Fade up on the town house of worship, as Irv tells us that people go to church for many different reasons: Community, appearances, even true faith. He tells us about how long the week can be, and the spiritual refreshment that church can provide. The fact that there were no previouslies tells me that this episode is going to be packed, and if I have to listen to sermons on top of this narration, my week is going to seem longer than the plagues. Treat and Delia are among the parishioners this week. We get our first look at the Reverend, and unlike later episodes, he gets to look at us as well. Lame joke by the Reverend, Delia asking Treat when the singing starts, Treat pretending to know but looking at the program. Great. Delia notices that the Rev is scratching himself more than a Survivor contestant. He's pretty blotchy as well. The congregation sings a hymn, and the Rev goes running for the door. Come on, Rev, Treat's singing isn't that bad. Oh, right, the itching. Delia looks quizzically at Treat, who says, "Don't look at me. It wasn't in the program." Sure it was -- didn't you see that "MEOW" between "Recapper sighs in frustration" and "Recapper gnashes his teeth into the opening credits"? Well, pay more attention time.
Okay, I have the musical equivalent of Stockholm syndrome. I have come to like the theme music. Commit me now.
Chez Brown. Nina's asking Treat if going to church is going to be a regular thing, and Treat tells her it was an "exploratory mission." Nina says that they have to go Sunday, because that's when the Reverend gives his annual "Hope Speech," and the town fills the church up. Well, I can see where that would be more popular than the "you're all going to hell, sure as shootin'" speech. There are more Baptists than Methodists, right? Ephram makes his adorable presence known, and then Nina exposits further that the reason everyone goes is that the Reverend picks a person who he thinks "best exemplifies hope within the community," and everyone wants to see whom it will be, although Irv has won it the last three years. That doesn't exactly jive with the town's attitude about Irv and Edna's coupling, but this is my last Everwood recap, so rather than bitch about Continuity screwing up his job, I'll just go join him in the bar after I hit "send." Ephram gives Treat a permission slip to sign so he can go on a field trip to some silver mine. Nina goes to take Sam and Delia to school. Do they go to the same school? If so, why don't we ever see them together? Although I think they've had at least four different actors play that role already (and another this fall), so maybe it's cursed, like the drummer position in This Is Spinal Tap. Which I'm going to pop in in a few minutes if this episode doesn't start picking up. Ephram sensitively tells Treat that he doesn't have to go on the trip, as he knows the day is Treat's and Sue Ellen's anniversary. Treat tries to play it off as no big deal in his usual way, but no one's particularly buying, so I suggest you start warming up your "Damn you, Berlanti" waaaay in advance.