Bringing Up Bates: Season Six

Recapped by T. Edited by Bonnie

To make it easy to search this post, I have added a * before each episode title. On your PC, hit CONTROL and F to search. On your Mac, hit COMMAND and F. Then you can type in a * and see where each episode begins.

*Episode 1: Summer of Love

In Norris, Tennessee, Erin, Katie, Carlin and Tori are getting ice cream. They get their cones and sit in a little gazebo outside. They pose for a selfie and catch up.The Bates explain that Erin is a matchmaker and Carlin says that she did well for them. Erin says she has a hard time matching guys, so that’s why she hasn’t matched Lawson and Nathan. They say Lawson is too adventurous and he won’t settle down. In talking heads, Nathan says he’s single but he has friends. Erin calls him a heartbreaker. Erin says he needs to wait five or six more years until he’s 29 or so. Lawson says he’s focused on his career but would be willing to meet the right girl. They all think Trace will get married first of the guys. Carlin says he is fawned over by the girls in college. Trace says he’s single and working on school.

The Bates family announces that Erin and Chad are having twins,. They’re twin goats, they explain, and they’re so sweet. Chad says he wanted to have goats for Carson to play with. The little girls want Kelly to get goats for them as well. Erin says they’d like to breed them in the future but they’d need another goat because these two are brother and sister. Zach says Erin and Chad are gluttons for punishment. Erin says she loves the chaos. Gil says no goats for the big Bates family.

The Bates are heading to North Carolina for Meema’s wedding. Meema is Kelly’s Mom. Some Bates go earlier and meet up with Aunt Kaye. Kelly says Zach and Whitney, Chad, and Alyssa and John won’t be able to make the wedding. Tori will coordinate Meema’s wedding. Kelly says Tori and Bobby will be the next to wed. Kelly says she really likes Tom and he makes Meema so happy. Kelly’s stepfather passed away and Meema went through a hard time. However, she met Tom and they were happy together, and decided that they would get married. Meema is excited for the wedding. Kelly says she asked if they would go on a honeymoon and Meema said yes, that Tom was surprising her. Kelly says they are overjoyed and looking forward to the future.

At the rehearsal, Meema asks a guest: “Have you met my family?” The guest says, “a few, here and there.” Meema says, “Well, there's a lot of them and they’re all pretty.” They do a walk through of the ceremony. Tori and Bobby will sing during the ceremony. The song is “Red River Valley” and they try to practice with Erin but all three can’t stop laughing.

It’s the wedding day, and everyone is so excited. Kelly says it’s fun to watch your mother go through the emotions of her wedding. They smile and dance as they prepare. It’s time for the ceremony, and Meema beams as she walks down the aisle. They’re so cute. She kisses Tom right when she gets to the end of the aisle. They are also so in love. Bobby says this is the first wedding he has been able to go to with Tori and that has him thinking about his future wedding. They sing together and seem to really enjoy the moment. The pastor pronounces them husband and wife and they kiss. Kelly Jo: “I think it was so cute, you want to see them a little bit frisky!” They head back down the aisle arm and arm and they’re beaming. They cut the wedding cake and all the Bates express their good wishes for the happy couple.

*Episode 2. Road Trip Romance

Carlin and Katie are driving to Nashville by themselves for Spring Break to visit Evan. Katie makes jokes about the strict chaperone she will be. Carlin says it’s even more fun having Katie to chaperone because she’s bubbly and gets along with Evan.

The younger Bates are asked who Evan is. Carlin’s friend who she’s getting to know, they say.

Carlin arrives and hugs Evan. Carlin says they met when the girls and Kelly were speaking at a Ladies’ Conference at Evan’s church. He was serving. Erin matchmade them there, Carlin says, and she is glad she did. Evan was homeschooled, is from a big family, and he loves music. Carlin greets his family and they sit down to eat. She is excited that she will be there for the party for the birthdays they have in March. Evan suggests they take a skateboarding lesson. A young lady, Evan’s sister probably, suggests they learn a song and sing it with Daniel playing. They could sing it at the party tomorrow. They go to Daniel’s house which has a giant tulle wreath on the door. Daniel is married to Evan’s older sister, Ashley, and they have one kid and one on the way. Daniel starts arranging the song for them. Evan wrote the song, “Love, Love and Love” which is about a girl who has somebody, it doesn’t work out, and so she waits until she is ready to love again. Carlin says this relates to her life and it's one of her favorites. They practice singing. Evan’s actually not a bad singer. Evan’s family has CDs apparently, which for some reason I find hilarious? but for Carlin this makes singing very intimidating. They sound nice together, though.

The whole evening Carlin is wearing a top that says “Not Your Babe” on it which totally seems like a Jinger Vuolo call out, but is probably not.

Back in Rocky Top, Jackson has his learner's permit and is going for a driving lesson. Warden insists on going along. Zach is gonna take him because they have a special bond which is cute. They take Lawson’s car because it is his first time driving. Lawson runs out and gets in the car and they head off. They tease him as they go and he does well because he does Go karts, 4 wheelers and has moved cars around on the driveway before. It’s a typical Bates driving lesson where everyone is loud and distracting. Zach directs him to a parking lot and Zach talks him through turning tight and fast in the parking lot. Zach is a great driving teacher, if I were a Bates I would have him take me as well (but I would leave Warden, Whitney and Lawson at home for sure!) All in all it goes well.

Back in Nashville, Carlin and Evan try their hand at skateboarding. Carlin takes a few tumbles and Katie is there to laugh at her, like any good little sister would. Carlin falls and twists her ankle early on, and they joke around a little once Evan sees she is ok. They ice her ankle, and Evan and his brother try to skateboard. They fall a LOT and it looks painful but there is lots of good natured teasing.

