The Weird Calm After The Storm
So I'm not saying it was a bad episode. It wasn't. I'd even say it was a pretty good episode. It was just... weird. But first let's get the obvious best bit covered. I was completely unspoiled on when Viki and RHTodd would first share the screen, and she clearly hadn't been given the heads-up yesterday (seriously, guys? no phone call to his sister?) and was in the episode for her involvement in Clint's storyline, so the ending was an unexpected treat. Going down the holding cells at the jail to make sure Clint's settled in okay (awww, she's adorable)...
I think my heart almost burst in this moment. Mom! It's your brother! He's right behind you! (Uh, sorry Real Mom if you're reading this, she's just my TV mom, I swear.) TURN AROUND! She did.
Love! I am so excited about today's episode.
Elsewhere in the tale of two Todds, we got some fantastically acted scenes between RHTodd and Tea, complete with stranded-on-a-desert-island flashbacks (RHTodd's first flashbacks that haven't just been still images). Those two still have some serious chemistry and it reminded me of a time that I found that couple very engrossing, and it was nice to see a focus on her reaction to all this since the initial reveal kept her a little bit in the background. And I'm sure there's plenty more to come -- no matter what happens, there's the Dani issue. That's a big one. (Did anyone else find it hilarious that when RHTodd reminded her that she always called him "sir" when they first knew each other, she said he'd readthat somewhere? Where would one read such a detail? I'm sure there were plenty of newspaper articles about their shenanigans, but it cracks me up that one of them may have had a line like, "Interestingly, when the aforementioned pair first knew each other, Mr. Manning referred to Ms. Delgado only by her last name, while Ms. Delgado only referred to Mr. Manning by the moniker 'sir.'" Fascinating and newsworthy, indeed!)
However. We also got Blair filling Dorian in on what's happening and... well, Blair basically told Dorian in between two scenes. So we missed Dorian's reaction completelyand by the time we came back to the scene, it was just kind of a typical casual advice conversation between Dorian and her niece. Huh? Dorian was majorly involved in a lot of RHTodd's old stories (as well as the Walker-is-Todd storyline). This wouldn't rock her world the way it rocks Blair's, but it should be pretty earth-shaking nonetheless. The discussion looked more like Blair had just told her she found out that Todd turned out to really have two middle names instead of just one and she may have been wrong about that all along. And in the middle of it, David came bouncing in with more jokes about Vicker Man and, sure, David is comic relief and is basically a big giant buffoon, but he toohad a lot of involvement in RHTodd's old stories (back when David Vickers had depth and darkness in addition to the humor). It looked as if maybe they hadn't really explained the whole thing to him yet, but that Dorian was going to tell him upstairs and... offscreen. Again. Offscreen. Does this not seem a little bizarre? There's huge drama and huge moments here and they're happening offscreen or just not happening at all. I can only hope that they will actually share the screen with RHTodd and might have a bigger reaction then, because at the moment it feels like they're not mining the obvious history that can give us huge impact today. I am allfor Viki getting the big shocking moment before characters more peripheral to Todd's past, but then let's get to it because it's there for the taking, people! It's not like Robin Strasser can't rise to the occasion!
And Blair is just now (the next day!!) calling Tomas to ask him to explain everything he knows about the two Todds??!
In non-Todd stories (what? these exist?), Nate 'fessed up to Bo that he's the one who hit Matthew. Look, I don't blame Nate for having been angry at Matthew; he had every right to be (and hell, I've cheered some of my favorite characters on for getting in a good right hook on some folks who've done 'em wrong). But let's not forget that neither Nate nor his mother were facing prison time because of Matthew's silence: they both faced prison time because they both falsely confessed to the crime. Because they are really, really dumb. Boring and really, really dumb. So it bums me out that Bo was so damn gentle with Nate about it (but I guess that's par for the course with Bo and Ford boys, inexplicably). I wonder if Matthew will feel the same way when he wakes up? Of course if Matthew wakes up facing anything but a murder conviction, I guess he should be relieved.
Speaking of that murder conviction, Nora dropped the charge against Clint for killing Eddie Ford. I was so relieved that Clint still pled guilty to the rest of it and even stated that those accurate charges alone would give him decades in prison (since soaps have this tendency to never send anyone to prison for anything less than full-on pre-meditated murder), but I am super-curious how the hell they're going to get out of this one. Could OLTL really come to an end with both Matthew and Clint serving time? It seems highly unlikely. Maybe they'll both same some lives and get a pardon from the governor. Guest Star Tom Corbett!
