The Duggars: Preparing For the End of Counting On?
They say all good things must come to an end.
What they don't say is that not-so-good things like lame TLC reality shows that wore out their welcome several years ago must also come to an end.
Duggar Daughters
Yes, after five seasons of consistently declining ratings Counting On might finally be put out pasture.
Of course, unlike its predecessor, 19 Kids and Counting, the series is likely to go out with a whimper and not a bang.
19 Kids was canceled amid the uproar that surrounded the first Josh Duggar sex scandal (several others would follow).
Counting On is meeting with a fate that's much more common to long-running reality shows,
Duggar Girls
Viewer interest has started to wane, which has led to less promotional effort from TLC, which has led to even further declining ratings.
And it probably doesn't help that Derick Dillard keeps threatening to sue the network.
He's not on the show anymore, and canceling Counting On won't necessarily prevent him from filing a lawsuit.
But cancelation will lower the Duggars' public profile, which might lead to a lesser scandal, in the event that Derick should become litigious.
A Sisterly Interrogation
Also, Derick's main motivation for filing a suit seems to be his desire for revenge against Jim Bob, so canceling the show might satiate him and allow TLC execs to steer clear of the courtroom.
So we know the reasons, but we don't know exactly when the show will come to an end.
Still, the rumors are enough to get fans talking about what the Duggar kids might get up to after their careers as reality stars are over.
Jinger Duggar is already looking to the future by trying to make a name for herself as a social media influencer.
Jinger Duggar With the New Hair
But as the website TV Show Ace points out, Jinger has encountered significant roadblocks in her path toward financial independence.
Her ultra-conservative beliefs have scared away many potential sponsors, and Jinger has been forced to back out of paid appearances after the people signing her check caught wind of her views.
Unfortunately for the rest of the Duggars, Jinger is something of a test case in this regard.
If her siblings attempt to earn money by posting sponsored content, they'll likely run into the same problems that are holding Jinger back.
Jed Duggar
For this reason, the other Duggars might do well to follow in Jedidiah's path.
Jed is running for office, seeking a seat in the Arkansas State House of Representatives, just like his father before him.
It's one of the few areas in which his far-right views might actually help his career, and his siblings might do well to follow his example.
Either that, or they can make like Jill and Derick and simply distance themselves from Jim Bob as much as possible.
Michelle Duggar and Jim Bob Duggar in Silver Dollar City
In fact, that option looks better and better by the day.
The Duggars as a family are less popular than they were a few years ago.
But in the past 12 months, no one has fallen as far in the public's estimation as Jim Bob.
In fact, the only Duggar who's less well-liked than Jim these days is Josh.
Jim Bob Duggar and Michelle Duggar in South America
Jim Bob's career barely survived his dreadful mishandling of the Josh scandals, and now, he's shooting himself in the foot all over again.
His own in-laws are accusing Jim Bob of stealing his kids' money, and JB is only making the situation worse by remaining silent on the matter.
In all likelihood, he hoped Derick's complaints would simply go away, but that doesn't appear to be happening.
Jim Bob Duggar and Michelle on Instagram
Insiders have claimed that Dillard's upcoming memoir may be the nail in the coffin of Jim Bob's career.
Obviously, that remains to be seen.
Whatever the case, at this point, when Counting On ends, it doesn't that it will be missed by many fans.
And it certainly won't be missed by the family.