7th Heaven

Peter lies to Paris and Ruthie about where he is going to be. Vic, Eric and Kevin find him and two other boys with beer. Vic and Paris are really upset. Ruthie and the Camdens are shocked at Peter drinking. Cecilia reminds Martin that she is graduating so they might not spend as much time together as they do now. Kevin and Lucy celebrate their anniversary. Chandler removes all the alcohol in his house because he and Jeffrey agreed on it. It's hard for him to dump out one of them because it was a gift from his father. Eric and Annie go to the Johnson's, a new couple in town, for dinner.



This was a great episode! Peter is one of my favorite characters. How can he be drinking? I really felt for Vic and Paris, but especially Vic. I loved what Martin said about Cecilia's friends drinking. I thought that it wasn't fair to Chandler to throw away what he had left of his father. If he doesn't drink it and he puts it somewhere safe, then at least he could have it. But I do understand it from Jeffrey's point of view. This episode was great and receives a 10 out of 10!

I actually enjoyed this epesode even if it was another drinking epesode. There were many side plots that I will discuss first. First I thought the Sma and David thing was dumb but the ending was cute. I liked that Martin and Cecelia talked about the future. They are really cute. The whole house painting thing was dumb but really funny. Lucy and Kevin's aniversary was sweet. I like their last scene and how the called eachother Mrs. and Mr. Kinkirk. I thought it was great that they had Peter try drinking. i think this epesode reached out to people because it really showed how your drinking can effect many others. I loved Vic's speech, I was crying. I also loved the end. Ruthie was so mature. It was obviusly hard on her but she told Peter she was their for him but he made a big mistke and she could not look at him in the same way. Her speech was great. I was crying here too.

Sometimes you just wanna stand up and scream at the T.V. with "enough already!". That's the overwhelming feeling you get once you watch this overdone, hammy, and silly episode. Not that the point wasn't there, or the show and writer's best intentions weren't either, but give me a break already. We already had "Last Call For Aunt Julie", and numerous other moments dealing with drinking and alcoholism. If 7th didn't get the message across before, then commercials, ads, and parents did. How many times do we need them to tell us that alcohol is bad?. It might of been better to take if they didn't overreact with certain situations here, and made themselves look like buffoons. Yes, I am talking about the Kevin situation. More on that in a minute. It's a sign that maybe they were fresh out of ideas when you go back on hit on a topic you have already done, and have done extremely well. Oh well. Anyways, here we go...



It's Kevin and Lucy's anniversary, and naturally, they are planning on going out to celebrate. So far, so good. The topic of family and having a baby is raised, and little do they know that this topic would become more permanent shortly. Anyways, at the fancy restaraunt, Kevin orders some expensive champagne. Okay. Lucy refuses to drink any of it, and this bugs Kevin. The champagne cost a lot and he doesn't want to waste it. So far, everything's okay. But the issue becomes such a big deal, that you roll your eyes and think "get on with it already". Well, once other storylines kick in and they all start to intersect, is when the total ridiculousness comes in. Kevin barely had a full glass of the champagne, and this apparently makes him drunk and that he should not drive, or walk, talk, eat, breathe, shoot a gun, sleep, brush his teeth, kiss his wife, etc. That's basically how they act. At this point, your jaw is on the floor and you are not sure if you are seeing what you are seeing. Half a glass of champagne people!. Oh my god!. how can he still be standing?. While I have always continued to love and support the show, watching this episode, especially these parts, made me think that the show and the writers are in some far off fantasy world that does not connect with our reality. The whole think with Kevin was so laughably preposterous, that you could not think of anything else but laughing through the whole thing. They tried to be serious and to get a "message" across, but the only thing they did was embarras themselves and make Kevin out to look like a wimpy little girl. The worst part about this is that they were serious!.



