| Randall Kirkwood | |
| Portrayed By | David Krumholtz |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Date of Birth | June 1, 1983 |
| Age | 25 |
| Zodiac Sign | Gemini |
| Aliases | None |
| Place of Birth | Davis, CA, USA |
| Current Location | New York City, NY, USA |
| Occupation | Various blue-collar |
| Known Relatives | Charles (father), Lisa (mother) |
| Significant Other | Kory Alexander |
| Known Abilities | Can detect Evolved powers. Or so he believes. |
| First Appearance | Broken Glass |
Randall is an itinerant Californian in search of the paranormal - white magic, alien technology, what have you.
History
Growing up, Randall displayed a moderate intelligence and work ethic, and enjoyed a healthy social life (eccentric by nationwide standards, but fairly normal for the area).
An early interest in comic books was limited by his allowance, so he contented himself with the occasional random sampling. During high school, he became interested in the Church of All Worlds, spending some time during the summer with their nest in Sonoma; his parents didn't think too highly of the idea, but let him have his way, figuring that denying him at that point would merely inspire him to rebel.
He drifted further down to Berkeley, majoring in history and continuing to pursue his intuition that Something Important was playing out in the realm of the paranormal. He picked up bits and pieces from physics and literature, but avoided getting too detailed in any one area, rationalizing it by insisting that the value of doing so was offset by a forest-and-trees problem.
Equipped with a patchwork of theories and a Greyhound schedule, he set out for New York. (Not that important things weren't going on in California as well, but he felt he was too easily distracted by its mundane aspects, and needed to start fresh.) His plan is to live cheap, work some odd jobs, and keep his eyes wide open.
(OOC: Randall's ability to notice and correctly interpret Evolved powers is limited to human perception and misperception, and can thus be as accurate - or as laughably inaccurate - as you like. Feel free to make suggestions, or to let me pick something that will maintain variety.)
Timeline
- January 2008:
- Randall and Kory finally sit down and discuss their abilities. (Two Guys, a Girl, and a Penthouse)
- New day job, doing charcoal portraits for tourists. He might actually hang on to this one for more than a month. (Who We Are)
- A search for an invisible visitor is interrupted by news of Niki's disappearance, leading to a moment of self-discovery. (Bad Day At The Geekatorium) Later, the search is continued via anonymous e-mail. (Wabbit Season)
- Kory mentions that she's worn herself out helping Peter deal with Sylar. (A Lot More Complicated) Randall looks up the unfamiliar name, and doesn't deal with it well at all. (Fractured Dreams)
- After a chance meeting with Kory's brother Anzeti goes south in a hurry, Randall receives a strange visit and a stranger warning. (A Butterfly Effect)
- Discovers that he was reading Portia all wrong, and also that his future will not be including a singing career any time soon. (Fox on Ice)
- Is schooled in high-class bartending, then gets dragged out of a bar brawl and back to his home state. (Not Tonight) Later on, he and Charlotte start getting properly acquainted. (Networking)
- The time apart from Kory is interrupted, and not in a happy way. (Cold Snap)
- Nope, the portrait gig fell apart over sick days. Ponders making more of his amateur photography. (Mornington Crescent)
- Indulges in some teen angst with Chase. (A Talk in the Park)
- February 2008:
- Narrowly avoids being dragged into a mob hit law enforcement action. (Nothing to See Here)
- Re-hired for portraits, he gets to watch Jamie play Evel Knievel. (It's All Fun and Games)
- The time apart from Kory is formally ended, unintentionally driving Leslie further over the edge in the process. (Making Up Is Hard to Do)
- Makes plans for an impromptu Valentine's Day date to cement the reunion (Playing Dress Up), only for Kory to drop off the face of the earth (Where in the World Is Kory Alexander?). Good thing he recently met someone who can find her… (Nine Kinds of Crazy)
- Kory gathers the strength to reach out to Randall once more as he dreams. (Signal and Noise)
- While Charlotte and company mount a rescue, Randall and Ian chase down Leslie on foot and haul him back to the Lair (Save the DJ, Spare the Nerd), where Sophie digs out his remaining secrets (Deprogramming). Kory finally collapses from the strain, and is rushed to the hospital for treatment both conventional and otherwise. (Down to Earth)
- He and Kory start to get better acquainted with Peter and Sophie. (Visiting Hour)
- March 2008:
- Kory and Lee are asked by Leslie's lawyer to settle out of court (Blood in the Water), which has the advantage of not having to explain six impossible things to a jury before breakfast (Waffles Plans Puppies And Waffles).
- Talks with Kory about long-term career prospects, and her (hopefully) temporary depowering during her recovery. (A Job and an Adventure)
- This time, Peter drops out of contact (In Search of...). The Scoobies folks at the Lair prepare to look for him, only to be warned off by his future self (Time for the Twilight Zone).
- April 2008:
- Warns Niki away from a run-in with Sophie, but the damage is already done. (Tangles)
- Learns from Kory about his possible dark fate in Future Peter's timeline, and starts brainstorming on averting it all. (Cue Billy Joel Please)
- May 2008:
- More brainstorming, this time including the creative possibilities of the Deveaux building. (The Swinging Bookcase)
- A throwaway line covering for Sophie catches the attention of Chase, who knows lies like the back of her hand. (Hot Streak)
- Learns that Pinehearst has succeeded, but might still be stopped before they go public. (Contagious Justified Paranoia)
- Dodges a bar fight before drawing Chase into the project. (Fist To Future (Pt.1))
- June 2008:
- Learns about the father and daughter behind a new threat. Meets Gabriel for the first time. Kory invites him to move in… (What Do You Do With A Problem Like Elisabetha?)
- …but he declines, explaining a little more about his personal research and its dependence on his own apartment. (Sapphire and Teal)
- Is summoned by a dream vision, along with others, after Future Peter's death. (Carrying On)
Relationships
Quotes
- "And the thing with New York is, it depends on how you measure it."
- "I guess you're right… there's kind of a Fletcher and Tanya vibe to the whole thing, if the book's all you have to go on."
- "I'm not pursuing my dream into corners like that."
- "…or have we looped back around to Topaz yet?"
- "Hurt. Trying for me! But hurt."
- "He's hiding something."
- "I did that because I had to. Something like that could happen again, but I'm pretty sure I don't have the right mindset to go looking for it."
Trivia
- As part of his Emperor Norton gag, Randall sent a serious letter to the president. The form-letter reply is now framed and hanging on his wall.
- Randall has never done an opening voiceover, but maybe someday...
Paths not taken
In an alternate future, Randall heads up a drug ring that sprung up around the Pinehearst formula, putting him in excellent position to get his own fix on a regular basis; thanks to the formula, he now has a real ability in addition to his imagined one. Portia is his head of security and lover, in that order.
- Discusses business with his gang, and learns that Sophie is now in his way. (Merchandizing)
- Sends KeLyssa to deal with it, which doesn't work out how anyone expected. (What You Need)
- Debates the situation with Kory when she drops into his dreams. (Transmissions from Sanctum Somnus)
- KeLyssa reports in on Niki and Kory, and is advised not to attack them or their allies directly. (Best Intentions)
- Locks himself away for some personal time with Portia. (Behind Closed Doors)
In a different alternate future, Randall remains in quiet solitude while the Evolved take over the country.









