Much more emotionally rewarding is the story of Eric's mid-life crisis following his surgery. During his recovery, he takes an extended hiatus from the church and gradually loses interest in being a minister. This shakes the Camden family to its core, especially Annie. Eric tries his hand as a talk radio host and even writes a romance novel. Basically, he has tired of helping others exclusively and wants to focus on himself for a change. Complicating matters is Chandler Hampton (Jeremy London), the substitute pastor filling in for Eric. Chandler handles his duties so well that Eric worries his parishioners might prefer his replacement. One reason this plot thread works as well as it does is the excellent work of Stephen Collins. Easily the best actor in the series, Collins is truly sympathetic as he struggles to regain purpose in his life.
Of the supporting cast, Mackenzie Rosman fares best in her portrayal of Ruthie. Though only 12, Ruthie comes off as the most grounded and mature in her family. Interestingly, she is the only character with more than a perfunctory relationship to the youngest children, David and Sam. The rest of the family, parents included, seems to regard these two young boys as if they stepped right out of Village Of the Damned. Seriously, I'm not one to bag on child actors, but I can't decide if these Brino boys act more like aliens or robots. At least Ruthie attempts to treat them with some level of respect and kindness. Speaking of Ruthie, the start of her menstrual cycle provides a late-season plot development (apparently it is a running theme with the Camden females).
Chances are you already know where you stand with 7th Heaven. It is a conservative-minded, religious-themed family show — about as far from edgy as television gets. But none of that is necessarily negative, especially if you're looking for something the whole family can watch. Even if it's wholesome nearly to a fault, the show tackles some thoughtful issues along the way. For those who grew up with these characters, this five-disc set is obviously worth adding to your collection. But even if you're not a Camden junkie, give it a chance and you might find yourself jonesing for more based on the show's compulsive watchability.
Article comments