Sister Wives: 4 Wives, 4 Threads - It's Karma!

[IreneIssh]

I'm with a lot of you in that I--much to my own surprise--came away with more respect for Kody and Robyn in this episode. Robyn in particular surprised me, because she was so supportive of Mariah and was even said to have gay friends. I even started to tear up when Kody was talking about how much he loves his kids--What's wrong with me?!

Edit: Also, Mariah's "brattiness" and religious devotion makes so much sense now. I really think I would like Mariah. I hope she feels loved and supportive and people on social media aren't being super awful about this. It broke my heart that she said that if they had stayed in Utah, she probably would have married a guy with four wives and pretended to be happy her whole life. The best thing they ever did for their kids is move them out of Utah. 

[Carm_88]

I'm glad that Mariah has the rest of her family. I get that Meri is shocked but honestly, your daughter is gay. It is not the end of the world. She is a wonderful young woman and she now knows who she is. Talking about how your catfish was a woman is irrelevant. It's not about you! I'm glad that Kody, the other Moms, and the siblings are so supportive. 

[MarblesMom]

Meri let her relationship with her daughter die on the vine.  

Meri was invested in Meri, rather than explaining to her daughter that she was exploring "friendships" (such as they were) outside the compound... or she could have not explained anything, and had an adult moment without a child's need to be involved (even tho the whole thing was weird).

So, a broken mom/daughter relationship on top of daughter news realizing who she is... and trying to "fix" it (either for the show or in real life) takes time.  They aren't over the catfishing incident... Meri wanting to understand her daughter's place in the world now is not a quick fix.

No doubt Meri is hurt and shut out, but baby steps, or no steps for a while.  Just let everything marinate and THEN come back and stir gently.

As much as Robyn irritates me most episodes, she actually made the most sense.  (To me, at least.)

[KelseyAnn]

I can relate to Mariah a lot. 

Just like her, I kept in denial/the closet for the longest time because I grew up in a small town and heavily Catholic family.

I had just kept telling myself that if I prayed hard enough, I would be cured, and if I kept having those sinful thoughts it meant I wasn't praying hard enough to be fixed and that my faith was small. 

And so I hid behind religion to hide my fears of going to hell, and I was a total asshole about it, too. I'm still ashamed of the things I did when I was still religious. 

But finally, just like Mariah, I came out this year and I've never been happier. 

And the people I expected most to support didn't, but the people I dind't expect to support me did. 

My grandma, God bless her, supported me publicaly when my mother went on a tirade against me. 

And if an 80 year old woman, who is so Catholic she had 10 kids, can support me- I just have a little more faith in the world as a whole. ANd I wish Mariah the best in her journey. 

[Fun Undies]

On 1/8/2017 at 8:32 PM, ChickenettiLuvr said:

Just before the commercial break:

Christine:  ..... " makes you wonder about Brian and Aurora, doesn't it?"

WHA??????

^ I did a double take, too!!  I thought - or at least my subtitles said - "makes you wonder about Mariah's and Aurora, doesn't it?"

Just to give it context for those who didn't watch the show: Janelle and Christine were talking about how surprising it was/is to see Maddie and Mykelti taking on most of the wedding prep themselves, though they admitted that might have to do with it being easier than trying to get four moms opinions involved in the mix/stress of it all.

So after my double take, I took it as Christine trying to say, "I wonder how Mariah and Aurora are going to do their weddings, with you(Robyn) and you(Meri) - versus how our oldest daughter's handled their wedding, with us (Janelle) and (Christine)."  <-- at least that's what I took away from her inference, but of course, who knows for sure?? *shrug*

On 1/8/2017 at 9:03 PM, BamaBelle said:

Hickey or curling iron burn? 

