jediwands

jediwands

I was looking on an old episode rewatch thread and love this comment so much about Ephram/Madison:

Perfect. How anyone could have thought this poor excuse for a relationship (illegal relationship actually) was beneficial for Ephram’s growth just blows my mind. They are awful. Some thought Ephram had a tough S1 handling his growing feelings for Amy and the Colin situation. That was nothing compared to the ridiculousness and annoyance known as S2 Ephram/Madison. At least S1 Ephram was falling for someone genuine and good for him long-term. What he’s doing in S2 is a waste of time causing unnecessary pain and frustration and as we know, resulting in severe long-term consequences.

everwoodfan52

In the very beginning I could see how one might consider Madison's attention to Ephram a positive thing for his self-esteem considering his rejection by Amy. But...as this "relationship" developed that totally changed when it was evident that Madison was ashamed of Ephram.


I will rewatch this episode tomorrow!

jediwands

It definitely got worse. That said, it was obvious how complicated/wrong Ephram/Madison were the start. They did a number on Delia alone. If you can let it slide that Delia was affected, Andy was against it, Madison even admitted it was illegal and wrong… if you can get over all of that once you watch this current episode I have no idea how anyone can support them or think the relationship is a great learning experience for Ephram. It only hurts Ephram.

jediwands

Thoughts while watching

- Irv’s golden voice-overs are so anti-Ephram/Madison and have been since the moment this gross pairing hit the screen together.

- If you remotely pay attention to what Irv is saying, you understand:

1. Ephram/Madison are toxic.
2. Ephram/Madison are doomed.
3. Ephram is not gaining anything positive being involved in this joke of an illegal relationship.
4. We were never, not even for a second, meant to be pulling for this pairing.

- ID for Ephram... seriously, how many times and different ways does Berlanti have to explain that Ephram is just a teen boy who has zero business anywhere near an adult woman?

- As a Seer, I can feel the grossness of this storyline, the intention, the energy, the meaning. It is so blatantly obvious we are meant to feel like this storyline is pure darkness.

- Andy/Linda are really cute. The chemistry between Treat and Marcia continues to shine.

- I still hate how Nina has disappeared, however.

- Andy and Ephram on the couch struggling with their romantic lives is cute but reminds me of how Andy shouldn't be the best friend here, casually asking his minor son how he is doing with his adult woman girlfriend. Gross. He should not be in best friend, supportive mode. He should be just as grossed out and appalled as he was from the start, instead. Andy never should have caved.

- Irv is clearly frustrated Amy is there and yes, he has a right to be mad... but a tiny part of me cringes that Irv is always so rigid about things. This is a pattern of his. However, Edna/Irv were great throughout the episode so I will let it go.

- Ephram/Bright and their friendship is so perfect. One of the greatest things about S2 is this friendship.

- Ephram is so wimpy. He's really cute but back in high school I was pretty athletic/ripped and could have picked up Ephram with one arm and used him as a weight.

- Ephram looked jealous after finding out about Tommy.

- Greg and his brother do not look alike overall, but they do have the same type of eyes.

- Delia ripping Ephram for being skinny/wimpy is hilarious.

- I love Delia's sports obsession. I was there. I am still there. Ephram was so mean lying about her player being traded. He leaves her in the cold car to kiss the adult babysitter and now is lying about a sports player on her favorite team being traded so he can talk to Madison. I don't find this funny at all to be honest. It's not cute. It's annoying. That's your little sister, Ephram. Not cool, Ephram. Another demonstration of how clueless, hormonal and immature Ephram is when it comes to Madison.

- Ephram/Madison are so gross. I want to poke my eyes out.

- Bright being mean to Amy really makes zero sense to me.

- Amy just wanted to know how her parents are doing. Even more than that, your very depressed sister wants to start a conversation with you, Bright. Why are you being so cruel to her?

- Bright saying to Ephram/Amy the “whatever you guys were” comment was golden though. It showed the audience that once again, Ephram/Amy have something that is far from over.

