Thursday, January 4, 2018

'The 4 Cs: Carat, Clarity, Carlin and Courtship' Recap

Bringing Up Bates "The 4 Cs: Carat, Clarity, Carlin and Courtship"
  • The Bates are attempting to pull off two big surprises--Josie's 18th birthday and Carlin's courtship "proposal"--in one weekend.
  • "In the Bates family, keeping one secret is hard enough, but two secrets is a whole different story," says Jackson. 
  • To throw Josie off the trail, Kelly, Alyssa, Kelton, and two friends from school take her shopping at a store called Josie's Boutique and out to ice cream at Cruze Farm. Gil and Kelly don't allow their kids to start serious relationships before age 18, so this birthday is especially important for Josie and Kelton. 
  • Back at the Bates house, Gil and the kids are decorating for the party. Michaela flies down from Chicago, Papa Bill and Mama Jane drive in from South Carolina, and other family and friends arrive, as well. Josie is shocked when she walks in the door and hears everyone yell "Surprise!"
  • "When you turn 18, that's a really big deal," says Erin. "Josie, I think she's trying to really push that level, since she's already got a boyfriend, she's already in college." 
  • Down in Florida, Bobby stops by Jewelers Trade Shop, the store where his dad bought his mom's engagement ring. He shows the jeweler a photo of a ring that Tori had said she liked. The jeweler tells Bobby about the 4 Cs of diamonds--clarity, cut, color, and carats. (The fifth C is cash.) 
  • Bobby is moving to Tennessee in less than two weeks, but the jeweler says he should be able to finish the ring by then.
  • The next day, Carlin thinks she is going to the lake with her family and Evan's, but when Evan shows up at the door with roses and a clue. Carlin changes clothes, and she and Evan head out on a scavenger hunt with both sets of parents. The first stop is a lunch cruise on the Tennessee River. 
  • Next, they head to the Bates' church, were Carlin teaches Sunday School. They are greeted by the little kids from both sides of the family singing a love song. 
  • The next stop is Erin's house, where she and some of the married couples are waiting with dessert and refreshments.
  • "[Carlin] was just literally beaming," says Erin, the matchmaker who matched Carlin and Evan. 
  • Evan presents Carlin with a scrapbook filled with photos of the two of them, made by himself and one of his sisters. 
  • The final stop is Norris Dam, Carlin's "happy place." Before they arrive, the family sets up a fancy table, a big box covered in purple wrapping paper (purple is Carlin's favorite color), and a keyboard for background music. 
  • Evan puts a blindfold on Carlin, and he steps behind a tree while she takes it off and opens the box. Out comes a bunch of balloons, and one has a key attached to it. 
  • Evan walks back over and sings a song he wrote for Carlin: "Because it's like I'm staring at the stars up in outer space when I'm looking at those eyes on your pretty face. Ya you are my dream come true, so I wrote this song to prove that I love you...And out of this whole world, I don't want another girl. See, I've got my heart locked away, baby, and you hold the key."
  • By this point, Carlin is sobbing. She unlocks a small box that Evan is holding and finds a bracelet.
  • "So I guess what I'm trying to ask you is, 'Will you accept the gift of my heart?'" says Evan. Carlin says yes!
  • "I kind of was thinking that it should have ended as an engagement," says Kelly. "It was so special, I'm thinking, 'Give her the ring, we'll just all cry right now.'" Gil, on the other hand, isn't so excited about that idea.
  • The families, who had been watching from afar, walk over to exchange hugs. Carlin and Evan are thrilled that they can now hold hands. They seal the deal with a meal beside the edge of the dam. 
  • The Bates end the weekend with the dedication of their new church building. (Their congregation had been meeting in various buildings for about four years.) The Stewarts sing to open the service.

30 comments:

  1. Beautiful job. I cried from the beauty of the romance. Great planning. Congratulations to you both!

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  2. this courtship is not going to last too long! i predict a summer wedding!!

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    1. I think this courtship happened in the summer, so a wedding could be super close! Josie's birthday was Aug 4, and the bday party and the courtship proposal were held the same wknd, I think? If so, they've been courting 5 months already? Is that correct Lily and Ellie?

