Articles and Interviews: 2003-2007

Wed (Again) (Soap Opera Digest 12/14/04)

It's Matrimony for the Mannings, but the jury's still out on happily ever after

Todd and Blair are lacking in many areas, but one thing you can't deny is their persistence. The super-couple is heading to the altar for the fifth time this week, and even though their first four marriages ended in annulment or divorce, they are confident that this time, it's the real deal.

"I think [Blair] knows that Todd is the one and she doesn't have to be convinced by anyone," confirms Kassie DePaiva (Blair). "She's loved him forever and ever, and she believes that he has changed. SHe never really wanted to change him; she just wanted him not to mess up and to believe in himself. She believes they've got a really good thing now."

The couple is so anxious to retie the knot, they decide to push up their wedding date to ensure that they arrive at the altar before anything else impedes them.

"They want to just get it done, to make it official," offers Trevor St. John (Todd). "There's been a lot of stuff in their way. It's just about finally getting it over with."

DePaiva has a slightly more romantic view.

"Blair wants to throw this big splash of a wedding, and [Todd] wants to make her happy because this is the one that's gonna count," she declares. "I think the obstacle was trying to get all their ducks in a row. Then I think they decide the ducks aren't worth it and they just want to be together. And [Blair is] stressing everybody out trying to keep the wedding going, so they decide -- at the last minute, as usual -- to just do it the next day."

Of course, this being Todd and Blair, things won't go off without a hitch. Crazy Margaret, who was recently discharged from the mental hospital, makes her presence known to the prospective newlyweds, threatening to ruin their latest attempt at bliss.

Head Writer Dena Higley says that bringing Margaret back into Todd and Blair's lives will help put the couple back on the front-burner.

"On the one hand, everybody wants [Todd and Blair] to be happy, happy, happy," she notes. "On the other hand, the audience is really ripe and prepared for them to come into some sort of a juicy story. Well, how do we do that? What I came up with gives everybody both of those things, and the way to get into that was to continue with this character who was already on the canvas, Margaret.... But there's a really fun twist to it in what Margaret wants from life, what Margaret wants especially from Blair and Todd, and how she goes about getting it."

So, it sounds like the couple should enjoy their harmony while they can because, as DePaiva previews, "After the wedding, it gets good."