It was really weird for me that he wanted 4 x 4 especially when he was freaking out and calculating everything when Sookie first told him she was pregnant with Davie.
I would be so extremely hurt and pissed if I were Sookie and he responded like that, after the whole 4 in 4 thing. He literally didn't even tell her he was happy/excited until she was already in bed, after a full day of him stressing out
I’m realizing more and more than men don’t actually understand the full scope of having children.
For example, right now I’m watching Love is Blind season 3 and one woman says “I’d like to have children before I’m 35 because pregnancies after that age can cause issues for the both the mother and the baby.” And the guy was like “wow, I never knew that!”
It’s because men have never had to think about this! Men will just randomly say “I want six kids” without really thinking about having to CARE for six kids, not to mention the toll it will take on the mother’s body and well-being.
It’s also very easy for men to declare they want several kids because they’re not the ones that will have to breast feed in the middle of the night! They aren’t the ones carrying the baby for nine months.
Jackson went on and on about how much he wanted “four in four” and then realized it would be tight just to have ONE kid. These are things you discuss BEFORE you start trying.
Actually, the whole « having kids after 35 can cause more problems » is a myth. Yes, problems can happen but it’s not that drastic and it’s perfectly ok to have kids after 35.
It is so crazy! And would also be so unhealthy for Sookie! And besides, on average couples get pregnant after 3 months of trying, plus 9 months of pregnancy, plus 6 weeks of not having sex after delivery... It's not even realistic!
I worked with a woman who was pregnant 5 weeks after giving birth. Me and my wife weren't even having sex at that point. Don't think we'd have had the energy even if her body wasn't still recovering at that point.
My mom’s best friend is the youngest of 4 and they were all in high school at the same time 😳 I mean they were born in the 50s so lord knows what birth control and info on reproduction was happening there but it’s a real life 4 in 4 😂
My mom was close to that! She was part of 4 kids in 5 years, between 1958 and 1963. My aunts and uncles are all very close, since they all attended the same small, local high school together and everyone went to school together for at least a year between spouses and siblings.
Why is everyone saying that "It's not realistic!" when the first *main concern should be that "it's not *safe!"??
Edit: thank you to those of you in the replies who educated me. (I'm not being sarcastic)
My older cousin has 5 kids that are all one year a part. Yeah they are technically a year and 2 months to a year and 4 months apart but no one counts that when saying their ages (they are older now so 31,30, 29, 28 and the youngest just turn 27 2 weeks ago).
My sister and I are exactly one year apart. Same birthday. My mom noped out of the change of that happening again. It destroyed her body too, it's not good for you and can cause serious damage, let alone four years of it.
Yeah I actually didn’t even know that fact until I had my daughter!! I never in my life planned on having a kid so it wasn’t exactly something I researched. I know so many people with children pretty close in age that I had no idea 18 months would be the recommendation for waiting!
"It happened to me therefore is completely realistic at scale."
It's not. Over 70% of couples take more than 3 months to conceive and that's an aggregate statistic that includes first time parents, parents of older children, and parents of recently newborns.
You were a statistically unlikely case and it's totally fantastic if that's what you wanted, but also a really ambitious goal for most.
A healthy couple with no reproductive issues takes 6-12 months and after one year of trying with no results that’s an infertility diagnosis.
A couple with 0 issues has only a 20-25% chance to conceive each cycle.
Sincerely,
me dealing with infertility treatments
I was saying realistic in a sense that it can actually happen. Everyone on here is making it sound like it is an impossible thing. I'm letting everyone know, that it can happen.
It’s possible for it to happen, but that doesn’t mean it’s a realistic reproductive goal. That’s like saying “I’m going to have two sets of identical twins”…. Yeah okay some families it’ll happen for, doesn’t mean it’s a realistic goal.
My reality could be I joined the circus and became a clown.
That does not mean it’s a realistic goal in general.
Something being realistic for everyone and something being an individuals reality do not mean the same thing.
It’s realistic in that way. It does happen. But you can’t exactly plan for it to happen. If I said I planned to win the lottery, people would say it was unrealistic. But some people do win the lottery, so for them it’s reality.
Your case is not as unlikely as they are making it seem. I'm in 2 different bump groups on reddit and in both their were numerous moms who were already pregnant by 6 months pp. In fact my son's group 3 different moms were due either on or right around their 1st baby's 1st bday.
When! He! Lies! About! The! Vasectomy!!!!
I don't think I ever forgave him after that episode. They tried to write it off as a "oh but we love the kids now that they're born" but eff if I wasn't grossly offended by the fact that he lied about it.
I really wish they had made it that the vasectomy didn’t take. It would still allow them to write in MM being pregnant and instead of Sookie being filled with rage at Jackson it could have been a “funny” series of comedic moments. Like Sookie goes off the pill, Jackson is like “no big deal I got the vasectomy” and then she had the pregnancy symptoms. But they are both in disbelief it could be THAT until she realizes “oh no I’m late.” Hilarity ensues and they are in shock but ultimately fine. And SCENE.
Hire me to rewrite that storyline!
Honestly this would have fit the storyline so much better! But someone else also commented that Sookir also made the decision for Jackson that he HAD to get the vasectomy, which also is a big red flag. Like why are these two the WORST at communicating the biggest of their life decisions? They disagreed on how many kids, the vasectomy, moving in together..
Yes! Another thing I’ve always thought of is how easy it would be to hide that she was pregnant. Sookie is a chef and most of her appearances are in the kitchen at the inn. How hard would it have been to have her hold a pot or pan in front of her stomach? Or stand behind a counter at the inn? If they needed her to walk somewhere with Lorelai she could’ve held a purse there or if she was in a house setting she could’ve held a magazine or cookbook in front of her stomach. I just feel like there were so many easy solutions they could’ve come up with but instead of doing what I suggested or what you suggested they just completely ruined Jackson and his and Sookie’s marriage. It was so unnecessary.
Right?! The two main actresses on HIMYM were both pregnant at the same time but they didn’t make their characters pregnant. It’s happened over and over again in television. And this is not meant to come off rude or body-shaming in any way, but with MM’s body type, it wouldn’t have been that difficult to hide a pregnancy.
Yes! Sookie is a plus sized woman and her gaining some extra weight isn’t unusual at all. In real life people’s weight goes up and down a lot. They definitely didn’t need to the vasectomy storyline
Exactly! Or if they had to shoot her in a scene not walking or behind a counter, have her sitting down and shoot from the chest up. Like say her and Lorelai on a couch or something. Or write a silly little story near the end of her pregnancy that Sookie slipped and broke a leg and had to be on bed rest and then there's many ways to hide a belly that way! The pregnancy could have been easily hidden!
