The opening scene (before the theme song) was different than most other episodes of Everwood--I loved it. They left you on a funny note, rather than a dramatic one like usual. What happened was Andy and Harold were at some kind of "College Day" with Ephram and Amy. Harold knew exactly what he was doing, but Andy didn't have a clue and didn't know how important it was to Ephram's education--that is, until Harold told him. Ephram and Amy had to get away from their parents, so they went to talk on the bleachers. Amy told him how she hates it because her dad (like all the other parents) get so crazy about college. Ephram told her he's lucky because his dad is clueless on the subject. That's when Andy yells to Ephram saying they need to get started planning his academic future, and throws a frisbee his way. Amy then says to him, "Welcome", and that's when the softer, gentler, better theme song plays (did I mention I love the new song?)

Ephram, Andy, & Julliard: Ephram obviously has a gift and he recognizes this, just as his dad does. The only difference is, Ephram is so confident that he will get into the art school that he doesn't want a "safety net" incase it doesn't work out. Andy, on the otherhand, feels it's important he has a backup because eventhough he is extraordinary at the piano, there's always the chance something will go wrong. Ephram and Andy argue about his future, still not agreeing on anything,so when a Julliard guy tells Ephram he saw him play last spring and he wants to hear more, of course Ephram is gonna accept without telling his dad. But things don't go well at the "audition" if you will. Julliard guy tells Ephram he is an amazing pianst, but he also gives him a list (a long one at that) about his mistakes and reasons why he won't make it "to the top." Ephram is obviously hurt when he hears this since playing the piano his what he thought he was great at, and he loves to do it. He was just so sure he has talent. But this Julliard guy discourages him and takes his criticism to heart, realizing Andy maybe right about taking the SATs. I felt bad for Andy when Ephram came home and took his frustration out on him. Ephram told him he loved being right and yet he was right again. After more fighting, Andy finds out Ephram had a secret "audition" with Julliard guy. Ephram told hm he would take the SATs as pianoing (is that a word?) seems to not work out for him. He storms out of the room.

The next day when Ephram, Amy, and Laynie are taking their tests Andy comes to the school to pull him out. This was very funny because Amy saw Andy peaking through the window and asked Ephram "Would your dad ever come to school?", and Ephram replied, "No way because he knows I'd kill him." Haha. Well Andy asks the teacher to talk to Ephram, so Ephram gets out of class and is like "What the hell was that?" He was shocked to find out Andy tells him that he doesn't belong here. He has a gift, and he should be practicing to get into Julliard. This part was touching--Ephram told me there will be no art school because he stinks. Andy tells him he doesn't know what that guy said and told him he can't stop playing because of one person. And that's true--there'll always be somebody out there who thinks you stink at your "gift" or what you do, but you just have to accept constuctive criticism and not take it to heart. I was glad Andy's talk with Ephram helped.

Bright, Harold, and the Football Team: I'm sure a lot of people, jocks especially, can relate to this. Bright failed one of his classes last semester because he missed the final (probably for Colin's surgery, as it was in May), so he couldn't play on the team anymore meaning no scholarship. I felt so sorry for him--Bright is obviously the best player on the team (coach even said so), and that is what he was counting on to get into college and now it's just taking away. That bites. I must say, though, I was really proud of Bright when he refused to use Colin's death/coma as an excuse for not being able to pass the class. Coach told him that's all he had to say and it would be a good excuse, but Bright didn't want to do it that way--Colin was his best friend. Bright knew he failed that class just out of lack of interest being his fault and he stepped up and admitted that. But when Harold found out, he sang a different tune.

Harold knows Bright's only chance at college is a football scholarship because of his lousy grades, and wanting the best for his son he told bright he had to tell the teachers the Colin story. Bright didn't understand why he couldn't just study to work up his grades and get into college that way, and after a lot of back and forth arguing, Harold told me it's because he's "not smart enough." When he said that my heart dropped. You could see the hurt in Bright was his father said he's dumb, basically. Wanting to prove him wrong, he starts to study his ass off. Bright just wanted his dad to believe he could get into college without a scholarship, while Harold knows they have to be realistic and how important college is. The talk that they had while Brigh was studying was heart-clenching. It's true Harold treats Amy and Bright differently, but it's only because they are different. He talks to Bright about certain stuff (sports) and Amy others (schoolwork). But really, parents should talk to all of their kids about their schoolwork no matter what. I'm glad the two made up, and it was nice to see them talking about schoolwork at the end.

