jediwands

Jerry D

I absolutely loved this wonderful, heartfelt, and incredibly touching episode as it mainly focused on the progress that the couple that we all love so much made in their relationship, and it also showed the progress that some other couples made in this episode which we didn’t necessarily want to see. The term “reflex” was prominently featured as this theme of this episode and that term took on different meanings as the episode progressed.

I liked seeing the opening scene as Ephram and Amy made out in his car at a drive-in (remember drive ins? ) and it was funny “hearing” their thoughts as they both felt uncomfortable and unsure of themselves and frustrated with the lack of progress in their romantic relationship, as their mutual final thought was “I’m never going to have sex!”

We saw Andy and Amanda continue to flirt as they waited for their children to get out of school, and we saw Delia and Charlie approach them holding hands, indicating that they were “boyfriend and girlfriend.” We then saw old nosy Brenda Boxworth ask Amanda who was taking care of John while “Dr. Brown was talking her ear off,” and I was concerned that Brenda might have realized that something was going on between Andy and Amanda, but Amanda responded to her in a snide way and she left.

We saw Jake talking to Nina at Mama Joy’s and she invited him to go to the first ice skating event in Everwood, but Jake turned her down because he had a date, and he felt uncomfortable telling her that he had a date.

Back at the Abbott house we saw Harold showing Hannah pictures of Amy when she was little and she had made a pillow fort, and he mentioned the cabin that they had in the mountains, but a clearly agitated Amy wanted to talk to Hannah and they went to Amy’s room. Amy expressed her frustration with her and Ephram not taking their relationship to the next level, or any level beyond kissing, and Amy said that she would bring the topic up with Ephram in a casual way. With Amy being Amy, however, her “casual way” of bringing up the topic was to directly ask him “Why haven’t you tried to have sex with me yet?” at school and a surprised and flustered Ephram said that she didn’t seem to want to take that step as she flinched any time he touched her and she said “that’s just a reflex” and he also said that he wanted their first time to be special, but Amy said that it didn’t have to be special, and it just had to be him, (which I thought was so incredibly sweet) and she suggested that they go to the cabin that her family owned.

I was glad that Ephram asked Andy for permission to go on an overnight trip with Amy, and knowing what Ephram was asking, he accepted it and he told Ephram to be careful, and you could tell that what happened with Madison was still on his mind, but he still couldn’t tell Ephram the truth, and this knowledge was weighing on him and eating him alive, and all the guilt he felt about this situation and his upcoming affair with Amanda would manifest itself when he collapsed with a bleeding ulcer. I thought that Treat Williams did a great job in conveying Andy’s anguish.

We then saw Ephram meet Amanda as she walked into his house and their meeting was awkward and he left, and Andy said that he was upset about what Ephram had told him and she invited him on a “play date” with her, Delia and Charlie.

We saw Amy and Hannah reading from a book called “Guide To Getting It On” and it was so like Amy to worry and obsess about this next step in her and Ephram’s relationship, and in this scene she truly showed she was Harold’s daughter as her obsessive behavior echoed his obsessive behavior to a tee.

The “reflex” topic came up again as Amy mentioned it to Hannah, and Hannah said that maybe Amy flinching might mean that she wasn’t ready to have sex yet, and she revealed that she didn’t want to have sex until she was married, but she respected the fact that Ephram and Amy were ready to take that step in their relationship.

I liked that Ephram, at the cabin, was also nervous about taking that step as he saw her childhood pictures, and his love for Amy was so evident when he went out of his way to make everything special for him and Amy at the cabin, and you could see how touched she was by his gesture, as we first saw “Grand Gesture Ephram” at his very best, and Amy even alluded to how he made their first time so special to Rose in the Series Finale, much to Rose’s discomfort.

I liked Harold and Rose’s conversation as he expressed his concerns about how Amy was growing up too fast, but like Andy, he was also hiding a secret that concerned him, namely Madison’s pregnancy, but he couldn’t tell Rose at that point, just like Andy couldn’t tell Ephram at that point. I loved how Rose pointed out to Harold that they were only two years older than Ephram and Amy when they first got together, and Harold jokingly said “Yeah, yeah, God punished us with Bright,” and Rose responded “oh you,” and they shared a tender kiss. That scene made me wonder though if Rose was pregnant with Bright when they got married, or if Harold was just being facetious. Either way though, even though Harold’s remark was made in jest, it did reflect on the low opinion that Harold has of Bright.

