May 8, 2011 Clip of the Day, (235)

I love this...he apologizes his second time to Marty. So...Roger. His voice cracks a little when he calls to her the last time. He's the best. And she's DEFINITELY AMAZING and deserves every credit she has ever gotten. She does a mean cry!

His interactions with Nick Manzo just totally show that sarcastic, biting edge that he has always had, even into the 2000s.

He gets back, Zach is a prison trustee. Heh. Clean shaven. Mmmm. Another look for the man. Gorgeous and somehow sweeter, I think that's important for the direction the story is going to take for a while.

The talk with Zach somehow irritates me. But of course, it leads to his real suicide thoughts and he gets saved by an unlikely source.

Those beautiful arms. I shouldn't be so shallow but I cannot help it.

Some hardened criminal. Comes back to town because of a girl, and gets put back in jail by saving three lives.

Sound off!

Clip of the Day, April 30, 2011 (225, 226, 227)

C.J. spills the beans to Rebecca. I love it. Now she can't hide from it...she really has no choice but to get back in his corner after this.

Todd always winds up in the woods. It's a recurring theme that I think has some ties to certain Biblical elements in Malone's writing. It's one of the things I love about this era; the Malone/Griffith team combined classical concepts rooted in literature from hundreds of years ago with ground breaking socially conscious/verite style concepts. You get the best from both worlds.

Typical frustrating hospital stuff Cord is dealing with.

Marty confirms what C.J. told his babysitter, Rebecca.

Oh my God, what a PERFECT line from Bo about Todd. "I'm telling you that Todd Manning can make you think he's going one direction when he's really going the other." Can you say, "double entendre?" And the thing is, Bo knows what happened at this point (as we find out soon)...so his comment was partly the result of that knowledge. Todd "went in a different direction" in more ways than one.

Writing, folks. Writing.

Everybody tied into this story now that Jessica's involved. Love it.

Oh my, look at this Bo/Todd standoff, with Bo so close to Todd without actually knowing it (but maybe sensing it in his gut). LOL!!! Nick Manzo, "not too many Caucasian males with long hair." Oh my, this next scene is going to be HILARIOUS after that line. Llanview's own Keystone Kops in full flight.



So now we know Jessica doesn't have a spleen.

See that look on Powell-the-Pure's face? That's the look of a dastardly guy realizing he lost his last advantage over his biggest enemy.

Clint and Jessica scene. Classic moment. Great work by the late Clint Ritchie here.




Hahahaha!!!!!! Keystone Kops, Go! I love how they found an RH lookalike (probably just happened to be walking by the studio in New York) for an "extras" role in this. I'll bet you this guy would make a better Todd than Trevor St. Jawn, LOL.

"Great, the guy's probably in West Virgina by now." Well, Nick, that WOULD be fitting after your lame "Wheeling, West Virginia" idea a few months ago.

Todd goes climbing. Good thing RH stays in shape!

And here we go. Another one of my all-time favorite Todd scenes. I have about 500 of them, true, but this is in there! I LOVE this. The Todd/Bo standoff, with Todd clinging on and Bo literally trying to talk him down.

"Didn't I dig a hole deep enough to die in, yet?" as he is clinging on for dear life with a gun pointed at him. Simply amazing stuff. In this scene you just get this clear look at where he is now...look how far he's come after everything that's happened over the past several months since he first decided he was going to escape prison, and look at this one moment where he's trapped and grimacing with the last fumes of whatever resistance is left in him keeping him from giving up. It's a matter of pride for him, now.

And as we now find out, Bo knows about everything that happened after the accident. But one of the Keystone Kops shoots him down anyway as he was trying to surrender. This stuff is more like a prime television series or a movie than a soap opera. Anyone who hasn't seen the story of 1994 Todd Manning is really missing out on something special, and their life isn't complete until they HAVE seen it. :D


FAIL: Powell with hilarious hypocrisy. "That doesn't make him a Saint!" Nope, it doesn't make him like YOU, Powell, right?

Clip of the Day, April 23 and 24, 2011 (223 and 224)

Well we find out that Manning is not dead after all.

"CJ, he's a great kid, I'd never let anything happen to him. What, what are you looking at me like that for? You think I eat kids for breakfast?"

Todd, is the best. Roger, is the best. ABCD sucks.

I LOVE the conversation between Marty and Todd is UNPARALLELED. "Nothin to do, except think about things."

"What are you saying Todd? Are you trying to say that you're sorry? Say it Todd, I need to hear you say it?"

*******
"You wanna know if the monster feels thing? I do Marty, I feel sorry, I feel sorry about a lot of things, but mostly I feel sorry about the day I was born."

