The Tattle Tale Heart
Eric feels the pressure mounting as he prepares to tell his parents about his sister Julies surprise marriage and pregnancy. Meanwhile, Matt intensifies the job and apartment search and the other Camden siblings begin their moving plans.
Life is too Beautiful
Eric has a new outlook on life after suffering a mild heart attack. Meanwhile, Simon tries to become the new man of the house; Matt grows uncomfortable with the developing friendship between his girlfriend Shana and his new roommate John ; and Lucy takes an interest in Habitat for Humanity.
Yak Sada
The Camdens face their share of equality issues when Annie and Lucy take a stand when against the mistreatment of women in Afghanistan, Eric counsels a couple who staunchly believes in the division of traditional family roles, Simon is the only male enrolled in a cooking class and Ruthie tries out for the football team. Meanwhile, Shana confronts her long-lost father whom she hasn't seen in twenty years.
Come Drive With Me
With Annie and Lucy adding a new bathroom, and the need for a new car, Eric is depending on his built-in annual raise from the church board. However, when the church deacons get the wrong impression about the Camden financial situation, they reject his annual raise. It's up to Ruthie to save the day and convince them to change their mind. Meanwhile, a young hospital patient offers Matt sound career advice and Simon attempts to entertain a classmate who has a crush on him.
With Honors
When Mary and her friend Corey learn they have been named the recipients of the Senior Class Outstanding Athletic Award, they are thrilled. But the local businessmen revoke the honor once they learn Corey is a mother. Angered and saddened by their action, Mary gives her award to Corey in front of the entire assembly. On the home front, tension builds after Eric and Annie find a bag of marijuana in Simon's new friend's backpack. They confront his family, who at first deny there is any issue. But after a succesful intervenion with the police, the boy's father agrees to seek counseling and find a job. Meanwhile, Matt faces disciplinary action after he breaks the honor code during a school exam, and Lucy refuses to help a former flame access the school's computer system.
Just Wait and See
Eric and Annie put on their counseling hats when Julie appears on their doorstep fully prepared to leave her husband. Eric decides to take Dr. Hastings out to dinner to discuss the issues. While they are at dinner, Julie goes into early labor. Unable to transport her to the hospital because Simon and Mary are out to dinner and Lucy is on a date, Annie does her best to calm her down. Dr. Hastings and Eric return to the Camden house just in time for the birth. Julie delivers a beautiful baby girl. Grateful for her brother's efforts, Julie names her Erica. Meanwhile, Lucy is disappointed when her date expects her to be "the man," and Simon attracts the attention of an older female admirer.
Sin
Mary and her teammates are upset when their high school coach imposes a lock-out on the season, citing that their studies should be the top priority. When the school calls a meeting to discuss the situation, Eric and Annie support the coach's concerns and decision. Outraged by the apparent betrayal, Mary and 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 to a school chum, Matt contemplates returning home, and Ruthie obsesses about being one of the guys.
And Expiation
The Camden family rallies together after Mary's arrest. Mary truly learns the consequences of her actions after she learns that she will lose her basketball scholarship, and 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 limited knowledge of Mary's intentions and failing their knowledge to report to their parents. They decide to visit different houses of worship to attain atonement. Matt moves home to help out with the family, but soon realizes he needs to live on his own.
Dirty Laundry
After Eric receives a mysterious check of $20,000, he learns that the gift was from one of his parishoners who was a WWII internment camp survivor. When he hears that the woman has never been able to move on from her internment experience, he helps her to come to terms with her pain. Meanwhile, Ruthie learns a valuable lesson about the meaning of friendship ; Matt and Shana have a miscommunication about laundry that sends their relationship temporarily into a tailspin ; Simon is woeful over the injustices of the world, and Mary adjusts to her lower social status at school.
Who Nose
In order to get extra credit, Simon volunteers to paint a holiday mural with a few guys in his school. The other volunteers don't like Simon because they are inhaling paint fumes and are afraid he will report them. When one of the boys winds up in the hospital, Simon is accused of providing the paint. After he confronts the boy, the boy decides to confess everything to his parents. Meanwhile, Mary is suddenly thrilled about her community service after she meets the man of her dreams: Robbie Palmer. Eric and Annie are hesitant to allow Mary to pursue a relationship because of her punishment, but do allow for Robbie to call her. Matt is up in arms when he learns that Shana is transferring to NYU and that his father provided a reference without his knowledge, and Ruthie wins first prize in her art-school project: a sculpture of the Camden family's noses.
