7th Heaven: Season 5 - Episode 2: Help

 

Matt (Barry Watson) got a practice test D on a test.

Professor Townsend (J. Patrick McCormack) is yelling at his chemistry class for doing so poorly on their practice tests. He tells them they need to pass his class if they plan to take organic chemistry for pre-med. He informs that just "wanting to be a doctor" is not enough; they must also put the work into it.

Mary is on the phone at work trying to keep her car insurance from being canceled, and her boss informs her she needs to get back to work.

Eric is cooking a casserole so Annie can study for her test. Annie tells him he's become "competent." Eric laughs. The kids come in from school. Ruthie puts a paper on the counter, which Annie picks up and reads. The principal wants to see her and Eric tomorrow. 

Ruthie: Wow. What'd you do?

Annie: No. I think the question is, what did you do?

Ruthie: Nothing, I swear. 

Ruthie asks if they got her out of Ms. Riddle's class yet, and they inform her they are working on that.

Simon tells them he needs a tardy slip signed and explains he was late for class because he had stair issues, and now he hates high school. Lucy, however, is delighted and loves high school. She goes to tell her parents why when they run to get the doorbell. 

Lucy: I was nominated for homecoming queen.
The twins clap, and Happy barks.
Lucy: Thanks for your support. (Poor Lucy, she always feels ignored and left out). 

Eric opens the door, and his father is there.

The Colonel (Peter Graves): Guess who's coming to dinner?

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

Eric is cleaning the kitchen while he listens to music and dances. Annie enters the kitchen as he uses the broom handle as a microphone. (I totally laughed at this scene). She turns off the music. She says that she made up the twin bed in Simon's room for The Colonel and asks her husband if he knows why The Colonel came or how long he is staying. He says he was supposed to stay with Hank and Julie, but they had to go out of town, so he came to visit at the Camden house. Eric says he envies his sister being in Chicago "Colonel free."

Annie: Ah, you're overreacting. Having the Colonel spend a few days with us here won't be that bad.

Eric: Last time my dad was here, I had a heart attack. (What a jerk statement - your wife, your kids, your mother, your sister, and her husband were all there too. It was no one else's fault you were the one eating poorly). 

Annie: That's not funny. (Word up). 

Eric is concerned that he doesn't know why his father is at the house. His wife leaves to go study.

Ruthie and The Colonel come into the kitchen. Ruthie tells her dad that dinner was good but "too beige." After she leaves, The Colonel tells his son that he thought the dinner was excellent. The Colonel asks about Annie being in school "yet again." Eric questions why his father is there.

The Colonel: Do I need a reason?

Eric: Yes.

Matt and John are talking in the pool hall. Matt says he doesn't have a problem understanding organic chemistry; he's just having a rough time because of the breakup with Heather. John disagrees and thinks organic chemistry is hard, and that's the issue. 

Mary comes over to their table and tells them to tip big because she needs money. Matt gives her a tip that The Colonel is at the house.

Matt: The only thing worse than Dad is...

Mary: A lecture from The Colonel. Thanks. 

John: I wonder what The Colonel would think of the D in your organic chemistry.

Matt: I don't live there anymore, and I got no plans to visit. (What's the matter, Matt, afraid to face The Colonel)?

Annie is second-guessing her decision to return to school. She says it's her job as the mother to always be there for the kids. Eric tells her she does so much for him, the kids, and the church; it's time she does something for herself. (Of course, he has to say this after being such a schmuck to her last week). 

Eric sees Lucy in the hall and congratulates her on her homecoming nomination. Simon comes out of his room and tells him that Jim says they can't hang out anymore because Jim's mom blamed Simon for the TP incident last week.

Simon: So, I will, once again, be all alone, but hey, four years of high school isn't that long, right?

Lucy comes into Simon's room and tells him he will meet people if he helps her with her homecoming queen campaign. 

Simon: You feel sorry for me, don't you? And that's why you want my help, isn't it?

Lucy: No! I thought... Okay, I feel sorry for you.

She tells him she remembers how it felt to be the new kid at the school, but she wants to be the homecoming queen, so she really does need his help. He agrees to help her and thanks her. 

Ruthie is telling her grandfather about Ms. Riddle calling her stupid. She wishes she could be like Mary and not go to school. Then she tells him about all the jobs Mary had over the summer.

The Colonel: So, what else has been going on with Mary?

Ruthie: How much time do you have?

The Colonel: I've got all the time in the world.

Mary goes to her boss' (Tim DeZern) office to talk to him. She apologizes to him for all the personal calls and asks for an extension on her pay. He tells her he can't do that and then asks her to close the door and sit down.

Mary: This doesn't sound good.

Boss: I'm afraid it isn't. (Dun dun dun)!

