S11.E13: My Big Fat Family Heartbreak

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Quote

The Swiss family adventure continues until a terrifying turn of events leaves them stranded in the Alps, where a helicopter rescue mission may be their only hope. Then, the shocking reveal of a new family secret sends Whitney into a spiral.

Original air date 2023.11.28 

[Gramto6]

Oh boy Whitney is pissed Glen chose Angie!! She thought it was a stupid idea until she didn't get chosen! Dollars to donuts she tries to guilt Angie into not going!!

[Pi237]

Loved Angie throwing the double birds as they drive away. 

[Gramto6]

Well, a good time was obviously had by Glen and Angie! You can almost see the steam coming out of Whitney's ears. She is soooo jealous of Angie, if looks could kill Angie would be dead on the floor! 

Edited November 29, 2023 by Gramto6
typo

[Mamababy600]

I have seen Whitney being a little self-centered ( like w/her friends), but I have NEVER seen her so downright "mean" before. Lording her outfit (an authentic dress vs everyone else wearing tops) is showing how jealous she is of Glenn's biological daughter & family... as well as all her other antics of this season!!

I wonder if she realizes this as she watches this back. Her emotions are like a 10 year old. Maybe a lot of this is attributed to her mom's death. It's just plain sad. 

They should have waited to film this season. She's a mess😥.

[Gramto6]

Whitney needs to take the stupid mask off! She looks so stupid.

 

[JeanJean]

27 minutes ago, Mamababy600 said:

 

I wonder if she realizes this as she watches this back. Her emotions are like a 10 year old. Maybe a lot of this is attributed to her mom's death. It's just plain sad. 

 

I can understand her crying, though. Losing a parent, even if it's not to death, brings out the child in us. Even when we're grown, there's a certain safety we feel in life if we still have a parent. We may not even realize that until they're gone. It's like they're a buffer between us and all the things the world and life can do to us.  I realized that when my second parent died. 

She's feeling grief on top of grief. That's a lot.

Edited November 29, 2023 by JeanJean
added something

[lightninggirl]

Shitney sure did keep everyone cowed with her emotional blackmail about her "illness." 🙄 I wonder if the thermometer was upside down in celsius or something when she read the 102.5. I can't imagine the doctor letting her roll out of the ER without anything if she actually had a fever there.

I will say that her blue pantsuit actually looked decent on her for a change. It's the closest I've seen to 'flattering' on her in ages as we're used to yoga pants and tank tops.

I do feel bad for her and Hunter with Glenn headed to Alabammer with Angie. Putting myself in their place, I can't imagine my mom being gone for 6 months and my dad dipping out to live with my newly found half-sister 700 miles away. All of that after he chose Angie for the die plant trip, and then realizing that he's got an even stronger bond now with Angie because Angie gave up a kid like Glenn did. That being said, Glenn deserves to live his life and I hope he doesn't fuck up Angie's family like he did his own kids. 🙄

[goofygirl]

I think Glenn wouldn't have been so adamant about going to Alabama for a while if Shitney hadn't done everything in her power to control that poor guy every single MINUTE of his dang life!

I'd want to run MORE than 700 miles away if I had to put up with that!

[Madding crowd]

I still don’t trust Angie and think she wants Glen’s money. Glen barely knows Angie and Whitney and Hunter just lost their mom. It’s a different situation but after my mom died my father remarried pretty quickly and she talked him into moving across the country. My sister and I barely saw him after that and she intercepted all mail and calls so for us it was like losing both parents and we were 18 and 20.
Of course Glen is Angie’s dad but I’m wondering if and why her whole family wants him in Alabama. What is he going to do all day while Angie and the rest are working? I’m betting she ends up having Glen support her. 

[Pi237]

I’d be worried if my 77(?) year old newly widowed Dad were moving to another state with a family he just met. They’re all bonding and having fun, but they don’t really Know each other. And Whitney’s right, who knows how much time they’ll have left. 
 

However, I wouldnt say that out loud or stop him because he’s a grown man. I’d want him to be happy. I’d just make sure I visited and checked up on him a lot.

He saw how Whitney was up his ass treating him like an invalid toddler vs Angie letting him have shots and be silly and thought-Life is too short. I’m outta here. 

[Mollywolly555]

The Alabama relatives are a fun group of folks. Polite, respectful and kind to Glenn.

No sarcastic ribbing about his interests or controlling or patronizing him,  either. 

I'd go to Alabama for a month or so a few times a year.  That's what they didn't say tonight... it's not a permanent move . Just an extended visit.  Whit just needed some drama like her medical non-issue for the show. 

Whit is an unlikable person. I feel sorry for the Alabama family having to watch their step in dealing with her.  

[Gramto6]

I do understand her pain at Glen moving away so soon after Babs died. It does feel like to her, she is losing him too.  But Glen is an adult and able to make his own decisions on where he wants to live. She has been smothering him ever since Babs passed and like she even said tonight, she wants to keep him close, in sight, at all times. But she has to grow up and realize she is not in charge of Glen and cut him some slack.

She is on her phone/laptop constantly facebooking or whatever app she uses, everyone she knows. No reason she can't do the same with Glen. I think Glen really needs a change of scenery. And a rest from Whitney's hovering.

When I lost my DH I stayed in our home for a few years, but everywhere there was a memory or something special. It was like if I quickly went around a corner, he'd be there. I finally up and moved myself from CA to MT and started my own new memories. He is still with me, but the pain of all the familiar places w/out him is not there any more.

