Long Lost Family - General Discussion

[UsernameFatigue]

1 hour ago, ElleMo said:

I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the sisters had several older siblings that were taken by social services already and social service got involved again.  Another explanation is that the family just couldn't afford any more kids and so gave up the two younger daughters.  

That is why I hope they do a follow up as it is very odd to have two daughters given up 5 years apart with the same parents when it appears they were given up as babies. At least I don't remember it mentioned that they were given up as anything other than newborns? 

[bybrandy]

Is it possible that they couldn't tell the birth parents story on camera because the birth parents were dead and couldn't clear it?

[UsernameFatigue]

1 hour ago, bybrandy said:

Is it possible that they couldn't tell the birth parents story on camera because the birth parents were dead and couldn't clear it?

That is a good question. From what I remember no names were given for the parents even though the younger daughter knew their names. You would think that they could tell their story without ID'ing them by name. That also brings up a good question though with regards to other children looking for a bio parent only to find out the bio parent had passed. One that comes to mind is the son who had a lifelong interest in music and it turned out both of his bio parents were musicians. His bio mom had passed but he found his bio father. The mom was deceased so could not give her consent for her story to be told. Did the daughter then have to give her consent for her mom's story to be told? It is something I had never thought about previously. 

Edited April 4, 2017 by UsernameFatigue

[ElleMo]

2 hours ago, UsernameFatigue said:

That is why I hope they do a follow up as it is very odd to have two daughters given up 5 years apart with the same parents when it appears they were given up as babies. At least I don't remember it mentioned that they were given up as anything other than newborns? 

 

 

1 hour ago, UsernameFatigue said:

That is a good question. From what I remember no names were given for the parents even though the younger daughter knew their names. You would think that they could tell their story without ID'ing them by name. That also brings up a good question though with regards to other children looking for a bio parent only to find out the bio parent had passed. One that comes to mind is the son who had a lifelong interest in music and it turned out both of his bio parents were musicians. His bio mom had passed but he found his bio father. The mom was deceased so could not give her consent for her story to be told. Did the daughter then have to give her consent for her mom's story to be told? It is something I had never thought about previously. 

 

I wonder about this as well.  It could be that.  It may also be that they want to keep it a secret for  "What Happens Next." I also want a follow-up 

[stormy]

I think there have been a lot of loose ends in almost every story which I don't remember them doing in the first season.  I also wonder if they found out after a couple of episodes of "What Happened Next", that they have a ratings winner so they'll more of those.  I hope they do because I always have questions at the of the episode.

[Lovecat]

On 3/22/2017 at 6:19 PM, camom said:

Trying to put myself in the shoes of a "found" relative.  I think I would want to meet the person and hopefully have a relationship.  I would not, however, want it to happen on TV.  Some things should just be more private IMHO.

I've been in those shoes!  I found out when I was 26 that I had an older half-brother.  My mom was a young, single mother in the late 60's, living with her young son and parents who were not terribly supportive of her (particularly her mother).  She was a bit fragile in general, and the emotional abuse they heaped on her resulted in her running away from home and leaving her son behind.  It's difficult to know what was going through her mind at that point--if it was so bad, why did she leave him there?  I guess she just knew that she was ill-equipped to raise him on her own.  Fast-forward a few years, she was married to my dad and I was born.  When I was little, I found a picture of a blonde-haired boy with a fire truck in her wallet.  She told me he was my brother, who died before I was born.  This is an awful lie she made up to help her deal with what she had done.  Fast-forward even more years, and through the miracle of the internet, Brother, who was very much alive, found her, and I learned I had a big brother--and a niece!

Mind. blown.  For a very long time, I felt like Dr. Phil was going to appear out of nowhere and start asking me questions...so I can say that even if it doesn't happen on TV, it FEELS like it, because that's your only reference point for a similar situation.

