So Help Me Todd’s winter premiere finally delved into Todd’s past, bringing back the woman responsible for breaking him both financially and emotionally. We first heard about Veronica and her destruction of Todd’s life in the pilot, so it was good to finally see the layers of this story peeled back. This season has focused on Todd picking up the pieces of his life and starting over, so his choice to see his ex again clearly had implications not just for him, but for his family as well.
Todd’s decision to reach out to Veronica was done with good intentions. His mother was on the verge of losing her case, and he needed Veronica’s connections in jail to help track down an informant that could help his mother win. Had Todd taken a step back and spoken to his mom about his plan before executing it, she never would have been okay with him reaching out to Veronica and it wouldn’t have provided Todd with the closure he obviously needed. It is clear that Veronica was a huge part of Todd’s life, even referencing family dinner and knowing the nuances that make up the Wright family. It is also obvious that Veronica still has a strong hold on Todd. He could have cut ties with her again after his initial visit with her at the prison, but instead he continued to answer her calls and even visited her multiple times after for help. As good of a Private Investigator as Todd is, he could not prevent his mother and sister from finding out that he was in contact with Veronica. Their reaction was as expected- outrage and frustration. Margaret quips that perhaps Todd hasn’t changed after all. Allison is angry because Veronica’s actions led to Todd living in her garage, broke and penniless. This provided viewers with excellent insight into the Wright family’s way of handling conflict. They rush to judgment and scold, rather than actively listen and provide tough love and support. The family clearly does not know how to communicate properly- so it is not surprising that Allison doesn’t know how to communicate what she wants and needs with her husband. The reality is that Margaret’s assertion that Todd hasn’t changed at all is unfair and wrong. Todd has changed. He is not the character he was in the pilot, and with every episode, every case, he grows and changes into a better person. Does he have more growing to do? Sure, but one visit with his ex to help with a case certainly doesn’t erase the growth he has had up until now.
Although Todd is still easily manipulated by his ex, he handled the situation well. The fact is that Veronica did prove useful to the case. She helped Todd exonerate Margaret’s client, and two other people who had been wrongly convicted. This is not an easy feat. Todd also visited with her one last time to make it clear that he was done with her. She ruined his life and he would never forget that. In a twist that perhaps wasn’t that shocking, Veronica’s attorney managed to get leniency on her sentence for assisting with an investigation and the judge granted her early release. Now that Veronica is back on the outside, it will be interesting to see the effect this will have on Todd’s life as well as the entire Wright family. Hopefully it will help unpack more of the Wright family baggage that has only been hinted at thus far, and provide some rich drama to the show. Either way, things are about to get interesting.
In the midst of the Veronica drama is Margaret’s big case, which had so many layers it was almost too difficult to follow. Margaret’s client, Kathleen Baylis, was falsely accused of murdering her husband and a corrupt cop, Luke Anton, suddenly presented a confidential informant that could testify against Kathleen. Through Todd’s detective work and Veronica’s assistance, they discovered that Anton was corrupt, helping a biker gang called the Pioneer Ghosts, by producing confidential informants to wrongly convict anyone who uncovers their injustices. It was the Pioneer Ghosts who murdered Keith Baylis, not his wife, and she along with all of the other innocent victims of the cop’s scheme to protect the biker gang were exonerated.
The episode also had Margaret finally make the decision to move on from Harry. At first, she was just going to file for separation and place an ad in an Icelandic journal, in hopes that Harry would see it. After working through her case, she realized that in order to truly move on, she needs full closure, ultimately deciding to file for divorce instead. Now that Margaret has closed this chapter, she can be free to live her life on her terms again. It will be interesting to see where this leads. Perhaps to a date with her and her disheveled arch nemesis Gus Easton, who she's been flirting with and was matched with on a dating app.
It is great to see the show finally peeling back the layers of the complicated dynamic between the members of the Wright family. This should lead to a lot more drama and some much needed healing between Margaret and her children, for what they insist was a difficult childhood. Your turn, So Help Me Todd fans, what did you think of the episode? Did Todd make the right decision by seeking support from Veronica? How will Veronica’s presence on the outside affect Todd’s life? Share your ideas below and follow me on Twitter @miss_c_almeida.
