The episode begins at Grandma's burial. People are offering condolences to the family. Everyone seems drained. Grandpa seems to be withdrawn, and is making weird jokes. He leaves for Arizona before the reception. Annie feels abandoned. Everyone else is shocked.
The reception is being held in the Camden's home. The kids make jokes about everybody bringing food. Annie expresses her understandablt anger at her father leaving, and Eric tries to make excuses for him. She's not having it though.
Eric tells Simon and Lucy that Annie really needs everyone's help today. Simon is acting way too cheerful.
Matt and Renee are discussing her pregnancy. It is revealed that her family is out of town. She nicely offers her condolences to Annie, but follows it by commenting about how her mom abandoned her. Really, Renee? Is this the time to play the poor-abandoned child card?
In the most annoying of the subplots, the Reverend is watching a couple being over the top affectionate. Really people, you're at a funeral reception, save this kind of sickening sweet baby talk for the privacy of your own home so that no one has to be subjected to it. They've been married for almost 8 months.
Annie asks Matt to see if anyone needs coffee, and he asks if he can go to his friend's afterwards. Seriously. Matt, you're at a funeral reception for your grandmother. You cannot just leave to go hang out with your friends. Annie agrees with me, wanting the family to be together for the day.
Ruthie wants Annie to sing her Grandma's song. Annie promises they'll sing it later.
Mary and Lucy discuss that they miss their grandma. Mary's boyfriend calls and she doesn't want to talk to him.
A nosy parishoner won't stop asking Annie why her father isn't at the reception. They are interupted by Simon asking about the exact location of heaven. He is not satisfied by Annie's answer.
Mary thinks her boyfriend is clingy. Matt doesn't think men are capable of being clingy. This could explain all of his future relationships. Matt offers to straighten the boy out, but Mary admirably wants to break up with him herself. Matt is upset that Mary is dumping his friend.
Simon is trying to get his father, the minister, to tell him where heaven is. How has the family not addressed this before? Simon notices a woman crying hysterically in a corner of the yard. It's the same woman who was cooing over her husband in the earlier scene.
Eric goes to talk to her, thinking she's upset about the death. Turns out she just thinks her husband is having an affair. Seriously. Maybe this would be more appropriate for a day when you're not at a funeral reception, and talking to a member of the deceased's family. Eric tries to have her make an appointment, but the woman refuses be to detered from ranting about her husband's alleged affair.
Mary's boyfriend shows up and tries to be supportive. Mary doesn't want to deal with him right now.
The overly affectionate man is waiting for Eric in his home office. He at least acknowledges that his timing is inappropriate, but that doesn't stop him from venting about his marital issues. Seriously, this can't even wait until the next day??
Instead of suggesting this, Eric invites him to talk it out. Turns out the actual issue is not that he's having an affair, but that his divorce from his first marriage wasn't quite final before his second wedding. Really? How did they get a marriage certificate then? The guy hadn't even bothered to tell his wife that he'd been married before.
Matt is trying to save his sister's relationship with her boyfriend. I don't know why.
While Eric is busy playing marriage counselor, Annie is crying alone in their bedroom. Eric sucks. Ruthie asks to sing Grandma's song and Annie tells her the story behind it, which was related in the previous episode. Annie's about to start singing, when Renee wanders in to announce that she's in labor. Of course she is.
Simon is still trying to figure out where heaven is physically located.
Matt takes Renee to the hospital in the limo. Annie is upset that he's leaving, but Matt doesn't want her to be alone at the hospital. Eric is surprised that Annie let him go, but he doesn't get an opinion anymore. He does comment that watching Renee deliver her baby should be more effective than a birth control lecture. Heh. But Eric, you still suck.
The boyfriend tries to be aloof. He fails.
Lucy is crying in the hallway. Eric comes by looking for Annie. They talk. It's a pretty well done scene. Still doesn't make up for the continual abandonment of your wife at her mother's funeral reception, Reverend.
Simon and the boyfriend discuss heaven.
Annie and Mary talk. Annie feels abandoned and Mary lets her know that she's there for her. Aww. I like season 1 Mary. She encourages Annie to talk to her father about how she's feeling. At least someone in the family is trying to comfort Annie.
Lucy reveals that Mary is planning to dump the boyfriend.
Renee is in having contractions and Matt is freaked out. He goes to see if any of her family is around., but really it's just an excuse to leave the room.
Eric is still trying to fix the stupid couples marital problems. Really, Eric, your wife's mother just died, this can't wait a day??
Annie calls her father and chews him out on his answering machine. She's pretty harsh, but her mom just died, and most of her family is ignoring her, so it's understandable.
Matt wants his mom to come bail him out of hanging out in the delivery room, but Mary won't let him talk to her because she's finally resting. She also says that if they figure out where their father is, that it will be more important for him to be with Annie. Lucy is trying to get her attention, as well. Mary tells Matt to suck it up and handle the situation at the hospital. Mary rocks this episode.
There's a crash, and everybody goes to see what happened. The stupid couple is screaming in Eric's offices. Vases are thrown. Eric blows off his grieving wife.
Simon is still annoying people with his heaven question.
Mary breaks up with her boyfriend. She calls him on his crappy timing for the discussion, considering that they are at a reception of her grandmother's funeral.
Renee is delivering her baby. Matt holds her hand, and pointedly stares in the other direction.
Eric and Simon discuss heaven as he's hanging a 'Do not disturb sign' on his door. He's about to go find his wife when he gets sucked back into the marital fighting. Good lord, he sucks.
Annie calls her father again and apologizes about her first message on his answering machine. She's also worried that he's not home yet.
Mary and her ex talk it out. They decide to be friends.
Simon brings his mom a tray of food. She's touched. They discuss his question. Simon notes that Eric is no help. Very true.
Renee has a girl. Matt is amazed, once he gets the courage to look at the baby.
Eric breezes into the bedroom, and Annie asks where he's been all day. He starts unloading the whole story of the fighting couple. She is understandably disgusted and tries to talk about it. He actually tells her he has one more thing to take care before he can spend time with his grieving wife. He asks her to meet him at the church in ten minutes. She reluctantly agrees to go. If I were her I'd be looking for a good divorce lawyer.
Ruthie manages to answer Simon's question about heaven. Her answer suggests some pretty new age theology.
Annie arrives at the church in time to see the couple get married for real. She starts mouthing her own vows. No, Annie, get out while you can.
Matt comes home to find Mary and the ex playing basketball. He orders that they break up, because of witnessing the birth of Renee's baby. They let him think he convinced them. No, Mary, now he'll never butt out of your personal life!
Annie has forgiven Eric. She thinks she was transfering her anger about her father leaving onto her husband. I think her husband spent the whole day ignoring her, and she has every right to be upset with him.
The kids are eating pie straight from the pie plate. Eric carries Annie through the door. Ruthie wants to sing Grandma's song. Annie promises to sing it to her after she gets ready for bed.
Renee's gonna name her baby after the grandmother. Simon didn't know what his grandmother's first name was. Really Simon? You're ten. You should know these things.
Annie gives Ruthie a speech about always being there for her. Her father, who never actually left Glen Oak, overhears. He apologizes for leaving her after the funeral. He explains why he left, and they sing the Camp Granada song.
The family hears them from the kitchen downstairs and all join in as the episode draws to a close.
Final Thought:
I cannot believe how badly Eric treats Annie at her mother's funeral reception. Someone probably thought the subplot would be light, comic relief, but it's really just appalling.
Mary was a pretty cool character in season one.
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