Here is the guest review submitted by Anne J Bailey. All opinions and statements belong solely to that of the author Anne Bailey.
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Anne J Bailey here. Before I begin, I would like to thank all my fellow Christians who sent words of support and encouragement. In the end, I have decided to do as we are all called to do; trust in Jesus. We need more Christian voices in public, in the media, and on the internet. This is what Jeremy http://twitter.com/jeremyjroloff and Audrey Roloff http://twitter.com/audreymirabella deserve so much credit for doing what they do with their social media. Sure, I would like them to expand on it and bring it to the show and to be more vocal about certain family members mocking of Jesus, but they deserve credit for what they accomplish with their example. They are Christian voices doing what they can to spread the Kingdom of our Father
One final note before I begin, God has blessed me with a voice and opinions. We are called to speak about what is right and what is wrong. If we don't speak and express our hearts, people can be confused and corrupted. I am not perfect. I have flaws. The Roloffs are not perfect. Even Jeremy, Audrey and Matt (the best of the Roloffs) are flawed people. We are all flawed people blessed with a perfect savior. However, I am called to review what I watched and thought with my Christian heart. I believe in saying what you mean. Good can come of it. I will speak from my heart and trust in God.
Let us being.
The show opens with both Matt and Amy discussing their failed marriage. They state they are separated. They hoped it would work out, but it's a stalemate and isn't working. Let me be clear. They are both at fault as in the name of Jesus you must work to make marriage work. That's what God calls of you. Don't take the easy way out. That's what they're doing. The Roloffs are good reminder to God's people not to be distracted by unimportant things like money and fame. Living a life that pleases Him is what is important. The Roloffs have allowed their priorities to be hijacked.
They both speak of wanting to co-exist for the sake of their kids, namely Zach and Tori's wedding.
Matt, Amy, Zach and Tori film a scene consisting of Zach and Tori explaining their vision for the farm on their wedding day. The most important part of this is Matt's perfect explanation after Amy runs him down and challenges his planning and vision, that he would not go into Amy's kitchen and tell her what to do, but she will go into his area of expertise (planning and projects) and tell him what to do. That was the downfall of their marriage other than losing the focus on God in their relationship. Amy doesn't respect Matt. She doesn't show him respect. She won't allow him dignity. As a wife, Amy failed Jesus by failing Matt in the marriage. These are tough words to write, but they have to be said.
Tori is alright. Certainly better than Jacob's current girlfriend and certainly not as impressive as Audrey. The latter exudes a passion for Christ and charisma. Tori is Ok. Matt means well. He wants to give Tori and Zach a wonderful wedding. He has big ideas. Tori's speech to the camera shows no appreciation for Matt's intentions. She only says that she needs to be careful not to hurt his feelings because he will be her father-inlaw soon. Audrey has not said such a thing.
Amy disrespects Matt for filming in front of Zach and Tori by telling him "Go ahead and do it, that's what you always do". Amy is so unappreciative of Matt. She needs to look herself in the mirror when the day comes where she asks Jesus why she failed in her marriage. Matt's ideas are done out of love for those that he cares about. They might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it is wrong of Amy to deem him as selfish and ignore that he wants to make things nice for his family.
Jeremy makes his first appearance in this episode with Matt via Skype. As other reviewers have noted, the authenticity of the scene is in question as Jeremy's appearance is identical to how he is seen later in the episode and the background of his Skype scene appears to be the main house. Nevertheless, it does do an accurate job of showing that Jeremy is the only one who is on Matt's side, the only Roloff who understands Matt means well and wants the best for Matt. Jeremy gives Matt advice about the party so that he won't ignite furor directed back upon himself.
I have purposely saved Jacob Roloff's presence in this episode to last. He is the darkest and most disappointing aspect of the Roloffs.
His appearance in this episode was limited to a few scenes for the camera. Mainly a staged scene consisting of Jacob getting his diploma in the mail. Jacob tells Amy he is moving out. Jacob says he doesn't have a plan. Jacob reveals that most 18 year olds don't have a plan but he really doesn't know what he's doing. He doesn't have a job other than collecting payment for this filming. When Matt suggests Jacob get a job, Jacob makes a crack about not being mature enough for that. He drives away in his brand new truck that Matt and Amy have provided for him.
What other Roloffs said about Jacob: Amy tells the viewing audience high school was a struggle for Jacob and that he never liked it. The most honest part of the episode was Amy's exasperated words that Jacob has a lot to learn about life. It is clear that Amy (rightfully) doesn't have respect for the person Jacob has become. Amy also gave a vague and deceptive explanation that Jacob "hangs out with friends a lot" and is "moving in with friends". Matt, Amy and Jacob participate in a staged and silly scene of Matt giving Jacob meat to eat as he moves out.
How Jacob came off to uninformed viewing audience: If you knew nothing of what Jacob is like when not being filmed, you would have been confused. Jacob suddenly leaving would have felt rushed. You would have wondered what happened? What did you miss? Jacob came off to the viewing audience as a burned out, stoner, a drug using teenager with a 'too cool to care' attitude.
