Jarod

Intro/Background

• He's a Pretender, a genius who can become anyone that he wants to be. 

Summary 

Jarod is a genius with very special abilities and skills that have been sharpened through years of simulations at the Centre, the once altruistic, now nefarious organization that held him a virtual prisoner for many years. Jarod's "Pretender" skills and Centre training enable him to simulate all situations and emotions. What the Centre neglected to expose Jarod to are the normal everyday things a child would experience like ice-cream, PEZ, slinky, Rubik's cube among other things. These are the things Jarod discovers with child-like innocence outside the Centre and through his regular discoveries of these simple things, we see his complete and beguiling innocence.

The kid inside the deprived man reaches out to us making us love and want to give him all the things he missed as a child.

The look in MTW's eyes speaks volumes of Jarod's hurt, pain, love, hopes, and thoughts of revenge against the Centre and all offenders. Therein lies his dark side. But it is no darker than any other person with as many burdens to bear.

His relationship with mentor Sydney who is also now a part of the "Pretender-retrieval" team is complicated by a sense of betrayal he feels because of all that he perceives Sydney to be aware of and party to, things he would not believe his mentor could be capable of, yet all the evidence points to his being a willing participant of the system that deprived and exploited Jarod even while it enhanced his innate abilities through rigorous training.

As Jarod confronts Sydney and learns that Sydney was also unaware about the nature of their "experiments"Jarod enters the path to reconciliation with Sydney but it is not a smooth one because Jarod is still the runaway Pretender, and Sydney at first tries his best to keep the appearance of wanting Jarod back. Jarod feels that Sydney could have been the father he was not allowed to have yet neither of them was allowed a chance to even consider allowing such a relationship to blossom. Yet for all this, Jarod holds on to his ties to mentor Sydney as if it were a lifeline and he leans on Sydney for counsel whenever he feels troubled or confused by realities for which his simulations have not prepared him. Their phone calls provide intriguing insight into the changing face of their now blossoming relationship. Jarod promised Sydney they would go fishing some day.

With Miss Parker, Jarod has a fascinating history, having literally grown up with her at the Centre together. They shared experiences which have bound them up into a friendship that he insists on relishing even though Miss Parker, the adult, is bent on ignoring their past, in order to pursue her present task of returning him to the Centre. Jarod thwarts her attempts with constant reminders,

Because I still remember the little girl who gave me my first kiss.

or leads her down other paths to her own mysterious past, causing her much turmoil as it reveals things about her family that almost test the limits of her endurance.

He also finds other ways to "taunt her" as she is so fond of saying, like writing a book with someone who looks strikingly similar to Miss Parker on the cover, and calling it "The Saddest Little Valentine" or creating a three stooges video with Miss Parker, Broots and Sydney as the three, or sending her various gifts.

Jarod is a source of admiration for techie Broots, who just manages to stay one step behind him, thanks in part to Broots' skills but also due to Jarod's carefully placed "breadcrumbs" which he uses to keep the Centre team within sight.

Jarod knows nothing about his parents when he first escapes but gradually with help from his "friend" on the inside and other sources, he manages to collect a few facts about them. Jarod's unswerving belief that he will be reunited with them and his determination to continue the fight to find them are inspirational.

He had an inspiring dedication to help the down-trodden, the victim, the weaker ones, ...that is something that I so love about the character...

In other fans' words:

a very charming, seductive and sweet character...... and the smile says it all!!!

Jarod's everything i could want in a man, kind, caring, sensitive..... wicked