Fate Accomplis

Previously on Everwood: Ephram runs into Madison in NYC; Treat tells Madison to tell Ephram everything, which she says she's gonna do; Ephram and Treat bond mightily.

We open with black-and-white shots of New York. Tops of buildings, the Statue of Liberty, stock tickers, traffic, all backed by some rockin' electric guitar song. Ephram walks happily down a city sidewalk, while Treat stands on his hotel balcony and stares forlornly into the distance. Madison waits for Ephram in a "tea room." She's just getting up to leave when he walks in. They hug, and Ephram apologizes for being late, saying it's just, like, New York is so CRAZY! Didn't he live there for most of his life? Madison asks him if he's nervous. He misunderstands: "Uh...no...I mean, I'm not nervous, are you nervous?" Madison says she meant the audition, but it's good to know she no longer has an effect on him. Shut up, Madison. Ephram says he was nervous when he first arrived, but twelve straight hours of practicing pretty much cured that. He tells Madison that he's been wondering where she's been; he looked for her in Everwood, and even went to see her "band" "play." He asks what made her decide to leave. Madison tries to avoid the issue, and merely says it's a long story. Ephram says he's got time. "Tell me everything." Heh. Not so fast, Bucky. Credits.

We come back to the Abbott House, where Patch is taking Rose's temperature. Patch asks Rose what ails her more: Bright's lack of academic ambition, or his inability to keep a job. Rose puts a finger to her mouth, as Bright is just then walking in. He announces that he's just getting some cream cheese for Amy's bagels, since he's going to eat them all. Unfortunately, their refrigerator is bereft of cream cheese. He asks his parents if they need anything from the store. Patch answers through clenched teeth, "We're fine." Bright's all, "Okay, then. Bye!" Patch checks Rose's temp. It's 99.2, nothing to be too worried about. Now, I'm no expert, but there's an awfully heavy foreshadowing feeling here, and if something bad happens to Rose, I might have to blow you up, Berlanti. Patch tells an exasperated Rose that she mustn't -- and he actually uses the word "mustn't," which is perfect -- let Bright affect her so much. Rose says she supposes not. Patch says they really aren't doing Bright any favors by letting him hang around and fritter away his time. Rose tells Patch she knows he's right, but wishes there were a less drastic solution. Patch: "He'll get his own apartment in Everwood. 'Tis a far, far cry from Skid Row." 'TIS! They're really Patchin' it up this week, yes? Patch laments that Bright seems to have even less direction now than he did nearly a year ago at graduation. Rose can't believe it's been almost a year. Patch tells Rose that it's time. Amy shuffles in just then, sighing and rolling her eyes like her world has ended. Rose asks her what's wrong. Amy buries her head in her arms and tells her parents, "I got into Harvard." Rose and Patch can do nothing but look bewildered at their brilliant, weirdo daughter.

Back in NYC at the "tea room," Ephram is filling Madison in on life in Everwood. He tells her about Delia and her phases and various boyfriends, and says it was actually pretty funny to watch Treat try to deal with it all. Madison: "So you guys are getting along now?" Ephram says he doesn't know if things got better in his life, or Treat's life, or they both just got tired of yelling, but things are great. "Work, school...everything. It's good." Oh, Ephram. I sure hate what's about to happen to you. Madison says she's really happy for him. Ephram says he can't believe his life has finally come to this moment at Juilliard, and it's scary. Madison says she thinks it's good to be scared; it means you actually have something worth losing. Ephram: "Thank you. Now I'm not freaked out at all." Heh. Madison smiles a little sadly. Ephram says he has something to tell her, which is that she's a large part of why he's where he is, and why things are happening for him. Are you ready for this? He reminds her that, for her, "music was life." Yes, obviously. That garage band with the shitty name was such a burning passion that Madison was at ECC majoring in CHILD DEVELOPMENT. Of music. Anyway, Ephram tells Madison that she was a huge influence on him as far as pursuing his musical dream. Gah. Madison says that might be the nicest thing anyone's said to her in forever, which shouldn't have made me choke up because she seems so pitiful, but it did, so shut it. Ephram is all, "Yeah, you kicked my ass, which is good, because Amy only had to kick it half as much." Oh, inappropriate. I hate that. Madison tries to smile. "Amy, huh? You guys are together?" Ephram tells Madison that she "trained [him] well," which I also hate, and that he made all his major mistakes with her. Madison says he didn't make that many mistakes. Ephram: "Are you kidding? I have, like, a thirty-hour TiVo of Shame Highlight Reel I can pull up at any time, in my head." He goes on to say that one of the main reasons he wanted to get together with her was to say thank you. "Yes, I know. I'm made of cheese." Hee. Madison says she's just speechless. Ephram tells her that she can start talking about what's going on with her, since he just rambled about himself for hours. "What you got?" More than you can handle, kiddo.

