Road to Avonlea Review: Enter Prince Charming / The Minister’s Wife

Episode Summaries: Avonlea gets a new minister. Reverend John Elliot (Jim Mezon) arrives with his worldly wife Viola (Stockard Channing) and teen son Booth (Jaimz Woolvett). The town’s initial excitement turns to fear when it becomes clear that the Booths aren’t like the typical minister family. John has a penchant for telling jokes during his sermons that almost cross the line. Booth is a rambunctious musician who immediately takes a liking to Sara Stanley, to the chagrin of Hetty. And Viola is a free spirit, not conforming to the conservative standards of the women in town. Janet is drawn to Viola’s worldly ways and the two develop a friendship. With Booth, Sara learns to let loose and be more independent of her Aunt Hetty. Despite Hetty’s initial objections, Sara and Booth develop a relationship and share a couple of kisses along the way. Meanwhile, Janet grows concern at Viola’s casual daytime drinking. At first, Viola is defensive. However, Janet feels guilt for how she confronted Viola when she learns that Viola suffers from chronic pain as a result of a past spinal injury. Ultimately, having lost favor with the town as a whole, John Elliot decides to move his family out of town, closer to the city and closer to a hospital where Viola’s needs can more easily be met. Janet and Sara will both remember their respective friendships with Viola and Booth.

“Enter Prince Charming” was directed by Stephen Surjik and written by Raymond Storey, with music by John Welsman. “The Minister’s Wife” was directed by Allan King and written by Raymond Storey, with music by John Welsman.

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My Grade: For most of this post, I’m pretty much going to discuss these episodes as one unit. There are a couple things that separate these episodes. One, is that they have different directors. And two, “Enter Prince Charming” mostly focuses on Sara and Booth, while “The Minister’s Wife” is Stockard Channing’s big Emmy-nominated episode. However, we see enough Viola in the first episode and enough Sara and Booth in the second episode that this whole story is essentially a two-part finale for season 5. Besides the “Parent Trap” episode from season 3, this show does not do official “two-part episodes.” However, there’s clearly a common thread between these final 2 episodes, and that is the Booth family’s experience in Avonlea.

These episodes are, in my opinion, excellent, mainly because of the story. Yes, these episodes feature some of the less flattering threads of the Avonlea fabric. The episode features two “Hollywood” guest stars that nearly take away from the regular characters. As a result, most of regular characters come across as almost one dimension. As an audience, we’re supposed to feel sympathy for Viola, a free-spirit who is ostracized for wearing robes and not keeping her hair up in public. We’re supposed to be on John Elliot’s side when he bravely confronts the church board and tells them that he will not “rein in” his wife and tell her what to do. All the while, the townspeople look like unreasonable, backwards busybodies. We never really see the townspeople’s point of view or get their side of the story. We don’t really understand why Alec King would side with the town. There’s a lot of focus on the Booths, and they are main characters of this movie-length story.

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Despite those issues, this is a well-written, well-structured episode that feature great performances by all the actors who make up the Booth family. It’s also nice to see Sara finally get a romance of her own. For the first four seasons, Sara was more a matchmaker than a “story girl.” Season four showed Sara at her most selfless; she’s literally being chided by both Gus and Felicity while desperately trying to save their relationship. Sara also has a “relationship” with a rodeo performer in season four. However, that relationship was completely misguided. It was one-sided. The guy was significantly older. And Sara was left heartbroken in the end. Finally, after five seasons, Sara has an age-appropriate beau of her own. And she’s well matched with Booth. To be honestly, I love the character of Booth, and I love Sara and Booth’s relationship, even if it is short-lived. This episode tries to paint Sara as being hopelessly proper and conservative. That’s not exactly wrong. While Sara was sort of a troublemaker during the earlier seasons, she definitely became more of a stereotypical “lady” by season four. And her experience with the rodeo performer could have probably made Sara even more guarded in regards to love. But this episode definitely exaggerates this aspect in Sara’s personality. It’s clear by now that if Sara wants to do something, she does it, with or without Hetty’s approval. So, it’s not exactly a big deal when Sara sneaks off with Booth to do some Titanic-style dirty dancing. But, again, considering Sara’s been hurt once before by a guy she liked, the fact she can trust Booth is a big step.

Booth is a great character, and I so wish he had become more of a recurring presence in season 5. The thing I like most about Booth is that he brings something new. One of my favorite scenes within these two episodes is when he first visits Sara (with Davey and Dora) without any adult supervision. He introduces Sara to “stride piano,” an early type of jazz style that was, at least, popularized by black musicians. He also dances the “cakewalk” with Sara, a style of dance created within black communities during the mid-19th century. He exposes Sara to these different musical styles while Davey and Dora happily watch from the sidelines. One, it sort of reminds me of our introduction to Gus Pike in season 2 where he plays the fiddle for Felix and Sara while fishing. The joy Sara and Felix felt in that scene mirrors Davey and Dora’s joy when they hear Booth play the piano or watch him dance with Sara. I also like this scene because, let’s face it, Avonlea is very white. Prince Edward Island is still very white. But during the turn of the century, Avonlea would probably not be exposed to black culture. Since the show is very realistic, they can’t shoehorn black characters. But if they did, if a black family moved into town, how would the townspeople react? Clearly, not that well if even the Booths are considered too much. It’s just nice and refreshing when there’s a different aesthetic featured on the show. Before the events of season one, Sara used to travel the world and expose herself to different cultures and communities. Seeing Booth do something different than what she experiences in Avonlea must have harkened Sara back to a time when she was more adventurous. It’s possible that staying in a small town like Avonlea was the best and maybe also the worst thing for her personal development.

And, of course, Sara also has her first kiss. She kisses Booth towards the end of the first part, as well as the end of the second part. Overall, I probably like “Enter Prince Charming” a bit more than “The Minister’s Wife.” “Enter Prince Charming” allowed for a regular character (Sara) to go through some sort of change, while the second episode seemed to be Disney’s attempt at getting another Emmy nomination (and it worked). But, individually, or as a unit, both episodes get an (A) from me.

