Alone Together

Another Pretender tribute. This time it is for mainly the second telefilm Island of the Haunted, which is currently the last Pretender storyline. Pretender 2001, the first telefilm deals with the unresolved plot elements for the fourth season finale. As one is left to wonder if Jarod, Miss Parker, and Ethan survived the explosion. All three survive the blast, but their troubles as usual don't end there. Separately Jarod and Parker are again dealing with ghosts from the past.

For Jarod, it is the death of Eddie at the hands of Alex. Both Jarod and Eddie assumed Alex died during their escape from the Centre. For most of the series, we are led to assume Jarod is the only Pretender to successfully escape the Centre facility. It turns he was not alone. He and Eddie went separate ways.

Alex like Jarod has been busy in the world yet unlike Jarod, Alex has been taking lives instead of saving them. The latest include five undercover agents for the NSA. Eddie under the name Edward Ballinger was working for the NSA right up until his death during the first telefilm. Jarod faces Alex alone while the NSA turn their sights on Jarod as Alex frames him for the hits.

Meanwhile Miss Parker continues to search for the truth about her mother, about her family, but almost nobody wants her to find it.

Alex has abducted Mr. Parker and kept Lyle on a short leash. Raines is also not dead despite appearances to the contrary. Ultimately Mr. Parker appears to be fatally shot and Jarod takes off after Alex.

The two have one last chat as Alex would rather die than go back to the Centre. Alex's death closes off another door to finding out why the Centre remains obsessed with him. Alex poses the question that it goes much deeper than Jarod being a Pretender. In the final minutes of the film, both Jarod and Miss Parker are sent a photograph of their mothers together near an unidentified stone symbol.

The plot of the second film stems from the photo and the symbol in the photo, which again separately brings Jarod and Parker to an island called Carthis where they make discoveries that point to the origins of the Centre and its obsession with Jarod. At the same time however, both discover things about their families that take them by surprise though perhaps more so in Miss Parker's case.

Together they almost leave their Centre pasts behind them, but then Mr. Parker, Mr. Raines, and Lyle arrive at Carthis with members of the Triumvirate who have a vested interest taking the Scrolls for themselves. The same scrolls that sparked the beginnings of the Centre and the legacy of the Parkers. The Scrolls also appear to foretell the existence of Jarod and the emergence of the Centre.

Neither the Scrolls or Jarod remain in either group's possession for long.

Afterward, Jarod and Miss Parker have their usual phone call. Parker sits in her office back at the Centre and Jarod hides somewhere undisclosed. It sounds like they are back to where they usually are despite having come so close to changing the roles they are made to play.

Both however are left to wonder about what almost happen.

I put the plane crash scene after the phone conversation in the video, but in actually the crash happens before the call in the telefilm. In the video, it is more like a flashback event while also tying into the explosion heard in the song used for the video.

Copyrights default to the lovely Shirley Manson, Garbage, and Garbage's record company. Video clip credit goes to the creators/writers for The Pretender and its telefilms. Again one can always count on The Pretender for the thought provoking content and truly intimate stories.

"You run, I chase, that decision was made for us a long time ago." - Miss Parker. Her saying this would summarize how things went on between for most of the television series run yet he is often going out of his way to be there for her or help her even when she has orders to return him to the Centre.

The almost kiss is the only time the adult versions of Jarod and Parker get that close with their faces yet the teenage versions of them did kiss. It the girl that Miss Parker used to be and the woman she could be that perhaps motivates Jarod to look after her, help her. At the same time, Parker's views of Jarod keep getting challenged even though she knows what her job is.

The world in their case belongs to the missions they follow despite the longing for a life outside what they do for others.

Side note, I made this using a slightly newer version of Windows Movie Maker, which actually proved to better and less frustrating than the previous one. The fact that newer version is on a newer computer well that's all the better.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• jarod
• parker
• yt:stretch=16:9
• yt:quality=
• high

[msariah]

I look forward to it shoul you atempt it, besides I still like that they remained friends even after there weird childhood.

[msariah]

The movies caught me by surprise, It still is one of the best show's. Comtiuing it would be nice but it gives the show it's mantle for it never ending..like they really could be anywhere or maybe every thing worked out.

[Elim1986]

the pretend where they wanted to see how he would respond to meeting a girl. i remember that and i think it would be worth an attempt too. honestly I don't think they ever made mistakes with casting for parts.

notably they often survive explosions or witness explosions in most of the seasons finales and the films too.

there are a number of flashbacks or DSAs that highlight why he is always there for her.

[Elim1986]

I read they were planning to make 4 films, not 2, but somehow that's what they ended up with. Yes well you aren't alone in wanting to see the story continued. There are so many threads left unresolved and the films just added to it. It made the story deeper yet still it puts out more questions.

I have heard some of Fiona's songs and I'll see what I can do it.

[msariah]

I just had a side thought, so people feel Jarod/M.Parker where headed for couple territory on the other hand the ep where they first meet as children and he "Pretends" her there's this song that would fit should you ever try this vid. It's been playing in my head Justin Weaver's it's something like you're the one? can't recall really.

[msariah]

Truth be told incomplete dosen't begin to cover what they where setting up, however whilst on the subject of taping from vcr my word I had ep 2-both movies. I've been picking up dvd's just recently too much could be dangerous I'm tempted to start my campaign, however "Shadowboxer" by Fionna Apple is fitting for the movie. ;)

[Elim1986]

:) I do hope the videos fill some of the void though of course even I know the story feels incomplete, that there's still more to tell.

I actually went back to re-watch episodes on DVD. I felt rather happy the day I found the seasons on DVD. Plus they put the two films together one disc. I had previously taped them with a VCR.

I'm still trying to work out how to make a video for Pretender 2001 one. Any song suggestions?

[msariah]

To be the first to know is always welcomed, and I really do look forward to new ideas from you. Even with the show off the air the void has never trully been filled.

[Elim1986]

I thought it a useful idea to ask you since you had commented on previous Pretender videos I made. As it turns out the song worked rather well for Island of Haunted.

So by the time I finished working on it I thought I let you know as soon as I uploaded it.

[msariah]

Thank you for you're reply, it was a lovely gesture and I'm glad I could be the basis for you're encouragement.