'Tos

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!

My Funny Valentine

Written By: Vanessa Taylor
Directed By: Michael Schultz

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

everwoodfan52

I am having a difficult time getting my DVD player to work with my new TV! Very frustrating. I have the TV on video....but I can't get it to play.

I'm trying to remember the episode.
I remember liking the chorus scene (Beatles "Silly Love Song")....ridiculously enthusiastic chorus teacher....Ephram moving his lips and pretending to sing....

I remember jealous Amy in a couple of scenes....jealous when she saw Ephram walk into the Harts' house with Laynie.....jealous when she saw how much fun Laynie and Ephram were having while ice skating. I just loved it!

I remember Colin actually being sweet and a genuine friend to Ephram (see, 'Tos! I sometimes appreciate Colin).

I remember a very sad Andy seeking comfort with Dr. Trott. He broke my heart.

I remember an annoyed Rose being serenaded by the High School band and being presented with pencil stub by Harold?

I remember a really cute conversation between Laynie and Ephram which began in the post office. They really did have a lot in common.
Laynie had to point out to Amy what a good catch Ephram was. Silly Amy didn't really deserve Ephram at this point.


I'm sure there was a lot more to this episode....but I really can't remember!
I've really got to do something about this DVD player!

'Tos

You have a good memory, Betty! Have you figured out what's going on with your DVD player? That's frustrating.

I haven't watched it yet, but I'm looking forward to it. Andy's voiceover in this one kills me. Incredibly well crafted and delivered.

everwoodfan52

No! And it's so frustrating. It has to be the connection of the DVD player and the new tv because it worked with my old tv. When I set my tv remote on video and try to play a DVD....it doesn't play. All I get is a long number on the DVD player and a countdown.
I'm going to call the manufacturer of the TV (Panasonic) to see if they can walk me though it.
I'll keep you posted.

'Tos

I order that you get that fixed before I come back, Betty. Seriously, don't they know that you're trying to watch Everwood???

I was hoping to do this before I left, but instead I'm filling up my pathetic, little iPod shuffle with enough music to last me for the trip.

So, instead I'll ask an episode semi-related question for any further participants:

What do people think about Dr. Trott as a character? Would you have wanted her to come back beyond this episode and her earlier one, or was she used effectively enough as is?

everwoodfan52

I figured out what was wrong with my DVD player. Stupid non-technical me! I had the TV remote on Video 1 and I needed to put it on Video 2. That's all it took.

So, I'd like to add some more thoughts....now that I was able to actually watch the episode.

• A couple of funny lines:

"I don't think you're a leaky faucet. I think you're a broken record."

"Happy Valentine's Day, Irving. I understand this is the doghouse."

• Spectacular scenery in the beginning of the episode. Too bad it was marred by Irv's heart attack.
• How uncharacteristic and cruel it was for Irv to fake that heart attack. I can't understand why he would do that.
• Nina: Your shrink just made a date with you." Andy: "She made a professional lunch." How hilarious was Andy in the restaurant....arranging his bread....knocking over everything on the table....
• Laynie and Ephram looked adorable in the post office....their physical appearance was even compatible. Also, Ephram asking Laynie on a date in the kitchen was so sweet.
• How rude was Amy when she asked Ephram, "What are you doing here?" The look she gave him when he and Laynie walked up to her room was very telling...eat your heart out, Amy. You had your chance.
• I really wasn't very sympathetic to Rose's complaints. What's wrong with long stemmed roses, a sumptuous meal, and an erotic sampler of Swiss chocolates? Harold was a wonderful husband and was very evident in his love for Rose. I think she was being a little ridiculous in her complaints.
• The final conversation between Nina and Andy was very nice. Nina always has Andy's best interests at heart. She really is a good friend.

'Tos, I'm going to think about your question and come back with my thoughts.

everwoodfan52

I believe that Dr. Trott served her purpose. She was needed her last visit as a sounding board for Andy when he had issues and fears in regard to operating on Colin. She also added some comedy relief with Harold.
She was needed this episode for Andy, as well. He was lonely, needed female companionship (plus additional services) and she was there. Nina was unavailable because she had a husband.
Dr. Trott would have liked for a further relationship to develop with Andy....but he was not ready for this and told her as much. So, I think that it would have been awkward for her to return.

