TVFAN

I have been thinking about the Juliette storyline, which I hate, and have come to the conclusion it may not be the writers' fault. Has it struck anyone else as odd that in most episodes this season Juliette is at home with Avery, Cadence, and the VERY occasional guest? You almost never see her with Deacon, Will, the girls, Scarlett, or any other regular member of the cast. It's as if she's on a different show. My guess is that with the move to CMT and accompanying budget cuts, Hayden agreed to a very limited work schedule. As a result, they are shooting almost all of her scenes separately. The reason Juliette never shows up to hear Avery and the band is because the show chooses not to "waste" its Hayden time on scenes outside her own storylines. Had Connie stayed on, we may well have seen the same thing with Rayna's storyline. I think the show is disjointed because it's not one show anymore. it would so much better if the characters interacted more.

I didn't have a problem with Kody sharing his views on the room arrangements, BUT he really bugged me when he forced the idea on Janelle. Janelle was trying to be sensitive to the needs of her other children--needs Kody was more than happy to ignore. Caleb and Maddie are adults who believed themselves not only sufficiently mature and self sufficient to marry, but to bring a child into the world. There's not a thing wrong with moving back home if circumstances warrant, but their presence should not turn the rest of the family's life upside down. Maddie is certainly capable of walking down the hall to a bathroom. Of course, they should be made comfortable, but they shouldn't be made so comfortable that they have no incentive to become self supporting and find their own home. Kody's reaction to their return was positively gleeful--he reminded me of Jim-Bob Duggar. He has Maddie and Caleb comfortably under his control and without any inconvenience whatsoever to himself. He'd love it if they stayed forever.

Did Juliette leave Cadence? When Avery was running around the house looking for her, I could have sworn that all the beds were empty. I thought she took Cadence with her so he could go on his tour.

I just caught an episode of Seeking Sister Wife, and those families made the Browns seem positively normal. Maybe I've gotten so used to them that the ick factor has diminished. But wow, the folks on the new show absolutely creeped me out.

I think the other wives will develop a much greater understanding of how Meri feels over the next five or so years. In five years, Janelle, too, will be an empty nester, and with the exception of Truly, Christine's children will be out of the nest or close to it. Only Robyn will still have young children. It will be interesting to see how Janelle and Christine cope with the change. (If Kody takes on a fifth wife, does anyone really envision Janelle lending a hand with child care for the younger Browns?) Mari was telling the truth when she said that the other wives neither want nor need her help with their younger children. The other wives are networked largely because their children are networked. They don't seem to hang out with one another much when the cameras are not rolling. They may well feel as disconnected as Meri in a few years. Mari's error was in seemingly not seeking alimony and a property settlement from Kody. Had she done so, she would not have to go crawling to the rest of the clan for money for the B&B. BTW, I thought I read somewhere on the Board that Maddie and Caleb did live with Meri for a time.

I suspect Jinger stays close to Jeremy because it makes her feel secure. She's a grown woman who, prior to her marriage, never left her home without at least one companion. Think about it. Like most people on this board, I walked to school alone every day when I was six years old and had to learn to navigate the day on my own. Of course, there were teachers and others present, but I was responsible for lots of my own choices and decisions. Jinger and her siblings never had that life experience. I give her credit for embracing change as much as already has. Rome was not built in a day. Wouldn't it be nice to her out shopping or visiting a museum by herself one day?

How could anyone possibly choose Albert over Lord M?????? I fear if I were Victoria, I would simply have to command Lord M to marry me--even if he was old enough to be my father. He was gorgeous, smart, charming, and sexy, and he respected her intelligence. What a man!

This! Although at least the B&B has the potential to turn a profit, and Meri might be able to get a mortgage. (NOT a Mariah fan. Could she just once be positive about anything her mother does? If it were King Kody's idea, she'd be all about it.) What's killing me is the discussion of 400 wedding guests. Seriously! Unless TLC is paying (and I cannot imagine it would shell out that much cash), where would the family get the money to pay for that type of shindig? Given the multiple bankruptcies, I can't imagine the family having a line of credit that would cover it. And does anyone know if either Mykelti or Tony has a job? Talk about champagne taste on beer budget.