Unfortunately, our story doesn't have a happy ending.  Brother had a lot of issues due to his abandonment, and was never able to get the help that he needed in order to heal and develop relationships with us.  He repeated his mother's mistakes, to a certain extent--didn't pay child support, and got cut off from seeing his daughter.  My niece's babymama let my mom and I see her, though, and when Brother found out, he cut the two of us out of his life.  When mom was sick, and ultimately, dying, I made sure he knew, but he chose not to come see her, and didn't come to the funeral, either.  Several years later, he too passed away.  I hope that wherever they are, they've been able to have a nice long talk.

This show is so fascinating to me because of my experiences.  There's another whole dramatic story on my father's side of things--in fact, I recently learned that my dad was married before my mom, and that I had ANOTHER half-brother!  Seriously, for this to happen once is remarkable; for it to happen twice is bordering on the absurd.  Sadly, he passed away a number of years ago, so I won't be able to meet him.  My fiancé and I have been trying to determine whether or not he was married and/or had children, but no luck so far (really common surname).  Then there's my father's brother, who I never met, and his kids, which are 3 cousins that I've never met...  Maybe I should call TLC and get my *own* damn show ;)

[riverblue22]

Lovecat, thanks for telling us your story.  A lot of damage can be done to people in these situations, and I think the show is trying to avoid showing that. But it's just not that simple.  Your story is really amazing, and I'm glad you have such a balanced perspective.

I too never met six of my first cousins since my father had no relationship with his two brothers.  Since getting involved in genealogy, I have met one of those cousins and the daughter of another.  We have a great relationship and put down the problems of our fathers (both deceased) as water under the bridge.  One brother was a felon and a troublemaker, had three children by three women, and I have chosen not to contact any of that group.

[Lovecat]

You're right, @riverblue22, it never is simple, even in those stories that seem so happy at first.  Brother had a lot of issues from his abandonment, but he was left with family, and was ultimately adopted and raised by my mother's aunt and her husband.  While I was raised by our mother, she was estranged from the whole family, as was my father from *his* family, and I never knew ANY of my relatives at all.  He always resented me because I grew up with our mother, but I was envious of the other family members he grew up knowing.  The grass is always greener, right?

I need to muster up my courage and contact my cousins.  They are all 15-20 years older than I am [my dad was 49 when I was born, my mom 25...no, nothing about my family is "normal" :) ], and I'm no spring chicken myself.  It's one of my last chances to find out anything at all about my dad's side of the family.  But jeez, how the heck do you start an email like that?!??  I need Lisa and Chris!

[Snarklepuss]

On 4/4/2017 at 4:42 PM, ElleMo said:

I wonder about this as well.  It could be that.  It may also be that they want to keep it a secret for  "What Happens Next." I also want a follow-up 

Late to the party here - I agree with the consensus that the show might be leaving more loose ends this season to create more cliffhangers for the "What happened Next" series.  How could they drop that bomb on the audience about the two girls being given up and not drop the other shoe to solve the mystery?  They have to know they're setting everyone up to really want to know the answer!  I like the theory about the parents being married but giving up the two youngest children.  Who knows?  They may have been religious and not believed in birth control but couldn't afford to raise them so gave them up for adoption.  Or perhaps alcoholism is involved - I know that bartenders are at higher risk for alcohol abuse, so perhaps the children were taken away from them.  I really hope we find out!

[TiredMe]

Well I felt absolutely awful for the "dad, not dad" tonight. How awful to find out on camera too. To his credit he seemed to take it well. 

[ElleMo]

2 hours ago, TiredMe said:

Well I felt absolutely awful for the "dad, not dad" tonight. How awful to find out on camera too. To his credit he seemed to take it well. 

I wonder if he had an inkling.  He didn't seem all that surprised.  Or he was forewarned.

Edited April 10, 2017 by ElleMo

[Spencer Hastings]

I almost wondered if the dad was the son's father but not the daughter's. Otherwise he probably had an inkling because he wasn't too attached to the idea of finding him. 

[okerry]

2 hours ago, TiredMe said:

Well I felt absolutely awful for the "dad, not dad" tonight. How awful to find out on camera too. To his credit he seemed to take it well. 

Yeeeah, it sounded like both mom and dad got around quite a bit at that time. He was shocked, but not surprised. Okay.

