jediwands

jediwands

THOUGHTS WHILE WATCHING


- Nothing like Everwood starting the final season showing us one of the most beautiful, important characters: the mountains.

- Wonderful Everwood music playing in the background which is classic Everwood.

- I remember loving Emily’s new hairstyle while watching this episode for the very first time and that has not changed. It matches Amy’s grounded, sweet, kind, intellectual maturity.

- Hearing many characters at the beginning (Irv, Andy, Nina, Rose, even Jake) was really fun as the wedding was teased.

- An Amy and Delia scene (even over dresses) is so great!

- Sam is hyper as ever. S5 would have been interesting just to see if he ever calms down.

- Bright being Bright dropping flowers and telling his mom as much.

- Harold in witty-mode even with the priest. LOL.

- Bright and Hannah having fun dancing with chemistry-filled Andy and Nina doing the same and Jake looking insecure and jealous is interesting.

- Andy telling Delia she can’t wear black until she’s 30 is funny since I was wearing black around age 10.

- I love when Andy told Delia they would hit the mall the end of the week and then Delia told him she preferred later today. Shortly thereafter, she told him she sent Ephram a wedding invite and revealed Ephram had sent her a few postcards (which is great) … then Andy said they would go to the mall later that day… the little things.

- Andy lighting up seeing Nina was so cute but then his expression changed after seeing Jake join Nina. Andy, you should have acted much sooner than you did. He knows it now. Oh well, hang in there, it will work out, Dr. Brown.

- Nina looking at Andy’s house…

- Bright obsessing over Hannah’s postcard is sweet.

- The tension between Andy and Nina is perfect.

- I never realized what they did here: it is very spiritual… Edna and Irv are getting married in the S4 premiere. We know what happens to Irv in the future. Andy and Nina get engaged in the S4 finale. I just noticed this. It is sort of like the passing of the spiritual torch.

- Harold writing wedding-related things down on a notepad is so Harold.

- Andy suggesting Harold leave the wine bottle due to the tension with Nina is perfect. LOL.

- Reid… Amy is so crushed. Watching this now I think it’s just fine. Amy hasn’t had a crush to like who isn’t in a coma or on drugs when you think about it (and someone not named Ephram). Emily does a good job of showing Amy’s crush and nervousness.

- I like how naturally it is revealed Amy is going to Colorado A&M. Bye Princeton.

- Rose and Amy tension was a surprise when I first watched this episode but immediately liked where they were going. I totally remember this back in the day.

- Edna and Nina drunk is hilarious.

- Edna: Sounds French. Nobody likes the French. LOL.

- Andy and Harold discussing Nina while picking out flowers is hilarious. Best friends, they are, indeed.

- Jake just plans Hawaii without telling Nina and they leave in the morning. Sorry I would want time to prepare for a trip. The gesture is sweet but I hate surprises, I prefer planning.

- Andy telling Nina not to go is sad…

- Nina was put in a complicated situation but she should have called Andy because she said she would. Still, she was already moving forward with Jake. Horrible timing.

- At least Delia got a trip to Mexico because Andy was avoiding Nina. LOL.

- Harold being there for Andy is nice. I know people in the past questioned if they are really best friends. I think the way they act around each other in this episode pretty much answers that question.

- Drunk Edna and Nina is the best, Edna not knowing how much wine they were drinking is as good as it gets.

- Hannah wants Amy picking her up and not Bright.

- Amy and Bright bickering is hilarious especially since they are making a deal that will benefit them with both Hannah and Reid.

- Amy thinks Rose hates her. LOL.

- I keep thinking about how Emily and Chris are dating during filming. I have to get this out of my head. LOL.

- Andy and Nina scene… so much chemistry. Nina is correct in this scene though. She is wrong picking Jake but what she says to Andy telling him he’s had plenty of chances and there was never a chance over the years to tell him she had feelings for him is very true.

- Awe Bright is waiting for Ephram to come home.

- Colin picture… I forgot about this moment.

- Harold and Louise with flowers, mad scientist liquid, and a fan, is pure awesomeness.

- Andy on the couch with Harold acting like his psychiatrist over Nina is such a unique scene.

- Special Rose and Amy talk.

- Hannah’s hair produces sound. LOL.

- Cute Bright and Hannah kiss.

- The scribble bothered Bright so much. LOL.

- It actually was a good idea naming the restaurant Sam’s.

- Of course Nina tells Jake about Andy.

- Bright thinking Reid is gay shows Everwood’s age. I remember thinking it was related to school. Amy telling Bright their grandmother’s wedding is not a date with Hannah was hilarious.

- Amy and Hannah reuniting and blowing off Bright was so funny. Amy and Hannah = best friends forever.

- Emily did drama and comedy flawlessly in this episode. It was really showcased.

- Nina coming up with the lame conclusion of being in love with Andy in the past as only for comfort and Andy claiming he is in love with Nina in the present is not real couldn’t be more annoying and completely inaccurate. Nina obviously crumbled and lost all logic when Jake came up with Sam’s for the restaurant name. Nina feels comfortable with Jake but the love is not close to the love she feels for Andy. Denial is a strong negative human trait that can take over your life.

- Irv and Edna’s words during the wedding are so sweet.

