The Everwood Rewatch Fest: "Fear Itself" (S1, Ep. 22)
 

We'll keep this up for one week and then go on to the next episode. After you've watched the episode, you can comment on it anyway you'd like, big or small. You can focus on certain characters, scenes, quotes, or the episode as a whole. You can tie the episode to the rest of the series, or comment about it as a self-contained episode. It's all up to you! You can always give your thoughts after the one week period, as all rewatch threads will stay open for more thoughts and anymore discussion. Thanks!

Fear Itself

Written By: John E. Pogue
Directed By: Michael Katleman

Imdb

If you haven't already, please feel free to comment on our previous episodes:

The Pilot
The Great Doctor Brown
Friendly Fire
The Kissing Bridge
Deer God
The Doctor Is In
We Hold These Truths
Till Death Do Us Part
Turf Wars
Is There a Doctor in the House?
A Thanksgiving Tale
Vegetative State
The Price of Fame
Colin the Second
Snow Job
My Funny Valentine
Everwood Confidential
The Unveiling
The Miracle of Everwood
Moonlight Sonata
Episode 20

Oh wow, I get to be the first to comment! Cool!

First of all, I think Andy was terribly inconsiderate to bring Ephram along to the lake house when Irv didn't really even want Andy there to begin with. Hubby and I kept waiting for Irv to throw both of them into the lake, heh. I know the writers staged that whole thing so that Andy could have a personal tie-in with the Harts having to decide on Colin's second surgery, and on that level it worked, but it still bugged me that Andy was so presumptuous about the whole thing.

About Nina and SuC - Nina rocked her scenes, that's all I can say. From her first being wary when she realizes SuC is there, to her slowly letting herself believe he's really home for good because he thought about what they had talked about (oh, Nina) to her crushing heartbreak when she realizes he's just running away from an affair, and THEN to her finding out the affair was with a man. Wow. That's a lot of emotions to go through, and she nailed them all.

Hee, quite an honour!

The first thing that I remember about this episode is that Andy yells a lot, heh.

I love Edna pleading with her eyes for Andy to help, and how obvious it is that Andy doesn't want to, heh.

Dylan Walsh (Carl) is in the trailer for a new movie called The Stepfather playing a suspicious and creepy guy. After seeing this episode, and his other ones on this show, it makes so much sense, heh. Nah, he really does a great job in this one too.

I know that Delia is used to yelling, but it's kind of sad that she goes to one house full of yelling to another. I guess it's better than being Sam, though. That is going to be one messed up teenager.

Irv, Irv, Irv. I cannot believe you fell for Ephram's manipulation. And his justification to Andy is pretty half-assed and full of excuses. Wah, wah, wah, you shouldn't have brought him. Wah, wah, wah, teens don't like to be bossed around. Yes, thank you Irv. That doesn't mean that you let him on a boat all by himself against his father's orders. But I can't stay mad at the guy, because he kicks ass saving Ephram.

:censored:, I love Harold Abbott. That's it. I just do, heh. He's not in this episode very much at all, but that whole scene with Amy, where he calms her down and tells her that he's done so much for Colin, is just awesome. Harold is the best TV dad evar. Andy should really just be following him taking notes at this point in the series. And, eee! Movie night with Harold! Who is actually going to rent a Vin Diesel movie! He must really feel bad for Amy, hee.

While I like the Carl/Nina story--well, as much as one can like something that depressing--I think it's probably as close to melodrama as Everwood gets. Stay with me, hee, I'm not going against the story at all. There's just a lot of yelling and crying in that story. What saves it from being melodrama, and makes it actually very good, is how well executed it all is. The writing, the acting, it's all amazing stuff. And you can't exactly balance THAT story with something comedic. It has to be depressing for the full story.

Nina's speech about how she thought it was her fault, that she wanted to be funnier, prettier, every time things didn't go well is SO heartbreaking. I just want to give Nina a big ol' :hug: this whole ep.

:nod: big time. Stephanie Niznik was amazing with every single moment.

So, uh, slow rewatch here. Is nobody interested anymore, or..like, what's going on? Heh. I don't know if I should keep this open a little longer or just move on to "Home", and maybe that will get some more interest as there's a bit more to talk about?

Keep it open a little longer....at least until the end of the week. :) We have interest ...just not a lot of time.

Alright, it'll be up until the end of the week, so get watchin' folks! :) This is a good episode! I actually think it's pretty underrated as it has the misfortune of being in between two of the strongest episodes of the season in "Episode 20" and "Home".

I know, SO sad. Carl is such a *bleep*.

Since we're waiting for some more people to get to the episode, here's a question:

Who is more nauseating/unlikable/annoying/fill-in-your-own-adjective: Amanda or Carl? Oh yeah, it's a toughie, heh.

Heh. That is tough. I'd have to say Carl which is incredible given how much I loathe Amanda. But what he did, not only the cheating but the bomb about his sexuality, was absolutely horrible in that it not only affected Nina and their marriage, but he also had a son to think about as well. I'm not saying he could help his sexuality, but the continual denials about cheating and his sexuality was unacceptable.

