So Help Me Todd – Is The Jury Out?

By starrymag | April 25, 2024

By: Sammi Turano

 

 

The episode opens with Margaret (Marcia Gay Harden) in court and promising a woman named Gillian (Sofie Kane) that she will continue to help her and it will all work out in deliberations.

Todd (Skylar Astin), for his part, is listening to Dick Franks’s (Dean Winters) podcast when Judy (Heather Morris) approaches him, asking him out. He turns her down to focus on work, all advice from said podcast.

Margaret is approached by a woman (Jessica Clement) who got her letter, only to find out it  is too late since the jury is deliberating. She questions her, but the woman runs away.

Later on, Margaret tells Allison (Madeline Wise), Chet (Thomas Cadrot), Todd and Patty (Kathryn Greenwood) about the case while Clem (Avery de Wet) colors. They all debate about it and how the plaintiff’s TikTok brought attention to the case when Lawrence (Matthew Wilkas) walks in with a black balloon. It is a gender reveal for him and Chet. He pops it and green confetti comes out, making Todd think that they are having a frog. Clem then reveals that she is getting a little brother.

Margaret takes a call while Todd cleans up from the confetti. Allison wants a sleepover with Clem to celebrate, but Lawrence tells her it is not a good idea due to her current lifestyle. He distracts Clem by taking her to Chet. Patty offers to have a girls’ night with Allison instead.

Lawrence takes Todd into the bathroom and tells him about a case he wants to hire him for a case involving a judge.

Margaret is back in court, where Gillian is worried about the outcome. She assures her that nothing has happened yet and to be patient. She then calls Todd to look into the mystery woman.

Todd meets with Lawrence to give him an update on the judge and asks why he is questioning the judge’s sexuality. Lawrence questions his ability to handle the case and threatens to give it to someone else. Todd promises to take care of it.

Lyle (Tristen J. Winger) helps Margaret try to figure out the mystery woman, who has no online presence. They find a PO Box and try to find her.

Todd and Susan (Inga Schlingmann) meet in the lobby to go through the judge’s garbage for clues. Susan is confused, as is Todd as he goes through the garbage. Judy stares at them the entire time, making Susan think that he took her down there on purpose. She tries to signal that Todd is interested in her and to ask her out.

Margaret finds Clara, the woman from the courthouse who wanted to talk and ends up frightening her.  She sends a young man named Micah (Colm Sawyer) to the car to wait.

 

Lyle says Gillian needs her help, but Clara insists she cannot help her. She runs off and drives away, but not before Lyle gets her plate numbers.

Todd, Allison and Patty meet for an awkward lunch so he can do more spying. Allison gets annoyed and leaves, while Patty decides to hit on the judge (Ian Ronningen)….only succeeding in scaring him off. Todd also tries to talk to him, but gets blown off. Todd asks a security guard about him. Todd learns that Judge Spinks thinks he is cool because the governor is talking to him.

The court case continues. The jury is sent back to deliberate while Lyle and Margaret try to get the case reopened.

Lawrence and Todd meet for lunch so he can give an update. Lawrence explains the reasons for why he is looking into the judge and why it is important to him…..for personal reasons. Todd agrees to spy if Lawrence can lend him his car, but they end up fighting with Lawrence storming off.

Margaret and Lyle go to a compound to talk to Clara. Her mother yells at Clara and asks why they are there. They give a fake story about Clara winning a contest, which upsets her mom even more. They leave, with Clara following them and saying no one knows she was in school. She also admits Gillian was telling the truth because she witnessed it, but she is terrified of coming forward. Margaret convinces her to help and she agrees, but only if she can remain anonymous. Margaret says she will see what she can do.

Lawrence and Todd end up at a party that the judge is attending. They wait in the car and have a heart-to-heart about Lawrence’s life. Margaret calls mid-talk and asks what to do about Clara. She ends up doing some venting of her own about Allison while Todd says Lawrence is also a mess. Margaret tells him to be kind, but Todd hangs up as he and Lawrence tail the judge who is dressed as a milk carton.

Margaret brings Clara to the case’s judge so she can give her statement. After she leaves, she, the judge and other lawyer discuss what to do since it might be too late to do anything. Margaret convinces them that they cannot fail the two women involved and says she is filing a motion to appeal so Clara can testify. The judge agrees, but says that Clara cannot be anonymous. Margaret relays this to Clara and tells her she will need to testify the next day. She tells her to go home and think about what to do.

Todd and Lawrence enter the party and run into Judy, who gives them costumes to wear. They see the judge talking to someone in a pinata. Todd tries to find a way to figure out his identity as Lawrence accidentally gets drunk from Jello shots. Judy joins them and helps figure out the identity of the pinata.

 

Meanwhile, Lawrence talks to his reflection, saying he is a robot and pirate at the same time (thanks to the costume). Judy comes back with no luck on the identity while Todd gets Lawrence out of the bar. They run into Margaret, who helps Todd get Lawrence back to his place.

 

Lawrence sings Wheels on the Bus as they get to Todd’s door. Patty is there to surprise Allison, who is there having sex with Dick. Everyone is shocked and Lawrence screams ‘Feliz Navidad’ as he passes out.

Everyone freaks out over Dick, who is stoned and confused about who anyone is or why he is there. Margaret shames Allison while asking her to help Lawrence. She freaks out and tells everyone to leave while Patty recognizes Dick from a previous hookup. Todd yells at Dick while Lawrence fires Todd while moaning about being a failure. Dick says he is having a heart attack and asks them to call 911.

Clara comes to the court to testify, but freaks out when she sees the camera. She says she will be disowned and her brother will be sent away. Margaret calms her down and tells her she doesn’t have to testify, but they will lose the case. She tells her she will support whatever she decides to do.

Margaret is about to tell them Clara didn’t show, but Clara comes in to take the stand, leading to them winning the case. Clara tells Margaret that she is leaving the compound. Margaret tells her the school will help her and they will find a way to help her brother.

Todd finally agrees to go out with Judy and says she got the identity of the pinata by feeding them bad shrimp.

Micah is waiting for Clara when Lawrence walks in with Susan. Lawrence drops his phone, which Micah picks up. He asks who is on the screensaver and Lawrence explains that it is his family. Micah thinks this is great and leaves with Clara.

Lawrence and Todd make up. Todd has a balloon which will help solve the mystery of the judge. Margaret and Patty talk about Allison changing and say she is like their brother Lester.

Lawrence takes the balloon outside and lets it go without popping it as the episode comes to a close.