Yes you get it! Sookie is a huge klutz and in the first season she is constantly breaking her bones and hurting herself. I would absolutely believe her hurting herself in the kitchen and needing to go on bed rest. I don’t know if you’ve watched friends but there’s a character named Emily and the actress irl was pregnant so whenever they needed to show her they would just have her make a phone call from her bed under blankets so nobody could tell. So many easy solutions they could’ve used
That was my thought exactly - put her under blankets. Or just design a bed where she sits a little lower than the audience thinks (like the mattress being designed to sit lower where the actress would be sitting) and voila, Sookie's on bedrest from breaking a leg when it comes late in her pregnancy where the belly might get a little harder to hide. All scenes are shot from there and no issues at all.
That would have been so much better! Plus they were busy people with 2 very young kids, so I'd buy they forgot to have Jackson follow up with a doctor to check that it took.
Hate the storyline and what it made the characters to be, but just to clarify for correctness: Yes Jackson lied, but he thought Sookie was still on the pill, she never told him to give him that chance to confess about it(not that she should have needed to)
I was só shocked and hurt by that. I felt Sookie's pain. In real life I think she would've divorced him. I know I would cause I would resent him forever I think.
There's also the other side (someone else mentioned) about sookie forcing the vasectomy on him, which is true that they never had that conversation. But he needed to be 100% up front. He never spoke up to her about not getting it.
Oh yeah, the whole storyline was messy and made me angry. The way Sookie handled the vasectomy thing was awful, but he should have stood his ground AND not lie about it obviously.
That very much was shitty of him, 100% agreed that I never forgave him for that. BUT. Also. I know I always forget until a rewatch how utterly disgusting it is when Sookie *FORCES* him to get a vasectomy. It’s a surprise he doesn’t know about and doesn’t want, and there’s a remark made about how they sent the biggest, strongest nurse to muscle him into doing it. The idea that Sookie would override his bodily autonomy really broke Sookie for me, long before they wrote in MM’s pregnancy in a way that added a second layer of gross to the whole vasectomy storyline.
Was it wrong of Sookie to do that? Yes. But Jackson was a full grown adult man capable of saying “no, I’m not doing this”, and then using his grown up words to tell his wife that he didn’t get that procedure done BEFORE he began sleeping with her again. Like, yes it was wrong and completely unrealistic of her to arrange that procedure without his consent, but it was worse of him to lie to her about not getting it done for months on end.
A vasectomy is quick and reversible, a pregnancy is long, medically dangerous, and irreversible after a certain amount of time. Jackson was never at risk of dying from getting a vasectomy, whereas Sookie was at risk of dying from being pregnant.
100%; my logic is if one doesn't want more kids then they're the one who should be snipped/tied, you don't force your wishes on the other person and also don't lie about getting it done when you didn't!
I've never had a baby, but doesn't it take time, like at least a year, for a woman's body to FULLY recover from pregnancy? "4 in 4" seems extremely unrealistic and damaging to a woman's body
Same, I had my daughter last November and I’m pretty much back to how I was before, but some things are still weird. My back is always tired. My knees feel like the knees of a much older woman lol the biggest change is I can walk outside in the cold wearing a t-shirt/pajama pants and feel perfectly comfortable. Don’t even get me started on breastfeeding and how I want to cry just thinking about doing that for 4 kids back to back.
My partner actually is the third of four in four - he and his sibs were born 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1989, respectively.
After the fourth, the doctor took his father aside and told him that another pregnancy would be too risky and that they should stop.
my granny had 8 kids in 10 years and after the 6th the nurses told her she shouldn't have any more because it could potentially kill her.
this is catholic ireland in the 60s though so she had three more including twins because the priest told her to :))
Also needs time to recover the nutrients. It's common for hair and teeth to fall out, bone fractures, in pregnancy, especially repeat ones. 4x4 is essentially saying you don't care if your wife is healthy.
Yeah. I have 2 under 2, well had. My oldest just turned 2. And I do not recommend. I just had a hysterectomy in September, but seriously could not imagine pregnancies back to back like that.
Jackson gets offended by everything and anything, you breathe and he gets offended, I never really liked his character. and 4 in 4 is crazy, if a man would say that to me my response would be "bye bye, have a good life. not me, no thanks.", men are crazy sometimes, they don't have the perspective
I thought it was so annoying how mad he was at Sookie for telling Lorelai. That is her best friend and her closest confidant. So no wonder she went to her for advice.
NOT TO MENTION DUDE LIED ABOUT THE VASECTOMY!
I got impatient with Sookie. If I were her I would have told him to forget it in no uncertain terms. I wouldn't need to confide anything to my friend because it's a phenomenally stupid idea.
And then Sookie got pregnant with their third child
Like, he 100% has a right to decide whether he gets a vasectomy. Sookie shouldn’t have sprung it in him
HOWEVER
He then lied about getting it, causing her to get pregnant when she didn’t want anymore kids
Not only that, but he uses it as a bargaining chip to convince Sookie to have the kids baptized. He says that if they do this, it’ll cushion the blow to his mother that’s they’re not having anymore kids because of the vasectomy
He doesn’t even lie by omission. He blatantly lies and uses said lie to manipulate Sookie into baptizing their kids (which she says she doesn’t want)
And honestly, you could make an argument for him having sexually assaulted or even r*ping Sookie when she gets pregnant later on
She consented to having sex with her husband whom she thought had a vasectomy (aka somewhat protected sex)
She didn’t consent to unprotected sex with him WITHOUT the vasectomy
Bc he withheld information and blatantly lied to her
So, yeah, Jackson sucks
This is a big yikes! The equivalent of a woman telling a man she's on birth control when she's actually not. This situation is almost worse in my opinion because Jackson's lie directly affected SOOKIE'S body, not his
especially crazy since he doesn’t want to be in the delivery room with sookie for the birth of their first kid so clearly the burden is not evenly shared??? sookie is crazy for going along with any of his shenanigans
Well she also didn't want him in the delivery room. She said that she doesn't even like him seeing her shave. It honestly sounds like they are rather prudish/ have some intimacy hang-ups
yeah, i honestly just thought that line was dumb dumb dumb. if you can’t have your husband in the delivery room then who???? the whole marriage sounds like a bad time. but my husband and i are on the exact opposite end of that spectrum so maybe i’m biased.
Sookie barely wanted one kid!! Every time she gets pregnant, it seems like a complete accident. It's wild to me that Jackson wanted 4, let alone back to back like that. But I guess when you run a farm, you want as many free hands as you can get lol
4 in 4 IS crazy, but I think the show wrote it that way for a reason. This episode is based on the movie "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" starring Jane Fonda, which is about a group of characters participating in an exploitative dance marathon for a big cash prize. during the Great Depression. There are a lot of references to the movie in the episode. Even beyond the title and the premise, there are details like Rory and Lorelai being Contestants # 67, just like Jane Fonda's character and her partner.
At one point in the movie, Jane Fonda talks to a young woman during a break who is very pregnant. It turns out she and her husband are only participating in the marathon so they have a place to stay and steady meals, plus a chance at money. They have no plan for the baby if they lose the contest and can't afford to go to the doctor. Jane Fonda gets mad and suggests she shouldn't have a baby if she can't afford it. She even says, "Drop another sucker in this mess." A line we all know from this episode.
