Bob's Burgers: Going Outside the Box a Bit

Bob's Burgers isn't the most innovative show, but at least they manage to do some storylines that are out of the ordinary and interesting. Having three mini-stories with a common theme isn't new, and in this case, it isn't even great, but at least it was different. Tina going from begging to get an invitation to a party to posing as its star was equally amusing and ridiculous. I think that they could have done more with Tina being a rebel and hanging out with boys while her parents are out of town, though. Why not stray slightly from every other plotline that has ever depicted this situation before? However, going too far doesn't work, either, as I had a tough time buying most of what happened while the kids were on the wine train!

Bob's Burgers "The Frond Files" (S4E12): Bob and Linda go to school night where they can't find Tina's, Louise's, and Gene's projects. Turns out, their essays were so creative that they were offensive, so they're hidden.

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Louise wrote about the principal having a Terminator-esque double who is after Louise. Gene wrote "Fart School for the Gifted," where he is constantly encouraging his classmates to pass gas. [the song had way more ways to say "fart" than I'd ever imagined!] Tina's is a horror piece, where she's a hall monitor and the basketball team has turned into zombies. Tina tossing her hair entrances them, and soon she's dating all 15 of them. [haha, very Tina!] In all, Mr. Frond is the villain, which upsets him. [well, yeah. mean teachers and principals are obvious choices for villains!]

Bob's Burgers "Mazel Tina" (S4E13): Tina wants to go to Tammy's bat mitzvah, but when she isn't invited, she asks Bob to cater it so she can attend, but he requires the whole family's help. At the event, Tammy is a bit crazed, and Louise takes advantage of the stressed party planner and convinces her to quit during the party. [how unprofessional!]  Tammy recruits Tina, while Louise decides to put guacamole into a giant Tammy head to look like boogers. But, she and Tammy get trapped inside and hoisted up, watching as Tina keeps the party going sans Tammy. [I'm a little impressed that Tina wasn't more obsessed with locating Tammy.] Hours go by, and Louise lets Tina have time to enjoy the party before using the headset to ask for help. But, Tina goes ahead with the ladies' choice dance instead of rescuing them, earning Tammy's wrath. [totally something a teenage girl would do - love how real it is!] Meanwhile, Bob and Linda sample the other caterer's foods and wind up crashing a wedding in another hall, leaving Gene alone to serve raw meat on buns. [at least he didn't try to grill the burgers!]

Bob's Burgers "Uncle Teddy" (S4E14): Linda and Bob go out of town for a conference and leave the kids in Teddy's care, due to lack of other options. [I'll say! though I thought this would be going the Uncle Buck route, LoL.] He doesn't do well entertaining them until he unclogs the kitchen sink and lets the kids play with the gunk. [gross!] Meanwhile, at the burger event, everyone hates Bob for netiquette. [there's a word that I thought had died out!] He and Linda decide to try making it a romantic getaway weekend, but there winds up being a fight over the jacuzzi. Before you know it, they're asked to leave. [aww.]

Back at home, Tina is crushing on Jonas, who delivers sandwiches for a local deli. She lets him know that her parents are out of town, and he suggests they throw a "gathering" in the restaurant. [you know, typical.] Tina even makes cheeseburgers by herself for Jonas and his friends. But, when she's caught and grounded, she decides to sneak out and go to the cove to meet the guys, where she winds up getting caught breaking into the lighthouse. [SO stereotypical!] Teddy tries to rescue her, but they all get caught when Bob and Linda come home from the trip early. [yep, that is exactly how you'd predict it would end!]

Bob's Burgers "Kids Rob a Train" (S4E15): The family takes a wine train, but the kids get locked in a small nearly-empty car with Rudy. [kinda sad that he's there all the time while his father dates.] The kids hatch a plan to get chocolate from the kitchen, which includes lying to the wait staff about Linda's birthday. In the process, they all wind up falling off the train, though they miraculously manage to get back on. They wind up getting caught, but the adult Belchers aren't exemplifying model behavior, either, as Bob winds up in a wine-off with a wine enthusiast! [haha, the spit bucket wine!]

HIMYM: Rolling Toward the Finish Line!

The end of an era is upon us. How I Met Your Mother is wrapping up its ninth season, and as the series speeds toward the moment when Ted actually "meets the mother," everything seems to be tying together nicely. I can't say that this has been the greatest end to a comedy series, but How I Met Your Mother hasn't really been a typical program, either. I'm excited to see how things will finish in a few days, but I can't help but wonder if I (and many others) am destined for disappointment! The comedy has had its ups and downs (like all good ones do!), but when it really matters (AKA in the series finale) will it be able to live up to its reputation and end on a high note? Looking at the recent episodes, I'm not so sure...