Amy and Her Depression: This week, we saw a different side to Amy's depression. Last week she needed to let loose and blow up at everyone she saw, but this week she needed to bum around her room watching infomercials, showing no interest in school/college whatsoever. It was interesting how Rose was concerned with Amy, but showed sympathy toward Bright's sitution--and how Harold just wanted to let Amy be and had sympathy knowing the pain she was going through, yet had none of that for Bright. Parents disagreeing--what shall they do? Rose misses the old Amy where they would fight and talk and where she wanted to do good in school. Harold knew she just needed time to herself, but Rose didn't feel the same. It was interesting how the two felt differently about their kids situations, but I'm glad it all worked out. Hopefully, Amy will get some help (as her mother told her to) sometime soon.

Andy, Stacey, & "the breast": This storyline was quite straightforward and cliche in my book. Here we have the typical cheerleader wanting to be thin and beautiful and... big. I was quite surprised a mother would let her 17 year old daughter get breast implants, no matter how much she wanted them. She should've known her daughter is too young and too immature, yet she lets her get them which is totally irresponsible. So much, infact, I had a lot of trouble buying into it. It just wasn't realistic that a mother would allow that. Anyway, this girl is obviously trying to fit in and be Miss. Popular, avoiding her health at all costs. Dr. Brown was right, teenagers shouldn't have plastic surgery because 1) they're bodies are still changing, and 2) every teenager is always self-conscience and finds at least one thing wrong with their bodies that they don't like (I know, trust me). Not surprisingly, neither mother nor daughter wanted to listen to the doc. Sidenote: When Stacey said to her mother "Are we really gonna listen to him?" and something about coming out of surgery alive, I wanted to SLAP her so bad! Andy was so hurt that people still see him as a doctor who killed his patient. Are they so stupid that they didn't know surgeries have complications and sometimes it doesn't work out? To compare the Colin thing to Andy performing surgery on her was ridiculous. I felt so bad for him.

Overall, this episode was great--a lot better than last week's gloomy premiere. I thought the breast implant storyline was good in that it showed young female viewers out there just what can happen if you put looks before your health. But it was just too unbelievable about the mother and all for me to get really interested. However, showing another "dimension" to Bright and another side of Amy helped me give this episode a good score.

Random Rants:

~Again, good to see the writers giving Bright more screentime and pulling him away from the sterotypical "dumb jock" image.

~Can I take back what I said about Amy last week? I really felt sorry for her in this episode, as this poor girl is hurting a lot.

~Nice to see Andy and Ephram aren't they only father and son who fight.

~Where was Nina this week? I want Nina!

~Still not much going on with Irv and Edna--should the writers make them guest stars?

Colin: Did Dr. Brown save him, or did he kill him?

That's the question Andy asked Ephram during one of their conversations. Which do you think Andy did? Was he right to keep Colin's wishes, and just stop trying after a certain point during the surgery? Or, as a surgeon, should he have done everythng he could to save Colin-whether he be a vegetable or not? I'll let you know what I think
later in the review, and you might even be able to guess before the end.

~~

Welcome back from a very long summer vacation, Everwood fans! So who here pulled out all of their hair during the summer because the wait to see Colin's surgery got too much to handle? *raises hand* I had to go buy Just For Men hair product last weekend, for obvious reasons. Anyway, done to the real reason you're here reading my review: For my thoughts of the season premiere of Everwood's second season!

My thoughts on the premiere, in a nutshell, are that this episode was very well written. The transitions of Colin disappearing into Amy's imagination were wonderfully done, and very creative. Everyone's performance in this season premiere was the best I've seen thus far, especially Treat Williams'. The writers certainly didn't let us down with the premiere after a long, long summer's wait, as something happened that I'm sure most of us thought wouldn't: Colin's death. No, he's not a vegetable. No, he's not again in a coma. He's dead. PLain and simple. Good or bad? Read on.

