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Here We Go Again
Season 5, Episode 1
Here we go again
Air date October 2, 2000
Written by Brenda Hampton
Directed by Burt Brinckerhoff
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"Here We Go Again" is the first episode of the 5th season and the 89th episode overall of 7th Heaven. This episode marks the season premiere for the 5th season.

Synopsis[]

Major changes are afoot in the Camden household as Annie leaves Eric with a handful at home so she can complete her teaching degree. Mary starts a new job for the umpteenth time—and has no intent to go to college anytime soon. She decides that minimum wage as a waitress is enough to afford a lavish sports car. As school begins for the rest of the kids, Lucy is eager to make her senior year "the best ever" and to get back together with Andrew Nayloss, which doesn't go as well as she hoped. Simon has a less optimistic approach to starting his freshman year. Meanwhile, the on-again-off-again relationship between Heather and Matt is in danger of ending permanently. Matt is considering joining the pre-med track at college, while Ruthie is considering dropping out of school when she meets her old teacher, Ms. Riddle.

Plot[]

Annie informs Eric that she has enrolled in a college program at Crawford to obtain a teaching certification in early childhood education. She mentions that the class begins the following morning. Eric is shocked and points out that they have seven children to care for. Annie reminds him that Matt is out of the house and Mary is grown now and old enough to take care of herself. and that Lucy is about to graduate. Eric reminds her that when Mary does go to college, they will have four college tuition payments now that she will be going to college. Eric also notes that the kids require constant watch before everything goes terribly wrong. Annie is upset that he doesn't think that she can take a few hours away from the house to go to college and sticks her tongue out at him as Eric walks out of the room. All of the kids are getting ready for their first day of school while listening to loud music and dancing around. Lucy is happily twirling to a jazzy soul song while pitching her clothing on the bed. In the next room, a now-pubertal Simon, his stomach in painful knots over starting high school, pulls on a T-shirt and jeans as he strums his guitar to rock music as the dog, Happy looks on. Mary walks downstairs and encounters Eric in the kitchen and informs him that she has obtained a new job and requires a car to get to it. She tells him that she will be waitressing at a pool hall and keeps reminding him that Annie is starting school, so she intends to use her car. Mary suggests that she can drop Eric off at work using his car, but Eric replies that he also has work and lots of other things to do. Annie walks into the kitchen and says that she will be taking her car and Lucy is taking Eric's car to take the kids to school. Mary asks why they bought a car for Matt but not for her, and Annie explains that Matt is going to college and she should buy her own car now that she has a job. Annie asks how much she has saved during the summer, but Mary replies that she hasn't saved any since she hasn't made much money at all. Mary tells Eric that she isn't going to college until she figures out what she wants to do with her life.

Ruthie walks downstairs while Mary leaves and asks Eric and Annie if they are still fighting. Annie explains that they are not fighting, but Ruthie tells them that everyone thinks that they are. Ruthie asks if they are getting a divorce, but Eric and Annie start explaining the situation to them, but Ruthie decides to quietly leave to not listen to another "difference of opinion" when Eric and Annie gets into another fight when discussing the matter. Simon walks down to get his lunch and Eric asks if he is okay. Simon, his voice now changing, moodily says no, that Nigel is in another school, Deena has moved away, and he is alone. It's easy to see that Simon, despite his desperate attempts to mask it, is very frightened about ninth grade. Eric tells him that Lucy will show him around, but Simon doesn't want his popular sister constantly accompanying him everywhere. Simon asks if high school isn't a good experience for him, and starts posing more "what if" questions. Eric tells him he's going to make himself crazy with all the "what if" scenarios, but Simon retorts by asking Eric if he ever wonders if Annie meets another man and leaves him alone with seven kids. Simon leaves Eric with a dumbfounded look on his face.

Lucy comes downstairs wearing a somewhat revealing outfit and Eric tries to ignore it and asks about Andrew Nayloss. Apparently, Andrew's father sent Andrew to Europe for the summer to keep him away from Lucy. Lucy explains that Andrew's father couldn't keep Andrew away from her after seeing her in the outfit. Eric promptly stands up and covers her up with a shirt that he staples together. Lucy storms out and Eric calls after her that she needs to stop saying things about how sexy she looks. Matt walks into the kitchen and Eric asks about Heather, leading Matt to ask why Eric would specifically ask about Heather. Matt tells Eric that Heather is okay, and then asks about Annie. Eric wonders why Matt is looking for Annie and if there is there anything specific he needs from her, like help with problems from Heather. Matt tells him that he doesn't have any problem with Heather. Eric asks if he and Heather are living together. Matt explains that they did something really stupid, but didn't elaborate on what the stupid thing is. In a flashback, at the wedding chapel from the last episode, Heather is asked if she takes Matt if she takes him to be her husband, but she stops and runs out of the chapel. Back to the present, Matt is telling Eric what happened and Eric asks if they are living together again but Matt explains that no, they are not living together, but spend a lot of time together. Eric asks if they are getting married anytime in the future, but Matt doesn't know. Eric advises Matt to be honest with himself. Matt says now he can't break up with her since he should've done it after the wedding that never happened and Heather has to break up with him because it's too late. Matt asks Eric to talk to Heather about how angry Eric is he left his son standing at the altar, but Eric refuses.