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How I Met Your Mother "Rally" (S09E18): Ted and the Mother are in a limousine, toasting with champagne to her new book. It's New Year's 2022, and the couple flashes both back and forward to ridiculous times in life when they and their friends got drunk. In chronological order...

Sunday, 8am, 10 hours before the wedding: Barney is so hungover that he remembers very little and they have to skip the wedding pictures, pissing off Robin's dad. [haha on the Weekend at Bernie's and the fact that Barney CAN take a bad photo!] The gang sure tried to make it happen, though... the girls took Barney outside for some fresh air, but all he remembers is falling down the stairs when the cart slipped. They dunked his hair in water and showed him roaring bears while Marshall and Ted create an elixir that required Ted to eat bacon for the first and only time in his life (for the grease). ["Too Many Manhattans Project" birthed Barney's hangover elixir.] The only thing that works, however, is Lily and Robin making out.

2016, Buenos Aires: Robin got drunk and she and Barney slept in the wrong room.

2020: Marshall wins in his run for state supreme court, but before he actually wins, he drank himself silly.

2030, Wesleyan University: Lily gets drunk after taking her son to college.

How I Met Your Mother "Vesuvius" (S09E19): FutureTed worries that he has told the Mother all of his stories, and she feels the same, so we hear some more of them... [I wonder if my husband and I will ever get that way...]

Lily shows Robin a scrapbook she made of the couple's relationship, Rboin isn't sentimental, preferring to watch The Wedding Bride, Too. Lily puts on the bride's gown, then borrows the photographer to stage some pictures with Marshall, but even that doesn't push Robin over the edge. [Robin has a sister??] However, Robin's mom shows up, and that does.

Barney goes into Room 9, occupied by Susan Tupp. [Suit Up! I got it seconds before Barney made Ted figure it out!] Barney can't decide which suit to wear, and he has brought one hundred! There's problems with each one, but he had a new one made for the occasion, and Ted convinces him to wear that one. [awww!]

How I Met Your Mother "Daisy" (S09E20): Sunday, 2pm, 4 hours before the wedding. Robin's mom had a rough flight but will train it home. It turns out that there are many similarities between Barney and Robin's father. [...so?]

Lily went to The Captain's car late at night, so Marshall goes over there and swiftly punches the man in the face. But, it turns out that Lily only went there for the privacy to take a pregnancy test. [called it! though the drinks threw me!] Marshall tells her that they'll have to move to Italy for her dream, because she's giving him his - a family. [the next baby will be named "Daisy."] Oh, and The Captain is engaged to BoatsBoatsBoats.

How I Met Your Mother "Gary Blauman" (S09E21): Wednesday, 8pm, 3 days after the wedding. Ted meets The Mother for a date, for Scottish-Mexican fusion. [say what??] Soon, the Mother realizes that she's not ready to date again. But, she's interested in his story of Gary Blauman, and they wind up taking a long walk. See, Gary showed up on the day of the wedding without an RSVP, which starts to force Marshall and Ted to re-do the seating chart, but everyone just starts talking about why they hate the guy. [love it!]

Years ago, Ted and Gary vied for the same woman. Gary ate some of Barney's fries once. James slept with Gary. Barney tells him to leave, but Marshall reminds everyone that the bride overrules everyone, and she wants him there. [oooh... lawyered!] He leaves anyway... but circles the block and returns. [omg, Lily has a tattoo!] Oh, and Tom took James back.

How I Met Your Mother "The End of the Aisle" (S09E22): Sunday, 5:28pm, 32 minutes before the wedding. [how precise!] Robin tells Ted that she needs someone who can make miracles for her, and he decides to give Barney the locket to give to her. [he had it?? I thought it was in the river?!?] But, Robin knows that it was Ted, and that makes her re-think everything, wondering if she should be with him. [no!] She tries to get Ted to help her make a break for it, but he won't help her and she goes for it alone, bumping into The Mother on her way. [and that's how Robin met the Mother...]

Barney starts working on his vows, but Marshall and Lily help him be less selfish and more committed. [starts on them now??!?] But, Barney points out that those two have cheated on every one of their vows, so Barney vows only to be honest. [I don't know what to make of that.]

And, Marshall slaps Barney at the altar when he considers going for his cornflower blue tie, ending the SlapBet.

LPBW: New Year's Eve with Separated Roloffs

The news broke a couple of weeks ago that Matt and Amy Roloff were entering a trial separation, and now there's finally some more information available. In late November, patriarch Matt moved out of the main home and into the small house used for bridal preparations during the summers. When their children came home for Christmas (the three oldest Roloff kids are in college), the holiday was about the same as it always was, but there were definite moments of tension throughout the family. Matt and Amy are coping with the change in different ways, but this special really focuses on how the Roloffs come together to celebrate the ringing in of 2014.