Now on to what I thought was bad about this premiere episode. Was it me, or did everything seem too overdramatic and overdone? Not just the characters, but the overall feel of the episode was a little too dramaticy (if that's a word!) and gloomy. The characters like Andy, Ephram, and Amy especially seemed too dramatic the whole episode. I mean, we're used to it with Amy-you know, the girl who think she's married, the girl who's obsessed with her ex-boyfriend, little Mrs. Perfect, and the girl who's bitchy all the time. If you haven't guessed it yet, yes, I'm talking about Amy.

Usually Everwood episodes have specific storylines, with everyone having their own one, but this episode was really centered around the aftermath of Colin's death. So I'll talk about each character, one by one, in this episode and what I thought of them.

Andy: Poor Andy-my heart really went out for him this episode (and let me just say again, Treat Williams' performance was really a Tour De` France-this episode is the reason why he won for best actor) as he was actually blamed for Colin's death by the town and Amy. The only people who were still talking to him were Delia, Ephram (surprise!), Nina, Irv, Edna, Dr. Abbott (surprise again!), and Colin's parents. You could really see the hurt and guilt in his eyes for thinking he should've tried his best, without keeping Colin's promise. I haven't seen Treat deliver such a powerful performance since his episodes with Julie. I'm not quite sure why Andy didn't tell anyone about Colin's letter. Sure, I know about doctor/patient confidentiality, but even so I think it's something the town should've known, considering their past with him and all. Still, I very much see where Andy is coming from.

Ephram: He didn't have a particularily big part in the premiere, but he was still an important character. In the episode, Ephram was torn between whether to side with the girl of his dreams and blame his father for Colin's death, or stick with Andy and realize, while Andy could've tried harder, he couldn't have stopped Colin from being a vegetable, and since Colin's wish was to die if that were to happen, Andy did the right thing. At first, Ephram kinda blamed his dad, but I think only because he didn't tell him of Colin's letter. In the end, Ephram stood up for his dad. I thought it was nice after Andy gave his speech at the memorial that Delia and Ephram walked out with him. Kind of saying they'll stand by him and be on his side no matter what the town wants to think (including Amy).

Amy: Oh, where do I begin? Many fans started to hate her last season when she was in complete denial about Colin's state and began to treat everyone like dirt, and Colin like a prince. And this episode was just the icing on the cake! Ok, first of all, having your boyfriend be in a coma for seven months and then finally getting him back only for him to be taken away permanetly is a traumatic and awful experience for a 15/16 year old girl. I really did feel bad for Amy, but I also couldn't help hating this selfish, ungrateful, brat's guts. Lets begin with Andy: If it weren't for him, she wouldn't have never gotten those five months with Colin last season. If it weren't for Andy, that whole time Colin would have still been in a coma. But he performed risky surgery on her boyfriend and it worked so good it was considered a miracle. And now that the second VERY risky surgery, which Dr. Brown had said he couldn't promise anything before, was unsuccessful she's pissed off? Amy expects Andy to be a God-like he can determine Colin's fate! He may be a damned good sergeon, but only God can determine when someone's life is over. Colin made Andy promise that if he couldn't get him back to himself, to just stop trying and let him die because he didn't want to be a vegetable. Andy knew that if he kept trying, that is what would happen. He wanted and did respect Colin's decision and choice about his life, unlike Amy. All Amy can think about is HER feelings-forget the fact that Colin would've been a vegetable-but she would've been happy and that's all that matters! But, no she would'nt have been happy. She would've continued to live in the fantasy world she was in season 1 with her and Colin being the perfect couple like before the accident. Never had she faced reality and realized that that time is GONE. It's OVER-and she STILL doesn't realize that. Maybe once she has time to grieve and sob and go through her time, she will realize life goes on (ahem, Ephram anyone?). But in the meantime, no matter what, you can't take your grieving out on other people like she did. MAYBE it's ok if it's your parents, but to have made a scene at that restaurant in front of everyone and yell at Andy like she did, making him feel even worse, was completely wrong. I wanted to punch her through the TV. And what was up with her getting mad at Colin's mom for not telling her she knew about Colin's letter? That letter was between Colin, Dr. Brown, and Colin's parents. He told who he wanted to know, and obviously that wasn't Amy. She acts like she's his wife and she deserves to know everything about him: wake up girl! You were his high school GIRLFRIEND!

