John & Kate watch the new Jon (without) Kate
Tonight, the reality show Jon & Kate Plus 8 returned to TLC for the first time since Jon & Kate announced their intention to divorce in June. And it looks like at least some of them are headed to the beach. And remodeling the humongous kitchen. In a double episode.
Kate S.: "Just like any old divorce."
John: "Another freebie."
Flash back to January of this year, when Kate says they were "having problems" but not to the point of no return in their marriage. The people who are helping remodel the kitchen stop by to find out what Jon & Kate want in a kitchen.
John: "You mean like, who's in it? Take out the slacker dude!"
Kate S.: "FUNCTION!" says her notebook. That's what she wants in a kitchen."
Kate S.: "Did she just tell the designers to remove the flowers because they were 'distracting and ugly'?"
Kate G. says she's not quite sure how she will survive the chaos of the renovation. "I didn't know then that I would go away," she says rather dramatically.
John: "It's hard to empathize with a hardship imposed on you by a contractor. Especially when houses are being foreclosed..."
John: "So this is the show that shows why they got divorced. It started with the cabinets."
Kate S: "Wow. That is an army of kids."
John: "I think there's a lot more crying we don't see."
Kate S.: "Are you talking about the kids?"
John: (As Kate tearfully announces she can't take the renovation any more, and they're going to the beach) "Oh, now she's crying!"
Jon says the kids and Kate had to sneak out to the beach at 4 a.m. to avoid the paparazzi.
Kate S.: "The beach house looks just like...their house."
The kids frolic on the sand and water.
Kate S.: "Wouldn't you go crazy trying to watch all of them around the water?"
John: "I guess you give up some of that."
John: "Sonic!"
Kate S.: "A new Sonic commercial."
As they go to another commercial, Jon says the cabinet construction is, like, "super-dangerous." Kate and kids lounge by the pool.
Kate S.: "So how would you watch 8 kids at the beach?"
John: "With bodyguards, handlers, and many camera people. Oh, you mean someone normal?"
John: "I think you'd have to rely on their good sense, and only intervene in extreme emergency. So you can't get nervous about the borderline cases."
Jon talks about the weirdness of waking up in an empty house, and the irony of being bored by it. Well, he doesn't say "irony."
Next week's preview shows one of the contractors saying "somehow, the dimensions were off."
Kate S.: "You've got that right."
Second episode -- Kate's first official turn alone with the kids under the custody arrangement. She says her new mantra is that she will do things she has never done before.
The kids are going camping.
John: "We need to camp. In the backyard."
Kate S.: "I'm with you. That way the bathroom's close."
The kids seem skeptical that she can set up a tent. They say Daddy knows everything about that.
Kate S.: "Boy, that's low. Geez, where are they if even the girls think the girl can't do it?"
Kate finally erects the hugest tent we've ever seen. She admits that the PAs -- production assistants? -- put up the other one.
Kate S: "Can the production assistants put up our tent?"
John: "Maybe if we ask them nicely."
The campout includes a swim in their giant pool.
Kate S: "Eeeww! Drinking pool water."
Kate S: "At least I feel like I'm seeing more of the kids now. And less sniveling."
Kate G. hands out high-falutin' granola bars.
John: "She's trying to improve on s'mores? I don't think so."
Kate S: "Meanwhile, looks like they're burning the marshmallows."
Quote of the night: Kate G.: "I don't really get the principles of fire, because I'm not, like, a pyromaniac." But redemption comes when she gets a fire of sorts going, smoky though it is.
John: "Man, what will happen when you've got Jon & Kate Plus Adolescents? It's going to be ugly...I'm seeing more and more attitude."
Kate says she slept in a tent with the sextuplets, and Cara and Mady were fine in their own tents. They slept with the help of battery operated ceiling fans and decorated with light sticks.
John: "I get the sense she's spending more time with her kids than she has in a long time."
Kate S.: "That's probably true."
Categories: John & Kate Plus 2 watch Jon & Kate Plus 8
Comments
This show has turned into shameless product promotion and freebies.There is nothing real about the staged product experiences that we are seeing. I used to love this show. It is now just about a family being exploited by a network and a family reaping the benefits at the same time. How ironic and disgusting.
Posted by: Anon | August 3, 2009 10:53 PM
as I watch I feel sorry for the kids of course. I also feel sorry for kate. Yes, she is a control freek . But Jon is so passive, and feels that everything is Kate's fault. and he did nothing wrong. He has stepped out so much, that he has lost credibility. He has moved to NY, so far from the kids. and he speaks of the show as being the kids show, where is he getting the funds to live in Ny and the life style he is now accustomed to. Is in it from the "kids" money??? He is not working, and has not worked for how long????? who is the number one priority in his life? Himself or the kids?
Posted by: corky | August 3, 2009 11:56 PM
Dear Goslins:
I can't help but wonder how much better this marriage would have been for John and Kate if SHE were the one wearing the diamond earrings. John looks very selfish wearing those earrings.... Note to Kate: next time, pick someone whose jewelry is not better than yours! Just kidding, sort of. I have been married and divorced, and must say that my former husband in no way approached the selfish aura of Mr. Goslin. Life may be a "roller coaster", but that's why we are the parents. We keep those children from fear while helping them to see the fun and value of challenging experiences. That Mr. G. says that he wants to do what is best for him and his children, while not mentioning his wife, Kate. That is his main problem. Someone once said that the best thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother. It's cheap, Mr. G. I about gagged when Mr. G. said that he would do anything for his kids; those of us out here in Viewer Land know that is flat out not so. He will and is doing everything he can do to to make his life the way he wants with second thoughts to the 8 kids he helped create, not to mention their mother. Problems can be resolved. He will in no way be able to "enjoy" the life he fantisizes with the "new woman" and be able to put Kate aside. I've been there; you will be surprised when all of those lovely children go through their various stages of life; graduations, marriages, grandchildren, and so on, without being confronted with his (and her) failure. They will both regret this stupid, and selfish decision. Take it from one who knows all too well; you have a lifetime of regrets, and believe me, you will pray many times that your Maker will forgive you and help you through these milestones.
