Everwood (2002)

Now wrapping its third season, Everwood's soap tropes — unexpected pregnancy, adultery — handles these stories artfully. The buildup to Ephram's (Gregory Smith) discovery that he's a father from a former dalliance was slow and intricate. The stakes — his relationship to his dad, Andy (Treat Williams), who hid the truth from him; his hard-won future at Juilliard — stacked to a sublime toppling point when... pow! The fallout scenes between Ephram and his high school sweetheart, Amy Abbott (Emily VanCamp), have been hushed, well-intentioned, doomed debates; watching Andy deal with the blame is stomach-pitting. Now, at the season's end, Amy's mother, Rose (Merrilyn Gann), has been diagnosed with cancer. The story feels intricate and resounding. The Abbotts wither, rally, and sensibly stumble on — an emblem of Everwood's pragmatic grace.