First a marriage, now a show: "Jon and Kate Plus 8" officially over

After much speculation of the show ending, or being called "Kate Plus 8" instead, the series finale of “Jon and Kate Plus 8” finally aired on Nov. 23. TLC gave the show a one hour time spot from 9-10 p.m.

The show opened with Kate talking about the fact that the children got to do and see things they otherwise wouldn’t have if it wasn’t for the show. She seemed very grateful for the show and also very sad to see that it was ending. She said her goals are different than Jon’s and her number one priority is and always will be her children. Kate said that she is stronger than she ever thought possible and now knows who her true friends are. She never envisioned how the show would end, but she thinks it ending now is too soon. She also mentioned the fact that the children do not know about Jon's girlfriend.

Jon spoke of the fact that he met Kate when he was 20, got married at 22, had children at 23 and only felt free after the divorce. He admitted that he still has some growing up to do, takes some of the blame now and will be there for the children no matter what.
Aside from the direct talks with the camera, viewers got to see what Jon, Kate and the children have been up to in the past few months following the separation. Jon and the children participated in a lemonade stand to raise money for the local fire department. The paparazzi contributed to the fund raising and Jon found that odd and humorous considering how much money the show has made the paparazzi. Kate worried about Jon’s motives when taking the children in public because she is afraid it may be a publicity stunt.

Kate took the children to a farm where they fed and milked cows. She didn’t know at the time that the trip to the farm would be the last time they were filming the show. The children drank so much milk that they ended up not eating dinner.

At the end of the show, Kate once again said she was thankful for the support of the viewers and the memories that it created. Although she told herself she would not cry, she did, when discussing the past and future of her life and the life of her children. A montage of video clips from all five seasons of the show aired right before a message that thanked Jon and Kate for sharing their lives with TLC.

"Rad and Bad Reality" believes the series finale of any reality TV show is important. But, because "Jon and Kate Plus 8" was one of the biggest reality TV shows of all time, it is especially important. The paparazzi and news organizations have spent much time on the Gosselin family and the show has viewers and fans worldwide. Because there was so much speculation of the show ending, it is important to the audience that they finally know it is over. This post addresses the traditional news values of audience and conflict. Audience is the obvious one because without the audience, the show would have never been popular and there would be no reason for this blog post. Conflict is also addressed because the ongoing conflict between Jon and Kate is what led to the conclusion of the show. Kate did not want it to end, but Jon did and because he is a parent too, the show had to end. A conflict is what brought the show to where it is now and the audience is the one who let it last as long as it did.