Counting On - Season 4, part 4 - Where Time Isn't Linear and Everyone Is a Relative

[jacduggar]

On 11/1/2017 at 2:51 PM, VelociRapture said:

I seriously doubt the show is ending. The Forsyths were filmed in Switzerland on their honeymoon in May/June and JoKen were just filmed for their honeymoon in Greece last month. Neither trips have aired yet. I highly doubt TLC would have spent money on two international honeymoons for them if they weren’t sure they’d be renewing the show for another season. 

TLC wouldn’t have paid for it. If it was paid, the production company paid for it. The production company takes care of everything - paying the cast, trips, extras, freebies - then they sell what they’ve filmed to the network. If anything, the production company investors are the ones actually paying for it. If TLC pulls it, they’re the ones who are out the money. 

 

Sidenote: is counting on being produced by figure 8 films? I noticed F8F shows are having a tough time coming back to discovery networks. They also don’t seem to be getting much press anymore. I wonder if there are some contract negotiations happening. 

[Bad Wolf]

I felt sorry for the little girls when they redid the girls' room. They really wanted the pony to stay. They painted over it anyway. A good reason to separate the little girls from the older ones.

[justmy2cents]

9 hours ago, allthegoodnamesrgone said:

The boys can as well be spread out over 3 rooms, have Jed & Jer in a room, Jason & James in another & a 3rd for Tyler, Jackson and Justin. Then JD could have Gma Mary's old room.

Where will Josiah sleep?  Poor forgotten Josiah.

[Lurky]

Re comparing the Duggar "boys' room" to sharing as a member of the military or in hostels while traveling:  those are things adults choose to do, and there are benefits that counter-act the loss of privacy/the weirdness of adults, teens and under 10s all sharing the same room.  In the military example, it's something one does for the pay/career benefits; in traveling, it's a way to travel cheaply and have experiences.

But this isn't the informed choice of the Duggars, it's just what their parents have decided.  And if one of the kids wants more privacy - or for example, young men who are working for their living want to have some of their own space - they've got no options.  Even the Arndts have more privacy!

[Carm_88]

53 minutes ago, Lurky said:

  Even the Arndts have more privacy!

The Arndts have sheets too, penguin sheets! 

[allthegoodnamesrgone]

14 hours ago, justmy2cents said:

Where will Josiah sleep?  Poor forgotten Josiah.

When you have so many kids you can totally forget one and not realize it.

[metheglyn]

On 11/2/2017 at 8:29 PM, jacduggar said:

Sidenote: is counting on being produced by figure 8 films? I noticed F8F shows are having a tough time coming back to discovery networks. They also don’t seem to be getting much press anymore. I wonder if there are some contract negotiations happening. 

Yes, the Figure 8 Films website claims the show, though it, interestingly, lists it as Jill and Jessa, though links directly to the Counting On webpage on TLC. They *also* produce Kate plus 8, Sister Wives, Bringing Up Bates, and, interestingly, I am Jazz.  Now there's some additional production-related conflict of interest...  Derrick was slagging off the star of not just another show on TLC, but another show by their same production company.

http://www.figure8films.tv/site/

Per the Figure 8 Films "About Us" page, they care about accuracy, sensitivity, and respect for their subjects and audience. ... Uh huh.

Spoiler

[Irene]

On 3.11.2017 at 2:55 AM, Bad Wolf said:

I felt sorry for the little girls when they redid the girls' room. They really wanted the pony to stay. They painted over it anyway. A good reason to separate the little girls from the older ones.

Have I mist a episode?

Btw, when does next seasom start?

[metheglyn]

18 hours ago, Irene said:

Have I mist a episode?

Btw, when does next seasom start?

I'm pretty sure the repainting episode was actually from the last season of 19K&C rather than Counting On, since it involved a lot of JB and M talking about the changes and what have you. They didn't really reintroduce JB&M to tv for a while after Counting On started, probably to try to cut down the complaints they go. It was after Jessa got married, though, because Jessa commented on how they only fancied it up after she moved out. 

They haven't announced a date for a new season yet.

