'Tos

Since it's Father's Day, we figured this week's question would be a Father's Day one:

What would each character (Bright, Amy, Ephram, Hannah [if her father were still alive], Delia, maybe even Andy to Eugene) would do on Father's Day or give their dads?

As a little related side note, Andy was ranked #43 on TV Guide's "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time", and we all know how great of a dad Harold is, so, here's another question or two (week two and we're already breaking rules, heh):

What, to you, makes Andy and Harold such great fathers? When you think of great parenting, what moments from them stand out to you the most?

Louisa C

Oooh, cool questions!
2) I think that Bright & Amy probably made their dad breakfast in bed for Father's Day & made him cards and I can see them both being really good at choosing/making the perfect gift for him (Bright's present of a stethoscope in Season 2 is just perfectly heartfelt & I remember Amy getting really into making a 1 month Anniversary present for the guy she dates in Season 2 who is no good). I'm sure Harold would proudly wear/use whatever they made when they were younger, however it turned out. Ephram also has a great knack for finding the perfect gift (doctor's bag in Season 1 when Andy is grieving on what would have been his wedding anniversary). I can see him & Delia cooking a meal for their dad and the three of them watching a movie together.

3) I think Andy & Harold were, on the whole, excellent fathers. I love the deleted scene between Harold & Bright in Vegetative State, as Harold's so warm & tender towards his son (he gives him a kiss on the cheek) & visibly so proud of him, then their moment at the University when Bright's gone to plead with the dean to be admitted & Harold says the college in question are idiots for not accepting him & that he's been an idiot for not being supportive. I also love the scene when Bright has to have an emergency appendectomy and Harold tells him the story about pretending to be Superman, and he's stroking Bright's hair and just generally being a super dad.. I think for the most part Harold is firm but fair and he clearly really loves both his children. I love the moment in the supermarket when Amy's blaming herself for Colin's state/relapse and he tells her it's not her fault. He's also pretty understanding yet still very much the parent when Bright tells him about the car accident that put Colin in the coma.
Andy obviously doesn't have the same amount of parenting his children as Harold, but I love that his instincts are pretty much bang on (he wants to hug Ephram & not get mad at him in the ep in Season 1 when Amy and Ephram skip school to go to the hospital and miss the last bus home), but he doesn't trust them at first (he gets tricked into yelling/getting mad with Ephram by Harold), but his parenting skills get a lot better really quickly. In Deer God, when he just holds out his arms to Ephram to comfort him wordlessly, I really felt that he understood how much his son was suffering & how much they both loved Julia. The scene in the kitchen after Ephram getting into a bar fight & being dumped by Madison is just lovely too, it shows just how far he's come that he doesn't yell or punish Ephram, but just offers empathy and comfort, almost without saying a word. Sometimes he over-compensates, trying to protect Ephram from stuff he should actually tell him, but I see that as trying to get as far away as he can from the kind of relationship he had with his father who allegedly wasn't supportive of Andy's career/dreams. The moment in The Unveiling is a pretty significant point in Andy and Ephram's relationship too. All the Season 4 scenes they have just show how far Andy's come as a father, but it's sad that now he's got to a great place with Ephram he has to cope with Delia's minefield of teenage years. I love their moment when Delia writes her Bat Mitzvah speech though, and the Bar Mitzvah itself, plus the moment after it when Andy gives her her gift is just wonderful.

Can I add a question? If so, here it is:
Between Harold and Andy, who would you rather be parented by and which one do you think you'd get on better with?

'Tos

Yes, you can definitely add a question, Louisa. Especially one as excellent as that. If you think of anymore, just post 'em.

Do you mind if we ask that Andy/Harold question next week? It's good enough to be asked by itself (I wasn't confident in my questions, which is why I asked both) and I think it would be nice to have people focus on that question. Let me know, and if that's okay we'll add it to the list and ask it next week. Plus, anything to stretch out the questions as long as possible is good.

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What would each character (Bright, Amy, Ephram, Hannah [if her father were still alive], Delia, maybe even Andy to Eugene) would do on Father's Day or give their dads?

