Season 9 Discussion

[65mickey]

Ok I must not be very bright here but I don't understand the timeline of the birth and the scenes  with Bbby and Tori sitting on the couch and discussing the birth. They were giving a blow by blow description of the trek to the hospital and the delivery all the while she appeared very pregnant and was stroking her belly like pregnant women do. What am I missing here? 

[emmawoodhouse]

9 minutes ago, 65mickey said:

Ok I must not be very bright here but I don't understand the timeline of the birth and the scenes  with Bbby and Tori sitting on the couch and discussing the birth. They were giving a blow by blow description of the trek to the hospital and the delivery all the while she appeared very pregnant and was stroking her belly like pregnant women do. What am I missing here? 

I was wondering that myself. Did they stuff her with a pillow? Bates girls tend to bounce back from pregnancy very easily, with minimal effort.

[65mickey]

Either that or they were seeing into the future and relating things that had not happened yet. Very confusing. 

[3 is enough]

I did not see it, but maybe she was describing the birth of her first son?

 

[65mickey]

I don't think so. They were definitely talking about the birth of the second child. Was very strange. 

[emmawoodhouse]

12 minutes ago, 65mickey said:

I don't think so. They were definitely talking about the birth of the second child. Was very strange. 

I agree. They even named Kolter in the narrative.

[RebeccatheWriter]

Best moment was Addy answering back that she didn't know labor signs because she hasn't been with a woman in labor. 

I agree it makes no sense that they were talking in past tense while she had her hands like still pregnant. I think it must have been after. She looked less pregnant than in the blue dress. 

Kelly Jo is hilarious with the comments that they are all staying home. Addy and katie were at Tori's. Lawson and Nathan were at Duggar Homegrown Airport. Then they were basically comparing labor and delivery units in hospitals to zombie movies. 

On a superficial note, Bobby is getting a more mature look that is making him the bestish of the sons in law. 

As for the group chats during labor. Did any of these people think about a tripod or even a stick? 

 

[iluvobx]

On 8/28/2020 at 7:45 PM, emmawoodhouse said:

Didn't Gil claim that he was "across the street" from Tori?

No, he said he was across the street from the ER Trace was in.  It looked like he was on the top level of the parking garage.

[emmawoodhouse]

Oh okay, I misunderstood! That's what I get for not paying full attention. 😁

[Tikichick]

So the Bates' boutique is busy enough that the 3 sisters, their husbands AND employees work there ordinarily? 

[RebeccatheWriter]

5 minutes ago, Tikichick said:

So the Bates' boutique is busy enough that the 3 sisters, their husbands AND employees work there ordinarily? 

According to Carlin's instagram stories, I'm not sure she works. Apparently, she carries around Layla, flips her hair, and shoots video for social media with commentary on what everyone is doing. That is when she isn't distracted by mirrors. 

I have to wonder about Zach and Whitney's neighbors. I'm sure they didn't buy a house on that street to have someone with a business in basically a portable building in the backyard. If each sister drove separately, plus one or two helpers, an occasional husband, and a film crew when allowed, that is a lot of vehicles on what is supposed to be a quiet residential street. Given how strict cities and counties can be with zoning, I wonder how Zach and Whitney made that legal. 

[Tikichick]

58 minutes ago, RebeccatheWriter said:

According to Carlin's instagram stories, I'm not sure she works. Apparently, she carries around Layla, flips her hair, and shoots video for social media with commentary on what everyone is doing. That is when she isn't distracted by mirrors. 

I have to wonder about Zach and Whitney's neighbors. I'm sure they didn't buy a house on that street to have someone with a business in basically a portable building in the backyard. If each sister drove separately, plus one or two helpers, an occasional husband, and a film crew when allowed, that is a lot of vehicles on what is supposed to be a quiet residential street. Given how strict cities and counties can be with zoning, I wonder how Zach and Whitney made that legal. 

Isn't the 'gram big business in and of itself these days?

Having visited very near the area they live in several times(nothing at all to do with them and most times before I'd ever even heard of the family) and the brief glimpses of the home setting from the show, I'm not sure Zach and Whitney live in your average suburban neighborhood with a typical suburban lot.  My impression was that their home isn't extremely close to neighbors and they might have 1/4 to 1/2 acre lot at least.  I could be way off base.  I did assume they were the ones who provided the building space because they're the only ones of the three not renting.

