It does manage to neatly blame Todd's problems on the women who "made him do it."

Made him do what? There's no way to fix Todd without undoing the crap writing that's been done to him. Both Dena's and Ron's.

The funny thing is you think I give a [!@#$%^&*] about having this argument with you. You think I don't know Blair's womb is as crowded as a Chuck 'E Cheese on spring break? It just doesn't have anything to do with anything, much less the thread. In the end, you don't care about what Todd did; you care about who he's with and which woman can take the heat for the [!@#$%^&*] he does to people. That's the difference between us.

You seem to have created a rather elaborate narrative around what I think and/or care about. Release yourself from it.

Edited February 24, 201015 yr by marceline

Made him do what? There's no way to fix Todd without undoing the crap writing that's been done to him. Both Dena's and Ron's.

Have you had electroshock therapy? An hour ago you wanted to blame Todd's actions in the last two years on Blair being "a hoor" (sic).

I have a couple ideas but they probably start with bringing back Roger Howarth. I think TSJ is very talented and I think he could do it if he wanted to, but lately I think he's too wedded to subverting and playing against the story in favor of his interpretation of Todd as a completely soulless sociopath to play another genuinely heartfelt story for the character. Like those air quotes - on the page, that scene could've been a simple bit with Todd saying, "I'm sorry for what I did to you," but I seriously doubt the writers intended for Trevor's spin in which he broke out the quotes, rolled his eyes and laughed in Marty's face. Is his interpretation of Todd valid? Sure, given what Todd has done. But it's helping to wreck a long-standing character which the writing has already savaged, and since then I think the writers have kind of given up on writing anything in-depth for Todd because they know TSJ will play against it.

Anyway, regardless of who plays the role, here are some thoughts. As will come to no surprise to anyone who knows me, I would bring back Rebecca Lewis. I would pay Reiko Aylesworth whatever she wanted to come back and reprise the character for a few weeks of taping, or even a few days, let her block-tape with a couple actors like James Franco did and spread it out over several months. Say that Rebecca has been recovered by the authorities after being presumed dead in the explosion at the KAD house. Nobody has any answers as to how she went psycho and helped Powell kill people, what happened to her in the intervening years since she left Llanview; Kyle has a past with her, but he didn't know she was crazy. So what happened? Todd decides to find out and it becomes sort of a Dead Man Walking type of story - Rebecca is behind bars, probably for life, and is terminally ill. She is hostile and unwilling to open up to anyone about what happened to the nice girl everyone once knew. She sees no point in talking to Todd because as she tells him, they both proved to be far less than they each thought the other was; just look at what he did to Marty when she had amnesia. After all their old arguments about faith and hope, she tells him he was right all along, there is no faith and no hope for any kind of salvation for either of them.

Todd is strangely chilled by Rebecca's words and can't get her out of his mind. He pulls away from Tea, who continues to offer him intimacy without recrimination, and digs deeper into Rebecca's case, hoping to effect an appeal of her sentence. From Kyle, he discovers that Rebecca had a family, all of whom were brutally killed under mysterious circumstances; Todd discerns that this must be where Rebecca lost her own strong faith in humanity, but he doesn't know where it went from there. He's determined to find out what happened to her, to 'save her soul,' as she once saved his, and perhaps in doing so, salvage his own - but as Rebecca reminds him, figuring her out won't change anything he's done. It would be a psychological mystery and sort of a crooked romance, and Rebecca would die of her illness, but Todd would manage to break through to her before the end and restore her faith. The only problem after that is figuring out how to continue to try and rebuild himself, and I think he would probably start by giving away all his wealth and take some time away from Llanview, maybe a few months.

It's a start but I question if the audience would go for it. It would be a lot of talky scenes in the jail.

I was once amused by TSJ. It seemed his antics were limited to the scenes with Blair. I like Blair but I was rooting for Todd to get with Evangeline. And then I noticed that his antics included his scenes with almost everyone. So now I know that's only where it all started. TSJ has checked out of everything.

You are so much more creative but my solution is simply to go back to the Walker Laurence days and reveal that this Todd is a Mitch disciple planted by Mitch who used some serum to make him think he was the real Todd. Since Mitch knows all they could write it so that Mitch programmed his Todd with images and memories that helped him with his cover. And then I'd start a mystery story that would effect everyone...the real Todd is still out there.

