7th Heaven: Season 5 - Episode 5: Blind

 

Mary Camden (Jessica Biel) is on the phone with her aunt.

Matt meets Kim (Merritt Hicks) at the college library, but when he asks her out, she shoots him down. 

Ruthie begs her mom to have a sleepover with her "two best friends." Annie wants her to wait until next weekend because it's been a busy week. Lucy volunteers to be in charge so Ruthie can have it this weekend. Annie agrees but tells Lucy she has no idea what she is getting into.

Lucy: They'll come over after dinner, eat some popcorn, watch a video, and go to bed.

The phone rings, and Annie answers, it's Julie (Deborah Raffin). Annie talks to Julie and says something to Eric about helping Hank move his office. Then asks Mary if she wants to babysit all day tomorrow. Mary is excited because she really needs the money. Mary asks Julie when she should be there. Julie says she's concerned about having Mary babysit because of how unfocused and irresponsible she's been but Mary asks her to give her a chance and Julie agrees. Mary hangs up the phone.

Mary (to her parents): Thanks.

Eric: We didn't say anything...now when you say broke...what exactly does that mean.

The opening credit comes up and the theme song plays.

Simon is in his room fixing his hair. 

The phone rings and Mary answers it in her room. It's Frankie (Chyler Leigh) she wants Mary to babysit Mercy, but Mary tells her she can't. 

Ruthie tells Lucy that Sarah and Rachel are coming over. Lucy says she knows that Ruthie is having the sleepover and Ruthie explains she meant they are coming right now because she decided to have a sleepover all day and all night. Annie asks Lucy if she's sure she can handle it. Lucy tells her mother she can handle the sleepover and Sam and David so she and their dad can take the day off. 

Simon asks them about his hair. 

Annie: It looks nice.

Simon: I'm a freshman in high school. I do not want to look nice.

Annie: Sorry, you do look nice. 

Simon: Well, I'm tired of being nice. 

Lucy laughs.

Simon: Well, I want a new image. I want to be a new Simon. A manlier Simon. A cooler Simon. 

Lucy tries to convince him to help her with Ruthie's sleepover, but he's not going for it. (Did she really think he would?)

Annie tells Eric to help her get the boys dressed quickly so they can leave the house ASAP before Lucy comes to her senses and changes her mind about agreeing to babysit the boys and Ruthie all day long. 

Mary is at her Aunt Julie's and Julie and Hank (Ed Begley, Jr.) are drilling her on how to babysit. Mary informs them that she is eighteen and knows how to babysit, and if they do not leave she will. Julie apologizes and says they are nervous about leaving Erica alone for an entire day. 

Mary: And yet, you hide it so well.

Matt tells John (Chaz Lamar Shepherd) about meeting Kim at the library and asking her out and being turned down. Matt tells John Heather must have said something bad about him, and John tells Matt that Matt cannot handle rejection. (I've noticed that, too, John). 

John: Oh, no, you've got that look in your eye.

Matt: What look?

John: That look that says you're about to do something stupid. Something you're going to regret.

Matt: No, I'm going out.

John: To do something stupid.

Simon talks to his friend Jim (Kyle Sabihy) on the phone and tells him he wants to change his image. because he is sick of being seen as a nice kid. Jim agrees they are men now. 

Simon: A kid can't grow a mustache. A kid doesn't have a deep voice. A kid doesn't think about girls all the time...and I do mean all the time. 

Jim suggests Simon change his hair, and Simon says he tried that.

Jim: What about a tattoo?

Simon: That may be a bit too manly.

Frankie shows up with Mercy to Julie and Hank's house to beg Mary to take Mercy for one hour, two hours max so she can try and catch Johnny in the act of cheating. Mary reluctantly agrees and asks her if she left Mercy in the car.

Frankie: I left the window down. (Wow...just wow).

Annie and Eric are walking in the promenade and Annie is talking and stops noticing Eric is distracted by someone he sees kissing a girl. She asks if he knows them, and he says that he met him last week when he got him out of jail.

Annie: That's Frankie and Johnny?

Eric: Well, That's Johnny, but that's not Frankie. 

Eric explains to her that per the condition of the release from jail, they have to spend the next eight Saturdays in a substance abuse treatment from 9-5. 

Annie: Big, wonderful Saturday?

Eric: As soon as I ruin his.

Ruthie is at her house with Sarah (Ashley Edner). Ruthie tells Sarah that Rachel is coming as well and Sarah is upset and says she doesn't like other kids, she only likes other adults. Rachel (Ashley Hughes) and Sarah meet and instantly dislike each other. They argue over who is Ruthie's real best friend before storming off in different directions.

Lucy: Well, they seem to be getting along great.

Ruthie: What are you blind?

Ruthie goes upstairs as Simon comes down into the kitchen. The sleeves of one of his church shirts are cut off and he asks his sister what she thinks. She tells him he's gonna be in trouble, but Simon says it's his shirt, however, Simon declares it's his shirt so he can do what he wants with it.

Lucy: Not until you pay for it, which you're going to have to do when Mom sees you cut the sleeves off. 

The phone rings at Hank and Julie's house, and Mary answers it. She tells Hanks she knows that it's him and that he called as did Aunt Julie earlier.

Annie asks Eric if they will be spending their entire day off following Johnny around. Eric tells her he has to wait for just the right movement to approach him, but tells her they can go if she wants. 

Annie: Mary promised that she'd stay away from him, right?

Eric: Yeah, Mary promised but...she promises a lot of things.