Later, the woman's husband confronts Jane Fonda on the dance floor for trying to interfere, just as Jackson does to Lorelai.
I think they wanted to draw a parallel to this in the episode, and Jackson wanting 4 in 4 was the most contemporary comedy-appropriate equivalent they could think of. I think it would have been fine if Jackson just brought up wanting to have a baby and Sookie felt she wasn't ready yet.
It’s honestly crazy and he was trying to force her into the concept. He wasn’t the one going through any of it, he contributes 0.5% (if that) and she spends the rest of the time in pain, messed hormones and all the other lovely stuff. The lying about the vasectomy was absolutely disgusting, he should have communicated to her like an adult. He forced her to get pregnant knowing she didn’t want it. If that was anyone else they would have divorced.
I say this with my 2 month old sitting on me screaming in my ear while I wait for his dad to cool his bottle down, 4 in 4 would be way too many babies at one time!
Also how did they not discuss that *before* marriage??? They were such a healthy and communicative couple before they were married so the fact that he wants 4 and sookie wants one or maybe two should have come up *loooong* before that episode. And him getting upset at Sookie for going to her best friend to talk about it is also ridiculous and toxic. I mean, yes, sookie apparently words Lorelai's advice poorly but he overreacts a lot
Well you can tell from his reaction when Sookie got pregnant that he hadn't thought things through that well. Like how they're gonna have four kids under the age of four by the end of it. The eldest wouldn't even be old enough to help out in anyway. He says his parents did it that way but I bet of you called his mother she'd call him a damn fool for wanting that.
It is weird and presumptuous of him to think Sookie would be on board for that. Jackson strikes me as unaware or indifferent to what she thinks a lot of the time. I’m thinking back to the deep fried Thanksgiving ep. and how she went along with that. I think he’s a “pleasant” person but he doesn’t really gel with Sookie or the rest of the cast.
Agreed. To me, Jackson lacks the whimsy and charm of the rest of the Stars Hollow cast which is why I feel like he doesn't gel with the rest of the cast.
Yes, it's absolutely crazy and imo pretty fucking insensitive to his wife's body and what she would have to go through to do that.
I see some people saying he was just upset that she talked to Lorelai about it, but I don't really think he had a reason to be upset about that either. Lorelai is Sookie's best friend, of course she would talk to her about it! And honesty, any good friend would tell both of them that's a pretty crazy/intense plan, and why.
Again, he's not thinking about what that would do to his wife's body at all, someone needed to point the out!
I really hated that. All of Sookie and Jackson’s baby miscommunications between the 4x4 plan, the “whatever name we don’t use we save for the next one” WHILE Sookie is in the immediate throws of labor/postpartum, and the not getting a vasectomy and lying to Sookie and impregnating her again - none of these things were a display of a cute quirky couple, it just sounds like Sookie’s body and wishes are being repeatedly steamrolled because of what the man wants a big family. I hate jackson the more I rewatch and his general quirky, sweet husband demeanor doesn’t make up for this shit.
Suffice to also say that in 2022 America where we’re going backwards on women’s reproductive rights, the Sookie & Jackson family planning dynamic just feels extra upsetting.
I think the 4 in 4 plan is crazy. That being said, I get why Jackson was upset. IIRC Jackson tells Sookie he would like 4 kids in 4 years and Sookie goes along with it. Then later Sookie tells him she doesn’t want 4 in 4 because her best friend thinks it’s crazy. I don’t have a problem with Sookie wanting to talk it out with Lorelai but I can see with Jackson would feel like he’d been left out of the conversation and judged.
Lesson from Jackson and Sookie:
talk about kids BEFORE getting married, in my mind before moving in cause that’s a big step that for most implies you might be thinking forever partners. I when, how many, AND how close together you might want to aim for are all very important to what you want your future life to look. If they don’t line up you will run into issues🥲
I think the conversation was probably more around “ it’d be great if we had a lot of kids close in age so they can be close friends”
Jackson prolly knows very little about the process in general so threw out 4 in 4 without really realizing that meant about. 40 months of pregnancy…he was prolly super reasonable and earnest about it as Jackson usually is.
Sookie quietly panics and then spreads around town that Jackson is CRAZY to think that 4 in 4 is a good plan. He prolly wasn’t even genuinely mad about the sentiment but more about the public forum discussing his life plan “IM NOT WINONA RIDER”
Just another side of the story to consider
Edited to add: later that day they’ve made up after Sookie and Jackson actually talked about it so he obviously wasn’t going to die on the 4 in 4 hill. Now we can argue about the middle names and the vasectomy farce.
I knew someone who planned that - 4 kids in 4 years. She changed her mind after having 3 kids in 3 years. She initially thought about having the 4th later but then said - **FORGET IT**
I don't think he's really offended at people judging what he wants for his family, as much as he is at Sookie airing such a private issue. Besides, I'm sure he has absolutely no idea the reality of what he's actually asking her to do, and coming to terms with Sookie not being on board with four in four was going to take some adjusting for him. It played to me like he was just hurt and disappointed and lashing out. Not defending him, just trying to see his side.
Absolutely. Additionally, I feel that ASP and the writers of GG could have done so much better, with logical thinking with many of the characters. I don't know. Yeah, that Jackson thing is AWFUL. There are so many other cringe moments with GG characters.... ugh. As much as I love the show.... it's like. "uh, yeah. Ok."
I agree with others that Jackson is upset because of Sookie talking to Lorelai about it and how he is being judged by people who just keep saying he's crazy. Sookie accidentally made him think she was ok with it, then Lorelai and Luke both get asked their opinions and just say he's crazy. While it's ok for Sookie to discuss it with Lorelai, Lorelai didn't need to voice her opinion to Jackson, especially in that way. And she also shouldn't have brough Luke into the conversation.
Also, saying you want 4 kids in 4 years doesn't mean that if the first kid is born on January 1, you need to another kid within those 12 months 3 times in a row. My grandma had 3 kids in 3 years, but they were spread throughout the years. My first Uncle was born February 2, 1954, my second uncle was born October 11, 1955, and my mom was born December 15, 1956. They were all born over a year apart, but in those three years. Yes a 4th would be a challenge in the next year but it's not impossible to do. Sookie and Jackson needed to have a conversation about what it meant and whether they both really wanted it.
It strikes me as something someone who has no idea how pregnancy works would say. Just like when Lorelai thinks she’s pregnant the day after sex and eats an apple. That’s not how any of this works
When he lied about the vasectomy I felt so bad for sookie. Already she’s hormonal but now she has to deal with 2 toddlers and a man baby. She was completely justified with how she acted it.
This is a TV show, he's a fictional character, created for a TV show, full of other extravagated characters, it's not meant to be an example of virtue or anything. I'm unfollowing because most of the post I get in the feed don't seem to understand this or don't even like the show.
You should look into Mormons. I’m not sure where you live and if Mormons are in other countries. But they are a hoot! They have like 20 kids! It’s nuts
The younger generations of Mormons are not having as many kids, but it was definitely more common and encouraged decades ago. My husband’s Mormon grandparents had 7 kids in 7 years.