They are back at Evan’s sister's place for a birthday party. They set up balloons and food. This party is a combination of three birthdays in the family that fall close together in March. Evan shows her old pictures of his family. Denese, his mom, sees them looking in her sister’s wedding album and they decide this is the time for a talk about their relationship. Evan says they are boyfriend and girlfriend and that he cares for her more than any other girl. His parents say, don’t rush it, become best friends, and enjoy each moment. This seems like good advice. His parents are sweet.

They eat dinner and then it is time for them to sing together. Evan’s family makes silly faces at each other while they sing together. His family clap when they finish. It is time for cake. Evan & Carlin talk about what a nice trip they had.

*Episode 3 Bobby’s Movin’ In.
It’s Bobby’s Spring Break and he is in Tennessee visiting Tori and is trying to move to Tennessee when he graduates so he can find a job in the area so that they can be together more full time. They’re trying to move their relationship in a positive direction. Bobby arrives and greets the parents.

Kelly is happy that he is there, she didn’t believe it would happen but she is glad they are closing the distance. Gil wants to show him their church in construction and talk to him about working for a church again (Bobby works at a church in Florida). Zach and some siblings joke about how heavenly their parents can make TN sound when they think there is a chance their daughter won’t move away.

Jeb and Jud are in a wrestling stage and so the family has decided a jiu jitsu class is the proper way to channel this energy. Katie goes to the class with Kelly and the boys. The boys are totally entranced and the instructor gets them ready to go in uniforms. Kelly thinks they’re cute; the older boys are jealous they didn’t do it when they were young. The instructor teaches them how to bring each other down and some other moves. It’s pretty cute and the boys seem so much bigger than last season I can’t even. Zach jokes in a talking head that it may not have been a good idea to take the boys to this class when they said they will use their new moves on each other.

Gil brings Bobby to the church to show it to him but also, Tori and Bobby think, to recruit him. The construction is still going on and Gil shows him the progress. Bobby is getting a ministry degree and Gil wants him to help at the Church. It’s a church plant that’s growing from the ground up that he would need help with. Whitney says when you marry into the family they always make use of whatever skills you have. Gil has them sit down and have a ~serious talk~ about moving to TN longterm and getting married sometime after Tori’s graduation in May 2018. Bobby isn’t sure about where they’ll live long term but the marriage thing he is sure about. They then go take their girls out to dinner. At dinner Gil tries to get him to delay the wedding, joking about how they need a year to get ready, to be engaged, and then to plan the wedding, so 3 years. Gil isn’t ready for her to get married. Gil says she has always encouraged him and laughed at all his dumb jokes and he is sad that he will have to “give her away.” They’re talking about housing and Bobby says he could get a camper and live there and save up. Someone has offered him one to live in for just utilities in the area so they call Karen with the camper and try to set up a meeting. She doesn’t answer so they leave a message. Karen responds so tomorrow they will go see the trailer.

Kelly notes that where they live in the mountains of TN, it’s a lot of farms and chickens, which is different than Florida with its resorts. They walk into the camper and are happy to see how nice it is in there. It’s a typical camper with a kitchenette, bathroom, and bedroom. Tori is so excited for Bobby to be in the area. They walk to the area with the hookups and it’s nice and private. Tori is so so excited that everything is starting to come together. This plan may not end up working, but they see that it would be nice to have Bobby right in the area. Gil says they may not know what the future holds, but they know who holds the future.

*Episode 4: Sibling Revelry

The Bates are sitting around on the big couches at the Bates compound. Gil has decided to teach the kids how to take car of the cars because they have several old cars and many young drivers. Gil asks Katie to show him how to open to hood, she doesn’t know. He shows them how to check the oil, transmission and brake fluids. They close the hood and move over to the tire to talk about filling it with air. Carlin says it was nice to learn but if a car breaks down, she’d still call her dad.

Carlin, Tori, Josie, Whitney and Erin arrive at a martial arts studio for a self defense class.. The instructor has them jog to warm up, and then do push-ups. The instructor says that being first is important because if you punch first, you're more likely to get away, so he has them race. The competitive Bates get ready, but as they run there’s a bit of a collision.Whitney slips and Carlin puts her knees right through the drywall and barely misses the stud. The instructor laughs it off and says he is glad they signed a waiver. Next he shows them how to deflect a punch and they practice in pairs. They show how to incapacitate someone. This jiu jitsu instructor is great, he’s pretty funny. The girls say they learned a lot and thank the instructor.

Zach & Whitney and Erin & Chad are at the “Cutting Edge” cooking class for a date night. They meet Chef John. They get aprons and hats. They will make bruschetta and chicken piccata. Zach jokes that this is like a language class and he is learning about all these new types of food and jokes “What kind of hamburger is that?” which is actually kinda funny. They finish the bruschetta, and even though the Bates family isn’t exactly sure what it is, Zach assures us it is delicious.

They tenderize the chicken and Zach jokes that when Whitney heard the thinner it is the faster it cooks she made it really thin because she was hungry. They coat it in flour and sauté it. They add fresh herbs and then plate with pasta and asparagus. It comes out nice and it is time to eat. They joke and laugh and enjoy their meal. This class seemed like it was a blast, Chef John was great, and the couples seemed to be in great moods. A nice evening for all.

*Episode 5: He Said, She Shed

At the Bates house, the family is having a Bible Study and when they conclude Gil reminds us that he gave Kelly a coupon on Valentine's Day for a free day of work project of her choice. The project in cleaning out the shed which is notoriously gross, according to the siblings. Nathan is in town, Lawson isn’t traveling to Nashville and Trace will be done with school at 12:30. Trace asks if they could put lines on the basketball court from last season because he is thinking about trying out for the basketball team (at school, it sounds like) so he can practice. Kelly agrees to add that to her list if he motivates siblings to help with the shed. He agrees and they close out with a prayer.