We saw Andy and Amanda growing closer as she admitted that she had set up their “play date” because she wanted to see him away from John and that she had feelings for him, but Andy, struggling with his own feelings for her, said “we can’t,” as their conversation was mercifully interrupted by Delia, who had had enough of Charlie, who selfishly wouldn’t allow her to have a turn in the batting cages, and we later found out that bad influence Brittany had convinced her to have a boyfriend in the first place.

We saw Amy cry in Ephram’s arms as she was overwhelmed by everything and she didn’t feel she was ready yet, but Ephram was completely gentle and considerate with her as he understood and allayed her fears and he told her that they could just sleep and that they didn’t have to have sex, and I loved seeing his love for her and his understanding of how she felt in that scene.

We saw that Jake’s date was interrupted by a frantic Nina, who, unable to reach Andy, (we saw that he had ignored her call earlier) called him and he ended his date to go and help an injured Sam. We saw how gentle and kind Jake was with Sam as he stitched up his chin, and he told him a story about how something similar had happened to him when he was a kid, and that calmed Sam down and it impressed Nina, who began to see Jake in a different light.

I loved the scene with Ephram and Amy in bed together as he teased her about snoring, and the love and intimacy between them was so incredibly moving and wonderful, and after Ephram had a “reflex” of his own when she cuddled up to him, she told Ephram that she loved him and that he knew her better than she knew herself echoing Andy’s statement to Amanda that Amy was the only creature on earth who understands Ephram and she wasn’t thinking (meaning overthinking) anymore, and she was here with him and she wasn’t scared, and they made love. I honestly think that this show handled this topic in an incredibly wonderful and realistic way, and I loved this scene so much, as it was so incredibly intimate, moving and above all sweetly romantic.

It was funny seeing Harold and Rose talk to a very happy Amy as they both realized that her and Ephram had spent a romantic night in their cabin, after Amy said “Are we really gonna sell the cabin on the lake?” and Harold telling Rose “That place goes on the market today” was hilarious!

We saw Andy come to see Amanda with a list of doctors to see John because he wanted to remove himself from his case due to his feelings for her, which he knew were wrong, and I wish that everything between them had ended then and there, but unfortunately for them and us, it didn’t. We saw in this episode that it was Amanda who took the next step with Andy, but Andy was ambivalent about his feelings for her because while he clearly had feelings for Amanda, he knew that what they were doing was wrong, and he was wracked with guilt about it. One thing that I’ve really noticed in this rewatch though is what an incredible actress Anne Heche was. Everwood has such a knack for finding really talented people in every role on the show. I’ve always felt that Anne Heche’s career was derailed by the Anti-Gay bias that existed at the time due to her involvement with Ellen DeGeneres, which was really so unfair.

I loved the final scene where Ephram called Amy and their conversation, while brief, was so intimate, loving and tender and they both were so happy, and it was so sweet to see.

Overall, I really loved this incredibly moving episode, and it was one of my favorite episodes of the entire show.

everwoodfan52

My Thoughts......


Weird movie...awkward make out session. I've said it many many times before: This awkwardness is mind boggling for a teenage couple who have been dating over a year. I know it's meant as a prelude to awkward first time sex between them, and I'm assuming that it hasn't always been like this for these two...one would hope!
I do love listening to their thoughts...so adorable.
Yes, Amy, you are much too classy to do it in a car the first time with Ephram. That would be reserved for less classy types.

Nina asking Jake out...very surprised that he turned her down. Poor Nina can't catch a break from these guys.

Harold and Hannah get along so well and he does appear to have more in common with her than with his own children!

Amy, that's not casual. With Ephram who needs Paris? He does know no better not to have sex with Amy in a car.

Poor Andy would do anything to spend quality time with Ephram...even setting up a chair and cooler to watch for a goat!

It's definitely a double standard for girls and boys. I don't believe Harold would have had the same reaction and have given permission if Amy had asked him if she could spend the night with Ephram in the mountains.
Ephram, you say that you know. But...do you really know? Thank God Amy is bringing the condoms.

Yeah right, Amanda. It's Charlie who wants a play date.