Anyone living within even the general vicinity of any Bates family member is probably used to a large onslaught on at least a few occasions.  The only exception possibly being Alyssa's neighbors.  Not because of distance, simply because she puts her foot down. 

[sATL]

In Erin and Chad TH - what is that on her cheeks? looks like Vaseline...

Anyone have any Intel to any baby Bates made during quarantine ? Should we start a pool? 

When Erin said " ... I think when we look at on this time when the world basically feels like it shut down..... we just made alot of good meals and ate lots of desserts and made memories...."... I truly was thinking a baby is going to come out of this somewhere, even though most of the families have new infants.

ok - the home-school teacher Tori is on maternity leave... shouldn't there be some schooling going on somewhere in the other households? At least Micheala and Brandon, opened a book/took a course..

Edited September 4, 2020 by sATL

[sATL]

3 hours ago, Tikichick said:

So the Bates' boutique is busy enough that the 3 sisters, their husbands AND employees work there ordinarily? 

I'm not in the retail business - but don't they carry quite a bit of inventory to be NOT a brick and mortar? I thought an IG/SM business works on subscriptions and/or pre-orders. I just saw alot of "stuff" that may or may not be going anywhere anytime soon, let alone more coming in the door. I think that black top has/had a twin at walmart/ross/tjmaax/marshall.

Do they sell jean skirts? - they seem to love them soooo much...

I guess Jackson just killed his case for joining the marines... if he can't be away for a extended time from family , he won't be be able to be in bootcamp, let alone assigned to a duty station somewhere in the world. I doubt Lawson was homesick -he probably was out of pocket money, as he's been away before.

I wonder if Michella is now working in a needed area, upon her graduation. Many medical teaching places, did kinda speed up the learning so they students could work where help is needed.

Kelli has her "pantry" everywhere. Can't the instruments move to the living room?   She said to put the new shelving units behind the piano - huh ?? who wants to move a piano just to get to canned goods ?

Edited September 4, 2020 by sATL

[sATL]

BIL Evan:  "Lawson is  just a really hot good looking  guy... ".. weird...

Edited September 4, 2020 by sATL

[RebeccatheWriter]

2 hours ago, Tikichick said:

Isn't the 'gram big business in and of itself these days?

Having visited very near the area they live in several times(nothing at all to do with them and most times before I'd ever even heard of the family) and the brief glimpses of the home setting from the show, I'm not sure Zach and Whitney live in your average suburban neighborhood with a typical suburban lot.  My impression was that their home isn't extremely close to neighbors and they might have 1/4 to 1/2 acre lot at least.  I could be way off base.  I did assume they were the ones who provided the building space because they're the only ones of the three not renting.

Anyone living within even the general vicinity of any Bates family member is probably used to a large onslaught on at least a few occasions.  The only exception possibly being Alyssa's neighbors.  Not because of distance, simply because she puts her foot down. 

Their home is not in a high or even medium density residential area. Home businesses in general aren't discouraged for low density or even agricultural zoning, which is what I assume their street to be. I grew up in the Anderson County area and still have a lot of family in Clinton and Rocky Top (I still call it Lake City). 

A few notes about what I meant:

• Whitney had commented before she had Khloe that the house was on a street with other houses (large lots assumed) because she wanted Erin, Tori, and Carlin to all buy there and for them to all be neighbors and family. She and Erin commented that the kids could go from house to house to see each other and play. That would indicate that it is a house within sight and ear distance of other houses. 
• The homes in that area are typically on septic not sewer. I highly doubt that Zach and Whitney had a larger septic tank installed to satisfy requirements. They might not have customers there, but they have said various siblings help out on site, as well as employees. It's a portable building. So I am assuming anyone needing a restroom has to go into the house. That can bring a strain on the public water source (if not on a well- a whole other issue). I wouldn't want to be down the road from them and down flow from a home that had a business with multiple people there all day every day. 
• Roads in Anderson County and most of Tennessee (as well as other places) are notoriously narrow. I would get annoyed as a neighbor if all these cars were traversing up and down a quiet, country road and parking in the street (assumed). 

