"This could be our last family picture," said Kate Gosselin during the extra-long fifth-season premiere of Jon & Kate Plus 8. Jon and Kate came together for the sextuplets’ fifth-birthday party, but they could barely stay in the same camera-frame. Poker-faced, rarely speaking to each other as the kids plus the two older daughters played in a park near their Pennsylvania home, Jon and Kate looked miserable. And that may mean a miserable season ahead for those of us who used to really enjoy watching those kids bounce off each other and their stern but loving parents.
In this expanded 73-minute episode, however, some of the time was spent grilling hot dogs and hamburgers, but most of the time the producers were grilling Jon and Kate, who for the first time in the history of the show were filmed most of the time in separate home-sofa sessions. "It kills me," Kate said of the rumors (and truth?) of Jon’s infidelity… and perhaps, allegedly, her own. "I have a lot of anger." As for Jon, he said, "I’d like to apologize to my family for my actions." Um, what actions, Jon? "Everybody knows what I’m talking about," he said sullenly. Gee, I guess it’s this.
The show had new cast members: "It’s the paparazzi!" one of the kids squealed. "Sshhh — don’t say a word," commanded Kate. "I make [the children] call them the ‘p-people,’" Kate told us, explaining she didn’t want the kids yammering at school about the photographers that now follow the Gosselins’ every move. I guess she thinks it’s better to have the kids say, "The P-People chased us!" and really scare their friends.
It’s going to be interesting to see how the series settles back into its weekly half-hours of family outings and squabbles — to see if that’s even possible. Because Kate is more willing than Jon to talk, and to let the TLC cameras follow her to places such as her book signings, she came off (as she often does) slightly worse. She made a big deal over the fact that she was organizing the birthday party "alone" — she said "alone" about six times — because "Jon decided he needed a weekend off."
You just wanted to say, "We get it! You feel you’re the Wronged Woman! Aren’t you savvy enough by now to know you’re not winning us over?" This was especially true when she noted that "all of a sudden, your kids are calling you your babysitter’s name." I could almost hear millions of viewers shouting, "So stay home!" I certainly felt sympathy for the woman, though; when she teared up during a solo-sofa taping, her exhaustion and grief was palpable.
Some things never change, of course. The kids are adorable. One of them kept calling the birthday pinatas, "tinatas." And, ever the problem-child, Maddie said sulkily when it was time to take a family photo that she’d sit for "one picture, exactly."
And your heart broke a bit when one of the girls hugged Jon and said, "Daddy, I don’t want you to leave anymore." It looks as though Jon’s going to be in the proverbial doghouse all season.
What got me is when the little girl said that she wanted her daddy to stay, he said he was at work. ??? I thought he quit, does that mean he is no longer at home???
Kate really got me mad with all the “alone” BS, she made a big deal of Jon taking the weekend off but she goes off for weeks at book signings and HE is left alone with the kids. Is it too much to ask that he is alone for a weekend????
As for the affair, it wasn’t hard to notice that Jon never denied the affair but he admitted to wrong actions, it’s obvious that he really did cheat, Kate’s infidelity is more questionable but still possible but I’m more certain that Jon is running around of course.
The sad thing is that this episode was supposed to be about the kids, “all for the kids” they both said and it wasn’t true, it was all about Jon and let’s not forget KATE KATE KATE KATE KATE!!!
Jon looked heartbroken when he asked one of the girls if she missed him, and gave her a big hug. Maybe the ‘actions’ he was referring to was simply being seen going out with a female friend. Who knows?
And could have Kate said “paparazzi” one more time? We get it – you’re famous and it’s all such a burden. I thought the tears were a little much.
Who knows how much of this is real or made up anyway. I think this is the last episode I’ll watch.
I thought the episode was quite sad. I know that by becoming tv stars J&K have brought some of this on themselves, but it was still sad to see theiir relationship crumbling and have the paparazzi there to document their every move. I hope they can work it out.
They may as well change the name of the show to “Kate is Enough”.
