7th Heaven: Season 3 - Episode 5: ... And a Nice Chianti

 

Mary (Jessica Biel) got her learner's permit. 

Eric comes into the house and says, "I'm afraid so." Then Mary comes in and announces she got her learner's permit, plus her father gave her a set of keys. (Since she can't drive alone with a permit, why does she need her own set at this point)? She declares, "I am driving, and I am the greatest driver in all the world." The other kids are not happy. Eric and Annie are licking wooden spoons. (The spoons seemed random, but maybe I missed something). 

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

Annie is getting clothes from the kids' rooms so she can do the laundry. Simon searches through the dirty clothes for a shirt. (Typical). 

Ruthie begs her mom to take the bus with the other kids, but her mother tells her no. Meanwhile, the other children have to take the bus because they are being punished. Mary is glad they are being punished. Simon asks his father to drive them to the bus stop, but they run out of the house when Mary offers to drive them. Annie asks Mary to help her with the laundry basket. Ruthie comes out of her room with a football helmet on. Mary tells her she's a good driver, but Ruthie refuses to take it off.

Eric goes into his bedroom and sees his wife making their bed. He tries to help, but she tells him to stop. He tells her he is going to Elizabeth Brown's house. The Browns have gone through a terrible divorce, and the husband has moved back east. Something has happened to the couple's son, which triggered the divorce. Elizabeth hasn't taken anything out of their son's room. 

Simon gets on the bus and tries to find a place to sit. No one will let him sit, however. The bus driver (Marlon Young) points to the sign that says he can't drive until everyone sits. Simon finally finds a seat. Lucy gets on her bus and sees all freshmen. Some guys are excited to see an "upper-class chick." Stevie Sanderson (Matthew Botuchis) sits next to her. She tells him she's not interested in him and has a boyfriend.

Stevie: So? I have a girlfriend. But we wanna let them get in the way. We're all too young to be making any major commitments. Don't you agree?

His girlfriend, Shiela (Natasha Melnick), is watching them. Stevie says they are just "part-time." (Sheila really needs to dump this kid). 

Eric is at Elizabeth's house. Elizabeth (Susan Blakely) tells him she no longer sees any of her friends. Eric suggests she sets a little time each morning to think about her son, Alan. She says she does that. She tells him she is afraid of letting go because she might not be able to stop. He tells her to cry all she wants each day for fifteen minutes and then go on with her day. He tells her to stay open to others offering to help her. 

Matt is driving down the road and spots a pregnant teenager. He stops to help, and she says, "the car just conked out." Matt offers to look at the car even though he doesn't know much about them. He opens the hood and doesn't see anything. While he's looking, the girl steals his car. 

Simon gets off the bus, and a kid (Craig Hauer) starts to bully Marvin (Adam Wylie). He wants Marvin to do his homework. Marvin tells him it wouldn't be fair to copy his work. Simon steps in to help and suggests Marvin would be willing to help him. The kid likes the idea and introduces himself to Simon. His name is Nick. 

Lucy gets off her bus, and Shiela warns her to stay away from Stevie. Mary sees her and asks her how the bus was. Lucy tells her it was fine.

Matt is trying to get the car to start that the girl left. A police officer (Robert Zacher) stops near him. Matt explains what happened, and the man asks for his license and registration. Matt shows the officer his license and explains the registration is in the car that was stolen. Another officer (Van B. Poole) tells the first officer that they have a stolen car. Matt says he was explaining his vehicle was stolen, and the first officer tells him they are referring to the car that Matt was trying to start. 

Carolyn Fulton (Alison La Placa) comes into the hairstylist's place. The receptionist (Peggy Billo) asks her how she's doing, and she says she's happy to be alive. Carolyn was a heart transplant recipient. The hairstylist (Anne Cerillo) tells Elizabeth about Carolyn as she does her hair. She tells her the transplant happened three years ago. 

After school, Mary tells Lucy, "see ya." She walks over to the car, Annie gets into the passenger seat, and Mary drives. Annie tries to get Lucy's attention, but Lucy avoids looking at her mother. Mary hears the radio and looks at her mother, who tells her she "changed it back." She tells her that classical music is good for the unborn babies. (I've heard that music was good, but I'm not sure about specific kinds, but it makes sense, I guess). Ruthie is in the backseat wearing her football helmet, and Mary is annoyed. Annie tells her to drive. 

