Sister Wives 7: One Down and Three to Go

[Meggo]

I don’t watch every episode but I swear- Robyn cries alllll the time. 
 

I can’t understand why any of these women stick around. He doesn’t even have Meri in his rotation and I feel like- for everyone but Robyn- he is more trouble and annoyance than he is worth.

and as previously mentioned- how much does this nanny make to live by all those rules (wiping down the mail??) and WHY do they need a nanny? I could have used one when I was working from home and doing virtual school but … Robyn doesn’t work. Kody doesn’t appear to. Why couldn’t they have had another older kid quarantine and then move in to help? It’s just ridiculous- I don’t know why they have stayed this long.

 

[LacyMay]

4 minutes ago, Meggo said:

Why couldn’t they have had another older kid quarantine and then move in to help? It’s just ridiculous-

I don't think any of her older kids moved out to begin with...so no need for them to move back in! 

 

I know there's been speculation on the past about if any of the kids will seek out plural marriage. Honestly I wonder if Robyn's daughters might. 

 

they benefitted a fair bit from Robyn joining the family and even now might be seeing a much brighter side of it than the other kids. 

[JermajestyDuggar]

2 hours ago, Meggo said:

I don’t watch every episode but I swear- Robyn cries alllll the time. 
 

I can’t understand why any of these women stick around. He doesn’t even have Meri in his rotation and I feel like- for everyone but Robyn- he is more trouble and annoyance than he is worth.

and as previously mentioned- how much does this nanny make to live by all those rules (wiping down the mail??) and WHY do they need a nanny? I could have used one when I was working from home and doing virtual school but … Robyn doesn’t work. Kody doesn’t appear to. Why couldn’t they have had another older kid quarantine and then move in to help? It’s just ridiculous- I don’t know why they have stayed this long.

 

My guess is for the show. If there wasn’t a show to film, I think Meri probably would have been gone by now. I have a feeling Janelle is a loner like me and doesn’t care if she gets any attention from Kody. As long as her kids get some attention from him. 

[Cheetah]

I just finished watching last night's episode and I am just seething at Kody (and some at Robyn but mostly at him).  This family discussion was when... like October 2020, right?  By which time we all knew that you didn't need to sanitize the groceries and the mail anymore and it was fine to meet up with friends outdoors.  And only people who worked in hospitals were changing clothes after being out in public.  I'm kind of surprised that neither Janelle nor Christine said that specifically - "Kody your rules are based on what we were told to do in March and April.  Guidance has changed since then."  Also I'm so glad that Christine and Janelle are putting seeing their own adult children ahead of seeing Kody and Robyn.  

[clueliss]

This meeting that they’re having to decide about Thanksgiving and Christmas and evaluating Kody’s  rules. Anybody else sit and watch Cody’s body language during those he looks like a three year old who has toy taken away.

[Tatar-tot]

My take away from this season:

1.  Meri is a martyr & could benefit from mental health treatment. 
2.  Robyn is all about Robyn than anything else.  
3.  Janelle, despite the craziness she tolerates from Cody, shared the most important message:  If it becomes between X & the kids I will always choose my kids.  Go Janelle!  
4.  Christine, has had it.   After being away for 6 weeks caring for Ysabel she gained a ton of perspective on her relationship with Kody and what she wants out of life: Flagstaff with the “family” is not her future. I was shocked that the sister wives were not helping Christine with laundry, meals, shopping etc. 

Finally:  Kody is an idiot.  I could not imagine dealing with him.  Why did these women ever get involved with his lunacy?  
 

PS:  Did anyone catch Kody calling Christine’s medical trip and Janelle’s trip to help her daughter as “vacations”. WTF??? Carrying for a sick child is never a “vacation” no matter how mild the illness. 

Edited December 28, 2021 by Tatar-tot

[Cults-r-us]

11 hours ago, Meggo said:

I don’t watch every episode but I swear- Robyn cries alllll the time. 
 

