Sister Wives: 5 Threads, 5 Adults...Or Are There?

[Rachel333]

47 minutes ago, ChickenettiLuvr said:

Having re-watched last week's episode and now partway through tonight's...

Where is Robbyn's son? He def wasn't at Garrison's party.

And Meri missed Garrison's moment too because she was pouting ... errr...working at her own house. 

I'm not watching currently, but on last week's episode you could briefly see Dayton at one of the wedding planning events -- maybe when they were trying the tacos.

[SilverBeach]

That room for Maddie and Caleb is nice! But why not have them move in with Meri, who has no shortage of bedrooms or bathrooms? Times like this is when it becomes clear that they are not really one big happy family. 

[ChickenettiLuvr]

Thanks @Rachel333.

I just saw Dayton helping with Caleb & Maddie's room.

[ViolaSebastian]

1 hour ago, ChickenettiLuvr said:

Dang! How much coin did Kody drop on those two Invicta watches???

No buy used and save the difference in this cult-de-sac. Oy.

No kidding! Even on the low end they're still pretty steep. Sometimes it blows my mind that I will probably never afford kids, but doofuses like Jim Bob and Kody have twenty of them. 

[mstee]

I haven’t had a chance to watch. What’s the reason for Maddie and Caleb moving back? 

[zephyr]

I’m only half way through, and I’m sure he will show up, but I’ve really enjoyed the first hour being Tony free. 

And there he is. Sheesh. 

[bananabread]

When Christine and Kody were talking about how sad their wedding/early marriage was (seriously, that is SO depressing), Kody actually looked really upset. You can tell he feels guilty and thinks that Christine deserved better. He even looked like he was going to tear up at one point. It was one of those rare moments when Kody seemed to really connect with and demonstrate love for a wife...it just really stood out to me.

[zephyr]

Some more random thoughts:

Robin sounded like she was trying to convince the internet that they aren’t all drama all. the. time. 

Even the flashbacks with Tony get under my skin. 

Everytime Kody says anything that starts with “ I know...” I cringe.

Christine saying she wants to read 50 shades and then being surprised to hear what it’s about. Oh my. 

 

 

 

[Sky with diamonds]

7 hours ago, Rachel333 said:

Christine is pretty and seems very nice, friendly, and caring. I don't understand why Kody is such a jerk to her.

Tonight's show proved how much of a jerk Cody was about the dress and her weight. Ouch.

[Alice in Fundieland]

1 hour ago, mstee said:

I haven’t had a chance to watch. What’s the reason for Maddie and Caleb moving back? 

@mstee They said they realized with a new baby and some other challenges they’ve faced that they need to move back, plus they want to be closer to the family for the baby. Several times it was mentioned that they’re both still in college so it seems they’re hoping for help from the family while they finish school.

[candygirl200413]

Super random but Janelle looks 100% like my aunt (my aunt is taller than her just looking) if Janelle was black and had short hair. I'm always in awe everytime I watch.

I follow Maddie on instagram and I'm trying to figure out if they're still living with Janelle or not.

[DugFan]

OK, someone mentioned it earlier so I'm going to start it.  Feel free to add. The Tony/Mykelti wedding drinking game:

One shot if/when:

1. Tony tries to get Kody to pay for something or 2 shots if assumes that Kody will pay for something.

2. The word "taco(s)" is used.

3. Tony vetoes one of Mykelti's decisions.

4. Christine painfully talks about how much she just LOVES Tony!

5. The word "mocktails" is used (just cracks me up)

 

 

[OyToTheVey]

18 hours ago, SilverBeach said:

That room for Maddie and Caleb is nice! But why not have them move in with Meri, who has no shortage of bedrooms or bathrooms? Times like this is when it becomes clear that they are not really one big happy family. 

Because Meri stated that she didn't want to parent all those kids. She wasn't interested. Which I don't understand the point of staying in a plural marriage if you don't want to parent other mothers children. 

[SilverBeach]

Maddie and Caleb have just the one baby, not kids, not yet. Meri still doesn't want to be bothered. She would rather see Janelle's house crammed to the gills rather that give up any of her precious peace and quiet. Meri agrees with this polygamy stuff in her head but not her heart. Nothing would have made her happier than being Kody's only wife. She is insufferable and I don't know how they put up with her.

[Carm_88]

16 hours ago, candygirl200413 said:

I follow Maddie on instagram and I'm trying to figure out if they're still living with Janelle or not.

Pretty sure they are. I wonder if it's partly show related too. They can get some extra cash from being on the show, which they wouldn't have gotten if they were living elsewhere. 

[Berta McGee]

36 minutes ago, OyToTheVey said:

Because Meri stated that she didn't want to parent all those kids. She wasn't interested. Which I don't understand the point of staying in a plural marriage if you don't want to parent other mothers children. 