Forget Me Not
When Ginger pays the Camden family a visit, she informs Eric and Annie that her father is in the early stages of Alzheimer's Disease. At first, Annie can't believe it, but after observing him in the backyard not paying attention to a fire in the barbecue, she realizes the truth. Meanwhile, Mary and Eric can't see eye-to-eye on her relationship with Robbie Palmer, but they soon agree to a compromise. When Mary informs Robbie of the plan, he tells her in disgust that it just won't work out between them. Fortunately, he changes his mind after speaking with Eric that evening at the local grocery market. Lucy gets into trouble after blowing off her Habitat for Humanity project to go on a date and is caught in the act, and Matt is so consumed with depression due to Shana's upcoming move to NYC, that he barely pays attention to Simon, who just wants to spend time with his big brother. Lastly, Ruthie makes vast Millenium preparations until Eric provides her with a more grounded perspective.
All By Myself
Exasperated from the overload of familial responsibility, Annie takes a 48-hour "time out" from the family, packs her bags and heads to the beach. On Friday all seems to be running normally : Lucy and Mary can't figure out why their boys haven't called them, Simon and Dina get in their first fight, Ruthie gets in trouble at school and Matt helps Shana prepare for her upcoming move to New York. But by Saturday, Eric, juggling various responsibilities, realizes no one can keep on top of things as well as Annie! Meanwhile, Mary, Simon and Ruthie park themselves on the couch, and Lucy gets ready for a hot night on the town with Brad. Later that evening, Simon breaks down and finally apologizes to Dina, Matt bids a quick, tearful goodbye to Shana and while out on her date with Brad, Lucy realizes she has a stronger chemistry with another boy. Away at the beach, Annie feels refreshed and relieved after speaking with a confidante and bids good night to the family.
Who Do You Trust?
Is there any trust left in the Camden family ? Eric and Annie reluctantly allow Mary to go on a date with Robbie Palmer on the condition they bring Lucy and Robbie's younger brother, Rick. Meanwhile, Simon and his friend Nigel go undercover and buy cigarettes from various vendors to produce a school report, and Ruthie won't tell anyone her science project unless she is paid a dollar. On the relationship front, Matt and Shana are struggling with the adjustment of their long-distance situation. Back at home, Eric and Annie are a bundle of nerves after Eric tells her he saw Simon and Nigel with cigarettes in Simon's room. Unable to keep the faith among his other children, he strolls past the movie theater to spy on Lucy and Mary. While there, he observes Lucy kissing Rick outside of the theater. When Mary and Lucy return home, Eric and Annie confront them and they have a squabble over the meaning of trust. Meanwhile, Matt manages to win over the sympathy of two upstairs female neighbors after pouring his heart out to them, and Simon and Nigel tell their parents about their undercover project. Finally, Mary secretly confides to Lucy that she doesn't fully trust Robbie. Turns out, her instincts are correct, as he has another girlfriend.
Words
During his sermon, Eric introduces a new family, the Carvers, to the congregation. While he makes his greeting, the son Bobby makes a few uncontrolled outbursts. The family prompty leaves, embarrassed by what has just happened. After the sermon, Bobby's mother tells Eric and Annie that her son suffers from A.D.D. (Attention Defecit Disorder.) Meanwhile, Lucy is placed in a difficult position when Ruthie tells her that her teacher often calls her stupid, and makes her promise not to tell Annie, and Mary is furious at Simon for calling her a "Big Butt" while they were playing basketball. On the romance front, Matt avoids Shana like the plague. He dodges her phone calls because she had said something the previous week that hurt his feelings. After consulting Mary, Lucy decides to tell Annie about Ruthie's teacher. At first, Annie gives the teacher the benefit of the doubt, but after a heated meeting, she realizes Ruthie is right and organizes a meeting of the parents. Meanwhile, Eric is visited by a parishioner suffering from Tourette's Syndrome. The parishioner, who is now a doctor, is convinced Bobby Carver is also living with Tourettes. When Eric breaks the news to the Carvers, they are shocked and upset. Phil, Bobby's father, storms out of the room. It is not until later we find out the true reason of his denial: the Tourettes gene comes from his side of the family, and he is embarrassed about abusing a family member who also suffers from the disease. At school, Simon befriends Bobby and they later collaborate to ward off a school bully, and Mary defends a fellow classmate who is the constant target of abuse from the Popular girls. Finally, the Carver family meets with a Tourette's specialist, and are grateful for Eric's support and intervention.