BINGO. I adore this man....his work as Todd, what else meets this? I can't even say Tony Geary's work does, because it doesn't. He was GREAT, don't get me wrong, but this is unbelievable....and the music they use. So amazing.

FAIL: The POWELL and REBECCA SCENE WRECKS IT. "I never knew homework could be so fascinating." GAG.

SAVING GRACE IN THE FAIL" COrd: Must be the Alec Baldwin Hair Thing. LOL!



Jessica's at the hospital, CJ is in shock. I love this whole story, and it's AWESOME EACH TIME I WATCH. Even the day players are amazing in this. ROCKS.

"Lemon, Strawberry, Orange?"

"Ali."

OMG, so perfect. CJ was a GREAT LITTLE ACTOR!!! Loved these awesome child actors. The nurse coaxing CJ is a fantastic actress, I mean, for a day player, she's lightyears ahead of some of the regular characters today.

And of course, the story brings in a lot of characters....like the Vicki, Sloan, Clint thing....it's amazing. Everyone gets into the act where is Todd is concerned.

"Todd talked to you?"

"He saved us."

I LOVE IT. Marty has to DEAL with that, and it's too much for her, clearly. During the next story, she definitely goes after him, almost hoping he is NOT a real person and has NOT done something heroic. Great stuff.

Do these clips make you grateful that we have them, or sadder that we'll only have a little more in light of the cancellation?

SOUND OFF.

Clip of the Day, April 22, 2011 (222)

Yet again, Todd just can't walk away. "YOU CAN, AND YOU WILL." Similar to what he told Rebecca in the woods. It's interesting how Todd, who is often a pessimist, has these moments of belief in the power of pure determination.

The kid who plays C.J. doing a GREAT job of looking like he's in a state of shock.

Todd and Marty doing their thing...truly a pleasure to watch. I'd gush over the acting again, but why bother? Pretty self-explanatory.

"I can't believe I'm doing this." Bulls-eye delivery, once again.

One question, though: Where'd the tourniquet come from? Unless the cop outfit he'd stolen included it for whatever reason.

"This is how we gotta do it. Whether we like it or not, we just...we just gotta do it."

Todd became awfully wise during his time on the run. Remember when Milton Bittlecomb called him a neanderthal? Well, now we know why he came back all those years later, played by Trevor St. Jawn. He, like Powell, always wanted to be Todd deep down.

And we're off. One of the all-time classic Todd shots...carrying a battered Marty uphill to safety. He raped her a little over a year ago...remember?


Fail: Brian Frons, for being alive. I know that has nothing to do with this clip, but I figured I'd throw that in there. No fails in the clip, by the way.

Clip of the Day, April 21, 2011 (221)

I LOVE this part. When Todd finally gets Jessica out of the car, it's a relief. You can finally breathe after this taut scene, featuring these two "enemies." And in the center of their strange relationship, CJ is constantly putting up Ali as the best. "Yeah that's me, big hero."

He realizes he has to go, but when CJ pleads, he can barely resist. "You were right Marty, I am stupid, my old ma's right..."

He picks up Jessica, and with CJ ON HIS BACK, he climbs the side of the mountain to bring them to safety. What a moment, and that music. What else can a viewer want? "Wow, you're strong, Ali!" CJ is adorable.

Todd makes sure the kids are safe before he takes off...but then....Marty does do something stupid and annoying, she gets back in the damn car for Suede's ring. Please. Anyway, that causes another series of events that will change Todd's life and Marty's as well, and also Rebecca's and Powell's lives. Of course, like everything in a soap, there is a chain of events that blossoms from each event and so on and so on.

The stranger encourages Todd to help the other person "out there in the dark."

CJ is a DARLING during this. I love him so much. Where did they get these great kids, and trade them in for teenagers we could care less about? "I love you Ali." Oh precious. Todd hasn't heard those words in a while. One thing I ALWAYS loved about Roger is how he DELAYS the reaction/acceptance to any kind of love or affection, especially hugs. You'll notice most times, when hugged by someone, even if they are enthusiastic, or sad, or whatever, his hands never actually give in until AFTER a bit. He does this with CJ. The hug goes on for a minute and it takes him a while to reciprocate. He does this throughout his life, and I call it HUG DELAY. I am sure we will see more of it.

I can't say enough about the MUSIC here. the themes they wrote for characters really worked. The music here, when Marty is in trouble, and CJ and Jess get taken away, is the same music used when, months later, Marty becomes his alibi at the last minute and saves him from life in prison.

