MAKRO

WILPEN:
The results of that pivotal scene manifest themselves amazingly quickly. In spite of Amy claiming to recognize that the old Colin doesn't exist anymore ("Hi. I'm Amy"), it's obvious immediately that she has bought back into the old Colin (where her loyalty and devotion lay), not the new one. The intense scene we've been discussing brought both her appreciation of Ephram's friendship and her developing romantic feelings for him to the absolute forefront. Yet it is in their very next scene together when she starts treating him like crap in order to protect her facade with Colin. That's in the "popular" lunch table scene when she claims to barely know him (it's pretty obvious the guilt has set in again). Nice reward for Ephram's support. Why he covers for her is beyond me. Then her tackiness (and naked self-interest) escalates even further in the scene where she comes to see him seeking reassurance that he won't tell Colin about their history. This is probably Amy's worst moment in the entire E/A history, and for it to come so soon after the intense emotion of the scene we've talked about makes it especially jolting. Interestingly, the most hurtful remark she makes in Ephram's room, that "you and Colin have nothing in common", is also the most ironic. At that point Ephram and Colin have far more in common than Amy and Colin. But, that would be the new Colin; not the one Amy was fixated on. You can see that Ephram has gone from bewildered and hurt by her behavior all the way to angry. At least this time he throws her out.
So, that conversation during Colin's welcome home party was quite the watershed. And it was a long time before we could like Amy again.

jediwands

So, so true MAKRO. Everything shifted once that amazing scene took place. I honestly wanted to hit Amy during that cafeteria scene. The look on Ephram's face was heartbreaking.. Literally, I could almost feel his heart breaking in two just by the painful look he gives her. I also couldn't believe that he covered for her. I mean, it was in character for him to do so, but I almost didn't want him to. I also completely agree that Amy going over to Ephram's house seeking reassurance that he wasn't going to tell Colin was definitely Amy at her worst, combined with the worst E/A moment in history. And it absolutely made it ten times worse to view this moment as an E/A fan, considering that amazing scene we witnessed between the two of them in Vegetative State. Although I will always die laughing whenever Amy asks Ephram why Colin is being buddy buddy with him, and Ephram responds.. "Maybe he thinks I'm pretty." The way Greg delivered that line was outstanding. And whenever Amy gives that quick laugh to that reponse, I definitely saw Emily responding to that comment more than I did Amy. Good stuff.

And the "nothing in common" remark was pathetic. I couldn't believe she had the audacity to say that. And yes, you could certainly tell Ephram's emotions moving along in a hurried way from being confused and sad, to hurt, and then to plain anger. I loved that he kicked her out.

From this moment on, for a long while, I viewed Amy in a very different light, and at times, she made me want to kick in the tv screen. However, I don't know if it was Emily's acting, but at times, I have to admit, I felt sorry for Amy. It's like I loved her and hated her at the same time. She was so fixated and lost that it almost made me give her a slight break. It's very true that I had a love/hate relationship with her throughout her Colin fixation, that's for sure.

MAKRO

WILPEN:
In "In Search Of Everwood", the discussion on the Season 1 DVD of how the show was put together and the pilot filmed, Berlanti refers to the challenge of casting for the part of Amy. He said:
"We wanted someone who wasn't afraid to be at times a bitchier High School girl, and also at times be this sort of sweet All-American girl...to be able to play those extremes....so you could see very clearly at times why Ephram would be totally in love with her, and then at other times be screaming at the television set 'Ephram, just go the other way'".
As exemplified by this period from the "popular" lunch table scene, all the way through to the Fall Formal dance, I think they got what they wanted from the character.
And I'd have to say they did alright with their casting choice, wouldn't you?

jediwands

Absolutely MAKRO. I forgot about those comments on the DVD. Berlanti was obviously dead on with how he intended to portray Amy because it worked to perfection. And the actress playing Amy? Seriously smoking. EVC, in my opinion, is the only actress who could have played Amy. She is such a gifted young actress. Words cannot even describe the depth of talent that she has. I mean, she was 15 years old whenever the pilot was shot! That is simply unreal to me.

Only EVC could make an audience love and hate Amy at the same, exact time. In addition, I would also wager a guess that if anyone but EVC would have played Amy, she would NEVER have come off as likable as she has throughout. Seriously, if EVC was not Amy, most people would not have felt a shred of sympathy for Amy in season 1, and they would have despised her in season 2. But EVC brings the exact depiction that Berlanti wanted for the character of Amy. I personally could never see anyone pulling it off other than the one and only, EVC.

MAKRO

To me the best Everwood moments are those which have the viewer riveted at the moment they occur, but also can be looked back upon later as having significance to the story line way beyond what is obvious at the time.
Amy's intense scene with Ephram in "Vegetative State" resulted in Amy almost being forced to choose Colin in order to maintain her image of herself. Unable to deny her feelings for Ephram, but completely paranoid about Colin finding out, and fixated on the myth of the old Colin, she chose to deal with her fears with a massive case of denial; denial of her feelings for Ephram, about her feelings for the new Colin, and denial about Colin's escalating medical problems. Her denial manifested itself in her running roughshod over, not just Ephram, but almost everyone else in her life. To do otherwise would have threatened the myth she was living.
To me, the pivotal events marking the other end of the Clueless and Bitchy Amy period took place at the Fall Formal dance in Episode 20. The previous episode, "The Miracle Of Everwood" saw Amy's denial at its highest level, with her gushing comments to the New York magazine reporter and her clueless reaction to Colin's beating up Bright. But, at the same time, it looked to me like some doubt was finally beginning to appear. She was stung by Ephram when she accosted him about supposedly trying to get Colin busted for his gym office flameout, and he basically told her again how clueless she was. And Bright going off on her for the same reason had to add to her fears. And I think you can see the doubt in her face at the end when Colin tries to tell her everyone else are a bunch of meanies just trying to get between them. But, in the end, she decides to cling to her denial for awhile longer. What could have made this the pivotal episode, to me, would have been her scene with Bright when he came home with his face looking like it had gone through a meat grinder. I'm VERY curious what Amy's reaction would have been if Bright had told her Colin had pummeled Ephram, also. But, he didn't, so the big moments occurred in Episode 20 instead.
Amy had to be carrying some subliminal guilt the whole time about her treatment of Ephram, but it didn't seem to have made it to conscious level by the time Ephram came to the Abbott house to meet Bright for pre-dance shopping. When Ephram basically called her a clueless idiot for thinking things should have been better between them, and told her to get lost, I believe she was sincerely jolted. Not enough to get her off the myth with Colin, but at least to finally understand how hurt Ephram was by her poor treatment of him, how little he had deserved to be treated that way, and what a lousy friend she had been. So, on to the dance.....
In the first of the two scenes, the thing that struck me the most is Amy's lack of reaction to Ephram's remark "Love to stick around for a punch in the jaw...". She had no knowledge of Colin going postal on Ephram. Wouldn't that remark provoke a question about its meaning?
The second dance scene has "pivotal" written all over it. The most obvious development is Amy finally removing her head from you-know-where and redeeming herself to Ephram (and us viewers) as his friend. But, beyond that, her doing so at the risk of her relationship with Colin demonstrates that the myth is finally wearing thin. As of that point, she is more willing to have Colin mad at her than Ephram. Hmm...
Also, compare the dancing. When she was dancing with Colin, there was about six inches between them. She had her left arm resting lightly on, but not grasping, his shoulder, and her right hand loosely in his left. Within ten seconds after she started dancing with Ephram, she had laid her head on his shoulder, pulled him close, and was grasping his other shoulder with her right hand. Hmm... (as an aside: sure would like to see a scene like that nowadays)
Although the intimacy of that dance would suggest otherwise, Amy's actions right up to the time of Colin's ultimate surgery made it clear she was still trying to nurture the myth, although it seemed to me that her self-image was again as important a factor in that as her feelings for Colin (this time it was her who didn't say "I love you"). But at least she became a friend again, which allowed us to start liking her again.
The other reason the second dance scene was so pivotal was in its effect on Colin. It evoked his worst non-health nightmare; it proved that, at least on one level, Amy would choose Ephram over him. Ouch! Colin knew his health might be failing. He had to fear that his "Hulking out" would continue. We know he was terrified about becoming a vegetable. Amy was the best thing in his life. He was already terrified of her feelings for Ephram from the moment he had it confirmed to him at the skating date. Now, Amy had clearly demonstrated she would risk her relationship with him to be a proper friend to Ephram (an impression re-inforced at the school track when she didn't back down). He had to know his only hope in keeping her would be to get totally well again. I believe his explanation to Amy later that he had pushed her away because he felt he had to for her sake was a crock. He did it out of fear and jealousy. Only when he realized he was throwing away his last chance of keeping her did he decide to try to pass his actions off as a selfless act.
Although Colin was portrayed at the beginning of "Home" as agonizing about his decision based on whether "life was worth dying for", I think his fear of losing Amy was an almost equally strong element in his decison. And the necessity for considering that as a factor was driven home by the second dance scene in Episode 20.
Yes, I'd say that episode was pivotal.

jediwands

This part always intrigued me. Why didn't Berlanti choose to allow Amy to find out that Colin also roughed up Ephram? Very interesting, indeed. I think they decided to keep this knowledge from Amy because they knew Amy would have started to come out of denial about Colin a little sooner than they wanted her to. I think Amy would have instantly worried about Ephram had Bright told her and the writers weren't ready to go there just yet. I honestly think it's that simple. They wanted to keep E/A estranged during this time to really highlight Amy's denial as well as the intimacy in their dance later on.

I loved this scene. I completely agree that Amy was jolted by Ephram's blunt words to her. I also love the subtle jealousy point they made whenever Bright walks down the stairs and shows Ephram his "easy access" clothes. LOL Notice how the minute Bright is directing this to Ephram, Amy gets irritated and disappears. If she was seeing Ephram on just a friendly level, she would have probably laughed at Bright, but instead, it bothered her. I think it had to do with Amy thinking about Ephram going with someone else to the dance, as well as the terrible thought of Ephram getting romantic with someone else. Gotta love the subtle hints on this show. Hee.

Absolutely, it should have provoked questions but again, the writers didn't want to go there right then.

They needed to show some lights ringing in Amy's head in realizing that she was ultimately facing complete estrangment from Ephram. I also think it was huge that she chose Ephram over Colin in this situation and like you, this was very much hanging in Colin's mind and the result of his actions later on.

There is no comparison. She was dancing with Colin all stiff and robotic. With Ephram, it was intense and hot. The lingering looks that E/A shared with each other on the dance floor, made me think that they were going to start kissing right then and there. Amy definitely pulled Ephram close to her in a way that was almost mildy seductive. Those two were not "just friends" dancing on that floor. The looks, the embrace, the touching and the head on his shoulder was not about friendship. There was also a yearning emotion ever present between them. It was also very interesting how they panned over to Colin as he was viewing their intimacy together. He knew exactly what that dance meant. You could see it all over his face, as well as his eventual speech to Amy in his room.

** Also, how I crave for an intimate dance between E/A now that they are together romantically. Berlanti better come through and give us one.

Exactly. I never bought Colin's speech to Amy in his room as a selfless act. He was scared over what he witnessed between E/A and he saw the real and deep feelings between them. I also feel like his decision to go ahead with the surgery had a lot to do with losing Amy. However, his last talk with Ephram was important... "I know how you feel.. believe me." He was only reaffirming what he already knew. I do think his words to Ephram came on a very selfless level. I do think he was sort of telling Ephram that it was okay that he loved Amy and he also understood the deep feelings that E/A had for each other. I do think that had Colin survived, initially, he would have put up a big fight in maintaining something with Amy. However, ultimately, he would have stepped aside and allowed E/A their chance together because he I honestly feel like he knew deep down that they were meant to be.

everwoodfan52

Vintage thread! Thought I would bump it up and see what people's thoughts are today regarding Everwood's favorite moments.

everwoodfan52

Still waiting for that list, Alan. lol

jediwands

Thanks for reviving this thread.

I miss MAKRO. I know he came by that one time asking about me and, remember, I took that break for a bit? Damn, I shouldn't have taken the break or he should have come back around again.

jediwands

Come on, Alan, let's go.

Jerry D

I really miss MAKRO too. His posts were so well thought out and detailed.

We've had some great posters here over the years.

I'm also happy that this was always a trouble free board. No nastiness, no fighting, no shipper wars. I used to moderate this board and the Dawson's Creek board at the same time before I became the Site Administrator and moderating this board was like heaven compared to moderating that board.

jediwands

Yes, MAKRO was great. I could go back and forth with him for hours and hours. He mentioned we must have been married in another life because we get along like peanut butter and jelly and where one ends, the other one begins. Maybe some day he'll return. I just hate knowing he returned looking for me and I wasn't around then. If I would have been, who knows, maybe he'd still be with us now.

We've definitely had some great posters over the years. Even the Madison and EM fans were great. We didn't have any fighting at all. Nothing petty, no arguments that caused big time board drama. Not only is the show unique and remarkable, so is the fanbase.

The Crow

Well, since it's 13 years in the making, it should be quite the list, huh?

everwoodfan52

13 years is the charm! Looking forward to it. lol

secretk

True that.

I need some time as well to think about favorite moments .