I'm thinking that may be part of what Glen needs a break from. Whitney is terrified of losing her spot as #1 daughter and her control over Glen. I think basically, she is afraid of being alone more than anything.  But that is on her and not Glen's responsibility to be her constant companion. She had better tread lightly or she will alienate her "new family" and then be with no one to fall back on

 

[Yeah No]

41 minutes ago, goofygirl said:

I think Glenn wouldn't have been so adamant about going to Alabama for a while if Shitney hadn't done everything in her power to control that poor guy every single MINUTE of his dang life!

I'd want to run MORE than 700 miles away if I had to put up with that!

You know, after this episode I'm beginning to wonder whether Whitney had good reason to fear losing her father to the new family and that's why she became even more controlling and insufferable with him every minute.  She may have sensed what was going on between Glenn and Angie and feared something like the announcement they made at the end of the episode.  She is nothing if not super, hyper observant about whatever's going on between people, especially them.  I'm not condoning her ridiculous controlling behavior, and I do see how she might have contributed to pushing Glenn away from her, but if what I'm wondering is true I would still have some empathy for her.  Maybe now we are seeing how she ended up the way she is.  She actually may have reasons for being that way that deserve some compassion.

You know, I have often said how much I like Glenn and how he reminds me of my own departed Dad, but I can say with 100% certainty that no matter how insufferable or controlling I was with him (which I never would be but still) my father would never have done something like this, especially only months after my mother had passed.  He might have decided to take extended trips to visit the Alabama family for a couple of weeks at a time a few times a year, but going to the extent of getting a condo. down there and acting like it's on an open ended he would not do.  He would consider that insensitive at best, especially given the timing.   Also, he'd be a little more cautious about getting too close to them because as @Madding crowd pointed out, Glenn only just met them and has reason to worry about whether they're after something. 

After my Mom passed my Dad was suspicious of any widows that flung themselves at him, and he was a super catch at 74 and very active in his senior center.  It was comical how many of them were after him and the lengths they went through to get near him, LOL.  He ended up dating a woman that he and my Mom were friends with for years.  Someone he knew he could trust and that my Mom and I would approve of.  And he waited for over a year until he had grieved enough to be ready to do it.  I don't think Glenn is ready to make such radical changes with his life.  He is running away from his grief, not dealing with it and he's not being sensitive enough to his kids with Babs in the process.

[Yeah No]

51 minutes ago, Mollywolly555 said:

I'd go to Alabama for a month or so a few times a year.  That's what they didn't say tonight... it's not a permanent move . Just an extended visit.  Whit just needed some drama like her medical non-issue for the show. 

I hope you're right but the way Twit and her brother reacted it made it seem like it was more open ended.  And getting a condo. down there too.  Of course the show could be messing with us just to keep viewers tuned in.  Was this the season "cliffhanger finale"?

[princelina]

51 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

I hope you're right but the way Twit and her brother reacted it made it seem like it was more open ended.  And getting a condo. down there too.  Of course the show could be messing with us just to keep viewers tuned in.  Was this the season "cliffhanger finale"?

That's what I was wondering - is Whitney's cry face the season finale?

To me getting a condo makes sense - he doesn't want to live in Jamie's old room; he's not bound to the condo - he can have his own space, go back to North Carolina when he wants and return without inconveniencing anyone.  Frankly Whitney's lucky he has this new family to focus on - a lot of men who love their wives and marriages DO react by marrying again quickly, and that would give Whit a coronary.  She said herself that "when Daddy dies, where will I go for holidays?  Who will love MEEEE?"  At this point Glen's not even allowed to live in his own home - wouldn't Whitney be hosting the holidays starting now anyway? She needs to roll with it - after all, when this show is not filming she's not even employed so she could head out to Alabammer for a lot of the time, unless Glen wants some Schnapps and kicks her out of his condo! 😄

[swankie]

Good on Glenn for finally showing NitWhitney who the real CEO of the family is!  It's about time he took back control of his life.  I hope watching these episodes NitWhitney sees her dad repeating over and over in his interviews that she is too controlling and that he can make up his own mind about things without her help.  It's going to be interesting to see if he follows through with his plan to go to Alabama to help Angie find her son.  NitWhitney was all ready to take over that whole task but got shot down with his and Angie's plan to handle it in Alabama without her controlling interference.   I hope he sticks to his guns.  (Unfortunately I taped this show to watch at a later time and it cut off before the previews for next week.)

[Yeah No]

1 hour ago, swankie said:

(Unfortunately I taped this show to watch at a later time and it cut off before the previews for next week.)

Mine didn't cut off and I didn't see any preview for next week.  I also checked my Comcast guide and there's no episode on the schedule.  It seemed like kind of an abrupt ending to a season, though.

[BAForever]

No way in hell Glenn announces his moving intentions on the trip- so producer driven. That being said, renting a place or even buying in Alabama may be a good move for him. Sell the big house in Greensboro and downsize to smaller places in both cities. He worked till he was 75 ish, that along with the show $$ makes it all possible. 

The helicopter ride looked amazing! I was jealous of that. 

[BAForever]

New story line for next season- GT's search for his long-lost daughter's long-lost son! And the camera will linger on Whitney's devastated face. And maybe the long-lost grandson will have placed a child for adoption 20 years earlier. So exciting!

[stoppro]

No sympathy for shitless.Not even a little.She deserves all of it.End this.