- Amy walking in on Edna and Irv was so uncomfortable.

- Madison is so embarrassed to be seen with Ephram. Wow.

- In the library Madison treats Ephram like a little boy.

- I really love the male bulimia storyline. How often do we get such a unique storyline? 9 1/2 out of 10 times on any other show it is a young girl with an eating disorder, not a boy. Only Everwood.

- Tommy is still cute and sweet. I can understand why Amy is attracted to him. He's physically good looking, he's sweet, he doesn't make her talk about tough topics, he constantly lets her know she doesn't have to be with him by indirectly saying she's too good to be with someone like him, he is kind to Edna. I mean, at this point what is not to like about Tommy?

- The adult teacher Madison once dated having interaction with Ephram... again, how obvious does Berlanti have to make it that Ephram dating Madison is wrong, illegal and totally disgusting?

- Ephram is massively jealous of Amy/Tommy

- Ephram grabbing Madison’s hand then saying he has to get her back to campus to make Amy jealous was full of awesome.

- Andy/Linda fight was real. Andy calling Linda Julia's name was great as it shows a very common theme for Andy. He runs and dives into work when things get tough in relationships and he's clearly thinking about Julia as he's about to get serious with Linda. I love the layers.

- Amy trying so hard with Bright is so sad and makes me want to smack Bright.

- Colin all over again.... I am not sure I totally agree with Bright saying this. Amy didn't really choose Tommy over her family. Indirectly, yes, but it was about her choosing sanity and strength over her family and their denial and sick borderline abusive thoughts on her depression/treatment for her depression. Let's not confuse things here, Bright.

- Bright punching Tommy was completely out of line. I am glad Bright got suspended. He deserved it.

- The beautiful mountains once again becomes a character on this spectacular show.

- Harold understanding Bright's school situation I guess was good. I also like how Harold told Bright he expects more from him which gives an indication that he sees potential and substance inside his son.

- Amy looking at Harold and Bright was so sad. She misses them.

- Madison telling Ephram even if it doesn't feel like they are doing something wrong... they are...

^^^ YESSSSSSSSSSSS

- Madison telling Ephram the teacher (she dated!) has a legal obligation to report them... I mean, right? She makes sense here. Yet past Everwood fans questioned the legalities of the relationship even though once again in a million different ways the characters are telling us they are involved in a gross, illegal relationship that Madison could go to prison for as a result! I mean, how much more clear does it have to be that this relationship is illegal and wrong? Hello.

- Ephram doesn’t even care about the legal aspect which blows my mind. He basically laughs it off, showing how immature he is. He's not thinking with his brain, he's thinking with another body part instead. Yes, many teen boys do but thankfully most teen boys aren't sleeping with adults either which means this is different... gross, illegal and different.

- Andy and Gavin, and their last discussion was powerful. Seems Gavin's mother is the only one who cares but the stupid father only worries about him winning and Gavin is fine with superficial reasons why he is going to, no doubt, continue on with the eating disorder. It's really sad, not to mention, dangerous.

- Edna and Amy talk was sweet but you can tell there is still something not quite right with their living situation. Edna is really trying though.

- Andy and Linda's final scene was beautiful. I really wish Linda was not HIV+. All I keep thinking about is how scared Ephram and Delia will be in the future knowing their father is slightly at higher risk of getting the virus as well.

- Andy and Ephram are back to another couch scene once again. Like the continuity. What I don't like is they are now super happy over their romantic relationships. While I always appreciate this father/son interaction, I still find it weird and gross they are acting like best friends here while Ephram is dating an adult.

- Irv's voice-over flows gorgeously throughout the entire episode.

Thoughts post-episode

Another strong episode.

I continue to cringe over Ephram/Madison but love the constant reminders from Irv's words, the characters, and storyline in general, indicating how illegal, gross and wrong the relationship is. Madison is literally telling the audience not to root for this pairing. She is so embarrassed to be seen with him, the illegal aspect was crystal clear once again as well. Yet... Ephram acts like a little boy not even caring about how much trouble Madison would be in if they were reported to the police. Does this serious reality not register with Ephram at all? Madison will bring it up consistently and all Ephram does is look like a little boy asking her when they can kiss and make up. It is so disgusting. Add in Andy being the best friend instead of the father throughout the entire nightmare and it just pisses me off.

