7th Heaven: Season 2 - Episode 5: Says Who?

 

Eric (Stephen Collins) is getting the kids' lunches ready as Simon (David Gallagher) brushes his teeth in the kitchen because Ruthie is "hogging the bathroom." 

Simon asks Eric about the Heaven's Gate cult and how someone could convince the 38 people to kill themselves so they can get on the UFO. (I remember this so well. My friends and I thought they were really crazy because they all had quarters in their pockets to pay the toll). 

Eric explains how someone can make someone else believe something with mind contr l. Eric suggests his son tries it out on everyone except Ruthie since she's so young by convincing the others that he is shrinking. His dad tells him that he can use Ruthie to help recruit the others. (Should you really be instructing your son to do this)?

Matt comes downstairs, and Simon looks up at him.

Matt: What?

Simon: Either you're getting taller, or I'm shrinking.

M tt: I'm the same height as always.

Simon: Then I must be shrinking. 

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

At the high school, the kids eat lunch and hang out outside. Matt, Mary, and Lucy are eating together with some others. Shelby (Julie Berman) gets up from the table and leaves. Another girl comments that she must "get rid of the big lunch she ate." 

Lucy: What are you talking about?

Girl: Word is Shelby Conner's bulimic. And I'll bet that she just blasted out of here to get rid of that huge lunch she ate.

Matt: You don't know. Maybe she got bored with your scintillating conversation.

Matt leaves, and Mary points out that being thin doesn't mean you have an eating disorder. Lucy tells them Shelby is in her algebra class, so she will invite her tomorrow to study and have dinner s  she can see what happens. 

Mrs. Bink (Eileen Brennan) is with Eric at a retirement home. Mrs. Hinkle (Peg Phillips) moved there, and Mrs. Bink believes her children forced her into it. At the front desk, they are told Mrs. Hinkle doesn't want to see anyone, so Eric asks if they can leave a note. Then he looks at the room number on the message pad, and they head to the room.

Lucy asks Shelby to come over. Shelby tells her she asks to check with her mom, but it shouldn't be a problem. 

Mary is upset that Lucy invited Shelby over to see if a rumor is true. Lucy claims she's just a concerned friend.

Simon and Ruthie are in the living room with the tv on. Ruthie is watching for Matt to come while Simon is on the couch. His feet do not touch the floor. Ruthie tells Simon that Matt is coming and sits next to Simon on the sofa. Matt picks the remote up from the floor.

Ruthie: You should've kicked the remote to me, so I  ould be in charge of the TV.

Simon: Sorry, it's not like I could reach it.

Ruthie: Weird. My feet never touch the floor, but yours...

Simon: I'm shrinking. 

Matt: Just scoot a little forward. You're sitting too far back on the cus ion.

Simon moves up toward the front of the cushion. His feet still do not touch.

Ruthie: You need to see a doctor. 

Matt goes upstairs, and Simon pulls a bunch of stuff out of the cushion. Simon says they got Matt, and he and Ruthie are geniuses. (Not bad for a pre-teen and a little girl). 

Lucy asks her mother if Shelby can come over. Annie gives permission and says someone needs to set a place at the table. Simon tries to get a glass and says he could reach it yesterday; Mary gets the glass. 

Matt is in the living room trying to figure out how Simon made it so his feet wouldn't touch, but he can't figure it out.

Eric is at his office in the church and calls Annie letting her know about Mrs. Hinkle. His beeper goes off, and he tells her he has to go and will call later. 

The beeper was Mrs. Bink. She tells him that Mrs. Hinkle is her best friend, and with or without him, she will get her out of that retirement home. Eric tells her he's on his way. 