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Spotlight Performances: Since this post technically features two episodes, I get to name two actors. We all know who Stockard Channing is. She’s definitely the most notable guest star from season 5, a season that didn’t have a lot of guest stars. Her breakout role was that of Rizzo in Grease. In 1991, she was nominated for a Tony for her performance in Six Degrees of Separation (an amazing play), and then she received an Oscar nomination for the film adaptation in 1994. The Oscars took place just a few days before this episode aired in Canada and about a month before the US airdate. Stockard Channing, like most of the American guest stars, was very excited to be part of this show, and felt like there was an innocence and freshness in this Canadian show that had long been missing in Hollywood. Besides Six Degrees, Stockard’s other big role was the First Lady in The West Wing. Like mentioned before, Channing received an Emmy nomination for Guest Actress in a Drama. She was also nominated for a CableACE, competing in the Lead Actress category against Jackie Burroughs.

We obviously don’t get to know Viola Elliot too well. We can guess that at some point, Viola was probably the typical, demure minister’s wife. The accident that injured her spine and caused her lifelong, near constant pain probably gave her new perspective on life. She may not be able to control her physical self, but she can at least control how she approaches life mentally. Viola Elliot isn’t a unique character, but in the world of Avonlea, she’s something new. Viola doesn’t set out to change Avonlea. She doesn’t really care what people think of her. But her character shows that sometimes living your own best life, for whatever reason, can bring out the worst in others. Usually, Avonlea celebrates the small town and their values. However, in this case, we see the more judgmental side. Jim Mezon as Viola’s minister husband John Eliot gives my other favorite performance within this two-parter. And the scene when the church board demands that John changes the content of his sermons and reins in his wife is another favorite of mind. I like that John stands by his family and his wife and refuses to succumb to the pressure of this small town. Maybe this is a controversial point, but I am 100% on John side, even if the episode could have done a better job in allowing us to see the human side in the town’s point of view as well. Mezon only has a few screen credits; he most works in theatre.

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Favorite Scene: Jaimz Woolvett, as Booth, also gives a great performance in this episode. He’s a Canadian actor, mostly known for his role in Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven. He was actually initially considered for the role of Gus Pike. But, he chose Unforgiven over Road to Avonlea. I’m going to make the wild assumption that if Woolvett had been cast as Gus Pike, then Gus Pike’s characterization would have been very similar to that of Booth’s. I’ve mentioned some of my favorite scenes in this episode (stride piano, John Elliot defending his wife); however, I have a couple more. During “The Minister’s Wife,” Booth and Sara’s romance sort of becomes the sub-plot to the Viola drama. The story line turns into Hetty butting into Booth and Sara’s relationship every chance she gets. I like the scene where Sara, Booth and Hetty are having dinner together, and Sara serves Booth the funkiest looking ice cream I’ve ever seen on film. It’s like this fluffy marshmallow fluff. I’m assuming the lights used for filming got so warm that they couldn’t use real ice cream for the scene. Booth is like “Pie and ice cream. They go together…like you and I.” Booth is just a charmer in that scene.

I also like the scene later in the episode where Booth is reading Hetty’s manuscript. This is the book Hetty has been working on all season. It’s sort of her love letter to her family, Avonlea, and the concept of a small town. Booth is so used to traveling from city to city with his parents that he’s never really had the opportunity to settle down and build some roots. He shows respect to Hetty, saying that Sara is very lucky to have her as an aunt. I think Hetty does feel some guilt for her tendency to shelter Sara. Sometimes, Hetty wonders if Sara would be happier living in Montreal or traveling abroad at the frequency she did before her mother’s death. But Booth reassures Hetty that the home she’s built and maintained for Sara has been a blessing and a gift. It’s a moment where Booth and Hetty finally see eye-to-eye. Of course, Booth ends up leaving with his family. But it doesn’t make these words for Hetty less true or significant.

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Final Thoughts: Let’s get the big one out of the way: This is Sarah Polley’s last episode as a series regular. We’ll see her again towards the start of season 6. And then once more for the finale. Sara’s episode in season 6 is a big one for her, so I suppose I don’t have too much to say about the subject of Polley leaving at this time. There’ll be more to dissect once we get to that episode. And I’ve sort of already written about Polley’s reduced role this season. But, this episode is sort of the last time we see Sara Stanley as part of the town of Avonlea. She’s still living with Hetty. And throughout season five, during Sara’s absences, if it’s not explicitly stated that Sara’s in Montreal visiting her Nanny Louisa, I think the assumption is that Sara is still part of the Avonlea scene; she’s just not part of the hijinks of the particular episode. Despite Polley’s reduced role, Sara Stanley is still a member of the Avonlea community. After this episode, however, the two times Sara comes back, she comes back as more of a visitor/guest, than an actual part of the town. So “The Minister’s Wife” is in many ways the last time we see Sara as we’ve always seen her. The next time we see Sara, she’ll be a young woman with her hair up and a Gibson Girl wardrobe. This is the end of adolescent Sara. At least, they were able to squeeze in a real love story for Sara. It doesn’t have the scope of Felicity and Gus. But it’s something. I suppose it makes sense that Sara doesn’t leave the series as someone’s wife. It kind of fits in with her feminist persona. (Although, is Sara a “feminist”…or am I projecting too much Polley in her?). Anyway, Polley’s departure is another discussion for another time.

I couldn’t find many news articles about Stockard Channing in Avonlea. Long-time television critic Mike Hughes gave “Enter Prince Charming” a good review, but was much less enthusiastic about “The Minister’s Wife,” calling it “a thud.” As you can tell from this review, I’m more invested in “Booth and Sara” than “Viola and Janet vs. Avonlea,” but both episodes are still AOK in my book, and both storylines work well together. I could never watch one episode without the other. It will always be a double feature. However, it’s still easy for me to distinguish one episode from the other, and recall which scenes came from which part.