I can’t understand why any of these women stick around. He doesn’t even have Meri in his rotation and I feel like- for everyone but Robyn- he is more trouble and annoyance than he is worth.

 

 

Meri has it made. She has here business, gets to travel, seems to have men friends to take pictures with on trips, has her own home where she wakes up in her own Ka-doosh free bed (hurrah, haymen hallelujah).

 But then, she gets to be on the show, humbly showing gratitude for any crumblet of attention she gets from our nasty-haired anti-hero. So she pines for his affection, which is not forth-coming (again, hurrah, haymen, hallelujah).

[LacyMay]

I watched bits of the last episode and caught Christine saying something like "I was fine without you there but the Dr was shocked that I was on my own" 

I wonder if that was a bit of a lightbulb moment for her that from the outside Kody not being there was a pretty jackass move and that she really deserved better.

Sometimes it takes a second set of eyes. 

I wouldn't be wholly surprised if at least Janelle wasn't offering to help out however she could. Her and Christine seem pretty close (Hunter went out to Jersey to spend time with Christine, Ysabel, Truley, Gwendolyn and Aspyn after the surgery and Janelle and Christine seem to have remained close after the split) but realistically "Janelle drops off groceries" doesn't make for as good TV as look at this asshat who proclaims to be all about his family and kids ditch his kids and grandchildren while they are having major surgery. 

 

On another note though, I've been watching last season and I am loving that Meri seems to be in a really good place with Audrey and Mariah. Her talking about wanting to be in Chicago and her mama bear instinct coming out and Mariah and Audrey understanding that and sort of also being so accepting of that I think spoke to at least those 3 being in a good place. 

[ifosterkittens]

4 hours ago, Tatar-tot said:

PS:  Did anyone catch Kody calling Christine’s medical trip and Janelle’s trip to help her daughter as “vacations”. WTF??? Carrying for a sick child is never a “vacation” no matter how mild the illness. 

Yes, and it pissed me off! Ysabel had major surgery, and if Christine didn't take Truely with her who was going to watch her for a month to six weeks? I didn't see Robyn or Meri volunteering to take care of her. Evie K also had major surgery, and if I was Maddie I would want Janelle's help. I'm guessing Janelle took Savannah with her because once again I didn't see Robyn or Meri offering to look after Savannah. Ysabel's recovery sounds incredibly painful and caring for a person in pain is no vacation. I guess Kody wouldn't know about the pain during recovery or he didn't think it was that bad, like he didn't know about the nine months of pain before the surgery.  

1 hour ago, LacyMay said:

I wouldn't be wholly surprised if at least Janelle wasn't offering to help out however she could. Her and Christine seem pretty close (Hunter went out to Jersey to spend time with Christine, Ysabel, Truley, Gwendolyn and Aspyn after the surgery and Janelle and Christine seem to have remained close after the split) but realistically "Janelle drops off groceries" doesn't make for as good TV as look at this asshat who proclaims to be all about his family and kids ditch his kids and grandchildren while they are having major surgery. 

Janelle's kids, at least the older ones all seem closer to Christine than Meri or Robyn. I bet Aspyn, Mitch and Hunter's presence lifted Christine and Ysabel's spirits. Plus, they could all help entertain Truely while Christine is focused on Ysabel. 

Kody in the solo talking head said he regretted not going for Ysabel's surgery, and I think it is because of the bad optics. If he regretted not going but still felt traveling wasn't worth the risk, as soon as Ysabel got home, he could have stepped up, but he didn't. The talking heads are filmed later, and I do wonder if Kody and Christine had split by then or had had arguments about Kody's absence, and maybe Christine's kids sided with Christine and said what do you expect dad you left her to care for Ysabel by herself. 

Robyn and Kody have an employee they call the nanny who helps with childcare and virtual school. To my knowledge Robyn and Kody don't have jobs outside of filming, so how they can justify having a nanny I don't understand. Christine is alone with no Kody, and no nanny so she is helping Ysabel while she recovers from major surgery and overseeing Truely's virtual schooling. I don't have to wonder why Christine left. 

