Blood Lines, pt 2

Pretender Episode Review

In which it is difficult to distinguish between Miss Parker's bite and her bark.

What Happened

Jarod yells at Sydney a bit, then follows a clue from Angelo to the house where Raines is holding Davy. He has started a neural treatment designed to make Davy a Pretender, similar to what he did to Angelo with what will likely be similar results.

Miss Parker crashes into her father's office to show him the DSA of her brother being taken by Raines, triggering heart palpitations. When he pulls it together, Mr. Parker's so stoked at the thought that he has a son that he walks out without hiding the Red Files on his desk. Looking through them, Broots and Sydney wonder if Jarod is Miss Parker's brother.

Miss Parker tracks Jarod and Angelo down, but is distracted when Jarod waves some Red Files in her face, explaining that all the children NuGenesis monitored had a genetic disposition towards being a Pretender. She is one of the files; one of two others is her brother. It isn't Jarod (though that would be fun). It's either Angelo... or Mr. Lyle.

Sydney has told Jarod that he has less than three hours to synthesize more of Angelo's serum before Davy is permanently disabled. When the new vial of serum is shattered, Angelo offers to give Davy his last treatment, despite the fact that it will prompt his own condition to reverse to damaged - permanently.

Before he regresses completely, Angelo tells Miss Parker that Venigor knows who shot her mother. As Raines' sweeper team arrives, Angelo causes a distraction, allowing Jarod to escape with Davy. Jarod joins Miss Parker later at Venigor's bedside, and Venigor wakes up long enough to announce that Jarod's father is the man who killed Catherine Parker.

Jarod runs and Miss Parker chases him down into SL-27. Neither of them are aware that Sydney has decided that he's had enough of the Centre's "Prodigy" program and set a bomb to destroy Raines' new kingdom. As anyone who has ever had as speaking role gapes at Sydney, an explosion rips through the sub-level...

What We Learned

• The treatment is predicated on a very strict time-table.
• Jarod was a natural Pretender. Angelo was an attempt to create one.
• The brain is an unforgiving area.
• Miss Parker never cared for false bravado in a man.
• It is difficult to distinguish between Miss Parker's bite and her bark.
• Davy's free.
• Miss Parker's still in hell.

Best Lines

Broots: "You stole those from Mr. Parker?"
Miss Parker: "Is that a problem?"
Broots: "Not for you."

What Did I Think?

The showdown between Miss Parker and Jarod was stellar, as usual. Her decision to give Davy the serum was drawn far too long, however. Like she was really say "no."