[Adiba]

10 hours ago, Spencer Hastings said:

I almost wondered if the dad was the son's father but not the daughter's. Otherwise he probably had an inkling because he wasn't too attached to the idea of finding him. 

I wondered that, too-- unless they dna tested all three people-- and what would have happened if the daughter didn't match the dad? Would the show reveal that on camera?

[iMonrey]

Quote

Is it possible that they couldn't tell the birth parents story on camera because the birth parents were dead and couldn't clear it?

I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure you don't need someone's permission to show them on TV and state their name after they're dead. And I don't think the show is deliberately leaving loose ends so they can do bonus episodes later. I think it's just that as they sort through these cases and figure out which ones will make good episodes (you can imagine how many requests are rejected because they can't find anything interesting), the revelations are sometimes too grim for the participant to divulge on TV. There's bound to be some pretty sad stories out there but if they can put a sunny spin on it ( ". . . but hey, here's your sister!") and get both participants to meet on TV they can sweep the more unpleasant aspects of the story under the rug, and focus on the "happy reunion." 

This latest one was a good example of that - it turns out the brother is only a half brother and the DNA does not match the father. The father claims he has no idea who the real father could be if it isn't him but . . . I'm betting he had a pretty good idea of who it was. They just didn't want to say it on TV.

[Koalagirl]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure you don't need someone's permission to show them on TV and state their name after they're dead. And I don't think the show is deliberately leaving loose ends so they can do bonus episodes later. I think it's just that as they sort through these cases and figure out which ones will make good episodes (you can imagine how many requests are rejected because they can't find anything interesting), the revelations are sometimes too grim for the participant to divulge on TV. There's bound to be some pretty sad stories out there but if they can put a sunny spin on it ( ". . . but hey, here's your sister!") and get both participants to meet on TV they can sweep the more unpleasant aspects of the story under the rug, and focus on the "happy reunion." 

This latest one was a good example of that - it turns out the brother is only a half brother and the DNA does not match the father. The father claims he has no idea who the real father could be if it isn't him but . . . I'm betting he had a pretty good idea of who it was. They just didn't want to say it on TV.

I completely agree with you.  I think he knew from the getgo that the son wasn't his.  He seemed a little too blase at the beginning of the show  - saying things like do I call him "my son." 

[stormy]

Just one more thing.  I don't think Gina and Glenn will have a relationship. But that's JMO.

[camom]

The mom who's daughter found her and who had no more children seemed WAY too needy to me.  She'll smother that poor woman.

[iMonrey]

I agree Gina's mother seemed way too needy, even Gina seemed surprised or maybe even uncomfortable. She also seemed like maybe she was kind of a flake? Just a first impression, admittedly. 

Quote

I don't think Gina and Glenn will have a relationship.

Do you mean Denise and Glenn? That was the brother/sister they featured. 

I think it's interesting they found out through DNA testing that Glenn was not the biological son of Denise's father because nobody asked for that. I suspect they do a DNA test on all their featured guests just to be on the safe side before proceeding with anything else or confirming their IDs. 

There was a couple last season who were looking for their son, and they told Lisa or Chris they thought they had found him awhile back and then they did a DNA test and found out it wasn't him. And this was after they'd spent several months (?) getting to know him and thinking he was their son. So I can imagine the dangers of making a mistake here and misidentifying someone without DNA confirmation. That's just something they've never talked about before on the show, as part of their normal process.

[Kelly]

8 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

I agree Gina's mother seemed way too needy, even Gina seemed surprised or maybe even uncomfortable. She also seemed like maybe she was kind of a flake? Just a first impression, admittedly. 

I agree, and to me, she seemed a bit unstable.

[camom]

Quote

I don't think Gina and Glenn will have a relationship.

I think they will have a relationship, but not necessarily a close one.  When Denise was telling her dad that he wasn't Glenn's father, he told her that nothing would make him mad at her mother.  I thought that was sweet, because she had to be worried about his reaction.

[riverblue22]

I think DNA tests are a standard part of the process--they just don't talk about them unless they come into play.

