Everwood centers on respected neurosurgeon Andy Brown (Treat Williams), who moves his family from their flashy life in New York City to the small town of Everwood, Colorado following the tragic death of his wife. Andy has two kids: high-schooler Ephram (Gregory Smith), who plays piano, and third-grade tomboy Delia (Vivien Cardone). Starting up a local medical practice, Andy instantly rubs the other town doctor, Harold Abott (Tom Amandes, who works across the street, the wrong way. At the same time, though, Andy gets the affection of Harolds coarse but loving mother Edna (Debra Mooney). While Andy struggles to fit in the homely town, Ephram struggles like any teen would in high school. This includes awkward interactions with Amy Abbott (Emily Van Camp) and her jock brother Bright (Chris Pratt).
The second season of Everwood picks up in the summer, right before the start of the new school year. The first episode brings closure to a risky set of surgeries Dr. Brown performs on a local boy, who happens to be closely related to someone closely related to Dr. Brown. The towns reaction shapes the familys direction and dynamic, as each of them begin down new paths in their lives. If you just look at the description of this series and the storylines featured on it, you would think Everwood was just another family drama. While it is just that, there so much more to explore in this series. This series consistently discusses such subjects as teenage sex, depression, drugs, medication, divorce and HIV, among others. So it’s not just the usual teenage angst drama that you might expect. The best part of this series are the storylines that deal with loss, which happens every day in the real world.
What really separates the series above other similarly themed shows are the relatable characters and the performances of the actors. Treat Williams and Gregory Smith will probably get the most praise, but this is really an ensemble drama. Every character has their time to shine and are important to the series. This even includes three new characters to, which show up during the second season. Marcia Cross, who plays Harold’s sister Linda, Sarah Lancaster, who plays the Brown’s new babysitter Madison, and Paul Wesley, who plays a troubled youth named Tommy, all join the cast seamlessly. In addition, the majority of the strong supporting cast from the first season are back again for the second season. In the end, each actor makes you care about their character, one way or another. Some notable guest stars that also show up during this season include Philip Baker Hall, Tim DeKay, James Earl Jones, and Betty White.
Everwood is a well-written series with that constantly provides great storylines. They might not always be the most original, but they still keep you interested in them. That’s largely due to the fact that the acting on this series is excellent. You care about this characters, so you want to continue to see what happens to them, even though you know how a few storylines will end. When compared to the first season, the second season is not as strong, mainly due to the fact that some storylines start to get predictable during this season. But overall, Everwood is one of the best family dramas ever created.
Episodes:
Disc One:
Episode 1 – The Last of Summer
Colin’s death leaves the entire town in shock–and Andy’s practice in limbo. Amy, in particular, turns against Andy as she struggles to organize a memorial service.
Episode 2 – Extra Ordinary
Andy and Harold are excited about college, but their kids may not be.
Episode 3 – My Brother’s Keeper
Sibling rivalry erupts when Harold’s globe-trotting sister returns home to join his practice. Andy confronts parents who refuse to believe their middle-age kids are sexually active.
Episode 4 – East Meets West
The two Dr. Abbotts clash over the virtues of Western and Eastern healing, Delia’s babysitter tries to micromanage Ephram, Colin’s father won’t stop drinking, Nina contends with her divorce.
Disc Two:
Episode 5 – Daddy’s Little Girl
The usually well-behaved Delia pouts when Andy invites Linda Abbot to dinner. A therapist suggests putting Amy on antidepressants.
Episode 6 – Blind Faith
Madison steers Ephram straight after he flunks his driving test; Rev. Keyes battles his oncoming blindness with prayer instead of medicine.
Episode 7 – Three Miners from Everwood
Andy and both Dr. Abbotts rush to the scene of a disaster at Everwood’s coal mine, where the three must work miracles in the dark.
Episode 8 – The Burden of Truth
Local auto mechanic Phil has psychic abilities, and the whole town comes to his doorstep.