The rest of this alcohol filled extravaganza deals with the characters that sunk their teeth into Camden land and wouldn't let go. This is season 8 after all. Of course, I am talking about Peter and Vic. Hated Vic from the start, and remain to do so today. Peter I never cared for, but I never disliked him. Even though his hair frequently gave me migraines. Here, recovering alcoholic father Vic tries to make sure his son doesn't go down the same road. Ruthie can't get a hold of Peter, and no one knows where he is. Everyone gets in on the search. Eric comes, and Kevin and Lucy leave their evening out at the restaraunt. Eric, Kevin, and Vic find Peter hanging out in a park with some friends at night and they have been drinking. Anyone shocked, yet?. Didn't think so. I have to admit that there was some strong resonance here with Vic and Peter. A recovering alcoholic who knows he had a problem. Who knows how bad it can be. A recovering alcoholic so desperatley afraid of his son following in the same path. While the whole scenario isn't the best, there is some real drama and emotion here in some parts. Too bad it had to be wasted on two characters most people didn't like very much. I think the ending with Peter getting some counceling of his own was pretty good. Some people mistook it as AA for Peter, when it was counceling for children of alcoholics. I thought it was a pretty good idea, and the only real good thing I thought this episode brought about.



A side storyline here that was totally pointless and practically non-existent is with Eric and Annie. A new couple in the church have invited the Eric and Annie over. Expecting dinner, Eric and Annie are in for a bit of a surprise when they come and realize that there is no dinner. Why, were they invited?. To help the new couple on how to decorate their house. Yep. That's it. Why even both wasting time on this?. I mean, there's no problem with Eric and Annie and a new couple at church, but make it worthwhile. They have a real problem or something. Still, there was something humorous to get out of it when Eric and Annie learn the real reason they have been invited over. But really, a silly side storyline that had no basis in beeing.



The ongoing Martin/Cecelia debacle is still on, and this is basically a filler piece. Isn't most of these storylines?. They argue over Cecelia going away to college, and this makes them re-think their relationship and their future together. I think the viewers were already way ahead of them when they ask "what future?". There's already enough going for this episode, and it definitley didn't need this.



In the end, "High And Dry" was incredibly unoriginal. It did and said nothing new, and didn't shed any new light on anything. There was some good messages here, but they all mostly got buried under the complete ridiculousness of this entire episode.

You know, one of the reasons of why I was loving this season of 7th Heaven so much better than last season is because the writers were starting to stray from those obvious "theme" week episodes---you know, the ones where everyone has the same specific problem at the same time regarding a specific topic. I spoke to soon…this week everyone had the "alcohol" problem. Geez writers, how many times are you going to do an alcohol episode? Don't you remember the infamous Simon "Drunk" episode, nonetheless the many episodes revolving around Julie and her alcoholism? I'm sure there's more but I can't remember. That's how many times you writers have done this theme. Plus, the more you do it the more badly you get at making it. Let's break it down…



Eric, Annie and New Neighbors: Wow, for the first time Eric and Annie were completely useless in the episode with that pointless storyline of them going to the new neighbors house. And to do what? What else…decorate. Huh? I was completely bored with their scenes, and that's a first in a very long time I felt that way in with Eric or Annie are in a scene. And those Andersons neighbors---kind of creepy. That's why you invite your minister and his wife over? To decorate? Whatever. At least we saw Eric and Annie out of the house, but I wish it were for a better purpose. At least Eric strays out later on in the episode to help Vic and Kevin find Peter and his dumb friends. But Eric didn't do much there either---surprisingly Vic was the standout in this episode while practically everyone else took a backsit this week. I hope it's better in the next episode.



Lucy and Kevin: Okay, Lucy and Kevin were both equally annoying this week. Lucy, for goodness sake it's your anniversary---drink the damn wine! And Kevin, stop pressuring your wife to do something she doesn't want to do. Wow, I know the first few years of a marriage can be tough, but if you're arguing on stupid little things like drinking wine on your wedding anniversary---things don't look to good for this couple, at least in real life it wouldn't. There really was no need to inject an "alcohol theme" in this Kevin/Lucy storyline, writers. If you're going to make them argue, make them argue on something believable and general. Once again, it's like the writers don't know what to do with this couple. Hopefully things will get better.



