The premiere episode introduces Eric Camden, who's a minister, a father of five, happily married, and a soon-to-be dog owner. His wife, Annie Camden is a stay-at-home mom raising their children. Matt Camden is the oldest child who has picked up a habit of smoking and not being able to keep a job. Mary Camden is the oldest daughter who likes to play basketball a lot and is having a craving for wanting to kiss a boy. Lucy Camden is the middle child and is hoping to become a woman and getting her period very soon. Simon Camden is the youngest son and is hoping to get a dog very soon, even though his parents already told him that he's too young. Ruthie Camden is the youngest child and is a happy and adorable five-year-old. Also, Annie learns some devastating news when her parents come for a visit.

Matt shocks his family when he reveals his secret--that he is very close friends with a teenage pregnant girl, Renee. Right away Matt tells them that he is not the father of her baby, but just trying to help her out. Meanwhile, Mary is keeping her new boyfriend a secret from Matt. Lucy gets a surprise with her secret crush on classmate Jimmy Moon. Also, Eric gets a surprise of his own when he discovers his shoes keep on disappearing while Matt's friend Renee finds some help from an unusual ally--Eric. Annie finally reveals the shocking truth to Matt about his grandmother.

Annie continues to suffer through her mother's recent diagnosis. Annie then decides to go to Arizona to visit her parents and see what is going on with them. Meanwhile, Eric volunteers for a charity work, but he's unable to do it at the last minute. Matt then volunteers to do it, but his dating habits get him into trouble with the organization he is doing charity for. Also, Mary decides to call it a quits with Jeff while Lucy has her first real date with her classmate Jimmy Moon. Lastly, when Annie returns home with her parents, they decide to stay with her and the rest of the family so that they could spend some more time with them--which unfortunately will be the last for Annie's mom, Jenny.

Following her mother's funeral, Annie's sunny demeanor turns to sadness, particularly after her father abruptly leaves to go back home to Arizona. Eric tries to counsel a young couple whose marital problems escalate during the post-funeral reception at the Camden home. Matt helps with the delivery of Renee's baby and after Mary breaks up with Jeff, she discovers she was better off with him. Lastly, Simon tries to find the exact location of heaven.

When the Camden family learns that their friend's church was burned down by a racist group, they invite the Hamiltons to stay at their home. Meanwhile, Simon has his own problems when defending his friend Nigel after a racist comment is made to him on the playground. Matt, Mary, and Lucy have a hard time while trying to develop a good relationship with the older Hamilton children, Keesha and John. Eric and Annie do their best to help Morgan and his wife, Patricia, get through their marital problems while Ruthie and Lynn are having fun as five-year-olds.

With Halloween just around the corner, Lucy attempts to learn the truth about "The Mutant" Mike--a mysterious recluse who's been accused of murder. Meanwhile, Simon prepares for the "Annual Pumpkin-Carving Contest" at the church and badly wants to be in first place. Mary schemes to have the house all to herself when tricking all of her friends and family as to where she is going to be. While the family prepares for the church's Annual Halloween Carnival chaired by Annie, Eric has a bad attitude toward the whole holiday and discovers the real reason behind his hatred of Halloween while remembering a dramatic experience he had as an 11-year-old boy.

After Mary unexpectedly un-invites her family to watch her play basketball at an important game, the Camdens begin to make other plans for themselves. Lucy is angry with Mary because she invited Ashley--a popular girl in Lucy's school, to her game. Simon, Ruthie, and Happy get lost in town while pretending to be spies and following their mailman all over town. Lucy was supposed to to be babysitting them, but was instead entertaining herself and Ashley by talking on the phone with her boyfriend Jimmy Moon. Eric is faced with counseling a young boy who is once again back on his drug habit that is affecting his family.

The Camden kids think that their dad is having an extramarital affair when they catch him escorting a woman to a hotel alone. Annie struggles to give Eric the benefit of the doubt about his confidential church business even as all of Glen Oak buzzes with this gossip. Meanwhile, Simon endures his classmates' wrath when they discover his secret crush; he tries to con his way of out of going to school, but learns from his family that embarrassment will be drawn away from him and onto someone else soon. Matt tries to keep things moving slowly between Mary and her new boyfriend.

Simon rightly fears he'll catch roommate Ruthie's chicken-pox, but his enterprising hygienic measures fail to prevent contagion from her, or from Happy's fleas. When a robber carjacks them, Annie seems calm and hands their valuables, so Matt feels 'unmanly' and guilty. However, Anne breaks down at an identification lineup. Jimmy Moon stands against Lucy in the school elections, then turns to her parents for help. The church organist veers bizarrely from brilliance to disharmony.

Matt, Mary, and Lucy make plans to get away from the family for Thanksgiving, but when Eric's sister Julie comes to spend the holidays with them, plans are changed. After the family finds out about Julie's dangerous secret--her drinking problem--everyone decides it would be better to stay home. Eric decides to help his little sister overcome her problem at home rather than seek professional help--whether she wants it or not. Annie is not comfortable with the situation and is only concerned that the children stay safe after an unfortunate altercation between Julie and Simon.

The Camdens become suspicious when Matt's new girlfriend, Tia, wants to spend more time with the family rather than being alone with Matt. Lucy enlists the help of Matt to overcome her clumsiness in order to try out for the cheerleading squad. Annie yearns for more romance in her marriage with Eric as she has become bored with the every-day routines. Simon tries to make himself invisible and tries to convince the whole family that he can be invisible.

Happy is about to have puppies, and Simon takes his 'paternal' role extremely seriously, scolding his heartlessly irresponsible elders who don't even bother to volunteer relevant information. equally well-meaning Matt is suckered into lies at home and even to ditch school to help lush crone Bing, who claims she dares not invoke professional help fearing to be dragged to a home. Handiman Steve Cunningham, who lost job and home due to the economic slump, refuses help even for his family, but accepts to help out Bing. Jimmy Moon prepared a birthday surprise for Lucy, helped by his friend Dwight Jefferson, but she turns down everything when denied hosting a party.

Mary tries to impress her basketball team by stealing a glass from their teen hangout "The Varsity", which is a school ritual. A misunderstanding occurs which winds up with Matt being arrested for stealing the glass. Lucy cheats on a school paper by taking one of Mary's old papers and putting her name on it. Ruthie asks Simon about help when she overhears her father talking about how it bothers him when people in America don't know the National Anthem.

All three Camden generations dread the annual visit of Eric's parents, "The Colonel" (John Camden) and Grandma Ruth Camden. The tension between father and son is heightened when both Eric and "The Colonel" want to adopt a homeless and orphaned nine-year-old boy, George. Annie discovers the fate of her lost wedding rings when seeing them on a woman at the store.

While both couples, Annie and Eric, Patricia and Morgan Hamilton, spend a romantic Valentine's Day camping, Matt is left in charge of the rest of the family and allows chaos to rein in the Camden household. His preoccupation with his date and Mary's party allows the dog, Happy. to slip out of the house in search of her puppies. When a car hits Happy, the family holds a vigil, aided by a caring veterinarian. Simon blames Matt for the accident. Lucy is enjoying her first Valentine's Day with her boyfriend Jimmy Moon.

The school bully experiences a severe lapse in judgment when he tries to sexually harass Mary.

Eric's former associate preacher Tom Harrison arrives unannounced, accepts to stay with the Camdens but is told the church can't afford an assistant. Simon hears raising pets can earn well, but is suckered into buying a pair of ferrets, illegal in the state, and fails to keep them in check, failing proper instructions from the dodgy vendor. Mary stupidly befriends party-animal Camille, a new schoolmate, who shoplifts a dress for her and convinces her to sneak out to a frat party. Lucy, who took Tom's cue to compare religions before joining her father's confirmation course, covers for 'big' sister and Matt must come rescue her. Eric's suspicions about Tom are disproved spectacularly.

Simon is eager to resume the baseball season, but not to get the mandatory tetanus-shot, but also a master at scaring needle-phobic Matt who has to accompany him and could fake it. Jimmy Moon needs some tutoring, so Lucy gets Mary to do it, but son regrets it, fearing big sister is falling for her boy-friend. Eric wants the parish to hire fraud-convicted Ron Kramer, an organist to the choirmaster's taste. Lou Dalton's vestry considers that as imprudent as having no security system in church and recruits Annie to be treasurer and draft a budget before the matter is settled, even threatening to fire Eric.

A visit from Eric's parents, strict Marines colonel John and his equally military wife, strikes controlled terror among the grandkids, and even Jimmy Moon, who initially discarded Matt's accurate imitation of the usual boyfriend-grilling. They come to present George, the charming, manly boy they adopted from an orphanage. But Eric discovers detective Will Grayson, whose death was faked in a witness protection program, is back in Glenoak after the crime king's death in prison. He claims his son, none other than George, back, as remains his legal right. After a fugue attempt from George, a creative compromise is devised. Matt meanwhile discovers aunt Julie is on the verge of an alcohol relapse.

Matt becomes uncomfortable when Annie's friend makes a pass at him; Mary makes her singing debut; Lucy loses her best friend.

Playing in the park with cute little Billie, handsome student Wilson West meets Mary and both get butterflies. Wilson's impeccable charm, doctor-pa and record pass even Eric's paranoid muster, but on Sunday he divulges that Billie is not kid brother but his own son. At the airport to pick up maternal grandpa Charles Jackson, Matt is smitten at first sight on a girl he later traces and learns is deaf Heather Cain. They date, but she flees the party after some youths make fun of her sign-language. Eric and the kids welcome grandpa's new 'significant friend' Ginger, but Annie irrationally rages against any suggestion a successor for her ma could be less then diabolic.

Wilson West tells Eric that Billy is his son, unplanned but not unwanted, whose teenage mother died giving birth to the angel, which his parents help him raise. Dating privileges are maintained 'for observation'. Michael Towner bravely owes up being the one who accidentally hit Mary when she dashed after Annie, who realizes she's the guilty one but only tells off Matt's overprotective vindictiveness. Sign language in a deaf-run restaurant helps Matt patch up with Heather. Jimmy Moon dumps Lucy on account of her endless hair wining. Charles Jackson nearly lost hope Annie would turn round and Ginger imposed 'a break', but both women come to their senses after some surprising 'counseling' and fibs. Mary is released home, but recovery up to basketball level is far from certain.

Eric suddenly decides to celebrate his and Annie's 19th anniversary with a vow-renewal ceremony to make up for their spartan wedding; meanwhile, murder-victim's widow Nora Chambers tells him she wants to meet her husband's unrepentant killer Martin; Wilson West has been trying to help Mary all summer, but she only gets ruder and refuses to try to walk without crutches; Simon worries that the attic won't be ready for him to move into before school starts; Matt fights jealousy over Heather's Canadian houseguest; Lucy agonizes over Jimmy Moon dating another girl.

Eric and Annie selfishly expect the kids to start the school year on routine so they can enjoy a lazy day alone together, but ill-prepared means in trouble. Nazi-style principal Russell has plenty of collaborating staff to enforce draconian discipline for 'gang and drug offenses' according to absurd new rules none saw coming, such as Simon's cutlery earning a suspension for 'concealed weapons'. Only Mary is happy with an ex-Olympic new basketball coach Koper, who meanwhile terrorizes Matt because of the beeper his father forgot when he borrowed Matt's jacket. Simon's buddy system only helps against a potential bully. Lucy makes her own life hell while Mary rudely fails to work in new guy Marcus, a natural flirt. The whole school buzzes about Lucy's classmate Peter McKinley's apparent suicide attempt. In fact Eric, called in by the police, discovers it's a desperate cry for help after 13 years of deaf tyranny from his insensitive, clueless single mother.

Simon can't resists reading Matt's letters and thus discovers big brother is secretly married to Heather. Eric can't resist spying on both, and thus falls into a trap. Wilson won't say 'I love you' back to Mary, who refuses to understand he'll only say that again when even more serious then with Billie's late ma. Lucy's friend, new girl at school Laurie, is extremely timid due to her verbally brutal ma, but the scolding root sits deeper.

A 'cool' schoolmate slips Matt a joint, which he politely tucks away in his shirt-pocket but accidentally loses the marijuana at home, where dad finds it dropping from Happy's jaw. Annie stops him from accusing Matt without any proof, so they agree to probe the kids individually, and their guests, even Wilson, who contrasts brilliantly with Lucy's Goth new mate Rod. Hasty hiding the evidence causes a huge misunderstanding. Annie's confession, first to Eric, then to Matt, she once 'experimented' too, backfires. Simon, exhausted from trying to teach Ruthie laundry, is furious when Matt confesses to spare his siblings drug tests. Eric's deaf rage only drives Matt away, and both men near despair, yet providence seems to intervene.

Simon is surprisingly successful with Eric's suggestion to show how mind-games can convince people of crazy ideas by pretending he's shrinking; when he's overheard, Matt turns the tables, only to be beaten in the end. Lucy invites her classmate Shelby to dinner, curious about rumors that she suffers from bulimia; Eric lets Mrs. Bing drag him into meddling in her friend Mrs. Hinkle's situation.