- Andy’s glance at Nina during the vows is sad.

- Harold’s continued obsession with the flowers is hilarious.

- Andy and Nina dancing… Andy is basically letting Nina go for now even if deep down he understands what they have together is real and Nina is essentially running.

- Rose telling Amy to drink more champagne is hilarious. LOL.

- Jake looked like he wanted to see Andy fall off a cliff.

- Delia tired then seeing and screaming out Ephram’s name was beautiful. It was really sweet he came home because she asked him to (later we find out Ephram also came home for Amy too). Glad you are back Ephram. Missed the real you.

- The looks exchanged… Ephram to Delia, Ephram to Amy then Ephram to Andy was pure perfection and the best way to conclude a very strong episode.



THOUGHTS AFTER WATCHING


Rose and Amy:

They have a terrific storyline. Talk about evolution. You knew when Rose was mad at Amy there was way more to it than just feeling mothered. Rose feeling guilt over Amy not going to Princeton or living on campus at Colorado A&M was so in character and selfless as a mother. Amy coming right back and telling Rose she wants to be there for her was so beautiful. Best of all, was the show addressing this mother and daughter relationship and how it has criminally been ignored. Rose and Amy have not been that close over the years. I almost wish the writers would have recognized the importance of this relationship back in S1 when Amy was alone, heartbroken and confused over Colin (then Ephram and her feelings complicating everything). Amy could have used her mother's guidance then. Rose not truly being there throughout her depression or her break up with Ephram are other major moments. This is why I have never really agreed with people who think Amy was spoiled and received the attention from her parents when Bright did not. Amy did not have constant support in the early seasons and never was really close with her mother. She was on her own during her depression as well. If she had strong relationships with her parents the depression would have been handled much differently. A case can be made she never would have developed situational depression in the first place if her parents would have realized what was going on with their daughter as early as S1 when she was truly starting to break down.

So it is very true that up until this point you certainly understand while they love and respect each other, Rose and Amy do not truly talk and have that genuine mother and daughter closeness. I think it is wonderful that the writers are tackling this head-on now (finally!) and it was so funny when Amy told Rose she might have a crush on a gay guy and Rose offered Amy more champagne. I love how this episode addresses a very important issue between them and it does not go away as we know. In the series finale mother and daughter are partners teaming up to help the Ephram situation.

Amy and Bright:

Since we recently discussed briefly how Emily and Chris dated during this time period I keep thinking about this throughout the episode. I liked the Amy and Bright scenes together, especially Amy sending Bright to the airport and Bright accepting Reid as a roommate. The gay teasing maybe I could do without (especially with Chris Pratt as Bright going there) but it was okay overall. I also liked how Amy was worried that Rose hated her and while Bright initially joked he also told her it wasn’t true.

Andy and Harold:

It’s not a coincidence we don’t have to deal with stupid Madison in a large way anymore along with the baby news and these two best friends are back on track. I love how Andy confided in Harold about Nina and the couch scene set up like a psychiatrist/ patient was hilarious. I appreciated how Harold seemed very much in favor of Andy and Nina being together romantically too. It was just so nice seeing Harold and Andy support each other without witch Madison lurking like a dark cloud above them.

Andy and Delia:

This father and daughter had some sweet scenes together. I liked how Delia wanted to go shopping that day even though Andy initially said later on in the week but they ended up going when Delia suggested. I thought it was sweet how Delia delicately told Andy that Ephram had sent her some postcards. Andy handled his response perfectly, being very happy for her and obviously glad he knew Ephram was safe. Andy also helped Delia have hope of Ephram’s return. I also think it was nice that they went on their own special vacation together to Mexico.

Delia and Ephram:

I think it was great that Ephram kept in contact with his little sister while he was in Europe. It was a must given everything she had been through and at least Ephram understood this. I also think it was neat that Ephram didn’t let her down and showed up for the last part of the wedding. Delia was so excited seeing her big brother and their hug was adorable. Delia did not want to let him go. Perfect.

Bright and Hannah:

I will admit I am not the biggest fan of these two romantically (they are okay) but probably because I know what happens later but I think their scenes were cute in this one. I didn’t like or understand why the writers (well, Rina) decided to make Hannah’s hair that way. What a strange storyline. Sarah pulled it off just fine but I don’t understand the point at all. Bright was so obsessed with Hannah’s scribble. LOL. It is kind of sad because we see how uninterested Bright is with the female potential roommate since he is all about Hannah. Too bad it didn’t stick.

Incidentally, I found some old Everwood spoilers threads last night while watching the episode and literally in an interview Rina says someone is going to cheat which will make things never the same between the two involved. She does not mention who is involved in the interview obviously. People on spoilers speculated who she meant and amazingly it was this early on when Rina mentions the cheating in an interview which means Bright cheating was always in the cards. People speculated maybe Andy and Nina would cheat. Not many during the 4.1 time period Rina revealed this coded spoiler thought it was Bright cheating on Hannah. I just find this interesting because it means she knew she was going there right away. I guess this might mean she didn’t necessarily love Bright and Hannah. Very interesting since we know Hannah was based on Rina in high school (she said as much in interviews).

Oh well, right now Bright and Hannah are cute and truly care about each other.

