So Help Me Todd – P.I.’s Wide Shut

By: Sammi Turano

The plaintiff questions him about his prior drug use, which surprises Margaret (Marcia Gay Harden) and Susan. The judge calls all three of them to the stand, telling them they have 72 hours to work it out.

Afterward, Susan makes it clear she is annoyed that Margaret is there and that she needs a senior attorney. The two women argue over it when Tom comes by, asking why his prior drug use was mentioned when she promised it wouldn’t. He storms off as Margaret says they need to fix things.

Lyle (Tristen J Winger) and Alex (Vinessa Antoine) make plans for dinner. After she leaves, Todd (Skylar Astin) makes fun of him about his budding relationship as they get into the elevator.

Once in the office, Francey (Rosa Evangelina Arredondo) teases Todd about his own date with Judy. While this happens, Margaret and Susan continue to argue, with Todd coming in to try and diffuse the issue. The ladies work on trying to fix things and come up with a new tactic to win the case. Todd gives them people who could be involved and could have motive.

Later on, Susan vents to Todd about not getting promoted and being stuck in her job. Todd points out she is married to a ‘gazillionaire’ but she says that is his money, not hers. Todd vows to help her and stand out against Lyle, who he claims is distracted with Alex.

Gus (Jeffrey Nording) visits Margaret to take her to dinner. She forgot they had plans and says she needs to cancel due to being so busy. He tells her that she could have someone help her and she can spare two hours. She asks if she can bring work to dinner….but he says no. She promises to make it up to him as he goes to the $600 dinner alone.

Allison (Madeline Wise) begs Todd to take her home after working a double. She tries to explain the PEDs found in Nicole’s body, but he is distracted by paperwork Lyle purposely dropped, making him think he got cut of at the knees.

Todd goes through Lyle’s office to see what he knows when Margaret summons him to the conference room to get an update on the case. Susan suggests Nicole go on the stand, but Margaret vetoes this because she is a minor with overprotective parents.

Todd asks if the parents are Gen X, leading to a generation debate. Margaret suggests questioning her to see if they can get information.

As they debate on strategy, Pokemon music begins to play, with Todd also getting a text that he must find a package at a gift shop. Judy (Heather Morris)  thinks he is there to see her and is amused by his antics, while her co-worker thinks he is crazy.

The package Todd gets leads him to a Chinese food place, where a woman is annoyed by fake orders…with the initials spelling out YOU ARE AN IDIOT….courtesy of Lyle playing a prank on him.

Todd gets revenge by sending a fake message to Lyle, claiming that he died. He even sends a sympathy wreath to Margaret’s desk. He runs to talk to her and gets pelted by donuts…with the guys declaring war on each other.

Susan and Margaret question Nicole, who is uncooperative. She claims she doesn’t need PEDs and that she has been working hard since the age of ten. Margaret tries to be sympathetic, but Nicole insults them by calling them a ‘sus millennial’ and an ‘out of touch boomer.’ Her mom (Diana Pavlovska) tries to calm her down, but no avail. She storms out as her mom tells them they ruined Nicole’s life.

After the mom leaves, Margaret and Susan agree Nicole is telling the truth, but realize they are back at square one.

Margaret and Todd go to the tennis courts and reflect back on his time there as a kid. She questions another coach while Todd snoops in the office. The coach is uncooperative and things get worse when she asks about the PEDs and he threatens to call the cops.

Todd hides in a closet and spies a woman with Nicole’s files. He tries to escape as she leaves as it is announced the place is closing early.

Margaret says the coach is not a suspect, but Todd later tells Susan that the nutritionist is the one who is a suspect. He tries stealing her food, but she tells him that there is food for him in the fridge. He thinks it is a surprise from Margaret, but it is a paint bomb from Lyle, coloring him pink.

That night, Todd pretends everything is okay on his date with Judy, making up stories about why he is pink and wearing makeup. He finally tells her about the prank war, which she finds fun. As he explains it, he sees a girl named Mabel getting a birthday cake, only to realize it is actually Alex.

The next day, Todd tries to tell Lyle, but he thinks it is part of the prank war, especially since Todd ruined his tires. He kicks Todd out of his office, but not before he realizes Todd glued him to the office chair and desk.

Gus and Margaret play tennis, him thinking it is a date and her to spy.  They end up breaking into the office to get Nicole’s medical records, which she claims she has the right to have for the case. Despite his misgivings, she gets the file.

Back at the coffee shop, Todd and Judy revel in the joy of their date adventure. Lyle comes in, saying Alex never had a parking ticket, even though he was with her when she got one. The men go to investigate her life and true identity. There is nothing on Alex anywhere, so Todd tries looking into files, only to get foiled by one of his own pranks.

Allison, Susan and Margaret look into Nicole’s files, realizing the drugs were in her body long before Coach Tom was ever in the picture. They look deeper into it and realizing the parents may be involved.

Margaret decides to question Nicole’s moms to trip them up and get one of them to confess.

Todd gives Lyle a picture of a fingerprint he thinks belongs to Alex, but it is really Lyle’s. They decide to put their heads together to catch her in the act when they realize she is a spy. Todd suggests pretending there is a new computer and there is a problem with it so she can get in.

Margaret sees money on the floor and assumes it belongs to Todd. She picks it up and gets hit with a glitter bomb.

In court, Margaret, who is still glittery, questions both of Nicole’s moms, with the help of Susan….and get mama Kathleen (Anita Brown) to confess. Kathleen says her wife knew nothing about it and did it so Nicole would keep winning.

Kathleen is arrested and Tom is a free man, with the plaintiff paying his legal fees.

Susan thanks Margaret for winning the case, but she says they are a team. They have a bonding moment, which is quickly ruined by Susan bringing up Beverly. Margaret warns her to be careful with Beverly, but Susan says she isn’t blind to her, but at least Beverly is helping her.

Margaret heads into her office, where Gus surprises her with dinner and wine being delivered from her favorite restaurant. He agrees to let her work as he watches. She happily kisses him.

Alex takes the bait from Lyle and Todd, only to be caught by them. She says she is not Alex or Mabel, but Agent Ariel Joseph of the FBI.