Brotherly Love

Season 9, Episode 16, Aired

Episode Summary

EDIT
8.7
out of 10
EPISODE RATING: Great
73 votes
  • Your Rating: 10
    "Perfect"
  • Your Rating: 9.5
    "Superb"
  • Your Rating: 9
    "Superb"
  • Your Rating: 8.5
    "Great"
  • Your Rating: 8
    "Great"
  • Your Rating: 7.5
    "Good"
  • Your Rating: 7
    "Good"
  • Your Rating: 6.5
    "Fair"
  • Your Rating: 6
    "Fair"
  • Your Rating: 5.5
    "Mediocre"
  • Your Rating: 5
    "Mediocre"
  • Your Rating: 4.5
    "Poor"
  • Your Rating: 4
    "Poor"
  • Your Rating: 3.5
    "Bad"
  • Your Rating: 3
    "Bad"
  • Your Rating: 2.5
    "Terrible"
  • Your Rating: 2
    "Terrible"
  • Your Rating: 1.5
    "Abysmal"
  • Your Rating: 1
    "Abysmal"
Rate Now!
Matt is upset when Simon, who has just faced a pregnancy scare with Georgia, wants Matt to prescribe birth control pills for him and his new girlfriend. As the two brothers talk secretly, rumors sweep around the house, which is where the real trouble starts. Elsewhere, Kevin and Lucy have an important decision to make when the previous owner of their new house asks them to sell it back to him. Eric and Annie are furious that Kevin is storing a gun in the house, and the older Camden kids hide a huge secret about Mary from their parents.moreless
WRITE A REVIEW

Cast & Crew

See All EDIT

Fan Episode Reviews (6)

See All

  • My favorite episode!

    10
    "Perfect"
    By VGFreak8, Jul 28, 2007
    Okay, this is my absolute favorite episode in the whole series! This episode is what got me interested in the show! Here is a detailed summary.

    Simon: Simon comes home unexpectedly! He wants to see Matt about prescribing birth control pills for his girlfriend, Anna. He and Matt get into a fight. Martin has a talk with Simon, which leads into Simon talking to Ruthie about staying a virgin until marriage. Simon tells Eric a lie about Mary. He tells him that Mary is pregnant again. A rumor goes around the house that his girlfriend is pregnant.

    Matt: Matt talks to Simon and tries to convince him not to have sex anymore. Eric tries to get information about Simon out of Matt. Matt is the first to go along with Simon's lie to Eric.

    Kevin: Kevin sold back the house to the owner after hearing a sad story. Also, Kevin thinks there's a burglar when he hears Matt and Simon fighting and brings a gun downstairs. Eric sees the gun and asks Kevin to put it in his car. Kevin doesn't want to, but does it anyway. Kevin and Lucy are too nervous to tell Eric about the house.

    Lucy: Lucy is a little shocked when Kevin tells her about the house. She tries to make a plan of how she's going to tell Eric. Lucy, Ruthie and Annie have girl talk in the attic.

    Eric: Eric doesn't like the idea of Simon being home. He wants to find out why he's home. He tries to get it out of Matt and Kevin. He is scared about Kevin's gun being in the house so he tells Kevin to put it away. Ruthie scares him in the kitchen and says that she's been on the phone with Vincent for four hours. He tells Annie and Annie remembers when they used to do that.

    Annie: Annie can't sleep unless she has information about Simon and everything else. She talks to Ruthie and Lucy about guys.

    Ruthie: Ruthie talks on the phone with Vincent for four hours. She and Vincent wonder when couples will talk about all there is to talk about. Simon tries to make her promise not to have sex before marriage, but she says that she'll promise only if he promises.

    Mary: Jessica Biel isn't in this episode, but Mary has a part. It seems that Mary has been having trouble lately with Carlos and Charlie. Matt, Lucy, Simon, Kevin, and Ruthie know what it is, but won't tell Eric. Simon lies and says that Mary is having another baby.

    Sam and David: They start the rumor that Simon's girlfriend is pregnant. They eavesdrop on Eric and Annie and tell Ruthie that Simon is pregnant.