So, this is the end of season 5. In terms of awards, the show won its third CableACE award for Best Drama Series. It was also nominated again for Best Children’s Series at the Emmys. At the Gemini’s, the show picked up a lot a nominations and a few wins, but, once again, lost the big award, this time to the popular Canadian dramedy Due South. I think season 5 is underrated among the fanbase. Honestly, season 5 might be favorite season. I feel like it features more really great episodes than any other season. “Memento Mori” is a classic. “Thursday’s Child” is so emotional. And “A Friend in Need” is personal favorite of mind, even if most fans don’t give the episode a second glance because nothing major happens in it (or it doesn’t feature Gus). Sarah Polley has a reduced role, but she gives great performances in the four episodes in which she appears. Gema Zamprogna also has a reduced role, but Felicity had a lot of development and growth. Lally Cadeau gave her best performances in “Thurday’s Child,” “Strictly Melodrama,” and “The Minister’s Wife.” And Jackie Burroughs as Hetty continues to be the captain of the ship. It’s a season that focused less on Disney-approved guest stars, which made both Kevin Sullivan and the cast happy. Season six is going to look very different from the first five seasons. Featured characters will be given bigger roles, a new actress will replace Harmony Cramp (Cecily), and a new family will emerge and become prominent during the season. But Avonlea will always be Avonlea. And that is that!

Road to Avonlea Review: Thursday’s Child

Episode Summary: Sweet little Cecily is diagnosed with tuberculosis, the same disease that killed her Aunt Ruth many years ago. Everyone in town reacts in horror, afraid that they will catch this potentially deadly disease. Felix is suspended from his job at the White Sands. Feeling useless, Felicity decides to do more research on the disease, realizing she no longer wants to go to teacher’s college; she wants to be a doctor. Janet takes the burden of tending to Cecily herself out of guilt for all the times she’s ignored Cecily in the past in favor of the other kids in the household. After it becomes clear that Cecily is only getting sicker, Janet listens to the doctors and agrees to send Cecily away to a sanitorium. All anyone else can do is hope that Cecily will survive this ordeal.

Directed by Harvey Frost, Written by Heather Conkie, Music by John Welsman

My Grade: Season 5 is defined by two episodes: “Memento Mori” and “Thursday’s Child.” Both episodes deal with death. In the former episode, Hetty mourns the loss of her mother. In “Thursday’s Child,” the possibility of death comes again with Cecily’s sickness. In 1900, tuberculosis was the second leading cause of death in the United States, just behind pneumonia. Tuberculosis also had the possibility of being passed on to other people. So, Cecily being diagnosed with this disease was a big deal. When Hetty’s first told about Cecily’s diagnosis, her mind immediately goes to her sister Ruth. Overall, during this time period, tuberculosis was seen as a death sentence. Think of HIV/AIDS in the ’80s. Think of stigma AIDS patients had in the 1980s. Much of that can be compared to tuberculosis patients from the 1900s. The show does a great job of truly showing how terrifying and concerning a tuberculosis diagnosis is. Not trying to defend how the town reacts to Cecily’s issue or how they treat the King family. There’s very little Christian understanding and compassion going on. Even Olivia is kind of horrible in this episode. (“I WILL NEVER FORGIVE JANET IF ANYTHING EVER HAPPENS TO MONTGOMERY!” bish, sit down). But, their behavior is certainly not out of the norm. Tuberculosis was scary. It still is. We don’t get it anymore because of vaccines, but if someone does, then it is a serious matter. (So, uh…vaccinate your people, please).

Besides all that culture science mumbo jumbo, “Thursday’s Child” is a genuinely wonderful episode. It’s what I like in an Avonlea episode. It’s emotional. It’s dramatic. It’s realistic. The music is perfect. The performances are uniformly great. It’s an episode that features most of the town and doesn’t rely on any stunt casting. And, it’s a really sad, heartbreaking episode. The episode tells us that sometimes doing the right thing isn’t the easiest action. Take Janet. She places so much blame on herself for Cecily getting sick. Cecily is definitely taken for granted (on multiple levels and realms). When Alec and Janet are showing more concern for Sara Stanley or the latest drifter to show up randomly in their barn than their youngest daughter, then that’s a problem, fam. Regardless of what Janet should have done in the past…well, it’s the past. There’s nothing that can be done to change prior events. Janet can’t let her guilt get in the way of fully understand what’s best for Cecily and the family. Keeping Cecily in the house to only get worse, with the potential to getting more people sick, is not the best course of action. Janet had to make the difficult decision to send Cecily away. It’s a weird irony. Mrs. King does not feel like she paid enough attention to Cecily, and now she’s sending her away to New York to a sanitorium. But, ultimately, it has to be done. (A+)

Favorite Performance and Scene: Speaking of Janet…while this episode features most of the main cast, and a variety of different emotions and performances from the actors, this episode really belongs to Lally Cadeau. Cadeau is perfect on this show, literally since the beginning when Janet was more of a pithy comedic relief than a fully fleshed-out character. During the first season, when the show was more focused on Sara, the kids, and the quirky guest star of the week, Cadeau took a couple scenes and a line here and there and did more than any ordinary actress would do. That’s why she was nominated for a Gemini for the first season when her character had very little to do. That’s why Cadeau was given heavier themes and storylines to tackle ever since. “Thursday’s Child” is Cadeau’s magnum opus on the show. The episode represents all the reasons we love Janet and how Cadeau makes that possible.