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    2. That's correct, Carlin and Evan have been courting for five months.

      Lily and Ellie

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  3. I agree with Kelly - that would have been a great engagement proposal!

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    1. I think so too, it seemed a little extra just for an engagement lol

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    2. I mean a courtship!

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    3. Congrats. Both of you make a cutest couple. God bless both of you. Amen

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  4. This was such a sweet episode. I loved seeing the happiness on Evan and Carlin's faces. I also enjoyed Josie's surprise birthday party. That is very uplifting to hear people praise the birthday person. That has to bring the family closer together and you feel their love for each other. I admire the Bates family. On another note, I would have loved to hear the Stewart family sing more. We just heard glimpses of their songs at the church dedication.

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  5. Did they not show Michaela and Brandon at the Dr.? Thanks.

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    1. Hi Shela,

      That storyline will be on an episode later this season.

      Have a wonderful weekend,
      Lily and Ellie

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    2. Thanks so much. Y'all do a great job for us fans.

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  6. Congragulations to all!! You are a very special family

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  7. Why don’t they call the 5th C Cost, instead of price?

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    1. So that it starts with C that seems pretty self explanatory to me

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    2. The 5th C was cash, not price.

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    3. I wondered about that too since, when the post was first written, it did say 'price'.

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  8. I'm guessing that Josie will begin an official courtship on Valentine's Day...."I Love You" Day for the Bates family. And I think that Carlin and Josie will both get engaged in the spring and married in the summer.

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    1. I don't think it will be too long for Josie since they're both finished with school. How much longer does Carlin have with school?

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  9. Love the Bates family and admire their values. I find it strange though how much the couples hug and cuddle prior to entering a courtship, but they can't hold hands until they're courting? These young couples seem natural and comfortable together...it just seems strange to me how much they hug/arm around each other prior to courtship, but hand-holding is taboo.

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  10. Do you know when they will be putting up the first couple episodes on the UPtv website? I don't have cable, and I really, REALLY want to see this episode.

    Thank you for all your work you put into this blog!

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    1. UP usually waits until a season ends to put the first three episodes on the website, but we will let you know if that changes.

      Thanks for being a loyal reader!
      Lily and Ellie

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    2. Okay, that's what I thought, I just couldn't remember clearly.

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  11. I think it is very important - to keep fans interest - to pinpoint other things ( aside from courtships/babies) for example Nathan's work and his evry day lifestyle away from home. . . . in laws: Chad, John, Whitney, Bobby jobs too. . . . things that make their lives "go round" in addition to the weddings/babies.
    AND - let us get to know the little one.

    don't get me wrong I love all the Bates & enjoy the show.

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  12. Question:
    Curious- why steeple on the church? I recall they delivered it (in one episode) and Kelly was wishing for it to be installed by the new year. . . was it?
    Realizing the show/taping took place in August.
    I would so enjoy being a member of a small congregation.

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  13. Quotation marks around the word "proposal", (as in: courtship "proposal"), implies that it wasn't really a proposal. Sorry to be pedantic, but it stood out to me as confusing.

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  14. I guess I'm from a very different culture, don't get this "courtship proposal" thing at all... seems way over the top. But it's their life and when they're happy that's what matters.
    But for future storylines, "courtship proposals" are not the most interesting thing. They take away the importance of real proposal aka engagement. Bates courting rules are too complicated for me, as someone else already pointed out, with all the hugging but no hand-holding business...

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    1. I'm not sure if you're an American or from another country, but just to clarify, that's not normal in America either lol

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    2. Thank you for the clarification :) I'm from Northern Europe.

      The Bates family's way of life is very different for me because I'm used to women being independent and working even when they have kids. I've lived on my own for 10 years now and it would be strange to have my parents (not to mention camera crew) hiding in the bushes when I'm getting proposed :D I live 4 hours from home so it would not be practical.

      But maybe it's the differences that make the Bates so endearing for me. I appreciate their way of life, their love for God and each other. I'm a conservative Christian myself so never really watched TV - but really enjoy reading about the Bates' lives. Unfortunately I can't watch the show here.
      So, Thank You Lily and Ellie for this blog!

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  15. EVAN did a good job with the asking for courtship, but boy what will he do for engagement?!

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