    Martin: Martin talks with Simon about sex. He tells Simon that all girls are someone's sister or daughter.

    That's all I can muster up for the summary for now.

    I loved this episode tremendously! I've seen it about a dozen times! First off, this episode was directed by Barry Watson (Matt Camden). He did a great job!

    The scenes where everyone kept scaring each other were a little funny, but when Eric came in with a frying pan, that was cheesy.

    I can't believe Ruthie talked on the phone for four hours! I guess that's typical for two teens who are going out.

    I really wish that Jessica Biel could've come in for a few episodes in season 9, like this one for example.

    Martin's talk with Simon was very mature. I loved what Martin said about the sister/daughter thing because it's true. I just wish that he'd remember his talk when he was with Sandy, but that's another story.

    My favorite part I think is the end! When Matt, Lucy, Simon and Ruthie are sitting on the couch and they lie to Eric. Ruthie says, "It's just like old times, here we are again, lying for Mary." I just love that line! It reminds me of season 5 and the younger years!

    I do think that some of the situations were dumb, like the gun. Kevin's a police officer! Of course he has a gun! He knows how to use it properly and it's locked away, separated from the bullets. The scaring, like I said before, was a little cheesy. That's about it.

    So, this episode was truly amazing and a big comeback after that Valentine's Day episode, "Red Socks." This episode gets a perfect 10 out of 10 from me!moreless

  • It's good to see a typical episode of 7th Heaven again, after last week's musical disaster.

    8.2
    "Great"
    By Malcolmjamal, Aug 03, 2006
    This episode was definitely an improvement compared to the one in the previous week:

    Simon & Matt were sharing a secret about Simon having premarital sex. The whole thing gets totally mixed up and eventually people think that Simon and his current girlfriend (nobody even knows who his current girlfriend is) are having a baby. However, this was just due to a series of misunderstandings and confusion.

    Moreover, Kevin resold the house to the previous owner. Why would you do something like that if you're planning to move into the newly bought house with your wife & daughter??

    Finally, there's a secret about Mary that will soon be revealed in one of the following episodes.

    And by the way: why in the world would EVERYONE be up at 12:00, midnight, and wandering around the house? What kinda family is this? The Bundys?

    I hope the writers have learned from their mistakes last week (Valentine's Day Episode) and never ever try anything like that again.moreless

  • It's like a Planned Parenthood brochure, except it isn't at all planned, and Brenda would never have supported it. And, I almost forgot; there's never even a baby.

    8.5
    "Great"
    By UngeLien, Jul 27, 2006
    On this one I don't even know where to start. What do I love about it? The painfully constructed and convenient twist with Lucy and Kevin having to give up a house they never even got to move into? Yes. Lucy calling her husband a "gun freak" and Eric defending the household armed with a frying pan? Yes. The women of the house discussing the what-ifs of the recent seasons? Yes. The twins appearances..? No, of course not. Well, the dream had to end eventually.

    Brotherly Love actually reminds of this show at its prime, even self-referencing that very period, as Ruthie prior to the closing credits sighs: "Here we are again - lying for Mary". It makes me feel old, but at the same time it gives me a good feeling. It's like a circle has ended - it's a back to basics Heaven episode, lacking Jessica Biel, but using the close-knit and reunited Camden foursome (Lucy, Matt, Simon, Ruthie) as a launching pad for nostalgia. I love it. And, to my sarcastic pleasure, it proves once again that the entire Camden machinery is based on accidental eavesdropping. Times a-changin, you say? Not so much.



    moreless

  • Secrets, secrets, and more secrets. Papa Camden's on the case....

    8.1
    "Great"
    By Barrybgb, Jul 02, 2005
    I have to say that "Brotherly Love" is an episode that has brought mixed emotions and thoughts to me. At first viewing, I thought it was a pretty strong and interesting episode. One that throws some new wrenches into some ongoing storylines, and starts a really interesting new one. While the episode itself, with it's storylines and structure is quite good, why am I having some different feelings toward it?. On some repeated viewings of this ep, I found myself getting more and more annoyed with the Simon storyline. Why is it?. What happened?. Read on....

