Season 5 Discussion

[IndianPaintbrush]

Quote

The Bates are back! It’s a season of new beginnings for the Bates family. The family travels to North Carolina to pick up Warden, Jackson, and Isaiah from sleepaway camp but not without getting a VIP tour from camp counselor and Tori’s boyfriend, Bobby.  While at camp, the Bates have no idea what they’re in for when they they’re met with a giant scream-inducing swing and some wild water activities. Meanwhile, Lawson’s focused on his music career. He heads back to the studio to record a duet with country artist, Emily Ann. Later, the whole family gathers together for a special dinner and an unexpected guest stops by to surprise the family with a very big announcement.

Thought I'd start a thread for all of season five in order to consolidate individual episode threads.

[sheshark]

Love, love, LOVE Erin quoting Kelly as saying, "Pregnant, I'm almost 50".  What other 50 year old 'mother' of 19 would never accept that.

[MMLEsq]

I feel bad for Michael(a) if the hints re: fertility issues in the previews for next week are true.  It always seemed like she, of all the older girls, appeared to be the most focused on getting married and having (presumably lots of) kids.  And, she got a "late start" (heh) to boot, not getting married basically as a teenager or barely out of her teens.  (Not sure how old Erin was when she got married, but Alyssa was pretty young.)  And, no offense to Brandon, but he doesn't seem like the type that would be super sympathetic.  (Not like Chad or Zach, who I think would be much more comforting to their wives in such a situation.) 

There was a girl (not a Bates) sitting on the couch during the reveal of Alyssa's news scene....anyone know who she was?

I liked how the boys were helping to cook.  Not so much that it was suggested that the responsibility somehow "should" fall on the girls, but because the boys were actually helping (can't really see that happening with the Duggars) and the girls were at college (definitely wouldn't be happening with the Duggars).

I thought it was interesting that the family essentially lied to Kelly to get her to go on the big swing.  It's one thing not to warn her, but they were literally lying to her face about it. 

Hmmm. what else....?  Trying to remember the episode.  I remain blissfully spoiler-free, so I have no idea if Trace makes it into the cast of Dixie Stampede.  I'm not sure if he really has the personality for it (from what I can see of the clips of the show), but I'm glad that they're encouraging him to try.  And, D.S. might consider him a draw because of the name recognition.  

Not much to say about Lawson.  I applaud him for going for his dream, but he's not really a great singer.  Erin seems like a more talented musician.  

Glad that the middle boys got to go to sleep-away camp.  I wonder if they would still have been able to go had Bobby not been a counselor there.  

Finally, I've looked into ordering personalized M&M's for various occasions and they're kind of expensive.  But, still, I respect that Alyssa places some importance on how things look and liking things to be "fancy."  It's more fun to watch than another family who likes to "buy used and save the difference!"   

Edited January 6, 2017 by MMLEsq

[Sew Sumi]

3 hours ago, sheshark said:

Love, love, LOVE Erin quoting Kelly as saying, "Pregnant, I'm almost 50".  What other 50 year old 'mother' of 19 would never accept that.

BWAHAHA! 

[cereality]

I'm actually impressed by how much this family has opened its mind and loosened its grip on its 20+ yr old kids ESP when you think about their friends in Arkansas that lump their 25 yr olds with their 5 yr olds.

Interesting that Bobby asked about courting Tori and Gil said - not yet, you need to know each other more. Their "get to know you" period is basically dating and it seems that it is the time where there's no shame in walking away if you find you're not compatible or even if you are but you can't make your lives connect - ie Nathan and his girlfriend from NYC. It seems like "courting" has just become a formality that you enter into to declare that you are getting married; maybe it's just to give the guy a few months to save up for a ring and find the perfect way to ask. And they've even said the engagement is just to give the family time to plan a wedding. But you can tell Gil isn't trying to just get another daughter off payroll - he is invested in them being right for each other and happy for life which will only happen if they have time to really get to know each other.

And then with Trace they were talking about Dixie Stampede requiring that he perform and dance with girls. They talked about how they never danced as a family and how Gil views teenage dancing as too up close and personal. But there was NO attempt up control their 20 yr "child" - no discussion of unrighteous desires or sins or whatever - just that their kid was old enough to pursue this job and his interests. And then Zach talked about dancing in a very level headed way saying - all that matters is your intent in doing something. I think Gil and Kelly would agree - they still may not allow their teens to bump and grind at a local club for fun, but there is a difference when their 20 yr old son wants a job in a horse show and part of the show involves doing choreographed dances at a family friendly setting.