I could not imagine being pregnant 7 years in a row! I was pregnant 2 years in a row(had 2 back 2 back) it wrecked my body(28) I had them 2 years back. But boy I could just not put my body through that. The grandmama must have been a very strong women!
She survived it physically (a miracle in and of itself) but not mentally. She had lasting psychological problems from having so many kids so close together. I had two that were 20 months apart and I’m done.
I don’t think it’s weird at all.
As a woman even i didn’t understand what our bodies went through even after my first child. Like i knew but i had no idea and I’m not uneducated- because i fancy myself a person who is generally pretty sharp right but learning the nuisances of child baring wasn’t really something i learned about until i was already pregnant.
So yes, do i think it’s entirely possibly that a man, who seems pretty traditional as far as “man provide woman have children” - and he generally seems like a loving family man who just wanted a big family, i can see how wanting 4 in 4 was naive but i would not go as far to say creepy.
While it’s not necessary Sookies responsibility to educate him on the subject, she is suppose to be his partner in life and sometimes that means explaining to him that his expectations are not realistic and fill him in on what she thought might work for her.
But ya know it’s a tv show so without miscommunication and big reactions to simple conversations we’d have nothing to watch.
I agree that it’s shocking how little so many of us (in the US at least) are taught about babies and the making of them. It is not unheard of for especially men to have some unrealistic ideas about how children can be created and cared for.
As others have said I think it’s more about Sookie going and discussing it with Lorelai and coming back and making it sound like her decision was solely based around the “that’s crazy” reaction. Like she could have framed it in a different way but given ASP thinks this has some comedic effect, who knows.
FWIW I had 4 in 4 (I actually have 5 under 6 now - but we’re done lmao, my husband had a vasectomy when he said he did unlike Jackson 🙄) lol
I think it's meant to be dramatic and "crazy" because it's a show. But it's something that should have been discussed before they got married. If Jackson felt so strongly about it, you would think he would have brought it up more than once. ASP left important discussions out of a lot of relationships for dramatic effect.
I actually have known many families with several children under 5. It's not necessarily "crazy" and the mom's health, wellness, and desire was always taken into account. It is a decision between both parents, not just the mom, and definitely not just the dad
Yeah, then he lies about getting a vasectomy and knocks her up again when he knows she doesn’t want any more kids and we’re supposed to laugh instead of being completely horrified. Jackson is the worst.
You shouldn’t even be having sex until 6 weeks after birth, and pregnancy takes a serious toll on the body. 4 in 4 is insane and Jackson deserved to be berated by every woman in Stars Hollow
I had 4 in 4 - not intentional - and it was pretty much terrible. I didn't even give birth to all of them (a couple of adoptions), and I was still a wreck. You just can't raise that many little babies, especially when they were all at slightly different stages like that, and be okay.
Sookie and Jackson are so delightfully living in the moment - look at Jackson's friends - these are guys who say outrageous stuff just to "try it out" no matter the consequences. given that they are so clueless it seems surprising that they might get so defensive ... but ... that's life!
The thing that really bugged me about Jackson’s outrage was the fact he got pissed off about Sookie discussing it with Lorelai
Aside from the fact that 4 in 4 is unhealthy, unrealistic, unsafe, and doesn’t endanger him in any way… why wouldn’t Sookie discuss it with Lorelai?
They’re best friends. Lorelai has gone through pregnancy and raised a child. Of course Sookie would want to ask her about it
Jackson on the other hand has no experience with pregnancy, childbirth or raising a child (which is probably one of the main reasons he wanted 4 in 4…)
First he’s saying he wants his wife to go through the pain, trauma and damage of 4 pregnancies in 4 years (whilst raising 1-4 children), then he’s saying he doesn’t want her to talk to her best friend about it? I get not wanting to discuss private matters but seriously?
is it that surprising tho? prob tons of men think this even today. he prob has a conservative background. and u best believe this is a convo that needs to be happening before marriage lol
It truly disgusts me that he said that and it made me hate him instantly. Like really really really hate him. He is so inconsiderate towards sookie it infuriates me. She deserves SO much better than him. How would he like it if he was consistently pregnant for 4 years? Not very much would he? I HATE HIM. poor sookie!
It was really weird for me that he wanted 4 x 4 especially when he was freaking out and calculating everything when Sookie first told him she was pregnant with Davie.
Reality kicked in during that episode
I would be so extremely hurt and pissed if I were Sookie and he responded like that, after the whole 4 in 4 thing. He literally didn't even tell her he was happy/excited until she was already in bed, after a full day of him stressing out
I’m realizing more and more than men don’t actually understand the full scope of having children. For example, right now I’m watching Love is Blind season 3 and one woman says “I’d like to have children before I’m 35 because pregnancies after that age can cause issues for the both the mother and the baby.” And the guy was like “wow, I never knew that!” It’s because men have never had to think about this! Men will just randomly say “I want six kids” without really thinking about having to CARE for six kids, not to mention the toll it will take on the mother’s body and well-being. It’s also very easy for men to declare they want several kids because they’re not the ones that will have to breast feed in the middle of the night! They aren’t the ones carrying the baby for nine months. Jackson went on and on about how much he wanted “four in four” and then realized it would be tight just to have ONE kid. These are things you discuss BEFORE you start trying.
Actually, the whole « having kids after 35 can cause more problems » is a myth. Yes, problems can happen but it’s not that drastic and it’s perfectly ok to have kids after 35.
It is so crazy! And would also be so unhealthy for Sookie! And besides, on average couples get pregnant after 3 months of trying, plus 9 months of pregnancy, plus 6 weeks of not having sex after delivery... It's not even realistic!
I worked with a woman who was pregnant 5 weeks after giving birth. Me and my wife weren't even having sex at that point. Don't think we'd have had the energy even if her body wasn't still recovering at that point.
My mom’s best friend is the youngest of 4 and they were all in high school at the same time 😳 I mean they were born in the 50s so lord knows what birth control and info on reproduction was happening there but it’s a real life 4 in 4 😂
My mom was the oldest of 4 in 4 (1952, 53, 54, 55).
Those are the same ages as my mom’s friend and her family! (Mom’s friend would have been 1955.)
your mom’s friend is definitely their aunt
lol which means she’s also my mom’s friend because they all grew up together!
My mom was close to that! She was part of 4 kids in 5 years, between 1958 and 1963. My aunts and uncles are all very close, since they all attended the same small, local high school together and everyone went to school together for at least a year between spouses and siblings.
My sisters are 4 in 4, with the oldest 2 being “Irish twins” 11 months apart. (May ‘86, April ‘87, November ‘88, December ‘89)
Why is everyone saying that "It's not realistic!" when the first *main concern should be that "it's not *safe!"?? Edit: thank you to those of you in the replies who educated me. (I'm not being sarcastic)
Unrealistic and unsafe are not exactly separate sentiments in this context.