Matt gets bad news from his girlfriend, and goes to Philadelphia; Mary calls it quits with Wilson; Ruthie learns a lesson about kissing at school.

Simon (David Gallagher) tries to protect a friend who's being used by his gang-embroiled sister, while Lucy and her girlfriends just want to have fun at the mall

Terminally-ill preteen Steve's overprotective parents keep him constantly in hospital under permanent supervision, and despite Eric's objections, Matt takes a job spending time with him and gives their 'wiser elders' a courageous demonstration in true altruism. Meanwhile,Simon sells cards to save up for his favorite comic-book action figure, and subcontracting to Ruthie yields remarkable results; and bakery-company chief David Friel wants to commercialize Annie's family muffin recipe, and the girls push her to accept as feminist self-evidence, only to share in the bitter experience of self-inflicted job-household overload.

Simon discovers friendly, generous old neighbor Charlotte Kerjesz has a concentration camp tattoo. Eric forbids Simon to ask her to help for a history assignment but realizes his son is right after hearing classmate Larry's father spreads holocaust denial. The Camdens are excited to meet Joanne, Matt's first girl since Heather dumped him. Considering her 'too perfect', jealous Lucy and Mary decoded flippantly to hate and ignore her. Joanne overhears them and dumps Matt over his lousy siblings, which stands even after apologies.

Because Mary is desperate for a date with Matt's classmate Brian, who isn't interested in her, Matt pays him $20 to take her out for pizza. They have a good time--until Mary finds out about the plan. Meanwhile, Simon uses his own coaching method to teach Ruthie swimming in the bathtub to save her from embarrassing baby-class swimming lessons; and Eric finds that he can't fit into his jeans anymore, but when jogging only makes him hungry, he pays Matt to sneak in junk food.

After a failed table-spread trick before the arrival of his new magic kit, the 'Great Simoni' can't convince Ruthie to act as his assistant because she'd rather wear the cape even without aspiring to become a magician; Lucy's grades slip as she starts hanging out with 'the laid-back crowd'; Eric's church is in the running for weekly local TV broadcasts if next Sunday's liturgy goes well, and he obsesses over writing the perfect sermon; Mary considers quitting basketball when Coach Koper is focused on a new star player; while Annie spends a long day running errands, Matt bows out of keeping order at home. After Ruthie answers a phone call from the Colonel and tells him what's going on, he turns up unexpectedly to 'assume domestic command.'

Simon get sort of addicted to golf, which causes trouble for him, Ruthie and various glass within their hitting reach. Matt and Lucy are fed up with Mary's adoration for coach Koper, whom they mistrust and dislike because of his condescending attitude towards English pupil Matt, who nevertheless does well on a James Joyce book-report. Mary sides with him when the siblings cry wolf over a hug but when she suddenly changes her tune after a shoulder massage, even the principal turns on Koper without any proof or actual incident. Eric hounds Lou, who insists the expenses for the nearly unattended Wednesday service can no longer be justified, to see the books. Annie finds $2,500 are missing but by the time the full truth gets known, both must side with 'thief' Lou and his secretly hard-tested family.

Simon and Ruthie's hope to keep the pair of 'pet' lizards a classmate of her offered for free are frustrated. Jimmy Moon has dumped his girl, so Lucy hopes to get him back at last, but 'biker' Rod decides it's time to make his move too. Matt and Mary coach different suitors, while Simon takes betting scores. Eric's group session for couples who married the last year starts bored, but soon unleashes frustrations with all of them. He brings Annie along as 'good example', but her surprise-visiting pa's offer to have them buried alongside him causes frictions in their own marriage.

Matt is as surprised about the sudden stream of calls from girls as his sisters about the cause, a dating ad in the school paper he knew nothing about, yet the editor refuses to retract it. Simon and Ruthie try out a pet products credit-card sent on dog Happy's name. Eric abuses a health crisis of tax official Smith, who is near retirement, to make him rectify an erroneous tax debt transfer.

Even bright teacher's pet Simon is terrified by new bully science teacher Hunter to the point of faking illness to avoid a private meeting with her about his solar system model, which actually is part of a superb presentation. Softie Matt already turned down dates to the party after Mary's return to the basketball team, yet she complains to everyone, even hunky jock ex Richard, who ends up making her day.

The reverends get their spouses to handle the annual two-families-day so they can go play pool. In fact Morgan arranges finally to meet his wife's ex Kevin, who turns out to be a happily remarried Vietnam vet in a wheelchair. As Eric expected, all kids want to do things without any parents, so only the youngest are dragged to a cartoon movie by the moms. Simon is excited about his first 'making out' party, yet terrified when it's time to step into the closet and probably kiss. Scott is 14 but looks 18 and tutors Lucy maths just so he can successfully treat Mary to a date, only to be kept on a string. Matt is surprised that the jazz club John dragged him to is his mate's singer career bid launchpad, unamused to be asked as support against Morgan. Lucy has her own date Rick, but chose the same cinema as Annie.

After Simon's school project volcano is carelessly ruined by brainless Ruthie, it's time for him to move to his own room. He's less happy with the isolated attic he's supposed to go to, but Matt agrees to move there and hand over his room, eager to 'move' to an out of state college anyway. Wilson calls Mary, but only to babysit Billy while he takes his date to her prom. Despite home advice, Mary performs miserably, yet Wilson returns early, having decided he only wants a girl who tells he family about Billy. Lucy desperately recruits enough big sibling support to get permission to go eat in town with two 'cool' sisters. Being driven in their car is forbidden, which turns out to be a life-saver, alas literally, leaving a guilt problem.

French exchange student Guillaume 'Guy' need a host family stat, so Eric volunteers his, without consulting anyone. Only the teenage daughters approve, given the French's lover reputation. That's also why Matt worries and volunteers as chaperone, only to find his date Michelle prefers Paris memories to 'plain' Matt's company. It's worst for Simon, who has to move back with Ruthie so long and gets tempted by her, yet blamed alone, to smoking the cigarettes they 'find' in Guy's luggage. Yet Guy is the first to lose his patience with all those 'stupid Americans'.

Little Sarah James is found wandering on the streets. Warmly welcoming Simon wins her confidence while Eric and a cop friend search and find her pa, Joe, an unrepentant lush and decide a more stable educator is required. Matt meanwhile tiptoes, realizing ma makes a last ditch stand to talk him out of 'moving out' to a Tennessee college, and rudely intruding pest Ruthie first diverts, then scares off his older date Mollie.

Matt is set up on a blind date for the prom, and finds out she is considered the school tramp. Mary and Lucy have dates for the prom but it turns out disastrous.

Matt is edgy, telling only his sibling he found an out of state summer job so he'll leave home in days, not months. Simon finds a brilliant trick to train happy for a TV pet food commercial, but there's a stage-fright complication. Mary rudely scolds Matt, unlike Wilson who leaves diplomatically, for getting physical at home, but her doctor notifies she's pregnant. Lucy cruelly keeps suitors Jimmy and Rod, who both chose Eric as career day model, dangling, but Wilson, who appreciates her help with Billie, arranges a date with Kenny, whom she may really want.

Matt worries now he's about to leave home, as self-absorbed, phone-glued Mary hasn't even got a clue what's happening with their younger siblings, nor is any use for either. Simon is heart-broken when Happy's original family head Jack Martin turns up and returns with a lawyer to claim the dog back. Eric considers his parents's surprise visit awkward and pointless as Matt won't be around to hold his valedictorian speech. The colonel however takes charge of an operation dog rescue inspired by Jimmy and Rod. Those two also undo Lucy's idiotic dumping of Kenny for being 'too perfect to be interested in her' and hold a remarkable church sermon. Matt changes his plans after a call from the colonel, learning about it and Annie's confession that Mary's pregnancy diagnosis got mixed up with her real one.

Three months later, Annie is visibly pregnant and shamelessly complains, and acts as a tyrant to everyone, especially Eric, except for Ruthie who sympathizes with her pregnancy. Matt has given up on going to an out of state college, but not on moving out, so he accepts an invitation to become three girls' roommate, only to be blamed and expelled for their inability to resist his passive male charms. Lucy wins Mary's dare by snapping up an amazingly mature-built 17 year-old named Jordan. Eric's endless misery trying to follow Annie's inconsistent whims and finding an appropriate wedding anniversary gift seems endless, until the gynecological examination yields news that staggers everyone.

Matt has second thoughts about joining a fraternity; Annie buys an old Camaro for Matt and tries to get the family involved in fixing it up.

Matt enters a confidence crisis when a girl on campus turns him down for a date, so he asks for 'constructive criticism' at home. Simon feels guilty when Ruthie reacts to his warning that the twin babies will make parental attention scarce. So, she deliberately fails a test to make Annie study with her. Lucy's biology grades are disastrous and according to Mary the bad grades are due to Lucy's new 'best friend' Nicole Jacob. Mary also catches Nicole cutting herself.

Simon's classmate Mark Huff's father Carl is stopped by a light push from caring biology teacher Lane to storm at his boy. When Carl complains to the principal, Simon dares only say he didn't get a clear view, then feels morally guilty for not having prevented a fine teacher being suspended, later even dismissed. Eric finds out Carl is a domestic bully and gets Lane reinstated. Matt and his friend Scott misread apparently sexual signals from a teaching assistant, which causes repeated havoc for Matt. Rather then let Annie chose a disastrous 'pregnancy project', Eric arranges a handsome piano teacher, Josh, who flirtatiously restores her self-esteem.

When Mary triumphantly announces that she's earned her driving permit, Simon and Lucy announce that they're going to ride the school bus. The cool kids at the back of the bus ostracize Simon and Lucy doesn't fare any better when a presumptuous freshman puts the moves on her. Matt is on his way to school when he spots a pregnant girl stranded on the side of the road. When he takes a look under the hood of her broken down car, the girl takes off in his car. As the children pile off Simon's bus, a tough kid, Nick, starts to bully nerdy Marvin for a copy of his essay. Simon intervenes and suggests that Marvin help Nick write his own assignment and Nick gives Simon's plan a thumbs- up. Eric pays a call on Elizabeth Brown, a parishioner who lost her son three years ago. She tearfully confides that she just can't seem to get past her grief. Eric suggests that she spend a little time each day doing something for herself. Later at the beauty salon, Elizabeth overhears a woman joyfully exclaim how happy she is just to be alive. Elizabeth finds out that the woman had undergone a heart transplant. Matt is relieved when the police arrive on the scene of the car jacking, until they arrest him for suspicion of grand theft auto! Later, Elizabeth asks Eric if he would find out if the woman from the salon was the recipient of her son's heart. The next day, Eric meets Carolyn, who is upbeat and delightful, but not the recipient of Elizabeth's son's heart. Later, Eric and Sgt. Michaels track down Theresa, the pregnant teen who stole Matt's car, and set up a meeting with her parents. At school, the girlfriend of Lucy's freshman admirer warns her to quit riding the bus. Mary refuses to help Lucy because she's hurt that Lucy won't ride in the car with her. That evening, Theresa's parents arrive at the Camden's and remain cold and unrelenting. Two weeks later, Elizabeth, Carolyn and Theresa happily join Eric in his church office. Eric had suggested that Theresa move in with Elizabeth, and .. _

Preparations for grandpa Charles Jackson's wedding, to be celebrated by Eric on Veterans Day, go as bad as Annie predicted and hoped, albeit for different reasons and everyone ends up reconciled with it and each-other. Matt grudgingly takes flippant Mary on a road-trip, only to find her ignorance as bothersome as a flat. Simon deals with Howie's resurgence. Meanwhile World war II veteran sergeant Millard proves less willing to accept help he qualifies for the extending some to the wedding reception. Lucy is mortally embarrassed when Jordan corrects being presented as her boyfriend, but he only wants to clear the air concerning their past-only with Jimmy Moon first.

Simon is verbally threatened with gun-violence by Deena's ex-boyfriend, Johnny Morton. School regulations don't allow precipitous action, but Eric's police friend tells him Johnny has a record and his family owns a registered gun. Meanwhile, Jordan is patient with Lucy's weird idea about 'romantic' slapping; Mary's careless basketball blackens Matt's eye, but he thinks Mary might be in real danger if she dates Shana's suave but violent brother George.

After drinking Matt's coffee once, Simon fears to be addicted and acts accordingly. A natural, legal 'supplement' is offered to study-exhausted Matt by buddy Scott, whose father got it in a health store, and to Mary by over-competitive teammate Diane Butler, whose father uses it himself. Eric realizes it contains dangerous ephedrine. Eric's former rock band mates visit GlenOak. Matt sets something right. The Butlers are in for a shock as Diane suffers a fatal heart attack from the ephedrine.

Simon invests in a babysitting course, but pays dearly when he lets Annie talk him into trying out on Ruthie, who already abused every older sibling even when much younger. Matt desperately seeks inspiration for a college project on sexuality. Jordan patiently handles Lucy's insanely jealous and insecure worries after a -for him, unlike Mary, canceled- senior jocks sleepover until Matt comes to her 'rescue', then spontaneously braves Eric. Annie befriends pregnant teenagers in her infant care class.

