Parker (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
20poundsofcrazy) wrote2008-09-20 03:53 pm
20poundsofcrazy) wrote2008-09-20 03:53 pm
Entry tags:
[archive] from iFMagazine
ANATOMY OF A CHARACTER:
PARKER (The Thief)
LEVERAGE’S Parker (played by Beth Riesgraf) specializes in security circumventing, infiltration and alter, and she’s quite simply one of the best thieves in the world. But that’s not even half of why this character is so interesting, but it sure adds something to it. Parker can rob a bank in forty two seconds, is skilled in gymnastics, and can steal anything from anywhere with just what’s lying around.
Parker has no first name that we know of, and more than likely Parker isn’t even her last name. She’s a complete mystery other than the fact that she was raised in the foster care system, which seems to have been a horrible experience for her. She doesn’t talk about it at all, and the only reason the rest of the team found out was because of a job where they had to rescue an orphan.
It’s quite possible she was abused as a child, though whether it’s physical, mental, emotional, or sexual is all up for debate. On one hand, when Eliot expressed his doubts on whether the kid actually was even an orphan, she mentions as they’re watching the video: “And there, when she goes to touch him, he flinches. He’s expecting for her to…” and then she trails off and then adds, “Trust me, he’s an orphan.” So the question is, expecting her to what? Hit him? The child did grow up in a really bad orphanage, so was she speaking from an observation, or from experience? That might also explain why she learned to fight, because she can defend herself very well now as an adult.
An argument can also be made for sexual abuse, seeing as Parker seems to absolutely lack all modesty. She changes in front of men, and doesn’t seem to understand that it could do something for them. Children who are abused in that way as a child can sometimes grow up not necessarily understanding that an act like that can be taken as sexual, because it was so routine in their lives that it has screwed with their sense of judgment on the matter. Also, after she kissed Hardison for a distraction as part of a con, she seemed to not even think twice on the matter. He still is trying to get her to talk about it, because he’s clearly attracted to her, but she never seems to understand what he’s trying to say. She could just not link that to emotional feelings because of abuse in her childhood, but then again she could also be putting on an act about not understanding it because she’s terrified to get close to someone.
Emotional abuse could explain why she’s always been so keen on not having any kind of attachments. Parker doesn’t seem the type to ever really have had friends before, showing glee over the fact that “Alice” (one of her aliases) made a friend at jury duty, almost like because it was Alice – because she was acting as someone else – she could finally make a friend. She seems to do things without thinking of how it will affect other people, probably because she’s never had to really think about something like that in her entire life. Almost decapitating her team with an elevator is a good example of something like that.
Mental abuse can also mess up her natural responses to things. For example, finding amusement that Sophie could have almost broken a leg on her first jump down a stairwell, or laughing after Sophie was trying to have her find a sad instance in her life, and used when her father died. Which also brings up a new set of questions, did Parker’s father really die? How did Sophie know that, or was she just guessing? She can’t seem to properly react to things though, and abuse can end up being a major factor in something like that, being taught that wrong is right and right is wrong. It can twist her sense of morality.
Whatever it was that happened in her child, she blames the system for the way she is. Parker always has been a very nonchalant person when it comes to most things… except for when she was talking about her past. It seems to be the only emotional instance that she tends to have a major response to, and it also gave insight into the way she views herself. When she said to Hardison, “No, we put these kids in the system and they’re gonna… they’re gonna turn out like me,” it expressed self hate, and it is also the only time Parker is ever seen crying. Of course she’s tried to stop herself, possibly viewing crying as a sign of weakness. The way she furiously wiped away her tears after that made it seem like she hated doing it.
The thing about Parker is that even if she did have this horribly traumatic childhood that effects the way she views the world, thinks, expresses herself, and does things, she’s also incredibly strong because of it. If one or more of those things did happen to her, then the way she turned out is nothing short of a miracle. She’s self reliant, a survivor. She took what was wrong with her life and used it to become one of the best in her field of interest, even if that field is morally wrong. She learned to take control of situations and form them to reflect her best interests, which is a skill most of us long to have.
