7th Heaven: Season 1- Episode 14: Seven Is Enough

 

Mary (Jessica Biel), Ruthie (Mackenzie Rosman), Simon (David Gallagher), Lucy (Beverly Mitchell), and Matt (Barry Watson) are outside the airport, waiting for their grandparents.

Ruthie wants to know why they have to call their grandfather Colonel. (I think this all the time, many people have been in the military - they don't have their kids and grandkids call them by the title). 

Annie: That's because your grandpa was a soldier, and he's very proud of it, so we call him Colonel out of respect.

Matt: I thought it was out of fear.

Matt's not happy they all had to come because it's their one Friday off from school. They are outside because the Colonel and Grandma Ruth don't like an emotional scene. Simon tells them he hates the candy they always bring, and the others agree. Eric tells his children that his parents will bring it, and the kids will act like they like the candy, "otherwise they'll start bringing us something we like less."

The grandparents come out. They all hug the Colonel (Peter Graves) and Grandma Ruth (Barbara Rush).

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

They all return to the house. Loud music comes on when Annie claps, and Annie tells them she is rewiring the house onto the clapper system and hasn't gotten it quite right yet. Grandma Ruth hands out the candy. They gave the candy according to size, so Matt got the most. (Lucky Matt).

The grandparents go upstairs after telling Annie they are sorry about the loss of her mother. Once they are gone, Eric tells the children, "what are you waiting for? Run for your lives." 

Upstairs, Colonel is talking about how much Lucy can talk. They decide that the family needs their influence.

Simon asks Matt how to survive the week. (Yep, the Colonel is not an easy man to get along with). 

Matt: Alright. One, never make eye contact with either of them. They see that as a challenge. Two, keep moving. Don't let them get a fix on you. Three, and most important, never show fear. I've been doing this for sixteen years. The Colonel and fear are like sharks and blood. He smells it; he feeds on it.

Eric enters the garage, where Simon, Matt, and Lucy are all doing. He asks what they are doing.

Lucy: Same thing you are. 

Annie asks Eric's parents if they want to go to the hardware store with her. Lucy wants to go, but her grandparents try to convince her not to. Mary comes out of her room and says she will go too, so they all go. 

In Simon and Ruthie's room, Simon plays with his toy Viper. He tells Ruthie he will win the raffle because he's a lucky kid. Ruthie tells him that the Viper is cute, and Simon explains that the Viper is not cute. It is "cool, awesome, classic, rad, bad, or ultimate." 

At the hardware store, Lucy is talking and talking non-stop. Mary hands her grandmother duck tape and tells her that " one piece should do it." (Poor Lucy).

Annie sees Emma (Annie Abbott), the cashier at the Hardware store, with some rings on a necklace. Annie compliments the rings. Mary points out that the rings on Emma look like Annie's lost rings. Annie says she noticed. Annie tells her in-laws that the rings aren't hers because she doesn't believe Emma would wear stollen rings. 

The Colonel has Annie drop him off at Eric's church. He comes into Eric's office smoking a cigar, and his son asks him to put it out since there's no smoking in the church. 

The Colonel: Bet God enjoys a good cigar now and again.

Eric: Well, if He walks in here and he's smoking, you feel free to light yours up again.

The Colonel: Touché.

The Colonel asks Eric about Julie. He tells his father that Julie is an alcoholic. The Colonel tells Eric that if Julie was tough, she wouldn't be an alcoholic. (Dude, you have no clue). The Colonel then goes on to tell Eric his kids are dreamers. 

Eric: My kids are fine.

The Colonel: No, they're not fine. You just don't see it. Now Matt's gonna be real trouble. He's a rebel. Little Lucy is in desperate need of attention and approval. Ruthie and Simon are well on their way to being spoiled rotten. It's not that they're not good kids. It's just that I see the possibility of trouble in the future.

The Colonel asks how many people are "breathing in this room." Eric tells him two, and The Colonel tells him there are three and pulls back some choir robes on a rack, and a little boy is hiding there. 

The boy tells them his name is George (Sam Saletta), and he is an orphan.

At the house, Eric confirms his name is George, and he's an orphan. He ran away because he realized no one would want to adopt him at nine. He's been on the run for two weeks. Eric asks if it would be okay to keep George at the house until Monday, and they agree. 

George is in Simon and Ruthie's room. Simon tells George about the raffle, and he is the world's luckiest man in the world. 

Simon: It's like a superpower. If I was to become a superhero, I'd probably call myself Lucy Man.

