Season 10 Discussion: More Bates Bating Along

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Season 10 episode 1 is scheduled to air on 2021.04.08.  Time to check in with the Bateseseseseseseseseseses. 

[sATL]

Here's  a sneak peek " first look"  commercial..

https://www.etonline.com/bringing-up-bates-season-10-first-look-michaella-reveals-her-life-plans-exclusive-163518

I can't wait to find out which nursing specialty she plans to go into once she passes boards.. 🍿 . BTW - I thought the applicant schedules their boards - in the sneak peek above, Michalla says she is waiting on "them to tell her the date"..

ps: Chad's expression and overall look at the very end..🤣

Edited April 7, 2021 by sATL

[BitterApple]

Wow, Chad. Struggling to keep sweet, are we?

I wonder if the Bateses talk trash behind Michaela's back, and consider nursing school a consolation prize for not being able to conceive. It felt like Chad was trying to relay how the "Oh, we're so proud of her" was complete bullshit.

[emmawoodhouse]

Damn, I can't see the trailer for some reason, but the article seems to spell it out. So, Chad is condescending, eh? So much for his St. Chad image. 🙄

[sATL]

17 minutes ago, emmawoodhouse said:

Damn, I can't see the trailer for some reason, but the article seems to spell it out. So, Chad is condescending, eh? So much for his St. Chad image. 🙄

I'm sorry you can't see it... let me see if there is a different way for you to see it.. it is via ET online...

when you click on the link what happens ?

[emmawoodhouse]

I had to restart my phone to watch. Wow Chad. At least PRETEND to care. 

[Absolom]

Thanks for the reminder of the episode so I could sign up for frndly tv.  The episode is already there!  

[Spazamanaz]

I'm in Canada and we don't get UPTV. Not that I know of anyhow. I've seen most of the episodes up to season 7 on Youtube, before they were yanked off. So I guess I will follow here to find out what happens.

sATL ,  I'm not too sure where I read it but Michaela wanted to get into pediatrics. 

[sATL]

2 hours ago, Spazamanaz said:

I'm in Canada and we don't get UPTV. Not that I know of anyhow. I've seen most of the episodes up to season 7 on Youtube, before they were yanked off. So I guess I will follow here to find out what happens.

sATL ,  I'm not too sure where I read it but Michaela wanted to get into pediatrics. 

ok. that's  a good fit for her...

I do wonder too how is Brandon and Kelli&Gil going to handle a working nurses schedule esp. being the newbie - 12 hour shifts, nights, weekends, holidays...🍿 

But if Kelli&Gil got used to Zach's sheriff's schedule - I guess anything is possible.

 Or is there a Dr office that she hopes to work at so she can be closer to 9-5. I guess we have seen Dr. Vick  for years, so I am sure there is a pediatrician counterpart that is part of the fold...🍿

Edited April 8, 2021 by sATL

[floridamom]

I don't think Michaela will step outside of their belief system for a job in nursing. She won't be in a hospital; she will find some like-minded doctor's office and work there; only with children OR women. She will never be exposed to grown male patients. Zach being a deputy and out in the real world is a different story, he's a male. Gil and Kelly have less control over what a son does than they do a daughter, married OR not.

[cereality]

Prince Chad has grown older and more tired -- as we've all noted for years. He's a fairly aged 33 year old. It's possible that he reserves his "keeping sweet" for where it'll make his life hell not to do so -- i.e. writing the love letter Erin requires each morning; hiring Trace/Warden/Isiah/Jackson for his business; cooing with Erin about how much he wants more babies and is so devastated that that is now unlikely (while probably secretly being relieved as he was likely panicking about where he'd put kid #5-10 in that 2 bedroom cottage of theirs). So Michaela's nursing school just does not make it on his priority list.