Like every Christmas, Eric compromises the kids' fun by imposing 'voluntary good deeds' and cheating the draw of the family presents distribution. Matt is even pressed into a mall Santa job, with a jealously rebellious dwarf-size elf. Jordan can't avoid a family event and his gift for Lucy stirs more absurd speculations. Mary felt lucky the soup-kitchen she's pressed into happens to recruit hunky Carlos, a homeless Puerto Rican New Yorker who travels since his home break-up two years ago, but Eric arranges a speedy reconciliation. Simon takes it on himself to save Ruthie from losing faith in Santa. Eric and Annie's second-hand or home-made gifts rule bites them in the asses, yet 'Santa' rescues them.

Simon is deeply hurt because pa didn't tell him his girlfriend Deena behaves so moodily because of her annual leukemia check-up, yet handles her admirably. Matt discovers aunt Julie has moved in town and taken a teaching job. She rudely keeps him and later brother Eric at arms-length, resenting obvious concerns for her alcoholism problem. Fake tears' success on the DMV examiner success inspires Mary to abuse crying regularly, to nobody's ultimate profit.

Simon wants to buy the perfect gift for Deena; Lucy's ex-boyfriend is spending time at the Camden's home; Heather is engaged.

With the twins birth impending, Eric makes the kids' life miserable by fussing and over-planning, yet blames Matt for preparing the youngsters for what's ahead. Annie adds to the mess by inviting over the Hamiltons, just so Patricia can help her ward off the parish busybodies, who forced a baby-shower on her so they can snoop around the church-owned home. Ruthie acts as if a victim when classmate Bobby points out her underwear visible by failing to wear school-regulation shorts. Her elder siblings are pushed to confront Boby's family, but his brothers aren't only taller, like their dog, they also bond with Matt and Mary and end up turning on the brats together.

All Eric's planning and fussing proves pretty pointless, with the whole family pacing and worrying in hospital, while Annie is in labor and the animals are left unattended at home. Matt painstakingly works up the courage to donate blood, a phobia. Meanwhile Lucy breaks up with Jordan.

The first weekend all seven siblings are home, Eric and Annie plan to extend their child-labor scheme to baby-sitting the noisy newborns. Matt starts his new job at the Dairy Shack, but can't stick it out with the owner's son as his hostile boss, but the evening holds one happy surprise for him. Mary slips away to meet Wilson and runs into Jordan, while Lucy does double chores. Happy is neglected and Ruthie feels neglected, and Eric ignores Simon's well-read parenting tips and steals his Dairy Shack order. Which family member restores heavenly peace to the household?

Hoping to make the school baseball team but fearing nepotism from the coach, Simon asks sports star Mary to put in a good word--and gets stuck being equipment manager; Jimmy Moon's parents consult Eric when he gets involved in drug dealing, and Lucy's unwanted meddling gets her arrested; Ruthie deliberately doesn't pass on phone messages just for sibling attention; Eric suspects a church conspiracy.

The babies still make all siblings miserable. Simon believes shifting to middle child position ended his luck and resorts to desperate superstitious tricks, even a chain-letter. Matt decides on his own to take military recruitment tests. Lucy and Mary abuse shopping to slip out, and let students Jeff and Chris tempt them to childish pranks while driving. They this bizarrely escape a bad car crash with Ted Grant, who got drunk to celebrate he finally put an end to years of marital misery with freakishly up-tight British wife Emily, who still gets the Camden couple's unconditional support..

Simon risks losing his paper-route unless he manages to collect the money from scrooge Malone and Mrs. Hinckle suggests how to trap him. Matt's married college president Jack Brenner's reputation is tarnished by at times even violent public controversy over a formally allowed affair with a grad student. Matt's friends and parents get involved including him. Mary bumped into Miles Olsen's car in the school parking lot, but he gets a date with Lucy.

A school janitor claims that God is talking to him. So the school wants him to retire with his pension intact but if he continues to act the way he does, they're ready to dismiss him which means he'll lose his pension. So Eric tries to talk to him but he steadfastly maintains that God is talking to him and that he has a mission.

Simon plans a fancy-restaurant dinner to celebrate Deena's birthday; when her college-musician big brother comes along as chaperone, Lucy eagerly accepts his invitation to join them. Matt joins Sargent Michaels on nightly patrol and hides to avoid being seen by frat friends and freaks out when he discovers Mary kissing her 'movie-date', Michael Towner, in the police car. Eric promises elderly Burt and Cheryl Carberry that he'll take their beloved dog 'Mom' to be euthanized, but when he can't bring himself to, they end up in the park meeting a stray Labrador who is fleeing from abuse.

The whole Camden family is invited to Matt's deaf ex Heather's wedding to Mason, celebrated by Eric. Matt brings current girlfriend Shana, yet ends up convincing the bride to leave the groom at the altar and drive away together. Wile his ex Lucy flirts with Joe, Jordan gathers the courage to tell her he's dating Mary. Simon is confused after being kissed by Deenah's cahoot.

Matt brings unamused Heather, who hoped he would propose again, back to church, where he exposes after some hesitation groom Mason's flaw, while desperately trying not to lose 'abandoned' Shana. Simon learns the kiss was a 'love test', which is rewarded with more, and Jordan encourages to just enjoy it without excessive worries. Jordan tells Lucy, who out of mere jealousy makes out with wedding guest Joe. Eric has a hard time accepting Julie's sudden announcement to marry Dr. Hank Hastings, but doubts soon shake that couple to be.

Mary and Lucy selfishly make Matt feel 'guilty' he hasn't moved out yet, although Annie still hopes to keep him home in a garage apartment. They even get Hank to find him a menial morning job in the hospital cafeteria. But Simon feels desert when Matt takes an apartment with John Hamilton. Eric and Annie worry about the Colonel's attitude to Julie's marriage, but the grandparents have gone soft after an around-the-world trip, as George's crazy hairstyle illustrates. But the stress gives already-overworked Eric a mild heart attack.

Eric is released from hospital but drives everyone crazy with his enjoyment of every imaginable 'small blessing'. Simon man feels his stepping in as in the house is undermined when Matt joins the ridicule of him shaving and is tricked by Ruthie. Simon makes a commiserating friend, Jim. Matt still tries to get used to his early morning job and Shana is jealous about him spending most time there and with his roommate.

Annie and Lucy get involved in an organized protest about the treatment of women in Afghanistan. A young couple talks to Eric about sexual equality in their own marriage. Ruthie wants to play on the school's football team.

Simon lets school friends convince him he should kindly handle a crazy girl who signed his first name all over a notebook but keeps sending mixed or rather contradictory signals. When his roommate gets a cool job, Matt is fed up with his menial one in the cafeteria. Kid patient Adam's attempts to help seem to backfire. The Camdens really need a new car, but when Eric is seen test-driving a sports-car and Lou sees furnishings arrive for the extra bathroom Annie helps the girls install for their 'attick suite', the board votes against his annually scheduled raise.

Matt tutors silver spoon James Potter in history, refuses to help him cheat but is still in trouble when the professor smells a rat. Simon's new classmate Lee Patterson boasts his cool dad works with FBI and even NASA, but actually is an unemployed ex-con and petty marijuana dealer. Lucy regrets taking a school secretary job, is flattered when older hunk Tyler asks her for a dance, but that bubble bursts when he actually wants the password to enter the school computer.

Simon sees no harm in accepting a 'non-date' with Diane until his girl Deena and her pa see them in the pool-hall. Lucy's joy to get her drivers license is spoiled by the silly picture. Cute, car-less Andrew Nayloss's proposal to pick him up for a movie cheers her up, but he expects the whole courteous, generous treatment girlfriends usually expect, plus a grilling from his dad. An apparently stray kitten seems to choose Ruthie to provide a home, but after lots of hiding the truth catches up. Matt tags along when Eric comes to hospital and takes Hank to dinner to discuss why pregnant Julie is with Annie, jealous about the gynecologist's female patients, including a supermodel. Thus they are out of reach when contractions start weeks early.

Simon is in absurd trouble just because his mother and the principal make a huge drama of a finger-gesture among schoolboys. Matt tries to explain, but Simon feels he's robbed of another part of his childish innocence. Matt wrestles with domestic problems among his roommates and considers moving back home on account of Eric's cardiac condition. Basketball coach Jason Cleary decides the girls' continuing grades slip warrants drastic action: a team lockout, which makes the local TV news and because of official secrecy starts a rumors circuit.

The whole community is shocked to see Mary and half her Wildcats team meanly vandalized the school's gym. Simon and Ruthie feel guilty for not telling they overheard her planning 'something extreme', so they seek redemption in Catholic confession, a synagogue and a Buddhist temple. Matt feels guilty enough to move back in and resume his task as big brother, only to find that o longer requires his presence and return to his house-mates. Eric calls a marker on lawyer Bill Mays, he gets her in to a trial-avoiding parole office 'last chance' program.

A World War II internment-camp survivor donates a $20,000 check to the church; Shana wants to slow down her relationship with Matt but his eavesdropping sisters suspect otherwise; classmates shun Lucy just for being Mary's sister.

In order to get extra credit, model pupil Simon reluctantly joins a of voluntary mural painting project. He instantly feels unwelcome, and is threatened to keep silent after witnessing them using and sniffing spray paint. He sees Pete get a nose bleed and cues dad to guess and tell him how dangerous the addiction is after Pete is hospitalized. Lies add to Simon's endurance. During community service, Mary meets and instantly falls for Robbie Palmer, a gentleman who was convicted without blame and impresses the Camden parents. Matt feels twice betrayed because Shana didn't tell him she applied for an NYU scholarship and dad recommended her behind his back.

Robbie fears Eric will never give him a chance when told, now his and Mary's community service goes so well they can meet, but only at home. Super hot Brad Landers finally asks Lucy on a date, but she stresses over a time-clashing girls project. Simon looked forward to the 'guys night like it used to be' Matt promised him, but his sleepover proves a testing marathon of witnessing stressing over Shana's New York dorm. Annie's step-ma arrives reporting Charles has Alzheimer, he claims it's the other way around. Schoolmate Ben's family inspires Ruthie to fear an apocalyptic millennium bug.

Matt spends the night with Shana--on the couch--while packing for New York, which just makes the farewell harder. Simon is depressed because Deena bugs him about color-matched outfits and his sisters bug him about pointless phone calls. Lucy is unfair to movie-date Brad Landers and better kisser Andrew Nayloss. While Annie takes a weekend off alone, Eric lets the house get into disorder and fails to keep promises.

Robbie and Mary get to go to the movies on a double-date with his brother Rick and Lucy, but that unwilling couple ends up cheating on their partners, while Robbie has another secret. Simon and Nigel buy cigarettes illegally for a school project, yet Eric waits even while they ponder about smoking 'just one'. Matt is a wreck after Shana fails to call once, worse when she does too cheerfully, but his very despair attracts both girl neighbors his house-mate invited.

New parishioners Carver's son Bobby has a condition, allegedly ADD, but former Tourette's-patient Louis Shea, MD recognizes that's the problem. Only pa Bill Carver can't cope with the diagnosis on account of the family past. Simon sticks up for Bobby against the bully jocks captain, while Mary is upset over an insensitive remark from Simon. Matt is in a stage where he refuses to take calls from Shana, the next bodes even more trouble for their long-distance relationship.

The parents insist on spoiling the kids' Valentine's day by celebrating the baby twins' birthday and demanding presents. Robbie gets permission afterward to drive Mary to the coffeehouse where his parents met. Matt puts off telling Shana his ex Heather transferred to his college, but Mary spills the beans. Simon's first passionate kiss caused a love-bite, which Deena meanly insists to return, causing disastrous discovery. Matt sees Robbie with 'his brother's date', sees through it but isn't believed that's cheating, until the romantic trip's hidden agenda is revealed.

Eric's reading of an anonymous letter, the juvenile author of which he later shamelessly tracks down, asking for prayer, the power of which he praises blindly, starts an epidemic of selfish praying. Matt and his roommate want female companionship, but Raven of mixed exotic extraction only complicates their lives. Simon hopes to mend with Deena's family, Mary to undo the break-up with Robbie. Lucy secretly wants Andrew but only if he loves her, and gets to meet his namesake in church.

Rev. Camden is called to serve as a juror on a murder trial. Once the deliberations start, he's surprised to discover that even though the defendant is obviously guilty, all the other jurors are voting "not guilty" -- some because of past racial discrimination they or their family members have suffered in the judicial system. One by one Rev. Camden works to convince them to rise above their bitterness and distrust of the system so they can do the right thing in this case. (It flips "Twelve Angry Men" on its head and was inspired by the Los Angeles Rampart police scandal when jurors were in fact acquitting defendants because they didn't trust the police after the scandal.)

Simon and Lucy talk about their parents lives. When Eric and Annie overhear them, they are hurt by the discussion. Mary has dreams of being a basketball star and a talent scout contacts her.