The range Lally Cadeau practices in this episode is one of a kind. In the beginning, when Janet admits to Cecily she never had the chance to finish her baby quilt she’s like “Oh golly gee! Shucks! Oh well!” After Cecily’s prognosis, Janet’s like “What have I done? I’m a horrible mother.” And then she goes nuts: “That’s my baby, and I will take care of her as I see fit!” In the end, after the trip to the sanitorium in New York when Janet takes Cecily, Janet displays a mixture of fear, sadness, hope and…relief. She’s relieved that Cecily’s still alive, of course. But she’s also relieved that someone better equipped will see Cecily through this ordeal. She’s relieved that in a couple weeks, she’ll be able to go back home to Avonlea. And, hopefully, with Cecily gone, things can go back to normal for everyone. It’s relief…but it’s a guilty kind of relief. She’s not sure if she’s doing the right thing…but, at this time, it works for everyone. All those conflicting emotions come through on Cadeau’s face.

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This is also a standout episode for John Welsman. Welsman received a Gemini nomination for this episode, while his rival Don Gillis received one for “Memento Mori.” These are the two best episodes of the season. Once again, the music plays such a pivotal role in the success of this show. Welsman ended up winning this round. It’s a shame that neither one of them was nominated for Emmys for their work here. In any case, I probably would have cast my vote for Gillis, because the music for “Memento Mori” is so iconic. However, the very first time I watched this series I thought the opposite. Welsman’s score is at its most distinct and dramatic during the scene when Janet is walking home from the general store. She hears a baby scream from inside the house. Janet freaks out and runs through the slippery winter snow to the house. The camera shows Janet’s back as she makes this brief, yet painful trek towards the house. The music is this intense fast violin sound that I don’t think has ever been featured on the show before. When it turns out that Baby Daniel only coughed up an accidentally swallowed button, Janet still can’t help but hold on to him and sob further. This is the turning point for Janet. This is when Janet realizes she has to do anything for her family, even if means sending someone away for a while.

John Welsman’s score is obviously also special because it incorporates Alec King’s (Cedric Smith) rendition of “All Through the Night.” Alec tenderly sings this song trying to get Baby Daniel to sleep; however, it’s really a lullaby in honor of Cecily. His voice reaches every corner of the house, allowing for each member of the family to take a moment and reflect on the important things in life. This is another special scene in the episode. In fact, when all is said and done, it’s probably one of the most memorable scenes of the entire series.

Final Thoughts: While this episode belongs to Lally Cadeau, we obviously have to pay tribute to Harmony Cramp, who played Cecily faithfully and dutifully for five seasons. Where should I begin with this? Cecily will come back in season 6, looking different because she’ll be played by a new actress. I won’t get into that now because…well, we’ll have plenty of time during the season 6 reviews. But, I do have some thoughts on Cramp’s exit.

While I do continue to stand by season 4 being a transitional season in regards to character development and the kids growing up, season 5 is a transitional period in relation to the actual cast dynamic. Sara(h) is gone (although she’s coming back in “one week” according to Olivia). Gema Zamprogna (Felicity) has one foot out the door, and only appears in 9/26 episodes in the last 2 seasons. And every other young character from the first 3 seasons is gone. We are left with Felix as the most visible representation of the show’s younger cast. The show desperately needed a young woman to replace the gaps that will be left by Sara and Felicity’s absences. Cecily was old enough to be a suitable replacement for both, and, finally, be given her own storylines and agency. But, according to various sources, including Harmony Cramp herself, the show’s producers didn’t feel the actress playing Cecily at the time had enough stage presence to take on the challenge. So, Harmony Cramp out, different actress in.

Look, I get it. But I also don’t get it. And I think the blame lies solely on Sullivan and the writers. Harmony Cramp would have been ready for the increase in screentime and dramatic heft by season 5/6 had she been given stuff to do during the first 4 seasons. In other words, if you want a kid actor on a long-running TV show to successfully transition into adult storylines later in the run, he or she has to be given the experience to fully grow. Cecily really became a nothing-character by season 2. In season 1, Cecily is a great character. Yes, she isn’t given a spotlight episode like Felicity or Felix (or even Peter), but she at least has some presence. She’s the best thing about “Proof of the Pudding.” She’s cute. She’s nice. She’s naive. And, in the show’s first episode, she’s one of the first people in Avonlea to actually defend Sara Stanley and treat her kindly.

A common complaint regarding Cecily is that she’s nothing like the “actual” Cecily in the books by LM Montgomery. That is very correct. Cecily talks more in the books and isn’t so much a perfect sweet angel like her television doppelganger. In my opinion, I think TV Cecily’s characterization works. The Book Cecily is a little too similar to Book Felicity (who is just like TV Felicity). In the books, Cecily is still the least interesting character. OK, Beverly is actually the worst. But then I’d place Cecily above him, and only him. Beverly does not transfer to the show. If the producers insisted on keeping Cecily on, then I wish they had actually used Cecily more. In the TV show, Cecily’s cute persona gives her space not occupied by any of the other characters. Unfortunately, the producers had no idea (or, more likely, no interest) in doing anything with Cecily’s sweetness. So, alas, by season 5, Cecily in its current form simply cannot fill the void left by the likes of Felicity and Sara. Cecily needed an “upgrade.” And, she needed a new actress playing her.

In the books, Cecily also dies of tuberculosis. I don’t know anything else about this switch. I don’t know if this episode/story arc was created with the sole purpose of making the transition easier to swallow (LOL, it doesn’t). I don’t know if this was a decision made after the season ended. I don’t know how “Thursday’s Child” plays into this decision. What I do know is that this is Harmony Cramp’s farewell. And it makes the episode even sadder because we don’t see this Cecily anymore. Cecily, as we know her, is dead. I will say I have no hate for the newer actress or even her performance as Cecily. You’ll see, when I get to that episode in season 6, I’m not going to be as harsh as others are. But…as a general philosophy, I do not approve of recasts, especially when it’s against the original actor’s will. I would rather see Harmony Cramp awkwardly tackle dramatic content (“Fathers and Sons” features her one big angry line and even that’s not that great) than a new actress taking over. It just affects the (any) show’s realism. I only accept that crap from daytime soaps and Dr. Who.

