Clip of the Day, Jan 9, 2011

I am sorry to be LATE with today's clip, but I could NOT tear myself away from the story I am watching in the later times of Todd's life!



Wow, the comparison between Todd the STALKER and Todd the DOTING FATHER who is LOOKING OVER HIS SICK DAUGHTER is.....hard to explain in words. Current viewers talk about "the evolution" they see in "Todd's character," but they could NEVER be so wrong. The REAL evolution of this character took place from the car crash and pardon to the DID story. Roger allowed us to WITNESS the change in this character over time, through good times and bad, and the experiences and people that changed him throughout the few years we were fortunate enough to see his work.

You'll never see me jump on the bandwagon against or for Todd as a redeemed family man. I don't see it that way. I see it as a multi-faceted character who WILL NEVER be one way or the other fully. In other words, he won't ever be a leading romantic man all the time; he won't ever be a cruel, violent character all the time; he won't ever be a newspaper publisher all the time; Todd will be many things, all the time. He will be the most complex and intriguing character ever to grace daytime. Of course, we're not referring to the current "Todd," but the only and the original.

That being said, I am not against the scenes and stories where he is acting as a loving father and devoted husband. And, I am not against the scenes where he is holding 14 people hostage, or throwing Tea out into the snow. These scenes are ALL PART OF HIM and show what he's capable, good and bad. I've come to accept, as everyone should, a constant ebb and flow and up and down for this character, as long as Roger is playing him. He'll never be fully happy and fully forgotten as a rapist, and he'll never be fully damned and lost to life either. This is what I love about him.

As a writer, I see that all aspects of Todd were crucial in developing him. Writing Todd must have been the most fun a writer can have. You have full reign to make him painstakingly cruel, heartbreakingly miserable, pitifully damaged, mysteriously caring, and heart-warmingly romantic AT THE SAME TIME. What is better than that? Writing a one-note character, say a "hero" is so much easier, but also so much more dull.

Todd'll never be static and he'll never be boring, that is for sure, and that is why current "Todd" is not Todd at all. The Real Todd Manning is a writer's dream if the writer has the capability, compunction and creativity required. Of course the writers are not alone; without an actor like Roger, you have NOTHING. This is why you'll never catch me poo-pooing the Lord Heir story. It was necessary to have him rise, and then painfully crash, and do this again and again. That's WHO HE IS. This "rinse and repeat" is how LIFE REALLY IS for us human beings. We often make the same mistakes with the expectation of different results. It sometimes takes us years, or a lifetime, to see which way to go and what to change.

However you slice it, our Todd, the Real One, evolved a HUGE amount in a very short 6 years. Even the comparison between Stalker Todd in this clip, and Toy Store Todd only 3 years later is STUNNING. Thank you Roger, and I believe Josh, for this.

So today's clip is a tad empty until the last few minutes. Mostly, it's Marty and Rebecca chewing the fat regarding Todd, Jason and Marty chewing the fat regarding Suede, and our boy trying to get into position to make Marty pay, once and for all and hiding under her bed (I just looked hopefully under mine, no dice.) Driven to almost madness, his need for revenge was bigger than anything else at this point, even his freedom. Compare this to a man who is willing to do anything, even trade his own life, for his one-year old little daughter's. So complex and rich!!! The thing that people COMPLAIN about regarding Todd is really what has made us hooked into him. Expecting Todd to be one way all the time is a foolish folly. He can be like us, and be like someone we'd never want to be, all in a day's work.

FAIL: Too much talk about Suede and not enough TODD. LOL.

Sound off!

Question of the Day, Nov. 16

Younger Actors Then and Now

Let's look at the "younger actors" from 1993 and compare them to today's crew.

First part of the question: Who is the LEAST EFFECTIVE OF THE YOUNGER CHARACTERS in the 1993 story?

1. Jessica
2. Marty
3. Rachel
4. Kevin
5. Powell
6. Zach
7. Jason Webb
8. Todd
9. Rebecca

Now, after choosing that person, explain whether or not you think there is a BETTER younger actor/actress than your WORST 1993 pick on TODAY's OLTL and give your reasons.  

This should be a fun one.

Ellenbay, guest blogger, on Manning vs. Spencer

What comes to my mind when I think of the similarities of these two characters is not only that they are both rapists. As children, they were both beaten by their fathers. In Todd’s case, it was his adoptive father. The similarities stop here.

Luke went on to be raised by his Aunt Ruby. She was a madam and his sister became a prostitute, but Aunt Ruby loved Bobbie and Luke. Todd’s adoptive mother tried to protect him, but never could. Peter Manning was brutal towards Todd as a boy. T odd grew up to be a tortured-soul. Luke had his demons and more when his character was new on GH, but as time went on, he became more of the adventurous hero. Todd was no hero, and RH wouldn’t permit his character to become one. Luke was tortured by his passion for Laura, who was married to Scotty. When he couldn’t have her, he raped her. Todd raped two women; Carol Swift and Marty. I don’t know the history between Carol and Todd, but I do know that Marty rejected Todd after they had slept together once. He instigated the awful gang rape of Marty.

In many ways both these men were like children who couldn’t get their way, but took what they wanted anyway. RH was on OLTL on and off for 10 years, and this incredible actor’s integrity was the backbone behind the audience never forgetting Todd was a rapist. He did not want to ever be considered a leading man. On the other hand, AG became quite the leading man on GH. I am not putting down AG’s integrity….I am just making a point about RH’s. Not until TSJ took over the role of Todd did this character become a leading man. Luke Spencer became a leading man after he and Laura ended up together and many times after Genie Frances left GH, he played opposite many different leading ladies. Luke was, and still is, a passionate and flirtatious man with the ladies. Todd (our Todd) had deep-seeded intimacy issues. He only loved two women, Blair & Tea, but his intimacy issues were never resolved. They were part of who he was part of what made him so tortured. Luke used to be somewhat of an intense character, but he developed more into an adventurous, free spirited type. When I think of Luke Spencer, I think of him as almost cartoon-like.

Roger’s Todd was and always will be intense and tormented. Both of these men can act. I don’t see the greatness in AG that I see in RH, though. Even though AG won six Outstanding Leading Actor Awards, I just never got it. I always liked Luke a lot, but never loved him. On the other hand, RH only won once for Outstanding Younger Actor. He should have won many Outstanding Actor awards for his role as Todd Manning for years following, but did not.

What do you all make of this and what are your thoughts on these two?

Ellenbay is a bookkeeper who runs her husband's mobile dog grooming business in California. She is a 30+ year fan of ABC soaps.