So Help Me Todd Season 1 Episode 13 Review: Wall of Fire

It’s Valentine’s Day on So Help Me Todd Season 1 Episode 13 “Wall of Fire.” It should be romantic, especially with the return of Gus and the first appearance of Susan’s fiancé, Peter. What we get instead is…civil war.

I’m joking, but not by much. At first, the cases these two love interests bring in seem unrelated. Gus is representing Portland against a lawsuit and Peter is looking for help finding a missing person at his firm. The Wrights get wrapped into their respective sides almost inadvertently.

Then, while all trapped in an elevator together, they realize that half of them are going against the city as the other half supports it. I’m honestly a little foggy throughout the episode on just how that all works, but the details don’t matter so much as the theatrics that follow.

Under Lyle’s (alarmingly) able lead, the office is divided into zones that only Camp Margaret/Gus or Camp Peter/Susan/Todd can occupy. And it’s a lot to take in. I’m reminded more than anything else of the chaos of the paintball-themed episodes of Community.

From Margaret following Gus to his houseboat—and winding up in the water around it—to Todd swinging from having a bit of a crush on Peter to suspecting him and then back again, it’s hard to decide who we want to win this case or even whether either of them can.

The hour also intentionally highlights the shakeup by having Margaret and Todd hit a truly successful working dynamic in the first scenes. With some of the recent discord we’ve seen, it’s refreshing to have them both realize they need the other’s skills and expertise.

Things sober up when the missing person case turns into a murder case and everyone is suddenly on the same side again. The chaos continues unfettered as Margaret, Gus, and Todd track down a killer. Good as they are at their own jobs, they really aren’t meant for a crisis.  

Even so, the killer is caught, Portland doesn’t fall apart, and the day is saved! As ever, the whole thing comes together a bit too quickly to be believable, but at least we get the chance to see these characters appreciate each other as they haven’t in a while.

Do we get any romance for the holiday? Not really, apart from a date between Susan and Peter that Todd quickly interrupts. There admittedly isn’t much time for it, but the timing could at least be good for Margaret/Gus to official set sail.

Unfortunately, that department remains frustrating. It starts with a lot of miscommunication and ends with Margaret seemingly playing hard to get to make Gus work for a real date. What’s the point, guys? It’s all but certain now that they’re going somewhere, so let them get on with it!

The very end of the episode gives a bit more emotional whiplash when Todd pulls Susan aside to tell her that Peter is great and that he’s thrilled for her. He really means both parts, no matter how clear it is that’s also bittersweet for him personally.

What does this mean for the hints of a rekindled Todd/Susan romance that were clearly detectable in earlier episodes? I honestly don’t know. The feelings are still there, but so is a note of truly letting go. And oh, that moment of Margaret showing her son love when he needs it most is so gosh-darn sweet.

Other Notes

• I’m kind of annoyed that Gym Bro Thor was a red herring. He gives a bad name to far more recognizable and likeable Thors.
• I’m less interested in the origins of Gus’s daughters pizza car—presumably she was once a delivery person—as to how it wound up as his only transportation option.
• So Allison celebrates a birthday she doesn’t want to celebrate with her mother bringing a cake that apparently tastes bad and her brother stuck outside and breaking a glass on the patio, and then getting sick? Can she get a do-over?   

 

What did you think of this episode of So Help Me Todd? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Critic Rating:

User Rating:

 

So Help Me Todd airs Thursdays at 9/8c on CBS.

 Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!

25 Best TV Comedies of 2022