Todd and Blair In The Press

On New Year's Eve, ONE LIFE TO LIVE's Todd found Blair in the backyard with a large candle prepared to do what she referred to as "a little ritual burning." He was confused, so she explained. "I figure we better start the new year fresh, " she said "At least, I'm going to. I'm gonna just get rid of all the guilt from last year, and this is how it works." She wrote "Trusting the wrong man" on a small piece of paper, then held it atop the candle flame until it caught fire and disappeared into ash. "See?" she smiled. "Out of my life, like it never even happened. Care to join me?" Blair did another one for all the times she couldn't keep her big mouth shut, while Todd scribbled away frantically against the door. She wanted to know what he was writing, arguing that was part of the way it's done, but he reminded her that he always plays by his own rules. Of course the reason he wanted to keep his note a secret was because he had written, "Killing Victor".

and "Framing Tomas" as the regrets he wanted to let go of! After his note burned up. Blair asked if he felt any better, and he smiled as he admitted he did. They locked eyes and drew closer, leaning in for a kiss, but before their lips could meet, the power suddenly went out, pulling them out of the moment. Todd finished burning his note to make sure there was no evidence left and Blair took note that the whole town seemed to be in the dark. "Should we... Should we talk about... uh, what just happened?" Todd asked. "There's ... there's nothing to talk about," she stammered. "It was ... it was... um... it was ... a moment." "I think it was a lot more than that." he said, gently stroking the side of her face with his finger tips. She asked what he was doing, and Todd replied, "What I should've done at midnight as he swept her into his arms for a passionate kiss -One that literally made her weak in the knees.

SOD Digest Fall Previews  
     (August 22 2000)

"Blair and Todd have a very interesting relationship they should rekindle" Megan McTavish, OLTL Head Writer

OLTL RATINGS ARE UP (from SOD)

"One Life To Live got a boost from Blair and Todd's tete-a-tete in Starr's bedroom."

SOAP OPERA'S GREATEST MOMENT'S- "FUTURE MOMENTS"

When they first got together, Blair and Todd appeared to be perfectly matched, as they considered themselves both losers. They wed, had a daughter and divorced. Todd went off with Tea, Blair married Max...and things looked quiet. Now Todd's back without Tea, and Blair is plotting revenge against Max for his infidelity with Skye.

No one knows what Todd is really up to, and one can always count on him to do the unexpected. Todd "rescued" Nora from Colin, but then kept her captive himself. Blair plotted with everyone to get even with Max, but when she finally began to see the fruits of her labour come true, she realized that she may still love him.

Will it be too late for Blair and Max? Just what will she do if Max leaves her for Skye? Who will be there for Todd? Todd and Blair have Starr and that always keeps them in contact, and it could be enough to draw this unusual twosome together again. Imagine what would happen if those two plotted to take revenge on the people who made them unhappy? Keep your eye on Todd and Blair!!

     Soaps In Depth (November 2000)

ROUND TWO - Todd and the other ex-Mrs. Manning, BLAIR, ROCK! Whenever the former scheme team butt heads, sparks fly, and we're hoping that before too long, their
passion for one another will be rekindled. Once that happens, watch out, Llanview, because a lot of people are sure to get
burned.

Soap Opera Update (October 2000)

"We are also pleased to see Todd flirting with Blair, his one and only soulmate." 

Soap Opera Digest-March 13th, 2001

Thumbs Up! And Down! -Thumbs Up! - OLTL: The Third Time Around 

It's not easy to take story that's been done not once, but twice before and make it seem new. That's what the writers over at OLTL have done with Todd and Blair by breathing life into their tortured love affair and making it interesting again. Initially, Blair and Todd connected because they felt like they were the biggest losers in town. The next go-round, they actually seemed to see each other as human beings. Now, they are both older and a lot wiser about life and love (Todd has all but rejected the latter entirely) so a whole new perspective was needed. Viewers got it: By taking a dash of original attraction (They're cut from the same cloth) and missing it with an almost desperate need for security and stability, the relationship flourished. With small gestures, like an un-birthday cake, Todd found ways to prove that he understood Blair better than she understood herself. Not to discount the Todd and Tea relationship, that pairing certainly had its own magic(Ed: They did?). But in the end, what makes Blair and Todd tick has been pointed out several times: Blair has never tried to change Todd, and that has made him more willing to be the kind of man she wants. Right now, they're far from warm and cuddly. But the next round is just getting started, and we're guessing the sparks will fly again.