What you really need to know is the truth about Jacob. He is dark soul. He rejects Jesus. He is lost and angry. He aims to destroy good . He is arrogant. He thinks is too cool for everyone. He thinks he is smarter than everyone. He uses drugs. He curses. He has sex before marriage without any regret. He lies. He says things. Then he denies he said them. Then he lies some more. He's hateful. He expresses no remorse for any of the things he has done. He responds to people reaching out to him with their love with his hate and insults. He is anti-American. He is anti-Christian. He is anti-police and pro-criminals.
Jacob's mere inclusion in this episode highlights not only Jacob's lying words, but his hypocrisy. He spent considerable time being difficult towards the family for the participation in the show. He whined and complained. He made it clear that he resented it. He attempted to make his parents look bad. He was vocal about bad mouthing the show. He vowed to quit. Even now he went on a twitter spree passively aggressively condemning the filming of little boy "Jack" from another show "Our Little Family". Despite years of being disgruntled, years of acting out, years of vilifying his own family, a year of screaming at people that he will quit the show because of how much hatred he has for it…..there Jacob is, making it his income earner. Relying on it to live after he had done all he could to make it look bad. Even as he condemns 'reality shows', he is choosing $ of principles.
The lack of integrity is typical of people without God in their lives.
I thought about the most responsible way the Roloffs could have dealt with the train wreck that is Jacob. As I said in the beginning, even the best of the Roloffs, are flawed. Only Jesus is perfect.
The Roloffs, if they didn't want to address the disappointment that Jacob has turned into, they could have shut him out of filming. Not allowed him to get his cut of the pie. They could have ignored him.
Or they could have shone a light and asked for prayers for their troubled family member. They could have opened up and showed the way for others who experience family members or sons or daughters who have chosen to shut Jesus out while following the temptations set forth by the Devil.
The Roloffs instead have chosen the weak path of trying to hide it. No explanations are given and white lies are told.
The truth is Jacob was expelled from the fine Christian school right before high school. He then spent a few years in high school. Struggling. Skipping school. Being tardy. Showing a lack of respect for teachers and students. His too cool to care attitude came across when he choose to publicly mock his own school's football team – young men who were giving effort and demonstrating some school spirit. Jacob took to social media to mock them. He would later go on a public twitter rant with his girlfriend calling his athletic high school peers "dumb followers". Jacob and his girlfriend would later delete these tweets.
While it is tempting for Christians to conclude that Jacob's life really went to Hell because of the lack of God in the public high school, it should be noted there are some fine young men who went the same public high school such as
The above twitter account belongs to a young man who loves God and America Tyler on twitter always resorting to combating Tyler Tyler
And that brings me back to the staged show for the episode. Matt and Amy giving Jacob meat as a going away present.
Rather than a silly and staged scene such as that, would it not have served God's people more and helped others in a similar situation to be honest about the direction Jacob's life is headed? For them to speak to the heart and admit Jacob had rejected God and that's why he is lost and has so much to learn about life. I've seen it too many times. People who "Don't believe in a 'man in the sky'" think they are unaccountable so they live selfish and sinful lives because they only care about themselves and live only to please themselves.
I must also note, that Jacob's girlfriend, Isabel (twitter account http://twitter.com/isabelsgarreton) made her first appearances on the television show. She has officially appeared the television show and I open to be discussed so I don't need to foolishly have mentions of her named edited by Spiritswander as she has now appeared on the show.
The show chose not to introduce her and didn't even clue the television audience in on the fact that she and her brother are the "friends" that Jacob is living with.
That in itself is another disappointment I have with the Roloffs. Matt and Amy chose the easy way. Instead of confronting Jacob about his behavior, instead of THEM kicking Jacob out of the house, instead of them banning Jacob from the show (forcing him work on his own) they just allow him to do what he wants while still allowing him to come and go as he pleases, while still allowing him to live off the show he claims to hate so much, and then they top it off by giving him a truck. His girlfriend was sleeping with Jacob in his room when he was 17 at the Roloff home. Yet they allow his girlfriend to attend Tori's engagement party and go along with it like all is well.
I might discuss Isabel more in a future episode, she is a sad story. Experienced tragedy, yet instead of finding comfort in God and seeking God's love, she surrounds herself with the darkness and drugs that Jacob Roloff brings into her life.
That brings me to the end of my writing for this week. Thank you to all who expressed their love and support. You are welcome to email me bailey.anne83@hotmail.com
You never know what God will have the future hold in terms of my own site which would be 100% Christian controlled and content.
I will end as I will always end my weekly writing; with a Christian quote. This comes from Jeremy Roloff's Christian friend Jarrid Wilson @JarridWilson
"I'm not a Christian because I have everything together, but because I'm a broken person who was saved by a perfect Savior."
God Bless and enjoy your weekend and always let God guide you.