Vic, Paris and Peter: I got to say I was mighty surprised that in all the time Peter spends with Ruthie lately that he actually had other friends on the outside. Nonetheless Vic was my favorite in this episode. He was the one that brought it back up. Vic's reaction was somewhat surprising when he saw Peter having beer with his friends in the park. He really was speechless, but he really let out emotionally in front of Paris and Peter back at the house because he was so upset and emotional. For a guy like Vic it was very hard for him to do I'm sure, because Vic isn't that much of an open guy. But he knew that his son drinking at an early age before he started is not a good sign at all and he'll do anything for sure to make sure it doesn't happen to his son with alcoholism. This was the best storyline of the night, and that's a shame when the best storyline of the night has nothing to do with the Camden family.



Chandler and Jeffrey: Wow, I was trying to ignore this last week but the more we get to know Jeffrey the more annoying he is. Is anybody with me? Okay, I understand him as a kid having unfortunately experienced the pitfalls of watching a family member being consumed by alcohol. I can even except the fact that he was concerned for Chandler when there was bottle of wine in the refrigerator, since being a kid he would get scared and not want something like that to happen again to someone he may be with. But Chandler is a SOBER well-mannered man. Chandler is not an alcoholic! Having alcohol every once in a while is okay! Having a bottle of wine stored in your house (given to him by his now deceased dad) is okay! I was completely appalled that Chandler threw away that good bottle of wine his dad gave him down the drain. Couldn't he have given it away or give it to another family member? You don't throw something away that your dead father gave you! Ugh! The nerve of that little brat. Chandler, I'd begin to start having second thoughts.



Martin and Cecilia: I really like Martin. But geez, does he have to be a prude all the time? As much as I like Martin he's a little too perfect now than he was in the beginning when we first met him. I mean he could've went with Cecilia and her friends and not drink. I mean so what if you're a little uncomfortable hanging out with these people---it's your girlfriend man! You're only going to be with her anyway and in a relationship you should compromise. But I guess the biggest problem I have with Martin and Cecilia is that were not seeing them having a good time as a couple---they're just talking and hanging out around the Camden home and at school. I'm glad Martin has his head set on straight, but as a teenager myself, I think he needs to loosen a little.



Ruthie, Peter and the Twins: Wow, this storyline was cute. It was bound to happen---Sam and David get in a little fight. And I can finally tell which one is Sam and which one is David. Honestly since these two have been on the show I could never really tell which one is which. But I now know David is the taller one and Sam is the smaller one. Anyway, it also seems their acting has got a lot better. I finally could tell because they finally got their own personality in this episode. Hahaha. They were so cute when arguing and then making up and deciding to take over Simon's old room. That was nice, most kids usually are mad one minute and forget the next. Well executed and it made me see them as kids instead of the unison robot twins. Keep going with this writers, you're starting to go somewhere with them and their individual personality. Also, Ruthie (and alter-ego Mackenzie Rosman) you seemed kind of shacky in this episode with the scenes with the twins and Peter on the phone in this episode.



Overall, this episode was mildly okay, luckily with the savior of Vic and the twins, who were the only ones who I genuinely cared for in this episode. But honestly, if the writers keep revisiting these themes over and over again then they should end the show next year. It gives me a headache, as it seems that they don't want to go anywhere else with the show and introduce more appealing storylines they haven't explored. I don't know why, there are many other topics/issues out there that 7th Heaven hasn't tackled. But for this episode…. man I really loved last weeks episode There's No Place Like It.



Please writers!----No more theme episodes revolving around alcohol (or Smoking)- We get it alcohol is bad (But not as bad as you claim with some of these storylines)





Grade: **7 out of 10**



Rants and Bits:

*Once again why is Roxanne (Rachel Blanchard) a regular on this show? The poor thing only gets one/two scenes? She should be recurring and be in episodes when actually wanted. The Clueless star deserves better.



*Honestly, why would Eric give Simon, Mary and Carlos' number to Ruthie for an emergency? They're gone; they're not in the same state, let alone the same time.



*I know I shouldn't bring this up but Jeremy London, I hope you was watching this episode. Sigh. I'm so sad on what happened between you, the police and your girlfriend.



*Once again Mackenzie Rosman (and alter-ego Ruthie) hold the phone up to your mouth. I'm surprised anyone can talk to you on the phone.