OLTL's Todd Makes A Shocking Request
Soap Opera Digest
September 9, 2008
Just when Marty is feeling it's time to flee the coop, Todd
stuns her with a bizarre request: He needs Marty's help
raising Starr's baby. "Her feeling is that she's in the way
and he's done this much for her and she should be able to take care of
herself," previews Susan Haskell (Marty). "So she says, 'I'll
get out. I don't want to overstay my welcome,' and then, of course, he
comes up with an idea that changes her mind -- 'cause he's so good at
that."
Little does Marty know that this is just one lie in a string of
many. "I think the hardest party for me, as an actress, to
get over is that she does trust him," Haskell admits. "But there's no
reason for her not to. All she's seen is what he's told her,
but it's all good and helping." Although his request is pretty
unreasonable, Marty's maternal instincts take over. "The idea of a baby
and that whole thing is really very appealing, and wanting to help
someone who's helped her is ultimately what allows her to say yes. It's
not a practical decision and it becomes more of an emotional one,"
Haskell reasons.
"Ultimately, she's still at a place where he is what's safe; that's all
the world she knows right now," continues the actress. "She thinks
someone tried to kill her, so it's a pretty good reason to stay with
what you know. She's going to get stronger and stronger, but it's a
tough road to come down. She's been pretty much wiped out, phsyically
and mentally."
Meanwhile, Marty's not completely impervious to Todd's sex appeal. "I
think she is slowly coming around to something, but it hasn't really
been on her mind. Perhaps in the back of her mind is that there's this
attractive man taking care of her," observes the actress. But the idea
of anything between Marty and her onetime rapist -- whether it be
friendship or romance -- has some viewers squiriming. "It's a very
sensitive issue and I do everything I can to make it appropriate,"
asserts Haskell. "I get both sides of it, but [viewers] need to
understand that from my point of view, it's not Marty attracted to her
rapist at all. If she had the real information it would never be
happening. I think it's an interesting way to bring back this character
and have all this stuff exploding in their faces, yet another take on
the same stuff."