The Duggar family is controversial to put it mildly, but the return of Jill & Jessa: Counting On proved that they are still a draw for TLC.
A big draw.
Tuesday’s premiere drew 1.9 million viewers, with even more tuning in to watch Jill and Jessa: Counting On online throughout the week.
That’s an impressive total for any series, but for the Duggars, who were off the small screen for nearly a year, it marked a huge comeback.
When 19 Kids and Counting, the precursor to Counting On, aired its final episodes in 2015, they were pulling in around 2 million viewers.
Despite Josh Duggar’s sex scandals sidelining the family for most of the next 12 months, Jill, Jessa and their siblings are proving resilient.
For his part, Josh is still persona non grata on Counting On.
His long-suffering wife, Anna Duggar, did all of the talking, going into great detail about the extreme pain he caused by cheating on her.
We learned that Anna visited him in rehab and that this gave her hope, which she relayed to her family, though trust issues still remain.
Indeed, the new series seems to be focusing on the family healing and moving on … with Josh and parents Jim Bob and Michelle MIA.
Like any other TV show, Counting On is counting on sponsors, many of whom found the Duggars radioactive last spring and summer.
It seems many advertisers have come back around, however, but it’s no accident that Josh (and his parents) did not appear on screen.
TMZ even reported that the Duggar family is not allowed to let Josh film with them and that doing so would be a breach of contract.
Dillon King says no one trusts him. Apparently TLC concurs.
Time will tell if he makes a return at some point, possibly as part of his long road to redemption. But don’t mark your calendars for it.
Instead, expect topics such as whether Jana Duggar is courting (ditto Jinger or John-David) to become plot points on the new season.
There are so many options for a family that has its faults, to be sure, but retains a strong following because they are real and relatable.
Even with a growing chorus of critics hammering them for every move, the next generation of Duggars is back and better than ever.
By and large, we would say this is very positive to see.
You can love the Duggars or hate them, but at least Jana, Jinger, and their J-named siblings aren’t paying a price for things they didn’t do.
