For once, I am amazed that I was completely right, along with almost every other Todd and Blair fan. That's not necessarily shocking. but what is shocking is HOW right we were and HOW far these guys went to tell us we were right. I have been lurking and I know others have a different interpretation. That's fine, everyone should think what they will. But, I'm telling you as a critic, a fan, and a "scholar", excuse the term but, ya know, shoe, fitting, whatnot This was NOT closure, People, this was the beginning of an end, but the end of the bad stuff, not the relationship.
Could it be true? Is it possible? Is the infinite middle of the Todd and Blair relationship ending? Is it finally over- the pain, the grief, the betrayal? Holy Happiness, Batman, it looks like it could be true. Buddy Boy and his Gal Pal may actually get it right this time. Hold the phone, wake the kids, and be sure that Aunt Martha's not dead yet. I sense a REAL Todd and Blair conclusion. But, finally, in a good way. Jeez Louise, maybe our little man has finally grown up. And he might actually get his pretty toy after all and get to keep her for himself this time.
Okay, I see people seeing this as "closure" in the sense that they're over. Oh, People, you're missing the forest for the trees. Now, I could be wrong, and often am, but I've watched these shows since I was in a high chair and I'm rapidly approaching middle age, if I'm not there already. I've read about them. I've deconstructed them. I've written papers on them. I've delivered seminar papers on them. I do lectures on them. In other words, I kind of know my shit. If you want to give closure to a couple and move people on, you don't do what they did on this show. Like, ever.
Here's a cheat sheet on how NOT to give closure:
1) You don't have the one who's "moving on" never say they love the one they are moving on for
Somewhere along the line, Blair seemed to forget that she should have just told Todd that she loved Tomas. She didn't. Not once. Never even mentioned him. Much like when we were subjected to her sex scene with Tomas, she talked about Todd the whole time. Her whole relationship, such as it is, with Dumbass is about Todd. It's all a reaction to her love for Todd, not closure.
2) You don't have the one who wants to get back together flash back to the reason he can't have his hunny bunny as he tries to get her to reconsider
Notice how Blair talked about them in the present tense and said that he'd have to tell her that he's not hiding something again that would blow them up. Not in the past, but now. That's why they're not getting together. He's still hiding his dumbass mistake. If this were over, he would not be lying this time and she'd still leave. You wouldn't see her challenge him to not lie and then flash to the whopper he's holding. Unless you're blind. you know he's going to make it better so he can get back to her. That's common sense, not closure.
3) You don't have them swear undying love for one another and then leave without mourning the loss of the past
I heard nothing about the wonderful times they had. No discussion of the love and fun and friendship. Only pain and recent issues.She simply told him that she can't trust him to not hurt her. NO mourning, only pain and fear.That doesn't make for closure. Closure means you're not mad anymore but have accepted the situation and let it go. She's still pretty pissed. Not over. That's not closure.
4) You don't have the person "moving on" admit that they're only doing it as a reaction to the one they really love
That was a pretty lengthy discussion of "if they got back together now" even though she's supposedly planing a life with another man. Her reason for moving on with this other guy she never mentions seems to be because she can't be with Todd. Yeah ,that makes sense. "I wouldn't survive". She can't say she doesn't love him but she's too frail to let it roll, again. She even admitted that it may be a bad choice to marry this dude but it's the only one she's got. That's not a reason to marry someone.Or move on. It's protecting yourself with a human shield. That's not closure.
5) You don't make the "moving on" happen before they say they'll always have Paris
If you've ever seen Casablanca, Rick and Ilsa talk about how it great is was to be together but they have to move on. But they'll always have Paris.
The closest we had was Todd saying he thought they'd always be together. But that was it. No talking about how it great it was when they got married for real. Or when they got all the money and all the power. Or the stables which seems to be their favorite memory. No "I'll never forget you" or anything. Just leaving. That's not melodrama. That's reality. That's not closure.
6) You don't have the "moving on" happen without one tragic kiss and farewell
I didn't see them break away from the last embrace and look longingly all the while wishing the other the best. Not even a little.It just stopped with Blair saying she's leaving. Where's the drama in that? It's just dark, well it is GH. But there was no romance and no moment. It was just an explanation and a recanting of what happened last time, so the GH fans can get it, and motivate Todd to send Nat the pictures to ruin John's relationship. But I never saw anyone say "Goodbye". Know why? It's not a goodbye. It's not closure.
