To Mend or Repair

Eugene has thrown himself into fixing every machine at Whit's End, but the thing he really wants to fix can't be repaired: he and Katrina have just learned they cannot have children. While Katrina hides at home to avoid places full of kids, Eugene hunts for a solution - a book club, a busier schedule, anything - and only makes things worse. Meanwhile, Priscilla freezes up during the school announcements, and Barrett hatches a scheme to save her reputation by tricking mocking Jay into reading impossible tongue twisters on the air... which backfires when the whole school loves it and Jay gets Barrett's job. Priscilla never wanted a scheme - she wanted a friend to sit with her, share a milkshake, and listen. Whit asks Eugene the hard question: can sorrow really be fixed like a broken gadget? When Katrina comes home, Eugene finally sets down his tools, holds her, and grieves beside her - which is exactly what she had been praying for.

Found on The Deep End Album 55 · 12 episodes

The run See every episode

0700 How to Sink a Sub When Katrina takes over a middle school literature class, her high standards spark a student rebellion - and Olivia must decide whether to trust her friend or follow the crowd.

0701 Unbecoming Jay When a scheming Jay pawns off his visiting cousin on an unsuspecting friend, an unlikely friendship blooms - and Jay can't leave well enough alone.

0702 Childish Things Burned by a past betrayal, Penny turns to a body-language book to instantly judge who she can trust - and starts seeing deception in everyone around her.

1 of 3 0703 The Labyrinth An undercover agent's sting goes sideways in London, leaving him framed, hunted on all sides, and saddled with a streetwise young orphan who knows too much.

2 of 3 0704 The Labyrinth Framed as a traitor and hunted in London, Jason races to uncover what his enemy has planned for a gathering of world leaders at the British Museum.

3 of 3 0705 The Labyrinth Held captive by criminals with a deadly bioweapon hidden inside museum antiques, Jason must find a way to stop an attack on visiting heads of state before the exhibition opens.

0706 To Mend or Repair When fixing things is all you know, Eugene must learn that a grieving heart isn't a machine to repair.

0707 Mistaken for Good A reluctant errand to a retirement home turns complicated when a lonely resident mistakes Jay for her grandson - and the money starts flowing.

1 of 4 0708 Sergeant York A reckless Tennessee sharpshooter's wild ways collide with tragedy, faith, and a war he wants no part of.

2 of 4 0709 Sergeant York A backwoods Tennessee sharpshooter who believes killing is a sin is drafted into the Army, forcing him to choose between his conscience and his country.

3 of 4 0710 Sergeant York A young man of deep faith must climb a mountain alone to decide whether his conscience will let him carry a rifle into the Great War.

4 of 4 0711 Sergeant York A reluctant soldier who hates killing must find a way to save his trapped comrades from deadly machine-gun fire.

0712 Child's Play When a childless couple agrees to babysit two energetic kids for the weekend, they discover that connecting with children takes more than careful planning.

Featured characters

Minor characters & crew 4 more roles

4 supporting roles

Beaulah Kramer Mitzi McCall Priscilla Peterson Gatlin Green Thomas Jefferson Keith Ferguson Ray Keith Ferguson

Made by

Chris Anthony Host Paul McCusker Writer Marshal Younger Writer Bob Hoose Director · Producer GAP Digital Sound Designer Dave Arnold Executive Producer

The story

Read the full synopsis 2 min

Eugene throws himself into repairing every machine at Whit's End after he and Katrina receive painful news from their doctor: they cannot have children. At home, Katrina remains in her pajamas watching a slow fishing program because the library, church, and other familiar places are filled with children she cannot bear to see. Neither spouse knows how to speak about the loss.

Eugene tries to repair their grief as though it were a technical problem. He searches the library's activity list for something new they can do together and enrolls them in a book club. Katrina has not read the selection because Eugene already called it dreadful, the discussion becomes an argument, and they leave feeling worse. Katrina goes away to visit her mother while Eugene works even harder.

Whit asks whether Eugene truly believes sorrow can be fixed. Loss and disappointment are not machine failures; only God can heal them. Eugene has kept himself so busy trying to improve Katrina's feelings that he has not faced or shared his own. Whit recalls Mary and Martha and reminds him that loving someone sometimes means setting aside activity simply to listen, pray, and remain close.

At school, Barrett begins making the morning announcements and invites Priscilla to lead the Pledge of Allegiance. She suddenly freezes on the air, mixes up the words, and becomes deeply embarrassed. Although she asks Barrett to let the incident fade, he becomes determined to repair her reputation for her.

Barrett tricks mocking Jay into reading a collection of impossible tongue twisters during the next broadcast. The plan backfires when the entire school finds Jay hilarious and Principal Vogler gives him Barrett's announcing job. Priscilla tells Barrett that she never needed him to humiliate Jay or replace one memory with another. She needed him to sit beside her, listen, share a milkshake, and let her talk.

When Katrina returns, Eugene tells her that he has come home to do nothing with her. She has been praying that he would simply hold her and share her grief, and he finally allows himself to mourn beside her. Both Eugene and Barrett learn that helping does not always mean finding a clever solution. Sometimes love mends a wounded heart by staying present long enough to hear what it truly needs.