After Eric is approached by a mystery girl he can't identify, who won't tell her problem, the Camden parental paranoia extends to preventive preying, so the kids assume one of them must be in trouble. After Lucy launches the theory her siblings may invent colorful friends to 'test' their own fib stories, pointless palavers abound. Simon proves his funny classmate Luke is real, Mary is keeping an outsider's secret. Hank blames Matt for his marital crisis just for accidentally giving jealous aunt Julie the impression Hank shares a secret with Matt, who thus gets a wealthy lodger on top of his roommate till further notice.

Eric is very proud when newspaper reporter Sam Robbins offers to cover his reverend's family. Despite warnings from the kids, the parents force all to collaborate, and but they end up betraying all the dirty laundry they warned their siblings not to betray. Matt meanwhile thinks that new orderly Elisabeth admires him, but in fact she only spreads malicious lies.

Each one of the Camden kids has a relationship problem; Mary decides to skip college and get back together with Robbie; Simon is dumped; Matt is torn.

Simon learns the truth from Deena about why she broke up with him; Ruthie and Lucy try to reconcile with their exes; Matt gets back together with Heater.

Eric rightly predicts that the kids will only be more trouble in the new school year, yet Annie enrolls in a college course. Simon's only friend is Jim, who drags him along into minor vandalism as a gang initiation. Matt grudgingly admits that Heather left him at the altar; Lucy learns that Andrew Nayloss made an irreversible mistake in France (his father sent him to Europe to keep him far away from Lucy over the summer). Mary starts a minimum-wage job and gets a credit card and still doesn't see college in her future.

Matt blames his first-ever bad grade, for the crucial course organic chemistry, on everyone and collect excuses to delay studying rather then seek help. Simon is desperately lonely again after Jim's ma absurdly blamed him, but finds unhoped popularity when helping Lucy campaign for ball queen. Eric worries more about a surprise visit then the obvious reason, another attempt to make Mary see sense now she's behind with her car insurance payments.

Matt suddenly gets bombarded with phone calls and pages at the hospital during his orderly duty, which might even get him fired. Simon wants him to drive him on his date with college girl Lulu, who falls for Matt. Eric can't find anyone to join him on a 'guys' pool night, but he ends up having a blast with parish bachelorettes; meanwhile, Annie meets with her child-psychology professor (who doesn't like kids!). Lucy and her charming lab partner "babysit" an egg; Mary reluctantly joins in the Friday 'private hour' of her pizzeria colleagues, teen parents Frankie and Johnny.

Simon has another hot date, college girl Marcia, but when Matt turns up as driver, she only has eyes for the med student, although Simon gets the porch kiss. Lucy dates and agrees to go steady 'light' with Mike Pierce, whom she met in a dean's office, where he offered to help her apply to colleges, but doubts again after learning about his mental history. Their parents found none of the kids still interested in family movie night, nut discover too late sneaking off for 'intimacy' never goes unseen, this time even worse. Mary nearly gets arrested with teenage parents Johnny and Frankie, who are caught smoking marijuana just after her visit.

High school freshman Simon desperately looks for a new image, but clothes nor hairstyle do the trick, so he ends up with an earring. Matt is puzzled when a girl he approaches in the library calls her brother's help against him as 'stalker' after hearing he once dated Heather. Mary breaks every rule and promise when babysitting for Hank by taking in Frances's baby so her 'friend' can spy on Johnny, but the Camden parents' pool night just there makes the real, for all concerned unpleasant difference when Eric blindly assumes Johnny to be an abusive adulterer, while Frankie rather trapped him.

Irresponsible 'adult' Mary fails to realize how deep she's sinking, but both parents and siblings piece together from various sources she's about to hit rock-bottom but have no idea how to help? Eric can barely keep Annie from intervening directly before they know everything. The kids decide to 'borrow' enough from the twins' full piggybanks to cover her debts, but creditors seeing cash convince her to 'refinance, which would mean even more interest.

The monthly day when the twins' piggybacks are enriched with §10 is ahead, so the siblings fear the game is up unless Mary manages to repay the 'loan', but now her debt is reshuffled she idly spends her days in the movie theatre. So the Camden parents soon learn the dreadful truth they already dreaded. After pondering how to help her, a family intervention proving she's still in haughty denial, the last resort is packing her off to Buffalo, to be taken in hand by the Colonel.

Simon lets his mate Luke set them up with the Murphy twins, who fall for his cool 'bad boy' image by association with Mary, but the vixens make the knaves join them in shoplifting and other mischief. Matt falls in love at first sight with a girl in a wedding dress, actually model Julie. Only Mike teaches Lucy how to handle gossip. Annie seeks comfort with a friend, positive thinking guru Robin, who turns out rather negative.

Robbie and Cheryl ask Eric to marry them because of her pregnancy. He smells a rat and learns just in time that she intended to trick Robbie, who is grateful to escape a loveless marriage and offers to stay away from Mary. Lonely Simon has joined punk Norton's schoolmates gang. Lucy, who is lightly butt-slapped, and the Camden parents, make huge scenes over inappropriate remarks from some of the knaves, treating Simon as if he 'hates women'. Matt tries to help both sides understand, but fails, yet a real incident shows Simon's truly good nature. Matt can go for Priscilla after hearing from Heather she's dating another already.

Robbie's ma lost her house and moved away without him and moving in with Cheryl also fell through, so Eric finds him studying outside, yet keeping up top marks. He promises to find a shelter and takes him home meanwhile. Despite embarrassing episodes, all the fault of Camden girls, Robbie proves himself a model house-guest. So Matt finds the couch occupied when chased from his dorm by John, who is completely besotted with Priscilla Carter. Simon keeps is foxy new date Sasha a secret until she arrives in a BMW. Lucy is passively jealous when Mike Pierce announces he got early college acceptance, then goes over to make up and thus discovers his ma's disabling mental condition.

A month later, perfect house guest Robbie is getting popular with most Camdens, except Annie who childishly splits hairs about his domestic input, meant to help her but making her feel redundant, while Ginger takes care of grandpa. Matt is unwilling to stand by John when he meets the Carter parents and seeks refuge with Heather, whose boyfriend Thomas gets them off their backs by suggesting they're a sheets magnate family. Mary starts a round of panicking with a false rumor that Robbie is dating Lucy. Simon is flattered when Robbie asks his financial advice and starts copying him, even Matt follows suits walking around shirtless. Robbie finds a surprising job and the perfect thank you gift.

Eric threatens Robbie with eviction because he thinks he's keeping secrets about Mary. The house is abuzz with secrets and preparations for an elaborate surprise party for Eric's birthday. Johnny drops Mercy on the Camdens' doorstep after Frankie abandons them. Mike trusts Lucy enough to look after his mother for a day, during which the woman surprises her, both by speaking and by what she says.

Robbie is not amused by week-long roommate Matt's jealous whining, but still helps him make up with John, who lacked the courage to tell Priscilla her 'Japanese' room remodeling disgusts both guys. Mike decides after a kiss without chemistry to trade in Lucy for Elaina Casey, while matching Lucy with Mike's friend Jeremy. Simon and Robbie prevent suddenly jealous Lucy's reactions spoiling the whole partner-switch, which thus ends well.

Everyone but Lucy is stuck home celebrating the twins' birthday on Valentine's Day; Lucy and Jeremy keep running into Lucy's ex-boyfriend.

An item found in a lost wallet starts speculations whether it's Simon's or Robbie's and how to make sure it doesn't mean their dates go too far. None of the siblings gives Mary the triumphant welcome she hoped for at her first weekend visit, so Robbie is scolded for not wildly kissing her.

Robbie's father Ed Palmer, a deadbeat who left the boys very young, turns up and slickly gets free board, next convinces his boy to move out and rent a room together. Eric perseveres to make Robbie realize he can't waste his future on a super-dad that never existed, as his very imperfect mother always claimed. Simon's social life clashes badly with parental essay standard demands. Matt is furious to find Ruthie lied to use him in willful disobedience. Lucy hangs out with classmate Ashley's 'cool' mother Serena, only to find a 'regular' mother is better.

Matt is terrified when summoned stat for a psychological session, standard for med students. After an unsatisfactory attempt to be 'coached' by therapy-experienced Mike, Matt lands with Doc, who turns out to be fraud and yet a godsend. Simon wants to break up with older, yet immature Sasha, but lets various advice how to go easy on her complicate things for him. Eric confronts a rather blunt hospital doctor about what to tell terminal patients like Harold Mann about their life expectancy and why.

Robbie is told last, despite Camden's advice for her to be open, that Mary has bumped into her ex Wilson, who does a course in Buffalo, and agreed to a dinner at his place. Robbie is doubly vexed as he immediately calls her after meeting a lookalike, Marie, also a basketball player, whom he asked over to get hold of her study notes. Matt meets and dates Cheryl before he realizes she's Robbie's ex. Mary also bumps into Lucy's Jeremy.

Robbie wonders why Matt is suddenly so friendly, ignoring it's because Matt dates his ex Cheryl, who wants him to tell Robbie but doesn't push that, while Robbie spontaneously tells he studies a course with Heather, who needs his help. Simon feels a social outcast when nicknamed 'virgin Camden' because his mother assured Sasha's blabbermouth ma he's sexually inactive, but actually schoolgirls line up to date him. Viciously jealous, Annie meanly forces Eric to give up counseling Serena, yet denies that's her doing and sticks to her guns after Ruthie commends her as bitchy selfishness-model.

Only Robbie refuses to sign, Eric alone not being eligible, Ruthie's petition against a popular ethics teacher Miller's rumored prejudiced dismissal. Robbie learns about the household rule you can't complain over 18 about anything vaguely political without registering as a voter. Matt is first to work out the televised petition commotion is an unsavory misunderstanding, for which the school kids are tricked into fake detention by her brother. Annie's pa recently found out and now wants her and the family to know she has an older but illegitimate sister, Lilly, from his late first love.

Robbie panics when Mary announces she's returning for the summer months, so he tells her to follow parental instructions not to date her all that time. Mike inspires Lucy how to stay with Jeremy now he's accepted to Juliard: marriage, so they get engaged. Matt is dumped by Cheryl for not telling the family about them, but that gives him the courage and more reward then he bargained for. Wilson was dumped but traveled all the way home, just when Mary's claim of sexual intimacy with Jeremy make Robbie deck Lucy's equally startled fiancé. Simon and Tim discover Deena dated each of them behind the other's back. Serena abuses her lonely birthday to make a move on therapist Eric, while hardware shopkeeper James Carver courts long-oblivious Annie.

Robbie gathers the courage to tell Mary openly, now her lies are exposed, their relationship is over, staying with the family his priority. Simon nurses his broken heart on account of Deenah, refusing to become 'just friends' again. Wilson bonds, while bunking, with Matt and Robby, and demands for Mary to return and go steady in New York, or break up completely. Jeremy forgives Lucy for doubting her fiancé's fidelity. Ultimately Eric helps her transfer to his New York alma mater, near Juliard. The Camden parents finally realize Serena and James are seducing them, ward off each suitor and match the lonely hearts.

Robbie remains inconsolable since Mary left with Wilson. The Colonel figures she won't go to college but marry and be a mother to Billy, so he insists on a job, preferably in public service, but he nor Wilson are pleased she opts for the police or fire department. Lucy refuses to explain why she left the New York seminary, apparently after a break-up with Jeremy, and Robbie is parentally dissuaded as consoling company. Annie works out her pre-menopause frustration on Eric, and he takes it out deviously on model student Simon for just a bit of attitude. Matt loses his hospital orderly job, but soon gets another: in a free clinic with mainly teenage and young-adult mothers-to-be.

Robbie amuses sneaky cookie-thief Ruthie by nicknaming her Snookie and sets straight Lucy's far less flattering interpretation. Wilson diplomatically handles Mary's absurd blaming him for her failed fire department application after she set fire to the colonel's curtains. Despite Eric's continuous meanness, Simon acts most responsibly when a kid only he, not even a teacher, defended against school bullies mentions planning to shoot them. Eric confronts the supervisor of a firm's staff where 'pranks' extend to stealing a prosthetic arm an counsels his ex Merle on forgiveness.

Robbie offers to pay $200 rent for the garage apartment if it ever gets finished. However, the siblings all want it, so Matt is promised a switch with his room and the others are jealous. Billy clearly pretends to be 'really' sick to make Mary stay with him and perhaps become his mama. Lucy promises handyman Ray Rickey work on the garage apartment, but the crook fakes a fall and has a leech-lawyer waiting.

Robbie introduces Lucy to his friend Hugh, feeling she should date again, but gets jealous enough to separate them with lies. Matt stands up against the free clinic's staff and gets Hank to overrule Dr. Kent's diagnose-and-operate routine. Feeling incompetent as a waiter at Pete's Simon resigns, but he gets promoted because of his business-planning skills. Cued by Billy via George, Wilson and Mary (who is failing in firefighter training) realize it's time to decide whether to commit to becoming a family.

Insecure Robbie hides his budding rebound-affair with Lucy. Wilson is deeply hurt when he finds fickle 'bride' Mary kissing fire-department coursemate Ben Kinkirk. Simon doesn't enjoy bully-mate Rick's girl abusing him as excuse to dump him. Annie's flippant advice nearly wrecks pupil Christy Parks' parents' marriage, yet she resists help even from Eric.