[nolongerIFBx]

On 10/25/2017 at 12:47 AM, griffin said:

Looking back now, I'm sure Boob gave Josh that bogus wedding-night-Lego sex talk not for him, but for US. The cameras were there just to present  Josh as so innocent and ignorant. Why else would ANYONE make that public? That was unnecessary, staged and phony and now we know why.  We've never ever seen them give anyone else one word of advice/preparation for the big wedding night. Just more fake front to advance their brand and we were all oblivious.

OT, but I had an acquaintance get married recently (not fundie, plenty of living together before marriage) and she posted on her FB page that her wedding day was lovely- getting dressed up, seeing all her friends and family, fun reception and then going home to work on a Lego project with her new husband. I totally cracked up.

[beepy13]

12 hours ago, nolongerIFBx said:

and then going home to work on a Lego project with her new husband.

I'm thinking you meant actual Legos, but all I thought of was the Lego conversation with Josh and JBoob many years ago.

[VeryNikeSeamstress]

Lego should make an educational wedding set for fundies. Perhaps Garden of Eden themed? The set would be assembled by the chaperoned engaged couple as they pray for their godly marriage. The Adam and Eve Lego people would initially be wearing fig leaves, Adam's would be attached to a nub between his legs, Eve's would be inserted into a corresponding hole. After the wedding, the couple would remove the fig leaves and stick their Lego people together. They could even do it at the reception after the cake is cut for maximal ick factor. Perhaps make it a game where the couple get blindfolded and spun around by their parents before they attempt to stick the Lego people together.

[calimojo]

So, while I sit around nursing a cold, I have been thinking about the show.   For a family that promotes the sanctity of life, and having baby after baby,  I am really surprised they are so casual about prenatal care.  Under better PR they could have aimed their 'mission' to be one of promoting healthy pregancy.  I mean TLC had a whole series on pregnancy ( A Baby Story) and it was very popular.   The Duggars could have done some actual good if they had promoted prenatal care, prenatal nutrition, etc.  And if they wanted to stick with home births fine, but, they could have even used that as a story line, i.e.  how to plan for home birth, how to select a qualified midwife, etc. 

I would love to know if the show is so dull because JB controls the content or if the producers are just really bottom of the barrel in terms of running a show.  There is a way to make this interesting.  They could do so much more, but they stay in such a safe zone, and it has become terribly dull.   I really wonder what Jessa/Ben, Jer/Jinger would do if TLC came to them privately and proposed a show that was outside of JB's control.  Would they do it?  Would Joy and Austin?  

I would like to see Jessa and Ben relocate to an urban area where Ben could do mission work in an underserved neighborhood, perhaps partnering with someone like Flame again.  ( I didn't find Flame to be all that sincere, but I think Ben's heart was in the right place, but he was just very naive). 

Jeremy also lives in a part of the country that has a lot of poverty.  What is his role in helping improve that?  And if he when to flooded areas to help, that would make  good tv.  What is it really like for Jinger to be taking small steps away from how she was raised?  Has this brought up other questions for her?  And why not include their decisions to postpone having kids into the show?  This is a show built on babies, so when one of the kidults decides to postpone, that is actually significant.  That would be interesting, and it would be interesting to learn how Jinger reconciled herself to this.  Did she pray on it, was this what she had wanted all along, etc.   

 

I just see so many missed opportunities in how this show has been managed.  They even could have talked about He who must not be named, to some extent.  I don't want to see him on the show, but  why not address the elephant in the room and talk about how this has impacted their family, how do the Bros in law, manage to be in the same room with their wife's molester? I mean these topics would need to be handled with sensitivity, but they might have done more to promote their mission than the boring ass bullshit they put on week to week.  

Talk to the Married girls honestly about how they plan to raise their kids.  Will they adopt the buddy system or do they plan to do it differently. What was it really like to lead a buddy team and to leave them when they got married. 

Most  people do some things different and some things the same from their parents.  We already see somethings that Jessa does differently  so I would like to know why?  Is it a conscience decision to allow Spurgeon to Dance even though her parents didn't allow that?  Is she avoiding the blanket training, and if so why?   A show on how she and Jill differ from their parents in raising kids would be interesting.  

