Dangerous Liaisons Part 2

Previouslies-- recapped here: Dangerous Liaisons Part 1

Night at the Cam-mansion. Matt and the rest of the kids sit in the living room, waiting for news about Mary. Nobody is talking until Simon thinks it's not fair that their parents wouldn't let them hang out at the hospital during Mary's surgery. Matt snaps at him and defends the parents which surprises Lucy. She accuses Matt of towing the party line. Which he will continue to do for years to come. His siblings tease him about being a rebel.

The phone interupts their conversation. It's Eric checking in. He tells Matt that Mary is still in surgery and encourages Matt to take them out for food. He also asks about Heather because there is always time to hassle your kids about their potential love interest. Eric tells him to take everyone to a new cafe. Matt asks if the cops know who hit Mary, but there's no word. Srgt. Michael's must be slacking.

Matt gets off the phone and orders his siblings into the car.
The doorbell rings. It's Jimmy Moon. Lucy tries to figure out a way to hide her hair before Simon lets him in, but fails. Jimmy came to see how Lucy was doing in light of Mary's accident, but gets distracted by her hair. She yells at him and runs off. He asks Simon is the hair is permenant, and Simon replies, "If we're totally lucky." I can't imagine what he means by that.

Hospital. Wilson cons a nurse into giving him an update on Mary by claiming to be her brother. Grandpa overhears this, but doesn't correct the nurse. He then teases Wilson about not buying his "grandpa" a birthday present last year, saying he likes the color blue. Weird. Mary is still in surgery.

Grandpa starts spouting platitudes about how tomorrow is another day, but catches himself, saying sarcastically, "I may break into song any minute." I really like the grandparents on this show.

Grandpa catches Eric to ask about any news. Eric doesn't have any. Grandpa asks about his daughter, but Eric isn't in the mood to moderate and suggests he ask her himself. Grandpa doesn't think this is a good idea, but takes Eric's advice anyway. He also reveals that Ginger is packing at their hotel.

Wilson offers to get Annie and Eric some food. Eric takes him up on this offer. Still no word on the driver. What could Srgt. Michael's be doing with his time?

Grandpa enters the waiting room, only to be berated by Annie for showing up. He tells Annie that he loves Mary, and wanted to know what was going on. Annie gets her bitch on and starts to confront him about moving on from her mom so quickly. He explains that he has been grieving and that he needed Ginger's support to step back into the world. He also takes her to task about her behavior towards Ginger. They are interrupted by Eric announcing that Mary is out of surgery. Annie starts out of the room and Grandpa asks her to at least let him know how she is. Annie pauses, but doesn't answer. Because she is just that bitchy. Eric kinda nods.

At the cafe. The rest of the Camdens are just getting their menus. It is unusually quiet. Because everyone in the resteraunt is using sign language. Lucy has apparently heard about the place and says it's run by people who are deaf. Apparently, Glen Oak has quite the deaf community, but no school for the deaf, which is the only reason I can think of that Heather goes to school in Pennsylvania. Matt notes that Eric is trying to teach him a lesson. Because even when his daughter's in surgery, RevCamden can find the time to help his son stalk girls. Simon finds this impressive instead of creepy. They worry about how they are going to order, and Matt suggests that they point at the menu.

Hospital. Mary is being wheeled to her room from surgery. She's still groggy. Eric and Annie talk to the doctor. He starts telling them about the damage to her knee. He's very positive about Mary's recovery. They go in to talk to Mary. Wilson chooses this moment to deliver the burgers, giving Mary the opportunity to say, "I hope the accident didn't scare your son." Wilson looks a little panicky, but the Camparents think she meant his little brother. Wilson doesn't correct them.

Annie blames herself for the accident, but Eric reassures her that it was nobody's fault.

Resteraunt. The kids are eating when Matt sees Heather come in. She pointedly ignores him. This causes his siblings to tease him, and Matt orders them to finish eating 'cause he's ready to leave. Considering that it looks like they've just been served, that could take awhile.

Hotel. Ginger is getting into a cab, and breaking up with Grandpa. Grandpa looks sad. I dislike Annie even more.

Resteraunt. Matt flags down the waiter to ask how to sign "I'm sorry." The waiter shows him, and his siblings tease him some more. Ruthie offers to show him some other signs from Sesame Street, but Matt isn't interested. He gets up to apologize to Heather. Her friends laugh at him. Ruthie runs over and signs that Matt loves Heather, which Heather finds endearing instead of creepy. Aww.