Parker is said to have a mild case of Asperger Syndrome, a form of autism. Which can explain some behavioral abnormalities with her, but some of those things can also be explained by other disorders as well, or even just things that happened growing up. Asperger’s tends to cause difficulty is social interaction, and also can cause intense interests (like Parker’s fascination with money), but it also seems to have a very significant symptom of physical clumsiness, which Parker definitely does not have, and the inability to be independent, which also isn’t true for Parker. She also seems to show an intense lack of empathy, and due to that she could have become numb to emotional attachments because she had so many failed attempts as a child, who naturally tend to have a desire for companionship.
But one could also argue that even in a mild case, Parker still seems too high functioning, and that there are other logical explanations for her behavior. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, could explain her flashbacks. In the series, every character has had flashback sequences, but while most of the time it’s to explain something in the story and the character doesn’t physically react to it, Parker does. When the flashback was seen of her blowing up her foster parents house she smiled and when the flashback was seen of her witnessing “a horse kill a clown”, she kind of shook herself out of it, like she was remembering it, or even living it for a moment. It also could explain why she stabbed the man in Serbia after having another flashback and confusing the tape she saw of Luca, the orphan, with herself and incorporating him into it. Realistic flashbacks and also confusion about the specifics of the event or events, is a very significant symptom of PTSD, and if she did have a very traumatic past that might explain it.
Her obsession with money too, could also just be a response to something in her past. Maybe she links money with happiness, because with money she was finally able to be free of whatever it was that she was trapped in, leading to her having a better life. There’s so many possible theories on the inner workings of Parker’s mind, that will only be revealed if the writers ever decide to let us in on it.
In one episode when she had to pose as a patient in a rehabilitation center, she was diagnosed with kleptomania, a compulsive stealing behavior. While it was meant as just a cover, there are signs that point to her legitimately having the disorder. For example, people with kleptomania tend to steal things to hoard them. Hoarding is one of the things that are recognizable in Parker, such as her money. She doesn’t seem to like to spend it, instead keeping it in the form of which she stole it, rather than trading it in for material value. Also, when she stole a flight attendant outfit for one con, she’s seen in another episode wearing the exact same outfit for another con. She stole it; therefore hoarded it by keeping it for no apparent reason and probably not thinking that it may be useful later, even though it turned out it was. She also doesn’t seem to be able to control her stealing, lifting things from others without even realizing she’s doing it (“I couldn’t help it, it was just instinct.”)
One thing that’s recognizable in Parker is her lack of interest in the opposite, or even the same sex. Most of the characters sexual preferences are clear in the series, or at least give you an idea of one thing they might like. Nate was married to a woman before, Sophie’s into Nate, Hardison’s into Parker, and Eliot apparently always has a woman or two in his life, though we usually only hear about them, never seeing them outside of one incident. But what about Parker? Her kissing Hardison can arguably just because it was part of a job and not for any other reason, and her job seems to be the only thing she ever shows intense interest in. I’m sure the Parker/Hardison shippers hate me a little bit for that statement, but it’s a possibility. She’s never talked about any past relationships, romantic or sexual, and is never seen flirting with anyone (if she even knows how). But Parker doesn’t often conform to societies labels, so even labeling her as gay, straight, or bisexual could be absurd in it’s own right, because she seems to be the type of person that will just take whatever’s in front of her and if she likes it she likes it, if not then she doesn’t. She could also just be completely uninterested in romantic or sexual relationships in general, or even just have never had them due to her issues relating with other people; it’s anyone’s guess.
Parker is one of the most fascinating characters I’ve seen on television in a long time, and the writers give her a very unique depth. Riesgraf portrays her spectacularly as well, giving the character a sense of social awkwardness without making her seem like she’s seriously mentally handicapped. Her motions that seem laced with a touch of insanity and her speech that shows her bizarre train of thought all tie into the character brilliantly. Parker is a big fan favorite, at first causing a bit of a stir because no one understood her, but then growing on a lot of people in a predominant way. Parker has a lot of characteristics that can make you relate to her on some level, no matter which one, and can also make you laugh but feel for her at the same time because of how different she is.
