Simon finds out the real reason why Deena wants to break up with him. 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 slowly with her relationship with Robbie and her life. Matt and Shana break up, but he reconciles with Heather.

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 also getting back together with Robbie. Matt is forced to choose between his girlfriend Shana (who has moved back to Glen Oak for the summer) or his ex 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.

Eric is very proud when newspaper reporter Sam Robbins offers to cover his reverend's family. Despite warnings from the kids, the parents force all to collaborate, and but they end up betraying all the dirty laundry they warned their siblings not to betray. Matt meanwhile thinks that new orderly Elisabeth admires him, but in fact she only spreads malicious lies.

Rev. Camden counsels a sexually molested girl to help her express the rage and pain she has 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.

Simon and Lucy talk about their parents lives. When Eric and Annie overhear them, they are hurt by the discussion. Mary has dreams of being a basketball star and a talent scout contacts her.

Eric finds himself on the hung jury of a case that he considers to be "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 (a sort of Twelve Angry Men in reverse). Meanwhile, the other Camdens are suffering their own wrong doings as Annie and Ruthie ponder whether two wrongs make a right. Mary becomes indebted to Lucy after accidentally giving her ablack 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.

Eric's reading of an anonymous letter, the juvenile author of which he later shamelessly tracks down, asking for prayer, the power of which he praises blindly, starts an epidemic of selfish praying. Matt and his roommate want female companionship, but Raven of mixed exotic extraction only complicates their lives. Simon hopes to mend with Deena's family, Mary to undo the break-up with Robbie she caused. Lucy secretly wants Andrew but only if he loves her, and gets to meet his namesake in church.

It is Valentine's Day, and the Camdens are celebrating the day of love with a special party in honor of the twins' first birthday. Eric and Annie fret over how to make it a memorable birthday, while the rest of the family learn different ways of exchanging love. After finally gaining her parents' trust, Mary is allowed to spend a romantic dinner with Robbie, only to learn he has ulterior motives. Meanwhile, Simon and Deena confess to their parents that they have given each other love bites. Also, Matt welcomes his ex-girlfriend Heather back into his life, threatening his relationship with Shana.

New parishioners Carver's son Bobby has a condition, allegedly ADD, but former Tourette's-patient Louis Shea, MD recognizes that's the problem. Only pa Bill Carver can't cope with the diagnosis on account of the family past. Simon sticks up for Bobby against the bully jocks captain, while Mary makes an absurd drama of a remark Simon didn't even realize. Matt is in a stage where he refuses to take calls from Shana, the next bodes even more trouble for their long-distance relationship.

Robbie and Mary get to go to the movies on a double-date with his brother Rick and Lucy, but that unwilling couple ends up cheating on their partners, while Robbie has another secret. Simon and Nigel buy cigarettes illegally for a school project, yet Eric waits even while they ponder about smoking 'just one'. Matt is a wreck after Shana fails to call once, worse when she does too cheerfully, but his very despair attracts both girl neighbors his house-mate invited.

Matt spends the night with Shana in between packing for New York, but on the couch and it only makes the farewell harder. Simon is depressed because Deenah bugs him about color-matched outfits, his sisters about pointless phone-calls. Lucy is unfair to movie-date Brad Landers and better kisser Andrew Nayloss. The house is a mess as marital walkover Eric let Annie get away with taking a weekend off alone, which she can't enjoy missing everyone, while he fails to keep any promises.

Ginger arrives, not knowing where Charles is and reveals he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. However, it turns out later that Charles claims it is Ginger who has Alzheimer's. Ruthie is worried about the millennium. Lucy wants to see a guy instead of doing community work, and gets rejected by her fellow Habitat for Humanity volunteers when she gets caught on her date in the pool hall. Simon and Matt hang out with disastrous results. Mary receives good news about her 30-day evaluation, then is angry when Eric won't let her date Robbie. Eric lets him come to the house and see her under their supervision, but Robbie doesn't believe their relationship will work. Matt feels depressed over Shana going to NYU, then even more when he finds out that she's living with guys in a fraternity house. Eric and Robbie talk, and Mary and Robbie get back together. Charles and Ginger see another doctor about dealing with Alzheimer's. Annie and Charles share memories from the photo album.