Morning. Lucy is freaking out about going to school as a blonde. Considering her hair looks much better here than in later seasons, I'm not sure what the problem is. Annie tries to assure her that it looks fine, but Lucy doesn't calm down until Matt tells her the hair is sexy. Ew. She is super pleased by this. Double ew. She then asks her dad if it looks sexy. Triple ew. He tells her it looks nice, and that if his thirteen year-old daughter had sexy hair he'd shave her head. This scene is wigging me out, so let's move on.

Eric reveals that Mary is coming home tomorrow, and everyone gets ready to head for school. Matt thanks him for the resteraunt reccommendation, wondering how he knew Heather would be there. Matt, you're dad is a creepy stalker who keeps tabs on the whole town. Eric claims to have guessed because it's the only resteraunt in town that serves deaf people apparently.

Hospital. Grandpa is visiting Mary. He wanted to check in on her before he went back to Phoenix. She asks about Ginger and is sorry to hear that they've split up. Mrs. Peacock also drops into visit, bringing fast food. She's flirty with Grandpa, and offers him a ride to the airport. Grandpa looks less than thrilled.

Middle school. Lucy is twirling, finally excited about her new hair. Jimmy is upset about the change, especially since she didn't talk to him about it first. Jimmy is giving off quite the controlling vibe here. He doesn't like blondes. He tells her to call him when it's washed out. She threatens to find someone who likes her as a blonde. Tense.

Cam-Mansion. Annie is doing laundry. Eric tries to talk to her about her father. Annie still has her bitch on, even after Eric tells her that Ginger left. He tries to encourage her to see things from her father's point of view, and notes that happily married people often remarry quickly after the death of their spouse. Annie assumes that Eric is telling her he will remarry quickly, but I have to assume that Eric will be so glad to be free of his shrewish wife, that he'll embrace the single life. She does seem to hear him when he suggests that her behavior could result in a severed relationship with her father.

Hotel. Grandpa has convinced Mrs. Peacock to let him take a cab to the airport. She encourages him to follow his heart instead of letting Annie dictate how he should run his life. She tells him a whole story about her daughter driving away a love interest. Grandpa looks thoughtful.
Hospital. Annie and Mary talk about Wilson. Mary has decided after one date that he might be the one. She's worried that Eric and Annie might have a problem with him. Annie can't imagine why they would, and Mary does not elect to tell her...

Because Wilson is in Eric's office explaining that Billy is his son. He does that thing where he starts talking about a "friend." It takes Eric awhile to figure this out. Turns out that Billy's mother, who Wilson did marry, died in childbirth. After Wilson is finished with his story, he asks Eric's permission to date Mary, promising that he's now committed to sex in the context of marriage. Eric doesn't give him an answer.

High school. Matt greets Heather with a kiss. They make a date. Michael Towner approaches and asks him how Mary is doing. He ends up revealing that he was driving the car, causing Matt to lose his temper. Which given the circumstances is fairly understandable. Michael tries to convince Matt to pick a place and time if Matt is going to get violent, but Matt can't wait and starts punching him on school grounds. Heather freaks out and drives off. A teacher rushes over to break up the fight, but Michael covers for Matt. After everyone disperses, Matt realizes Heather is gone.

Night. Annie is folding laundry when Ruthie comes in with the promise of a surprise. It's Grandpa. He and Annie finally talk it out. He also mentions the story Mrs. Peacock told him. After he leaves, Annie calls Mrs. Peacock to thank her, and to confirm that Mrs. Peacock doesn't have a daughter. Heh. When they hang up, Mrs. Peacock pronounces them all nuts. True that.

Hospital. Michael Towner brings Mary a teddy bear. Judging by his bruise, Matt really clocked him good. He confesses, and tells her that the Camdens decided not to press charges. If Eric didn't own Srgt. Michaels, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have a say in the matter. He apologizes, and Mary tells him that she thinks he's a jerk but that she doesn't hate him. Michael promises that he's going to change his life. He even apologizes for hasseling Wilson when the boy enters the room.