George: If you decide to become a superhero, I'd come up with a better name. Lucy Man sounds lame.

Simon: Just go to sleep and drop it.

George: Fine, goodnight. (These two do not like each other at all).

Matt is sleeping in the living room on the couch, so his parents can sleep in his room. The grandparents are sleeping in Eric and Annie's room. Ruthie asks Matt if she can sleep downstairs with him. He tucks her in on the other end of the couch. Ruthie tells Matt she wants to cry because George doesn't have parents. (She's a sweet kid). 

Eric and Annie are discussing George and contemplate adopting him. They decide to talk to the kids and George tomorrow. They start kissing, and Eric stops saying he can't with his parents down the hall. (I get it, I am guessing if my parents were in the house, I wouldn't want to doink my husband if I had one).

The Colonel is smoking a cigar in Annie and Eric's bed. (Cause that's always a safe and wise thing to do). Ruth comes out in her nightclothes, and he tells his wife she's as gorgeous as she was forty years ago. They play cards. George comes in because he can't sleep and asks to play with them. They tell him that George saw Eric as an easy target and that  Eric and Annie are probably considering adopting him right now. 

George: A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. I met the Reverend, tracked him down, and he took the bait.

George asks The Colonel if he's seen any real action in the service. (He mentions the Korean War, but it goes to the next scene, so we don't get to find out what he saw in the war). 

The next day, the kids and Annie and Eric meet in the garage to discuss adopting George. The kids do not want to adopt George, except for Ruthie, who is interested. 

George is in the kitchen eating breakfast when the Colonel and Ruth come downstairs and ask where the others are. George tells them they are in the garage having a family meeting. Ruth tells the Colonel that their son and Annie shouldn't adopt George. The Colonel says they wouldn't dare, but if they do, they'd "be in the fight of their lives."

Matt and Mary are in Mary's room. Mary asks what Matt thinks, and he says he doesn't want to be on record, saying he wants to kick the kid out on the street. However, he tells Mary not to worry because Simon doesn't like George. Ruthie's gonna get jealous, and Lucy will be stressed out about not having quality time. They figure out that they are free to do what they want. Matt offers Mary the keys to drive to the church and back, even though she doesn't have her learner's permit yet. (Alex, I'll take bad ideas for 200, please). 

The Colonel asks if Eric and Annie want their opinion. Eric gets angry and says their opinion doesn't matter. The Colonel and Eric have a fight. (They have a swell relationship). 

George tells Simon and Ruthie that he was taught to hot-wire a car. Ruthie wants to know if Simon should teach her. Simon tells her "no" and that he doesn't believe George. He tells George to prove it.

Lucy apologizes for bothering her grandparents, but she is glad they are there. 

The Colonel and Ruth ask Annie to borrow the car to get out for a while by themselves.

Mary and Matt return a little stressed out. Matt tells her she's a horrible driver. (Maybe it's because she doesn't have a permit and doesn't know anything about driving yet).

Their grandparents come into the kitchen and ask if they need a ride anywhere. The Colonel offers to drive Matt to the barber. 

Matt: No thanks. See, I just got my hair cut a couple days ago, so I'd look great for your arrival.

The Colonel: That is pretty. Yes, next time, have the guy use scissors. (The Colonel is so judgemental and hard to get along with, yet, I can't help but like him).  

Annie comes upstairs to Lucy's room, and Lucy is sitting in her closet crying. She is upset because she believes her grandparents don't like her. (I don't think they like anyone very much). Annie tells them they do; they just don't express it well. (You've noticed that too, Annie)? Lucy tells them she hopes they get Annie's rings back. Annie runs to Eric to tell him they will get the rings. She never thought that until Lucy told her. 

Outside, George, Ruthie, and Simon are in the garage in the car. George is hot-wiring the vehicle. After he does so, the three get into the car. Ruthie tells him he's in big trouble, and Eric beeps the horn scaring Simon. Eric tells them all to go upstairs. (I bet someone's in trouble).

Eric heads to the hardware store and asks Emma if he saw an "incredibly intimidating man with white hair and a tall, arrogant woman with perfect posture." Emma tells them no. He tells Emma the rings look like what he gave to Annie years ago. She tells him they aren't and that she's not giving them up.

The Colonel and Ruth are at the adoption agency to ask about adopting George. The woman (Edith Fields) tells them that it was easy to have a social worker meet them in New York. "But of course, a lot of things are easier when the governor calls ahead." (The Colonel has some great connections). 