Amy was so sad in this one. She misses her family and Bright was so cruel to her. I still don't understand why Bright is so mad at her. Does Bright remember that he was the one that was driving the truck (after drinking) that essentially killed Colin? Does this part haunt him anymore or not? Instead, he just tries to make his sister who is suffering from clinical depression look like the bad one. Whatever. The entire Abbott family doesn't have an idea what depression is and their treatment of Amy is despicable. Bright had no right getting into a fight with Tommy. Tommy did nothing wrong and Bright came at him. Ridiculous. Glad Bright got suspended. I was also a bit shocked Ephram was so passive during the Amy and Bright fighting. Ephram understands Amy is clinically depressed. Yet he didn't try to tell Bright he should knock if off? I guess Ephram is too guided by his hormones at the moment to care.

We see Andy/Linda and their relationship becoming more serious. In typical Everwood fashion there was a twist. The immediate assumption was Andy pulling away due to Linda's disease. Not so fast. It was about Julia and old patterns, diving into his work when relationships were tough and serious. I loved the little twist and his speech at the end was so sweet. The continuity is appreciated. I watch Andy/Linda, however, and keep thinking about Ephram/Delia and the anxiety they will have after finding out about Linda's HIV. I also really miss Nina. But Treat and Marcia shine on the screen together and I'm always sitting up a little straighter during the Andy/Linda scenes.

Edna/Irv/Amy, and their situation continues to be awkward and weird. I think Irv slightly overreacted just because he's always so rigid with his views but overall he had a point. Edna is trying, she really is. You can feel that their living situation isn't perfect but Amy is still being cared for nicely by her Grandparents. I just wish we didn't have to witness Amy walking in on them having sex.

Gavin's eating disorder was a great medical case. I really enjoyed the storyline because like I mentioned, it is so rare witnessing a teen boy battling an eating disorder on television. Everwood tackles the rare and important so it doesn't surprise me we received this storyline. I loved how it wasn't perfectly concluded at the end. It never is. Gavin's mother was the one concerned, his father really didn't care as long as he was winning and Gavin worried about the superficial aspects the eating disorder gave him. So very sad as the storyline left you with a haunting feeling knowing Gavin would continue on and who knows if he was ever going to get help before it ultimately took his life. I had two friends in my life who battled anorexia. One was a middle school friend. We didn't even initially know what was going on. Thankfully, she got better. The second friend was in high school. She also eventually got help as well. Eating disorders are so serious and I credit Everwood for taking out the time to highlight this reality.

Saving the very best for last... finally, Ephram/Amy interaction! I loved how Greg and Emily played the Ephram/Amy interaction. They were both very uncomfortable meeting Tommy and Madison. Talk about jealousy and tension. Ephram was way more obvious with his jealousy even if it was clear Amy took note of Madison. I loved how Ephram attempted to throw Madison around like a prize possession in order to upset Amy. One, because Madison sucks so who cares she was used. Two, we were given a clear reminder that there is something still going on between Ephram/Amy that will never go away no matter what is going on in their lives. Even at this dark time due to Amy's clinical depression, we see and feel their emotional/spiritual connection that is literally eternal. It is never going away and I appreciate Berlanti letting the audience know once again we can relax and wait for them to get closer once again. Like a moth to a flame, they cannot be denied, their connection is way too strong. It is virtually impossible for their connection to break. I have a similar romantic relationship and never realized it is probably why I love Ephram/Amy so much. I definitely can personally relate to this special pairing.

I just love how Berlanti reassures the audience about the power of Ephram/Amy.

Another high quality episode. Bring on the next one!

everwoodfan52

My Thoughts.....

Madison is ashamed of Ephram...so obvious and then Ephram has to contend with the theater clerk making him feel like more of a jerk.

