Like Lucy and Ricky
Todd is, secretly, a hopeless romantic. When he was a child, his mother used to make him watch I Love Lucy. He didn't understand it at first, a Latino man marrying a white woman and having hilarious adventures. The comedy is forever lost on him; his idea of humor was how many colors his mother could turn when Daddy Dearest choked her for too long. But despite its gaudy humor, he became fascinated by Lucy and Ricky's life: two people who love each other, living the American Dream. They lived as man and wife, in a nice, furnished home, with two children. No brutal fights, no sense of despair, no dead look in Lucy's eyes. They were happy, perfect, and a mold that Todd wanted to fit into one day.
Lydia is the essence of perfection: pristine, smart, beautiful, white, and gives him feelings no ordinary woman or 'Candy-with-an-I' can give him. He aches for her, and she's well-aware of that. They had hit it off once, but when Lydia learns of his obsession and intentions for her, she politely told him to back off lest he wants to lose body parts, Uncle Jack be damned. Afterwards, it became business and he'd only seen her every three weeks at a time.
Todd snaps out of his thoughts when he notices a shivering body at his feet. Jesse, beaten and bruised, is trying to inch away from him in this holding cell. Jesse, with his golden locks and crystal blue eyes, looked…feminine.
He has the same eyes as Lucy.
Todd has been ordered to kill Jesse two weeks ago, but instead has decided to keep him under Todd's care in the comfort of his basement. He tells Uncle Jack that Jesse could still be of use to them, much to Uncle Jack's irritancy. Jesse has long since worn out his usefulness; his secrets of making perfect meth have been given to Todd. Uncle Jack, after hearing of this, orders Todd to execute Jesse, take out Brock in case the little fucker either tells or gets old enough to retaliate, and to do business as usual. Normally Todd would do as asked, but something about seeing Jesse makes him reconsider. Despite what Jesse says about Todd, Todd always looks up to Jesse. He's cool, mature, and tough, worthy of Heisenberg's respect. He's his carbon copy; killing Jesse would be killing a sliver of Heisenberg.
He's stuck between a rock and a hard place: kill Jesse and possibly face the wrath of Heisenberg, or keep Jesse alive and face the wrath of Uncle Jack. From what Todd understands, angering the two men always resulted in death, family or friends are no exception.
He briefly remembers his older sister found gunned down with her children in her car after Uncle Jack caught her stealing his drug money to buy her heroin from the Hispanics three weeks before.
Part of him considers leaving the drug business behind; what's there to offer him, really? Death has happened so much it's boring, losing its novelty. He still clings to his fantasy of the perfect home dearly, so close to his heart he wonders if it's the moment to choose: Uncle Jack or his dream. Dead bodies dissolving in acid or white picket fences with a laughing wife making him breakfast? The smile of his uncle or the smile of a doting son?
He glances at Jesse again, and a strange vision clouds his mind. Jesse, laughing, smiling, loving, waiting for him in a nice home with the black and white linoleum floors like he dreamed.
He has an idea that will keep Jesse alive and fulfill his fantasy.
Todd crouches down beside Jesse, yanking his chains, making him jerk into Todd's grasp.
"Can I tell you a secret?" Todd whispers, as if telling an old friend. Jesse looks at him, fear and indignation clear in his eyes.
"I always loved I Love Lucy," Todd begins, not caring that Jesse's unresponsive.
"I wanted the life Ricky has: Loving wife, wonderful kids, and a nice household. It was different from the life I had growing up," Todd looks at Jesse, hoping he'd give an inkling of interest. Jesse instead stares at the floor beneath his feet, refusing to acknowledge him.
"What are you getting at," Jesse says, wincing at the strain of his vocal chords.
"I want to make a deal with you," Todd sits up Jesse so he could look at him.
"I want to live the life of Lucy and Ricky, and you're the only one that could fit the role. Be my wife, give me the life that I want, and you'll be free. No more captivity, no more death, no more meth business. Just you, me, and our vows."
"You're more fucked in the head than I thought," Jesse chuckles darkly.
"This is the only way to keep you alive..."
"Keep me alive? Well, even though I've been tortured, beaten, and watched my girlfriend get killed in front of me, at least I know you care about me being alive." He turns to his side.
"Put a bullet in my head and be done with it. It's the most merciful thing you'll ever do for me."
Todd frowns; it's not what he had hoped for at all.
"If you're alive you'll be able to know if Brock is still alive. You may even feel safe knowing Jake is in one piece."
Jesse whips his head so fast it's a blur.
"You Opie, sick, son of a bitch! Don't you even lay a finger on either one or I'll kill you, I swear to God I'll do it!" Jesse lunges for Todd but plummets to the ground with his loss of strength. There it is: the fire in Jesse's soul. It's back, burning bright and vicious. His blue eyes aren't dead and hollow, but filled with life.
Todd was right playing the cowardly sneak attack; he now gave him a reason to live, to carry out his fantasy.
"Not if you're dead. Uncle Jack told me to kill you then kill Brock. If he knows you're alive he'll kill you, me, Brock, and anyone associated with you. You need to do what I say and they'll live." Todd goads. Take the carrot, he thinks to himself. Take the carrot.
Jesse stares at him, eyes filled with the deepest of hatred. He gnashes his teeth, inhales as sharply as much as he exhales. Finally, the moment of truth.
"I do."