It seems to me that people are graduated when the producers want them gone and not when they are necessarily "cured". The last couple of graduations seemed to come out of no where...

• RE: Graduating???,Baxtera, 02:21 PM, 01-24-06
• RE: Graduating???,L_11, 02:36 PM, 01-24-06
  • RE: Graduating???,passion4, 02:53 PM, 01-24-06
    • RE: Graduating???,Baxtera, 04:16 PM, 01-24-06
      • RE: Graduating???,Dayum Yankee, 12:41 PM, 01-25-06
    • RE: Graduating???,VictoriaB, 04:22 PM, 01-24-06
      • RE: Graduating???,OklaBlue, 05:10 PM, 01-24-06
      • RE: Graduating???,pinksparkleguitar, 01:19 PM, 01-25-06
• RE: Graduating???,Pixeltalk, 04:19 PM, 01-24-06
  • RE: Graduating???,2Centz, 07:42 PM, 01-24-06
    • RE: Graduating???,bellyButton, 11:08 PM, 01-24-06
      • RE: Graduating???,Summerlynn31, 01:22 PM, 01-25-06
        • RE: Graduating???,Zoey, 03:42 PM, 01-25-06
          • RE: Graduating???,lovemydogdude, 04:29 PM, 01-25-06
    • RE: Graduating???,Shazbot, 08:21 PM, 01-25-06
      • RE: Graduating???,SOWayz, 09:32 AM, 01-27-06
• RE: Graduating???,eire_heart74, 10:11 AM, 01-27-06

I think it comes from having ambigious goals. When there isn't something concrete to achieve it's rather ambigious as to when they've achieved it. Truthfully a woman of honor? That's not a goal it's a cheesy campaign slogan. Christina should have had a specific goal about getting her GED and finding a job. Who's honor IV's definition, the audience's definiton, Christina's definiton?

That's been the trouble is that the goals are not definable and achievable in a direct sense. The only one who seemed to have a specific goal was Jessica learning to grieve for her mother and to move on. TJ had a goal but it was ignored. I just think it's been more about exploiting and entertainment than really helping.

Agree about ambiguous goals, particularly ones that qualify only as cheesy campaign slogans. But I'm more in Okermom's camp. Especially when they suddenly start graduating en masse, and always in time for Friday's episode.

Aside from Jessica and Allison, I have yet to see a "graduation" that didn't arouse suspicion for me. One day they're still in the throes of their issues, then a husband or a son visits, then everything gets suddenly resolved, and then they're graduating. All in the span of four episodes. No, I too find it disturbing. And it's particularly noticeable this time, because it isn't coming at the end of the season. These ladies are spent and boring; time for new ones. It's too obvious for me.

I agree, the graduations are so cheesy now, there's no anticipation or excitement regarding graduation anymore! They have edited and pieced episode's together so much this season, I think production have lost their way! They obviously are not getting any good footage with this group of women, so they are trying their best to get something juicy going and it's not working! At first there was noone graduating, now, within a few days everyone is leaving! I think the producers sense that this isn't working and they're ready to shut that house down!

Several posters have commented on the lack of individual exercises this year. I've noticed they've had few group exercises that really focus on bonding the group and learning how to trust and communciate. (Many have seemed more to divide and conquer when they've actually had them). There's been little focus on teaching them how to use communication to resolve conflicts and anger management techniques to disolve some of the tension in the house. It seems as if it's been encouraged.

It also seems there's less accountablity. The partners thing just seemed as way to gang up and abuse each other. The BOR's have been jokes but in the past it seemed like they used to come before graduations and they'd be a review before a graduation. Now it's almost as if they've given up on anyone achieving anything and just let them hang out and tear each other apart with an occassional dip in the mud or a trip in a box.

Speaking of board reviews - the last three ladies haven't even been told by either the hgs or the lcs that there is such a thing as a board review. They know they have steps and lots of that is missing too. Nope, no accountability.

