The Pretender follows the life of Jarod, a genius 'pretender' who was abducted as a child by a secretive organization known as The Centre. Raised in a windowless facility, Jarod was trained to simulate any profession—from surgeon to pilot—to solve complex problems for the organization. After discovering the true, sinister nature of his captors, he escapes and goes on the run, using his extraordinary skills to help those in need while constantly staying one step ahead of those sent to retrieve him. As Jarod navigates the world, he experiences the simple joys of life he was denied as a child, such as ice cream and comic books, while searching for the truth about his kidnapped parents. He is relentlessly pursued by Miss Parker, a cold and calculating operative from The Centre who shares a complicated, intertwined history with him, along with the brilliant but morally ambiguous Sydney, the psychologist who raised him in captivity.