19 Kids & Counting: Expectant Parents; Weight Loss Goals

This trio of episodes once again demonstrated how all-over-the-place the filming and splicing can be for this show. It was very clearly autumn in the first episode because of the repeated "harvest" ideas, though the second two episodes feature Christmas lights and trees around town, indicating it would be December. I had more example in my notes, but apparently either my computer or blogger had a bug last night and all thoughts about the most recent two episodes have been sucked up into a black hole. This is why you see less information about those two episodes below. 

A couple of general impressions from these episodes... the girls are wearing more jewelry now and twins Jedidiah and Jeremiah really don't look like one another anymore. The bigger switch, however, is how large of an emphasis the series is placing on the next generation... Josh and the next three oldest children have all been receiving more screen time than the younger fifteen kids (except maybe cute-as-a-button Josie!). I rather enjoy this, as I like seeing Jana and Jill outside of the Duggar home, and John-David making decisions about what he'll do with his life. Josh and Anna are interesting as well, but not necessarily as much... in ten years, they plan to have 7-9 children, which seems like quite a few for a guy who only does so-so with his used car lots...

TLC

19 Kids and Counting "Baby on the Way" (S07E01): Jill is taking Anatomy & Physiology for her midwifery license while Jana is doing more hands-on stuff with her doula practice. Jill is also continuing to work on her Spanish and hopes to become fluent. [I had forgotten about that!] The girls talk like they are in paid training to handle pre-natal and post-partum appointments (handling 7-12 clients each week), and over the past two years, Jill has trained for over 3,000 hours. Jana doesn't want to become a full midwife because being in charge of the entire situation scares her. [interesting, as Jana has had to take on a lot of responsibility at home before...]

Anna wants to have a themed dinner to tell the family that she's expecting again. She makes "pigs-in-blankets" and sliders and baby carrots and such, but the family doesn't seem to pick up on it other than "finger foods." [didn't Jesse say the same thing when Becky announced her pregnancy this way on Full House like 15 years ago? also, it's hard to hear Josie over that music! and, I thought the cows-in-a-blanket was funny.] Two hours before the meal, Anna calls Amy to help carve a pumpkin into a baby carriage and a cantaloupe into a baby's head. [kinda crazy, no?] When Josh gets home, she puts him to work, too, on the "door prizes." [the diaper candy WAS kinda gross!] The family actually arrives early so they're forced to wait outside. After everyone eats, they all write down what they think the surprise is. Guesses included Amy getting engaged, the family is opening up a restaurant, they're going camping, and that Josh and Anna are moving. [who was that woman behind Grandma during the reveal?] Jessa found out in advance so she got it right (she and Anna are both fifth-borns, so they sometimes share secrets, I guess).

19 Kids and Counting "Duggar Weight Loss Challenge" (S07E02): The family eats Cincinnati chili while JimBob, Michelle, Anna, and Josh go out to dinner. JimBob and Josh decide to see who can lose more weight in 90 days, and they soon learn that Josh weighs ten pounds more than his father, though JimBob's waist is larger. [those progression photos were a bit intense... Josh has put on 50-60 pounds in like four years!] They also go through stress tests, have their blood drawn, and start thinking about getting more physical activity.

Meanwhile, back at home, the boys decide to build a greenhouse for vegetables, a project that Jason heads up with an old car port frame.

19 Kids and Counting "Things Are Changing" (S07E03): The results come back, and the wives attend the appointment where they learn that JimBob has high cholesterol and Josh is at risk for diabetes, prompting them to care even more about changing their lifestyles. Joseph walks them through a sixty-minute workout routine. Josh and Anna toss all of their junk food while Michelle just helps JimBob set up his own shelf of snacks, like vegetables and soup. [he eats vegetables cold out of a can? no wonder he's not a big fan!] Anna is afraid that her cooking did this to Josh. [only to a certain extent, though. he makes bad choices often, like constantly sipping sweet tea.]

