7th Heaven

When 7th Heaven made the bold and gutsy decision this summer to bring the show back after a highly publicized and allegedly "final" episode in May, it was anyone's guess how things were going to turn out. Now, for the very first time, I am beginning to understand why they did this, and it is evident that this Season 11 has incredible potential to bring the show back to its original, classy, and more low-key roots (which is, hands-down, much more than they could have achieved if they had just ended it with Season 10).



As for the show's long snag that made fans wonder why they were dragging it on for so long, I have my own theory. Maybe this was the result of the overwhelmingly large cast that crowded the screen every episode. That is one visible thing that was taken care of with this new season, and it seems to be serving them well. It is sad to see Ruthie out of the picture, because she is obviously one of the core Camdens, but you know what? They didn't give her much to do last year, and she ended up being a wasted character. The only thing that might have been nice is if they had addressed her feelings for Martin in greater depth, but in general I guess this storyline ended up not being all that important. Their method of writing Ruthie out was definitely unusual. (What parents let their young, immature 16-year-old daughter jet off to Scotland without even a second thought? And how is it that Kevin could afford to immediately agree to finance the whole thing for her?) I guess that's not the point, though. Now that she and Simon are gone from the regular cast lineup, I think it is a good opportunity to show to focus more exclusively on a few things rather than looking to throw in a plot for all kinds of different characters at one time. In the second episode in this 11th season, we see how Lucy and Kevin are continuing to cope with their loss, and although Kevin just wants to be closer to Lucy, she only seems capable of pushing away anyone who wants to help her. The devastation of a miscarriage runs deep with women, and even though I've never experienced it myself, I've seen it happen. In this episode, she starts talking about her feelings with a 15-year-old movie theater guy, which is very strange and very broadly explored in the plot, but I guess that's part of the charm. They don't go heavy into the specifics regarding why Lucy is attracted to him and how he helps her feel a little better about things, but the final scene between Lucy and her dad says it best. "You never know where help is going to come from," Eric tells her, and that is exactly the kind of thing I love to see on this show, because it's just classic 7th Heaven. Eric and Lucy have always had a little something extra between them, ever since Day 1, Episode 1, when Lucy was a dramatic little girl longing to "become a woman." I've always loved watching them together, because there is a genuine, unique sweetness that neither of them have with anyone else on the show, and when you watch this scene it's like revisiting the good old days.



I do still think they need to tone it down a bit with Lucy, because she went so far as to outwardly admit that she feels no true remorse for her behavior in the Church. Yes, her anguish is legitimate, but that doesn't condone humiliating others and alienating people you care about. Still, I think they're doing a somewhat decent job with it all--Lucy could be (and has been in the past) a lot worse. Through it all, actress Beverley Mitchell is obviously just an absolute natural at emoting in front of the camera. I've never seen a girl with the emotional range and timing that she has, and the past two episodes have really demanded a top-notch dramatic performance from her. For that matter, Mitchell has been performing with that no-holds-barred emotion for 11 straight years, since Lucy was just an immature, needy 12-year-old kid, and any actress who can achieve that with such consistency deserves respect. She always had a lot of emotional scenes in the past, but these past 2 episodes have really shown me how talented and underrated Mitchell is. I give her enormous credit for that, and I commend her and George Stults for having great on-screen chemistry with one another (not to mention the fact that those Yasdrick twins are unbelievably adorable as baby Savannah!)



I think it took a couple years for actor George Stults to find his niche in his role as Kevin, but I feel that they have finally made a terrific formula with him. He is a devoted husband, a loving father, a total family man....and some may argue that it's cheesy and unrealistic, but I call it the freshest breath of air I've seen in a long, long time. Trust me, I've seen many contemporary shows that seek to convey typical and realistic life, and 7th Heaven stands tall as one series that develops characters with genuine integrity. They aren't afraid to portray a husband who is in it for the long haul--a husband who knew what kind of girl he was marrying, made the choice to take it through good times and bad, and is doing his very best to keep it all in perspective. This is a horrible time for Kevin and Lucy--an extremely hard time--and Kevin is really meeting the difficulties with admirable patience. It's a show that isn't afraid to show how more longtime spouses like Eric and Annie can still have such a deep love for one another, and how young women like Sandy can learn to live and make intelligent decisions for themselves, despite any rocky pasts that they may have experienced.



This brings me to the Sandy/Martin storyline...wow. What a wonderful job they did at taking a very cliched plot and making it click for the audience. (This, again, is another reason I think the smaller cast is the best move for 7th Heaven.) I am really glad that Haylie Duff and Tyler Hoechlin decided to sign on for this season. As Martin continues to mistake his love for Aaron as a strong (and often overbearing) love for Sandy, it is refreshing to see how much Sandy's character has grown and matured in the months after giving birth to her son. We can learn a lot from watching how she deals with the Martin situation and chooses to move on with a sense of self-respect. It will be very interesting to see how the Sandy/Martin connection plays out and how/if Simon fits into the fold.