Edited January 6, 2017 by cereality

[LZ1982]

3 hours ago, MMLEsq said:

There was a girl (not a Bates) sitting on the couch during the reveal of Alyssa's news scene....anyone know who she was?

 

I think it was their friend Courtney--I've seen her in some of their Instagram pics. I think she's been in the background on the show before, but for some reaosn they never "introduce" her to the audience.

[luvmylabs]

Having been on the infertility merry-go-round, my heart goes out to Michaela.  Young people just don't think getting pregnant will be a problem...most are more concerned with avoiding pregnancy (Bates excluded, of course). We went through the most sophisticated treatments they had (30 years ago) but ended up adopting 2 great kids.  On their 'birth' announcements I included the following poem:

Not flesh of my flesh

Not bone of my bone

But still, miraculously, my own.

Never forget for a single minute

You didn't grow under my heart, but in it.

[IndianPaintbrush]

What do we know about Bobby's family? Gil seemed to indicate Bobby wasn't familiar with courtship when they first met.

It's good they don't micromanage the older kids, but I still don't get the aversion to dancing. There is plenty of dancing that doesn't involve bumping and grinding with a partner. I bet some of the girls would have really enjoyed taking ballet or tap lessons - but then they probably run into "modesty" issues with the clothing.

Edited January 7, 2017 by IndianPaintbrush

[Absolom]

Ratings for 1/5/17:  227K viewers and a .07 rating.

[tabloidlover]

wow - that seems really low.

[Sew Sumi]

1 hour ago, IndianPaintbrush said:

What do we know about Bobby's family? Gil seemed to indicate Bobby wasn't familiar with courtship when they first met.

It's good they don't micromanage the older kids, but I still don't get the aversion to dancing. There is plenty of dancing that doesn't involve bumping and grinding with a partner. I bet some of the girls would have really enjoyed taking ballet or tap lessons - but then they probably run into "modesty" issues with the clothing.

They're fundie, but Bobby only has two siblings, IIRC. He attends PCC, so it's not like the family is mainstream, maybe just not quite as legalistic as the Gothardites. Bobby and Tori are the handsiest couple yet, and I include Cringe and Babe in this assessment. On the show, they hadn't started courting yet, but we've seen pictures of many Bateses with Bobby and Tori on a Florida beach since this was filmed. I'm pretty sure they're courting NOW. That said, even Gil should be happy if they wait to get married until Tori graduates Clown College in 2018. 

[zenme]

Just watched the episode and I have to say, I'm really liking them more and more, and Zach's shaping up to be someone Jana would have been lucky to have paired with--but I sure would hate to inflict Jimbo as a father in law on poor Zach! He and Whitney are a cute couple though.

[sATL]

1st time to this thread, but a long time viewer of the series. It is blessing for Erin, who had miscarriages, to now be a mom of 2 adorable children. I glad she sought out a medical professional, to get help with the problem. After watching the last episode, it does seem like the Bates have come a long way from their very sheltered years. I think Gil said it best - now that the kids are older they have to re-evaluate subjects/activities , like dancing. And it could be , some truth in that he and Kelly are now older & wiser and becoming more lenient. Allowing/Encouraging Trace to tryout for the Dixie Stampede - wow.  I'm thinking Erin- the early wife, wouldn't have ventured out on her own to buy a puppy w/o hubby's explicit consent/direction, or being present. Every time they show Zach - the Sherriff - makes me wonder, if sheriffs have to pass a physical fitness test ; hard to imagine him passing push-ups, sit-ups and a timed x-mile run for his age group, every so often. I'm glad to see Lawson pursue his music, as opposed to the family tree business. I did feel sad for Lawson when he finally was able to sing the anthem at the Univ of TN (sidebar-is this the same univ. that Payton Manning graduated from?) b-ball game, but wasn't given the choice to attend there. Recording studio time, must be cheap in their area. Nice to see the 3 middle boys attend an overnight  camp w/o the rest of the Bates. 21st century progress is in action if Tori and Bobby is going to wait until college graduation before marrying. Now the accreditation-level of the college & employable-prospective major(s), I will reserve comment on, this week. I almost fainted when Alyssa supposedly told Michaela, she was going to wait a few years before child-#2. Purposely waiting to conceive and telling others, without condemnation ? BIG WOW. The oldest 8-9 Bates, actually have lives, real lives, of their own - most of the time.