For most Protestant churches, my own included, the focus is on Christmas Eve. (I think Episcopalians and Lutherans, who mirror the Catholic traditions a bit more closely, do have Christmas Day services.) My own Methodist church has never had a service on Christmas Day unless it happened to fall on a Sunday. Typically, there is an evening service on Christmas Eve, and this year my church did have both its normal Sunday morning service and a special evening service, but with only 30 to 50 members, I could see Jeremy's congregation going with one service. It's also entirely possible that it held some type of special children's Christmas program last week. In short, I don't think that he neglected his job by heading for his parents' home when he did. On a different note, I think Jeremy could further his career a bit more if he were assigned to a large church as an assistant minister. Given his lack of education in the ministry, an apprenticeship would do him a world of good. Unless he can really make this satellite church grow, I fear he will be doomed to a career at similar small, struggling churches. I know there has been some talk of an interest in publishing, and that might be a better route for him. I would love, love, love to see Jinger take some classes. If he stays in the ministry, there will be some expectation that she will play a leadership role in the church via music, children's ministry, etc. She needs to have some training, and it would be easiest to get it before they start having children.

They both look happy in a way that can't be faked. It's nice to see at least one of the Duggar girls being given the opportunity to stretch her wings. For now she probably needs a "teacher" to help her see life's possibilities--she's been given so little opportunity to experience the outside world. The real test for the couple will come when and if Jinger starts to develop her own views. My hope is that Jinger and Jeremy will grow together.

If this episode was supposed to make viewers sympathize with Eddie, it missed the mark for me. What happened to her was horrible, BUT it did not justify her abuse of power. She has sworn to defend and uphold the law, not to use it for her own ends. She's the one who should be disciplined, not the officer who used marijuana in a jurisdiction where its use is lawful. (Actually, her willingness to abuse her authority is grounds for dismissal.) I understand that they try to pair the main characters with partners (nurses, lawyers, etc.) whose jobs allow them to become part of the storyline, but the pairing is clearly not working. Why not find a nice journalist for Jamie? She could pop up in many of the different storylines, and she could represent a different viewpoint.

Jackson is such a little cutie! I think he looks like Tori.

Elizabeth has lost every bit of sympathy I ever had for her. With her, it's all about money and her position in society. She may have loved Ross a little once, but not enough to miss the chance of marrying Francis and getting the big house, the servants, etc. She has let George torment her child, her cousin, and her elderly aunt without so much as lifting a finger to help. She looked like the cat that got into the cream when she was curled up in bed with George eating strawberries. She was allowed to choose her mates. How could she allow poor Morwenna to be blackmailed into marriage? Demelza has more class in her little finger than Elizabeth does in her entire being.

Brandon doesn't even need to sew anything. His outfits are all the same. He should just recycle. That having been said, I think he has the skills. The problem is that the judges never push him to anything different. I thought Ayanas look was great, but I would give this win to Kenya. Hate the royal blue, but to me, her design symbolized that you can be completely feminine and still be a warrior. Brandon's comment about making the warrior androgynous bugged me. Kentaro's look was meh. The tacky gold bodice ruined Margarita's look. I think the basic dress and the idea of chaos had potential, but that bodice was horrid.

As always, Tim Gunn, the hanging judge, is my hero!!!!!!!!!!!! He did not mess around! In the words of the Baretta theme, "Don't do the crime if you can't do the time. Don't do it!" And contestants should not feel the need to apologize for reporting wrongdoing.

Count me out of watching next week's episode! Do the producers really think people want to watch one more minute of the twins????????? I can't imagine anything I want to watch less than the two of them carrying on.

I really like this family, too. The kids seem to be thriving. I can't get over how they have changed. As I was watching Bill and the kids in the castle, it struck me that I bet that neither Bill nor Jen did any babysitting when they were teens. The first rule I learned as a babysitter was if you take little ones that age out anywhere--even for a walk--you hang on to their hands for dear life. I was willing to give Bill a pass the first time Will and Zoe ran off, but not the second, third, fourth, etc. As my Mom has always said, "If you can't control them when they're little, you are never going to do it when they're teens." And I won't give the grandparents a pass either. My grandmother spoiled me rotten, but she also had no problem whatsoever making me mind.

The good news is that I really like almost all of the designers. We have seen some fabulous looks this year. The bad news is that if they don't get rid of those annoying twins, I am going to have to stop watching. They are like fingernails on a chalkboard. Please make it stop!