Anyway, I wish TLC would see this and call me for ideas, because I could make this show better.  First thing? Wrestle all control away from JB. Pay the kidults directly. 

[SassyPants]

5 hours ago, calimojo said:

So, while I sit around nursing a cold, I have been thinking about the show.   For a family that promotes the sanctity of life, and having baby after baby,  I am really surprised they are so casual about prenatal care.  Under better PR they could have aimed their 'mission' to be one of promoting healthy pregancy.  I mean TLC had a whole series on pregnancy ( A Baby Story) and it was very popular.   The Duggars could have done some actual good if they had promoted prenatal care, prenatal nutrition, etc.  And if they wanted to stick with home births fine, but, they could have even used that as a story line, i.e.  how to plan for home birth, how to select a qualified midwife, etc. 

I would love to know if the show is so dull because JB controls the content or if the producers are just really bottom of the barrel in terms of running a show.  There is a way to make this interesting.  They could do so much more, but they stay in such a safe zone, and it has become terribly dull.   I really wonder what Jessa/Ben, Jer/Jinger would do if TLC came to them privately and proposed a show that was outside of JB's control.  Would they do it?  Would Joy and Austin?  

I would like to see Jessa and Ben relocate to an urban area where Ben could do mission work in an underserved neighborhood, perhaps partnering with someone like Flame again.  ( I didn't find Flame to be all that sincere, but I think Ben's heart was in the right place, but he was just very naive). 

Jeremy also lives in a part of the country that has a lot of poverty.  What is his role in helping improve that?  And if he when to flooded areas to help, that would make  good tv.  What is it really like for Jinger to be taking small steps away from how she was raised?  Has this brought up other questions for her?  And why not include their decisions to postpone having kids into the show?  This is a show built on babies, so when one of the kidults decides to postpone, that is actually significant.  That would be interesting, and it would be interesting to learn how Jinger reconciled herself to this.  Did she pray on it, was this what she had wanted all along, etc.   

 

I just see so many missed opportunities in how this show has been managed.  They even could have talked about He who must not be named, to some extent.  I don't want to see him on the show, but  why not address the elephant in the room and talk about how this has impacted their family, how do the Bros in law, manage to be in the same room with their wife's molester? I mean these topics would need to be handled with sensitivity, but they might have done more to promote their mission than the boring ass bullshit they put on week to week.  

Talk to the Married girls honestly about how they plan to raise their kids.  Will they adopt the buddy system or do they plan to do it differently. What was it really like to lead a buddy team and to leave them when they got married. 

Most  people do some things different and some things the same from their parents.  We already see somethings that Jessa does differently  so I would like to know why?  Is it a conscience decision to allow Spurgeon to Dance even though her parents didn't allow that?  Is she avoiding the blanket training, and if so why?   A show on how she and Jill differ from their parents in raising kids would be interesting.  

Anyway, I wish TLC would see this and call me for ideas, because I could make this show better.  First thing? Wrestle all control away from JB. Pay the kidults directly. 

And no one wants to see a wedding 1 season and the wedding planning the next season. One episode devoted to the wedding, fine. Jill has an obviously traumatic labor, delivery and PP period and Sammy obviously had a difficult transition, yet zilch about that whole occurrence. How about an episode on that? How about what all the other adult kids are doing day in and day out? What about Jer and Jin? They seem to live pretty active lives; how about an episode following them for a day? Jana could be quite interesting, IF she actually does anything. I am sick to death of filler crap and wedding planning being shown after nuptials and the bride being noticeably PG IRL.

[calimojo]

@SassyPants probably anyone of us could make a better show than what has been done the past 2 years. If we could get JB out of the picture.  I suspect he has his hands in this and prevents things from being filmed that would actually be of interest

[Shadoewolf]

There was similar speculation with the Megyn Kelly interview. It was very obvious that the questions were vetted with very precise answers. Everyone suspected that JB&M dictated what they would allow, and it certainly came across that way.  If they are running the show the same way, it'll sink eventually. Which is sad because there ARE (a little bile rises as I'm about to type this) ways to save the show and increase viewers if TLC really wanted to. 

