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!

Clip of the Day, March 25, 2011 (198)

For those of you who want to use the jukebox when reading the comments, we are on the first track, "That's the Way Love Goes" by Janet Jackson!



Todd and the waitress arrive back at her apartment. The line "not much, but it's mine" would be used by another character in the future...think it my have even been Todd. Well, I do at least distinctly remember Todd saying, "I mean, it's a joke job, but it was mine, and now it's gone." This is kind of non-sequitur, but I tend to notice when writers repeat lines.

Now she's got him right where she wants him. LOL, can't blame the girl for trying, right? He's quickly figuring out what she's up to before she goes for the kiss. "Where do I sleep?"

His reaction is PRICELESS. LOL.

Love the Janet song...there's a wonderful romantic aura to this, and I'm NOT talking about anything between Todd and the waitress. We get to see Todd talking about Rebecca with a total stranger, and in a different way. Before he did it in the enchanting, biblical setting of the garden shed with C.J. and Sarah, and then finally telling Rebecca himself. Here, he's talking about her in the Big City setting, in a complete stranger's apartment. It shows how real the whole situation was. The garden shed scenes were wonderful, but they also have more of a "magical fantasy" element to them.

Here, the harsh reality that these are real humans (in the story, I mean, LOL) going through all of this comes into clear focus. Todd's in the biggest city in the country carrying Rebecca around with him first and foremost in his thoughts. They're not just an iconic rapist and a religious archetype; they're a college student and a former college student going up against the harsh reality of modern society.

Anyway, he lets her down easy and she tells him he's still welcome to stay there for the night. I guess she's not SO bad...she's just rather reckless and tactless.

I wonder if Todd made sure the curtain stayed inside the tub. LOL.

The waitress reads about Todd in the newspaper and freaks out. Here's Shirtless Todd. All right, two things are unrealistic about this:

1. She seems like the type who is drawn to "bad boys" to me. Considering she'd already invited him in and come onto him and HE TURNED HER DOWN, I don't see her as being the type who would freak out to that extent after reading he's a convicted rapist and had escaped prison.

2. Just look at him. She's gonna kick that out?! LOL. Nuff said.

Todd's not buying her lies. Remember when he had a brain?

Lady, if he intended on hurting you, do you think he would leave just because you tell him your boyfriend is coming over?

Todd thinks she's kicking him out because she has no use for him if he won't sleep with her and adds her to the long list of women he's met with an agenda.

And now she calls the police with her heart pounding after he willingly leaves. Next time maybe she shouldn't go picking up random men for one night stands?

Bo is notified of the "Todd sighting" and is going to fly all the way out there in a last ditch effort to try to catch him. Bo, isn't this OUT OF YOUR JURISDICTION?

Todd sleeping "behind a dumpster somewhere." The frat boy who grew up wealthy is now sleeping in a cardboard box with police sirens going in the background, reminding him of the harrowing reality of his life. I love this scene because it gives you a glimpse into the life of poverty that is a reality for some...sleeping in an alley in a big city.

This part concludes with Bo questioning the waitress. She noted the "girl Todd's hung up on," and, of course, Bo knows who that is. The question is, does Bo have, at least in the back of his mind, some realization of the fact that there has to be more to Todd for him to feel that way about Rebecca?

FAIL: The waitress freaking out too much given the circumstances. Just the mere presence of Powell during the Bo/Rebecca/Powell scenes, contaminating the clip, LOL.

Clip of the Day, March 24, 2011 (197)

Ok, all, I do love the NY scenes for Todd. SO telling about him in SO many ways. For those using the jukebox, you're almost ready to play a track! More info over the next couple clips.




Poor Todd, he's down to his last few bucks, and meets "the waitress." Why do I like these scenes?

1. These scenes show he's more than a rapist, and probably not a serial one.  He has a great deal of opportunity and does not do what people might expect.
2. We learn so much about him during these scenes.
3. We get to see him without a shirt.  Yum.
4. He's drop dead gorgeous.

"I've fallen in love with you Rebecca." Argh, gaggola. I mean come on. Rebecca is just as stupid to say it back.

"Do I look like a deadbeat to you?" LOL!

At first, I remember being happy that he found a friend who he might be able to rely on. NY is a busy, cold, cruel place and there are thousands of homeless people who cannot get help. So, initially, I was pleased that he met her. Then I started to dislike her a lot as the story moves on. I was annoyed, at the time, that she turned on him the way she did later, and that she was really about using him, until she found out some information that lead to his leaving.

"This guy just won't die, will he?"

Rebecca is very uncomfortable when Jason and Powell are talking "trash" about Todd. I disliked the whole thing about her hiding her feelings for him, but I guess that was how it had to go.

FAIL: I get tired of typing the same thing. POWELL. He's extremely aggravating. He talks over people, he's a goody goody, ugh. He also transparent, because it's so obvious that he's jealous of Todd's hold over Rebecca. Our only consolation is that soon, we get to see him unravel as he realizes she's in love with the bad guy.

SOUND OFF!