Robbie and Lucy gather the courage to tell everybody about their affair, only to find they all knew and don't really care. Without the thrill of sneaking, their first date fizzles. Ben Kinkirk and Mary both pass the firefighters course, but their meeting on whether to celebrate with classmates messes up Mary's reconciliation with fiancé Wilson., and Billy's questions make Wilson decide against her plan to elope. Matt discovers that Hank and Julie are planning a divorce, and Eric and Annie try to find out why and see if they can help fix it.

Wilson is amused that all the Camdens call him after Mary's sudden return home, but wants her to tell them what happened. Robbie makes clear he's no longer interested at all in her or Lucy, having found a potential bride. The siblings however are furious when their wayward sister gets the royal treatment from their mother, while their better behavior yielded nothing. It's the last straw when the garage apartment they all want is thrown in, so they squat. Annie declares a war of attrition on them. Eric cowardly keeps out and hopes his sermon on the prodigal son may smooth things, but everyone feels targeted.

Robbie is happy with his new hot Latina girlfriend Joy Reyes and persuades her rich, devoutly Catholic father Ramon Reyes (for now) of his honorable intentions. The garage apartment squatters' resolve is self-sabotaged by their rivalry to get what shouldn't be Mary's and Ruthie's scheming. In the end return under the maternal yoke and make up (more or less forcibly) with Mary, who meanwhile repents, but Eric wisely doubts her sincerity and rectitude.

Robbie has spent too much time with Joy on top of his two jobs, so he demands a day off to study. She insists 'just this one day' and Eric convinces Robbie he should at least find out if it's a special day. On his way, he finds and picks up a stray dog tagged in Arizona. It turns out to be the pet who disappeared exactly two years ago with Joy's kid brother Joseph, and might now lead the police to the boy and his abductor. At home, the girls ask their parents to select ideal partners, leading to lots of speculation. Matt and Simon's attempt to pick up suitable girls by walking the twins backfires.

Simon's big day, the start of his driving lessons, finally arrived, but Eric just forgot about it. Grandpa Jackson seduces the knave into driving him around without a license, which leads through more bad grandfatherly advice to a televised police car chase. Jealous of Joy, Matt behaves childishly toward Robbie whose gentleman's attitude ultimately gives in. Lucy hoped Jeremy called to make up, but he just wants his engagement ring back. The local fire chief isn't fooled by Mary's eagerness to transfer.

Robbie volunteers his car to give Simon a driving lesson as Eric again fails to turn up as promised. Alas, they bump into Matt's car. Wilson has moved and left instructions not to tell Mary his new location. Firefighter Ben Kinkirk volunteers to pick up a rescue dog so he can visit Mary, who instantly calls him her true love again, but ends up found out. Meanwhile Lucy, who refuses to take off Jeremy's ring, is openly jealous of such a hunky suitor, Ruthie pretends not to care. Robbie's brother Ronald drops by and is furious to hear that his muse Lucy dated Robbie. Annie resigns her teaching post without consulting anyone.

While Robbie visits his mother in Florida, Ruthie sneaks in her friend Yasmine Halawi, a Muslim girl who has become the target of two bullies on the street. The whole family feels obligated to help the whole Halawi family, who has lived in Glenoak for years without problems, but every attempt proves difficult or even counterproductive; Matt and Simon nearly beat up the wrong suspects, and Ruthie's private school's board votes against admitting Yasmine.

Matt fails to warn Simon, who got Eric's permission behind Annie's back, about the dangers of attending older guys' parties. Simon's friend Morris drives him home but hesitates to ring the bell and see him safely inside his home; given spiked punch promises a killer hangover anyway. Meanwhile, Lucy settles her mutual good/popular-girl jealousy with Mary, but is nearly forced to drink at a get-together with coursemates.

The next Valentine's day, Robbie prepared a surprise for Joy. Mary meanly supposes the hotel she overheard him contacting by phone means another sex trap. Joy, who assumed the butler to be away like her father really is, isn't discouraged, but bitterly claims Robbie doesn't love her truly because he refuses to risk getting intimate. Matt contacts all his 'true lovers', wondering why he never stayed hooked up. Lucy again assumes Jeremy, who is back in town and double-dating with Mike, wants her back and pretends to have a date. Mary is shocked to see Wilson moved back and goes steady with her former school friend Corey Conway. Simon gets permission to let his hot senior date Maria 'help babysit' and gets her cute kid brother Jake to spare Ruthie dateless embarrassment.

Robbie's apparently firm happiness with Joy kindles envy in Matt, who is now so in love with wedding plans that he vows that his next steady date must be *the one*. Being commandeered into clinic duty, Matt misses his date with a promising candidate but he also meets a fellow med student, Sarah Glass, daughter of Rabbi Richard Glass. Sarah insists that they must meet each other's parents. Although both parental pairs plead against a mixed-religions marriage, the lovebirds soldier on.

Matt has married Rabbi Glass' daughter Sarah after one date. Robbie is mildly amused at the family's speculations and how they're worrying about whether Matt 'was dumber than Mary with Wilson'. Only Ruthie finds out, answering when Matt calls, but he swears her to secrecy. Meanwhile, Matt and Sarah go tell her parents first, but at the last moment she pretends they just got engaged, a lie they must now extend to the Camden home, where the 'news' only adds to the mounting stress.

Level-headed Robbie is the only one intentionally left home to babysit the twins when the Camdens accept a first dinner invitation at humorist Rabbi Glass's home. Mary beats Lucy to the punch faking illness so she can escape the event and try to seduce Robbie away from Joy. Simon takes his half-Jewish friend Morris along, but he fails miserably as a good example of someone from a mixed-faith household: he has no clue about the Sabbath or other Jewish traditions. Eric loses it completely when Matt says he's considering converting to Judaism, but they make up during a synagogue service.

Matt ignores at his peril Robbie and Simon's warning not to believe a girl's claim she needs no gift, especially concerning the diamond engagement ring. Eric's solution within budget, industrial imitation, is 'welcomed' even more bitter, until an heirloom is passed on. Lucy flew along to Buffalo with Mary to 'pick up her stuff', but discovers aboard she wants another shot at Ben. After provoking airport security, Lucy gets an instant crush on gallant, hot cop Kevin Kinkirk. She arranges a double-date with his brother, who turns out to be none other then Ben, who is however most suspicious of record-fickle Mary until Kevin gives the decisive push.

The Camdens are surprised by the arrival of Mary with her new guy Ben and his cop brother Kevin, and with her new flight-attendant job that enabled their cheap flights. While Lucy gets close to Kevin, Eric still obsesses over Matt's secret and Robbie and Ruthie still help keep it. Eric neglects his counseling appointment with the elderly Tallridges whose adult son Jerry has 'suddenly' moved out, yet that's just what will inspire him.

Annie discovers Ruthie is writing to a Marine fighting in Afghanistan as part of a school project. The Camden family read what Ruthie has written to her pen pal about their lives and in turn learn about a Marine who so bravely has left his wife and son to fight in the war against terror. When Ruthie fails to get a response email at school and Eric hears about a helicopter going down killing two people he contacts the Colonel.

Preparations for Matt and Sarah's wedding are being made and things aren't going the way Eric or Annie planned. Matt decides he will convert to Judaism after a discussion with Sarah's dad who convinces Matt that he can convert on the wedding day much to Eric's dismay. Annie panics when Sarah's mother tells her to expect 100 kosher guests to her backyard pot luck dinner. Ruthie and Simon begin to resent Robbie being in the house. Ruthie wants her bedroom back forcing Robbie out now that Matt will be moving out and Simon gets upset that Matt chooses Robbie to be his best man and Sam and David call for Robbie instead of him. Lucy gets upset that Kevin won't come to Glen Oak for Matt's wedding and Ben decides to propose to Mary after Mary starts giving him the cold shoulder. Eric and Sarah's dad the Rabbi go head to head and it seems Matt and Sarah's wedding won't go ahead after all.

The Camden family gather together for Matt and Sarah's wedding. Eric and the Rabbi make amends while Ben and Kevin decide to go to Glen Oak to pursue Mary and Lucy. Ruthie and Simon sort out their issues with Robbie.

The season starts with the Camden house in a state of change. Kevin moves in the garage apartment and plans to propose to Lucy. Robbie meets Kevin's police partner and is ready for romance. Ruthie starts dating, and Mary has an older boyfriend.

Simon starts a dating service. Mary and Jack are planning to move to Florida. Annie and Eric have their hands full with family events.

Ken Smith threatens the church because he disapproves of Mary's relationship with his son; Ben reads Lucy's diary; Simon's former girlfriend is rumored to be pregnant.

Eric is told he has to have open heart surgery and is faced with telling Annie and the family.

Eric has double bypass surgery and most of the family waits for results at the hospital. Ruthie stays home to watch the twins. Lucy tells her parents she is ready to accept a wedding proposal, but Kevin is no longer ready to propose.

Eric is recovering from surgery at home and starting to get restless. Annie tells everyone in the family to talk to Eric about their problems so he will fell useful. Lucy's friend Paul asks her to convince his parents to let him travel.

The Colonel sends a nutty old lady to help the Camdens.

While still recovering from surgery, Eric decides to spy on the new associate pastor. Ruthie is caught with her boyfriend when she is supposed to be babysitting. Kevin's ex-wife appears.

Since the new associate pastor is doing a good job, Eric decides to give up his job as pastor, and tires of everyone asking him for advice. Kevin and Roxanne seem to have a good working relationship and this worries Lucy.

Eric becomes the new DJ for a college radio station and he is immediately is involved in a suicide call by a student. Lucy continues to be upset about the partnership of Kevin with Roxanne.

Roxanne starts dating Chandler. Simon and Cecilia talk about having sex for the first time. Eric spends his time writing, and Annie finds out it is book with sexual scenes.

Eric continues his apathetic ways, and it gets to the point where Annie insists he see someone to talk about it. Cecilia starts avoiding Simon. Ruthie learns a friend has cystic fibrosis.

Annie attends one of Eric's counseling sessions; Lucy and Kevin's different views on the judicial system become apparent when Lucy tries to avoid jury duty.

Chandler learns that his father is dying of lung cancer and rejects Eric's efforts to help them; Lucy accepts a date with Chandler's chain-smoking tattooed brother Sid (guest-star Jason London) in order to make Kevin jealous enough to propose to her; Annie is shocked to find a pack of cigarettes in Simon's bedroom; Peter begs Ruthie to lie to his mother about his smoking.

Lucy dreams that Kevin takes her out for Valentine's Day, and Roxanne comes to steal Kevin away. When Kevin does ask her out, she does not want to go, but she goes, and he proposes to her. Eric and Annie try to have their own date.

Lucy fears her father's return to the church will upstage her wedding celebration. Roxanne introduces Chandler to her father. With Simon and Cecilia working together, one day he notices the business manager stealing from the company.

Lucy tells Kevin she is thinking of quitting school, and he tells her the wedding is off if she quits. Annie and Eric help another couple face their marital problems and share their own problems. Roxanne leaves the police department.

A big storm interferes with Lucy & Kevin's wedding plans. Kevin's family and many of the guests have trouble getting to the church.

The church needs a new roof, and Chandler talks Eric into helping him ask a stubborn parishioner. She agrees because she needs some help as well. Annie finds out the twins are stealing money. Lucy and Roxanne go out for a girls' night.

Ruthie's friend Peter is upset that his mother is marrying a man he does not know that well. Eric counsels him and the mother. Meanwhile Chandler helps another couple who wants to marry but has several problems with their relationship.

Chandler's father is dying. Eric tries to get Chandler and his father to talk before he dies. Simon asks Cecilia to the prom. Ruthie has problems but does not want to talk about it. Mary has news for her father. Sarah thinks she is pregnant.

Peter tells Ruthie she should talk to her parents about her problem. Simon asks someone else to the prom since Cecilia does not want to go. Annie talks to Sarah's mother.

The Camdens have a bad vacation;Simon is depressed over accidentally killing a classmate; Lucy and Kevin discuss starting a family; Mary deals with something she's not ready to share; Peter spends more time with the Camdens.

Mary reveals that she married Carlos. Simon does not want to return to high school and Eric tries to find a solution for him. Roxanne and Chandler end their relationship.

Simon hopes for an early graduation from school and asks Eric plead his case; Simon's advisor is also the son of a preacher; a bully bothers Ruthie; Kevin must babysit his boss's grandchild; Chandler is caught kissing another woman.

Investigating a domestic-violence call, Kevin gets beaten up by the wife; nobody seems to care that Simon's about to leave for college; Ruthie and Peter work on a school project; Martin Brewer enters the Camdens' lives.

Simon applies to college and decides to submit a video for his essay. He tells the story of the Camdensfrom his point of view.

Weeks after the September 11 attacks, Eric challenges his parishioners to do something good for someone else and use their own special talents to help people in need; he must find his own way of giving to others.

When Roxanne's neighbor's home is robbed, she thinks the thief is the first young boy she's mentoring; Annie and Eric host a party for new neighbors who are hesitant to attend, fearing prejudice against them.

Lucy signs up for the police department's husband-and-wife softball team; Cecilia starts dating someone new.