Spoiler

Unfortunately I highly doubt if Kody and Meri are doing anything remotely intimate with one another (not just sex, but even anything more than a peck).  They can't even sit on the couch next to one another in therapy - and I don't recall her sitting next to Kody in the TH's in years :/

On 1/9/2017 at 3:17 PM, ChunkyBarbie said:

I'm now watching the travel special.  At a rest stop, Meri demanded that the order of cars driving be switched, so the cars would ordered, red, white, grey, white and red. Everyone basically was like okay.  Christine teased a little that she wasn't going to do it, but it was clear it was happening. W. T. F! 

Imagine growing up with that. Especially, if you are figuring out that you are different and not "perfect."  

I've actually watched every episode (I know, give me a medal already ).  Anyways, these clip shows don't interest me in the least D: 

As for the whole awkward scene between Meri and Mariah at the cabin, I really do feel like her use of the word "weird" was a total Freudian slip.  Because frankly, it is "weird" to her that her daughter is gay.  She backtracked so quick, when Mariah looked obviously defensive about it. 

I don't even think Mariah is rebelling, or trying to punish Meri over and over again.  She just wants her Mom to own her one true self, like she has done, and frankly, I don't think she's got patience for anything less (at least not from her Mom).

[TakingBibleClasses]

1 hour ago, Fun Undies said:

^ I did a double take, too!!  I thought - or at least my subtitles said - "makes you wonder about Mariah's and Aurora, doesn't it?"

Just to give it context for those who didn't watch the show: Janelle and Christine were talking about how surprising it was/is to see Maddie and Mykelti taking on most of the wedding prep themselves, though they admitted that might have to do with it being easier than trying to get four moms opinions involved in the mix/stress of it all.

So after my double take, I took it as Christine trying to say, "I wonder how Mariah and Aurora are going to do their weddings, with you(Robyn) and you(Meri) - versus how our oldest daughter's handled their wedding, with us (Janelle) and (Christine)."  <-- at least that's what I took away from her inference, but of course, who knows for sure?? *shrug*

I thought she said, "Makes you wonder about Breanna and Aurora [Robyn's two daughters who don't have Kody as a biological father]." They were talking about how each of the daughters so far has found something of Kody's personality in her husband/fiancé. I thought it was a (potentially also inappropriate?) wondering about whether Robyn's girls would go for someone like Kody or like their biological father.

[Natalie22]

57 minutes ago, TakingBibleClasses said:

I thought she said, "Makes you wonder about Breanna and Aurora [Robyn's two daughters who don't have Kody as a biological father]." They were talking about how each of the daughters so far has found something of Kody's personality in her husband/fiancé. I thought it was a (potentially also inappropriate?) wondering about whether Robyn's girls would go for someone like Kody or like their biological father.

She definitely said Mariah and Aurora.  I agree with @Fun Undies that she was just talking about whether this pattern would continue with the daughters from other mothers.  

 

On a completely different note, I think Meri's response to Mariah coming out is completely normal, especially for someone who was raised in such a conservative religion.  While Meri may intellectually be okay with gay people, there is still a lot of underlying things that are probably left over from childhood which are much more difficult to work through.  Having a gay daughter is making her actually confront these things.  While doing this, she has said continuously that she wants Meri to be happy, that she supports Mariah and the person she is.  That's a pretty good response from someone in a very conservative religion.  I think in this case it's best to take Dan Savage's advice:  When you first come out, let your family ask you all the questions they want.  Even if sometimes it feels insulting or bizarre.  But after a year, if they haven't gotten over it, it's time to leave.  Meri just needs a little bit more time to process.  It can take people a really long time to shift all the plans and dreams they had for someone, and that's completely normal.  It can also be difficult to come to terms that she didn't see this coming because it reminds people just how little you can be sure of a person.  She loves her daughter and thought she knew her and now feels like a complete idiot and horrible parent for missing it.  I predict in about 6-8 months after Mariah told her, she'll be completely fine with it and 100% supportive.

[Carm_88]

I hope that Meri does come around and see that the main thing is that her daughter is happy. I am sure that it is hard for her to wrap her head around it. That being said she does have to realize that it's about Mariah and don't bring up the catfish thing. Also, realize that it's going to take time to fix things!

