7th Heaven: Season 2 - Episode 15: Homecoming

 

Mary (Jessica Biel) dreams she's playing basketball.

Mary is dreaming that she's playing basketball. She falls and hurts her knee that had the surgery. Her dream wakes up Lucy, who asks if she is okay, and Mary tells her sister she's fine (I think she's lying) and to go back to sleep.

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

The following day, Mary is shooting nerf baskets in her room, while Lucy is in the closet talking on the phone with her best friend Suzanne (Rachel Crane), who moved in season one. Suzanne is coming to the house for homecoming weekend. Mary gets tired of listening to her sister yack and closes the closet door. Mary picks up her Wildcats basketball uniform and looks stressed.

Eric and Ruthie are eating breakfast and reading the paper in the kitchen. Simon comes down with a solar system made out of Ruthie's doll heads. (That's not in any way totally creeptastic). He tells Ruthie and his father that his science teacher, Ms. Hunter, doesn't like him. Ruthie tells Simon that she has a field trip this morning. Annie calls to Ruthie from another room that she will be late from school, and Eric and Ruthie run upstairs. Annie comes into the kitchen with Lucy looking for her youngest daughter. Simon says she's upstairs. Annie tells Lucy and Simon she is one of the chaperones on Lucy's field trip, and Lucy is afraid of getting lost and left at the museum. 

Eric asks Mary if she wants to drive to the school with him so they can talk, but she says no. After she leaves, Matt comes past Eric and tells his dad that Mary's not really talking to anyone. 

Lucy is talking to Simon and her mother about Mary. 

Lucy: All Mary's been saying for the past few months is how much she misses basketball and if she could only play again. And finally, today, she gets to play, and she's being a total...

Mary comes into the kitchen. Annie asks her how she feels about the game, and Mary claims she hasn't thought about it. (More than every minute, day and night). However, she says she is upset that she doesn't have a date for the dance. Matt comes in and says he doesn't have a date either. After Mary leaves the kitchen, Annie asks Matt if he has been intentionally turning down dates, and he says yes. Lucy is upset about how Mary is acting and says, "luckily, my best friend is coming. Suzanne understands." Ruthie is running late and barely makes it in time, and Annie tells her and Eric that they can only do their "coffee mornings" on weekends. Eric stuck a chip clip in Ruthie's hair instead of a hair clip by mistake.

Suzanne tells her mother she can't wait because her ride is here. Her mother (Brynn Thayer) leaves and doesn't see her daughter hiding behind a bush. Suzanne then gets on a bus that is not a school bus.

Ruthie isn't enjoying her field trip, so Annie says she will show her something "really cool." 

In Simon's science class, Ms. Hunter (Hudson Leick) speaks to the kids. She then says it's their turn to teach her about the solar system and calls on Nick (Adam Dior). Nick is highly nervous and is having trouble getting things out correctly. (Apparently, Ms. Hunter strikes fear in a lot of students). Ms. Hunter thanks Nick and then yells at the class for not doing a good enough job with three weeks to prepare. She then calls on Simon, and Simon tells her that he had trouble with his. She tells him to come in during his free period so she can help. 

At the high school, a woman asks Matt if he's going to the dance. Matt says he doesn't know, but he'll look for her if he does. He sees Mary and goes over to her locker, cheering her on for the big game later. 

Matt: Well, there's always the dance. 

Mary: Dateless, I already told you. 

Matt: I told you, the dateless Camdens can hang together.

Mary: Oh, yeah, go to a dance with my brother? Oh no, that won't be too weird and pathetic.

Matt: No, what's weird is your mood. And no matter what anybody says or does to try to help, it's not good enough. So what's pathetic is that anyone bothers to keep trying. 

The girls on the basketball team talk to Mary, and she is rather nasty to them as well. Diane (Alexandra Glazer) tells Mary she acted the same way after the surgery. She understands Mary, but Mary denies that her attitude has anything to do with the game. (Nothing, everything...let's not split hairs).

At the art museum, Annie is showing Ruthie a pointillism painting. Suddenly Annie notices everyone has left. Ruthie enjoys herself and has yet to see that everyone else is gone. 

Simon talks to his counselor at school (Patricia Forte) abo t getting put in another science class because he believes Ms. Hunter hates him. The counselor is surprised. Simon asks to go home, but she tells him he can only go home if a parent or guardian picks him up early or if he is sick and has to be sent home.

Suzanne arrives at the house and knocks on the door. Reverend Camden opens, and Suzanne tells him that her mother dropped her off. He asks her if she wants to ride with him, and she says yes.

At the high school, Lucy is stressed about Algebra because now she has to solve for y and x. She asks Matt if she and Suzanne can ride with him to the dance, so they don't need to go with Eric. 

Lucy: You're not really going to make me and Suzanne ride to the dance with Dad tonight, are you? You're nicer than that.

Matt: I'll make a note.

Simon is lying down in the nurse's office watching a leaky faucet drip. Matt comes in and asks him what's going on, and he explains about his teacher. Ms. Hunter is outside listening to Simon and Matt. Because he didn't go to last period, Matt tells Simon their parents won't let Simon go to Mary's game either. 

 Eric asks Annie how she and Ruthie got left at the museum. So Annie explains they were looking closely at a picture, and the others just left. (Teachers are supposed to do a headcount before the bus leaves, so how did they get left behind)  She doesn't want Ruthie to know what happened since her biggest nightmare was getting left behind.

Matt comes into the kitchen and tells his parents that Simon got sick. Simon tries to sneak past, but Annie stops him to ask what happened. He tells her and then goes t  his room.

Matt: He forgot that if you wanna get out of something because you're sick, you should, you know, act sick. But don't worry, he's young, he'll learn.

