UPDATED 3-10-08

CRAZE

Descent Into Madness

The integral character of Todd Manning has waffled for years now between
the darkness and the light. This week, he went so dark that he can only
be described as crazy.

Hello there, soap fans. I don't know about you, but I was BLOWN AWAY by One Life to Live this week. This first week of March packed more of a punch than anything February Sweeps had to offer. That's not to discount some of the more boring content we're always going to be stuck with (hello, Cristian and Sarah), but there was very little of that. The effect of the writers' strike ending clearly showed this week. The interim writing staff, as led by Gary Tomlin, had made it's mark: Addie came out of St. Anne's and got more screen time than ever before; Lee Ramsey went from vaguely menacing side character to taking over Llanview, and Todd Manning went from being the bane of the McBains' existence to a loving husband and father. Well... that's all out the window now, isn't it? This week, we saw Addie disappear from our screens, Lee Ramsey vanish from sight, Lindsay and Clint form a bond of darkness and secrecy, the Vegas got some interesting material for the first time in eons, and the Manning family utterly exploded. I know Ron Carlivati's material won't officially air for a few more weeks, but SOMETHING happened behind the scenes when they filmed this week's episodes. A new influence was clearly present.  I made a lot of observations about the show this week, but what happened between Starr, Cole, and the Manning family takes the cake and is the bulk of what I want to discuss.

The chaos that ensued stemmed from Todd's ludicrous and completely illogical decision to move his family to Hawaii. Starr, thinking she would never see Cole again, and taking her mother's advice to have sex with the right guy the first time around, wound up losing her virginity to the son of her father's rape victim (Cole, that is). It wasn't planned, but it made sense. I'll be the first to admit - and I'm sure most people who've been watching the show since Kristen Alderson was a wee little girl would agree - that hearing Starr say the words "Make love to me," was more than a little discomforting. Seeing her and Cole half-naked made many me squirm. But let's be realistic, shall we? Starr is sixteen years old, and that is when most people lose their virginity, whether their parents want them to or not. Despite squirming and wincing a bit during these scenes, I thought they were very well done. Kristen Alderson and Brandon Buddy handled the emotion behind the sexuality well. I believed that they loved each other and that this was going to be their ideal first time (or they believed so, at least). I'm glad the show skipped over the actual sex, though. And now I see that the writers used that as an actual red herring in the storyline... they want us to believe Starr when she insisted that she and Cole did not have sex. But we know that they did. The question now is, is Starr really going to be pregnant? That is the rumor, and while I absolutely do NOT want to see her pregnant - I cannot help but admit that, considering what went down AFTER the Starr/Cole sex, it would be extremely juicy storytelling. So I'm more open to it than I was before I saw this week's episodes. ABC has started a (click for blog) blog for Kristen Alderson to advocate for teen sexuality issues. For me, this seals the deal that Starr is pregnant. I could be wrong, but I doubt it. Back to the action...

Let's start with the creepy scenes in which Todd thought he was talking to Starr but Langston was actually the one in Starr's bed. The foreboding feeling started there for me. I felt worried for Langston's safety. We knew that if Todd caught Langston and Markko, he was going to freak out. And that he did.  Markko, who was hiding in the closet, got punched and slapped in the face by "Mr. Manning," who then raised his hand to punch Langston before she shrieked and cowered from him. Then he punched Markko in the stomach.  By the time this scene had finished, I was utterly shocked and in a state of complete repulsion towards this character I've loved for so long, Todd Manning. Yes, Todd loses his temper. Yes, Todd says ridiculous things.  Yes, Todd threatens people. But I hadn't realized - aside from selling babies on the black market out of misguided jealousy - that he was a child abuser. Apparently, he is. Because as we all now, what Todd did to Markko paled in comparison to the attempted murder he initiated on Cole. As if it wasn't enough to rape and try to murder Cole's mother, Todd was now hell-bent on finishing off the second generation of the Thornhart brood. 

Don't get me wrong, folks. I was utterly riveted by everything that transpired in this storyline. The acting and directing were superb. But, something very deliberate was done to the character of Todd Manning. He was brought back to the character we first met almost fifteen years ago, to the teenager who initiated a gang rape, raped another, and tried to kill innocent women repeatedly. After all of the work that's gone into redeeming this son of a bitch, it's now been erased. And you know what?  It was amazing television. Probably the most entertained I've been by One Life to Live since Todd's execution (ironically, the moment when Todd was most "good" and had been completely redeemed). Watching Todd mane two teenage boys and physically threaten the daughter he supposedly loves as well as Langston was too much for me. What I felt brewing inside my guts was that undeniable fire of hatred. I cannot remember the last time I hated a character as much as I hate Todd right now. I literally want to watch Todd Manning get tortured, and then I want him to be locked up either in prison or in an insane asylum for the foreseeable future. He is that evil to me. He is a child abuser who has no problem beating up kids, yet cowers from adult opponents like Lee or even John McBain. Speaking of John, what perhaps MOST astonished me about the story was how quickly I found myself ROOTING for John... and for NORA, of all people! When Cole arrived home at the Buchanan mansion, and gave away that Todd was his assailant I was shouting for John and Nora to join forces and destroy Todd! And in case you don't read my column very often, I usually HATE Nora and John! Todd's actions this week caused me to actually LIKE them. So I suppose that's a sign of brilliance in the writing right there. After all, we are SUPPOSED to like John and Nora, right? It's probably okay if we don't like Todd. He is, after all, a rapist. And now, a child abuser too. 

