The 2011 Summer Re-Watch: Everwood "The Miracle of Everwood" Review

Norman Rockwell's famous portrait of The Country Doctor represents a kinder and simpler world. The painter grew up in one of the worst neighborhoods in Manhattan. Rockwell watched Italian and Irish gangs beat each other with bicycle chains as he painted comforting representations of the America he wished he lived in. The New York Magazine journalist, Joel Horowitz, paraphrases the Norman Rockwell biography to defend his decision to write about Colin Hart, the miracle, while ignoring the evidence that Colin's hardly a confirmed miracle yet. Joel declares that it's his job to shape the world into what he wants it to be and Andy just needs to pose for the picture.

Joel traveled to Everwood to write a piece about Andy's move from New York to Everwood. However, Andy's not much of a story. For Andy, his miracle's been his relationship with his friends. Andy noticed that Delia forgot her tooth brush and brought the brush to her. Ephram and Andy had a long conversation. In Manhattan, Andy Brown the neurosurgeon wouldn't have noticed the tooth brush and he and his son wouldn't have conversations. Joel chose to ignore the compelling piece about a New York doctor who made a promise to his wife, who re-dedicated himself to patients who really need free medicine, who transformed himself as a father. Andy, though, didn't tell Joel (but a NY Magazine journalist is capable of putting the pieces together if the story was exciting enough) because he's kept his reasons for moving to Everwood to himself.

Joel immerses himself in the story of Colin Hart once he hears about the medical miracle Andy performed on the teenage boy. The piece is potentially award-winning--a comatose boy six months ago, brought back to life by the genius neurosurgeon who left Manhattan for unknown reasons, who now drinks milk shakes at the local diner. The story's once-in-a-lifetime too, which explains Joel's motivations to tell the story despite the troubling evidence that suggests Colin's not a confirmed miracle yet. Joel represents the citizens of Everwood who choose to turn their heads when Colin destroys a coach's officer with a baseball bat or beats his best friend up or breaks a window or destroys a trophy case. They want to believe in the miracle so badly that they'll sever bonds to live in their imagined reality.

Colin desperately clings to the hope that's emerged from the woods; however, the boy's fighting. Colin’s explosions of rage stems from a gradual loss of control. Colin's a victim of his body. He possesses tremendous determination and fight but he's powerless against his own body. And that's tragic and so sad. It'd be easy to criticize the character for his behavior throughout the episode because he treats Ephram poorly, fights Bright, and convinces those around him that everyone else is at fault. I won't because I'm aware of the big picture. The most significant scene in "The Miracle of Everwood" takes place with Joel, during the interview. Colin recalls the first days following surgery when he couldn't speak, didn't know words, and didn’t remember anyone or anything. His face darkens at the memory and he quietly admits that he'd choose a coma over enduring another post-surgery nightmare. For Colin, his bouts of nausea and rage signify he's not better. More so, it signifies the possibility that he'll die.

The reason Colin pushes Ephram away and why the Harts fired Andy's because the thought's too terrible to think about or comprehend. The Harts need the heart warming fairy tale of the boy who rose from the dead like Lazarus to regain his quality of life, his girlfriend, his friends and his education. There are no villains in Everwood. Ephram's not wrong for confronting Colin with the truth about his condition. Colin's not wrong for reacting as he does. The Harts aren't wrong for firing Andy (albeit they are stupid for doing that) and Andy's not wrong for insistence that Colin's well-being's in danger. I remember when my father was sick, the doctor appointments, the hospital stays, and doctors would tell us things that were very hard to hear. There were feelings of helplessness and I felt deep, overwhelming sadness when my dad had to hear their opinions. It was very difficult. I understand and relate to the Harts, Colin, and Doctor Brown. The Harts want control of something out of their control. Andy's simply doing his job. The situation just sucks.

Joel leaves Everwood with his story. The published piece bears no resemblance to the realities of the situation. The story's consistent with the thoughts of the majority of the town. Bright's no longer speaking to Colin following the incident outside of the pizza shop, when he stepped in to defend Ephram. Amy's shunned both her father and brother from her life. The episode's not about life-or-death stakes, though. It's about stories vs reality. Irv closes the "The Miracle of Everwood" by quoting Norman Rockwell who said, "I paint life as it should be." Joel Horowitz's piece about Colin's how it should be. Colin, his family and friends need that story. As Littlefinger once said, though, "Life is not a song." And it isn't a story.

Other thoughts:

--This episode's outstanding. The A story's strong and emotionally complicated. The B and C stories are light-hearted and refreshing changes from the intensity of the Colin Hart arc. Colin's arc becomes more moving in the episodes to come and we'll get there soon.

--In the past, I wrote about Wendell as an underrated character. Well, Wendell's disappeared from the show. The second most underrated character in the series is Arnie, Delia's classmate. Arnie's terrific. In this episode, he becomes Delia's boyfriend. She wraps him up in toilet paper to look like a mummy. He helps her remain in the museum after dark. When Andy and Arnie's mother realize that Arnie knows where Delia's at, he sheepishly saunters into the foyer. What a character.

--The museum's stuff connects with the story vs. reality theme. Delia's disappointed that her experience in the museum didn't resemble the stories that she read. Also, Ms. Violet had two of the best lines in the episode. She scolds a child for reading in her class. Later, a student runs up to her and exclaims that she's a mummy. Ms. Violet responds, "Not until high school, sweet heart." I do enjoy cynical school teachers.

--Dr. Abbott, upon hearing from Andy about the impending arrival of Joel Horowitz, brainstorms various quotes in case Horowitz needs to know about the life of a country doctor. Harold begins to perform. At Mama Joy's, where Andy and Joel dine, Harold enters, speaks with two children and hands them two lollypops. He performs a mock interview with Bright. It's a Doc Abbott tour-de-force.

--Various townspeople try to impress Joel. Irv, though, pitches a story about "the... captivating story of the lone black man living in a racially homogenous town."

--Bright saved Ephram from a beat down. They'll be friends soon.

--Michael Green wrote the episode. Arlene Sanford directed it.

UP NEXT: "Moonlight Sonata"--A nervous Ephram feels the pressure of performing his first piano recital in Everwood; Dr. Brown and Dr. Abbott attempt to diagnose a man with a mysterious sleeping disorder that leaves welts on his body; and Amy pretends to want to spend time with her grandmother, Edna, in order to secretly see Colin while she's grounded. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002SLQP6W

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