Amy and Hannah:

I love how Hannah wanted Amy to pick her up at the airport and their reunion before the wedding was so cute. These true best friends are really close and both really needed this friendship that started in S3. I love it and honestly couldn’t imagine the last two seasons not having this friendship highlighted. I love Laynie but as mentioned, I don’t think Laynie and Amy were ever this close. In fact, I believe Colin is why they got close in the first place. I think this is precisely why Laynie left after Colin’s passing too. For storyline purposes Colin would have around in spirit had the Hart’s had strong focus in the last two seasons. So everything really did work out and I’m appreciating Amy and Hannah in a way that I never have before.

Bright and Ephram:

How sweet was Bright holding on and not wanting a roommate because he was waiting for Ephram? Reid was smart figuring it out. I forgot about the Colin picture and mention. Bright misses Ephram and wants to live with him. Sweet. Reid’s TV caused Bright to approve Reid though. LOL.

Edna and Irv:

Their wedding was a nice surprise. Beautiful words were exchanged. I just like how it was concluded that Edna truly healed from losing Harold Senior and she was able to fall in love with Irv.

Edna and Nina:

Their drunk scene was perfection and I loved how Nina confided in Edna about Andy. You could tell Edna was Team Andy and Nina even if she didn’t give strong advice and just let Nina get her feelings out.

Amy and Delia:

I know if you blinked you missed it, but they did have a scene in this episode which was great since they will be sister-in-law’s in the future.

Nina and Jake:

I cannot emphasize enough how much I loathe when Jake calls Nina babe. It almost bothers me as much as Madison the adult calling Ephram the minor sweetie. It is like fingers down the chalkboard. It is so obvious Nina picked Jake because he was comfortable and was emotionally wrapped up in how he came up with the name of the restaurant which was after her son, Sam. Nina is picking comfortable and not true love. Jake looked jealous of Andy and Nina dancing. He knows the score. Nina also forgot about the weird deal with the pain killers for a slight ankle twist too.

Andy and Nina:

Nina is obviously making a massive mistake. Their romantic tension is very clear. Nina is taking the comfortable route, not the route that will make her truly happy. It was sad when Andy found out she was picking Jake but Nina was right… when exactly did she have a chance over the years to tell Andy? He was always with someone else. Andy blamed her for not telling him and he had to find out from Jake but Andy also never figured it out because he had other women who didn’t mean nearly as much to him on his plate at all times. I wish they would have gotten together officially before they did but I understand why for right now it is important that Andy realize his mistakes here and appreciates what he will eventually have with Nina. Both Harold and Edna are Team Andy and Nina. Nina, picking Jake, you made the wrong choice since you truly love Andy but oh well, it all sorts itself out down the road.

Reid:

I forgot how it was teased that he might be gay. I’m not even sure what the point was. Amy sure was adorable crushing on him though. It makes sense why she would be attracted to Reid. She obviously saw him a lot at the hospital since she took Rose regularly. He is sweet, kind, respectful, extremely intellectually smart. It definitely makes sense why Amy would have a crush on Reid right now.

Harold:

Harold was quirky in this one. Being hilarious while preparing for the wedding, getting even Louise involved, and helping Andy out while he dealt with the Nina situation was all so much fun to see. Thankfully the humor for Harold returned in S4 compared to S3, and the Harold and Andy friendship looks like it is glowing in S4.

Amy:

I love how she handled herself in this episode. As we know, she has not moved on from Ephram, but is focused on other things to fill her time. She is calm, mature and intelligent. Emily’s hair is gorgeous and I love how Emily was able to flawlessly do both comedy and drama in this one. She is such a talented actress. Amy’s scenes throughout the entire episode were great.

Ephram and Amy:

Due to the Greg and Emily chemistry and strong, layered, Ephram and Amy story we don’t even need words exchanged to feel something from these two. The eye contact when Amy realizes Ephram is in the room was amazing.

Ephram:

Ephram showing up at the reception: Delia was so happy. Thankfully he didn’t let her down and the embrace with his sister was wonderful along with glances at Amy and Andy felt magical and energetically magnetic and captivating. Powerful stuff.



FINAL THOUGHTS

What I love so much about Everwood? It is not superficially showy in order to grab your attention; Everwood is grounded realness that naturally captivates you. Everwood has a simple formula: characters you connect with and relate to. It feels like welcoming old friends back into your life once you start a new season. This series is one of a kind.

Overall, it was a terrific episode and the very beginning of a very high quality final season of Everwood.

Jerry D

I thought that this was an excellent start to Season Four of this wonderful show, as we learned the consequences of two “Kisses to Build a dream on,” as one kiss led to confusion and mutually hurt feelings and another kiss led to happiness and the beginning of a romantic relationship. Each kiss was dreamt about and thought about over the Summer as Nina thought about the kiss that was shared between her and Andy and Hannah thought about the kiss that was shared between her and Bright, and everyone had an entire Summer to think about the ramifications of those kisses.

We saw a brief recap of the key events of the end of Season Three as Ephram left, Amy told Harold that Rose’s cancer ordeal wasn’t over yet, Andy kissed Nina and he declared his love for her, only to have Jake pull up and say “honey I’m home,” and Bright declared his feelings for Hannah and he kissed her.

