If you are like me and can’t get enough of the troubled Gosselin family, you tuned in to the series finale of Jon and Kate Plus Eight last night on TLC. The series came to a close quietly, the same way it began – with Kate being pragmatic as ever and Jon blinking stupidly into the camera. After five seasons, the show is ending following Jon’s claims that the constant presence of the cameras is harming his children. Funny how the constant presence of money from TLC into his bank account hasn’t harmed anyone. Now that the show is over, how does he expect to pay for that Ed Hardy wardrobe he’s been sporting? Sensibly, Kate doesn’t want the show (or the money) to end. A girl’s gotta pay for those highlights and lowlights somehow.

Sitting in that chair, Jon seemed confused, claiming he wanted to be “friends” with Kate while working on his relationship with his new, significantly younger, girlfriend. Jon was a case study in what happens when a brain stops functioning, running his mouth about how his home had become “work” and how he had misgivings about living in New York City. Unfortunately, Jon has devolved into a complete and utter mess.

During the episode, Jon thought it a smart idea to hold a lemonade sale to raise money for a local fire company. Did we mention the fact that he was wearing a black t-shirt with the words “Lies Lies Lies” across the front in large letters? It makes one wonder if he was genuinely interested in his children or was more concerned with getting his t-shirt message across. Not surprisingly, the only people who seemed to be buying the lemonade were the legions of paparazzi snapping photos of him while the kids stood quietly in the background, clutching their drinks. At least the kids got to wear fire helmets and have some fun.

Despite my amusement over Jon’s antics, though, I thought the series finale was a sad commentary on the dissolution of a family. It should be required television for any male younger than twenty-five who is planning on getting married and having children right away. It should also be required TV for any woman who thinks it’s a good idea to marry a man younger than twenty-five and start having babies immediately. Given few exceptions, the marriage will end badly. In most cases, having children that early is too much responsibility at a time when a twenty-two year old should be getting drunk and making midnight trips to Atlantic City.  As evidenced by Jon and Kate’s relationship, raising a family at that young age just leads to the inevitable: fights over who loves the kids more, accusations of bad parenting, and confusion over holiday celebrations. As I watched, I realized that the Gosselins are the example of what can go horribly wrong when two people haven’t yet figured out their lives before rushing into parenthood.

Frankly, if it were me, I would have signed up to do the show. Raising eight children comes with a heavy price tag, and with TLC waving the golden ticket in front of my face, it would have been difficult for me to say no. How could anyone have known of the cyclone that was to come? I feel sympathy for all of them, the eight children, Kate, and even Jon, who essentially became victims of their own immaturity but also a media force too difficult to control.

As I watched the finale, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sadness. During the montage of the children through the years, I realized that our time with the Gosselins is over. I will never get to see whether little Hannah becomes a veterinarian. Or if Aiden becomes a professor. Or if Cara and Mady double-date to the prom. All I have are the memories. And a hope for a Season 6, where Jon gets his girlfriend pregnant and has another set of sextuplets.

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