'Jon & Kate' the Finale...Finally!

I mumbled to my wife, “Well, tonight's “Jon& Kate Plus Eight” is absolutely, positively, the final episode.”
Her reply? “Good.” Then we watched the show, and at the end I looked over and she was wiping tears away, just as Kate was doing the same during her final “couch interview.” elated Stories
Kate had just repeated for about the umpteenth time during the episode phrases like “it didn't have to end,” and “I feel like its being taken away from me and the kids,” and “it's too soon for the show to end.”
Then they showed a montage of clips ranging from Kate's grotesquely large stomach when she was pregnant with the sextuplets, to the babies in their cribs, to her and Jon playing with the kids during much happier times.
And I turned to my wife and remarked, “yeah, but the show really had to end after the fiasco of the past year.”
She then replied, “well, when you write about it, try not to be too sarcastic.”
Being an obedient husband, I will try to be nice, but it's difficult. Very difficult.
Again I have to mention, as I did last week, that Jon and TLC are involved in back and forth law suits, and it is obvious that the show's producers are doing everything possible to portray Kate as the innocent victim and Jon as the villain.
Last night the episode titled “It's a Crazy Life, but It's Our Life,” started off with a close up of the sign Jon posted on the gate of their estate saying that the TLC crew was now banned from shooting any more footage on their property; therefore pointing out that it's Jon's fault that the show is ending.
For the past month, “J&K” episodes have focused on poor Kate sitting on the interview couch, telling her side of the story, answering viewers' questions, and commenting on the viewers' choices of their favorite moments.
Last night Jon finally was given a chance to talk, and his interview was edited down to a minute or two, in which he “confessed” his sins. While Kate was perfectly coiffed and dressed, Jon looked somewhat disheveled, and while listening to his acceptance of blame, I was reminded of videotapes of American prisoners in Iraq being forced to confess while hooded figures loomed in the background threatening to behead them.
Jon stated while wringing his hands “I think I became more educated about myself and what I've learned the past couple months about myself. I always looked for blame and I never really took blame and now I'm taking blame. I can own up to it, I gotta stop being a kid; I gotta grow up and be a man.”
Jon then related that he had gotten married at 22 and when he was “free” last year he reverted back to being 23 and didn't think about the consequences of his actions. (It was hard to tell if Jon was reading off a teleprompter.)
Following this “confession,” Kate calmly explained “I've been thrown in the same boat with Jon, but I'm in a completely different boat, going in a completely different direction.” Good for you Kate.
So now we get it…everything that happened in the past year was due to Jon's immaturity.
To further belabor the point, Kate went on to say she somewhat distrusted Jon's behavior with the kids. They then cut to a scene in which nine year old Maddy whines “I like stuff we do with Mommy.” Jon then loses it, yells at Maddy and Cara, and punishes them by forbidding them from accompanying the family to the firehouse where they will be setting up a lemonade stand.
Of course we all know that Kate never yells at the kids (oops sorry, I am being sarcastic again).
But the topper of it all was that after Jon and the sextuplets sold lemonade to raise money for local firefighters, Kate questioned his motives and had the nerve to actually ask “Is it a publicity stunt?” Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!
The final Gosselin family adventure involved Kate taking just the sextuplets to a neighbor's farm, where everyone had a great time milking cows and playing with kittens. Of course Kate had to point out that that the reason Maddy and Cara did not accompany them was because they were in school, and she would definitely be taking the twins on a separate trip to the neighbor's farm.
Anyway, that was the series finale, and I predict that the next time we see Kate Gosselin she will be starring in her own talk show, probably on TLC. Hey didn't Oprah announce that she will be ending her show in 2011?
And poor Jon will probably wind up on a future episode of “Celebrity Rehab.”

TLC Airs Biased 'Jon & Kate' Episode

It's all over the news, at least in the “Jon & Kate” world, that TLC is suing Jon and Jon is counter-suing TLC…or something like that. It really doesn't matter who is suing whom.
So I wasn't surprised that in Monday's penultimate (a fancy word for second to last) episode of “Jon & Kate Plus 8,” the show was edited to portray Jon Gosselin in the worst possible light.
The episode, titled “Broken Dreams, Broken Promises, Broken Episodes” included footage shot over the past nine months that were going to be parts of various episodes, but were never aired for a variety of reasons; the main one being that the show's ratings are in the toilet.
I can just envision Kate and the TLC executives chuckling and editing the footage to depict Jon as lazy and irresponsible and Kate as a burgeoning rock star. Now I am certainly not defending Jon or his actions over the past year. But last night's show was so one-sided that it can be compared to Fox News coverage of an Obama health care speech.
(OK, I will try and be fair and balanced. Last night's show was so one-sided that it can be compared to MSNBC coverage of a Sarah Palin press conference. Everyone happy?)
The two most anti-Jon segments (which I am sure Kate's lawyers will try and enter as evidence if their divorce somehow goes to trial), were one called “Dog Training” and one called “Soccer and Swimming.”
In the former, Kate says “I kind of left it (the dog training) to him and not a lot of training occurred,” implying that it was Jon's laziness that led to the family having to return the two German Shepherds to the kennel. Kate added “It takes a whole lot of work, energy, training and time…and as the dogs got bigger they got worse.”
There were also shots of Jon manning the electronic dog collars for the dogs followed by Kate (probably auditioning for her inevitable talk show) then quipping “maybe we should have used a collar for other people.”
In the “Soccer and Swimming” segment Kate complained that Jon doesn't do “projects” with the kids, followed by a shot of Maddy whining “I don't want to play with Daddy.” Kate added that “he is on the phone a lot.” Cut to a shot of one of the little girls begging Jon for a Popsicle, while he ignores her and texts on his cell phone. Kate then asserted that Jon's phone usage involves calls to “friends,” while when she is on the phone it involves work.
There was also a rather lengthy shot of Jon yakking it up with the evil paparazzi while the kids wanted to go swimming.
Moreover, to demonstrate how popular Kate is with her fans, there was a segment titled “Book Tour” that showed her speaking before a cheering throng at a Southern Women's Conference in North Carolina and later at a book signing where one couple admitted to standing in line for 12 hours to finally meet their idol!
Finally we all saw how big Kate's heart is, as she prepared dinner for the families at the Ronald McDonald House, and later announced that “dinner is served from ‘Jon and Kate Plus Eight'…minus Jon.” Of course the TLC crew laughed at all of her quips.
So now only one episode remains, and supposedly it will include both Jon and Kate together, and according to a report in the NY Post, this “sitdown” will "provide new insights on their recent life events" and forecast "what the future holds for them and their eight children.”
I hope things turn out better than Michael Corleone's “sitdown” with Sollozzo and Captain McCluskey in “The Godfather.” Watch out Jon if Kate excuses herself to go to the bathroom!

