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The Pretender
S1.E1
All episodesAll
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Pilot

  • Episode aired Sep 19, 1996
  • TV-14
  • 43m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
297
YOUR RATING
L. Scott Caldwell in The Pretender (1996)
ActionDramaMysterySci-FiThriller

Jarod is the new doctor at a NYC hospital, trying to expose negligence and a cover-up that led to a young boy being paralyzed.Jarod is the new doctor at a NYC hospital, trying to expose negligence and a cover-up that led to a young boy being paralyzed.Jarod is the new doctor at a NYC hospital, trying to expose negligence and a cover-up that led to a young boy being paralyzed.

  • Director
    • Rick Wallace
  • Writers
    • Steven Long Mitchell
    • Craig W. Van Sickle
  • Stars
    • Michael T. Weiss
    • Andrea Parker
    • Patrick Bauchau
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.8/10
    297
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Rick Wallace
    • Writers
      • Steven Long Mitchell
      • Craig W. Van Sickle
    • Stars
      • Michael T. Weiss
      • Andrea Parker
      • Patrick Bauchau
    • 3User reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos17

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    Top Cast17

    Edit
    Michael T. Weiss
    Michael T. Weiss
    • Jarod
    Andrea Parker
    Andrea Parker
    • Miss Parker
    Patrick Bauchau
    Patrick Bauchau
    • Sydney
    Stephen Tobolowsky
    Stephen Tobolowsky
    • Dr. Alan Trader
    Peter Michael Goetz
    Peter Michael Goetz
    • Dr. Miles Hendricks
    L. Scott Caldwell
    L. Scott Caldwell
    • Gwen Porter
    Lilyan Chauvin
    Lilyan Chauvin
    • Mrs. Nikkos, the Greek Lady
    Jeffrey Shepard
    • 12 Year Old Jarod
    Wayne Robson
    Wayne Robson
    • ATM Guy (Uncredited)
    Janette Andrade
    • Woman
    • (uncredited)
    Dennis Cruzado
    • Little Jarod
    • (uncredited)
    Scott Gibson
    Scott Gibson
    • Radiology Technician
    • (uncredited)
    Joshua Hurwitz
    • 6 Year Old Jarod
    • (uncredited)
    Ryan Merriman
    Ryan Merriman
    • Young Jarod
    • (uncredited)
    Dylan Provencher
    Dylan Provencher
    • Kevin Bailey
    • (uncredited)
    Elizabeth Saunders
    Elizabeth Saunders
    • Nurse
    • (uncredited)
    Lynley Swain
    Lynley Swain
    • Nicole
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Rick Wallace
    • Writers
      • Steven Long Mitchell
      • Craig W. Van Sickle
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews3

    7.8297
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    10

    Featured reviews

    9jonne_scout

    Great start to a fantastic series

    To celebrate the rebirth of the pretender I'll be going through the series again and reviewing episodes and posting trivia bits here.

    This is a great start to the series we are introduced to all the major characters and the story premise right of the bat. Some people might find it strange that we don't see Jarod escaping the Centre in this episode but I think that's actually a pretty good thing, since we never see the full escape so there is still a element of mystery.

    In this episode we see Jarod expose an alcoholic surgeon and the corrupt chief of medicine covering for him. All so a paralysed orphan boy can get the justice he deserves. We're also introduced to miss Parker and Sydney who are hunting Jarod and Sydney's apparent reluctance to actually capture him.

    A strange thing I noticed was that the Kennedy assassination simulation seen in the episode was it yet in black and white as would later become standard. Similarly there was not yet an revenge planning musical montage, another staple of the later episodes.

    All in all we're of to a great start and I can't wait to see the rest again.
    7cjonesas

    Starting slow

    A good normal pilot, with the main character having self-confidence the size of a building and nice charisma. It lacks real suspense, thrill but compensates with good flow. Still too early to judge, but suspecting that it would like that till the end of season 4 with 50% weight.

    We'll see...
    7Hitchcoc

    Has to Get Better

    I know it's a pilot so I'll be generous. As of now, the premise is so stupid and the existence of such a man is equally ludicrous. And then we have a female villain who thinks she knows everything. Except she is cut off at every angle. He is smug and as interested in causing embarrassment as he is solving the situation. Like I said. Now that we've got this under our belts, perhaps the second episode will let us see a more believable character. If they are going to play this for laughs each week I won't last very long. Even to an incredibly bright person, to pick up a scalpel and operate without training would never happen. Even the tracheotomy he performs would require a feel for the important parts of the chest.

    Related interests

    Bruce Willis and Taniel in Die Hard (1988)
    Action
    Naomie Harris, Mahershala Ali, Janelle Monáe, André Holland, Herman Caheej McGloun, Edson Jean, Alex R. Hibbert, and Tanisha Cidel in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway in Chinatown (1974)
    Mystery
    James Earl Jones and David Prowse in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
    Sci-Fi
    Cho Yeo-jeong in Parasite (2019)
    Thriller

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Jarod calls Sydney using the pseudonym Shreve Harmon, resulting in Sydney saying "Shreve and Harmon build the Empire State Building" and remarking that Jarod is very clever. This of-course refers back to Jarod's second day at the Centre where he built a replica of the Empire State Building.
    • Goofs
      When Jarod first phones Sydney, the phone on the desk has a power cord plugged in, but no phone line is attached.
    • Quotes

      Mrs. Nikkos: You a doctor?

      Jarod: I am today.

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 19, 1996 (United States)
    • Official site
      • The official website of the creators, Steven Long Mitchell and Craig W Van Sickle
    • Language
      • English
    • Filming locations
      • Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    • Production companies
      • Mitchell/Van Sickle Productions
      • NBC Studios
      • MTM Enterprises
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 43m
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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