The Long Bad Summer (1)
In the eighth season premiere, the Camden's spend the last week of summer at a beach house. At the beginning of the summer, Simon killed Paul Smith in an automobile accident. Simon is having a hard time dealing with the fact that he killed him and everyone tries to help him. Eric and Annie try to push Simon to go back to school which begins in a week. Eric would like Paul's parents (guest-stars Katie Mitchell and Mark Moses) to accept the insurance companies offer to the money. Paul's brother vandalizes the church by adding graffti to the sign saying "Thou Shalt Not Kill." Simon runs away to New York to get away from the troubles he is having in Glenoak. Also, Lucy and Kevin discuss possibly having a child. Peter is spending a lot of time around Ruthie and the Camden family. Ruthie finds out about Mary and Carlos being married.
More from Season 8
Episode 2
An Early Fall (2)
Mary makes a surprise visit home to deliver unexpected news to Eric and Annie. Meanwhile, Simon tells Cecilia that he needs space. Also, Lucy and Kevin adjust to married life. Chandler breaks up with Roxanne after learning that she isn't comfortable with the idea of being a preacher's wife, while Roxanne seeks Kevin's advice on dealing with a dispirited Chandler. Also, the Camdens finally learn who's pregnant. Lastly, Eric ponders Simon's academic future and Annie prepares for a potentially tense dinner engagement.
Episode 3
PK
With Annie out of town, Eric is left alone to accompany Simon on his visit to the Board of Education to discuss early graduation. During the meeting, Simon bonds with his advisor when they realize that they're both preachers' kids. Meanwhile, Lucy catches Chandler kissing a beautiful blonde woman at church and she agonizes over whether or not to tell Roxanne; Detective Michaels tricks Kevin into babysitting his six-year-old granddaughter; Peter makes a deal with the school bully in an attempt to protect Ruthie and Cecilia agrees to watch the twins which leads to a confrontation with Simon.
Episode 4
I Wasn't Expecting That!
When a mysterious stranger wanders into the Camden home and spends the day with the family everyone assumes he is Simon's friend. Meanwhile, a disheveled, Rabbi Glass stops by to confide in Eric that he caught his wife kissing another man and discusses about splitting up. Kevin feels emasculated after being attacked and injured by a woman during a domestic disturbance call and goes on medical leave. His attitude toward Lucy changes drastically as he worries that Lucy isn't attracted to him anymore. Plus, Simon is concerned that no one seems to care that he's leaving for college in a couple of days. Lastly, Ruthie and Peter struggle with a school project.
Episode 5
The Kid Is Out of the Picture
In a video essay for his application to college, Simon recounts the experiences of his family members including their relationships, friends and mistakes that they've made over the years in Glenoak as well as his own pain at having killed a young boy in a car accident earlier in the year.
Episode 6
Charity Begins at Home
During his Sunday sermon, Eric proposes that instead of a financial contribution, everyone should make a commitment to reach out and help someone in need. Kevin suggests that he and Lucy work together to set up a neighborhood watch program, but she feels passionate about working with Habitat for Humanity. Eric calls his new son-in-law Carlos (guest-star Carlos Ponce) and asks him to fly in without Mary for dinner with the family, which makes Carlos very nervous. Also, Ruthie picks a shy new girl at school as her project and soon finds out that she has a secret. Meanwhile, Peter picks Ruthie as his project, which prompts her to tell him that they should spend less time together. Chandler and Roxanne keep running into each other stirring up old feelings. Lastly, Annie becomes jealous of all of the time the twins are spending with Cecilia.
Episode 7
Getting to Know You
Eric and Annie throw a "Welcome to the Neighborhood" party for Ruthie's Muslim friend Jill Dupree and her parents, but the Duprees are hesitant to attend. Eric is shocked and disappointed when he learns that his neighborhood is not a friendly place for Muslims. Meanwhile, Cecilia's house is robbed while she and her dad attend Kevin's first Neighborhood Watch meeting; Roxanne mentors a troubled sixteen-year-old and suspects that he might be involved in the robbery, and Chandler finds himself attracted to Peter's mom Paris.
