List of The Pretender characters

This is an article for a list of some of the main and notable characters that appear (or have appeared) on the NBC's drama, The Pretender.

Protagonists

Jarod

(Michael T. Weiss, 1996-2000)

(Ryan Merriman, 1996-2000) {portrayed Young Jarod}

A genius who has the ability to be anyone, learn any skill and function in any situation - a chameleon who takes on identities as easily as most people change clothes. In 1963, Jarod was taken from his parents as a child, and grew up within the Centre as a virtual test subject until his 1996 escape. Since then he has been searching for his family: his mother Margaret, his father Charles (aka "Major Charles", an ex-Air Force officer), and his surviving sibling Emily. The second motivating factor in Jarod's life is atoning for the deaths he inadvertently caused by working for The Centre.

Jarod usually avoids being caught by The Centre at the end of every episode. Following his escapes, Jarod enjoys sparring with Ms. Parker over the phone. Often comically using her name in many of his insults at his job prior to the episode, an example would be when he worked as a substitute teacher for chemistry, he told his students that "roaches would be the only living thing after a biological holocaust-- them and some woman named Parker".

Miss Parker

(Andrea Parker, 1996-2000) {Main Cast Member}

(Ashley Peldon, 1996-1999) {portrayed Young Miss Parker}

A child of The Centre, Miss Parker has grown up within the Blue Cove complex, both her father and mother playing pivotal roles in the organization. When she was a young girl, her mother Catherine was murdered, though Miss Parker was led to believe that she committed suicide. The circumstances of Catherine's death are quite muddled, with details varying wildly depending on who remembers it; Miss Parker eventually learns that her mother was in fact killed shortly after giving birth to her half-brother, Ethan. Raines apparently killed Catherine as she lay on the gurney.

Miss Parker has a twin brother named Lyle, who was at first believed to be stillborn. She also has a half-brother, Ethan, whom she shares with Jarod and who was created in the Centre project Mirage by impregnating Catherine Parker with the sperm of Jarod's father. Her father, Mr. Parker, is apparently the local administrator to the Blue Cove branch of the Centre. Her biological father is in fact Raines, who is Mr. Parker's brother.

As a young girl, Miss Parker met secretly with Jarod inside the Centre while he was also a child. Miss Parker also gave Jarod his first kiss, though this was long before she was put in charge of his capture and return to the Centre. Miss Parker quickly grows to despise Jarod as he repeatedly eludes and humiliates her. Despite this, Jarod comes to her aid when she is in danger, even when it endangers his own safety. The result is that Miss Parker's attitude toward Jarod softens, though not by much. When she and Jarod discover their shared links on the Isle of Carthis, they nearly have a romantic interlude. Eventually however, Miss Parker ignores Jarod's pleas and allows him to be apprehended by the Centre's men. Jarod manages to escape again, and Miss Parker is returned to her task of hunting him. She later receives another phone call from her longtime enemy, but this time they do not trade insults as usual. Miss Parker warns that she will continue to be coming after him, but wishes him luck in his journey to find his family.

Dr. Sydney Green

(Patrick Bauchau, 1996-2000) {Main Cast Member}

(Alex Wexo, 1996-2000) {portrayed Young Sydney} {appeared in 27 episodes}

A long-time employee of The Centre, Sydney originally joined the staff with his twin brother, Jacob. The organization's lead psychiatrist, Sydney was responsible for all of Jarod's simulation training. He is a trusted friend and father figure to Jarod. Due to his constant surveillance, Sydney is not able to assist Jarod directly. Instead, he has many heart-to-heart talks with Jarod on the phone.

Sydney spends years hiding his comatose brother Jacob from the Centre. Jacob became comatose following a car accident with Sydney at the wheel, and so Sydney feels responsible. Through experimentation while Pretending to be a geneticist, Jarod devises a method that temporarily returns Jacob to consciousness and allows him to make peace with Sydney. Jacob eventually dies peacefully. It is implied that Jacob's defiance toward the Centre put him in such a precarious position with them.