That evening at the house, the grandparents apologize for missing dinner, but they have dessert. They tell Annie and Eric that they decided to adopt George. Annie tells them they should talk about it "calmly and rationally." Eric is angry because he doesn't think his parents are not very loving and supportive. The Colonel said they were busy keeping a roof over their heads and food on the table. Eric tells them there's more to parenting than that. The Colonel tells them that Eric's family is not the ones to adopt George. The two men continue fighting, and then the Colonel leaves the kitchen, and Eric tells them he's going for a walk. Annie and Ruth then discuss the situation. 

Annie: You're not terribly supportive, and it shows in a lot of hurtful ways.

Ruth: That's straight.

Annie: You're a little distant and a little opinionated, and some of your jokes are cruel. You and the Colonel are formidable, and you are awfully tough on people.

Ruth: The Colonel would say only the weak would see us as tough.

Annie: The Colonel would be wrong. Besides, most people are weaker than you. Patton was weaker than you two.

Ruth:  No, no. Too late. Don't try to kiss up now. Oh, Annie, Annie, thank you for being so honest with me. 

Annie asks Ruth to connect with Lucy because Lucy is upset and lonely.

Upstairs in Simon and Ruthie's room, Simon and Ruthie are in a cardboard car. They are talking about the Viper. Simon reminds Ruthie he is lucky, but George is a jinx. (And they are stuck in their room unless they need to use the bathroom because they were in the car playing and got in trouble). 

George goes into Eric and Annie's room to ask The Colonel and Ruth what they are doing. The Colonel tells him that the two of them are leaving. George cries and begs them to adopt him. Annie and Eric enter the room as The Colonel tells George that Eric is "smart about things like this, he knows what's right, he's a good man, a smart man, and if you're lucky, you'll grow up to be like him." (This is a touching scene. It's too bad The Colonel never told Eric this directly. but at least Eric could hear it while eavesdropping with Annie). 

Matt goes to the hardware store, which is closed, as Emma is leaving. He scared her and then told her he knew what it's like to be scared because he and his mom were robbed. Matt tells her that she has his mom's wedding rings. He asks her to return the rings. (Gee, I wonder if she will give him the rings).

Back at the house, Grandma Ruth comes into Mary and Lucy's room to talk to Lucy. She shows her the first love letter that The Colonel ever gave her. Lucy reads the salutation, and Ruth laughs at the nickname her husband gave her back then. She tells Lucy to return it in the morning and not tell The Colonel. After she leaves, Mary and Lucy read it together, laughing at the nickname "Poochie Check." 

The following day, Matt comes down to the kitchen where his parents are sitting at the table. Matt gives Annie her rings and tells her they can let go of the night they were robbed. Annie sees the rings and cries, and Eric hugs her. 

The Colonel, Ruth, Lucy, and Mary come downstairs, with Simon and Ruthie following. Lucy returns the letter to her grandmother. The Colonel tells Ruthie, "no boys and no cars for at least another ten years." 

The cab has arrived to take them to the airport. Eric tells them to wait and hands them George's adoption papers. He tells them they should adopt George because they are the family George wants and needs. Eric tells his parents that he knows they did the best they could. 

The Colonel: You're quite a man Reverend.

Eric: So are you, Colonel.

They decide to try being friends since they don't do well as father and son. 

A man comes in and tells Simon that he won "The Viper." 

Mary says they have to check it out. Eric stops her and Matt.

Eric: You didn't get enough yesterday? You owe the guy down the street 50 bucks for the mailbox. We'll talk about the scratch on the van and driving without a permit and how your lives are going to change dramatically because of restrictions, but later when there are no witnesses.

The man then tells Simon since he was under 18, he couldn't win The Viper because he was not legally allowed to play in the raffle. Simon tells him he knows but wants to win to work his superpowers of good luck.

The Colonel, Ruth, and George leave.

Simon asks if his father can take him for a ride in the Viper. The Colonel looks at the man and clears his throat, and the man allows it. (Sometimes, The Colonel's scariness comes in handy). 

Eric: I can't believe in six years I'm going to have to teach you how to drive.

Simon: In seven, you can teach your brother.

Eric: Huh?

Simon: Well, George is your brother now, right?

Eric: Well, now that you mention it, I guess he is.

Simon: Poor George.

The two take off in the Viper, and the closing credits come up. 

(The Colonel is an interesting man. Sometimes I want to dislike him, but I find that hard to do. Peter Graves did a great job playing him. This episode was pretty good).