Priscilla and David come to visit, prompting Josh and Anna to consider moving into a bigger home. [what do they do with this camper any other time? have we ever seen it used?] They see several, but the one they like the best (2400 sq ft compared to their current 960 sq ft abode) is out of their price range. Anna and Priscilla (who is six months pregnant) talk about their birth plans.

Teen Mom 2: Javi Passes the Test, Chelsea Takes a Leave

Chelsea really sucks at school, guys. I'm no longer surprised that it took her that long to get her GED when she can't even succeed at something she cares about! When we heard that her average is only a 60% and her attendance is only 56%, I about fell off the couch! What's going on with this girl??!? At least her story was interesting, though... Leah's offered nothing exciting, Jenelle's basically said "hang in there, the bad news is still to come," and Kailyn's simply planning for a future that viewers are most likely hesitant about her pursuing. Not a lot of focus on any of the children this week, but at the fourth season closes, that's bound to change with the next installment...

Teen Mom 2 "Sweet Dreams" (S04E09):
Leah: Corey is upset about having to pay more in child support than he and Leah had agreed upon. Leah decides to ask her biological father (who lives in Florida) to accompany her stepfather in walking her down the aisle for her upcoming wedding.

MTV

Jenelle: She talks to her lawyer about the new charges, and at the courthouse, her case is "continued" so that further investigations could take place. Afterward, Kieffer instigates some trouble with Gary. 

Kailyn: Javi passes the test to enter the Air Force, so Kailyn calls her lawyer to learn about how custody would change if she married and moved. Nothing will really happen until after Javi gets orders that he'd be stationed out-of-town, so she keeps mum about the situation. [who thinks this is the best idea?] 

Chelsea: She has mono so she misses school, but decides to just take a month-long leave so that she can move without having to go to school at the same time. [worst multi-tasker EVER.] Her dad isn't a big fan of the idea, but she does it anyway, even if it means moving her station out of the salon.

Bates Motel: Dylan's Job, Shelby's Secret, More Clues Surface

You know, I made it the bulk of the third episode without getting scared, and actually managed to handle the fourth just fine. I can't say this about the pilot or even the second installment. We do know now that Norman most definitely has some sort of mental problems, which will undoubtedly be further explored as the series goes on... into a second season, as was freshly announced by A&E. I'm still game for this creepy series, though I'm a bit freaked out as more and more of the characters seem to have horrible secrets... you have to wonder what will be revealed next! I'm particularly intrigued by Shelby's secret slave... what are you most interested in learning more about at this point?

Bates Motel "What's Wrong with Norman" (S01E03): Dylan practices holding a gun, then takes off with another guy to the wilderness where his new job is guarding the weed fields for $300/day. Dylan hunts pheasant while they're out there, and he explains that he's lived in a few different places. Later, Norman and Dylan talk, and Norman doesn't remember coming at his brother with a meat tenderizer. [so, do we think that Norman often blacks out, and that he killed his father?]

Emma tells Norman that she only wanted to go look for the shed because she wanted to hang out with him. The two then find some Chinese written on the bottom of a sink at the motel, and Norman has to urge Emma not to go to the police. [hmmm...] 

Norman passes out at school, and when the tests all come back negative, Norma checks out her son against the doctor's wishes, suspiciously saying that her son has never blacked out before.

Joseph Lederer

While the Bateses are at the hospital, the police search the motel with a warrant, and Shelby secretly confiscates the belt that Keith was wearing the night he disappeared, as Norman had taken it for an unknown reason. [what in the world...??!?] Norma goes to Shelby, who said that he'll protect her, calming the woman. However, she still asks Norman to get the belt back so the deputy can't hold it over them, so he searches Shelby's home by the light of his iPhone, though he doesn't find it. [I'm surprised he didn't seem the least bit scared!] He comes across some keys, and after fighting off a dog, uses them to enter the locked basement, where he finds a sleeping Chinese girl. [whoa!] The deputy gets home as the episode ends.