[FurBabyMama]

I think a change of scenery will be good for Glenn. And it’s Alabama, not Antarctica. It’s a short plane ride away, and it’s not like she has any pressing need to be in North Carolina all the time. And getting a condo makeS more sense than living for an extended time with family you just met and imposing on them. 
 

also that helicopter ride looked amazing. The way she was carrying on, you’d think they were completely stranded. In one clip I saw quite a few helicopters, seemed like something the Swiss are prepared to do, it wasn’t some crazy rescue mission from the middle of nowhere. It was from the top of a mountain that’s geared towards tourists. Nobody was really in any real danger.  

[msuvig]

 

The helicopter ride looked amazing- a little scary too-

Go Glen- free yourself from the Whitney!!!

 

 

[SabineElisabeth]

So Glenn is going to rent a condo for a few months and hang out with the daughter he gave up for adoption to help her find the son she gave up for adoption?  I can understand Whit's fear that perhaps it will turn into something more permanent, but just once, rather than thinking only about herself, she could just be extraordinarily grateful that her dad has found a new sense of purpose by connecting with a group of people who so far, at least, seem to be sincere and genuinely interested in forming a real relationship with all the Thores.  And let's be real, other than filiming a few videos with Jessica every now and then, it's not like Whit is stuck in NC.  No reason she can't (and wouldn't) invite herself to Glenn's Alabammer condo as often as she wants anyway.

Not saying that connecting with a while family you didn't know existed would be an easy situation to navigate emotionally - and this seems like a really good opportunity for either some family therapy, if they'd be willing, or at minimum, for some individual therapy for Whitney.  If they truly wish to integrate with the "new" family on more than just a surface level, the dynamics of their relationships absolutely will change - and I think the key is for Whitney to see this as a positive, rather than be jealous/fearful.

And so far, I haven't gotten the feeling the "new" family wants anything from the Thores other than to develop a close relationship.  It's been a little difficult to fully gauge since there are obviously some members of Angie's family who have chosen to minimize their screen time (e.g. her parents, her husband), but I've honestly been rather surprised by their seeming genuineness so far.  And I have been particularly shocked that under the little smirky face and attitude, Jamie has actually been very thoughtful and warm to her new family - and has put forth a lot of effort to make them feel included and welcome.

And for the record, had it been me, I would've been over the moon Glenn had somebody else to drag to the BOBST factory.  While they were gone, I would've had an amazing time wandering through the streets doing some shopping and trying out little cafes. 

[monagatuna]

I was a little disappointed we weren't able to get a glimpse of the die cutter that Glenn is so excited about. It makes sense that since it was an exclusive tour that cameras wouldn't be permitted, but it sounds cool! I'm glad Angie got to go, I'm sure she had a nice time. Hunter would've been a good choice too, since he knows how to behave and has an interest. Whitney would've brayed and screamed and teased and made a spectacle of herself. 

I was so livid when Angie revealed her painful and vulnerable news about her firstborn, and that she wanted to meet him but didn't want to cause any pain, and the first thing Whitney did was say "when we get home to Greensboro..." and try to take over the plans to search for him! This is not her child. This is not Glenn's child. Whitney has zero experience navigating the sensitive and tricky scenario of reuniting with birth children you've given up for adoption. ANGIE DOES. SHE WAS ADOPTED AND HAS REUNITED WITH HER BIRTH PARENTS WHILE MANAGING HER PRIMARY RELATIONSHIP WITH HER PARENTS WITH GRACE AND SENSITIVITY. Whitney wanted to make it all about her as usual! She is not the CEO of ANYTHING. 

Her stupid, bitter, angry faces throughout the episode were all terrible, but that statement made me want to slap the ugly expression off her face more than anything else. 

I'm glad the rest of the family managed to have a good time in Switzerland despite her shenanigans. They seem lovely and kind in general. Though I have to wonder why, if Whitney was sooooo sick, why did she fly down with Jaime instead of Glenn? I get that he was doing fine and not having any issues, but he's 77 and if this was such a dangerous "rescue mission," shouldn't he have priority over this much younger woman?

[swankie]

1 hour ago, SabineElisabeth said:

And let's be real, other than filiming a few videos with Jessica every now and then, it's not like Whit is stuck in NC.  No reason she can't (and wouldn't) invite herself to Glenn's Alabammer condo as often as she wants anyway.

I agree!  Especially now that Boo Bear is getting married and her relationship with Todd seems to be dwindling.  And Heather seems to already have vamoosed!  No signs of her since she sang at Babs' funeral.  I wonder what that's about. 

[Dibs]

Although in the minority, I share the other poster's skepticism of this new family.  Unless it's all producer-driven, I think they're a little over the top!  They're clearly from a lower socioeconomic status than the Thores, and I believe they're seeing dollar signs when they look at Glenn.  But since it's a "reality" TV show, it's hard to know what's real.

[Meow Mix]

That episode description made me laugh.  It was so dramatic like they were stuck up in the Alps in the middle of a blizzard or something.  I suspect the train has issues occasionally and they know what to do.  If I went there I would be hoping for the train to break down so I could get that amazing helicopter ride.  Glenn was as excited as I have ever seen him about that.