Wilson reveals that he told the Reverend about his son. Mary is worried about her mom's reaction. Probably 'cause she knows Annie is crazy.
Matt is waiting for Heather at the cafe. She seems to be standing him up. But then she shows up and tells him that they don't know each other very well. And that he scared her when he beat up Michael. She asks him to write to her at school to give them time to get to know each other. Then she leaves.

Cam-Mansion. Simon, Ruthie and Eric are listening to Lucy cry through her bedroom door. Eric gets ready to go talk to her, but Simon decides he wants to handle it, since he's the expert on her hair. Lucy tells him that Jimmy took her friend Ashley on a date, meaning they have broken up. Lucy is predicting that the next day is going to be the worst day of her life. Mind you, she says this the day after her sister nearly got killed in a car accident. Lucy, get some perspective.

Simon gives her a pep talk about how Jimmy Moon isn't good enough for her, reasoning that he's not enough like Eric. Weird. And ew. Lucy seems to feel better, and Simon signs that he's sorry.

Matt and Annie talk. She lectures him about resorting to violence, and demands that he quash rumors about Michael running over Mary on purpose. Annie also threatens to hunt him herself if Michael doesn't learn from the experience. I'd be worried if I were Michael.

Hospital. Mary is getting ready to leave. The doctor sets a follow-up appointment, and Mary makes a comment about getting back in the game. The doctor pulls Eric aside to mention that Mary might have a tough road to recovery. Eric takes this to indicate that she might not be ready to go home and yells at the doctor, without really giving him a chance to explain. The scene cuts away before we find out what the problem is.

Back at the house, Annie has a surprise for her father. She invited Ginger to Mary's homecoming party. Ginger enlists Grandpa's help with party decorations, noting that Simon pulled something blowing up balloons. The less said about that the better. Looks like everything's resolved on that front. Except that Annie stil looks pretty tense.

Matt asks if they can be late for school, and Annie says that everyone's taking the day off. She also mentions that Heather left a message and pretends to forget what the message was. Turns out that Heather is at the Camden's.

Heather is teaching Lucy some sign language. Matt comes in, and they kiss while Lucy looks on smiling.

Eric and Mary pull up to the house. She wants to know what the doctor said earlier. Basically, her knee injury might be extensive enough to prevent her from ever playing basketball again. They're both in near tears for most of the conversation. Mary expresses her determination to fully recover and breaks down in to full on tears. Eric encourages her, and is sure that she can do anything she sets her mind to. She doesn't want to tell the rest of the family just yet, and orders Eric to look happier.

There's a party set up in the backyard. Simon and Ruthie are prying into Grandpa and Ginger's relationship, seeming to push them towards marriage. Wilson asks Annie if she's heard about his situation. Annie tells him that he can visit Mary while she's recovering, giving the family time to get to know him. Surprisingly fair, coming from the Camdens.

Eric wheels Mary into the yard. Hugs all around. They start playing basketball. Wilson is pushing her wheelchair. Annie asks Eric what's wrong, so Eric tells her what the doctor said. Annie notes that Mary is already playing basketball.

They join the game, as the scene fades out, ending the first of many seasons.

Thoughts:

It's completely improbable that Michael Towner would be the driver of the car, but I guess this enables him to learn the lesson he didn't learn in the episode he spent harrassing Mary.

I still can't get over how rude Annie is to her father and Ginger.

The fight scene between Matt and Michael actually resembled the kind of fights people have in high school.

If I were Heather, I would find Matt's showing up at that resteraunt creepy instead of cute.

Also, I really don't understand why Jimmy Moon is so upset about Lucy's hair.

Or why Lucy is so excited when Matt says her hair is sexy. Or why Lucy is hoping her father will find it sexy. Ew, because it can't be said enough.

One season down. Ten to go.

America's Most Wanted

Night at the Camdens. Annie is reading Ruthie nursery rhymes. Simon keeps interupting, until Annie invites him to join them. He starts reading to Ruthie. Eric comes in. He's been at a boxing match. Figures Eric likes violence. He's in a bad mood because nobody at the tournament knew the words to the Star Spangled Banner. He thinks that people should prove they know the words or leave the country. That's one way to control the population. Ruthie runs out of the room. Eric continues his rant about how the country has abandoned its values. Yes, if only everyone memorized the Star Spangled Banner, there would be no more problems in America.