Ruthie comes stairs into the kitchen the following day. Eric is already in there with Sam and David. She tells her father that she remembers something she did. She tells him about wrapping her friend Sarah in a lot of toilet paper because Sarah wanted to know how it felt to be a mummy. Eric tells her the principal called, and she's not in trouble. He thinks they found a way to get Ruthie out of Ms. Riddle's class. 

Ruthie: Thank God.

Eric: What'd you say?

Ruthie: Thank God. You should thank God.

She explains how she's been praying for God to help her out of Ms. Riddle's class.

She leaves the house. Eric returns to the twins.

Mary leaves her room and sees The Colonel, who says good morning. Annie also comes out of the house. Annie asks Mary if she will be late for work, and Mary says she got the day off. Annie is concerned she won't have enough money to pay her financial obligations, and Mary says she has everything under control. Annie doesn't argue and goes back to her room to study. 

The Colonel tells Mary they can chat since she has the day off. Mary blows him off. 

Two girls are talking to Simon in the hall at school. One of them invites him to a party over the weekend. As they leave, they pass Lucy and refer to her as the "Suprise candidate." Lucy asks Simon how he got fliers posted in the girls' restroom. He says he has his ways. Simon thanks her for asking him to help because once people learned he was Lucy's brother, they all wanted to be his friend. (Poor Simon, wait until you find out their motive). 

Eric asks his dad to watch the twins. Mary enters Eric's office, and The Colonel informs his son that Mary is off today. Eric asks him if he can afford it, and she angrily answers that she can and then storms off. The Colonel tells Eric that he needs to fight for Mary's future, but Eric says Mary is an adult and has to decide for herself what to do. 

Matt returns to the apartment, and John asks him how it went with Professor Talley. Matt tells him the professor doesn't care about Matt's personal life. The professor informs him that he either gets his grade up or fails the class. John asks him how he can be so calm about it since he needs organic chemistry to become a doctor. Matt tells him that it is all Heather's fault he was doing so badly in the class, but now that it's over, he can study and bring up his grade.

John: You can't be serious.

Matt: I am serious. But what's done is done. Now I just have to do damage control.

John: Does that include actual studying?

Eric meets with Principal Russo (Kristoffer Ryan Winters) and tells him Annie couldn't make it. Principal Russo tells him he thinks the best way to help Ruthie is to transfer he to another school because she is in the 95th percentile for the country for the state testing. He thinks she is getting average grades because she is bored. He says she would do well at Eleanor Roosevelt - a private school. He tells him that usually kids can transfer midyear, but a sixth-grade student in the school just got accepted into college. Eric is still determining. 

The girls from earlier invited Simon to the party are talking to him after school. She tells him that he's lucky to have such a popular sister. Simon says he looks forward to the party and asks if he can bring anything. She tells him to bring his sister. 

The Colonel and Annie are talking in the kitchen. She asks him if he has an issue with her returning to school. He tells her he greatly respects her returning to school and wishes Mary was going to college as well. Annie tells him that Mary has to decide herself to go to college and can't be forced.

Mary is in the bark reading the paper, sitting next to an old man (Rance Howard) (and if you don't know it, he was Ron Howard's father) at the park. He is trying to make pleasant conversation, and she finally snaps and yells at him, telling him she was fired. She apologizes and explains the stress of owing money and all. He tells her she will find a job and that the best thing she can have is a college education to fall back on. 

Mary: Well, I just graduated from high school, and, um, I'm not really sure if I'm going to college.

Old Man: Oh. 

He stands up and leaves.

John asks Matt if he's okay because Matt keeps cleaning the kitchen and folding laundry. John says that he thinks Matt doesn't want to study. Matt tells John he couldn't study because John didn't clean the kitchen, and then his mother didn't help him do his laundry, so he had to do that himself. John asks him when he will stop blaming everyone and everything for not doing well in organic chemistry. 

Matt: Look, you don't understand.

John: No. I think you don't understand organic chemistry...among other things, and you're just too pigheaded to admit it, and instead of just asking for help or saying, 'I need help,' you'll blame everyone and everything that allows you not to blame yourself. 

Matt: You know, you are totally out of line.

John: I don't think I am.

That evening Eric is in the kitchen telling Annie what the principal told him about Ruthie going to a new school. Annie is on board with it but wants to know if they can afford it. Eric says Ruthie's principal is looking into options. They decide they first need to find out if Ruthie is interested in changing schools. 

Annie: Unless she's like Mary and prefers no class at all.

Eric: I think I know why The Colonel is paying us a visit.

Annie: Mary. (Tell her what she's won, Bob!)

They have yet to learn how The Colonel can help, however.

Ruthie comes into the kitchen and asks if she is free yet. Eric asks her how she'd like to go to a new school. Ruthie is upset because she won't have a best friend if she changes schools. 

The Colonel goes out to the yard where Mary is shooting hoops. He says he offered to give Eric a break and pick up dinner. He asks Mary to drive him so he can get a chance to ride in her new sports car. As they head to the car, he tells her he wants to see what she gave up college for.

