StayingAfterSunday

No marriage is "happy" all the time, and these two couples' marriages are no different except for the "married to a stranger" component and the media exposure that has accompanied it. Agreed, though, that Jamie's personality is exhausting, and Doug does, at times, look worn out and worn down because of it. Even so, I like them together and could see these two growing and maturing as time goes on, something that is both possible and necessary in any marriage. Cortney comes off as spoiled and unwilling to accept correction, even when the criticism seems justified. To be fair, though, I would bet there is more to Jason than we're seeing. Sometimes when he's angry or saying something less than complimentary to Cortney, his eyes and expression look a little bit menacing. Anyone else notice this?

I thought the jail "wife" was very much in love with love; she appears to have watched too many of those young-love types of shows as evidenced by her plan to "jump into his arms" when inmate "husband" was released from jail which, incidentally, is exactly what she did. So contrived and childish. Also, how terribly juvenile to jump onto the guy's back as he's turning himself in for violating his parole. You can see he was annoyed, as I imagine he would be, considering he already has an obvious "monkey on his back." He clearly doesn't need another one. Based on the fact that he somehow couldn't find himself a ride to get drug tested and ended up with back-to-back jail sentences as a result, I don't think this boy-teen-man has any intentions of getting off substances (my opinion) or getting a job, or being a real husband, any time soon. My take on the whole thing: She is a girl who wants/needs to be "in love." With anyone. He is an overgrown teenager incapable of putting together a coherent sentence who went along with the girl's ridiculous marriage plan so that he has a place to crash in between arrests, and so that he has a piece of a - - and a cooked meal waiting for him when he gets there.

Maddie's expressive eyes are an inestimable asset for any performer, I think. I don't see her as having a "large face" necessarily; she has a high forehead, which is rather sloped, something that is not desirable with respect to screen presence. This aesthetic drawback may have been a factor in the decision to have Maddie wear wigs in one of her recent videos (the Sia one?). But Maddie has that "show girl" quality that many successful performers possess, whether they are dancers, actors, or vocal artists. Abby, of course, knows this, and styles Maddie's solo dances to highlight this attribute. I don't think I will ever forget Maddie's dance portrayal of the axe-murderer, Lizzie Borden. I must have watched that single performance four or five times it impressed me so much. Was Abby the original creator and choreographer of that dance? Then there is Brynn: Brynn has such fluidity and grace in every movement that I find myself becoming entranced by her solos, particularly the most recent one. I noticed she's been taking Abby's advice and working hard to make eye contact with the audience whenever possible. To go one step further, in preparation for her solos, Brynn's eyes might benefit from some embellishment by a good makeup artist. About Abby's elevated mood: Yes, it certainly was uncharacteristic of her, wasn't it? Didn't she say something along the lines of "I have somewhere to go after this..." when the girls pranked her with the Silly String in the dressing room? I inferred from that remark that perhaps Abby had a hot date, hence, her upbeat mood. Thoughts?

Well said. I could not pinpoint exactly what I didn't like about him, either, but I'll second your opinion. I'll add one more thing to my continuing dislke of Adrian: I think it's that self-satisfied expression that comes across after he's completed a successful, i.e. a "perfect score," round. It may be something about the way he lifts his chin up almost in a smirk. Okay, I know.... he's just a kid. But, then again: Is he? He's a real hambone, too, although I do realize that producers encourage dramatic scenes of all types, including Adrian's "piano concerto." Good grief, six hours of practice a day? When he already attends Harvard and Juilliard? When does this kid behave like a normal kid?

Ordinarily, this type of woman would grate on me -- badly. But, for some reason, I like her and I like Jason, too. The "I love my work so much" mantra that Kristina expresses at every opportunity is starting to sound as though she might be trying too hard. Trying too hard to convince herself, other people, the producers of the show (ratings, ratings), etc., as well as trying to uphold the image she has created for herself. if I were to write the epilogue on this family it would be this: Kristina works at home until Lincoln turns three or so, at which point he goes into full-day preschool/daycare and Kristina will be already pregnant with baby no. 2. I think she is starting to fall in love with that adorable little baby boy and that she is going to WANT to spend as much time with him as possible. This is just a vibe I'm getting.

