S03.E10: Time To RenoBate!

[IndianPaintbrush]

With the three eldest sisters out of the house, the remaining girls decide it’s time to redecorate their bedroom. And Zach and Whitney are doing a little redecorating of their own as they head out to shop for a new couch to spruce up their home. Later the girls test out a new recipe for dinner.

I was skeptical of the grey walls like Kelly, but I liked the end result.  It almost looked blue.  It's a refreshing change from the "country chic" style that most fundies love.  I loved it when the girls talked about limiting pictures of boyfriends on the walls because Michaela went nutso.

 

Black leather is a little too 80s for me, but the new couch did look good in Zach & Whit's home.

 

Finally a confirmation of sorts that Nathan and Ashley are heading towards a courtship.  Ashley is a cutie.  These Bates kids sure do land themselves great partners (for the most part).  I bet she and Nathan have great chemistry.

Edited March 18, 2016 by IndianPaintbrush

[BitterApple]

Lol, I was thinking the same about the black leather. It was a little too Bachelor Pad-ish for my tastes and I thought the black tables made everything look too heavy and dark. Too bad, because I love the renovations Zach and Whit have done on the house.

I was skeptical on the girls' room, but it actually came out really cute. Like Indian Paintbrush, I was glad they went with something more modern and didn't do the typical frilly, girly, shabby chic look.

Regarding Ashley, it's crazy how she's Fundie because she comes across as very sophisticated and polished. Her and Nathan will make adorable babies, but I think she's going to hate living in rural Tennessee.

I'm looking forward to Bradley's birthday party next week. That kid is such an adorable little chunker. Whit was obviously pregnant in this episode, so the surprise announcement is kind of like the worst kept secret ever.

[woodscommaelle]

Regarding Ashley, it's crazy how she's Fundie because she comes across as very sophisticated and polished.

She is?  How did they meet?  I wanted more info on her!

 

Josie is going to be gorgeous.  Whitney is beautiful, too.  Never really noticed it until last night.

Edited March 18, 2016 by woodscommaelle

[IndianPaintbrush]

She is?  How did they meet?  I wanted more info on her!

They met on a mission trip and she lives in New York.  I think her parents are Dominican, but I'm not positive.  I'm sure we'll get more info on her in future episodes.

[BitterApple]

She is? How did they meet? I wanted more info on her!

Josie is going to be gorgeous. Whitney is beautiful, too. Never really noticed it until last night.

Ashley and Nathan met on a mission trip. Her Dad's white and her Mom is Dominican. She attends culinary school in NYC and *gasp* mingles amongst the heathens. I think they've been courting a while but there's been no formal announcement.

I agree Josie is going to be a stunner. She has Gil's blonde hair and blue eyed coloring, but Kelly's more feminine, refined features. Whitney reminds me of Carrie Underwood.

[Sew Sumi]

I think the courtship will be announced on the season finale, whenever that is. The senior Bateses were in NYC with Lawson and Nathan right before Christmas, and this show is still in October (I think Bradley was born at the end of the month). If the couch scene was enacted in "real time" (ie around early October now), I doubt she even knew she was pregnant yet. Her due date isn't until 6/30. 

 

So, I guess we get that announcement on the season finale as well. As was noted, both of these are the worst kept secrets ever. 

 

Episode? The couch set was good for their space. I liked the girls' room, but I wouldn't have gone quite so dark with the gray. I would have preferred more of a dove gray (dare I say this...) like the Duggar girls' renovated room. 

[all fall down]

I was a bit confused on who's room that was. Kelly said something about all 7 girls sharing it, but there were only 3 beds. And I thought they had more bedrooms than the Duggar's dormitory style. I think Michaela used to have her own room with just one baby. 

 

and I found it really amusing that Carlin was wearing a shirt that said "Feel the Burn". I know it wasn't "Feel the Bern", but in my mind I'm pretending she's a Bernie supporter. 

[absolutelyido]

I was a bit confused on who's room that was. Kelly said something about all 7 girls sharing it, but there were only 3 beds. And I thought they had more bedrooms than the Duggar's dormitory style. I think Michaela used to have her own room with just one baby.

I was confused by that too. I wondered if some of the beds had pull out trundle mattresses that the younger girls slept on. Or, there seemed to be an en suite bath connected to the bedroom, so maybe they have a couple of girls bedrooms connected by the bathroom. I couldn't quite figure it out either.

[Absolom]

Ratings:  208K viewers and a .05 rating.  Slipped a little lower.

[BitterApple]

I didn't get the bedroom situation either. With that big a renovation on the home, surely there must be more than two dorm style bedrooms for the boys and girls.