PARKER (The Thief)
LEVERAGE’S Parker (played by Beth Riesgraf) specializes in security circumventing, infiltration and alter, and she’s quite simply one of the best thieves in the world. But that’s not even half of why this character is so interesting, but it sure adds something to it. Parker can rob a bank in forty two seconds, is skilled in gymnastics, and can steal anything from anywhere with just what’s lying around.
Parker has no first name that we know of, and more than likely Parker isn’t even her last name. She’s a complete mystery other than the fact that she was raised in the foster care system, which seems to have been a horrible experience for her. She doesn’t talk about it at all, and the only reason the rest of the team found out was because of a job where they had to rescue an orphan.
It’s quite possible she was abused as a child, though whether it’s physical, mental, emotional, or sexual is all up for debate. On one hand, when Eliot expressed his doubts on whether the kid actually was even an orphan, she mentions as they’re watching the video: “And there, when she goes to touch him, he flinches. He’s expecting for her to…” and then she trails off and then adds, “Trust me, he’s an orphan.” So the question is, expecting her to what? Hit him? The child did grow up in a really bad orphanage, so was she speaking from an observation, or from experience? That might also explain why she learned to fight, because she can defend herself very well now as an adult.
An argument can also be made for sexual abuse, seeing as Parker seems to absolutely lack all modesty. She changes in front of men, and doesn’t seem to understand that it could do something for them. Children who are abused in that way as a child can sometimes grow up not necessarily understanding that an act like that can be taken as sexual, because it was so routine in their lives that it has screwed with their sense of judgment on the matter. Also, after she kissed Hardison for a distraction as part of a con, she seemed to not even think twice on the matter. He still is trying to get her to talk about it, because he’s clearly attracted to her, but she never seems to understand what he’s trying to say. She could just not link that to emotional feelings because of abuse in her childhood, but then again she could also be putting on an act about not understanding it because she’s terrified to get close to someone.
Emotional abuse could explain why she’s always been so keen on not having any kind of attachments. Parker doesn’t seem the type to ever really have had friends before, showing glee over the fact that “Alice” (one of her aliases) made a friend at jury duty, almost like because it was Alice – because she was acting as someone else – she could finally make a friend. She seems to do things without thinking of how it will affect other people, probably because she’s never had to really think about something like that in her entire life. Almost decapitating her team with an elevator is a good example of something like that.
Mental abuse can also mess up her natural responses to things. For example, finding amusement that Sophie could have almost broken a leg on her first jump down a stairwell, or laughing after Sophie was trying to have her find a sad instance in her life, and used when her father died. Which also brings up a new set of questions, did Parker’s father really die? How did Sophie know that, or was she just guessing? She can’t seem to properly react to things though, and abuse can end up being a major factor in something like that, being taught that wrong is right and right is wrong. It can twist her sense of morality.
Whatever it was that happened in her child, she blames the system for the way she is. Parker always has been a very nonchalant person when it comes to most things… except for when she was talking about her past. It seems to be the only emotional instance that she tends to have a major response to, and it also gave insight into the way she views herself. When she said to Hardison, “No, we put these kids in the system and they’re gonna… they’re gonna turn out like me,” it expressed self hate, and it is also the only time Parker is ever seen crying. Of course she’s tried to stop herself, possibly viewing crying as a sign of weakness. The way she furiously wiped away her tears after that made it seem like she hated doing it.
The thing about Parker is that even if she did have this horribly traumatic childhood that effects the way she views the world, thinks, expresses herself, and does things, she’s also incredibly strong because of it. If one or more of those things did happen to her, then the way she turned out is nothing short of a miracle. She’s self reliant, a survivor. She took what was wrong with her life and used it to become one of the best in her field of interest, even if that field is morally wrong. She learned to take control of situations and form them to reflect her best interests, which is a skill most of us long to have.
