7th Heaven: Turn,Turn,Turn (season premiere)
(S11E01) I am about to incur a wrath. I have just watched the 11th season premiere of 7th Heaven. I have just one question: why was there an 11th season of 7th Heaven?
Before you start beating me up let me say that I have been a huge fan of the series since it premiered on the WB ten years ago. I loved the writing and the humor, and enjoyed watching the Camden kids grow up. I even liked the show during the seasons where they focused more on the secondary characters than the Camdens themselves (around the 7th or 8th season). With that said, the show I watched on Monday night was not the 7th Heaven I remember from even a season ago. In fact, you could actually call it an updated version of I Love Lucy, because it looks like the main focus of the show is going to be on Lucy Kinkirk (originally Camden) and husband Kevin. Well, there is another couple that will get some focus, but I'll talk about them later in this post.
So, if you dare, jump ahead to read on.
When the show was renewed for an abbreviated season (I believe only 13 episodes or so) it was done with drastic budget cuts. This is extremely noticeable when you watch the opening credits. Of the original Camdens only father Eric, mother Annie, and daughter Lucy remain. Oldest son Matt is gone, so is oldest daughter (and troublemaker) Mary; youngest daughter Ruthie is in Scotland, and second oldest son Simon is . . . well, I don't know where he is. Eric and Annie's twins, Sam and David, are still there, but they play a minimal role.
Annie and Eric play minimal roles as well. In this episode they may have been in four or five scenes, with one of the major one's being at the beginning where they update the viewing public on the whereabouts of their invisible children. This disappoints me because I always enjoyed the interaction between Stephen Collins and Catherine Hicks, together and with their children. Now, it seems, they may be only bookends to other ongoing stories.
So, as I say, it looks like the main focus will be on Lucy and Kevin (and, if that's the case, why didn't they spin them off into their own show?). To be honest, I don't like the way Lucy has become in recent seasons, and I didn't like her in this episode. Yes, a few of her reactions were somewhat justified due to a recent miscarriage, but many of them were over the top. Specifically I point to her sermon, made at her father's church, where she blames her husband for getting her pregnant when she wasn't ready. In addition, she then asks the young women in the congregation if they would sleep with Kevin because he's so hot. If this is the way it's going to be for the rest of the season I don't want to be there for it.
As I mentioned, there is one more couple that the show will focus on this year: Sandy and Martin. What? They're not even Camdens! Sandy is remotely connected to the family because she slept with (and was impregnated by) Martin in order to make Simon jealous. Turns out, Simon doesn't love her. And, even though she's the mother of his child, Sandy doesn't love Martin. But Martin wants to be with Sandy because he doesn't want anyone else to have her. Why are these two people here? Once again, if you wanted to focus on Sandy and Martin, then spin them off into their own show.
Even though there is still a huge fan following, 7th Heaven should not have been brought back, especially in this incarnation. What made the show the unique hit it was is pretty much gone and all we are left with is a shell of its former greatness.
And now, let the scathing comments begin!

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