ShadowMagist

This was a pretty strong episode for season 1, especially in the later half when everything just got way awesome. The Unveiling anybody? Too bad it was followed by Everwood Confidential.

I still maintain the opening of MFV is one of the cruelest things this show has ever done. Here you have some of the most beautiful writing narrating a sweet story of love only to have it undercut the actions happening on screen with Irv's heart. Ending on, "My heart beats only for you" is just...ergh!

Dr. Trot: Rose is trying to communicate with you Harold

Harold: She is not trying to communicate with me, she's trying to drive me crazy(something to this effect).

Dr. Trot: Can you elaborate?

Harold: Not without strangling you.

Hee! These exchanges alone are good enough reason to have Dr. Trot come back. I think there are a lot of story possibilities there, you know, in a psychological setting. I don't know about a romance with Andy, but getting deeper into his issues with Julia(had the Irv book stuff not occured), seeing more of Nina's problems and her lfeelings toward the men in her life: Andy, Carl, Sam. I think that kind of perspective would go a long way toward developing the other characters.

The Rose/Harold/Pencil stuff stuff still makes me happy. Harold, you big romantic you! Merrilyn played that scene beautifully too.

'Tos

I'm just going to put the next ep and I'll come in and reply late.

ChibiT89

I always thought "My Funny Valentine" was a great title. Although nothing in this episode was particularly funny...

Andy's opening and ending puts a spin on Irving's style and it's done in such a fashion now it's Irv's story.

Although a bad event, "my heart only beats for you"... the timing of that line as well as that event gives that scene a bitter/sweet taste:
Kind of like, "oh Andy Brown, you're talking about Julia but there's a dude that's dying!"

Random Notes:

• My "dudebro" attitude just laughs at the scene when Edna goes into the restroom and starts crying.
  
  But, my EW comes into play and this scene stands out in terms of the camera angle. None of the other seasons use the "up-close" style and it works quite d
  dramatically in this scene.
  ...and then I start cracking up. I think it's just so random how Edna rushes to the bathroom to go cry.
  
• Irv's joke... is completely understandable. I've made that mistake where you make a joke at the COMPLETELY wrong time. He was just trying to poke fun at Edna's overly cautious attitude and it just went horribly wrong. Irv is my homeboy... we'd get along quite well.
  
• Laynie/Ephram scenes are too good. She prods him with that witty, satirical attitude and they play off each other quite well.
  
• Dr. B's (andy) is such a playa! hah kidding... he "stumbles" into a one-night stand and then feels remorseful afterwards. Oh Andy.... I wish he would have his own spin-off. "Andy in the Big City" where instead of brain surgery, he'd live his life with his old college buddies in a small,quaint apartment (like FRIENDS).
  
• The ending utilizes the unique opening to close the episode and it turns out to be a poetic letter emphasizing his love to Julia. Good Stuff, Andy.
  
  -Thanh
  
  
  

jediwands

I'm not sure how I feel about her interaction with Andy and if I would have wanted it to continue. However, what I did love was her interaction with Harold. LOL. There were some classic exchanges between these two that crack me up so much.

A couple more bits:

- Jealous Amy rocked. I felt good seeing her all flustered with jealousy over Ephram/Laynie given how coldly at times she treated Ephram in the episodes before this one.

- I felt sorry for Colin whenever he realized Amy's feelings for Ephram. I don't always feel sorry for him, in fact I have never truly liked this character, LOL, but whenever he understood Amy's jealousy at the ice skating rink I felt for him.

- Loved the Ephram/Laynie interaction.

- Loved Andy/Nina at the end.

ChibiT89

Tos's Question:

Hmm... Dr. Trott. Other than being a pretty doctor lady; she served her purpose.

