S07.E24: Back to Square One

[druzy]

Catelynn and Tyler celebrate Carly's birthday, whom they placed for adoption nine years ago and receive disappointing news. Bentley starts the 4th grade while Jen and Larry are relieved when Ryan returns to rehab.

Airs: November 5, 2018

[druzy]

I don't see how Teen Mom OG will get renewed. On this week's episode:

Cate & Tyler celebrate Carly's birthday and complain that Theresa is not allowing them to visit Carley (hopefully a process server is en route to serve them with papers that close the adoption along with No Contact Orders). All is not lost, for there is cake for Cate. 

Amber is still sitting on a couch:

So is Baby Huey:

Maci ( who still talks slow) is sad because it's Bentley's first day of fourth grade and it's the first year that Bentley doesn't want her to walk him to his class. 

Here's the preview:

Edited November 5, 2018 by druzy

[druzy]

Who can guess where Amber is in her first scene:

A. Her couch

B. Her bed

C. Both

[FairyDusted]

D. THE GRAVE

 

OMG Kristina! I burst into tears!:(

[druzy]

2 minutes ago, FairyDusted said:

D. THE GRAVE

??

2 minutes ago, FairyDusted said:

OMG Kristina! I burst into tears!:(

I feel so sad for Kristina too.

[VioletNevermind]

Sooooo . . . the Palin family has had a pretty persistent stalker for 10 years now and Bristol responds by participating in a reality show?  With her small children?  As the only adult in the house?  I’m not justifying the stalker’s behavior in any way, but most people would go under the radar a bit, at least to give the guy a fighting chance of cooling off.  I mean, I’m certainly no expert, but I would think that you’d want to not have your entire family star in a weekly TV show if you have a stalker.  This family makes the most asinine decisions.

Good old Dawn from Bethany, back again for another round of bullshit.  Make no mistake: Cateylnn and Tyler have definitely made their own dysfunctional beds, but this manipulative wench has not helped them at all.  She continues to spoon-feed them hollow, bullshit platitudes about how brave they are and how they’re “in a class of their own.”  I would love to think that she meant that sarcastically, but I know she didn’t.  Brandon and Teresa are the real MVPs here.  They had no idea this show would blow up the way it did and that they would basically become household names against their wills.  I shouldn’t even know their names!  I can only hope that Carly is being shielded from this crap as best they can.  This televised birthday party for her, complete with cake, is just . . . something else.  Jesus, take the wheel. 

Edited November 6, 2018 by SuzyLee

[druzy]

Aunt Amber's in the house!

It's all about Amber. Kristina announces she had a miscarriage and Amber says so did I while looking down doodling on paper. 

Edited November 6, 2018 by druzy

[FairyDusted]

I don't believe her. I'm a bitch.

[druzy]

1 minute ago, FairyDusted said:

I don't believe her. I'm a bitch.

You're not a bitch- I don't believe Amber either. And by the way Amber get your ass up off the couch and give Kristina a hug.

[druzy]

Close the adoption already!

[Brooklynista]

So instead of taking a hint and backing off of BrandonandTeresa, Cate doubles down and bombards the woman with text messages. Leave those people alone!!

And demanding to know what is going on with Carly?? Mind your funky business! What help can she possibly offer? Oh, maybe some bullshit trauma platitudes she's learned from sleepaway camp.  Go help Nova find the dog poo around the house and shut up.

Edited November 6, 2018 by Brooklynista

[VioletNevermind]

God, Catelynn and Tyler!  You two dumbasses are your own worst enemies.  Brandon and Teresa have told you repeatedly not to discuss this stuff on the air, yet here you are doing it, then you have the audacity to get upset when you’re checked by Carly’s actual parents.  I wish Brandon and Teresa would close the adoption, if only to protect Carly from these two yahoos in the future (at least until she’s 18 and matured a bit more).  I understand why they don’t.  They probably don’t want to overplay their hand and risk incurring the wrath of Catelynn and Tyler’s “fans” on social media.  Ugh, these two make me sick.  Carly is a human being, not a storyline. 

Edited November 6, 2018 by SuzyLee

[druzy]

Kristina should have taken Farrah's place.