The high-school principal has a strict rule about only parents visiting the school; Eric informing her about a family that wants an exception leads to the school board investigating the principal.

When Matt and Sarah begin training at the hospital in New York, Matt finds answering questions and performing procedures easy while the other students struggle.

Matt wants to drop out of medical school after Sarah leaves him. Rabbi Glass talks to Matt about Sarah. Kevin's ex-wife is in town and wants to have dinner with him and Lucy. Martin's aunt wants Martin to move with her to New York.

Eric tries to help Paris' ex-husband Vic, who wants to be part of her and Peter's lives again; she doesn't want him back and Peter is afraid it would affect his relationship with Chandler.

Martin wants to drop out of school when a sports team recruits him. Lucy wants to move out after an argument with her mother; Kevin tells her to apologize and be more active in their finances. Chandler is the executor of his father's estate.

At a Camden party, Roxanne and Betsy get into an argument about the war in Iraq. When Martin's father shows up, Roxanne is attracted to him. The twins want to spend more time with Ruthie.

A school project gets Ruthie and Peter in trouble as they write a newspaper article about two presidents containing false information. Annie's half-sister visits to discuss information about their father, but Annie does not want to listen.

Matt and Ruthie get together to share a special anniversary date for something they share, but Matt does not want others to know he is in town. Martin takes Cecilia on a date. Vic wants to spend time with Paris because he wants to propose.

Love and marriage seems to be on everyone's mind as Annie's sister is planning her wedding, a mentally challenged couple wants to get married after just one date, and a couple has their premarital counseling with Chandler.

Annie's father has died, but Annie seems upbeat. Perhaps she is in the denial stage of grief. Chandler is still upset over losing his own father, and breaking up with Roxanne. Eric suggests he adopt a child.

Lucy and Kevin look for their first home as does Chandler; turns out they are looking at the same place. Eric and Annie decide to buy their house from the church; Ruthie plans to move into the garage apartment when Lucy and Kevin move out.

Chandler has Jeffrey for the night since his grandmother is in the hospital. Lucy and Kevin celebrate their wedding anniversary and discuss starting a family. Cecilia makes plans for going to college and discusses her relationship with Martin. Peter gets caught drinking.

Ruthie and Peter get separated from their classmates on a field trip. Kevin and Roxanne go undercover for a police assignment. Chandler struggles as a new parent.

Lucy thinks Kevin's partner is keeping secrets from him, such as she is trying to become a detective. Matt is having problems in his marriage. Martin learns that everyone thinks he is having sex with Cecilia.

Cecilia breaks up with Martin because she wants to be with Simon. Matt continues to run into a former girlfriend and is concerned about his marriage falling apart. Ruthie's foreign exchange student visits and is now living with the Camdens.

It's a big day for the Camden's as the twins start kindergarten. Lucy is pregnant but does not want to get maternity clothes yet. Simon and Georgia may be having sex. Ruthie gets in trouble at school.

A pregnant Lucy & Kevin learn they are going to have a girl. Simon tells his parents he is having sex with Georgia and is on probation at college. Eric decides to set up an abstinence pledge group at church, and Ruthie signs it.

Lucy is promoted to Associate Pastor at the church and faces the task of writing her first sermon. Simon starts going to a therapist and realizes he has been suppressing his guilt of a previous car accident. Ruthie wants to go on a date.

Simon is still an emotional mess, but is ready to return to school when he meets Justin Smith, the brother of the boy he accidentally ran over. He finds he's finally off drugs and even grateful that the trauma repaired his family rift; closure becomes possible before he moves to college. Harry is determined to let the Camden parents tell Ruthy it's over. He decides to find a family of his own by marrying a girl in the Social Services home they're both desperate to get out of. Both Kevin and Martin play the protective big brothers. There's also a bird which fell out of the nest; Ruthie's responsibility just because she found it. High-pregnant teenager Leanne wants Eric to choose an adoptive couple to be parents for her baby, but goes in labor early. Lucy finds both candidate couples utterly selfish. Eric finds the father, Charlie Bates, still prepared to do he right thing provided Eric helps him with his parents. Charlie's parents fear he would throw away his own future for a girl they did so much for, and then split up. Leanne's lousy, virtually absent mother gives Annie a hard time just to visit her offspring in hospital.

As the presidential election approaches, Martin is too vocal in his opinions and Ruthie realizes she has none, Annie and Eric might be on different sides of the political ticket, and Lucy and Kevin have never registered to vote.

Lucy and Kevin see a new doctor for their pregnancy and they have different opinions of her. Ruthie becomes interested in Martin's friend and starts wearing makeup and acting older. Charlie, the new father of Leanne's baby, is having a hard time and wants out of parenthood, so Eric enlists the help of an old, dear family friend.

When Martin and Mac go play darts in the pool hall with Kevin, he naughtily leaves without telling they are being mistaken for new police rookies, so notorious Venus picks up physically mature Martin, who gives her a ride home on request -even stranding Mac- but stays aloof until they discover both their fathers are Marines on war theater missions. Lucy makes sure dad finds out so Kevin starts calling round for Venus's phone number, which starts the rumor he's two-timing Lucy, who stupidly takes it seriously even from an amused petty criminal Kevin just arrested, while Mac spreads one about Martin scoring at high-school, where Venus turns up the next morning as substitute teacher. Another utterly undeserved 'my-house-my-rules' lecture from sanctimonious liar Eric decides Martin it's time to get emancipated and move out, that very evening. Then he spots two marines with a briefcase.Meanwhile Ben's own lie to hide he spent three days camping with Dr. Miranda Pearson has its own unpredictable consequences.

Simon calls Lucy and Kevin to borrow money. They turn to Eric for advice. Simon has been told to leave the dorm after breaking rules by having his girlfriend spend the night in his room.

With Thanksgiving approaching, everyone seems to be planning something different. Lucy wants to host the big meal, Simon wants to stay at college, Mary is staying in Puerto Rico, and the others also have different plans. Annie is upset.

Shortly before Thanksgiving, Eric, Annie, and the twins are still not home; Eric has a cold and Annie already blames him for ruining the family Thanksgiving again. Simon has brought Georgia home but she refuses to tell anyone about her pregnancy until they tell his parents; later she tells him she lied so he wouldn't leave her. Pregnant Lucy is moody and takes advantage of her condition, driving Kevin and Matt mad; the weather cancels Martin's camping trip. Lucy gets Matt to take her to the supermarket where she faints, and Matt's limited medical-student knowledge bothers Dr. Klein. When Ruthie calls from Puerto Rico, lonely because Carlos' family is occupied with the baby, Martin assures her that Thanksgiving is celebrated in overseas territories too.

Lucy is home from the hospital but is irritable, confined to bed rest. Kevin tells her to finish her studies. Martin is having problems at school and Ruthie learns his father's tour of duty is extended. Wayne Newton makes an appearance.

Matt takes Lucy shopping so that she is out of the house. Annie prepares for the baby shower while she is gone. At the store, Lucy goes into labor. Matt & Lucy are stuck in an elevator. Lucy gives birth to a girl.

Lucy, Kevin, and Savannah move back to her parents' home where there is one mother too many. Annie tries to impart her mothering skills on Lucy, who has different ideas. Ruthie sees an opportunity to get a favor from Martin.

Ruthie is going on her first date, and everyone else is more worked up than she is.

The cast shows their singing skills as the express their feelings about Valentine's Day. Simon starts dating another gal. The twins celebrate their birthday.

Kevin meets the previous owner of his new home who seems to miss the memories of his former residence. Simon asks Matt to give him a prescription for birth control pills for his girlfriend.

The Camden kids panic about their cover-lie for "Simon's" (actually covering for fickle, unfaithful Mary's) secret after Annie phones with Carlos; she doesn't learn it yet, but decides to surprise-visit Mary in New York excited about the fictitious baby; the following family calls only weave the web of deception and misunderstandings ever tighter, even gold-honest Kevin gets ragged in; even when Eric's overhears an unclosed line, he keeps it secret for Annie but visits Simon, also on false pretenses. After dragging it out of Ruthie, Martin wisely abstains from compounded lying. Martin and Mac, who sort of hopes to get her on the rebound, catch Vincent dating another girl, but only to make Ruthie jealous, who brushed him off with a lie, next Vincent goes make up with her.

Ben Kinkirk practically invites himself to stay with brother Kevin to see Lucy and their baby, knowing absent Martin's apartment is available that weekend, and speculates about him dating Mary again now she has left Carlos. Annie has the morbid obsession that the family should attend a 'birthday party' for her late mother Jenny. Ruthie would rather spend that time with Vincent, and she runs a plan by Lucy while they shop for flowers. Meanwhile, Eric tries to help career woman Marie Wagner work out how to handle her mother's worsening physical and mental health.

Lucy seems to only have time for Savannah, and Kevin feels left out. Vincent's new girlfriend is a snob who looks for ways to insult others. Zoe confides in Ruthie that their family does not have enough money for food. The twins are sick.

When Simon visits home to write a paper, the twins are just happy, the sisters speculate what trouble he's in; dad guesses his Bible reading is a pact with God for a clear bill on his venereal disease test. Zoe convinces Martin to join her watching a meteor shower for an astronomy assignment, but he leaves his cell phone afraid to tell Eric as it's at night, and thus misses a persistent caller- from Iraq. Lucy wants to return to parish work, but Kevin refuses to dump their baby on her ma, even prefers doing night-shifts or becoming a home dad. Ruthy's ex Peter Petrowski's parents George 'Vic' and Paris ask Eric to remarry them. Ruthy's boyfriend Vincent is offended she nags about Peter saying not to feel anything for her anymore.

Cecilia's dad George Smith tells Eric that he and his wife Gwen are looking for a foster-son, about 10 years old, to fill the now empty-feeling home, with the hope of adopting. The enthusiastic reverend immediately thinks of orphanage boy Danny Davies, who proves charming and eager. Danny expects to that his sisters will be adopted too. It's only fair that Eric helps put that straight, which proves even more complicated then it sounds. Carlos tells Matt he's leaving New York for his dad's firm in Puerto Rico because 'mother' Mary makes no marital effort at all, having cheerfully signed over custody of baby Charlie. The twins are sad that Martin, and in time all their siblings seem to leave, even Lucy now. Kevin presses her to finally choose a house, then concludes the mother is the one who pushes fledglings out of the nest. Simon's girlfriend Rose wants to dump him unless he gives a good reason why they still don't have sex. Vincent pushes Martin to help him break up with Ruthie, in case he meets a girl while on vacation with his grandparents on Hawaii.

Eric hides Mary's divorce from Annie, and Simon's romance heats up. While the Smiths brace for a custody battle over the Davis kids, Simon arrives home for an overnight visit with his girlfriend Rose (Sarah Thompson), whom Annie finds "condescending and rude." Annie's intuition tells her Rose is pushing Simon for marriage, and that something's up with Mary and Carlos. Although Eric knows Mary has filed for divorce, he avoids sharing that information with Annie just yet. Since Vincent doesn't have the guts to break up with Ruthie, Martin takes it upon himself to reveal the truth. Lucy is surprised by Annie's erroneous assumption that Carlos and Mary are still together. Meanwhile, Simon hears from Kevin that Rose had led Annie to believe they're engaged. When Simon confronts Rose, he reiterates that, even if they discussed the possibility of marriage, he didn't actually propose. Visibly upset, Rose walks off. The Davis kids are stunned to learn their mom is refusing to relinquish custody. As much as they want to be adopted by the Smiths, the children fear that if they testify against their mother in family court, she'll wind up turning to drugs and alcohol. That's not a risk they're willing to take. Later, Ruthie asks Vincent to never call her again, and Rose asks Simon what he wants from their relationship. To Kevin's delight, Lucy puts an offer on a fixer-upper house next door! The Smiths and Davises reach a compromise: George and his wife won't push for adoption, but Mrs. Davis will allow them to become the kids' foster parents. Minutes after Eric shocks Annie with the news of Mary's divorce, Simon and Rose announce they intend to get engaged "in the near future." That evening, the Camdens join Martin as he welcomes his father home from Iraq. .. _

Eric tries to avoid telling his parents about Mary's divorce. Simon's fiancee wants him to move up the wedding date. Lucy learns the difficulties of being an associate pastor.

After a scary arrest which could have gone fatally wrong, Kevin decides to leave the police before someone gets hurts as he can no longer concentrate on anything but his young family. Ruthie brings over Meredith and her presumed boyfriend Jack, who proves a natural with babies and a nice senior - too old, so - and is on to her plan; Meredith actually is more interested in the other good boy, Tyler, who agrees with a demure kiss to date. The colonel arrives, winking to Martin about his Iraq veteran dad's gardening job and to Eric's surprise already knows about Charlie - even got and believes Mary's version that Carlos cheated on her, but Carlos explains she just 'caught' him dining with Cecily, the nanny he had to hire because Mary was never home. Simon first scolds, then consoles his ex Sandy for having seduced and made a baby with Martin. Eric spoils the twins fun playing cowboys with granddad because he bans all gun toys and is told to bother about real problems. Lou Dalton tells Eric most parishioners want Lucy fired as his associate pastor.