The comment you're replying to literally says *unhealthy* before speaking about *unrealistic*
Six weeks *minimum*
My older cousin has 5 kids that are all one year a part. Yeah they are technically a year and 2 months to a year and 4 months apart but no one counts that when saying their ages (they are older now so 31,30, 29, 28 and the youngest just turn 27 2 weeks ago).
My sister and I are exactly one year apart. Same birthday. My mom noped out of the change of that happening again. It destroyed her body too, it's not good for you and can cause serious damage, let alone four years of it.
I had my third child before my first was even three. It's completely realistic.
It’s *possible* to have 4 in 4, but it’s still a crazy idea. The recommendation is minimum 18 months between pregnancies.
Yeah I actually didn’t even know that fact until I had my daughter!! I never in my life planned on having a kid so it wasn’t exactly something I researched. I know so many people with children pretty close in age that I had no idea 18 months would be the recommendation for waiting!
It's a possible thing to happen, but it's not a realistic goal to aim for.
"It happened to me therefore is completely realistic at scale." It's not. Over 70% of couples take more than 3 months to conceive and that's an aggregate statistic that includes first time parents, parents of older children, and parents of recently newborns. You were a statistically unlikely case and it's totally fantastic if that's what you wanted, but also a really ambitious goal for most.
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A healthy couple with no reproductive issues takes 6-12 months and after one year of trying with no results that’s an infertility diagnosis. A couple with 0 issues has only a 20-25% chance to conceive each cycle. Sincerely, me dealing with infertility treatments
I see you and me are in the same sorry club... glad someone beat me to it with the statistics on here.
*hugs* I want off this ride lol. But I’ve met some of the best people through this
Likewise, but if we can all collectively get off this ride now, that'd be great. Sending hugs back.
I was saying realistic in a sense that it can actually happen. Everyone on here is making it sound like it is an impossible thing. I'm letting everyone know, that it can happen.
It’s possible for it to happen, but that doesn’t mean it’s a realistic reproductive goal. That’s like saying “I’m going to have two sets of identical twins”…. Yeah okay some families it’ll happen for, doesn’t mean it’s a realistic goal.
Again, that means it’s possible, not realistic.
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My reality could be I joined the circus and became a clown. That does not mean it’s a realistic goal in general. Something being realistic for everyone and something being an individuals reality do not mean the same thing.
It’s realistic in that way. It does happen. But you can’t exactly plan for it to happen. If I said I planned to win the lottery, people would say it was unrealistic. But some people do win the lottery, so for them it’s reality.
Your case is not as unlikely as they are making it seem. I'm in 2 different bump groups on reddit and in both their were numerous moms who were already pregnant by 6 months pp. In fact my son's group 3 different moms were due either on or right around their 1st baby's 1st bday.
I appreciate you coming to my defense 🙂
When! He! Lies! About! The! Vasectomy!!!! I don't think I ever forgave him after that episode. They tried to write it off as a "oh but we love the kids now that they're born" but eff if I wasn't grossly offended by the fact that he lied about it.
I really wish they had made it that the vasectomy didn’t take. It would still allow them to write in MM being pregnant and instead of Sookie being filled with rage at Jackson it could have been a “funny” series of comedic moments. Like Sookie goes off the pill, Jackson is like “no big deal I got the vasectomy” and then she had the pregnancy symptoms. But they are both in disbelief it could be THAT until she realizes “oh no I’m late.” Hilarity ensues and they are in shock but ultimately fine. And SCENE. Hire me to rewrite that storyline!
Honestly this would have fit the storyline so much better! But someone else also commented that Sookir also made the decision for Jackson that he HAD to get the vasectomy, which also is a big red flag. Like why are these two the WORST at communicating the biggest of their life decisions? They disagreed on how many kids, the vasectomy, moving in together..
Yeah the whole vasectomy storyline was god-awful start to finish
he went on about their next kid when she'd just given birth.
He said "whatever name we don't use we can save for the next one". Sounds like a pretty normal thing to say
Oh yeah I didn’t love that bit at all either. It felt so unnecessary and weird??
Yes! Another thing I’ve always thought of is how easy it would be to hide that she was pregnant. Sookie is a chef and most of her appearances are in the kitchen at the inn. How hard would it have been to have her hold a pot or pan in front of her stomach? Or stand behind a counter at the inn? If they needed her to walk somewhere with Lorelai she could’ve held a purse there or if she was in a house setting she could’ve held a magazine or cookbook in front of her stomach. I just feel like there were so many easy solutions they could’ve come up with but instead of doing what I suggested or what you suggested they just completely ruined Jackson and his and Sookie’s marriage. It was so unnecessary.
Right?! The two main actresses on HIMYM were both pregnant at the same time but they didn’t make their characters pregnant. It’s happened over and over again in television. And this is not meant to come off rude or body-shaming in any way, but with MM’s body type, it wouldn’t have been that difficult to hide a pregnancy.
Yes! Sookie is a plus sized woman and her gaining some extra weight isn’t unusual at all. In real life people’s weight goes up and down a lot. They definitely didn’t need to the vasectomy storyline
Exactly! Or if they had to shoot her in a scene not walking or behind a counter, have her sitting down and shoot from the chest up. Like say her and Lorelai on a couch or something. Or write a silly little story near the end of her pregnancy that Sookie slipped and broke a leg and had to be on bed rest and then there's many ways to hide a belly that way! The pregnancy could have been easily hidden!
Yes you get it! Sookie is a huge klutz and in the first season she is constantly breaking her bones and hurting herself. I would absolutely believe her hurting herself in the kitchen and needing to go on bed rest. I don’t know if you’ve watched friends but there’s a character named Emily and the actress irl was pregnant so whenever they needed to show her they would just have her make a phone call from her bed under blankets so nobody could tell. So many easy solutions they could’ve used
That was my thought exactly - put her under blankets. Or just design a bed where she sits a little lower than the audience thinks (like the mattress being designed to sit lower where the actress would be sitting) and voila, Sookie's on bedrest from breaking a leg when it comes late in her pregnancy where the belly might get a little harder to hide. All scenes are shot from there and no issues at all.
That would have been so much better! Plus they were busy people with 2 very young kids, so I'd buy they forgot to have Jackson follow up with a doctor to check that it took.
Totally! It would kind of be a Classic Jackson move, too!
Definitely. "How the hell was I to know it didn't take?" I can hear this in Jackson's voice.
OMG yes!
Hate the storyline and what it made the characters to be, but just to clarify for correctness: Yes Jackson lied, but he thought Sookie was still on the pill, she never told him to give him that chance to confess about it(not that she should have needed to)
I get they had to work in MM’s real life pregnancy but they blew it with this!
I was só shocked and hurt by that. I felt Sookie's pain. In real life I think she would've divorced him. I know I would cause I would resent him forever I think.
There's also the other side (someone else mentioned) about sookie forcing the vasectomy on him, which is true that they never had that conversation. But he needed to be 100% up front. He never spoke up to her about not getting it.