Then, of COURSE, there's our beloved Eric and Annie, who have clearly braved a lot of extremely bumpy roads with their children over the years. They are both getting older--particularly Eric, who is just completely run-down (who can blame him?) and appears to be very close to serious illness. It sounds morbid, but I know spoilers have indicated how things are going to get dramatic with him, and in this episode I could really see it starting to be set in motion. Despite all this, though, the classic lovebirds are still very much in love, enjoying some "alone time" now that 5 of their 7 kids are out of the house (despite Eric's recent tiredness, which is often very humorous against Annie's vivacious energy).



All in all, this was certainly an above-average episode and indicates some of the great things that this season can have in store if they keep up the formula they've been using. It's still very early in the season, but from what I've seen they're doing very well so far. Even Sam and David are meshing in more with the rest of the characters, so all is well and looking just fine. Things may shake up a bit when and if some of the "absent" Camdens return for some episodes, but hopefully it will remain strong enough to make this a great year for 7th Heaven, despite its age.

Lucy as a character has always annoyed me. I don't understand how Kevin puts up with her never mind falls in love with her. He has a heart of gold. I don't care how much she's grieving, Lucy's outbreak was horrible. She demonstrated that she lacked the strength to be a preacher. Without likeable characters like Simon, Mary and Matt to balance her out, Lucy annoyed me to no end. In addition, I found Kevin's reaction (what reaction) to be unrealistic. He's too much of a Ken doll, too calm. He should have gotten a little upset at her outburst in Church, perhaps that would have helped her snap out of her attitude.

Lucy has pizza with T-Bone. Martin cooks for Sandy hoping she'll like him. Sam and David tell their teacher that Eric is their grandpa. Eric tries to dress younger and Annie has a lot of energy.



This episode was a little boring to me. Although it's humerous that Ms. Margo thought that Eric was Sam and David's grandpa, this epidsode was lacking a bit. I think that Martin was stupid in trying to seduce Sandy, hasn't he learned the consequences of sex before marriage? T-Bone was good, but I like him better when he's living at the house. This episode wasn't as good as others, but it was worth it. 8.5 of out of 10.

it was an ok eppisode. it was sad to learn that lucy and kevin lost their babies and then she blamed him for it all in front of the whole congregation. i though it was pretty funny when sam and david told their teacher that eric was their grandfather and that caused eric to start trying to act younger by wearing that ramones shirt and that baseball cap backwards. i did get kind of annoyed by all the "adult time" that eric and annie had. it was kind of grose hearing that they really want tohave sex all the time.

t h i s o n e w a s b e t t e r t h e n t h e o n e b e f o r i t w a s s t i l l s a d t o m e. i j u s t t h i n k i t g r e a t h o w k e v e n b e i n g a g r e a t h u s b e a n t h o u g h t h i s

7th heaven In season 10 when the family found out that lucy,mary and matt were all having twin babie.Then the first show of season 11 was sort of sad because we just heard that lucy and kevin lost their twin babies. I hope that lucy will forgive herself, because it was not her falt. I hope they deside to have another child and also I hope we can see matt and sara's baby and simon's baby and marys baby. I looking forward to seeing mary and matt again on the show. It will be like the old shows.. I hope this show will last for awhile. it's a good family show that you can watch with your children.

What can I say about this episode? I have watched nearly all the episodes of 7th Heaven, and I must say I feel a little underwhelmed. Maybe it's just me, but I'm starting to feel empty about this show. First off, while I like Kevin and Lucy together, the whole fifteen year old guy thing seems a little idiotic. I just don't think it would happen, especially today in society. I really don't. It's just strongly unrealistic. However, at least it brought Kevin and Lucy a little closer together.



Martin and Sandy. Okay, so last season this was the vocal point for the first half. Martin wanted nothing to do with Sandy, even though he was seen as a good character and Sandy was seen as an innocent, and grew to actually a strong character. Now, Martin wants everything to do with Sandy, even trying to seduce her using food. While I am glad both characters on the show, it just seems a little unsettling. Is this the same Martin we know? Which reminds me did they say where Rose is? After focusing so much on the bland storyline with Simon and Rose we haven't really learned much it seems.



I'm not sure why the boys said Eric was their grandfather, joke I guess. Eric actually saved the episode, I thought. He added some humor to the scenes, and we got to see a lighter side of Kevin when he talked to Eric. I never really liked Kevin, he didn't seem to have any personality, but I have grown to see him as a central character to the story. Seeing Eric with a Ramones shirt on was amusing, and seeing his teacher trying to seduce him. Was well, interesting. I mean, another unrealistic plot, and we've seen this already, but at least they are adding new characters (which are usaully attractive females oddly enough), and is vaguely enough to make you want to keep watching. Overall, the show wasn't pretty at all, but it was nice seeing Sandy and Martin at least communicate, Eric with a Ramones shirt, and a little controversy. Hopefully next week will be improved.

This episode was all right. I really thought Lucy was going to begin healing and not be angry with Kevin but the tension was still there. It made me stressed to watche the two of them be angry for most of the episode. I was glad to see a little hope of a better marriage relationship near the end. The whole idea that Eric went to visit the twins teacher with the forgotten lunces was a bit lame. His outfit was completly lame as well! in no way did it make him appear younger! Annie's advice to Kevin is good though.