[IndianPaintbrush]

15 minutes ago, sATL said:

Every time they show Zach - the Sherriff - makes me wonder, if sheriffs have to pass a physical fitness test ; hard to imagine him passing push-ups, sit-ups and a timed x-mile run for his age group, every so often. 

Actually Zach is in much better shape than he was before police training. He lost quite a bit of weight during the academy.  But we all know cops and their relationships to donuts.  :)

[Steff]

I'll add that it's always good to see that the Bates COOK!   No canned green beans straight from the can, no frozen lasagna, or tater tot casserole.  Kelly cooks real food for her family.  Her boys actually help in the kitchen too.  No complaints, no "this is new for us", no looking confused & not sure what to do with real food & real cooking.   Just getting in there & getting what needs to be done done. 

No howlers, no lost boys, no feet on the counters.   I may strongly disagree with their religious beliefs, but I can't bitch about how involved they actually are with all their kids. 

[luvmylabs]

12 hours ago, Steff said:

I'll add that it's always good to see that the Bates COOK!   No canned green beans straight from the can, no frozen lasagna, or tater tot casserole.  Kelly cooks real food for her family.  Her boys actually help in the kitchen too.  No complaints, no "this is new for us", no looking confused & not sure what to do with real food & real cooking.   Just getting in there & getting what needs to be done done. 

No howlers, no lost boys, no feet on the counters.   I may strongly disagree with their religious beliefs, but I can't bitch about how involved they actually are with all their kids. 

It's great to see that although she may be more used to her girls helping out in the kitchen, Kelly expects her boys to pitch in and do what they can.  I like the Bates family.  I'm not sure about all their beliefs but as the kids get older they accept that there may be variations in the way their kids live out their faith.  They just seem like a fun group to be around...not a bunch of stiffs like the Duggars.

[gunderda]

I missed some of last season because i downgraded my cable for awhile.  But now I have it back and caught this episode.... and HOLY MOLY.. what happened to Lawson?? Did he wander into the local GNC store??? 

And didnt they say that guy was Tori's BOYFRIEND and then said that he had asked about courting? 

[IndianPaintbrush]

Erin's shout-out to Bobby Flay...girl's definitely been watching Food Network.  I love Erin so much. Very cute to see her bonding with a little brother in the kitchen.

[Sew Sumi]

My jaw dropped when she mentioned Flay. She may know who he is as a star chef, but she obviously knows nothing of his character, or she would have mentioned someone like, well, any other male chef aside from Robert Irvine, instead. Hell, Ramsey may be a dick, but I don't know of any skeletons in his closet. Flay's personal life is about as diametrically opposed to the Bateses as is possible. LOL

[cereality]

While they are fundie and obviously don't talk about religion on camera, I love that this family appears to be what it says it is in regular life. The episode was kind of boring. Yet the highlight was Warden cooking. Interesting that they said there are no boy or girl jobs in their family, everyone learns how to do everything. Yet it wasn't a cooked up, made for TV project. It looks like Warden is the only preteen boy with an interest in cooking, so HE is the one who goes over to Erin's to cook with her -- not him and a gaggle of disinterested siblings. And I loved that she didn't talk it down like a preteen interest -- rather she was encouraging him and saying if he kept going, he could be a chef and lots of chefs are men; they don't seem "embarrassed" as in -- it's womens' work, let's keep it on the DL that you're into this. We've seen Warden cook before as well -- I think he baked the birthday cake for Trace; Gil was watching over him asking -- HOW DID YOU LEARN THIS!? And even then he said, Erin was teaching him.

And I tend to believe that they aren't rigid about women/men's tasks. I feel like we've seen scenes where the kids are left at home for a weekend with the older kids and Lawson/Nathan are shown cleaning up and mopping floors after everyone. In the last episode when they were having the whole family over, Lawson, Trace, and Nathan were seen in the kitchen with Kelly and it did not look made for TV at all -- they were doing simple tasks like making salad or washing potatoes, but efficiently so it's likely they do them all the time. 

Also LOVE Whit and Zach together. When Zach says -- as the oldest, he learned and is the best at everything -- Whitney rolls her eyes and says "give me a break," just like any twenty something couple would do. None of that fawning at the headship BS . . . they just seem like a normal, fun young couple.