                                  Soap Opera Update- March 27, 2001

Between the Sheets: Todd Really Wanted To Marry Blair- She's gorgeous, sexy, loving and wants some happiness in her life. He's a rogue, hates shows of affection and doesn't trust anyone. How in the world did Blair and Todd think they could get married a third time after their two other marriage attempts ended in disaster? Blair is probably the only person who can actually say that she's slept with Todd. After all, they do have a daughter together. However, through the years, Todd has become more and more distrustful, especially of women, and romance seems to be totally unimportant to him. He doesn't understand the concept of loving or trusting someone. So it was quite a surprise to see Todd and Blair in a liplock or two. It was even more of a surprise when they actually slipped between the sheets and spent the night together. Todd was determined to marry Blair, and he succeeded in getting her to accept his proposal. Blair was convinced that she loved Todd, and for Todd, being with Blair was as close to being happy as he would let himself be. Although they showed their genuine affection for each other, their wedding day was a disaster, thanks to Max, and Blair and Todd never did wed.

The caption on the picture of T&B says: "Blair has been the only woman to whom Todd has ever shown any affection."

                               Soap Opera Digest- April 24th, 2001
                    

Editor's Choice- The Terrible Twos

There have been many fascinating, darkly offbeat couples over the years: Tristan and Isolde, Bonnie and Clyde, Charles Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate. So, maybe it's time to put OLTL's Todd and Blair up there too. They're no Romeo and Juliet, but mainly because they've got more sense than to off themselves before the credits roll. They'd rather take out the whole town instead.

Which is what Todd nearly did this past week, when he left a live explosive in the police precinct as a gesture of his undying love for Blair (that he was foiled by crack bomb experts Bo and Melanie is best ignored). Planting a bomb was his way of getting into the evidence room to remove the clothes he'd provided two weeks ago, which incriminated Blair in Max's shooting.

As usual, Todd is his own worst enemy. 

Still, what made this particular T&B chapter so surprising (and surprisingly touching) was the way Blair came to his rescue. If a bomb is a symbol of Todd's  undying love, then an ax surely can be Blair's. "You are so wasting the last few minutes of my life, " Todd yelled at Blair as she desperately tried to unlock the gate to a chain link fence surrounding the evidence room shelves (he'd accidentally locked himself in while trying to retrieve the clothing). "Will you stop wasting your time?" 

Blair shot back, "All right, I'm wasting my time! I've wasted way too much time on you!"

Can you feel the love? Roger Howarth's Todd and Kassie DePaiva's Blair do, and make
it evident to everyone else through their intense, glittering gazes and heartfelt, energetic gestures. When Todd and Blair are not letting their heads get in front of their hearts, there's no stopping them; alas, most of the time, they're too brainy to be able to put aside their past history. Not so this time around.

After screaming at Todd that she'd wasted her time on him, Blair ran out. The shock and hurt on Todd's face spoke volumes. Yeah, he'd been telling her to "scram" to save her own life and haranguing her as she tried every device in the world to get the gate open (including a bobby pin), but he didn't really think she'd abandon him in his moment of need. Todd tried to talk to his maker, but the lines were busy: "I'm supposed to go out trying to redeem myself in the eyes of some woman? It's pathetic."

Instead, his savior showed up in the flesh. Blair, who usually only cares about whether her own skin is getting crisped, returned wielding a firefighter's ax and set about hacking at the gate. It was a grand gesture of passion for a couple who're usually more grand guignol.

Not that she'd admit it. Once they'd escaped the police station, Blair had to face the truth: She'd acted on instinct, and instinct told her to save Todd's life. "Why would you take a chance like that if you didn't care about me?" he wondered.

Blair spat that she'd done it for their daughter. "I didn't want her daddy's butt blown over three states." But perhaps for the first time, Blair was bewildered by her own feelings, making it clear from her stunned expression that this was an unforseen consequence: Her caring for Todd wasn't just a knee-jerk, surface emotion.

