jediwands

jediwands

I put this up a day early because tomorrow morning I am going to my niece's college to take her out to a restaurant and then shopping. She cannot come home for a while since she's in intense soccer training in preparation for the season so I thought I would go to her instead.

jediwands

I watched the episode today as well.

So getting right to it:

Rose's cancer storyline is very sad and it hit differently for me this time around because my sister was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer over a year ago. Thankfully, the prognosis is around a 95% cure rate in my sister's case. Still, watching the beginning of this storyline reminded me of what we went through with my sister and how tough it was emotionally being confused and scared in the beginning, then watching her go through treatment as well. My sister was just like Rose, too... superwoman, handling everything around her, from work to family, and displaying an impressive strength throughout the entire situation. Harold and the words he shared with Rose throughout the episode was so moving as he helped make the dinner (I love lemon on everything, just like Rose knew lemon was the choice) and reminding Rose of her importance in the family, while sharing his guilt over not finding out about her diagnosis right away. I kind of wish we would have seen Amy and Bright and their live reactions to the news. It was pretty powerful just watching it play out though from a distance, too.

Harold's breakdown at the office was very moving. I like how Andy was just there, listening, but really didn't try to control the situation. Andy allowed Harold to get it all out and express his emotions the way he wanted to. It was so great to see how Harold expressed his feelings and Andy just allowed his friend to go there not saying a word, but giving him 100% support. Harold's meltdown at the office was pure brilliance, and Tom Amandes is such a strong actor so he carried the scene, along with Treat guiding him every step of the way, beautifully.

I love Delia so much, and I am convinced she is intuitive. Her perceptive, brilliant little mind was able to compute that her father is pining for Nina. It was interesting to hear Delia talk about Nina in the way that she did. I am completely sensing Delia knows that Nina will someday, be her "mother." Certainly, Delia will never forget Julia, but you can tell how much Delia loves Nina and would be quite pleased if Andy and Nina get together. She even said as much and it was so sweet. Delia comparing Nina to Julia is high praise and plainly telling Andy she kind of always wanted him to get together with Nina romantically was so adorable. Given how unhappy Delia was with Andy's other romantic interests it was always assumed she was hurting over her mother and didn't want to see her father date anyone else. That was obviously true, but given Delia's words in this episode, I think she just always knew the only woman for her father not named Julia was Nina.

And Andy... he is so tense around Nina now... finally! When Nina hugged Andy and was talking to him so closely, he could hardly control himself as he truly is finally awake, and doesn't know how to handle himself around her. The thing is, this didn’t just suddenly happen. A case can be made Andy and Nina mutually had feelings for each other as far back as S1. But ever since Jake told Andy that Nina had fallen in love with him everything for nearly three years came rushing at him, and it all came together. Nina had fallen in love with him and he absolutely has fallen in love with Nina and it’s consciously on his mind now... it feels huge, heavy, intense, and exciting. Andy cannot express to Nina what is going on, or that he feels the same, but you can tell he sure likes feeling the way that he is feeling and while it is not mentioned, not since Julia has he ever felt this way before. Treat does such a fantastic job of showing what Andy is going through.

I really wanted Ephram to either take Bright up on his offer to move in with him or have Bright take off for Europe with Ephram. I did love seeing these two together again. I love that Bright is going to take some online courses for ECC, find a place of his own for housing, and get going with a future plan for college and future career. Bright is right that he is the one right now with the goals and Ephram is the lost one. I remember watching this for the first time realizing that when Ephram returns he was going to end up living with Bright eventually but the timing isn't right in the present.

I loved Bright's line:

Bright to Ephram: "Bro, first of all... I don't enjoy thinking." And the ass-hat joke about Topher made me laugh. Ephram also knows that Bright likes Hannah. Their conversation about Bright's jealousy was really fun.