[Brooklynista]

First thing Cate should do to assist with her "trauma", is to blast the fuck out of Dawn. Cuss the dogfuck out of her one good time for taking advantage of two troubled and stupid teens.

All of these phone calls and Alex and Ani bracelets and hugs is not going to change the favt that Dawn's main goal was getting that white baby by any means necessary. If Cate unleashed that and then unleash some hell on Tyler she'd have the ability to move forward with some clarity. Acknowledge that two people in the room snookered her  out of her baby.  

Is Carly better off? Definitely.  But the means by which she got there was lowdown.

[FrankieTankie]

Gotta love how Slamber has to one up Kristina with her own miscarriage that no one has ever known about ... she’s such a pile of worthless shit

 

Does anyone work ??!! I mean no one even the parents ... other family members or other hanger oners seem to work .... bunch of lazy people ... 

[Mr. Miner]

57 minutes ago, FairyDusted said:

I don't believe her. I'm a bitch.

I don’t believe her and don’t care. I’m going to hell.

[FairyDusted]

1 minute ago, Mr. Minor said:

I don’t believe her and don’t care. I’m going to hell.

I'll bring marshmallows and a bong.

[ghoulina]

Cheyenne has the most boring storyline ever. Seriously. No. One. Cares. 

 

Followed closely by Maci, who is only interesting because of Ryan's storyline. By the by, I thought he and Mack "quit" the show? 

 

I don't know shit about this Palin stalker, but did Bristol seem a little OTT to anyone else? Worrying about a dude who's in KY while she's in TX? (I always support women learning to defend themselves, though.I'm going to my second class on Sunday!)

I did not care for the way Dakota just blew up at her on the phone. He comes across as incredibly paranoid and intimidating. I definitely think Bristol is better off away from him. 

 

My heart breaks for Kristina. Oh, honey. And, of course, Amber takes any opportunity to make it about her. She's so gross. 

Gary impresses me more and more every time I see him. His love and devotion to his girls is so real.

 

Gee, I wonder why Nova is going through a phase where she just wants mommy?

Maybe because mommy runs away every chance she gets and shows more interest in the kid she gave away. 

I was glad to see Tyler showing some growth when it comes to the situation. It seems that, even though he doesn't love it, he's realizing what his boundaries are. Cate, OTOH, thinks it's acceptable to text harass Teresa, and then wonders why they don't want to see her. 

[druzy]

2 minutes ago, FairyDusted said:

I'll bring marshmallows and a bong.

I'll bring the party hats and cake.

[Linny]

Another week, another strained conversation between Bristol and Dakota. It sounds like her stalker is a legitimate threat and they need to be on the same page when it comes to protecting their family, but communication is clearly not a strong suit for these two. It really makes me wonder why they signed up for TM to put this unstable relationship on display. Was the MTV money just too sweet to resist?

I'm not even going to pretend to give a shit about Cheyenne and her boyfriend. Ryder is super adorable, though, and always seems like such a happy child.

Bentley entering the fourth grade really just makes me reflect on how long this show has been on and how much longevity it has left. I mean, are we still going to be watching when he starts middle school and goes through puberty? It's bad enough the whole world sees his father's mug shots and battle with addiction, where do we draw the line between reality show entertainment and invasiveness? 

The raw emotions Kristina expressed over losing her pregnancy was so heartbreaking. But Amber immediately making the conversation about her miscarriage with Matt pissed me off. Before she gave condolences, before she asked for details, she turned the conversation to herself, which really just says it all. Kudos to Gary for being a supportive partner and telling Kristina he was happy with their family and would get a vasectomy to prevent the possibility of another tubal pregnancy.

Catelynn and Tyler are just never going to get that they have no claim on Carly's life. This image they have of Carly and Nova bonding is both far-fetched and selfish, as they don't give any consideration to Carly's feelings or desires. Everything is about what Catelynn and Tyler want, the fulfilment of a happy family unit that never existed with Carly, with zero recognition that to her, they're nothing more than hazy acquaintances. Their mindset is always so locked on Carly that I truly don't think they understand that she lives her life without focusing on them at all. They're blind to the fact that Carly is more than her beginning, that she's a kid growing up with her own family and future, independent of Catelynn  and Tyler. Brandon and Teresa are her parents and should not be expected to offer up details and explanations about Carly's life to Catelynn and Tyler. It's not their place to know.