I love the idea, Louisa, of Delia and Ephram making Andy a meal after all the struggles he had trying to make meals for them! I think that would be really cute. I also like the idea of Bright and Amy teaming together for the perfect gift; we saw the two of them as close at times, distant at others and I think Harold would be most happy to have them work together.

I also see Harold, Bright, Amy and Rose having an old movie night, as Harold and Amy used to do those and I think the new tradition post-S4 would be the whole family having those kind of nights, not just Amy and Harold. Like a few of the posters here have done, maybe they'd go search in the $5 box at Walmart for something Harold would enjoy! Since Amy and Bright would be living away from home, I think Harold would also like them both at home for a dinner on Father's Day, just like they used to all do, except this time Edna would be there too. Harold is a big family guy, obviously, so everyone getting together for a nice quiet evening would be perfect for him.

Thinking of a present that Andy could give Eugene (I know he wasn't everybody's favourite, but I liked him!), a photo album would be nice. I think that Eugene feels left out of Andy's and the kid's lives and would like to at least see what they've been up to. Kind of bittersweet, since he wasn't there for all those moments, so maybe Andy would include a few pictures of Eugene's visit to Everwood with everyone.

I am still amazed that we never saw a Father's Day on the show. Most obvious holiday ever for the show.

What, to you, makes Andy and Harold such great fathers? When you think of great parenting, what moments from them stand out to you the most?

Louisa, you summed up Andy and Harold as fathers so wonderfully. For Harold, I think it's his closeness with his children. He has a real bond with both and seemingly always has. Unlike Andy who had to create a bond from almost nothing, Harold has always had the respect of both of his kids. Even when Amy was going through her depression and there was all the ugliness, I still felt like she respected him and loved him and knew that he was a great dad even while she was frustrated with him (see the birthday note she wrote for him). That whole storyline is what I probably think of most when it comes to Harold, that even while he was failing in a lot of ways, he still tried SO hard and never truly gave up on Amy. He didn't know what to do to help her, but that doesn't mean he just gave up, and I think that's part of being a great father: never giving up on your kids even when things look grim.

I think Andy has that same quality of never giving up. Ephram treated him horribly, yelled at him, abandoned him at dinners, but Andy still kept trying, even while he knew he was failing. And he got through at times, rewarding him to keep trying, but even when he got shut out time after time after time, he still kept going with Ephram. Like Louisa mentioned with "The Unveiling" being such a significant moment, even when Ephram is accusing Andy of one of cheating, Andy stillll does parent, he still tries to do the right thing for Ephram. All good stuff. Even when it looked like all was lost when Ephram was leaving Everwood, Andy still tried to talk to his son, and in the end, all the work Andy put into Ephram paid off. Even with a lot of failing and mistakes. I think, like Amy did with Harold in S2, Ephram did grow to respect all that Andy was trying to do for him, and in S4, Ephram finally showed that respect to Andy.

I guess the theme of that answer is perseverance.

Dolfan13

What would each character (Bright, Amy, Ephram, Hannah [if her father were still alive], Delia, maybe even Andy to Eugene) would do on Father's Day or give their dads?

I could see Bright working with Edna - he knew she was his grandma, right? Well, hey, at least it'd give them a scene! Anyway, I could see Bright working with her to get Harold something that he was fond of as a child. As Louisa mentioned, he got him the stethoscope which was very thoughtful. I think Amy would definitely serve him breakfast in bed. Ephram would make Andy some sort of slideshow of the family with his favorite music playing. Delia would try cooking dinner for her dad. I agree, 'Tos, on Andy giving photos to his dad.

I could definitely see a movie night for both families, too.

What, to you, makes Andy and Harold such great fathers? When you think of great parenting, what moments from them stand out to you the most?

I agree that both were persistent. While Harold is obviously shown to be "jealous" of Andy (especially in the first season), it's Andy who would love to live Harold's life of being a great husband and father. After four years in Everwood, Andy finally gets to that place of being a great father and hopefully future husband to Nina.

I actually think that Harold and Bright's relationship is somewhat overlooked. While they were obviously not nearly as bad as Andy and Ephram, I kind of see their father-son relationship as a parallel to the Brown men. In many ways, Harold did not know his own son and Bright did not know his own dad. Over time, they grew to appreciate and love each other more.

everwoodfan52

What would each character (Bright, Amy, Ephram, Hannah [if her father were still alive], Delia, maybe even Andy to Eugene) would do on Father's Day or give their dads?