Kyle

(Jeffrey Donovan, 1997-1999) {appeared in 4 episodes}

Younger brother to Jarod. Like his sibling, Kyle was kidnapped by The Centre and served as one of Raines's human test subjects. Jarod encountered Kyle one day, but didn't know then he was his brother. After convincing Sydney to let them meet, the two became fast friends. However, Kyle was then supposedly released from The Centre. In actuality, Raines kept him and subjected him to negative reinforcement to try and culture a sociopathic personality. As an adult, Kyle was later officially released from The Centre and went looking for his parents. However, Raines' experiments had changed Kyle. Developing a malicious personality and often repeating the phrase; "I Decide Who Lives Or Dies," he thoughtlessly terrorized anyone that got in his way. He came close to finding his parents through Harriet Tashman, but he was arrested and sent to prison. Kyle later escaped from prison and resumed his search for his parents. He was captured by Miss Parker, but Jarod – also searching for him and learning the truth – broke him out. En route to possibly see their parents and sister, the FBI attacked and Kyle was presumed dead in an explosion. No remains were ever found, as it was revealed he survived and caused the explosion to escape. Kyle began stalking Miss Parker, Sydney and Broots in the hopes they would lead him back to Jarod. This ultimately worked, but Kyle also ultimately sacrificed himself to protect Jarod from Mr. Lyle. Jarod donated Kyle's heart to J.R. Miller, who desperately needed a heart transplant and shared the brothers' rare blood type.

Antagonists

Mr. Lyle

(Jamie Denton, 1997-2000) {appeared in 36 episodes}

Twin brother to Miss Parker, originally believed by their parents to be stillborn. In reality, he was abducted shortly after birth and given up for adoption. He was given the name Bobby Bowman by his adoptive parents. The teenage Bobby ran away from home, faked his death, and has since been known only as Lyle (the name of his abusive foster father). Lyle dabbled for a few years in Asian organized crime, even a group of cannibals known as the Snake Eaters; a tattoo of a snake devouring itself is once spotted on his shoulder. Lyle maintains his links to criminals in that region. His time overseas was also spent dating and marrying several Asian women, whom he has a proclivity toward. He is also suspected of having mutilated and murdered at least one of his wives in the past.

Lyle surfaces in Blue Cove, Delaware, where he is given a top position at the Centre. Ms. Parker does not initially realize that she is related to Lyle, which leaves her perplexed as to why he was so quickly promoted. At one point, Lyle is requested by one of his old Yakuza contacts to kill a witness of a Yakuza related crime in exchange for 20 million dollars. Jarod is outraged at the use of one of his simulations for this plan, and foils it. In retaliation, the crime bosses sever Lyle's thumb from his left hand. Although Lyle later harvests the left thumb of the then-comatose Mr. Raines and has it attached to his own hand, he eventually returns the digit to Raines as a show of loyalty when Raines is placed in charge of the Centre. Lyle is also notable for his murder of Jarod's brother, Kyle.

Mr. Parker

(Harve Presnell, 1997-2000)

(David Sawyer, 1998-1999) {portrayed Young Mr. Parker}

Mr. Parker is Chairman of the Centre and has, on occasion, been forced to work with Raines in order to ensure his position. It is revealed over time that Mr. Raines is his brother, although he was raised by an adoptive family. Because of this, Parker protects Raines at all costs. He appears to shoot and kill an imprisoned Raines, but this is just a deception designed to prevent his daughter from killing Raines herself.

Despite his many coverups, Mr. Parker is devoted to his daughter and ensures her safety on many occasions. Unlike Lyle and Raines, he is not as involved in the hunt to catch Jarod. After Jarod is recaptured by Centre authorities, he and Mr. Parker have a tense confrontation onboard a plane. Jarod convinces Parker to glance at the mysterious scrolls which were found on the Isle of Carthis. After reading the scrolls, Mr. Parker undergoes a sudden change and determines that they must never be seen. He grabs the box containing the scrolls and jumps out of the airborne plane and is assumed to be dead.