[UsernameFatigue]

6 hours ago, camom said:

I think they will have a relationship, but not necessarily a close one.  When Denise was telling her dad that he wasn't Glenn's father, he told her that nothing would make him mad at her mother.  I thought that was sweet, because she had to be worried about his reaction.

I also think they will have a relationship, and possibly even a close one. I hope they do a follow up story on them as it seems like there were some interesting ties with Glenn's wife working as a teacher at the same school that it appears Glenn's biological grandfather was a teacher at. I think those types of ties may bond them. I do think that close brother - sister relationships may be a little less likely than say sister-sister, but as Denise said Glenn appears to have a big heart, and I think for her having Glen in her life will be life having part of her mom back. 

I think it is likely just as well (though sad for Gina) that Gina's adoptive mom has passed away because it seems like her bio mom is very needy and I think had her adoptive mom still been alive that could present another layer of feelings to deal with. I am not sure if the bio mom is just needy because she never had other children (I think she even said that herself, that she had no other children to focus on) but she may need help in figuring out how not to smother Gina. 

[Snarklepuss]

I wonder if Gina's mom is too needy because she has no other family she stays close to, so this is monumental for her.  It didn't seem like she had any husband and we know she didn't have any other children.  She seemed like a lonely soul, and I can imagine that if she didn't have more children she had many decades of regret to obsess on, which can't be healthy.  I only hope Gina can handle it.

I didn't think Denise and Glenn resembled each other that much right away so it wasn't a huge surprise when I found out they were half siblings.  And I agree that the father knew something more than he was letting on, like that he knew there was some doubt that he was the father all along.  That may be one reason he acted so unfazed by finding out the truth.  He said that he and his wife had "dated a few times" by the time she got pregnant, so he may have known or later found out that she was still seeing a former boyfriend during that time and that he may not have been the father.  That may be one big reason he said he'd never be mad at her, since they had only dated a few times when it happened and he may have known she had only just broken up with someone when this happened.

I can remember being young many decades ago and having a pregnancy scare with a new boyfriend.  In my heart of hearts I knew that during the first few weeks we dated, before we became a couple, I was still breaking off with a former boyfriend and after doing the math I did have some doubt as to who would have been the father had I really been pregnant, but thankfully I wasn't, so it never became a real issue.  That was my one and only similar situation, thankfully.  I usually had time between boyfriends when I was single.

Edited April 12, 2017 by Snarklepuss
important word missing/added.

[iMonrey]

Quote

I just watched the episode on demand where the birth mother was kidnapped and then got pregnant and gave up the baby.  But then they found a daughter of the kidnapper and she seemed to be telling a different story?  Saying that her dad did not kidnap the birth mother but was taking her for an abortion and since she was a minor, he was arrested.  Did I get that wrong?  I was confused by the end of the episode.  

Wow, I just saw a rerun of this last night. You really have to wonder whether the father became a "changed man" after prison, or whether the woman claiming she was kidnapped wasn't telling the whole story. I was confused as well; it seems kind of odd the half sister agreed to meet her after hearing her father called a monster on TV. The meeting between them was awkward and you could tell the younger daughter maybe wasn't quite buying the whole story, even though she admitted some of her father's family told her they were afraid of him. The whole episode was bizarre. 

You have to wonder how many cases they've rejected because they found out the circumstances were too tragic to air on TV. I have to think at least one person they investigated turned out to be the product of incest or a violent crime and the birth mother declined to meet the child. If I were adopted, I think my greatest fear would be that the circumstances of my conception were so horrifying my birth mother wanted to forget about it.

[riverblue22]

Quote

I didn't think Denise and Glenn resembled each other that much right away so it wasn't a huge surprise when I found out they were half siblings.  And I agree that the father knew something more than he was letting on, like that he knew there was some doubt that he was the father all along.  That may be one reason he acted so unfazed by finding out the truth.  He said that he and his wife had "dated a few times" by the time she got pregnant, so he may have known or later found out that she was still seeing a former boyfriend during that time and that he may not have been the father.  That may be one big reason he said he'd never be mad at her, since they had only dated a few times when it happened and he may have known she had only just broken up with someone when this happened.