Little People, Big World "New Year, Big Changes" (Special): It's December 29th and Matt suggests the family have a big New Year's party. He tasks Amy and Molly with making a cake, while he and the twins build a confetti cannon, a photo booth, and a light-up ball. The ball proves tougher than expected, and they try several different methods before welding a cage around a disco ball and hanging lights on it. [as per the usual, Jacob isn't really helping anyone.]

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There's a lot of last-minute scramble, and the guests start to help get everything together. [that sort of thing mortifies me, and it happened once, so I can't understand how they'd let it repeatedly occur. the whole no-beverages thing also mystified me.] Matt dresses up as Father Time, but when nobody is excited about it, he changes. [I thought it was cute.] When they plug in the ball at 11:59, the breaker trips, so Jeremy rushes to fix it, before later revealing that he plans to propose to Audrey in 2014. [Amy and Matt not kissing was awkward. also, update since the taping: the two are engaged.] The next day, they have a New Year's Day dinner of homemade pizza. [Jeremy praying was different. Amy does it so often on the televised specials.]

Other included scenes in this installment include the kids visiting Zach's house, where Molly helps him make hamburgers, Matt telling his parents about the rough patch when they come to stay for the party, and Amy sharing the situation with two of her friends over dinner. [deciding not to wear her wedding ring to feel what being divorced would be like was sad.] Matt mentions that the past year was long and tough, and maybe he and Amy stuck together longer than they should have.

Switched at Birth: Is the Drama Getting Out of Hand?

It's been tough on me to write about this show lately. I am still absolutely addicted to the characters and their relationships, but I can't say that I've been loving the directions each is taking right now. From Kathryn and John's blow-up to Emmett being strung along by an evil bully to Daphne choosing between Jorge and Campbell, I've just not been agreeing with a lot of the decisions that are happening on the show. I actually feel like the level of drama is getting up there in the Beverly Hills, 90210 range, and that's really saying something, as a teen series where almost every character deals with some sort of addiction, and serious subjects like drive-by shootings, date rape, and stalkers. While I also loved that show, I kinda hope that Switched at Birth remains slightly more wholesome!

Switched at Birth "Memory is Your Image of Perfection" (S03E07): It's the day after Kathryn and John's big fight, and Bay tells Emmett, who shares that the beginning of his parents' divorce came from his dad kissing a coworker. This pushes Bay to bring her parents back together, so she conspires with Toby to get the four of them together for a family night. Bay pushes things too far, though, and John and Kathryn start picking at old faults. [that's always rough.] However, when Bay stops being able to move her fingers (her hand-wrap was recently removed), the Kennishes come together to explore the situation, which means surgery to repair the tendons. [yikes!] Recovery will take a while, but Kathryn still doesn't want John at the house, and Daphne learns about the situation as well.

Emmett and Travis interview for Gallaudet, but Travis doesn't take it seriously, despite Melody's repeated efforts. Marybeth theorizes that Travis doesn't want to leave the first real "home" he has ever had. [ouch, that's rough!]

Gabe shows up at Carlton for career week, promoting audiological sciences. [I would have liked to see more about the career week at Carlton!] Turns out, he had texted Melody for a date, but she didn't respond. She makes up some excuses, but later decides to give a date a try.

Sharee missed school because CPS visited, and more "surprise visits" are in her future. She yells at Daphne for interfering, even after Daphne shares that Regina is an alcoholic. Sharee's mom then shows up at school when the athlete doesn't make her bed, and Sharee must leave school against her wishes. [oh, crazy moms!]

Wes shows his designs for the East Riverside project, and Adriana surprises the crowd by speaking up about rents raising and inching out the folks who have been there for generations. [good point, though!] Wes tells Regina to get her mother under control, but she's torn, as Adriana thinks Regina is more focused on business than friends and family.  [haha, "you got everything, or you need some help carrying in your soapbox?"] Regina thinks that making East Riverside a better place is good, but Adriana points out that Wes may be using Regina for the color of her skin, prompting Regina to quit, even if it'll be a breach of contract. [interesting use of "entiendes" without the translation!]

Daphne is told to stop flirting at work, but her bigger issue is talking to her boss about Sharee's mother's issues. He offers to get a psychologist to come to the clinic after-hours to diagnose the woman, and Sharee pretends she needs a flu shot to get her there. However, the guy is late and Sharee's mom catches on, stabbing the doctor with a pair of scissors. [omg!] Daphne texts 911, then tries to help the doctor. [I didn't realize you could text 911!] But, she struggles to bring herself to insert a needle into his lung to keep him breathing. She manages, and he is alive and breathing when the paramedics arrive. Sharee's mother is arrested, leaving a lot of unknowns.

Switched at Birth "Dance Me to the End of Love" (S03E08): John buys Kathryn a 14kt gold diamond bracelet, but he's actually given her that exact gift before, plus she wants space to figure out what she needs to be happy. She wants adventure, not repetition, but John blames Renzo for Kathryn's changes. [eh, something has to be the spark!] He then sees ballroom dancing on television and decides to have a family meal, but has everyone doing percussion at the table and go into a dance with signing and memories. [this is Huxtable stuff right here!]