Todd has his chance to get away, and instead . . .He hears what happens to Marty over the edge and he starts calling to her in the dark as the car bursts into flames. I always felt he loved Marty in his own way, and I am probably right. I am happy that we might be able to see them together on screen again. I can just see it now, she runs into him and has to acknowledge that he's been through some kind of hell . . . or something like that . . . or tells him that somehow she knew he'd never have tricked her into a romance when she had amnesia. I don't know but it should be good. Somehow, it will be, even in light of everything.

Love what follows. We get to see BO finally realize that Todd is human in the next couple of clips. Cord learns it too, and others. YES LAWD. We also see Todd realize he's human, with CJ's help.

FAIL: Ok...a stranger would take these kids, from a total stranger dressed as a cop? Well, that's ok, it's part of the FICTION! Also the stupid police, man, can they make any more mistakes?

SOUND OFF ALL! After all, this is the reason we're here at this blog in the first place. And, sadly, in about 7 months, we will be only able to do just this.

Clip of the Day, April 20, 2011 (219, 220)

Todd frantically trying to escape the police car. Jessica and C.J. checking each other's well-being...so cute.

LOL, woman on the police intercom: "guys, are you horsing around here or what?...give me a break, over." LOVE noticing little details like this.

Todd manages to escape the car...the door swung open awfully easy after he'd been struggling mightily before...but hey, he's Todd.

Even though he's just a character...you just have to wonder...what is he THINKING right now? It's a gift from God...that's the only way to put it. Then again, Todd told Rebecca about him being able to "sense" they were never gonna catch him while they were on the run, so I guess he always sensed some sort of higher power (in this case, Griffith and Malone, LOL) guiding him.

"Officer Manning" has arrived, as he has announced himself. What you are about to see is the simple fact that Todd would make a better cop than any of the cops in the Llanview police department. It's ironic, yet awesome.

As he's saying his tongue-in-cheek "thanks," you can just SENSE something big is about to happen. This isn't like the other times he got away, even though it starts out as such. You just sense, at this point...this is going to be a little different. At this point in the story, they weren't going to do the same thing all over again with him "slipping through their grasp," in the words of Bo.

And sure enough, here it is! One of the officers is injured but still alive and his life depends on Todd. Todd's conscience is put to the test here, and we see an official confirmation of everything we'd seen in Todd since 1994 began.

The dark humor is still there, too ("Sid took an early retirement").

The car gradually sliding off the cliff adds a lovely element of terror. Plus, Jessica is losing consciousness. All these years later and I'm STILL on the edge of my seat.



I LOVE this moment where Todd stands there, pondering his next move, as his conscience is no doubt sounding alarms in his head. The music perfectly enhances the scene. Sheer brilliance.

And so it starts.

Here's Todd getting to do yet ANOTHER voice. RH must have felt like Dana Carvey in those days.

"Todd Manning is dead." This character used to be quite intelligent. I guess we forgot about that when St. Jawn took over the character name several years ago.

Have I said how much I LOVE the music from these scenes? I LOVE this music. And thankfully, we'll be hearing plenty more of it in many scenes to come.

This moment. Oh. My. God. To this day, I question whether Marty wouldn't have first suspected she was hallucinating. I mean, what are the ODDS?

Here comes another pivotal moment for Todd.

Bo won't be fooled again into underestimating Todd. FINALLY "Bozo" is growing a brain.

And there it is. Gets me every time. Roger is in full flight in these scenes. In his words, comparing acting to softball, I think it was...you either hit the ball or you don't. In this case, he hits it to the moon.

Every line...every reaction. Are you sure this isn't really happening?

Oh, maybe I spoke too soon earlier. Come on, Bo, don't give Nora a false sense of security.


FAIL: None. This is probably the incident in Todd's history where you have to suspend your disbelief the most...the odds are BEYOND astronomical of this kind of coincidental incident occurring...but it is fiction, after all. And it's fantastic.

Clip of the Day, April 14, 2011 (214)

Everyone's against Todd.

Rebecca is telling Powell that if he helps her see Todd, it will be over for them. Uh huh.

I love when Rebecca is brought to Todd....and he looks at her, smiles, and swallows. So cute. but you have to watch closely for that or you will miss it. That's Roger for you. Nuance is his middle name.

I can't say more because it's rather an empty clip today, but I will say that I like the next clip when he's left TOTALLY ALONE in the world....and it leads to an important event and decision that will change his life.

SOUND OFF!

Clip of the Day, April 13, 2011 (213)

Rebecca more concerned for Poet Boy as she sees Todd, formerly known as "Zorro," brought back. Todd's nearing complete suicidal status, but he still holds a faint glimmer of hope...FOR NOW. You'll see what I mean soon.

