Theory:Gretchen Berg

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The following fan theories are about Gretchen Berg.

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Theories

Theory	Citations	Notes
Gretchen Berg has an ability to learn things quickly.	None.	+ She said she was getting better at Guitar Hero with every second. + When she was explaining the Jump, Push, Fall theory to Claire she threw the orange really far on her third example. - How does orange-throwing aptitude imply that she learns things quickly? • Every action you do is one you learn. She demonstrated learning through repetition and threw that orange much further, surprising even herself. - Anyone with basic motor skills can throw an orange. + It makes perfect sense for the Guitar Hero event. Which would also make sense for her sudden interest in Claire. With this ability she's probably able to know Claire has an ability just be learning about her. - Learning Claire through an enhanced learning ability makes no sense, not if her supposed learning works like it's supposedly did with the Guitar Hero. + On the contrary, Gretchen may have her power since she was younger. Since Gretchen was from Texas like Claire was. Gretchen may have met Claire before. Gretchen may have met Claire and not known her personally. Like a class mate. Not everybody befriends every class mate. They probably talked a few times. Claire wouldn't remember her cause not everybody remembers their class mate that they don't hang out with, and for the fact now that their in college, Gretchen could of changed her looks (dyed hair, lost weight, longer hair etc.) - If her ability is learning things while doing them, like in the Guitar Hero scene, it makes absolutely no sense for her to learn about Claire's ability with her own ability. Claire's ability is an information she acquired, learning like she did with Guitar Hero is a skill, it doesn't work the same way. + For all we know in Texas Gretchen probably didn't go by the name Gretchen but by another name. She could of changed her last name as well. This would make since if she as an ability. She was probably hunted down before by a unknown source that the company doesn't know about. The company didn't know every single people with ability and they didn't know every single hunter. - There may be evolved humans who were never discovered, and therefore were never hunted down. + She may have not been discovered by the Company and other people without abilities, but they could of been an unknown group of people hunting them down. Like the Company who was unnoticed by the outside people, these hunters are unnoticed by the company and the outside people which would make perfect sense for unknown hunters not known by anyone other than their victims. Remember people with abilities are always going to be hunted down by someone, either Bennet, Danko, or someone else we don't know about. - It doesn't mean every evolved human will always be hunted down. • This ability can be intuitive aptitude. - Gretchen shows no indication of having the Hunger that it comes with the ability. + She might not be fully aware of her ability yet. She has not used her ability and the Hunger has not shown up. - She has stated that she was getting better at Guitar Hero by the second, if she had intuitive aptitude, the learning of something would have triggered it, and she would have the hunger. • Also, it is not known whether the Hunger is a part of intuitive aptitude. It may simply be a manifestation of Sylar and Sampson's own psychoses, crosswired into their ability.
Gretchen Berg might be related to Zach, Claire's best friend.	She's obsessive with Claire.	+ She has a obsessive blog about her. Had pictures that obviously seem like home pictures that Zach might have since he's her best friend. - She knows about the incident at Homecoming, she doesn't have a blog about her. - Obsession isn't a sign of relation. • Most of Zach's memories were erased by the Haitian. It's possible that any memories he might have had of Gretchen were removed.
Gretchen is actually from California and dated April.	None	+ Her comments about cheerleaders is not unlike that of the Costa Verde crew. - Jackie Wilcox and Debbie Marshall are not the only bitchy cheerleaders, look at the ones at Betty's school. + It may turn out that she moved to Costa Verde after what happened to Claire. + This could be a way for the writers to mention April as a former lover of Gretchen. - April is an insignificant character who didn't even have lines. • April may not be lesbian at all, since her sexual orientation was only mentioned once in a spoiler. - She has never been seen at any of Claire's schools. + Those schools are like a thousand students each. + Gretchen has revealed she is bisexual and had at least one girlfriend before. - What she said was she had at least 6-7 more boyfriends than girlfriends. She may never have had a girlfriend before. + That seems likely, seeing that Claire is not her first female interest.
Gretchen will be like Zach and lose her memories of Claire.	None	+ Claire confided in Zach in Season One and when Noah found out, he had the Haitian wipe his memories. - Claire has made it clear to Noah that she no longer wants to keep secrets, and that telling Gretchen about her power was her decision to make, not his. It would not be in Noah's best interest to have Gretchen's memories erased. + Of course, that doesn't mean that someone else wouldn't erase her memory for other reasons. + Hayden Panettiere has hinted in an interview that this could be the case. - Her mention of the Haitian likely referred to the scene where Noah said he was going to summon the Haitian to erase Gretchen's memories and Claire told him that she would ban him from her life if he did so. + Madeline Zima has filmed a scene with Jimmy Jean-Louis. - This doesn't mean every actor/character who has filmed scenes with Jimmy Jean-Louis, has necessarily lost their memories. - This could relate to a past event.
The writers created Gretchen because of the bisexual Zach and what happened with lesbian April.	None.	+ The show has been criticized because Zach's sexuality was left ambiguous at the request of the producers of The Sarah Connor Chronicles (he was originally intended to be gay). + The show promised a gay/bisexual character and the actress who played April left. + There has been a rise in interest in lesbian characters since Willow Rosenberg, from Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. • Willow is the first openly lesbian major character on regular television. Xena and Gabrielle's sexual preferences are ambigious and Bianca Montgomery is not a major character on a regular television series. + Following the episode Hysterical Blindness, it has been confirmed that Gretchen has a sexual interest in Claire. + Gretchen is confirmed to be bisexual in Strange Attractors.
Gretchen will suffer the Dead/Evil Lesbian Cliche.	None.	+ She is a stalker and has questionable ethics (discussing stealing a cadaver). - She isn't really a stalker, and didn't actually steal a cadaver. + If the writers decide not to set her up with Claire, they might have Rebecca kill her off. - Or they could call in The Haitian. + Rebecca already made attempts on Gretchen's life. Unless she is an evolved human, it is likely that she will try again. - Gretchen has gone home. It is unlikely that she will be seen again. Becky has no more reason to kill her.
Gretchen was a bag and tag victim of the Company.	None.	+ Madeline Zima has filmed a scene with Jimmy Jean-Louis. - This scene was displayed in Shadowboxing. He is Gretchen's protector. - Maybe the Haitian will erase her memories of Claire's power after all. - Matt Parkman and West Rosen had vague memories of being bagged and tagged. Gretchen does not. + They were both dealt with by Noah Bennet. This is obviously not the case with Gretchen. She could have been bag and tagged by Eric Thompson, Sr.. - Gretchen has not displayed a power yet. She may not have one.