Disc Three:
Episode 9 – Just Like in the Movies
Love has Everwood in its bewitched and bewildered grasp. Andy sends Linda a roomful of roses, Ephram tries reverse psychology on Madison, a stutterer sings his feelings and Amy is attracted to the town’s answer to James Dean.
Episode 10 – Unhappy Holidays
On Thanksgiving, families gather together…but they sure don’t stay that way. Secrets are revealed, tempers flare and the Brown and Abbott households fly apart.
Episode 11 – Family Dynamics
Amy’s disappearance doesn’t last for long, but Rose won’t take her back until she agrees to follow some tough rules.
Episode 12 – Controlling Interest
To compete at a lighter level, a star wrestler turns to drastic measures. He isn’t the only one longing for control: Ephram wants Madison to make their relationship public, and Bright decides to discourage Amy’s new boyfriend with his fists.
Disc Four:
Episode 13 – Forget Me Not
Ephram is making his relationship with Madison into a full-time job…with no time for old pals like Amy. Like son, like father: Andy’s so wrapped up in Linda that he ignores Nina when she needs him most.
Episode 14 – No Sure Thing
Everybody’s doing it. Ephram and Madison decide to become intimate, and they’re not the only ones going horizontal.
Episode 15 – The L Word
Ephram tells Madison he loves her.
Episode 16 – Unspoken Truths
A tale of two parties. Madison has a gig at a bar, so Ephram uses a fake ID to get in; Tommy takes Amy to a party with disastrous results.
Disc Five:
Episode 17 – Unfinished Business
Nina faces something worse than divorce: her soon-to-be ex wants custody of their son. Andy offers an arm to lean on.
Episode 18 – Last Looks
While Bright’s football buddies receive their college acceptance packets, all he gets are rejections. Also, can Madison still be Delia’s sitter?
Episode 19 – Sick
The citizens of Everwood react to a secret.
Episode 20 – Do or Die
Andy’s mentor, Dr. Douglas, arrives with a special request; on his way to the prom with Amy, Ephram bumps into his Madison.
Disc Six:
Episode 21 – Your Future Awaits
Bright decides to skip graduation, Harold can’t find malpractice insurance, Ephram auditions for Julliard and Andy wants to perform a risky surgery. Includes one deleted scene.
Episode 22 – The Day is Done
Harold has a new business venture, and that’s just the first of many surprises as the Brown family finishes its second year in Everwood.
The video is given in widescreen color with an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. It is enhanced for 16X9 TVs. Transfer is good with minimal distortion. There is some noticeable grain, but nothing that distracts from the overall product. It’s still a nice upgrade from the fullscreen video quality of the first season set.
The audio included is available in English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo sound. There are subtitles available in English and French as well. It’s pretty standard quality for a TV show that is more than two or three years old.
Deleted Scenes –
There are 11 scenes that didn’t make the final cut of this season and they total minutes. The deleted scenes are “Extraordinary,” “Daddys Little Girl,” “Blind Faith,” “Three Miners From Everwood,” “Family Dynamics,” “Controlling Interest,” “Your Future Awaits,” “The L Word,” “Sick,” “Unfinished Business,” and “The Day is Done.” For the most part, these really don’t add a whole lot. But for fans of the show, these are definitely must-watch since this is the only extras you get on this set.
If you can get past the old-fashioned sensibility and often cheesy lessons they try to reinforce at the end of each episode, it’s worth giving Everwood a chance. But you can’t really start with season two.Fans of the series have been waiting for this day, so they will no doubt purchase this DVD set, despite the lack of any quality extras.
Warner Brothers Home Entertainment presents Everwood: Season 2. Created by Greg Berlanti. Starring Treat Williams, Gregory Smith, Emily VanCamp, Vivien Cardone, Sarah Lancaster, Debra Mooney, John Beasley, Chris Pratt, Tom Amandes, Stephanie Niznik, Merrilyn Gann, Scott Wolf, Marcia Cross, and Nora Zehetner. Running time: 969 minutes. Rated: Not Rated. Released on DVD: June 16, 2009. Available at Amazon.com