At Ruthie's school, their teacher decided to back out at the last minute and is replaced by Ms. Riddle, who had previously called Ruthie stupid. Other students tell Ruthie that Mrs. Riddle also called them names in the past. Ruthie asks to be excused from the room in response and walks out. The other students are unhappy to have Ms. Riddle as their teacher again. Meanwhile, at the high school, Lucy inquires about Andrew Nayloss's whereabouts and is told by two guys that he has found a girlfriend in Europe and is not returning. Lucy becomes upset and yells at the guys before putting the blame on Andrew's father for the situation. Jim greets Simon at his locker and Simon is happy to see someone he knows from his previous school grade. Jim shows Simon his broken leg and suggests they go together to TP a cheerleader's house, which Simon agrees to.

While working at the pool hall, Mary asks her new boss if she can take a break for a couple of hours, but the manager is a little upset at Mary's asking for time off on her very first day. Mary explains that she is going to buy a car and estimates her earnings for the month, but the manager advises her to be cautious and make sure she enjoys the job before making such a purchase. Despite the manager's concerns, Mary remains confident about her ability to stay with the job. She then asks if she can borrow the manager's car to look for a car for herself. Her boss eventually agrees to let Mary take an hour off for a lunch break.

At the dinner table, everyone is seated except for Mary. Ruthie starts to complain about being in Ms. Riddle's class, but Annie reassures her that they will work to get her out of there as soon as possible. The other kids at the table are upset and also leave. Lucy is angry that Andrew is in Europe, and Simon has had a difficult first day of high school and is experiencing mood swings. Annie offers pie, and Eric is surprised that she had time to make it. Annie reveals that she actually bought the pie from a box. Matt is eating quickly, which concerns Annie. She asks Eric to retrieve the pie so that she and Matt can have a private conversation. Simon comes in and tells Annie that they are out of toilet paper, and he plans to go get some more to bring it upstairs. Annie tells Matt that she is in the same college class as Heather and mentions that Heather told her about the almost-wedding. She asks Matt if he wants to spend the rest of his life with Heather. Matt becomes upset, believing that Heather is making Annie speak with him about their breakup. He leaves the room, and Eric asks Annie if she is breaking up with Matt for Heather. He makes a joke about how she can break up with Matt for Heather but he isn't supposed to.

Lucy goes to Simon's room and asks him to call Andrew's home phone to find out if Andrew is still in Europe and why. She tells Eric, who enters the room, that she thinks Andrew's dad may have tricked him into staying in Europe and getting a new girlfriend. Eric suggests that Lucy may have caused Andrew's dad to be unfair to her by dating other guys during the summer to upset Andrew. Lucy explains that she just wants a chance to be Andrew's girlfriend and for Andrew's dad to be fair to her. Eric advises her to confront Andrew's dad and consider how to take responsibility for the situation, even if she is not at fault. Eric tries talking to Simon about his day as Lucy walks out, but Simon doesn't want to talk about anything. Simon keeps looking at his watch and as Eric is walking out of his room, Eric finds the toilet paper in Simon's backpack. Eric asks about it and Simon blushes as he fumbles for a plausible explanation. Eric nods absently. Lucy calls Andrew's house and speaks to his father, apologizing for whatever actions that led to Andrew being sent away for the summer. Andrew's father mentions that he heard she was seeing other guys, and Lucy explains that she was upset with Andrew and his father for sending him away and with Andrew for leaving. Both Lucy and Andrew's father apologize to each other, and Andrew's father tells her that Andrew will be arriving back home that evening and will call her. However, after hanging up the phone, Andrew's father admits to his dog that he made a mistake, without elaborating further.

Eric tells Mary that he is going to take her car back because she can't drive it without insurance, but Mary tells him that she already has insurance. While Mary takes Lucy to see her new car, Eric accuses Annie of causing the situation, but Annie denies any wrongdoing and becomes upset with Eric, pointing out that she is only taking one college course. In the garage, Lucy looks at the car, which is a convertible, and Mary tells her that she has always imagined herself driving it. Simon comes out and sees the car, and asks Mary how she plans to pay for it. Simon asks Mary to take him to toilet paper a house, and Mary and Lucy both laugh at him. Simon says that Eric gave him permission to do it, but asked him not to tell Annie.

