Clip of the Day, March 27, 28 and 29 (200, 201, 202)

Well, sorry about the lapse! SOMEONE (me) didn't get this up early enough so...the clips of the day are out of order. Gotta see what I can do about this. Let's get this show on the road.



Ms. Newland. She brings out a lot of our boy! Todd in his desperation steals from her, and we all knows how that ends. Of course, we have to suspend disbelief, because what elderly woman would allow a stranger into her apartment in NYC? Not too smart, but it makes for a great story turn. I love all of this; Todd reading about himself in the paper, Todd eating one of the rolls early, Todd making up his alter-ego, Ted Lampley! I really like this whole part of the story. Amazing stuff. His tone when reading the article - so....Toddian.  This reminds me of when he's a nun in later years and makes up those crazy names!

Seems the major thing here is that Mrs. Newland gives Todd a new outlook by suggesting that Rebecca did not turn him in and has not betrayed him.

During the conversation about his stealing, he tells her "I don't trust anyone." This is a HUGE RECURRING THEME that carries throughout his life.



UGH, I have to get myself through the fake laugh and Powell's fake nose....before we see some Todd.

"Ted" decides to tell Mrs. Newland everything.....kind of. Finally, Mrs. Newland convinces him to go back and confront Rebecca! Now you know we were all cheering this on!!! Todd gives her a sob story about being a victim; he almost makes himself sound like Powell in the tale. Another sign that he can't face up to who he is and what he's done fully, yet. He talks as if it's Powell talking. If you listen to that AGAIN and imagine that he's initially talking as one of his alters, it's so uncanny. He really gives her a huge lie, so that she will pity him. "Oh, Ted." Poor Mrs. Newland doesn't even know what she's listening to.

THEN, he begins to give her SOME HALF TRUTHS.....about Powell taking everything that was his - and all he had was Rebecca's love, and that's what he felt he lost. "I just want the woman he stole from me, the woman I love." Todd's in FULL FORCE MANIPULATION. He's still acting as the "innocent one" and is smirking along her offer of the car. "I really - it's not my fault!" I don't know....interestingly enough, he reminds me AGAIN of 2000s Todd, the slight stutter in his words and the half-black comments. It's actually humorous if you watch with an open mind here, and realize that ALL ALONG, he threw in black comedic aspects to this dark character.

"You're too good to me!" He says he can't take her money, and does. I believe he does learn a little about trust and about kindness from this woman. Sure, he totally manipulated her, but inside, he learns something, even if small. At the very end of his talk with her, he finally "sees" this; that she has been kinder to him than his own flesh and blood has been, and it does have an effect on him.

UGH for the Powell and Rebecca stuff...and onto Todd with a flat tire. Already. Something ALWAYS seems to go wrong for this guy. And WHAM a cop!



The sticky-sweet Powell and Rebecca stuff has to go. Todd gets by the cop somehow, and with a slightly stuttery innocent act (we've seen that before) and goes on his way. Todd's going to ditch the gray convertible and move on!!!

And here we are back to the stalker act. He's back! And he's watching and listening to Powell, Rebecca and co. talk about the Spring Festival! Oh joy, Zorro on the way!

Ending sentence: "Too bad he's not at the bottom of the river, where he belongs."

FAIL: Obvious, almost not worth saying anymore, but without Powell, we'd never have the Zorro fight scenes we're getting!!

Sound off!!

Clip of the Day, March 26, 2011 (199)

Wow, thanks to TM9394 for her last insightful commentary! Thanks to Ju, always, for the clips.



Todd Manning wakes up a homeless bun. Bo questions the waitress. I think Bo should have thought by now that Todd, if alive all this time, MAY REALLY HAVE CHANGED at least a little, since no crimes were committed by him in the area; that he was with small children who grew to love and care for him; that he never harmed a hair on Rebecca's head, or on the waitress' head. Of course, there's no telling what Todd will do, especially when face to face with Powell the Poet later. But as a detective, BO should be playing with the idea that Todd could have changed.

Personally, I LOVED whenever we got a crack in the armor and Bo showed signs of both fathering and understanding/believing Todd. These nuances of the story were played out perfectly throughout, and we see more of it during the Hospital Rapes story later.

He meets the elderly lady, Sarah Newland, in violent circumstances. She drops her cane, he gives it back to her. "Thank you, you're very kind."

"Yeah, that's me." This line, and his delivery, strike me so funny every time. He always had that sarcastic, biting edge. As he grew older, the gothic, desperate misery kind of faded, but he's always Todd! Oops that little smirk he gives says I've got an idea! LOL. Of course he intends to use her for whatever he can get, but we know he will also learn and take something with him that is more than material things. They play his dastardly music to make us think he might hurt her, but we know he won't.

Meanwhile, Rebecca and Powell (gag) are talking about the masquerade party! Zorro is on his way!

FAIL: Career Day at Jessie's school. Pllllth. Clint and Sloan are in competition for Vicki's attention. Vicki: "That girl is lucky she's still alive!" Well, Rebecca is! Sarah is! It cracks me up how Vicki acts about Todd now, compared to later. :D Love the whole Lord thing with Todd. Made for some good stories.

Well there you have it! Sound off!