It’s time to clean out the shed. Kelly says she is glad that Gil said in the coupon that he can’t complain and can’t say no. The inside of the shed is a pigsty and she wants it cleaned out and organized. Nathan says the family immediately forms two groups: the get-rid-ers and the keepers. Carlin says her dad is a keeper who sees value in everything. They do manage to clear out a lot, including a pickup truck bed full of stuff which drives away to be emptied. They find a cable and think they can make a small zip line with it. Jackson: “Typical Bates project: we aren’t quite done with one, and we start another.” True! They had a zip line at their old house so they were simply restoring it. Nathan got to work on the zip line. Kelly and Gil try to convince him to get back to work but he is distracted. They get one corner done and Kelly is glad but she gets discouraged when she sees how much is still left.

Kelly has Carlin come in to sweep and Jackson scares her with a fake Halloween spider and she runs out of the shed. The producers then drop spiders on the siblings during talking heads and it's about 50/50 some laugh and some scream.

Gil tells Nathan that the zip line is not gonna work because he attached one side to a shed post and the other to a tree. He thinks the zip line will break the shed. Nathan says life is full of critics. However, it doesn’t seem to work great and the family is made to come back into the shed. Carlin,Trace, Nathan and Gil go talk about painting lines on the court. Carlin, not wanting to be back in the shed after her scare, puts tape down to make the lines.

There is a wall in the shed that Nathan and Trace want to take out. They get a sledgehammer and start working on it. They want to kick through the wall, Kelly tells them not to, but they’re gonna do it anyway. They do it and it kinda works. Nathan gets a chainsaw and take its out once and for all. Kelly and Gil are surprised how well it turns out and how much better it is without the walls.

Trace and Gil go to check on Carlin doing the lines. They’re coming out nice and everyone is proud of her.

They manage to finish and clean out the shed. Kelly says she didn’t know Gil had it in him to pull this off, but it looks a lot better. The Bates call it and go get something to eat. Trace has his Crown friends over to play 3 on 3 on his newly finished court. Lawson comes out and plays with them. They have a lot of laughs but Lawson is trying to be the star and Trace gives him a hard time about it. Trace says college has helped get him out of his box - he was shy before but now he won’t stop talking.

*Episode 6. Newlywed Edition

*Episode 7: Don’t worry, We’ve Goat This!

At Chad and Erin’s house, the goats are running around outside and Chad says he thinks getting the goats was a great idea and Carson loves them. The little girls say the goats are crazy. Chad arrives home, and Carson is happy to see him. He’s invited some of the younger Bates siblings over to paint the goat shed. Gil says it was nice of Chad to make them feel included. Gil arrives and it's painting time. He pours paint into a pan and hands out rollers and they get to work. Chad is trying hard to get it out of their hair (it’s water based paint, he says, so it’ll come out eventually) Carson brings Gil into the goat shed and hangs out with him in there. Erin brings out lemonade and cookies for everyone. They discuss the trim- Erin says she wants it black, but the black paint is oil based so Chad will do that part. They go back to painting the base color on the shed and get it almost done. Chad will finish it, Erin says.

At the main house, Gil has a project: redoing the zip line from his shed that Nathan put up in April 2017. He wants to make a real, safe zip line. It will go from a tree to the boy’s fort. They clear a path and begin attaching the wire. Warden tries to help but he broke his arm playing softball when he was focusing on the ball and not on the ground so he tripped on a bush. They struggle to get the line tight enough but they worry about attaching it to the fort so they tie it from one tree to another. Jud: This ain’t gonna work. Lawson: Stay positive. Jeb: I’m positive it ain’t gonna work. They get it up and decide Trace will be the tester and he’s a little nervous about it. Jud: Lawson, get ready to call the ambulance. He manages to kick off the second tree at the end so they send Jud next. All the boys do it and enjoy it and anyone can ride it. They finished a project in a single day. It is a miracle.

Erin arrives at the main house to drop off Carson and Brooklyn because she has finally managed a surprise trip for Chad who frequently surprises her. Kelly says she is so glad to babysit for such a nice trip. They go to Hot Springs, North Carolina. She teases him about turning 30 years old. Gil says 30 is nothing. They pull up to an old Victorian home which is gorgeous, it's their inn. She tells Chad to go in and check in and meanwhile she takes the car. In the house, Sarah who works at the inn gives Chad a tour of the house. Erin sneakily goes to decorate their room while he’s on the tour because she knows he’s such a gentleman he would just listen to whatever he was being told. He says it was an interesting tour. They are staying in the Blue Heron, a little cottage behind the house which she decorates with posters with fishing puns and rods, etc. Erin goes back to get Chad and she brings him to the cottage. Erin is glad Chad likes the little cottage and sees the fishing gear. Chad is excited because he loves fishing. One of Erin’s signs say “Old, but Still a Catch” and he gives her a hard time about it and says wait until she turns 30.

The next day, they head out to go fishing. It’s a little gray and rainy out but Chad says that sometimes means it's really good fishing. In a talking head, Tori says when she gets married and has a lot of kids she would like fishing, too. They head to a bridge over a river where the water moves quickly and it's not a great fishing spot but they have fun anyway. Erin doesn’t want anything to do with the worms. They have a picnic lunch by the river, the rain has stopped, and they get some peace and time together. Erin says she still misses the babies.

Gil drives a group of kids over to Erin and Chad’s house to see Max the dog and the goats. Erin got a pet sitting service and the pet sitter shows them how to properly care for the goats. They bottle-fed the goats and leave grain for them.