Flash forward to the end when she was talking to Ephram. What was up with her saying she can't forgive Dr. Brown? I mean, even after he gave that very clear speech at the memorial and even after she knew this is what Colin wanted, she STILL was pissed at him?! He tried to warn her last season in 'Home', remember? At the football field, he tried to make her see reality and make her realize there's a good chance he won't be coming back. He tried to say goodbye and give closure to their relationship, but no, she just refused that. I know a lot of fans will hate me for this, but the most of the pain she's going through is her own fault. Hopefully the writers will redeem her character and have her apologize to Andy later.

Overall, this episode was great! It was very dramatic and had a lot of shocking surprises (ie, Colin's death). Like I said before, maybe a little too overdone and dramatic. I mean, the episode seemed kinda gloomy, didn't it? But I won't hold it against season 2 since last season's premiere wasn't the best either. And this is certainly a way better premiere than last year. So, the season premiere had me on my seat, and made me go through enough boxes of tissues to give it a good score.

Random Rants:

~Nice to see Delia more involved in the episode and have her own storyline and some girl friends, instead of her tomboy ways.

~Anyone else thought it was mean of that mother to make her daughter disinvite Delia to her slumber party? I felt bad.

~Nice to see Ephram still knows how to yell at his dad; also nice to see them having a rational conversation.

~Has Ephram been working out? He looks buffer than last season. And nice, slick haircut, buddy!

~Bright and Amy have jobs?! I would've thought Bright has too dumb and Amy was too "perfect" to have a job.

~Good to see Nina and Andy hanging around together. Now that she's there fulltime, do I smell romance...?

~Very good to see Harold still is a stick in the mud!

~Unlike some other fans, I love the new theme song. Finally, the changed the loud upbeat tune in the beginning and added some action photos!

This was the second to last episode of season 1 right before the dramatic first season finale, 'Home.' Just about every character in this episode faced some sort of fear in some way. Lets break it down.

Edna & Irv: I could very well understand both these character's arguments. First we have Edna, whose second husband just suffered from a heart attack, so Edna being concerned for Irv's safety is very understandable and shows how much she loves him. I mean, keep in mind that she lost her first husband, so it's only natural for her to be so protective over Irv (especially considering the circumstances).

Clockwise, I can also see where Irv is coming from. He had a heart attack, sure, but he's thinking that he's well now and he just wants to put it behind him and go back to how things used to be. I know when I get sick or end up in the hospital, I just want to forget it when it's over with. Yet Edna wouldn't let him forget what had happened. Irv takes this fishing trip to relax every year, so I can understand him getting upset with her when she suggested either she tag along or he doesn't go at all. I'm glad Dr. Brown was there and could be so kind to propose to make it a "guys weekend."

Ephram & Andy: This storyline really brought these two closer together, as we got to see just how worried Andy got and how sorry Ephram was for tricking Irv into letting him take the boat out. Personally, I have mixed feelings about Andy making Ephram go on the fishing trip with him and Irv. On one hand, Andy just wanted to show Ephram that he can't just goof off instead of studying, and wanted to show him who is the parent in the house. On the other hand, you can't just bring a kid to the middle of no where in the middle of no where (haha) and expect him to study the whole time without wanting to go out on the lake, or do something else. Irv's right-sometimes I think Andy can be too hard on Ephram, though he does mean well. Anyway, flash forward to when Andy and Ephram are talking in one of the cabin's bedrooms after his recuse-it was nice to see them have a sweet talk. I'm glad they apologized, and I'm glad Andy is letting him go to New York for the whole summer.

The Harts & Colin: The Harts' situation is a very difficult one as they have to make a decision whether to put Colin through another dangerous surgery. I mean, here their son had a coma for six months and then one day he wakes up and is all better-to them, it's like they have the old Colin back. They don't want anything to threaten that. They feel (and Colin) that since letting him go without surgery and putting him through it both have major life threatenin risks, it's better to just act like everything is ok in their magical world. It is very understandable as them being parents. And Colin's fear is also understandable. He doesn't want to go through it all again: post-op, rehab, etc., and for what? Dr. Brown even said he can't guarentee him anything. Also, Colin doesn't want to put his loved ones through the pain again (especially Amy) that they went through the first time. Andy and Mr. Hart's conversation at the end really touched me, as it looked liked it also did Mr. Hart. I'm glad the Harts come through in the end.