William Raines

(Richard Marcus, 1996-2000) {appeared in 45 episodes}

Formerly known as Dr. Raines, William Raines is a long-time Centre staffer and the brains behind the testing that created Jarod, Angelo and countless other individuals who were less fortunate than either. Known for the trademark squeaking of the wheels on his ever-present oxygen tank, Raines is one of the most feared people at the Centre. After a fire in SL27, Raines lungs were badly burned and as a result he is dependent on an oxygen tank. But like all things at the Centre, the actual state of Raines's health disease seems to change depending on the situation. Ms. Parker once yanks the breathing apparatus out of Raines's nose when she believes him to be her mother's killer; Raines merely smiles and continues to breathe normally. Nevertheless, he continues toting his oxygen tank everywhere he goes, though he has regained the use of his voice. Raines's mission is to return Jarod to the Centre at any cost, but his real motives are always kept secret.

Raines was part of the plot to kidnap Miss Parker's twin brother (Mr. Lyle) at birth, and is the prime suspect in the murder of Catherine Parker. Mr. Parker knew that his daughter would try to kill Raines if she believed him to be the murderer. To counteract this, he appears to shoot and kill Raines himself. Ms. Parker is conveniently standing nearby to witness the faked death. He was once married to Edna Raines (now deceased) and had a daughter named Annie, who was murdered in 1975 (thanks to Jarod the criminal was caught, but Annie was already killed and her body was not found until present day). Raines is also the true father of Ms. Parker, having conceived her with her mother Catherine, but the details surrounding Catherine's pregnancy are unclear.

When Jarod reunites with the surviving members of his family on a crowded street, Raines and his team of gunmen arrive to kill everyone on-site. Jarod's family manages to escape, but Raines corners Jarod in an alley. When Jarod demands to know why Raines has done all this to him, Raines simply answered; "because you exist." After a standoff, Jarod turns his back on Raines, who is armed. Raines raises his pistol to kill Jarod, but an unseen gunman fires on Raines's oxygen tank, engulfing him in flames. The shooter is later revealed to be Sydney. Raines remains in an ICU for several months until he recovers from his burns. Mysteriously, following this event his overall health seems to drastically improve.

Dr. Raines' real name is revealed to be Abel Parker, and he assumed the name of his adoptive family, Raines. He is the real father of Ms. Parker and her brother, Lyle. Mr. Parker is the brother of Raines.

Supporting characters

Angelo

(Paul Dillon, 1996-2000) {appeared in 23 episodes}

(Jake Lloyd, 1996-1999) {portrayed Young Angelo/Timmy} {appeared in 5 episodes}

Formerly known as Timmy, Angelo is a savant who exhibits a sponge-like power to absorb personality traits of others. Angelo was one of Dr. Raines' early attempt at creating a pretender, an experiment that failed. Angelo often roams the vast ductwork of the Centre, discreetly spying on others. He has also been shown in several episodes to be one of Jarod's mysterious informants within at the Centre, sending him anonymous emails.

When Miss Parker finds out that she has a twin brother, she first believes him to be Angelo; a subsequent DNA test proves that the twin is Mr. Lyle.

Brigitte

(Pamela Gidley 1997-2000)

Originally a cleaner associated with Lyle, and hired along with him to help capture Jarod, Brigitte immediately became the bane of Miss Parker's worklife inside the Center. To the Miss Parker's further frustration, Brigitte was married to Mr. Parker in February, 1999, later becoming pregnant and gaving birth to a son in 2000 prior to her dying from a medical condition that caused her to bleed to death during the birth of her baby. After the gun that was used to shoot Matumbo, the leader of the Triumvirate, in Africa was planted on her body by Mr. Parker and Mr. Cox, Brigitte's body was then burnt in her cabin.

