The Best Episodes Directed By Tony Mordente

Wanting to know how the ""little people"" really feel about politics and their real needs, Governor Gatling and Benson visit a mangy bar to talk to the constituents but land in trouble when a man picks a fight with Gatling at the bar, not knowing who he is.

Against Eric's advice, Matt takes a job caring for a dying boy named Steve. Annie goes into the muffin-making business after being convinced by her daughters Mary and Lucy. Annie goes into business with a cookie shop owner, David Friel who's looking to expand his profits, although it's much harder work for Annie than what she had originally anticipated. Also, Ruthie teaches Simon a tough lesson about the art of being a salesperson when being his competition in selling greeting cards.

Eric tries to unravel the mystery surrounding a young homeless girl, Sarah James, that Simon brings home who's lost. Eric tries to help her and her alcoholic father, Joe James. Matt delights the prospect of going away to college. Matt says he needs personal space when having a older woman sleep-over. Also, sharing a room begins to fuel differences between Mary and Lucy.

Simon sees his teacher push a man who was screaming at his son. He then feels guilty when he learns his teacher got fired. Annie takes piano lessons as her ""pregnancy project."" Meanwhile, Matt makes a move on one of his college teachers. It turns out he misunderstood her signals. Mary and her friends skip a boring class and get caught. Also, Lucy forgets her lunch in geometry class and finds her teacher eating it--- two days in a row. She and her friend Shelby then learn a good geometry lesson. Lastly, Ruthie has trouble finding the perfect instrument for music class.

Eric and Annie are taking prenatal classes--- for the sixth time. Annie helps two teenage girls get through their pregnancy while Eric helps the two teenage fathers deal with the news and finding a job. Simon is taking babysitting classes and gets his first job babysitting Ruthie, although it doesn't go quite the way he expected it to. Meanwhile, Mary is sneaking to a coed basketball sleep over. Plus, Lucy is thinking of having sex with Jordan to see if he's really attracted to her, but it blows in her face. Lastly, Matt has to do research on sex for his class and is having trouble over finding a topic..

Samuel and David are home and won't stop crying. Matt gets a new job at the Dairy Shack as a delivery guy. Mary sneaks to the pool hall to meet Wilson while Lucy covers for her at home. Lucy ends up doing all the cleaning by herself. Mary hangs out with Jordan as Wilson arrives. Wilson is thinking of moving back to Glen Oak, but Mary realizes she doesn't have feelings for him anymore. Ruthie wants to run away from home because she doesn't get much attention as she used to. Annie gives Ruthie her baby book. Simon orders food from the Dairy Shack to check out Matt's new job. Matt is fired from his job and meets an old girlfriend, Shana.

Eric worries about Matt as Heather's wedding approaches. Eric learns that his sister Julie is dating Dr. Hastings (the doctor who delivered the twins and almost killed Matt at birth) without telling him or the family. Also, Lucy and Simon are both in their awkward love triangle between all of their two best friends and lovers. Ruthie wants to be a bridesmaid and a bride at Heather's wedding.

Eric develops a child-like fascination with life when he takes a much-needed vacation after his heart attack episode, while Annie runs into interference with each of the kids. Meanwhile, Simon assumes the role of the 'man of the house', but feels Matt is undermining his authority when he keeps on making fun of him. Also, Matt grows uncomfortable with the blossoming friendship between his girlfriend Shana and his roommate John Hamilton while he's busy with other issues. Also, Lucy finds a direction in her life with her interest in Habitat for Humanity after taking her fathers advice.

Mary and her basketball teammates are upset when their high school coach imposes a lockout on the season, citing that their studies should be top priority. When the school calls a meeting to discuss the situation, Eric and Annie support the coach's concerns and decisions. Outraged by the apparent betrayal, Mary and some members of the team break into the gym and vandalize it. They are soon caught by the police and are arrested. Meanwhile, sparks fly when Simon is caught making a lewd hand gesture in front of the school, and is busted. Also, Matt contemplates returning home and Ruthie obsesses about being one of the guys.

The Camden family rallies together after Mary's arrest. Mary truly learns the consequences of her actions after she learns that she is losing her scholarship to college, faces possible school expulsion and jail time. Eric and Annie enlist the help of a lawyer who manages to get Mary enrolled in a community service program. Simon and Ruthie feel overwhelming pangs of guilt for having some knowlege of Mary's intentions and not telling their parients about it. Simon and Ruthie decide to visit many different houses of worship to attain atonement. Also, Matt moves back home to help with the family, but soon realizes he needs to live on his own.

Eric Camden finds himself on a hung jury of a case that he considers ""open and shut,"" only to realize that he must help the other jurors regain their faith in the legal process in order to reach a fair verdict. Meanwhile, the other Camden's are suffering their own wrong doings as Annie and Ruthie ponder whether two wrongs make a right. Mary becomes in debt with Lucy after accidently giving her a black eye. Also, Simon and Deena realize that saying ""sorry"" can't turn back time, and Matt learns how important one person's voice can be.

Rev. Eric Camden counsels a sexually molested girl to help her express the rage and pain she's been hiding from her family. This dark secret that Mary knows about weighs in on her, which brings her to open up to Lucy. Meanwhile, Simon and Ruthie learn the power of communication with their friends and classmates. Also, Matt helps Hank reveal an important personal secret to Julie before his mother visits.

Mary, still intent on her independence, finds herself buried under a number of unpaid bills after losing her job at the pool hall. Meanwhile, ""The Colonel"" (guest-star Peter Graves) surprises Eric and Annie with an unexpected visit. Matt blames everyone but himself for his failing grade in organic chemistry class. Lucy enlists Simon to assist her with her Homecoming Queen Campaign to help him gain popularity in school, and Ruthie's prayers are answered when she's transferred out of her nemesis' class and into a prestigious private school.