I was happy to see Irv narrating the beginning of the episode again and setting the tone for what was to come. I missed that so much when they stopped having him do that during Season Three because it was part of what made Everwood unique.

We also saw all the main characters with the exception of Ephram going on with their lives as Bright dropped some flowers, Amy helped Delia pick out a dress for Irv and Edna’s wedding, and Harold fussed about the placement of the votive candles at the church.

We saw Bright dancing with Hannah at the reception and Jake looking jealous as Andy danced with Nina, and we then got to see what had led them all to this point.

We then saw a flashback where Andy and Delia were talking in their kitchen and Delia revealed that she had sent an invitation to Irv and Edna’s wedding to Ephram, and when Andy asked how she knew his address, she revealed that he had sent her a few postcards over the Summer, but thoughtful and considerate as always, Delia didn’t want Andy to feel bad because Ephram had sent her some postcards but he didn’t send any to him. Andy said that it was doubtful that Ephram would be able to come home for the wedding, but Delia expressed hope that he would, so to spare her feelings Andy said that he might come back for the wedding.

We saw Andy look forlornly at Nina when she was outside, and Nina in turn looked forlornly at Andy’s house as it was revealed that she was still with Jake and they hadn’t seen Andy all Summer.

We saw Bright checking out a prospective roommate for his new apartment, a very attractive young woman, but a postcard from Hannah reminded him where his heart truly lay, and he turned her down.

We saw Harold toast Irv and Edna and their rehearsal dinner, and Andy and Nina awkwardly sat next to each other, and Jake announced that he had to leave to see a Botox patient, and he asked Andy to drive Nina home and Harold sensed their mutual discomfort.

At the hospital, we saw Amy talk to Reid, a handsome young medical student who was looking after Rose, and she clearly had a crush on him as she started talking fast and nervously to him, and when he mentioned that he was looking for a place to stay as he started college at Colorado A&M, she excitedly said that her brother was looking for a roommate.

We saw Nina talk to Edna about Andy and Andy talk to Harold about Nina, as they both relayed what had happened after Andy kissed Nina, and how Nina told Andy that she was overwhelmed by everything that had happened and she needed time to think, and that she was going to Hawaii with Jake but she promised to call him and she never did, because while she was there, she realized that she could never leave Jake. When she came back, she found out that Andy had taken Delia to Mexico and Andy had been avoiding her ever since he got back. Conversely, we saw Andy tell Harold his side of the story and Harold encouraged him to go and see Nina.

We saw a beautiful looking Amy talk to Hannah on the phone as she made arrangements to pick her up at the airport, and then Bright came into her room and he asked her why she was picking up Hannah instead of him, and then she asked him about Reid and Bright revealed that he had applied to be his roommate and Amy told him that he had to pick him as his roommate and Bright hilariously said “So you can stalk him outside the hospital?” Bright then bribed Amy to let him pick Hannah up at the airport if he would interview Reid to be his roommate.

We saw that Amy had been taking care of Rose all Summer, but Rose seemed irritated with an overly anxious and overbearing Amy as she showed she was Harold’s daughter with her loving but frantic need to be in control as Bright assured Amy that Rose was fine.

We saw Andy take Harold’s advice and go to see Nina, but their conversation started off on the wrong foot as Andy told her he was very upset with her and she called him out for leaving town and he called her out for not calling him while she was in Hawaii, and she revealed that she had chosen Jake and that he was selfish for telling her his feelings and kissing her just as Jake was moving in, and they parted angry and hurt.

We saw Bright interview Reid in his apartment to be his roommate, but Bright didn’t seem to like Reid initially because he seemed so driven and successful, and he seemed to discourage the prospect of their living together because he was waiting for his best friend to come home and live with him. Reid then saw a picture of Bright and Colin, and thinking that Colin was the best friend that Bright was talking about, he said that Colin reminded him of his “partner” Doug, who he used to live with, leading Bright to think that Reid was gay.

We saw Harold acting like a mad scientist and hilariously trying to create a smoky ambiance for his flower arrangement but when he had Louise blow air at the arrangement with a fan, everything fell over and Harold was picking up the pieces on the floor when Andy told Harold that he had gone to see Nina but their meeting had been a disaster, and Andy laid down on the couch and told Harold everything that happened and Harold took notes like a psychiatrist! Harold then gave Andy some sound advice which made Andy think.

We saw Rose confront Amy and she told Amy that she was mad at her and that she was mothering her and patronizing her, and she hated that she gave up Princeton for her and that she would resent her for it someday. Amy and Rose both acknowledged that they found each other hard to talk to and that they had never talked to each other much even before Rose got Cancer, because Harold had always been the one that Amy talked to and you could tell that Rose seemed to regret or resent that Amy had a bond with Harold that she never had with her. I loved seeing Amy say that just because they didn’t talk much before it didn’t mean that they couldn’t start talking now, and Rose embraced Amy in a very moving way.

It was hilarious seeing Bright pick-up Hannah at the airport, but she was mortified that he came to get her because she was wearing dreadlocks after her trip to Jamaica, and she nervously and adorably expressed how she thought about their kiss all Summer, and Bright tenderly kissed her again.

