Santa Barbara 25 - Ted

In Santa Barbara's early days, there was an attempt to have a young set. This group of teenagers/college-aged kids were the offspring of the 4 core families of the show - Perkins, Andrade, Lockridge and Capwell. Jade Perkins wanted Ted Capwell; Danny Andrade wanted Jade Perkins; Ted Capwell wanted Laken Lockridge; and Warren Lockridge wanted an adrenaline rush. Although Melissa Brennan's (Reeves) had her moments, the only real stand out of the SB pack was Ted, as portrayed by Todd McKee.

Ted was absolutely lovely. Actually, I think that he was my first crossover crush. Tall, lanky, brown hair/eyes, and just a sweetheart. The youngest Capwell sibling, the majority of his screen time was devoted to 'finding' himself. Working odd jobs and trying not to live off of his trust funds, Ted was a nice contrast to the other SB males. Warren was too brash and took many unnecessary chances; Mason brooded over his black sheep status within the family; Lionel was a devil-may-care flake; and CC was a snarling tyrant.

Ted was sensible, to a degree, and sensitive, which was why girls like Jade Perkins and Christy Duvall gravitated towards him. Actually, Jade seemed to be after his money and status, and Christy, while interested in that too, was seeking some validation and feelings of worthiness. Unfortunately, he was often paired with women who weren't exactly live wires. Both Laken and Hayley played into the Montague/Capulet dynamic that SB writers wheeled out for Ted, but when he had the chance to kick things up a notch with women like Jane/Roxanne, the writers seem to abandon the storyline. Ted needed a live wire. In later years, Ted was paired up with Lily, Gina's daughter, but by then, he was a recast who wasn't a live wire, and the pairing was a means for Lily to protect herself from loving Rafe, Cruz's half brother.

So here are some clips from McKee's Ted, which captured some of the reasons why I loved him so much. In the following clip, Ted is reunited with Sophia, the mother he thought he lost when he was a toddler. He was absolutely lovely in this scene.



Anytime anyone is paired with Lane Davies, they have to step up their game; Todd McKee was no exception. The Mason/Ted relationship was probably one of my favorites. Black sheep Mason, despite all of his bluster, really did adore his kid brother. In the following scene, Ted thinks that handling his problems like Mason, would offer himself some clarity - it didn't - but a brotherly talk with Mason did.