You guys have the best ideas! I love the idea of Delia and Ephram cooking for Andy....and movie/dinner night for Harold.

I know that Harold loves show tunes...perhaps Bright and Amy can both chip in and take Harold to this dinner theater in Boulder:

Home | Boulders Dinner Theatre - Broadway in Boulder
(Listen....great song from Cats)

Ephram and Delia might get Andy a gift certificate for a massage to relieve some of his stress....perhaps some new shirts that are not plaid......and a beautiful hand written card telling him how much they appreciate his efforts to be a great dad and telling him how much they love him.


Hannah (if her dad were still alive) could have given him a Journal...of all of her memories of the two of them through the years....what they did together....how much she appreciates him.


What, to you, makes Andy and Harold such great fathers? When you think of great parenting, what moments from them stand out to you the most?

I think what makes Andy and Harold great fathers is that (for the most part) they were approachable...their kids knew that they could talk to them about anything. They gave their children unconditional love....and they did their very best to be good parents....even if they had to change their methods.
I agree with your two moments, Louisa, that stand out for me the most: Harold and Bright at Colorado A&M..finally giving Bright the encouragement and support...finally appreciating Bright's worth. That was a beautiful moment.
And Andy and Ephram...Madison....the breakup.....the fight..what a difference from the reaction to a drunken Ephram season 1. Andy's handling of Ephram in this scene was so perfect...perfect parenting...just what Ephram needed from his dad.

'Tos

We do. The writers should have called us!

Dolfan, I really like the idea of Edna helping Bright get a meaningful gift. Despite all their differences throughout the seasons, the one thing that stayed constant for Edna was her pride and probably amazement of what a good parent Harold was. It's really the perfect holiday to have her help out. Plus, yeah, Bright and Edna!

Betty, I adore your idea for Hannah. Perfect. I also adore your dinner theatre idea. He'd probably want to invite Andy, and Andy would sit nearby with a big smile on his face looking at Harold get so animated with the songs.

break the window

i'm confused about this question/answer thing. are we doing one question a week because the one for this week is scratched out

'Tos

Right, because it's been asked. We're doing one question (two this time) a week, yes. The first page is mostly for organization purposes. You can see what everyone else is doing, that's what I would follow generally. Can't wait to hear your responses!

Taryn74

What would each character (Bright, Amy, Ephram, Hannah [if her father were still alive], Delia, maybe even Andy to Eugene) would do on Father's Day or give their dads?

I think the siblings would go together to get gifts. Bright and Amy - I definitely think they would come back home for a family meal (pot roast, of course ) and maybe present Harold with a photo album/scrapbook they've put together of important family happenings over the years.

Ephram and Delia - Love the idea of them cooking a meal for Andy! Of course he has Nina to cook for him now *grin* but it would still be an extra special thing for his kids to do. I think they would also do some sort of family happenings collage, but Ephram would probably do it digitally instead of making a scrapbook.

ETA because I forgot about Hannah. I think she would write a book of memoirs and have her father bind it.

What, to you, makes Andy and Harold such great fathers? When you think of great parenting, what moments from them stand out to you the most?

I think they are great fathers because they are involved. Simply being involved with your child goes a really long way, even if you sometimes make the wrong decision (which both of them were very capable of, heh).

Great parenting moments - with Andy I keep thinking about the conversation he and Ephram had about Alfie, Andy's young patient who died from AIDS. I think Andy was at his best when he was firm, but willing to explain his reasoning behind his parenting choices instead of just being a dictator.

Harold was at his best when he realized he had raised two great kids and that it was okay to let them make some mistakes in life, because that's how they learned.

'Tos

That's an excellent point, Taryn. You look at how or when all of the younger characters went through their big growth period--Amy after her depression, Bright after his womanizing, Ephram after returning from Europe--and they were all at points where they made mistakes and had to learn from them. It's not about stopping them from making mistakes, it's about guiding them after they've made them. I thought both Harold and Andy did a great job of that at those three major periods, but also with smaller mistakes.

break the window

I honestly have no clue! What if the foursome did something creative. They give Harold a present and then all give Andy a present? or is that too father knows best?

great question!

