This show, while it may be staged, is uber cringey and horrifyingly entertaining; much like a train wreck.
They leave all of their idiotic, uninformed, asinign decisions/choices up to "The Good Lord" and take absolutely no personal responsibility (because the "Good Lord will take care of us") Then they make up ridiculous excuses for every single thing that fails (ie: everything.)
They seem to be immune to learning from their mistakes which they make over and over again, often in the exact same way) yet they have gigantic egos and would die before they'd admit they were wrong.
At every opportunity the parents proclaim that they live this way in order to be free yet they've created an unhealthy codependent demi-cult out of their kids who have absolutely zero freedom. Can you say Stockholm Syndrome?
None of them have the ability to survive in the real world or to live independently- isn't that the antithesis of freedom?
Adults playing with dolls? A grown man acting like a hyperactive four-year-old? Declaring that you are the modern-day Leonardo Da Vinci?
Billy and Ami are so excited to finally have grandchildren. They must have forgotten that they already had two grand daughters from Twila, the daughter Billy abandoned before marrying Ami. Billy was supremely selfish in all that he did while consistently claiming it was all for the family. He groomed under-aged Ami for brainwashing and raised their children the same way.
To be fair, never once do they claim to be year-round "bush people" so I don't have a problem with that as some do. Another plus is they produced some of the best quotes I've heard on any tv show: Mr. Cupcake, get out of my teepee! (But don't even get me started on how horribly trained that dog is.) And: (Bear) I don't mind leaving all my weapons because I AM a weapon! (Gabe responds) No, you're more of a tool.
Yeah, Gabe. Astute as always. (Look it up.)
Oh, and great drinking game potential: drink every time Bear days Extreme, or every time Billy says I really am, or every time Bam is negative or every time someone says the good lord or every time their hair-brained psudo-plans go off the rails or every time they mispronounce a basic word or use a long, drawn out nasal Uhhhh as a sentence filler. (Warning: the above suggestions will definitely result in alcohol poisoning.)
PLEASE BIRD- GET THEE TO A DENTIST! If Gabe deserves braces, so do you. Your parents both have full dentures but there's still hope for you.
After seeing how socially incompetent they are, I also understand if some of it was staged with the "townies." Normal people would need to be forewarned about these people so they wouldn't just run away upon meeting those boys.
Ugh, the wives. They are just overbearing enough to make the boys feel like they're marrying their mother (or their sister,) but whatever. You do you.
I've wondered how they'd do on an actual survival show such as Alone (Jordan rules.) I doubt any of them would make it a single day. It would be more interesting, maybe, to see them try to live in the real world but without the "wolfpack." I think the youngest daughter, Rain, is the only one with any potential.
If any of them escape to live a truly free life it's going to require years of therapy. Shame on Billy and Ami and shame on Discovery. Exploit idiots much?