    I have to admit that I was definitley one of the ones who absolutely loved this idea with Simon back in the beginning. I thought it was such a great idea, and was pushing the show with it's squeaky clean image into new boundaries. I thought, way to go Brenda. Before long, the idea was worn out, and it seemed that it was no longer interesting and two sided, but it got increasingly one sided. No more so than in this episode I thought. We'll get to that in a minute. In this episode, Simon is back home, and so is Matt. By the way, isn't it convenient how Matt can just fly home to Glen Oak from New York and medical school to be there when he is needed?. If you saw "The One Thing", it sure didn't appear that the head boss would allow for this sort of thing. Matt is a character, and he has a lot more going for him character wise, and the writers choose to just drop him in and getting involved in other storylines but his own. There is so much you can do with his character. Let's see it. Anywho, Simon and Matt are both back home and Simon has a new girlfriend named Anna. Yes, another one. Simon approaches Matt and asks if Matt could get him some condoms. Write a prescription. This sets off a chain of events in the household that leads others to believe that maybe Anna is pregnant. Simon and another pregnancy storyline?. Afraid so, people. And can Matt, who isn't even a doctor yet, even do what Simon asks?. I seriously doubt it. Simon and Matt have some words and get into a fight in the living room where they are bunking for the night. That moment itself was pretty good, because it was kind of like old 7th. Simon and Matt fighting like they were young boys again. Too bad Kevin and his gun had to break it up. It's only natural that Simon would be involving Matt in this. If you can't yet go to your parents, but need someone, who better than your big brother?. The part with Simon that really started to agitate me as time went on that really made me feel differently about the episode was his conversation with Martin. The speech Martin gave to Simon and the whole structure of that scene seemed very one sided and preachy. Something I always praised the old 7th of being able to step around. While what Martin said was not entirely untrue, the fact that this stranger(and he practically is to Simon at this point)would speak about something that is none of his business, and doing it with this smile on his face, was what got me. Any one else wanna smack it off his face?. This moment just seemed too preachy to me, and made it seem that Brenda Hampton was no more writing the topic as an issue with two sides, but as one that only has one and that's the only one. That whole moment bugged me to no end and really put a mar on the whole thing for me. It just got the point where it felt like they were saying that no one can be their own person. They can't have their own ideas and views. That Simon is not a level headed young guy because he, wait for it, had sex!. What started out as a fantastic idea has dwindled into something else. Stop making Simon out as some kind of low life because he has gotten into something that comes naturally with life!.

    New developments that happen and also become secretive in the Camden abode deals with Kevin and Lucy. As we saw in the "Paper Or Plastic?" episode, Kevin had gone out, without Lucy knowing, and bought a house for them. Now, the house's previous owner, an older gent named Milton, is back and he lays out a big sob story to Kevin. Apparently, he and his wife's new home in Florida was recently destroyed by the hurricanes they were having down there(and a cousin of mine who lives there knows about that all too well), and they are a couple without a home. He says that his daughter is now expecting a baby, and he and his wife want to be back and be closer to her when the baby comes. It is apparent pretty quickly, as Milton piles it on, that he wants his house back. What a situation. It is eady to feel sorry for the old man and the recent mess he and his wife have been through, but what do you do?. Well, according to Kevin, you give back a big, beautiful house you just bought for your new family, to it's previous owner. It is an awkward and uncomfortable situation to be in, and I know I would be at a crossroads myself. But you can kind of see what Kevin was thinking. He and Lucy and baby Savannah have a home to stay at. True, it's not their home, but it is a home and they live there. Milton and his wife have no home. And Milton makes it clear that there probably wouldn't be room at his daughter's place. What to do?. Give up your new house to people who are desperatley in need and are worse off than you because you still have a home to go to?. Or do you say no and let these nice, old people to find another way?. Was Kevin in the wrong for doing what he did?. Some say yes, some say no. I see the generosity in what Kevin did, and see that he and his family would be taken of if he gave back the house. If he didn't, what would Milton and the mrs. do?. What's really bad about this whole situation is how Lucy and Kevin have not grown any or gotten any mature. How so?. Because instead of being grown ups and tell Eric and Annie about what has happened, they lie and keep it a secret and just add more to the fire. Kevin, being a cop, should know better judgement and responsibility. And his other storyline with Eric about keeping a gun in the house was kind of odd. I can see where Eric is coming from, but I thought he overreacted about it a little bit. Since Kevin is a cop, it's only natural that a gun will there somewhere.