[Mr. Miner]

I don’t want to sound mean Cate, but don’t ever text or call this fucking number again.

[badhaggis]

32 minutes ago, druzy said:

I'll bring the party hats and cake.

And I will bring handbaskets for all of us!

[Stusan]

58 minutes ago, Linny said:

Bentley entering the fourth grade really just makes me reflect on how long this show has been on and how much longevity it has left. I mean, are we still going to be watching when he starts middle school and goes through puberty? 

Hey, only 6-7 more years until the kids can have their own spin-off show. Let's hope it's called, "16 and NOT Pregnant".

And go @ghoulina on your bad-ass self-defense classes!!!

[Caseysgirl]

It’s not at all surprising that Nova is screaming for her mother to help her; she’s afraid if she closes her eyes for a minute Mom will be sneaking out of town again. I’m also thinking that at a certain age, little girls don’t want their Daddy’s giving them a bath. I can’t remember how old Nova is but shouldn’t she be able to most  of the washing ( except for her hair) alone?  Do all of the women who Dawn takes babies from get a phone call every year to remind them of their heartbreak or just the ones who are television?  

Edited November 6, 2018 by Caseysgirl
Extra word

[druzy]

Leah looks thrilled to see her Auntie Amber.

[CaliforniaLove]

Now we see why Amber lost her shit on social media...she watched her recording of the episode & saw yet again that the MTV producers shaded her with a cartoon sloth. Bravo MTV, bravo!! Even they hate her, and are not "sending love".

Shut up Taylor's TTM coffee mug. I mean, coffee mugs really? And when did school start for Bentley? I would think August or September, but isn't Carly's birthday in May? Year round in TN, or wonky timeline?

Shut up Mackenzie. That asshole is happier in front of the cameras than Ryan in an oar factory.

[teapot]

Were Cheyenne & Zack eating Boston Market?  Although I give them props for putting their wine in glasses; takeout for me includes a Sutter Home mini-bottle as is.

isn’t Nova, like, three? So we just leave her in the tub alone til she’s ready to be washed? I knew better than that way back in the 90s!!!

Nova :”mommy, wash, please?”

World’s Greatest Mom: “QUIT IT!”

Tyler’s thought bubble:  are daycares open nights & weekends???

[geauxaway]

1 hour ago, Stusan said:

Hey, only 6-7 more years until the kids can have their own spin-off show. Let's hope it's called, "16 and NOT Pregnant".

And go @ghoulina on your bad-ass self-defense classes!!!

32 and Grandma.  ?

[teapot]

What exactly is an “Attlee”???

has Ty begun to design man-sized Tierra Reign?

Kristina “ so I went to the doctors and...”

Amber (damn, still gotta listen to Gary’s freaking wife) “well, I didn’t go to the doctor or...hear a heartbeat or...experience anything at all remotely similar  but no one was paying attention to me  for a minute and *that* really sucked, so...”

[mamadrama]

5 hours ago, druzy said:

Aunt Amber's in the house!

It's all about Amber. Kristina announces she had a miscarriage and Amber says so did I while looking down doodling on paper. 

 

That must have been the agreed-upon subplot for the cast last year-that all the women had miscarriages. It actually makes me angry on Kristina's behalf because I truly believe her story. It's pissed me off the way some of the girls (I refuse to call them "women" because that implies adulthood) talk about their miscarriages as though it's just another way to gain attention. For those who have been through actual miscarriages and child loss, it's kind of a slap in the face. 

I'd be shocked as hell if MTV were making money off this show anymore. It's just the same old shit repeated over and over and over again. 

And Bristol...yes, it IS odd that she is doing this show considering the fact that her stalker is legit and probably dangerous. Then again, she's been a part of how many reality shows now? At least 3-4 if you count her son being on Dancing with the Stars Junior. 

I just can't get over how BORING the show has become. And Carly's parents might want to consider changing their names and going off grid. 