Broots

(Jon Gries, 1996-2000)

A computer genius who works at The Centre with Miss Parker and Sydney to track down the Pretender, Jarod, and return him to The Centre. Despite both the unsettling atmosphere of the Centre and unsavory nature of his work, Broots is a fairly hapless yet emotionally stable individual. He is devoted to his daughter, Debbie, whom he raises alone.

Emily

(Marisa Petroro, 1997, 2000)

Younger sister to Jarod and Kyle and older half-sister to Ethan. Constantly on the run from the Centre and searching for her brothers.

Ethan

(Tyler Christopher, 2000-2001) {appeared in series finale episode and The Pretender 2001}

Jarod and Miss Parker's half-brother. Ethan's birth parents are Catherine Parker and Major Charles. He was taken and given to a couple named Clausen under the control of Mr. Raines. He is referred to as Project Mirage due to his Inner Sense, which he inherited from his mother, Catherine Parker.

Gemini

(Ryan Merriman, 1999)

A clone of Jarod, younger by approximately 20 years. He was the result of the project called Gemini and is currently on the run with Jarod's father Major Charles.

Jacob

(Dan Cashman, 1996-1998) {appeared in 3 episodes}

(Alex Wexo, 1996-2000) {portrayed Young Jacob} {appeared in 17 episodes}

(Patrick Bauchau, 1996-2000)

Deceased twin brother to Sydney. He was once a "Special Expediter" at The Centre. He was the one who signed-off on the paperwork that transferred Jarod to the custody of The Centre, but it was Mr. Fenigor who actually had Jarod abducted. Jacob was put into a near-permanent coma after he attempted to complain about his duties at The Centre. He revived briefly on two occasions, and survived an assassination attempt by The Centre in 1967, but eventually died of a brain-infesting virus in 1998.

Major Charles

(George Lazenby, 1999, 2000) {appeared in 4 episodes}

Only known as Major Charles, once referred to as Charles ("Dragon House"). It is unknown if this is his first or last name. He is the father of two sons, Jarod and Kyle, who were both abducted by the Centre, and a daughter named Emily, who was born after the boys were kidnapped. In addition, he is the father of Ethan by Catherine Parker, although he is unaware of this fact. He is married to Margaret. Was once a pilot for the Air Force.

Margaret

(Kim Myers, 1996-1999) (appeared in 9 episodes, also appeared in Pretender: Island of the Haunted)

Only known as Margaret, she is the mother of two sons Jarod and Kyle, who were both abducted by the Centre, and a daughter named Emily, who was born after the boys were kidnapped. She is married to Major Charles. She is currently on the run from the Centre and is looking for her family.

Catherine Parker

(Andrea Parker, 1996-2000)

Born Catherine Jamieson and married Mister Parker. Mother of Miss Parker, Mr. Lyle and Ethan. Also involved with attempting to rescue the Pretender Project Children. She loved her daughter Miss Parker very much, and was distraught over the "loss" of her other twin baby (which, unknown to her, was still alive and well). She for odd reasons placed her trust in Mr. Raines when pregnant again, and even went as far as to have her last baby, Ethan, delivered by him. Her faith in him was misplaced though, as he executed her seconds after she gave birth.

Sam

(Sam Ayers, 1996-2000) {appeared in 33 episodes plus The Pretender: Island of the Haunted}

A sweeper of The Centre. He is loyal to Miss Parker.

Willie

(Willie Gault, 1997-2000) {appeared in 17 episodes plus The Pretender: Island of the Haunted}

A sweeper of The Centre. Willie is loyal to Mr. Raines.

Thomas Gates

(Jason Brooks, 1999-2000) {appeared in 8 episodes}

Miss Parker's boyfriend. The only person to make her happy since the death of her mother. She was planning on leaving The Centre with him for Oregon when he was murdered by someone within The Centre because she was "losing her focus". The murderer turned out to be Brigitte, but is hinted to have been on the orders of Mr. Parker.

References