Rex was on. So there's that. He's seeing Gigi floating around the house and instead of thinking she's a ghost or a hallucination, he thinks she's probably alive (seems likely, Rexie), and Echo's trying to talk him out of this insanity. I'm so frustrated about Echo. I liked her as a horrible bitch who happened to have a legitimate soft spot for Rex and Shane, but I think they made a real misstep when they had her almost murder Dorian. It was just too far. They could have played that entire scenario out the exact same way with the exact same results (and payoff, if you can call it that) without the intent-to-kill part. She could have just taken her and tied her up, and Dorian still could have been saved by Sam, and Rex still could have made Clint blackmail Dorian into dropping the charges. They could have hit every beat of the story with the attempted-murderer beat and been just fine (hell, abducting someone and holding her against her will is nothing the show's female lead Natalie hasn't done!) and Echo could still have been around as 95% bad girl and 5% woman who wants to connect with her biological son. As is stands, it's just... off.
Well, I'm off to start my countdown to today's Erika Slezak/Roger Howarth scenes. I feel like I've been waiting eight years for this! Oh, wait...
LOVE this show! Almost every episode is ending in a great soapy cliffhanger. It's on fire!
Blair, Tea, Starr, etc.. LOOK at RHTodd's eyes, hands, feet, height, and weight. Listen to his voice. DUH people! How can they not know who the real Todd is? There are just so many differences and not just in the face. This bugged me 8 years ago when TSJ took over the role. Plastic surgery can only do so much.
Robin S looks like she is feeling the back pain in her scenes lately. I wonder if this is why she isn't front and center with the reveals. I hope she is okay.
Nate is GONE/DONE now, right? Please? Are we going to get Matthew back before this goes off ABC?
8 years waiting.. Vicki and Todd! Squeeee!
Posted by: Holly | August 04, 2011 at 11:01 AM
I CAN'T WAIT FOR VIKI/RH-TODD SCENES!!! WOO-HOO!
Any and everything related to "The Tale of Two Todds" (huge missteps aside) are the only things worth paying attention to on OLTL. Everything else is painfully boring (Ghost-Gigi, seriously?) I really liked RH-Todd and Tea in their first go-around, their scenes yesterday were wonderful.
Can Trevor St. John please stay?! I adore him so. I think OLTL needs him and his brand of menacing intensity. I loved Todd threatening Nate. TSJ also gives Todd this subtle desperation of a man on the verge of losing it all. These smaller character moments are fascinating to watch. I disagree with the writers: Llanview is large enough for two Todd Mannings!!!
Posted by: soapbaby | August 04, 2011 at 11:07 AM
And you can tell the writers don't even believe it. They are RELISHING writing for both RH and TSJ, both Todds in this totally new light. And RH and TSJ are both nailing it. I have no doubt they're really disappointed to not be writing for both of them anymore. Makes me sad to think about!
Posted by: Louise | August 04, 2011 at 11:11 AM
You're absolutely spot-on about Echo. Using her as Rex's voice of reason when she almost killed a woman in cold blood over Chuckles? Big misstep.
I knew it was coming, but everything about Ghost!Gigi makes me roll my eyes.
Posted by: C | August 04, 2011 at 11:54 AM
It looked to me like Blair's explanation to Dorian was written and filmed, but was edited out for some reason. And, really, I'm not all that upset that Dorian and David don't get massive reactions to this.
Maybe it's just me, but I totally get everyone not immediately coming home from the premiere and calling everyone in their phone book to announce that there are two Todds. They probably just all stared at the wall all night in numb dumbfoundedness. It's also not like it was in the paper or on Access Llanview; only the family was there when it all was revealed.
Bo chewing that gum and then offering a stick to Nate? GANGSTA! That really was a great scene. And I know they're going to agree to not press charges on Nate in exchange for him not telling about Matthew killing Eddie. At this point, they (and US) just want it to be over, and that's the best, fastest way.
I think TSJ did some really great work yesterday, too. He was almost tender with Dani, which isn't something he normally is. And I liked they're whole thing about "safety nets" and "phone call aways," because that's something all parents and growing children have to deal with.
Posted by: Bourgeois Nerd | August 04, 2011 at 01:21 PM
the Tale of Two Todd's is bringing everyone's A game all of them KDP.FL,RH,TSJ and KA are stellar. I do not know why RS is not involved more she was there for Blair during most of the RH's Todd drama. Erica Slazak and RH jail scenes were brillant. This show is also using great flashbacks in this story . This is the only stroyline i am enjoying on this show everything else is FF material for me.
