Pretender Summaries

 Incredible camaraderie exceptional acting (Early season 4 episode called Road Trip)

Speaking of the Wizard of Oz plotline it was a beautiful romp with all three of the main characters from the center perfectly happy to be following Jarrod's clues and jumping through his hoops. Despite her complaining Ms. Parker seems to trust that whatever they will find at the end of this yellow brick road will be worth the mystery. And Sidney seems more than a little amused as he goes running around like rats in a maze. Like literally he calls it that and it doesn't bother him at all. Maybe he feels that he owes Jarrod this after keeping so many things secret for so many years. The 3 of them are the 3 musketeers and it's beautiful. I didn't know the actress to play Zoe from anything but I imagine she was a major name as a female actress at the time as well as a bombshell. Also the one time Jarrod assumes something other than the best about someone he is 100% wrong and you can see real regret in his eyes. He's always really good at reading emotional cues and micro-expressions but the one time he makes a conclusion based solely on the facts and the evidence- rather than the person - right in front of his face he is seriously almost disastrously wrong. But Zoe and Jarrod are each-other's first honest and deeply committed relationship. Again: Stellar!

I couldn't put this in my actual Imdb summary but one of the reasons I fell so hard and fast for this show was that the main character had a high emotional interpersonal perception but was raised in a very sheltered environment. Sheltered as in away from the trappings of the outside world if not very comfortable or warm. Both of which sound very much like my own upbringing. In fact, my own ESP type perception of people and emotions is apparently tied directly into my high functioning autism. Which Jarrod is a type of savant and you can tell he's the good kind of weird. And when I trusted my inner sense about people I was almost always right. When I went with common sense of logic or 'the most probably explanation' I was almost always led astray. So I am laughing with a twinge of sadness that the one time Jarrod decides the most 'obvious' explanation is the right one, instead of counting on his deep almost innate understanding of people, he offends the woman. Having demanded the truth from her when she actually had told him the truth to begin with. And her story was more tragic than he'd considered.

Or to say it even more personally relevantly than that. Jarrod always has MY approach on dealing with people. the one time he takes my brother Phil's approach instead he is disastrously wrong. Which gives me a sense of almost validation that my emotional approach, my people-oriented perceptions of the world are actually preferable to the 'superior' fact-based "most probable explanation" driven approach of my brother Phil. Because it was when Jarrod drew conclusions based on what was right in front of him and what 'made sense', instead of going with what he felt from the person in front of him and what his own instincts were telling him that he stuck his foot SO far down his mouth he had to decide what kind of wine went with hip bone.

Jarrod Learns Something we all Know (mid season 3 episode called Extreme)

Jarrod's chosen disguise clashes with his actual innocence. Even people who have never been to a strip joint before still know what one is. And Some of the best dialogue related to Jarrod's inexperience with the world happens in this episode. But of course that's not what I'm talking about. For over a year Sidney has been forced to be repressive fo his parental feelings concerning Jarrod. His work requires an objectivity of course but the more he let himself feel responsible for Jarrod's upbringing the more guilt he would feel about letting Jarrod go through what he did all those years. To the point of actually lying to Jarrod near the beginning of season 2 when Jarrod called and asked if he ever thought about what it would have been like to be his father. And Sydney just recently found out he is one, he has a son who grew up never knowing him. The kid finds out it completely the wrong way. And Sidney's impassioned speech slash plea to Nicholas on behalf of the man who raised him - to the son he never knew about the man who raised him always being there for him, loves you as much as if he'd given you life is heart-warming and incredibly telling. Especially since Nicholas asks him if he ever felt that way about anyone and Sidney admits that he did once. A child, long ago. Not realizing Jarrod can actually hear him. The way Jarrod feels about Sidney has always been clear as day. And now Jarrod is finally in on the fact that Sidney shares those feelings. Even if he still can't admit it.

Summary: An episode out of nowhere full of Smoke (the series finale...unfortunately)

There are so many people and secrets in this episode that were never even hinted at in the episodes leading up to it. In fact the one thing that is consistent with previous episodes is Ms. Parkers intense and inexplicable hatred and mistrust of Jarrod. The heart of the story, other than Ms. Parker and Jarrod both searching for the truth was Sydney's relationship with Jarrod. This was especially true in Road Trip and Junk earlier in the season. But Jarrod and Boots barely say anything to Jarrod the entire episode and the last scene the two of them have is so quote “classic” it's cliché. Catherine Parker having that extra-normal sixth sense and Sydney already knowing she faked her death were never even hinted at the entire series and yet were the biggest parts of the episode. Well besides having 2 people who can't stand each-other sharing a sibling in common. Which would be pretty powerful drama if done believably. And this was anything but natural unfolding of events. And it's unfortunately enough the series finale. Jarrod never says goodbye to Sidney and in fact Sydney had been fading further and further away from everyone for the past 6 episodes. But there was no mystery or explanation hinted at. It was simply that the plot line which was the heart of the show was minimized to allow more time for the Ms. Parker plot and the unraveling of the mystery of her life and her past. A mystery that ultimately went nowhere with very few answers ever found.