Simon gets on the bus, and Melvin thanks him. Nick tells him he thinks he aced his essay and never knew he could do it until Melvin helped him. Another kid asks Simon if he could get the kids in the front to help the guys in the back with their homework. Simon agrees. 

Stevie sits next to Lucy and puts his arms around her. He tells her not to be afraid of Sheila, and she tells him she's not scared, but she has a boyfriend. He tells her she doesn't understand how the man-woman thing works. (I don't think you do either, Stevie). 

Elizabeth goes to the church and tells Eric about Carolyn. Elizabeth tells him that after Alan's accident, his organs were donated. She wants to know if Carolyn got Alan's heart. She wants Eric to check it out.

Eric comes home late, and Annie is upset. She is worried about Matt because he didn't call to say he would be late. Eric says he will talk to Matt about calling, and Annie says he'd have to come home first. Sergeant Michaels (Christopher Michael) and Matt come into the kitchen as they are talking. Michaels tells them that Matt is a suspect for grand theft auto until they find the pregnant girl that stole his car. 

The following day, Mary tells Matt she would give him a ride but doesn't want to be busted for harboring a felon. Annie tells her it's too bad cause she could have driven on a four-way highway. Mary changes her mind about driving him. 

Annie: I'm fully aware you haven't ridden in a back seat for years, so I'd be happy to sit behind you.

Matt: You just don't want a front-seat view of Mary Andretti on a four-lane. 

Annie laughs, and Ruthie comes down wearing a hockey mask. She explains to Matt and her mother about hockey. Annie says she has no idea where to start, so Matt starts by correcting Ruthie's grammar. Ruthie reminds Matt that he could go to jail. Annie tries to tell Ruthie she's starting a bad pattern but gives up when Ruthie tells her, "I like to be fair to all the sports." Annie leaves the room, and Matt tells Ruthie she could be hurting Mary's feelings. 

Ruthie: Mary's feelings? For a college boy, you don't know nothing.

Matt: Anything. Anything.

Ruthie: Whatever. 

Carolyn comes into the church to see Eric, who has called her earlier. She is afraid she did something to offend God. (Did she think God contacted Eric about her)? He tells her no, but he heard about her heart transplant. She asks if he heard who the donor was, but she says she tried to contact him. 

Eric: So, were you ever given any information at all from the hospital about the donor or his family?

Carolyn: Just that the heart came from a teenage boy. He was riding a motorcycle without a helmet. Ran into the back of a truck on a freeway somewhere in Oregan. That's it. I'm not the person you're looking for, am I?

Eric: No, no. Then again, maybe you are. 

Simon gets on his bus, and the other kids all cheer. (Enjoy it while it lasts, Simon). 

Sheila tells Lucy to meet her at three o'clock in front of the school. Lucy tells her she's not going to do that. Sheila warns her not to try to take the bus after school. Lucy claims she's tougher than Shiela, and Sheila tells her she's not. Lucy then tells her, "my sister is." 

Eric is with Sargeant Michaels. Sergeant Michaels found out that the girl who stole Matt's car is a runaway. 

Mary goes to Lucy's locker, which startles Lucy as she is not looking as Mary comes over. Mary informs Lucy she is on her own with Sheila. Lucy tells Mary that it's not her driving; she, Simon, and Ruthie have a problem. They are embarrassed to be seen with their mother, who is pregnant. 

Lucy: Consequently, there are about to be seven of us. Seven. I'm surprised the zero-population-growth people haven't shown up at our door and dragged the two of them off to some seminar.

Mary: I hope Sheila beats the snot out of you.

Marvin finds Simon at school and informs him that Nick got an F on his paper, and now he's looking for the two of them. (How did he go from acing it to getting an F)? Simon is upset because he thought they were smart. However, Marvin informs him the people who ride in front of the bus are scared of the ones in the back. They all pretend to be reading their books to keep from looking at those in the back of the bus. 

Annie is dancing to music on a walkman at the house when Eric comes in with Theresa (Jenna Von Oy), the pregnant girl who stole Matt's car earlier. (It's Six from "Blossom"). Annie tells her that Eric is good at talking to people when Theresa tells her that her parents don't know she's pregnant. However, Eric tells Annie he thinks she would be the best to talk to Theresa's parents.

Matt is putting away laundry, and Theresa apologizes to him. She says she believes she should put the baby up for adoption, but she's not sure she wants to do that. He suggests that perhaps her parents will let her move back home and help her. 

Theresa: My parents told me a thousand times that if they ever found out I had sex that they'd disown me. And that if I ever got pregnant, I shouldn't even bother coming home. I was on my own.

