So Help Me Todd Season 1 Episode 8 Review: Big Bang Theories
So Help Me Todd has leaned heavily into a dysfunctional mother/son dynamic that’s hard to resist. The downside is a lack of screen time for other characters. Happily, I’m taking up reviewing the show with So Help Me Todd Season 1 Episode 8, “Big Bang Theories,” which finally gives Lyle a plot of his own.
Partly his own, anyway. Much of the weight rests with his niece, Angie, who is accused of eco-terrorism when a lab she’s been protesting at blows up. When a victim caught in the explosion dies, the charges escalate along with the drama.
Though the tragic development does make things more serious, the show continues to feel more like a comedy than a drama, particularly in watching Todd and Lyle bicker like brothers, the latter even more exasperated with our title character than his always exasperated real mother.
They are slowly — well, even “warming to each other” might be too strong. But it’s nice to see how earnestly Todd will go to the mat for someone Lyle cares for, even if it’s mostly out of excitement at an intense case and the chance to “babysit” his co-worker.
I like Angie a lot and hope we’ll get to see her again, especially considering the amount of backstory for both her and her uncle that gets thrown at us over just sixty minutes. We only learned that Lyle had a sister in the previous episode, and now all this.
Margaret’s own dedication to the family cause is just as devoted (and probably more selfless) than that of her son. There’s more time given to the detective work here, but she’s a passionate advocate for Angie in court, especially when the stakes soar.
The moment in which she makes a speech to a bunch of protestors that quickly veers into a rant about social media and then Todd’s specific behaviors is decidedly less enjoyable. It’s just a weird and uncomfortable vibe, especially in front of a crowd.
Thankfully, it’s a lot more fun to watch her as a kind of kingpin, sending her loyal investigators out into the fold to track down a pair of viable suspects for being the true perpetrator. Todd and Lyle fittingly make even this into a competition.
We eventually learn that the real bomber has set up his own twin brother as his alibi. Yes, it’s a true “evil twin” plot twist and, in fairness, it’s done about as realistically as a trope that only seems to exist in fiction can. It at least gives us the glorious moment of Lyle punching out the fleeing killer.
There are a couple of subplots involving a fancy office chair Todd unsuccessfully smuggles and his still clumsier attempts to finagle his PI license back early, but they’re minor plots. We’re reminded that this man is a work in progress — now a well-known verse. But at least he finally gets his own (broken) chair!
This is also a reminder that Todd’s role is supposed to be temporary; a takeover from someone on maternity leave. This really should at least be acknowledged at some point, perhaps in a climax where Todd faces losing his position. Yet it’s just as likely we’ll never hear about it again, so keep your fingers crossed for continuity.
What did you think of this episode of So Help Me Todd? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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So Help Me Todd airs Thursdays at 9/8c on CBS.
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Caitlin Wyneken
Caitlin is an elder millennial with an only slightly unhealthy dedication to a random selection of TV shows, from PBS Masterpiece dramas to some of the less popular series on popular networks. Outside of screen time, she's dedicated to the public sector and worthy nonprofits, working to make a difference in the world outside of media.