Heather shows up at Matt's apartment and Matt gripes at her because she had his mother break up with him for her. Heather starts telling him that he has been angry with Heather all summer but has been hiding his anger from her. She tells him that he shouldn't feel like he has to be nice to her all the time and that it's okay for him to show his true feelings, even if she is deaf. Heather admits that she loves Matt, but thinks that getting married isn't the right decision for them. She encourages him to let out his anger and Matt finally does, yelling at her about how she said yes to his proposal but then changed her mind at the altar. Heather is amused by Matt's outburst and relieved that he's finally expressing his emotions instead of bottling them up. Matt is surprised to see her smiling and apologizes for turning his back on her so she couldn't read his lips. Heather forgives him and says that it's important for him to get things off his chest. She suggests that they take a break and leaves. John arrives from another room and is shocked to see that the two are finally over. Matt calls Annie and apologizes for involving her in his personal issues. Annie tells him to take some time for himself and enjoy life. She also says that she would like to be there for his future wedding, whether it's with Heather or someone else, and that the ceremony could take place at their church with all of the family invited. Eric walks into their room when Matt hangs up on the phone. Annie tells Eric that he is actually angry at someone else other than her. Eric then confesses that he allowed Simon to TP a house, and blames it on him being upset at something else. Annie points out that this behavior is out of character and childish. Annie tells him that he isn't angry with Annie going back to school, he's angry that Mary isn't. The doorbell rings and Sergeant Michaels arrives with Simon and Jim. He tells Eric and Annie that they will have to clean up the TPed house as punishment. Sergeant Michael says the good news is that they aren't getting charged with anything more. Jim explains that he fell and Simon came back to help him, expressing gratitude towards Simon. Eric suggests that the three of them have a discussion, but Simon suggests they talk over apple pie instead. Simon and Jim head to the kitchen. Andrew arrives at the house and Eric lets him in. When Lucy comes downstairs, they begin to talk while Eric goes to the kitchen to talk with Jim and Simon. Andrew confesses to her that he made a foolish mistake while in Europe and met another woman because he was upset with Lucy for seeing other men behind his back and with his father for sending him to Europe. He tells Lucy that not only did they have a relationship, but the woman is now pregnant and he is returning to France to be with her. Lucy is very upset by this news and feels stupid for her spiteful games against Andrew.

Jim tells Eric about his mother getting remarried to someone who used to be his "big brother" in a mentorship program, which has caused Jim to feel betrayed that his mom was dating his "big brother" and confesses he liked his step-father more as a "big brother" than his father. Jim says he's going to take responsibility for his actions and call his parents himself and tell them about almost getting arrested. Simon admits to Eric that he knew Eric was wrong when he encouraged him to TP a house, but he just wanted to make friends. Eric expresses a desire to go apologies to Annie for his actions. On the way to apologize to Annie upstairs, Eric bumps into Lucy, who blames herself for Andrew getting a girl pregnant because of her actions. Mary comes downstairs and apologizes for not telling them about the car she bought. Eric becomes angry with Mary for giving up on college and buying a sports car, which he sees as his dream. Eric continues to tell her that he worked all his way through college and he still can't afford a sports car, unlike Mary who buys one without any way of paying it off. He tells her that since she bought the car, she should pay for it and that when she decides to go to college, she will still have to pay for the car. Eric says he will forever stay angry at Mary for not going to college because she is smart and intelligent to do so but instead wastes her potential. Annie overhears the end of their conversation and Eric apologizes for the way he reacted. He confesses he was actually angry at Mary and not Annie. Ruthie comes out of her room and complains about needing sleep and gripes about how her teacher makes her feel. They all sit on the floor and Ruthie tells them how the teacher really hurt her. Annie tells Ruthie they understand what she's saying and are listening to her, and then Eric has a revelation. The next morning at Ruthie's school, Eric, Annie, and the principal are present as Ruthie stands on a desk in the classroom and shares her thoughts on the teacher and how adults treat children like her. Ruthie inspires the class to demand change in their education and express their opinions. She calls for a revolution and the principal, inspired by Ruthie's speech, tells Eric and Annie that he will do everything he can to get Ruthie out of the class.

Notes[]

  • This episode starts the beginning of the 5th season and the 7 episode-arc of Mary's (Jessica Biel) downward spiral to rock-bottom. Jessica Biel will appear in the first 7 episodes of the 5th season as Mary and then continue to appear in some additional episodes as a recurring character later in the season.
  • Nigel Hamilton (David Netter) is officially written out of the show as Simon states he goes to another school district. Also, Maureen Flannigan (Shana) is no longer a full/recurring cast member on the show and no longer appears in the opening credits.

Trivia[]

  • For the majority of this season, “Roswell” aired in the spot opposite “7th Heaven” on the WB.
  • Mary's car has a license plate that reads "4HYS716" on it.
  • Music featured in this episode was Marie Wilson's "Won’t Keep a Good Girl Down", Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band's "Oh Well", & Alice Deejay's "Better Off Alone".

Opening Credits[]

Featured in the opening credits are:


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