We're Finally Getting an Archnemesis in 'So Help Me Todd' and She Is Todd-Awful

CBS's latest foray into the legal drama world comes in the form of an odd — or should we say Todd — series built almost entirely on the crumbling relationship of a mother and son. In So Help Me Todd, actor Skylar Astin is the titular Todd who loses his private investigator license when his ex-partner double-crosses him. The only place left to go is straight to his mother's law firm where she rules the courtroom with an iron fist. Todd on the other hand plays things a bit more fast and loose.

After he's relegated to tailing people accused of insurance fraud, Todd's fall from grace is peppered by half attempts to reconcile things with his mother (Marcia Gay Harden). In Episode 14 of Season 1, a blast from Todd's past has returned to somehow make things even worse than they already are. Who is Veronica and what is her plan? Here's what we know.

Veronica Caron (Eliza Coupe) certainly surprises Todd when she shows up at the law firm despite allegedly being in prison. That's right, his ex-girlfriend/partner made a deal to get out and in Episode 14 desperately asks Todd for help. "Life is a lot harder on the outside," she tells him. She has made a ton of enemies who want her dead but Veronica's plan is to hop a plane to Rio. There's just one problem: Veronica needs money.

Before heading to the big house, she stashed a ton of cash in the heating duct of their old office and needs Todd to retrieve it because her enemies have no idea who he is. Sounds simple enough, but nothing is easy when it comes to Veronica. Using a woman she was already blackmailing, Veronica was able to get Todd to an illegal gambling establishment run by a terrifying crime family. Naturally his mother wasn't far behind. Was this Veronica's plan all along, to put Todd and Margaret in a dangerous and deeply illegal situation?

Sure, sending Todd and Margaret up the river was a big piece of cake, but the icing on the cake was even more devious.Veronica had a few business deals with the aforementioned crime family that if they went sideways, would be Todd's fault. You see, she was able to trick him into signing documents that would place the blame square at his feet which means she always had it out for Todd. Everything about their relationship was fake.

After getting busted at the bad betting joint, the real gambling starts when Todd and Margaret find themselves on the other side of the courtroom facing charges for illegal gambling. Remember those documents Todd signed? The district attorney has them and they definitely suggest Todd is working with the crime family. Thankfully Margaret and Todd were able to trick Veronica into admitting what she did while they recorded it. They quickly handed this over to the DA, but boy oh boy is Veronica not done yet!

Recall if you will the woman Veronica blackmailed to help get Margaret and Todd to the illegal gambling spot. Veronica has her wrapped around her fingers so tightly that this woman is willing to go to prison for her, which is precisely what happens. So, Veronica is free to run or return to be villainous another day.

So Help Me Todd airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. EST on CBS and streams on Paramount Plus.