ROCK, SAM, HARD PLACE - Todd & Sam

This was not a touching reunion of Todd and Sam, who he looks at as a surrogate father. When we last saw Sam and Todd saying goodbye at the airport, Sam, was much softer with Todd, not exactly forgiving everything he did, but certainly there was much more emotion in their goodbye. I should not be surprised the writers either choose to ignore it or changed their minds, but Sam came off ice cold with Todd. And Todd of course expected that Sam would be there to help him out of a legal mess that he may incur due to his attempts on RJ. What I did enjoy in this scene was when Sam grabbed him angrily after Todd’s remark about Nora, Todd’s reaction. You immediately saw the scared little boy that was roughed up by his father and Sam immediately saw it also and backed off. Sam is outside his front door waving goodbye to the nanny and Matthew, he enters back in his house and stops short when he sees Todd sitting in the living room on the couch reading a document casually. Todd glances up at him and goes back to reading.

SAM: Boomer!

TODD: (smiles, small chuckle at the name) It’s been a long time. (pause, Todd looks at Sam who is coldly staring at him, Todd sucks his teeth) I’ve missed you. (he puts down document) Alright, let’s cut to the chase.

SAM: (he crosses past him with his back to him reads papers on desk, trying to blow him off) What are you doing here?

TODD: I couldn’t stay away. It’s...it’s like a.....a Capistrano swallows thing. (he wipes his mouth nervously)

SAM: (coldly looking at papers) You got a chase to cut to, cut to it, pal.

TODD: (very fast) Here’s the thing. Last time I was in town, I sent RJ this fake bomb in the mail, and then there was this tiny little gas leak in his apartment and then he jumped in front of a bullet that I accidentally shot at him which was clearly HIS fault. It's really...really no big deal but....

SAM: (cuts him off) They frown upon attempted murder in this country...

TODD: (overlapping) Right.

SAM: Now that is a big deal.

TODD: (Sam sits on other end of the couch flipping thru some papers) Which is why I need your legal help. And I’m...I’m sure whatever you’re charging these days I can still afford.

SAM: (Sam stops reading and looks baffled) Excuse me? That’s why you’re here? You want my legal help?

TODD: Well, yeah. (pause, trying to sound sincere) Oh, that and the whole reunion thing.

SAM: Ah. Well then, I tell you what. (fake smile, pats Todd’s knee) For old times sake, (cold) get the hell out of my house! (Todd stares, then in complete denial, gives a laugh that Sam has to be kidding him)

Scene break

SAM: I can’t believe you got the nerve to come to me for legal help!

TODD: Why? (deadpan) Are you all booked up?

SAM: You! (makes a fist in anger, stops himself, throws down the paper, hands up as if in gesture to strangle him) I went to the wall for you, do you understand that? I went to the wall for you! I helped you when other people in this town wouldn’t on spit on you if you were on fire and YOU, you took me out a long row, (Todd starts to laugh) man, you gave me a RIDE!!

TODD: (with a big laugh) You’re upset.

SAM: I was betrayed. You lied to me, you used me....

TODD: (cuts him off) Oh, come on. (stops, abruptly gets up) You know what, this is great but we’ll try it some other time. (crosses to front door to leave)

SAM: (stands) Todd.

TODD: (he turns, cocky) What are you coming around?

SAM: No. I’m not coming around. I want to know how Tea is. I mean what did you do to her.

TODD: Oh! (can’t believe it) Oh, we’ve come a long way haven’t we, you and I. (deeply sarcastic) Thank you. Your confidence in me is overwhelming.

SAM: Hey, don’t go getting all self-righteous with me, pal. (getting angry) I mean you....you...you twisted everybody in this town, me, Vicki, everybody, before you left so it’s not out of the question for me to question how the hell Tea is.

TODD: (looks down at floor) Tea, left me.

SAM: (folds his arms) Where is Tea?

TODD: (direct) Hell, I hope. (small smile) Heaven, probably. I don’t know maybe Idaho, I...I have no idea. (swallows, he has a small smile of bravado)

SAM: What happened?

TODD: (putting up a front) Nothing happened, I told you everything was fine.

SAM: And??

TODD: And what? Look, she knew what she was getting into when she came with me. (serious) And no, I didn’t betray her, or lie to her, or use her.

SAM: What did you do?

TODD: I didn’t do anything. (catch in his voice)

SAM: (understanding, maybe the no sex thing?) And that was the problem, right?

TODD: I don’t know. (licks his lips nervously) I woke up one morning and she was gone. And she had left me a note, Sam, she left me a NOTE. (hurt and a bit angry) It said that everybody in this town was right about me. (pointedly, looking at him) Everybody. (intensely) These hayseeds in this ridiculous town, and these small minded mettlesome twits with nothing better to do, they turned Tea against me.

SAM: Oh that’s real good, your problem’s are everybody else’s fault.

TODD: Yeah! (angry) Yeah, they polluted her. (licks his lips again) Look I just... (he stops, he is sincere) Don’t tell anybody I said this but I want to come home. So you gotta get me through all this legal whatever it is so I can come back here, cause I’ve got some unfinished business with people.