Daphne and Regina talk to Melody about Daphne's future, and she's considering applying to pre-med programs, in which Gallaudet does not specialize. Daphne decides to see if there is more she can learn at the clinic, and Jorge offers her regular work. [Daphne has more makeup on than usual. you can hardly see her freckles!] But, her interest is shaken when she doesn't hear a patient go into a seizure, and the kid's mother freaks out. Dr. J reassures her, though, as when he started medical school, there were nine black students in a class of 140, and only two finished.

Travis wants to beat up the guy who tried to humiliate MaryBeth, but she stops him. They then decide to go to the campus formal together, so Travis turns to Toby for help dancing, as he's beginning to panic that Marybeth will leave him for someone with whom she can do more things. [awww!] Toby gets Angelo to teach the waltz, and with Melody doing it too, Travis believes he can learn to do it. But, he's not good, and confesses to MaryBeth. [random storyline with Tank also trying to learn dancing, albeit line-dance for a pledge task.]

Bay doesn't do well on an art assignment, and the teacher tells her to think more outside the box, so Emmett takes her to see a miniature Vegas Strip that a guy built for his wife with dementia. [that was crazy cool!] She decides to create a zoeatrope to show that powerful memories aren't linear, but she feels bad over how much Emmett helped.

Switched at Birth "The Past (Forgotten-Swallowed)" (S03E09): Dr. J. encourages Daphne to pursue a summer pre-pre-med program, but at a clinic fundraiser where Daphne could network about the opportunity, she's stuck helping Angelo, who decided to use the crowd to test potential menus for his restaurant. [I can't believe he brought Abby! also, Jorge and Campbell vying for Daphne is kinda strange. they're not 15 years old!]

Marybeth is upset that Bay is still seeing Tank, so Bay tries to get them to relax around each other more. [Bay needs to work on her fake-outs.] Angry, MaryBeth tells Bay that Ty lied about cheating on her so she wouldn't be upset if something happened to him overseas. Bay goes to Emmett with the situation, then tells Tank, who doesn't buy it. [Bay turns to those two guys way too often, IMO.] Then, in front of a fraternity brother, Bay lets it slip that she knows about the dog party. This will force him to go before the board and might be black-balled.[haha, again, thank you, Beverly Hills, 90210 for explaining that to me!]

There's only one more game left in the field hockey season, and Sharee needs a 90% on a physics test to stay eligible to play, so Toby tutors her up to an 84%, but with a seven-point curve, it works out! [as much as everyone is rooting for a Sharee-Toby relationship, I kinda don't want that.] Toby also Skypes with Nikki, who wishes he was there ministering with her. [kinda random.]

John makes dinner for Kathryn, and she asks him for more book ideas. [really? that's not awkward?] There's one team player still in town, so she wants to have him over for dinner. Unfortunately, he's gone new-age with yoga and is sober, though he has also become a swinger. [haha! surprise!] John and Kathryn work hard to kill the mood, but wind up coming clean about not being interested in such things. Then, it's revealed that John "pulled a triple" in Cleveland during his first year, but all Kathryn cares about it getting the story for her book. [oh! that's awkward!] He doesn't want to hear about her past encounters, though. [loved Kathryn's dress.]

Switched at Birth "The Ambush" (S03E10): Carlton gets vandalized over the field hockey rivalry, and Toby promises the school won't retaliate, while also learning that there are scholarships in field hockey. [he didn't think all sports get those?] Toby bluffs left and right to get a scout to come see Sharee play, which might brighten her future after all. [Sharee is doing a little signing!] Bay and Tank proceed to really mess up a statue over at Buckner, though, and Bay has to leave behind some paints when they're nearly caught. [but the issue doesn't come up again?] Tank makes a move on her, but she stops him without giving a reason, though later she tells Regina that she wants to wait until she learns what it means to her. Tank tells Bay she can call the shots on "moving to the next level."

Meanwhile, Jorge invites Daphne rock-climbing, but Kathryn helps her realize that she prefers Campbell. However, when she's out with him, she sees the obstacles that wheelchair-bound people face. [ugly outfit on Daphne with the yellow flowery belt!]

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Nikki visits Toby, but she has the angle of inviting him to go to Africa with her on another project. [what is with this girl?!?] She tells him that she wants to be out helping people, but he says that he can't see himself going with her. They question if they should stay married, crushing Toby. [:(] 

Matthew's suspension is over, and he tells Emmett that there are no hard feelings. Emmet, however, is more focused on a birthday present for Mandy, and Bay winds up helping get a photograph printed and framed. But, it turns out that the picture is copyrighted - it's not the girl's.