I hope Lucy can work things out with everyone but really bother me is someone tryong to hit on Eric really make me wonder but in the mist of thing I hope there's not going to be another trangile like the 4 or 5th season. I hope Ruthie doing well in exhange speaking of which was't someone from there was supposed to take her place till she returns. I also hope Matt and Sarah doing alright with the twins they're expecting and lasty I hope Mary doing well with her marriage and raising her son

I classified this as a \"Fine Example\" because it had that old 7th Heaven type feel to it back when Matt, Mary and Lucy were kids in highschool. A little bit of humor or silliness mixed with something serious going on like Lucy dealing with her miscarriage and talking to a \"18\" yrold kid (who was really 15) who was hitting on her. Even Eric was able to make a joke out of it when he made a comment to Kevin saying \"Lucy and her 18yrold boyfriend\".



Even the twins were cute during this episode.



Martin trying to seduce Sandy wasn\'t funny, it was pathetic. It seems like his character has hit a new low. Come on, that\'s something the old Robbie (Before he changed into a nice guy) would\'ve done and you can\'t compare Martin to Robbie. But it was funny when he realized he said all that in front of the baby moniter and the way he ran out like that.



The George Foreman Grill product placement mention at the end was funny along with the kid\'s \"Mean Grilled Cheese\" slogan.

Usually the most annoying character, Lucy has the best moments of this show in opening up to a 15 year old ticket seller at the movies (the same one Mary went to when she was escaping her responsibilities?) She also talks openly with Kevin and discuses her meltdown in church the week before. In a bizarre storyline which apparently will continue, Sam and David\'s teacher makes a pass at Eric (!) and Martin and Sandy continue not to have a relationship. It appears that this is filler for the missing Ruthie and Simon who had so many of the storylines lasr season. The show is in some serious need of a church related storyine. Some of the best stories have been people counseled by Eric. If Martin is going to be a major character this year he needs to be involved with the Camdens more and have a story apart from Sandy.

As much as I loved the premiere-powerful and emotional-what I loved about this episode, was its beautiful humor.Having watched Heaven from the very beginning, this eppy, is by far (reminds me so much of the old days). Cute, sweet and dabbled in a little emotion-not too much, just a smidge. Eric and Annie: I really enjoyed this plotline. They still got it! After all these years, this eppy, shows that they still have eyes only for one another. Which is great to see, its good to see them having so much more screen time together, because they work so well with each other. I am glad to see Sam and David getting a bigger role in it too, its funny, how they told their teacher that Eric is their grandpa. Which makes for a more then few laughs. And the line when Eric tells Annie, "I'll show you whose grandpa" I just bursted out laughing, same thing goes with the kitchen scene with Kevin, "what's up with you"-K, "oh, nothing" and the look on Annie's face is funny as she's saying, "oh, I beg to differ!". What fun! Lucy: still very much Lucy-emotional, yet brutally honest. At least, she's no longer screaming. Beverley is doing such a great job! Martin and Sandy: liking this plot even more. The baby monitor scene-hehe! this is what 7th Heaven is made of, these uh-oh moments. Kevin: he surprised me in this episode. And I loved that 'crazy woman, I love you' sentence. So strong! It shows that he is a devoted husband, its good to see him stepping up to the plate more. All in all, I thought I was never going to finish this episode (on tape), it had me rewinding, watching a few scenes over again. And the final scene with Eric and Lucy, is by far my favorite scene in the whole episode. So heartfelt and tender, just like 7th Heaven in the beginning. Beautiful!

This episode was SO much better than the premiere! I think it will be almost perfect once ruthie comes back! Lucy's new "Friend" was weird! I knew he wasn't eighteen! I could tell! I did get annoyed with Eric and Annie and their "play time".. And oh my gosh, Sam and David's teacher.... She needs to calm down! I could not believe she was coming on to Eric like that! Still, I really want Simon and Ruthie back. They are such a big part of the show. So hopefully simon will be back later this season! This was a good one!

Though the premiere was a powerful and very good episode, imo, I found this one very enjoyable. From previews, it doesn't seem like it was much but I was pleasantly surprised. Some thoughts:



-Eric and Annie: they still got it! -Sam and David: good to see them having a bigger role in things.



-Lucy: still a bit emotional, but at least honest about it. At least she isn't shunning people, at least not as much. I'm glad to see her and Kevin back on friendly, loving terms.



Martin and Sandy: that baby monitor scene -- classic! That's the drama people often speak of about 7H.



-Kevin: still a devoted husband, but to those complaining he never does or says anything about it, this episode shows that he is stepping up to her a bit more. I.e. the "look, crazy woman" line.



-Overall, very funny and serious, touching and heartfelt, like a good 7H should be.

this episode will be good because it was not that good last episode. it has to be good to keep the show on.i like this show because it teaches you alot of stuff like how to be nice to your bother and sister and you mom and dad. in to help people out.