Pretender DVD

[ivyfic]

I got my first season Pretender DVD last night. Yee-haw! The discs are double-sided, but at least the packaging isn't as demonic as due South. I only had time to watch the pilot commentary and the featurettes:


Sadly, the producers didn't tell me anything about the show I didn't already know, really. And MTW in the documentaries - AH! - what is wrong with his hair??

One thing the producers kept saying was that this show was so mysterious. How since Jarod didn't have anyone to talk to, you never quite knew what he was doing. OK, maybe in the pilot I'll buy that. But let's face it, the first season of Pretender is the most formulaic show on TV. Every episode has:
1 - The A plot where Jarod helps a wronged widow or orphan (no widowers - notice). This involves him becoming a doctor or policeman 60% of the time and taking on a last name significant to his adopted profession.
2 - The B plot where Jarod befriends and helps someone he's not there specifically to help but who ends up helping Jarod in the end (the Mrs. Nikos of the ep).
3 - Centre politicking.
4 - A red book.
5 - A DSA.
6 - The poop (the thing Jarod 'discovers').
7 - The set-up montage with techno music.
8 - The takedown.
9 - Miss P arriving someplace Jarod has just left.
10 - Jarod taunting Miss Parker.
11 - Jarod giving a few mysterious clues to Miss Parker.
12 - Jarod calling Sydney or Miss Parker.
13 - Broots simpering.
14 - Miss Parker being a bitch and showing off a lot of leg.
Every episode. If you've seen one, you've seen the whole season. I'm not saying this in a derogatory way, because it's a damn fine formula and works quite well for a season, providing a base for them to experiment with in later seasons. But the one thing the audience is not doing is wondering what Jarod is doing when the music starts and we see him constructing things. Dude, we know.

Listening to the commentary did make me appreciate what a feat it is that they created this essentially sociopathic, anti-social character and made him incredibly endearing. But what comes off most is how sure of themselves and their genius they are. They keep pointing to these "profound" things they added to make the audience wonder, and I keep thinking - I never noticed that. I certainly didn't think it was profound. I think this self-assurance worked against them in later seasons and certainly blew up in their face when the show was finally cancelled. They were given the unbelievable opportunity to make two movies to tie things up, but were so delusional that they'd be able to continue in some form they made utter pieces of excrement. Yes, I am still bitter.

Overall, I am very much looking forward to getting to see the series in high resolution with no static. Previously the only version I had of episodes like "Bazooka Jarod" was a downloaded one with errors in it that made you lose a minute or two out of every act and had wierd buzzing distortions in the sound.

No work is getting done this week.


Plus - the shot of MTW on the cover? HOT.

ETA: Plus, I never think I noticed just how crappy the theme in the pilot is. So glad they revamped that.

Comments

[sydni-64.livejournal.com]

mmmm. I'm gonna need to throw those up onto the wishlist.

::pets Jarod::

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

Can I borrow these sometime when you're through with them? Puh-lease-y with cheese-y on top? I haven't seen much Pretender and the guy's hot enough to merit it. Plus, there's something erotically incestuous about him and Miss P that I just love.

[nyias.livejournal.com]

I've been watching some good old first season Pretender and I totally agree with your statement of it being the most formulaic thing that has ever hit the airwaves. I like it, but formula, baby! It's 22 hours of the same steps. I just never realized that there were 14 steps.

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

There are probably more - just give me time and I'll think of them. The first time I watched the first season end to end, though (in less than a week), I wanted to kick the TV. Enough already!