Edited February 24, 201015 yr by Leia

See Khan's story ideas in the Gordon Russell thread.

I was once amused by TSJ. It seemed his antics were in the scenes with Blair. But now I know that's only where it started. He has checked out of everything.

You are so much more creative but my solution is simply to go back to the Walker Laurence days and reveal that this Todd is a Mitch disciple and the real Todd is still out there.

A popular idea but I think it would invalidate too many years of story.

The women Todd's with are not the problem with Todd. Not any one of them. Marty didn't make Todd re-rape her, Blair didn't make Todd tell her her baby was dead, Tea didn't make Todd agree to not answer for his crimes (she didn't make him hit her, either, or engage with her in their sadomasochism, or fake DID to trick her into remarrying him), and Evangeline didn't make Todd boring. In the case of all Todd's crimes it was a combination of the writing and, on the screen, Todd making horrible choices - which in most cases he would then blame on the women.

Edited February 24, 201015 yr by Vee

A popular idea but I think it would invalidate too many years of story.

The women Todd's with are not the problem with Todd. Not any one of them. Marty didn't make Todd re-rape her, Blair didn't make Todd tell her her baby was dead, Tea didn't make Todd agree to not answer for his crimes (she didn't make him hit her, either, or engage with her in their sadomasochism), and Evangeline didn't make Todd boring. In the case of all Todd's crimes it was a combination of the writing and, on the screen, Todd making horrible choices - which in most cases he would then blame on the women.

I don't blame the women anymore. I've learned. It might invalidate years of story on paper but I think it could play out as a logical way to explain why he's so screwed up today. It will wipe the slate clean of all of the rapes he's had in the last decade starting with the mistaken rape with Blair's tumor. It could fix the Margaret and Todd's rape story. We could also say bye bye to Marty's re-rape.

Edited February 24, 201015 yr by Leia

How would I "fix" Todd Manning?

I'd have Marty castrate him with a cigar cutter.

I was once amused by TSJ. It seemed his antics were limited to the scenes with Blair. I like Blair but I was rooting for Todd to get with Evangeline. And then I noticed that his antics included his scenes with almost everyone. So now I know that's only where it all started. TSJ has checked out of everything.

You are so much more creative but my solution is simply to go back to the Walker Laurence days and reveal that this Todd is a Mitch disciple planted by Mitch who used some serum to make him think he was the real Todd. Since Mitch knows all they could write it so that Mitch programmed his Todd with images and memories that helped him with his cover. And then I'd start a mystery story that would effect everyone...the real Todd is still out there.

Honestly I don't believe that Todd can be fixed and it has nothing to do with the actor. I loved TSJ before he checked out and I loved RH before his third stint. I feel that the character of Todd is like a paper clip that has been bent so many times and in so many directions that it's broken. Todd's been a monster, hero, antihero, wounded little boy, white knight, master of the universe, etc... to the point where everybody has their version of Real Todd AND a whole portfolio of grievances against Fake Todd. The character no longer has any core.

See Khan's story ideas in the Gordon Russell thread.

I did and I hope Khan doesn't mind. I copied it below.

* Mary accepts Todd's offer to work as a reporter at the Sun after she almost endangers her life in order to write a story about "the life". By now, Todd is at his lowest emotionally, with Starr now living in New York with Cole; Jack and Sam living with Dorian at La Boulaie while Blair, the victim of a nervous breakdown, is at St. Ann's; and Tea no longer speaking to him after his machinations in keeping Danielle and Matthew apart result in Danielle filing a restraining order against her own father (with Tea's help). Therefore, Todd sees building a relationship with Mary and Mark as one more chance at redemption. But, once Mary learns all about Todd's litany of past misdeeds, will she have anything at all to do with him, or will she recognize a horrible pattern in her life and try to correct it by keeping her new boss at arm's length?