Wow...Marty's most angry scene ever. Even Todd's anger, at least in terms of SURFACE anger (at his angriest, his anger was usually this chilling, beneath-the-surface, exploding type), doesn't compare to this. He doesn't even know how to respond.

Powell's adoptive pseudo-mom, Nora, gives him a big, warm hug now that Mr. Innocent is safe.

Hank telling Powell the whole town will know what a HERO he is tomorrow. Wait for it...wait for it....BLEEEECCHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Honestly, I don't think Nora's credibility ever quite recovered from the Powell pimping. It's really something to behold and vomit over.

Oh God...this next scene is even worse. Rebecca and her faux-love reunited. Rebecca passionately kissing him as the music they were given to create the illusion they were actually a legitimate couple is playing in the background.

These scenes are what I think of as the all time LOW POINT for Todd. From being recaptured to the scenes that are about to happen...this is rock bottom. It wasn't until the crash that Todd rises from this rock bottom. We're probably in as much agony watching this as this character is living it, LOL.

While the "hero" is with the epicenter of Todd's universe, the "inhuman monster animal bad guy" is being dragged into a jail cell. Nick Manzo taunts him, which I guess is only fair after Todd humiliated him in the "Go Get a Donut!" standoff. Still, he's one of those biased TV cops that give real cops a bad name.

More Powell pimping. Nora: It takes guts. Powell's got em! Hahahahahaha. Yep, except when a woman is getting raped right in front of him he not only doesn't make a true effort to stop it (easily could have left the room and gotten help), he chooses to PARTICIPATE for fear of the rapist not thinking he's cool. Nora's motherly love for Powell is truly disturbing.

Hey, isn't that one of the guards (Michael) from Statesville prison? Did he get reassigned, or are they just recycling actors? LOL! Todd's not hungry. Perfectly played.

Marty's self-righteousness continues. Nothing will ever be enough when it comes to punishing Todd, as we'll find out in the coming months (well, months of 1994, anyway).

Todd's last glimmer of hope...since he believed Rebecca when she told him she hadn't informed the cops, he figures she not only loves him, but will inevitably still visit him because she's also still his friend. Otherwise, why would she have kept it a secret?

He doesn't yet realize she had lied. And yet he's right about the second two assumptions ANYWAY, as we'll come to find out, though those would greatly be aided by the Mountain Rescue scenes. Seeing him at his lowest and everyone piling on and coming at him with pitchforks is the perfect setup to the ultimate redemption. This is great writing, folks.

FAIL: How much pimping of one man can you possibly do? You would think Powell was the male version of Mother Teresa in these scenes. I'm having trouble holding in my stomach contents. I know it adds to the satisfaction when Todd, formerly known as "Zorro," rises from the ashes, but it really hurts the credibility of the other characters in Llanview when they believe in the heroic goodness of "sweet" Powell the Pure. How can they be so STUPID? How can Jim be the only one with any sense? Remember all this pimping Powell received. In a few clips, you can compare it to the pimping Todd receives in his act of heroism. Will it be as generous and free-flowing as what Mr. Lord III has received from everyone? HA!

Clip of the Day, April 12, 2011 (212)

This is a SIGNATURE TODD MOMENT with SIGNATURE LINES from Todd.....some of the best things he's said to Powell are right here in these scenes. I do love this confrontation, mostly because Todd is calling out everything we ever wanted to say to Powell at this point in the story.

"The one thing that I cared about you took away from me." Yes and no, but I love that Todd sees it that way. In his desperation, Todd reveals his desperation. And, as Todd is strangling Powell here (not such a bad idea because Powell won't be able to recite poems when he's having trouble breathing), the former is frantic, he's shattered, he's falling apart. And, yes, he seems capable of murder with his own hands.

Juxtaposed to this is that CONVERSATION THAT I ADORE so much between Nora, Rebecca, Marty and Luna regarding Todd. As much as I never could stand Luna, I just love her part in this talk, because she says it all in one little breath.

Nora first. "He seems to slip through our fingers, like he's a ghost."

Marty next, bitter and full of hate. "He's not a ghost. He's a monster." Pan to Rebecca's face.

Luna last, "No he's not, he's a man who's gone wrong, very wrong."

GOTTA LOVE THIS! Because in all of it, the superhuman way he avoids death, the darkness and the costumes and the charades, he's a MAN. A damaged MAN. Just LOVE how the show portrayed this whole story then.

Back to the strangling, Todd lets Powell have a bit of air during this next part of his verbal attack. And here is where I think, along with others, that Powell finally starts his descent into madness. Based on what Todd does to him, almost taking his life, and says to him, Powell starts to crack. The facade he has developed for himself is splitting open.