All of the Bates who are married have this issue somewhat when camera crews come to film. It's not great, but I doubt it is more than once a week if that much. Most professional crews will carpool (van) to shoot sites that are low on parking. They are also usually very conscientious about not being a problem to neighbors. 

I work in municipal government so when I see these sorts of things on television, I wonder. We have one woman in the city where I work who sells jewelry once a month from her carport/garage. She maybe gets 20 customers all day. I always know when it happens because the complaints are through the roof from her neighbors. "People were parked in the street and it was too narrow to get my car through to get home." "I don't want people parked in front of my house. I like my view and don't want to see some cheap car." "All the doors slamming echoes down the street and disturbs the peace we moved here to find."

It may not be an issue for their neighbors, but I would be surprised. The Bates aren't really known for thinking of others.  

 

[andromeda331]

I'm not convinced Erin or Carlin do any "work" for their business. 

[Absolom]

Ratings for this week showed a bit of an uptick:  288 K viewers and a .07 rating.  It was the 95th cable show of the day.

[Tdoc72]

It looks like Nathan was wearing one of those silicon rings on his ring finger. I don’t think he’s married but I wonder what’s going on. 

Edited September 6, 2020 by Tdoc72

[floridamom]

I have to admit during that 'putting the shelves together' segment, I thought it was an expectant woman standing to the left of the screen. It was Kelly, to my honest surprise. That woman looks as if she is going to have another baby...and soon. Not being mean here, I know she had 19 of them and won't sport an 18 inch waist no matter what she does but she really isn't looking very good lately. Maybe if SHE got off of her ass and did some thing physical around her own house, she would shed some of those LBs. During those drone shots over the exterior of their house, you can see the old dilapidated house they lived in. It's attached to the back of the 'new addition', courtesy of Jim Bob Duggar's grifting abilities. They lived in an old shack-like structure that was beginning to fall down around them. I remember the old show, United Bates of America. They were in that old house back then and it was filmed in it.

[RebeccatheWriter]

8 hours ago, floridamom said:

During those drone shots over the exterior of their house, you can see the old dilapidated house they lived in. It's attached to the back of the 'new addition', courtesy of Jim Bob Duggar's grifting abilities. They lived in an old shack-like structure that was beginning to fall down around them. I remember the old show, United Bates of America. They were in that old house back then and it was filmed in it.

The renovations had already taken place by the time they did United Bates of America. The opening of the show contains all of them on the same front porch they have now. Most of the old house still stands, but is used for storage and part of the "school room." 

[emmawoodhouse]

Don't they also film the talking heads back there as well?

[65mickey]

58 minutes ago, RebeccatheWriter said:

The renovations had already taken place by the time they did United Bates of America. The opening of the show contains all of them on the same front porch they have now. Most of the old house still stands, but is used for storage and part of the "school room." 

Right. They didn't have a show when that house was built. It was shown being built on the Duggar show. 

[floridamom]

Well then, I'm a bit confused but I remember a segment of the Bates family sitting in their old living room singing songs; the girls dressed in those prairie dresses and an upright piano in the room. What am I remembering then?

[emmawoodhouse]

9 minutes ago, floridamom said:

Well then, I'm a bit confused but I remember a segment of the Bates family sitting in their old living room singing songs; the girls dressed in those prairie dresses and an upright piano in the room. What am I remembering then?

From when they were on 19 Kids? There was also a special on ABC. That was the one where there was a tornado watch, and Erin was in tears.

[RebeccatheWriter]

The two house renovation episodes were from 18 Kids and Counting. I believe Anna was pregnant with her first baby and there was talk about how Josh and Anna slept in a room together that was supposed to be private. However, the only way to get into the only bathroom that was operational was to walk through the room where they were sleeping. I remember feeling sorry for her, as they were sleeping on an air mattress and she had to be uncomfortable even without 40 something people tromping in and out all night long. 

The first one was called Do It Yourself Duggar and the second was Duggars on a Deadline. Later they came back for a visit and showed the renovations nearly complete. 

