I love Todd and Blair. Love them, and I always will. But, there was something special and distinct about this incarnation of Todd Manning, pre-Blair, that was just -- purely and simply, fascinating. And heart-rending. This was a man on the edge of something, life or death, maybe, survival or destruction, soulessness or redemption. And, this sequence of events, starting with the car crash, was spell-binding as Todd Manning, the rapist with no redeming qualites, grew a soul -- or discovered his own. The reactions of the people who always saw that soul are fantastic, but it's the reactions of the people who hate him which make this sequence on of my favorites on daytime, ever. It all begins with a car crash, kids, and Marty Saybrooke. Always, always Marty.
"The Car Crash: Part I"
The police car carrying Todd to Statesville has just crashed into the car Marty was driving Jessica and CJ to summer camp. Todd escapes, after radioing for help from the police vehicle. Marty and the kids are stuck in the car, hanging off the side of a cliff. None of them know who was in the other vehicle.
Marty: (in car) Please! Oh God, please, please help us! (She spots Todd in his police man garb coming down the hill). Oh, thank you, thank you! Look, CJ, there's an officer coming downthe hill! Officer, (she speaks without looking out the window) please help us; I can't move! (Todd crouches down so she can see his face) Oh, no! No, no, no!
CJ: (seeing him) Ali! It's you! You came to save us. (Todd continues to look at Marty).
M: (shocked) Todd?
CJ: Marty, it's my genie! He came to save us; everything's gonna be alright. He's my friend; he'll rescue us! (Marty, terrified, closes her eyes). Ali, you've got to help us!
M: (grudgingly spits out) I can't move.
T: (breaking his silence, almost flippant) Yeah, I figured.
M: Jessica Buchanan's unconcious in th eback; you have got to get them out, now!
T: Oh I do, do I?
M: For God's sake, they're kids! (frantic as the car shifts) We're about to slip off the edge! Hurry up, help them while you can! Please!
CJ: Help us, Ali, please!
M: We were forced off the road; a car came out of nowhere and swerved into our lane.
T: Yeah, I know. It's the car I was in, police car. They know about the accident; I phoned it in. So, you don't have to worry, okay?
M: Yeah, well, it may be too late!
T: I don't have time to worry about that, okay? I'm out of here!
CJ: Please, Ali, don't leave!
M: CJ, sit still.
CJ: (to Todd) I thought you said we were friends.
T: (stops abruptly and turns around) Okay, alright. I'm coming. I'll get you out of there.
CJ: See, Marty! Ali's a good genie!
M: (in an I-can't-believe-this tone) Okay, just -- sit still, nice and still.
Todd opens Marty's door and gestures to her)
T: C'mon, let's go. Not too fast though, okay?
M: (through her teeth) Don't worry, fast is not gonna happen.
T: Yeah, well, not too slow, either. I ain't got all day!
M: (snaps) I'm doing the best I can!
T: Hurry up! I ain't got all day! (he reaches in to help her out and she shrinks away).
M: (shouts wildly) No! Don't you touch me!
T: (shouting back) Fine! Do it yourself then, but get out of the car! (she finally does so, with great effort)
CJ: Ali, what about me?
T: I'm coming, CJ, just -- be careful. (He takes CJ in his arms, slowly and carefully removing him from the backseat)
CJ: I knew you'd save us! (As he says that, the car begins to tilt, and Marty makes a frantic move towards Jessica, still unconcious in the back, yelling for Todd to help her. He puts CJ down).
T: Okay, Marty get out of the way! (she hesitates) For God's sake, get out of the way! (he slips in and manages to get Jessica clear, putting her down by Marty) Look, she's gonna be alright, okay?
CJ: I told you he could do it! He's a super-hero!
T: Yeah, that's me, big hero. Look, uh, (to Marty) no matter what happens with the car, you guys are pretty much clear; you're gonna be fine.
M: Fine? Look at Jessica!
T: Yeah, well, I radioed into the medic; this place is gonna be swimming in uniforms any minute. I gotta get outta here! (he turns to leave)
CJ: Ali, don't leave!
T: (softly, to Marty) What do you want from me?
M: I want you to take these kids up to the top of the hill and flag down a car!
T: (incredulous) Are you out of your mind??
M: I don't care if help is on the way; look at her! The cops may not get here in time! (Todd looks at Jessica) You can help her; it's up to you. It's all in your hands.
