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Recap / The Pretender S 2 E 14 Amnesia

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(episode is listed at IMDB as "Amnesia", in some other places as "Unforgotten")

Jarod is knocked unconscious when a confrontation goes wrong, and wakes with no memory of his identity and past. Miss Parker, Sydney and Broots are called before a tribunal on suspicion of helping Jarod evade the Centre.


This episode contains examples of:

  • Amnesia Danger: Jarod loses his memory after a knock on the head and needs to resolve the case he was working on and escape the Centre with the handicap of not knowing who he is or what he's capable of or why these people are after him.
  • "Blackmail" Is Such an Ugly Word: Argyle, after taking Jarod captive with the intention of selling him to the Centre, complains "That's cold" when Jarod refers to himself as a prisoner. When Jarod challenges him to say what he'd call it instead, though, he can't think of anything, and changes the subject.
  • Can't Kill You, Still Need You: Since Jarod hasn't been secured yet, Argyle becomes a "punk in the trunk" instead of shot outright just in case the Sweeper team needs further information. He knows his chances are lousy regardless, as he screams the second Jarod opens the trunk.
  • Cat Scare: Played with. A Centre mook sneaking up on the building where Jarod's been staying hears a noise, and investigates with gun drawn... but it's just a small dog that's been hanging around all episode. He relaxes — and then Jarod pops out behind him and knocks him out.
  • Clip Show: Both Jarod's attempts to regain his memory and the tribunal interrogation serve as pretexts for reshowing scenes from earlier episodes.
  • Did I Just Say That Out Loud?: Broots comments about Jarod's cleverness and tricks making the pursuit fun and the look in the man's eyes, only to realize that such talk makes him look very guilty.
  • Didn't See That Coming: When confronting Sharpton, Jarod says he knows all about his drug smuggling and basic routine. Sharpton tells him he's got all the details down, except for the part where he picks up a partner. Jarod is then immediately cold-cocked by the partner.
  • A Dog Named "Dog": Argyle's dog, whose name is indeed "Dog."
  • Dramatic Irony: Centre and Triumvirate leaders are right to suspect a mole is helping Jarod, but they never once suspect it's Angelo.
  • The Gadfly: Once Brigitte was restrained, Jarod could've just made his escape, but he was only too happy to call Mr. Raines on her phone to gloat.
  • Heroes Love Dogs: "Dog" saves Jarod from the freeze. He later helps distract the Sweepers, after which Jarod calls him a good dog. After restraining Brigitte and letting Argyle out of the trunk, Jarod fully intends to donate the Centre cash to the nearest animal pound in Dog's name.
  • "Hey, You!" Haymaker: When Jarod is picking off the Sweepers.
    Jarod: Nice to see you again, Willie! [wham]
  • Ignored Expert: Knowing Jarod better than anyone, Sydney stresses that the aggressive tactics preferred by Mr. Raines and others are only serving to drive him further away. He warns that they'll ultimately cause Jarod to disappear altogether. His comments go completely ignored.
  • Interrupted Bath: According to Sydney, he was apprehended for the T-Board while taking a shower.
  • Kangaroo Court: Miss Parker's team is put before the T-Board (administered by Mr. Raines and Brigitte), as it is believed one of them is the one leaking information to Jarod. Brigitte actually arranged this herself - cutting a deal with the Triumvirate at the others' expense and saving herself reprisals for previous actions.
  • Little People Are Surreal: The Centre tribunal features a variety of surreal touches to put the subject off-balance, including a dwarf stenographer.
  • Not Quite Dead: Sharpton and his partner opt to leave Jarod for dead, expecting the freezing temperature to finish him off. Thanks to Argyle and his dog, Jarod survives to face both criminals again in the last scene.
    Jarod: You remember me?
  • Oh, Crap!: Jarod's look of realization about what's fixing to happen a split-second before Sharpton's partner knocks him out.
  • Out-Gambitted: Rather than fight the T-Board, Mr. Parker went along with it because he fully expected Brigitte to screw up catching Jarod and thus discredit her argument to the Triumvirate. As he said, he kept a hungry dog at bay by tossing it a bone.
    Mr. Parker: It's not about who knows what; it's about who thinks they know what and what you want 'em to think.
  • Outside Ride: During one of his drug runs, Sharpton hit a little girl and left her to die so that the authorities wouldn't find out about his dealings. Jarod punishes him by tying Sharpton to the hood of his own truck and taking him for a wild ride.
  • Perp Sweating: The tribunal sessions take place in a darkened room, with the subject and the tribunal sitting on opposite sides of a table that has built-in bright lights shining into the subject's eyes. Broots's session also includes a variation on the taunting-glass-of-water routine: nobody keeps it out of his reach, but he can't bring himself to drink it once it occurs to him to wonder what might be in it apart from water.
  • Pragmatic Villainy: Argyle works to keep the amnesic Jarod alive, as he sees him as a chance for a "brass ring" to get out of squalor.
  • Punk in the Trunk: Argyle's attempt to sell Jarod out to the Centre results in the Centre operatives locking him in the trunk of their car so they can deal with him once they've secured Jarod.
  • Shout-Out: Jarod describes the consistency of Sharpton's dealings as "Same Bat-Time, same Bat-Channel."
    Jarod: I heard that on a rerun.
  • Tap on the Head: Jarod's amnesia is the result of being hit over the head and knocked unconscious.
  • Taught by Experience: When confronting Sharpton a second time, Jarod notes that he always learns from his mistakes. This time, he knocked out Sharpton's partner instead of the other way around.
  • Who Are You?: Past occurrences of this get a montage of clips, as Jarod gets his memory back. Also done during the rematch with Sharpton.
    Sharpton: Who the hell are you?
    Jarod: I'm many people. But tonight, I'm a truck driver.

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