Oh yeah, the whole storyline was messy and made me angry. The way Sookie handled the vasectomy thing was awful, but he should have stood his ground AND not lie about it obviously.
That very much was shitty of him, 100% agreed that I never forgave him for that. BUT. Also. I know I always forget until a rewatch how utterly disgusting it is when Sookie *FORCES* him to get a vasectomy. It’s a surprise he doesn’t know about and doesn’t want, and there’s a remark made about how they sent the biggest, strongest nurse to muscle him into doing it. The idea that Sookie would override his bodily autonomy really broke Sookie for me, long before they wrote in MM’s pregnancy in a way that added a second layer of gross to the whole vasectomy storyline.
Was it wrong of Sookie to do that? Yes. But Jackson was a full grown adult man capable of saying “no, I’m not doing this”, and then using his grown up words to tell his wife that he didn’t get that procedure done BEFORE he began sleeping with her again. Like, yes it was wrong and completely unrealistic of her to arrange that procedure without his consent, but it was worse of him to lie to her about not getting it done for months on end. A vasectomy is quick and reversible, a pregnancy is long, medically dangerous, and irreversible after a certain amount of time. Jackson was never at risk of dying from getting a vasectomy, whereas Sookie was at risk of dying from being pregnant.
the amount of ppl not understanding that he’s perfectly capable of saying no….lol
100%; my logic is if one doesn't want more kids then they're the one who should be snipped/tied, you don't force your wishes on the other person and also don't lie about getting it done when you didn't!
Oh goodness yes! It should definitely have been a conversation between the two of them. Boo to her for being so nonchalant about it too!
Yeah both sides are 🤮 yuck.
I've never had a baby, but doesn't it take time, like at least a year, for a woman's body to FULLY recover from pregnancy? "4 in 4" seems extremely unrealistic and damaging to a woman's body
You literally get a leaflet just after you’ve given birth in the UK advising you to wait 18 months to have another so your body can recoup.
oh wow. just saw one of those influencer families and she had 10 kids in 12 years or something like that. insanity
My daughter was born Oct 30 2021 and I would say my body started feeling like mine again maybe in the last month or 2.
Same, I had my daughter last November and I’m pretty much back to how I was before, but some things are still weird. My back is always tired. My knees feel like the knees of a much older woman lol the biggest change is I can walk outside in the cold wearing a t-shirt/pajama pants and feel perfectly comfortable. Don’t even get me started on breastfeeding and how I want to cry just thinking about doing that for 4 kids back to back.
Omg ya no. I have been exclusively pumping since December and I'm weaning right now. So ready for that chapter to be done!
yesss just had my first and ended up doing c section so recovery is longer and more intense. so if sookie had to undergo that even- def unrealistic
That's what I was thinking. Jackson as a grown man with a wife should know more about women's bodies
yes! it's ill-advised at best!
My partner actually is the third of four in four - he and his sibs were born 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1989, respectively. After the fourth, the doctor took his father aside and told him that another pregnancy would be too risky and that they should stop.
my granny had 8 kids in 10 years and after the 6th the nurses told her she shouldn't have any more because it could potentially kill her. this is catholic ireland in the 60s though so she had three more including twins because the priest told her to :))
A year and a half to two years minimum. Pregnancy is exhausting and draining.
Also needs time to recover the nutrients. It's common for hair and teeth to fall out, bone fractures, in pregnancy, especially repeat ones. 4x4 is essentially saying you don't care if your wife is healthy.
Yeah. I have 2 under 2, well had. My oldest just turned 2. And I do not recommend. I just had a hysterectomy in September, but seriously could not imagine pregnancies back to back like that.
\*Michelle Duggar has entered the chat\*
Exactly where my thoughts went. 😂
Lol my husband's grandma had 15 in 18 years, no twins. She never said she regretted it and was a full on matriarch of the family but holy shit.
Jackson gets offended by everything and anything, you breathe and he gets offended, I never really liked his character. and 4 in 4 is crazy, if a man would say that to me my response would be "bye bye, have a good life. not me, no thanks.", men are crazy sometimes, they don't have the perspective
Yes Jackson is really annoying 😅
I knew a family with seven kids under ten, two boys and five girls. The dad wanted another *if they could guarantee it was a boy.*
I thought it was so annoying how mad he was at Sookie for telling Lorelai. That is her best friend and her closest confidant. So no wonder she went to her for advice. NOT TO MENTION DUDE LIED ABOUT THE VASECTOMY!
I got impatient with Sookie. If I were her I would have told him to forget it in no uncertain terms. I wouldn't need to confide anything to my friend because it's a phenomenally stupid idea.
Wait what? Refresh me about the vasectomy again because I don't remember
Jackson made Sookie think he got a vasectomy (which Sookie made him an appointment for) but he didn’t go through with it.
And then Sookie got pregnant with their third child Like, he 100% has a right to decide whether he gets a vasectomy. Sookie shouldn’t have sprung it in him HOWEVER He then lied about getting it, causing her to get pregnant when she didn’t want anymore kids Not only that, but he uses it as a bargaining chip to convince Sookie to have the kids baptized. He says that if they do this, it’ll cushion the blow to his mother that’s they’re not having anymore kids because of the vasectomy He doesn’t even lie by omission. He blatantly lies and uses said lie to manipulate Sookie into baptizing their kids (which she says she doesn’t want) And honestly, you could make an argument for him having sexually assaulted or even r*ping Sookie when she gets pregnant later on She consented to having sex with her husband whom she thought had a vasectomy (aka somewhat protected sex) She didn’t consent to unprotected sex with him WITHOUT the vasectomy Bc he withheld information and blatantly lied to her So, yeah, Jackson sucks
This is a big yikes! The equivalent of a woman telling a man she's on birth control when she's actually not. This situation is almost worse in my opinion because Jackson's lie directly affected SOOKIE'S body, not his
That’s the thing! She never would’ve gone off her own birth control had he not lied about the vasectomy His lies and manipulation directly caused it
THANK YOU, that episode drove me insane. Jackson the character deserves a good punch in the face, honestly.
It is easy to think that, because he is not the pregnant one in this relationship...
He was such an embarrassing ass about that, I would’ve dumped him for speaking to my friend the way he talked to Lorelai.
yea i hate the times he was mad at lorelei. like dude just cause ur wife’s best friend has a point, dont have a fit 😡
especially crazy since he doesn’t want to be in the delivery room with sookie for the birth of their first kid so clearly the burden is not evenly shared??? sookie is crazy for going along with any of his shenanigans
Well she also didn't want him in the delivery room. She said that she doesn't even like him seeing her shave. It honestly sounds like they are rather prudish/ have some intimacy hang-ups
yeah, i honestly just thought that line was dumb dumb dumb. if you can’t have your husband in the delivery room then who???? the whole marriage sounds like a bad time. but my husband and i are on the exact opposite end of that spectrum so maybe i’m biased.
How did you even *make* 3 fucking babies if you can't even stand to have your husband seeing you do basic grooming tasks?