Random Rants:

~It was very shocking to hear that man's voice on the phone that Nina was talking to. How sad that this man she's loved was really living a double life. Her story is really just starting to be told, and hopefully the writers will continue it in season 2

~Anyone else find Ephram's manipulative side in this episode a tad disturbing and unlike him?

~Would Irv really have been so irresponsible as to go against Andy's orders, and Let Ephram, a minor, go out on the boat alone?

~Nina's single! Does this mean a possible Nina/Andy romance in season 2? Lets hope so!

~Amy wasn't too selfish or bitchy in this episode-but then again, she wasn't in it that much, period.

~Still not much or no airtime for Delia and Bright? Will the writers ever give them a real storyline? Or should The WB rename this show "Ephram's Creek"?

If memory serves me right, this was Everwood's first major themed episode. By that I mean, never before did they have an episode with such a strong theme in the majority of the storylines. The theme was marriage; A marriage that was already ended and that had been taken for granted, a marriage that was in the process of ending, and a marriage that went through a little "rough spot." I think you all can figure out which of those marriages describes Andy, Rev. and Mrs. Keyes, and Harold & Rose.

First, lets go through all of the three marriage storylines.

Andy & Deceased Julia: After seeing this episode, I really understand why all of the critics are saying Treat Williams does an outstanding job in Everwood. His performance, particularly the church scene, was amazing and heart-filled. When Andy looked as though he was about to cry, so did I. It was really sad to see this man struggling and hurting about the death of his wife, and telling God he doesn't have anything left. It's very realistic for Andy to have appeared fine in other episodes, and then have him just crack in this episode. Of course, the fact that his 20th anniversary was that day had a lot to do with it. But I think the last straw, sort-to-speak, was when that lady called on the phone saying she's been trying to get a hold of him for weeks because his wife had planned a trip for them. The look on Andy's face was so sad. But letting all his emotions out is the first step to the road of recovery.

Harold & Rose: They could've really left this storyline out, and the episode would have "flowed" so much better. I don't know if it was the fact that there were too many marriage storylines or that this storyline came from no where and was too stereotypical of married couples, but I found it boring and forced. Here we have the typical wife who feels her husband isn't spending enough time with her, blah blah blah, yadda yadda yadda. Come on, Everwood writers, can't you be a tad bit more creative? That said, it was nice to see Harold and Andy talking in the bar towards the end of the episode. Up until this point we haven't really seen Harold and Andy do anything but throw insults at each other; it was great to see them bond. Also, Andy's advice to him was great. He said, "If you're lucky enough to meet a woman you love and she's dumb enough to love you back, you hold on to her like a son of a bitch." That is so true! All too many times we take loved ones for granted.

Reverend Keyes & Sally: It was very unfortunate that neither of these characters were willing to go throw marriage therapy or something like that for their problems. It wasn't said how long they were married, but regardless of the length, marriage is suppose to be until death do us part, and they throw their marriage away so quickly? You could tell it really tore Andy apart to see two people willingly give up their marriage, while he knows how difficult it is to have a marriage end unwillingly. I agree with Dr. Brown that people should try to save their marriage. I mean, if two people just grow apart, then it is best to get divorced. But not without at least putting the effort into trying to save the marriage--especially if they have kids. Thankfully the Keyes don't have kids, so I can see why they would just want the divorce and move on. On another note, when Andy found out the cause for the Reverend's hives he thought it would automatically just fix the Keye's problems. But somewhere along the way their problems became noncurable, and not even the best surgeon in town could cure that.

Overall, this episode OK. Some storylines were too forced and should've been removed, but it got the job done and was entertaining.

Random Rants:

~I didn't mention it in the actual review, but this episode marks Amy and Ephram's first kiss! Go Ehpram!

~Will they ever let Nina have her own storyline? Please?!

~It was sweet to see Ephram sticking up for Amy when those guys played that oh so cruel prank on her!

~Nice to see Wendell again! Hey, maybe he will steel Amy's heart away!

To this day, I still don't know why the writers named this episode 'Snow Job.' I understand the 'Snow' part, but why the 'Job'? The only thing I can figure is, since there was a lot of sexual things, the writers were trying to be funny by naming the episode that rhymes with "blow job." Naughty, naughty, writers.

Anyway, this was one of my favorites episodes, so lets break each storyline down.