Harmony Cramp retired from acting after this episode. This was her first and last big break.

Also, one more thing about this: Road to Avonlea can be strangely meta sometimes. Cecily’s heath in the episode perfectly represents her character development in the show. “Give the character a chance! Let Molly Atkinson take over before she turns to dust!”

Heather Conkie wrote this episode (and “Memento Mori”) and was not nominated for a Gemini for garbage reasons probably. On the other hand, Gema Zamprogna was nominated with this episode being submitted on her behalf. This was a very strange choice, considering “Otherwise Engaged” existed. Even the actress herself was surprised by the choice of episode, but felt her character’s development and realization of her career goals made the whole thing understandable.

 

 

Road to Avonlea Reviews: Race/Stranger/Believe

Episode Summaries: The Great Race – After a freak riding accident, Felix isn’t sure if he is ready to literally get back on the horse. With encouragement from his mother, who also went through a similar accident when she was eight, he finds the courage to compete in the steeplechase against Mr. Pettibone. Stranger in the Night – A mysterious stranger named Caleb Stokes (Gemini winner Bruce Greenwood) starts to work as a hired hand for the King Family. However, after an out-of-towner spots Caleb and angrily confronts him, the Kings, particularly Alec, are distraught to learn that their helper spent time in jail for fraud and embezzlement. Despite Caleb earning the family’s trust again with a reasonable explanation for his past troubles, he decides to leave town out of concern for the people about which he’s grown to care. Someone to Believe In – Corrupt politician John Hodgson (Gordon Pinsent), with his daughter Adeline (Laura Bertram), visits Avonlea to drum up support for his campaign. Although both Alec and Felix are charmed by the father and daughter respectively (for different reasons of course), they soon realize that looks are in the eye of the beholder. After Felix catches Adeline stealing from the White Sands Hotel, Felix does the right thing and exposes her, even if that means losing the girl of her dreams.

“The Great Race” is directed by Stephen Scaini and written by Rick Drew, with music by Don Gillis. “Stranger in the Night” is directed by Allan King and written by Janet Maclean, with music by John Welsman. “Someone to Believe In” is directed by Eleanore Lindo and written by Avrum Jacobson, with music by Don Gillis.

My Grades: We’ve now reached the “so-so” mid-section of an otherwise strong season. (Although we are one more episode away from the season’s worst episode so hold on to your bootstraps). The two Felix-heavy episodes are “The Great Race” and “Someone the Believe In.” For season 5, both Sarah Polley and Gema Zamprogna asked for less screentime. Sara’s absence is very obvious because…well…where has she been? (With her Nanny Louisa of course.) But Felicity’s decreasing screentime won’t become apparent until the final 2 seasons. This season, Felicity still appears consistently throughout. In fact, she pretty much appears in all the episodes. But, she’s only given the central storyline in one episode, “Otherwise Engaged.” Considering how Felicity (and Gus)-heavy season four was, it’s a little jarring to see how much in the periphery she’s in for this season. In any case, the lessening of her screentime in season 5 only makes her long absences in season 6 and 7 more easily digestible. On the other hand, Sara leaving is just a huge punch in the gut (especially if she’s your favorite character, like me!).

That was a long tangent. The point is, with Sara, Felicity, and Gus out of the way, Felix really sets himself as a major figure for the rest of the series. And this dense Felix run of episodes is our first major proof of that. Both “Race” and “Believe” get (A-)‘s in my book. “Someone to Believe in” is a fine episode that feels simpler, less contrived, more heartfelt than the majority of the White Sands-centered episodes. Meanwhile, “The Great Race” is good. But I can’t shake the feeling that “The Great Race” is just “Felix and Blackie” with a dash of “Moving On.” (Both episodes are also among the best of the series receiving perfect scores from me.) Also, does it make sense that Felix would develop such PTSD from his riding accident after the events of “Felix and Blackie?” Once again, character development is secondary to the story. Obviously, still a great episode.

“Stranger in the Dark” is a favorite among fans, particularly because of guest star Bruce Greenwood’s award-winning performance as the mysterious Caleb Stokes. I think Bruce Greenwood is fine, but his character lacks the earnestness of Peter Craig and the charm of Gus Pike. In other words, Greenwood (or his character, I dunno) is a bit too staid to truly stand out. I think the episode has a good lesson in not judging anyone from surface-level facts. The King family’s feelings on Caleb shift with every new act of this story. He’s bad. He’s good. He’s bad. He’s good. It’s a fun bit of irony if you think about it. However, the way I feel about this episode is similar to how I feel about the show’s second episode “Story Girl.” This episode would have, at least, seemed better had it led to something further. But since this is Caleb’s only appearance (and, as far as I remember, only mention), I can’t help but ask “So what?” There’s a weird sense of dignity and unearned importance placed on this “one-off” character that comes across as superficial. There have been a lot “one and done” characters on this show. Peter Coyote’s Romney Penhallow comes to mind. But, unlike Stokes, Penhallow had a big enough personality and an interesting backstory relevant to one of the main characters that his presence in this one episode alone was enough to be a classic. With Stokes, I understand the character is supposed to be mysterious and hard-to-read and good, but I personally have never been all that captivated by him. A couple more appearances to really develop the character would have made this episode better in retrospect. As it stands, it’s a staid (B).

Spotlight Performances: I think the actors who make up the King Family gave the highlight performances for these three episodes. Lally Cadeau once again proves why season 5 belonged to her, even as a supporting performer in “The Great Race.” In “Stranger,” Cedric Smith does so much with so little as a conflicted Alec King grapples with the reality that the young man he almost considered to be a son might be a criminal. And, of course, when past Daytime Emmy nominee Zachary Bennett (“Believe”) is given the chance to grapple with dramatic content, he shines. We’re officially done with “fat-boy not actually fat” antics from the earlier seasons.

