So Help Me Todd had its strongest hour yet this season, in an episode that felt more like a movie, filled with suspense and drama and had viewers at the edge of their seats. Todd has grown so much as a person over the course of the season, and has really managed to turn his life around. There is just one thing that seems to always get in his way- the hold that his ex, Veronica (Eliza Coupe), has on him. Until now, Todd has been unaware of the deal that Veronica made with the D.A. that led to her being released from prison. She was back with a vengeance tonight, ready to take revenge on Todd and Margaret for getting her locked up in the first place.
Margaret has been desperate to become a named partner at the firm for a long time, and is pleased when one of the partners, Beverly Crest (Leslie Silva), assigns her a huge divorce settlement case. As she struggles with the divorce negotiations, Beverly makes it clear that Margaret will never be cut out to be a partner unless she becomes ruthless and cunning. Margaret turns to Todd for help with getting her information that could make the settlement process go more smoothly, but Todd was too busy falling back into Veronica’s trap, to even think about helping out on his mother’s case. Veronica reached out to Todd for help, making it seem like her life was in danger. Todd couldn’t resist helping her and ended up walking into a trap that Veronica set up for him which led to him getting arrested on a misdemeanour. Todd knows that Veronica is a scam artist, but there is something about her that makes him crumble every single time she is in his presence. This is relatable in so many ways. A lot of viewers can probably recall a person in their lives that they can’t seem to stay away from, no matter how high the stakes.
Margaret is obviously beyond disappointed in her son, and although she caves and agrees to help him get out of his latest indiscretion, she is unable to get the misdemeanour charge dropped. On top of this, Beverly took her off the divorce settlement case because Todd had sent Margaret a voice text that made it seem like Margaret was investigating her own client. Both of the Wright’s are dealing with major issues, and of course Margaret blames Todd, desperately trying to understand why he cannot get out from underneath Veronica’s clutches. Margaret has always been hard on Todd and every time he screws up, she immediately forgets about all of the progress that Todd has made and belittles him, this time calling him an idiot and a fool. She also cunningly told Susan that it was a good thing that she dumped Todd because he is a child and unreliable. Pretty harsh words for a loving mother to utter.
What would it take for Margaret to realize that Todd has changed, and it is Veronica’s narcissistic ability to walk all over Todd that is the problem? Well, the answer to that is Veronica herself. Margaret was finally made to understand the power of Veronica’s manipulations when she herself became a victim of a set- up by Veronica, and was arrested at an illegal casino night. After her arrest, she begins to realize what Todd is up against when it comes to Veronica, and the two work to clear their names. They set up the perfect trap for Veronica at the courthouse which works. Veronica is going to be sent back to prison, or is she? Just as the Wrights celebrate finally being free of the thorn in their sides, the final scene shows Veronica’s sentencing hearing, but in a shocking twist, it isn’t Veronica that is being sentenced..she has sent a woman that is afraid of her wrath, Lindy, to take her place. Viewers were shocked to see Veronica sitting at the back of the courtroom with a sly smile on her face as Lindy was led away in handcuffs. This isn’t the end of Veronica’s reign of terror, and the Wright’s won’t be basking in their glow of freedom for long.
The good thing is that Margaret now understands where Todd is coming from. Francey called out Margaret and got her to admit what her biggest concern is- she is worried that if Todd pays her back the money he owes her, it will take away the control that she has on his life. If Todd is ever going to be able to truly change his life, Margaret will have to let him make his own decisions and become his own person. Thankfully she realized this and relieved Todd of his debt. She understands that her son needs to have control of his own life and that despite this blip with Veronica, he is more than capable of managing just fine.
Perhaps the biggest shocker of the night came at the end of the episode. Susan had spent the entire episode alluding to the fact that Peter had done something to hurt her and reminiscing about her relationship with Todd. The last scene is Susan walking into Todd’s office and knocking him off his feet with a passionate kiss. Susan and Todd fans have been waiting for this moment for so long, and after their “break-up” of sorts last episode, no one could have seen this coming. Exactly what this will mean for the two is yet to be seen. Todd was clearly affected by the kiss, but Susan is still engaged and that is a huge barrier. As well, TVLine reported that Briga Heelan has been cast to play a juror named Amy, and apparently sparks fly between her and Todd, complicating matters even further. It is clear that Todd and Susan have feelings for each other, but let’s face it. Most writers prefer slow burn romances, so to have Todd and Susan live happily ever after in the first season, seems unlikely.
This season just keeps getting better and better, and the writer’s continue to demonstrate their strong ability to create stories that are unique and suspenseful. The end of the pilot season is sure to be an exciting one! Your turn, Todd fans! What were your thoughts on the episode? Will we see Veronica again this season or next? Are Todd and Susan going to take their relationship to the next level? Share your thoughts below and follow me on Twitter @MiddleofCanada.
