7th Heaven: Season 3 - Episode 15: It Happened One Night

 

Eric Camden (Stephen Collins) getting peed on. (I had to do it in video form, a still picture just wasn't as good). © CBS Paramount Network Television

Eric and Annie are trying to get the twins to stop crying. Eric puts one on the bed to change him, and the baby pees on him. (Best Eric scene ever). Eric puts that baby in his cradle and goes into the bathroom to wash his face. Annie changes the other baby, and the one Eric has started screaming and crying again. Eric comes back and picks up that baby. 

Matt comes into the house. The other children are at another door talking. Matt rushes over to them and tells them to be quiet because their parents are waiting for them to return to try and stop the twins from their "incessant crying."  They decide to sneak into the room while the babies are crying. Unfortunately, Eric and Annie know they are home already. (Nice try, kids). 

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

Annie and Ruthie are in the living room. Ruthie is singing a Negro Spiritual "Motherless Child." Annie tells Ruthie she should help because she's now a big sister. Ruthie is not in a good mood and has no interest in watching her mother feed the babies. Annie tells Ruthie she was also breastfed. 

Matt is about to leave but is stopped by his dad. He tells his father he got a job at the Dairy Shack. Eric bets Matt he won't make it through the night, and Matt accepts the bet. Matt leaves, and Eric goes into the living room. 

Eric: You know, a mother feeding her child is the sweetest picture in the world.

Annie: Do you have any idea how much this hurts?

Eric: Maybe I'll start dinner. (You are wise, Eric). 

Annie tells her husband to have the older girls start dinner and have Simon keep an eye on Ruthie. She instructs her husband to go take a power nap while she is feeding the twins. Then he can watch them, and she will shower and nap. 

Simon is reading up on parenting, and Eric comes into his room. Simon tells his dad that they haven't had a baby in almost eight years, and things have changed since then. Eric tells his son to teach Ruthie about being an older sibling and to walk Happy. 

Eric goes into his room and lays down to take a nap. Then he remembers dinner, gets up again, and goes to the older girls' room. He tells them to make dinner. Lucy asks if they can go out later, even if it's just to run errands.

Eric: No one is going anywhere until your mother, and I get eight hours of sleep.Eight consecutive hours, not total. Understand?

Lucy: I was just asking.

Eric: Sorry, I'm just overtired and overwhelmed.

Annie yells for Eric. He runs downstairs.

Annie (yelling to Eric): Towel, please!

Eric runs back upstairs to get a towel.

Mary asks Lucy to help her so she can get out of the house to meet some guy. Lucy reluctantly agrees to cover. Mary hugs her sister and thanks her. (Bet that's not a good idea, girls). 

Eric goes into his room. Ruthie is sitting in one of the cradles, reading. When Eric tries to get his daughter out, Ruthie screams for her mother. Annie gives the twins to Lucy and Mary and heads upstairs to get Ruthie.

Ruthie: Daddy hurt me.

Annie: Where does it hurt

Ruthie (thinks a minute before answering): My foot. 

Annie tells Ruthie she (Annie) will take care of her foot before taking a nap. The two of them leave the room, and Happy enters the room with her leash. (I bet Simon isn't doing his job if Happy has to bring her leash to someone). 

Matt is at the Dairy Shack for his first day on the job. He quickly realizes it's not going to be that great.

Simon asks his sisters what was for dinner. They tell him it was tuna helper, and Simon points out there was helper, but no tuna. (Haha). Simon suggests they get food from the Dairy Shack since they deliver. After Simon leaves, Mary tells Lucy whenever someone asks her to act like they just missed her. 

Lucy: You should stay home more and work on better plans. 

Mary leaves as Eric watches her back out the driveway. Annie says she knew Mary was up to something, and she and Eric decide it has to do with a guy. 

Later, Simon is rocking the babies in their cradles, singing "When the Saints Go Marching In," but the twins continue screaming and crying. Simon says the twins should like his voice since he talked to him while they were in the womb. Eric comes into the room and asks Simon why he's in the room since Annie is trying to sleep. He says he and Simon will take the twins so Annie gets some sleep. Annie tells them to leave, and she will deal with the twins. Annie asks her husband to tell Lucy and Mary to clean the kitchen floor and the bathtub, and he reminds his wife that Mary is still not home. They leave, and Annie tries to talk the newborns into taking a nap.

Eric comes into Lucy and Mary's room to give them the news of what they need to do. He acts like he doesn't know Mary went out. 

Mary is at the pool hall waiting for her date. Jordan (Wade Carpenter) sees her and goes to her table. She says she's waiting to see an ex-boyfriend. He asks about the babies, and she says they are loud. A waiter (Max Brooks) comes over, assumes they are on a date together, and asks to take their order. Jordan offers to buy a "date-free" burger. 