Mrs. Hinkle opens the door, and they go into her room. She explained that she had to move quickly to avoid losing the room and didn't have time to tell anyone. Eric asks if they can help, but Mrs. Hinkle says the kids helped. (I don't think you should get your kids to help ever again). Mrs. Bink asks if her children had anything to do with all of this. (Or everything). Mrs. Hinkle denies it. Eric stands up and declares, "Well, we're just glad to see that everything's okay." Mrs. Hinkle thanked them for coming over even though they didn't call first. She says she will call them if she needs anything. Mrs. Bink tells Mrs. Hinkle she's against the move. 

That evening, Mary and Lucy are in their room with face masks on discussing Shelby.

Mary: You know, this conversation might not annoy me so much if you actually knew that Shelby was bulimic. But you don't. So you and this conversation have gone way past annoying and into the land of I might have to kill you if you don't shut up.

Lucy: Oh, please, everyone knows that she is.

Mary: Everyone says she is; there's a big difference. (Great point, Mary)!

Simon is stuffing Ruthie's shoes to make her look taller so that he looks smaller. Their mother comes in and tells them she knows they are up to something, and Simon tells her what his father s id and he and Ruthie are conducting an experiment. While Simon is explaining their plan, Matt is outside listening. (Uh-oh, I think Simon's in trouble). Annie says they can do the experiment, but she won't help them. 

Mrs. Bink tells Eric that Mrs. Hinkle's kids got her to sell the house so they could ha e the money. Eric doesn't believe her, and Mrs. Bink becomes angry. She goes into her home, slamming the door in his face. (I was laughing out loud at this scene. I love Mrs. Bink). 

At the house, Eric tells Annie that Mrs. Bink and Mrs. Hinkle refuse to speak to him. He claims that Mrs. Bink formulated this story in her mind because she hates change. 

Lucy and Shelby are getting Shelby settled in the girls' room. Lucy tells Shelby she's going to get a snack. Shelby says she needs to use the bathroom. 

Lucy goes downstairs and sees Mary in the kitchen, as well as their mother. 

Lucy (to Mary): Okay, so get this, I asked Shelby if she wanted a snack, and she said okay. Then she asked me where the bathroom was. How much more proof do you need? (Uh, if she had bulimia, wouldn't she use the bathroom after eating)?

Annie: Proof of what?

Mary: This is all yours. Run with it.

Lucy: There's a rumor going around school that Shelby's bulimic. 

Annie: Because other people say it, you believe it?

Lucy says she wanted to get proof, and Annie essentially tells her she's disappointed in her. Lucy wants to make something good out of it, and Annie will think of something. (Maybe you should think of something, Lucy).

Lucy leaves the kitchen.

Annie: You should've known better.

Mary: I did know better. I just didn't know how to stop it. (She tried, though). 

Eric goes to Mrs. Hinkle's house and sees her son Kevin (Mark L. Taylor) and daughter Dana (Jane Morris). Eric tells them it must be sad to see their childhood home sold. Mrs. Hinkle's children recited the same thing Mrs. Hinkle told them, which made Eric suspicious. 

Back at the house, Mary asks Simon about his pants. Mary tells him she thought his legs were shrinking and leaves. Ruthie believes they are doing great.

Eric goes over to Mrs. Bink's house and tells her something's not right. So they head over to Mrs. Hinkle's house. 

Simon can't reach his clothes and asks Ruthie if they seem high. She tells him she always has to stand on a chair, so she doesn't know. Matt comes in to borrow Simon's red marker. Matt pulls Simon near him and tells him he must be shrinking because Simon doesn't come up as high on him anymore. After Matt leaves, Simon measures himself on the door and sees he doesn't come up as high as he used to.

Simon: You wanna know why Matt thinks I am shrinking?

Ruthie: Because we influenced him and took his mind?

Simon: No, because I am shrinking. For real.

Ruthie: You need to see a doctor.

Outside Mrs. Hinkle's room, Eric and Mrs. Bink decide to be subtle. Mrs. Bink knocks on the door, and Mrs. Hinkle answers.

Mrs. Bink (to Mrs. Hinkle): You are such a liar! (to Eric): Subtle never really worked for me. (Mrs. Bink is totally awesome)!