[Sew Sumi]

I thought part of Whitney's eye-rolling came from Zach's proclamation that he's a great cook, but in a totally different scene, someone else mentioned that Zach and Warden are both great cooks. Good lord, could that be said of any male in that other mega-sized family on teevee? 

But yeah, can you imagine a Duggar girl rolling her eyes at something her Headship says? Even Jessa holds her tongue when Ben says/does something kind of stupid. She only broke when Ben tried to rap, but who didn't? But other than that? I just don't see the relaxed banter between couples, or even siblings, that we see with the Bateses. 

That doesn't negate their horrible beliefs, but it does humanize them. 

[cereality]

There was a part where they said Warden and Zach are both great cooks -- so they probably are. But there was definitely a part where Zach was talking about how boys and girls learn all tasks and as the oldest, he learned and is THE best at all of them. That's when Whit laughed and gave him a "give me a break," and Zach smiled his sly grin and said he was being modest! It's cute bc it's so NORMAL.

[sATL]

During the  "first look", the 3 middle boys were sitting on the couch and one was explaining what he can cook. One of his items was "cereal". the middle-sitting brother called him a "dingbat".. Now that was NORMAL.

The Bobby Flay reference caught me by surprise too. I am guessing either (1) Erin received a Flay item (cookbook, dvd, etc) as a wedding present. I remember in one show Kelly said she has become a better cook since marriage. Mentioning how one can "plate/present/make it look good", Erin is a follower of some celebrity chef. Or (2) the producers gave her a name during the prep of the filming, so she could finish her point about chefs and have an example for her brother.

Her brother said he cooked chicken and a roast. A lot of meat for 3 people. I guess he was cooking ahead.

Hopefully the Duggars take notice and develop the boys' cooking skills. The Duggars now have a long run of boys (i.e. grown men w/hearty appetites) in the house, so they need to be doing some of the cooking - real cooking. I'm thinking that how the Bates kinda got started too. Zach is the oldest and probably had to start by feeding a little one something, along the line, just to keep the peace. I think the Bates too now have a long run of boys in the house.

Edited January 13, 2017 by sATL

[BitterApple]

I think the Duggars are living off takeout and frozen lasagna at this point. Even the girls don't cook anymore, that commercial kitchen doesn't seem to be used at all unless they're having a party.

[Absolom]

Ratings for 1/12/17:  278K viewers and a .07 rating.

[Sew Sumi]

1 hour ago, sATL said:

During the  "first look", the 3 middle boys were sitting on the couch and one was explaining what he can cook. One of his items was "cereal". the middle-sitting brother called him a "dingbat".. Now that was NORMAL.

The Bobby Flay reference caught me by surprise too. I am guessing either (1) Erin received a Flay item (cookbook, dvd, etc) as a wedding present. I remember in one show Kelly said she has become a better cook since marriage. Mentioning how one can "plate/present/make it look good", Erin is a follower of some celebrity chef. Or (2) the producers gave her a name during the prep of the filming, so she could finish her point about chefs and have an example for her brother.

Her brother said he cooked chicken and a roast. A lot of meat for 3 people. I guess he was cooking ahead.

Hopefully the Duggars take notice and develop the boys' cooking skills. The Duggars now have a long run of boys (i.e. grown men w/hearty appetites) in the house, so they need to be doing some of the cooking - real cooking. I'm thinking that how the Bates kinda got started too. Zach is the oldest and probably had to start by feeding a little one something, along the line, just to keep the peace. I think the Bates too now have a long run of boys in the house.

The Bateses have no more than three of any sex in a row, although Trace is surrounded by five girls, two on one side (Tori/Alyssa) and three on the other (Carlin/Josie/Katie). It's nothing like the Duggars' run of 8 boys with only Joy to break up the streak. 

[Mimiray802]

I watch the Bates and Duggars with a strange freak show fascination but I'm still struck by how different the Bates relate to one another compared to the Duggars. Outside of the strict religion I see a lot of my family in them. The Duggars seem to be friendly strangers who happen to live together but are secretly afraid of each other. What I really noticed was that the three youngest Bates children (5-7 years old) seem to be more articulate and have a better vocabulary than ALL of the adult Duggar children.