Exactly, Because that is exactly how it appears to many of us viewers, too. Mars says she went for a job interview at 8 months pregnant and got the job, but then -- boo, hoo -- she got laid off. Double boo-hoo. How long did she think she would be working there, anyway, if she was eight months pregnant? Is it a trade secret or something that pregnancies usually culminate in a birth when the expectant mother is around 8.5 to 9 months along (give or take)? I just can't feel sorry for her as it seems she's watched too many of the 16 and pregnant shows that reward these young, unwed moms by giving them money, media exposure and fame (temporary as it may be). Besides all of the obstacles already stacked against Doug and Mars, is the fact that they are not 16 years old, and when they try to act as though they had no idea what to expect, etc. etc. it makes them both look foolish. Let's hope they had enough foresight to know that unlike MTV, TLC is not going to give them a continuous, albeit limited, ride on the baby train.

Okayyyy, I'm going to express an observation thay may come off as "out there." I've just got to say this, though, about Tres and Vanessa, specifically, about Vanessa's constant state of rumination: The way she appears to glom onto negative thoughts could be a side effect of smoking. Weed, that is. It could be that it doesn't agree with her but she indulges, so to speak, because Tres likes it. (As I said, this is a theory that veers off the conventional trail, but I think worthy of consideration at any rate.) Marijuana doesn't agree with everyone, causing some people to become very introspective and overly analytical, to their own detriment, considering the mindset is usually one of negativity for these sensitive individuals.

Not to derail the topic of Maci's "oopsy-surprise" pregnancy, but what did you all think of Ryan's late-to-the-party act on the trick-or-treating episode? I have nothing against Ryan and don't mean to bash him, but I thought, well... never mind. I better think this one over before I go ahead and make assumptions.

Oh, I remember that episode, and seem to recall some of the posts on here (or was it TWoP?) that voiced concern over the whole disturbing spectacle. And now, here we are several years later; Abby's girls have aged out of the "mini" category, for the most part, so now it seems logical that this sort of costuming will continue along a certain predictable path: Prosti-tots (I love it) to Prostiteens, and then -- well, we won't go there.... ps: I still can't get over that "Bond Girl" outfit Maddie was catting around in for her solo. Who selected it?

Yes, to this, all the way. Gawd, I thought the women that were featured on that show, "I Didn't Know I was Pregnant," were dumb as rocks. But here we have Maci who is only a media sensation because of her LACK of good sense, ready to pop out another kid with a man who hasn't yet - to use Maci's words - "made her his wife." And that Instagram pic looks like it was taken inside a bar, doesn't it?

Regarding Maci's not knowing she was pregnant. I'll play devil's advocate and offer the theory that she is very, very thin. It's not unusual for thin girls to skip one or two periods on a fairly regular basis. The reason I have trouble applying such a hypothetical to Maci is this: She is living with Taylor and, evidently, has been sexually intimate with him, presumably at a fertile time. Even if she was prone to skipping periods, the thought of a possible pregnancy should have crossed her mind. Any sexual activity leaves the door open for a pregnancy, right? (assuming the man is not sterile and woman is fertile) The reason the "I didn't know I was pregnant" theory might apply is if she skipped a period, even two periods, and couldn't fathom being pregnant because she had "relations" with Taylor at a time - or times - when it's quite unusual to get pregnant, e.g. the least fertile days of her cycle (during her period, etc.). Even so, as stated above, sexual activity between two fertile people always makes pregnancy a possibility. Seems I went into the too-much-information zone with all of that stuff above. Yes, I'd better get a life, I totally agree.

