7th Heaven: Season 1-Episode 8: What Will People Say?

 

Annie (Catherine Hicks) picks the kids up from school.

Annie picks the kids up, and Mary makes Lucy move to the back. Annie had just gotten the car fixed. 

Eric is with another woman. His family watches them go into a hotel, and the children are suspicious. 

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

Eric gets the key and takes the woman to the room. (I get he's helping and all, but it's not wise to be alone with her, behind a closed door in a hotel room). She is not sure she made the best choice, leaving her husband. (You totally are, dearie). He has been beating her, and she believes she deserves it. Eric tries to get her to go to a woman's shelter, but she tells him her husband wouldn't really hurt her.

Eric: You had two broken ribs.

Woman: But he didn't mean to do it.

Eric: And there's no telling what he won't mean to do next. 

He offers to let the woman come home, but she doesn't want his family to know what is going on either. 

At the house, Mary and Lucy gossip about her dad and the woman. Matt tells Mary that she shouldn't be talking to Lucy because it's an adult conversation. (Lucy is twelve, Mary is fourteen, Matt is sixteen. Therefore none of them qualify as adults) Matt wants to talk to Mary about Richard. He wants her to take it slow because Richard is more experienced than her.

Mary: Richard's a really nice guy

Matt: There are no really nice guys.

Simon is in the kitchen while Happy does tricks to get his attention. Annie asks him if he wants to talk, and he says yes. He asks his mother if Eric is dating. Eric comes in, and Simon asks him if anything interesting happened, and Eric says no.

Richard (Johnny Green) comes over to see if Eric wants to throw the ball around. (I am wondering if Richard doesn't have a father) When he tells Richard he can't, Mary goes out to throw the ball around with Richard. 

Simon (to Eric): She's fourteen; the way I figure it, there's going to be a Richard a month for the next ten years.

Outside, Mary and Richard are playing and flirting.

Simon asks Lucy if she believes in love at first sight. She tells him she does, followed by a story about Jimmy Moon. Simon gets bored listening and leaves. Happy listens, and she thanks her and shares her paw.

Simon then asks Ruthie if she believes in love at first sight. 

Ruthie: I don't remember the first time I looked at anyone. (She's too cute).

Simon tells Ruthie about a girl in his class named Gabrielle. He tells her not to tell anyone else because they would all think he is dumb. Ruthie is okay with that, as long as Simon still loves her. He assures her he loves all his sisters. 

The family is eating dinner, and Mary, Lucy, and Simon mention the people they like about football. (Oops, Simon wasn't supposed to say, Gabrielle). Eric tries to get Simon to elaborate on who Gabrielle is. 

Ruthie: Maybe Simon will tell you who Gabrielle is if you tell us who the woman was at the hotel.

There is no response, and it cuts to another scene. 

Annie tells him in the next scene that she understands a lot of his work is confidential, and she's not worried. He tells her he will be home around five.

Simon is smelling Gabrielle's (Danielle Keaton) hair in the school cafeteria. 

Eric is having lunch with the woman. Her name is Abby (Faye Grant). She tells him she doesn't know how to survive if she leaves her husband, Jake. Jake told her that she would go to Hell if she divorced him. Eric explains that Jake is wrong because she didn't know who Jake was when they married. 

Annie walks with Ruthie and Happy and sings, How Much Is That Doggie in the Window? They see Mrs. Beeker (Edie McClurg) coming out of her house. (Edie McClurg plays a nosy gossiper in everything I have seen her; I wonder if she's like that in real life). Mrs. Beeker is a very invasive woman and a gossiper. Annie quickly leaves. 

Ruthie: Do we like her?

Annie: We try to like everyone. 

At Simon's school, Nigel tells Simon to give Gabrielle the note. As Simon takes it over, another boy who reads it aloud intercepts it. Both Simon and Gabrielle are very embarrassed. 

Matt wants to talk to his dad. He heard rumors at school and wants to know if his dad is having an affair. Eric tells him he knows but won't say what he was doing. 

Simon has a thermometer by the lamp, trying to get a temperature because he doesn't want to go to school after what happened the day before. Annie lets him stay home for one day. (To whom it may concern, please excuse Simon for being out of school, he got some "bad corn").

Mary is in a hurry to get to school so she can come home from school and see Richard. She tells Lucy they have a study date because they are dating and older than Lucy and Jimmy. Eric hears her and asks how serious they are. Mary is angry with Eric. Lucy says she's curious, not angry because she lacks enough information to be angry.

Annie asks Eric to come home for lunch, but Eric says he has plans. Matt comes in to let him know that Jake (Erich Anderson) is downstairs. Eric tells Annie to stay upstairs with the children. 