[tabloidlover]

I cannot stand the Duggar clan and just can't help but really like the Bates.  Really enjoyable show as they don't look like they are acting, they seem very genuine.   So weird that they share the same religious beliefs (can't wrap my head around that still) and yet are so very different.  

One exception is Lawson - he drives me crazy!  He can't sing and needs to find something else to do.  And he clearly loves to be on camera. 

Loved seeing more of Warden this week, seems like a really sweet kid and it's nice to see Erin coaching him and enjoying him.

[sheshark]

1 hour ago, tabloidlover said:

I cannot stand the Duggar clan and just can't help but really like the Bates.  Really enjoyable show as they don't look like they are acting, they seem very genuine.   So weird that they share the same religious beliefs (can't wrap my head around that still) and yet are so very different.  

 

 

It's true they share the same religion, word according to Bill Gothard, but the Bates are not cramming it down my throat, nor acting so superior.  I see acceptance in this family.  Not fear (of education, outside influences, music, dancing, new foods, male ob-gyns, oooops, ob-gyns, or cooking).

[Absolom]

Ratings for 1/19:  221K viewers and a .06 rating.

[Patricia07]

That purity ring thing just creeps me out.

[riverblue22]

1 hour ago, Patricia07 said:

That purity ring thing just creeps me out.

It's a very common practice among conservative Christians.

[sATL]

Um.. Isn't the B-ball court a little close to the house, given they have acres of land ? I'm guessing they made it that close so they could tap off of the electricity to have lights.

Micheala seems to have "aged" not in a good way since she married. Nothing wrong with scrapbooking and starting a non-custom hand-sewed clothing business, but I would think a 20-something year old would be a little more energetic. "Babysitting" is an odd profession (past time) for a married 20+ yr old. I thought she studied to be an EMT/Medical Coding/etc. I'm sure she could find something in all of Chicago to do in one or all of those areas. I wonder if she is too afraid to venture out into the city, while Brandon is at work, and take in the sites & culture. What happened to the idea of young couples both working in the church/ministry together  ?

The one fried? egg she fixed for hubby, looked..well, not quite right, sorry. And it's only two of them and she's home all day - why the paper plates? Given the meal, she could have put it on a napkin, between two pieces of bread, for him to eat while driving to work.

Edited January 27, 2017 by sATL

[Hero]

Lawson loooovvvvesss to hear himself speak. I wish he was shown less. I know that he grew up in a huge family and he feels as if he has to shout to get his point across, but damn! He never shuts up. 

He is also a terrible singer and should just stop. 

[cereality]

So it's super obvious that Brandon and Michael are the most fundy of marriages in that family so far. Sorry but she looked a little pathetic and looked like she was getting teary lamenting about how they hit the [gasp] 6 month mark weren't pregnant yet unlike their siblings and friends. And even Kelly -- who normally acts normal -- went on about how she knows it hurts Michael to not be a mom yet. And then even Michael says -- but we have to wait until our 1 yr anniversary to see a specialist. Uh yeah --bc if 2 26-27 yr olds showed up in a panic about how they haven't gotten pregnant in 6 months, most doctors in Chicago (who likely won't be fundy unlike East Tenn. drs.) would roll their eyes and tell them to go have some fun in bed and enjoy their freedom. They're acting like 6 months is more like 6 YEARS. And it's super clear that they got married just to populate God's army bc Brandon even says -- this time [married but not being parents] isn't time wasted. WTH!? I'm sure that's religious speak re how thankful you are to even have a partner etc. But give me a break!? Let's hope you don't consider marriage w/o kids on day 1 to be a waste. I'm fairly sure most people get married bc they love their partner, not just bc they want to make a baby yearly. [Gasp] some people even choose to be married for a few yrs without kid -- it's not some kind of hardship they muddle through as Brandon and Michael appear to be. For their sake I hope they get pregnant quick and then at least 10 more times after that -- bc then the next 2-3 decades of their lives will fly by as mom and dad -- and they won't have to interact with each other much beyond -- Timmy needs new shoes again and can you feed the baby while I tend to the other kids.

[BitterApple]

I haven't seen this episode but it sounds to me like they're already in Band-Aid Baby mode and they haven't even been married that long. I think Brandon wants a kid because it will give Michael something to do and keep her out of his hair, and Michael wants a baby to cement her entry into the "breeding warriors for Jesus" club. I hate to say it, but I think these two are the Bateseses version of Derick and Jill Dullard. They may take the right cutesy Instagram pictures with the corresponding hashtags, but there's a lot of disfunction beneath the surface.

