Pilot

"**Pilot**" is the first episode of the first season and series premiere of ***So Help Me Todd***. It aired on September 29, 2022.

## Summary

The black sheep of the well-heeled Wright family, Todd is a laidback, quick-thinking, excellent former private detective who fell on hard times after his flexible interpretation of the law got his license revoked. Margaret's penchant for excellence and strict adherence to the law is at complete odds with Todd's scrappy methods of finding his way through sticky situations: by the seat of his wrinkled pants. When Todd inadvertently teams with his mother on a case, she's surprised to find herself duly impressed by - and proud of - his crafty ability to sleuth out information with his charm and his wide-ranging tech savvy. At last, Margaret sees a way to put her son on a "suitable" path to living an adult, financially solvent life she approves of, and she asks him to join her firm. Todd agrees, since it means getting his license back and once again doing the job he excels at and loves. Mother and son working together is a big first step toward mending their fragile, dysfunctional relationship, and they may even come away with a better understanding of each other at this pivotal point in their lives. But whether Todd and Margaret will be able to accept each other for who they are is another case entirely.

## Plot

Todd is a private investigator out of a job residing in Portland. He works part-time for health insurance companies to make sure claims aren’t going out scandalously. But he’s not a bad guy.

In the opening scene of So Help Me Todd episode 1, we see Todd discover that Betty was indeed faking an injury to get her insurance claim and then let her off the hook when he sees she has kids. His overbearing mother, Margaret, is a successful lawyer. She runs her own firm and keeps reminding Todd not to bother his sister, Allison. Todd is currently living in her sister and her husband Chuck’s garage.

Harry, Margaret’s husband, leaves for somewhere as the couple changes to a new house. Margaret is currently representing her friend Cecelia’s daughter, Kim, in a murder trial. Since the prosecutor was advised bed rest after a serious concussion case, the trial is on hold. But Margaret reassures Kim that they will start in any case on Monday. When Todd tries to slip in a check to Margaret for the money he “owes” her, Margaret worriedly reveals to him that she cannot find Harry. He has Parkinson’s and has been missing for five hours. His father committed suicide because he had brain cancer. But Todd is discovering all of this just now.

Using his skills, Todd is able to get Harry’s current address – that he got changed – from the credit card company to a house in Gresham. They reach the address and wait for movement. In conversation, Margaret reveals Kim’s case to Todd but the prosecutor’s (Christopher) story seems fishy to him. After some probing, he discovers a video uploaded by the prosecutor’s daughter, where he can be seen sitting just fine. Margaret senses that the State has some hidden evidence and rushes to the local courthouse. Her suspicions prove to be right.

The Prosecution is sitting on a secret witness without talking about them to Margaret. Todd deduces that the witness has a video that he will be testifying to in court when he reads the contents of the slip. Suddenly, the cameras he placed in front of the Gresham address start blaring. In the video, though, they find a strange man holding a newborn babe. What the hell is going on?

Todd is paired with Lyle, a colleague of Margater’s from work, to help. But he is a little too uptight to understand the situation and dismisses Todd. The former PI runs into Susan, her ex-girlfriend at the office. He spots a ring on her finger; she’s engaged to someone called Peter. Todd reveals the Gresham house to Susan and asks for her help. She obliges and the info says it is a rental belonging to a corporation. Todd tries to snoop into Kim’s consultations with Margaret and overhears some stuff about a gun.

Todd digs deeper into the background of the man. His name is Tomas, the one who was holding the baby. He is the landlord and Harry is his new tenant. Allison invites Todd and Margaret for dinner at her house. Laurence, Todd’s gay brother, is unable to join them. But his partner is there. Laurence is the Chief of Staff for the Governor of Oregon. Margaret learns of Todd’s “spying” on her clients and is angry with him. They have a heated argument in which it is revealed that when Todd’s father died, Margaret did not stay back at home and went to work. Todd was left alone to deal with the situation.

Margaret walks away as Todd’s anger becomes more resentful. Todd called Tomas as an FBI Agent and he returns his call with a voicemail. He says his new tenant’s name isn’t Harry but someone who is a magician. The next morning, Allison drives Todd to the magician’s shop. It seems Allison too is having marriage problems. When Todd reaches the shop, he notices a news clip attached outside the window. It said that the magician was lost at sea a couple of months back and is presumed dead.

When a package is delivered to the doorstep, Todd hides across the street to see who picks it up. He notices a sign that says, “Multnomah Parking Garage”, and recalls it as the place where Kim’s boss was shot. Todd leaves a device in the package and heads over to the garage to investigate. His detective work is actually good and leads him to the Convention Centre. He rushes to Margaret’s office and tells her about the expo for the little dashboard cameras that night. His theory is that some German guy had to park in the “murder lot” because the Convention parking was full and placed a machine in Kim’s boss’ car.

## Cast

### Main

* Skylar Astin as Todd Wright
* Marcia Gay Harden as Margaret Wright
* Inga Schlingmann as Susan
* Madeline Wise as Allison Grant
* Rosa Arredondo as Francey
* Tristen J. Winger as Lyle

### Recurring

* Clayton James as Chuck
* Thomas Cadrot as Chet
* Artemis Litsiadis as Clementine
* Mark Moses as Harry

### Guest

* Andrea Brooks as Kim
* Christine Cattell as Celia
* Donia Kash as Niki
* Dean Paul Gibson as Walter
* Natalia S. De Azevedo as Nadia
* Benjamin Wilkinson as D.A. Barrett
* Jane Stanton as Mrs. Hogenson
* Kapila Rego as Clerk Jenny
* Steven Rudy as Eddie Morris
* Lesli Brownlee as Laura Morris
* Angela Moore as Judge
* Sharmaine Yeoh as Mrs. Lin
* Garland Chang as Translator
* Isaac George-Hotchkiss as Mover
* Anthony Scardera as Foreman
* Brady Droulis as Unkempt Child
* Addison Gosselin as Mandy Barrett
* Manny Hernandez as Tomas
* Walcott Morgan as Delivery Person
* Erin O'Brien as Flight Attendant
* Sean Fowler as D.A. Asst/Techie
* Zandara Kennedy as Stunt Coordinator
* Patrice Jefferson as Security Guard #1
* Vesna Ennis as Security Guard #2