Favorite Scene: Despite my reservations regarding “Stranger in the Dark,” the hay harvesting scene (where Caleb proves his usefulness to the family) is still pretty thrilling. Maybe, thrilling isn’t the right word. There’s just something great about the moments where the family truly comes together, gets its hands dirty, and gets sh@# done before the sky turns pink.

Final Thoughts: Musically, season 5 is interesting because, more than the last 2 seasons, there seems to be some sort of tension between the Don Gillis scores and the John Welsman motifs. We will not see both composers credited together until season 7, so this season, the episodes go back and forth between their two very different styles. The whole vibe and mood in the show changes based on which score is used in an episode. Don Gillis’ music (featured in both Felix-centered episodes) is bolder, more melodramatic than Welsman’s (“Stranger”), which, frankly, seems closer to the type of music that would be played in a northern small town during that era. Both great in their own ways. However, music from Don Gillis will start to have a bigger role in the later seasons, and of course, his stuff will be used in every other Kevin Sullivan production after Avonlea. It’s worth noting, though, that a slower version of “King Family” score, which dominated seasons 2 and 3, is heard once again during the harvesting scene. Besides the opening credits, is this the last time we hear it? We shall see…

Remember when the show was more known for the pretty flowery music from Hagood Hardy (another prominent composer during the first 2 seasons) that played while the kids were running through the meadows? I feel like that’s officially been replaced by Don Gillis’ western theme played any time a character rides a horse.

“Race” is the first episode directed by Stefan Scaini. Surprisingly, he only directs three more episodes before directing the reunion movie. He received a Gemini nomination for the reunion movie, along with another one the year before for Sullivan’s “Under the Piano.” He also directed the reunion movies for Kevin Sullivan’s other two famous series. He’s directed for nearly every Canadian show, most notably Degrassi, Heartland, Street Legal, and Beachcombers. He won his first Emmy in 2016 for his work on the PBS show Odd Squad. “Believe” is also Eleanore Lindo’s first episode. She’ll only direct two more, including Sarah Polley’s farewell next season. She is also prolific, having directed episodes for Degrassi, Heartland, Street Legal, and…uh…Beachcombers. She won a Gemini for her work on Degrassi. “Believe” is also the Avonlea debut for Avrum Jacobson, who would later produce the Canadian hit ReGenesis.

Finally, Gordon Pinsent and Laura Bertram will end up having guest roles in Sullivan’s next show Wind at My Back. Pinsent will have an important recurring role that will lead to a Gemini nomination. Bertram will appear in the season 1 finale, playing a much nicer character than the one in “Believe.”

 

 

 

Road to Avonlea Review: A Friend In Need

Episode Summary: Davey is always getting himself in trouble, especially at school. Sara Stanley believes Davey is utterly hopeless, until she finally realizes why Davey acts up so much: he can’t read! In the end, she decides to help Davey learn to read and become a better student. Meanwhile, Izzy Pettibone is popular with the boys because she’s good at sports and doesn’t act like the typical “girl.” Izzy doesn’t own any dresses. When Olivia discovers that Izzy has tried on one of the dresses she was sewing for Cecily, Olivia and Mr. Pettibone decide to gift Izzy her very own dress. Izzy discovers she can still be a tomboy and look pretty while doing so.

Directed by Allan Kroeker, Written by Marlene Matthews, Music by John Welsman

My Grade and Spotlight Performance: Not only do I think this episode is very much underrated, I would also consider it to be one of my favorite episodes of all time. From the surface, “A Friend In Need” does seem like an “ordinary” episode. Nothing big or dramatic or even life changing happens. However, there are little pockets of character development that’s sewed onto the show’s fabric. Izzy starts wearing dresses. She transitions out of her somewhat asexual tomboy phase into…let’s say the kind of girl that Felix would fall in love with (spoiler alert!). After a season long absence, Davey and Dora are now officially recurring characters on the show. We’ll be seeing more of them, especially Davey. The Lawsons leave town to run a new general store in New Brunswick. As a result, Muriel Stacey, who never says no to a challenge, decides to run the store herself. So “nothing happens”…but a lot happens at the same time.

But, really, this episode is about Sara(h). It’s hard to watch episodes like this, knowing that Sarah Polley has one foot out the door. This is Sara Stanley’s last episode until the two-part season finale. Frankly, the character misses a lot of important moments during this season. The common excuse will be that Sara is in Montreal, visiting her Nanny Louisa. It almost becomes sort of a joke the number of times the show makes excuses for Sara’s absence. According to an interview Polley gave while shooting this episode, she admits that she asked to appear on the show less so she would have more time to attend school, which is ironic, considering Polley dropped out of school to focus on activism, and then started acting full time again after shooting The Sweet Hereafter before finally becoming a full time Oscar nominated director and screenwriter. But, at the time, Polley, suffering from scoliosis, definitely lost interest in the show. So, this isn’t exactly Sara’s last episode, but, after this episode, we, as an audience, have to get used to an Avonlea without its leading star.

Sara’s main role on the show is not only that of a “matchmaker,” but she’s also a good hearted helper. She’s pure and perfect, and always find the good in everyone she meets. She’s kind of like Anne Shirley, except without the body dysmorphia. However, this episode is great because Sara sort of loses her way. She is too quick to cast Davey aside. When she asks Davey to grab the bag of sugar, and Davey, not being able to read, grabs the salt bag by mistake, Sara automatically assumes that Davey planned on pulling a prank. She doesn’t give Davey the benefit of the doubt. She, like the rest of the town, believed that Davey was nothing more than a troublemaker. Sara’s literally too mean to Davey for the bulk of the episode.

