#but yeah david and jeremy were so amazing together. it's also impressive how david as a new young actor managed to go toe to toe with him

[borgialucrezia]

"Me and Jeremy had great fun playing together. We both trained at the same drama school which part of me likes to think might be the reason that we approach characters in the same way. We quite often do big things. I think if you compare my and Jeremy’s style of acting to Francois’ acting (Francois is always quite still and contained, sort of brooding and moody) whereas Jeremy and I do quite large things. The challenge then is to make them seem truthful which we may not always do, but we try to make it quite dynamic." — DAVID OAKES

[keepingupwithfundies]

Counting On: Season 9 Episode 1: Love is in the Air

Here is my recap of the first episode of season 9 of Counting On, featuring baby prep and a proposal.

-T 

The talking heads talk about how busy this year has been for their family. Garrett arrived, Josiah and Lauren wed, Jana worked on projects, John is courting and Jinger is still expecting a little girl. Jinger says things aren’t slowing down anytime soon. Jinger is 37 weeks pregnant and feeling great, waiting for birth and a little scared and excited at the same time. Jeremy says he is going to make spicy Indian food to see if they can encourage the baby to make an appearance. Jinger says she doesn’t know if that rumor is true. Jeremy is making chicken marsala and jokingly says he needs to add Jinger in. Jinger is really hoping for an earlier baby to prevent a C-section for a large baby. Jeremy jokes that the food is going to be really spicy and both of them are coughing as he cooks. Jinger says it might send her to the hospital for other reasons. The crew is also coughing as they cook and Jinger opens the door and goes outside. Everyone is laughing.  The other siblings try hot sauce in honor of Jinger and Jeremy and then they increase a level. They start really cringing as they go up in levels and it is a funny segment. Jason may have won, the producer says, for taking the hottest one like it was nothing. The food is spicy but tasty, Jeremy say. Jinger can’t stop laughing, Jeremy has the hiccups. Jinger says the spicy food did not work but she enjoyed the meal. 

At the main Duggar home, John David says he and Abbie have been courting for “a couple months” now and they replay John introducing Abbie to his family. Jana says Abbie is perfect for him. Abbie says the courtship is going well and they both can’t stop grinning. John calls a photographer for the proposal named Lori who specializes in proposals and is in the area he wants to fly into and proposal. John says Abbie also enjoys flying. John says he will take Jana, like to Oklahoma, pick up Abbie and surprise her and fly her to Texas to propose. 

In Laredo, Jinger and Jeremy are awaiting Jessa, Jana and Laura DeMaisie. They are coming to help do the nursery. They break down the bed in their second guest bedroom. Jinger says she wants her mom, Jana, Laura, Jeremy’s mom and dad to be around during the birth. Jeremy has jerseys on that wall and Jana is moving them to the garage. Jeremy says “this was my nightmare” and flashbacks to Jessa putting his books in a closet. Jeremy says with the books he was making way for a lady in his life, and his consolation is that it is happening again. The producer asks Jana if she feels a little bit bad for him, and she says “No.” He’s getting his first daughter, which is way more precious than soccer jerseys.  They begin assembling the nursery and Jinger is glad the girls have the idea for the southwestern theme. Jinger says she had a dream she went into labor and it was a lot easier than she thought. Jessa says her first labor was awful, and Joy says it is a different kind of pain than she’d had before but manageable. Kendra says it was worse than she anticipated but she knew the pain was getting her somewhere. Jessa says when the baby arrives it is all worth it. They finish up the nursery to show Jeremy, who is returning from a meeting and he is impressed with their work. Jinger asks what his favorite part is and he points to her belly. Jeremy says it is getting more and more real. Jinger says the next thing is having the baby. 

It is proposal day, and John flies into Oklahoma to pick Abbie up. Jana is with him, and he says she has been his wing woman for years and she was a great help to him in all this. Jinger calls Jana and says they are on their way to San Antonio for a check up and Jana is hoping to be at her birth as well but at least she will be in the same state. Jana says she’ll just do two or three big things all at once. At Abbie’s house, the Burnett sisters are making peach salsa. Abbie says that John is very romantic. John arrives at her house and surprises her. “Whoa, Hi!” she says, as they hug. He says he is here to rescue her and take her on a journey and tells her to pack her bags. She says “you little sneak!” and he says they will head to the airport to their next stop. In Texas, Lori the photographer is setting up the hangar for John to come propose. John and Abbie are flying to Texas. 

In San Antonio, Jinger & Jeremy are at the midwife appointment, and Jinger says she is having more Braxton Hicks contractions and the baby has been active. The midwife says that they’ve been talking about keeping this baby smaller and closer to due dates. Jeremy gets to feel the babies head and he is excited to meet her. They hear the heartbeat and the midwife says baby is ready to go, and they have a plan to hopefully encourage the baby to come. 

John David is flying Jana, Maggie, and Abbie to Fredericksburg, Texas, where they arrive at the hangar. They take a picture with an old plane, and John says his courtship standards are a little different and they chose to be able to have contact like arms around each other and hugging since they’re older. Abbie says they made a list of guidelines about touching and honoring God and having no regrets. No kissing. They go eat in a little retro diner right by the runway. John asks them about timing for Jinger’s baby to arrive. Jana has been texting in the hope that she can make the birth. They finish up lunch and it is proposal time. John says he wants to show her some old planes in the hangar. John walks over and he gets nervous. He walks her into the hangar and he says life has been wonderful since, and she fills in “May 6” and he says yeah, since we started flying together. He leads her to the rose petal heart in the center of the hangar. He asks if she wants to keep flying with him, she says she would love that, and he reads her a note he wrote. He says they have been on an amazing journey, and asks if she has anything going on for the rest of her life. “Nothing set in stone,” she says, and he says if she doesn’t have big plans, he would love to spend the rest of their lives together. He gets down on one knee and pulls out the ring and asks the big question. She says she would be honored to marry him, and they press their foreheads together and he slips the ring on her finger. They share a big hug and he says when she said yes, he was just in awe that “Miss America” would be willing to marry him. Only then does Abbie see the sign that says “Abbie, will you marry me?” Jana teases Abbie, asking if she said yes because they couldn’t hear her and Abbie says “ I said I would be honored.” They take their engagement pictures there, and Abbie says it was nice since they were still on the high. John says it went better than he hoped it would. John says the plan is to get married, and Abbie says “Soon!” 

In San Antonio,  the Vuolos are heading to the hospital and it is time to induce. Jinger is so excited to meet her daughter. Jinger is admitted and Jeremy is nervous for himself since she is so so strong. They are excited to meet their baby. 

The preview shows Jinger’s labor continuing, and then Lauren and Josiah announcing that they are expecting with a Mama in the making t-shirt, a baking competition for John’s grooms cake, and Lauren breaking down in tears, implying a miscarriage. Jana is coordinating John’s wedding with Laura and she is nervous about it, and finally Jim Bob announcing something.