The patriarch of the family, Rev. Eric Camden (Stephen Collins), always seems to be there to offer advice and keep the family straight in times of crisis, as well as when someone needs an ear to talk to. His Godly guidance is the basis for the series, even though the storylines of The Eighth Season don't always revolve around the Reverend.
The mother of the Camden clan, Annie (Catherine Hicks), also tries to hold the family together as they go about their business, but has a breakdown when she finds out that her sister has asked their sickly father to give the sister away at her wedding. This frustration turns to joy in the next episode when her father dies, which concerns everyone around her, yet rubs off on them and also makes them happy.
Life-changing events are frequent in 7th Heaven: The Eighth Season. For starters, Simon (David Gallagher) suffers a crisis after he feels the guilt of a car accident that ended with the other driver's death. Assoc. Rev. Chandler Hampton (Jeremy London) also changes his life when he decides to adopt a hard-luck kid. That actually comes after he has a relationship with Peter's (Scotty Leavenworth) mother, Paris Petrowski (Shannon Kenny), that doesn't quite work out, and Peter's father (Thomas Dekker) re-enters their lives after bucking his alcoholism over the past three years.
By the end of the season, Matt and Sarah Camden (Barry Watson and Sarah Danielle Madison) find each other after being separated while simultaneously going through the trials of medical school and marriage. Lucy (Beverley Mitchell) and husband/cop Kevin (George Stults) decide to finally move out and find a house, as well as to conceive a child together. While all of this is going on, Eric and Annie finally become grandparents in the not-so secret birth of Charles Miguel.
It is hard to find a true family and faith-based TV show nowadays, so it is great to be able to pick up ethical tips from 7th Heaven: The Eighth Season. While I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed in that the show didn't mention God as much as I thought it would (or should), the series still remains humble and is a great program to watch with your children.