Rosie moves in with Simon and remodels his studio, while keeping her apartment as a front, but that proves unpractical. Simon insists on telling their parents they'll get married, but after graduation. When Simon announces that he is going to come and bring bad news, dad and Lucy falsely 'hope' it's their break-up. They disagree on what to offer single women, except a 'church social', which Martin accepts and brings Meredith as their first date. Kevin eagerly accepts Joanie's invitation to her 'mom and I' class, where the sensitive hunk is an instant hit. The parents disagree whether to forbid Ruthie going out with 'too mature' Jack, so she gets Martin to set her up with honor student Sam Walker.

Simon bursts his startled parents' malicious bubble: he's not dumping Rose, she moved in. When Simon accepts 'too easily' to give Rosie her marching orders -which she ignores- as they pay for the apartment, they hoped he wanted an excuse to break up and be with Sandy, who they prefer, this time partially true. The twins announce they have each found true love. Ruthie tries to get rid of Sam Walker, but neither Eric nor Martin agree to do her dirty work. After church teenagers class girl Lizzie Wheeler admits an unwanted pregnancy, Lucy doubts her decision to stay in pastoral work and envies Kevin's obviously excellent home parenting, then Lizzie changes her story. Rosie sets an ultimatum. Martin tells Lucy he'll become a father.

Kevin was happy to perform at a kids party in a Riverton rat costume, but when Mat hears Lucy is visiting Simon, prods him along to spy and soon finds Eric is doing the same, alas equally clumsily. Rose knew Lucy came for Sandy, so Martin's secret gets spread. Meredith gets Ruthie to find out if Martin disconnects his cellphone because he has another, while he is considering his options whether to play baseball full time in his senior year semester as he already has enough credited courses.

After Sandy has Braxton-Hicks contractions, she admits that a miscarriage would simplify her life, but Simon's fear that the truth is about to come out seems ever more warranted. Kevin and Eric worry as Lucy keeps insisting that nobody else should meddle with her 'client' Sandy. They must tell her who has already found out and Kevin must physically stop her from assaulting Sandy's alcoholic dad, Edward Jameson. Eric fears that George Smith is about to find out too. Ruthie lies about her new date being 16 as Martin says his team's huge shortstop Brian is 18.

Ruthie tackles a new project and Martin confronts his father. Sandy's estranged dad Ed stops by church with $3,000 he wants Lucy to give to his daughter. Angry with Simon for buying Rose's diamond ring, Eric refuses to loan him $100 to pay his phone bill. Ruthie announces she's collecting Campbell's soup labels to raise funds to buy a computer for the school newspaper. Knowing Martin dreams of joining a minor league baseball team after graduation, Meredith promises to wait for him until they're both ready to settle down. To aid Ruthie's cause, all the Camdens start eating lots of soup. Simon tries hitting up Matt and Kevin for money, but they decline. Ruthie tells Annie she hopes to date Jack, an 18-year-old "hottie" from school. During a conversation about Ed's unexpected gift, Sandy surprises Lucy by saying she once slept with Simon. Fortunately, Sandy assures Lucy that the baby she's carrying is Martin's child. While Martin tries to summon up the courage to discuss Sandy's pregnancy with his father Bill, Ruthie is thrilled when Jack confesses he'd like to date her, once her parents allow it. Later, Martin asks Eric to help him break the bad news to Bill. Although Bill claims everything will be okay, Martin disagrees, stating, "My life is over!" before walking out. Both Bill and Eric wonder how Meredith and Ruthie will react when they find out about Sandy. The next day, Ed, an admitted alcoholic, returns to church. He's just lost his job and wants his money back. Lucy lies, saying she's already wired the funds to Sandy. Eric vows they'll support Ed...if he goes into rehab. Over at school, Kevin urges Martin to come clean about Sandy with Meredith and Ruthie. When Simon reveals his sister Mary lent him $100 to pay his phone bill, Eric hangs up on him. .. _

The mixed joys of fatherhood way heavy. While Annie tends to the flu patients, Eric feels no better after learning that the haughty Colonel sired him before marriage. Martin's dad needs all his paternal love and self-control to patiently push the boy to step up to his upcoming paternity. Sandy's parents tell the Reverends to butt out, then refuse any responsibility for Sandy and disown her. Martin discovers an excellent reason that Ruthie shouldn't date Jack.

Ruthie becomes the subject of a shocking rumor.

While Eric sneakily prowls for pie, Ruthie tells off Jack, who indignantly rebukes Martin's insinuations as just that, and even gets his and Eric's apologies. While Simon can finally just rest, Rose stresses that he shouldn't find out her dad's fourth marriage is breaking up like her mother's third, which is why he's selling his house, which she's hoping to get for herself and Simon. Kevin says Martin needs a good beating, if not from his father than from him, but both basically-good boys feel relieved after rolling around in the grass letting off steam by fisticuffs.

Kevin makes a fine Father Christmas and knows the ideal gift: a dog, but Lucy insists to wait till after the holidays, then sneakily goes to the asylum herself, only to find their tastes in canines differ greatly. Heathen Rose has no clue what Christmas has to do with Nativity, so she 'tests' the twins, but in the process makes them doubt if either Santa or Jesus really exist. Sandy isn't keen either to participate in the parish's nativity scene. In the end, things work out as by Christmas magic.

When Ruthie's new black classmate Alex insists on doing his 'Famous Americans' report on his idol Martin Luther King and no other, although his day was the week before, baseball teammate Martin Brewer's innocent remark that it's not worth risking his sports career for has absurd consequences, as if he, not the teacher, changed the assignment to reports on 'African-Americans' only, which annoys everybody who already wrote on classics which return every year. Someone is so pissed off that Martin's car gets vandalized with racist language, which the model of fairness refuses on principle to clean up a coward's mess. Kevin gets his former colleague Phil, now the officer in charge of hate crimes, on the case, while emotions run high throughout Glenoak.

Martin refuses to drop baseball training to go to Sandy who is giving birth, although Eric begs him; Martin also gets a full-scholarship offer from nearby Sequoia College. Kevin patiently convinces Lucy that his 'husband at home' dreams squares ideally with a second-child wish. Martin finally visits his newborn son in the hospital, where both grandfathers commit to help each other and their offspring.

Martin is finally making an effort to be there for Sandy and their baby, and Ruthie is having a hard time getting over him. Ruthie and new friend Maggie must both sit in detention after school. The detention monitor, music teacher Mr. Feinstein, manages to get the students' attention by giving them new insights on music and its relation to history. He also plays Gershwin songs on the piano, which soothes Ruthie's heartache.

Eric welcomes Kevin's invitation for a Valentine's dinner with the whole family at the anniversary and in the restaurant of his proposal to Lucy, doubling as the twins birthday party. After all, Annie made a drama about the twins wanting a store birthday cake, not her traditional home-made ones, and Sam being by little Rachel without soon jealous David spells trouble between both them and their parents, as Eric wants to let them decide what to do together and tries to compensate by taking just David for ice-cream during Sam's play-date. Ruthie keeps dreaming about Martin dropping Sandy, the baby and college for her, yet finds some solace in a daily 'job' Eric got for her, helping old Ms. Rusnak to get used to a new bike, or rather for the company. As if his parents weren't unhappy enough about bride Rose, she even refuses Simon to get married in Eric's church. Lucy manages to embarrass herself in a daring dress at the restaurant, but nobody else enjoys dinner anyhow.

Lucy's life gets more complicated personally and professionally when she begins to feel the presence of her late Grandma Jenny visiting her and warning her of the challenges that are coming in her life. Meanwhile, Annie and Ruthie decide to take a day off together to unwind. Rose is angry with Simon for neglecting to tell her that he slept with Sandy. Lastly, Eric unintentionally shakes things up between Rose and Simon.

Simon isn't amused that Rose pulls all the stops out hosting a luxurious dinner to impress her Italian ex, Umberto 'Bert' Lanzo, who left her at the altar. He jests about wanting her back, or is he serious - and who is the mystery girl Simon agrees to talk to immediately but covertly? The Camden parents, are not amused that Ruthie's long-awaited cellphone does nothing for her social life. Eric urges the boys to call her, helped by unwilling Peter Petrowski's dad George 'Vic' Vickery and Kevin. Benjamin Bainsworth, meanwhile, finds her number and works up the courage to call after a year.

Annie loathes receiving an invitation to Simon's 'disaster' wedding to Rose in May, until she realizes that's the same day as Matt and Sarah's med-school graduation. Neither group will even consider another date, arguing that the other event is less important or troublesome. Ruthie considers taking a summer poetry course in Scotland to be with her ex Peter, but Eric won't pay and the phone-bill hits hard. Kevin plants the romantic idea of eloping. Rose's jealous ex Bert grills Simon about his mystery girlfriend and questions his commitment; Annie finds out and teams up with Bert, who talks Rose out of eloping as the Camdens would ruin this by attending. Yet the changes of plans and the truths that turn up inspire surprising changes of heart.

Sam and David discover that everyone is more likely to share their deep secrets--Eric, Lucy, Annie, everyone but Ruthie--although she nearly spills the beans about Matt while having cookies with Annie.

The cookies-and-milk 'truth serum' brings out the truth about Kevin's generous offer to pay for Simon's ring, and he and Rose 'call off' the wedding, but Simon insists that he keep working to pay off 'his' debt; meanwhile; Eric blurts to the twins that he replaced the expensive ring Annie gave him after losing it years before, and Kevin loses his and desperately tries to find it before Lucy does; Annie gets angry enough to curse Mr. Riley, who owns the building she wants for her teen-mothers' center, with warped results.

The wedding preparations inspire Eric and Annie to reminisce about their children's childhoods; Rose tells Simon she's late and he prays as passionately to make the right decision about starting a family as he once prayed to get a dog; Simon is disappointed that hardly anybody wants to attend his wedding and Rose somehow blames Umberto and keeps his doubts alive while her divorced parents, between blaming each other for everything (as usual), fear it's a "shotgun wedding"; at the rehearsal dinner, Ruthie meets charming teenage waiter Paul from Edinburgh.

Annie and Eric are delighted with Matt and Sarah's surprise visit in time for Simon's wedding--and not just because they announce they're expecting. Simon is relieved that he and Rose aren't expecting, therefore marrying purely for love; but the next minute he gets cold feet, at which Lucy eagerly pokes. More visitors, like Matt's one-time bride-to-be Heather, stir further reminiscing and speculations; Rose's ex Umberto even asks Eric's permission to sabotage the wedding. The big day is full of surprises, including from Matt and Carlos.

The kids, except for Sam and David, have been away for several months. The parents feel awkward, especially stay-at-home-dad Kevin. He's an amazing all-around help and thinks of starting a house-renovation business with enthusiastic Annie. Lucy is having a hard time after losing their twins and endlessly-patient Kevin always bends over backwards trying to help her, even when she goes too far in public. Martin makes a go at turning his life around to be a father to his son with Sandy, who insists that he should live his own life and let her live hers. Martin calls Sandy a Lucy-clone who still hopes Simon will take her back; meanwhile he's jealous of her date Daniel.

Reverend Eric Camden feels old after the twins' young teacher mistakes him for their grandfather and being unable to keep up physically with wife Annie's sexual appetite. Martin gets in trouble with Sandy when she overhears him in the baby-phone thanking Kevin for the -mis-understood- advice to seduce her by cooking for her. Lucy worries what it means about his sexual appetite now Kevin has stopped cooking elaborate dinners after talking to lonely young teenager movie theater tickets clerk T-bone, who considers her highly desirable. Kevin selflessly worries about all of them.

Now Annie is away for four weeks, Eric wakes up with a stiff neck but already promised the twins to sleep a night in a tent in the garden- not so easy as it sounds, especially when the dog Happy goes missing, actually tagging along with Kevin's canines. Kevin couldn't turn down his brother Ben who wants to came spend time with them, but Lucy isn't ready for any visitors yet, so he stays with Eric, whom he assures he can safely straighten his neck having nurse training- a painful mistake. When the twins' attractive young teacher Margo makes a pass at Eric, the principal laughs away the very thought: the old goat must misinterpret. Lucy changes her mind and decides to get the guest room ready for Ben to stay in 'any time'. Eric's cardiologist has crushing news. Eric publicly rages at Margo's unacceptable immorality and takes his kids away, then insists to pig out with unhealthy food as a fake birthday and even lets Ben give him another neck-crack. Lucy smells a rat.

While Annie is still away, Reverend Eric Camden keeps behaving weirdly, so his nosy daughter Lucy forces her unwilling, privacy-respecting husband Kevin to help her find out what's going on. For once he gets interested himself as it turns out there actually is a lot to uncover, starting with the fact Eric bought the twins hamsters as a consolation because his disgust at their teacher Miss Margo's flirting made Eric take the boys out of school to teach them himself. Kevin even ends up taking his pants off as bribe for homeless Stanley to tell what he knows about the hospital episode.