Lucy sees an angry Ruthie and asks her if she's okay. Ruthie says she is being shipped off to boarding school. Lucy asks her which school, and Ruthe tells her Eleanor Roosevelt. Lucy tells her she will make new friends, and Ruthie points out that Simon had to go to a new school and now has no friends. Lucy tells Ruthie she should be honored to go to the school, and Ruthie says she refuses to go and will run away and join a circus if her parents try to make her go. 

Ruthie leaves Lucy. Lucy goes into Simon's room and asks if Simon said she would go to a party without asking her first. Simon explains that his new friend Marie (Holly Towne) invited him, but if Lucy doesn't go, Marie will no longer be Simon's friend. Lucy explains if she goes to the party, she'd become a social outcast at school and will not be the homecoming queen. 

Matt goes to see Professor Talley. He tells the professor he needs help but is afraid to ask for help sooner because he doesn't want to look weak. 

Professor: Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness; it's a sign of maturity. 

Matt: I guess I just didn't want you to think I didn't understand the material.

Professor: When you made a "d" on the pretest, I think the cat was out of the bag.

Matt: I didn't want you to think I was stupid.

Professor: I doubt you're stupid. I don't think you would have made it to your third year of pre-med if you were.

He gives Matt a blank copy of the pretest and tells him to do it again, but with the book and study materials, the professor will help him with anything he doesn't understand. (No see how much easier it would have been if you just asked to begin with, Matt?). 

Mary and The Colonel arrive at the pool hall, and he asks why they aren't going in. Mary confesses to him that she was fired. He asks her what she will do, and she tells him she will get another job. She expects to be lectured, but he doesn't lecture her.

The next day, Mary asks The Colonel if she is going to tell her parents she got fired. He asks her if she is going to go from one minimum wage job to another all her life. She tells him that she has big plans for her life.

The Colonel: Yeah, well, I've got news for you, young lady. Life is what happens when you're making big plans. (Way to paraphrase John Lennon, Colonel). 

She tells him that she needs help. He says he's been waiting for her to ask. Mary thinks she's going to loan him money. He informs her he met he would help her straighten out her life, set goals, and go to college. Mary is angry that he will only help her if she does what he and her parents want. He tells her if she doesn't want to go to college, he can get her a job as a cashier at a sporting goods store his friend owns. Mary asks if he is going to rat her out to her parents about getting fired too.

The Colonel: Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you? Then you wouldn't have to do it. No, you lost the job. You tell them. 

He tells her if she ever wants to straighten out her life, he will help her, and she says she will never come to him for help. 

Matt returns to the apartment late at night. John asks him where he's been, and Matt says he was at the library and apologizes to John for earlier. 

Ruthie is in the kitchen with the twins eating breakfast. The Colonel comes down and says hi to the twins and then asks Ruthie what's wrong. She says God let her down and wants to know if God makes mistakes. The Colonel says he doesn't think so. He tells her about when he was 18 and first joined the Marines and how scared he was. She is surprised The Colonel was ever afraid. He says as he was there, he became less and less fearful and then grew to love it. She suggests that Ruthie should try the new school. 

Eric and Annie enter the kitchen, and Ruthie asks them to see the new school. They tell her yes, and she's happy as she runs upstairs. The Colonel gives Eric a check for Ruthie's tuition. Annie thanks The Colonel but tells her that Ruthie is getting a full scholarship. They also tell him not to worry about Mary; she will be okay and will go to college eventually.

Marie sees Lucy and Simon at school and asks Lucy if she is coming to the party. Lucy says she will be there, and Simon asks about the homecoming queen. She was she had to decide homecoming queen or help out her brother.

Lucy: It was close, but I chose you. 

Eric is at Eleanor Roosevelt, waiting outside. Annie runs to him and says she has aced her test. Ruthie comes out and tells them the school has horses and no homework. Ruthie says they can start at ten, and Mrs. Mackoul (Brenda Strong) explains students can begin as late as ten, but those students stay until five. She says they also go on field trips, and while there is no homework, students can do individual study projects at home if they want. She says Ruthie would be an excellent addition to the school. She shakes their hands, says goodbye to Ruthie, and enters the school.

Ruthie: Boy, when God answers a prayer, He answers a prayer. 

Annie: Does that mean you wanna go to school here?

Ruthie: Oh yeah.

Mary is on the phone in the kitchen, trying to get extra time to find a job and pay her car insurance. She explains that if she doesn't have a car, she can't work. 

Person on phone: It's our policy to inform...

Mary: Look, you can tell whoever you want that you're canceling my insurance, but you can't stop me from driving my own car. 

(slight pause)

Mary: Oh yeah? Watch me!

The closing credits come up. 

(This episode wasn't a favorite. It wasn't horrible, but I am sick of Mary's plot. They need to just ship her off already. I was glad Ruthie got into the new school, however).