The Magic of Television

Last night, I watched the season finale of 7th Heaven. A show that I have watched on and off since it first aired. I have to say, while this season in general thoroughly annoyed me with its "subtle" messages (no drinking! war is good! no sex! men and women can't be friends!) and its "family values" (let's be mean to our mom and never do anything to help around the house! let's come home from New York and spend our first night not at dinner with the family but at dinner with an old girlfriend!) last night's episode took the cake. Each character did something to annoy me, with the exception of Vic, Peter's dad.

Mary had a baby, and didn't want her family there. Ok, fine, I get it, they are annoying, I probably wouldn't want them there if they were my family either. I like how Mary can have a baby and Jessica Biel isn't even in the episode. Matt was going to ask Sarah for a divorce, because he thought he was still in love with Heather, his deaf ex-girlfriend. And everyone assumed that Matt and Heather were up to no good. I don't understand why the storyline couldn't have been Matt & Heather become friends. Simon came home from college. A season away from Glenoak has done David Gallagher some good. Too bad he had to come home to the arms of Cecilia (Ashlee Simpson) who for unknown reasons has spent every free second at the Camden's house, doing the housework and childcare work Annie doesn't feel like doing, and then putting up with Annie's jealousy when the twins like Cecilia better than their own mother. Ruthie, Peter and the Mexican exchange student. Ay, what can I say. Vic is the only one who made sense in this episode, by convincing Peter that maybe Maria just wanted to be his friend, not his girlfriend. Lucy being pregnant and not telling her husband. Chandler planning to run off to Pennsylvania with his weird recently-adopted 8 year old son and a girl who he's only made out with on the church couch, not actually gone out on a date with. But the worst part was Roxanne going off to Iraq. Roxanne, who 3 episodes ago hated war and thought we shouldn't be in Iraq now decides that she needs to do this "for herself." OK, fine, maybe she wants to help people, but does she have to JOIN THE ARMY to do so?

This show is insane. Does anyone have any suggestions for Mondays, 8 pm Eastern? I'm open. Animal Planet might have something decent...