After 8 seasons on HGTV,Mina Starsiak Hawkpreviously revealed on her podcast,Mina AF, that the time had come to end her hit series,Good Bones. Discussing the show’s fate on her podcast, she shared that it was best for everyone involved to end the home renovation program. Between stress, burnout, and a potential career change, it was time to pull the plug. With a spin-off program underway, she would not be saying goodbye to her time on HGTV, she’d just be closing one chapter of her life. It was the best decision she had made according to her, as her already troubled family issues were tied to the program. By starting new,Mina has been able to keep her persona active and use her expertise in a new way.
In 2016,HGTV tried a new versionof a well-oiled concept. A home renovation show, but this time led by a mother-daughter team!Good Bonesfollowed Mina Starsiak Hawk and her mother,Karen E. Laine, as they renovated run-down homes in her hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana. Under the guise of their business, Two Chicks and a Hammer,Good Boneswas a gruffer and grittier version of the programs HGTV fans had already fallen in love with.But like many other shows on the network, off-camera strife aided in the demise of the show. When the stars require regular breaks from one another, it’s time to reevaluate the situation.
Mina Starsiak Hawk Needed To End This Era
Following eight triumphant seasons,Good Bonesended on HGTV in 2023,much to the dismay of the loyal fans.On the August 7th, 2023 episode of her podcastMina AF,Mina Starsiak Hawk broke the newsthat she had finished her last few pickups to conclude the final season. For Mina, she revealed how proud she was about the project, noting how it was super representative of who she is. Mina revealed that she and the network did agree to end the show, a decision they made together. Renovating more than a dozen houses a season was a challenge for Mina and the team. She noted the stress and pressure of the show got the best of her.She did not want the responsibility of keeping two dozen people employed, despite putting that on her shoulders. It caused her to be a person she no longer knew or liked. The version of who she was changed, and to eliminate that version,Good Bonesneeded to end.She bluntly saidshe “just needed to switch it up.”
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As much as there is television magic, the reality of creatingGood Bonesbecame more and more difficult. Mina stated that she would oftenbutt heads with city plannersas she tried to work within the system. With the struggles to do her work,Mina felt she bent over backwards to make things come to fruition, citing that personal opinions stymied her growth. Even when it comes to her team,Mina has experienced discord with the show’s project manager,Cory Miller.They have known one another since childhood, leading to decades of problems between the two.Mina used her platform to reveal that she learned things about Cory’s true colorsand why she had to make the difficult choice to no longer interact. While Mina has lost a relationship with Cory, Karen has maintained hers.
From a personal perspective,Mina went through a lot of life changes during the run of the show.On the positive, she married her husband,Steve Hawk, and had two children with him,JackandCharlie. On the flip side, with family being a crucial element to the show, the family drama got the best of all involved. Mina stated, “you’re the hardest and maybe meanest to the people closest to you because it’s safe, so we’ve kind of become family for each other and kind of done that.“TheGood Bonesfamily was truly a big dysfunctional family, showing there is more than what viewers see. Between more construction and contractor issues, nothing seems to match the interpersonal family dynamics that infiltrated the show.
Family Drama Got the Best of ‘Good Bones’
Good Bonesthrived because of the relationship between the mother and daughter team. Mina did the brunt of the renovating while Karen focused on smaller and special projects for the houses. It should be noted that she stepped away from her position in the company in 2019. As time went on,the relationship between Mina and Karen caused an intense strain, leading to a rift that seemed irreparable. While filming the Season 8 premiere,Mina and her mom engaged in a knockdown drag-out fight during demolition.Mina revealed, “I think family business is hard enough on its own. And from what people know from the show, my mom and I are thick as thieves, best friends and because they just don’t know anything else, they assume that’s how it’s always been.”
With different working styles getting in the way of work, it became a bigger issue than just the two of them. Mina essentially dropped the bomb that she and her mom have hada very rocky relationship since childhood.Unable to pinpoint a specific moment that caused their falling out, Mina stated it had been a cumulative situation. But for Mina,for her mother to not work on a relationship with her children was almost like a gut punch.
