Where’s the Drama? Jon & Kate Plus 8 Season 5, Episode 10 Recap: ‘Beach & Kitchen Reveal’

Image credit: Brian Flannery/FlynetOnline.com

Despite all the drama in the ex-Gosselin camp prior to the airing of this week’s new episode, all is quiet on the TLC front. “Beach & Kitchen Reveal” hearkens back to the simpler, early days of Jon & Kate Plus 8 – minus Kate yelling at her spouse from several yards away.

Whether it’s Valium or a new lease on life, Kate seems to be taking everything in stride throughout a beach vacation at Bald Head Island and an outing with the kids to a snake museum. To quote Patti LaBelle, Kate says she has a “new attitude” and she’s proving it with self-reflection and a calm approach to the antics of her kids and ex-husband. But as we all know from her interview on The Today Show, however, TLC’s reality show isn’t telling the complete story with their usual-fare-meets-HGTV episode.

Jon, on the other hand, is attempting to channel his inner bad boy, overseeing the last of the kitchen construction while sporting a classy set of diamond studs. He insists that he’s not experiencing a “midlife crisis” and that he’s always been a fan of motorcycles and fast cars. Methinks he doth protest too much. Continuing in his douchiness spiral highlighted by his new bromance with Michael Lohan, Jon even sports what appears to be an Ed Hardy shirt during the episode—why else would it have to be completely blurred out? You can try to hide your moronic antics behind a big tattoo design, Jon, but we all know what’s going on with you and your “lovely” lady friends. After all, Kate Major aka Kate 2.0 told us all about it on E!.

Despite a passing statement from Jon about it being “hard to talk about” his rocky relationship with Kate, the two present strong faces for the TLC viewers. It’s nice to see an episode primarily dedicated to the kids for once. I’m sure many of us were beginning to even forget what that was like with all the drama that’s been associated with the series lately. The kids’ shenanigans where fairly mild with a bit of play acting from Cara and Mady and pudding-painting take two.

The exciting new characters this season are actually the paparazzi—their ability to track down Kate and the kids puts the FBI to shame. Kate and an unknown negotiator on her crew fend off the paps by playing nice and giving them a shot while on an outing. While this look at the inner workings of the paparazzi is interesting, it just leaves us wondering—exactly how many people are in the Kate entourage? If you’re attempting to keep count of the Kate Crew, be sure to add Carla to the list. Apparently she’s the angel who put Kate’s fabulous new kitchen in order just before the family returned from their beach vacation.

Honestly, the kitchen is the real treat of this episode—it’s domestic bliss. With its clean, white cabinetry and seemingly endless shelf space, this is a kitchen more fit to the Duggars of 18 Kids and Counting than a small family of ten. The island alone is big enough to hold that whole organic cow Jon and Kate buy for their family every year. Hopefully we’ll get a better shot of the kitchen and an exterior shot of the house before the end of the season.

In short, if you’re looking for Jon and Kate drama this week, you’ve come to the wrong place. Cake Boss had more excitement than this episode. TLC’s definitely cutting back on the teary-eyed confessions and angst. Whether that’ll last probably depends on how the ratings hold up. After all, you can’t get a free kitchen renovation, beach retreat, and Ed Hardy swag without plenty of viewers!

~ Billie BP

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New to Jon and Kate Plus 8? Catch up with  Seasons 1 & 2.