Everwood - The Complete Second Season
Everwood is one of those modern drama series that revels in earnest emotion, family and love and, that said, as the second season of the WB hit is released on DVD, viewers who either relive the adventures of Everwood, Colorado or discover it for the first time more than likely won’t be able to get enough.
The center of the series is the Brown family. Widower Dr. Andrew Brown (Treat Williams) had moved his family - son Ephram (Gregory Smith) and daughter Delia (Vivien Cardone) - to Everwood after the passing of his wife in the series pilot.
As the second season begins, the death of teenage Colin due to a medical condition has the town throwing accusing looks at Dr. Brown, who tried - but failed - to save the poor lad.
Colin’s girlfriend, Amy (Emily VanCamp, who would go on to appear in "Brothers and Sisters"), is distraught and leans on Ephram, who just so happens to be in love with her.
While this all sounds soapy, the series has an easy hand with even the bigger topics like drugs, unplanned pregnancies and complicated relationships.
Watching the second season episodes, it’s comforting that not every series has to strive to be edgy with stories with the primary purpose of pushing the envelope as far as possible. While "Everwood" may not be the kind of show that has you on the edge of your seat, the stories are solid, acting commendable and most episodes leave you feeling with a bit of hope. One complaint is sometimes the show is a little too earnest but it’s what "Everwood" does best, beginning with the almost-Christian feeling theme song and portraits of the cast that come to life.
Think of "Everwood" as this generation’s "The Waltons".
As for the DVD itself, the extras are miniscule with only 40 minutes of never-before-seen unaired scenes, which are mildly interesting but don’t add - or detract - from the show at hand. No matter since the 22 episodes in the second season will keep you satisfied like a warm blanket on a cold night.