    The main, and mysterious, secret going on here deals with Mary. Ahh, Mary. It's a shame that the most interesting character, and kid, who gets the best storyline, is not there on screen. Mary has always been a richer, deeper, complex, and vastly interesting character. Her storyline here was the best thing going and it's for a character that isn't there. While her story is incredibly interesting and dramatic, it does upset one that the writers keep taking Mary back to the troubled individual she was(or was she just a normal, rebelious teen?)in seasons 4 and 5. Still, it does make for some great drama, and I would rather have that than anything else.

    "Brothery Love" is an episode with a great premise, but was marred by some nimble minded and one sided preaching that left a bad taste in a mouth. great in story and ideas, but brought some anger. There was some lightness to it with everyone sneaking around at night and scaring each other. It was funny at the first, but then they kept beating it into the ground and it was no longer funny as it was silly. The episode is one of great conflict for me, but the story was there.moreless

  • I will say first hand that this episode was exceptionally better than that trainwreck of a musical. But then again it would've been impossible for this episode to have been worse than the musical since that musical hit rock bottom.moreless

    8.5
    "Great"
    By Zelda597, Jun 17, 2005
    Well better late than never, right? My review for the Brotherly Love episode if finally here, and after the very bad review on Red Socks I will say first hand that this episode was exceptionally better than that trainwreck of a musical. But then again it would've been impossible for this episode to have been worse than the musical since that musical hit rock bottom (in my opinion, and I've gotten some e-mails saying otherwise). Anyway lets get started reviewing this episode.

    Matt & Simon: Well I think I've posted my opinon on the forums many times regarding the direction the writers have taken the character of Simon this season. This episode we find out he has yet another girlfriend he's having sex with without being in a real relationship with her. It's a wonder how Simon could've went from treating girls with the outmost respect (Deena and even as recently as Cecilia) to just treating them as objects he uses for pleasure. And no matter how he words it (ex, "I'm in love, Matt!") it's still nothing but casual sex. It's not even a physical relationship because that would mean he has some sort of relationship with this girl, but he doesn't. Not only is he a player/pimp now, but he's also a hyprocrite. I was pleased to see Martin tell ask him how would he like it if some guy treated Ruthie the way he does his "girlfriend" and then pointing out that "every girl is someone's sister or daughter." I thought he got through to Simon, and he did kind of, but not enough to have an impact on his own personal life decisions. His talk with little sister Ruthie was awesome, I loved it. Especially since nowadays on the show we rarely see Ruthie/Simon bonding or even talking like in the earlier seasons. I loved it when later on Simon said he was still gonna have casual sex to his family and Ruthie called him on being a hyprocrite, in so many words. She makes him promise to not have sex again until marriage if he's gonna make her promise the same thing, which you could tell he was just promising to make her happy. But then again, for anyone who's read the season finale spoilers, Simon gets married soon. Maybe he takes his promise to Ruti to heart? But between having sex several times out of wedlock and then getting married just to have sex is undoubtedly cause a big rift between him as is dad. Anyway.. poor Matt that once again he's caught with helping out Simon and again having to keep it a secret. He's been a good big grother to Simon this season as always, even when he lost it and started physically fighting with Simon in this episode... which made me laugh, I must admit. It was great to watch!

