“An Ounce of Prevention” is a ‘lesson’ episode. The ‘lesson’
episode, or ‘An Aesop’, preaches a moral or a point or a lesson. This episode
was a catch-all for the family drama lesson episode. In one story, Andy faced a
tough ethical decision regarding a girl who tested positive for the breast
cancer gene. In another, Ephram faced the truth that his student, Kyle, is gay.
I already wrote about Berlanti’s ideal for Everwood in a previous post this
season and in my posts for seasons one and two four and five years ago, but it
bears repeating that he admired Norman Lear’s ability to create conversations about
uncomfortable subjects through his TV shows. Though Berlanti left his
day-to-day duties on Everwood after season two, that spirit of the show
continued.
Kyle’s coming out story isn’t great, primarily because of
Ephram. The show established Kyle’s multiple roles/functions as a character in
Ephram’s story. He’s a device from which Ephram will learn and gain
perspective. All the mistakes Andy made Ephram has made as Kyle’s teacher. His
place in Kyle’s story is strange. He becomes his father figure despite a small
three-year age difference. I think the writers knew how strange Ephram’s place
in the coming out story is. It starts with Kyle rejecting a dance invite,
followed by Reid suggesting Kyle may’ve turned the girl down because he’s gay,
but Ephram argues that he’s too young to be gay. See, this is where the writers
wanted the conversation to begin. Amy, then, agreed that Kyle is too young to
know he’s gay, and she knows Ephram will figure out how to handle the situation
because he does. Of course, Ephram never figures it out. He fled to Europe,
thereby derailing his life and the most important relationship of his life. He’s
all over the place, going from slightly homophobic to wise old sage after Kyle
comes out, because of the demands of the story.
This storyline marks the end of Ephram’s Kyle arc. He
learned a final lesson about the purpose of prevention, specifically why his
father didn’t tell him about Madison and the baby. It’s removed from Kyle’s
story. In fact, Ephram went on about his love for Amy after Kyle came out to
him as a way to relate stories of rejection. “An Ounce of Prevention” and “You’re
a Good Man, Andy Brown” are a whirlwind for Ephram and Kyle: absent fathers,
guilt, and homosexuality. Conversation starters in 2006, for sure.
Madison and the baby shadowed Andy’s story. He tried to
control the situation only to understand he couldn’t, but with the girl who
fears getting breast cancer early he offers radical options without advising her
which option to choose. Like Ephram’s story, the writers wanted to start a
conversation. Andy made up for his mistake. The girl realized she was too young
to make a drastic decision about her life and her body.
The best scene in the episode involved Harold, Hannah, and
Bright and a case of rare food poisoning. Of course, Harold’s part of the worst
scene in the episode too. He lied about Rose’s cancer on the medical paperwork
for the adoption in a move blatantly devoid of reason and removed from the
essence of the character for the purpose of soapy bullshit for later in the
season. Everwood could be great and it could be wretched.
Bryan M. Holdman wrote the episode. Perry Lang directed it.
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