Back in Hot Springs, they go to the resort and spa where the natural hot springs are located. Erin and Chad relax in a hot tub with the mineral water right by the river. Erin says it's nice to get away and have those deeper conversations they don’t get to have with two little kids crying. Chad says this is the best birthday.

*Episode 8: Stop, Drop and Wash

At the main Bates house, two firemen have come over to do a fire safety lesson with the kids in the wake of the fire in November 2016. They want to prevent it from happening again. They show them a few fire alarms they should move. They show them the tricky rooms to get out of and make plans to leave. Zach says fire safety is so key for Jud and Jeb. Gil says they want to pay the fire department back with a benefit car wash.

Kelly and Gil have the kids go outside to practice using a fire extinguisher properly, which they enjoy and in case they need one again they know exactly how to use one in an emergency. They thank the firemen for helping them out and say they will see them at the car wash.

After the firemen leave, Zach is coming over to show them how to wash a car. He knows how to wash a car because he has to wash his police car while the Bates let the rain wash their cars. Zach lets them do his car for practice. Zach shows them what to do - the people with the sponges get the bottom and Trace will use a scrub brush with more reach to get to the top. They have the kids doing the tires. Zach thought assigning kids tasks would be efficient but it ends up being a mess. Eventually they get it a little more efficient as they practice on the rest of the Bates cars. Zach sprays Carlin and Gil with the hose and a water fight erupts. Zach tries to hide in one of the Bates’ cars but he has enough siblings after him that don’t care and get him with buckets anyway.

Chad and Erin have been saving for their forever home. Gil says that they have committed to living debt free and they’ve been saving and are waiting for the right deal to come along. They know they want a fixer upper because of the charm and the price, and they want land for more farm animals. The first house they look at is really dilapidated but the land is gorgeous. The roof would have to be replaced and the inside would be a full gut. Josie says Chad and Erin would be great with a fixer upper because Erin has the ideas and Chad has the know how. They are comfortable doing the work. There is a second house on the way to Chad’s work. It has pretty details, a nice front porch. It’s not as far gone as the first house. Chad says they could buy something soon or wait a few years - they want the right opportunity to come along.

It’s the day of the carwash, and it's pouring. The Bates don’t want to get out of their cars. The car wash may be off due to the weather. Jeb says they should pray for the clouds to move away and the clouds clear. Customers begin arriving and the Bates get to work cleaning cars. One car pulls up and there is a familiar face inside - Evan, Carlin’s special friend, has come to surprise her. She is so happy to see him. Carlin is happy he’s there and they go wave signs with the little ones. A lot of cars are coming through, and the Bates get a good system going. Addalee, Whitney, Tori and Jackson are praised for working hard and making the cars look good. Kelly is proud of them working so hard for no selfish benefit because the money is going right to the fire department. The car wash comes to a close and they are able to count up the money and donate it to the fire department.

*Episode 9: MORE Bloopers, Outtakes and Mishaps, Oh My!

This show is a series of clips from previous episodes edited out and not aired when the regular episode was aired. First the Bates try to introduce themselves and it is more of a struggle than you think it would be.

Next the producers give us a title: It’s Getting Loud in Here. Judson and Jeb sit on the couch and yell. Gil says they struggle to let one person talk at one time. The kids yell at each other on the couch. They show a clip of the big family traveling in the van talking about how they were so loud that a guest once put earplugs in and the Bates didn’t notice. Next, they show a clip of the farm inspired party with the chicken coop game. This is actually an excellent game where a player ties an empty tissue box around their waist, box above their butt. They fill the box with ping pong balls. You have to empty your “chicken coop” without using your hands- you essentially jump around like a maniac and shake your booty to get them out. Callie says Kelly Jo looked the funniest. They show them having a hobby horse race. They show the clip from season one of Carlin getting the littles to sing.

Next title: “Talking Bout Family.” They talk about who is the best driver in the family and they fail to decide who it is. They show Katie’s driving practice with everyone hollering in the back seat while she ties to focus. She accidentally pushes the gas instead of the brake and she struggles and everyone is yelling and confusing her and distracting her. How do these Bates kids learn to drive? Next clip is Lawson being silly trying to wrestle with Gil. Then they show the time Kelly bought the inflatable bubble suits which mean you can bump into each other without getting hurt. Gil just about dies laughing and decided to try it himself. They show a bunch of kids teasing each other on the couches. They show the clip of Erin getting Max when he has all the fleas. They show a clip at the lake in a thunderstorm and everyone is sitting on the side of the lake and lightning strikes quite close and Tori threw her sandwich away. They show them taking Kelly Jo on a roller coaster and she does not have fun.

Next title: Laugh out Loud. They show the clip of Gil taking the little girls to dinner when Callie cannot stop laughing. They show them doing a silly skit at Valentine's day and Tori starts laughing uncontrollably and they talk about her loud and distinctive laugh. They show Carlin after her wisdom teeth when she was all loopy.

Next title: Bates Buzz Words. They show a series of clips of many Bates saying each word: Awkward, epic, oh my stars.

Next title: “Munchkin Madness.” Jeb and Jud say what a pirate says. They show the little girls all answering sausage to every question (Good! Make those producers work for it, ladies!) They show Jeb going for the candy right on his dad’s shoulders. They show Jud messing around with flower petals during Michael’s wedding. They show the little kids getting in a frosting fight with Aunt Kay.

Next Title: “Tongue Tied and Tumbles” This section is a series of misspeaking. They show Gil tumbling during a roller blade race, into the ocean.

They conclude with “Are we done?” A series of clips of the Bates asking if the interview is over. It is.