Wes gives Regina a new car, and then sends her on errands to try getting businesses to sell their properties for the project. While he's happy that she was able to do so, he also blows up at her for not having some mock-ups done yet and keeps her from going to the field hockey game. [he's pretty unstable, huh?] Regina then asks John about the buy-outs and learns that Wes has been lying about the appraised value to the shop owners. [eep!]

Switched at Birth "Love Seduces Innocence, Pleasure Entraps, and Remorse Follows" (S03E10): Bay is concerned that Mandy may be lying about more than just her photo, so she and Tank do a reverse-image search on her profile photo, and find a girl who goes to a nearby high school. She stalks the cheerleader and learns that she is a cousin of Matthew, so Bay worries that Emmett is being pranked. [shoot!] She tries to call him, but Melody took away his phone and keys for repeatedly skipping classes, and he had hot-wired his bike to go meet "Mandy" at a park. Fortunately, he told Travis of the plans, so Bay is able to find Emmett, but not before Matthew beats him up on camera and humiliates him through the "catfish" scheme. [awww. poor Emmet. :(]  Meanwhile, Tank doesn't get black-balled from his fraternity, but he does de-pledge. [Bay is about to be in a love triangle!] 

Toby is too depressed to go to work and intends to go after Nikki in Peru. John asks Toby to move home, as they "will get [him] out of this lease," but Kathryn tells her son that he shouldn't go after Nikki for the rest of his life because he might wind up resenting her. [money talks - average people can't just go around breaking leases left and right...] Though Toby already booked his trip on a non-refundable fare, he is able to change the location, and promptly takes off solo for Iceland. [that'll be interesting!]

Kathryn's first draft of her book has been leaked, and she worries that it was Renzo who did it. It turns out, Lydia leaked it for publicity. [kinda weird that she didn't tell Kathryn, no?]

Regina's window gets smashed with a brick featuring the message "stay out of East Riverside." [wow!] She begins to stand up for herself and goes back to design work, but also casually tells people (like a manicurist) in East Riverside to get second opinions on the appraised values of their businesses and properties. [interesting to play that card.] This makes Wes decide to fire and sue her. [uh oh!]

The guy who robbed Daphne's food truck goes to the clinic for care, and she freaks out, especially after Jorge tells her that they have to treat everyone and cannot refuse to help him. Her probation officer insists that she finish out her hours, but she decides that the medical profession might not be for her after all, and she asks Angelo for a job when his restaurant opens. [I can see that as being a viable reason not to choose that occupation.] When the creep returns to the clinic, withdrawing from heroin, she winds up helping him.

Little People, Big World: A Separate Matt & Amy

Regular readers know that we've moved away from doing big stories on little bits of television news, but Matt and Amy Roloff separating is an eye-popping story for us, as longtime fans of the Little People, Big World brand.

the dwarf couple celebrating Amy's birthday in 2011 (TLC)

Although it is not much of a surprise for those who tune into the Roloff family and their series, making the decision to try a separation after 26 years of marriage is a big deal. The couple has been struggling on-air since their now-23-year-old twin sons began growing up and moving out several years ago. Molly, their valedictorian daughter, is currently finishing her second year of college as well. Fortunately for Jacob, the couple's youngest son who still lives at home, Matt will remain on the family's large farm, living in the guesthouse. As the farm is their primary livelihood (though in early seasons, Matt was a salesman and Amy was a preschool teacher), the couple is expected to continue working together.

More information will be available when a new special of Little People, Big World, "Trial Separation," airs on Tuesday, March 25th on TLC.

Last Man Standing: People are Not Dogs

I'm going to open with the fact that I would have let Eve go on that trip. I'm not a parent, so I can't relate to the situation exactly, but I am a firm believer in treating each child as an individual, so thinking that Eve would act slutty out of nowhere just because both her sisters were is uncalled for. Besides, while we know that Vanessa doesn't think she knows her daughter, Mike has demonstrated a good relationship with Eve, and although he hasn't met Justin, you'd think that he would be able to trust that his daughter really is on the trip to show off her hard work, not to get some alone-time with a boy. Of course, Muffin managed to get some private time with another dog right under Mike's nose, but that dog is randomly around anyway...

Last Man Standing "Stud Muffin" (S03E16): Chuck is upset that his purebred German Shepherd, Lady, is pregnant by Muffin, the Baxters’ dog. The girls want one of the puppies, but Chuck wants to abort the “monster puppies.” [I had never thought about animal abortions so I had to ask around... turns out, it sure is a thing!] To make matters worse, Chuck has moved out, and Vanessa feels bad that Carol didn’t share that with her. Mike gets Muffin ‘fixed,’ then talks to Chuck, learning that the former marine isn’t sure what his new purpose is in life now that he’s retired. [where is this going?]