However, Sara snaps out of it, and probably does one of the nicest things anyone has done on the show. She made herself look bad to prevent Davey from fully humiliating himself in front of the class. She realizes that Davey can’t read. And, from there, she decides to help him; and, I’m sure she did before she went off to Montreal to be with her Nanny Louisa and vast inheritance. Sarah Polley gives one of her best performances on the show when her character finally confronts Davey and tells him it’s never too late to learn to read. It’s a sweet scene, played nicely by both Polley and Kyle Labine. It’s not most earth shatteringly original premise, but Marlene Matthews (part of the holy trinity that makes up Suzette Couture and Heather Conkie) livens it up with her script, and adds some real heart to it. Yes, this episode is in my personal top 10. Yes, it’s gets an (A+)

Favorite Scene: I’ve mentioned this many times on this site, but one of the treats from this show are the end credits for every episode. Whether it’s a continuation from the scene prior, or an exterior shot of one of the homes, or repurposed stock footage, I usually can’t help but stick around and watch the end credits to its entirety. That’s also mostly due to the musical score used during the end credits. It’s usually a score that’s been played throughout the episode. For the longest time, many end credits featured the famous “King Family score,” last used for the season four finale. This episode re-uses a motif that was first heard during season four’s “Home Movie.” It’s kind of this humble sounding old-timey score that represented the small simple town of Avonlea during that episode. For season five, the score is resurrected and used as sort of a theme song for Davey. We’ll hear it at least once more during this season. I wish the score was used more, although maybe it’s good that Kevin Sullivan showed some restraint with it ;). In any case, the score is well used here, particularly at the end of the episode when Izzy proves to the boys she can wear a dress and still kick their butts in sportsball. And then the music continues on as we see Sara, Davey and Dora walk towards the shore. Were doubles used during that scene? Who knows? Probably. It’s still a nice scene…a scene that makes me a little sad since Sara doesn’t spend too much time with the other kids after this episode.

Final Thoughts: Like I stated before, there are a lot of comings and goings in this episode. The Lawsons have packed up and moved to New Brunswick. Muriel Stacey will run the store for a while. Izzy Pettibone’s brother, Morgan, is now in military school, although he’ll appear later in the series. Muriel Stacey and Mr. Pettibone have their first scene together. The chemistry is very obvious, just saying.

This episode is directed by Allan Kroeker. This is his first of two episodes. He also directs the next episode, which is “Strictly Melodrama.” The two episodes are pretty different, so I can’t exactly pin a “style” on him. But I think his direction for this episode, on top of the screenplay, certainly elevated a storyline that could have been forgotten and standard. He’s a pretty prolific Canadian direction. As of this writing this post, his latest credit is the Oprah Winfrey produced primetime soap Greenleaf. 

Road to Avonlea Review: Hearth and Home

Episode Summary: Janet’s Aunt Eliza unexpectedly comes to Avonlea for a visit (maybe a month. Maybe 2). However, her controlling and stuck-up ways start to get under Janet’s skin. One night, when Aunt Eliza overhears Janet talk to Alec about this, Eliza decides to leave, despite it being a very cold winter. When Janet finds her, the two forgive each other and begin anew. Meanwhile, Sara and Felix use light bulbs they find in Jasper’s mail, in order to warm the barn to save a few newborn lambs.

Directed by Otta Hanus, Written by Deborah Nathan, Music by John Welsman

My Grade: Although I think “Home Movie” would have made a stronger statement as a season finale, “Hearth and Home” is still a very nice episode in its own right. The last scene is especially nice, seeing new technology (light bulbs) not only save lives of animals, but also heat up the family is great. I’m sure I could come up with some really thoughtful, profound metaphor or something but…you get the idea. Light indicates new hope. Light bulbs indicate new insight and understanding. And that last scene is a symbol of light, warmth, hope, and further understanding. See? I did it, sortof. Anyway, I think the problem with this episode is that it’s a bit plotless and lacks focus. But as a showcase for the Great Aunt Eliza character, it works, since she has a meaningful scene with at least every member of the King family (except Cecily…#poorCecily). (A-)

Spotlight Performance: Speaking of showcase, this is of course a nice showcase for Kay Tremblay, who plays the role of Eliza. She’s played the role since the beginning of season two and will continue to play the role in a recurring status until the Christmas reunion movie. Although she was born in Scotland, she’s pretty much mostly had a career in Canadian television and film. She died in 2005. She’s mostly remembered for her role on Avonlea, but she also received recognition for a recurring role on Night Heat. And guest starred on many youth television programs, including Are You Afraid of the Dark, Goosebumps, X-Men, Santa Who?, and a very crucial guest role in Kevin Sullivan’s other series Wind at My Back (which I hope I’ll get to before I turn 30!)

Favorite Scene: So, this episode was scored by John Welsman. I’ve obviously written at length about Welsman’s music and his contribution to this show. It goes without saying that some of the best motifs for this show was composed by Welsman (which is why it’s frustrating that there isn’t really an effective, appropriate soundtrack for this show. I mean, there are a couple but…they’re unsatisfying, one is only available if you purchase the season 6 DVD). However, after season 4, although we hear Welsman’s music until literally the final episode of the series, there’s sort a shift. The other major scorer for the series Don Gillis starts to have a significantly larger presence. That means this season 4 finale is the last time the ending credits are scored with “The King Family” motif. It was probably the show’s most prominent motif for the first four seasons. It’s springy, it’s royal, it’s lively, it’s fancy, it’s sprightly. It’s the kind of score that reminds you of home, but could have probably been played during a fancy dinner on the Titanic. It was first using in “Felicity’s Challenge” in season 1. And then it was used again for the season one finale. And then it almost became the standard closing score for the two seasons afterwards. So, what I’m trying to get at, the very last scene, where Mr. Pettibone and Alec are carrying a now warm Aunt Eliza out of the barn, with Hetty and Janet happily following to the end credits score we’ll never hear again after this…is my favorite scene of the episode.

Final Thoughts: So, this is the end of season 4. It took me over a year to finish this season but…I finally got it done! And I’m definitely going to continue on…it’s just going to take a while. Thank you to everyone who has been subscribing and reading these posts. Doing something like this is actually kind of difficult. Writing a review can take a chunk of time, believe it or not. The guys at AV Club make it look so easy (although that is their full time job.. I have another full time job that pays the bills so I don’t always have a lot of time to blog).