*Episode 10: Lawson and Sadie’s Big Breakup

The episode opens at the main house. Lawson calls Nathan in for a totally not staged conversation about his new music video. “Past the Past” is going to become a music video because he wants to have a single go out to radio. The video will depict a high school relationship, a guy who is focused on his career & college and he loses the girl. Sadie Robertson will play the role. Lawson says he wants Nathan to come along and Nathan says he will be there.

The middle boys (Jackson, Warden, Isaiah) have decided to take Kelly out for a nice lunch together and Kelly says she will go but she also wants to do a Manners 101 class. The boys relent. Kelly tells them not to put their elbows on the table and talks about treating people with respect. They guys agree to try.

At Lawson’s shoot, they start filming just outside of Nashville at a farmhouse. They shoot the scenes of him just singing the song that will be intercut between the acting scenes. The next scene they shoot in the high school cafeteria. It shows Lawson on his phone ignoring Sadie. They go outside to film the football scenes with a real high school team. Lawson obviously has never been a high school quarterback so he is nervous.

The coach runs him through some plays; Lawson says this is his first organized practice so he is trying hard to make it look like he knows what he’s doing. Lawson says it’s not as easy as you think. The weather doesn’t hold up and they have to head in because of the rain. Lawson is worried about getting everything done. They shoot the breakup scene back at the farmhouse and then they will do the football scene. Kelly says Sadie is amazing at the breakup scene and then it is time to shoot the football scene. The plan is to have a double take the hit in the scene where Lawson’s character gets injured but Lawson sees the lineman who is supposed to hit him and gets nervous. They shoot the hit and everyone groans when he gets hit. They have him do it one more time from another angle. Nathan says the lineman was a coach who knows what he is doing. The double-Crazy Robert- did a great job and he is fine. They have Lawson take the spot and they film the coach and trainers running up to him to show he was injured. They wrap the shoot and talk about how they are looking forward to the final version.

Jackson drives Kelly out for their lunch. The guys are in bowties and they take her out to one of her favorite restaurants. They open the doors and pull out her chair for her. They order, and one gets called out for missing a please but they do better after that one. Kelly wants them to focus on being respectful and grateful to their server. Kelly says if they keep this up they'll get a girl before Lawson and Nathan (which, Kelly, is a sick burn I love it). Kelly says manners will matter more when they’re married and they are trying to help and be thoughtful towards their future wife. They finish eating and take a few pictures of the lovely view. Kelly says this lunch is a great memory and she say memories like these are what hold the family together.

*Episode 11: One Cap, Two Gowns?

Tori walks in to see Carlin and ask her opinion on a dress for Bobby’s graduation. Tori says she has been looking forward to it for a long time. Tori is giving him a really nice Bible for a gift. Tori says now that he is graduating he will make money to buy a ring, they’ll get engaged and she’ll finish school and they’ll get married - and have kids, Josie adds. Tori is borrowing some of Carlin’s clothes which Carlin agrees to. In talking heads, the Bates say clothes stealing happens and Nathan and Tori are the most frequent offenders.

Meanwhile in Florida, we check in on John and Alyssa. Alyssa has Allie under one arm and needs to get Lexi up from a nap. In a talking head, Zach says having two kids is hard and it must be particularly hard for John and Alyssa who have a lot going on. Alyssa feeds Lexi while talking to Allie about the game plan for the rest of the day. John will come home, they’ll eat and then they will go clean. Alyssa prepares dinner while feeding Allie and John calls to say he is 15 minutes away. Judson helpfully explains: “John and Alyssa, to get money, do some kind of business thingy.” Josie reminds us that John work in Air Conditioning and at night they have a cleaning service: Johnny on the Spot Cleaners. Alyssa says its all day go go go. John arrives and Alyssa heads out. John is trying to get Allie to eat while Lexi swings. John says two kids is a lot more challenging but they make it work. Alyssa returns and Allie runs out to see her. They put Allie to bed with a prayer and hugs and kisses. John and Alyssa eat quietly together. Alyssa says having two kids has made her appreciate adults more and that they’re gonna stick around two kids for right now. John has to head out now and they kiss and he heads off.

In Florida, The Smiths are working on the party. Bobby, Tori, Josie and Kelton help, but decide to go play frisbee golf and Bobby’s parents agree. The dads decide to come along too. Josie was excited to come along to see Kelton graduate. Josie is getting to know him. He’s from Tennessee originally and that is how the Bates know him. They knew him before Bobby. Kelton and Bobby became best friends at Pensacola Christian College. They play frisbee golf, which looks tricky. Bobby tells Tori he’s never wanted summer to go by fast before but this will be the last summer before they get married.

The next day is the party at the Smith’s. They are decorating and laying out food. Kelly calls and says they’re about 10 minutes away. Tori says to text when they’re at the gate and she will send the code. The family says the house is clean and beautiful. Kelly tells her kids not to destroy it.

Kelton says he is glad to be done with all his classes and that he will be going to work in Tennessee on Monday. He is a licensed plumber and he will be working more in the office now that he has graduated. Josie is glad he will be close. Kelly talks to Bobby about getting engaged now that he has graduated and the Bates speculate how long it will be before they get engaged. Bobby’s father says a blessing and is sweetly proud of his son. Tori says she thinks it is starting to hit them that Bobby is going to move away in the fall. Next we have a traditional Bates party montage: an acoustic song plays while the Bates smile, eat and there are shots of the cake and decor. Tori sneaks Bobby off to give him her gift. He opens the book to look at the Bible with the long note she wrote him. He says that he can picture reading it in Tennessee looking out over the mountains. Gil is stressed that Kelton and Bobby are both moving closer. Tori says they met in October, started courting the next October so she thinks they should get engaged in October. Bobby agrees. Come fall, Kelton says, the four of them will all be together in Tennessee. They’re all looking forward to it.