The End of Jon & Kate Plus 8
The season premiere of JK+8 will undoubtably break records for viewership. But I would predict it will become the highest ever viewed show in the series and that viewership will decline from this point forward.
The show attracted viewers for the cuteness of the children, the challenge they presented for their parents and the sense of relief that viewers felt–”I’m so glad it;s not me with that mess”.
But now, despite the intrigue of the breakdown of the marriage, the future is dim for the show. The children are older and less charming. The tension between Jon and Kate is not something people will want to see weekly. My wife finished watching the show and sad “Boy was that depressing”. We do not watch TLC to become depressed at life. We have many places where we see that everyday. We see it in the growing unemployment. We see it with the people struggling to make ends meet. We see it in our friends and family who have personal problems we witnes
Jon needs professional help. He seems truly, clinically depressed. What parent just announces a weekend off (wasn’t he still in the house)? He has checked out-in many senses of the word-and Kate, as always, has to clean up the mess. I’d probably be a stressed out wife/parent, too, if I had to walk one day in her shoes.
I think they should pull the plug on the show. Not because it’s bad, it’s just awkward. It’s so obvious that there are things that need to be fixed, and as a viewer it breaks my heart to have it shoved in my face.
I think that if they took the time to get it together, work on each other as a couple and a family, turned off the cameras and returned to some semblance of a “normal”life, things could get better.
Let the cameras come back in a few years for a reunion special or something. (Personally, I prefers that. Seeing how much they’ve changed versus their everyday life is much more interesting)
Why sacrifice you and your families happiness for a reality show?
When we are showed the early episodes and early videos of them as a couple, you know they loved eachother… now? We all see the stress. I really hope they work it out. I support them and hope for the best. Such a sad episode for everyone… and you can definately tell the twins know what is going on.
It was just so sad. I want to slap them both and tell them to get over just like millions of other couples do every day with a lot fewer resources. I know multiples are hard, but most of us don’t get anywhere near that amount of help. Also, Kate needs to accept that Jon is fed up and acting out. Sure he’s responsible for his action but you have been really really tough on him. Both of them need to decide they are in it, and start trying to focus on each other a bit. I wish someone like John Gottman, who really knows how to help struggling couples, would step in and offer his services.
Um… Kate isn’t going to ‘win over’ the audience? I’m not against Kate. I want to give Kate a big hug. Regardless of what’s really going on, her husband isn’t around anymore and she is in a lot of pain. Jon looked miserable as well, but I found his demeanor to be kind of childish and selfish. Jon isn’t evil, but I definitely don’t think he ‘came off better,’ and I rarely think that he does.
I think Dr. Phil needs to give them one of those “invitations” that they get all the time. Kate can look at it as a two for one: Marriage counseling and a TV appearance at the same time…
“As for the affair, it wasn’t hard to notice that Jon never denied the affair”
Jon did say at the beginning of the show that he did not have an affair.
This episode was really sad to watch, it was also a bit awkward or maybe more. I feel for both Jon and Kate and i really hope they reconcile, they still have a chance before its to late.
in another note i hate the repetive “im here for my kids’.
YES they are, its obvious enough…
although i have to admit i teared up on this episode, especially with the memories and music flashing by. :[
This whole thing is so sad. All married people go through difficult times. Sometimes those difficult times last a couple of months, sometimes a couple of years, but if you are committed to be with someone until death you do part, you stick it out. I can only imagine what Kate is going through. My husband cheated on me and our marriage surrived, but we didn’t have to go through that in the spotlight. Right now, I am praying for them. They claim to be Christians, but John is not behaving that way right now.
Poor Jon! Let me say it again, Poor Jon! He chose this. I don’t feel sorry for him. He made his decision and he did what he wanted to do. If we all got real about this, he wasn’t always nice to Kate, either. He did his fair share of screaming and yelling at her, not to mention he rolled his eyes all the time at her. He hates his life, but loves the money (he just himself a hot new white car didn’t he??) He wants it both ways. If I were Kate, I’d tell him to go find Dede and make a new life for himself. Let’s see how long that would last. She has had to be the stronger parent because he’s too much like another child. Selfish and in it for himself.