Ruthie is packing her suitcase when Eric comes into her room.

Eric: Where are you going?

Ruthie: As far away from those lumps of screaming lumps of snails and puppy dog tails as I can get. 

Eric suggests she goes in the morning, but she insists on leaving tonight so she can get some sleep and says she will sleep in a tree to keep from wild animals eating her. 

Eric leaves his daughter and sees Simon in the hall. He tells his son not to let his sister out of his sight for any reason because she wants to run away. Simon agrees to help but asks for permission to order food. Eric tells him not to order from the Dairy Shack because Matt might think they are checking up on him but then tells Simon to do what he thinks is right. Simon enters the room, and Lucy comes out of her room and asks Eric if he's seen Mary. He says no, and she says she'll check downstairs. 

Eric enters his room, and Annie is on the floor by the cradles trying to calm the babies down.

Annie: If I get one quieted down, the other one starts up. It's like a tag team--. We can't keep this up. We just can't. 

Simon calls the Dairy shack and orders food. Matt returns, and Roger (Curtis Andersen) complains Matt is too slow and they are losing business, and then reminds Matt who the boss is. (Roger has some major power-trip issue going on). 

Eric calls the Dairy Shack next from their second phone line. 

Lucy is dancing in the kitchen while she mops. Ruthie comes downstairs and tells Lucy she's leaving and also explains their dad told her to tie herself to a tree.

Simon: Can't you wait one lousy little second? Gimme a break.

Ruthie: If you two had any sense, you'd come with me.

Lucy: She has a point. 

Simon: I hate when that happens.

Annie comes downstairs and tells Ruthie she's not supposed to leave without telling someone but hopes she will stay, at least until morning, so it won't be so dark and scary. Ruthie goes back upstairs, and Simon watches and shakes his head.

Annie (to Simon): Not out of your sight. Not for a second. 

Lucy tells her mother she has to go start on the bathroom upstairs. Annie says Mary probably already got a start on it and probably has strong arms from rebounds in basketball. Annie then credits Mary for how good the kitchen floor looks. 

Mary tells Jordan she has to leave because Lucy is home covering for her. He convinces Mary to stay since, with Lucy covering for her, their parents probably already know anyway. 

Lucy is cleaning the bathtub and muttering about Mary. 

The doorbell rings and Matt delivers the food Simon and Eric ordered. Simon teases Matt about the hat.

Matt: $17.35,  and I suggest a big tip.

Simon: A chili dog cost 17 bucks?>

Matt: No, but there was an order added to it. And all together, it's $17.35, excluding tip, the big tip, the big tip that's gonna allow you to draw breath for one more day. 

Annie comes down, and Simon asks her if she knows anything about the bill. She tells Simon it's all there and that Eric said Simon was treating them from the Dairy Shack. Simon pays Matt, and Matt keeps the change as his tip. 

Ruthie sneaks out of the house and gets into Matt's car, but Matt sees her when he gets in and tells her to get out. He tells her it's going to get better. 

Ruthie: Are you kidding? It'll only get worse. Those babies will just feel more at home and take over completely. 

Matt: How do you know?

Ruthie: Because once upon a time, that was my plan. And now it's gone!

Matt: Look, don't make me get mom and dad.

Ruthie: Ha! You couldn't get mom and dad away from the children of the corn even if you wanted to.

Matt tries to convince Ruthie to get out of the car. 

Simon notices the door is open and runs out to find Ruthie. Matt tells Simon to get their parents, but Simon says he can't because he was supposed to be watching Ruthie. Matt gets out of the car so Simon can try to convince Ruthie to go back inside. 

Wilson (Andrew Keegan) and Billy (Dylan Boersma and Casey Boersma) come into the pool hall. Billy runs to Mary, yelling her name. Wilson sees Jordan and isn't happy.

Matt is in the bedroom singing "Give Me That Old Time Religion" to the twins. Eric comes inside carrying Ruthie, and Matt leaves. Eric is looking for Simon because Simon didn't let Happy out, and Eric's socks are wet. Ruthie does not find it to be funny. 

Simon is outside trying to find Happy, and Matt informs his brother that Happy is inside the car eating someone's food. 

Wilson is talking with Mary at a table. A waitress (Jessica Randle) chases Billy, who has taken money, thinking it was toy money. (I don't like this waitress, Wilson should have been watching his son better, but she was rather nasty). 

Waitress: Give me that! That money's real.

Wilson (Grabs Billy and gives the waitress the money): I'm sorry. He's not normally like this.

Waitress: You just keep telling yourself that.

Wilson tells Mary how miserable he (Wilson) is and how much he misses her. 