I do have some empathy for Whitney, but her behavior is atrocious.  I can understand that she has lost her mother and now her father seems to have a shiny new family.  I agree with @SabineElisabeth that family therapy or at least Whitney finding a good therapist to work through some of this would be an excellent idea.  The more she clamps down on Glenn, the more he is going to want to make his stay in Alabama permanent to get away from her.  But as others have said, I do see her inviting herself down there to keep "eyes on him" whatever that means.  She needs to back off and let him breathe or he is going to cut her out from sheer frustration.

I will say that Glenn needs to slow his roll.  When my father died, my mother got great advice from widowed friends to not make any major decisions for a year after his death.  It takes time to get your feet under you and making a life altering decision like moving could be a mistake.  I get it that Angie and her family are a breath of fresh air for Glenn and help him feel less alone, but they have only been together in vacation situations and he has had some video calls with Angie.  That's not enough time to know each other that well to make a decision to pull up stakes and move.  Going down there for a few weeks and staying in a rented condo would be a great as a change of scenery, but Glenn needs to wait a little longer and figure out what he would do with himself in Alabama.  I hope he thinks it through rather than acting on impulse because of one fun day with Angie.

I wonder what is motivating all this connecting Angie is doing.  I'm not saying she is a scammer, but she seems to want to find everyone and glom onto all these families.  She found Jackie and Glenn and has made connections within their families.  Now she wants to find the son she gave up for adoption.  Everyone has been willing to connect so far.  I hope she's not setting herself up for a fall if she does find her son and he's just fine with knowing who she is, but doesn't necessarily want a close relationship.  And I was totally creeped out by Whitney telling her to move to Greensboro and live in Whitney's house.  That was just weird.  I also don't understand why Glenn needs to move to Alabama to help her find her son.  I would think that since Angie has made all these contacts so far that she would know more about doing a search like that than Glenn or Whitney.  I was glad she shut Whitney down immediately.  How many people does Whitney need living with her?  

Whitney was definitely ticked that Glenn picked Angie for the tour.  If the train hadn't broken down, she would have stomped back to the hotel and planned something to punish them all.  This was the woman who threw a heavy ball at her mother's head in the gym after finding out that Babs had been married before and had never told her.  By the time she got to dinner, she was pretty passive aggressive, then of course the tears started when Glenn made his announcement.

I really hope the people who storyboard this show don't see this as a stepping stone to scripted shows.  They absolutely stink as storytellers.  They dynamic of Glenn discussing his plans for the future might have been interesting, but we get a stupid cliff hanger that is poorly executed to boot.  And if it's like every other season ending cliff hanger on this show, it won't be mentioned again just like the big romances with Lennie and Buddy and Whitney flying off to get a proposal from George Glass.

[auntjess]

2 hours ago, Dibs said:

They're clearly from a lower socioeconomic status than the Thores, and I believe they're seeing dollar signs when they look at Glenn.  But since it's a "reality" TV show, it's hard to know what's real.

I don't agree with this; people who vacation in Dauphin Island aren't lower socioeconomic status.

[Mothra]

Did Glenn actually say "rent" when he said he was going to move into a condo in Alabammer? (I'm assuming Whitney will continue to refer to it like that even when her father is living there).  I got the impression he was going to buy, but whichever, I imagine it's easier to sell a condo (if that's what he decides he needs to do) than a big house.

The thing is, it's true that Glenn shouldn't be making big life-changing decisions so soon after Babs' death, but that axiom or whatever it is really doesn't apply to him because he has not been allowed to mourn Babs.  Putting off big decisions assumes that after you have dealt with your immediate grief, you'll be in a better place to figure out what to do.  Whitney has not allowed him to grieve, has made it so that he probably will take a longer time to grieve (cleaning out Babs' belongings without his permission).  She has insisted he stay busy busy busy and develop new interests RIGHT NOW.  She doesn't understand that *all* of them will mourn Babs all their lives, but over time the mourning will move farther and farther back from immediate concerns.  But if they don't deal with it when the hurt is raw, they can never move on from mourning.

I think a move to Ala will be good for him.  He will have his own space (hopefully not "decorated" by Whitney, but I'm not holding my breath on that one).  He can find a 2 or 3 bedroom condo so Whitney and Hunter can visit.

Edited November 30, 2023 by Mothra
sometimes I say just what I don't mean.

[Mothra]

On 11/28/2023 at 9:42 PM, Pi237 said:

Loved Angie throwing the double birds as they drive away. 

Honestly, that kind of shocked me.  I wonder what Glenn thought about it.  Giving Whitney and Hunter the finger devalues Glenn's speech about why he invited Angie.  The finger brought the issue right back down to Whitney's "Daddy loves me most" level.

On 11/28/2023 at 9:52 PM, Gramto6 said:

Well, a good time was obviously had by Glen and Angie! You can almost see the steam coming out of Whitney's ears. She is soooo jealous of Angie, if looks could kill Angie would be dead on the floor! 

As if it's Angie's fault Glenn chose her!

[Mothra]

23 hours ago, Madding crowd said:

I still don’t trust Angie and think she wants Glen’s money. Glen barely knows Angie and Whitney and Hunter just lost their mom. It’s a different situation but after my mom died my father remarried pretty quickly and she talked him into moving across the country. My sister and I barely saw him after that and she intercepted all mail and calls so for us it was like losing both parents and we were 18 and 20.
Of course Glen is Angie’s dad but I’m wondering if and why her whole family wants him in Alabama. What is he going to do all day while Angie and the rest are working? I’m betting she ends up having Glen support her. 

