Irv starts the episode by describing the youth's desire to rush through time to the big moments they await. The older one gets, the more one reflects on the past and savors the present. And then, Irv argues, people reach a point in their lives when they wonder why they were ever in such a hurry. Ephram moves a thousand miles an hour in "The L Word." The teenage boy feels like the coolest guy on the planet because of the sex he had with Madison on The Point. Bright wants details, so Ephram compares the experience to watching The Return of the King for the first time. Bright's face drops and he worries about Ephram doing something dumb. Ephram does something dumb indeed. Madison and Ephram laugh a whole bunch about spilling some type of liquid on the floor. Ephram blurts out "I love you" and Madison bolts from the kitchen. Ephram's expression changes. No longer would he compare their courtship to the final movie of The Lord of the Rings but, rather, the crappy animated LOTR movie from the 1970s.
Ephram's a stupid sixteen year old who mistakenly used the L word. His face drops immediately because he's aware of a fundamental change in their relationship, especially when Madison doesn't respond. Ephram's portrayed as an old soul. The writers ground him by writing him as a believable teenager. He's a tempest when he senses he's losing what he wants or who he loves. Will Cleveland, his piano teacher, arranged a performance for him in Boulder. The 'I love you' remains dangling in the air. Madison's staying in Everwood for her own band's first paying gig. The couple's separated, which drives Ephram crazy, because their biggest issue is unresolved. I have a minor quibble about Madison's portrayal. The writers portray her as wise and adult, but the character is 20 year olds. 20 year olds are a bit more mature than 16 year olds; however, 20 year olds are still stupid. Madison seems so far removed from being a teenager, like she's a 27 year old dating a 20 year old. Madison's portrayal doesn't really work. Both Brown men told her what she's getting into. Ephram's young and innocent, heart wide open and all that, so of course he's going to be intense and irrational. Maybe the Everwood writers didn't figure out Madison. I still don't get the character or her purpose beyond 'be Ephram's first love and heartbreak.' I mean, she has another purpose, but I'm not giving away the events of the season finale.
Ephram freaks out the moment he arrives in Boulder. He projects his emotions onto Madison, imagining her pacing about the room or crying to her roommates that she needs to break up with him because Ephram's too intense. Ephram is pacing about the room. Bright, the sensible guy no one listens to, urges his friend to calm down, relax, check out the jazz groupies, get sleep, kick ass on the piano the following morning, and deal with the drama when he's in Everwood. Ephram ignores Bright and drives back to Madison in Everwood where he finds her celebrating her band's first gig with her bandmates, completely okay. Ephram's entire world revolves around her. He wanted to blow off the performance to make out with her for two days. Meanwhile, Madison has a life outside of Ephram. The audience is able to watch the relationship slowly go to hell from their couch and objectively assess both characters' behavior. Ephram's too young and inexperienced and Madison is too old and inexperienced, according to the show, and they were never right for each other. Ephram's too insecure to relax; he's constantly of afraid of her slipping away from him. The boy needs to make mistakes or else he'll never learn from them.
Ephram quits on his performance. Will scolds him for letting a girl affect his playing, good or bad. Earlier, Ephram played beautiful piano because of his newfound happiness but then he played as badly as he felt. Madison gushes about her band's first gig when they're together again in Everwood, and then she learns about the drive Ephram made and about the intensity of his feelings. Ephram wants to erase the past couple of days. Madison says that is impossible. So, Ephram wants to pretend for a little while. The last image of the couple is a negative one; both are rigid on the couch, barely sharing a blanket, looking out of place with one another, as Irv observes how people play make-believe for their entire lives, just to avoid what they don't want to see or accept.
The idea of playing make-believe throughout our lives closes the episode. The idea extends to Delia and Amy, who both witness unsettling truths. Amy and Tommy break-up until Tommy begs her to take him back, pale as a vampire, eyes noticeably heavy and red, clearly on drugs. Tommy tells her he can't be clean without her. Amy takes him back, though the seed of doubt has been planted. During dinner, Amy checks his pager when he's in the bathroom, to confirm the pharmacy is in contact with him, not local youths looking to party. Amy does like him; one of the positives about him, for her, is that he's damaged. Tommy appeals to this Bangs of Sadness (hat tip to TWoP) side of Amy.
Delia sees Linda take a bunch of pills in the bathroom. Linda stayed over as a babysitter while Andy went to Boulder for Ephram's performance. When Andy comes home, she seems poised to tell Andy about what she's seen. Maybe her dad can explain what she saw. Delia's silent, though. She looks terrified when Linda comes from the bathroom to look at the finished diorama, but she keeps silent. There's a wistful quality to Irv's voice as poeticizes playing make-believe, as if he knows play-acting doesn't last, that reality descends, which can be devastating. So, he seems to be saying, or implying, that it's no wonder people long for make-believe to avoid the pain they felt for as long as they can and to get so far from it that they don't even remember what it felt like to feel such pain. Everwood's a show about pain, loss, grief, and mourning, though. Make-believe is temporary; it will pass.
Other Thoughts:
-Linda wanted to have a great weekend with Delia so Andy would know his daughter is in his good hands with his beloved. Nina reminds her that Andy's a capable parents. First and foremost, he wants a partner. He wants Linda to be Linda.
-Will's going deaf. Andy tries to introduce him to new drugs to prevent loss of hearing. Will isn't interested. The saddest part of the episode is when Will says he'll miss the sound of music the most. The last shot of the episode is of Will listening to a jazz record.
-John E. Pogue wrote the episode. Michael Schultz directed it.
UP NEXT: "Unspoken Truths"--Ephram sneaks into a bar and gets into a fight; Nina receives divorce papers; Amy finds closure. Watch it on Amazon.
THE YOUTUBE CLIP OF THE WEEK
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