The tension between Bright and Hannah is heating up. It was very obvious what was going on as they were leaning into each other in the Abbott kitchen and both were feeling all kinds of tension. Bright also had to call Hannah at prom to indirectly try to mess up her night with Topher even if he didn't realize he was going there. Their conversation was hilarious. And Topher kisses like a fish. Back to the lake or ocean, you go, Topher!

Amy/Hannah and Emily VanCamp as Amy... this girl, with her drop-dead gorgeous looks and incredible acting, grabs at my emotions every, single, time. Wow, was she incredible once again. Amy's breakdown to Hannah had me in complete tears and I've seen this scene so many times before. Still gets me every, single, time. It was so sad when she wanted to tell Ephram about her mother but ended up not doing so. Oh well, Ephram is about Ephram right now (as we all know) so I am very glad that Amy has Hannah to lean on. As I've mentioned during this current rewatch, I have never appreciated the friendship between Amy and Hannah in the past like I do now. It was such a necessary friendship. I almost cannot believe I missed this before. Ephram has broken Amy's heart multiple times this season, and now with Rose, and everything else... Hannah is this angelic glow of light giving Amy the strength and support that she needs. It is wonderful to see. I also love how Amy was there for Hannah while getting ready for prom and supporting her during every moment. Beautiful. They have such a genuine friendship.

Regarding Ephram and Amy... their scene was fine but I am so irritated by Ephram's behavior it is really weird but all I want to do is push him on the plane and get him away from Amy. I don't want him hurting her anymore right now. He is determined to go, he needs to go and Amy absolutely needs time away from him. If he only knew how much she does need this actually. It was fine that Ephram said he wanted to stay in touch while in Europe but as we know, that doesn't really happen even if the intention was there (and he was writing to her without sending any of the postcards). But I thought it was weird how he wanted her to hang out there for a little while. No, Ephram, you do not have the right to suggest as much, dude. You set up this awkward, terrible situation so go on your way and leave Amy alone right now.

Ephram and Andy continue to be in a dark place and what Ephram pulls in this one is despicable. He did not have a right to sell the high quality, expensive equipment. Ephram claims it was a gift. Come on, what a manipulative thing to do. Ephram told Andy it wasn't about taking a stab at him… of course it was even if Ephram wanted money to get to Europe. What a vile thing for Ephram to do. Making it more frustrating, it looked like the guy who bought the entire studio got practically 75% off the total price. How stupid. You are a selfish, careless, reckless, dumb person right now, Ephram. And then Andy having to find out about it by walking into the garage with it completely empty except two boxes in the middle. Andy wanted to invite Ephram to the Opera. Could you be any colder, Ephram? You do not do these things to your enemies, let alone, family, no matter the situation.

Lastly, ending on a good note since the past few episodes have been so dark... it is funny because I am catching up on Treat's Chesapeake Shores and in an episode I watched yesterday a character named Evan made Treat's character, named Mick, an omelette and in this Everwood episode Nina made Andy an omelette. LOL.

jediwands

I wanted to share something the late, great Alan wrote on the past episode thread when the series was live. I got a kick out of what he said about his sister too. LOL.

Love it. Miss you, Alan.

The rest of his post:

https://www.fanforum.com/4576780-post33.html

everwoodfan52

Thatś wonderful!! Have a great time!!!

jediwands

Thanks!

Jerry D

Have a wonderful time!

I'll watch this episode and post my commentary tomorrow.

jediwands

Thanks!

Sounds good.

Jerry D

I thought that this was an incredibly well-done and emotionally powerful episode, as the theme “He who hesitates is lost” resounded through this episode, as some of the main characters came to deeply regret not taking certain actions sooner. In Andy’s case, he came to regret refusing to recognize that he loved Nina, and in Harold’s case, he came to regret not listening to Rose when she first described the symptoms that she had, symptoms that turned out to be cancer.