Of course there's no way of knowing if Angie's being motivated by greed for Glenn's big bucks, but I think it's safe to say she's enjoying all the financial perks of being associated with the show.  I'm not sure Angie and family's previous vacations--even the ones they've taken on Dolphin Island--were as nice as what TLC provides.  And to have her entire brood get to travel to Switzerland!  She's benefiting financially from her connection with Glenn, even if that isn't her motivating factor in finding him.

And I want to see the entirety of Whitney's suite at that hotel.  It looks like she had a kitchen and a living room separate from the bedroom.  I want to know how that compared to Glenn's and Hunter's accommodations, and then with the Ala group's rooms.

Surely some sleuth somewhere will post floor plans?  IhopeIhopeIhope.

[princelina]

3 hours ago, Dibs said:

Although in the minority, I share the other poster's skepticism of this new family.  Unless it's all producer-driven, I think they're a little over the top!  They're clearly from a lower socioeconomic status than the Thores, and I believe they're seeing dollar signs when they look at Glenn.  But since it's a "reality" TV show, it's hard to know what's real.

I think the "over the top" bit is being on tv - more people than I would believe seem to want to do it, but I can imagine it makes you anxious and act a little "over the top" - especially since Whitney wanted a storyline of them being so "competitive"!  I think they're just playing along, enjoying their 15 minutes and trying to do what is expected of them 😄

47 minutes ago, Mothra said:

Did Glenn actually say "rent" when he said he was going to move into a condo in Alabammer? (I'm assuming Whitney will continue to refer to it like that even when her father is living there).  I got the impression he was going to buy, but whichever, I imagine it's easier to sell a condo (if that's what he decides he needs to do) than a big house.

I thought he said "get" a condo and I was assuming a rental, vs. living with Angie in Jamie's old room as she had suggested earlier.  Going to live in Alabama for a while is hardly "making life altering changes" - he's retired and therefore unemployed; getting out to visit his new family members and get to know them seems like a great distraction and new focus.  IMO the fact that he wants his own place shows that he's not falling in for some scam or whatever.  Hunter seems to like everyone while Whitney just wants to act like an oversized baby/CEO, so nothing is going to make her happy.

44 minutes ago, Mothra said:

Honestly, that kind of shocked me.  I wonder what Glenn thought about it.  Giving Whitney and Hunter the finger devalues Glenn's speech about why he invited Angie.  The finger brought the issue right back down to Whitney's "Daddy loves me most" level.

I didn't say anything at the time, but when they visited the family in Alabama and went out on the party bus, Angie was swigging whiskey from the bottle the whole time! 😄. I'm not on board the whole "she wants Glen's money" train, but neither am I on board the "she's such a classy lady" train! 😃

[Yeah No]

3 hours ago, Dibs said:

Although in the minority, I share the other poster's skepticism of this new family.  Unless it's all producer-driven, I think they're a little over the top!  They're clearly from a lower socioeconomic status than the Thores, and I believe they're seeing dollar signs when they look at Glenn.  But since it's a "reality" TV show, it's hard to know what's real.

I'm usually the one giving people the benefit of the doubt but in this case not so much.  Angie etc. have too much to gain and seem way OTT eager to get close to Glenn.  I've watched a ton of shows involving DNA family reunions and most of them don't go anywhere near as well or progress as quickly as this has even with the added bonus of appearing on TV.  Even when they are thrilled to meet they take baby steps if anything, not giant leaps like we're seeing here.  I agree that some of this may be producer driven so it's hard to tell, but based on what we're seeing it sure looks like they are motivated by more than just a desire to be close to family. 

Now I'm sure that Angie would want to get to know her blood family, especially Glenn, but would she be forging ahead to this degree or this quickly if not for the show, it's perks and paychecks or a potential future inheritance?  I really doubt it.  In fact, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if the show producers took Glenn and Angie aside and said, "How about next season Glenn moves to Alabama to help Angie look for her first born son?"  I'm sure they're constantly looking for new show plots and since Shitney herself has zero of interest to contribute to the show anymore they're looking at Angie and Glenn to provide it.

1 hour ago, auntjess said:

I don't agree with this; people who vacation in Dauphin Island aren't lower socioeconomic status.

Perhaps not but I was borderline poor and still found a way to vacation in the Hamptons when I was young.  And they don't  have to be of lower socioeconomic status to be in it for the 15 minutes of fame and the $$$, even the money they get from doing the show. 

1 hour ago, Mothra said:

Did Glenn actually say "rent" when he said he was going to move into a condo in Alabammer? (I'm assuming Whitney will continue to refer to it like that even when her father is living there).  I got the impression he was going to buy, but whichever, I imagine it's easier to sell a condo (if that's what he decides he needs to do) than a big house.

I got the impression he was going to buy too.  At first I thought that perhaps giving the impression that he was going down there on a more permanent basis was producer driven, but the way Glenn presented it really seemed to hit Whitney like a ton of bricks and for once I thought her shocked reaction looked genuine.  By that point she was obviously very tired and still getting over her cold (or whatever she had) that her reactions had that unedited look of realism to me.  That leads me to believe that she was not in on any of this beforehand at all and it was news to her.  And actually I think even if Glenn intends to go down there on shorter trips giving that impression is a cruel thing to do to your own daughter, especially when it's being filmed and when you pretty much know it's going to be received negatively.  I've said it before but my father would NEVER have done that to me.  I don't care what an insufferable twit she is, his behavior is not justified even on that basis, IMHO.