Andy and Linda are very sweet together until he used an excuse to leave. Is it because of her HIV or because of something else?

Not a good night in the romance department for both Andy and Ephram.

Nice legs, Irv. but...no privacy! Amy really should not just walk into Irv and Edna's room when she feels like it.

I guess they're still picking on Ephram. Come on, Ephram. Be a man and stick up for yourself! Bright is not your guard dog.

Great! Now it's both Delia and Madison mocking Ephram.

Madison...still ashamed of Ephram.

You just knew thee was more wrong with the wrestler than low blood sugar and over training.

Don't you just hate these know it all parents who disagree with Andy? He has had his fair share of them! Idiots!

I know that most of you think that Bright's treatment of Amy is horrible and you have to feel sorry for her. But...taking Bright's side a little here...I don't totally blame him. Amy's moving out has disrupted his life as well as her parents and he's pissed.

Why should Edna have to talk about what happened in HER bedroom that Amy walked in on. Somewhat of an overreaction fon't you think, Amy?

Madison, don't look so obviously upset that Ephram showed up at the Library. I hate you, Madison.

Andy did all that he could....the wrestler just doesn't want to hear it.

I certainly wouldn't mind walking into the gym with Ephram on my arm. What a cutie.
How awkward, though, that his Spanish teacher was Madison's prom date. Of couse Madison does not admit that Ephram is her date. Who could blame her? She knew it was illegal.

"Will you just stop it, Julia!!!"
I guess Linda's complaining brought Andy back to the old days when he neglected his family because of work. I guess he heard it all from Julia.

Okay, Bright. Now you're being a bit much. Talk to Amy!

Poor Bright. That guidance counselor strikes again. Bright can't catch a break.

Harold, go and talk to Amy. Can't you see she's hurting?

Why shouldn't Ephram flaunt you, Madison? He's proud and not ashamed of you like you are of him.

At least Edna knocks before coming into Amy's room.

Yes, you look good, Ephram...nice hair...for now.

Looks like both Andy and Ephram had a good night this time. Happy for Andy, but not for Ephram.

everwoodfan52

Yes, it's almost as if the show wants to move her out and keep Linda in as her replacement permanently.. I do admit that the chemistry between Andy and Linda is lovely. If I didn't think that Andy and Nina would end up together I could have easily rooted for Andy and Linda.

That's the second thing I thought of during this scene. The first thing is that Irv has a right to walk around his own house in his underwear and get a snack. The second thing is that he is soooooooooooooooooooooo rigid and easily annoyed. This is your wife's grandchild and she has a right to allow her grandchild into her home.


I'll bet you could!
Ephram is super wimpy. lol

-
I didn't like it. Especially since Madison was doing it as well.

Terrible.


I agree. I like him much better this time around. He's easy to like right now. Later on not so much.




That's the thing. Bright is a kid and doesn't totally understand clinical depression. He was thinking about Amy's behavior as disruptive to his family..upsetting everyone and ruining his peaceful family life.
Harold, on the other hand, should know better. Him walking away from Amy when she was so obviously sad and needy was horrble.

Alexa

my internet is down for a while so i wont be able to watch this episode right away! hopefully by monday or tuesday!

jediwands

Awe it’s OK!

Looking forward to your thoughts.

jediwands

I’m thinking due to the server issues, people needing to catch up, your surgery Betty, we might want to delay the rewatch one week so everyone gets on the same page.

That said, just one week, because we’re really determined to complete this rewatch. The good stuff is coming up aka the last two seasons. We’re halfway done with S2.

Thoughts?

everwoodfan52

You and I made comments for this episode, so why don't we give everyone else extra time to comment on this episode before posting the next one.

jediwands

I meant we’ll delay 2.13 a week so not this weekend but the following weekend. This one is still going.

everwoodfan52

Yes. That's a good idea.

jediwands

Especially with your upcoming surgery.

jediwands

I’m going to catch up on thoughts tomorrow now that the server looks to be working awesomely.