We saw Nina and Jake talk about their restaurant and she suggested that they name it Sam’s after her son and he produced a sign for it that he had created for it, and Nina declared her love for Jake and she told him that she had to tell him something.

We saw Bright driving Amy to Edna and Irv’s wedding before they picked up Hannah, and he said that Reid was moving in and that he was a great guy but he was gay, much to Amy’s chagrin.

We saw Nina come and apologize to Andy and he said that there was nothing for her to apologize for and said that she loved Jake and that he (Andy) wasn’t in love with her, and that she thought that she was in love with him last year, but she really wasn’t because she was in an empty place then like he was now, and she told him that she wanted to go back to them being friends and he agreed that they could.

It was sad seeing Andy look at Nina as Irv and Edna recited their vows, which were so heartfelt.

At the reception, we saw Andy ask Nina to dance and Amy told Rose that she had a crush on a gay guy.

We saw a sad and sleepy Delia start to leave the reception with Andy, but then to her immense delight she saw Ephram and she screamed out his name and she excitedly embraced him, and then Ephram saw Andy and Amy, and they both gave him a sad, poignant smile.

Overall, I really enjoyed this episode and I thought it was a great start to Season Four.

Jerry D

Excellent review as always Michelle. I really liked seeing in this episode how both Rose and Amy acknowledged that they never really talked like Amy and Harold talked and we also got to see in this episode how much like Harold Amy can be to the point of being overbearing and not letting Rose get in a word edgewise about her own care. Like Harold, Amy definitely meant well but she had his strong personality and the sense that what she was doing was right. I was glad to see them make progress as a mother and a daughter in this episode.

I thought about Chris and Emily dating when I watched this scene too! I liked how Bright turned the tables on Amy and agree to interview Reid as a potential roommate so she'd let him pick Hannah up at the airport.

It was so wonderful to see Andy and Harold's friendship back on track after everything they had gone through, and I thought it was hilarious when Andy laid on the couch and Harold took notes like a psychiatrist and his patient!

I loved seeing the sweet concern that Delia had for her father's feelings as she hesitated telling him that Ephram had sent her some post cards over the summer and like you said, Andy handled his response perfectly.

I loved seeing Delia's reaction of pure joy when she saw Ephram, and I loved seeing their embrace.

I liked how dedicated Bright was to Hannah when he turned down that attractive potential roommate, but like we all know, his dedication didn't stick. I thought it was silly that Hannah was wearing Jamaican Dreadlocks at the airport, but like you said, Sarah Drew pulled it off. It was funny when Bright thought that Hannah's scribble had some hidden meaning, but as it turned out she was just trying to get her pen to work!

Thanks for finding that! Between that information and you finding the Season Four Transcripts, you've done us all a great service! You could make some extra money as a detective!

Maybe Rina was living through Hannah by having Hannah get the boy of her dreams, but like the old saying goes, be careful what you wish for, because I think she might have seen that ultimately Bright and Hannah's attitudes toward love and sex were too far apart for them to make it as a couple in the long run. We saw that Bright had been all about sex and even in this episode he seemed tempted by that potential roommate, and he was young, charming and handsome, so eventually, he would give in to temptation and he did.

I also love and appreciate Amy and Hannah's friendship so much in this rewatch and my views have done a complete 180 from how I felt about them the first time that I watched the show. Back then, I saw Hannah as a Laynie substitute and I thought that Hannah and Amy's friendship was forced, but this time around I see their friendship as something genuine and I love it. I still miss Laynie, but I think the show wanted to get past all mentions of the Harts and move on from all of them, including Laynie, after Colin died.

I thought that was so sweet that Bright wanted to wait for Ephram to come back to room with him, but Reid's Plasma TV, which was state-of-art back then, won Bright over! I also loved how Bright told Reid that Ephram was his best friend, and it was also nice that they had Bright have a picture of him and Colin in his apartment, showing that Bright remembered and missed him.

To be honest, I thought that Edna and Irv were already married, so their wedding was a surprise to me, but I guess it was a way to bring everyone together.

That was a great scene and I think it was the one and only time we saw Edna and Nina have a scene together on their own.

That was a nice scene but like you said it was all too brief.

I hated Nina and Jake as a couple, and although he did and said all the right things, we all knew that Nina should be with Andy. I also hate how Jake calls Nina "babe" and I just don't like how Nina seemed so snowed by and subservient to him.

I hated seeing Nina and Andy fight and hurl invectives at each other, and although I'm glad that they later both apologized and made up, I hated that Nina said that Andy only thought that he loved her because he was at an empty point in his life and she only thought that she loved him when she was at an equally empty point in his life. She was lying to him and to herself in that scene. Like you said, Nina was making a massive mistake and I hated seeing her become so subservient to Jake in this season.

I think that it was teased that Reid might be gay to eliminate him as a possible love interest for Amy. I think the audience would have been upset if Amy got another boyfriend right away because even though Ephram had hurt Amy so much, I think that ultimately everyone still wanted them to get back together. To be honest though Reid telling Bright that he missed his partner named Doug and that they used to live together but he moved back to Boston for school, would have led most people to believe that he was gay, as the term partner was commonly used back then for a gay couple. Amy was definitely interested in Reid initially, but between Bright saying he was gay and Ephram warning him to not try to date Amy, he was eliminated as a possible boyfriend for Amy.