* We reach the point where Jenny and Kevin are set to marry at Llanfair. Steve and Karen return for the wedding, accompanied by Jenny's younger brother, Brian, who immediately takes a liking to Natalie (much to the chagrin of Rex, who can spot a slickster when he sees one). By this point, almost everyone except Jenny knows that Larry is her father, but now that information is in the wrong hands...namely, Dorian's. Dorian tries to blackmail Larry into helping her get back on at Llanview Hospital. However, on the day of the wedding, Dorian receives yet another visit from "Mel," urging her not to go through with this latest plot. This time, Dorian is convinced the right thing for her to do, but who should show up on her doorstep and overhear her talking to Mel's ghost but none other than Herb Callison! Now a judge, Herb is called in by Viki at the last moment to officiate over the ceremony after the original judge takes ill. He thought he'd stop by Dorian's for old times' sake, not realizing he'd stumble into yet another one of her schemes. What "Mel" can't accomplish, however, Herb can. Dorian goes to Llanfair to tell Larry she has decided to keep quiet about the fact that he is Jenny's daughter...but Jenny overhears everything. It ain't pretty.

Blair makes yet another stab at moving on from Todd, who seems perfectly happy with Tea and Danielle at this point (although, Todd ain't liking the fact that Danielle and Matthew are closer than two teenagers should be). Her new boyfriend, a reporter for the Sun, seems like an all-around nice guy. Unfortunately, Todd is actually paying him to date Blair and report back to him on what she, Sam and Jack are up to. When Addie uncovers Todd's scheme, Todd tries to do "damage control" by firing the jerk, but he chooses to exact revenge, instead, by raping Blair. Fortunately, Addie is able to get to him and Blair in time to knock him out cold and save her daughter, but the shock of the attack, as well as his admission beforehand how Todd put him up to it, send Blair into a catatonic state. Once again, her life is in turmoil; and once again, Todd is the source of all the pain. Therefore, Blair has come to the conclusion that the only way to get away from him is to get away from him (emotionally and psychologically, if not physically).

I loved reading this.

Honestly I don't believe that Todd can be fixed and it has nothing to do with the actor. I loved TSJ before he checked out and I loved RH before his third stint. I feel that the character of Todd is like a paper clip that has been bent so many times and in so many directions that it's broken. Todd's been a monster, hero, antihero, wounded little boy, white knight, master of the universe, etc... to the point where everybody has their version of Real Todd AND a whole portfolio of grievances against Fake Todd. The character no longer has any core.

But that could also be written into the search for Real Todd. Everyone could come to the realization that they don't really know Todd and we can have the characters telling us who they think Todd is.

But that could also be written into the search for Real Todd. Everyone could come to the realization that they don't really know Todd and we can have the characters telling us who they think Todd is.

I'm not into the imposter stuff. Not after everything TSJ has played out with "Walker" coming clean to Starr, his memories during the execution, etc... If they want to fix Todd IMHO they need to fix the character they have. After all that's the one they destroyed.

How would I fix Todd Manning? Honestly? I don't think I can. I don't think anyone can. Todd has to lose everything - and I mean everything - then learn some serious lessons as he moves toward redemption. Frankly, there isn't enough time or patience (on the part of viewers) to accomplish this.

How would I fix Todd Manning? Honestly? I don't think I can. I don't think anyone can. Todd has to lose everything - and I mean everything - then learn some serious lessons as he moves toward redemption. Frankly, there isn't enough time or patience (on the part of viewers) to accomplish this.

Although I know it won't happen, it looks like that's what's been happening this week with Tea, Blair and the kids all moving out at once, it'd be a perfect opportunity for some great self-destructive tendencies to come out and an opportunity to rebuild but....they'll never do it.

How would I fix Todd Manning? Honestly? I don't think I can. I don't think anyone can. Todd has to lose everything - and I mean everything - then learn some serious lessons as he moves toward redemption. Frankly, there isn't enough time or patience (on the part of viewers) to accomplish this.

I read your comments in the Gordon thread but I would love to hear your insight.

Do you think Starr or Dani should get raped to teach Todd a lesson?

Do you think Starr or Dani should get raped to teach Todd a lesson?

Ugh! Isn't there enough rape in daytime?! And why should Todd's lesson be paid by violence against yet another woman?

Edited February 25, 201015 yr by bellcurve