Reviewing the Viewers' Choices of Favorite ‘Jon & Kate' Moments

Against my better judgment I decided to DVR Monday night's episode of “Jon & Kate Plus 8” and watch it a day later. Yes, for those of you who are interested enough in the comings and goings of the Gosselins to be reading this article, TLC is still airing new “J & K” episodes.
BUT, stealing a strategy from “Lost,” TLC has announced an end date for this (apparently) final season of “Jon & Kate Plus 8.” A blurb on the screen the other night stated that there are only two more new episodes. Therefore, if my math is correct, the final “J & K” show will be aired on But back to Monday's show. For the third consecutive week it centered around Kate, sitting alone on a couch. Instead of answering viewers' or an interviewer's questions (like she did the last two weeks), Kate commented on a compilation of “Viewers' Top Moments” from the show's five seasons, as taken from a TLC.com poll.
Watching these moments did bring back some memories of why my family and I were drawn to the show in the first place, along with more recent memories of why so many people have turned against the show in the past year. Even Kate commented that these memories would include “the good, the bad, and the ugly.”
So, counting backwards, David Letterman-style, here is a recap of the top ten moments, divided by categories (along with some of Kate's comments):
10) “Biggest Blow-Up” – Kate's explosion at Toys “R” Us, where she screams at Jon to “stop playing with toys and come help!” Jon responded (perhaps in a foreshadowing of events to come) “you need to stop yelling.” On the couch, Kate admitted that seeing that scene when it first aired was a “wakeup call” for her, and she claimed that she never yelled at Jon in public again.
9) “Cutest Kid Moment” – Alexis in her crib saying “Hi Mommy, hi Mommy,” when Kate returned from the hospital after her tummy tuck. I must admit it was a really cute and touching scene. Kate commented it was her all time favorite moment.
8) “Top Ouchie Moment” – Alexis falling in the woods and biting through her lip while Kate was in San Diego with daughter Maddy. “It breaks my heart that I wasn't there,” was Kate's comment. At least she wasn't at a book signing.
7) “Top Family Milestone” – First visit to the dentist with all eight kids. It was cute the way that the eight kids sat in the dentist's chair, two by two, holding hands.
6) “Cutest Kid Sayings” – Leah reporting that “Hannah pooped in Hannah's underwears” while they were in the process of being potty-trained. I thought it somewhat ironic that the runner up was Joel saying that “Daddies have wieners.” Another case of foreshadowing? Enough said.
5) Top Family Portrait – The picture of the sextuplets as babies in strollers in front of their first much smaller house. The house was much smaller than their current estate, Kate looked much less attractive, BUT everyone looked so happy back then.
4) Most Heartwarming Moment – Hannah saying goodbye and kissing her brothers and sisters. Kate said it demonstrated the “love all parents hope that kids will have for each other.” Being a parent myself, I agree.
3) Most Memorable Meltdown - They showed several of Kate's meltdowns, but the winner took place on their plane ride to Utah, with all the kids crying and Jon and Kate having just heard the announcement that they were going to have to land in Boise, Idaho instead of Utah. “I just had had enough and didn't care about the cameras” was a telling comment by Kate. She then added “Although I felt like I had a lot of stress in my life then, (uh) I had seen nothing yet.”
2) Best Family Trip – Their trip to Hawaii, although on Monday's show they failed to mention this is when Jon and Kate renewed their wedding vows, and it was just over a year ago.
1) Most Shocking Moment -After all the cute and tender family moments, again it is ironic that the number one moment (as voted by viewers) was Jon and Kate announcing their separation. On Monday's show, Kate then said “You get married young, you don't know who you are…At some point you get older and people change …I am different but I still think I was me all along. For Jon, I think that he discovered he is somebody different from whom we knew him to be.”
So now we know that next week's show is called “Gymnastic and Baseball,” and the final “Jon & Kate” show, which will be aired three days before Thanksgiving, will probably be yet another recap show.
And then the show will finally end…or will it? After all, as many times as Jason has been done in, the “Friday the 13th” franchise is still alive.