CJ: Can you help us, Ali?
T: (looks at them, then snaps) Shut up!! (CJ's about to cry) Both of you shut up! No more talking! (After a long moment, Todd bends down and swings Jessica into his arms, speaking self-deprecatingly) You were right, Marty. My old man's right. I deserve everything I get; I don't think. (he crouches down) Alright, CJ, you hold on. (CJ does so) Now you hold on tight 'cause if you fall off I ain't stoppin' to pick you up. You got a grip?
CJ: Yeah.
T: Okay. (turns to Marty, sarcastically) Anything else I can do for you?
M: Go!
T: Don't worry, I'm goin'! (starts to turn away, then mumbles to her) I won't leave you down here, okay? (she looks away, not believing what she's hearing) Okay?! Hey, I'm talkin' to you; I said okay??
M: (yells back) Okay!
T: (pauses) Good luck, Marty. (he turns and begins to walk up the hill as she watches)
CJ: (calls back to Marty) We're coming back, Marty, I promise; we're coming back!
(Todd flags down a car, impersonating a policeman and gets the guy to take the kids to a nearby hospital. CJ hugs him, tells him he loves him, and goes. The car pulls away, and Todd looks back down the mountain just as Marty's car slips, falls, and explodes)
T: Marty?! Marty!! (heads down hill and finds her, half-concious, her leg trapped under a log) Marty? Marty, you've gotta get up to the road, you hear me?
M: (weakly) My foot. . . it's. . .
T: Fire's spreading, Marty! I can't tell if it's coming up here. (she whimpers in pain and fear) Marty, look, (terrified, springs up) this is crazy! I can't stay here! I can't stay! Look, the kids are gonna be alright, okay? Right now -- it's every man for himself. I gotta go (turns away).
M: No, no. . . (only half-aware of what she's saying and to whom)
T: (at war w/himself, finally heads back to her, bending down) Alright, this is what I'm gonna do; I'm gonna lift this log and you've got to pull your foot out by yourself. You hear me?
M: (shaking head) I can't, I can't.
T: You can, Marty! And you will. Now, don't waste my time, 'cause I got places I gotta go. Ready? (he lifts log and she snatches her leg out)
M: (shrieks) Oh, my leg! My leg!
T: You gotta get yourself to the top of hte hill now, Marty, 'cause I gotta move it. (desperate) Look, Marty, I just can't stay here any longer! (crouches) You gotta get out of here; the fire could come on up this hill!
M: I can't!
T: Yes, you can Marty! Look, I can't take you up there; can't you understand that? (yells in her face) Can you understand that!?!
M: (flashes back to rape; shrieks) Get away from me!! Get away from me! Don't touch me! Don't you touch me!
T: (an odd expression on his face) Stop screaming at me, Marty! I won't hurt you; can't you see I'm trying to help you?
M: Get away from me!
T: Alright, fine, I won't touch you; I won't come anywhere near you! (they're both breathing hard)
M: (in shock) Jessica and CJ! Where are they?
T: On their way to the hospital.
M: Jessica, she was hurt!
T: I told you, they're on the way to the hospital. Right now, Marty, you've got to get yourself up to the top of the hill! (she shakes head) Marty, you have to. Can't you feel it? The fire's geting closer every minute!
M: It hurts -- so much! (she tries to move) Aaah!
T: (to self) I can't believe I'm doing this. (starts to place tourniquet on her leg)
M: (pulls away) What are you doing?
T: (mutters) Gotta stop the bleeding. (she shrieks again and pulls away) Alright, fine (tosses it) you do it yourself.
M: (tries but can't) I can't; I can't do it. (Todd turns away as she cries, but doesn't move) Fine, you wanna go, what are you waiting for??
T: Good question (rises).
M: I don't need you.
T: (stops as she speaks and turns back to her, crouching down) Alright, Marty, you listen to me. I don't blame you. I don't blame you for hating me, I don't blame you if you think I'm some kind of monster. Maybe I am. But, right now, I'm the only chance you've got unless you wanna wait here in case someone else comes along.
M: Just go!
T: I can't, Marty. Either you're gonna bleed to death or you're gonna burn to death.
M: (laughs bitterly) What do you care?
T: I don't care! I've just got a lot on my mind, and I don't want anything else on my conscience. Now, I'm gonna carry you out of here, whether you like it or not!
M: No! No, no, no!