I think the whole justification for plural marriage is to help each other based on each woman's strong points and for sharing the burden. Christine, in the very beginning said she had no interest in being a stay at home mother and was glad she was free to work and support the family while Janelle happily stayed home with their kids. 

Meri I think, married Kody for love and liked being the only wife even though she supported his wishes to collect wives and maybe hoped it would make him love her more if she were the good egg? Once the other wives started having babies and she couldn't, she was halfway gone. Then came the show, and Robyn, another gift from Meri. It doesn't make sense except maybe she loved him enough to want him to be happy even if she got hurt in the end?  I think Meri is insufferable and playing the passive aggressive martyr now but with explaination. She's miserable and has been for years. I think she wants to be loved and valued as an individual and not part of a larger machine. If she leaves, she loses everything she's known, fame and financial stability. It seems like these reality shows destroy the people they feature. Look at how many marriages ended while the shows were airing but they hid it in order to keep filming.

Even the Duggars, when they lost their show because of Josh, rushed to the cameras making their daughters testify that it was nothing! Nothing at all that my brother molested me! Please don't take away our show?

[LacyMay]

8 hours ago, SilverBeach said:

Maddie and Caleb have just the one baby, not kids, not yet. Meri still doesn't want to be bothered. She would rather see Janelle's house crammed to the gills rather that give up any of her precious peace and quiet. Meri agrees with this polygamy stuff in her head but not her heart. Nothing would have made her happier than being Kody's only wife. She is insufferable and I don't know how they put up with her.

I'm not flat out disagreeing but do we *know* that Meri actually refused to have them at her house? I'm not a huge Meri fan but I think it's just as likely that Maddie and Caleb *wanted* to be at Janelle's house. It makes the most sense that whoevers house they are at will have the most hands on time with the baby/be the default grandma type helper and I can see Maddie and Caleb wanting that to be Janelle (or Janelle wanting it to be Janelle) I just think for all those little first time moments or those times when you're just not sure that if you could have your bio mom in the same house wouldn't you want her to be?

I'm also rewatching bits of the 2nd season and the wives have all talked a lot about liking having their own space etc. If Maddie and Caleb were at Meri's that could present some challenges (what role does Janelle play vs Meri? When can Janelle come over? To what extent can she make herself at home?) 

 

ETA and we can take this with a grain of salt but Janelle kind of addressed the Meri thing on twitter 

Janelle Brown‏Verified account @JanelleBrown117 Jan 21

"Maybe they could have moved in with Meri, true, but I couldn’t bear to not have them in my house :)"

 

[Pretzel]

@Berta McGee I think you confused the moms. Janelle was the working mom, Christine the SAHM. They always seemed like that arrangement worked very well for them. Christine doted on all kids at home, and Janelle brought home the bacon for everyone. I seem to remember that Meri had a lot of fun working with troubled youth, but when they turned public she lost that job. She always seemed to like working with teens and if she wasn't just so envious she could actually enjoy the large family they have.

Meri is so obnoxious. She just wants to be queen bee, everyone needs to sense what she wants and cater to her needs, and if they don't because...duh...they do have their own work load to worry about, she starts to pout, is angry, and flirts with strangers on the internet. The fact that she got catfished is terrible, nobody deserves to be betrayed like that, but had that guy been real, I'm sure Meri would've been d.o.n.e. with the family. After all, she's only had one kid...

which brings me to another point. She's only had this one kid and she can't be grateful for that. It's terrible to see how she treats Mariah. Instead of devoting all her time and energy to the relationship with her only daughter, she pities herself and treats Mariah terribly. I understand Mariah's anger and I don't get Meri (who does, anyway). Other people try their entire fertile lives and don't conceive. They'd be very happy with one child. IIRC Meri also declined any of Kody's offers to try reproductive medicine, because, you know, it's so much more comfy and rewarding to be pouting and pull the woe-is-me-card than to actually step up and do something about it. 

I will never understand how their houses are built. They either look bigger than they are or the Browns' standards are messed up. I have no idea why Meri could barely fit Mariah into her house? FYI: there was an episode a while back that showed Mariah moving from LV back into their old home in Lehi. Mariah mentioned that in Lehi, she could finally have a large room. WTF? Meri has this huge house to herself and Mariah couldn't have a large room? What is going on in the other rooms in Meri's house? On top of that, I don't understand why they didn't design and build Meri's house into a two or three apartment house. She could've easily shared two apartments with Mariah, retire to one upon Mariah's move-out, and offer the other apartment(s) to anyone in the family that needed it at the time. When you have such a huge family, space is a luxury. Therefore, I don't understand why they didn't design the other wives' houses with smaller rooms but based on a smarter floor plan. And why they would build these expensive houses with a move back to Utah in mind is really beyond me. You've established a family there, you've built houses, your kids feel safe and at home, why wanna move back?