I agree about Denise's father, but if he had some idea he wasn't the father, it was a bit odd the boy was originally named after him.

[ElleMo]

On 4/12/2017 at 11:24 AM, iMonrey said:

Wow, I just saw a rerun of this last night. You really have to wonder whether the father became a "changed man" after prison, or whether the woman claiming she was kidnapped wasn't telling the whole story. I was confused as well; it seems kind of odd the half sister agreed to meet her after hearing her father called a monster on TV. The meeting between them was awkward and you could tell the younger daughter maybe wasn't quite buying the whole story, even though she admitted some of her father's family told her they were afraid of him. The whole episode was bizarre. 

You have to wonder how many cases they've rejected because they found out the circumstances were too tragic to air on TV. I have to think at least one person they investigated turned out to be the product of incest or a violent crime and the birth mother declined to meet the child. If I were adopted, I think my greatest fear would be that the circumstances of my conception were so horrifying my birth mother wanted to forget about it.

The mother did seem  traumatized. I believe her. Plus Chris did say that 'the truth is the truth.'. So he must have had some additional evidence, otherwise how could he be so sure? I tried Googling info.  I found he was convicted of bank robbery in the 60s.  With the show's resources, they could have looked up court records for the kidnapping/ rape case or old newspapers that are not online.

[7-Zark-7]

 Re: Jenny and her mother Nita in the "We Have Some Issues" episode

Quote

Snarklepuss 

I still can't get the Jenny/Nita story out of my head.  I don't know if I would be so quick to believe third hand information about her father if I were Jenny.  It seems like people who knew him could be motivated to spin his story in a more positive light to preserve a beloved memory of him, especially knowing it would appear on TV.  If he wanted to be a part of Jenny's life, why wasn't he?   I don't quite buy that he was so willing to help raise or support her, or have his family do it.  Maybe they didn't want to do it either.  Sounds like a BS story to me but Jenny is buying into him being the one who really loved her? 

Quote

Ina123

 She did seem to connect to her bio father's family so that's ok. In the end she pretty much found what she was looking for.

                                                                                                                      *Quotes were from the Season One thread

That's the problem, Jenny only seemed interested in finding what she wanted to find. Reality be damned. There were some red flags here that she ignored. First, she didn't do a DNA test with the cousin. She seemed to think that was a good thing: that she mentioned her eye color and was accepted right away without someone asking for further proof. But DNA could help verify any stories she might hear.

Jenny seems most hung up on the concept of being with a parent for a few months before being given up for adoption. She was heartbroken when her mother said that she never even held her. Then she was upset when her father's family claimed he had met her and her mother in some neutral location and offered to have Jenny raised by his mother. However, Jenny's mother said that when she told the father she was pregnant, he said he was "sterile". This sounds like a b.s. line that a man could say in the pre AIDS/ pre commercial genetic testing era to avoid using condoms or deal with the aftermath. As a result, he could have several children with several different women. That cousin's account could be true... just about an entirely different woman and baby. That's the problem with 2nd and 3rd hand accounts from 40 years ago. People may mean well and still mix up people, times, and places.

Another possibility, Jenny found out that her mother had another baby with a different man that she put up for adoption about a year later. So maybe Jenny's mother isn't entirely sure who Jenny's dad is. It's just one more reason Jenny shouldn't romanticize her father's side. She shouldn't assume that just because she has light eyes or that she thinks she looks like her father (she looked much more like her mother), that he's automatically her dad. She should get a genetic test!

Jenny thinks that the story of her father offering to have his mother raise her (or whoever the child was) was a positive thing. But, there's no proof that, if this story is true, that his mother was on board, or that his family was in a good position (financially, physically, or psychologically) to raise a grandchild. Jenny seems to think that her adoption was a terse decision made more out of her family wanting to get rid of a burden, rather than a reasoned decision made after her mother carefully considered all options. Most mothers who give their children up for adoption don't know the adoptive parents and can't be sure if they will be loving and supportive, they can only hope for the best. 

