Season 9 Discussion

[emmawoodhouse]

Oh, absolutely. Bobby and Kelton came from the environment of PCC. Evan's family seems a little less conservative than the Bateses, but still fundie.

[RebeccatheWriter]

13 hours ago, emmawoodhouse said:

Oh, absolutely. Bobby and Kelton came from the environment of PCC. Evan's family seems a little less conservative than the Bateses, but still fundie.

Evan's family seems to enjoy being on television and not worried about the cameras at all. Kelton's dad seems to be okay with it too. Bobby's parents either really don't like the Bates or they are nervous about being on camera. They seem to be religious and conservative, but not over the top. 

[cereality]

No way to know for sure but my impression has always been that Evan's family -- like Evan -- have the showmanship thing. Don't they have (or used to have?) some kind of music group that went church to church to sing? So I think they like attention. You even see it in their weekly YT videos, his brother is on them A LOT and a few of the older sisters and his mom/dad are on a fair bit too. If they minded, they could easily opt out of those as that doesn't affect E&C's earnings -- they can make YT videos and make $ of those whether his older sister or mom was in them or not.

Michael Balka -- IDK I don't think he minds the cameras but IDK if he's jumping to be on camera either. With him I wonder if it's a realization that his son has married into an annoying, loud, overbearing family that is also local so if he wants time with his son and DIL and esp his granddaughter, he needs to just TAKE that time. Like if he shows too much reluctance re -- oh the cameras are going to be at Willow's birthday hmm IDK -- he'll be cut out of the picture quickly and the Bates will gladly use up all of that extra time with Willow. Now reality is I don't think that'll happen because Kelton hates his inlaws and let's be honest Josie isn't too crazy about mom and dad and 37 siblings either, so I think they actually like the calmer time with Michael Balka so I don't think they're about to cut him out; but I do wonder if he's jumped on board just out of fear of losing his son and granddaughter.

The Smiths -- they couldn't even hide their disdain for Tori and her annoying parents during the courting, nagging their son to move to a trailer in Rocky Top, begging Bobby for a ring, begging him for the ring even more the day she  knew he was proposing, and then stopping the wedding with her giggles. I mean right after the ceremony all his parents could say was "well he got hitched" -- the way you'd say about some stranger or distant coworkers wedding. Sure I'm sure some of it is not being comfortable on camera but some of it is not liking his wife/her overbearing family and feeling like they lost their spineless son to her family as he took about 2 seconds to agree to settle near her family. I realize B&T are the least social media involved but IDK if they even go down to Fla all that much. I think I've legit seen one picture of them with the older kid with his parents in Fla. Bobby is spineless compared to Kelton. Kelton would straight up refuse to not see his dad, not have him at his kid's birthday, not call him when he's doing home renos etc. Bobby -- eh well they live far away so whatever. They're also dumb. His parents live in a beautiful home with a pool and I believe are close to a beach. Why the heck aren't they going down there on at least 2-3 winter trips yearly to get some Fla sunshine, let his parents hang with the grandsons etc. -- whom I'm sure they'd babysit and interact with, not just hand them off to a sibling walking by.

[BitterApple]

I'm sure Bobby would love to visit, but Tori probably whines endlessly about the packing, travel, costs, etc. Remember when they were moving back to Rocky Top? Tori didn't lifting a finger and still managed to complain and criticize every move Bobby made. She's a lifesuck.

[RebeccatheWriter]

40 minutes ago, BitterApple said:

I'm sure Bobby would love to visit, but Tori probably whines endlessly about the packing, travel, costs, etc. Remember when they were moving back to Rocky Top? Tori didn't lifting a finger and still managed to complain and criticize every move Bobby made. She's a lifesuck.

I played a drinking game on how many times she told him he got the wrong size truck.

[RebeccatheWriter]

Season finale thoughts...

1. I suffer from acid reflux and have had to have surgery to help it. I also had surgery to relieve an issue with frequent bouts of diverticulitis. Kelly Jo and Gil are seriously dramatic about these things. Yes, there can be complications, but both were relatively minor (especially the reflux surgery). I'm seeing more and more where Carlin gets it from. (Please note that I am not discounting the seriousness of esophageal cancer and Barrett's Esophagus. Those are serious and Kelly Jo should be monitored and treated. I just remember on United Bates of America when Kelly Jo had her surgery for her gall bladder. Gil was waxing philosophical about how she might not make it through the surgery. When Gil had his colon surgery (not comfortable - I know), he and Kelly Jo were talking about what would happen without him. These people just seem very negative about medical treatment and surgery. There are risks, but the dramatics get to be a bit much.

2. I appreciate that they put the note up about Josie's miscarriage. It was super awkward last season? when they showed Whitney and Zach announce pregnancy. They were getting congratulations messages despite the miscarriage being announced on social media and in their Facebook Live. 

3. Lawson is highly annoying and seems to think he is superior to everyone. He just loves the camera.

4. Chad seems like a nice person. I'm sure he has all those awful beliefs, but he genuinely does seem to like his own children and doesn't just say they are cute. 

5. We got the dramatic diagnosis video from Carlin and Evan, but thankfully missed out on their sleeping in the car in the driveway of his parents house while visiting Layla though the storm door. Like her brother, she does love that camera. That was a super awkward way to have a video call with your parents. 

6. Also appreciate that UP added that little note at the end that other Bates had been diagnosed with COVID and recovered.  

Edited September 25, 2020 by RebeccatheWriter

[emmawoodhouse]

Yeah, very interesting little admission at the end of the episode because they could have kept that quiet. That said, we knew their failure to socially distance would come back to bite them in their collective asses. I wonder which Bateses fell ill? 

[sATL]

17 hours ago, emmawoodhouse said:

Yeah, very interesting little admission at the end of the episode because they could have kept that quiet. That said, we knew their failure to socially distance would come back to bite them in their collective asses. I wonder which Bateses fell ill? 

I'm glad they were honest and forth-coming. I kinda wonder if any Duggars fell ill.

[Absolom]

1 hour ago, sATL said:

I'm glad they were honest and forth-coming. I kinda wonder if any Duggars fell ill.

I doubt we'll ever know, but I expect at least a few of them have given the traveling they've done and the families they've been around.

[Absolom]

Bates show was up this week:  256 K viewers and a .07 rating.  108th cable show of the day.

[answerphone]

While thinking about all the political news, I’ve finally decided this family, their friends, and their D family friends who arranged to get them on television are all hillbilly, under educated cult members. 
 

Sorry...