- Title: The Pretender – Every Picture Tells a Story
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As Jarod (Michael T. Weiss) assumes the identity of a member of the San Diego Coast Guard, the show’s second episode begins fleshing out Miss Parker‘s (Andrea Parker) backstory and introducing a supporting cast who will play major roles over The Pretender‘s four years on the air. The first of those introduced is Jon Gries as Broots, a computer tech at The Centre who Miss Parker taps in her quest to bring Jarod home.
The weekly storyline follows the same pattern of the Pilot and the majority of episodes to follow as Jarod assumes a role to get justice for someone in need. In “Every Picture Tells a Story” that means the family of drowned fisherman Tom King whose boat was sunk under mysterious circumstances. What Jarod uncovers is a small-time smuggling operation by two members of the Coast Guard, and the circumstances which caused the man’s boat to accidentally be destroyed and the fisherman purposely left to drown in the middle of the ocean with no help in sight. The episode also contains a subplot (variations of which will also become a staple the series) of Jarod helping out an eccentric sailor (William Sanderson) still mourning the loss of his wife who refuses to return to shore.
Gag gimmicks such as dog poop are the pop culture item of the week which fascinate the Pretender as he delivers some justice via an elaborately staged situation and makes fools out of Miss Parker and Sydney (Patrick Bauchau by the use of low-tech phone bank at a local YMCA. We also get the first instance of Jarod sending gifts back to The Centre, this one a recording of one of Jarod’s simulations on the day of the death of Miss Parker’s mother in a Centre elevator (an event which continues to haunt her and hold more significance to both Jarod and Parker than either initially realize).
