19 Kids & Counting: Jill Gets Engaged

No, I don't see the title as a spoiler, as news broke quite a bit ago that Derick and Jill will be married soon, plus the title of the episode is "The Proposal." Plus, this season has been a mess with a skewed timeline of events and many of the kids' storylines obviously being edited out. I mean, the idea that Michelle hangs out with each kid individually was cool, but we only ended up seeing James, Joy, Jessa, and Jeremiah. Plus, the editing for the dinner theater could have been done differently, and maybe changed how the various trips to DC and Tennessee were presented, too. I understand the emphasis on Jill and Jessa this season, and undoubtedly the next season, should the show be so lucky to get yet another renewal. In the meantime, we'll have a nice feature on Cousin Amy coming up, which might be a breath of fresh air for this aging series.

19 Kids & Counting "The Proposal" (S08E12): The Duggar family heads to New York City to start the girls' book tour, and they start with an announcement on Good Morning, America, though the whole family can't be there, as Michael gets sick and Anna has to stay at the hotel with him. [plus, someone else was missing from the trip (given the headcount) but there aren't enough group shots to figure out who... I'm guessing John-David or Josiah. also, not the Today show??] Somewhat notably, Jill is wearing her emerald heart necklace.

While in New York, the older girls and Michelle decide to stop in a bridal shoppe and look at wedding gowns. [haha at the girls answering "3 months" and "6 months" to the length of their relationships, as most people wouldn't think that definitely means wedding bells!] Jessa won't try on anything (until she's actually engaged), but Jill gives a dress a try. 

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Derick asks JimBob for his blessing and approval for entering an engagement with Jill. JimBob was expecting this for a while now, and says it's fine, then fills in Michelle. Derick is starting a new job, but we don't know what it is. [will they live in Josh's old house? or closer to Derick's family where his new position likely is?]

Derick commissions a songwriter in Nashville to write and sing the story of his relationship with Jill. [is the guy from Arkansas originally?] He then asks her for a lunch date. [but he makes it weeks in advance, LoL. how random! also, I'm a bit surprised she stepped away from the book signing to take the call...] Then, Derick and his mother go to have a ring cleaned and re-sized from a 5.5 to a 7. [was it an heirloom ring? they don't cover how Derick came about it...] it re-sized from 5.5 to 7. Derick is nervous the morning of the lunch date, and asks his mother's advice on how to carry the ring. [I liked how Jill wore her scarf.] Jana and Joy act as chaperones, and Derick told them the plan the night before. [who pays for the meals of the chaperones?] After a Mexican lunch, the group goes for a walk, and stumble upon a guitar player in a park who asks them if they want to hear a song. [are they actually the kind of people who would say "yes" to such an oddball thing??] After the song, he proposes, and her response is "yes, totally." [I literally said "oh my God, this is adorable!" as the other musicians strolled up.] Then, they begin holding hands and arrange to announce their engagement to their families. [ha, the shock on Michelle's face when she realizes that Derick's mom doesn't have any daughters!]