This was one of those episodes where Harold was mostly used for comic relief, much like Bright often was used for the same purpose, but I liked the advice that he gave Andy and I liked how welcoming he was to Irv and Edna's marriage.

I agree, and I also thought that Amy/Emily looked so beautiful in this episode.

I loved that look between Ephram and Amy, but I also felt that Amy still was very hurt by everything that Ephram had done.

That really was a wonderful scene and a perfect ending to this episode.

I completely agree. It's the little things that make Everwood so special and unique, and that's why we're still watching and talking about it after all these years.

jediwands

You could absolutely see in the first future flash both Bright/Hannah and Andy/Nina dancing at the wedding too. Everwood is so good at establishing the main themes.

I felt the same way while immediately hearing Irv's voice. I missed it so much. I really wish Everwood would have had Irv narrate every episode of the series.

That Amy and Delia moment was sweet. It was brief but how cute Amy was helping her future sister-in-law with the dress. Imagine how easy it will be when Ephram and Amy get married and they have to figure out dresses. It will be easy since they are getting practice preparing for Edna and Irv's wedding.

This is the moment in time I really wish Jake would pack a bag and get back to LA. I remember Alan really loving Nina and Jake. This is not something I could agree with him on. LOL.

This is one of the most important scenes of the episode. I loved it. We see father and daughter getting along, and what a nice surprise learning about Ephram keeping in contact with Delia. Plus, Andy had to be relieved getting confirmation that Ephram was safe and certainly not ignoring his sister.

It was very sad.

I really wish we would have gotten Bright this faithful throughout their romantic relationship.

I remember watching this for the first time glad that he had to leave. LOL.

Good for Amy.

I know Andy took forever to figure out he was in love with Nina but I continue to be bothered by Nina not calling Andy while she was in Hawaii. This bothers me. Even to call and tell him they would talk when she got back home. I do not like that she never called him. Although at least Andy took Delia on a trip to Mexico as a result.

I love that Everwood was back to mixing drama with comedy. The end of S3 was so dark given Babygate and Rose's cancer. I like that the writers were determined to bring back some comedic moments like sibling bantering and Harold being quirky.

I loved that there was more to it... the guilt Rose had that Amy wasn't at Princeton or living on campus at Colorado A&M.

Nina made the easy, comfortable decision fueled by Jake creating the restaurant name after her son. Really, it's that simple. She didn't choose real love, she choose comfort and her son essentially. She even mentioned Sam's relationship with Jake. Although Sam also has a relationship with Andy too. Either way, it was the easy decision, not the correct one.

This gay fake out was kind of strange.

The Andy and Harold moments in this one were great. Harold being there for Andy was wonderful considering how out of line he was in the finale of S3. But he more than made up for it in this one as we see their true best friendship on the screen.

In my mind this was the biggest storyline of the episode. Like I mentioned, many think Amy was preferred by her parents over Bright. Honestly, Amy was ignored overall when it mattered in Seasons 1-3. Harold and Rose didn't even realize her mental health was deteriorating way back in S1, they allowed her to hang out in hospitals heartbroken over Colin all alone never thinking about getting her therapy. S2, they acted like her depression was her fault. S3, she just kind of floated around with parents there but battled the drama with Ephram on her own while Harold even kept the Madison pregnancy news from her until late in S3. I love that this episode highlighted the fact that this mother/daughter relationship was never close, not in a real, day-to-day way and finally it would be a focus.

I personally would have invested in a hat at the airport or spent the entire flight taking those dreadlocks out even if I was only seeing my best friend in Amy (that is what Hannah thought) because I wouldn't have walked around like that without a hat at the very least.

It was a nice idea but unfortunately this was the moment Nina picked Jake. Remember the strong pain pills people typically use only for surgery and severe nerve pain but Jake used for a slightly twisted ankle, Nina!

I have to wonder if this weird comedy moment about Reid possibly being gay since the word "partner" was used was actually the writers playing around because Emily and Chris were dating. It was strange because why would Bright care either way if Amy got together with Reid? Is the insinuation due to Ephram? I am not sure Bright was thinking of this though.

Friendship isn't fully possible after all of this, Nina. No, just no. Even if Andy was very calm and understanding as his heart was breaking.

It was so sad. Treat was so great at showing Andy's heart breaking in two. Definite foreshadowing though since we know Andy proposed in the finale of 4.

Rose asking Amy if she wants more alcohol was outstanding.

Beautiful moment. I watched it three times in a row.

Me too!

Excellent thoughts, friend.

jediwands

I found the old Everwood Spoilers thread and read the first post on that page. So the interview came out right as 4.1 was airing. Actually, the one poster does immediately suggest it could be Bright and Hannah. Based on her response she clearly later on could not have appreciated finding out that she was correct on the party involved with the cheating. LOL.

Everwood Spoilers Thread: Everwood Spoilers

This is a super interesting find now because I never frequented Everwood Spoilers back in the day. Back then I was on our Everwood Board 24/7 and looking on FB Everwood Spoilers for transcripts (just checking maybe once a day).

I’m interested in rereading some of these Everwood Spoiler threads for fun now.