[Tdoc72]

They haven't decided to see a doctor; they are praying about seeing one. IMO, Michaela's praying a little harder. I wonder how she honestly feels about Brandon's whole 'God says not now' thing.

Infertility must be that much harder when you have all that patriarchal bullshit riding on your shoulders. I do feel for Michaela. 

[IndianPaintbrush]

I wonder when the episode was filmed. They were married in August 2015, surely their one-year anniversary was pretty close.

Michaela, get your ass to a doctor even if Brandon won't go!

[gunderda]

1 hour ago, IndianPaintbrush said:

I wonder when the episode was filmed. They were married in August 2015, surely their one-year anniversary was pretty close.

Michaela, get your ass to a doctor even if Brandon won't go!

They said when they were in the coffee shop that their one year was coming up soon. 

I only feel bad for Michaela because she wants it so bad and it's probably expected that she'll pop out babies like crazy.  A lot of weight for a young woman's shoulders. 

I found it very odd that Michaela sews with the sewing machine on her lap..... they can't afford a folding craft table or something?? I get the apartment is small.. but c'mon! Someone buy her a $30 table at walmart!!

Re: basketball court location - they put the concrete exactly where the hoop was before. 

[cereality]

Noticed the same thing with Michael holding a sewing machine on her lap! Must be preference though - she could use her tiny kitchen table or the desk Brandon sat at to draw or even sit on the floor and use the coffee table. 

As for the basketball court, I think they have a lot of land but I don't think that much of that land is flat. There was a pretty big incline behind the court. And they've shown that they have a swing set that pretty much is sitting on a straight incline. Sure they could create a flat plane on a hill but it's more labor intensive and expensive. Shocked they didn't ask Prince Chad to come take care of it.

[BitterApple]

Lol, I can just picture that. "Hey Chad, can you level off the top of this mountain so we can have a basketball court? Oh, and dig a swimming pool while you're at it. 'Kay, thanks..."

[gunderda]

2 hours ago, cereality said:

Noticed the same thing with Michael holding a sewing machine on her lap! Must be preference though - she could use her tiny kitchen table or the desk Brandon sat at to draw or even sit on the floor and use the coffee table. 

But how is it even effective to do it on your lap? Don't you need both hands to hold the fabric so you have no way to steady the machine?? It just seems very bizarre to me...

[Kelly]

Ive always found Michaela to be rather odd (not to mention her name - WTH?). There is just something about her that seems so...DULL.  Her and Brandon - snoresville.  Their life seems very very boring.  Hopefully they're happy together...somebody please, check for a pulse.

[Kelly]

19 hours ago, Suzy123 said:

He is also a terrible singer and should just stop. 

YES!  I have to mute or fast forward thru his singing.  Just awful.

[sATL]

2 hours ago, Kelly said:

Ive always found Michaela to be rather odd (not to mention her name - WTH?). There is just something about her that seems so...DULL.  Her and Brandon - snoresville.  Their life seems very very boring.  Hopefully they're happy together...somebody please, check for a pulse.

Good point.

During the earlier episodes when they featured John&Alyssa, they showed their life as a new couple in FL. They have a side cleaning business and John's family plays softball. Given this is the first episode showing M&B in Chicago,as a newlywed couple, what in the hell do they do, or where have they traveled, as a young married couple, when they are not "baby making"? How do they pass the time, outside of the apt? How was the winter (I didn't see any pictures or reference)? How's their new friends ? Brandon's job? Yes, private bedroom time, is great, fun and kills time, but there is a little more to life.

Given the earlier posts, I think Micheala aged look is a result of stress and worry. I'm just used to seeing it on a older person. Stress and worry isn't good for someone who should be trying to get their body and mind in the best possible shape for pregnancy.

re: sewing..I tried to leave it alone.. but can't... Who is supposed to be her customers ? She wants to sell dresses she's already made and not take orders. The whole point of  a handmade dress is so that it can be custom. By the time she factors in materials, labor, shipping, she could be bumping heads with ebay-shoppers. And she is only going to do little girl frilly modest sun dresses? Now, if she would switch gears into making handmade quilts, which the Midwest is known for, that can be a little lucrative and will probably be closer to her own personality and production speed.