Jenny was disappointed by her adopted parents, went looking for her birth mother, was disappointed in her too, then moved on to the man she thinks is her birth father, and since he's dead, she can make him into the potentially loving supportive dad of her dreams with no pesky real life version to take that image from her. She needs to figure out how to put her dream parents aside and work with the real ones she has.

Edited April 15, 2017 by 7-Zark-7

[ElleMo]

On 3/24/2017 at 7:50 AM, Ina123 said:

I recently saw this episode. I have a different view on the Nita/Jenny relationship. If Nita is lying about the circumstances, why tell Jenny her father's name? With that name she can further research (which she did) and connect with that family only to have them refute Nita's story (which they did). The father's family could just as easily be making up a story to make the father's story more palatable. I think, in the end, Jenny just didn't relate to her bio mother. There really didn't seem to be any warmth in that meeting. She did seem to connect to her bio father's family so that's ok. In the end she pretty much found what she was looking for.

 

I just watched the episode this week after it was repeated.  I don't know what to think. His death was published in local papers - not just an obit but a story because he is the brother of a local celeb - so it is likely that the mom knew he was dead ad perhaps didn't think the family had much to say.  Or maybe the dad's family was lying?  It's difficult to say.  

[ElleMo]

On 4/15/2017 at 4:52 PM, 7-Zark-7 said:

Another possibility, Jenny found out that her mother had another baby with a different man that she put up for adoption about a year later. So maybe Jenny's mother isn't entirely sure who Jenny's dad is. It's just one more reason Jenny shouldn't romanticize her father's side. She shouldn't assume that just because she has light eyes or that she thinks she looks like her father (she looked much more like her mother), that he's automatically her dad. She should get a genetic test!

 

I must have accidently fast forwarded through this because I don't remember hearing this.  Wow, this is getting even more complicated.

I assumed that the show would have done the DNA test behind the scenes to make sure that they were related before airing the story.  (Of course, we all know what happens when one assumes. .)

[7-Zark-7]

Jenny found out about her mother's son, her half brother, after this episode. She made a plea on youtube with the half-brother's biological aunt, to find him.

I believe the show did a DNA test for Jenny and her mother. They didn't do one with any members of the father's family, probably because she sought them out on her own.

[ElleMo]

5 hours ago, 7-Zark-7 said:

Jenny found out about her mother's son, her half brother, after this episode. She made a plea on youtube with the half-brother's biological aunt, to find him.

I believe the show did a DNA test for Jenny and her mother. They didn't do one with any members of the father's family, probably because she sought them out on her own.

 

thanks for clarifying.

[Spencer Hastings]

This was a weird episode.  There was something odd about Brad.  Something was just off about him.  I think the son was trying to size him up and hear him out but this is probably a "What Happened Next" episode that has them ever speaking again or the son getting out of dodge. 

Jennifer was definitely Vicki's daughter.  And her grandmother's granddaughter.  Genetics. What a sweet group of women. 

Edited April 17, 2017 by Spencer Hastings

[camom]

I think Brad's son was hesitant, but then he was never really told directly that the man who raised him wasn't his biological father.  He's taking in a whole lot of information all at once.  I hope they are able to have a relationship, even if it isn't a real close one.

Loved how open Jennifer was.  She realized that her mom was too young when she was born and appreciated that she had given her up for adoption.  I think they will make the most of this connection.

[Jadzia]

8 hours ago, Spencer Hastings said:

This was a weird episode.  There was something odd about Brad.  Something was just off about him.  I think the son was trying to size him up and hear him out but this is probably a "What Happened Next" episode that has them ever speaking again or the son getting out of dodge. 

The guys seemed like he had a lot of rage issues. He seemed really upset when he discovered his son never knew about him, which is understandable but he should realize that given the circumstances of him being in prison it would be to protect his son. I just felt if he really loved him, he should have accepted that. And also I didn't like when he met his son how he asked him "Are you mad at your mom?" That just seemed like he was trying to stir shit up or something. 

I really enjoyed the other story. I could not get over how young the mom looked. I know she gave birth at 15 but if the adoptee was 46, she must be at least 61. They looked more like sisters than mother-daughter!