Andy...he's come a long way, more than most fathers have. He knew he had a lot to work on. Not only with Ephram and Delia losing their mother so suddenly, but to have him around and having no idea what their wants are, what they're needs are was challenging. But Andy is never one to back down from a challenge. Not in the operating room and certainly not at home. I think what makes Andy a great father is that he took the role of mother and father when he had to. It's not like that's certainly a good thing, but it's not a bad thing either. Andy really got to see what Julia was all about through their children. Once Andy got them to a different level where this is the situation and it's not changing, then maybe some understanding went on. Ephram had a lot of rightful anger towards Andy. Delia didn't understand a lot of things that went on between Ephram/Andy and certainly between Julia/Andy. And parts of things Ephram didn't know either, but that didn't stop him from forming his own recurring events.

What makes Andy a great father is he's willing to break down the walls. No matter how much Ephram punches him (theoretically) and breaks him down, Andy never gives up. He knows how to get inside of Ephram, into his head, into his heart. Because they are so much alike. Ephram didn't get his gift of piano from Julia. No, he got it from Andy. He has an ability to move his hands in a way that no one else can comprehend. And that's the same way Andy is in the operating room. They are both geniuses at their craft and have learned from each other in perfecting that craft.

Andy's finest moment fore me would be....well, maybe it's not his finest moment, but it's what I can come up with at 2 something in the morning When Andy asks Ephram for advice on how to propose to Nina and what he thinks about Nina being part of the family. (or am I drawing from my season 5, I don't know. But it shows their growth that they went from basically enemies to having a friendship. Andy values Ephram's opinion. Ephram's had so much adult stuff happen in his life (even if you take out the Madison situation) that he can confide in Ephram as if he was confiding in someone twice his son's age. It's quite a rarity to find that in a father/son nature.

Did I go too off the subject


Harold

Harold really knew how to relate to his children. We know that he had more of a relationship with Amy than he did Bright, but there are moments where he can relate to them equally as a friend and a father. He asks about their day, he really wants to know what's going on in their lives and not pry like it's his business to know everything about them at every second of the day. He lets them grow as adults and has an idea of when they need a little bit of pushing to get into that adult stage.

His Finest Moment would be....protecting his children when Rose was going through the cancer. He was there for Amy who was still living at home and for Bright too. And inside, we knew he was dying himself. He couldn't imagine a life without Rose. And you know, I can't imagine a life without Rose and Harold either. She was his other half. And her going through the cancer really proved that, as if there needed to be a life altering situation to prove that. He just stepped up and made sure the kids were okay. Becuase they may be grown, and graduating high school and going off to college, they're still kids. Harold never skipped a beat in that storyline.

'Tos

Good thoughts about Harold. When I think about Amy and Harold, the first scene that comes into my head is the scene where Amy is getting ready for her graduation and wondering if Rose is getting ready and Harold has to break it to her that she can't go, she's too tired from her treatments. Harold breaks down here, and Amy helps him out, consoles him. It's not only Harold stepping up for the kids as you pointed out, it's also the kids stepping up for Harold and for Rose. Amy and Harold have gotten to that point in their lives where it's not just Amy depending on Harold for love and support, but also Harold depending on Amy for the same thing. Love it!

break the window

that's what I think of too. Everyone has been so strong for Rose during her cancer treatments that it's only natural that they need a moment, together, to really let go of the emotions they've been holding in

'Tos

Agreed. As you said, they needed to be, and were, strong for Rose. They couldn't unglue infront of her, so it was really nice to see that they could have that moment of vulnerability together. It's nice that Amy wouldn't let her dad go through something like that alone. A hug and a moment like that can be so helpful for both of them, but especially for Harold.

We'll have a new question up tomorrow, and please also remember to submit any questions you have so we can keep this going FOREVER! Okay, okay, probably not forever, but for a good amount of time anyway, heh. I've added one: do you think Andy would have ever become a better father/husband without Julia dying?

break the window

can I reply to the question now or do I have to wait until monday?