Edited January 28, 2017 by sATL

[IndianPaintbrush]

Congratulations to Alyssa & John on the birth of Lexi Mae.

I wonder what kind of health insurance Michael and Brandon have and if that has anything to do with his reluctance to see a fertility specialist. I certainly hope they've done it by now.

[farmgal4]

One thing is apparent with this family:  Everyone of those kids ADORE their parents and vice versa! 

[Rabbittron]

4 hours ago, IndianPaintbrush said:

Congratulations to Alyssa & John on the birth of Lexi Mae.

I wonder what kind of health insurance Michael and Brandon have and if that has anything to do with his reluctance to see a fertility specialist. I certainly hope they've done it by now.

I doubt it has anything to do with insurance i think he is afraid he might have a problem getting her pregnant. 

[cereality]

3 hours ago, Rabbittron said:

I doubt it has anything to do with insurance i think he is afraid he might have a problem getting her pregnant. 

And when you're raised to believe that everything is always God's will -- even if you aren't against medical care -- it's got to be hard to swallow that it isn't God's will for you to birth 10 believers in 10 yrs and that may not happen at all and you may need medical help to have even 1-2 kids. I mean these 2 got married in very large part so they could be parents and have a Gil/Kelly type of family and raise them in the manner in which they were raised. He (and she) may be feeling like -- I did everything right -- obsessed about religion since birth; became a minister; never kissed a girl or even held a hand until my wife; never had a girlfriend -- and THIS is how I get repaid??!

Edited January 28, 2017 by cereality

[cereality]

20 hours ago, sATL said:

Good point.

During the earlier episodes when they featured John&Alyssa, they showed their life as a new couple in FL. They have a side cleaning business and John's family plays softball. Given this is the first episode showing M&B in Chicago,as a newlywed couple, what in the hell do they do, or where have they traveled, as a young married couple, when they are not "baby making"? How do they pass the time, outside of the apt? How was the winter (I didn't see any pictures or reference)? How's their new friends ? Brandon's job? Yes, private bedroom time, is great, fun and kills time, but there is a little more to life.

Given the earlier posts, I think Micheala aged look is a result of stress and worry. I'm just used to seeing it on a older person. Stress and worry isn't good for someone who should be trying to get their body and mind in the best possible shape for pregnancy.

re: sewing..I tried to leave it alone.. but can't... Who is supposed to be her customers ? She wants to sell dresses she's already made and not take orders. The whole point of  a handmade dress is so that it can be custom. By the time she factors in materials, labor, shipping, she could be bumping heads with ebay-shoppers. And she is only going to do little girl frilly modest sun dresses? Now, if she would switch gears into making handmade quilts, which the Midwest is known for, that can be a little lucrative and will probably be closer to her own personality and production speed.

They have an Instagram that shows their life somewhat. But the pics look very "posed" to me -- i.e. we need to show that we're as interesting as Erin/Chad, Zach/Whit, Alyssa/John -- so lets post that we went to this coffee shop or made this snowman or you brought me roses. It's true that they're more reserved -- but then so are Alyssa and John. Honestly Michael and Brandon still strike me as if they're in that polite getting to know you period -- him sweetly doing the things he thinks he should (flowers; poems); her doing what she should (cooking for him; talking about how sweet her man is); and them doing things they think the other will find "fun" -- like playing in the snow. Yet they strike me as if they are just waiting for kids to come along bc they feel that's when their marriage will REALLY start. In reality that'll just end the awkwardness with each other bc they won't have time for it when they have 3 kids under age 4.

The other couples just seem more "real" to me and have built up a true connection in their marriages -- and aren't just living in a super polite courtship. Alyssa * John are reserved with the cameras and her family -- but I think they have a true bond with each other and probably talk to each other all the time; if this were them, Alyssa and John would just talk out whether and when to seek out a dr. rather than John just saying "let's pray on it" with Alyssa politely agreeing but wondering how long they leave this up to God but not wanting to ask. They work together towards common goals -- like their cleaning company. Chad & Erin -- they appear to have more individual hobbies with Chad and furniture and Erin and her music recordings, and they come together to support their partner and then of course Chad brings the overly sugary sweet romance. Zach & Whit -- they don't even seem fundie to me and I wonder if they are officially fundie lite now. They really talk and interact like another other 20 something couple and neither one would have a problem telling the other anything.