Mandy hit a parked van but Eve is the one who leaves a note. The driver owns an electronics store, and gives Mandy an iPad for her integrity. [um, the Baxters don't make Mandy share with Eve in this situation??] But, she wants to return it for cash because it is only the base model. [... and this is why there are horrible people in the world.]

Last Man Standing "Eve's Boyfriend" (S03E17): Eve goes on a date, and Vanessa wants all the details. Eve shares that Justin is religious, and has signed a purity pledge, but Mike doesn't believe it. [gutting racks on sale for fathers with teenage daughters, haha!] Eve is scheduled to go on an overnight JROTC camping trip, but when Kristin and Mandy learn that Justin will also be along, they tease her and then make sure their parents know. [what kind of sisters wouldn't keep that quiet? who tells on something like that??]

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Kristin is shocked that Eve wouldn't do the same things she would, but Eve goes ahead and goes out the window and on the trip anyway. Mike goes after her, but doesn't get there until hours afterward. [not sure why there's like a half-day gap in there...] When he realizes that Eve didn't want to let down her squad, he decides to let her stay, but he'll just chaperone. [that's a justifiable solution!]

Fun Friday: Jana, Jill, Jessa, and Jinger Grow Up Duggar

The four oldest Duggar girls from the well-known TLC reality series 19 Kids and Counting released a book this week that features their perspectives on how life is all about the relationships you have with family, friends, God, and potential mates. Growing Up Duggar: It's All About Relationships also looks at how the Duggar family approaches fashion, teamwork, and more, and includes anecdotes by Jana, Jill, Jessa, and Jinger (parenthesis notate who is talking each time). As I've read the past Duggar books and am well-versed in their nearing-200-episode reality show, I found this text to be only semi-interesting, with many larger questions left unanswered.

Sure, some of the family's processes could have been guessed by the informed fan, like Michelle and Jim Bob's "what things can I pray about for you?" question when having catch-up discussions with their daughters, but others were surprising, like Jim Bob providing vehicles for his girls but expects his boys to "save up and buy a car of their own." While the Duggars live out many traditional values (a story about Justin and James being chivalrous and pouring the family ice water comes to mind), this "extra expression of a dad's love and care for his girls" certainly stood out, and readers may find similar tales (i.e. parents discussing how a 12-year-old should start growing into "the kind of woman a godly guy would desire to marry," or the volunteer firefighting Jill leaving "going into burning buildings" to the men while running the pumps on the trucks) off-putting in 2014.

Yes, the Duggars who authored this book are all over 18, but Joy-Anna, who turns 17 this year, probably felt left out, especially in the memory written about the purity ring she received from Michelle and Jim Bob, and the conversations they had surrounding it. On the series, Joy often appears as an awkward middle child, eight years older than the next sister but still noticeably younger than her older sisters, so it would have been nice to include a little tidbit from her perspective as well, assuming she was interested in doing so. 

But on the topic of purity, and how the Duggars believe that they will be married on God's time, not their own, the book is already outdated. In it, the girls say that none of them have felt led to a potential spouse yet, when in reality Jessa is courting, something that was announced toward the end of the last season's 19 Kids and Counting. Because the Duggars talk about praying long and hard about such situations, it is tough to believe Jessa wasn't even thinking about Ben yet when the book went to press. Instead, it seems likelier that a conscious decision was made to leave that story out of the book in order to boost audience numbers for the TLC series. However, the girls did outline what to look for when choosing a suitable spouse, so the upcoming season will undoubtedly focus on whether Ben gets angry, how he acts around others, and how he treats his parents and siblings.

Instead of Jessa's budding love story, the book gets Anna and Josh to tell their story... again. It is a saga that has been told many times, but perhaps not as many as that of Michelle and Jim Bob... whose own tale of true love is also included, though told from Michelle's perspective as "Marie." The reasonable explanation for the pseudonym is so that readers don't prejudge the young woman, but in reality it's probably so people don't skip over the section, as Michelle's cheerleading and dating days have been well established.

That said, there are new things to learn about the family, including how Jim Bob began his senate career in 1997. While the previous books and television episodes/specials have highlighted this part of Jim Bob's career, I cannot recall ever learning that it was sparked by a rally to protest partial-birth abortion. Similarly, though Jill's midwifery study is documented on-camera often, the work of the other older girls is really developed in Growing Up Duggar, explaining Jana's time with "Journey to the Heart," as well as Jinger ministering in the local juvenile detention center and with adult inmates as well.

I would recommend Growing Up Duggar: It's All About Relationships to individuals who might not know too much about the mega-family but want to learn more about their values and how they stick with the next generation as they mature. Folks who have already done considerable research may find the book lacking in original material, or even contradictory to what else the family has announced through various media. Regardless, any fan of the Duggars should be looking forward to the series' return on TLC Tuesday, April 1st.

