarod pretends to be a sex therapist to investigate a brutal assault on a doctor. Meanwhile, Broots tries to summon up the courage to reveal his feelings to Miss Parker.

EP5 Road Trip

Nov. 13,1999

Jarod finds himself on a road trip to help a mysterious young woman, whom he falls for. Meanwhile, he tells Miss Parker, Sydney and Broots to 'follow the yellow brick road'.

EP6 Extreme

Dec. 04,1999

Jarod Pretends to be an extreme sports enthusiast in order to learn what happened to a comatose young man. Meanwhile, Miss Parker, Sydney, and Broots follow Jarod's "game show" clues, and find themselves investigating Mr. Lyle.

EP7 Wild Child

Dec. 11,1999

Jarod Pretends to be a psychologist to help a young girl found living alone in the wilderness. Meanwhile. Miss Parker finds out a Centre contract has been taken out on her father's life, leading her to look more closely at Mr. Cox.

EP8 Rules of Engagement

Jan. 08,2000

Jarod tries to stop a hostage situation in a hospital. Miss Parker is confused by an encounter with her father.

EP9 'Til Death Do Us Part

Jan. 15,2000

On the anniversary of Thomas' death, Jarod challenges a haunted Miss Parker to resume her hunt for his killer. But the search leads back to her father and Brigitte, who is close to giving birth.

EP10 Spin Doctor (I)

Feb. 05,2000

Jarod tries to track down the killer of a man who helped him escape from The Centre. Meanwhile, Miss Parker tries to help Sydney deal with his past. The crossover continues on Profiler S04E10 Clean Sweep (II).

EP11 Cold Dick

Feb. 12,2000

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - After being contacted by Argyle, Jarod becomes a Las Vegas private investigator to save a showgirl in trouble with with the mob. Meanwhile, Broots and Miss Parker try to outwit Jarod by posing as a newlywed couple and checking into the honeymoon suite. But come sunrise, they find they've gotten more involved with each other then they ever have chasing Jarod...

EP12 Lifeline

Feb. 19,2000

Jarod becomes a bodyguard to reunite an undercover ATF agent and her daughter. Meanwhile. Miss Parker sets out to prove Raines' religious 'conversion' is nothing of the kind.

EP13 Ghosts From The Past

Feb. 26,2000

Jarod infiltrates a white supremacist group to stop the bombing of a Unity event. Meanwhile, Angelo fights his way through Jarod's past to find the old enemy currently threatening Jarod's life.

EP14 The Agent Of Year Zero

Mar. 11,2000

Jarod tries to help a Cambodian woman avenge the death of her family at the hands of a war criminal -- who is also an ally of Mr. Lyle. Meanwhile, Miss Parker tracks that connection from the Centre.

EP15 Junk

Mar. 25,2000

Jarod goes undercover as a junkie in a rehab clinic to help a woman regain custody of her son. Meanwhile, Miss Parker and company find Jarod's connection to the woman through her father and the Centre.

EP16 School Daze

Apr. 22,2000

Jarod poses as an elementary school teacher to protect a young witness in a murder trial. Meanwhile, Miss Parker encounters a ghost from the past.

EP17 Meltdown

Apr. 29,2000

Jarod infiltrates a gang of burglars to discover which of them killed a little girl. Meanwhile, an email that isn't there leads Miss Parker to someone who might have answers about her mother's death.

EP18 Corn Man A Comin'

May. 06,2000

Jarod follows the trail of a kidnapping, documented by a camcorder he finds in a pawn shop. Meanwhile, Miss Parker continues her search for Edna Raines, with Jarod's help.

EP19 The Inner Sense (1)

May. 13,2000

Jarod finally locates his sister Emily, just in time to see her nearly assassinated by The Centre. Meanwhile, Miss Parker's search of the secrets behind her mother's death lead her and Jarod to the same place -- and a mysterious young man named Ethan.

EP20 The Inner Sense (2)

May. 13,2000

7.5 | en | Drama , Mystery , Sci-Fi | More Info

Released: 1996-09-19 | Released Producted By: 20th Century Fox Television , NBC Studios Country: United States of America Budget: 0 Revenue: 0 Official Website:

info

Genre

Drama , Mystery , Sci-Fi

Watch Online

The Pretender (1996) is currently not available on any services.

Cast

Michael T. Weiss , Andrea Parker , Patrick Bauchau , Jon Gries

Director

Craig W. Van Sickle

Producted By

20th Century Fox Television , NBC Studios

The Pretender Videos and Images

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Top Credited Cast
|
Crew

Michael T. Weiss

as Jarod

Sunset Park Fade Confessions of an Action Star Iowa Written In Blood Until the Night Marmalade Tarzan & Jane Bones The Pretender: Island of the Haunted

Andrea Parker

as Miss Parker

Beautiful People Pretty Little Liars Less than Perfect The Pretender: Island of the Haunted The Pretender 2001 Ed McBain's 87th Precinct: Ice The Pretender XXX's & OOO's Beautiful People

Patrick Bauchau

as Sydney

Films to Die For The Translators Wim Wenders, Desperado Against the Clock Mega Shark vs. Kolossus Me and Kaminski Every Thing Will Be Fine Amnesiac The Girl King Satellite of Love