*Episode 12 The Night the Lights Went Out in Tennessee

Nathan is in Mississippi working as a flight instructor. He is teaching a student called Brett about what they are going to be practicing during the lesson. In talking heads, his siblings are super supportive of him. Nathan and Brett practice a landing maneuver for his commercial license. Nathan says being an instructor is a huge responsibility in order to make them a safe pilot.

Whitney and Zach are bringing Kaci to her one year pictures. Having nice pictures done for the first birthday is a tradition that Kelly passed down. They show flashes of several Bates first birthday shoots and they’re adorable. Jackson in particular looks just like Judson. Whitney arrives at the photographers. Zach says Kaci’s first year flew by. They get her smiling and take a bunch of different photographs. Kaci gets too wound up so they decide to wrap up with the smash cake. Whitney changes Kaci and then they set her on to the cake. They wrap up the shoot.

Nathan is home and he is setting up the fire detectors and extinguishers the fire department wanted them to set up. The other Bates haven’t gotten to it yet but Nathan has initiative and gets to work. Nathan gets Lawson to help him and they start putting them into the ceiling. The brand new alarms are high tech and talk you through the set up. They are also very loud. Carlin complains about the noise and says she hopes they know what she’s doing. Kelly has the girls come clean out the fridge while the guys are working on the fire alarms. It’s quite a mess. Unfortunately, as they’re working, the power goes out.

There is a nasty storm. They pull out the flashlights, restock and close the fridge and call and report their outage to the power company. They light candles, put on pjs, and play “Surprise spin”. You put a rolling pin on the ground and spin it. It points on someone who draws a card out of a box. Some are good - candy, for instance, and some are chores. Callie spins and it lands on Lawson. Lawson has to change all the sheets on the bed. Judson gets a fun day of his choice. Warden gets six packs of gummies, keep two and give four away. Carlin gets a free milkshake. Isaiah gets $5. Nathan gets do the dishes all day tomorrow. Lawson gets clean out the white van. The power goes back on and they have an ice cream party because it got melty during the power outage. Carlin says they should lose power more often they can do this all the time.

*Episode 13: The Fabulous Backwoods Bates Boys

Zach is going camping with the middle boys and all the guys will join them later on. Zach wants to spend some guy time with the brothers he hasn’t spend as much time with since he got married. The guys finish packing and Zach loads up the car. They pull away, almost forgetting Jackson.

They pull into the campsite and it begins to rain. They decide they will have a skeet shoot and wait to set up to make sure it clears. (An aside: skeet shooting is when you shoot at moving clay targets to test your aim). They attempt to set up the devices that launch the clay targets but they are both broken. Zach says he and the boys would be bummed if they didn’t work. Zach decides he will just throw the targets for his brothers. The boys start a competition about throwing and shooting the skeets. The boys take turns shooting and throwing so Zach can have a turn. The last skeet is shot by Warden, and they see the rain has passed. They will now set up the tent - they lay a tarp (which Jackson has in his backpack), begin to arrange the tent when Zach realizes there are not enough stakes, tape, and string- until he finds that just about everything is in Jackson’s backpack. Jackson says his family is usually underprepared so he always tries to bring a little bit of everything.

Whitney and Erin have decided to have Carson, Bradley and some of the younger Bates take a swimming lesson. Some are excited, some are nervous. Erin says that Kelly was always cautious so they all had to have floats on as kids. Erin says that made it a little harder to learn how to swim. Whitney, Erin, Nathan and Kelly are the grown ups; there are also two swim instructors at the pool. Callie, Judson, Jeb, Carson, and Bradley all practice different swimming techniques. The little guys swimming is ridiculously cute. They practice kicking on kick boards. Carson likes to hop into Nathan’s arms in the pool. They head home and prepare to go meet Zach at the campsite.

Zach and the boys are starting a fire when the other guys (Gil, Bradley, Lawson, Nathan, Jud & Jeb) show up. They go fishing by the river and are pretty much ignored by the fish. The Bates claim the river is too high to catch anything so they hang out and keep throwing in lines to no avail. They give up and go back to cook hotdogs. However, they realize they have forgotten the grill racks for the hotdogs but Jackson has a cast iron skillet in his backpack. Whitney gets a flat tire and Zach and Bradley have to head out and go to help Whitney who was stuck on the interstate. They make hot dogs and hamburgers ( they have also forgotten spatulas so they flip them with a machete). They have a good meal and then toast marshmallows over the fire. They all say something they’re thankful for. Jeb says the whole world, Jud says his family. Jackson says he is thankful to get to come out with his brothers because they don’t do this too often. Lawson says he is thankful for the support and close family relationships. Nathan says coming out there always makes him think that a simple life is what life’s all about. Gil is thankful for Zach thinking of this idea and spending this time together.

*Episode 14 : Here’s the Scoop!
Erin and Carson arrive at the main Bates compound to talk with Kelly. She is planning a trip to Chicago to see Michael. Tori is going along as well. Callie is there with the sad eyes she gets when they talk about Michael but I don’t think she gets to go along. This episode is sponsored by AARP apparently and they talk about how everyone can use the website, etc. [you get that free trip to Chicago, Bateses!] They decide they will take a boat trip into the Great Lakes. Cool.

In Chicago, Michael talks about adapting to City life. Kelly, Erin, Tori and Carson arrive at the apartment. Michael immediately picks up Carson and hugs her sisters. Erin is surprised their apartment is smaller than their cottage. They decide to go to Navy Pier and Erin has to drive in the big city traffic. They manage to make it to the pier and decide to go on the ferris wheel. Erin holds Carson’s hand (because she is nervous of heights) but they get an amazing view of Chicago. Tori says she could not live in a big city, it's too crowded. It’s time for the boat and Carson gets excited for their boat tour and they board the boat and Carson tries to convince them to go downstairs. They make an executive decision to stay on the top deck for the best view, and I don’t blame them. They enjoy the views and the tour on the trip. They take pictures and talk and spend time together. In the talking heads, Gil is sad he didn’t get to come.