And let's also be clear he is old school fundie raised in an old school fundie family. You know he 100% believes that a woman's role = wife + mother. And here's Michaela pursuing nursing as a consolation prize to motherhood -- he likely CAN'T celebrate that in his heart of hearts. You know he likely believes she should be sitting at home crying miserable praying 24-7 for a baby because that's what a Godly woman would do to fulfill her life's destiny as mom and to make her husband a dad like he deserves -- not go live her life. Michaela said in a recent IG story that she and Brandon agreed to take a break from specialists, fertility testing etc. for 2 years while she pursued school; I imagine they try like normal couples do but with a more -- whatever we're busy with school, if it happens it happens, if it doesn't then in 2 yrs we'll decide what if anything to pursue -- more specialists; fertility treatments; adoption etc. It's actually a very normal stance to take -- like here's something the wife wants to pursue, let her put her mind, heart and soul into that not be half-studying, half worrying about the test results from that last dr. appt. IDK if Chad specifically knows that -- though I'm guessing the family does as she put it on an IG -- but you know fundies like him disapprove. Wife and mother above all -- hell in his own family, didn't one of his older single sisters end up marrying a convicted rapist!? Gotta be a wife, doesn't matter the situation.

[IndianPaintbrush]

Chad looks like he's about to keel over from exhaustion and I don't blame him. He's got a lot riding on his shoulders between Erin's health and trying to earn a living.

Very proud of Michaela. Now if we can get her into some clothes that don't make her look 40 years older.

[floridamom]

Where is this video of Chad?

[emmawoodhouse]

13 minutes ago, floridamom said:

Where is this video of Chad?

In the article in the second post on this thread.

[Dehumidifier]

Chad just looks dead tired to me. I doubt if he gives Michaela or any of his in-laws much thought. It's not like she's been sleeping in the gutter and will now be out of it in which case he might have been worried about her.

[Dehumidifier]

Erin has perma-covid, looks great. Chad on the other hand...yikes.

[65mickey]

So Zach is going to leave law enforcement where he most likely has health insurance, life insurance , a pension and possibly disability insurance to go to work for his dad and I am willing to bet with no benefits and no guarantee of steady work.  Tree work is a dangerous  and  he has 4 litle kids.  Law enforcement can be dangerous also but at least he has benefits there. I just don't get these people. 

[Dehumidifier]

It is a mystery.

[3 is enough]

That is just insane.  And here I was thinking he was smarter thank your average Bates because he had a real job with benefits.  

[Dehumidifier]

I feel sorry for those 3 little girls seeing such a big fuss being made over another baby when they are babies themselves, the two youngest anyway.

[emmawoodhouse]

42 minutes ago, 65mickey said:

So Zach is going to leave law enforcement where he most likely has health insurance, life insurance , a pension and possibly disability insurance to go to work for his dad and I am willing to bet with no benefits and no guarantee of steady work.  Tree work is a dangerous  and  he has 4 litle kids.  Law enforcement can be dangerous also but at least he has benefits there. I just don't get these people. 

Wow, that's just stupid. 

[Dehumidifier]

Maybe he is too chunky and has been put on involuntary leave to lose weight? Do police departments do that?

[SMama]

Did Zach state a reason for committing financial suicide? I hope Gil and Kelly did not pressure him to quit.

[cereality]

It was interesting that Chad’s whatever-IDGAF face was reserved for Michael’s nursing school. When it came to little Esther and Law/Nathan being in Orlando w her, he was all sympathy. And when it came to his own wife, he shed tears. Kind of suggests he’s a typical fundie asshole — women only matter insofar as they are wives and mommies or are still babies; if they aren’t or are pursuing some other dream, who gives a f—-. I kind of like that such an asshole is aging in dog years.

And for all the tears Chad is shedding about Erin’s Covid and Kelly is saying how E had the toughest time — did the rest of the family ever stop traveling and gathering?? Also is E going to take the vax or are they against it? Chad said they’ll try anything and there’s reporting out there that many long haulers experience total/nearly total recovery after the shot.

And yeah super disappointing that Z is back working for Gil with the typical BS of “investing in my kids like dad invested in me” and not wanting to be away 50 hrs/wk. I wonder if they were trying not to say, police work is dangerous, we’ve been lucky for 10 yrs but the more yrs he does this, the more chances he’s taking. That I’d understand. But then why not try to grab a city govt job — where he started before the police academy? He’d then continue to have a steady paycheck, healthcare, retirement. At least 10 yrs in he’s leaving with a vested pension (not a full pension but smaller but still vested) — something that’s foreign to the Bates.