[SweetFellowshipper]

On ‎1‎/‎10‎/‎2017 at 8:53 PM, Natalie22 said:

She definitely said Mariah and Aurora.  I agree with @Fun Undies that she was just talking about whether this pattern would continue with the daughters from other mothers.  

 

On a completely different note, I think Meri's response to Mariah coming out is completely normal, especially for someone who was raised in such a conservative religion.  While Meri may intellectually be okay with gay people, there is still a lot of underlying things that are probably left over from childhood which are much more difficult to work through.  Having a gay daughter is making her actually confront these things.  While doing this, she has said continuously that she wants Meri to be happy, that she supports Mariah and the person she is.  That's a pretty good response from someone in a very conservative religion.  I think in this case it's best to take Dan Savage's advice:  When you first come out, let your family ask you all the questions they want.  Even if sometimes it feels insulting or bizarre.  But after a year, if they haven't gotten over it, it's time to leave.  Meri just needs a little bit more time to process.  It can take people a really long time to shift all the plans and dreams they had for someone, and that's completely normal.  It can also be difficult to come to terms that she didn't see this coming because it reminds people just how little you can be sure of a person.  She loves her daughter and thought she knew her and now feels like a complete idiot and horrible parent for missing it.  I predict in about 6-8 months after Mariah told her, she'll be completely fine with it and 100% supportive.

I would agree except that Mariah has specifically asked her for space. If the person coming out's feelings are raw and they're just figuring stuff out themselves, asking a bunch of questions is only going to seem insensitive and self-centered. Also, Meri has a history of being self-centered and relying on Mariah for all her emotional needs. That's *not* what Mariah needs right now--as Robyn said, it's not Mariah's job to work through stuff with Meri. It's Meri's job to work through it, especially since she's been explicitly asked to back off for a while.

Also, their relationship was already bad for a variety of reasons--that doesn't just go away because she's coming out. So regardless of her personal feelings, Meri should be able to step away for a time out of respect. She hasn't proven herself able to do that yet. I don't think it's out of cruelty, but Meri does has a habit of being needy and a martyr. I thought it was telling that the vast majority of her questions were about *herself*--we need to work on our relationship, what does this mean about *my* dreams for the future, etc. If I were Mariah, I'd be worried that it would become the Meri show. I think she's doing the best she can, but man, Meri would be a grating person to come out to.

[Nashville92]

Per her instagram Maddie and Caleb are having a boy 

[Carm_88]

2 minutes ago, Nashville92 said:

Per her instagram Maddie and Caleb are having a boy 

Awh! Good for them!  I'm sure there will be plenty of camo! 

[Pretzel]

OMG I'm only a few minutes in and I'm already crying. Kody may dance embarrassingly awkward for the next ten seasons cause his hug and speech to Mariah about his unconditional love for his kids just earned him a thousand parenting points with me.

WOW! Who would've thought that one day FJ would start liking Robyn? I have to say I've come to like her a little more since the kids started to show publically and more frequently how much they liked her and how positive they viewed their relationship with her. E.g. Aspyn saying she'd be moving into Robyn's house because she'd get to know her other siblings better and would get along best with Robyn etc. I think TLC has made it a goal for a very long time to portray Robyn as the selfish river-crying bitch to create more drama and draw in viewers but she may actually be a nice gal to hang with and to confide in. I remember years back someone here on FJ had known Robyn or maybe just a friend of hers (I don't recall right now) and said they couldn't say a bad word about her. I'm glad Robyn's so accepting of gay people and was so supportive of Mariah. Go Robyn! Well, I can't believe I just said that. I feel a little bad as well for snarking on her so much in the past but now that I saw we share some of the same values I suddenly applaud her online. I blame part of that on reality TV and its purpose, which is to portray people in a freakish, second-hand-embarrassment inducing manner and staging crap so people would keep watching. Though what's really sad is that the public still perceives the Sister Wives clan as the terrible trainwreck even though they work on their relationships and care for their kids, while the Duggars are effing up their children's lives but are portrayed as America's happy Christian poster family (even after Joshgate 1.0 and 2.0). ( JB and Michelle (mother of the year, my ass) had better take a big look at the Browns to see what unconditional love for a child looks like.)