 

[princelina]

1 hour ago, Yeah No said:

I'm usually the one giving people the benefit of the doubt but in this case not so much.  Angie etc. have too much to gain and seem way OTT eager to get close to Glenn.  I've watched a ton of shows involving DNA family reunions and most of them don't go anywhere near as well or progress as quickly as this has even with the added bonus of appearing on TV.  Even when they are thrilled to meet they take baby steps if anything, not giant leaps like we're seeing here.  I agree that some of this may be producer driven so it's hard to tell, but based on what we're seeing it sure looks like they are motivated by more than just a desire to be close to family. 

 And actually I think even if Glenn intends to go down there on shorter trips giving that impression is a cruel thing to do to your own daughter, especially when it's being filmed and when you pretty much know it's going to be received negatively.  I've said it before but my father would NEVER have done that to me.  I don't care what an insufferable twit she is, his behavior is not justified even on that basis, IMHO.

But the point of those shows is to have families meet and have conflict - I haven't watched any of them but I can guess that there's tons of scenes about whether the others are "there for the right reasons" etc.  On this show they were apparently needed to take the place of the friends who all seem to have vanished, and what was asked of them was to be lighthearted travel companions with a "competitive edge" 🙄

And if this was the season cliffhanger Glen was just doing his job too - I doubt he would have done it this way if they were regular people who aren't on tv.  And if they weren't all used to living life on tv for the past 10 years.

[Yeah No]

2 hours ago, princelina said:

But the point of those shows is to have families meet and have conflict - I haven't watched any of them but I can guess that there's tons of scenes about whether the others are "there for the right reasons" etc.  On this show they were apparently needed to take the place of the friends who all seem to have vanished, and what was asked of them was to be lighthearted travel companions with a "competitive edge" 🙄

And if this was the season cliffhanger Glen was just doing his job too - I doubt he would have done it this way if they were regular people who aren't on tv.  And if they weren't all used to living life on tv for the past 10 years.

Not sure I understand what you mean here.  I'm talking about shows like "Find My Family", which was a documentary style show which was unscripted and sincere about reuniting family, not a typical "reality show" where the producers exaggerate and create drama.  

Also I am aware of the fact that Angie, etc. are being used in this way on this show but I am saying that the fact that they would sign on for that at all, get a free trip and a paycheck and be playing some kind of role as travel companions that they wouldn't ordinarily be if not for all the perks is to me a sign that they are agreeing to all of that more for those perks and not as much because they sincerely want that much to do with Twit or Glenn.  They may want a little to do with them but nowhere near as much as they are agreeing to because of all that they stand to gain from being on the show.

And what I find wrong with Glenn is that he shouldn't be saying anything on the show, whether or not it was his "job" to do so, that was not something he would ordinarily say to his daughter without her prior knowledge of where it was coming from, especially if it had the potential to hurt her like that.  Her reaction told me she didn't know about it beforehand and it was a sincere shock to her.  I am sure that if not for the show Glenn would never have handled it that way but I think he should have declined doing it based on its potential to hurt his kids.  I don't think Hunter acted to happy about it either.  It was too soon for the both of them to handle well.  If not for the show Glenn would probably have been way more tactful and waited longer to announce and embark on something like that until both he and his kids were further along in processing their grief over Babs's death.  And when he did announce it, it wouldn't come out of the blue at the worst moment for maximum shock value.  I know I am not alone in thinking he is being premature about this.  Of course because of what the show wants him to do (and maybe partially his own tendency to want to run from his grief)  he's not waiting, but I think it would still be a better idea for him to wait.

[Mothra]

11 hours ago, Yeah No said:

Re: Glenn and the condominium: I got the impression he was going to buy too.  At first I thought that perhaps giving the impression that he was going down there on a more permanent basis was producer driven, but the way Glenn presented it really seemed to hit Whitney like a ton of bricks and for once I thought her shocked reaction looked genuine.  By that point she was obviously very tired and still getting over her cold (or whatever she had) that her reactions had that unedited look of realism to me.  That leads me to believe that she was not in on any of this beforehand at all and it was news to her.  And actually I think even if Glenn intends to go down there on shorter trips giving that impression is a cruel thing to do to your own daughter, especially when it's being filmed and when you pretty much know it's going to be received negatively.  I've said it before but my father would NEVER have done that to me.  I don't care what an insufferable twit she is, his behavior is not justified even on that basis, IMHO.

Glob help me, I watched it again, and I *think* Glenn said he would "get" a condo "for a while"--which makes me think his idea (or more likely as you suggest the producers') is to stay in Ala to help Angie find her son.  It does sound open-ended, though.

I don't understand what makes Glenn especially useful in tracking down this son*--did he actually find Angie, or was she known about from the time she was adopted?  I'm unclear about this, and I'm also confused about what Angie means when she says she doesn't want to hurt her son but if she gets hurt it's OK.  If I were an adopted child with loving and beloved adoptive parents, I'm not sure I would want my biological parents hunting me down.  And there's a big difference between Glenn, who was I guess in the Marines when Angie's mother became pregnant, arranging to have the baby adopted--I mean, it wasn't out of the question back then for him to have married Angie's mom--and teenage Angie becoming pregnant and being unable to care for a child.  Glenn could have given Angie a perfectly happy life if he'd married her mother (and I don't buy "but maybe the parents would have hated each other" because why were they fucking in that case?), but Angie found herself a teenager in a jam.