And I know this is mean but Josie and Kelton seemed ridiculously over the top re the miscarriage. She told him she was pregnant in June and announced a recent miscarriage in early September — so first 2-3 mos. You’d think a family with 10000000 kids would realize how common that is. I didn’t understand K&J both sitting there shedding tears and waxing poetic about walking thru SUCH a hard time and growing closer and wanting more kids someday. Uh idiots you have a 1 yr old and we all know you’re not having more kids “someday,” you’ll get busy a week after the miscarriage and be due in 9 mos — which is precisely what happened. I guess if they were Michaela and Brandon they would have offed themselves by now. Michaela and Brandon are the most likeable ones on this show — not shedding tears every 2 min, doing something in life other than making babies.

Edited April 9, 2021 by cereality

[sATL]

I think it is more behind the story with Zach. Possible thoughts

1 - If his police dept does some kind of physical/health check - not as much as the academy but something - he his probably not meeting that standard. When he said he only chases criminals a few feet and sits in a car all day eating pizza , that just didn't sound right...what if he has to do backup - he could be a liability to his partner, not to mention himself. I still question could he actually pull the trigger towards a human..

2- Does a sheriff  actually spend their entire career, sitting in a patrol car, 12 hrs a day? If could work a 8hr shift , would he stay?  How many stripes and/or commendations does he wear on his uniform ? Seems like its time for him to move up/lateral, if anything to make room for newbies and the experienced move on... he might not be doing much to move himself along. He was ambitious enough to get the job, but then perhaps became stagnant. 

3- Sheriff dept, like some state/city dept offices, do have layoffs, RIFs, early retirements, eliminate open positions, realignment - esp. with the reduction in tax revenues going into the 2021 budget year.  As much as we love Zach - I can see him being an easy target if the head financial person , had to make a decision.  And given all that was going on in the summer of 2020 - some law enforcement did make career decisions for personal conviction reasons.

4- I do see Gil/Whitney being a little whiny-bug in his ear. Gil isn't getting younger and needs/wants #1 son (jury is still out with sons #2-#4)  to take over the tree business, as there are a few sons (and possible future SILs)  who need to serve their tree-time. Gil probably had to turn down a few jobs as people were a home and paying attention to their property more. If  Zach wanted to "get fit" there are a plethora of things to do, besides the tree business, starting with picking up an apple and putting down the pizza. I think Gil believes a person should only be non-self employed for 10 years max b/c that is what he did - so he says. Whitney has has Kelli in her ear, whining, how you need you man at home when the kids get up and go to bed. 

And Zach - I got news for you - the last yard guy that appeared in our yard, huffing , puffing & out of shape in GA high-humid summer and called himself doing yard work - we let him go.

5- RE: benefits. I guess I am wondering just how deep is his benefit pkg currently. Its not like he's leaving a major city force - so is there really a partially vested pension? Was he doing any kind of 401k or taking advantage of other benefits - like life ins? And I don't know how this family does it -  but health care ins, doesn't seem to be a concern . And like the same point I said above about Michealla - getting paid time off for holidays isn't a benefit to them - they will rather go unpaid (or quit) before they have to work on a Bates-Holiday.

Edited April 9, 2021 by sATL

[sATL]

Hey - did they show Jackson? The son who wanted to go to the military via the Alert Academy ..🍿

Can't blame COVID for not joining and going off to boot camp. Yes the dates and times (length of basic training) shifted around with quarantines, but I'm pretty sure they had boot camp for airforce and army in summer of 2020. Not sure about the other branches.

[floridamom]

Most law enforcement agencies, big or small are under the State retirement system.....and they pay out well. Zach seems to be an idiot for leaving a job with benefits and a pension that isn't offered in many places anymore in the US. This was the one thing he did good....having a real job with real benefits and a regular paycheck. He is properly trained for it too. I wholeheartedly believe that his parents were never on board with his job and leaned on him to leave it. Tree work? He's not getting any younger for physical labor either. Whitney is a people pleasing idiot. She works so hard to be liked and included by Queen KellyJo. 