Annie: Pass the menu.

Matt returns and tells John that Heather isn't home.  John says that is good as it means Matt couldn't do anything stupid.  However, Matt informs him that he went to the library and got Kim's phone number and address from the librarian. He calls Kim who tells him he shouldn't have called, and is upset the librarian gave her number to him to begin with since the number is unlisted.

Matt: Maybe she thinks I'm still on the rebound from Heather.

John: Maybe she just doesn't like you. (Ouch).

Annie calls Mary and Mary lets it sleep that the "babies are fine." (Oops).  Annie questions the plurality of the world and Mary tries to backtrack and says she only had Erica there. (I was amazed Annie did not suspect anything, she is usually more alert than that). She hangs up and tells Mercy, "That was called lying to your mother."  She then wonders where Frankie is. 

Simon is on the phone with Jim again ready to give up trying to look like a man because nothing is working. Jim tells Simon to meet him at, "47 Maple Street" his cousin's house.

Eric asks his wife how the kids are doing. She says Mary seems to be fine, and Simon is not very helpful but Lucy seems to be doing fine without his help. The waitress (Dylan Jones) cuts them off from the free refills. Annie asks her husband when he will confront Johnny but Eric tells her timing is everything.

Mary has an open beer bottle on the coffee table that she is contemplating drinking. 

Eric finally confronts Johnny. Frankie shows up at the same time and says that she knew he was cheating on her. They start arguing and Johnny tries to grab Frankie. Eric tries to step in between and Johnny punches Eric.

Lucy asks Ruthie how the sleepover is going. Ruthie tells her she wishes she could leave because no matter what she does Sarah and Rachel insist on hating each other. Lucy offers to talk to them, but Ruthie doesn't think it will help. Lucy asks Ruthie if she has seen Simon, but Ruthie has not seen him either. They wonder where he is.

Simon had his ear pierced.

Matt shows up at Kim's apartment where her brother, Steve (Michael Canavan) is waiting for him. He tells Matt that Kim asked him to be there because Kim has Retinitis pigmentosa and is blind. (The actress, Merritt Hicks, is not blind, however). Matt had no idea that Kim was blind. 

Johnny is talking with Eric while Frankie talks with Annie. Annie is trying to make Frankie see Johnny is a horrible man and Eric is trying to get Jonny to start being more responsible for his own actions.

Annie: You can't raise a kid with a man who hits you. You can't. Mercy will grow up thinking that's what women do. They get hit. Is that what you want to teach her? He needs help. You need help. You have to see that.

Matt is talking to Kim about RP and learns she can still see a bit. He asks if they can be study partners but she says she doesn't feel comfortable studying with him and wants to know if he can talk to her when he sees her at least. 

Hank and Julie try to call the house but do not get an answer. They become concerned and decide to head home.

Rachel and Sarah are talking and decide they can't both her Ruthie's best friend, but are arguing over who will be the best friend. Lucy tells them she is sick of them fighting and wants them to go home, and that they can come over separately to be friends with Ruthie and not have to all hang out together. 

Johnny apologizes to Frankie and she takes him back. They decide to just tell Reverend and Mrs. Camden what they want to hear just to get rid of them. Eric asks them to stay away from Mary for a while and Frankie says she won't even call. Annie wonders how they could be friends with someone like their daughter when Mary has nothing in common with them. Then she asks Eric if Mary has anything in common with them, but he does not answer.

It cuts to Simon coming home to an angry Lucy.  He shows her the pierced ear and says Jim's cousin does piercings and tattoos. Lucy looks worried.

Simon: No, no, no I didn't get a tattoo. I ju..just pierced my ear.

Lucy: Just pierced your ear? Mom and Dad are going to kill you. Or be, or the both of us. 

Simon admires his ear in the window. 

Hank and Julie return home to find two babies on the floor, Mary is upstairs, and the empty bottle of beer is sitting on the coffee table. The phone is off the hook.  They are incredibly angry as Mary tries to explain. She tells them that the beer was Frankie's beer, not hers. Mary apologizes and promises that it will never happen again, but Hank tells her to go home. She asks them not to tell her parents and they say they will think about it. She tells them there is no charge for her babysitting services tonight.

Eric and Annie return home. Lucy and Ruthie asks Eric about his eye. Ruthie tells them that the sleepover was a bust. Simon shows his parents his ear. Ruthie tells him he looks like a girl. 

Matt returns to his apartment and tells John that Kim is blind.

Hank and Julie are in bed and he asks her if he meant that she would never leave Erica again. 

Julie: Yes and no. Just give me time.

They are discussing whether they should tell Eric and Annie about Mary or not.

Simon is upset that his parents want him to take the earring out. He doesn't see why he can't just leave it.

Ruthie: Because you look like a girl.

She says goodnight to her parents and heads to bed. 

They inform him that since he snuck out without permission he should be glad that all they are doing is making them do is take the earing out.

An irritated Simon leaves their room as Lucy comes in and apologizes. They informed her she did a great job and Simon needed to be responsible for Simon, she was in charge of Ruthie, Samuel, and David. 

Mary is at Frankie and Johnny's having returned Mercy. She is upset to learn Johnny hit her father. They are proud of the fact they lied to Eric and Annie. Johnny tells her to relax, and she says she doesn't want any beer. They try to get her to smoke some pot. 

Before she answers the closing credits come up. 

(This episode was okay. Mainly it was a set-up episode as they are working on the removal of Jessica Biel's character from the house to downgrade her to less screentime).