*What makes Glenn useful in tracking down Angie's son is, of course, the TLC money that can be used to get things done.  I think you're right in that TPTB are feeling out a new storyline.  Maybe even they are tired of seeing what a horrible person Whitney is.

 

 

Edited November 30, 2023 by Mothra
Slower thinker than typer

[Mothra]

I'm 76 years old, and if my spouse were to die, especially in the manner Babs did, with stroke after stroke and prolonged hospitalizations and stints in rehab, and my adult daughter who lived in the same town and had no real job decided to manage *my* life, particularly if she would not leave me alone *in my own house* that I had shared for decades with my beloved husband so that I could cry and hug his bathrobe and smell his aftershave, well, I would have jumped at the chance to escape to another place, an apartment/condo I could live in the way I wanted to live, at least for a while.

My health is shaky, but if I were to be suddenly widowed, my adult son who lives an hour or so from me had better not tell me I had to leave this big old house, this big old dilapidated house where we were so happy for so many years.  I would find someone to help me, a paid someone if I could afford it for as long as I could afford it.

He better not try to manage my grief, denying me the time and space to mourn in my own way.  Close as he is to his dad, he has no idea of how different filial attachment and spousal attachment are, and his loss is his to grieve, but it is not the same as my loss (and Glenn's) would be.

I don't care how hurt Whitney is by this belated courage on Glenn's part to try to get away from her, at least for a while.  She doesn't care how much she has hurt him by acting out what she thinks he should be doing and behaving like a toddler in constant tantrum when he frowns at her.  Sure, he is reaping what he has sown, but she's a middle-aged woman who can't forever blame her misbehavior on always having been "the favorite child."

I'm Team Glenn all the way, even though there is probably a good bit of opportunism behind all the love he's getting from Angie et al., especially their creepy insistence on including Babs at the wedding.

 

[BAForever]

Angie totally needs to take the lead if and when she makes a decision to try to connect with her birth son. I like Angie- so she has the 3 children? (4 counting the child placed for adoption? Do we know anything about her kids' father(s)? 

[SongbirdHollow]

Remember when Whitney had a blind date and it turned out the guy was related to her? Wouldn’t it be wild if that guy is actually her nephew via Angie?

That helicopter ride was gorgeous! I bet you’d have to pay big money for that in normal circumstances. 

[DanaMB]

So Whitney recently (spoiler because it hasn’t happened on the show yet)

Spoiler

spent a month in Paris without Glenn. 

She can’t handle being a few states away where she can visit him often? She’s so selfish.

[goofygirl]

Shitney is a total MORON.

[Dibs]

Anyone can rent an AirBnB for an annual week's vacation, especially when it's (by my count) 8 or 9 working adults in Angie's family, probably all sharing the cost.  Her grammar, drinking habits, harsh hair and makeup, and even poor dental care don't speak "classy" to me.  She seems nice enough, but a little snark is beginning to appear; the double middle fingers weren't exactly "classy," either.  Glenn seems absolutely intoxicated with her and Jamie and even a little manic (whatever Whitney has must be catching).  He's very vulnerable right now and probably very susceptible to manipulation.

[Yeah No]

14 hours ago, Mothra said:

Glob help me, I watched it again, and I *think* Glenn said he would "get" a condo "for a while"--which makes me think his idea (or more likely as you suggest the producers') is to stay in Ala to help Angie find her son.  It does sound open-ended, though.

I don't understand what makes Glenn especially useful in tracking down this son*--did he actually find Angie, or was she known about from the time she was adopted?  I'm unclear about this, and I'm also confused about what Angie means when she says she doesn't want to hurt her son but if she gets hurt it's OK.  If I were an adopted child with loving and beloved adoptive parents, I'm not sure I would want my biological parents hunting me down.  And there's a big difference between Glenn, who was I guess in the Marines when Angie's mother became pregnant, arranging to have the baby adopted--I mean, it wasn't out of the question back then for him to have married Angie's mom--and teenage Angie becoming pregnant and being unable to care for a child.  Glenn could have given Angie a perfectly happy life if he'd married her mother (and I don't buy "but maybe the parents would have hated each other" because why were they fucking in that case?), but Angie found herself a teenager in a jam.

*What makes Glenn useful in tracking down Angie's son is, of course, the TLC money that can be used to get things done.  I think you're right in that TPTB are feeling out a new storyline.  Maybe even they are tired of seeing what a horrible person Whitney is.

I watched it again too and it looks like the editing made Glenn's stay in Alabama look more open ended.  But the way Hunter and Whitney both reacted it certainly seemed pretty final.   I guess that's the show's way of giving us a cliffhanger for next season.   I'm betting that he will only go there for shorter stays.  Even if so I'm still not on board with springing it on his other kids while they're still so early in processing their grief over their mom's death and possibly making them feel like it was more permanent.   

And I don't care if Whitney had it coming because of how she's been trying to control him.  It's still not right, IMHO.  He shouldn't be trying to get her back for what she's doing to him.  He's her father, he should be taking the high road.  At the very least he shouldn't have let the show have him present it so that it would feel like a punch to the gut.

I got the impression that it was Whitney that took a DNA test and that was what led them to Angie.  I could swear I remember her mention having taken such a test in a previous season.  