Good Bones and the Relationship Between Mina and Karen
Growing up, the tension between Mina and Karen stemmed fromMina’s dissatisfaction with Karen’s new husband.Following the divorce,Mina decided to live with her father instead of her mother.Luckily, some of their relationship was relinquished when Karen moved on to her third husband, allowing Mina to have a visit her mother again. As evident onGood Bones, the relationship between Mina and Karen was more of a friendship than parental, which stemmed from how she treated her as a teenager. That being said,her siblings had stronger relationships with their mother than she did.
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In addition to her rift with Karen, Mina has not been on good terms with her half-brother,Tad Starsiak. Despite not revealing details,Tad used social media to disclose his feelingson the situation through vagueness and codes. She spoke on her podcast about how she and Tad had said some really awful stuff to one another, but a text message was the final straw. After discussing it with her husband,they decided that Tad was not a good person to be around.As much as they are all television personalities, fans can relate to the family drama as it is real and raw. At times, it can be memorable. Mina revealed on her podcast that when the family is gathered together, they all attempt to be cordial and put a smile on, but they know there is much more behind the smile.
Casual fans ofGood Bonestune in for the experience of watching a home renovation. They may not know about the goings-on behind the scenes. But those who know,could see the tension rising between the cast. Luckily for hardcore Mina Starsiak Hawk fans,she has returned to HGTV inHouse Hunters: All Stars.When one chapter ends, a new one begins.
Fans Were Gifted a Special Season
This past August,Good Bonesfans were gifted a special mini-season of their favorite show. But it was unlike the series they once knew. InGood Bones: New Beginnings, Mina Starsiak Hawk and Karen E. Laine returned to share two new personal projects. For Mina, she brought viewers into her family lakehouse and she and her husband, Steve Hawk, tackled the creation of this special home. For Karen, she took fans to Wilmington, North Carolina, as she crafted her brand-new beach bungalow.Both projects were personal and emotional for bothGood Bonesstars, but the catch was they did them separately.
With Mina and Karen still not on the same page,Good Bones: New Beginningswas the same, yet different at the same time. No longer was there banter between the mother and daughter. This time it was parallel projects and parallel stories. Episode 1 was for Mina. Episode 2 was for Karen.Both stories showcased the struggles both women were experiencing.Whether it was Mina having to shutter District Co., her side business, or Karen struggling to move on while being away from the rest of her family, it opened up a new vantage for viewers. And don’t worry, there were still some other familiar faces on hand.Cory Miller, Mina’s childhood friend, appeared in North Carolina to help Karen with her new home.
Mina Starsiak Hawk Misses Filming Good Bones
The hook that drawsGood Bonesfans in is the personalities. While the show that once was will likely never be again,Good Bones: New Beginningswas an opportunity to explore a new direction should a spin-off universe be desired. In a sense,Good Bones: New Beginningswas a dual backdoor pilot.Mina Starsiak Hawk could easily handle her own series, should she want it. Karen E. Laine has the ability to bring her good-natured heart to a series of her own. But never will the two meet. In the entirety of the special season,there was nary a mention of the relatives in their story.As it continues to stand, they continue to not be on the same page. They exist in separate universes.
Mina Starsiak Hawk recently spoke out about how she misses filming the series.In an Instagram story, she stated, “I grew up makingGood Bones.I started in my 20s. I turn 40 this year. Most of my adult life was spent making the show. I miss the real work,” she continued. “The fun. The pranks. The amazing relationships. The experiences I got to have that I never would have had if not for the show. 100% I miss it.” Mina is focused on herself and knows that the original version of the show can no longer exist. For now,Good Bones: New Beginningsis the closest thing fans will get to the show they know and love.Good Bonesis available to stream on Max in the U.S.
Good Bones
A reality TV series featuring the dynamic mother-daughter team of Karen E. Laine and Mina Starsiak Hawk, who specialize in revitalizing old homes in Indianapolis. The show documents their journey as they purchase dilapidated properties and meticulously renovate them into beautiful, functional living spaces. With a focus on craftsmanship and design, each episode presents the obstacles they overcome and the creative strategies they employ to breathe new life into neglected homes. The series combines elements of renovation expertise, family collaboration, and the revitalization of local communities.
