Warner Bros. | 2004-05 | 951 Mins. | Not Rated
Finally arriving on DVD after what seems like an eternity since its 2006 cancellation—an unfortunate victim of the WB/UPN merger into what is now the CW—season three of Everwood plays out like a snapshot of another time and place. Built around the practice of renowned big-city neurosurgeon-turned-local-doctor, Andy Brown (Treat Williams), Everwood is a picturesque small town retreat high in the Colorado Mountains, where God fearing people have come to live a simpler kind of life. Andy, a widower, brought his children, 15-year-old son Ephraim (Gregory Smith) and 9-year-old daughter Delia (Vivien Cardone) chose Everwood because his late wife had told him of her attachment to it.
As any fan of Everwood knows, the relationship between Andy and Ephram was a difficult one. One minute they would be bonding, the next, fighting; and in season three things between father and son are about to take one giant step back. As the season begins, piano prodigy Ephram is returning from a summer workshop at Julliard. Though things didn’t go as well as he’d hoped, at least he’s returning home to the open arms of long-time crush Amy Abbott (Emily Van Camp). Unbeknownst to him, his dad is keeping a life altering secret. At the end of season two, Ephram’s older ex-girlfriend Madison (Sarah Lancaster) comes to Dr. Brown and reveals that she’s pregnant with Ephram’s child. In a split-second, he makes the decision to keep this information from his son in order to preserve his future, and sends Madison away, vowing to take care of her financially.
In a move the proved that Andy didn’t have the power to control everything; in the first episode of the season Madison sends him a letter informing him that she wants no further contact with him. The letter never mentions what she did about the pregnancy, which leaves him feeling guilt ridden.
The start of this season also saw the introduction of several new characters. Scott Wolf rolls into town as Jake Hartman, a hotshot doctor from L.A. looking to slow down his life a little bit. Even though I’ve been a fan of Scott’s since his Party of Five days, I couldn’t help but wonder if a small town like Everwood could realistically support three doctors.
Anne Heche guest-stars as a new love interest for Dr. Brown who also happens to have a stroke afflicted husband. That storyline didn’t sit well with me when the show first aired, and it still doesn’t sit well with me now. The only worthy addition to the cast this season was Sarah Drew’s Hannah. As a shy, nerdy girl who comes to stay with the Browns’ next door neighbor Nina (Stephanie Niznik), (because her parents are on business in Hong Kong…or are they?
Hannah provides Amy with a solid best friend and provides Amy’s brother Bright (Chris Pratt) with an unlikely object of affection. This happens only after Bright’s stint as town Lothario gets him into a heap of trouble.
Some standout episodes on this five-disc set include The Tipping Point in which Ephram seeks guidance from his and piano mentor, Will Cleveland (James Earl Jones), when he’s struggling to select the music program for his Julliard audition tape. The Reflex, which perfectly illustrates the imperfect way a young couple tries to take their relationship to the “next level.” The uncertainty, the awkwardness and the thrill were all well-played by Smith and Van Camp, especially. Amy and Ephram’s voiceovers in the beginning were also spot-on. Another great episode is Fate Accomplis, in which Ephram meets up with Madison in New York and finds out the truth about her pregnancy. It’s heavy stuff and Sarah Lancaster (always a favorite of mine) hits all the right notes.
While I suppose one could make the argument that Everwood is a bit on the sappy side, the show still manages to inject a sense of realism that anyone who is in, or has been in high school can relate to.
The video in this release is given in anamorphic 1.78:1 ratio widescreen color format. The picture quality is pretty good. It suffers from a slight grain, but detail remains sharp and clear. There are some occasional moments when the picture suffers compression artifacts, but it doesn’t happen very often and isn’t noticeable when played on a larger television set.
The audio in this DVD release contains an English 2.0 Dolby digital stereo sound track. The dialogue throughout the entire season is clear and understandable, but it is relatively flat, which is expected. The audio is complemented with subtitles in the English and French languages.
As for special features, this set has four “Gag Reels” which are outtakes, or bloopers from the season.
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