[sATL]

RE: Zach Benefits - He works for Anderson, Cnty , TN - according to google .. which yes - does use the state retirement system.  ( RetireReadyTN system) 

 ( source - Emp Benefits  ) " Anderson County Government strongly encourages employees to be prepared for retirement. Anderson County Government is a member of the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System (TCRS). This retirement system provides a pension for retirees. ACG contributes a percentage of the employees salary to this retirement system".... " In addition, ACG offers a deferred compensation plan, 457b and 401k, contribution option. These allow employees to contribute additional funds towards their retirement."

from https://www.anderson-county.com/humanresources/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Anderson-County-Benefit-Guide-2020.pdf

 

Edited April 9, 2021 by sATL

[65mickey]

Was this filmed last fall?  I got the impression that he had already left the sheriff's department. Was Whitney pregnant when he quit or did she get pregnant after he left? Unless the people have insurance under the affordable care act I do not see how they can continue to have babies every other year and in a hospital. Of course they would never admit to obtaining insurance under the ACA. Can you imagine how much you would pay for medical and life insurance being in the tree business?  

[Tikichick]

I could not believe the Zach news.   I considered the idea his girth had become an issue, but quite frankly I think that has probably increased since he's left the department and fallen into the family trap.   As far as him not climbing within the department, he may have reached his limits if he's unable to pass promotion testing and isn't even close to the passing score and recognized he never will be.   He must have been showing some promise along the way as far as what he could handle because he did mention something about leaving meant he wouldn't lead his own SWAT team anymore.   I suspect he may have been putting in extra hours at work due to staffing shortages if colleagues were sick or quarantining and G, K & W pressed their agendas.   Stupid, stupid, stupid.   Clearly they're trying to spin it as if the dress business is so busy that they won't need that paycheck.   Stupid, stupid, stupid. 

To me Erin and Carlin, both of whom had Covid, looked different, Erin significantly so.   Both clearly had recent color jobs on their hair in matching shades -- I wonder if Katie wasn't involved.    Both looked like they've lost weight, Erin much more noticeably.   They both looked on their way to becoming a bit skeletal.   They both looked like their hair was nowhere near as full.   They both still had plenty of hair, but I think Covid may have taken a toll with both.

I think the Chad thing in regards to Michaella's nursing graduation was simply an exhausted and over it guy spacing out and forgetting he was supposed to be on duty and on camera and the footage being used anyway because it wasn't caught during filming and they decided they needed Erin's comments at that point.    Can't believe nobody thought to dub her dialogue under some video of Michaella in training or something. 

[cereality]

The more I think about it, the more I think the Zach news has Whit and G&K all over it. Whit is a people pleaser who is DESPERATE to fit in with that family. All she's heard from G&K was G having his own business was the best thing ever bc he was home all the time except when he had tree jobs but that's ok bc he just took a handful of sons with him so it's not like he wasn't with his kids even at work. And now look -- bestie Erin's husband works for himself; Kelton and Bobby -- work for themselves; Evan doesn't yet but I bet he will at some point within 5 yrs; John -- works for his family's business; Brandon works from home. You KNOW Kelly and Erin who is Kelly 2.0 are in her ear about oh it's soooo awful that YOUR husband is the only one who is working for the man. Look at those evil heathens (in rural Tenn where everyone is Christian) making him go to work on a Sunday and be away from HIS KIDS on the LORD'S DAY blah blah. When they did that pandemic special early last summer, Z was still with the sheriff's office as he was shown coming home in uniform. But he got covid at work (I believe) and I assume lots of his coworkers did too so when he recovered, chances are he was pulling lots of double shifts etc. covering for those who were sick or had to quarantine bc of exposure.

You KNOW that's when Whit got in his ear about OMG Bradley is SIX, he cries for daddy, you're not home, how will he grow up to be a man just like you blah blah and started putting it in his ear that 10 years of working for someone besides his family was enough. Whit is all about pleasing Kelly (and Erin and Carlin) and Z is all about pleasing Whit bc at some level I still think he can't believe his luck that someone wanted him after he got dumped by that first girl.

So sometime between June and Sept 2020 (since this show featured Alyssa's gender reveal which was in Sept), he quit. Thing is -- he seems sad about leaving. Usually when someone leaves a job esp LEO they are RELIEVED it's over. He was like -- I can't even list all the things I'll miss about the sheriffs office; I used to lead my own SWAT team etc. It seems like he didn't 100% want to leave, he got pressured.

