7th Heaven

Kevin jokes around and pretends that Martin and Mac are cops. He tells Venus, a woman who loves cops. She takes an interest to Martin and Martin drives her home. They get to talking and they find out that both their fathers are marines. Eric and Annie are worried when Martin doesn't come home until very late. Martin wants to get emmancipated. The guys at the station start a rumor that Kevin is cheating on Lucy with Venus. Ben and Dr. Pearson break up and Dr. Pearson gets back together with her ex-husband, who happens to be Kevin and Lucy's doctor. Venus finds out that her father has died and Martin comforts her.



This was a great episode! I did think that Martin went overboard, trying to move out. I felt sorry for Ben. That's a terrible way to get dumped. It was sad when Venus found out about her father and when Lucy heard the rumor about Kevin. This episode gets a 10!

Well I did not like it as much 'cause Lucy (Luce) thought that Kevin (Kev) was cheating on her. But it's the guys at work that started the whole thing. and Not Kev. Kevin was just trying to find Martin and it went Ugly.

Well I did not like it as much 'cause Lucy (Luce) thought that Kevin (Kev) was cheating on her. But it's the guys at work that started the whole thing. and Not Kev. Kevin was just trying to find Martin and it went Ugly.

Well I did not like it as much 'cause Lucy (Luce) thought that Kevin (Kev) was cheating on her. But it's the guys at work that started the whole thing. and Not Kev. Kevin was just trying to find Martin and it went Ugly.

Well I did not like it as much 'cause Lucy (Luce) thought that Kevin (Kev) was cheating on her. But it's the guys at work that started the whole thing. and Not Kev. Kevin was just trying to find Martin and it went Ugly.

When season 9 first debuted, it just came out of the gate racing. It had seemed to pick itself out of the season 7 and 8 slump(although both seasons had some good episodes), and was back on firmer Camden ground. But then it hit a soft patch where it seemed that maybe the show wasn't completely devoid of doing boring, uneventful episodes that mainly centered around non Camdens. This episode feels in ways like a left over filler episode from season 8. Sure there is a bit of Lucy and Kevin here, but the bulk of the episode centered around Martin and Venus, and the increasingly annoying and grating Mac only hampers the episode even more. So, what happened?. Well, nothing much....



Let's start off with the lighter storylines first, shall we?. The whole Ben/doctor storyline didn't exactly hook anyone or have them chomping at the bit to see what happens. Without his involvement with Mary in season six, what real purpose does Ben have with being on the show?. Since Mary left, they are incorporating him into the show and he just doesn't fit. He spent a good bulk of season 7 just hanging around wandering aimlessly, and got an occasional bit here and there. Hey, kind of like Martin!. Anyways, he had no character, and without Mary, there was nothing to him. Why do the writers continue to bring around and keep characters when there is no point of them being there and have no intention of anything in the future?. We could be talking about Martin again too. Anyways, this whole situation was awkward right from the start, and didn't fit, and didn't service the episode in any way, shape, or form. The only good thing to say is that Geoff Stults is a far better and more appealing actor than his brother. He's still nothing great, but he has a more relaxed persona, and doesn't act like he is going to pop a blood vessel with every move he makes or every line he says like George. Enough said.



Lucy and Kevin had a storyline going with rumors circling that Kevin is cheating on Lucy with the Venus character(played by Martha Plimpton). It was kinda poorly handled with how the rumor just came and started out of nowhere and how everyone got into it. I mean, Lucy should know better by now that Kevin wouldn't cheat, and if he did for some reason, would he cheat on her with someone like Venus?. Lucy is adorable and very attractive, while Venus, well, isn't. She seems like a nice person and one you could get along with, but come on!. Would you feel the need to go to Venus when you got Lucy back at home waiting for you?. And even after all this time, with a marriage and now a baby on the way, that Lucy still can act so insecure and jealous like this as if she is 14 and thinking Mary is after Jimmy Moon?!. Let's grow Lucy up a little more writers. I thought this was an unnecessary addition to the episode and just felt tacked on and last minute.



The bulk of the episode is pretty much centered around Martin. When seeing Kevin at the pool hall where Venus is, she is led on to believe that Martin is a rookie cop. Martin knows this is wrong and intends to tell her, but doesn't once he learns her father, like his, is in Iraq. This whole scenario was kind of ridiculous and underwritten. Even tho Venus comes out in the end and says that she suspected that Martin wasn't a rookie cop, I think anyone would of thought of that at first glance. Martin looks like he's just starting to shave. This was a chance for the writers to do something with Martin. Let's face it, the character of Martin Brewer was never developed. He was pretty one dimensional, with no solid core. He was just there. This was the chance to give him something to do and to develop and build the character since most of the episode was his. Instead, there isn't much change. He is able to connect with someone who is in the same league as him. Having a father fighting the war in Iraq. But it never goes anywhere from there. They talk and relate. It never goes any deeper or shed any new light. We've seen Martin with the Iraq storyline before, and there really isn't a whole lot different here. The only difference is that there is a second person. The writers have continued to deny Martin any real character development, and isn't showing any signs of it at this point either. There was some kind of interesting conflict in this episode with Martin and Eric and Annie. He acts out over their involvement, and showed some spark of furthering the character, but alas, they never kept up with it. This isn't to say that there wasn't some good moments to this storyline. The part where Martin and Venus talk was a nice moment, but that's really about it. And there were some things said about Martha Plimpton's appearance that were a little uncalled for. Yes, she definitley is not the young thing she is supposed to be. I mean, she was a teen in "The Goonies" in 1985 and in "Parenthood" in 1989!. She got some flak for not being much in the looks department. But does she need to be?. Does every female that one one of the younger guys on the show(or any of them, really)come into contact with have to be another blonde barbie straight off of the assembly line?. I don't think so.



In the end, "Regret To Inform" was an instantly forgettable hour mostly centered around a poorly developed character that a lot of people don't like or have warmed up to yet, and that brought season 9, which started out strong, to a screeching halt. For this week anyways.

When season 9 first debuted, it just came out of the gate racing. It had seemed to pick itself out of the season 7 and 8 slump(although both seasons had some good episodes), and was back on firmer Camden ground. But then it hit a soft patch where it seemed that maybe the show wasn't completely devoid of doing boring, uneventful episodes that mainly centered around non Camdens. This episode feels in ways like a left over filler episode from season 8. Sure there is a bit of Lucy and Kevin here, but the bulk of the episode centered around Martin and Venus, and the increasingly annoying and grating Mac only hampers the episode even more. So, what happened?. Well, nothing much....



Let's start off with the lighter storylines first, shall we?. The whole Ben/doctor storyline didn't exactly hook anyone or have them chomping at the bit to see what happens. Without his involvement with Mary in season six, what real purpose does Ben have with being on the show?. Since Mary left, they are incorporating him into the show and he just doesn't fit. He spent a good bulk of season 7 just hanging around wandering aimlessly, and got an occasional bit here and there. Hey, kind of like Martin!. Anyways, he had no character, and without Mary, there was nothing to him. Why do the writers continue to bring around and keep characters when there is no point of them being there and have no intention of anything in the future?. We could be talking about Martin again too. Anyways, this whole situation was awkward right from the start, and didn't fit, and didn't service the episode in any way, shape, or form. The only good thing to say is that Geoff Stults is a far better and more appealing actor than his brother. He's still nothing great, but he has a more relaxed persona, and doesn't act like he is going to pop a blood vessel with every move he makes or every line he says like George. Enough said.



Lucy and Kevin had a storyline going with rumors circling that Kevin is cheating on Lucy with the Venus character(played by Martha Plimpton). It was kinda poorly handled with how the rumor just came and started out of nowhere and how everyone got into it. I mean, Lucy should know better by now that Kevin wouldn't cheat, and if he did for some reason, would he cheat on her with someone like Venus?. Lucy is adorable and very attractive, while Venus, well, isn't. She seems like a nice person and one you could get along with, but come on!. Would you feel the need to go to Venus when you got Lucy back at home waiting for you?. And even after all this time, with a marriage and now a baby on the way, that Lucy still can act so insecure and jealous like this as if she is 14 and thinking Mary is after Jimmy Moon?!. Let's grow Lucy up a little more writers. I thought this was an unnecessary addition to the episode and just felt tacked on and last minute.



The bulk of the episode is pretty much centered around Martin. When seeing Kevin at the pool hall where Venus is, she is led on to believe that Martin is a rookie cop. Martin knows this is wrong and intends to tell her, but doesn't once he learns her father, like his, is in Iraq. This whole scenario was kind of ridiculous and underwritten. Even tho Venus comes out in the end and says that she suspected that Martin wasn't a rookie cop, I think anyone would of thought of that at first glance. Martin looks like he's just starting to shave. This was a chance for the writers to do something with Martin. Let's face it, the character of Martin Brewer was never developed. He was pretty one dimensional, with no solid core. He was just there. This was the chance to give him something to do and to develop and build the character since most of the episode was his. Instead, there isn't much change. He is able to connect with someone who is in the same league as him. Having a father fighting the war in Iraq. But it never goes anywhere from there. They talk and relate. It never goes any deeper or shed any new light. We've seen Martin with the Iraq storyline before, and there really isn't a whole lot different here. The only difference is that there is a second person. The writers have continued to deny Martin any real character development, and isn't showing any signs of it at this point either. There was some kind of interesting conflict in this episode with Martin and Eric and Annie. He acts out over their involvement, and showed some spark of furthering the character, but alas, they never kept up with it. This isn't to say that there wasn't some good moments to this storyline. The part where Martin and Venus talk was a nice moment, but that's really about it. And there were some things said about Martha Plimpton's appearance that were a little uncalled for. Yes, she definitley is not the young thing she is supposed to be. I mean, she was a teen in "The Goonies" in 1985 and in "Parenthood" in 1989!. She got some flak for not being much in the looks department. But does she need to be?. Does every female that one one of the younger guys on the show(or any of them, really)come into contact with have to be another blonde barbie straight off of the assembly line?. I don't think so.



In the end, "Regret To Inform" was an instantly forgettable hour mostly centered around a poorly developed character that a lot of people don't like or have warmed up to yet, and that brought season 9, which started out strong, to a screeching halt. For this week anyways.

Let me just start off by saying that this was one of my favorite episodes of season 9. After watching it again, I loved it even more. The reason why I defined \"Regret to Inform\" as a \"character Development\" episode was because it was mainly centered around the character of Martin Brewer. Let me first start off with the smaller storylines:



Ben & his \"doctor\": I\'m glad that this storyline was not a long, stretched out, waste of time. I\'m happy that they eneded things very soon and we didn\'t have to watch it anymore. It was pointless. Enough said.



Lucy & Keven: I kind of thought that this \"cheating\" storyline came out of no where. It only appeared towards the end of the episode and I didn\'t quite follow what was happening. Anyway, wasn\'t Lucy actually in the room when Kevin was making all those phone calls asking for Venus\'s number? Wouldn\'t she have guessed that that was how those cheating rumors had started? And why would Kevin set Martin up with Venus in the first place if Venus was his lover? This storyline confused me, but it did leave a nice little scene at the end between Lucy and Kevin.



Martin & Venus: This was the main storyline of the episode and practically took up the whole hour. I won\'t comment on the appearance of the actress who played Venus right now (just look at the nitpicks at the bottom of the review), but I will say that her acting was very good. I thought Tyler Hoechlin\'s acting was also very good in this episode. Good for you! Anyway, back to the actual storyline...This episode showed us all the demensions of Martin\'s character. We saw him as a regular teenage boy (you know what I mean), we saw him angry, we heard him let out all of his feelings, we heard him talk as if he was an adult, and we saw him help a god friend. I loved the scenes with Martin and Eric and Annie. I thought we really learned a lot about Martin\'s character and his feelings. We have seen Martin angry before, but we have never really heard him express himself like an adult.



Also, I must say that I thought it was so adorable when Martin started to cry and called Eric after he saw the soldiers walking up to Venus\'s door. It showed how Martin may act like an adult at times and may say that he doesn\'t think of the Camdens as family, but this showed that Martin does truly care for the Camdens and that when he is in need of help or advice, he calls to them. I thought it was so sweet. I also thought it was sweet how he acted with Venus. If I experienced a hardship like that I would love to have someone\'s shoulder to cry on and I think Martin was being a great friend by comforting her.



Over all, this was a great episode!



Definately a 9/10



NITPICKS:



*I\'m sorry, but I don\'t think that the actress who played Venus looked 22.



*Did anyone notice the shoes Martin was wearing as he left the house? They looked like bowling shoes!



*I must admit that the little scene with the twins was very cute. They\'re growing on me...slowly.

Well, we're now onto the 7th episode of "7th Heaven" so far this season. Thank goodness, we've had no repeats yet. Keep it going. This was a pretty good episode, although it would've been better minus the Kevin/Lucy storyline. Again writers, what have we the fans done to deserve this repetitive treatment of Lucy's insecure jealousies. The high points of this episode were obviously Martin and Venus, and a very touching storyline. These two were definitely the stars of this episode. If you can hold back on the possible miscasting of Martha Plimpton as Martin's love interest who is "supposed" to be five years older than him (yeah right!) then the storyline was great overall. Let's break it down...



Martin and Venus and Eric: Venus (Martha Plimpton) is introduced to Martin at the at the pool hall by Kevin and his cop pals and she innocently assumes that Martin and Mac are rookie cops, as Kevin stupidly allows her to think so without any explanation, but just a funny joke. It only takes one sentence for someone to say that Martin and Mac were not rookie cops but high school students when both Martin and Mac are playing pool and Venus was talking to the guys alone, and yet they make her look like a fool and think they're cops. What a disgrace to police force to have cops dishonest like these even if they're off the job! It was totally out of character for Kevin to put two minors in a predicament like that. It was sort of comical though (but wasn't meant to be) when Mac guessed to Martin how much older Venus was. Five years older? Sorry pal, as much as I love Martha Plimpton (I've watched "Goonies" since I was a baby, in fact I was) but she looks like she's pushing in her thirties and beyond. It was a little out there though as the writers would put these two actors together to bring in a love connection. It could've worked, but Martha Plimpton wasn't the best for casting in that role next to Tyler Hoechlin (Martin). This may be stressing a bit, but maybe Martin did want her to think he was a rookie cop way deep inside, as he had more than many chances when dropping her off at her house. Despite Martin being nice most of time he still is a teenager and maybe he somewhat enjoyed the fascination of her seeing him as an adult, especially when they both find out they have a lot in common with relatives serving in the war. Although the scene where they ended each other's sentences in conversation at her house was a bit annoying and unrealistic.



Acting wise though, Martin (Tyler Hoechlin) and Venus (Martha Plimpton) did a great job. Martin's character adds a dynamic the other Camden kids can't. He's not Eric and Annie's son so he doesn't have to automatically obey what they have to say, he's only a "temporary" stay in their household, but at the same time he is a minor and his father did leave Eric and Annie somewhat in charge of his son. It was only a matter of time that they would clash on such matters as curfew and what they think is inappropriate for him to be doing. It wasn't explored that much last season but in only just one episode mainly (Major League) when it comes to Martin and conflicts with this kid living in their house. Martin not only catches an attitude with Eric and Annie, but with the rest of the family, especially Kevin and Ruthie, and rightfully so when they try to imply to him if anything "happened" when he spent the night out late with Venus after dropping her off at her house. The Camden's do get annoying, don't they when you're the prime focal point of contraversy? Martin finally sees the Camden's nosiness as unbearable and it finally gets to him when he is the prime target of the day.



Martin, of course like most teenagers took offense to their noisiness and acts of overbearing parenting and decides to leave in a fit of anger and believes he can take care of himself despite having no real family around. Where he was going for the rest of his time was anyone's guess, but he decides to make a stop at Venus' house. It was a coincidental but good thing he did when Army recruits show up at her house to tell her the bad news about her brother in Iraq being killed. A very tearful Martin calls Eric, for guidance, not help. Eric of course steps in to help and pull Martin together so he can help Venus since he too is in distraught because it's something he fears himself of getting one day. It hits too close to home for Martin.



The scene at the end was very touching with Martin finally coming through at comforting Venus at her house. Both actors did a great job of what so many in real life face these days as many U.S citizens family members who are getting killed left and right in Iraq. Venus' reaction was heartbreaking and Martin did the most he could for her, with the help of little pep talk from Eric. He too, Eric, was at his finest by helping, but not interfering too much in matters---as he's been doing a lot in recent years (aka Simon and Mary). He's finally realizing that when interfering too much in people's problems it only pushes them farther away from you, and now he's taking a different approach by only guiding people and being there. And he got a nice reward, Martin opened up by giving him his cell phone number just in case anything else comes up in the future as Eric was asking for it earlier in the episode. Maybe the whole Simon situation a few weeks ago has taught Eric something, the less you interfere and bother people the more the are receptive back to you. Eric too is finally learning.



Out of all the non-Camden's that have been introduced to the Camden's Martin has always been the one to stand out from the rest that have been expendable over the years (i.e. Peter, Cecilia, Roxanne, etc.).



Kevin and Passe: What was the deal with Kevin in this episode? Never mind the fact that Martin had many times to tell Venus he was not a rookie cop, but Kevin should've never implied it and went along with the matter in the first place when Venus first came to the pool hall in the beginning of the episode. What is Kevin thinking, especially being a twenty something cop who should no better? Eric, Lucy and Annie were right to snap at him. Kevin was definitely grating in this episode and borderline despicable.



Kevin and Lucy: These two were the low point in this episode, as I'm sure many will agree. Once again we are subjected to Lucy's insane rationalities. Also, it seems that the Glen Oak Police Department has to be the nosiest and stupidest police force in the country, maybe even the world. What kind of gossipy old hens are these people? It wasn't even funny. And what is the deal with Lucy believing some perp that's handcuffed to a chair is telling the truth that her husband is cheating on her with Venus? Secondly, what is up with Det. Michael's believing so willingly that Kevin is cheating on Lucy after all the many years he has known Kevin and the family? You'd think being a cop and do investigating, you wouldn't believe something till you have all the facts from all sides instead of gossipy cops. I guess the Glen Oak Police Department works in a different matter. So sad.



The whole storyline was ridiculous in all ways and just brought the whole episode down.



The Others: The twins were not in the episode that much, and I'm not complaining, but their scene with Martin in the hallway was cute and not cringe inducing. The less they talk, the better they are though. After reading a recent article displaying Catherine Hicks' recent schedule on the 7th Heaven set, I now know why Annie doesn't get much screen time as she used to. Seriously though Catherine, you need to be a part of the show more and only being on the set for just two days a week ain't gonna cut it. They might as well banish you to Buffalo like they did with Mary. Geez. Work on the show Catherine!



Overall, this episode was pretty good, but it could've been much better minus the Lucy/Kevin storyline and if they cast a woman who actually looked 5 years older than Martin. Sorry Martha, you did well in the role, but age-wise the storyline wasn't right for you. It was great to get a Martin-centric episode, we need to know more about him as he's becoming a more permanent fixture in the Camden's lives (unlike Peter and Cecilia) and we need to see more of him. He's definitely a lot more interesting than the revolving other cast members (Peter and Cecilia).



Grade **8 out of 10**



Rants and Bits:

*Martin sure must get a lot of money from his mom's life insurance policy if he can afford that great Honda Element.



*Martin better start choosing better friends because Mac (Kyle Searles) sure likes to start trouble for Martin a lot this season as well as last season.



*As many probably know right by now former "7th Heaven" cast member Ashlee Simpson (Cecilia Smith) was caught live lip syncing on "Saturday Night Live" this past Saturday. Poor thing, but girl, what the hell were you thinking! Don't go all Vanilli on us!