I think the problem is that we've seldom see them move toward their graduation day this season. We see plenty of phony "breakthroughs" that don't seem to go anywhere, but we rarely see them get their steps, and we rarely see BORs where their progress is assessed. That's all we see are mostly meaningless exercises and then the big graduation announcement. There's no sense of progression and no set up, so we wind up feeling cheated out of being part of the process. JMHO

You are so right, VictoriaB! Maybe not cheated out of being part of the process, because we are not, but cheated out of the flow of a complete storyline.

>I think the problem is that
>we've seldom see them move
>toward their graduation day this
>season. We see plenty
>of phony "breakthroughs" that don't
>seem to go anywhere, but
>we rarely see them get
>their steps, and we rarely
>see BORs where their progress
>is assessed. That's all we
>see are mostly meaningless exercises
>and then the big graduation
>announcement. There's no sense of
>progression and no set up,
>so we wind up feeling
>cheated out of being part
>of the process. JMHO
>
ITA, VictoriaB. When was the last time where we saw anybody "earn" their steps in one of the group meetings? I can't remember the last time. Also, where are the Board of Reviews?? No wonder these housemates seem stagnant, their is no threat of them having to leaqve the house. We had the one where everybody got a 'C', bu then no follow through really. It's about time for another one.

It is easier to say someone is "ready" to graduate when their goals are ambiguous, IMO. Who is to say if it is right or wrong? Also, I think they figure that they've done enough for this woman, 9-10 weeks or whatever should be enough, so here's your makeover and bye-bye.

I really felt that Jessica was the only one this year that was CLEARLY ready to graduate. And she had a realistic, specific goal. Some of the women have goals that will take YEARS to reach.

I believe this is the reason that they hardly ever give out steps anymore. Some of the women have graduated without achieving all of their steps, and showing each step reached on the plasma screen would make that obvious.

"Some of the women have graduated without achieving all of their steps, and showing each step reached on the plasma screen would make that obvious."

Excellent point, Pixel. This season is so lacking in structure and consistency, it's no wonder the HGs are the same way.

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it shows here at 12noon..i should have slept in...NO graduation happened here..it just showed it as the day after the grad. watch them show the same darn show tomorrow...as i saw today. i'm pissed. (oklahoma)

i was really disappointed with how season 2 ended. It seemed those women did not complete all their steps at the end either. Meg did not even get a chance to address the sexuality issue; which is a big issue in itself. Season one they did that also. now they are just plain being lazy; i believe that it is more enertainment now than actually helping.

I agree with the original poster x 10.

I so agree that the graduations seem to come out of nowhere..and JUST BEFORE the HG graduates the editing focuses on attitudes that the graduating HG is wrongfully displaying i.e. TJ-seemed to be regressing (I love TJ...hard to watch that BS), then XXXtina being a BEEYOTCH to Kim (no editing there...that was real..and real wrong), now Jill...she's been quite disappointing lately.

"This season is so lacking in structure and consistency, it's no wonder the HGs are the same way."

Yes - but, which came first, the chicken or the egg!

Rhonda's blog on her website says that they are done with the show for this season. That means that they are stretching six months of filming into nine months of show. I feel that the editors are simply piecing together a show, not necessarily sticking to actual continuity. That's why it's hard to follow any real progress, or even know if there is any progress.

Absolutely they are kicking them out the door as soon as their storyline gets dull. They have always done that. Look at Cassie of season 2. She failed her GED twice and still couldn't get in touch with her son, what else was there for her to do. Out she goes. And Meg, go in a car, an elevator, a plane, ok she's done. Next!

I think Alison got the old heave ho beccause they were sick of her diva like behavior. My god she was the biggest spoiled brat in history and I think they got sick of it too! Out she goes!

As for this show for going more in depth, not to me it isn't. When you have watch gossip sessions of laundry complaints, glasses in the sink and Mr Internet sagas, I don't feel like I know these women any deeper.

God I wish they would go back to season 1 way of doing things. Real goals, like get a job!