Posted by: sarah | August 04, 2011 at 09:06 PM
I wish OLTL had the budget and sense to have kept both RH and TSJ because this s/l could run for years with everyone taking sides on who is the "real" Todd Manning. Todd#1 does something that pushes everyone to believe that Todd#2 is the "real" deal..
Posted by: LadyBug | August 04, 2011 at 10:46 PM
I would've loved to see RH and TSJ on screen together and sniping at each other. The big long term battle would've been over Jack. If only the show could cast a decent teen Jack! I'd say kids, but really it wouldn't be much of a fight. Starr would go right back to her true daddy without a second thought. Dani? Dani already has had 2 dads. And she has only accepted TSJTodd as a parent in the past year or so. So the big war would be for Jack. Jack should be the Manning kid torn up emotionally. TSJTodd has been the (utterly crappy, IMHO) father that has raised him. And he is the one adult that knows the truth about Gigi's death. He covered up Jack's guilt and now Jack really is tied to the guy. No matter what. But for this story to be fully fleshed out we'd need at least two things: 1) TSJ staying for awhile. 2) A teen Jack that can actually act. And who isn't a damn sociopath.
Posted by: stlbf | August 04, 2011 at 11:48 PM
I'm more of an AMC fan, but did happen to catch OLTL the other day when Echo was trying to soothe Rex. Can someone please explain why when everyone else says "Gigi", Echo says "Zhee Zhee" as if she is from Paris (France, not Texas)? Just wondering.
Posted by: Smooshiest | August 05, 2011 at 03:54 PM
@Smooshiest, Bob Woods (Bo) says Gigi with a French twist too, so I'm guessing it's just how he and Kim Zimmer (Echo) decide to say the name. There is a classic movie from 1958 titled 'Gigi' about a French girl in Paris, and her name was obviously pronounced the French way. KZ and RSW are old enough to maybe be influenced by something like that.
Kind of reminds me when some wondered why some of the characters said "Eye-nez" instead of "Ee-nez" for Inez.
Posted by: Emily | August 05, 2011 at 08:03 PM
McBain can show some manners and keep his trap shut. How dare he speak to Vicki the way he did? Has she ever asked him why he considers bathing only an option, not a requirement? Or has she asked him to bring a doctor's note to prove he's actually not a walking corpse?
I know McBain doesn't exactly have a firm grasp on human relations, but questioning your almost and most-likely future mother-in-law the way he did is not the way to made a good impression on the inlaws.
Today, once again, was a spectacular show. I didn't even mind Mrs. Potato Head - much, anyway.
BTW, I think whoever is the fake Todd should be forced to take Jack as punishment. The kid is not only a psychopath, he's a lunkhead. Dropping him on his head could only help.
Is it at all possible that he's really a McBain spawn?
Posted by: Ron | August 05, 2011 at 11:56 PM
McBain got on my nerves in his scenes with Viki. I know ME is a Frons pet, but ES rules that freaking show and Viki is not someone to talk down to. I rarely care for John and never wanted him back with Natalie or tied to the Buke/Lord family. What a jerk. I hope Marty lied and that Liam is really Brody's son. The last thing we need is for McPoop to procreate!
Posted by: LadyBug | August 06, 2011 at 12:26 AM
I have been liking John McBain in his supporting role in "The Tale of Two Todds" s/l and I liked his scenes with Viki at the police station yesterday. I don't feel that he was talking down to Viki at all, rather, he was being practical. How can Viki sit by and condone all of Todd's horrible actions over the years. I thought the scenes were well done.
Regarding ES being the star of OLTL, she SHOULD be but TPTB havent written the character as such in years. ME has been positioned as the star since he came on the scene.
Posted by: Soapbaby | August 06, 2011 at 11:50 AM
Soapbaby, I was okay with the scenes - or to be more accurate I WOULD have been okay with the scenes if McBain hadn't come across in such a condescending manner. And when he described Vicki's attitude to Todd as being "blind devotion", that just irritated me. He spoke to her continuously with that supercilious "how can you be so stupid" smile on his face throughout the entire conversation, and then threw in the "blind devotion" comment after she had done to explain to him exactly why she feels she can't walk away from him. Did he not hear her when she described how she considers both her and Todd to be extremely damaged people due to Victor Lord?
I guess he really wasn't asking Vicki anything, just using the form of a question so he could tell her off about not hating Todd. That, to me, is asshat behavior. You'd think he'd all of a sudden become Ryass Lavery.
I didn't hear a conversation, I heard a lecture and the delivery of judgement he'd already arrived at.
The man is an ass.
Posted by: Ron | August 06, 2011 at 03:08 PM