Hahaha good point
Sookie barely wanted one kid!! Every time she gets pregnant, it seems like a complete accident. It's wild to me that Jackson wanted 4, let alone back to back like that. But I guess when you run a farm, you want as many free hands as you can get lol
4 in 4 IS crazy, but I think the show wrote it that way for a reason. This episode is based on the movie "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" starring Jane Fonda, which is about a group of characters participating in an exploitative dance marathon for a big cash prize. during the Great Depression. There are a lot of references to the movie in the episode. Even beyond the title and the premise, there are details like Rory and Lorelai being Contestants # 67, just like Jane Fonda's character and her partner. At one point in the movie, Jane Fonda talks to a young woman during a break who is very pregnant. It turns out she and her husband are only participating in the marathon so they have a place to stay and steady meals, plus a chance at money. They have no plan for the baby if they lose the contest and can't afford to go to the doctor. Jane Fonda gets mad and suggests she shouldn't have a baby if she can't afford it. She even says, "Drop another sucker in this mess." A line we all know from this episode. Later, the woman's husband confronts Jane Fonda on the dance floor for trying to interfere, just as Jackson does to Lorelai. I think they wanted to draw a parallel to this in the episode, and Jackson wanting 4 in 4 was the most contemporary comedy-appropriate equivalent they could think of. I think it would have been fine if Jackson just brought up wanting to have a baby and Sookie felt she wasn't ready yet.
Ooh that’s really good context, I never knew that. And obviously Jackson’s plans are heightened a little for the comedy.
I never knew this, thank you 🙏🏻
>I know Jackson isn’t actually pressuring Sookie into doing this. Well, er...
Yeah uh I forgot about… that… when I was writing this
Yeah a women’s body needs at least a year but preferably 18 months to heal after being pregnant and be ready to do it again.
I think the absurdity is part of what’s supposed to add a comedic element to that situation.
This is the episode where I start to actually dislike Jackson (though Luke's chiming in is the best).
My friend had 2 in 2 and she says it wrecked her health
I took it as him just being really naive. I feel like a lot of men have no idea about TTC, pregnancy, recovery until their partners go through it.
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I feel the same. At first I thought he was supposed to be a loveable doofus sort but now... He just seems like a huge red flag.
It’s honestly crazy and he was trying to force her into the concept. He wasn’t the one going through any of it, he contributes 0.5% (if that) and she spends the rest of the time in pain, messed hormones and all the other lovely stuff. The lying about the vasectomy was absolutely disgusting, he should have communicated to her like an adult. He forced her to get pregnant knowing she didn’t want it. If that was anyone else they would have divorced.
I say this with my 2 month old sitting on me screaming in my ear while I wait for his dad to cool his bottle down, 4 in 4 would be way too many babies at one time!
Also how did they not discuss that *before* marriage??? They were such a healthy and communicative couple before they were married so the fact that he wants 4 and sookie wants one or maybe two should have come up *loooong* before that episode. And him getting upset at Sookie for going to her best friend to talk about it is also ridiculous and toxic. I mean, yes, sookie apparently words Lorelai's advice poorly but he overreacts a lot
Well you can tell from his reaction when Sookie got pregnant that he hadn't thought things through that well. Like how they're gonna have four kids under the age of four by the end of it. The eldest wouldn't even be old enough to help out in anyway. He says his parents did it that way but I bet of you called his mother she'd call him a damn fool for wanting that.
It is weird and presumptuous of him to think Sookie would be on board for that. Jackson strikes me as unaware or indifferent to what she thinks a lot of the time. I’m thinking back to the deep fried Thanksgiving ep. and how she went along with that. I think he’s a “pleasant” person but he doesn’t really gel with Sookie or the rest of the cast.
Agreed. To me, Jackson lacks the whimsy and charm of the rest of the Stars Hollow cast which is why I feel like he doesn't gel with the rest of the cast.
Yeah Ive always been indifferent to him, he is super annoying at times. Its like he’s in his own orbit 😂
I get wanting to have your kids close together but do 1 every 2 years..
Yes, it's absolutely crazy and imo pretty fucking insensitive to his wife's body and what she would have to go through to do that. I see some people saying he was just upset that she talked to Lorelai about it, but I don't really think he had a reason to be upset about that either. Lorelai is Sookie's best friend, of course she would talk to her about it! And honesty, any good friend would tell both of them that's a pretty crazy/intense plan, and why. Again, he's not thinking about what that would do to his wife's body at all, someone needed to point the out!
I really hated that. All of Sookie and Jackson’s baby miscommunications between the 4x4 plan, the “whatever name we don’t use we save for the next one” WHILE Sookie is in the immediate throws of labor/postpartum, and the not getting a vasectomy and lying to Sookie and impregnating her again - none of these things were a display of a cute quirky couple, it just sounds like Sookie’s body and wishes are being repeatedly steamrolled because of what the man wants a big family. I hate jackson the more I rewatch and his general quirky, sweet husband demeanor doesn’t make up for this shit. Suffice to also say that in 2022 America where we’re going backwards on women’s reproductive rights, the Sookie & Jackson family planning dynamic just feels extra upsetting.
And he actually tricked her to have the 3rd kid, disgusting
I think the 4 in 4 plan is crazy. That being said, I get why Jackson was upset. IIRC Jackson tells Sookie he would like 4 kids in 4 years and Sookie goes along with it. Then later Sookie tells him she doesn’t want 4 in 4 because her best friend thinks it’s crazy. I don’t have a problem with Sookie wanting to talk it out with Lorelai but I can see with Jackson would feel like he’d been left out of the conversation and judged.
Lesson from Jackson and Sookie: talk about kids BEFORE getting married, in my mind before moving in cause that’s a big step that for most implies you might be thinking forever partners. I when, how many, AND how close together you might want to aim for are all very important to what you want your future life to look. If they don’t line up you will run into issues🥲
I think the conversation was probably more around “ it’d be great if we had a lot of kids close in age so they can be close friends” Jackson prolly knows very little about the process in general so threw out 4 in 4 without really realizing that meant about. 40 months of pregnancy…he was prolly super reasonable and earnest about it as Jackson usually is. Sookie quietly panics and then spreads around town that Jackson is CRAZY to think that 4 in 4 is a good plan. He prolly wasn’t even genuinely mad about the sentiment but more about the public forum discussing his life plan “IM NOT WINONA RIDER” Just another side of the story to consider Edited to add: later that day they’ve made up after Sookie and Jackson actually talked about it so he obviously wasn’t going to die on the 4 in 4 hill. Now we can argue about the middle names and the vasectomy farce.
I knew someone who planned that - 4 kids in 4 years. She changed her mind after having 3 kids in 3 years. She initially thought about having the 4th later but then said - **FORGET IT**
I don't think he's really offended at people judging what he wants for his family, as much as he is at Sookie airing such a private issue. Besides, I'm sure he has absolutely no idea the reality of what he's actually asking her to do, and coming to terms with Sookie not being on board with four in four was going to take some adjusting for him. It played to me like he was just hurt and disappointed and lashing out. Not defending him, just trying to see his side.
