Episode Report Card Sara M: D+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Annie's BlocKKK Party
By Sara M | Season 8 | Episode 7 | Aired on 11.02.2003
Paris and Chandler exit a movie theater. I wonder if they just watched The Re-Released To Capitalize On Oscar Buzz Drama Flick. The two agree that they enjoy talking to each other. "I haven't had a lot of male company since Dick left," says Paris. Wow, that never stops being funny. "That is, of course, since I haven't been able to trust my instincts about men since Dick left," Paris continues (still funny), then says that she'll tell Chandler her instincts about him after he buys her a cup of coffee. They awkwardly hold, then un-hold, then hold hands as they walk away.
Ruthie enters the CamBoudoir (or should I say, in the spirit of this episode, the CamFreedomBedroom?) to tell RevCam that everyone's downstairs, waiting for him to start the meeting. Those poor neighbors probably think there's some kind of real emergency necessitating the calling of this meeting. They're probably very scared and anxious. They are going to be so pissed when they find that it's just about the Duprees not being French. Ruthie thanks RevCam for helping her friend. RevCam says that he hasn't helped them yet. Ruthie says he has. Well, not really. Ruthie says she's proud to have such a great dad, and that she hopes he can smack some sense into their neighbors.
Kevin enters the meeting and sits next to Lucy, then complains about Fred and his lactose intolerance. Lucy apparently snickers at this, but I couldn't tell because her head ducked off frame and the focus was really blurry besides. Is there some kind of camera operator strike going on at the 7th Heaven set? Maybe they let Aunt Julie direct again. Lucy suggests that Kevin find Fred a friend. So he can boss that person around instead? I think what old Fred needs is an attitude adjustment, although it is nice to see the Camdens at the receiving end of someone's inflated sense of entitlement. Lucy says that if Fred shows up at the party, she'll get him a friend. Assuming that there is a party. Through gritted teeth, Annie says that "there WILL. Be. A party." No one crosses the line between determined and insane quite like Annie Camden. Annie and Peter discuss Paris and Chandler's whereabouts. Watching those two speak to each other is like watching two bad ventriloquists. They move their jaws from side to side, but never really open their mouths.
RevCam comes downstairs and starts the meeting. I can't believe so many people showed up. Apparently, like the Camdens, no one in Glenoak ever has anything better to do. Big Bald Guy raises his hand, then immediately asks if the meeting is about the robbery of Asslee's ugly jewelry. I hate when people raise their hands and talk without waiting to be called on. I mean, why bother to raise your hand if you're not going to respect hand-raising etiquette? RevCam says that the meeting is about the Duprees, and how they're totally not French. A ridiculous shot of the audience shows everyone smiling and looking relieved. "That's good to know," Big Bald Guy says. Then RevCam adds that the Duprees are Muslim, and Big Bald Guy frowns and folds his arms. A shot of the entire group shows their smiles turn into frowns. I can't believe how stupid this show is. RevCam says that he just had to see the prejudice and narrow-mindedness of his neighbors with his own eyes. "Now, hold on, Eric --" says Big Bald Guy. "No, YOU hold on!" RevCam retorts, then says he doesn't know what's worse -- boycotting the party because the Duprees are French, or because they're Muslim. "You're not being fair --" Big Bald Guy starts. "No, YOU'RE not being fair!" RevCam says. In fact, no one is being fair and everyone is being unfair. A lady in the crowd actually lets out a shocked gasp when RevCam asks how people can judge someone based on the color of their skin, or religion, or country of origin. Big Bald Guy -- it shouldn't surprise anyone that the 7th Heaven budget couldn't afford two extras with speaking parts -- tells RevCam to "listen." "No, YOU listen!" RevCam says. Okay, he doesn't, but he does bow his head in sad respect as BBG talks about his nephew in Iraq and "the bombing of the World Trade Center." Um, what? "Bombing"? That little mistake is just further proof that Brenda really doesn't have any contact with the outside world whatsoever. She probably lives in one of the wings of Aaron Spelling's mansion, where she has the windows boarded up and the walls covered with 7th Heaven scripts. She reads them instead of a newspaper, and watches tapes of the show instead of the news. I think Spelling does that too, except substitute 7th Heaven with The Love Boat. ["Any other show on TV, I would give the writers the benefit of some doubt and think that maaaaybe they meant the 1993 bombing, but…not this show. Because HATE." -- Sars]
RevCam begins another stutteringly delivered PSA-monologue about how we can't judge people by the actions of others. For instance, look at "us," RevCam says, "look at America." So he's implying that the Duprees, as Muslims, aren't "American," and also equating the room full of white Protestants to Americans. How tolerant of him. RevCam says that he hopes the world views him "free of prejudice unless [he] personally, you know, give[s] them a reason to, to distrust or-or-or hate [him]." Which, of course, he has, so don't anyone feel like hating RevCam is wrong. RevCam says he hopes everyone will reconsider attending the party. The Sad Guitar plays over various shots of audience members looking pensive. At least, I think they are -- it's hard to tell when the camera often fails to capture the subject's entire face in the frame. And when it does, the shot is totally out of focus. Brilliant.