7th Heaven: Seventh Season [DVD] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

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!

I have the first 6 seasons on dvd and am thankful for the chance to have the 7th. I love 7th Heaven--it is my favorite show and nothing can ever take it's place. I season 7, we see Matt and Sarah already married of course and in New York in Medical School... Ruthie seems to get into some mischeif with her sneaky behavior... Lucy and Kevin are dating and later become engaged, then married. Simon starts seeing Cecelia, a girl from school. Eric has heart surgery and spends some time after that hurt and angry, and well... lost. However, he finds his way again with the love of his family in this heart warming season of 7th Heaven...

7th Heaven - The Complete Seventh Season begins to crumble in terms of floods of new characters and storylines. Ashlee Simpson joined the cast and it was not for the better, not only can she not sing a note - she can't act either. She plays Simon's new nosy but caring girlfriend. Matt and Mary are absent throughout this season so we are forced to watch Ruthie become a spoiled brat, oh the humanity! There are only a handful of good episodes, the rest of the seasons are not even worth purchasing.