And just when you think Todd's going to end Powell's life, the tides turn and he lets his guard down and Powell gets away, then when Todd's up against the wall getting pummeled, he says, "come on, come on, you can't even do this right." It makes one think that Todd again would just rather be dead than go on living as he is.

Then . . . another nice turn. "You think you're free? You think you're better than me? You think we're different, Powell?. . .You didn't finish, it doesn't make you noble. . . You and I Powell, we have the same beast inside of us. The same beast that started us on this whole, incredible, stupid trip. The beast that raped Marty. . . Someday you won't be able to keep that beast inside you."

Can this get any better? I dare say, it does, but this speech is the most significant exchange between Todd and Powell until much later in the story. It begins the shattering of Powell's mental stability. Ya gotta love it. For all he's been through, Todd sure has found ways to cope and survive.

Roger's so dark here, it's hard to believe he's the same actor who does the scenes with KA as Starr! BUT it is, and he is, and he goes through a HUGE set of life-altering incidences before we get to all that. And Roger carries it perfectly. Which brings me to this:

I read a person write recently on a message board that Roger can't pull off another character on OLTL. It's not THAT at all. It's that we DON'T WANT HIM TO. But can he? Is that really a possible question? He can do just about anything an actor can aspire to, and that's evidenced by the multiple levels he has created within this ONE MAN. From this Zorro to Sister Bernadette Peter (both done to get what he wants, do not forget that), Roger has done it all through Todd Manning's mask. I just hope we get the chance to see it again on One Life to Live.

Sound off!

Clip of the Day | Feb. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Wow, did all that time really go by?  We all were so absorbed in everything going on, especially me, that I neglected my job.  Well, no longer.  I promise to do my best.



Forgetting, after all these hours of clips until the 2000s, what he was REALLY LIKE at the beginning of his story, only takes this clip to make you recall. He's vile. He's nasty. He's scary. He's cruel. Yep. It's a wonder WE COULD ACTUALLY LOVE HIM.

Todd is so full of hate here, I am doubting my previous comments about him not really intending to follow through with his threats. Where Marty is concerned, after this scene, I am not so sure. He does always take too long to get around to hurting people with all that terrifying talking he does.

"Oh Suede, thank heavens." Ugh. Ruins my day! Powell does too, I just can't like him until he turns rotten. LOL.

Susan plays terrified so well. After all this time, her acting resonates so clearly in all of her scenes. When I saw her yesterday on OLTL, I cannot explain, I get this overwhelming joy at seeing her on screen! I always loved her work, her character did annoy me a lot, but I enjoyed her acting in her all her scenes, except those opposite Suede.



"He's not the monster everyone says he is!" She's going to have a hard time explaining this to ANYONE after today! Todd's pretty damn strong for a very sick and weak guy! Rebecca was a tad too gullible here.

I love this clip more because Marty stands up for herself against him a bit.

"Ooh cry me a river! I turned you into a frickin' saint!" LOL Todd's logic!

Ok Suede's screaming entrance has to be the funniest moment ever. Well, maybe not, because there is one to follow that cracks me up every time. It's when Suede's head hits the podium in slow motion and his teeth are bucked out a bit in the front. Sorry, but it's hilarious. Todd's a freak in this one, but knows almost instantly that he has made a mistake. It sort of snaps him into reality. He panics, of course, and Roger's expression reveals to us that he knows he has made a fatal mistake. Love his acting in this.



WHY would they BRING REBECCA with them to this???? Ridiculous. How would this have played out if he did surrender? He would have gone back to prison and time would have been added for his actions with Suede. Rebecca's so weird here, she runs in front of him so he won't get shot then starts screaming when he grabs her.....she may have wanted to think about that first.

LOVE Roger when he's panicked here, it's PETE all the way, the tone, the inflection, everything. He's at the edge and the last stop. His frantic ordering of the cops, is the best. "You give me the car or the girl dies." He can't name her, that would be too close to reality of what he's doing.

BEST LINE: "The smartest thing you've done all day! GO GET A DONUT!" OMG, it's so hard to stay hating this guy. Roger just makes you laugh, cry, and shake with fear at the same time. I guess that's why we're in this whole debacle right now with his return rumors. To be honest, as much as I love him and want him back, if we ONLY had these scenes to look at forever, it would not be the end of the world.