Matt: You know how parents are. They say lots of crazy things but don't necessarily mean them. (Yep).  

Annie overhears, and Matt reminds her about her threat to put their underwear on the front lawn if it's not in the laundry basket. Annie claims one day, she really will do it. They laugh, and Annie hugs her son.

After school, Lucy sees Sheila and her gang and runs for her parents' car. Eric moves over so Mary can drive, and Lucy tells her, "hit it." Mary claims she doesn't know what's going on. 

Simon gets on his bus, and Nick informs him he can either walk home or get a "screaming wedgy." Marin tells him he should walk and knows from experience. Simon gets off the bus, and the bus driver thanks Nick "on behalf of bus drivers everywhere." (This bus driver is a jerk). 

Everyone returns home; Annie tells them to put their clean clothes away and threats to put the underwear on the lawn if it's not put away. Annie notices they all came in together. Simon tells his mother Mary isn't a bad driver when their father is in the car. Mary tells her younger siblings that they need to talk, and Ruthie figures out Lucy told and isn't surprised. (When this show was originally on, my mother used to say Ruthie should become president of the United States because of how smart she was). 

Ruthie asks, "where is the pregnant chick who stole Matt's car" is. Annie tells her to show some respect. The doorbell rings, and Eric answers it. It's Theresa's parents, and they are upset that she stole a car. The father says they suspected she was pregnant, and her mother says she embarrassed them. They tell Matt he won't be punished. (Good to know Matt won't be punished for not stealing a car). They tell Theresa they warned her and that she made the "biggest mistake ever." 

Annie: You know, I don't think God makes mistakes. 

Eric: My feelings exactly.

Annie: Of course, we as human beings make mistakes. I know I do.....No one is perfect.

Mary asks her siblings if they feel guilty yet. 

Annie tells Theresa's parents that she and Eric will continue to love them no matter what their kids do. 

Theresa's Mom: This isn't a matter of whether or not we love our daughter.

Eric: It's totally a matter of loving your daughter. 

The father tells them there are some mistakes that can't be forgiven, and their daughter getting pregnant is one of them. (I realize this is not an ideal situation, but there are so many more horrible things happening in the world). Eric tells them that shaming the kids doesn't help the situation. Theresa starts to cry and tells her parents she's sorry. Her father tells her it's her problem. (Schmuck). 

Matt: You know, when Theresa told me she wanted to have the baby so that she could have someone to love her, you know, I couldn't quite get it. Now I do. 

The father says they won't change their minds about their daughter. As he is leaving, he tells his wife,

Theresa's dad: Five children and one more on the way.

Mary: Two more. She's having twins. You got a problem with that?

Simon and Lucy decide they feel bad, and Ruthie is confused. Mary tells them that her parents deserve the best from them because their parents have always given their best to the kids. (Yep). 

Elizabeth Brown calls, and Eric goes to see her. She is crying as Eric is talking. He tells her that there are people alive now because while she and her ex-husband were grieving, they still cared enough to help others by giving their sons organs as donations. He tells her that Carolyn still wants to meet her, and she says she could use a friend, especially one that needs her. 

Carolyn, Elizabeth, and Theresa come into Eric's office. Theresa tells Reverend Camden that they drove past his house, and there was underwear on the lawn. He says she was following through on a threat. (Theresa should have known that since she was there when Matt mentioned it earlier to Annie). She says she's grateful that she can stay with Elizabeth now. Elizabeth says they were out doing some maternity shopping. Carolyn says they came over when Eric called to find out what they wanted since he's been dropping some major news lately.

Eric tells Elizabeth that they got some "responses" about her inquiry. She is surprised there was more than one response. A man named John Gorman (Gerald McCullouch) comes to Eric's office; he is the man who received Elizabeth's son's heart. Jane Chafin (Susan Chuang) comes in next. She received a kidney from Elizabeth's son. She is followed by Bill Murphy (Ted Underwood), who received her son's eyes. 

Bill: We don't know how to thank you. 

Elizabeth is crying as she hugs Bill and his son Michael.

Elizabeth: Boy, when you keep yourself open...

Everyone hugs, and the closing credits come up. 

(This was a good episode. Lucy, Simon, and Ruthie's reaction to their mom is pretty typical. No one wants to think of their parents having sex, and when they show up pregnant, everyone knows they have had some. I like the way Theresa's story tied in and how she was able to help Elizabeth by letting Elizabeth help her).