Exasperation reaches an all-time high in the Camden household, as Eric and Annie helplessly watch their oldest daughter Mary and her worrisome friends continue to head down the path of destruction and into the hands of the law. When Frankie (guest-star Chyler Leigh) expresses interest in signing up for college classes Mary starts checking out Lucy's early application packets. Meanwhile, Simon has a hot date and Lucy gets a weird proposition from a classmate. Lastly, Ruthie discovers manipulative fun of keeping a diary--- much to the embarrassment of Eric and Annie when she sees them having SEX!

There is cause for alarm when the Camden's disapprove of Simon's new group of friends, one of whom insults Annie and Lucy with his chauvinistic remarks. Norton, the kid that Simon befriends is a fan of violent rap whose negative attitude towards women seems to be influenced by misogynist lyrics. At the same time, Eric and Annie confront Simon about his newfound interest in rap music and somewhat misogynist attitude towards women. Heather gets back in touch with Matt, but Matt is unsure of her intentions. He then finds out that she is dating someone else AGAIN!

After their lackluster attempt at kissing, Mike (guest-star Jeremy Lelliot) and Lucy agree to be friends and to fix each other up on dates--- but the plan bothers Lucy more than she anticipated. Meanwhile, Matt's in a huff over John and Robbie's newfound friendship and feels slighted by the family. Eric also continues to feel alienated from his family when they keep going to Annie for advice. Also, Annie feels slighted when Ruthie plays an un-funny joke when the twins recognize her as their ""mama"".

Robbie is ecstatic when his long-lost father (guest-star Alan Thicke) who is a dead-beat dad appears out of the blue. Although, Eric and Annie distrust the dead-beat dad's motives. He also convinces Robbie to move out with him; against Eric's wishes. Meanwhile, Ruthie turns to Mary for advice on how to get around their parents rules when wanting to buy a makeup kit that they said 'no' to. Also, a very convinced Annie worries when Lucy starts having a relationship with her friend's freewheeling ""unmotherlike"" mom. Also, Simon develops a bad attitude with his mother when not wanting to do his school work, but wants to hang out with his friends.

The Glenoak Community is making a big fuss over a petition that is protesting the apparently unfair firing of one of Ruthie's teachers, Mrs. Miller at her private school. Annie's father Charles drops by at the Camden's for a visit. Annie is then surprised and shocked when she she learns she has a half-sister.

Simon decides to stand up for bullied student at school only to have the boy tell him that he is going to shoot his tormentors. Robbie decides to give Ruthie a playful new nickname, but at the same time Ruthie comes up with a less-pleasant one for Lucy after breaking off her engagement to Jeremy in New York. Eric gets a visit from an old friend Merle with some family issues of her own. Mary gets serious with pursuing the career as a firefighter, but things don't turn out the way she had planned.

Lucy and Robbie argue over who should tell Mary about their emerging relationship. Meanwhile, Matt worries that a young woman in his study group might be a victim of physical abuse at the hands of her belligerent boyfriend. Eric's sister Julie shows up at the Camden house with her toddler Erica and annoys Annie as she tries to prepare a lesson for her class. Simon meets up with Sasha and they both try to catch up on their personal lives.

Annie's father Charles shows up at the Camden household for a weekend visit as Ginger supposedly needs to get away for a bit. But Eric forgot to tell his wife about it and nearly everyone in the Camden household is too busy to spend time with the elderly man. So Grandpa Charles takes Simon to get his learner's permit for driving and they end up being the center of a televised police-pursuit. Eric lies to Annie about his plans for the day, which include a trip to Glenoak Hospital.

Matt and Sarah argue over their wedding plans and their agreement to forego buying an engagement ring and seek Eric for advice, who isn't happy with Matt for getting engaged in the first place. Because of Eric, Matt buys Sarah a fake engagement ring. Mary and Lucy fly to Buffalo for a weekend, or at least that's what Lucy thinks as Mary makes plans of her own. At the airport, Lucy meets a police officer who invites her and Mary to double-date with him and his brother.

Matt and Eric meet with Rabbi Glass to discuss wedding plans, and Eric learns that he is playing a smaller role than he had originally planned. Annie prepared for fewer guests to attend the rehearsal dinner and gets very flustered when she does not have kosher food. Ginger and Charles are prepared to fly to Glenoak, but Charles get's lost at the airport. Simon gets angry when Matt asks Robbie to be his best man. Meanwhile, Ruthie tells Robbie that she wants his room for herself after Matt moves out. Ben proposes to Mary, but he gets an unexpected answer.

Matt and Sarah grieve over Eric's decision not to attend the nuptials following his argument with Rabbi Glass over Matt's conversion to Judaism. Hoping to patch things up between their fathers, Matt and Sarah seek their mothers' help in persuading them to put aside their differences before it's too late. Ben and Kevin come to Glenoak to meet up with Mary and Lucy so that they can resolve their problems. Robbie tries to figure out why Ruthie wants him to move out of the Camden household.

When Eric learns that he must undergo double bypass surgery, he calls a family meeting to share the news but loses his nerve at the last minute and decides the group should go bowling instead. His odd behavior surprises everyone, especially Annie who grows more concerned when Eric's brother-in-law Hank shows up unexpectedly. Meanwhile, Robbie pesters Kevin about helping him make a parking ticket disappear. Lastly, Lucy continues to question whether Kevin has ever been with another woman.