T: C'mon Marty, I can do this. I can carry you out of here and I'm the only chance you've got. So, what's it gonna be, yes or no? Just tell me.
M: I don't want you to touch me! I don't want you to help me! I just -- I can't, I just can't!!
T: (oddly gentle) I know you can't, Marty, I know. Now, this is what we gotta do, whether we like it or now, we just gotta do it. (starts to scoop her up) Put your arm around me. (she can't) Marty. (quietly) Marty. (she does, sobbing, and he picks her up and begins walking up the hill)
(They reach the top of the hill, by the road)
T: Alright, here we are. (He puts her gently down) You're side's stopped bleeding, okay? I think you're gonna be alright.
M: It just hurts so -- so much.
T: What do you want me to do? Stay here 'til the cops get here? You'd love that, wouldn't you? They'd shoot me before I got my hands in the air. Sorry to disappoint you but I'll be long gone by then.
M: What's holding you back?
T: Nothing. (as if he doesn't really know) I just wanna tighten this up (tightens tourquinet) This is something, huh? Enough to make you believe.
M: (bites her words) In what?
T: Fate, whatever. It's like you and me were born under the same star. (**One of my favorite Todd and Marty lines ever**) What were you doing on this road anyway?
M: Taking CJ and Jessica to summer camp (she whimpers).
T: Aah, it's gotta be tight, Marty.
M: No, no it's not that. CJ! Jessica!
T: They're gonna be fine, Marty. Jessica's a good kid, you know? A little mixed up, but she's okay. And CJ -- he's a great kid. I'd never let anything happen to him. (she looks at him like she's never seen him before) What? What're you lookin' at me like that for? You think I eat kids for breakfast?
M: I don't know what to think.
T: (quietly; affected more than he wants to show) See if you can hold this down without, uh, hurting your side. (she does and sirens begin to be audible in the background. Marty can't hold her leg tight enough to staunch the bleeding). Alright, alright. I'll do it a little longer, Marty. Just calm down.
M: I can't believe this!
T: Yeah, well that makes two of us.
M: (covers her eyes with her hand) I can't believe I'm even talking to you! Do you know that less than a year ago -- less than a year ago you and your frat brothers raped me! (Todd looks away, very very still) I bet you don't even remember the date, do you?
T: (really not wanting to answer the question but unable not to) I didn't exactly write it down in my date book, no.
M: You know, you said something when we were on the hill. About how you didn't blame me, for hating you.
T: (temporizing) Yeah, well, the fire was getting closer; I had to say something to get you --
M: (interuppting him) No, it was more than that. (whispering) It was more than that. It was the first time that I've ever heard you admit that you might have done something wrong when you raped me.
T: (long pause, then speaks slowly) All those months in prison, all that time on the run. Kinda ruins your social life, you know what I mean? Nothing to do -- except think about things.
M: (she looks at him) What're you saying, Todd? Are you trying to say you're sorry??
M: Say it, Todd! I need to hear you say it! (he starts to get up and she grabs his shirt) Do you have any idea what kind of pain you put me through? Do you still have nightmares about that night? Do you still see Suede's face the night he died?? (sirens are louder, but neither one of them seem to consciously hear them)
T: (fast) No, you know that was an accident. You saw, you were there. He hit me, I hit him back. It was an accident!
M: (struggles to sitting position, her eyes glittering) I am sick and tired of your excuses! I need to know if you're capable of feeling sorry!
T: You wanna know if I feel things?? You wanna know if the monster feels things? You wanna know if I'm sorry? Yeah, I'm sorry; I'm sorry about a lot of things but most of all, most of all, I'm sorry about the day I was born. I'm sorry I'm gonna spend the rest of my life on the run! But, maybe I should just let the cops catch me and kill me right here! How do you like that idea, hunh? (He seems to hear the sirens for the first time)
M: They're here! The police are here. (Todd and Marty exchange a long, unreadable look)
T: (quickly, almost apologetic) I gotta go, Marty. You -- I gotta go, you understand right? (silence) Hold this. You hold this right here. (looks at her one last time then disappears into the night)
Lt. Manzo finds Marty, tells her that Todd Manning is on the loose and asks her if she's seen him. Bo joins them and Marty tells them that not only has she seen him, but he saved her, along with CJ and Jessica. Bo and Manzo take off into the woods after Todd; Marty sits, looking after them, her life once again turned on it's head.