Jon Gries

as Broots

Carolina Caroline Bits Solvent Only the Good Survive The White Lotus - Additional Photography The White Lotus - Additional Photography Wish Upon a Unicorn 3 Days with Dad Glass Jaw The Axe Murders of Villisca

Craig W. Van Sickle

Producer

Steven Long Mitchell

Producer

Juan Carlos Coto

Producer

The Pretender Audience Reviews

Titreenp SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

SpunkySelfTwitter It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

ActuallyGlimmer The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Quiet Muffin This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

Matthew Pittard A Product of the late 1990's, I never got to see the Pretender until years later when it was on late night TV in Australia.A Drama concerning Jarod, a 'natural' Pretender who week to week would solve problems for others and in doing so pretend/masquerade his way into their lives by becoming a doctor, pilot.. whatever he wanted to be.Jarod had escaped from the Centre after about 25 years of captivity at the Center, a international corporation which was involved in many different facets of life. The fact that one didn't exactly know what the Center did, spoke wonders of where they could take it plot wise within the show.Jarod was being pursued of a team lead by Miss Parker, a somewhat cold and calculating member of the Center who had lost her mother to the center. Sydney had been Jarod's surrogate family after he had been stolen from his original family. Broots was a computer specialist who was always just one step behind Jarod.Later years saw more screen time dedicated to the Center activities introducing characters like Mr Lyle, Brigitte the Center Assassin, Mr Raines, Mr Parker and Mr Cox.All of these characters added to the menace of the Center which was purposely depicted as a somewhat sterile environment, with lots of dark spaces, hidden levels and bleak coloring. The building fitted the viewers view of the Center and what it now stood for.

Writer_Commentary I don't know why I ever started watching this show. I have seen every episode, but I wish that I could go back in time and prevent myself from wasting all the free time. There are much better things that I should have been doing with my life instead of watching this dumb TV show. I don't understand why anyone in their right mind would like this show. There is too many questions that go unanswered and never will be. This show doesn't even have an ending. It quickly went nowhere fast and not even the writers seemed to understand what should be happening on the show. I know that this is science fiction and it is unrealistic, but that's no excuse for crappy storytelling. For every question there are more and more questions and ultimately, no answers. If you've never seen this show, don't waste your time. I already have.

VoyagerSamfan87 By far The Pretender is my favorite television show. Others have come close to it but not quite. One thing I love about this series is its originality. I have never seen a show quite like this one. Jarred is the focus on the show. He is a Pretender " A genius who can become anyone he wants to be" One day he might be a doctor, the next a lawyer. While he was a boy he was raised by a place called the Center and helped projects and went through simulations where he could feel exactly what the person felt and why they would do what they are doing. When he learned that his simulations were given to evil hands-as long as they payed the price-he escaped and began a journey of finding out who he really his and where his family is. While he searches for the truth he helps other people by becoming a doctor or a lawyer. People who were as defenseless as he once was. And while he is helping and searching he is being chased by the center which focuses around three people mainly-Miss. Parker who while searching for Jarred she keeps on digging up her own skeletons as well as the centers skeletons and finding out that she is more connected to Jarred then she realizes. Even though she plays ice queen so well you see different sides to her and realize that she is also human with a harsh path. A human people might even be able to relate to. Then there's Sydney who is Jarreds mentor/teacher. The one who raises Jarred. He cares for Jarred and is protective of him but at the same time he wants him back at the center so he is torn sometimes between his moral feelings and what is the center wants. Then last but not least there's Broots, the ordinary average Joe who gets sucked into the crazy plot after he helps not only track Jarred but dig up dirt from that center that helps Miss. Parker as well as Jarred and Sydney. Through these series there are heartbreaking stories and lines that you just burst out laughing. Each character gets a chance to grow and develop as you learn more about who they are. There are not only those three thats in the show but very important characters like Angelo the impath and Centers "gerbel" who has more depth and more of a story then one might think when first seeing him. Then there's Mr. Parker the weasel that can lie very convincingly, Mr. Raines-my favorite bad guy for both TV and movie. I love his voice and his oxygen tank just adds to the charm. Last but not least there's Mr. Lyles who is also a perfect bad guy- a person you love to hate, and then there is Bridget who sucks one to many lollypops :) overall I love the plot line and the characters development is awesome. I'm only sorry it had to leave so early. There hasn't been another show quite like that one and I don't think there ever well be.

TruPretender The talented Michael T. Weiss is Jarod, a man who can become anyone hewants to be, in order to save lives, or prevent disaster. In the first season, he escapes from the Centre and three workers, Miss Parker, Sydney, and Brootsare after him all through the series and he keeps going. The series was meant for adults and thus was a success for people over the age of eighteen. Greataction sequences and Michael T. Weiss was very very good as the titlecharacter, coming a long way from "Days of Our Lives" while Andrea Parker was hot and sizzled as Miss Parker, a dark but light hearted female lead. But myfavorite was Patrick Bauchau as Sydney, whom would always be in contact withJarod and not let the Centre know about it! Too bad there was never a fifthseason as I would have like to see more!