Showing posts with label seventh heaven. Show all posts
Showing posts with label seventh heaven. Show all posts

Friday, January 4, 2013

7th Heaven - The Sixth Season Review

7th Heaven - The Sixth Season
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With the release of this 6th season quickly approaching, that means that more than half of the series is already out, so being able to collect Seasons 1-11 seems more attainable than ever! Sadly, it appears that the poorly edited episodes and all-too-typical music changes probably won't be addressed, but if you're a big "7th Heaven" fan, you can't deny that it's better than not having them on DVD at all.
Like many others, I grew up with this show. I was a fifth grader when it all began, and by the time its last episode aired, I was almost done with college. I think this show will always hold up as one that was brave enough to deal with contemporary issues in a tasteful way, all while portraying a loving American family that managed to stick together, even though they were far from perfect. With each passing year, the social issues presented got deeper without steering away from their classic "family friendly" ways. I have to admit that Seasons 1-5 were probably the best, and the first two years were my all-time favorites, when the original Camden kids were young, and before the storylines started getting more complex to accommodate the classic "growing pains." It was around Season 6 that I started seeing the show weaken a little bit, but of course, at this point, they were only midway through the series as a whole, and as the kids grew up and new characters were introduced, there was plenty more of a story that the writers wanted to tell.
Season 6 finds oldest child Matt getting into med school at last and receiving his first glimpse at the girl he will eventually marry, whose Jewish roots create a serious clash between the two families. Former "fallen angel" Mary, who is trying to deal with her mistakes and has shaped up quite a bit in the past year (despite having a shameless lapse of good judgment every now and then) trains to be an airplane pilot, struggles to rebuild her relationship with her family, and has two men eager to marry her. Good girl Lucy, who convinced her parents to let her get engaged right out of high school at the end of last year, returns home after a summer with her fiance, and chooses to mope around and cry instead of explaining why the ring is suddenly off her finger. Teenager Simon enters a more rebellious world of alcohol, dating, and driving, while sassy young Ruthie--who is probably the most intelligent of the Camden bunch--corresponds by letter with a soldier in the Marine Corps and comes face-to-face with an emotionally damaging teacher from her past. Youngest Camden offpsring Sam and David are only about three now, so there isn't much to say about them (although I can't say there really ever was much to say about them, to be honest). Also present in this season is the infamous "bad boy" Robbie Palmer, who begins building a better reputation for himself and serves as both a son and an older brother to the Camden family. Then, of course, there's Eric, who continues dealing with the various trials and tribulations of being a Reverend (which includes coming to terms with his oldest son's desire to convert to Judaism) and Annie, who takes a teaching job at Ruthie's school and finds herself in the middle of a student's domestic problems.
Guest stars include singer Joy Enriquez, the memorable Andrew Keegan as Mary's former boyfriend Wilson, and a first look at the infamous Kevin Kinkirk, who may have what it takes to piece Lucy's broken heart back together. In short, it's not the very best season of the series, but it's still a pretty good one with some very nice moments, most notably (in my opinion) the episode "Suspicion," where 10-year-old Ruthie meets a serious challenge in her young life when she chooses to defend her friendship with a Muslim classmate. If you're a "7th Heaven" enthusiast, you'll want to add this one to your DVD collection. Is Season 7 on its way, too? I am confident that it is!
Additional Note: After picking up my Season 6 DVD today (June 10), I noticed that the six individual discs are now grey and do not have the art that the previous 5 season sets had, with the pictures of the Camden family members. There is also a note on the DVD box that they edited some scenes out, and boy, did they ever! The bad thing is that they take a random line or two of dialogue out right in the middle of a scene, so even if you've never seen the episode in your life, there's a really good chance you'll be able to tell, anyway. For instance, Eric's classic "Popeye the Sailor Man" joke to Annie in the season opener is removed, which means that Annie's little rant before that is very abruptly cut off, and in the September 11-centered episode, 11-year-old Ruthie is supposed to sing and dance to Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down" in the first and last scenes, but because obtaining music rights is such a hassle, they opted to omit the scenes altogether, which is a real bummer, because those two scenes were a pretty big part of the episode. Sadly, they are putting these sets together more and more carelessly with each season, but just the same, I look forward to watching the episodes tonight. If we want these sets on DVD, this is the kind of stuff we must deal with. The good news is that because there are no special features or anything extra, the price is pretty low if you buy it at the right place (Target, Walmart, etc...)