Oh who am I kidding, it's the Browns. They don't follow any logic. 

However, watching the latest episode, and I have no idea what's wrong with me, but I got a little emotional when they showed Garrison coming home. Again, it became very obvious that there's a lot of love in that family, especially for and among the kids. None of the kids seem afraid of or detached from their parents. Nothing among the kids seems forced, which is a huge opposite to Duggarville. On top of that, I think even the adults can have fun together. What we see is mostly drama because that sells best, it's not like their boring everyday life would bring in more viewers. 

[DillyDally]

While we're talking about weddings: Michelle (Logan's fiance) confirmed on Instagram that there will be no filming for the show at their wedding (in the comments):

I say good for them (not surprised at all), and despite not having seen Mykelti and Toni's wedding yet, I am sure it will be a much more classy affair. Looking forward to seeing Michelle's dress, too! 

[Berta McGee]

Am I wrong on thinking that TLC pays for the weddings they broadcast?

[usedbicycle]

My honest opinion about Meri. 

As a self-proclaimed feminist, I should pity her for having no other choice but to stay in a polygamous cult that's preventing her from living her chosen life and finding love (she admitted she has no relationship with Kody anymore). I don't like that she seems pressured by the other wives to stick around the cult-de-sac and participate more. She should be allowed find personal happiness and purpose, not feel tied-down to a loveless mariage. 

But I find Meri so manipulative and self-centered that I have a really hard time feeling sorry for her. Polygamy is a family structure in which all the adults pitch in to raise the kids and she's not holding up her end of the deal. Who knows what she does all day. However, she still feels entitled to the family's financial ressources in a disproportionate way, including wanting to buy this new mansion for herself. She's constantly manipulating the others into fearing she will leave. For example when the wives expressed concerns that she would spend too much time away at the Victorian mansion, she didn't appease their fears. She basically said she may or may not grow more distant. She loves to call impromptu meetings for "big announcements" and loves to see everyone worried and guessing what they're about. I would respect her more if she left for good and separated herself financially from the family, but she has too much to lose by doing that. It's a lot easier to stay while insinuating that the family is to blame for her unhappiness.

I actually met the wives in person at a TLC event in Chicago a couple years back, and Meri was by far the most outgoing and friendly with the fans. She loved to have her picture taken and LOVED all the compliments people were giving her. Janelle and Christine were a little more reserved and Robyn wasn't there. Even though she appears a little withdrawn on TV, I have no doubt that Meri revels in the attention provided from the show and would have a hard time quitting it. 

 

 

[srlm]

I just keep coming out of lurkdom because my fascination with polygamy is just too strong.  

I am glad to finally know why Maddie and Caleb moved back to Las Vegas.  I also wondered why they didn't move into Meri's big empty house....

Christine has always been my favorite wife, I think she is sweet and so pretty and I know she and Kody had problems but I wish I hadn't seen that little video clip because it made me so sad.  

The scene with Garrison coming home made me cry.  

I'm only halfway through last night's episode.  

[SilverBeach]

It's Christine that wanted to stay home and raise kids, and Janelle that wanted to work.

No doubt Maddie and Caleb wanted to stay with Janelle, I would too.  If it were an option though, they would perhaps have considered Meri's to have more space for themselves and make it easier for Janelle. Don't know if Meri offered or was asked.  I see that Janelle says she wants them in her house, so that's that.

Still , Meri has been nothing but selfish, which is why she has that big-ass house in the first place, complete with wet bar.  She was far more fulfilled in Utah where she had a job she loved and lost when the family came out as poly.  I feel for her in that respect. Meri has floundered in Vegas and I think that has been a major contributor to her unhappiness. She does love attention and it has been hard for her to get except the negative kind.

Nothing fundy about Logan and his girlfriend, good for them.

 

[Sky with diamonds]

Meri comes across as very pity me, attention always has to be on her and  she is also greedy. 

[Coconut Flan]

Quote

I will never understand how their houses are built. They either look bigger than they are or the Browns' standards are messed up. I have no idea why Meri could barely fit Mariah into her house? FYI: there was an episode a while back that showed Mariah moving from LV back into their old home in Lehi. Mariah mentioned that in Lehi, she could finally have a large room. WTF? Meri has this huge house to herself and Mariah couldn't have a large room? What is going on in the other rooms in Meri's house? On top of that, I don't understand why they didn't design and build Meri's house into a two or three apartment house.

Mariah picked a bedroom in Meri's house based on where the sun rose.  She had a choice of several rooms.  Whether it was smaller or larger than her room in the plyg house was somewhat up to her.  They decided to buy into that particular development and were therefore limited to options on one basic house plan that had building permit approval.

They can't convert a house into apartments without getting zoning approval that I doubt they could get.  They are in an area of single family dwellings and why should the planning commission give them a variance?