Ruthie is worried that if she doesn't learn the song, Eric will have her deported. She wants Simon to teach her. There's the predictable amount of "misheard" lyrics-- starting with "Jose, can you see?" This is going to be a fun subplot.

Morning. Annie is making pancakes to try and lighten Erics mood over the National Anthem. The kids are worried that the parents had a fight, but quickly figure out the situation. Lucy has an essay on the Crucible due. Matt asks Eric if he and Mary can go out with John and Keisha Hamilton. They get permission, and Lucy has an opportunity to feel left out. Eric won't give them money unless they know the words to the National Anthem.

Simon is still trying to teach Ruthie the words. She mistakes "hail" for a word she can't say, leading Simon to utter the phrase, "Go to hell" in Eric's earshot. He tries to explain that he wasn't really swearing, but ends up apologizing. Simon takes the opportunity to ask if Eric is still upset about the national ignorance regarding a certain song's lyrics. He still is, so Ruthie continues to worry about deportation.
Lucy's English class. She gets busted doing math homework. She asks for an extension on her essay. She doesn't get one.

Jimmy Moon and Dwight are waiting for her outside her class. Jimmy is not pleased about his friend's crush. I try very hard to care.

Matt is waiting for Mary after practice. One of her teammates reminds him that Mary is the only person on the team who hasn't stolen anything from a diner called the Varsity. She has until some athletic banquet to complete the task. Apparently, hazing is still big in Glen Oak. Matt assures the girl that Mary will take care of it and learns the coolest thing to steal is a glass. I guess their dinner plans weren't so innocent.

Matt joins John and Keisha at some tables. He gives them an out if they don't want to be part of Mary's descent into petty theft. They seem pretty eager to witness the event.

Night. Lucy is panicking about her paper. Mary lets her use her paper from last year as a research guide. This will end well. She decides to eat in her room so she can work on her paper.

The Varsity. The kids are finishing up their meals. Mary is nervous about her task, but gives into peer pressure. She steals a glass, Matt pays their bill and they leave. Oh, Mary.

Morning. Eric has found the offending glass. He thinks Matt stole it, and Matt doesn't correct him. Eric demands he take it back and apologize to the manager. Matt continues to cover for Mary. She seems conflicted about it.

Lucy's English class. The bell wakes her up. Her teacher stops her to let her know that she graded her essay. She got a decent grade. She's relieved.

Matt is actually apologizing to the Manager for taking the glass. The Manager is actually pressing charges for a two dollar glass that was returned.

Eric and Lucy arrive home. Lucy is upset because Matt didn't drop off the cheerleading snacks. Annie's worried that he's not home yet, but Eric is unconcerned.

Mary is considering quitting basketball because of the glass thing. Lucy is thinking about quitting cheerleading because she stole Mary's paper and got away with it. Mary assumes her paper was so outstanding that her teacher would remember a year later. They both feel guilty about their various transgressions.

The phone rings. Annie finds out that Matt has been arrested for petty larceny. For a two dollar glass that he returned. He should have just left on a counter and told his dad he apologized.

Night. The Camdens actually had to pick Matt up at the police station. Eric tries to talk to Matt about the situation, but Matt is pretty upset about the whole think. He blames Eric, and storms out.

Lucy and Mary start to discuss the situation but Matt interupts. Mary wants to confess, but Matt is nobly trying to keep his little sister from getting arrested. He convinces her not to quit basketball, but to stop giving to peer pressure.

Rev. Hamilton is on the phone. He confronts his kids about the stolen glass. He figures out that Matt didn't steal anything because he knows about the ritual stealing from the diner by athletes. Both Keisha and John are grounded for three weeks for their participation. John decides to give Matt a heads up about how much Rev. Hamilton knows. I want to watch a show about the Hamiltons. They seem way cooler than the Camdens.

Matt and John rehash the previous scene. John encourages Matt to discuss the situation with Rev. Hamilton.

Annie is reading Lucy's paper. She recognizes it as Mary's. She bases this on the fact that both papers compare the Salem Witch Trials to the McCarthy hearings. She's surprised the teacher didn't remember. Because no one made that connection before Mary Camden.

She sits Lucy down to talk about setting her priorities. She also forces Lucy to realize that she should be honest about her lack of feelings for Dwight. And confess to the teacher. Annie agrees not to tell Eric.

Ruthie is still trying to convince Simon to help her with the Star Spangled Banner. She's still not getting the words. Simon is as tired of this subplot as I am.