[IreneIssh]

Wow. Someone posted this on the Sister wives subreddit, and now I will never be able to unsee it.

[Carm_88]

Wow. Someone posted this on the Sister wives subreddit, and now I will never be able to unsee it.

Oh my god [emoji85][emoji33]

[Pretzel]

Who is that on the right? A politician? 

Still very impressed by Kody&Robyn, and the rest of the family actually. I do get why Meri's behaving so awkwardly. She only has this one kid and all her hopes and dreams lasted on Mariah. Now Mariah hasn't come to terms with Meri's catfishing scandal yet, and things are awkward between the two and now there's again something that's pushing them even more apart. I understand that it leaves Meri feeling unable to bridge the gap. She's not very close to her daughter right now and whatever she says sets Mariah on fire. There's this burnt bridge and little she can do to make it whole again. I kinda understand where Meri comes from and why she couldn't be all excited and supportive. She needs some time to process and maybe think about owning her mistakes even if just in front of Mariah and not in the public). I'm sure this would be a lot easier on her if she had one or two more kids or a better relationship with Kody, or both.

This is still one of the few times you actually think it's great that those kids have this large family and support system in place, they have someone to rely on even if they aren't on great terms with their bio-parents. I'm really surprised Robyn plays this big role in the Kody-Meri relationship and that they both vent to Robyn about each other. I only realized now, that Robyn may have been added to the family so she would be the buffer between Kody and the other wives. The whole Mariah-reavealing-she's-gay-thing actually gave the Robyn-shebang a whole new perspective. The sister wives have frequently stated in the past how Robyn managed to be the one who always remains calm (though not in talking heads fwiw) and level-headed even if things went downhill. So I had this thought in mind lately that Robyn really isn't the big shit stirrer we thought she was, but that she actually may have played a big role in keeping things even-tempered between all of them. We don't know about the pre-Robyn relationships but maybe shit had already hit the fan back then and the move to Vegas, the move to individual houses and the space each of them got was kinda sorta Robyn-induced and saved them from a major separation. Who knows? They all seem to thrive so much more since they live in their own houses with more space to themselves and much less exposure to each other (well, except for Meri). 

[GreyhoundFan]

8 hours ago, Pretzel said:

Who is that on the right? A politician? 

 

Yes, it's Senator Ted Cruz, nut job extraordinaire, and one of Donald Drumpf's main rivals for the Republican nomination for President of the U.S. in 2016.

[Carm_88]

Kody's back to being his cringy self. Eek! This game is going to be interesting. 

[ChickenettiLuvr]

Oooookay.  Now that I'm in the right thread --

Who's watching tonight's episode of Sister Wives with me?

[Carm_88]

1 minute ago, ChickenettiLuvr said:

Oooookay.  Now that I'm in the right thread --

Who's watching tonight's episode of Sister Wives with me?

I am!  

[MarblesMom]

I think Kody's hair might really be the 5th wife...

[Carm_88]

1 minute ago, MarblesMom said:

I think Kody's hair might really be the 5th wife...

Pretty sure it is! That's hilarious. 

What was the Fartman thing? 

[ChickenettiLuvr]

Hahahahaha!!!  Love it, @MarblesMom.  You win the internetzes today.

Ermagerde ............ that sexy saxophone playing during the game was hiLARious!!!  (And how long until JillBilly decides to add saxophone to her traveling circus?  In 3...2...1.....)

 

[Carm_88]

Would Tony and Mykelti really do plural marriage? That's the question. 

[ChickenettiLuvr]

Call me corny .....

But I thought the marriage/newlywed game was fabulous.  I really enjoyed it!

[MarblesMom]

I'm thinking that might be a fun game with couples around a campfire after a few drinks....