Loves Me, Loves Me Not
Annie looking forward to celebrating the twin's first birthday, plans a family party. She's in such a good mood that when Robbie calls for permission to take Mary out on Valentine's Day, she promises she will try to convince Eric to say yes! Meanwhile, Deena, annoyed at Simon for giving her a love bite, decides to give him a bite of his own, and Matt spends quality time with his ex-girlfriend Heather, which will ultimately threaten his relationship with Shana. Though Eric and Annie still have trust issues with Mary and Robbie, they grant them permission to go out because they think they are meeting with Robbie's parents. Trust continues to be an issue for other members of the family when Shana finds out from Mary that Heather is back in town, Matt spies Robbie with his other girlfriend while he is out with Heather, and Mary finally realizes Robbie's ulterior motive is to sleep with her. Finally, Lucy teaches Ruthie an important lesson about love and sharing.
Say a Little Praryer for Me
After Eric receives a letter from a boy whose brother was the victim of a violent tragic death, he mentions the power of prayer to his family. While he prays he can find the boy before Sunday's sermon, other members of the family have more self-serving desires: Mary and Simon pray for their dire relationship situations, Ruthie prays for a pony and Matt and John pray for dates. After Lucy volunteers to take the twins to a promenade, she is the subject of ridicule and mockery. She appreciates the challenges of single motherhood and decides to pray for all teenage mothers. Later that day, Eric manages to find the boy who wrote the letter but when he attempts to intervene, the boy teaches him an important lesson. He asks him not to single him out. He urges for Eric to pray for all the children in the world who witness and are victims of violence. Meanwhile, when Lucy finally tells Annie the reason behind her wanting a horse, Annie arranges for her to ride a pony for a day. The following morning Eric asks the congregation to take a moment of silence and Matt takes Ruthie to a horse camp.
12 Angry People
Eric is the only member of a jury who finds a defendant charged with murder, guilty. Apparently, the jurors believe policemen are corrupt, the racial issues are intense and the judicial system, unfair. It takes Eric hours upon hours of convincing the other members, one at a time, to change their opinion. Finally, they all agree to convict. On the home front, Annie feels the pressures of Eric's absence: she doesn't allow Mary and Lucy to visit the promenade for a cappucino, she punishes Ruthie for cutting her friend's hair and is hesitant to allow Deena to come over to spend time with Simon. Meanwhile, Matt decides to spend time studying at the church but does everything but, and Mary is forced to be indebted to Lucy after accidently giving her a black eye. Later that evening, while playing Life, Deena informs Simon that he's never apologized to her for giving him the hickey, Ruthie offers for her friend to cut her hair so they can call it even, and Mary finally realizes she is over Robbie.
Hoop Dreams
After Mary dreams about playing basketball with the Los Angeles Laker's players, she receives an unexpected call from her coach. Mary gets her hopes up that she may be drafted by the WNBA after high school. Meanwhile, Eric and Annie get their feelings hurt after hearing Simon and Lucy, that they wouldn't want to be a minister or a stay-at-home mom like they are. By this, Eric and Annie decide to spend more time with the kids to explain their roles that they've chosen in life.
Talk To Me
Reverend 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.
Liar, Liar
Eric and Annie are excited to learn that their family is being profiled in their local newspaper, until the reporter interviews the kids and gets more of an expose for the innocuous story than he was expecting. Meanwhile, a co-worker slanders Matt's reputation at work. Matt's roommate, John confronts a politician for misquoting an African American inspirational leader. Also, a classmate of Ruthie's plagiarizes one of her stories for a class competition. Inspirational gospel singer Sandi Patty guest-stars in a cameo role.
Love Stinks, Part I
Eric and Annie must deal with the emotional fallout as they learn about their kids tumultuous love lives. Mary upsets her parents by announcing that not only has she decided to skip college in the fall, but she is getting back together with Robbie. Matt is forced to choose between his girlfriend Shana (who has moved back to Glenoak for the summer) or his ex-flame Heather, who confesses that she still loves him. Lucy dates Robbie's cute brother Ronald, disappointing Andrew Nayloss who still harbors feelings for her. Also, Simon gets dumped by Deena and Ruthie takes advantage of her new boyfriend.
Love Stinks, Part II
In the fourth season finale, Simon finds out the real reason why Deena wants to break up with him. Also Ruthie does her best to get back together with her old boyfriend Burt, while Lucy also tries to go after an old flame: Andrew Nayloss. Mary decides to take things slow with her relationship with Robbie and her life. Matt and Shana break up their relationship, but reconciles with Heather. At the end of the show, it shows Matt and Heather may have gotten married- but didn't.
