'Jon & Kate Plus 8' back on the air
The joke in my house (and probably lots of others) was that now, Jon & Kate Plus 8 should be called Jon OR Kate Plus 8. But a funny thing happened ... After the trainwreck of the beginning of the season, when the Gosselins' divorce was finally announced, tonight's two episodes seemed almost normal.
I think it's been pretty obvious of late that Jon is kind of off the grid lately, with his barely old enough to drink girlfriends and weird priorities. A lot of the folks who had been in his corner are starting to side with Kate (as several, including my former colleague Lisa Respers France, have noted).
So having two episodes that focused mostly on Kate and, especially, the kids was kind of refreshing. (TLC executives told David Zurawik that it was "relatable"; I was skeptical, but it actually wasn't that bad.)
There were still some unfortunate moments: one of the girls going on about how Daddy knows all about how to put up tents as Kate has trouble with the task, all the product placement of the camping equipment, the seeming insanity and waste of redoing a kitchen that looked lovely and serviceable to start with.
One telling quote came during the first episode of the night, when Kate was talking about how she avoided worrying about the mess going on with the kitchen renovation at home. She said that the things that seemed like the biggest worries turned out to not be that big of a deal when bigger issues arose. In some ways, this whole divorce situation seems to be mellowing her out a little.
I still can't really believe they are back on the air, and I desperately wish they'd stop filming and let all the kids deal with their parents' divorce off camera. But for these two episodes at least, the awkwardness level was a lot lower than I anticipated.
I expected a lot worse, but I still think it must be difficult for the kids, especially the two older girls, to put on a happy face and pretend like everything is OK when the cameras around.
Comments
i think jon and kate should have never broken up!! i love their show and it is just not the same without both of them!!
Posted by: morgan | August 3, 2009 11:10 PM
Jon and Kate act like its not the show that has caused this divorce BUT I disagree........before this show they had nothing .made it work best way they could......now they are just swarming in money .shes always gone .......hes always alone ............hes busy..shes busy ............Oh well I guess they like money and sports cars better
Posted by: Sylvie | August 3, 2009 11:23 PM
I was never a fan of Jon's. He never appeared to be engaged or emotionally involved. I felt sorry for Kate always having to scream at him to get his attention or a response from him to help her out. He appeared to be a phony selfcentered, arrogant bum from the start and has only gotten worse. I hope we never see Jon in the picture. I am sick of his whinning, more than the kids. Kate and the kids are so much better off without him. He thinks he is something and he's got talent. Gag, he is a loser. Hello Jon, your kids and Kate made the show. You just sit back and make money off them. That makes you a pimp!Get a life Jon and leave Kate and the kids alone.
Posted by: Caryl | August 4, 2009 1:19 AM
who needs Jon? The show was great and less stressful for viewers.
Posted by: Loraine | August 4, 2009 3:25 PM
I'm for Team Kate!! She and the kids will be better off without him. After all, he's like what, only 18...I mean 32.
Posted by: Julie | August 4, 2009 4:24 PM
Kate was left to carry the load that rightly belonged to her husband, while he acted like one more of the children. Though this is highly evident now, Jon, from the beginning, was not functioning well in his role. I can't imagine any woman who would not have acted in frustration. In fact, most women that I know act in frustration to husbands who are Missing From Action, when it comes to leading and protecting their families.
I applaud Kate for keeping it together and remaining steady for and available to the children during this difficult time.
Today, I pray for them all that this family will not only survive, but flourish, through the hardships.
Posted by: Janie Upchurch | August 7, 2009 6:23 AM
I pray for this family. I love this show! The kids are very cute and my kids love to watch the show. Whatever happens with the relationship, I hope it is for the best! I will continue to watch this show. God Bless this family.
Posted by: Sylvia | August 7, 2009 11:58 AM
It's sad in a way to see so many viewers take the things that happen on screen to heart and not realize the truth: reality t.v. is pure entertainment and NOT, I repeat "not" reality. It is scripted based on what will bring ratings up with the exception of the kids and even they are edited to fit in with what is scripted.
It has been decided that for the sake of ratings Kate will be the good guy and Jon will be the villian and it's working. In reality, Kate had ended the relationship long before it was announced and the plan was to keep going on as before and to keep it a secret. Because they had broken up and were both allowed to date, Jon really wasn't cheating but his indescretion was that he was supposed to keep a low profile and not get caught.
It's amusing to read people's comments and see people taking sides. Some people even think they know more about what broke them up then Jon and Kate themselves, LOL!!
Believe me, it's just a show and you would be amazed at how little of the reality of their lives you really know about.
Posted by: Susan | August 10, 2009 12:43 PM