John, please lose those earrings. Give them to Kate or one of your children. The new Testament Woman will be gone soon and you will only regret the loss. Your daughters will love them forever, and you will look a whole lot more like a man.
CC
Posted by: Carrie Case | August 4, 2009 12:05 AM
I loved how Kate let the kids play n th eocean without life jackets, but has them wear 'floaties' when they are in the pool! Give your mullet a shake, Kate! What's going to be next, with this trainwreck of a family? What normal family gets a kitchen reno and heads out to the beach for 2 weeks? this show is so not reality!
Posted by: lorrin | August 4, 2009 12:51 AM
I think this show is over. I was bored out of my mind. Kate seems so fake and so high class. The kids aren't doing cute things anymore. They seem terribly spoiled and over priviledged. The show was horrible. I loved it when Jon said they were redoing the kitchen because it is the children's house and they wanted it done. Yeah right." Hey Mom amd Dad we don't want a new play room we just want the kitchen redone"..
Posted by: Anonymous | August 4, 2009 1:11 AM
Excellent recap, Kate. So good, I didn't even need to watch the episodes, which is my strategy from here on out. So the pressure is on you.
(I stopped on the way home and got Sonic burgers and Route 44 limeades for dinner. When I walked in Mrs, Bucky said, "Sonic?"
I said, "Yeah, John & Kate are back tonight."
She looked at me for a second and decided not to pursue it.)
Oh, and of course they burned the marshmallows. How else do you roast a marshmallow?
Bucky, you have me laughing out loud at my desk, and people are staring!
Posted by: Bucky | August 4, 2009 9:05 AM
you have me laughing out loud at my desk, and people are staring!
I love it when that happens. Sometimes when I'm bored, I just start laughing out loud at my desk and people start asking, "What's so funny?"
I say, "Oh...nothing. It would take too long to explain." Then I look back at my computer screen and laugh out loud again.
Drives them nuts. Breaks up my day.
Posted by: Bucky | August 4, 2009 10:15 AM
I came home after a 12 hour work day and turned on the TV. It was already tuned to TLC and who popped on but Jon and Kate. Sadly, I watch for 30 minutes. I am still trying to convince myself that it is "all about the children" and that the childen really wanted a new free kitchen remodel paid for by Merillat for their brand spanking new McMansion! I am also trying to figure out how one can make a decision in a **snap** and go on a two week vacation that would take everyone else one year to plan. I think in all this time I saw the some of the children play with a toy, ask to walk across the kitchen floor that was under repair, and say goodbye to the "old" and very expensive new stove. But I am so glad Kate (sorry, I mean the children) will have a place to store their spongy thingies and drinks in an undercounter refrigerator. I will try to buy nothing from the sponsors of this free for all grab bag of a show.
Posted by: Marisa | August 4, 2009 2:37 PM
THese kids are unruly, ungrateful and will grow up to feel "entitled" to everything.
Who else gets personal trips back stage at zoo or sea world or disney world and be ON CAMERA....disgusting Kate.
Posted by: Molly in Tustin | August 4, 2009 5:12 PM
The comments are so right about these kids being ungrateful and unruly. It's obvious that Mady has some real emotional problems with anger being #1. I would hate to have to be responsible for her as a teenager. I wish Jon and Kate had REALLY put their children first before they decided to scrap their marriage because we all know too well that it's the kids who suffer. All the money in the world will NEVER fix it. Looks to me like Jon wanted to escape fatherhood as well as the marriage, why New York City, Jon?!! These poor kids are headed for a rough life and I feel very sorry for them.
Posted by: Charlotte | August 5, 2009 7:23 AM
There's only 1 real, obvious solution to Jon and Kate's problem...have more children. This can be the solution to all of the problems with the family. It would bring the parents closer together, the children would be more responsible because they would be the caregivers of one another when the parents are absent, and as the watching community, we would be hoping for more drama out of the family, just like it used to be. Do I share this idea alone? Bring us more of the Jon and Kate ++++++!!! Thoughts?
Posted by: chris | August 7, 2009 12:43 PM
Kate is the ultimate user. Is it just me or does she "friend" people based on what she needs?
Posted by: Chatty Kathy | August 18, 2009 7:51 AM
I WOULD LOVE TO WATCH KATE PLUS 8, AS FOR JOHN LET HIM LEAVE TLC KNOW ONE WILL WATCH HIM . HE NEEDS TO GROW UP!!!!!!
Posted by: BOBBIE | August 24, 2009 4:12 PM
John should be there for the kids all the time. But he left because of kate. Don't blame it on john blame it on kate. She doesn't treat him in a way that he can still love her. She is just too bossy. Still what john did is not right. The kids may follow in his footsteps.
Posted by: maotingeng | August 24, 2009 10:06 PM
I really don't know why anyone would feel sorry for Kate. She is the one that wanted and filed for the divorce. Jon was not cheating on her either. They had not been together for a long time. If there is any thing that is hurting Kate its her huge ego. I am sure she thought she had so much controll over Jon that he would be crushed when she told him it was over. She never thought simple Jon could replace movie star her so easy. And she was mad because she wanted to keep the split hid, then Jon got caught out.Now she is out "TRYING" to sell her self as a victim n nice person, because she knows she,s not. and she has found out others know shes not also.
Posted by: cass | September 8, 2009 7:37 PM