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Old 02-22-2005, 02:14 PM
  #75
MAKRO
Part-Time Fan
 
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 469
THE CROW: At least there are two of us....

ALLSTAR: I respect your opinion. And I certainly didn't expect everyone to share mine. Hence my reference to swimming against the tide...

Here's my last shot at articulating to everyone why I was disappointed by some things Monday night, and why I'm perfectly willing to go against the prevailing sentiment (remember everyone, these are opinions, not arguments. I don't expect to change anyone's own opinions.). It has to do with expectations.
I can enjoy dramas on a superficial basis as much as anyone. Ludicrous plot devices and laughable dialogue just enhance the whole popcorn experience. But for me to connect with a show on a deeper level, it has to have more than that. And for me to connect with a drama to the level I have with Everwood, it has to have it all; compelling subject matter, rich characters, outstanding acting, and, above all, credibility. It has to be real.
Everwood is special. If I didn't feel that way, I wouldn't be participating in a message board for the first time in the twelve years I have owned computers. From the first moment of the pilot we were given a fascinating story, brimming with remarkable characters. But what was truly drew me in was that the story lines and the characters' actions were so completely believable. And so easy to relate to. If you look at the best episodes of the first season; The Pilot, Is There A Doctor In The House?, A Thanksgiving Tale, My Funny Valentine, The Unveiling (to name but a few), moments were rare where you would say "Why would Ephram say that?", or "What the heck was that?". With a few exceptions here and there, everything fit seamlessly into the big picture and the characters acted the way we would expect them to. Did this lead to my developing high expectations? Absolutely. Do I hold Everwood to unusually high standards? You bet, and I don't apologize for that, because those high expectations are, more often than not, fulfilled. That's why I get bothered when a character's behavior, or a plot device, doesn't make sense to me. If that didn't bother me, I would watch all of the average shows out there instead and not give a damn. That isn't to say I have to like every development to enjoy it. It just has to make sense to me. I hated Amy's waffling about forgiving Ephram for his lie, but was it uncharacteristic of Amy? No. And my distaste for the Andy/Amanda disaster wasn't so much based on moral grounds as on the fact that it seemed to me like behavior uncharacteristic of Andy.
This leads me to Monday night....
Andy has put himself through hell for the better part of a year questioning his actions with Madison and the pregnancy issue. And I think he has ultimately decided he was wrong. But, misguided or not, he did it to protect Ephram's future. Then, once he finally resolved himself to tell Ephram, he was still determined to protect Ephram's chance at Julliard by waiting until after the audition to do so. So why, guilty as he felt toward Madison, would he not at least ask her to wait until after the audition to talk to Ephram? He knows his son well enough to know how rocked he will be by the news, and how it would affect his audition. To me, that boat just doesn't float.
I have no doubt whatsoever that Madison's feelings for Ephram were completely genuine. Nor do I doubt that she was shaken profoundly by them. But they broke up due to societal pressures, not out of any bitterness toward each other. And her demeanor when she met Ephram in New York seemingly re-inforced that impression. She knows he isn't aware of the baby. But if telling him the truth is solely due to her conviction that he has the right to know, why didn't she do so at any time during the last several months? And, failing that, why would she do so right before his audition (she knows that's why he is in New York)? Again, this doesn't make sense to me.
Is Madison out to repay Andy for what he did? Maybe, although I don't happen to agree that she has a right to be as mad at Andy as she thinks she does; she didn't have to do what he asked of her. But the only difference between telling Ephram before the auditon and after is that telling him before would hurt Ephram more. For that matter, if Madison's feelings toward Ephram are completely benevolent, why tell him about Andy's deception at all? It can only hurt him more. This is behavior I can't understand.
As far as my lack of acceptance of the "miracle meeting", I believe there was just too much at stake to rely on such an improbable plot device. A three year story line and a one year story line. Madison seems to feel all of a sudden that Ephram needs to have the whole story. Why now? Just because they bumped into each other? Why not six months ago? If they hadn't been driven by the fickle finger of fate, would she have ever told him? What if Amy had come with Ephram instead of Andy? Would Madison have told him then?
I would have been happier, and I would have seen it as more plausible, if Madison had recently decided she needed to tell Ephram about the baby, contacted him in Everwood, found out he was coming to New York (or just arranged a meeting somewhere else if it was before he knew he was coming), and arranged to tell him in circumstances which would have the least detriment to his psyche and the least affect on his dreams. Again, we have seen nothing up until now to believe she means him harm.
I just expected more. Are my expectations my own? Yep. Do I expect others to share them? Nope. Do these occasional disappointments affect my overall enjoyment of the show? No.
Am I going to continue to expect more than I probably should? Undoubtedly. Will I usually be rewarded? Darn right!
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