Lucy tells two girls that they won't get access to the pregnancy-home apartments, neither through her nor Annie, but such cheap rent remains a prize worth fighting for. When Eric's car breaks down, he learns that T-Bone, the movie-ticket seller who has a crush on Lucy, is actually a courageous abandoned kid. When the girls come the Camden house, they recognize T-Bone as "Theodore." Eric lets them stay for one night until Annie returns, even after discovering that they smoke pot, but Annie returns early and leaves it to the pastors to find a solution for the girls. Sandy makes Eric listen over the phone to her boyfriend Daniel, who she now believes to want only loveless sex and housekeeping comfort; as he states upfront intentions, Martin barges in. T-Bone insists that he can't stay or he'll spill the beans as long as Eric hasn't told the family about his heart problems, which he guessed after witnessing Kevin's sacrificed trousers . Eric only tells Annie about his intention to keep home-schooling the twins.

Misery all the way while Eric stubbornly keeps hiding his heart problems for Annie, the only one he wanted to know ever, even after a misunderstanding brings paramedics rushing, but ends up telling the truth to Kevin who manages to make him take his long-delayed cardiology check up. T-bone proves a second Robby, as helpful as an angel and a butler, yet incredulous Annie can find him a home, at 17. Meanwhile the bitchy girls can't wriggle out of accepting the burger-joint jobs (ironically, they're vocal vegetarians) Annie arranged for them. Tyler's baby's mother Sandy is in love again with Daniel.

Eric has finally decided to tell the children about his heart condition. He and Annie are flying to Scotland, so Ruthie is frantic, she doesn't want to return home but stay 'normal', not a 'preacher's kid'. Lucy plays the drama queen not to be told earlier and now refuses to listen now to Kevin, who once again is caught from all sides. T-Bone and the girls pretend to be scared and want to stay in Kevin's house while the Camdens are away, Kevin doesn't buy it; indeed Jeane is hiding from her husband, a boot-camp private she married only three weeks ago just for the benefits. Margaret has bad news for T-Bone. Sandy calls Lucy she was crazy to declare her love to co-student Daniel, she now wants her baby's dad Martin back...

At home, Kevin has a hard time teaching the twins pets like their hamsters are for life when they want to dump them on him; Lucy ultimately finds out their motive: they think daddy needs help. Mother Annie is furious to learn in Edinburgh, like Lucy earlier over the phone, selfish Ruthie has no interest in leaving her Scottish luxury life and privacy, even plans a Swiss ski trip, but cardio-terminal dad Eric declares he's allowed to be selfish and orders her home. T-Bone is furious when a phone-call from the girls gets his selfish mother on his trail, live- Kevin recognizes her as a whore he once arrested, but she consents with Lucy's advice to neglected son Theodore: get him legally emancipated, i.e. early majority in a court procedure. Martin's mate Mac is back, as best man for the wedding, but makes Sandy consider whether they're getting married for the right reason, love, not jealousy, an excuse to leave Daniel, etc. ...

Ruthie's run-in with airport security delays the family's return home. Angered that her one-way ticket triggered a search during a layover in New York, Ruthie sarcastically remarks, "I'm a terrorist," which causes Officer Keaton of the Port Authority police force to detain Ruthie, Eric and Annie for questioning. At home, Lucy finds the Camden kitchen overrun with casseroles and flowers from parishioners concerned over Eric's health. Fortunately, Lucy's calm confidence and positive attitude about Eric's heart condition lessens the anxieties of church members. While Margaret and the twins plan a musical "welcome home" for Eric, T-Bone and Jane brainstorm a special gift for him. In New York, Officer Keaton confides in Eric that his fiancée of five years, who's flying to London that night, refuses to marry him because she's afraid she might lose him in the line of fire. Later, Lucy inspires the family's neighbor, Mrs. Beeker, with her faith and strength, while Eric gives a speech at the airport, emphasizing the need to live without fear, despite the terrorist acts of September 11, 2001. In addition, he tracks down Officer Keaton's fiancée and performs a gate-side wedding ceremony. To her surprise, Sandy discovers Mac's "friendly" visit is actually a "spy" mission on behalf of Martin, who wants to know if Sandy is dating Simon, which she isn't. That evening, the Camdens arrive home to a rousing chorus of "This Land is Your Land," performed by Margaret and the twins. Up in their bedroom, Annie and Eric are surprised to find T-Bone and Jane's gift: an adjustable bed, donated by a parishioner.

Now Eric is terminal, he tells his parishioners the truth, even when it hurts, yet it seems to work out almost miraculously on several counts. Lucy takes a trip with Kevin. Ruthie is spiteful since her return from Scotland, and ever cheerful T-Bone tells her the truth, she just warns Eric will probably back-stab his emancipation, but when their bickering ends in kissing, her mood starts to turn. Margaret gets a domestic job. The whole Camden clan promises to come over for Christmas. Then lucky bum Stanley suggests to Eric he should just ask God for healing...

A few days before what Eric thinks might be his last Christmas with the whole Camden clan, he wakes up in heaven, which looks rather like Glenoak, and is welcomed by his loving mother-in-law and deceased people who appreciate what he did for them and their loved ones and worry about the mortals still on earth, including the Camden family who are preparing for Christmas--even Lucy and Kevin are back early from San Francisco. While in heaven Eric is offered miraculous Christmas gifts for his family, all things he generously gave his parishioners, such as time for Matt and Mary to spend on their families and erasers for memories which poison relationships. His family decides to extend their annual Charity Day to 3 days: 1 because it feels good, 1 as Eric's favorite present, and 1 for the infant Jesus. The best might be his own gift: everybody has a bunch of guardian angels, and the experienced one in charge of his paperwork is processing an application from colleague Stanley to grant his suggested wish for more time alive on earth.

Kevin feels that Lucy is too lazy to grocery-shop as she keeps promising to do; she hates that he buys wholesale and throws out everything officially past its expiration date, and he is pragmatic about his New Year's resolution to save money before they have a second baby. The twins spend $50 of their savings to help Darfur through Nicodemus, a Sudanese refugee who once helped Ruthie get home from a school field trip. The reverends oppose several old deacon votes Lou informs them of on matters from office furniture for Lucy (the selfish priority openly disgusts Kevin) to whether Darfur is too political a cause to get the parish's financial support. Ruthie arrogantly pretends her Scottish political talks make her an expert on all world problems compared to T-Bone, who never traveled overseas and doesn't even own a computer, but he soon finds that Margaret has doubts about the material Jane gave Ruthie, and in mere hours he learns more than she knows. Kevin tries to educate the girls, who react emotively and show generosity.

While Eric and Lucy sneak off fishing, pretending it's for a 'church stuff' seminar, Kevin must give advice -which he does in scary terms- to poor T-Bone, whose snooty girlfriend Ruthie (ab)uses him to cause jealousy with her sort-of-ex Mac, who gets himself invited to stay at the Camdens after moving back in town only to find his reuniting parents' condo has only one bedroom, and his best friend -and other semi-ex- Martin, who gets bitched at by his baby son Aaron's unmarried mother Sandy after Mac arranged for them to to double-date with T-Bone, Margaret and Jane...

T-Bone needs a drivers license to have some privacy with Ruthie, so he asks Kevin to give him practice lessons, but gets a torture version. Annie doesn't believe Lou's announcement the deacons want youth-friendlier church services because of a $16,000 budget deviation, and even a publicity swap with a car dealership; ultimately the twins solve the accounts discrepancy. Mac needs a job to pay his part of a place with Margareth and Jane, so T-Bone gets him hired as ticket colleague.

Colonel John Camden and his wife Ruth are staying over on their way to Hawaii, unannounced. Fearing they will spill the beans, Lucy wants to skip town with Kevin supposedly to help Simon, asking Sandy to cover church service, so she stays in their place with baby Aaron; she's warm to boy-friend Dr. Jonathan Sanderson, chilly to Martin. T-Bone needs help for his first Valentine's day with a girl-friend, Ruthie insists they get matching tattoos, despite his and Margaret's reluctance for permanent markings, having to hide them for the Camdens and a serious needle-phobia. Mac is happy moving into the trio's apartment means 'adult' independence, the girls see domestic misery. When Jane gets her divorce papers from soldier Jack, she wants to wait till after Valentine's day. The grandparents overhear the twins with their parents, and suggest they may soon move for good. Lucy changes her minds and turns up with Kevin.

When they realize that Ruthie has a secret and T-Bone won't talk, the Camden parents fear that her sudden religious interest means something bad, even if their denial of sex is sincere. After some prodding, the twins tell Annie, Kevin drags and bribes out of Mac, Lucy learns from Sandy, and even Eric gets from Margaret and Jane that it's just tattoos--just like Simon, Lucy, and Mary before her, supposedly all unknown to their parents. Again everyone tries to pretend to the others neither to know nor to have told; then the game shifts to guessing who knows what and who, if anyone, should tell Eric..

When a frantic Ruthie loses the tiny diamond from the promise ring that T-Bone gave her, she takes it as a sign that maybe they shouldn't be together and enlists the entire household to search for the missing stone. Meanwhile, Eric and Lucy independently come across a mysterious black bird and interpret it as a sign of bad things to come. Jonathan tells Sandy that he has strong feelings for her.

T-Bone feels insecure to learn the only thing stopping Ruthie from having her tattoo with his name removed by a doctor is lack of money; her parents firmly refuse to help pay and she is reluctant to take a job for her skin-integrity. When T-Bone generously offers to pay, 'feeling somehow responsible,' Annie and Eric are lividly disgusted when she agrees, taking money he needs for college, and they order her to take a job immediately and pay every cent herself. Meanwhile, Lucy and Kevin discover that the church of their potential parish, Crossroads, is inside the bar/grocery/school annex, there are 27 inhabitants, and Kevin would be the sheriff. The Asian doctor who runs the church complex explains that the parish gets about 100 worshippers of different denominations from four churchless counties and the minister couple should act as their 'group parents.' Mac blurts to Haley that Martin has no game that day so she makes him admit that he lied to have a day off; she also reproaches Martin for neglecting his son. Jane learns that Margaret is helping Mac with his English assignment and seems interested in him. Eric tells Margaret she should concentrate on going to college and assures T-Bone that he's not obliged to stay with selfish Ruthie unless he wishes to, or to take responsibility for her own stupidity. Kevin is eager to move to the challenging parish, Lucy feels overwhelmed, and the locals hope they will move in.

When Ruthie asks T-Bone to help her get a job at his movie theater, to earn enough for an anniversary present reciprocating his engagement ring, he tells colleague Mac that he wants to use Eric's permission to break up with Ruthie but doesn't know how. Without asking, Mac uses T-Bone's cell phone to send Ruthie a text message meaning "I break up with you", and as if that weren't blunt enough accidentally copies it to the boy's entire phone-list, so everybody knows, only Ruthie doesn't get it. Lucy is furious at 'insensitive T-Bone', Anny blames Eric fearing his permission will overshadow the couple's own feelings. Margaret is furious, feeling used, when she hears Mac has taken full credit reading the Crawford English literature paper she helped him write; Jane says that kills her blossoming love for him, Mac feels an attack by lip contact is his best shot. Kevin is very eager to become sheriff in Crossroads, where he could make a real difference, but Lucy doesn't want to move and collects excuses, so they decide to ponder their choice a bit longer. Police captain Michaels tells Kevin the job pays great, but also offers him an alternative job without moving, now he's up for promotion to chief of police himself. Martin acts toward Jane as if they aren't together, but refuses Mac's suggestion to look for a more practical girl-friend, at his college. Ruthie considers dad's advice to leave T-Bone free to choose, true love comes trough anyway; T-Bone gets second thoughts...

Eric tries to reassure T-Bone there is no reason to move out, Ruthie doesn't hate him and her spending much time with Martin doesn't have to mean anything. Then a surprise takes priority: dentist Theodore Alan 'Al' Bonaducci rides on by Harley and assures T-bone 'junior' that was his nickname as a youngster, his ma just told him in Vegas he's the kid's father, alas 17 years too late... Dr. Jonathan Sanderson proposes to elated Sandy for marriage after her graduation in a year; she promises Lucy she can delay that now Kevin and she have decided to accept the Crossroads parish. Mac is in Margaret's kissing grace. Jane assures T-Bone that Martin is not into Ruthie but with her, yet Martin also accepts a serious talk with Sandy. Only when Ruthie hears T-Bone accepts to go away a whole summer with his dad, she tells her dad she hates their break-up...

Eric and Annie rush to the hospital after Eric wakes up with a good feeling about his heart condition. Unsure whether her parents are at the hospital due to good news or bad news, Lucy is a bundle of nerves, and it's up to Kevin to keep her thinking positively as they wait for news. T-Bone and Ruthie decide to get back together, but Martin hopes to change Ruthie's mind when he reveals that he's in love with her as well.

Now Eric is miraculously cured, the colonel sends him a celebration gift: an RV. He impulsively decides to take it on an unplanned maiden trip, for which the other residents soon sign on, the only limitation being one suitcase and three personal items each. Kevin and Lucy will get out in Crossroads, to decide whether to move there permanently, but wrestle with another terrifying doubt. Martin has another question. T-Bone only lifts along to join his dad's motor road trip.