Marriage Boot Camp - Season 4 - *Sleuthing Spoilers* - Discussion

I just saw it and really wasn't that bad. If they stay out of the radar and let those other whackos take the screen time it won't be as terrible. Sean and Cat after this hopefully no longer do any more reality shows and concentrate on their careers and themselves.

I commend anyone who could watch the whole episode. I watched bits and pieces but still had a headache thanks to all the shouting. #TooMuchNoise

My habit of recording & fast-forwarding through shows served me well! Some highlights... Sean & Catherine's intro on the show was very telling on how they view themselves as a couple:

Catherine: "We're from two completely opposite worlds."

Sean: nodding head in agreement "We're on two different levels."

Catherine: immediately interrupted Sean saying, "Levels sounds bad, like one is above the other."

 As the fifth & final couple arrives, Catherine sees that it is Mama June and Honey Bear. (Hard to type those ridiculous "names".) She says, "Really?" in an excited tone. A Lowe ITM shows Catherine shaking her fists and wiggling excitedly, while Sean just looks on. Catherine states, "I'm so excited that it's Mama June and Sugar Bear. I'm such a fan of both of them."

 The first exercise is a version of The Newlywed Game and of course Bob Eubanks is the host. The object is to identify a quote / statement made by your spouse about you. Catherine couldn't identify Sean's quote when he says "there are times I just can't do this anymore". They explain:

Sean: "There are times when we've fought and I said I just can't do this anymore."

Catherine: "We have problems knowing how to speak to each other when we fight. A hard thing in our relationship is when he invalidates my feelings."

  Sean tells Catherine he doesn't like it, they are different from the other "bottom of the barrel" couples and he wants to leave. Catherine says, "I'm fine to stay. I don't really care about anybody else's relationship."

 An on-going exercise is called "The Writing Is On the Wall". Quotes the couple have said to each other are in frames (picture style) on the bedroom walls, night stands, etc.  The Carrolls explained the couples are "forced to see it - confront it - resolve it". Accountability for what you say! Sean and Catherine's quotes of what they have said to each other:

"I'm not your priority"     "You're not the person I married"     "You put money first"     "I don't even know you"    "You're a lunatic"     "You're never happy"     "You make me miserable"

  The Carrolls initial assessment of the Lowes: "Not even one full day and Sean is already judging others instead of focusing on his own marriage." 

Such a candid, interesting view on how the Lowes treat and speak to each other when they are in the privacy of their own home. Rather different from how they speak to each other on paid speaking engagements, Bach Nation events, etc. I can understand why Sean tried to get out in front of this and control the narrative, so to speak.

FLChica wrote:snipped...

  The Carrolls initial assessment of the Lowes: "Not even one full day and Sean is already judging others instead of focusing on his own marriage." 

Such a candid, interesting view on how the Lowes treat and speak to each other when they are in the privacy of their own home. Rather different from how they speak to each other on paid speaking engagements, Bach Nation events, etc. I can understand why Sean tried to get out in front of this and control the narrative, so to speak.

That is how I have grown to see Sean as well. I would hope that maybe he would learn to focus on himself and improving himself instead of how he is better than everyone else. I will have to see if I can find this on demand to watch before next week.

FLChica wrote:
"I'm not your priority"     "You're not the person I married"     "You put money first"     "I don't even know you"    "You're a lunatic"     "You're never happy"     "You make me miserable"

  The Carrolls initial assessment of the Lowes: "Not even one full day and Sean is already judging others instead of focusing on his own marriage." 

Such a candid, interesting view on how the Lowes treat and speak to each other when they are in the privacy of their own home. Rather different from how they speak to each other on paid speaking engagements, Bach Nation events, etc. I can understand why Sean tried to get out in front of this and control the narrative, so to speak.

I don't think any of their quotes were THAT bad, especially compared to the other couples' quotes, but it does show to me that their real relationship is quite different than the image that they put out there. That's obviously their brand - the All-American, Christian, beautiful, perfect family - but I think that's part of the dangers of SM. You can take a million takes for one "candid" IG picture and leave out all the messy fights you have, and suddenly you're an expert on marriage and relationships and love. People idolize them and ask them to give speeches about why they're so successful, when they're really just a normal couple who's still figuring it out. Hopefully, this show will help people realize that and stop putting them on some undeserved pedestal. JMO.

Sean actually wrote a blog post about not posting the "hard stuff" on IG (with an assist to a friend's quote) so he doesn't pretend their marriage is perfect. Same with the speeches they have done. Linds could answer for sure as she's heard them in person. They never pretend to have all the answers and this perfect marriage. That's an image fans/followers on social media ascribe to them with all their #goals posts. Gosh, I so dislike that those comments.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/seanlowe/2015/09/instagram-truth-we-dont-post-the-hard-stuff/

Sean's always struck me as someone who is "my way or the highway" type, who has a "better than thou" complex, and seems to be more about "image" and ensuring that that "image" is what people see. That Sean himself says that they don't post the hard stuff tells me that, even when saying this, it is just words and that image protecting is still paramount.

I take it they weren't live tweeting last night?

Considering they were on their way home from NYC while it aired, no.

bleuberry wrote:I take it they weren't live tweeting last night?  

I did notice that he liked a bunch of comments on Twitter about Sean/Cat being too sweet and normal for the show and how they don't belong on this wacky show with these wild people. So...I'm going to take a leap and say Sean might be having some regrets?

nothatgirl wrote:

bleuberry wrote:I take it they weren't live tweeting last night?  

I did notice that he liked a bunch of comments on Twitter about Sean/Cat being too sweet and normal for the show and how they don't belong on this wacky show with these wild people. So...I'm going to take a leap and say Sean might be having some regrets?  

I took it like Sean thinks he is better than the other people and thus better than the show.

AllAboutLove wrote:

nothatgirl wrote:

bleuberry wrote:I take it they weren't live tweeting last night?  

I did notice that he liked a bunch of comments on Twitter about Sean/Cat being too sweet and normal for the show and how they don't belong on this wacky show with these wild people. So...I'm going to take a leap and say Sean might be having some regrets?  

I took it like Shawn thinks he is better than the other people and thus better than the show.

Apparently he's not better than the show since they did it. :Nod: