'Tos

Because Families Were Brought Together By a Town that Brought Families Together

Thanks, Patricia

'Tos

From the Old Thread:

to the Ephram and Madison situation making more sense the second time around. For me, I think it was that when I watched S2, I was a looot younger, so watching it more recently, I have a whole other perspective and it's just not, "Ew, gross" anymore. I don't love the story, but I can at least make sense of it now. I do think it's a show that really does benefit from as rewatch a few years later, because there are stories that you may not be able to fully grasp as a young teenager and you need that perspective as you grow older to fully appreciate.

break the window

thanks for the new thread Tos

'Tos

No problem. Thanks for the title. Those are always so hard to come up with; they're definitely my least favourite part of being a mod!

break the window

i was just putting something out there. I always thought that yeah, Everwood put the Brown family back together, but maybe the Brown family also gave something back to Everwood

'Tos

Absolutely. The Browns would be very different without Everwood, and Everwood would be very different without the Browns. The Abbotts would be affected the most, but the whole town too. Greg Berlanti has said that part of the show is about how much can be affected from just one woman's death, and the effect the Browns have on Everwood and the town has on them is great proof of that.

break the window

now I know what I wanted the title to be, but the way it is, doesn't make sense, at least to me.

Because Families Were Brought Together By Everwood and a Family Brought Everwood back together.

Amont

Whoa new thread!
Anyway, I just had this click yesterday.. a very interesting parallel I found from seasons 1 and 2. I'll try to explain. Hope it isn't 'old' or mentioned before on these forums.

You see.. as we all know, in season 1 there was Ephram being all sad and mad, hating his dad (), feeling all distant and lonely. He was trying to be as good a friend as he could be for Amy, but when it became evident things were way too complicated, he sort of 'gave up' and tried to find love elsewhere, with Layne. Meanwhile Amy herself was having her first real love relationship, with Colin (not without problems, but in essence, he was her first real guy).

In season 2 it's Amy who has fallen into depression, trying to overcome the sadness of Colin's demise. Her relationship with her father is becoming increasingly difficult and also she moves out from her childhood home to live with her grandparents, which isn't exactly the same as moving from New York to Everwood, but still.. she's leaving her childhood home, quite possibly the same way Ephram did. Amy is beginning to realize how much of a friend Ephram has been the past year and how she herself hasn't. And even though she doesn't admit it, she is beginning to develop romantic feelings for him. That much is clear from the lovely brother/sister conversation in 2x06 when Bright says: 'So go. Show up [at Ephram's driver's test]. Be all supportive. Everything else you guys'll figure out. I mean, you may not feel the same way for Ephram that you did for Colin but you feel something. Otherwise, you wouldn't be sitting here asking me for advice." So she tries and does so, but seeing Ephram kiss Madison she kind of gives up as well. And finds love elsewhere - in Tommy Callahan. And meanwhile we see Ephram, now a year older and "10 years more mature", is having his first real relationship with Madison.

So there are many-many parallels I see here. For me it makes most sense when I think about it this way: Ephram and Amy have switched places now, in season 2 (as opposed to what there had been in season 1). They've kind of like stepped into each other's shoes.

1. Ephram moves from New York to Everwood, Amy moves from her childhood home with the Abbotts to live with her grandparents - the Harpers
2. Ephram was moderately depressed and hated his father in season 1 (okay he still does so in season 2, some hating at least), Amy is falling into depression and beginning to hate her dad in season 2
3. Amy has a deep relationship with Colin in season 1, Ephram has one with Madison in season 2. So Madison was to Ephram the same as Colin was to Amy and Tommy was to Amy the same as Laynie was to Ephram.
4. Ephram was more of a friend to Amy than she was to him in season 1, Amy was more of a friend to Ephram than he was to her in season 2
5. They're also both trying to overcome the loss of a loved one (for Ephram, it's his mother, for Amy it's her boyfriend).

Whoa. Never thought I would get so many similar points Anyway, this is just a thought I had.. maybe the parallels weren't intentional from the writers, but for me they make the storylines even more meaningful. And to think ahead of season 3/4.. maybe it's also something to do with the ever growing and developing relationship between Ephram and Amy. Like a step amongst many (the whole "stepping into the other's shoes") in becoming one with a person you're close to and, ultimately, towards finding true love with someone (as E/A did in the very end)

everwoodfan52

I kind of like the new title the way it it, Patricia.


Wonderful analysis, Amont....excellent analogies. There is only one of your points that don't totally agree with...

I don't see Madison and Laynie to Ephram the same as Colin and Tommy were to Amy. Colin was Amy's first crush...I'm not sure that there was love there. Colin really didn't help Amy's growth the way that Madison did for Ephram. Even though she was often annoying, Madison was a huge factor in Ephram's social growth...huge confidence builder. This was something that Ephram desperately needed. Amy didn't need this....nor did Colin do this for her.

As far as Laynie and Tommy are concerned? No comparison. I liked Laynie for Ephram. She was sweet...sincere...and really liked him. She was good for Ephram, even though he didn't feel totally the same about her. That relationship ended too soon.
Tommy, on the other hand, was not totally sincere...he was not good for Amy...and their relationship couldn't end fast enough.

'Tos

Very interesting, Amont. I like it! I do think it was likely intentional by the writers, as Berlanti said that S2 was about Amy and the "American dream" family crumbling, and they certainly did.

Hmm, I do agree on the love part with Colin, but Colin and his death did help Amy grow in my eyes. It helped Amy snap out of that fantasy world that she built up with Colin. She had latched onto a future with Colin that was never really realistic; it was a teenager's fantasy of a life that was never going to happen once they grew up. Him deteriorating and ultimately dying did make her have more grown up ideas about a future with someone like Ephram. As well, I think Colin helped Amy become more independent. She was somewhat independent in S1, but she also did rely on the hope that Colin would wake up, the hope that Colin would get better, the hope that Colin would say "I love you", etc. When he died, Amy suddenly found herself not having that hope to rely on, and had to fend for herself in many ways. That's partly why I think Amy has a huge shock in S2, adjusting to a whole new world view. That's not easy in the best of situations, never mind when you're mourning. I do think that Amy needed to snap out of a false idea of a future with Colin that would never be, and also had to become more independent and build a strengthening view of what she was capable of , just as much as Ephram needed self-confidence. That growth we see in Amy in late S2 after her depression and in S3 is at least in part because of Colin.

Now, he didn't really help her directly, he just helped her by dying.

Amont

I'm in the middle of season 2 now. Missing Nina a lot in S2 and just today I watched 2x13 'Forget Me Not', which was - at least part of it - about Andy/Nina's friendship a lot so I'm relieved
Also glad to see some E/A interaction, especially the scene in the Mexican restaurant was cute, just friends as always And Amy's letter to dad was so heartfelt and cute, I know it'll all be okay for them soon. Also E/M is going to be over soon, starting with a more serious E/A in late S2! Also happy to see Bright/Ephram friendship, so cool.
Today's was a heartwarming and uplifting episode!

Taryn74

Love your comparisons, Amont.

I agree with this.

Too drained to say more than that right now, just letting ya'll know I'm reading.

'Tos

Glad to hear, Taryn!

Amont, missing Nina is a recurring theme, unfortunately. For a major character, she sure doesn't show up enough for stretches of episodes at a time.

everwoodfan52

I'm glad to hear that as well. I am hoping everything is okay with you.

Taryn74

Oh yeah, I'm fine....sorry, didn't mean to imply that I'm not. We've just had a lot of stuff going on this summer that's hard to deal with, that's all. Sometimes it gets to me more than other times.