They go back to Michael’s house and Tori, Kelly and Carson totally conspicuously give Michael and Erin some time alone. The sisters cook and chat. Michael says Chicago is not forever but they like it for now. Michael has found a fertility specialist who is really good so she is hopeful. Right now there is no diagnosis, but there has been a lot of bloodwork and ultrasounds. Erin hugs Michael and tells her she is doing amazing and Erin wishes she could say something encouraging. Michael cries and she says she tries not to cry but it just happens. Erin says it’s ok to cry. Erin talks about how getting pregnant and losing babies and how it’s different but it’s all hard. Michael says she tries to focus on what she does have and how Brandon lets her pray and cry, tries to show her he cares. Michael says she has good and bad days; it’s a lot of back and forth. Erin says she will be praying. Michael says hopefully someday and if not she’ll adopt. Erin says there’s lots of babies that need a mom and dad. This was actually hard to watch, you can tell how much Michael is struggling and how sad she is and also how hard she is trying to be strong.

Back in Tennessee, Carlin has arrived with TP and an activity. Carlin and Katie are in charge while Kelly is gone [and Gil is working]. Carlin has gotten those ice cream making balls and they are going to have a contest to see who can make the best ice cream. There are three teams. Katie is the judge. Lawson’s team is Warden, Ellie and Callie. Nathan has Isaiah and Addee, and Carlin has Jackson, Judson and Jeb. There’s a lot of smack talk and they choose flavors - cookie dough for Nathan, Lawson keeps his a secret. Nathan’s team is using a more traditional ice cream churner. Nathan tells Carlin her team’s ice cream won’t freeze because she put milk in it. 10 minutes out, Katie says she thinks none of the teams will successfully have ice cream. Carlin and Lawson try to give a talk - Lawson says it’s about winning, Carlin says it's about your attitude. It is time for Katie to try the ice cream. Carlin’s team made mint chocolate chip. It’s runny - mint syrup, sweeter than sugar. Jud says it tasted like toothpaste. Next she tries Nathan’s mint cookie dough. Katie says it has the worst flavor she’s ever tasted. [Nathan replaced light whipping cream with heavy]. Lawson’s team made cookie dough and Katie says that one tastes pretty good. Team Lawson wins but there’s not enough good ice cream to go around.

Back in Chicago, Brandon is home from work. Kelly asks about his book and Brandon says they’re almost done with the book. Kelly asks to look at it and is duly impressed with the drawings. The next step is to look for a publisher, Brandon says. They go out to eat and then will head back to Tennessee.

*Episode 15: Courtship, Kiddos and Future Son-In-Laws.

The Bates are packing for their trip to Adventures on the Gorge at the new river gorge in West Virginia. The family is excited, especially the middle boys who are SHOOTING UP STOP GETTING SO TALL GUYS! Alyssa & John & kids are not coming and Josie is doing summer school so she has to stay (Go Josie! Get it done!) Evan is coming and Carlin is really excited about it. Bobby has to work, Tori says, so it will just be Evan. ($10 says Bobby surprises her). Kelly says most of the kids are packed and they have to figure out who is going with Kelly and who is going with Gil. They start loading the car and Callie says they’re waiting on Evan. Gil says he is trying to slow everyone down a little. Carlin and Gil go to greet him and they’re joking around about who hugs him first- the littles. Kailyn, Evan’s sister is there as well. They load up the first van and they head off to West Virginia. Kelly plans who to put in which cabin when they arrive.

Kelly, Carlin, Tori and Evan go to check in to the cabins and of course Bobby is behind the counter (everyone owes me $10. I’ll set up a Pure Charity and you can all donate to my new mission to go speak foreign languages poorly to native speakers of those languages.) Kelly starts laughing and Tori and Bobby hug. Evan and Kelly were the only ones who knew he was gonna be there. The littles are happy to see him. They head over to their cabins and the Bates move in as they always do on vacation. Gil’s van is still not arrived so they FaceTime and tell them the surprise worked and they are gonna eat. They lose connection and make sandwiches outside for a picnic lunch. Evan says he wants to talk to Gil about courtship. Carlin is nervous but they’re ready, she says. Katie, ray of light that she is, walks out with a bunch of ice cream in her arms and tells Kelly: “All them brought their boyfriends, so I brought mine.” They have a fun little ice cream party to celebrate.

Gil arrives that night with the boys, and the next morning the married couples all show up. The cabin is full of noise and activity. They try to get everyone to go on time but obviously it takes too long. Bobby and Tori stay behind to babysit. They can’t find Carson but they do and Jeb is being wild and running around. Bobby is excited to propose to Tori and spend time with her and all these kids. They are thrilled for their future.

The rest of the Bates go to do the ropes course. They put on harnesses, helmets and gloves. Kelly is nervous about the ropes course. However, she gets across in spite of her fear with some teasing from her ungrateful family. Gil says he was amazed. There’s a huge zip line as well as the various bridge obstacles. Erin says she wanted to show off her muscles, strength and agility. Chad says he was very impressed. This seems fun but also like a good workout. Evan wants to have a conversation so he asks Gil and then goes to have a chat with Carlin and Kelly as well. Evan is nervous. Gil says he was trying to put it off as much as they could. Evan says he wants to start making plans to start moving towards courtship in the next couple months. Gil says Carlin is just a kid, but she is the same age Alyssa was when she got married and pregnant! Kelly talks about how important it is that God is the center and to stay pure. Gil says he wants to make sure if it doesn’t work out that they can stay friends and date others with no regrets. Gil is worried about how young they are and that they may not marry each other.

