There is nothing more romantic than a chaperoned date, right? For Jessa and Ben on ’19 Kids & Counting,’ having an awkward third wheel is just another part of life.
On the Sept. 9 episode of 19 Kids & Counting, both Jessa Duggar, 21, and Jill Duggar, 23, went on daytime dates with their boyfriends. While Jessa and Ben Seewald, 19, opted for the shooting range, Derick Dillard, 25, treated Jill to a hike and picnic for her birthday. And yes, both of them had chaperones in the form of their little brothers!
Jessa & Ben Go On An Awkward Chaperoned Date To The Shooting Range
They aren’t engaged yet, but they are very much in love. That’s why it’s no surprise that Jessa and Ben are spending as much time together as possible, especially now that he is living on the Duggar compound.
On the Sept. 9 episode, Jessa and Ben decide to spend the day at the shooting range. However, the date is immediately off to an awkward start when Jessa’s younger brother, Jason, is forced to sit in between them in Ben’s tiny little pick-up truck. Yikes!
While a shooting range date isn’t up on my bucket list of things to do with my beau, the Duggar family are known for doing things a little (and by little I mean a lot) differently than others. Hey, that’s why we love them!
Although the ride there was pretty cramped, it turns out the Jason is a pretty funny little guy. Both Ben and Jessa are total troopers, too, which means things aren’t as awkward as they may have been for anyone else. After all, chaperones are a way of life for the Duggar girls.
Not to mention, Ben brings up marriage during the ride to the range. When Jason says, “You don’t know if you’re going to marry him,” both Ben and Jessa disagree. In fact, Ben calls it a “done deal.” Aww!
Once at the range, Jason made a joke that since he was the one chaperoning he should be the one with a gun. Watch out, Ben!
Being the gentleman that he is, Ben let Jessa shoot first — and instantly regretted it. Even though she claims not to be a “great” shot, Ben was pretty intimidated by her skills once she starting pulling the trigger.
However, while Jessa was watching Ben shoot she was definitely into it — and she was impressed by his “good” shot!
Derick Brings Jill On A Birthday Picnic With James As Chaperone
Now that Derick and Jill are engaged they are allowed to hold hands, but that doesn’t mean they can go on dates without a chaperone just yet.
For their daytime date, Jill’s brother James comes along. He reveals early on that he doesn’t find it awkward to be a third wheel on his sister’s date because he’s really just there for the food. Too funny!
Unfortunately, James gets carsick on the way to Derick’s romantic destination for Jill’s birthday date. Apparently he is not a fan of Derick’s driving!
Once at their location, Jill and Derick get to hold hands while hiking through the park as James follows closely behind. Derick jokes that hiking while holding hands makes it easier, and that they get to help each other because it’s like having four legs. If you say so, Derick!
Later on, the three of them settle down on a nice spot for a picnic. While Jill and Derick are enjoying their “healthy” meal, James is not impressed by the food. Unfortunate since that’s all he was looking forward to!
Despite his lack of interest in the healthy choices Derick and Jill picked out, James tries out hummus, goat cheese, and even some couscous. Oh well, maybe this is a learning curve and the next time the couple can pack something specifically for their chaperone.
What do YOU think, HollywoodLifers — Do the Duggar family chaperones make their dates awkward? Who do you think picked a better date choice — Jessa and Ben or Jill and Derick? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
— Lauren Cox
Follow @Iaurencox
