"Birthmarks"

A review by Jenni:
So I haven't reviewed an episode featuring Andrew since... June 28th.  Therefore, even though this is a pretty busy day for me, I'm making time.  I missed him...

What I love about this episode:
I just like seeing William Daniels, best known to me as Mr. Feeney from Boy Meets World.  Makes me nostalgic.  I miss the TV of my childhood and teenagehood.  And I miss Corey, Topanga, and Co. and that whole genre.

I wish I had Monica's talent of controlling dogs.  Then again, that would probly be boring in the long term.  Still, it's a cute scene when she shows her training skills off.

I just love the setting for this one.  It's so beautiful and rustic.

I like what Tess says about how some people think the imperfections make something beautiful.  I totally feel that way about some things, even to the point of sometimes deliberately choosing a flawed item over a "perfect" one.  More character.

I know hospitals are important but I can totally relate to Whit's distrust of them and blaming his wife's death on being in one.  I feel that way about one of my grandpas.  But I also know they've saved the lives of my family members.  So I guess I just like that Whit's view on them is so sympathetically portrayed even if other aspects of his character aren't cast in such a sympathetic light (rightly so).

I like that the writers don't condemn IVF and surrogacy.  Whatever people feel about it, ridicule and judgment aren't what anyone who has struggled to have a child needs. 

Monica's living metaphor with the kiln is genius! 

"Frightened people often hide behind anger."  What Tess says seems to true.  I wish knowing that helped more than it sometimes does, though.

I love that when Whit is dismayed that angels would bless the way the child is carried, Andrew counters by saying they're there simply to bless the child.  That's awesome.  Because I believe all children are blessed, no matter how they're conceived. 

I also like that Andrew says "Angels don't tell you what you should have done, we're here to tell you that God loves you."  Very nice.

Unfortunately, I can relate to what Monica says about how sometimes we pray for the tiniest things but not the biggest.  I'm trying to get better about that, though. 

The scene of Whit and Michael talking beneath the stars, the latter telling his dad how to raise his grandson in his stead, is so touching.

The way they juxtapose Michael's death and his son's birth is awesome.  Very effective emotionally plus it really highlights how death is really birth into eternal life. 

I love how Monica assures Whit and Penny that the baby had an eternity with his father before his birth.  For one, it's such a comforting thought.  For another, I believe in life before birth (meaning we're in Heaven, then we're born, then we return to Heaven) so it was cool to hear that in TBAA.

What I didn't love about this episode:
This can't be helped but this episode, unlike others, does seem pretty dated.  Having to explain IVF to an adult probly isn't too common these day between the shocking cases like "Octomom" and the far more common cases.  I definitely don't think Whit being angry about it is dated.  Just the newness and lack of knowledge about it.

Lingering questions:
I must have missed something.  How did Whit know where Jolene was?  Or was it just a good guess based on their earlier conversation?

Parts that made me feel swoony:
It took 28 minutes but there he is!!!  And he's playing with a reed or something.  Does anyone else think Andrew seems fidgety or something sometimes?  Like in TOTGA when he's twirling that straw around.  His hands just move a lot.  It's endearing.  But then I find most about him is.
Aww, that's such a cute lil smile during the RAM discussion.

Aww.  I wish Andrew really was always cheerful as Whit says.  But then he probly wouldn't be so relatable or even so comforting.  But it certainly is nice when he's cheerful.

That corduroy shirt looks cuddly...  And blue and gold together on him is really flattering.

So jealous of Monica when Andrew kinda head bumps her or whatever you'd call that.  He's so affectionate.  And a year later she'd believe some newscaster she barely met over him.  No fair... 

"It is more beautiful than you can ever imagine."  Just something about the way Andrew says that about Heaven makes me melt.  The conviction or something.

Random thoughts:
Whit tells his son that the computer will ruin his eyes.  Coincidentally, yesterday on The Today Show there was an eye doctor that said computer use doesn't cause damage to your eyes.  It just tires em.  Good to know.

It's pretty amusing to see that old computer.  Wow.  It seems so huge even though it's really not.

People standing at a grave is terribly sad.  A dog lying at a grave?  That's just depressing.

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(The photographs used on this page are from "Touched by an Angel" and owned by CBS Productions, Caroline Productions, and Moon Water Productions. They are not being used to seek profit.)