Kody told Christine he was at her house three to four times a week before she started traveling during covid, and Christine said no it was two. If he did two days at each home, occasionally you would get a third day for the week, but not often. Janelle said during covid he would stay longer at each house which meant he was gone longer, so if he spent four days one week, eight days would go by before you saw him again for another four, so I am not following Kody's math. 

[LacyMay]

Ok I'm actually watching the new episode now...

 

Tony and Mykelti just always annoy me...but they are cute and seem happy to cheers to them. 

 

Am I the only one who thought Robyn saying "I love that Mykelti is thinking about doing a home birth *anyone I can convince to do that I feel like I've won" like... Maybe instead of trying to convince your "kids" and treating it like it's a competition...you just support them? Like everyone else was just super relaxed and non committal and here's Robyn being Robyn? Maybe I'm just irritated because honestly I sympathize with Toby's reservations and they deserve parents who are just 110% supportive of what they choose as long as it's safe and responsible. 

 

[Jrodseyeliner]

Did anyone catch Robin saying that Ariel’s and Solonan couldn’t go without seeing Kody for weeks? 
 

What the actual fuck?? But it is ok for all the other kids to go for that long??  I would have burred up then but then I remembered that I am a polygamist. 😂😂😂

[LacyMay]

10 hours ago, Jrodseyeliner said:

Did anyone catch Robin saying that Ariel’s and Solonan couldn’t go without seeing Kody for weeks? 
 

Of all the kiddos I genuinely think that Robyn's might grow up the least well adjusted. 

I genuinely think that as Messe dip as this family is a lot of the other kids managed to really embrace and thrive with some of the positives (bonus parents who love them like their own, close relationships with siblings that they didn't parent, learning to share and that they aren't the center of the universe while STILL having the attention of at least one parent and maybe even two when you add in the bonus mom's) 

Robyn's kids I don't think have had that. Robyn has always doted on them as "hers" Kody divorced Meri to legally adopt them and especially during COVID they have seen Kody with them much more, I don't know that they feel like they have ever shared him and on the flip side I don't know that they have had as good of relationships with the other wives (except maybe Meri) 

 

I think I've said this before but weirdly Robyn seems the most devout (the never ending storyline earlier on with her purity, talking last season about her celestial children and visions) I wouldn't be entirely shocked if one or more of her kids end up in polygamy. 

[DalmatianCat]

40 minutes ago, LacyMay said:

I genuinely think that as Messe dip as this family is a lot of the other kids managed to really embrace and thrive with some of the positives (bonus parents who love them like their own, close relationships with siblings that they didn't parent, learning to share and that they aren't the center of the universe while STILL having the attention of at least one parent and maybe even two when you add in the bonus mom's) 

I agree…and up until Robyn joined the family there were only 4 adults and 12 kids in the family so it was a fairly normal parent to child ratio (unlike the Duggars or Bates for example), so there was definitely a lot of attention for all the kids and seemed to have settled into a stable family time.

 

40 minutes ago, LacyMay said:

Robyn's kids I don't think have had that. Robyn has always doted on them as "hers" Kody divorced Meri to legally adopt them and especially during COVID they have seen Kody with them much more, I don't know that they feel like they have ever shared him and on the flip side I don't know that they have had as good of relationships with the other wives (except maybe Meri) 

 

I think I've said this before but weirdly Robyn seems the most devout (the never ending storyline earlier on with her purity, talking last season about her celestial children and visions) I wouldn't be entirely shocked if one or more of her kids end up in polygamy. 

I think (whether in her mind or in actuality) Robyn’s time with her ex-husband and her time as a single mom was incredibly traumatic to her. Kody gave her stability and safety and she doesn’t want to lose it, which is why she’s so willing to go along with his rules.
As the other wives children have moved away from the faith, I think that alarms Robyn. I definitely think that gives her a “circle the wagons!” approach to her own kids.