The police in these clips have no sense, no rhyme or reason, and don't bother much with the law. This whole stake out and no one goes inside the tabernacle for a long time; Rebecca is allowed to go with Hank and sits in the front seat next to him; Rebecca is allowed to be outside the vehicle so she can break loose and go to Todd; Powell, another felon, is allowed to be on the scene; Powell offers himself as a hostage and is not taken away. I can go on, but why bother. Uh, THEY LET HIM TAKE A POLICE CAR????? SHEESH. I guess it helps the drama unfold, but in the eyes of real lawmen, this would be a comedy for certain. Powell tells them off a bit and ... well....we're sunk! Todd's gone.

Rebecca SCREAMS A LOT. She's pretty good at it, too. Of course nothing matches her later screams when....ok I will be quiet and keep that one a secret unless you did not see it before.

Suede's death is sad because of Susan's work and reaction. Otherwise, sadly, no one cares. I am sorry, but it's probably the truth. Most folks could CARE LESS about Suede in these scenes, as they are hoping for more Nutcase Pete (a.k.a. Todd) on the run with our girl Rebecca.



Poor Marty.....when Suede dies, it's a terrible moment for her, and Susan carries it so perfectly. As usual. Between she and Roger, it's sometimes hard to decide who is holding a scene in the early days. However, I do think he later surpasses her completely in some of his best work in later parts of the story. The fact that they are coming SO LATE to help him.....ridiculous!!!!

I LOVE that Todd has Rebecca in the driver's seat. "Stop your whining, drive!" LOL! Imagine a captor letting the other person drive. "I'm sorry I'm not a good driver!" The banter between these two does get funny at times. I absolutely LOVE the turnaround Rebecca does, when she is giving him dirty looks because he has no clue what to do. "And then what?" Just catch her expression around 7:54. LOL. She stands up to him pretty well throughout when he has the chance. When he turns into "Pete," though, she crumbles and cowers. That is probably the intent.

His voice cracks, "I'm not going back there! I'd die before I'd go back there." Hmm. Sounds like prison was not all it was cracked up to be. I hope, if Roger returns, they do cover what jail did to him, if he undergoes therapy. There is more to this than meets the eye, and that is certain, especially for rapists in prison.

These 4 clips ought to make up for my lack of punctuality! Of course, expect another single clip later today!

FAIL: HANK: "Is this on the up and up?" Um, Hank, if it weren't, why ask? Later, REBECCA: "I want you to agree to two things." Hank has to agree to anything???? She's harboring a fugitive felon! Later again, to Rebecca, "Is he going to try and hurt us?" "He has a gun." LOL. the dialogue between cops and people on OLTL is hilarious. Ok, Marty's delay of running HERSELF to get an ambulance, could that have been a little part of Suede dying? And how about this, "Don't worry about Rebecca. If Todd uses his head, she'll be ok." UGH.

Sound off guys! This is a really high point in the story and coming up - THE CABIN! Please don't make me talk to myself here!

Clip of the Day, January 23, 2011

I am SO LATE because I TOTALLY FORGOT TO DO THIS!!! LOL!



It's late and....I am out of time and energy for today, plus in the middle of an INCREDIBLE STORY about Paul on the ATWT channel . . . yes, can you believe it???

Maybe someone wants to do the commentary on this clip for me? If you do, just holla! If not, I will get to it tomorrow....!

Clip of the Day, Jan 22, 2011

Another clip for us. Another day to thank Juju for her hard work:

'

He's back! Nora's a tough little cookie there when she rescues Bo herself! Wow. The big question, how does Todd get out of the bonds that bind him? We'll probably never know. "You talkin' about Robert Redford? I'm your man." Imagine, that was totally appropriate and still worked back in 1993, to compare someone to Robert Redford! I miss those days for so many reasons. And here we are today, fortunate enough to have BO and NORA still together. Sigh.

Todd's screams when he realizes he is tied to the fence - his voice cracks in spots - he's tied like he's prone, sort of arms outstretched. The scene is done perfectly and I used to LOVE on location shoots, which I don't think are even heard of anymore.

Rebecca. She's STILL standing by her man. She still believes in him. "Todd won't hurt me, I know that. I know it." In some ways, she's right, and in others, she's wrong since he cannot help himself at all but hurt those around him when he is hurt.

Powell's got that stupid bruise on the same side of his face that Todd has the scar. Something to really think about. From the start, he's the honored one, and eventually we know how this ends up. But this mark on him, is that a portent of what is to come? Probably. He's just as scarred as Todd is and for less reason. I've always thought that and I've written about it before. A life of privilege with two, caring parents vs. Todd's life. Interesting comparison. Todd has the permanent scar, the one that will always be there, while Powell has this bruise that will fade and people will forget. Of course, they did not get them the same way, but metaphorically, you can see where I am going. During this story, I hated Powell's character! He was the most self-righteous, self-inflated, annoying guy!