The Varsity. Eric is trying to convince the Manager to drop the charges. Eric has finally met someone in Glen Oak that won't bend to his will. I'm sure he'll come around by the end of the episode though.

Morning. Eric and Annie are discussing Matt's situation. Matt wants to talk to someone about what's happened with someone more objective than Eric. He is not pleased with this idea, but gives permission. Eric wonders what the problem is between him and Matt. Maybe, Eric, that you decided Matt took the glass even though there were three other kids with him at the diner, one of whom lives in your house. Apparently, Matt was the bad kid in season 1.

Matt shows up to talk to Rev. Hamilton. He asks the Rev. to keep the real events a secret until after the court hearing. Rev. Hamilton encourages him to talk to his dad about what happened and how he feels for getting blamed for it. Rev. Hamilton has a plan to make the court hearing go well for him. Mysterious.

Lucy confesses to using Mary's paper. Her teacher is so impressed by her honesty that she gives her another day to turn in her own paper. Looks like Lucy got her extension after all.

She then goes to tell the boys where they stand in her life. She likes Jimmy as a boyfriend and Dwight as a friend. She runs off before they can respond.

Camden Mansion. Lucy and Mary want to go to Matt's hearing. Matt thinks this is a bad idea, but Annie agrees to call a baby-sitter. Matt orders Mary to keep her mouth shut about her participation. Mary wants to tell their parents.

Courthouse. Eric pulls Matt out into the hallway to talk it out. Matt does a pretty good job of calling Eric out on always be angry with him. Eric has a brief epiphany, but doesn't let Matt get too much say. Matt mentions that he has something to tell Eric after the hearing. Eric tries to get him to tell him right then, but Matt isn't budging.

Camden's. Ruthie and the sitter are painting an American flag. The immigrant baby-sitter manages to teach her the song by telling her the story behind the lyrics. Somehow, this actually seems to be working.

Courtroom. The judge calls Matt's case. Eric answers questions meant for Matt and gets chewed out by the judge for interupting. I like this judge. Mary can't take it anymore. She confesses everything in the middle of the courtroom, including the iniation aspect. The parents are shocked. Hey, think of it as practice for when she gets arrested for vandalism in three years.

Just then, the courtroom doors burst open and several athletes from the local high school come in with all the stuff they've stolen from the Varsity. The owner wants everyone arrested. Eric asks to offer an idea. Because he asked, the judge decides he can speak. He offers that perhaps the kids could volunteer at the Varsity instead of trying each case. Because the judicial system is generally overloaded, the judge supports this plan. At least, that's the only reason I can think of for why she'd agree to coerce the Manager into dropping the charges.

She orders all the kids to return the merchandise and sign up with the court clerk for the volunteer list. Eric figures out what Matt didn't want to tell him earlier. He adds that he went to talk to Rev. Hamilton earlier. Eric approves.

Eric thanks Rev. Hamilton for helping out.

Lucy wants to confess to her father, but Annie thinks the timing is poor. She suggests that Lucy help Mary and Matt clean the diner. She doesn't look thrilled, but agrees to it.

The Camden parents agree they are proud of their kids.

Night. The Camdens return home. Lucy starts to tell Simon everything that happens, but he's in a hurry to show them a surprise...

It's Ruthie singing the National Anthem in front of the flag they were painting earlier. Eric is touched. Simon is conducting with lit sparklers. That seems dangerous. As the song ends. so does the episode.

Thoughts:

This episode is one of my favorites. It hits the oddly over-protective sibling dynamic. Has the family in a situation that Eric can't fix. And a generally odd syncrenisity about the problems the siblings face. (Lucy stealing Mary's paper and Mary basically shop-lifting.)

I'm surprised the coaches never said anything about the obvious stealing initiation. If the players were all bringing the stolen goods to an athletic banquet, it seems the coaches would catch on and put a stop to it.

Also, what public school has a chaplain at their athletic banquet?

Eric actually seems to have acknowledged faults in terms of his relationship with Matt, that in some ways parallel the tension Eric has with his own father in later episodes.

The subplot surrounding the Star Spangled Banner felt a little forced.

