Welcome. A little known fact: The original intent of The Real Todd Manning Blog was to give people a forum to discuss Roger's work in depth by viewing his clips!
Of course, over time, it's gotten into a lot of other areas.
So thanks to Ju again for the ability to have these clips, see them and discuss them!
Powell is so irritating here, what a goody goody (at first.) I never cared for this version of Powell Lord. Rebecca gives him a "friendship bracelet." Sigh.
The job of Bo and Powell is to id Todd's body. When this first aired, it was NO SURPRISE that it's NOT TODD they found. LOL. But it's fun to watch anyway. "It's not a pretty sight. The body's pretty disfigured." Sorry, everything Hank says during this story makes me laugh for some reason. General body type, color? UM...he has LONG HAIR. That should be a giveaway. And what a coincidence if the guy they found has long hair too???? And what makes Bo and Powell more equipped to id Todd than Hank? Sigh.
This clip is not my fave, well at least yet . . .
I do love how the show's writers attempted to play with us then. When these two view, even though most of us didn't expect it to be Todd, you do sort of get a doubt for a minute. The way it's done, it obviously can be Todd and may not be Todd, and we're not supposed to know yet. That part I do like. They seemed to think of everything then (except how law enforcement officials work.)
All right, all right, maybe it is one of my faves. When we hear that TODD music, and see his hand in the water, I remember screaming and clapping. LOL. Can you believe it? Screaming and clapping for a gang-raping-ex-con-accidental-murdering-kidnapping Todd Manning? But it's true! I kid you not. HAPPY that he was alive.
After this though, he seems to be "washed clean" a bit. Ok, he still has his outbursts and his penchant for going around the law (why not, it seemed to always go around him), but something has "come over him." Of course, we find out he's completely obsessed with Rebecca, and is in love with her. Yes, both. She stands for his way to be "normal" or "loved" or whatever it is he sees her as. I love this part of his story, and I call it "The Masquerade" because it includes his dressing up as the Genie and masquerading that way for weeks, and includes his dressing up as Ted Lampley in NY, and finally, Zorro back in Llanview. Some of my VERY FAVORITE TODD MOMENTS, as well as CJ and SARAH MOMENTS are in this part of the story as well.
When those beautiful eyes open at 5:47, you just KNOW you're in for a ride! The show really knew how to tell a story then, that's for sure.
FAIL: UGH WHY IS POWELL SO OVERLY INVOLVED??? It's SO AGGRAVATING. "No, I want to be here." I can't take it. It's not like he was his relative.....UGH.
SOUND OFF!
I haaven't posted much lately because you say it so well Kim, but the writers back then were good about the uses of imagery When Todd deliberately went into the river I'm not so sure his intentions were to die. I know he wanted to end it for a while in the cabin. but I don't think he would have fought so hard with Bo if he were truly suicidal, above everything else he wanted freedom. When he got shot, he saw Rebecca's real concern. one minute he reached for her with the bloody hand then I think he made the conscious decision that the river was a way out. I always felt he went into the river to escape not to die. Todd's will to live always supercedes his despair. That is why he factured all those years ago His alters helped him survive.
ReplyDeleteHmm, I love this point, Karena, you may be onto something there. I think a big part of his was despairing and knew he could not be with Rebecca no matter how much she loved him. I really do still believe he meant to end it, not escape. But looking at it your way does open up some interesting doors!
ReplyDeleteIf you think about it, Todd is the perfect candidate for suicide, and yet, it doesn't HAPPEN. He makes a couple of attempts, but when things really get bad, he doesn't choose it.
Good point. I will ponder this one!
What I like about this scene, even though we know it's not Todd, is that we're led to believe Bo and Powell at least THINK it IS Todd. Based on their comments and demeanor, you are led to believe that they are troubled by what they see...even though they are relieved Todd is dead, it's still hard for them to look at...especially Powell, having known the guy on a more personal level. It wouldn't make sense for them to react that way looking at some guy they didn't even know.
ReplyDeleteBut then Bo says "the man we saw was NOT Todd Manning"...completely opposite response to what his tone and demeanor suggested he was going to say. Despite knowing this twist was coming in some way, the writers did a great job of making it appear to be the complete opposite.
And that's kind of sad...they see a horribly disfigured dead man, learn it's not Todd who died this horrific death...and they are all sullen and somewhat conflicted-looking. Then we learn those emotions are the result of their disappointment and worry from it NOT being Todd.
LOL @ Rebecca's friendship bracelet. WHO DOES THAT?! Hahaha. The Powell/Rebecca pairing was cringe-worthy...but then that made us all long for Todd to come back and sweep her off her feet all the more. The only drawback was we had to watch just a little too much Powell/Rebecca for my taste...and it was worsened by the fact that the writers many times implied we were supposed to be rooting for them as a couple, even while it was also clearly intended for us to be pulling for Todd. Powell/Rebecca even got their own music so as not to be out-done by the fact that Todd/Rebecca had all-time classic theme music. IMO, they should have made it abundantly clear from the beginning that Rebecca didn't really have particularly strong feelings for Powell...she just thought he was a "nice, safe boyfriend" (wolf-in-sheep's-clothing preppy rapist). Instead, they penned numerous scenes with them declaring their undying love for one another as they tried to force magic and chemistry that just wasn't there. Meanwhile, Ali/Zorro absolutely blew up the chemistry meter with her during their two monumental encounters prior to his recapture.
You know, in retrospect...does anyone else find it kind of creepy that Powell exited prison and went right back to being the preppy twerp he was before?...and yet Llanview's people BOUGHT him as a HERO? LOL.
"Nice safe boyfriend." That just about covers it.
ReplyDeleteEverything about Powell after jail was creepy to me.
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