Brittany, shut up.

The Abbotts don't clean out their fridge before closing up the cabin? I have always wondered about that.

I guess Harold is on to Amy and he let her go anyway. I take back what I said about the double standard.
Amy, where's the fried chicken? Your mom made lasagna.

Why did Nina call Jake and not Andy? Jake did score some major brownie points while stitching up Sam.

Amanda, please leave Andy alone...you are being the pushy one and Andy is the one who is super uncomfortable about the whole thing!

The Cabin...one of the best plots of this series. Everything was exquisite starting with the flowers....the lit fireplace....Ephram's patience and understanding....Blake Neely's music and ending with both Amy and Ephram being ready. Beautiful.

You will not be going camping, Delia.

Harold is definitely selling that Cabin.

Smart move, Andy. Nip this in the bud. I do have a feeling it's not over, though.

Lovely final Amy/Ephram scene. Wonderful episode.

jediwands

I’m going to watch tomorrow. I’m swamped this weekend, actually doing work in addition to my niece being home and other stuff.

Love your thoughts, guys! I’ll join in tomorrow.

everwoodfan52

Take you're time! Enjoy your niece.

Jerry D

I think they were just trying to show their mutual frustration at their lack of progress in their relationship in that scene.

Like Madison.



That's true. I think it was because Hannah was so super polite and respectful.

I loved how they switched from Amy saying she would casually bring the topic up with Ephram to her directly asking him in a completely uncasual way!

Yes, but Ephram's mind was elsewhere!

There always has been and always will be a double standard with girls and boys.

No, he doesn't really know as we saw with Madison.

She was really transparent there.

Exactly.

I think you just have to suspend reality because I think that the cabin would have been filthy if they hadn't used it in years unless Ephram spent hours cleaning it up before Amy got there.

I think that he realized that he had no choice.



She did call Andy first. We saw that when he was with Amanda he ignored a phone call because it wasn't Ephram and it was probably from Nina.

Amanda definitely was the aggressor in this episode and she definitely made Andy uncomfortable.

I loved everything about that scene.





Unfortunately it wasn't over.

I agree.

Jerry D

I'll look forward to seeing your thoughts.

everwoodfan52

Amy and Ephram made good progress for sure, and I do believe Nina and Jake made progress as well...whether we like it or not.
I am sure that Brenda realized something was going on between Andy and Amanda.She is the town busybody..

Treat is such a wonderful actor. Yes, Ephram has come a long way. Asking Andy permission was a good step and definitely helped his cause.


Amy seems to overthink everything! lol

Yes, Amy was shocked but also thought it was cool.
Good memory! I had forgotten that scene.

I hated that remark about Bright. If we had seen Harold treating Bright differently with respect and love...we could laugh at that remark. I couldn't laugh at it, however, because Harold really means it to mock Bright.
Andy was not as comfortable with this as Amanda was. He felt almost as awkward as Amy felt at the drive in.

It was beautiful the way that Ephram reacted to Amy's hesitancy and insecurity. He is the perfect kind of guy to have for your first time.
I loved all of this. I can watch this beautiful scene over and over again!

Too late, Harold. The cabin was already used.


They are the absolute sweetest.

everwoodfan52

Right!! I forgot about that. I didn't think it was Nina, because I couldn't imagine him not answering her call. Not nice!

Jerry D

I agree. It wasn't nice at all. Andy kept missing opportunities to be with Nina and he practically pushed her into Jake's arms.

jediwands

Thanks!

Thank you!

jediwands

I love reading your thoughts and back and forth, you guys.

I am going to watch later on this morning after my one and only meeting which starts shortly. Looking forward to it! Not the meeting, the episode.

jediwands

I am watching now. I haven’t seen this episode in such a long time.

Greg and Emily = the best chemistry I’ve ever seen on the small screen.

jediwands

FYI:

Not sure if you guys already know but Jake’s date he went out to dinner with is actually Scott Wolf’s real wife, Kelley Limp.

https://people.com/tv/scott-wolf-fir...ppen/?amp=true

Way back in the day I actually watched her on The Real World: New Orleans in 2000. Later I found out that she married Scott Wolf.

Jerry D

Oh wow, I didn't know that. Her character was basically an airhead in that scene!

Scott Wolf is ageless. He must be part vampire!