Matt returns to the Dairy Shack and finds out the boss wants to see him immediately. His boss tells him that he lost a customer. Matt says he can take a new order and apologize, but Roger fires him. Matt opens the door; the other three men are listening outside and get hit in the nose by the door. Matt demands the order be given to him, even though he was fired. 

Simon explains that Ruthie snuck out of the house while he was trying to pay for the food order. 

Simon: You have no idea what it's like watching her.

Eric: I think we do. 

Simon: You know they could have cholic. It's a pattern of unexplainable uncontrolled crying. It could make any parent feel like a failure.

Annie (to Eric): Make him leave.

Eric tells Simon to just do what he was asked to do and stop giving parenting advice. 

Simon: Fine. But it takes a village, my friend. 

Simon leaves.

Annie: As soon as I get some sleep. That little blond boy is mine.

Eric: I know. 

Matt knocks on the apartment door, and Shana (Maureen Flannigan) opens it. Matt is surprised to see her, and she explains his father helped her get the apartment. She asks Matt when he gets off work. He takes his paper hat off.

Matt: I just got fired. Isn't that great?

Wilson is talking to Mary about getting back together. Billy is asleep on the floor in the pool hall. He kisses Mary, who looks toward Jordan.

Wilson: Is that Lucy's old boyfriend or your new boyfriend?

Mary tells Wilson she's not involved with Jordan and that Wilson needs to decide what he wants to do himself and not ask her. (Seriously, Wilson, you're a wee bit too needy in this scene). 

Mary sings "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" to the twins, but it's not working. Lucy comes into her parents' room and grabs Mary. 

Annie: Hey, Mary. Thanks for trying to get the babies to sleep. We really appreciate it. Especially after you worked so hard around here all night.

Lucy pulls Mary out of the room.

Eric: Does she really think we believe she's been scrubbing toilets in that outfit.

Mary tells Lucy she looks horrible.

Shana and Matt are making out at her apartment when the phone rings. She answers, and it's Roger asking for Matt. He asks Matt to come back to the Dairy Shack, but Matt turns the offer down. 

Shana: What about that bet with your father?

Matt: Pay my dad twenty bucks or stay here with you? I'll borrow the money from Simon. 

Lucy asks Mary what she was doing, and Mary tells her she ran into Jordan. Lucy is yelling at Mary about how much she had lied to her parents. Mary gives Lucy a look.

Lucy: Are they standing behind me.

Eric and Annie: Yes.

Lucy: Allow me; I'm sending myself to my room.

Mary confesses that she was out all night to meet Wilson and saw Jordan. She suggests a couple weeks of being grounded would be a suitable punishment.

Annie: Couple meaning two?

Annie and Eric laugh.

Eric: Two weeks is just a downpayment on the time you're gonna serve. 

Eric goes to say goodnight to Simon's room. Simon is reading about twins. He tells his dad the crying has to stop, and Eric tells him to quit helping with the babies so often. 

Simon: Yeah, but I'm the one who got the twins to be boys. And there's an important bond between brothers. I know from experience and chapter five. (I'm pretty sure God made them boys, not that Simon wasn't praying like crazy, but I am pretty sure they were boys already). 

Eric explains to his son that he will bond with the babies later, but right now, they just need Annie the most, so everyone else needs to help with what she needs. 

Matt runs into his father and has lipstick on his face. He tells his dad he got fired. He thanks Eric for helping Shana get an apartment. 

Annie asks Eric to stay with the twins so she can go see Ruthie. Ruthie is dressing one of her dolls in one of the outfits that Grandpa and Ginger sent the boys. Annie shows her youngest daughter her baby book. The first picture is of Annie pregnant with Ruthie.

Ruthie: Maybe I never should have come out.

Annie proceeds to show her what she would have missed if she hadn't come out.

Ruthie: Are you gonna give this to me when I'm older?

Annie: No, I'm going to give it to you now. Now you're a big sister. I want you to have it.

Ruthie: You mean to keep? In my room?

Annie nods her head.

Ruthie: Cool.

Annie and Ruthie hug. 

Lucy goes in to get the twins and puts them in the baby carriers. She sings "Just a Closer Walk with Thee." to them. (Beverly Mitchell has a beautiful voice). The twins finally quiet down. Ruthie smiles and sings the song in her room. Simon is in his room singing as well. Mary also is singing in her bed. Matt is in his room. He's the singing and just listens, smiling. 

Eric and Annie are lying in bed together.

Eric: I forgot how beautiful Lucy's voice is.

Annie: And boy, can she clean a toilet. 

 

They also join in the singing.

The camera goes back to Lucy and the twins.

Lucy (singing): Let it be, dear Lord. Let it be. Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

The closing credits come up. 

(I wasn't a big fan of this episode. It seemed rather pointless to make an entire episode around crying babies).