There were a few specials that had segments with the Bates on ABC's Nightline, including one called My Extraordinary Family. Their segment ran and then the next segment was a family with a transgender child. Most of the specials included shared footage, especially of the family when they were on their way to Big Sandy and stayed in a hotel lobby during a tornado warning. They later did one that used much of that footage and spliced in Alyssa's wedding. So part of their Nightline specials (two different reporters did filming) were shot prior to United Bates of America and some after United Bates of America and before Bringing Up Bates. 

While some people refer to the Nightline coverage as special episodes or specials about the Bates, they were more like feature stories that were part of longer magazine shows. These stories are like 15 minutes to 20 minutes long and placed together with other unrelated stories. The ones that were before United Bates of America were more than likely pitched by TLC to frame them as a normal family with a lot of kids. These segments included things like Lawson doing the grocery shopping and Erin attending Crown. Kelly and some of the girls took the female reporter out to a thrift store to shop. She picked out a shirt for Zach (apparently picking out a new item for each child). Gil is later shown wearing the shirt. She also shops with Lawson, wanting to buy a swimsuit that they won't freak out about because she has invited the kids over to swim at her hotel. Lawson gets very judgmental about the whole thing, But Alyssa and Michaela later compliment her on it and say it was sweet of her to want to dress like them for swimming. One segment also includes footage of Zach's first courtship proposal. This also includes Jackson's comments about ALERT being the Army of God.  

A later one had a male correspondent doing the story. It was mostly the same fluff, but included segments of them making snow ice cream and more singing. It also showed the CCTV system that was installed so Kelly Jo could keep tabs on all the kids. 

Most all of the Nightline segments can be found via Google. 
 

[Tdoc72]

Carlin and Evan were making me so stabby tonight. Prayers to God are good and all, but how about calling a pediatrician to help make educated decisions about whether to go to the ER or Layla’s healthcare in general.  Carlin especially sounded so young and stupid. Also, Carlin was saying she was so worried about her that she could barely sleep yet didn't mention that they dumped their baby on his relatives for extended visits.  

[emmawoodhouse]

I haven't watched it yet. Did Nathan announce a courtship? 

[bybrandy]

15 minutes ago, emmawoodhouse said:

I haven't watched it yet. Did Nathan announce a courtship? 

Nathan announced that he was promised to somebody and wearing a promise ring and was thinking about settling down.   

[emmawoodhouse]

Oh, he explained the ring. I guess that's something.

[andromeda331]

2 hours ago, Tdoc72 said:

Carlin and Evan were making me so stabby tonight. Prayers to God are good and all, but how about calling a pediatrician to help make educated decisions about whether to go to the ER or Layla’s healthcare in general.  Carlin especially sounded so young and stupid. Also, Carlin was saying she was so worried about her that she could barely sleep yet didn't mention that they dumped their baby on his relatives for extended visits.  

Same here. Call a freaking doctor Carlin. She's so worried and yet not worried enough to repeatedly dump her on others. Then again Layla's probably in better hands with others then her idiot parents.

[Lisa418722]

Promised to someone sounds like an arranged marriage.  Which, in fundieland, is how marriages usually happen.  

Edited September 11, 2020 by Lisa418722

[RebeccatheWriter]

So ridiculous. 

1. Whitney and Zach are doing most of the work. Then they show Whitney answering emails. So Carlin and Erin can't manage or be bothered to do that? They can't print mailing labels and drop those off at The shed in the backyard? What exactly can they do? 

2. So this episode says Lawson and Nathan just got back from Arkansas, but last episode had Lawson back and putting together shelves. 

3. So Lawson is back to being in a relationship with his music. That wasn't a commercial for his new release, now was it?

4. Nathan is a drama queen. I realize that was staged for the camera. People don't spring questions like that on others without warning when there is filming going on around them. 

5. Carlin is an idiot because she wants to be an idiot. She thinks it is cute or something. I feel sorry for Layla who needs to crawl right out the door and never look back. Take the baby to the doctor. 

6. That off the one shoulder top on Addallee was racy for a Bates girl at home. 

7. The t-shirts for all of their side businesses is getting to be a bit much. One person is wearing one in each scene.  

8. A promise ring seems a bit silly for a 27 year old man. Am I supposed to guess his promised one is at home practicing writing her name with his?