There is an ominous “to be continued”

* Episode 16: Uncharted Waters

Picking up from where we left off last episode. The Bates family are on vacation in West Virginia, and Evan and Bobby have come along. Both plan to have large talks with Mr. Bates.

Gil says that moving toward courtship is a big step, and if it’s Carlin that’s great but it may not be. Gil says he doesn’t want it moving too fast but they’re for the relationship. They’re gonna proceed but they’ll be cautious and they pray together. Kelly says they like the same style of music, places, and things so they’re obviously a puzzle fitting together.

They decide to go zip lining which has an age limit of 10 and a weight limit of 90lbs. Kelly takes the younger, lighter kids to the pool while the over 10 years and 90lbs go to the practice course to show you how to zip line. They tease Evan about being distracted but they clear them to go zip lining. It looks really fun. Carlin doesn’t like be separate from Evan for even the time she spends riding the zipline through the woods. They continue to proceed through the huge zip line course and they all really enjoy their time. Chad says he has a fear of the height and he’s a little weak in the knees through the course. Erin is all confident, he says, even though he isn’t. At the end of zip lining, they rappel back down to the ground and head in for the evening.

The next day, it’s raining pretty heavily outside. However, the Bates are able to go white water rafting together. This time, they’ve hired a babysitter for the younger kids so that no one needs to stay behind. They get geared up to go. They take a bus to the river and they’re given instructions along the way. They will face a class four rapid today, and the classification system goes from one to six. They’ll be going all the way up to a four. You don’t fall out of the boat, he says, you get violently ejected. He’s trying to prepare them but he is scaring some of the Bates.

Boat one is Kelly, Gil, Whitney, Zach, Erin, Chad, Michael and Brandon. All the parents got into the boat, the single people mention, and Lawson says they shouldn’t have put all their eggs in one basket. The rapids are moving quickly down the river. The Bates are getting nervous, but they finally launch the boat and start heading toward the rapid. They move pretty quickly through the rapid and all the ladies are screaming the whole way down the rapid. They all enjoyed it at the end, they say. They get back on the bus and Bobby says he’s enjoyed spending time with Tori but he needs to talk to Mr. Bates.

Back at camp, Kelly says everyone should shower and prepare for a family photo. Gil gets ready quickly and Bobby comes over to have the large talk with him. He asks Gil’s permission to marry Tori. Gil says no at first, but quickly shows he’s kidding. Bobby stresses for a moment and then Gil says “I honestly have to say, you’ve got my blessing.” Gil says they’ve been good together, helped each other grow and it’s hard to say yeah and give another daughter away but he knows Bobby will treat her like God wants her to be treated.

The Bates trickle out of their cabins ready for the family photo. They get the family lined up and ready for the family photo. They run through the whole summer - Meema got married, Bobby graduated, Josie has a special friend, visiting Michael, camping with the boys, jiu jitsu, Nathan is a pilot, Lawson’s music video. Coming up, Gil says, are birthdays, courtships, an engagement, a wedding. Who knows what the future holds for the Bates Family?

*Special: From Friends to Fiancés!

“First comes love” the title says. It’s February 2016 and they’re getting ready for I Love You Day. Carlin: What’s this one? Tori: It’s for my other friend. Carlin opens it and looks at it. It’s for Bobby. This is the shy, slightly awkward phase. Bobby arrives and the family runs out to greet him. They show them singing the Yankee Doodle Song and Bobby’s verse is: “ I used to play those chasing games but then I started thinkin’, Tori Bates is all I want and that’s not changin’” The whole family is impressed with Bobby and his confidence.

“Meet the Parents” April 2016. They’re in Florida and they go to visit Bobby’s family. The families are excited to meet- Bobby only has two sisters. They tease Tori for being very much in love with Bobby. Alyssa jokes that Tori was such a strict chaperone and now she likes to be close to Bobby. Kelly worries about Tori moving after she gets married. Carlin says she is not in favor of their marriage because she doesn’t like the idea of Tori moving away which is sweet.

“Courtship on the Horizon” Tori is packing to go to Florida, a year after she met Bobby. She thinks it might be a special trip. The kids have it figured out, other than Jeb, who doesn’t know what courting means. In Florida, Bobby is setting up for Tori to arrive. He wants it to tell the story of what they will do this weekend. The Bates arrive and Bobby comes out to greet the family. He brings Tori upstairs and shows her everything he set up. The Bates parents are impressed. Now, they’re going to the beach with Carlin and go for a walk until they arrive at the little set up on the beach and he gives her a bracelet and asks her to court. She says yes. They pray together and watch the sunset.

Now it’s May 2017 and Bobby is graduating. They are setting up for a graduation party together. Tori pulls Bobby aside to give him his gift. It’s a Bible with a long note from Tori in the front. Bobby says he is starting to picture living in Tennessee, looking out at the mountains, and it’s the Bible she got him. Bobby, Kelton Tori and Josie talk about how they’re looking forward to life after college in Tennessee.

Next, they show Bobby preparing to move to Tennessee. Tori is so excited and her siblings are excited for them. They go eat with her mom and dad and start talking about the camper he might move into. They go visit the camper, and they’ll see if this ends up working out for Bobby when he moves to Tennessee.

In June 2017, on the Bates Vacation, they show Bobby and Tori babysitting all the little kids together. Later, Bobby finds Gil to have their large talk. Gil says no at first, and Bobby looks panicked but then Gil gives his blessing and talks about how their relationship has been good for them both. They really are a perfect match, Gil says.