    That's all about I have to say about that storyline, but one think I must say is I hope the writers get Simon back on track. make him realize what he's doing is wrong and get back to the responsible, respectful Simon we all knew for 8 seasons. But from spoilers, it just seems like Simon will only be getting worse (as Mary.. read on for that)

    Lucy & Kevin: Well I guess the writers really want to portray Lucy as a co-dependent mother, needing her own mom to take care of her family unfortunately. And they are portraying Kevin as a spineless husband who can't stand up to his wife. And I MUST ask: Why in the heck did Kevin sell back the house to that man? Okay I get he felt bad for the guy, but Kevin you have a wife and daughter.. it's time to put them before your sympathies of some old man. Kevin's responsibility as a father and husband is to support his family, starting with getting them out on their own and he is not owning up to that responsibility. It seems Eric is the only sane one in this case. He sees Kevin and Lucy be out on their own and wants them OUT. They're a family (Lucy/Kevin/Savannah), they should be on their own! Writers, let them move out finally!

    I guess since there's a 10th season the writers are stalling them moving out.

    Mary's Big Secret: Once again throughout the episode the Camden clan try and hide Mary's newest secret from their parents. With all the other secrets in the house Eric and Annie are up to here with it. And when Eric overhears the kids talking about Mary's secret he calls them on it at the end demanding them tell him what it is. Coliins played that scene at the end very well where he tells them he'll act surprised when Mary tells him and he can't take anymore secrets. I can't believe Simon told him Mary was pregnant again.. the look on his face was pricesless. "Pregnant?...But Charlie was only born.. a year.. ago." Great stuff. As funny as it was to see them keeping this secret and the very end where Ruthie says, "Just like old times. We're covering up Mary's lies", I still don't like it. Mary leaving her family? You gotta be kidding, writers. They're writing Mary and Simon so out of their original characters that it's really not believable that these are the same people. I have to wonder, as many as the fans also, why the writers insist on tearing apart Mary these past two seasons. She gets married, has a baby, gets a good job, lives out on her own, and she's considered the "bad" one. Whereas Lucy gets married and has a child while still in college and still moaching of mommy and daddy and she's considered the "good" one, or the responsible one with a good head on her shoulders and a good life. It's sick! The writers are sending the message that it's better to have a family living at home than it is to start one when you're making iton your own. Why writers, why? I guess I shouldn't judge this storyline too much until we find out the specific circumstances for Mary's leaving, as the Camdens tend to blow things out of proportion. But the question still is, why are the writers making storylines to ruin the character of Mary? She's not on the show--concentrate instead on the present characters. Do something with newborn Savannah. More on Ruthie and the love trinagle with Martin and Mac. Anything but this! I think the writers are bitter toward Jessica Biel because she hasn't appeared since start of season 8 and even still for all the bad advertisements (ie, posing nude in Geer Magazine). So they're taking it out on Mary, which won't want Jessica to return. If this keeps up, do NOT expect Jessica to return for the series finale because her character is almost to the point of nonredeemable. I just hope the writers take the show back to its glory days for the last season/tenth season.

    So despite my many apparrent problems with this episode I still enjoyed it. It was interesting, funny--classic 7th Heaven if you will. The scenes with everyone sneaking around the house and Martin scaring Eric half to death was great. "I have a bad heart!"--haha. As for my score, the episode was okay I think. Certainly better than Red Socks, but I'm not gonna give it the best grade since the next episode that aired (Tangled Web We Weaved) is a lot better and structured and whatnot.

    Grade: B

    Random Ramblings

    Kinda odd Ruthie would trust the easedropping of a couple of six year olds as much as she did, no?

    Eric, chill out. Okay I get you don't like guns in your house and but jeez--what's gonan happen between now and morning that Kevin had to bring it out to his car right then? Kinda ridiculous.

    As I said before, great seeing Matt and Simon going at it in the family room. Too bad Kevin had to split it up right when they were going at it...