[Flossie]

Sure the show will eventually sink, but it's lasted for how long?  Ten years now?  It gives the Duggars enough money to get along with, and they get to keep telling each other how much better they are than most everybody else.  On top of that, as far as they're concerned, they've exposed more than enough of their dirty laundry to the heathen public.  At this point they really don't have a reason to change anything.

[SassyPants]

11 hours ago, calimojo said:

@SassyPants probably anyone of us could make a better show than what has been done the past 2 years. If we could get JB out of the picture.  I suspect he has his hands in this and prevents things from being filmed that would actually be of interest

JB is like Trump. He only cares about himself and his pocketbook.

If money became an issue, leave and cleave would be initiated ASAP, IMO.

Just now, SassyPants said:

JB is like Trump. He only cares about himself and his pocketbook.

If money became an issue, leave and cleave would be initiated ASAP, IMO.

OH and ETA: This is how we know that JB still controls it all...if not, we might be seeing different aspects of their lives. Do you think Ben, Derick, Jana, JD, Jin/Jer, or Jessa agree with the shit that is being shown? Don't you think those young people would rather the show meander into different topics? I do-

[Irene]

It doesnt look like it will be a new season..

[SapphireSlytherin]

14 minutes ago, Irene said:

It doesnt look like it will be a new season..

Why? What have you seen or read?

[Irene]

53 minutes ago, SapphireSlytherin said:

Why? What have you seen or read?

1. is not been confirm yet, before it was quix.

2. I read a article, where thet wrote about the acctaulay numbers of wiews, and it drops every season and episode in the season. 

and they also menage what people where unhappy with (witch they alwys do)

Thats way I dont think it will rewiew,and also bc they were fast to rewiew the seosn before compared do now.

I could be wrong

[AprilQuilt]

On 01/11/2017 at 1:51 PM, SapphireSlytherin said:

I've had a pickle on my tree since 1989, when my German neighbors gave me a blown-glass one. My daughter (27) still hunts for it on the tree every year.

yes! I see the discussion has moved on two pages but I trust we are still on the topic of pickles.

I bought a blown-glass pickle last year when my OH and I had our first Christmas tree together, and I am genuinely so excited about our kids hunting for it in the future.

On 01/11/2017 at 8:46 PM, IReallyAmHopewell said:

A friend found out this isn't a thing in Germany! lol..... She was devistated (humorously so). She researched it fora fun Christmas blog post.

My understanding is that it was something German immigrants to the US did. Which doesn't mean that they did it at home in Germany. It might of course have once been done in Germany but is forgotten there now and survives in the US. Or that some families/classes/regions did it, while others had never heard of it.

[CorruptionInc.]

15 hours ago, Flossie said:

Sure the show will eventually sink, but it's lasted for how long?  Ten years now?  It gives the Duggars enough money to get along with, and they get to keep telling each other how much better they are than most everybody else.  On top of that, as far as they're concerned, they've exposed more than enough of their dirty laundry to the heathen public.  At this point they really don't have a reason to change anything.

This here exactly is how I feel.

It doesn't matter how bad it gets, TLC still push and fund this sh*t.

[GotCaughtDancing]

My friend who works for TLC told me that the reason we aren't seeing much on social media from the kidults is because they are trying to reign in being so far behind, ie showing a pregnancy way after the kid is born, wedding planning eons after the weddings. So apparently they are keeping things like pregnancies, courtships, etc., off of social media so the reveals will correspond when the show airs, keeping up interest and ratings.  I found that interesting. Don't know how this will work out for them or if the duggars will go for the almighty buck with people for updates, lol. But I guess it is something they are 'trying'.

[snickers34]

3 hours ago, Irene said:

1. is not been confirm yet, before it was quix.

They've waited to announce new seasons in the past, often in tandem with a *gasp* new courtship. Does't mean anything yet.