Jerry D

Thanks for that link! Like I said, you should start a side business as a detective!

It's nostalgic looking at that thread and seeing names from back then.

jediwands

Your review was outstanding, Jerry!

It was really necessary. I did like how Rose felt strong guilt over Amy not experiencing her first summer before college getting started like most her age. When you think about it Amy should have been having the time of her life right after high school getting ready to attend an amazing college like Princeton or even Colorado A&M. Instead, she was nursing a broken heart over her break up with Ephram and worried about her mother battling cancer. Rose understood that this precious time was taken away from Amy. Amy had to grow up so quickly and face such horrible moments at such an early age. Very sad.

Yes. I don't remember being so focused on them dating when I watched back then and they actually dated during that time period. My mind is weird sometimes.

I also loved that Harold was pro-Andy/Nina. You could tell. I imagine many future dinners Harold/Rose and Andy/Nina had together too.

What a lovely moment.

It was beautiful to see. Delia needed this moment so much! So did Ephram too or else he wouldn't have returned for it.

That was really funny, the scribble and how it meant nothing but a bad pen.

I am going to reread some threads!

Did you ever check the Everwood Spoilers back in the day?

I honestly think that's precisely it. You nailed it.

For Rina the formula was simple:

Rina = Hannah

Rina crushed on Bright types like Hannah.

Hannah and Bright got together on the screen and I don't think that is where the similarity was present. I doubt Rina dated a Bright type even if she crushed on that type.

So in her mind:

Bright and Hannah had to end dramatically and sadly in some way.

Bright cheating and being a "player" was something she probably could relate to growing up.

So she made Bright go there with Hannah.

Thus, both Bright as a romantic interest and Amy as a best friend simply weren't in the cards for her real self growing up. She had to destroy Bright and Hannah as a result and torture Amy in other ways throughout the final two seasons when she was very present as showrunner/writer.

Your past and present thoughts on this subject are mine as well, friend. Exactly.

I think they could have made room for Laynie regardless but they didn't want to take a chance unfortunately.

It was very sweet.

I had to remember as well.

I think it's clear they highlighted them because of what happens to Irv later on.

Which is just so ridiculous. Nina has worked at restaurants featured in Everwood and Edna and Irv were always there. We should have received more scenes between Nina and Edna and Edna/Irv.

Very brief.

I feel the same. Been there done that too because of Nina's ex-husband and how he kept denying he was cheating and she even believed him that nothing was going on. Then he goes after their son. It was a mess. Now there's Jake who is hiding secrets and lying to her about addiction. She even knows he has a past as a doctor concerning prescribing pills to a young kid yet he doesn't tell her the full story that he has a problem. He is lying. The irony is she didn't take the safe route, she took the risky route.

I really wish Nina would have at the very least, been confused and taken some time for herself... then decided she loved Andy. I don't like how the storyline is constructed so Nina feels trapped as they just moved in together AND are in business together. Talk about trapping Nina, show. It is almost as if the writers felt compelled to take the choice away from Nina because Andy and Nina made too much sense. They understood the audience knew Nina has always carried feeling for Andy beyond friendship. Thus, they had to trap the character with moving in with Jake and the business tying them as well in order to delay the inevitable Andy and Nina for a while. Problem is the show ended after four seasons so they had to rush all of this in S4.

That is true about Ephram and Amy, I never thought about that.

It is interesting because when I watched live and Reid said "partner" I thought it was school-related based on how he lumped school with it. Actually, people on the live watch thread didn't completely buy Reid was gay even if they were confused over what it meant. But I can see why Bright assumed as much.

Definitely. I think they realized Harold came across as cruel and way too serious in the finale of 3 so they wanted to lighten up the character and bring some quirky back to him in the premiere of 4 to show that we are officially done with the last part of S3 darkness.

Stunning.

You could definitely see Amy still very hurt. Emily played it perfectly. I think Amy was doing okay overall without Ephram around and she kind of insinuates as much in 4.2 too when she asks him jokingly that he just had to return, didn't he. But now she has to face reality again and it stunned her even if you see the caring ever present.

jediwands

It is really nostalgic.

Jerry D

They definitely were so good at establishing themes for each episode and I've enjoyed keying in on those themes.

I really wish that Irv would have narrated every episode of the show too.

That really was a sweet moment.

I think that Jake really saw how happy and natural Andy and Nina were dancing together and he knew she was never as happy with him.

I loved that scene and I loved how considerate Delia was of Andy's feelings.

It really was sad.

I do too, but I think that Bright cheating on Hannah was somewhat inevitable given that he was all about sex before he met Hannah and also because he had expressed a really strong attraction to the woman he ended up cheating with in Season Two. I'm not saying that what he did was right, not at all, but I understand it in the context of who Bright was.

I was glad too!

It was good that she wasn't pining over Ephram and seeing her nervous and talking fast was adorable.

Yes, it was really wrong for Nina to not call Andy when she was in Hawaii and it created the estrangement we saw between them in this episode.


I really enjoyed seeing those scenes, especially with Harold acting like a mad scientist trying to create the ambiance for his flower arrangement and taking notes while Andy was laying on the couch talking to him like he was a psychiatrist!


Right, exactly.


You're so right about that.


