One of the greatest things about Everwood is its ability to raise issues without telling you how you should think about them. It always seems to present a well-rounded view of important topics that we face as a society without the usual preachiness that television shows are so fond of using. It's a show that makes you think and opens up discussions among families in a time when all we hear about is how families don't talk like they used to. Last night's episode presented two heavy issues, but also threw in a little humor with Bright and Hannah. The biggest discussion last night came about after Ephram realized that he had pushed Kyle too far by making him go to the school dance with one of the school's "hot girls." Kyle had a terrible time, and Ephram finally had to face the idea that Kyle is gay. It wasn't that Ephram was against the idea, rather, he was concerned that being gay would make the road a little bit harder for Kyle because of the cruelty of the other students. When Ephram finally confronted him, Kyle admitted that he, too, didn't want to face the fact that his feelings were different from most of his peers. In one of the most emotional, heart-wrenching scenes I think I've seen on television in a long time, Ephram counseled Kyle on why his feelings aren't wrong and why it's so important to stay true to who you are, no matter how difficult that road may be. The experience allowed Ephram to understand why his father did what he did with Madison to protect him from getting hurt. The scene between Ephram and Kyle is the definition of brilliant television and one of the many reasons why this show must survive the jump to the CW.
Preventing hurt down the road was a common theme last night. The second heavy issue dealt with an 18-year old high school senior who wanted to get tested for the breast cancer gene. Her mother died from it, and her older sister was diagnosed when she was only 28 years old (and is now in remission after a mastectomy and chemo/ radiation), so Ellie felt that prevention was her best defense. Once she found out that she did have the gene, she decided to be proactive and get a preventative double mastectomy that would reduce her changes of developing the cancer to 10%. Her sister was against the surgery, as was Dr. Brown, but the latter decided to leave his opinion out of it because of what he did to Madison a couple of years prior. Meanwhile, Ellie lost her boyfriend over the ordeal and realized in the process that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't prevent hurt. In the end, she decided against the surgery, but the story really made you think. Neither decision is an easy one, so it begs the question about whether you would want to know in the first place. It's just one of those tough questions that this show doesn't shy away from. Luckily, there was the humorous Bright and Hannah story line to balance out the heavier other two. Their rare, fish borne illness was hysterical and I loved Dr. Abbott's reaction to it. And it was all a result of Hannah feeling like their 7-month relationship had hit a stalling point and it needed to reach a new plateau. I loved Bright's comment that dying was a new plateau. In other Everwood happenings, Dr. Abbott lied about Rose's cancer history on their adoption application, so I'm thinking the whole thing is going to turn into a big bust. He'll never get away with that lie. I know Amy is not the most popular character on this show, but I've always loved her. BUT, even I am beginning to get a little annoyed with her. I think the writers need to tread lightly here because she's beginning to become a very unlikable and cliched character. Her friendship with Hannah doesn't seem to be mending, and it looks like things take a turn for the worse next week. Don't forget to let the powers that be know how much you enjoy Everwood, and how much you want them to bring it back for another season. Click on over to Save Everwood Now to find out how.REMINDER!!!
VERONICA MARS IS AIRING TONIGHT!!!Tonight marks Veronica Mars' first episode on its new night! That's right, the show is now airing Tuesday nights at 9 p.m.!! Which means, it is no longer up against Lost, so you have no excuse not to watch it tonight. Even if you have never seen an episode, it's not too late. Get yourself over to MarsInvestigations.net and catch up on all the happenings in Neptune, and then tune in tonight at 9 p.m. on UPN to find out what all the fuss is about. I can guarantee that you won't be disappointed. How do I know, you ask? Because this is the episode that I saw them film when I was out in San Diego for the Bloggers Press Day. If you need more convincing, you can click on over to UPN, and watch the opening scene from tonight's episode. Tonight, we get to meet all the people killed in this season's central bus crash mystery as Veronica is haunted by dreams in which those killed in the bus crash confront her. That's TONIGHT at 9 p.m. on UPN. For more on Mars, you can click over to TVGuide.com to read their Q&A with Jason Dohring. He discusses his current iPod rotation, last week's Veronica/Logan dance scene and the season finale, which he calls, "the most exciting half an hour in the history of the show."
About Last Night...NBC won the first hour of the night with Deal or No Deal, followed by CBS comedies King of Queens and How I Met Your Mother and Fox's Prison Break. At 9, ABC took the lead with its miniseries Ten Commandments, followed by CBS comedies Two and a Half Men and The New Adventures of Old Christine and Fox's 24. The final hour of the night went to CBS'CSI: Miami, followed by the second hour of ABC's miniseries and a second episode of NBC's The Apprentice. For more on last night's ratings, visit Zap2it.
~Primetime Pass~
@8 p.m. - The 8 finalists take on the music of Queen on Fox's American Idol. Over on the WB, Paul Anka guest stars and Rory visits Jess in Philadelphia on Gilmore Girls.
@9 p.m. - As previously mentioned, UPN's Veronica Mars moves to its new night as Veronica is haunted by dreams from the bus crash victims. Over on NBC, JD's brother (guest star Tom Cavanagh) returns for a surprise visit on Scrubs. Fox's House finds the team rushing against the clock to save a young boy exhibiting symptoms that House saw in a previous case when an elderly patient lost her life. ABC concludes its Ten Commandments miniseries.
@10 p.m. - Nick becomes a victim when he is robbed and beaten at gunpoint on NBC's Conviction - airing on a special night.
QUICK CUTS
*NBC is benching its new drama Heist. The show has been losing viewers since its March 22nd premiere, suffering its biggest loss last week when the network moved it up an hour, forcing it to go up against mega hits Lost and American Idol. The network isn't saying when it will pull the show, but it is still currently scheduled to air a new episode this week. The show's creator Mark Cullen recently posted on tvsquad.com that NBC has cut the episode order from 13 to 6 this season.
*And finally, TNT is going ad-free for some of its premiere this summer. The cable channel will air the season premiere of its popular crime drama The Closer commercial-free this June along with premieres for its new shows Saved (also premiering in June) and Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King (premiering in July). You can read more about TNT's upcoming summer and fall schedules over at Zap2it.
That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for thoughts on Veronica Mars (including my behind-the-scenes take on some of the scenes) and the Scrubies. Plus, all the latest television news! And coming next Monday, April 17th, it's the official launch of PassTheRemote.Net!!! The all new comprehensive site featuring all of your TV needs to go along with my daily Pass the Remote blog! Click HERE to find out what you can look forward to!
SAVE EVERWOOD NOW! Click HERE to learn how to help the show get another season
Don't forget to help Veronica Mars with the $4,000 Shower Campaign. Click HERE for details
2 comments:
Can't wait to watch that episode of Everwood. It sounds amazing. Who's Kyle, btw?? Anyway, the way you presented it (and you've been pretty faithful to shows so far, so I'm sure that's the way it really was) sounds not only realistic, but touching. The breast cancer gene was a pretty touchy subject to hit on too. They seem to have nailed it pretty accurately though. I'm impressed. Really impressed.
Kyle is the young piano prodigy that Ephram has taken under his wing this season. It really was well done. That breast cancer gene story was just so painfully accurate. It seriously made you think.
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