Todd is the train wreck of daytime : tragic, devastating and guilt-inducingly fascinating. He is the ultimate outsider in a town full of elitists and preachers. As everyone in Llanview likes to point out, he is also his own worst enemy. Todd draws us into his self-inflicted traumas much the way a horror-movie hero does.
Just as we know the person in the slasher-flick shouldn't go into that spooky attic, we know Todd shouldn't spy on the women in his life or trap people in the Buchanan lodge. But still, we watch, hoping against hope that things will work out okay this particular time. Of course, in real life, we would not pardon Todd's offenses- rape, kidnapping and spousal abuse among them. Thankfully, Todd is not redeemed on the show.
But his actions are made more understandable, especially as we learn more about his quitehorrible,violent childhood. Tender scenes of him and his daughter Starr tragically point out how circumstances have warped him into a tragic beast. We want to care for him in the way we'd want to heal an abused puppy, even after he repeatedly bites the hands of Tea, Sam, Viki and anyone else who tries to help him.
.
Of course,Todd would be nothing more than Rapist #1 without Roger Howarth. For a show that couldn't pick an appropriate Kevin out of a five-actor lineup. One Life To Live scored a casting coup with Howarth, and they know it, too. The writers expanded what was intended to be a limited role after Howarth's star power transformed a cardboard character into daytime's most riveting villain. Whether Todd is cutting Buchanan egos down to size, bonding tenderly with children, or merely shoving food into his mouth, Howarth's attention to detail and captivating persona weave their way into every performance. As with a train wreck, we can't stop ourselves from watching.