Trophy Wife: Kate Plans Bert's Birthday

I enjoyed this episode, but I might have been partial because my bridal shower had an Aladdin theme. And, although I understand Pete's reasoning behind granting Bert any type of birthday party he desires, I think the result might have been a bit too Outrageous Kid Parties. The giant pillows in the living room were fine, the costumes were great, the cake was very cool, and I could handle the pony. But the huge dance performance? That was a bit much.

ABC/Eric McCandless

Especially when you consider that all Bert actually wanted was some Neapolitan ice cream. I'm also going to nitpick that Kate should have stuck with the book theme over movie, just because it was reading that earned Bert this privilege in the first place. Plus, how believable is it that his favorite move is 20 years old??

Trophy Wife "Happy Bert Day" (S01E15): Kate is being shut-out of the soccer moms group, so when there's an opportunity to plan a big birthday party for Bert, she uses it to impress the moms. [haha at Jackie pretending that she was at the whole soccer game!] However, they think she's a former stripper because of a rumor Jackie started. The truth comes out and Kate is accepted, but when the moms just want to bad-mouth Jackie, Kate asks them to leave. Hillary is crushing on a backup dancer at the party, but when he has interests in common with Warren, he tries to steal him as a friend. [and, Chris Harrison, seriously?]

When Pete and Diane go to the bakery to exchange an erotic cake, Diane pulls an illegal turn on the way home to avoid traffic. [hello, the same thing happened on Friends!] When she's pulled over, she pretends that Pete is having a heart attack, and they get away with it. However, the cake falls to the ground when Diane runs into the glass door, so it's ruined anyway. [that would have made me SO ANGRY! I went through so much trouble and missed the party for nothing?!?]

The Middle: A Real Show

This show is just so real. Every awkward girl wishes that everyone at school got along with everyone else, as it would make things easier/better for her. While I don't believe that Sue's lunch seating idea would have actually been implemented, I did once have a similar situation. In seventh grade, the whole "team" was collectively punished for a week or so, and we had to sit alphabetically during lunches. Two of the people in my booth were very popular, and the third was one of those boy-next-door types that many crushed on, so I tried to "get in good" with them and act cool, hoping they'd still talk to me after the assigned lunches ended. It didn't work, and karma made its rounds on me that year in the cafeteria, but that's another story. Back to The Middle, Brick trying to get his dad to use the gift coupons was another anecdote with which I relate, and it was good for me to hear that parents never actually plan to cash-in on those. There are still quite a few episodes left in the season for this comedy, so let's hope they continue to ring true!

The Middle "The Award" (S05E14): The heater is off so everyone is bundled up constantly, though Darrin eventually comes over to fix it, and he and Sue both talk about being single. [I'm kinda over them. it's been too long.] The cousins' hand-me-down box arrives, and Brick falls in love with one of the suits... until he realizes it's a woman's suit! 

facebook.com/TheMiddle

Sue decides to help her classmates get to know one another after someone thinks she's a foreign-exchange student. [okay, how forgettable Sue is may be unrealistic, LoL.] Her "Hands Across Orson High" fails, so she gets a new lunch table setup in place, forcing students from all cliques to sit together on "Mix-it-up Mondays." [I'm also kinda amazed the kids followed the directions, as I saw nobody enforcing this "rule."]

Mike has worked at the quarry for twenty years and is being celebrated at a dinner, which Frankie has to read about online, because Mike doesn't want praise for "showing up." [while I agree with not giving participation trophies, I think that 20 years is a real accomplishment, especially now that most people don't spend their entire working lives with the same company.] Frankie pressures him into going, and it winds up being a bit of a disaster because he doesn't say the most compassionate things... and is rather cynical, really. 

The Middle "Vacation Days" (S05E15): Mike has to take his paid vacation days, and because it's also Spring Break, Brick wants to spend time with him by using up the "present coupons" he's been giving his dad over the years. After a few, Mike flips out on Brick, and they agree to cut them up and move on with life. [the 100 hugs in a row was pretty funny. I was scared during the lawnmower part, though!]

Axl tells the family that he's off to Florida, but he actually spends time in the neighborhood first. [eh. we all sneak around our hometowns without telling our parents, whether to surprise them or avoid them, it happens.] Then, as he drives to Florida, his engine block cracks, ruining the car. He calls Frankie collect from Chattanooga to pick him up. [ouch.]  

Sue finds out through Yelp that a customer thought she was slow, so she dedicates herself to doing better. Of course, then she's too quick, then too creepy (trying too hard to maintain eye contact), and it all blows up in her face eventually.

The Goldbergs: Adam as Mikey

This is one of those episodes that I will not delete from my DVR. I've mentioned before that there are several "rainy day" episodes I have on hand of comedies like Frasier and Boy Meets World for when I'm having a bad day, and this is the first from this season that will join those ranks. Also being a Goonies fan, I was in love with the parallels to the classic movie, and when Adam busted out costumes for his friends, I squealed in delight. It really makes me wonder how much of this particular story got embellished for television in comparison to what really happened, but I loved it nonetheless. I think the moment that resonated most was Erica and Barry planting a treasure map that Adam believed in the first place - that was something my brother and I tried (and failed) to get the neighborhood kids to fall for more than once.