When you think about it, living in the reality show world is insane. Amy clearly loves her kids and would not release information about her new granddaughter to spite anyone. What's bizarre about this world is that a grandparent is expected to hold back on the joyous news of the birth of a grandchild so that the media gets first bite at the story. I know that D List celebs are often looking to sell a story to the tabloids, but there are things more important than dollar signs. (There are these things called "jobs" that can provide income.) When my friends have had grandchildren they have all but shouted it from the rooftops and that's a wonderful, natural thing. Heck, I've been told of a number of pending arrivals by doting soon-to-be grandparents before the mom-to-be even had an official doctor's confirmation. It's just such an odd way to live. That having been said, God bless the new little one and her family.

Good for Jinger! She looks happy! Finding your own path must be incredibly difficult for someone who was raised to think, dress, talk, and act just like your siblings. I think she is doing fine picking out her own clothes for the first time. Her outfits are usually very cute, and if she looks young, it's because she IS young, and she has not been prematurely aged by turning into a baby factory. I hope her husband and in laws encourage her to stretch her wings and take some classes. Does anyone know if Jeremy's mom and/or any sisters went to college?

Did anyone else find this episode to be incredibly sad? These are not twenty-somethings engaging in stupidity because everyone has to be stupid once. These are grown women who are supposed to have rich lives. What they showed tonight was just pathetic. To me, the concept behind these shows is to show how the 1% lives (or at least how the 5% lives.) You could not pay me enough money to waste a day in paradise on getting drunk, particularly with a group of people I don't even like. Can you imagine how their children must feel when they watch? All they ever do is engage in spats and feuds that most of us left behind at the playground. They calls themselves businesswomen, but after watching them, who would ever want to do business with any one of them? Are the so addicted to fame that they will demean themselves in any way to keep it. Watching them throw parties and go to fashion shows is fine, but couldn't we see them doing something productive, too? Maybe my view was affected by the fact that earlier this week I watched the documentary on Princess Diana that Princes William and Harry produced. Princess Diana may not have been perfect, but she exuded true class and heart. She spent more time than we will ever know helping the homeless, those afflicted with AIDS, the victims of landmines, and countless other people. It was moving an inspiring to see the she used her wealth, power, and fame to help others. She was LADY Diana in every sense of the word.

I don't pretend to know enough about this couple to voice an opinion on how happy they are, but I sincerely hope all is well. I disagree with many (okay most) of their views, but I do not think they are bad people. What I find difficult to understand are the charges that Jill has somehow let Derick down. If anyone on earth had a chance to "study" a potential spouse before popping the question, it was Derick. She was on TV from the time she was child. He got exactly what he bargained for, a wife with a very limited education who had literally never been permitted to venture into the world alone. That's not putting Jill down. She was quite simply raised to look to her husband for care and protection. And while she may have sincerely believed he was called to be a missionary, her upbringing provided her with little perspective on what being a missionary really means. It's far from shocking to me that she has seemingly struggled to cope with being far from her family. She never had the opportunity to discover the joy of time spent alone. It's also far from shocking that she had a hard time understanding his work schedule when he was still working for Walmart. She can probably never remember a time when her own father was not home for much of the day. Jill is who she is, and she learned what she learned from her own life experiences. Unlike Jill, Derick had the chance to venture out. He went to college and travelled abroad. Had he wanted a an independent, well educated partner, he could have found one. And if he really wants to be a full blown missionary, he can go back to school and encourage Jill to do likewise. As the "headship," he is in control of their lives.

Javery lives! Thank you Avery for recognizing what you have and Juliette for recognizing Avery needs a life of his own. Now, can we have a love scene? Please??? Deacon, it's too soon. Step away from the singer. Scarlett, stop whining all the time. Gunnar, run far, far away.

What was with Avery's snide comment about putting out the fires that Juliette starts? He was the one who wanted Hallie to dump her band. He started this fire himself. And Juliette's advice to Maddie and to Hallie was dead on. (I'm reserving judgment on the Hallie/Juliette blow up next week until I see what precipitates it.) I think the writers have to give someone on this show some happiness if it's to survive. Think about it. There is not one truly happy couple on the canvas. Could we have a little love? A little romance? Could Avery and Juliette be happy for at least five minutes? Maddie is growing on me and will earn my undying admiration if she gets that nasty teen out of the house! Deacon is trying his best, but he is still a rookie as a parent. I don't see Rayna or Teddy (especially Teddy) letting Daphne room with her. And since I don't believe Deacon ever followed through and contacted Children's Services, he could be opening himself up to a world of liability. Free Gunnar!!!!!!

Yay!!!!!! Finally a Javerycentric episode!!!!!!!! Can we focus on them every week?