Patch is sitting in Dimples's office, bitching at his mother. When Dimples walks in, Patch demands immediate rent payment. Dimples is telling Patch that won't be a problem at all when Chris Penn bursts in with a bleeding teen in his arms. "It's my boy! We went hunting and the gun went off!" Dimples, Patch, and Edna rush into action. The boy has a gaping stomach wound, and needs "bagging." Chris Penn breaks my heart with his frantic expression. Patch says they need to get him to the ER. Chris Penn says he was going to take him there, but it was so far away. He whispers, "My son. Please." I cry a little.

Tea House. Ephram asks Madison how she ended up in New York, and if she finally transferred to NYU. Madison says she's actually not in school now; it would take too much time away from her waitressing job. Heh. Madison says she's living with her brother, who has a great apartment in the Village (natch), and the people she's met are okay -- they're mostly all directionless twenty-somethings who've dropped out of various community colleges, and they've kind of got a support group going. Clueless Ephram is all, "Well, you've probably got way more time for your music now, huh?" Madison admits that she hasn't actually done much of that since she left the band. Labor and delivery really do get in the way of writing the perfect rock song. Madison gets a little teary-eyed, and Ephram asks her if she's okay. Madison says life after high school just isn't what you expect. You think you've got it all figured out, just pick a major and pack your bags, but it's not as easy as that. She says it seems crazy that people choose lives for themselves at age seventeen, but then what if something terrible happens? "Where's the Plan B?" She looks out the window of the tea room, and says there are all these people out there that are living their Plan B, just second-guessing. Ephram asks her if she wants to tell him about it. Madison, after all this stupid build-up, says, "I don't know if I should." My God, lady. Get to the point. Ephram says he gets that things aren't going that great for her right now. Madison is like, "Yeah, but you don't." Ephram tells her to explain it to her. Madison hesitates, and Ephram asks her why she thinks he's still a kid. Madison says that's not it. Ephram says it's fine; it used to bother him, but it doesn't anymore. To prove how much it doesn't bother him, he gets up and prepares to storm out. Madison tells him to wait. Ephram says they don't need to keep doing this, and starts putting on his coat. Madison: "Yes, we do. I didn't just leave, Ephram. I got pregnant." Ephram stops short, and...commercials.

We get a shot from the outside of Ephram and Madison sitting in the tea room. Suddenly, we're inside, and Madison is telling Ephram that "they" are really nice people. Ephram, clearly in shock, is like, "I'm sorry, who? Who's nice?" Madison starts telling Ephram about the super-great couple she chose to adopt their child, but Ephram can't take it just yet. Ephram's like, "So. You had a baby. You had our baby." Madison nods, and says she thought about not having it, had actually planned on not having it, but then just couldn't. Ephram wants to know where he was during all this. Madison says she found out just before he left for the summer program in New York. Ephram can't believe he wasn't even a factor. Madison tells him that he was, of course he was. Ephram begs to differ: "I got you pregnant, and you didn't tell me. What, was I too young or too stupid? Why wouldn't you come to me?" Madison doesn't know. Y'all, she is pitiful, and it is killing me. Ephram says he would have done something -- "I would have done anything." He says he doesn't know who she is, she's not who she was, and she's certainly not even a fraction of the person he fell in love with. Shut UP, Ephram. How about a little sympathy for the girl who carried your baby for nine months, BY HERSELF, and then had to make the hardest decision of her life, BY HERSELF, because she was ordered to by YOUR DADDY? How about it? No? Then shut it. Madison says she knows, she knows. Ephram does not, in fact, shut it, and tells Madison that she doesn't know, because she just took away a year of his life that he spent with somebody he can't even look at now. Madison says she's so sorry. Ephram: "And then you just came to New York without telling anybody?" Madison says no, she actually had "him" in Denver, and has only been in New York for two months. Ephram asks, "What did you just say?" Madison, weeping now, says it was a boy. "I'm so sorry, Ephram. I hope you can find it in you to forgive me." Madison gets up and leaves, and I wish she had kicked him in the balls on her way out.