ABC/Richard Cartwright

The Goldbergs "Goldbergs Never Say Die!" (S01E16): It's February 22nd, 1980something, and when Murray makes the kids clean the attic, Barry and Erica decide to plant a fake treasure map to lead their little brother around town, a la The Goonies. [that map took them some time!] He makes a bigger deal out of it than expected, and even has his friends and family dress like characters from the film. The game ends after a single clue, and Adam ignores his siblings for a week, feeling they humiliated him in front of his friends. [a second clue would have been a little better.] The score starts to even up when Adam pretends to embarrass his siblings to their friends, as they don't realize he's joking.

Beverly has been wanting to take control of her father's finances, but Pops will only let her do so if she can prove that he lost some heirloom jewels. As Beverly ransacks her house, determined that they aren't there, Pops tells Adam that he lied about the lost jewelry, though there is a clue as to where he put it. [who seriously writes a poem to help remember where something is??] He hands Adam the corner of a piece of sheet music, which leads the gang to Pops' late wife's old piano, where the jewelry is hidden. [it all went a little too fast... maybe a two-parter would have helped?] Still, Pops decides to let Murray and Bev handle his budget, even if it means he can no longer afford to buy rounds of waffles for everyone in the local diner. [ha!]

Special: Being a Teen Mom

While Maci's special aired late last summer, the rest of the original Teen Mom parents all had their catch-up programs air on the same night. I'm a bit skeptical, but assume that too much time had passed and they just needed to air them, hence the rush for no apparent reason. One of the interesting things about this set of specials is that we're seeing more "behind-the-scenes" than ever before. The producers can be seen/heard asking the folks on the show to do things, and the people in the girls' lives seem as if they've had to do more than one take of a few things, which is kinda funny. Overall, the issues between the teen moms and their families remain unchanged: Catelynn and Tyler still have conflicts, Farrah can't get away from her mother, and Amber can't let Gary be himself. I wouldn't say any of the girls' stories stand out, but I'm sure some fans are excited for the updates regardless.

MTV

Teen Mom "Being Farrah: A Teen Mom Special" (Special): With money she earned from doing p0rn and whatnot, she bought a house in Austin, Texas, and her father now lives in her guesthouse. Her parents divorced but Debra comes out for five days during the holidays, though she is considering moving the thousand miles to be closer, which frustrates Farrah. [I would totally be upset, too. does Debra not understand why Farrah went so far away?] Farrah maintains her high maintenance attitude, seeing an aesthetician for "preventative work" on her face. She's supporting her daughter by promoting a line of sex toys and writing a monthly column. [she seriously drives a Tesla? I would NOT have guessed that!] Sophia is going to preschool and dance classes, though she still uses a pacifier. [I don't know if I should be surprised or not.]

Teen Mom "Being Catelynn: A Teen Mom Special" (Special): Now 22, she and Tyler bought a house, and her teenage sister, Sarah, lives with them. The couple is in college, and put off getting married last summer (7-13-13) because Tyler got cold feet. [I didn't realize he called it off on national television via Couples Therapy!] Catelynn has been in therapy ever since, and she even paid the $725.38 balance on her wedding gown. [in case it interests anyone, her bridal undergarments are apparently a size 38DD.] Tyler wants to reach more goals before marriage, but he admits to his mother that he's just paranoid that it won't work out, though he eventually re-proposes. [it was definitely awkward when she knocked him for not marrying her at the speaking engagement! also, I bet Dawn is happy with the random money she gets from being their adoption counselor, as most don't get the same attention!]

Catelynn removed her IUD because of an erupted ovarian cyst, and she has a pregnancy scare, prompting her to talk to Sarah about birth control as well. As for the rest of the family, Butch is back in jail, and April is opening an antique store. [with what money? I don't know.] Carly's adoptive parents don't let Catelynn and Tyler post pictures of their daughter online, which upsets them, though they still pick out some Christmas gifts for the little girl.

Teen Mom "Being Amber: A Teen Mom Special" (Special): She served 17 months in jail, but got her GED while in prison. [some good in everything, right?] The paparazzi show up when she's released, as does her father. She saw now-almost-five Leah three times while locked up, and is excited to see her the first night she's free as well. [all of her clothes being too small was interesting; the only people I know who have been locked away for a year or more lost weight while in prison.] She moves in with her grandparents, and wants to open rehab facilities in the future. [interesting goal.]

Amber has an instant uncomfortableness with Gary's new girlfriend, Kristina, who has a daughter, Karly. So, they hold separate birthday parties for Leah.