But what's to become of Todd Manning? Why has he been written into a corner like this after fifteen years of redemption? Why has he been turned back into a monster, into a man that seems absolutely capable of rape? There's only ONE THING that can save Todd. He needs a strong dose of punishment and he needs to be forced to deal with his childhood. Todd was abused throughout his childhood by Peter Manning, and perhaps that needs to really come to the forefront now. Additionally, Todd has shown that he cannot handle Starr's sexuality. I'm sure it's difficult for any parent to handle their "little girl" growing up, but Blair is handling it just fine. She actually impressed me with her choice to grieve the loss of Starr' innocence WITHOUT judging her. Todd, on the other hand, violated Starr's privacy and even worse, became fixated on her being raped. I realize that Todd thinks everything is about him, but his daughter having sex is not about him. He is too smart not to realize that she loves Cole, and vice versa.  In fact, in recent weeks, Todd seemed to LIKE Cole.  Now, all of the sudden, Cole's a rapist?  No.  This obviously has to do with Todd's own history of rape. But the writers have already dealt with Todd raping Marty (just a few months ago, they spent quite a lot of time together and were practically friends). They've already dealt with Margaret raping Todd. There has to be more to it. Either Todd was raped as a child by Peter Manning, or there is some other serious mental condition that is materializing here. Todd's level of delusion regarding what actually transpired between Starr and Cole is alarming. He needs immediate attention from a mental health professional. If I were Blair, I would have Todd committed. Wouldn't you? Would you leave Todd Manning alone with your child? 

So where is this going? I have no idea. I think Todd may have schizophrenia or possibly even D.I.D. like his sister and niece. In any case, he needs to be punished and held accountable for his actions. I think a Starr pregnancy would really push him over the edge. Meanwhile, I am once again losing respect for Blair for being with this man. She has been enabling Todd for awhile now. She barely even reacted to his wanting to move to Hawaii. She didn't really stand up to him, instead seeking Viki or someone else to do it for her. Sure, she was hard on him this week and stood up for Starr.  But it's not enough.  She should not let Todd near any of the children. I really believe that the Todd Manning who emerged this week is capable of rape, murder, and torture - and I believe he is sick enough to commit such crimes on his own children without realizing what he is doing.

Any story that can produce this strong of a reaction has to be considered good television. I commend Kristen Alderson, Kassie DePaiva, and Trevor St. John for turning out Emmy-level work this week. This was one of Alderson's best weeks ever, and I think she's going to ride this wave for quite some time. It's about time she got a story like this. Now I can cheer for her again instead of wish that her whining would stop. The look on Kassie DePaiva's face when Blair realized that Starr may have had sex is something that will stay in my mind for awhile - it was brilliant.  And Trevor made me hate Todd more than I ever thought possible, playing the material to the absolute hilt. I just hope that getting me to hate his guts was the desired effect. If it wasn't, we have a major problem.

RANDOM STUFF

- I loved Vintage Dorian blackmailing Nora.
- But Vintage Dorian would never be stupid enough to leave incriminating evidence against herself on that tape.
- I also hadn't realized how STUPID Roxy really is until she burst in on the Dorian/Nora scene and exposed Dorian without even knowing what the hell the two women were talking about. If I were Dorian, I'd make sure Roxy paid for that at some point.
- And since when is Roxy Jewish? She keeps using Yiddish on the show lately - maybe Nora should listen up since she never acknowledges that she's Jewish!
- Roxy wouldn't care if that tape got released. She's done WAY worse than that.  Why is she acting like her life would be over?
- I can't believe Dorian started that fire. Oh, puh-lease! It was kind of funny, though.
- But why were Dorian and Nora acting like the water sprinklers were going to melt them?  They were more afraid of the water than they were of the fire!
- Did you notice that Gigi is next to Rex on the opening now?
- It was nice to see Blair have a rival again in Lee... but when her rivals are male, she usually ends up sleeping with them.
- Why would Todd think the Manning's would be safer in Hawaii where they'd be completely isolated? 
- The Starr/Todd scenes BEFORE she ran off with Cole were very powerful, too.
- Langston and Markko were SCREAMING and laughing upstairs and Todd and Blair didn't hear them?
- Where the hell is Addie? I wanted to see her reaction to this Hawaii crap.
- And what about Addie's reaction to the rest of the drama this week? That would have been interesting.
- Why is no one calling 911 on Todd's ass? 
- The Lindsay/Clint interactions were intriguing. Welcome back, devious Lindsay!
- And hello, devious Clint! I LOVE that the show is making him more like Asa.
- I don't know if I can stomach Lindsay and Nora trading off on these brothers, though.  I don't want Lindsay/Clint.  Then again... maybe?
- John/Talia/Antonio scenes were boring... but what's this about John and Talia doing the nasty? Really? Okay, then. 
- Do you get the feeling Lindsay has some sort of master plan going right now?  I do.
- Langston didn't mention to Starr that Todd also beat up Markko.  She didn't tell Dorian, either.  Hmmm.
- Langston needs to tell Dorian that Todd is threatening her.  Dorian needs to THROW TODD OUT.  He could rape Langston.
- Never in a million years did I think I would cheer for John punching Todd out.  What?!?
- How has Charlie gotten by all of these years without a job?  Is he retired?
- I love Rex and Gigi together... but the high school flashbacks were kind of stupid.
- Clint never says goodbye - he just hangs up the phone!  Have you noticed?
- I wonder what Evangeline would have to say about Todd assaulting children.  Oh never mind - if she was still around none of this would be happening. 