It IS totally possible that he wasn't able to make a promotion; needed to take some other test for it that he couldn't pass or couldn't dedicate time to studying for bc his wife said no you're already gone 60 hrs a week. But this is a place that relies on volunteer/hourly types of people in the sheriff's office like Trace and Law at one point. So I feel like Z would have been disappointed if he couldn't be promoted or be full time SWAT or detective but he would have hung around as a regular patrolmen/deputy for his career and/or until he COULD make the promotion. Like he doesn't seem like the type who'd be like if I can't be promoted, I'm out of here THIS year; I feel like he'd give the promotion a few chances and if it still didn't work, it'd be like ok it's the Lord's will that I just be a patrol cop.

Financially -- bad move. I just looked at the benefits PDF attached above. He had Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tenn (usually one of the best plans in every state) for $350/month for a family of 5!?! That's ridiculously good. That type of plan on the exchange for a family of 5 would EASILY be $1500/month if not more. Though 99.9999% chance they don't buy that type of insurance plan now that they do it on their own; chances are they buy the cheapest high deductible, minimal coverage plan there is just to have some coverage and showing his wages qualify for almost Medicaid like status -- so probably paying $100/mo max. And Anderson County REQUIRES employees to contribute 5% into a 401k AND the county then contributes an amount MORE THAN 5%. So with 10 years there, he is walking away with some retirement $. I just hope they're smart enough to NOT withdraw that -- he's 32 just let it sit in those investments for another 3 decades and you could be withdrawing a million+ at that time. I hope they don't feel like -- oh we can use this now to make ends meet when tree work is slow. And that's on top of any pension he may have thru Anderson County -- he probably has something even if it isn't the greatest pension ever.

If this really was a decision re look police work is dangerous and esp SWAT, let's not keep taking chances by doing this esp now with a wife and 4 kids. Ok fine. But then why not hang out at the sheriff's office until/unless you can get a position with Anderson County gov't or one of the local neighboring counties or state gov't; or try to get into security at one of the local courthouses -- much less dangerous as you're not patrolling the streets but mostly watching the metal detectors and who comes in? Those jobs don't open up every day but when they do, first preference is often people who are already in gov't and looking to transfer, not outsiders. He has a 10 yr history with Anderson County -- he even started in a county gov't job before leaving it to go to the police academy, he could probably get hired there but yeah it wouldn't have been within 3 months, it would be more like within 12-18 mos. Wouldn't that have been worth it for a steady paycheck and keeping these benefits!?

[BitterApple]

13 hours ago, Dehumidifier said:

Maybe he is too chunky and has been put on involuntary leave to lose weight? Do police departments do that?

I don't know about the U.S., but I saw a random video on YouTube from Indonesia where overweight officers had to do mandatory exercise classes or risk losing their jobs. The rationale was it set a bad example to the public if the people charged with protecting them weren't in shape. 

[sATL]

Zach doesn't value employee benefits, probably b/c of Gil's foolishness. Gil is probably filling his head - "why pay for health ins every two weeks/monthly, when you just pay (or trade) when you get sick. And you don't get sick".

 I wouldn't be surprised if Gil feels the same way about 401k/retirement accounts et. al. Why retire - Zach has a son so put him to work when old age kicks in.  Why have $$ in an account until your 59.5 ?  Again, Gil's foolishness. Hell he is one step from drawing Soc Sec himself - wonder has he bothered to check how much that will be, or does he not care b/c the tree business is that lucrative and the Lord will provide? 

Every item on that TOC list above from  the employee handbook - Gil probably has a reason why a person shouldn't work at a company. Just cut a tree to get it yourself, if/when you need it. I do get the small point that some employers offer benefits that at a certain point in time a person doesn't need - like educational benefits. 

I bet HR was speechless when they did his exit papers and looked at everything he is walking away from to go cut trees. Wonder what is full retirement - 20yrs? 

Edited April 9, 2021 by sATL

[RebeccatheWriter]

4 hours ago, Tikichick said:

I could not believe the Zach news.   I considered the idea his girth had become an issue, but quite frankly I think that has probably increased since he's left the department and fallen into the family trap.   As far as him not climbing within the department, he may have reached his limits if he's unable to pass promotion testing and isn't even close to the passing score and recognized he never will be.   He must have been showing some promise along the way as far as what he could handle because he did mention something about leaving meant he wouldn't lead his own SWAT team anymore.   I suspect he may have been putting in extra hours at work due to staffing shortages if colleagues were sick or quarantining and G, K & W pressed their agendas.   Stupid, stupid, stupid.   Clearly they're trying to spin it as if the dress business is so busy that they won't need that paycheck.   Stupid, stupid, stupid. 

