The Pretender - Seasons 1 - 4 (1996)

Great box, great story, could've been better format

This review is about the box contents and not a review of the series itself.

The Pretender Seasons 1-4 DVD box allows the viewer to grasp the full series of this great show if one should buy the end movies The Pretender 2001 and Island of the Haunted as well. The DVD box contains all four seasons in four double-sided DVD discs per season, making the DVD box small enough to not waste any space on the bookshelf.

There are mainly three things that hinder the rating to become 5 stars.

First off, the DVD box is Region 1 only, while most shows and DVDs released today are region free one has to have a Region 1 compatible DVD player or if using software, change the region decoding.

Second, audio and video haven't been improved very much since the show was on TV. While the average The Pretender fan won't mind and will be just as happy to have the whole series on DVDs, the movie enthusiast may be somewhat disappointed that the show is in 4:3 aspect ratio only and normal audio (No DTS or Dolby Surround).

Last, there's no box (though Better Together offer) containing all four seasons and the end movies. If you want the whole series with an ending, order the end movies (The Prender 2001 and Island of the Haunted) as well. August 20, 2008

AWESOME SHOW

NOT FINISHED WATCHING THIS COLLECTION, YET. IT'S AMAZING WHAT I MISSED WHILE WATCHING IT WHEN ORIGINALLY AIRED. LOOKING FORWARD TO WATCHING IT AGAIN AND AGAIN. June 2, 2008

Great series

The Pretender series, which hasn't made it onto our screens here, is great viewing with lots of twists to the story leaving you wandering what is going to come out of the woodwork next. I got a taste of the series through DVDs of an American friend. The only disappointment I have is that the first disc of the first season is not working properly - I have only been able to watch the first two episodes and then had to jump to the next disc ços nothing else worked Missed 5 episodes I think. The other discs so far are ok - currently I'm watching the first disc of the second season. Here's hoping season 3 and 4 are ok. May 17, 2008

an underrated show

It is always a pleasure to watch The Pretender. Even though its horrible time-slot caused it to be largely ignored by the American public, it inspired a score of more recent shows, such as Alias. It served as transition in the world of television.
It is difficult to assign a genre to The Pretender. It can be seen as a detective show, as drama, or even as science fiction. It tells the story of Jarod, a genius who can become anyone he wants to be. Because of his extraordinary capacities, he is kidnapped as a child by a secret corporation called The Centre. They keep him prisoner all his life, exploiting his genius for their own profit. The series starts as Jarod has escaped and finds himself, a grown adult, in the real world for the first time. The Centre sends its agents after him, as he roams the country looking for his family and saving the weak and abused, constantly changing identities.
Michael T Weiss is splendid as Jarod, growing from lost little boy to angry man, and always conveying emotions through his eyes. You will learn to love Miss Parker (Andrea Parker), the villain who turns out to be a lot more fragile than she appears. Patrick Bauchau plays Sydney, Jarod's mentor, and successfully makes the viewer both love and distrust his character. Finally, it will be difficult for you not to identify with Broots, played by Jon Gries, who represents the common man forced to live in such a hostile environment.
The plot of The Pretender is innovative, and I dare say, addictive. I also advise you to buy the two movies, Pretender 2001 and Island of the Haunted. You will find yourself joining the ranks of fans who fight to get a closure to the show.
The DVDs themselves are great, even though they could have used more bonuses. The commentaries are a treat.
Happy hunting! April 7, 2008

Great show........even better price!

I bought this set for my wife's birthday and we both love it. We were huge fans of the series & never did get to see all of the episodes because it was obviously on before DVR or TiVo was available(honestly, how did we EVER live without this??!!??).

Most television shows cost about $40-$80 per season, so when I saw this price, I had to purchase it.

If you've never seen the show & are still "on the fence" after reading the synopsis, don't be. This was a great show that was pretty original in all of the different twists it took with the main characters. Seemingly everyone but Jarod bounces between good and evil. February 14, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...