I do wish the show would give more details on the people they find. I had no idea if her adopted parents were still alive or what they thought about her reuniting. I'd like to hear more about their lives.

[iMonrey]

Quote

And also I didn't like when he met his son how he asked him "Are you mad at your mom?"

I think he actually said "Are you mad at me." He repeatedly voiced his concern that his son would be mad at him because he'd been in prison and done bad things.

I just saw the "What happened next" follow up about the nurse who learned her biological mother was another nurse that she had worked with, the mother's name was Nita or Neda and the daughter was biracial. It turned out the mother lied about her birth father and he had actually seen and held her after she was born and wanted his mother to raise her.

I have a theory that Nita actually had two daughters she gave up for adoption, because when Chris asked about the father she started talking about some white dude with Italian ancestry, and then when he told her that her daughter was African American she was like "Oh. Uh, yeah there was another guy." I'm thinking when the show contacted her, she thought it was the other daughter that was looking for her, and when she realized it wasn't, she pretended they were one and the same. And she probably did have her daughter for awhile before giving her away, just like the daughter had been told.

[Spencer Hastings]

16 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

I think he actually said "Are you mad at me." He repeatedly voiced his concern that his son would be mad at him because he'd been in prison and done bad things.

He asked "Are you mad at me" and then asked "Well are you mad at your mom?"  I found that odd as well and commented to my mom that he seemed to WANT him to be mad or have some kind of conflict.  The son seemed very mellow and like he was just trying to let everything sink in at a rational level, while the bio dad wanted to hash everything out at once.  I wish we would have heard from the mom or what she'd told him about the dad.  I wonder if she briefed him other than giving the go ahead. 

Regarding Nita, I think she did give a son away as well.  Jenny said in a YouTube video that she was looking for a brother so there are probably a few of them.

[Cara]

3 hours ago, camom said:

I think Brad's son was hesitant, but then he was never really told directly that the man who raised him wasn't his biological father.  He's taking in a whole lot of information all at once.  I hope they are able to have a relationship, even if it isn't a real close one.

Loved how open Jennifer was.  She realized that her mom was too young when she was born and appreciated that she had given her up for adoption.  I think they will make the most of this connection.

Yeah, I think Brad and his son are going to be an example of one party wanting a whole lot more than the other one does. I think the son wouldn't mind exchanging Christmas cards, but isn't interested in much more. I think he considers his mom's husband his dad. While he was never directly told he wasn't his biological father he pretty much knew it. And he had no curiosity to find out more over the years . Also the son looked like a clean cut, conservative type of guy. Brad on the other hand seems a bit shall we say...rough. I don't see them having a lot in common.

The other case I think was a good example of how adoption should work ideally. It was probably the best solution for both mother and child.  

9 minutes ago, Cara said:

 

Edited April 17, 2017 by Cara

[stormy]

I thought it was sweet that Jennifer met her grandmother.

[iMonrey]

I just thought Kevin (Brad's son) was hard to get a read on. When Lisa asked him if he wanted to meet his father, he hesitated as if he wasn't sure. The reunion was awkward as hell and Kevin had a hard time looking his father in the eye. Maybe he didn't know what to make of him, maybe he was just really uncomfortable with the whole situation (including the cameras trained on him.) At the end of the day, I just think Kevin is one of those people who are just naturally un-curious about things. I mean, he pretty much knew his dad wasn't his biological father his whole life but never pressed for details and didn't really seem to care. 

Vicki and Jennifer were the polar opposite, you could feel the joy and the emotion coming off the screen.

[Quof]

At least Lisa didn't do the breathy whisper when she said "We found him."

But I still want to hold her down and rip off those damned false eyelashes. 

[Snarklepuss]

8 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I just thought Kevin (Brad's son) was hard to get a read on. When Lisa asked him if he wanted to meet his father, he hesitated as if he wasn't sure. The reunion was awkward as hell and Kevin had a hard time looking his father in the eye. Maybe he didn't know what to make of him, maybe he was just really uncomfortable with the whole situation (including the cameras trained on him.) At the end of the day, I just think Kevin is one of those people who are just naturally un-curious about things. I mean, he pretty much knew his dad wasn't his biological father his whole life but never pressed for details and didn't really seem to care.