7) You don't have the one moving on look as if they want to jump all over the other
To the new viewers, there's one thing you may have noticed. These two actors can bring the romance like nobody's business. They're good at it. They've been doing it for a long time. They express intimacy better than any I've ever seen. They do it from head to toe. The looks are great but it's the gentle touches, the invasion of personal space, and often they just seem to emanate it. Check it out in this scene where the dialogue matches but look at the body language:
Sorry but that's hot. And there's only looks, touches, and standing super close. These two can act and have a natural chemistry.
So, if someone's moving on and we're getting closure, we don't get the looks that Blair gave the whole time. Her face when she insisted she was marrying Dumbass was perfect. She was defiant but not contented with her decision She almost stomped her foot as he was insistent she wasn't. She kept walking away and avoiding his glance. She kept turning her back. It was when he dared her to look him in the eye and say she wasn't in love with him that she caved. It was her face when she said it was only about the children when he knew it was crap. And I did, too. Know why? It is crap. That's someone trying really hard for closure, not closure.
8) You don't have the the couple splitting up forever chat about what went wrong and see how things could have been different yet still have the same old fights
At one point, it seemed as if they were negotiating another chance. This was when she challenged him to tell her he wasn't hiding something. Why? If it's over, why even ask? You've made your decision and you've moved on? Why go over it again? There must be peace for closure. There was no peace here. Just her knowing her husband, as she does, and she's right. If she accepted his proposal, it would blow up as he's doing it again. Know why? So he can be motivated to stop it. Know why? Because this is not closure.
9) You don't have them claim they love each other madly and always will-
Okay, when couples have closure in a soap, it's sweet and there's vows of love and eternity. But it's always discussed in past tense for one, not present tense for both. There's always finality.There's not a conversation- in present tense- about why it's NOT happening. It's about what it was, not why it's not happening now.That's a reason not to be together now, not closure.
and, most importantly
10) At least one of them has to WANT TO MOVE ON!!!
I didn't see that. I didn't see Blair wanting to move on at all. Hell, at more than one point in that evening, I thought she might grab him and beg him to ravage her. At the Opening, I thought she might drag him into the coat room and get busy. We know Todd doesn't want it- the break, I mean. I'm sure he'd more than happy to get busy. And Todd called her on it. But, let me tell you, Todd was right. She was all into being Mrs. Manning and all lovey dovey until she panicked. Girlfriend is running. She's not doing it because she wants to or because she has to. She's doing it because she's terrified.That's fear not closure.
Closure doesn't come from fear. It comes from knowledge and acceptance.
Kids, this wasn't closure for the good stuff. It was closure for the bad stuff. Something's ending here but it's not Todd and Blair Manning. It's Todd Manning and Blair Cramer. I think she's gonna take that name and keep it this time.
Maybe you have to know Todd and Blair to get it. They're the anti-couple. Listen to Todd explain it to Blair as he tries to define them, again, before they conceive Jack and she, of course, agrees to marry him.
Notice the use of opposites here. Everything is upside down in their world. Cruel is kind. Good is bad. Hate is Love. This is what you're seeing here. She's not walking away from him. She's pursuing him. She's telling him to come get her. And, I'd bet a mortgage payment, that's exactly what will happen.
But even they're upside down this time. That's why it's not closure. It might sound like it for some couples, but each time it exploded for them, it didn't happen this way. The closure for Todd and Blair would be different and we've seen it a million times. They never make it work. Their whole relationship is about closure. Now, it's the opposite. That's why it's closure for the bad part. He's not reacting like Todd would. That would result in him getting her back for a minute and then losing her again. That didn't happen this time.
He didn't freak out. He didn't throw things. He didn't threaten her. He didn't turn and immediately try to get her punished. I didn't see any cops coming to arrest her. I didn't see her having the children ripped away from her. I didn't see her being evicted. Holy Crap, he was almost mature about this. So, maybe that's what it is. Maybe that's why people think it's over. He was almost a grown up. Okay, I could see that. But you have to listen to the scenes. An ending, for real, was never expressed.
I may be wrong. I often am and admit it willingly. But, I didn't see anything like closure here. Blair will leave but she won't get married. Rumors are everywhere and believe what you will. I go by what I see on the screen. Know what I see? I see a major change for Todd Manning. If that's true, it's the opposite of what it's always been. Know what that means? He'll finally get what he wants. And I think we all know what that is.
Here's one of my favorite "closure" scenes and it's dancing in my head as I write this.
Think what you will, but damnit, that's a great scene of someone determined to move on and it's just not happening. I have to admit that I feel this nutty Jew broad is often so much like me. I'm not as cute but I would do that. I think I may have.
And, oh yeah, that wasn't closure either. Remember how they ended up.
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