Is there anything more to say about the season as a whole? Season four is a season that doesn’t have any “bad” episodes. No episode received lower than a B-. But…there are a lot of mediocre “hotel episodes.” But for every hotel episode, there’s a quality episode that shows Felicity, Sara, Gus, and Felix growing up. And I think that’s what makes season four so memorable. It’s a linking season. The first three seasons show the wonder and excitement of childhood. However, the next three seasons after season 4 are more dramatic, and have the characters going their separate ways (Sara to France. Felicity to school. Gus to a sailing expedition. Cecily to a sanitorium.) The show will not be the same after this season. Sara will have a much smaller role (and that will certainly be discussed at length during my reviews of season 5). New characters will come into play (after a season long absence, Davey will sort of come in like a wrecking ball). Older characters will confront their imminent mortality. Some fans do not like these changes. Some fans even claim the show “jumps the shark” after “Memento Mori.” Hogwash, I say! The show is just changing (I mean, I would have preferred Sara staying but, she is literally one of a dozen interesting main characters on the show). The times are changing. And I think the next few seasons, for the most part, do a nice job of showcasing that.

Road to Avonlea Review: The Disappearance

Episode Summary: Sara wants to write for the town’s newspaper, in order to prove to her cousins and Aunt Hetty that she’s capable of more than running her late father’s estate. She finds a story in Jonathan Blackwell (Robby Benson), who goes town to town pretending to be famed antique dealer Gerald McDougall Young so that his aunt (Diana Rigg), who wants him to run the family estate, won’t find out. Knowing what he’s going through, Sara agrees to keep Jonathan’s secret if she can write a story about Mr. Young. Jonathan is able to continue his secret passion of collecting art, while Sara gets some newfound respect from her aunts.

Directed by F. Harvey Frost, Written by Deborah Nathan, Music by John Welsman

My Grade: I don’t have much to say about this episode. If you’ve read every review of mine so far, you can probably guess how highly I regard this episode. This is just one of those Disney approved episodes, featuring the voice of Beast from Beauty and the Beast (for the kiddies, I guess? Even though they wouldn’t know) and Diana Rigg, because, I guess, she did stuff before Game of Thrones. The plot itself isn’t very interesting. It’s a B-minus, but it’s a relatively high B-minus because the stuff with Sara wanting to live out her passion and become a writer (oh look! Story Girl! See? She’s a Story Girl. Totally justifies naming that one episode “Story Girl”) gives us more insight into her. But, at the same time, it’s like not all that interesting seeing two privileged rich kids lament over having a lot of money and stuff. Anyway, (B-)

Spotlight Performance: I think Robby Benson is great here. Yeah, his face is like “woah!” Is his character supposed to be related to Jane Spry? I mean, I’m impressed by this dude. He sounds like this…but he also voiced Beast. He also directed episodes of Friends and Ellen, so he’s multi-talented. Anyway, he played “two” characters in this episode so he was snubbed an Emmy nomination, OK??

Favorite Scene: I think what makes this episode more memorable than all the other “hotel episodes” this season is the scene between Jonathan and Sara, when he reveals who he really is and what he does. I guess I just like Sara’s realization that the two of them are actually kindred spirits. And I like the atmosphere. It’s dark. It’s cold and snowy. Their faces are red. Their breaths are seen. It’s just a scene that stands out in an otherwise “meh” episode.

Final Thoughts: Just that Hetty is the only other character I mention in this review, but she only appears in two short scenesbyeee.

Road to Avonlea Review: Felix and Blackie

“I was responsible. I took the bet. I wish you just would’ve sold him…He would still be alive.”

Episode Summary: As a way of preventing Alec from selling their beloved horse Blackie, Felix decides to start a delivery service with Blackie. He also recruits Sara and Cecily as partners. However, Blackie proves not to be a very effective horse for such demanding workload. Felix soon feels enormous pressure from his family, his clients, and even other delivery men. Felix and Blackie get into a serious accident that finds them both brutally injured in the river. When Alec finds them, he tells Felix that Blackie has died, sending Felix into a deep depression. In the end, he receives a new horse.

Directed by Allan King, Written by Heather Conkie, Music by John Welsman

My Grade: When I first watched this episode, I was utterly shocked and saddened by how dark it got. If I had known that one of the last scenes would be of a bloodied Felix sobbing over his dead horse, I wouldn’t have believed it. This is such a strong episode. The kind of episode that really sets it apart from other family dramas. It’s also the strongest episode of season three. (A+)

Spotlight Performance: This is also probably Zachary Bennett’s strongest performance of the entire series. Bennett will have other great performances for the rest of the series, but this is the episode I always go back to when I think of the actor’s best. Even though (as far as I know) Blackie has never made a significant appearance before, Felix’s love for this horse never feels false or forced. Bennett particularly has two really good scenes. One, is when Felix is at his wit’s end after Felicity unnecessarily criticizes him (just because Felicity stopped being mean to Sara doesn’t mean that Felix is off the hook). And the second is towards the end when Felix tells his father that Blackie’s death is his own fault. Bennett does a great job portraying someone who’s trying to keep it together…but can’t. Honorable mention goes to Cedric Smith as Alec.

Favorite Scene: I think obviously the climax of the episode, when horse and buggy crash into the river, is as spectacular as it is sad. Alec trying to hold Felix back as he frantically tries to see how Blackie’s doing, Alec telling Felix that Blackie didn’t make it, and Felix sobbing into Alec’s arms. These are all memorable sequences for one of the best directed scenes of the series.

Final Thoughts: I am well aware that, in terms of the show’s chronology, this episode is supposed to take place a little later. However, I forgot that. I was anticipating this episode so much that I couldn’t bear to wait. So, we just have to pretend that Blackie temporarily comes back to life in the next episode.

Last…I need deez striped overalls!