Parker is said to have a mild case of Asperger Syndrome, a form of autism. Which can explain some behavioral abnormalities with her, but some of those things can also be explained by other disorders as well, or even just things that happened growing up. Asperger’s tends to cause difficulty is social interaction, and also can cause intense interests (like Parker’s fascination with money), but it also seems to have a very significant symptom of physical clumsiness, which Parker definitely does not have, and the inability to be independent, which also isn’t true for Parker. She also seems to show an intense lack of empathy, and due to that she could have become numb to emotional attachments because she had so many failed attempts as a child, who naturally tend to have a desire for companionship.
But one could also argue that even in a mild case, Parker still seems too high functioning, and that there are other logical explanations for her behavior. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, could explain her flashbacks. In the series, every character has had flashback sequences, but while most of the time it’s to explain something in the story and the character doesn’t physically react to it, Parker does. When the flashback was seen of her blowing up her foster parents house she smiled and when the flashback was seen of her witnessing “a horse kill a clown”, she kind of shook herself out of it, like she was remembering it, or even living it for a moment. It also could explain why she stabbed the man in Serbia after having another flashback and confusing the tape she saw of Luca, the orphan, with herself and incorporating him into it. Realistic flashbacks and also confusion about the specifics of the event or events, is a very significant symptom of PTSD, and if she did have a very traumatic past that might explain it.
Her obsession with money too, could also just be a response to something in her past. Maybe she links money with happiness, because with money she was finally able to be free of whatever it was that she was trapped in, leading to her having a better life. There’s so many possible theories on the inner workings of Parker’s mind, that will only be revealed if the writers ever decide to let us in on it.
In one episode when she had to pose as a patient in a rehabilitation center, she was diagnosed with kleptomania, a compulsive stealing behavior. While it was meant as just a cover, there are signs that point to her legitimately having the disorder. For example, people with kleptomania tend to steal things to hoard them. Hoarding is one of the things that are recognizable in Parker, such as her money. She doesn’t seem to like to spend it, instead keeping it in the form of which she stole it, rather than trading it in for material value. Also, when she stole a flight attendant outfit for one con, she’s seen in another episode wearing the exact same outfit for another con. She stole it; therefore hoarded it by keeping it for no apparent reason and probably not thinking that it may be useful later, even though it turned out it was. She also doesn’t seem to be able to control her stealing, lifting things from others without even realizing she’s doing it (“I couldn’t help it, it was just instinct.”)
One thing that’s recognizable in Parker is her lack of interest in the opposite, or even the same sex. Most of the characters sexual preferences are clear in the series, or at least give you an idea of one thing they might like. Nate was married to a woman before, Sophie’s into Nate, Hardison’s into Parker, and Eliot apparently always has a woman or two in his life, though we usually only hear about them, never seeing them outside of one incident. But what about Parker? Her kissing Hardison can arguably just because it was part of a job and not for any other reason, and her job seems to be the only thing she ever shows intense interest in. I’m sure the Parker/Hardison shippers hate me a little bit for that statement, but it’s a possibility. She’s never talked about any past relationships, romantic or sexual, and is never seen flirting with anyone (if she even knows how). But Parker doesn’t often conform to societies labels, so even labeling her as gay, straight, or bisexual could be absurd in it’s own right, because she seems to be the type of person that will just take whatever’s in front of her and if she likes it she likes it, if not then she doesn’t. She could also just be completely uninterested in romantic or sexual relationships in general, or even just have never had them due to her issues relating with other people; it’s anyone’s guess.
Parker is one of the most fascinating characters I’ve seen on television in a long time, and the writers give her a very unique depth. Riesgraf portrays her spectacularly as well, giving the character a sense of social awkwardness without making her seem like she’s seriously mentally handicapped. Her motions that seem laced with a touch of insanity and her speech that shows her bizarre train of thought all tie into the character brilliantly. Parker is a big fan favorite, at first causing a bit of a stir because no one understood her, but then growing on a lot of people in a predominant way. Parker has a lot of characteristics that can make you relate to her on some level, no matter which one, and can also make you laugh but feel for her at the same time because of how different she is.