Saturday

Morning at the Camdens. Everyone is dressed in school colors. Lucy doesn't want her parents kissing in front of her friends. Eric takes the opportunity to tell Lucy not to be kissing boys. Geez, one track mind that man. Simon and Ruthie are trying to bring their own snacks to the game.

Matt reveals he's got a job, and will meet them at the game. He's tutoring a girl in English. His siblings show way too much interest in his personal life.

Mary comes in, and rolls her eyes at her family's encouragement. She asks them not to come to her game, and they are shocked. Mary you were so awesome two episodes ago, don't blow it now!

Lucy takes the disinvitation personally, and Mary explains that her family makes her nervous and distracted. Lucy's really worried about looking stupid in front of the friend she invited. They compare stories about feeling out of place.

Simon and Ruthie are whining about not going. Well, actually Simon is complaining and Ruthie is agreeing with him. They decide to play detective.

Eric is giving Matt crap about shaving. Eric is way too excited to be going to the store with Annie. Mary needs the restroom, and Eric and Matt start bombarding her with advice.

Lucy asks Annie to make Mary let her go to the game. Annie tells her she's baby-sitting instead. Lucy does not want to make her friend baby-sit her younger siblings. Lucy can't believe Annie is letting Eric grocery shop with her. She's really whiny in this scene. Annie responds to her torment with sarcasm.

Matt arrives at his tutoring job. The dad is way too excited to see him, and over shares about how many times the girl changed her outfit. Clearly, this girl is desparate.

Simon and Ruthie are playing detective. Ruthie isn't playing by Simon's rules.

Lucy's friend, Ahsley, shows up. She's played by Jackie from that 70s show. Ashley gives her crap about her outfit, and Lucy reveals that they're not going to the game. Ashley is a brat. She decides to hang out when Lucy promises they can call boys.

Eric and Annie leave for the store. As they leave, Simon and Ruthie are sitting outside, and Lucy is no where in sight. Way to make sure your kids are being looked after Camdens!

Simon and Ruthie decide to pretend the mailman is their criminal, and follow him as he delivers the mail. They take Happy and leave. Lucy doesn't notice.

Eric and Annie shop. Annie pretends she's not upset about Mary. She's not putting any of her produce in bags. That seems strange.

Simon and Ruthie are still following the mailman.

Annie is now venting about Mary. She admits to having been a constant support to Mary since she was seven years old. What happened during the first six years of Mary's life? No wonder she had a downward spiral in seasons 4-6! Eric diminishes his wife's feelings by making jokes.

They spot a boy who is clearly a troubled teen. Eric apparently got him into drug rehab a month ago. They watch him steal a watch. Eric follows him out of the store and interferes with the security guard who is busting him. The guard complies. Just what kind of connections does the reverend have in this town? Cops know when his kids are grounded. Security guards let shop lifters off. Weird. He makes the poor kid play pool with him. Shoulda taken your chances with the security guard, kid.

School. Mary and her team arrive. Mary reveals that she uninvited her family and her teammates give her a hardtime about it. She calls home to reinvite her family, but the line is busy.

Because Lucy and her friend are on the phone. Lucy is talking to Jimmy Moon, trying to find out if his friend likes Ashley. Jimmy, not knowing Ashley is on the phone, says his friend thinks she talks to much and is boring. Ashley storms out. Jimmy is confused.

Lucy finally realizes that Simon and Ruthie aren't home. Somewhere in Connecticut Kristy Thomas' head just exploded upon hearing of such terrible baby-sitting. Lucy leaves the house to look for them.

Billiard Club. Eric is on the phone with Annie. She's surprised that no one's home. They think the kids snuck to the game, so Annie goes to check. Eric and the kid play pool. Kid doesn't want to talk about rehab. Some other loser kid comes over to tell him about some drug deal. Eric busts the kid for skipping out of rehab. Apparently, he made some arrangement to keep the kid out of juvie if he completes a rehab program. Isn't that a better job for the kid's lawyer? The kid doesn't want Eric's help.

Simon and Ruthie are still following the mailman. They realize that they don't know where they are. Simon tries to figure out which way to go. Ruthie doubts his assurance that everything is fine.

Eric goes to talk to the kid's parents. They PSA about drug abuse for awhile. Eric starts to get paranoid about his own kids.

