over a year ago:
So there is
a lot to be said about this episode. Where to begin?
It came after 3 episodes of absolutely no interaction whatsoever, but if you ask me, the wait was worth it. Though, I do have some nitpicks. One of the things I so strongly dislike about this show is how much happens off-camera. Liam and Annie are paired for a project together, but that scene was never shown. So when they are all of a sudden hanging out at the Wilson house together to do homework, it truly felt like we'd missed something. Even though they explained how they'd been partnered up, it still would have been nice to see it happen.
The scene with Annie's parents arguing was nice. At least, Liam watching sympathetically in the background was nice too. Obviously, he knows a little something about divorced parents and family dysfunctionality, so he couldn't help but feel bad for her. And it was sweet how he urged her to leave, so that she wouldn't have to listen to the fighting anymore.
And then there is the fountain scene. You either love it or you hate it. The whole scene caught a lot of flak from Liomi shippers, Annie haters, and people who were simply indifferent to the idea of Lannie. Now I will admit, the acting in the actual fountain
is lacking (don't hate me!) BUT, the whole scene is just so cute that I am willing to overlook it. Besides, it's not the part
in the fountain that I love so much, but the part that comes after they're out. The way he tries to warm her up is adorable, and then the way they stare at each other is amazing. You can actually pinpoint the exact moment, just by their expressions, when they realize they're starting to like each other.
When it seems like maybe, possibly, this could lead to a kiss, Annie ruins it by blurting out that Liam should be with Naomi. The surprise and disappointment is very obvious when Liam's smile immediately disappears and he says, "What?" It would seem as though that was NOT what he wanted to hear! And when she walks away and Liam is left by himself, you can tell he's thinking about her advice and not really agreeing with it!
The scene with Naomi saying "I love you" to Liam was AWESOME! The way he mumbles a weak, "you too" and the less-than-happy expression on his face - he doesn't
want to forgive Naomi or be with her; he's only doing it because Annie told him to. And I like to think that during that scene, Liam really realizes that he's over Naomi and that maybe he wants Annie. <3
The phone call scene was adorable! The way she calls and leaves an awkward message then deletes it before sending is great, but what I love most is how he immediately calls her back to ask if she'd just called him. When she lies and says she must have pocket dialed him, you can see the disappointment in his expression, and you can hear it in his voice when he says, "Oh. Okay, cool." - he was
hoping she had just called him!
And last but not least (sorry this is so long), the classroom scene. The scene that for some reason is STILL my favorite Lannie moment to this day. In my opinion, it beats any of their kisses and any of their declarations of love. At this point, it's obvious that Annie has a crush on Liam, the way she stares at him dreamily as he walks to his desk. But it's the moment when he looks back at her that really gets me. You can tell just by that one glance that he likes her, but is torn. He's still with Naomi and probably assumes that Annie is not interested, due to her pushing him back to Naomi. But the way his eyes linger on her for a moment after she quickly looks away makes me swoon. So much is told to us in this scene, without them speaking even one word. Perfection.
Overall, I think this is one of the best episodes for Lannie. It's the episode that officially started it all; the episode that finally gave Lannie shippers some hope. And it was really the beginning of the end for Liomi, which is the greatest part of all. :P