 

**This is the casket my son was buried in. He died of cardiac arrest when he was 2 months old. We put a seemingly healthy infant down for sleep and he never awoke. Child loss isn't just a anecdote to be shared in an offhand manner when you're trying to one-up someone for the spotlight. (Amber.)

Edited November 6, 2018 by mamadrama
I wasn't finished

[jacksgirl]

mamadrama, hugs to you and yours 

Edited November 6, 2018 by jacksgirl

[bounnatalie]

How much laundry to Taylor and Maci have? Or do they save it for the show?

I too, was annoyed with Amber's "and back to me.." because her experience was very different than Christina's.

Glad that there was more Gary and Christina this week, and wanted to give Christina a big hug. She is so genuine.

What is up with all of them having miscarriages?

[elsie]

Dawn makes my skin crawl. Her disingenuous nature just reeks through the screen.

[Calm81]

1 hour ago, bounnatalie said:

What is up with all of them having miscarriages?

God has started to watch the show and declared that the “moms” from TM franchise needed to stop having storyline babies that they won’t take care of and somehow sweet Kristina got caught in the crosshairs due to guilty by association.

Fuck Amber. She couldn’t just be there for Kristina she had to one up her!!?? Even if Amber did in fact have a miscarriage. A simple “I understand your pain, I’ve experienced one too, is there anything I can do to help you during this tough time? Can I watch your kids (include Leah as her child) while you take some ‘me time’ for yourself since my life is a constant me time???” No, instead she wanted the entire spotlight. Ugh.

Edited November 6, 2018 by Calm81
Forgot one word.

[ghoulina]

8 hours ago, Caseysgirl said:

It’s not at all surprising that Nova is screaming for her mother to help her; she’s afraid if she closes her eyes for a minute Mom will be sneaking out of town again. I’m also thinking that at a certain age, little girls don’t want their Daddy’s giving them a bath. I can’t remember how old Nova is but shouldn’t she be able to most  of the washing ( except for her hair) alone?  Do all of the women who Dawn takes babies from get a phone call every year to remind them of their heartbreak or just the ones who are television?  

My daughter is 7 and my husband still sometimes gives her a bath. She's on the spectrum, though, and more like a 4 or 5-year-old as far as her emotional and social development. Nova, actually, sometimes reminds me of her. 

I feel like Tyler (and Ms. Buttinsky, Kim) felt like this was an appropriate time to teach a lesson - to not give Nova what she wanted just for the sake of it. And I totally understand parents wanting to make sure kids don't think they're running the show. However; I think, in this case, they need to be a lot more understanding of the upheaval Nova has faced over the past year or so. Her mother's presence in her life must feel very uncertain to her. As shitty of a mother as Cate is to US, that's all Nova's ever known and she loves her and wants her around. 

I actually found that scene super sad. 

[MyPeopleAreNordic]

11 hours ago, Brooklynista said:

First thing Cate should do to assist with her "trauma", is to blast the fuck out of Dawn. Cuss the dogfuck out of her one good time for taking advantage of two troubled and stupid teens.

All of these phone calls and Alex and Ani bracelets and hugs is not going to change the favt that Dawn's main goal was getting that white baby by any means necessary. If Cate unleashed that and then unleash some hell on Tyler she'd have the ability to move forward with some clarity. Acknowledge that two people in the room snookered her  out of her baby.  

Is Carly better off? Definitely.  But the means by which she got there was lowdown.

PREACH, @Brooklynista! You've taken my thoughts and said them much more eloquently and succinctly than I ever could (or tried to do recently on C&T's thread).  Cate would be so much better off if she told Dawn and Tyler off for what happened nine years ago.

8 hours ago, teapot said:

What exactly is an “Attlee”???

A made-up Palin name that while awful, is still much better than being a Tripp or a Trigg.  

Or a Track.

[TaxNerd]

The poor kid's name is even worse - Atlee Bay, named after a body of water in Alaska.

It's like naming your child Lake, which could be pretty, but then adding Michigan as a middle name.  

Actually I could see Cate and Tyler using my idea.