I thought it was kind of odd, the way Tyler was looking at his father when Butch told the psychologist about his apparently God-awful childhood. I actually broke down and cried for Butch when he recalled being a bedwetter, and his father telling him that he'd better not wet the bed again or he'd get a beating, etc. : And then, "I knew my mother loved me; I didn't even know my mother." [paraphrased by me]. Until that point it was hard for me to get any real sense of Butch other than what was voiced by Tyler, his mom, Cait and her own mom, all of whom presented a profile of Butch as he has been all of his adult life, for the most part. Hearing his "back story," of course, does not excuse any of his anti-social behaviors or the years of non-involvement with his kids; it does, however, offer Tyler an opportunity to understand Butch better, particularly his childhood, and to consider how that defective childhood affected his adult behaviors and relationships. Looking into any person's past - seeing the child he or she once was - often elicits a sympathetic, rather than a judgmental, perspective of that person.

I'm surprised no mention has been made here of that humongous ass Farrah has been toting around as of late (no, not Simon!)

Ha! I agree, and I am thin and have what any person might legitimately refer to as a "flat ass." I would LOVE to have a behind that actually shows. J

That may be so, but she is still a kid and I doubt the celebrities' kids - or the celeb. kids themselves - are being nationally televised wearing dance outfits like the one Maddie wore as "Bond Girl." A pedo's dream: just squint a bit and - voila' ! That is so true. Abby views the girls as products, and is always looking to develop new lines, such as what we see in any industry (cosmetic industry, for example). What happens to the "old" stuff, though? Abby, in classic narcissistic style, has gotten what she needed from the girls. Once they "age out" of her studio, Abby feels as though she's already stamped them with her label, and her job is done (ultimately, her purpose has always been to serve herself), so now it's up to the dancers and their moms to market/promote themselves.

Sam is clearly his momma's cute li'l button-boy. I'd not be surprised if he's been approached for film -or, maybe, more realistically- commercial roles. However, the immaturity and disrespectful attitude towards those in authority does not bode well for him, particularly in situations where he has to work cooperatively. He'd better aspire to work in situations where he - or his mother - is the boss. Arnov and his father have a nice sort of father-son relationship. It's not like the dad just showed up to be, well, a showboater. Arnov's dad clearly admitted to uncertainty with respect to helping Arnov study. It was nice to see Arnov succeed with his father's help; there is something about his mother, though, that I just can't stand: Her intensity, her expression? I don't know, it's just ---- something... My reason for not wanting to see Arnov get the prize: His mother. I like Vivek, despite his "I smell something bad" expression. Specifically, I liked his father's statement about their being middle class, and his humble nature. They could use the money (the oft-mentioned, "$100,000.), whereas I get the feeling some of the other families, particularly Chance's, are doing pretty well. My reason for wanting Vivek to win: His parents. Claire in her pink Big Bird outfit.... I like Claire but, whew.... Those parents are another pair of perfectionists x 100,000,000,0000. It would not hurt any of them one bit to see Claire on the lower rung for a change. My reason for not rooting for Claire: Her parents. And, although I am always on edge re: Chance, wanting him to make it all the way to the top, I think of the money again; it certainly would appear his family is not exactly "middle class," in the traditional sense of the word. One grandfather is a judge, another one a lawyer, his mother is an attorney, etc. etc. Looks like they have plenty of family support - financial and otherwise. So, for that reason, I won't be too upset if Chance doesn't get the big money prize and the title of "Child Genius." (IMO, they're all little geniuses, academically, anyway.)

Is it me or does Tyson look very much like Bill from "The Little Couple?" I know Tyson is not a dwarf, I'm talking about his facial features and the way he speaks.

I find Mars much more unlikable than I do him. So she had an absent father; yet, she is going to replay the same scenario with her own daughter? Surely she knew better conceiving a child with a divorced, father of three, who is twice her age. Didn't she say something about having a child in order to bring her and Doug together? I got the impression they did not see each other with any regularity and that they didn't even know each other all that well. Then, in the scene where she is wailing on the couch for Doug to help her get dressed; give me a break... What's worse is her acting as though she is just a "set of boobs" to the baby, when in all likelihood she is probably jumping for joy that she gets to go out and do her thing while Doug cares for Sophia. Sorry, she gets no sympathy from me. Mars brought this on herself.

