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Season number five of the long-running family drama 7th Heaven  will not disappoint. It is the portrayal of Reverend Eric Camden, played by Stephen Collins. His wife, Annie (Catherine Hicks), is a stay-at-home mom to seven children ages two to twenty-one.
The very first episode launches this season with the family-wide issue of anger and how to handle it, one of the hardest emotions to deal with. One of the best things about learning vicariously through the Camden family is that they present problems, let it play out, and then show healthy, loving ways for families to work through them. This show tackles the really hard issues in life and stands in as a moral guidepost in a TV world that almost seems to pride itself for pushing the moral code until it is nonexistent. As Eric mentions wryly in one of the first episodes of the season, "It's going to be a bumpy ride." Matt may flunk out of med school. Mary isn't even in school and seems to be going down a self-destructive road, complete with underage drinking and drugs on the horizon. Lucy learns more about teenage pregnancy and relationships in her senior year of high school. Simon finds high school to be more than a bit of a challenge, and Ruthie needs to figure out how to adjust to her own new school and her siblings' busy, busy lives. With Mrs. Camden back in college and the Reverend trying to juggle church, marriage and now seven children, life is frantically hectic. That doesn't stop them from doing their best to deal with the trials with compassion and thought and constant conversation. While it is a great show to watch with the kids - there is no question it prompts a lot of difficult topics that would be otherwise very hard to bring up - it can be downright depressing for adult viewers to watch without that motivation. Death, sex, gossip, drugs, cheating, abuse, lying. the list of challenges tossed out in this show really has no end. It is always handled with a dose of humor and love, but it can be hard to take, too. The predictability is comfortable, but somewhat annoying here and there as well. And, though it may be a minor consideration, all six discs fit into a case the size of one single DVD movie. With books, movies and music all vying for shelf space in the home, a little space saving is definitely a plus. There are no extras to clutter up this show. It really stands on its own with no glamour to get in the way. The season rounds out with new additions and new questions, as well as renewed commitments. This year in the Camden family lives is full of growth and change, both good and bad. It is often poignant and emotional, and always offers lessons to be learned. It is everything that one might expect of 7th Heaven . |
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