9. And I still maintain the way he talked about it was not exactly promising that he has learned some respect for women. It was all about him and checking off the box of settling down before 30. It would be far better just to say, "I met someone and we are taking it slow right now. Since it is so new, we aren't really ready to make any announcements or anything. We'll see what happens."

10. He could have even tied it in with the COVID-19 storyline and said something about how it was harder/easier to get to know someone when you can't see or visit the person. They could have then switched to a talking head of Katie talking about only being able to call and text with Travis. 

11. Kelly Jo, nobody in their right mind is feeling sorry for you about missing out on a picnic. 

 

[Tikichick]

I feel bad for saying it, but I hear warning bells when Nathan speaks -- particularly the very staged, extremely awkward and completely inorganic discussion of the promise ring.   He gives me chills up my spine.  

[sATL]

10 hours ago, bybrandy said:

Nathan announced that he was promised to somebody and wearing a promise ring and was thinking about settling down.   

a man wears a promise ring now  ?

[iluvobx]

13 minutes ago, sATL said:

a man wears a promise ring now  ?

I know!  Really, it seems that in today's society, guys want to be girls and girls want to be guys but seriously, a Bates boy wearing a promise ring?  Promise for what?  She needs to run to the hills now!

[3 is enough]

This “promise ring” is silicone, right? 
I know people who do physical, potentially dangerous work choose to wear silicone wedding bands, but a silicone “promise ring”?

I hope this girl realizes what she is getting into and runs far, far away.

[Temperance]

I think it's sweet that Nathan is wearing a promise ring. It's to show he has someone and is currently not looking for someone else.  Historically only women wore wedding rings, but for a long time men and women have been wearing them. 

I'm kind of impressed by that. These people usually are extremely patriarchal and limited in their thinking about gender roles. 

If she's not fundie, I hope she runs for the hills, because of the rest of their beliefs. 

[RebeccatheWriter]

5 hours ago, sATL said:

a man wears a promise ring now  ?

I did a little research on that "trend." It isn't exactly trending. However, when couples go for the promised title in high school or college, they will exchange rings. However, that seems progressive for a Bates.  

[Absolom]

Ratings this week:  255 K viewers and a .06 rating.  105th cable show of the day.

[emmawoodhouse]

Ratings slipped a bit despite pimping out a possible courtship. That can't be good. 

[MargeGunderson]

9 hours ago, sATL said:

a man wears a promise ring now  ?

An adult wears a promise ring now?

[sATL]

It's 4:30 PM EST on Friday 9/18 and no comments about this ground breaking  episode? I taped it because I wanted to see the NFL game..thought I would come here first to read the reviews...

Edited September 18, 2020 by sATL

[emmawoodhouse]

It was just a lame clipshow of stuff that originally ended up on the cutting room floor. It went as far back as before Willow was born. 

Huge snoozefest.

[Absolom]

Ratings:  240 K viewers and a .05 rating.  127th cable show of the day.

[floridamom]

Does Kelly Jo not have a clear picture of how she comes across? She doesn't want to be overbearing and tell her children what to do? I think she needs to have another look in that mirror. She is absolutely overbearing and sticks her nose in her childrens' lives.

[sATL]

9 hours ago, floridamom said:

Does Kelly Jo not have a clear picture of how she comes across? She doesn't want to be overbearing and tell her children what to do? I think she needs to have another look in that mirror. She is absolutely overbearing and sticks her nose in her childrens' lives.

hmmm.. yes over-bearing in her adult-children...trying to remember when she had a bearing ( let alone "over") with her minor-children.

I can't remember the last time it was shown she was alone with Jud/Jed... or the 3 youngest girls who appear together on the couch

Edited September 19, 2020 by sATL

[andromeda331]

Where exactly does harassing Brandon and Bobby about marrying her daughters fall on Kelly's scale of overbearing? Not to mention joining a cult where kids are brainwashed to do whatever their parents want and insuring they have no outside influences or opinions? 

[emmawoodhouse]

Brandon was already in IBLP as was Chad. It's Bobby, Kelton, and Evan who came from the outside.

[Temperance]

23 hours ago, emmawoodhouse said:

Brandon was already in IBLP as was Chad. It's Bobby, Kelton, and Evan who came from the outside.

Although all of these guys were fundie, right?