To me Erin and Carlin, both of whom had Covid, looked different, Erin significantly so.   Both clearly had recent color jobs on their hair in matching shades -- I wonder if Katie wasn't involved.    Both looked like they've lost weight, Erin much more noticeably.   They both looked on their way to becoming a bit skeletal.   They both looked like their hair was nowhere near as full.   They both still had plenty of hair, but I think Covid may have taken a toll with both.

I think the Chad thing in regards to Michaella's nursing graduation was simply an exhausted and over it guy spacing out and forgetting he was supposed to be on duty and on camera and the footage being used anyway because it wasn't caught during filming and they decided they needed Erin's comments at that point.    Can't believe nobody thought to dub her dialogue under some video of Michaella in training or something. 

I have a feeling that Zach probably was facing pressure at work and within his family over his schedule and other issues. He wasn't as available to film and even had to miss things like the family photo shoot. If I remember correctly, he's had to come to family events (I Love You Day) in uniform and spend a limited amount of time. That in addition to added pressures of jobs in the public sector right now can be hard. Not to mention he's the only one in that whole family with a regular job and not trying to start their own business (i.e. make their own hours). I'm sure he felt that pressure too. 

As for his size, there are plenty of officers, deputies, etc. who are even larger. About the worst that happens in such departments is that you can't pass the tests (physical parts) for promotion. 

As far as Chad is concerned, he has been pulling those annoyed expressions for a while. When she is talking about them or their children, he looks engaged. Otherwise he looks annoyed and ready to go. That said, he looked particularly displeased with the interview regarding Michaela. I have to wonder if something was said to piss him off or if it was all about Michaela. For example, did the interviewer somehow say something negative about Erin spending money and time on a music ministry degree that has thus far given her a few piano clients and some recording opportunities she paid for herself?  I doubt it, but that's always a possibility. It would have been better as a voice over, but maybe UP is starting to be like TLC with showing us some of the little details without mentioning it. 

[BitterApple]

I just watched the episode and wow, Zach is an idiot for walking away from a job where he's already at the halfway point to a full pension. This move has Gil and Kelly written all over it. Whitney said he had to pray for months before making a decision, which is a dead giveaway he wasn't sure. If Zach was just over the job, it wouldn't have been that much of an internal struggle.

I don't doubt Erin genuinely struggled health-wise, as evidenced by the weight loss, but I also wouldn't be surprised if she was milking it. She strikes me as the type who loves to sit on her lilly pad while everyone else does all the work. She plays Chad like a fiddle. 

Watching John and Alyssa pretend to be happy about having another girl never gets old. 

[sATL]

2 hours ago, BitterApple said:

I don't know about the U.S., but I saw a random video on YouTube from Indonesia where overweight officers had to do mandatory exercise classes or risk losing their jobs. The rationale was it set a bad example to the public if the people charged with protecting them weren't in shape. 

here's one brave US police dept - from a while back. I didn't check to see if the pgm is still going on..

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2006-11-23-chubbycops23-story.html

Edited April 9, 2021 by sATL

[cereality]

In most police departments around the country and in most state/local gov't jobs, full retirement is 20 years so I imagine Anderson County is the same. He's already half way there! At this point it really would have made so much more sense to transfer into some other state/local gov't job if this was about his safety and do that for 10 years and THEN retire into tree cutting. Sometimes the retiree benefits in these jobs not only include your own 401k and pension but also things like lifetime health insurance at the state/city gov't rate which is WAY lower than the market rate -- but then of course in order for you to care about that, you have to think health insurance matters which this family doesn't.

I wonder if Z will regret this. When Trace was dating that girl in Texas 1-2 seasons ago, there was a portion of one episode where Trace was talking to Z about career planning and Z was saying -- do the sheriff's office thing as many shifts as you can get and then on the side pick up shifts with Chad because you can usually do 3-4 long shifts with the sheriff's dept in one week and then have the rest of the week off so you have time to make money and lots of your days off are weekdays when it's easy to pick up contracting jobs. Trace asked if that's what Zach did when he was starting out/just married and Z was like -- no it's what I WISH I had done. 