Eric: Oh, thanks, that helps.

Lucy and Suzanne are in Lucy and Mary's room. Matt pops in and says hello, and asks if they need anything since he's going out to pick up Mary. After he leaves,  Suzanne tells Lucy that Matt is "a babe" and "a dream date." She asks Lucy not to say anything, and a grossed-out Lucy informs her friend she will never tell him or anyone else. (As a general rule, teens don't want to be told their other siblings are "babes").  

Richard (Johnny Green) sees Mary and gives her a pep talk. Mary tells him that she doesn't think she can do it, nor does she have a date. He tells her it's okay to be scared, but she can't make the decision out of fear. He tells Mary she should play, and Mary tells him, "you need to take your own advice." (I'm am not exactly sure what she meant by this).

At the house, Eric orders pizza. Eric tells Suzanne to call her mother, a d when she finishes, he can talk to her mom. Suzanne goes into another room and dials. Lucy asks if her father got peppers on the pi za. He tells her to call, so she grabs the phone, then puts it down, and says she's  not into peppers." After the girls leave, Eric and Annie are suspicious and hit the redial, and it'  the time opera or. Annie realizes Suzanne has run away. Annie has Pam's number and c  ls. She tells Eric she has a good idea why her daughter ran away. 

Up in Lucy and Mary's room, Lucy questions Suzanne. Suzan e admits to running away.

Matt and Mary return to the house. Eric asks Mary if she's ready for the game, and she says she's as prepared about the game as possible. She heads upstairs, and Matt says that Richard talked to her, and she's improved a  lot. After Matt leaves, Eric tells Annie he's upset that Richard can help Mary when Eric cannot help his daughter feel better. Annie tells him that there will be many people in Mary's life, but no matter who comes, Mary w ll know that Eric is there and loves her.

Suzanne comes down to talk to Eric. She tells him that she needed a break, which is why she ran away. 

Matt sees his mother and tells her that Simon is not really sick and is just afraid of his science teacher. She brings Simon jello to eat for dinner because he's ill and cannot have pizza. Simon is disappointed. Simon asks how Ruthie and his mother got left at the museum. 

Ruthie: Did we get left?

Annie: Yes, but it was my fault.

Ruthie: I'm never going on another field trip again. (She runs out of the room).

Annie: Oh, Simon.

Simon: What? If I know about these things, I mean, I'm a secret's best friend.

Happy licks Simon's jello. (Yum, dog-licked jello). 

Annie asks Simon if there is anything she can do to help. He denies that his science teacher has anything to do with his illness. Annie tells him he needs to face his problems.

Annie: You cannot run away from things just because they scare you.

Mary is outside the door listening.

Mary: Sometimes you can.

Ruthie: Sometimes you can what?

Mary: Run away from t ings that scare you.

Ruthie: Oh, well, that's good to k ow. (Way to teach your kid sister, Mary).

Annie: Well, if you run away from everything that scares you, you're gonna miss out on some real fun in life. 

Mary and Annie look at ea h other, and then Mary goes into her room and shuts the door. Ruthie goes in, and Mary kicks her back out.

Diane picks Mary up to head to the game. (Guess Mary listened to her mother). 

Eric asks Annie if she feels like running away. Annie says they can't, or they would miss out on many great things. 

Eric runs up to ask Lucy and Suzanne if they can be ready in half an h ur. He tells Suzanne she's part of the family. He also tells her that her mother misses her. Suzanne asks to use the phone and this time really calls her mother.

Ms. Hunter comes to the house to see Simon. Ms. Hunter knocks on Simon a d Ruthie's door, and Ruthie tells her to come in. Simon is babbling. (Nervous, much)? Simon tells her that he is afraid of  her. (That took courage). Ms. Hunter tells Simon that she also was fearful since this was her first job as a teacher. She then offers to help him, and he asks if he can do his presentation for her. He then precedes to do his presentation on the Solar Sys em. Eric and Annie are listening outside the door. 

Richard asks Reverend and Mrs. Camden if he can sit with them at the game. Annie says he can. Simon is also at t e game with the rest of the family. (I guess his parents decided that he was excused for cutting last period). 

Suzanne tells Eric that her mother will be picking her up tomorrow. 

The basketball game continues. Mary gets the ball and passes it, but it's intercepted by the other t am. The other team goes to shoot, and Mary blocks it but falls. (Silence) Diane runs over and helps Mary up, and they continue playing. The ball is passed to Mary, who passes it to a teammate, who passes it to Diane, who passes it back to Mary, who shoots and scores. Everyone cheers. Maryhigh vives her team and then talks to Diane. Diane tells Mary to go talk to her family. Richard takes the mic from the announcer (who wasn't announcing anything) and asks Mary to go to the dance with him. She says yes.

Mary and Richard hug. Mary hugs her dad. 

Mary: I love you, Dad.

Eric: I love you too, kiddo. How does it feel to be back in the game? 

Mary: It's great. I wouldn't have missed this for the would. But I almost did because I didn't want to admit to anybody, especially myself, that I was scared. Now, that would've been stupid.

Ruthie: You're saying that for me, aren't you?

Mary: And for me.

Ruthie says she will reconsider going on field trips and points out that her mother can't chaperone all of the tr ps. Annie promises not to get Ruthie lost again; Ruthie agrees to go to the dairy farm. 

Matt is upset that he doesn't have a date since Mary now does. Lucy is also upset. Eric and Annie get an idea.

Matt: But I'm not dancing with them.

Matt leaves.

Annie: Yes, he will.

Eric: Mm-hm.

They head out as the closing credits come up. 

(This episode was not a favorite as it seemed to drag a little. However, the message was a great one).