You know the age old saying "you can't judge a book by its cover"? Well, Thursday night's Astronaut Wives Club episode "Retroattitude" tackled that concept head on by giving viewers a closer look into the lives of the Carpenter family. Up until now, we've learned very little about Scott and Rene other than that the latter enjoys coordinating her wardrobe with her colorful homemade desserts. But all of that changed after this week. After admitting that she didn't intend on praying during her husband's big launch, Rene faced backlash in the media for her lack of religious beliefs. (Or at least her willingness to discuss it.) Which is what inspired Rene to write her own magazine story about her private life, so that the public could get to know the real her. And that's precisely what happened.
Come to find out, Rene's outlook on prayer had been significantly shaken ever since her son, Timmy, died in his sleep when he was just six months old. It's an aspect of her life she's always preferred to keep private, but knowing just how impossible that is when your family gets thrust into the spotlight, Rene decided to share her secrets and inner-most feelings with the world without fear. She refuses to remain "pretty and silent." The media can turn on you at any given moment. One minute they're kind, the next minute they're cruel. So Rene did the smartest thing she could think to do by taking the coverage of herself into her own hands. And it reaped pretty fruitful rewards in regards to not just what the on-screen public thinks of her, but how we view her as a character as well.
And the way that her husband Scott stood beside her the whole time proves, yet again, that some of these households share a much more equally balanced relationship than the stereotypical norm we've associated with that time period. They are a team and he needs her strength just as much as she needs his. The moon may be their ultimate mission, but this marriage is already out of this world.
Images: Cook Allender/ABC (2)