The other brothers have Z for guidance that's a little more worldly -- i.e. making money; taking out a mortgage for a nice house etc. Z has no one. I mean he has Gil but Gil is an idiot. As @sATL says Gil likely would talk or did talk Z out of all of these things being important bc he never had them -- oh health insurance whatever, just take your wife to the ER when she's crowning they can't turn her away; just do all prenatal care w/ Dr. Vick, he takes cash or bartering -- you don't need them fancy drs. at U. Tenn or any other private practice; if you need ultrasounds you again don't need them fancy drs. -- just go to the drop by in the strip mall place, they'll give you the ultrasounds you need for the gender reveal party; retirement -- oh don't worry, God will provide, it's going against God's will to prep THIS MUCH for retirement at age 32 -- don't you trust him? Plus you have a son and another on the way, you'll have a family business with them when you're old and they'll do the work and most of the $$$ will be yours.

I'm not saying someone HAS to stay in the police force or stay in a gov't job if they're miserable bc there's a pension. But reality is he didn't seem miserable -- even how he talked about it last night, it sounds like he liked it a lot and will miss it. Plus this isn't like the person who leaves bc they go to the private sector -- sure they give up a pension but get a physically safer job, may make more in salary etc. He is going into a family business that must support 8000 other people while he has a wife and 4 kids of his own!? I mean you know Gil is taking a good share of the $$$ from the tree business bc he has 8 kids at home and it's HIS business. Trace/Jackson/Warden/Isiah have no firm career plans yet -- sure they make some $ from Chad's business but you better believe that Chad's business isn't steady enough to need all 4 of them 40 hrs/wk, 52 wks a year. Right now it doesn't matter as thy are all single but as they all marry in the next 1-5 yrs, you KNOW they will ALL rely on the tree business esp. when pay from Chad is lean. And then you have Nathan and Lawson -- both looking to marry in the next 2 min. Sure they do other things like flight lessons and medical missions but again I don't think these things are 40 hr/wk, 52 wk/yr salaries -- so they will definitely need to be supplementing by working w/ the tree business. Plus once they're married w/ babies, how much are they really going to be running off to the next tornado to make money w/ whatever rescue org they're with? The tree business will start to become more and more what they look at for income. I mean there's a chance Lawson moves away to Ca. w/ Tiffany, but as for right now Zach is tying his future to a business that must support Gil, Nathan, Trace, Jackson, Warden, Isaiah and their eventual families. Is this business really THAT significant?? Someone better starting HUSTLING hard and seeing if they can land contracts with the city, surrounding cities, or the state of Tenn. to be cutting down the trees that grow along highways etc. That's the only chance they have of steady income that's enough to support 7-8 separate households.

[Tikichick]

I can't imagine how Lawson could afford a roof over his head in CA.

Still shaking my head over Zach's career self implosion with an expanding young family to support and halfway to full retirement.   My husband was forced into retirement last year from his professional corporate position.   We're in our fifties and he had plenty of years in to fully retire, but he's not ready to retire, couldn't handle that much down time.   His first preference was to get a job in his field working for our county government because he could qualify for another full retirement after ten years there considering his age.   Unfortunately that didn't happen, at least not yet.  Zach is a fool, and Whitney is for encouraging it and allowing him to believe Gil and Kelly know what they're talking about.

[sATL]

Hold up {again} - they had to fly Chad's mom out from ?? - which had to be risk in itself - to help take care of Erin/Chads babies ?? She's the next available person ? 

[cereality]

2 minutes ago, sATL said:

Hold up {again} - they had to fly Chad's mom out from ?? - which had to be risk in itself - to help take care of Erin/Chads babies ?? She's the next available person ? 

Oklahoma. Yeah and she's got to be age 65+ so let's fly out someone older to be in a home where people had covid and one of them is having a hard time kicking it; I mean we don't know that someone having a hard time recovering is contagious but do we know for certain that they aren't? And what happened to her 67,000 family members down the road? I'm surprised Addy/Ellie/Callie weren't assigned shifts over there to care for Erin's kids, cook/clean etc. And what about all of Erin's BS on IG about her husband being THE BEST at cooking, cleaning, mopping, laundry, etc. Doesn't it seem like mother in law was doing those things, not Prince Chad?

And where were these people staying? I imagine both MIL and brother in law are bunking in the only living/family room -- as the other 2 rooms are occupied w/ C&E and with the 4 kids.