It was heartbreaking to see Rose get the news that she had a cancerous growth near her spine, and I loved seeing the loving and concerned support that Harold gave her, but his support was tinged with an overwhelming feeling of guilt. I thought that Merrilyn Gann did an incredible job in conveying Rose’s shock and fear in receiving this news and Tom Amandes also did an incredible job in this scene and in every other scene in this episode.

I was quite surprised to see Bright so friendly with Ephram after what he did to Amy, and we saw that Ephram was planning to go to Europe and he invited Bright to go with him, but Bright was going to be taking an on-line class and he was looking for an apartment, so he declined.

We saw Nina walk into Andy’s house and she gave him some tickets to see an opera, but Andy clearly looked and acted uncomfortable around her as his feelings for her had changed, but now he was the one who couldn’t express those feelings.

I liked seeing Amy and Hannah at the beauty salon as Hannah couldn’t answer the question if Topher was her boyfriend as she got ready to go to her first prom, and I was glad to see Amy not wallowing in self-pity after her breakup with Ephram.

It was so sweet of Rose to try and make everyone one of her famous meals and act like everything was okay, but we clearly saw that she wasn’t okay as she struggled to do tasks that used to be second nature to her, and Harold advised that they not tell Bright and Amy just yet, and I love how Harold lovingly said to her that she always took care of him, and now she needed to let him take care of her.

We saw Ephram sell all of his possessions, saying that he was thinking about going to Europe and not coming back, and we saw that he wasn’t quite ready to give up his piano yet, but then he ended up doing just that.

We saw a distraught Harold tell Andy that Rose had cancer, and he was so devastated and upset, and he blamed himself for not listening to her sooner and he felt that he had failed her in an incredibly emotional scene with a bravura performance by Tom Amandes.

We saw Bright tease Hannah as she posed for pictures with Topher and she got upset because she took his teasing the wrong way because she was clearly still smitten with Bright and her and Topher hurriedly left before Amy had a chance to come back and take more pictures.

We saw Andy ask Delia if she wanted to go to an opera with him, but Delia had other plans, and she perceptively asked if he liked Nina and he tried to laugh it off and deny it, but Delia saw right through him and she said that he always wanted Andy to like Nina and that she was nice to everyone like her was, and that she was perfect for him, telling him what he was too blind to see for so long.

I loved that Bright called Hannah when he was trying to decide about getting an apartment that Brenda was showing him, and she yelled at him for his comments about her dress, and Bright’s growing attraction with Hannah and her continuing attraction toward him were very evident in this scene.

We saw Andy walk into Ephram’s studio, only to find it empty, which led him to confront Ephram about it, but Ephram announced that he was going to Europe because he couldn’t keep hating Andy like he did, and they seemed to reach a temporary truce in their fractured relationship as Andy seemed to realize that there was nothing he could do to stop Ephram from leaving.

We saw Topher drop Hannah off after their prom, and she asked him if he was ever going to kiss her, and he finally did kiss her, but you could tell that she was disappointed in that kiss and she had no romantic feelings for him, and she later told Amy that kissing him was like kissing a fish.

I thought it was pretty telling and perceptive of Bright when he said to Ephram “What did you do, sell your soul?” when Ephram told him that he had gotten the money to go to Europe, because in so many ways, that’s exactly what he did, because he not only had sold his possessions, especially the one possession that he had put his heart and soul into, namely the piano that he had spent countless hours practicing on to perfect his craft and fulfill his lifetime dream, but he had thrown away the best relationship that he ever had with the love of his life.

I liked that Ephram picked up on the fact that Bright liked Hannah, and Bright tried to deny it, saying that she wasn’t his type of girl and that she was his friend, which in his mind made her off limits, but Ephram wisely said that none of that made sense, and I feel that this episode marked the beginning of what would become Bright and Hannah’s romantic relationship.