    So I got some e-mails disagreeing with my Red Socks review in the last few weeks. Also I've said some controversial things in this review about the characters/writers... do you people agree or disagree? Let me know!moreless
WRITE A REVIEW
 

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

See All

FILTER BY TYPE

  • TRIVIA (3)

    ADD TRIVIA

    • Okay, it was quite comical with Kevin, Martin, and Eric with their various "weapons", but it's a bit illogical to think Kevin would NEVER keep a gun in the house. He is a police officer after all. This part of the episode lacked logic.

    • How did Simon know that Matt and Sarah got married on their first date? Wasn't that a supposed to be a secret that only Matt, Sarah and Ruthie were supposed to know?

    • Why didn't Matt or Simon sleep in the upstairs attic with Ruthie, since she has an extra bed, instead of the both of them sleeping on the couches in the living room?

  • QUOTES (8)

    ADD QUOTES

    • Ruthie: (to Matt, Lucy, and Simon) Well, it's just like old times. Here we all are again, lying for Mary.

    • Lucy: (about Georgia) Oh, I knew I didn't trust her! (to Matt) Didn't I tell you when I was in the hospital that I didn't trust her?!

    • Lucy: Why did you say that?

    • Eric: I don't want anymore secrets. I can't take anymore secrets. I promise I'll act surprised when Mary gives me her bad news, but I wanna know her bad news and I want to know it right this second! Simon: They're having another baby!

    • Eric: Do you know if Simon's in trouble? Kevin, Lucy, & Ruthie: No. Ruthie: Simon's in trouble? Eric: Is he? Ruthie, Kevin, & Lucy: Is he?

    • Ruthie: Simon's having a baby! Lucy & Kevin: No! Ruthie: Yes! Sam and David overheard mom and dad talking in the kitchen.

    • (Ruthie, Matt, & Kevin hit Simon) Simon: Ow! What? I had to tell him something! Matt: We didn't have to tell him a lie... Lucy: Although I've gotta hand it to you, that was a whopper! Ruthie: It's just like old times. Here we are again...lying for Mary.

    • Ruthie: What's going on? Lucy: Tell her... Kevin: I sold the house. Ruthie: What!? Lucy: He sold the house. Ruthie: What!? Lucy & Kevin: He/I sold the house.

  • NOTES (3)

    ADD NOTES

    • Mary is reincorporated back into their lives with this major storyline--only, no Jessica Biel.

    • On its original airing this episode scored 5.50 million viewers for the WB, against the Fox mega-hit American Idol.

    • Series star Barry Watson (Matt Camden) sits in the directors chair in this episode for the first time. Bary Watson has now directed, written and starred in episodes for the show. He is the first person to have been in all three aspects of the show; production, writting and acting.

  • ALLUSIONS (1)

    ADD ALLUSIONS

    • Ruthie: It's just like old times. Here we are again...lying again for Mary. This is a reference to season 5 when Matt, Lucy, Simon, and Ruthie lie about how Mary got money to pay her bills.

7th Heaven Forums


Add a Topic See All
Last Activity
Replies

Watch 7th Heaven Full Episodes

See All

Related Shows

Season 9 Episodes

See All
Ep 22
Mi Familia (2)
Ep 21
Mi Familia (1)
Ep 20
Leaps of Faith
Ep 19
Hungry
Ep 18
Honor Thy Mother
Ep 17
Tangled Web We Weaved
Ep 16
Brotherly Love
Ep 15
Red Socks
Ep 14
First Date
Ep 13
The Fine Art of Parenting
Ep 12
Paper or Plastic?
Ep 11
Wayne's World
Ep 10
Gratitude
Ep 9
Thanksgiving
Ep 8
Why Not Me?
Ep 7
Regret to Inform
Ep 6
Fathers
Ep 5
Vote
Ep 4
Bad Boys, Bad Boys, Whatch...
Ep 3
The Song of Lucy
Ep 2
The Best Laid Plans
Ep 1
Dropping Trou

Contributors

Become a contributor
More
Less

TV Listings

Full Listings
TV.com Properties | Shows | Videos | News | Listings | Forums | People | Photos | TV.com Blog

CBS Entertainment | About TV.com | About CBS Interactive | Jobs | Advertise

© 2012 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Ad Choice | Terms of Use