I agree, I read it that Kevin is a very introverted guy that is also very unsure of himself/self conscious, and this situation was at the outer limits of his ability to handle without coming off as very awkward and uncomfortable.  He may have difficulty handling feelings and confronting people, which is why he would never confront his adoptive father about the truth of his adoption.  He probably worried that it would anger/upset his parents so better not to bring it up and just not deal with the whole thing.  Of course, when someone pretty much came out of the woodwork as his Dad, it was too compelling to turn away.  He obviously is interested and curious, just unable to handle the emotional and interpersonal dimension to the meeting.  He is likely to feel a lot of conflict and like running away from his real father since he seems to be such an emotional/expressive individual.  I hope that doesn't scare him away.  I took his fathers questioning about whether he is mad at him as many years of needing to be forgiven and looking for that forgiveness right away.  Unfortunately when a guy like the father is paired with a son that is that much of a closed book, he probably will pursue him until he turns into a smotherer.  I hope not, though!

[dabmusic]

On ‎2‎/‎26‎/‎2017 at 8:12 PM, SuzyLee said:

A giant onion processing factory must have opened up near my house tonight.  The story with Chris and his mother (the recovered drug addict who was arrested while her six-year-old son was left in the car in the parking lot of a grocery store) was so touching.  I loved how forgiving he was to his mom, even kissing her hands with such comfort and love.  There is a man who has transcended any feelings of resentment and is able to view his mother as a fallible human being with flaws-- and loving her anyway.

This show is a very welcome respite from the insanity of the other train wrecks in the TLC Sunday night catalog (*cough* Sister Wives *cough*).

He lives about 10 minutes from me. 

[camom]

I felt bad for the mom who kept her pregnancy a secret; that must have been so difficult.  Glad that story had a happy ending.

I always feel sorry for the adoptees who find out that their biological parents are together and have more children.  I think that would be a difficult thing to wrap your head around emotionally.

[iMonrey]

WTF is up with this live wedding event? I sat through that thing wondering what the hell was going on before they finally got to the regular stories - which were in no way connected to the wedding thing. Then I saw the show was 2 and a half hours so I've only seen the first hour so far.

[crazycatlady58]

It was a new show called Life Live.

[camom]

The first hour was a pretty standard Long Lost Family, then I guess after that was the new show.  

[Koalagirl]

38 minutes ago, camom said:

The first hour was a pretty standard Long Lost Family, then I guess after that was the new show.  

The second hour was sort of a cross-over show.  They united live on the air a woman who was looking for her half-sister after their father died.  The half-sister didn't know the father had died, so that was very emotional and she got to meet her 90 year-old grandfather and his husband  - yes  his husband, as well as several other paternal relatives.  The other story dealt with a young man who lost his leg due to a horrific motorcycle accident - almost died and was told he would never walk again.  His girlfriend stuck with him through everything and they got engaged.  He vowed that he would walk at their wedding.  It was very very emotional, expecially when he did get up out of his wheelchair and walked with the assistance of a cane, and at other times used a walker.  Not a dry eye in the house.

[crazycatlady58]

His husband, thank you for  clarifying  that. I was so confused ,  I guess I should  not read and watch T.V. at the same time. I could not figure  out where the second  grandfather  came from. Good for them.

[UsernameFatigue]

4 hours ago, iMonrey said:

WTF is up with this live wedding event? I sat through that thing wondering what the hell was going on before they finally got to the regular stories - which were in no way connected to the wedding thing. Then I saw the show was 2 and a half hours so I've only seen the first hour so far.

Luckily I had PVR'd the show so could ff to see WTH was going on. Since it was 10 minutes into the hour before the show I was supposed to be watching started, had I not PVR'd I would have changed channels and watched something else. I watched Long Lost Family, and stopped watching when the new show came on. I guess TLC thought it was a clever way to introduce a new show, but it just ticked me off instead - lol.