This isn't easy soap opera to do. It requires talented, experienced writers willing to give dimensions and layers to the characters' motivations and actions. That DePaiva and Howarth can - and do - make their characters believable (and believably bizarre) proves they deserved to be called one of the great "terrible" twosomes.

SID - Daytime's Most Romantic Weddings - OLTL - Todd & Blair Manning,
                    November1995

- United We Stand -

"Blair and Todd looked so much in love the night they were married.

Todd arranged for the gold decorations."

Soap Opera Update- Dec 4th, 2001

Soap Opera Digest- Nov 2001

Memorable Moments

Kassie Depaiva and Roger Howarth: Howarth is in a class by himself when it comes to expressing himself without saying a single word. DePaiva is his perfect partner. These two turned what might have been dull scenes into the highlight of the day.

SOD Mailbag- Feeling the Love 

Many  OLTL viewers are eagerly awaiting Todd and Blair's reunion.
                                               

Soap Opera Digest- Nov. 2001

Kassie DePaiva Interview

Digest- When Blair met Todd, how did she feel about his rapist past? 

Kassie- Blair wasn't one to judge. Todd was exciting. She had always been such an outcast, and he accepted her. And in turn that made her accept him for who he was. She knew he wasn't perfect, and she liked that. 

Digest- What is the continuing attraction between them? 

Kassie- That they're both outsiders, and they understand each other. They're better together than they are separate. 

Digest- Was Blair jealous of Tea? 

Kassie- She didn't like her. Blair felt that she stole her life and her daughter away. She loved Todd, and she loves her daughter, and Tea came in and tried to be a Blair wannabe. 

Digest- Why do they have such a hard time getting together for any length of time? 

Kassie- Because both of them are so afraid of being hurt and being left alone. And he trust factor is a big deal. 

Digest- Have you disagreed with the storyline over the years? 

Kassie- Yeah. The start of Blair not telling him that she was pregnant with his child and his taking Starr away and kicking Blair out of the house---that was mean stuff that Todd and Blair wouldn't really do to each other. 

Digest- Are Blair and Todd soul mates? 

Kassie- Yes. Their connection is so deeply rooted. Less is more with them. They don't even need dialogue to speak. What they don't say speaks volumes.

Digest- Blair now has two kids with Todd. Is he the man she always envisioned being a father to her children? 

Kassie- If you're part of the Addams Family, yes. They're not the all-American, loving, white-picket-fence kind of family, but what they feel is real and they don't hold anything back.

Soap Opera Digest- Dec 11th, 2001

SID- Soaps Most Romantic Couples -

OLTL - Tender Trap - When Llanview's local pariahs, Todd and Blair, first hooked up, their neighbors didn't know whether to be terrified (of what plot they might hatch) or relieved (that they were off the market). As it happened, either reaction would have been fitting. In the years that followed, the on-again/off-again couple schemed as foreplay, wreaking havoc on their hometown, but always saving the cruelest tricks for each other. By now, no doubt can remain that their love is mutual and powerful. The only question is, will they ever be able to channel their feelings in a way that doesn't leave a path of destruction in their wake?

SID's Daytimes Most Romantic Moments- OLTL

Winner: Todd and Blair's Second Wedding.

Blair certainly has been showing Todd how happy she is married to him, and she's been doing it in quite the unusual way. The night Blair asked Todd to meet her at Rodi's turned out to be a surprising night for Todd. Blair told him they were celebrating- and what they were celebrating was the first night they met in that very place.

To go along with the anniversary of their first meeting, OLTL provided viewers with a series of flashbacks, where a very different- looking Blair and Todd first exchanged words. Back to the present, Blair sits Todd in a chair, picks up a microphone, turns on some music and begins to sing to him. Todd is stunned! Blair's singing puts some strange looks on his face, which could be shock, embarassment, or just plain love for her. And who couldn't fall in love with Blair singing the beautiful words of Nat King Cole tune "Unforgettable", as sung by Kassie DePaiva? The powers that be took advantage for her beautiful talent, and she was heard singing while they projected images of other Llanview couples on screen.

DePaiva's talent wasn't wasted on one episode. On Valentine's Day, she sang to him at Club Capricorn, where Blair was the featured entertainer.