In a very heartfelt scene, we saw Rose and Harold talking and he apologized for not listening to her and she told him not to worry and they reminisced about their first date at the thaw fest and how she felt safe with him on the teacup ride, and she continued to feel safe with him from then on, and how she relied on his strength, and he said that his strength came from her and she said that her strength came from him, and Bright and Amy’s strength came from the both of them, and that the four of them were a team, and we then saw Harold and Rose tell Bright and Amy about her cancer diagnosis.

We saw Nina come to see Andy and she said that she sensed that something was wrong between them, but Andy, still unable to express his feelings for her said that his strange mood was due to Ephram announcing he was leaving, and Nina offered him her unconditional love and support.

We saw Amy come to see Ephram in his empty garage to pick up her things, and she seemed ready to tell him about Rose having cancer, but before she got a chance to tell him, he told her that he was leaving for Europe and he didn’t know when he was coming back, and he told her that he can’t be here right now, and devastated by this news, she didn’t tell him about Rose’s cancer, and she told him that she was going to Princeton. As always, Emily VanCamp did an incredible job in this scene conveying Amy’s anguish and heartbreak as she wished Ephram well and left.

We then saw Amy tell Hannah that Rose had cancer in an incredibly moving and powerful scene as Amy poured out her heart to her friend, and Hannah, having gone through something very similar with her father offered Amy a sympathetic ear and a shoulder to cry on. I must say that I’ve really come to love and appreciate Amy and Hannah’s friendship in this rewatch, and I was glad that Hannah and Amy were there for each other in so many different crucial times in their lives.

I liked the scene between Bright and Hannah as we saw Hannah cooking dinner for everyone, and I loved that Hannah wanted to help out and she said that the Abbott’s had have been like her family this whole year, although she tellingly told Bright that she didn’t think of him like he was her brother, and she asked Bright to taste what she had made, and he said “It’s perfect.”

The final scene between Harold and Rose, which took place three weeks after she started her chemotherapy, ended on a heartbreaking and very concerning note when she told Harold she couldn’t feel her legs, leaving us with a very concerning cliffhanger to end this episode.

I thought that this episode was one of the most emotionally powerful and incredibly well-acted and written episodes of not only Season Three but of the show itself, and although these final episodes of Season Three were very dark, the quality of this incredible show still shined through.

Jerry D

What a great post on Alan's part. I know how much you miss him and my heart goes out to you.

I wish I was posting with all of you then, but 2005 was a difficult year for me.

Jerry D

Great commentary.

I can definitely understand why you have a different perspective on watching Rose's cancer story unfold this time. My mother was diagnosed with lymph node cancer a few years before she passed away and she had surgery and underwent radiation treatment for it, so I could also relate to this story, as well as having my own cancer scare years ago. I loved seeing the loving support that Harold gave Rose, and both actors hit their scenes out of the park.

That really was an incredible scene and it was so moving as Harold expressed his fear and frustration and he was beating himself up for not listening to Rose sooner, and Andy didn't react and just let him vent.

I loved that very brief but very telling scene between Andy and Delia and how she compared Nina to Julia and told Andy she was perfect for him, tacitly encouraging him to pursue a romantic relationship with her.

Treat Williams did an incredible job of depicting Andy's confusion and anxiety as he realized that he loved the woman that he always thought of as his friend.

Like I said in my review, I was actually surprised that Bright was so friendly with Ephram, given what Ephram had done to his sister, but I guess they both had the ability to separate their friendship from his relationship with Amy.

That really was a fun scene.

That was such a cute scene. Hannah acted mad that Bright called her, but I also think that she was happy that he did. I did feel sorry for Topher, but I guess that the point being made was that he wasn't the right guy for Hannah and that they had no chemistry, which cleared the way for a Bright/Hannah relationship.

I completely agree, and I also really have come to love and appreciate Amy and Hannah's friendship this time around.

I hate that when Amy was about to tell Ephram that Rose had cancer, he told her that he was leaving and he didn't know when he was coming back, breaking her heart even further. You can really understand why Amy needed time when he came back to let her heart heal before ever considering getting back with him, and he was very lucky that she gave him another chance after what he did to her.