In order to get extra credit, model pupil Simon reluctantly joins a of voluntary mural painting project. He instantly feels unwelcome, and is threatened to keep silent after witnessing them using and sniffing spray paint. He sees Pete get a nose bleed and cues dad to guess and tell him how dangerous the addiction is after Pete is hospitalized. Lies add to Simon's endurance. During community service, Mary meets and instantly falls for Robbie Palmer, a gentleman who was convicted without blame and impresses the Camden parents. Matt feels twice betrayed because Shana ...

A Japanese woman donates $20,000 in reparation money to the church. Ruthie learns a lesson in rejecting others. Matt and Shana get back together after Shana wants to see other people. Lucy decides whether or not to go to a party with girls who have invited her, but rejected Mary.

The whole community is shocked to see Mary and half her Wildcats team meanly vandalized the school's gym. Simon and Ruthie feel guilty for not telling they overheard her planning 'something extreme', so they seek redemption in Catholic confession, a synagogue and a Buddhist temple. Matt feels guilty enough to move back in and resume his task as big brother, only to find that o longer requires his presence and return to his house-mates. Eric calls a marker on lawyer Bill Mays, he gets her in to a trial-avoiding parole office 'last chance' program.

Simon is in absurd trouble just because his mother and the principal make a huge drama of a finger-gesture among schoolboys. Matt tries to explain, but Simon feels he's robbed of another part of his childish innocence. Matt wrestles with domestic problems among his roommates and considers moving back home on account of Eric's cardiac condition. Basketball coach Jason Cleary decides the girls' continuing grades slip warrants drastic action: a team lockout, which makes the local TV news and because of official secrecy starts a rumors circuit.

Eric and Annie put on their counseling hats when a very pregnant Julie appears on their doorstep prepared to leave her new husband Hank. Eric decides to take Hank out to dinner to discuss their issues. While they are at dinner, a very pregnant 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 Julie down. Hank and Eric return to the house just in time for the birth. Julie delivers a baby girl. Grateful for Eric's effort, Julie names the baby after him: Erica. Meanwhile, Lucy is disappointed when her date expects her to be 'the man', and Simon attracts the attention of an older female admirer.

Matt tutors silver spoon James Potter in history, refuses to help him cheat but is still in trouble when the professor smells a rat. Simon's new classmate Lee Patterson boasts his cool dad works with FBI and even NASA, but actually is an unemployed ex-con and petty marijuana dealer. Lucy regrets taking a school secretary job, is flattered when older hunk Tyler asks her for a dance, but that bubble bursts when he actually wants the password to enter the school computer.

Simon lets school friends convince him he should kindly handle a crazy girl who signed his first name all over a notebook but keeps sending mixed or rather contradictory signals. When his roommate gets a cool job, Matt is fed up with his menial one in the cafeteria. Kid patient Adam's attempts to help seem to backfire. The Camdens really need a new car, but when Eric is seen test-driving a sports-car and Lou sees furnishings arrive for the extra bathroom Annie helps the girls install for their 'attick suite', the board votes against his annually scheduled raise.

Annie and Lucy get involved in an organized protest about the treatment of women in Afghanistan. A young couple talks to Eric about sexual equality in their own marriage. Ruthie wants to play on the school's football team.

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 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 father's advice.

"The Colonel" and Grandma Ruth return from being out of the country for six months. Simon surprises his grandparents with his new haircut. Matt decides to move out of the house and gets his own apartment with his friend John Hamilton. Aunt Julie's new husband Hank gets Matt a job at his hospital working in the cafeteria. Also, Eric suffers a mild heart attack due to job-related stress. Eric spends a few days in the hospital with the support from his family and is told to take things slow while recovering.