Bates Motel "Trust Me" (S01E04): Dylan followed Norman to Deputy Shelby's home, so when Shelby gets home, Dylan distracts him so Norman can get out of the basement, where the chained woman clings to him. [and left one heck of an ankle bruise!] Norman denies it all when Dylan confronts him, and when Norman tells his mother that he wasn't able to find the belt, she says that he imagined that conversation. [whoa.] She then goes over to Shelby's house to spend the night, and finds nothing in the basement. [odd.]

Shelby offers to take Norman fishing so that they can get to know one another better. However, the outing is cut short when Keith's hand is pulled up by a fishing boat and Shelby has to go investigate. [how did the hand get separated from the body?] Norma is taken in for questioning, as there were carpet fibers under the watch that may match what Norma pulled up the night Keith went missing. She won't tell the police where she dumped all of the carpet that she pulled up, and she gets upset when the dump is closed so she can't go searching for it herself. [but what would she have done? taken it all back home and buried it??] Norman tells Dylan all about what happened, and the next thing you know, Norma is under arrest for Keith's murder.

Also, Emma has a cold, and with the complications from her CF, she won't be in school for a week. Without her around, Norman focuses on Bradley, whose father died. They eat ice cream, watch videos, and wind up having sex. [didn't see THAT coming!]

Secret Life: Amy, Ben, and Omar go to New York

Amy and Ben fly solo for their campus tours but Grace brings Kathleen along on hers? I'm not sure what's going on there. I'm also intrigued on how the next episode will play out when a handful of main characters are out of town... though, of course, George has his own cans of worms brewing. On that note, I am sick of Jack not getting the psychological help he needs, so hopefully George will be able to push him over the edge after what happened! Similarly, the return of Tom could mean interesting events are on the horizon for his character as well, though I am confused over why it took him four bus transfers to make it to the restaurant! The characters are always jetting over to Jeff's, which gave me the impression that it was nearby... Camille and Chloe were noticeably absent in an episode where they could have at least appeared at the dinner table with Leo and Ben. Still no sign of Lauren, Madison, Henry, Alice, or Ashley, though at least we heard about Lauren and Madison still existing. So much left to happen, I can't wait!

The Secret Life of the American Teenager "Shiny and New" (S05E16): Amy wants to give back the gifts they received for their "wedding," but some of them have been used. Upset, Ricky asks Amy for his mother's wedding ring back, then goes to see Leo to return the wedding cash. [asking for the ring back was a little harsh...]

Amy and Ben leave to tour Hudson University in New York, and Ben suggests that the two of them just go someplace foreign where they know nobody. [ever the smooth-talker, that Ben!] Amy and Ricky start discussing the logistics of how she'd actually be able to go to school in New York. On the flight, however, Amy's seat buddy is actually Omar, who is headed for a business lunch, despite Adrian's jealousy that he gets to go to New York. [I couldn't believe that she refused to drive him to the airport!] Amy tells him that she's not really married, and the two begins talking as Ben listens in from the row behind them. Ben texts Ricky and Adrian about Amy and Omar sitting next to one another, leading the fiances to worry about their traveling counterparts. [are you serious? Ricky and Adrian are worried about Amy and Omar getting together? hahahaha!] Meanwhile, Ricky dreams of being with Clementine, and the next day he received a letter form her that talks about how long she's been in love with him.

Grace and Kathleen are going out of town for a few days to tour college campuses, which means Jack should go to his parents' house or back to his place on campus. He leaves Grace's and offers Nora a ride to work. However, he falls asleep at the wheel and runs into a police car, making Nora half an hour late to work. Jack then tries to invite himself over to Adrian's and Ricky's so that he's not alone. In the end, he returns to Grace's guesthouse, and when George knocks on the door, Jack shoots a gun at him. [wonder where he got that...?]

facebook.com/secretlife

Shorter stories: George buys Jeff's Restaurant because he wants to cut all ties with Anne. [I forgot that the furniture store is a joint venture.] Ethan cheated on a math test but doesn't want Kathy's tutoring. It horrifies her that he'd rather fail than accept her help, so he asks Amy for help, though she just suggests he ask Ricky for assistance. [Ethan is the strangest kid!] 