As for the episode... since I am joining late I'll add some random thoughts... I thought it was lame of Andy to bring Ephram along but then again Irv being so very slow to adapt to his surroundings along with his constant whining almost made him the ridiculous one, not Andy or Ephram. His saving Ephram made up for it, though.

I don't generally have a ton of good things to say about Colin but that is mostly about the Colin who isn't sick with the chronic brain issues. It was flashback Colin, essentially that I didn't like. So, seeing him battle the obvious, a brain disorder from an accident that already "killed" him in many ways even if he was physically still there, was terribly heartbreaking. I also think on some level Colin knows he is not going to survive the surgery. I really do. His behavior in Home confirms it but in many ways I feel like even in this episode you get a sense that the guy realizes he is fighting a losing battle which is very sad and obviously, very true.

Harold and his limited screen time was profound. His being there for Amy demonstrates the kind and caring father he is. I think it's season 1 episodes like this one where you remember as you watch season 2 and all the dramatic scenes between Amy and Harold during Amy's depression how much real love exists between them even if they cannot be near each other for a good amount of time in season 2. I think it was deliberate on Berlanti's end that he showed how strong this father/daughter dynamic was in season 1 because he brilliantly knew what was going to take place in season 2 between them.

Stephanie Niznik rocked the house. There is no other way to state it. She was incredible in her scenes as Nina. I cheered for Andy/Nina from the Pilot on so of course at this point I wanted these two which means a tiny part of me liked that her marriage was officially toast even if I hated seeing Nina experience such heartache. I also wanted Andy/Nina all the more, and I remember thinking that maybe, just maybe, they would find their way to each other in season 2. Of course I was wrong since that didn't happen until, like, the end of the series, heh.

Oh boy. That's just wrong.

I've gotta go with Carl also. Mostly because he knowingly spent several years making his wife miserable, and he didn't even have the decency to be upfront about why. Had Nina not figured it out he probably would never have come clean, and he still would be making her miserable because he's a lying, cheating, dip****.

Hee! I'm evil.

Put me down for Carl too. I loathe Amanda over a great amount of time, but if Carl was in as many episodes as her? Oh, it would get ugly. You two have already hit why Carl is way worse. Which says a lot about Carl.

I agree completely with this. Which is why I never thought that the ending to "Home" was ambiguous at all. It was obvious where the story was going. And I'm not saying that to toot my own horn, hee, because I usually don't catch these things; this is a rare, rare instance where I knew. :lol: Colin made it so clear that he knew he was going to die. He wasn't saying goodbye to everyone just in case, he was saying goodbye because he really believed that they were going to be his last goodbyes. Oh, I can't wait to get to "Home".

And agreed with the Harold/Amy paragraph too 100%. You have to show the strong bond before you break it and make it so heartbreaking. It's so hard to watch, but when you get moments like Amy's letter to Harold (for his birthday?), it's so well earned, because you remember that bond that the characters miss so much, and you miss it too. That letter is definitely a me turning into a puddle moment, hee.

The moment that has me melting into a puddle of sobbing goo is when he's sitting on Andy's couch after he's handed Andy the DNR letter. He knows what he's asking because he knows what is ultimately going to happen. He's basically telling Andy to let him die because he doesn't want to live like this anymore. :cry: Gah.

That is such a terrific point. I didn't either! Never once. I was reading other people commenting on what a cliffhanger Berlanti left us with and all I was thinking was, "Really? It's a dramatic way to end the season but Colin is going to die, his fate was written out as much, especially in the last couple episodes." I really felt this. Mike as Colin played this out so beautifully in the acting department and I'm not sure if that's even stated enough? His acting was absolutely incredible during the last several episodes of season 1. He perfectly showed us just as you said... Home was not ambiguous at all.

Me too, and you are absolutely correct. Notice all the moments he had with everyone... that was not a coincidence. His moments with Bright, Amy, his father, even Andy and especially Ephram. They all conveyed the same thing... he knew he was leaving. I was especially moved by the moment he had with his father. That was touching and I believe it sort of paralleled Andy/Ephram in a way if you really think about it... Andy/Ephram were experiencing a sort of rebirth in their relationship while Colin and his father were essentially coming to an end together. So heartbreaking.

Absolutely. And so cute that you can admit how emotional you got awe. :D It got me emotional, too, but that goes without saying, hee. I entirely agree how the letter is that much more significant given what we know about how these two feel about each other. Devastatingly beautiful is what that scene was. It's one of those scenes that cause you to cry since it's all about sadness yet you cheer at the same time because you feel their pain and love all rolled up into one together. As a result, it's so moving because all you do is FEEL these characters over and over again. It's like what your quote in your signature says... these characters come to life on the screen. They do. As a result, you cannot help but become completely transfixed which is why this show is separated from all the rest. :)

I am just enjoying reading all of your wonderful thoughts. You guys say it all so much more beautifully than I can. I also feel that Carl is a more nauseating character than Amanda. I considered her slimy and I hated her with Andy...but at least she was honest and didn't intentionally try to hurt someone...(well, maybe her husband...but when he recovered she did the correct thing and went back to him.)
Carl was a Slime in every way possible. He neglected his wife for months on end, deceived her, gave her false hope. He then tried to take away her son!
No, they don't get more despicable than that! :irked: