7th Heaven: Season 1 - Episode 10: Last Call for Aunt Julie

 

Simon (David Gallagher) and Ruthie (Mackenzie Rosman) waiting for Aunt Julie to arrive.

Aunt Julie (Deborah Raffin) arrives at the Camden's house. She is Eric's sister. Ruthie doesn't remember Julie and doesn't want to talk to her until Julie gives her a present - a doll which Ruthie names Baby Julie. 

Matt: You know, our love can be bought too. (He's a bonehead sometimes).

Julie gives Matt a wallet filled with money. She gives Mary and Lucy some beauty supplies. 

Julie: That's it for the gifts...

Simon: Excuse me, but no one is leaving this room until you pull something out of the bag for me and Happy. (At least he's younger than Matt, but still, he's old enough to know it's not polite to ask for gifts). 

Julie gives them a Batman and Robin set. Simon loves it. 

Mary and Lucy want to leave Thanksgiving dinner early. Mary wants to go to the movies, and Lucy wants to go to Jimmy's. Their parents do not give them a definite answer. 

Matt asks Julie if she'd mind if he went skiing. She suspects there is a woman involved, and she is right. He asks her about her boyfriend, Brian.

Julie: He's with his parents this year.

After he leaves, she takes out a bottle of vodka and starts drinking. 

The opening credits come up and the theme song plays.  

Dinner is over, and the kids are bringing their plates into the kitchen. Ruthie comes back out with her plate after unsuccessfully trying to reach the faucet. (This part was confusing because it appeared dinner was over when they brought plates into the kitchen, but then it looked like they were still eating when Ruthie went back to the table.) 

Eric and Annie tell Matt, Mary, and Lucy that they can go do whatever they want after they each have their Thanksgiving meal with the family. They are convinced there is a catch. 

Simon: The catch is you're all going to have a rotten time and wish you were here.

Julie has more wine, and Simon points out she drinks a lot of it. (And she's only getting warmed up, Simon).  

Eric leaves to go to a business meeting. 

Annie: Who's cleaning the kitchen? Matt? Mary? Lucy?

Lucy: I think  I found the catch.

Annie and Julie are in the living room chatting. Julie tells her that she's tired - of everything, including her boyfriend of five years, Brian. Annie tells her sister-in-law that she (Annie) has to put the kids to bed. After she leaves, Julie breaks into the liquor cabinet and gets herself another drink.  (This can't be good).

Matt is making out with Mindy (Melanie Holmes) and tells her he can't ski. Mindy has other things in mind than skiing, and then they go back to kissing.

Eric and Annie are in their room. He tells her that he's nervous about preaching with his sister in the congregation. He says that Julie is a perfectionist, and he hasn't worked on his sermon long enough. Annie kisses him. Annie asks Eric if he thinks Julie was drinking more than usual. 

Eric: My sister has more self-discipline than anyone I know. (Oh, you are so wrong, Rev. Camden).  

The next day, at church Eric, is preaching about reaching out to others because someone always has it worse. Julie is having a hard time sitting through the service as she needs more alcohol. 

Annie is talking to Brian (Julie's boyfriend) at the house. He informs her that he broke it off with Julie and that she was fired from her job. 

Downstairs in the living room, Simon and Happy are dressed as Batman and Robin. Ruthie is trying to catch her brother but can't. Julie comes in, and Simon grabs the key to the liquor cabinet. Julie plays along but then becomes angry when he won't give her the key. Ruthie yells for her mother. Annie runs down and kicks Julie out of the house. 

Eric finds Julie drinking at the saloon. She is quite inebriated. Eric is in a bad mood and threatens the guy  Julie is with. He tells Julie they are leaving

Julie: Go to Hell 

She slaps him. 

Annie tells the kids they are going to send Julie they are sending her to the hospital. She explains to Ruthie what alcoholism is. Simon doesn't understand why alcoholics just don't drink alcohol if that's the problem. (Alcoholism is a hard thing. All addiction is). 

Matt tells Simon and Ruthie to go upstairs to talk to the older people. He wants to keep Julie at the house and help her. Annie doesn't want to risk having Julie in the house with the kids. Mary doesn't want anything to do with her aunt. Lucy is crying because Thanksgiving "is turning into a total nightmare." (I pretty much started crying at this point and did so through the rest of the episode). 

Eric returns with Julie, and Matt runs over to help his father with his aunt. Lucy continues to cry, and Mary lashes out at Juli  . (I can understand how Mary feels). Annie sends Mary upstairs. Julie apologizes for hurting Simon. And tells her she loves them all, and she is crying. 

Eric takes Julie upstairs to sleep in Matt's room.  Annie tells him to stay with her or lock her in the room so she can't hurt the kids. 

Jimmy Moon calls Lucy. When Jimmy asks Lucy if she's crying, she tells him she has allergies. Lucy tells him she can't go to his house for Thanksgiving because her aunt is sick. After she gets off the phone, Matt comes into their room to inform them all their plans are off because he wants everyone to stay home with the family. However, Mary tells him Julie is a loser, and she's not going to let a drunk ruin her plans. 

Mary: Simon was right; if Aunt Julie didn't want to drink, she could just quit. She just doesn't have the guts. I am so embarrassed I ever wanted to be like her. I'm embarrassed she's even part of our family.

Matt:  You know what, Mary? Right now, I'm embarrassed you're part of our family. (I think he was a little hard on his sister).  

In the kitchen, Eric and Annie are talking about Julie. Eric tells her that he wants his sister to detox at their house. (Alcohol is the only drug you can die from withdrawal so personally I don't think the writers should have had her stay at the house). Annie tells him no. Her five reasons are Matt, Mary, Lucy, Simon, and Ruthie. And she throws in the sixth reason, "Julie doesn't want help." Annie relents but tells her husband he's on his own because the kids are her first priority.

Simon goes to Matt's room and throws the costumes and Ruthie's doll into the room. 

Simon: We don't want anything from you.

Julie picks the bag of gifts up and hugs the doll. She takes it back to the bed, holding it as she lays down and cries.

Mindy is upset that Matt isn't going skiing with her. 

Julie is now in Eric and Annie's room. Annie tells them she'll be downstairs if they need her. Julie tells Eric about hitting rock bottom. She thanks Eric for his help but then tells him she wants to go home. Julie asks him for the money to go home, but Eric tells her she needs to detox. Eric informs her she's staying there. 

Julie: Maybe it would be better if you just checked me into a hospital.

Eric: What, so you can check out as soon as I leave? Sorry sweetheart, you're staying right here. (Technically speaking, he really can't hold her against her will).  

Annie asks Mary and Lucy to order pizza for dinner because she'll be awake half the night cooking. Lucy and Ruthie want to help cook Thanksgiving dinner. Mary is still angry that Julie is there. Annie tells her to go for a walk.

Annie: This isn't easy for any of us, I have one nerve left, and you're on it.

Mary leaves with Ruthie to take a walk.  Annie tells Lucy she will teach her "the nuts and bolts of making a Thanksgiving dinner."

Matt comes into his parents' room. Eric is worn out. Matt offers to sit with Julie to give his father a little break. 

Eric leaves, and Matt and Julie are talking. Julie tells Matt that her drinking isn't that bad. She wants Matt to get her a beer. When Matt won't do it, she  flips out on him, calling him "just as self-righteous as my brother." She then kicks him out of the room, telling her nephew, "I hate you." (Poor Matt)

Matt sits on the floor outside of the room with tears in his eyes.

Simon is tracing Ruthie's hand to make turkeys. Ruthie quickly gets bored, however. 

Ruthie: I'm rubber, you're glue everything you say bounces off me and turns blue.

Simon: Sticks to you! Sticks to you!

Ruthie: I don't care.

Simon: I think I'm getting an ulcer.

Happy comes in with his Robin outfit. Ruthie tells him she wants her doll, and Simon tells Ruthie she's still mad at Julie. But then he decides he likes the Batman costume, and he got the gift before he was mad at his aunt. They go to get their gifts out of Matt's room.

Meanwhile, Julie is having a very rough night. She's hallucinating, and Eric is trying to help her. Annie runs into the room to help. 

Annie: We're going to get through this.

Julie: Don't give up on me. Please, don't give up on me.

Annie: Not ever.

It is morning, and Julie is asleep in the bed, while Eric and Annie are sitting next to the bed also asleep.

The kids are in the kitchen talking about Julie. Mary doesn't want Julie to eat with them. Annie and Eric come downstairs to find that the children have made Thanksgiving dinner. Annie is crying because the kids are so great.

Lucy: How's Aunt Julie.

Eric: She's gonna be okay. You all have been terrific. We're awful proud of you.

The parents tell the older kids to do the plans they originally had. 

Lucy (to her parents): Go back upstairs, go back to bed, and please shower.

They agree and leave the kitchen.

Matt tries to get Mary to forgive Julie.

Julie calls the Albert House, asking to get into their rehab program. She tells them Eric will bring her tomorrow. (I am so happy Julie did that). 

Mary comes up to see Julie and asks her to eat Thanksgiving with them. Julie apologizes to her and tells her she's not someone anyone should want to be like. She thinks Mary and Lucy are giving their gifts back but Mary wants to do a makeover with Julie before dinner. (I knew Mary would come around, she just needed time). 

At Thanksgiving dinner, the food is a little unusual. Annie and Eric decide to drink water instead of wine. Julie comes into the dining room with Mary. 

Ruthie: You got all pretty again.

Julie: Thank you, sweetheart.

Ruthie: Yout got all nice again, too.

Julie: Simon, I'm sorry.

Simon: Are you all better now?

Julie: No, but I've made a start. I'm going to go live somewhere where they help people like me get better. And I will. Every time I think about having a drink, I'll remember how it made me so sick that I hurt my nephew, who I love very, very much.

Simon hugs his aunt and then shows her he has on the Batman costume under his clothes.

They all sit at the table, and Annie says grace. After they all say "Amen," Happy comes running in with his Robin sweater on. Julie tells them she bought them when she was drunk.

Eric tells them he's proud of the family.

Eric: Now, let's identify the food and then eat it.

The closing credits come up. 

(I think this episode was poorly written as far as a medical standpoint. The writers should have researched that better. As far as entertainment, it was a great storyline).