I saw on the Spoilers page that people said it would be lame if Reid actually wasn't gay, and that turned out to be exactly the case. As I said earlier, I think it was done to eliminate Reid as a romantic interest for Amy.


I completely agree.

You're so right that Amy was ignored overall when it mattered in Seasons 1 - 3, and both Harold and Rose handled Amy's depression horribly in Season 2. I also feel that Rose may have been jealous of Harold and Amy's closeness as Amy and her never talked like Amy and Harold talked, so it was good that all that was brought out into the open. I feel that Rose was an underused character on the show, but these episodes involving her cancer allowed a lot of the focus to be on her character and Merrilyn Gann really shone in her role as Rose.



Exactly. Like you said, she picked Jake because he was saying and doing all the right things, but he was the wrong choice for her.

Maybe so, but like I said earlier, I believe that partner was a fairly common term for a gay couple back then so Bright just assumed that Reid was gay because he said that. As it turned out, Reid wasn't gay but the writers seemed to use that fakeout to eliminate Reid as a romantic interest for Amy.

I felt so bad for Andy in that scene.



That was really funny!



Thanks so much!

jediwands

Yes, indeed.

I wonder why they did not go there.

Yes!

Definitely. He picked up on the chemistry between them. It is interesting because when he found out Nina had feelings for Andy in the past he took it very casually and didn't think anything of hesitating when telling Andy about Nina assuming he knew. Then when he found out from Nina that Andy had feelings suddenly he saw them in a new light which is interesting because why now? It didn't bother him Nina carried feelings as long as Andy didn't? If he was safe and comfortable even finding out Andy returned those feelings wouldn't have mattered to him if he believed Nina truly loved him and only him.

It was a beautiful scene which is why I think S5 would have given us more Andy and Delia and we see how that would have been wonderful.

It was very sad.

For me, Bright cheating was never an obvious result. Bright breaking up with Hannah because of the lack of sex? Absolutely. I hate that they had Bright cheat. Cheating was 100% avoidable even if it totally made sense this part of their relationship was clearly going to cause problems down the line and maybe Bright would get fed up and break up with Hannah as a result even if he loved her. Cheating is just so awful and not necessary. Cheating to me is total lack of respect. You break up.

So while it made sense Bright was eventually going to be very frustrated and even angry about the lack of sex, cheating did not make any sense to me. It did not have to enter the equation. Bright should have done the right thing and broke up with Hannah if he respected her before moving on. S3 Bright never would have done anything to deliberately hurt Hannah. Cheating on her in S4 was awful. It is why I could not buy the possibility of them reuniting eventually.



I liked this.

Yes, I don't understand why one quick phone call couldn't happen. They were friends over anything else. If I am Nina saying I was calling but not calling would have consumed me because I would have thought about the other person waiting for that call daily. I would have needed to make that call. But that's just me.

It was perfect.

Interesting. This does make great sense. We know that Amy and Reid very quickly date too so maybe the writers were getting us warmed up to the fact that this was happening but it would amount to pretty much nothing.

I think that was the biggest reason why Amy was ignored so much... how much Gann was underused and it's so ridiculous because it wasn't good for Rose/Amy, Rose/Bright, even Rose/Harold, and certainly the actress who shines when she gets material.

Certainly.

That is true about the term.

I guess I assumed connected to school based on how the conversation was formed. Think about it... if they were together romantically why would school and distance automatically break them up? I mean, long distance can cause break ups but Reid made it seem like they were not living together anymore because of school/distance, not because they broke up. I don't know why but I just knew it was a fake out and not true. Especially when Reid talked about him so glowingly. Not many people love to talk so sweetly and kindly about an ex. LOL. The scene was confusing but it made sense Bright interpreted it the way that he did.

Me too.

Alexa

I'm gonna wait unitl next week and watch 401 and 402 together.

jediwands

Sounds good! Looking forward to your thoughts.

Jerry D

I'm really not sure, but Irv narrating was part of what made the show unique. We also later learned that his narrations were passages from his book.

That's so true, plus it was right after Nina told him what had happened with Andy, and seeing them look so happy in each other's arms made him jealous.

That really would have been wonderful and like you said so well in the past, Season Five and beyond would have evolved from the journey of father and son to the journey of father and daughter.

Very well said, but I think that they had Bright cheat to up the drama factor, because him revealing to Hannah that he cheated and their breakup was super-dramatic, and then Bright going on a downward spiral and falling through a window at a bar and ending up in the hospital was even more dramatic. It was probably Rina's doing.

I agree, but I guess they wanted to have Andy be really angry at Nina and Nina to be really angry at Andy to start the episode off. In addition to that, not calling someone or nowadays not sending them a text message or answering a text message is a passive-aggressive way of telling someone that you're not interested.

I love the comical parts of the show as much as the serious parts of the show. It was another thing that made Everwood unique.

Exactly. We saw that the romantic relationships that Ephram and Amy were in separately really didn't amount to much.

I agree.

All that was true, and it definitely was a deliberate fake out on the part of the writers.

Jerry D

The Title A Kiss To Build A Dream On came from an old Louis Armstrong song.

Here are the lyrics:

That was the perfect song for this episode as both Bright and Hannah and Andy and Nina dreamed about the kiss they shared.