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From leading television producer Aaron Spelling comes 7th Heaven, a critically acclaimed family drama about a minister, his wife and their seven children. The WB's highest-rated series, 7th Heaven has captured the hearts of television audiences with its witty, charming and heartwarming storytelling and has been praised for providing high-quality entertainment for all ages.

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Wednesday, August 15, 2012

7th Heaven - The Seventh Season Review

7th Heaven - The Seventh Season
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Well, it has taken a while, but 7th Heaven has finally found a company willing to release all the seasons on DVD, and if you can look past the music changes and occasional scene omissions, this is another good batch of Camden fun to add to your collection around Thanksgiving time. Although the show had passed its peak by the time Season 7 premiered, it still has plenty of nice moments in its favor, and one big advantage to an 11-year series like this is that we really had the opportunity to watch the characters grow up.
The classic 7th Heaven drama begins full-force right away by revisiting Eric's heart problems from Season 4. In lieu of telling his family that he will soon be having double bypass surgery, he slaps on a happy face and takes the whole clan to the bowling alley for some not-so-fun family togetherness, but his behavior is transparent to the one person who knows him best--his wife Annie. It's a beautiful, sad, yet heartwarming episode that highlights the best of their relationship and reminds you of what a good, loving marriage can be in today's world.
As for the kids, 22-year-old Matt is settling into married life, and former bad girl Mary pursues a different path outside of her childhood hometown, but not without making a choice that could be the best or worst of her life. Ever-emotional Lucy is in top form as she meets police officer and future husband Kevin Kinkirk, the man who drags her (and the audience) through months of misery by not proposing to her quickly enough. Teenager Simon starts dating a new girl named Cecilia and encounters a living nightmare in the series finale that might shatter his entire world. Lastly, in addition to starting an innocent relationship with her very first boyfriend, 11-year-old Ruthie is shocked to encounter the one person who is not willing to deal with her typical "Ruthie" behavior (think inappropriate eavesdropping and a generally superficial, I'm-smarter-than-everyone-in-this-family attitude). Hey, if anyone can achieve that with her, I say good for them! Personally, I think 11 was a little too young to be saddling Ruthie with a boyfriend, but the writers were obviously eager to do something about her budding maturity (if you can call it that), and this was a quick, easy way to do it. There's also 3-year-old twins Sam and David, the youngest in the Camden bunch, who don't do much except assist in showing how Eric and Annie spend each day dividing their attention among their five older children and chasing around two toddlers.
Season 7 introduces a slew of new characters that take a lot of the spotlight away from the core Camden family, which didn't sit well with all long-time viewers. Jeremy London steps in as Dr. Chandler Hampton, a guy who wishes to be part of the Church staff, despite clashing immediately with the wary Eric. The infamous Ashlee Simpson begins a recurring role as Simon's girlfriend, George Stults makes his debut as the lead man in Lucy's life, and Rachel Blanchard provides some interesting plot material as Kevin's beautiful blonde partner in the police force (as if we needed something that would make Lucy even crazier than she already is). Some other noteworthy guest appearances come from "Blossom" alum Mayim Bialik and former American figure skating champion Tara Lipinski, so be sure to watch for them, as well.
Overall, I have to say that characters like Chandler and Roxanne took a lot away from the show's original premise, but entering into their seventh year, with all the Camden kids getting older and moving on, I guess they had to do something to keep the story going. There is a special wedding in the middle of the season that is definitely one of the most memorable episodes ever, and as always, you do get a lot of those special little moments that make it worth viewing. Watching Eric shut down emotionally after his surgery and consider stepping down as Reverend will be shocking to anyone who has followed this show, and the impact it has on his wife and children is very honestly portrayed.
You'll want this DVD set for your collection if you've already bought Seasons 1-6, so order it while the price is good, pop a disc into your DVD player, and enjoy! I know I will!

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7TH HEAVEN:COMPLETE SEVENTH SEASON - DVD Movie

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