Jake tells Eric that he (Jake) heard Eric is having an affair with Abby. Eric tells him he knows they aren't. Jake claims that Abby makes up stories about him being abusive and then sleeps with the men who feel bad for her. Eric suggests they get divorced. Jake says he wants Abby to get better, but she never stays long in therapy. He asks Eric to tell Abby to come home and that he will stay somewhere else.

Jake: I just want this to work out. (You are actual scum).

Matt sees Richard talking to another guy at school and jumps to the conclusion Richard is doing drugs. (It's a logical conclusion...NOT!) Richard was paying someone to type his school paper because she doesn't own a computer. (Or maybe he can't read).

Mrs. Beeker comes over to the house and brings a casserole to Annie. 

Annie: Take this casserole....and give it to the needy.

Ruthie: Do we still like her?

Annie: Yes.

Ruthie: Okay. (I don't think Ruthie believes her mother; I know I don't.)

Mary and Richard are in the kitchen studying. (Or kissing, depending on how you define both words). Simon walks in and tells them to pretend he's not there. He is trying to find a way to make himself sick.

Annie: I thought I told you not to go in there while they're studying. They are studying, right?

Simon: If you say so, Mom. 

Annie informs Simon he has to go to school. Simon wants to know why his father didn't come home for dinner. 

Eric goes to the hotel, and Matt is there spying on him. 

Jake is also at the hotel, and Eric tells him Abby checked out. Jake leaves.

As Eric leaves, he talks to Matt, who is hiding behind an indoor tree. Matt offers to follow Jake.

Eric: Well, I appreciate the offer, but I don't think following is your strong suit.

Matt: Where did I go wrong?

Eric: Well, it's pretty easy spotting an old blue station wagon under a street light. 

Matt tells Eric that "Mom gave your piece to Happy," when Eric tells him dinner sounds good and he's hungry. (Nope, she understands, Matt. She isn't upset at all).

Richard is trying to get out of studying, but Mary wants to learn. Annie walks in just as Richard kisses Mary again. 

Mary went downhill in geometry and forgot to have Annie sign her most recent test. Annie tells her daughter she may not have more study dates until her grades improve. 

Annie goes into the kitchen and talks to Richard. She learns that Richard can't read very well. (I told you so). She tells him she knows someone who can help him, but he feels too old and stupid. Mary comes in, and Annie covers by telling her she told Richard, "he should grow a mustache, but he doesn't know if he can do it." (Nice save...NOT!) She signs Mary's math test as Richard gets his belongings together to leave. He tells Mary he won't kiss her until her math grades come up.

Simon is trying to get Ruthie to hit him over the head so he can stay home from school. Lucy comes in and tells Ruthie to brush her teeth so she can talk to Simon. Simon tells Lucy what happened at school. Lucy tells him he needs to go to school and that someone else did something at school so they will have forgotten about what happened with Simon.

Eric comes up to their room with dinner. He apologizes to Annie for not calling and asks about the food since he heard she gave his piece to Happy. She tells him she did, but there was some left still. 

Eric tells Annie about Abby and Jake. Abby told him to tell her. Annie said that when she thinks about it, the signs of the abuse are all there. Eric doesn't know what to do, but there must be something.

Mark (Mark Humphrey) is teasing Simon at Simon's school until his (Mark's) pants rip open. The other kids tease Mark and Simon thanks, God, because he's off the hook. But then he feels bad for Mark and gives him his coat to put around so the split in the pants can't be seen. (He's a good kid that Simon).

Mary and Richard are talking at their school. Richard suggests they study separately. Mary doesn't ask what is going on because she trusts Richard.

The kids come home from school. Simon tells his mother about Mark. 

Mary (to Annie): Richard thinks you're really cool." 

Abby comes to the house with Eric, and he tells them that she's moving to New York with her sister. Jake shows up, and Eric tells Matt to call the cops. Jake tells Abby she's not leaving him. Jake goes after Eric and tells him he will follow his wife to New York. Eric tells him he knows people inside and outside the legal system in New York that would take care of Jake. Jake tells him that Abby would never press charges. The police arrive.

Eric: Where you been, Jake? This is 1996. Your wife doesn't have to press charges. She has two broken ribs, and I'm still pressing charges.

Jake is arrested, and Eric goes inside. 

Simon asks Eric if it's true that the woman's husband hits her. (This is where I started crying). He tells Simon yes, but he won't do it again.

Annie is talking to a crying Abby in the living room. Abby is scared, and Annie tells her she can do it, and they will be there for her. 

Abby hugs Eric while the rest of the family sadly watches. 

The closing credits come up. 

(Another difficult topic that was handled very well. It was hard to watch, but I tend to enjoy these episodes the most, the ones that make me cry).