Would Todd have killed Bo? Probably, if it meant his own life. But with all the chances he had to kill or rape Nora that he let go, one has to wonder what was going on inside him, and what was keeping him from "crossing over" into the world of murder.....probably a little Miss named Rebecca.

FAIL: Just Powell's self-righteous attitude regarding Todd to everyone. and the untying thing he did, which makes no sense since both hands were tied APART.

Sound off!!!!!

Clip of the Day, January 13, 2011

Another snow day for me! Whoo hoo!



OK Powell with that head bandage!! LOLOL!!!! Hysterically funny. Roger is hiding in Rachel's vehicle no less. I am sorry, but why is all of this so funny to me?

"I'm not afraid of Todd, though, I'm really not." Who are you convincing, Powell?

"His father hates him" "Nice."

Rebecca gets a major wake-up call in this clip. She does not believe Powell....well at least at first. She really thinks he's "found the Lord." Poor Rebecca....she does have a rough life and she is so attached to our boy. "It's obvious you had no part in Todd's escape." Uh, yeah.

I think the police scenes are always humorous to me, because they just seem to be funny, unrealistic and kitchy. "Take it easy, don't let it get to you, we're taking his threats very seriously." LOL! Regarding police protection, "Please, don't try to lose them, they're there for your protection." I can't take it. THis really cheered up my day with some unexpected humor. I LOVED when BO became in charge, but prior to that, total comedy. And even sometimes WITH Bo, there was a bit of Keystone Cops.

Not enough Todd in this one.

FAIL: Why is Rachel kicking the tire on her truck? How does a nice mechanic just happen to walk up in the middle of nowhere? What about Nick Manzo's terrible idea to bring Todd out of hiding?

Clip of the Day, January 2, 2011

Ok here's a BIG ONE for suspension of disbelief! Still gotta love our Todd.



He TALKS himself out of being overdosed on Lithium. At first, he's too weak to lift his hand. The next thing you know, he magically has a flashlight that he uses to knock out the ambulance guy! LOL! This is NOT a poster scene or public service announcement for EMTs everywhere.

Meanwhile, Powell is HOME. Nora is "glad to see you" and here he is, home free. Pansy.

"Todd Manning escaped on account of your lousy judgement." Huh?

"What was I supposed to do, let him die?"

"That was one option."

He was going to DIE but had the wherewithall to jump from an ambulance? This is what I loved about the 80s and 90s on soaps. ANYTHING went. The crazier and more unlikely, the better. Actually, think about it, that's like real life in a way, you never know what you are going to get.

OMG I just LOVE when he is on the run. I love it. It's some of my favorite Todd scenes, especially the alone ones.

"Hell. I'm in Hell." Chuckle. LOVE THIS GUY.

EEEEW Nora and Powell hug? I forgot that. Yuckers.

Powell stops him from escaping and gets less time. Zach tries to help them find Todd and gets nothing. Of course. In fact, he ends up getting the most time of all three.

"Pain will wake you up." Ok, this is just WAY OVER THE TOP, but you HAVE TO LOVE IT. He's totally nuts at this point. The most vile, the most nasty, the most screwed up, and we're still watching. Roger, I have to hand it to you. At a young age, you were doing incredible things in creating this character. In fact, during these scenes, you were only 25 years old. 25!

Now that he's 42, imagine what he could do with some powerful scenes regarding his return, and his therapy, and his bitterness toward the world.

FAIL: Lots about this story. The biggest one is that HUG. Yuck.

Sound off.

Clip of the Day, Nov. 16

Powell finally gets some....uh....courage. Thank God! This where Sean begins to show his muster as an actor a bit. They all were so YOUNG! I am amazed at the talent they have....one of them, that's the least effective, has more talent than the whole lot of today's "younger actors."

My favorite part of this video is when Marty and the Scoobies show up at the station and make contact with Powell after he clears Looney Bird. Love that part! The expressions on all of the faces. And all of these were "younger actors!" Imagine!

No real Toddness in this clip..but enjoying them anyway.

FAIL: If Suede is so important to Marty how come he is not around?? LOL. Sorry!

I have a good question of the day for you all from this. Be back with it in a few. Until then, Sound off, will ya?

Clip of the Day, Nov. 10, 2010

This is what I call a "junk clip." It's important to the story when you're first watching on a lot of levels, but after you have watched it several times, it's got no Todd and just seems like filler. This clip focuses on Powell getting a hotel room and going to see Nora, Luna getting arrested and fingerprinted, Peter the Hate waiting for Todd's surgery, Kevin giving the useless sweatband to Hank, and Nora and Bo having some pre-hanky panky talk.