[SnarkEnthusiast]

Kristina's story was terrifying. I didn't even know that was a thing. Obviously I've heard of an ectopic pregnancy, but I didn't think that was a possibility if you had your tubes tied. Everyone can make their choices about their body, but tubal ligation seems unnecessarily risky just speaking for myself. If it were me, I would just ask my partner to get a vasectomy. Good on Gary for going out of his way to take his own steps to make sure it never happens again.

Kristina, crying: "I had a miscarriage just recently. I heard the heartbeat."

Amber, too bored to even stop staring at the ground: "You remember like three years ago when I randomly went to Vegas to appease my midlife crisis alcoholic boyfriend with a marriage that literally everyone in my life was telling me was a bad idea? To the point where I actively inconvenienced everyone by calling off the wedding in the middle of the vacation? Well, in the middle of all that I miscarried and Matt got so mad he punched a wall LOL! Oh, Vegas."

Did this bitch just try to one up Kristina's miscarriage? You would think that if you had gone through it, you would understand how raw and painful it is, especially at the beginning. Amber just threw that out there like they were swapping summer camp stories. Also, I know the kids are getting older and more aware, but I still think it was inappropriate for both of them to share that much graphic information in front of Leah. Not even because of the medical discussions, but because it has to be awfully hard for a nine-year-old to process in the span of one conversation that she was supposed to have two additional siblings that she lost.

Gee, Dawn, maybe you could've given Cate & Ty that "soft fall" advice when they were 17? Suddenly buttering up Teresa with inane small talk about Carly's life isn't going to make her forget a decade's worth of shit talking and ulterior motives. Bad blood on camera aside, I think C&T's main issue (beyond the delusion that they are still her true parents) is the fact that they act as if Carly is a car that they have to ask permission to take out and drive and Brandon and Teresa are the strict, hardass parents blocking their fun. They don't actually have or want a relationship with them, they just see them as fickle, obnoxious gatekeepers that they have to go through to play house with Carly. As such, their relationship with them is always purely transactional and about instant gratification. Do they ever ask about Brandon and Teresa? Or Carly's little brother? No, They just pop up on a whim every few months to incessantly ask when they can see her again. But from Teresa's perspective, why? Even putting aside the constant passive aggressive antagonism, they don't put any effort into knowing Teresa or Brandon or anything about their lives, so why would they want to make them a part of their daughter's? I guarantee that C&T know nothing about Carly's school or friends or interests, especially given the blank looks on their faces when Dawn suggested that they ask about Carly's day. She's just a prop to them. And I'm sorry, but that miscarriage bracelet birthstone thing was weird and a really exploitative attempt by Dawn to insert herself into their storyline again. That bracelet is going to do nothing but trigger Cate. She should just put it away in her dresser. Am I the only one who noticed Tyler was totally checked out during the emotional Cate/Dawn hug? It must be exhausting living with someone who insists on revisiting every trauma they've ever been through every single day.

It says a lot that in the same episode, Bristol is learning self-defense to gear up for the increasingly likely possibility that she will have to face down a potentially homicidal stalker (and, let's face it, a similarly violent unhinged showdown is probably on the horizon with Dakota too). She has to constantly be on alert for multiple men who have the potential to hurt or kill both her and her kids. Meanwhile, Cate is STILL blathering on about her "adoption induced PTSD." GAH! These girls flaunt new mental illness diagnoses like they're Louis Vuitton handbags.

Edited November 6, 2018 by SnarkEnthusiast

[Mr. Miner]

Were they going to send that totally lame birthday party they filmed to Carly?

[TresGatos]

13 hours ago, ghoulina said:

Cheyenne has the most boring storyline ever. Seriously. No. One. Cares. 

Cory got kicked off the most recent Challenge for being a violent asshole. Cory then went on social media to brag that it didn't matter he still had that sweet Teen Mom gig and the money it brings.

[Mr. Miner]

1 minute ago, TresGatos said:

Cory got kicked off the most recent Challenge for being a violent asshole.

I was so happy he and his partner got booted.

[FlowerofCarnage]

2 hours ago, MyPeopleAreNordic said:

PREACH, @Brooklynista! You've taken my thoughts and said them much more eloquently and succinctly than I ever could (or tried to do recently on C&T's thread).  Cate would be so much better off if she told Dawn and Tyler off for what happened nine years ago.