14 hours ago, Mothra said:

I don't care how hurt Whitney is by this belated courage on Glenn's part to try to get away from her, at least for a while.  She doesn't care how much she has hurt him by acting out what she thinks he should be doing and behaving like a toddler in constant tantrum when he frowns at her.  Sure, he is reaping what he has sown, but she's a middle-aged woman who can't forever blame her misbehavior on always having been "the favorite child."

I might be more on board with everything you've said in your post if not for the fact that Glenn has been enjoying the benefits of being on the show, which wouldn't exist without Whitney, and if he had that much of a problem with her behavior he could have put his foot down with her long ago.  He's not a child, he is her parent but he's not acting like one.  My own father would never have put up with her behavior and he was the nicest pussycat on the planet.  For some reason he is allowing it to happen, probably because he is getting so much out of being on the show.  So he is in his own way reaping what he has sown.  But then he goes and puts the screws to Whitney in a passive aggressive way by springing this condo. thing and project with Angie.  Not exactly admirable, in my opinion. The way he did it felt very exclusionary and designed for maximum shock value.  Even if Whitney had it coming it still isn't the way he should be handling it, in my opinion.  I think he was giving into the show in handling it like that.  I hope he softened the blow later and maybe explained to Twit and Hunter that it was all done to create a cliffhanger for the show.  

1 hour ago, Dibs said:

Anyone can rent an AirBnB for an annual week's vacation, especially when it's (by my count) 8 or 9 working adults in Angie's family, probably all sharing the cost.  Her grammar, drinking habits, harsh hair and makeup, and even poor dental care don't speak "classy" to me.  She seems nice enough, but a little snark is beginning to appear; the double middle fingers weren't exactly "classy," either.  Glenn seems absolutely intoxicated with her and Jamie and even a little manic (whatever Whitney has must be catching).  He's very vulnerable right now and probably very susceptible to manipulation.

Yeah, I thought all that too.  And given her dental situation, makeup and clothing choices it's also clear she also does not have that much money.  On my second viewing of the final scene I recognized some of her jewelry from Target, LOL, such as this.  I consider class a separate issue but I agree that she's starting to show signs of not having as much as I originally thought.  I agree that Glenn is very vulnerable at this moment and I can't help but feel like she just loved having her own tale of adoption to share with him to further bond him to her.   It felt a little manipulative because now she has more reason to be on the show and get TLC's help in locating her son.  And as you said, I think Glenn is a very susceptible to manipulation at this point.

I also can't help but wonder what Angie's adoptive parents, if either of them are still alive, would feel about all of this.  From what I have learned from watching DNA family reunion shows (one of which was on PBS) sometimes the adoptive parents feel threatened by such a full-on reunion with at birth parent.  And this is about as full-on as it can GET.

[Gramto6]

I think Angie's adoptive parents were briefly on the show when everyone first met in person.  From then on they have not been shown at all. Probably by their choice...

[Snarkastikate]

Damn I'm glad I didn't watch this season. Seeing a vulnerable recent widower being abused by a selfish daughter, a production team & a newfound "family" is really bottom of the barrel trash. Sad. 

[monagatuna]

I'm not sure buying earrings at Target is a good identifier of class. Most Americans shop at Target. Pretty sure most of Whitney's decorations and jewelry came from Target, and she shills for WalMart. So maybe they don't have money. I don't think we can judge their financial situations from what we see on the show. But their actions show that they outclass Whitney by miles, middle fingers notwithstanding. (Truthfully, I have trouble judging a woman for a double middle finger to a grown woman who's been calling my child "bitch" for months, but what do I know, for me a middle finger is a lighthearted gesture of affection.)

[applewood]

10 hours ago, Yeah No said:

 

 

 

I also can't help but wonder what Angie's adoptive parents, if either of them are still alive, would feel about all of this.  From what I have learned from watching DNA family reunion shows (one of which was on PBS) sometimes the adoptive parents feel threatened by such a full-on reunion with at birth parent.  And this is about as full-on as it can GET.

Angie's adoptive parents were there briefly when they were at the rental in Dauphin Island.

It's unclear what Glenn meant about going to Alabama. I took it to mean that he would get an Air BnB and come down occasionally but it could also mean that he was thinking of buying a condo in AL.

[Mothra]

17 hours ago, Yeah No said:

And I don't care if Whitney had it coming because of how she's been trying to control him.  It's still not right, IMHO.  He shouldn't be trying to get her back for what she's doing to him.  He's her father, he should be taking the high road.  At the very least he shouldn't have let the show have him present it so that it would feel like a punch to the gut.

I had never thought that Glenn would do such a thing (the condo in AL) to get back at Whitney--his demeanor and his facial expression say to me that this is fake drama, being created by tptb to maintain viewership.  I said that Glenn was reaping what he sowed because I think Whitney's awful behavior and personality have a lot to do with how she was raised, so he has some responsibility for the situation he finds himself in.

I'm really glad you mentioned the idea that this could be passive-agressive on Glenn's side, and I  honestly don't believe Glenn has it in him to do such a thing.   So now I've convinced myself that the whole moving to bama drama is scripted like a really bad soap opera, and of course that means I don't really know for sure just how awful Whitney really is.  And to congratulate her for another competition won--she's a better actor than Hunter.

And even now, as the scales fall from my eyes and I see the little man behind the curtain, I am still MBFFL's lapdog.  I'll be here next season--mission accomplished you TLC bastards.  Or whatever the hell channel this is on.

[Dibs]

Yes; I always have to add the proviso "if this is real," because it probably isn't, and that goes for EVERY so-called reality TV show.