'Kate Plus 8' Series Finale: Was It a Satisfying Sendoff?

Many people are glad that TLC's Kate Plus 8 has officially ended, and Jon Gosselin is one of them. He recently advised his ex-wife Kate Gosselin, via an interview with RumorFix.com that “reality TV is not a career. Get back to a normal life."
Still, Monday night's series finale of Kate Plus 8, with its flashbacks of the family during happier times, was a reminder of the show's former charm. In this clip from the last episode, the various kids sit on the couch and talk about feeling sad that the show is over; those flashback clips are edited in and around these interviews.
At seven years old, the sextuplets are still adorable, not to mention 11-year-old twins Cara and Mady. But how could you not feel at least a few, wistful heart tugs as producers replayed scenes from when they were babies and toddlers, going on family outings or just staying in for movie night?
It was a reminder, of course, of how quickly children grow up, and of how their parents can change, too. Seeing Jon in some of the flashback clips, chuckling with his kids (and sometimes acting like one more kid for Kate to care for), viewers are reminded of a time when he wasn't broadly viewed as a bad guy.
But of course, Kate's change has been most pronounced. Back when she had her sextuplets, she was what you might call a "real" mom, with a non-fussy "mom haircut" and casual sweatpants that she wore around the house.
After 150 episodes, she's sophisticated now, which is OK. But hearing her sigh and say that she doesn't hate Jon, that she has no malice towards him, shows how much she's lost during the years when that transformation was taking place. During the episode, Kate's friend Jamie says what everyone's thinking when she recalls the "softer" Kate, and says, "Now I see her, but [she's] more TV, more 'how-thin-can-I-be.'"
The fact that she's "more TV" is obvious to Kate, too. A few times in the episode, she makes it clear that while this show is over, her days on TV are not. For the kids' sake, let's hope she keeps them out of it.
Mena Suvari Alessandra Ambrosio Minki van der Westhuizen Giuliana DePandi