MAIL REPORT

"There is no doubt in my mind that in your next column you will be getting on Todd because of his violent acts towards Markko/Langston/Cole/Starr. I hope that you do not dwell on this to the point of having tunnel vision where these scenes are concerned. I would like to see you acknowledge Trevor St. John for doing a phenomenal job with these scenes! He has been very convincing! Trevor had me thinking that Todd was actually going to hit Starr for a minute there at La Boulaie on yesterday's show! These scenes should also help to put to rest the nonsense talk that TSJ cannot portray a dark Todd."  - Sue 

Absolutely - Trevor can do dark. I don't see how dwelling on a grown man beating the crap out of teenagers and fixating on an imaginary rape of his daughter and completely ignoring his marriage on top of all this, is grounds for having "tunnel vision," though. This was some SERIOUS stuff and it was riveting entertainment - but also very disturbing indeed.

"I agree that Marcie needs HELP. She is not well."  - also Sue

I could be wrong, but I expect that Todd and Marcie may both wind up in St. Anne's - can you imagine? I think they may need to forgive each other for a few things before they can get right in the head. They're both completely insane.

"I would much have preferred Todd to find Starr and Cole in bed, get pissed and then walk back out without choking Cole. When Starr returns home I'd have loved for him to just tell her that he can't trust her or look at her the same way again and just can't talk to her ever again too. Much better than seeing Todd picking on Cole and being a bully because he can't beat Ramsey's ass."  - Selena

Just how much of Todd's violent rampage had to do with his past as a rapist? How much had to do with his inability to accept that Starr wants to have sex? How much has to do with the sexism and objectification of women ingrained in him by Peter Manning and which Blair has put up with for so many years? And yet... how much of it had to do with the fact that a bigger, badder wolf came to town in Lee Ramsey?  The timing is a bit damning, I'd say. But ALL of these things factored into his rage.

"Hey Jeremy, do you think that Tina could have anything to do with the BE takeover/Lee Ramsey? Or is Andrea Evans' return off the table?"
- Yvette

Andrea Evans will return to OLTL, of that I have no doubt. Will it take place in 2008? Yes, I believe so. Is it already a done deal but being kept under wraps? Perhaps.  There is a strong spumor going around that whoever is behind the BE takeover is a "fan favorite." That could mean Dorian, Todd, Lindsay, or it could mean Tina. It could mean a whole lot of things. If it were Tina, I would be absolutely ecstatic.

"Who is the person behind BE troubles? That isn't to hard to figure out. Max Holden!"  - Sheree

James DePaiva could certainly be considered a "fan favorite." This could be a possibility. But... why would Max want to ruin the Buchanan's?  If anything, he should be kissing their ass for not sending him to prison for fraud for pulling the same scam Jared is pulling. And if Max wanted a piece of Buchanan Enterprises, he could simply blackmail Jared since he knows about the scam. I don't see the logic behind Max taking over BE in this fashion - but I'd still probably accept it since it would be an impactful return for the character. I'd strongly prefer Tina, Lindsay, or Dorian behind it. The spumor states the person is a fan favorite, but doesn't stipulate that the fan favorite is someone currently off the canvas. Intriguing, isn't it?

"I do agree with you about all the people running around BE to "SAVE" Asa's company… if BE is in jeopardy then blow the trumpet and call out the Calvary…  send the private jet to bring home London's Buchanan's. If they cannot fly to Llanview,  tele-conference... this is the era of live internet and advance communications."  - Karen

I know. I do believe Joey will be coming home soon with a brand new face (maybe HE'S the one taking over BE?). But it IS rather absurd that Kevin, Joey, and Cord are being kept out of this storyline. At the very least, it would have been nice to get Dan Gauthier back as Kevin, if even for just an episode or two.



Please send your OLTL thoughts, complaints, suggestions, and desperate pleas to:

Robert Iger, President of Disney (ABC Parent Company)
robert.a.iger@disney.com. 

Anne Sweeney, President of ABC
anne.x.sweeney@abc.com.

That's it for this week.  Thanks for reading, and don't forget to e-mail me.
 
 

 

 

Until next time - don't forget to feel the Craze! 

Jeremy in Chicago

 

 

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