Mrs. Bink tells her friend that since they have been friends for so long, she should have had the guts to tell her the truth about her reasons for moving. Eric tells Mrs. Hinkle that he went to her house and saw her children. He says it's like they "all studied for the same test." Mrs. Hinkle explains that her children are not independent, so she is selling the house to give them the money. (She blames herself here, but honestly, they are grown kids, they need to learn, you can't blame your parents forever). But then she decides she isn't going to sell and asks them to take her home, leaving the retirement place. (Woohoo)!

Annie comes into Simon and Ruthie's room to tell them it's almost time for dinner. Simon is lying in his bed, and Ruthie sits next to him. Simon informs his mother that he's shrinking and will probably "shrink into nothingness." Annie tells him he can't shrink. (She should have added, at his age, because technically humans do start shrinking in their later years in life). Annie calls Matt. Matt tells Simon he's not shrinking and that he heard about the experiment. He tells Simon the entire family now knows and has been helping him to get Simon back. Annie tells Matt to take Simon to the doctor. She says Matt is paying for the doctor because their health insurance doesn't include "height confirmation."

Matt: You're kidding. He's not shrinking.

Annie: I know that, and you know that. But Simon does not know that, thanks to you.

Matt: You didn't have a problem when they were playing with my mind.

Annie: Because I knew there was little to no chance that an eleven-year-old would have the sophistication or resources to convince his seventeen-year-old brother that he was shrinking. And even if he did, it's one thing to believe that your brother is shrinking. It's another thing to believe that you are shrinking into nothingness. 

Annie tells him that as Simon's big brother, it's his job to look out for Simon. Matt tells her he knows that, but doctors "freak him out." Annie tells him to deal. (I love how Matt is anxious around doctor's and hospitals when 

Eric, Mrs. Bink, and Mrs. Hinkle return to Mrs. Hinkle's house. Mrs. Hinkle informs her children and the potential buyers that she's not selling.

Dana: But what about your safety? You're an older person...

Mrs. Hinkle: Do you think some stranger could hurt me worse than my own children? Trying to scare me out of the house so they can pay off their credit cards and travel? I'll take my chances with the stranger. It'll be less hurtful and frankly less embarrassing. (Sadly, this is not uncommon with many elderly people and their children). 

Her children leave arguing with each other.

Eric, Mrs. Bink, and Mrs. Hinkle go out to eat, with Mrs. Bink buying and Eric being the designated driver. 

That night at dinner, Mary asks Simon what the doctor said. Turns out Simon's not shrinking and is an inch and a half taller. Shelby excuses herself from the table, and Annie comes upstairs to check on her. She tells Annie she doesn't have an eating disorder; she's hungry because her family doesn't have enough food. Annie tells her that she and her family can come over for dinner anytime, and they will hook her up with the church's Meals on Wheels program. (Annie is so friendly when she's not filled with hate like in the Ginger episodes in season one). 

Annie lets Mary and Lucy know that Shelby doesn't have an eating disorder but does not tell them about the hunger issues because she told Shelby she wouldn't tell. Simon and Matt take out the garbage and run into their father, who has just returned home. He tells them no more mind games, and they agree.

Eric goes inside.

Matt: What?

Simon: I thought your hair looked different. But it doesn't.

Matt: Different how?

Simon: Well, like less hair, but it doesn't. It was probably just the light.....

Matt: You're messing with my head again.

Simon: Yeah. Yup. You got me. Your hair looks great. Really. (to himself away from Matt): Not bad for a little brain.

Matt is feeling his hair as the closing credits come up. 

(I really enjoyed this episode as it dealt with three crucial topics. There is the mistreatment elderly people face with their own children. Then there was judging people by what is seen, not the facts actually are, and messing with people's minds as many cults such as Scientology and, of course, Heaven's Gate and David Koresh were the biggies in the 1990s. Heaven's Gate is the one that Simon referred to at the beginning of this episode).