Laynie & Ephram: Finally, the writers are starting to NOT make Ephram so obsessed with Amy, and actually be interested in other girls! I mean, he seemed to be a pretty popular guy in New York (think back to episodes 'The Unveiling' and where Grandpa visits), so there's no reason why Ephram should like only one girl. While Laynie and Ephram didn't have as much chemistry as Amy and Ephram did when they first met, there was a lot of chemistry still there. And frankly, I think Laynie might be better for Ephram. She's more his type: Dark, mysterious, and sarcastic. Plus, they both hate Everwood! (haha) Seriously though, Laynie and Ephram would make a really cute couple, and Laynie sure does treat Ephram better than Amy does. Amy plays with his feelings, walks all over him by leading him on (kissing him), etc. I think Laynie was very cool in this episode, it's ashame thw writers made her stay limited.

Colin & Amy: Ok, I just really didn't like Amy in this episode. First, why in God's name didn't she want Ephram to go on the ski trip? Fine, I know why, but really, it's a big group; if she doesn't hang out with Ephram I'm sure the chances of her bumping into her would be small. I just don't like how before Colin woke up she was all nice, and kissing him (TWICE!), and then as soon as Colin wakes up, BAM, she basically turns on him. And don't even get me started on her relationship with Colin. Is it me, or does she take their relationship WAY too seriously? I mean, they're sophomores in high school for crying out loud; she acts as though they're about to get married! It's also ashame she's so in denial about Colin's state. She thinks he's still that guy from last year, and even Colin telling her countless times he's not that guy anymore and to stop bringing up "last year", she still goes and brings it up right when things were getting pretty steamy, too. OK, I can't just bash Amy. Now it's Colin's turn. I understand him being upset that Amy brought up "last year" even when he said not to, but he really shouldn't have gotten so upset. I mean, he knows how hard it is for her to be remembering this him the way he used to be, and that guy being gone. That said, it's probably even harder for Colin not being able to remember anything/one, and always be pressured (by, who else, Amy) to be that guy from last year.

Dr. Brown & Reverend Keyes: This storyline was the most emotional and sad, but also the one I cared the least about. I'm sorry, it was kinda predictable. I mean, it starts off with the Rev. having trouble seeing the TV and the money, so you didn't know he would end up having problems later in the episode? Maybe you didn't know specifically, but I bet you knew. Anyway, I absolutely loved the scene where they were about to go into the singles bar and Andy had a panic attack. It shows Andy isn't yet ready to date, and is still very much in love with his deceased wife. He had that panic attack because he was feeling guilty, like by going into that bar it would be like cheating on Julia. But that was awesome and really sweet when Reverend skipped the singles bar, and instead took Andy to the Mile High Diner. It shows how good of a friend he really is (hopefully, he'll pop up next seaon). It's very understandable that Andy didn't want to admit he knew the Reverend was going blind after the nice gesture he did for him. I wouldn't want to admit it, either. Fortunately, Edna was there to talk some sense into him (haha). I also really felt for Andy when he had to tell the Reverend that he's going blind. He just couldn't do it at first. He had done so much for him, Andy didn't know how to break the news to him. But then he realized he owed it to him to be straight with him, and not send him to some other doctor. And that he was: straight-forward. He told Edna with other patients he would hand them tissues and leave, but with Reverend Keyes, he stayed in the room and sat with him. I cried when the Reverend asked, "Can you fix this?", and Andy replied, "No, but I can sit with you."

Overall, this episode had it's funny, sad, and romantic moments. I loved it. It was hilarious when Bright was about to score, and then saw his dad on the ski lift passed out. And my personal fave is when Colin was BSing Ephram asking him, "So you got to know Amy pretty well whenI was out?"... the look on Ephram's face was priceless! He got all pale, and looked like it was going to crap his pants. Haha.

Random Rants:

~It's quite obvious that Andy and Nina have feeligns for each other; how much longer will the writers drag it out?

~Everwood has awesome writing, but one thing I didn't like his putting in these characters (Laynie, Rev. Keyes, and Bright's girlfriend) just to work the episode. I mean, they weren't properly introduced, especially Bright's girlfriend. I mean, when did he get a g/f anyway?

~Those are a lot of pancakes! I wonder if the Mile High Diner is real?

~Poor Bright, he's still a virgin!

~When Colin asked Amy if they ever had sex, her response was "No, we haven't... well, you haven't." So, was she implying that she has had sex?