They made it sound like as one daughter gets married and leaves, the next daughter in line moves into the room with the older girls. I'm really hoping it's a jack-and-jill set-up and they're not cramming everyone in together.

[SongbirdHollow]

I liked the white couch better but I guess with the baby it's less practical. Mostly though...Rent-A-Center? I hope that couch was gratis for promotional purposes and they didn't actually go there on purpose or out of need. That place is a ripoff.

[cereality]

The Bates kids land themselves good mates bc for the most part they meet them in normal ways and date. Sure they don't want to call it dating so as not to seem too progressive in front of their fundie cult, so they call it "getting to know you" and "courting" but it's essentially not all that different. Sure they aren't sleeping with their partner, but not everyone does that when dating. Yes -- their dating involves more hanging out at home and with families and bringing groups of siblings out with them -- but sometimes even normal couples dating family oriented guys/girls do that and group dating has become huge in high school and college. And Kelly has said that even when hanging at home or out with their siblings, the couple is respected and given space and privacy to talk about whatever they want. So if Nathan and Ashley are hanging at home, sure, there will be a dozen other people in the house who may pop in and out bc frankly it's not like they can just rope off the living room with that many people in the home. But it doesn't mean Nathan has a 12 yr old sitting next to him the whole time. Nor does it mean that they don't have enough private moments where Ashley couldn't say -- look I want 2-3 kids not 20, is that going to be a problem for you??

 

Even the Bates girls talk to guys themselves and get to know them a bit before getting the family involved -- as opposed to the Duggars whose automatic trained response is "I can't talk to you, you have to talk to my dad." I mean Erin met Chad at a dance, and I'm pretty sure she DIDN'T say -- uh, where's my daddy?? I'm pretty sure they chatted it up all night, Chad thought - man I NEED to see her again, and then he realized that as a fundie it may not go over well to just ask her out so he asked his parents to invite the Bates clan to brunch so they could spend time together but surrounded by family.

 

From what little we've seen Nathan and Ashley do have chemistry. When she came to visit them in Tenn, Nathan gave her a very familiar hug and was leaning all over her pointing out the view etc. Lawson was definitely mocking him for his flirting, and Zach even said something about his showing off for the ladies. It's nice to see it bc that's what a 20-something male is SUPPOSED to do. And I'm glad that she seems pretty direct -- i.e. was quick to make fun of him not surviving NYC when he made some comment about how she couldn't ride a horse; nice to see some "equality" in fundie relationships rather than the woman always deferring to the man bc she's SO desperate to get married and can't possibly offend him.

 

I wonder if Nathan would consider a move to NYC?? Bc for a half-Latina girl from NYC to adjust to rural Tenn. will be HARD.I know traditionally the wife follows the husband, but in this case Nathan knows he's getting a wife who is outspoken and may not be down with the traditional ways. Plus we have seen Chad follow Erin bc that's what Erin wanted -- and while it was "only" for school, that's been several yrs now and he's not exactly forcing her back to Okla. I know Nathan is in the tree business, so I wonder if he could find some kind of similar landscaping gig in NYC or if Crown College qualifies him to get some kind of office job. There's a show I'd watch -- young married fundies trying to hustle and make it in NYC.

[Hero]

Nathan looked so happy when he was with Ashley. I know they were shown for a split second in this episode, but the episode from last season stands out. Their relationship seems very organic and not forced.

[gunderda]

I liked the white couch better but I guess with the baby it's less practical. Mostly though...Rent-A-Center? I hope that couch was gratis for promotional purposes and they didn't actually go there on purpose or out of need. That place is a ripoff.

All of the TLC shows get their new furniture from Rent a Center.  It's so weird.  TLC must have a massive deal with them, but still... you can get much nicer and much more affordable stuff from a real furniture store... AND make monthly payments just like rent a center! who would have thought!? *gasp*

Not that they made payments anyways... for sure that stuff was given to the families for free.

 

 

 I mean Erin met Chad at a dance, and I'm pretty sure she DIDN'T say -- uh, where's my daddy?? I'm pretty sure they chatted it up all night, Chad thought - man I NEED to see her again, and then he realized that as a fundie it may not go over well to just ask her out so he asked his parents to invite the Bates clan to brunch so they could spend time together but surrounded by family.

 

The last episode they actually told how Erin and Chad found ways to see/talk to each other.  It all started with her first CD and she needed a designer for the cover/case.  She requested Chad because she knew he could do everything.  He said he had never done it before but wanted to spend time with Erin so decided he would figure it out lol

Edited March 21, 2016 by gunderda

[Kiss my mutt]

With episode names like Time to RenoBate and Back seat Bates I'm starting to wonder if UpTV is the right platform for this show