I remember reading a quote somewhere on these boards about new characters:
(in season 4) "everyone that deserved to stay in Everwood did, all the others served their purpose and filtered out.... (reid, jake - the dude from 90210 or w/e, kyle)"

and I think Trott belongs in the category. She helped Dr. B find out his emotions as well as gave him a nice Valentines night. lol.

'Tos

"Wow. That's a dress". One of the earliest examples of Clueless Andy. Well, at least when it comes to women. We've seen LOTS of clueless Andy when it comes to parenting previously. I love his story in this one. It's a great continuation of "Snow Job": his inability to get things started after Julia. Treat once again looks so fragile here. I think that's why I liked Linda this time around, because it's hard to watch an Andy like this. He deserved some happiness. Season one is really about all the pain that he has to go through after Julia, and I liked that we got a good chunk of some actual happiness. Although, as it is S2, it's not exactly YAY, HAPPY! It's still a painful kind of happiness. Which pretty much sums up Andy until S4. We also see a rare stuttering Andy (I guess that's where Ephram gets it from): "Did-did-did-did you happen to pick that up?" Spit it out, man!

Can shows stop doing the whole lonely character walks around seeing everyone around them in love. It's nauseating! Heh. Overall, though, I think this episode handles the romantic elements extremely well. It's not nauseating, and a lot of Valentines episodes are. Ephram and Laynie are bloody adorable, Amy and Colin have a fight that has been building for a while and both stay relatively likable throughout, Harold and Rose are so real, Irv and Edna are so loving while dealing with getting older and even mortality, and Andy...is just so very sad. There's nothing to complain about in any of that. Everybody and every action is in character, and every romantic story is saying so much about the characters and the storyline's they're in and will be for the series in some cases (Irv/Edna, Ephram/Amy, Rose/Harold and Andy). To get them ALL right in a Valentines episode is just so Everwood, isn't it?

Wah!

The marching band girl who keeps looking at Harold while he's giving his speech to Rose always cracks me up. And I adore Rose and Harold. Seriously, best couple on the show, no contest.

Laynie is so awesome. And since Ephram is typically about as good with the whole dating thing as Andy is at this point, he is also really, really lucky that she came back.

I always remember this episode as "their" episode. It's totally not because it's mostly about Andy, but this is just such a great Harold/Rose episode. Funny and sweet. Plus it is home to one of my favourite quotes: "I've bored Rose since the day we met. I think she makes shopping lists in her head while I'm talking."

Harold and Irv! Okay...that's about it, really. It's definitely not a happy, happy Valentines episode, for sure. Thank goodness.

Yeah, I did too. Although I really liked that they both brought up great points. Amy about her devotion to Colin, and Colin about telling him earlier. They were both right in their own way. And I liked that Colin understood and handled it all in a mature way, leaving it up to Amy to decide things. He was really nice in that final scene.

As for Dr. Trott, I don't often like the actress, but I really liked her here. And I really liked the dynamic between her and Andy, and the comedy between her and Harold. Saying that, I agree with everyone that her purpose was fulfilled.

jediwands

Yes, it is. Excellent thoughts. You summed up the main points of this episode perfectly.

LOL! He is damn lucky. I honestly wanted Ephram/Laynie to give it a try romantically in season 1. Ultimately I wanted Ephram/Amy but it was clear Amy wasn't ready, obviously, and I wouldn't have minded seeing Ephram/Laynie develop further or just very casually date. For that matter, I would have preferred Laynie with Ephram over Madison in season 2. Then again I would have preferred any other girl over Madison in season 2 for Ephram.

He was. I think this scene is the one scene I can say I truly appreciated Amy/Colin. Any other scene, not really, LOL, but this scene was powerful as it conveyed so much since there was this understanding that they finally achieved together.

'Tos

What about Amanda? See? Be careful what you wish for!

Definitely agreed with you about Ephram and Laynie having more of a relationship in S1. I know that Ephram's feelings for Amy were much too strong, so I guess it's realistic that it didn't work out, but they were SO great together. And it would be really nice to see Ephram have some happiness while having to watch Amy with Crazy Colin and seeing him deteriorate while everyone around him ignores it. That was a dark period for Ephram. He needed some Laynie.