SAM: Really? I’ll tell you what, take an ad out in the Banner. (he walks away) I ain’t going down that road with you.

TODD: Oh come on Sam, look I’m not asking you to be my friend, I’m asking you to be my lawyer! (no answer) Okay fine. Fine, I’ll go ask your girlfriend, Nora, you know she’s always had a soft spot for me, I’m sure she would jump at the chance to defend me. And you know she still understands the value of a dollar.

SAM: Nora’s....... (pause, looks at him) dead.

TODD: (flippant) Did ya have her killed?

SAM: (lunges at him, grabbing him by the coat lapels, furious) Don’t you ever say her name out loud again, EVER! (Todd has his hands up in defense)

Scene break

SAM: (shaking him) Somebody I love is dead! And you find that funny somehow??!! (Sam sees the fear in Todd, knows that this is much like Peter Manning’s way of handling Todd and releases him) Todd.... (slaps at him in frustration) Todd, I’m sorry. Sorry. (clears his throat)

TODD: I....I....look....(serious, defensive) I didn’t know! (pause, hand through his hair nervously, stuttering) I didn’t know that you....that you loved Nora, (incredulous) I mean why would you love Nora?

SAM: Love has always baffled you, man. (Todd is looking down, thinking) I loved....I loved Nora, I sometimes find it hard to get through a day without her.

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TODD: Right. (dismissing the subject quickly switching gears to suit his needs and very much like a kid) Look, I know that you’re upset by what I did but if I say that I’m....if I apologize to you, you think you can get past it.

SAM: People just don’t GET PAST the things that you do, pal.

TODD: (not comprehending) Yeah, but I need your help.

SAM: You’re right on that count, you need somebody’s help but believe me it’s not mine. You’re not going to get my help, not even if my life depended on it.

TODD: (taking a different tact) Well, what if you’re kids’ life depended on it? (Sam’s eyebrows arch)

Scene break

SAM: (warily) What are you talking about? Which kid?

TODD: (tucking in his shirt, adjusting his jacket) Will.

SAM: Will? What about Will?

TODD: Well, I ran into him, you see.

SAM: (stunned) You.... Is he okay?

TODD:(very casual) Oh yeah, he’s fine. (flip) He’s a lot taller actually than I remember him.

SAM: (incredulous) How did you....how did you see Will??

TODD:You see I ran into Jessica and Will and Christian. (counting them on his fingers) They were in this rock kinda place, you’re never going to believe where it was, check this out...

SAM: (cuts him off, throwing his hand up) No, no, no.....please, I don’t want to know, don’t tell me.

TODD:Just a second ago you wanted to know.

SAM: Oh, yeah, well the cops also want to know and what I don’t know I can’t tell them.

TODD: (dryly) Oh I see, rock, Sam, hard place.

SAM: (exasperated) Yes, Todd. (pause) Well I’m just glad to know he’s okay.

TODD: If you want I could check up on him.

SAM: (quickly jumping on it) No! I would appreciate it if you keep your distance from him.

TODD:Why? (smiles, then dawning on him) Oh, you don’t.... (can’t believe Sam believes this) You....you really think that I would turn your kid in?

SAM: I don’t know what to think about you, man.

TODD: Yeah, but you do trust me, right Sam? (pause) I mean you do still trust me?

SAM: Todd, any trust I have for you is long gone. (Todd looks genuinely hurt)

Scene break

TODD: Okay, here we go, look I made a few mistakes....(about to list them)

SAM: (cuts him off) A few??

TODD: Yeah, well nobody’s perfect, Sam. Oh, except for you. Come on, you can’t turn your back on me? (small smile) Will screwed up and you’re not going to turn your back on him.

SAM: Don’t compare yourself to Will. Number one he was set up and number two he’s my son.

TODD: Yeah, but you used to treat me like I was your son. You used to think that what I did was important. (stammering, frustrated, upset) You...you...you made me.... I meant something to you....and you meant something....that meant something to me, it still does Sam, I....(he can’t finish)

SAM: You destroyed that, you know that, YOU destroyed that, not me!

TODD: So, that’s it, you’re just going to let me go to jail? No charity, no compassion? (Sam stares) I guess you’re not perfect after all. (Sam continues staring coldly, Todd turns to go) You know, I have a kid too. I’m a father and I have a kid that I need to think about.

SAM: Oh, really? Well if you had been thinking about your daughter a little more you probably wouldn’t have wound up in the big mess you’re in pal, so I’m sorry, alright, I cannot help you!

TODD: (archly) You mean you won’t. (pause) If that’s the way you feel.

SAM: That is.

TODD: (he looks down than directly at him, he says quietly, I believe sincerely, not using Nora’s name because he was told not to) I’m very sorry for your dead friend. (he walks to the door and glances back at Sam who continues staring coldly, the last shot of Todd is outside Sam’s door, his face is hard to read, determination or plotting maybe?)