This classic coming-of-age nostalgia fest starring Chris Pratt is set to stream for free soon. So if you like slow-burn, small-town dramas full of surprisingly well-written characters and emotionally fraught storylines that aged better than you’d think they would, then as of June 1st, you’ll probably want to make time to binge this series when it lands on Pluto TV.
Everwood boasts a 93% critics’ score and stars Emily VanCamp, Treat Williams, and Gregory Smith. It centers on successful brain surgeon Dr. Andrew Brown, whose life is changed forever after his wife dies. Leaving behind the glamorous life he built in Manhattan, he and his children, Delia and Ephram, settle in the small town of Everwood, Colorado—a town that he felt particularly attached to. It’s got that small-town earnestness in spades, which isn’t for everyone. But Everwood definitely wasn’t afraid to tackle some raw issues, too.
There’s something really evocative of early-aughts vibes that Everwood brings to the table. Not as quippy or campy as Gilmore Girls, another popular drama of the time, it’s no less gripping. “It steers clear of overly drippy melodrama, while at the same time it’s able to explore the emotions of its characters in honest and realistic ways,” says critic Filip Vukcevic. Critic Betsy Wallace agrees, adding, “Each character is flawed—and all strive to become better people, sometimes failing. Viewers will appreciate that the series depicts sibling relationships in an especially positive light.”
Audiences also loved the series, and they still sing its praises even 24 years after its initial debut, appreciating the series’ spin on often-tread ground. One viewer said, “Rewatching it, I realized how well written it was. All the characters had flaws, but they worked through them. So realistic to how people really are. None of us are perfect. I hated when it was canceled after the WB/UPN merger created the CW.” Overall, Everwood seems to be one of those dramas that maintains its poignancy throughout each of its seasons, still finding ways to strike chords with viewers who grew up alongside the characters—whether that was Andrew, or Delia and Ephram.
Will you be catching Everwood now that it’s streaming for free? Is this your first watch, or a repeat binge? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. And don’t forget to check out what’s going on over at the ComicBook forum.
