7th Heaven: Season 1 - Episode 1: Anything You Want

 Original Airdate: August 26, 1996

Reverend Eric Camden, played by the evil actor Stephen Collins sleeping at the beginning of the episode. 

His wife Annie (Catherine Hicks) is sleeping as well. 

One by one,,,, their youngest four children,,,, from youngest to oldest come in: Ruthie (Mackenzie Rosman), Simon (David Gallagher), Lucy (Beverly Mitchell), and Mary (Jessica Biel) enter. Their oldest son Matt (Barry Watson), is the last to enter, but not to bother his parents. Instead, he wants to tell his siblings to get out because "it's Mom and Dad's day to sleep in." 

The theme song plays, and the opening credits come up. 

The family is about to eat dinner, and Simon says grace and asks God to give him a dog. Lucy informs everyone she is not a baby before storming up from the table. 

Annie is fixing the garbage disposal; Eric joins her under the sink. Despite having five children, they are still quite amorous. (That could be why they have five children at this point). Lucy desperately wants to get her period because she wants to be a woman. (It's not that great, Lucy). Lucy is the most sensitive of the children. 

Mary goes outside with her basketball and sees Matt smoking.

Mary: "Have you lost your mind?"

 Matt puts out the cigarette and sprays breath spray in his mouth. Mary wants to kiss a guy, but all the guys are shorter than her, and she wants to kiss someone taller. She doesn't have a clue and asks Matt to teach her how to kiss. Matt replies, "Get out of here."

Annie informs Eric that her parents (Alice Hirson and Graham Jarvis) called and are stopping by (from Phoenix, which would be great if the Camdens lived anywhere in Arizona, but they are in California). 

Simon brings up the dog again, and Eric says he's not responsible enough for a dog. Simon asks if a dog happens to come to the house on its own to keep the dog. Eric agrees because he figures that it will never happen. After he leaves, Simon talks to God again, telling him, "I know You can do this." 

Eric sees the oldest two outside as he leaves. Matt teaches Mary what to do with her hands, and what guys also do before kissing. 

Matt: Oh, Dad, this isn't what it looks like.
Eric: That's a relief. (I am sure any father would find it a relief that his children aren't a couple).

Inside, Annie is looking for Lucy, sitting in her closet, sulking that she's still not a woman. Annie tells her daughter that she has to "let nature take its course."

Matt and Eric are at the pool hall (a popular hangout spot). Eric confronts Matt about smoking, and Matt first denies it until Eric says he saw him. Eric doesn't intend to force Matt to quit, but he wants him to get and keep a job. 

Eric, the Reverend at Glenoaks Community Church, does a sermon on Ecclesiastes chapter three at church. This upsets Lucy, who sees "to everything there is a season," as the Reverend getting ready to tell his church that his daughter still hasn't gotten her period. Annie chases after Lucy. 

 Annie informs Eric that he needs to be careful with Lucy reminding him again that she is different than Mary. 

Ruthie is sitting on the railing when Eric comes down the stairs. She is hungry but informs her father that he can't cook, and no one tells him this because they don't want to hurt his feelings. (She is apparently not that concerned). Simon passes them as he heads up to the attic to search for any dogs that might have appeared. 

Mary and Lucy are running when Mary crashes into Jeff (Ryan Bittle), a friend of Matt's who Mary is interested in. Lucy has a tampon in her pocket that Mary gave her, and it falls out. Embarrassed, she runs away, but Mary sticks it in her pocket and continues talking with Jeff. She asks him about coming over to shoot hoops later that night, and he agrees. 

Matt tells his parents to have "the talk" with Mary. (He is protective of his siblings, Mary especially finds him annoying since they are so close in age). 

Mary has caught up with Lucy, and they are running again. Mary asks Lucy if she thinks Jeff is cute. Lucy says her type is "Prince Charles." (I'd take Joe's kind over Chuck's kind anytime). 

Matt informs them that they don't know what guys his age are like. Annie tells Matt to be back in time for dinner because her parents are coming. Matt tells her that he likes her parents.

Eric: How come they like your parents, and they don't like mine?
Annie: Cause mine are better.

Outside, Simon is training Ruthie to do dog tricks. They run in as Matt comes out. Matt doesn't want Jeff to see his sister and tells Mary (who has returned with Lucy), "Jeff's busy tonight." Mary tells Matt to mind his own business.

Eric tells Mary she can date older men, and she replies by telling him she hates Matt cause Matt told them. 

Matt goes to Mrs. Binks (Eileen Brennan) because his newest job is taking her to run errands. He even gets to drive her car, a '66 Mustang. His first job is to help her find her cigarettes. She asks him if he has any on him cause she heard he smoked. 

Back home, Lucy yells, "YES!" because she got her period. 

Mrs. Binks is angry Matt won't stop to get cigarettes for her, "you hypocrite." 

Back at the house, Eric congratulates Lucy. He offers to send her, Annie, and Mary out for a women-only dinner. She asks him to go to the drugstore for her. 

Eric finds Simon in the attic with binoculars watching out the window for a dog. Meanwhile, Mary is still angry with Matt, who has returned home.

Mrs. Binks calls Eric to let him know "it worked like a charm," meaning Matt no longer wants to smoke, and he got fired. Mrs. Binks said, "it was the most fun I've had in years." She tells him she'll send him the bill "for the oxygen." 

Eric hears something and goes to the window, where he finds a dog with Annie. Simon sees a dog in the yard from the attic window and comes running downstairs after telling the dog, "uh, uh, stay right there! Don't move!" Annie tells him that she got the dog at the pound to see, and Eric says that while there is a God, He had nothing to do with the dog in the yard. 

Simon:Do you think Mom would have done this on her own?

 Eric is angry that Annie went to the pound and got a dog after they agreed Simon wasn't ready. She was only looking to see, but the pound would put the dog down in 24 hours. 

Jeff comes over to play basketball with Mary. Matt warns Jeff, "don't do anything stupid." Eric informs Annie that he has already talked with Mary. Annie says the two of them are even. 

Simon is showing the dog around. Ruthie comes in and asks, "Does he do any tricks?"

Ruthie literally shows the dog how to do tricks, and the dog picks them up. Simon tells the dog and Ruthie both that they are geniuses. Although, Ruthie's compliment is more to appease her. 

Annie tells Eric that sooner or later, Mary is going to get kissed. Eric knows but isn't in a rush for it to happen.

Eric has sent Matt to pick up Annie's parents, and Annie is upset because she agreed he shouldn't be driving there. They decide they must discuss the kids and set rules they agree on. 

The grandparents are there with the rest of the family, having dinner. It turns out that the visit was to tell Annie that her mother has acute leukemia and it's terminal. Ruthie named the dog Happy, and Matt informed Simon that Happy will have puppies. (I guess Happy isn't a male after all). 

Simon: Don't tell dad. 

The adults watch as the kids play in the yard with each other and Happy. 

(I enjoyed this episode and kept coming back for more, and ultimately bought the series on DVD. It was a great way to introduce the Camden family).