Again, important because it leads to other things but not as exciting to comment on without the man.

FAIL: Any moment on OLTL that does not have Roger in it.

Have a great day!

Clip of the Day, Nov. 9, 2010

"I said book her." LOL.

The highlights for me of this clip are Powell finally standing up to Todd, even if in his face in a hospital bed...."You're sick." Glad someone says it....so true. It's not until much later that we find out how sick. Todd tries to convince him to lie for him again, and threatens to kill him if he tells the truth. What is Powell's response to all this?

Love Todd's nasty evil self that almost puts him in a coffin! The blood pressure, and the threats to kill Powell almost put him over the edge! He's doing his best work even when in a hospital bed, half covered. Even with half a face showing, Roger is the best.

Nick Manzo must have been in love with Todd also - he's his only defender. LOL.

FAIL: The doctor who speaks to Peter the Hate. Um....ok. No other comment needed.

Sound off and JOIN IN the COMMENTARY.

Clip of the Day, November 8, 2010

Well, boys, you think you've done great....finally. Suede gets Elmer to give him the sweatband. I like how Suede holds it like it's gross. Yuck. Jason wants to lie for Marty and Luna. He's done that before. "Trust in Goddess is one thing . . ." GAG to the Goddess thing, I couldn't STAND that part of Luna's story. I love Jason though.

Peter the Hate's visit to Todd. Todd's lying in that condition? He has the wherewithal to lie, even when in critical condition. Peter doesn't ask how he is, etc, just WHO DID THIS TO YOU. Wants revenge, just like Todd usually does. Todd has just enough time to say Luna's name before . . .Todd plays very innocent here, Powell knows it's a lie and says, let's guess, NOTHING. Peter tells off the nurse, and they listen and leave the room (lol). Then Peter really lets it out. "They have the nerve to cry date rape as if it were some kind of crime....." He's a piece of work. He vows revenge and leaves the room. You can't help but wonder here if the show's writers had ANY IDEA that Todd was going to eventually be sexually abused, and when they decided it. In these scenes, Peter seems overbearing and cruel, but not quite as bad as all that. I always look for a hint of it, as in the earlier clips where Todd was visibly afraid of Peter. It's not hard to imagine that Peter could have been cruel enough to abuse Todd, but we really don't get wind of it until much later.

Powell tells Todd he knows that he is lying and saw the whole thing. That's a step for Powell. It doesn't lead to much for a while, but Luna does get charged and the story goes on. Amazing how Todd just snaps to manipulation and lies, even when he is under peril.

FAIL: Nick Manzo's decision that Luna did this in an unprovoked manner. It makes little sense, since the rape trial was just held and everyone knows Todd's volatile behavior toward the women. I love it when Bo is in charge, then the scenes really have merit and pack a punch, developing the love-hate thing between Bo and Todd.

Sound off guys! It's snowing on the blog today, because it's snowing here!!!

Clip of the Day, Nov. 7, 2010

Todd arrives at the hospital. The story takes an interesting turn from here on out. Our "evil one" is truly given life.



A very serious head injury - could be the reason for some of his nuttiness??? I guess they ruled that out as an excuse later....! But of course, no one wants Todd to have an excuse to be who he is because then it's not fun anymore!

Why is this COP so stupid in the station? I can't believe his attitude....but ok, he's who he is - and it's really annoying. Max! Yay. And Jason Webb. Both really good characters that are missed. I always enjoyed James DePaiva on OLTL and think he was one of the most handsome back in the day! Loved him with Gabrielle, but I know I might be in the minority there.

Because I am pretty bored with Luna and Marty in this, I am noticing some of the blocking in this scene, like when the four of them are standing in a line behind Luna, saying their lines...things that look good on the screen even if they are not like real life. :D

I always liked the actor that played Nick Manzo, but I did not like Nick Manzo. That sounds weird, but it's true. He was on AMC before this, and I loved his character on there. I never liked Nick Manzo on OLTL, he always either screwed things up or was too mean. "I don't cure 'em, I just arrest "em." Phooey.

Ok now we are getting somewhere with the arrival of Peter the Hate. He's so overbearing in every scene. The next clip promises to be a good one, I can tell!

FAIL: This Elmer thing was getting over the top. I was already sick of the whole sweatband search by the time they got him to deal with them for the sweatband that has been on the floor at Wanda's, in the trash, in the woods, mixed in with his stuff, and worn on his own sweaty dirty head. Uh, it's tainted. Let it go! Also, the police in these scenes - crappy and unhelpful - but.....it's a television show.

Sound off guys....!
Thanks to Juju!