Matt is tutoring. She wants him to read Romeo's lines to help her better understand Shakespeare. Then she leaps on him, kissing him liek the desparate girl she is just in time for her father to walk in with snacks. She runs away, and her father wants to have a word. He gives Matt permission to date his daughter, saying she's as attractive as her mother. Matt quits, and the father's demeanor shifts to threatening as he fires Matt. These people are creepy.

Lucy is running around the neighborhood trying to find her younger siblings.

Mary's game. The pointguard, Cory, seems to have a problem with her.

Simon and Ruthie flag down a cop to help them get home. It's the first appearance of Sargent Michaels! He agrees to take the kids home.

Annie arrives at the game. Cory won't pass to Mary.

No one is home at the Camden's so Sargent Michaels takes them to game to see if the family is there.

Eric confronts the rehab-ditching kid in a bag alley. The kid says it's just pot. Apparently it is only pot, because Eric doesn't list any other drugs when he starts listing all the ways its ruined this kids life. All this trouble for pot? In 1996? The kid doesn't want anyone's help. Eric predicts that he won't survive long on the streets.

The game. Cory still won't pass Mary the ball. Matt shows up to watch the game. Annie gives Matt crap for losing his job.

Eric arrives at the school at the same time as Simon and Ruthie. They tell him about wandering off. They all decide to watch the end of the game. Now, I know Mary changed her mind, but her family doesn't know that. They're just blatantly disrespecting her request.
Cory finally passes Mary the ball and her team wins the game. Yea!

Lucy's home alone, worried about what happens when her parents find out she lost Simon and Ruthie. She doesn't seem to concerned about Simon and Ruthie. If kids I were baby-sitting were missing for that long, I'd have called the police.

The whole family arrives home, and Lucy is upset that she's the only Camden to have missed the game. She feels left out. And it's lectures for everyone. No punishments are distributed. Annie is annoyed. Apparently, their system is for Eric to punish the kids and Annie to be a haven of support. Seems like they'd do better as a united front. Annie sends him up to punish them.

Matt comes in and explains why he lost his job. Annie laughs at him, and orders Eric to punish him. Eric and Matt talk about drugs. Matt's not interested in drugs because apparently Eric shares the stories of drug addicts he's counseling with his kids. Um, I'm pretty sure you're supposed to keep that information confidential Reverend.

Eric asks Matt if he thinks any of the other kids might be interested in drugs. Matt rules out Mary because she's into sports. Not sure that holds true, Matt. A lot of kids on teams feel pressure to fit in with the team. Matt thinks Lucy is the only Camden at risk for drugs because she always feels left out. Eric decides to talk to her.

Mary and Lucy talk about the game. Lucy is feeling left out, especially after Eric reveals that everyone ate at Mary's game. He invites her out to dinner, and she offers to baby-sit every weekend for the next three weeks. Eric takes her up on it. If Lucy were my kid, I'd wait along time before letting her baby-sit again.

Matt helps Annie unpack the groceries she left on the counter before she headed to the basketball game. I hope it's nothing that required refrigeration. She reveals that Eric had a lot of trouble keeping a job when he was younger.

Eric comes up to punish Simon and Ruthie. Simon tries to get out of church as his punishment. Eric throws in an anti-drug PSA. His four year old daughter has a little trouble with the concept. They remain unpunished.

Annie gives the family dog an anti-drug PSA to make sure that the dog doesn't feel as left out as Lucy. I think she's lost her mind. Happy is smart enough not to eat Annie's cooking.

Eric is having trouble figuring out a punishment for Simon and Ruthie. Annie tries to get him fired up by telling him they lost his binoculars. Matt suggests Eric tell them the story about how he used them to watch sorority girls while he was in seminary. Yes, apparently the good reverend was a peeping tom while studying to do the Lord's work. Annie decides they don't need the binoculars back.

Eric and Lucy have dinner. She's talking his ear off and he looks bored, but he is listening. Lucy is surprised that he's actually listening. That's sad. None of Lucy's friends do drugs.

Mary made her mom popcorn to apologize about the univitation. The family is allowed at all future games.

Eric and Lucy return. Mary gets the same anti-drug PSA the rest of the Camden kids got.

Eric can't believe how boring his daughter is. That's just mean. Annie wants to "go to bed early," but the doorbell rings. It's the pothead from earlier. He's pretty banged up, and asks Eric to help him, validating the Reverend's nosy behavior for years to come.


Moral of the story: Drugs are bad, m'kay!