Ephram's actions were incredibly spiteful and immature, and all the things that he sold really weren't his, and everything he did was out of spite and he did it to hurt Andy. Yes, Ephram was hurt and angry about the Baby gate news, but he took his anger way too far and he inflicted heartbreak on everyone who loved him out of sheer spite.

LOL!

jediwands

I never even realized the meaning of this title until later on. Even Bright is thrown in there realizing he let his feelings for Hannah go on too long and now she's with Topher.

Really well done. The acting was incredible.

I agree. Especially since we know Bright told Ephram he was in the wrong the episode before.

I loved seeing Andy all confused and tense.

Any has matured so much. Really, once the end of S2 got started, she matured and that was the end of the story. She has been so strong, mature and grounded ever since.

The high quality during these moments is proof that this show did not have any business going to the CW during that time period. It was way too good for the merger.

I cannot believe he went there. What a vile thing to do to Andy.

Award-winning.

Delia is Intuitive. Bright is jealous.

I despise this scene so much. I do not think Ephram should have "won" here in the least. He never should have sold the expensive equipment. He mentions he doesn't know when or if he is returning. Well, the thing is Andy had every right to say you are never returning after the stunt he pulled.

I liked this.

Bright is so wise when it comes to Spiritual things. He absolute is the wise one right now. Ephram hates this reality but it is the reality.

Well said. The acting performances in this one, the storylines evolving, for good or bad, in this episode is amazing to see because the quality is off the charts. It gave us such an emotionally powerful high quality episode. Honestly, this is one of those episodes that can be showcased to someone who isn't sure if they want to tune in but still wants to quickly discover what this show is capable of. Excellent quality, always above all the rest.

jediwands

I remember.

Yes, I love how Alan was the intellect with the comedic moments too.

jediwands

This show has a way to reach you.

It was really good. Harold even redeemed himself in this way because I think even the audience was a bit irked he thought she was just stressed out for far too long. That is the beauty of Harold Abbott... he might mess up but he always finds a way to see the light.

I loved it.

He was flawless.

I hadn't thought about that actually until you mentioned it! So true. I guess Ephram and Bright weren't really fighting but Bright also had to know Ephram continued to hurt Amy even after their talk too. Yes, I guess they separated things but at least Bright told Ephram he was making tons of mistakes.

It was really great!

Could you imagine Amy's life without Hannah during this time?

100%. Ephram really messed up Amy's heart whether he realizes it at the time or not. He hurt her so much and given her mother's cancer diagnosis and everything else, it was so much for her to handle. Ephram was Amy's rock for so long. So not only did Ephram break up with Amy, but their friendship is lost and confusing now as well. I think the friendship part of the layered dynamic is what hurts Amy the most... she doesn't have it anymore right now because Ephram has voluntarily checked out. It sucks.

Well said.

The timing was just super funny.

Jerry D

Only Everwood. One thing that also struck me in this episode is how good an actress Merrilyn Gann is. Rose didn't get as much screen time as the other main characters, but she really shined in this episode. She was incredible.

Yes, there were so many layers to Harold, which we really saw in this episode.

So did I!

He really was. Treat Williams is such an incredible actor.

Excellent points.

She would have been lost. As much as I liked Laynie, I can really see that Amy's friendship with Hannah was a much more genuine friendship than her friendship with Laynie. I liked Laynie/Nora, but she gave Amy bad advice sometimes and it seemed like she was more of a character that was tied to Colin than anything else, and once he was gone, her and the rest of the Harts soon followed.

Ephram was the epitome of callous selfishness during this entire time. I hated what he did to Amy and how he didn't care about anyone but himself. I also hate how he sold off all his possessions, possessions that were given to him and weren't his to sell, purely out of spite and malice.

Thanks!

That's great!