Monday Mornings: Brain Patients, Publicity, and Legal Issues

Having a main character brush death is one heck of a way to end a first season. We've seen some interesting patients, sat threw some legal issues, and picked our favorite doctors, despite the fact that each makes mistakes here and there. Should this series receive a renewal from TNT, I will continue to watch, but I'm still on the fence about this medical drama. It seems that the characters are likable but not lovable, that the cases are original but not overly intriguing, that the drama comes and goes without really attracting much attention. I want more out of this series... don't you?

Monday Mornings "Wheels within Wheels" (S01E09): Park works on a seizure patient who covered his body in words because he's a writer who didn't have paper. [sounds kinda out there already...] His mother tried to stop him from writing so he could focus on other issues in his life (ANY other issues, actually). He's not schizophrenic or bi-polar, but still somewhat obsessed with writing. He believes that he has a right temporal lobe abnormality that makes him hypographic. [aka extremely verbose.] They can remove a lesion, but the kid doesn't want to lose the ability to write constantly, and Park actually decides to encourage the guy to keep writing. [haha at Ridgeway calling out Park on his "not do, dead" line!] Park supporting the patient is questioned by Hooten during an M&M. [isn't this somewhat similar to the case where the chef lost her ability to smell because of a procedure?]

Doug Hyun

Patients from a car accident are rushed in, and Robidaux barely saves one of them because she struggled through the woman's neck fat. Villanueva gives Robidaux a beer, then shows her a little meditation. Fran talks to the couple and Robidaux about filming a short segment for television news. Everything sounds great until Hooten calls on Robidaux during an M&M because of the complications and Robidaux's failure to ask for more help during the emergency procedure. [good point.]

Wilson suggests an MRI for a judge patient with whom Hooten has a history. She has a growth in her brain, and just a biopsy will require 4-6 weeks of recovery. [WOW!] Turns out, she has syphilis, which she likely contracted 40 years earlier. [this reminded me of Ibsen's A Doll's House, LoL.] Further damage is unlikely, but she's still worried that this will stop her from being named to the Supreme Court because of cognitive decline. When the diagnosis is leaked to the media, Hooten asks Wilson who he told about the situation, and when Napur points out that hundreds of people had access to that information, not including hackers, she's appointed the head of a special task force to work on privacy concerns in the 21st century. [while this could lead to something interesting down the line, part of me wonders if it's more of a political act.] 

Monday Mornings "Family Ties" (S01E10): A guy with back pain comes into the hospital for painkillers, but Villanueva won't write him another prescription when he has a history of multiple hospitals and pharmacies. [an age-old issue. I think even Little House on the Prairie tackled this one.] The guy assaults Ridgeway and Robidaux in the parking garage when they won't write him a prescription, either, but Ridgeway is badly injured, requiring brain surgery. After several hours knocked out, she comes to and has her language skills in tact.

A mother is brain dead and her son doesn't think his mother understood what was involved when she agreed to be an organ donor. He gets a lawyer, and Hooten and Buck have to go to the courthouse immediately over the issue, where Hooten is put on the stand about the process of organ donation. [I actually didn't know about the skin thing, either.] The son is happy with no compromise (upset that his mother wasn't able to be saved but her body will save others), but eventually the hospital wins and they use several of her organs immediately.

A 16-year-old has a heart attack after chasing a classmate, and he requires a cardiac stent. Napur talks to the boy's grandmother about making some lifestyle changes, but she is such an enabler (always giving him sodas and such) that Napur files a neglect and endangerment claim with Child Services, which Hooten calls that overstepping in the M&M. [it probably was! she's shown as so staunch in her beliefs that she's almost unrelatable, though. also, people rushing out of the M&M when Wilson came in to save Ridgeway has awakened.]