Edited April 9, 2021 by cereality

[Tikichick]

A non Bates family member being featured as a superstar helper caught my attention too.   My first thought was, of course Kelly wouldn't take on any actual laborious assistance role.   Then I watched and listened and it seemed like initially Chad was handling the homefront, then Erin was on her own with the kids for a bit because it was mentioned that Chad did have some jobs that he had to go and attend to and finish up, then finally his mom came.   When the show then addressed Kelly's health issue and Kelly was also vague about who beyond Erin and Carlin had Covid I wondered if it was actually running rampant through that family for a while and once Erin's house wasn't contagious they were forced to bring in Chad's mom to take the pressure off.   I actually do think Chad may have been holding the fort for a while on his own.

I don't know how much I believe Kelly can't help or shouldn't be doing too much, but I do know that her weight is an issue with GERD and if it's gotten so bad she needs surgery she should be seriously working hard to address her weight.  (This is said from the perspective of a woman in Kelly's age range who has to keep an eye out to avoid her own backside spread and understands it's not simple by any means.  Purely talking about the situation with GERD in Kelly's circumstances only.)  

[65mickey]

46 minutes ago, sATL said:

Hold up {again} - they had to fly Chad's mom out from ?? - which had to be risk in itself - to help take care of Erin/Chads babies ?? She's the next available person ? 

I was wondering if I heard that right. You never hear of Kelly helping when one of her daughters is down. When Carlin and Evan had Covid his parents were helping with Layla. Now Chad's mom coming to help when Erin had Covid. It seems like none of these people ever think about gee what  would happen if one or both parents got ill and could not take care of 4 small children.  

Did Kelton say that his plumbing company now has 4 trucks and an office? I have to hand it to him. He seems like a hard worker and has his head on straight. 

[BitterApple]

Even when Alyssa was renovating her house, Kelly didn't come down until after all the unpleasant stuff (painting, cleaning, packing, hauling) was done. Considering the youngest group of girls are doing Aunt-Mom duty, it's not like Kelly is so overwhelmed with caring for her own kids that she can't help out anywhere. 

I wonder what happened to Tabitha? Didn't she and the rapist live in Tennessee? I'm surprised she wasn't available (or if she was maybe she didn't want to be filmed?). It feels like she's disappeared off the Earth. 

 

Edited April 9, 2021 by BitterApple

[65mickey]

Can you blame her?  The shame of having to explain how you are related and then have people go, OH that one. 

[Absolom]

Ratings:  281,000 viewers and a .05 rating.  121st cable show of the day.

[floridamom]

There was no reason that Zach could not have put in for a transfer to the county court house. He could have applied to be a courtroom baliff. They have regular hours, are off on the weekends and holidays all while still pulling in a regular steady paycheck with benefits. I'm sure he developed bonds with his fellow deputies in the department and has made friends "on the job" with them. Something his parents would not support, I'm sure. Yes, he had to pray about it for MONTHS? This indicates to me that he really didn't want to leave. Again, pressure from parents and the ever parental-pleasing Whitney. Not a good move for him, IMO. He should re-apply as soon as possible for a court house position of some sort.

[Jeanne222]

When did Alyssa decide to start filming?  I thought she was above all that.

Chad looked terrible.  Thin and withdrawn.

Didn't Whitney and Zack lose a lot of weight a couple of seasons ago on some diet?

I wonder if Zacks decision to leave law enforcement has anything to do with the current national situations?  Him being involved in any headline could destroy everything the Bates have worked for just like Josh and the Duggers!

[BitterApple]

The social climate may have been a factor, but Zach's area is pretty conservative. I'd imagine there's a lot of support for law enforcement. I tend to think it was the hours. Like everyone else noted, it would've been smarter to stick it out until a position with a regular schedule opened up, but Fundies rarely seem to do the logical thing. 

 

[Dehumidifier]

Whitney sounded like an idiot sitting there, so so happy that he will be home more. Why does a grown woman. married a decade (?) with numerous family members nearby, need her husband to be home day and night? Is he going to help at the clothes business? Babysit so she can go there? At the cost of a good job he had. Ridiculous.

[IndianPaintbrush]

It really is a stupid decision. I find it hard to believe Zach couldn't find a position that allowed him more time with his family. It's not like the tree business is some cushy job. He could end up seriously injured with no health insurance or disability. Oops!