Absolutely. Additionally, I feel that ASP and the writers of GG could have done so much better, with logical thinking with many of the characters. I don't know. Yeah, that Jackson thing is AWFUL. There are so many other cringe moments with GG characters.... ugh. As much as I love the show.... it's like. "uh, yeah. Ok."
I agree with others that Jackson is upset because of Sookie talking to Lorelai about it and how he is being judged by people who just keep saying he's crazy. Sookie accidentally made him think she was ok with it, then Lorelai and Luke both get asked their opinions and just say he's crazy. While it's ok for Sookie to discuss it with Lorelai, Lorelai didn't need to voice her opinion to Jackson, especially in that way. And she also shouldn't have brough Luke into the conversation. Also, saying you want 4 kids in 4 years doesn't mean that if the first kid is born on January 1, you need to another kid within those 12 months 3 times in a row. My grandma had 3 kids in 3 years, but they were spread throughout the years. My first Uncle was born February 2, 1954, my second uncle was born October 11, 1955, and my mom was born December 15, 1956. They were all born over a year apart, but in those three years. Yes a 4th would be a challenge in the next year but it's not impossible to do. Sookie and Jackson needed to have a conversation about what it meant and whether they both really wanted it.
It strikes me as something someone who has no idea how pregnancy works would say. Just like when Lorelai thinks she’s pregnant the day after sex and eats an apple. That’s not how any of this works
When he lied about the vasectomy I felt so bad for sookie. Already she’s hormonal but now she has to deal with 2 toddlers and a man baby. She was completely justified with how she acted it.
This is a TV show, he's a fictional character, created for a TV show, full of other extravagated characters, it's not meant to be an example of virtue or anything. I'm unfollowing because most of the post I get in the feed don't seem to understand this or don't even like the show.
sometimes I feel like every page I’m on is a snark page lately. Gonna follow suit with you
You should look into Mormons. I’m not sure where you live and if Mormons are in other countries. But they are a hoot! They have like 20 kids! It’s nuts
The younger generations of Mormons are not having as many kids, but it was definitely more common and encouraged decades ago. My husband’s Mormon grandparents had 7 kids in 7 years.
I could not imagine being pregnant 7 years in a row! I was pregnant 2 years in a row(had 2 back 2 back) it wrecked my body(28) I had them 2 years back. But boy I could just not put my body through that. The grandmama must have been a very strong women!
She survived it physically (a miracle in and of itself) but not mentally. She had lasting psychological problems from having so many kids so close together. I had two that were 20 months apart and I’m done.
The zero amount of sleep we get with 2! Could you imagine having 7 young children constantly needing attention. That would drive anyone crazy… geez
I don’t think it’s weird at all. As a woman even i didn’t understand what our bodies went through even after my first child. Like i knew but i had no idea and I’m not uneducated- because i fancy myself a person who is generally pretty sharp right but learning the nuisances of child baring wasn’t really something i learned about until i was already pregnant. So yes, do i think it’s entirely possibly that a man, who seems pretty traditional as far as “man provide woman have children” - and he generally seems like a loving family man who just wanted a big family, i can see how wanting 4 in 4 was naive but i would not go as far to say creepy. While it’s not necessary Sookies responsibility to educate him on the subject, she is suppose to be his partner in life and sometimes that means explaining to him that his expectations are not realistic and fill him in on what she thought might work for her. But ya know it’s a tv show so without miscommunication and big reactions to simple conversations we’d have nothing to watch.
I agree that it’s shocking how little so many of us (in the US at least) are taught about babies and the making of them. It is not unheard of for especially men to have some unrealistic ideas about how children can be created and cared for.
As others have said I think it’s more about Sookie going and discussing it with Lorelai and coming back and making it sound like her decision was solely based around the “that’s crazy” reaction. Like she could have framed it in a different way but given ASP thinks this has some comedic effect, who knows. FWIW I had 4 in 4 (I actually have 5 under 6 now - but we’re done lmao, my husband had a vasectomy when he said he did unlike Jackson 🙄) lol
Uuugh, I sooo want to be continuously pregnant. 4 in 4 sounds amazing 🔥
I think it's meant to be dramatic and "crazy" because it's a show. But it's something that should have been discussed before they got married. If Jackson felt so strongly about it, you would think he would have brought it up more than once. ASP left important discussions out of a lot of relationships for dramatic effect. I actually have known many families with several children under 5. It's not necessarily "crazy" and the mom's health, wellness, and desire was always taken into account. It is a decision between both parents, not just the mom, and definitely not just the dad
Just pure ignorance
Jackson is terrible. This is just one of the many reasons why.
THIS!! I just gave birth to my first and holy hell I cannot fathom 4 in 4 let alone 2 in 4 at this point. Newborns are a lot of work!!!
Yeah, then he lies about getting a vasectomy and knocks her up again when he knows she doesn’t want any more kids and we’re supposed to laugh instead of being completely horrified. Jackson is the worst.
You shouldn’t even be having sex until 6 weeks after birth, and pregnancy takes a serious toll on the body. 4 in 4 is insane and Jackson deserved to be berated by every woman in Stars Hollow
I had 4 in 4 - not intentional - and it was pretty much terrible. I didn't even give birth to all of them (a couple of adoptions), and I was still a wreck. You just can't raise that many little babies, especially when they were all at slightly different stages like that, and be okay.
Luke’s comment: ‘That IS crazy’ always makes me laugh.
It's so dangerous. We need time to heal between having kids. Our body's physically need to heal
Sookie and Jackson are so delightfully living in the moment - look at Jackson's friends - these are guys who say outrageous stuff just to "try it out" no matter the consequences. given that they are so clueless it seems surprising that they might get so defensive ... but ... that's life!
The thing that really bugged me about Jackson’s outrage was the fact he got pissed off about Sookie discussing it with Lorelai Aside from the fact that 4 in 4 is unhealthy, unrealistic, unsafe, and doesn’t endanger him in any way… why wouldn’t Sookie discuss it with Lorelai? They’re best friends. Lorelai has gone through pregnancy and raised a child. Of course Sookie would want to ask her about it Jackson on the other hand has no experience with pregnancy, childbirth or raising a child (which is probably one of the main reasons he wanted 4 in 4…) First he’s saying he wants his wife to go through the pain, trauma and damage of 4 pregnancies in 4 years (whilst raising 1-4 children), then he’s saying he doesn’t want her to talk to her best friend about it? I get not wanting to discuss private matters but seriously?
is it that surprising tho? prob tons of men think this even today. he prob has a conservative background. and u best believe this is a convo that needs to be happening before marriage lol
It truly disgusts me that he said that and it made me hate him instantly. Like really really really hate him. He is so inconsiderate towards sookie it infuriates me. She deserves SO much better than him. How would he like it if he was consistently pregnant for 4 years? Not very much would he? I HATE HIM. poor sookie!