A made-up Palin name that while awful, is still much better than being a Tripp or a Trigg.  

Or a Track.

I will never forget when Bill Maher said, " Bristol...Willow...Track...Trig, sounds like you're  calling in an air strike!"

[mrs ra]

In what professional capacity does an adoption counselor call the birth parents on the anniversary of a painful event??? They obviously needed no reminder! They had pre-ordered a cake! If she had any contact with them on that date, all she should have done or said is reaffirmed that they had made the right decision then and that Carly is in a good place now. Dawn is a MAJOR cause of C &T’s continuing delusions!

[VioletNevermind]

21 minutes ago, mrs ra said:

In what professional capacity does an adoption counselor call the birth parents on the anniversary of a painful event??? They obviously needed no reminder! They had pre-ordered a cake! If she had any contact with them on that date, all she should have done or said is reaffirmed that they had made the right decision then and that Carly is in a good place now. Dawn is a MAJOR cause of C &T’s continuing delusions!

Thank you.  Dawn crossed the line long ago from professional adoption counselor (whose job has long been done) to manipulative reality TV show hanger-on.  She can dress it up however she likes, but that's what it comes down to.  But Catelynn and Tyler will never see that.  They end phone calls with her with "Love ya!"  I mean, come the fuck on.  Dawn absolutely adds to their dysfunction. 

Edited November 6, 2018 by SuzyLee

[Pepper Mostly]

14 hours ago, badhaggis said:

And I will bring handbaskets for all of us!

I shall bring the cream and muffins! (Bonus points if you know the book this comes from!)

Seriously, I'll bring the gin. We're going to need it.

[heatherchandler]

14 hours ago, FairyDusted said:

I'll bring marshmallows and a bong.

Sweet!  

Let's just get this hell party going!

 

14 hours ago, druzy said:

I'll bring the party hats and cake.

 

Make sure the cake reads, "Happy Birthday Carly!"

[Dance4Life]

Whaaaaat???  Did I hear correctly?  Ryan is gonna miss the baby’s birth?  He can’t even stay sober for that and then go to Rehab??  Does Ryan have another baby with another girl or am I thinking of another teen dad??

 

 

 

 

What is going to happen with Carly???  They won’t let go! Then they think the girls should grow up together???   It was nice hearing Tyler say he was doing better acknowledging his place as birth father and not the father raising her. Something Cate is apparently still working on. 

 

Cate didn’t want to give Nova a bath because she was trying to film ‘Carly’s birthday’ scene. No compassion at all for the daughter that she is raising. Nova also has PTSD caused by Cate’s abandonment.  

 

Nova is around drug addicts, mentally ill people all the time.  Her innocence and privacy stolen by a TV crew that films her dysfunctional world. 

All she wants is a bath with her mommy but somehow they have consulted with a therapist about this, as well. Why sooooo complicated??  Give her a bath! 

 

( FFS, did they have to film that little girl in the tub??? No boundaries!

Edited November 6, 2018 by Dance4Life

[Dance4Life]

What is it with the miscarriage Olympics on this show? 

 

Amber you are so gross.  (So, is her new dude.  Does he work?) Why did you reveal your fake miscarriage when Kristina was talking about hers?  Leah didn’t even believe you.

 

Then you took it one step further and tried to use this fake miscarriage to try to repair Matt’s reputation.  Doesn’t even make sense!  We saw Matt coddle your every move.  I don’t think he would have acted violent upon learning of a miscarriage.

 

Matt was pissed off because he wanted more money from you and you probably wouldn’t give him any. He wanted to drug, drink, gamble and cheat while in Vegas.

[ginger90]

Why does Amber even mention Matt’s name? 

[ghoulina]

3 hours ago, SnarkEnthusiast said:

Meanwhile, Cate is STILL blathering on about her "adoption induced PTSD." GAH! These girls flaunt new mental illness diagnoses like they're Louis Vuitton handbags.

Right? It's the way she says it. "So my most recent diagnosis is...." - like it changes monthly and that's normal. 

 

1 hour ago, ginger90 said:

Why does Amber even mention Matt’s name? 

If I were Andrew, I'd get quite tired of hearing about it.