I would love to know why Lifetime has stopped showing, "Trapped in a Purple Haze." With heroin abuse spiraling out of control in certain areas of the U.S., it would seem a perfect time to air this movie. Lifetime's original description of the movie: "A student's bright future is darkened when a new college friend encourages him to experiment with drugs." (The drug, incidentally, is heroin.) After googling the name of the movie I see lots of references but not much linking it to Lifetime anymore, which makes me wonder if the network no longer has rights to it.

I’ve been thinking over what it is I wouldn’t like about Neil as a spouse. The image I’ve always envisioned for a husband is someone whom I could count on to protect me. Granted, Neil could be a tremendous source of emotional support, it would seem. The problem is this: I could not imagine myself looking to Neil for protection if, for instance, an intruder were in our home. Maybe I’ve been watching too much Investigative Discovery (i.e. “My True Nightmare” or whatever it’s called). But I just can’t see Neil as the dominant one even in an emergency scenario.

About Ashley and the man in the picture? From what others have posted here I had the impression he is her stepfather and that her mother has not been married to him all that long. If this is the same person, he posts under the name, "Marc Harnois." Re: David referring to "his wife," well, that's no surprise considering his tendency to use those two words every chance he gets. "My marriage" comes in at 2nd place.

I never thought I'd become such a fanatic for Lifetime movies. Just this week I saw two that I really liked. One was "The Rival" with my favorite LMN actress, Tracy Nelson, who was playing her psycho wife role spectacularly, as usual. The other was Dark Beauty, about a successful attorney who marries a younger woman who is pregnant by another man, and has a questionable past. He has been warned about her but he is head-over-heels in love with her and, well, you just have to watch... I thought another one worthy of mention was "What She Knew" starring Amber Tamblen. The movie is a very subtle, deeply moving portrayal of a teenager whose baby winds up dead. For those who have not seen it I won't say more and haven't given anything away by mentioning the fact that the child dies, because it's right there in the movie description. The key scene in this movie can be summed up in two words: Extremely disturbing. I'll add a few more, too, about Amber T. She is an enormously talented actresss. This is the first time I'd ever seen her in any performance.

Yes, the acting was great, particularly JR Bourne, and the guy who played his unreasonable, greedy boss. Oh, so true about Eric Roberts; he plays psychos exceedingly well, but he is, all in all, a fine actor. I was kind of awed by that head of hair he's got. I'm assuming it's the real thing? Wow, "Stolen from the Womb" was a good one. Well acted all the way around. Just so disturbing that it was based on a true story. I, too, felt a sliver of sympathy for the baby thief/Chelsea. For anyone who liked this movie, just to let you know that there is an Investigative Discovery version of this story (with reenactments) and one more that is very similar. Both of these are showing now on Comcast Infinity's On Demand selection on the "Investigative Discovery" network, under the show, "Web of Lies."

This is so true. I am getting a passive-aggressive vibe from him, as well as that urgency and sense of desperation, now that he is -- what? -- two weeks into the marriage? If it's true that David's father died when he was quite young it could be that his mother overcompensated and spoiled him, which has possibly given him unrealistic expectations from women. If this theory is true, it could also explain his somewhat childish behavior.

Mystical Chick, I am SOOO with you on this one. The overuse of "my wife" and "my marriage" is just too much. You're right about this annoying habit diminishing the credibility of the show. It makes it seem like play acting on the part of the participants and also suggests that the participants - some of them, anyway - have been just living for the day when they can utter those precious, possessive terms: "My wife," "My marriage," etc. I am thinking of the melodramatic scene of David saying, "I think my marriage is in trouble." Sounds like something a person might say if he were married for a period of time greater than six days!