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RSSFinaleWatch: 'Baby Borrowers'
How fast kids grow up. It feels like just a few short weeks ago that infants were crawling around on the floors, and I'm convinced that it was just last week that teens were tormenting the house. Now, all of the sudden, the teens have turned into the elderly and the name Baby Borrowers has become even more of an inappropriate title for our little love child of a show. There was a certain symmetry to the show beginning and ending with diapers, but the elderly could and did provide advice, unlike the infants.
The advice started quickly tonight, with Gene talking to his teens, Austin and Kelly, about the couple's life together and what the experiment had brought to them so far. Les, Cory and Alicea's charge, was certainly not quite as vocal. He wanted to provide advice, he told the camera as much, but when it came time to talking to Alicea and Cory, he was practically silent. I'm writing it off as a case of nerves as he was talkative later, but there were definitely some awkward moments between the senior citizen and the teens early on.
At least Les and Gene were pretty mobile, as was Jordan and Sasha's charge (George), but some of the other elderly were not quite so quick on their feet. Kelsey and Sean (who, I'll admit, I kind of forgot were on the show, they really haven't been involved in the last few episodes) had to learn how to work an oxygen tank filler. Single-mom Morgan was caring for a woman, Hedy, who had suffered a stroke a few years ago and didn't have full use of her hands.
After one member of each couple (save Morgan who apparently got the day off) went to work, the other member of the couples learned all about the drugs and rules and various bits of minutiae that the senior citizens carried with them (physically and emotionally). The hardest task of the afternoon (and episode) belonged to Morgan who had to help Hedy shower. It all went smoothly, but it did seem a little early in the relationship for that step.
Seriously though, there really wasn't much to this whole thing tonight. Gene actually cooked dinner for Kelly and Austin and provided some good relationship advice, while Jordan went with Sasha to a record store to look at some jazz albums. It was a just a nice, quiet, uneventful, few days.
I'm just not sure that I understand the point of this part of the "experiment." Gene seemed to revel in his position as a life/relationship/gym coach, so Kelly and Austin learned something, but for everyone else it was kind of like spending time with a grandparent. There was some advice offered here and there, though nothing happened to convince me that this portion of the series was necessary.
On their last full day with the senior citizens, George took Sasha to meet his wife, whom he's been with for 67 years (but who passed away after the filming of the episode). Sasha got to see what a long term relationship looked like down the line, but that still wasn't enough to convince me that this episode was necessary.
It was actually the scene between George and his wife Regina that might have been the most touching tonight. The two truly loved one another, but it had very little to do with a parenting. Being a couple, yes, being a parent, no.
The other moment that could vie for most touching was Les taking Cory and Alicea to the grave of his wife. Les is clearly still very in love with her and misses her deeply.
Without a doubt, if Sasha, Cory, and Alicea were paying attention, they saw what love looks like decades down the road. The stories they heard were heartfelt and I hope the teens were paying attention, but no matter how many stories we heard and how much advice was given, it had very little to do with raising kids. I just can't imagine why the teens would listen to these elderly folks any more than they have listened to advice they have received in the past.
After some extremely elongated goodbyes with the senior citizens, the last ten minutes of the show tonight focused on the couples themselves, talking to one another and thinking about what they had learned over the course of the season.
Unfortunately, some time after the show ended Austin certainly found himself with a bit of heartache. At the end of the episode, he told Kelly that they're a better couple than he thought they were and then we got to see Kelly say one-on-one to the camera that she had no idea where they would be at any point in the future. A little postscript on each of the couples informed us that the two had in fact broken up. Oh yeah, all the rest of the couples broke up too. Apparently Daton and Morgan were dumb enough to try their relationship once more, but it still didn't work. Not really a huge surprise there.
I really don't think that the end result invalidates the entire experiment, but the whole thing does kind of make you wonder. Were these just bad couples to choose or did the experiment destroy the relationship?
Other bits and pieces:
- Kelsey actually admitted at the end of the episode that she's not ready for kids. I guess some of the teens did learn something.
- Morgan admitted to Hedy that she doesn't like being alone. That was kind of clear from the beginning of the show, but at least she can say it out loud now.
- The other question of the week: are you really, in any way, shape, manner, or form surprised that ALL of the couples have broken up? I'm not.
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Zap2it Twitter Talk 
Come on, don't tell me you are that much of a dumb *** that you did not understand the point of tonight's show. Christ on a crutch, get your head out of your ***. It was to illustrate that these clueless kids won't always be clueless, some day,after life has jerked them around a bit and they have paid bills, lost jobs, experienced what it is like to age, they will be old, feeble and dependent. They will have strokes and lose spouses and deal with all the ups and downs life deals you. They may have to take care of their own parents as they age. And you obviously did not watch the whole show because the senior citizen you wrote off as boring, explained how his wife cared for him and then he was caring for her now and was glad to do it. Jesus Christ, don't ever grow old, you don't have the balls for it. Good night and Good luck...dumb ***!
come on. ya don't gotta be so mean to the kids. they were put under a lot of stress. they didn't know what to expect.
throughout the series, they all matured- some more than others.
but most of all, they learned that they've been very naive.
come on. ya don't gotta be so mean to the kids. they were put under a lot of stress. they didn't know what to expect.
throughout the series, they all matured- some more than others.
but most of all, they learned that they've been very naive.
Lindy,
Sounds like you were (or still might be) one of those kids. Get out there and try to find 'grown-up' words to express yourself.
Maybe you can try out for the next reality show for foul-mouthed, ignorant people like yourself:
Dictionary Borrowers
I agree with Brett - there was no reason you needed to insult the author like that, Lindy.
I did like last night's episode. The scene at the cemetery was very sad.
I really liked Morgan's transformation as well as some of the other teens'.
Tonight's episode was my favorite. It was really bittersweet to me. And call me naive but I was sad to see that Cory and Alicia broke up. She was my least favorite at the begining of the series and my most favorite by the end.
I was merely commenting on the bloggers rather narrow mindedness that because the show dealt with the elderly...it was boring. What a small minded back ***wards view. And Suzy was right it was bittersweet and powerful and the author was just too thick headed to get the point. He missed the point and the purpose of the show. And Brett, now that your finished...wipe yourself
I noticed on the WE channel rerun of the episode, the ending updates were changed and 2 or 3 of the couples are still together. Kind of odd. I wonder if the producers changed it because it sucked that none of the couples lasted, or the couples corrected the producers???
Interesting choice of words Lindy. Especially from someone who suffers from having a diarrhea of words but a constipation of ideas.
School is back in session in a few weeks. Pay attention in English cl***.
Yal so crazy! :) I agree with lindy. I'm dissapointed that the author didn't see the point of the epie because it was so clear to me. Plain poppy****, I say! The point was to show the teens how life was going to be like down the road--yes, even after kids! for goulosh sakes! It was also so the teens could talk to people who have been there before and have lived a full life as to share some insight.
I don't know if was the experiment that broke the couples up or if they just decided to go their separate ways--some DID go to different colleges. Either way, none of those relationships were strong enough to survive raising children. They got some growin up to do. Great show, but I don't know what teens will participate in a second season after seeing the first one! :)