Edited December 28, 2021 by DalmatianCat
Typos

[Cults-r-us]

20 hours ago, ifosterkittens said:

Yes, and it pissed me off! Ysabel had major surgery, and if Christine didn't take Truely with her who was going to watch her for a month to six weeks? I didn't see Robyn or Meri volunteering to take care of her. Evie K also had major surgery, and if I was Maddie I would want Janelle's help. I'm guessing Janelle took Savannah with her because once again I didn't see Robyn or Meri offering to look after Savannah. Ysabel's recovery sounds incredibly painful and caring for a person in pain is no vacation. I guess Kody wouldn't know about the pain during recovery or he didn't think it was that bad, like he didn't know about the nine months of pain before the surgery. 

 

Can you imagine the drama and carrying-on if the person who was in pain or had this gi-hugic, painful orthopedic surgery was Kody? It would be great if Robin had to take care if him.

[DalmatianCat]

1 hour ago, Cults-r-us said:

Can you imagine the drama and carrying-on if the person who was in pain or had this gi-hugic, painful orthopedic surgery was Kody? It would be great if Robin had to take care if him.

It would be interesting to see who would be interested in caring for Kody at this point if he had surgery or covid:

Christine—no longer interested 

Janelle—would assume he could take care of himself just like she takes care of herself

Robyn—would desperately want to take care of Kody, but currently she doesn’t have a great track record for being able to handle just a couple kids on her own…adding an ill Kody to the mix???! No. Unless the nanny and her husband moved in, it would probably be more than she could handle

Meri—would jump at the opportunity. While Robyn was trying to figure out how to care for Kody *and* her kids, she would swoop in, take Kody back to her house, and nurse him back to health. Who knows? Kody might decide he likes being at a house with only one other adult occasionally.

Luckily for everyone (but possibly Meri), Kody’s health seems surprisingly good. I don’t remember any storylines about health scares for him.

[Cults-r-us]

On 12/28/2021 at 1:22 AM, Jrodseyeliner said:

Did anyone catch Robin saying that Ariel’s and Solonan couldn’t go without seeing Kody for weeks? 
 

What the actual fuck?? But it is ok for all the other kids to go for that long??  I would have burred up then but then I remembered that I am a polygamist. 😂😂😂

I read a Garrison Keillor novel where the husband runs off with a younger yoga teacher. The wife confronts them as they are leaving and tells the teacher, "he will forget about me and these kids before he is out of this town". Well that is Kody, but he didn't go anywhere - just lost interest in his other wives and offspring  I bet those older kids feel like they have neither dad nor grandfather for their kids at all.

[Cults-r-us]

On 12/27/2021 at 6:06 PM, clueliss said:

This meeting that they’re having to decide about Thanksgiving and Christmas and evaluating Kody’s  rules. Anybody else sit and watch Cody’s body language during those he looks like a three year old who has toy taken away.

In the Thanksgiving clip, Kody forgot he has ignored his wives for 9 months and now is like "Avengers" excuse me, "Wives, assemble!" for Thanksgiving. Christine and Janelle say, "naw, we got other plans". Lapdog Meri will be there, of course.

In his whining, he says they are spending the holiday with their kids  It is always Christine's or Janelle's kids, never our children. Did he forget from whose Ka-dooshly loins these offspring sprang? Good for Christine and Janelle 

The family always talks about how attached they are to Robin's kids but vice versa 

[DalmatianCat]

I can see how Kody would find it easy to not spend with Christine and Janelle because he’s never seemed passionately in love with either of them. But it’s unfathomable that he wouldn’t put more effort into finding a way to connect with his kids with or without covid being an issue. He did seem genuinely interested in his kids with Janelle and Christine in the early episodes and the kids seemed rather fond of him (Janelle’s kids seemed like they were the majority of his favorite kids). The fact that he hasn’t come up with a way to see Madi, Caleb, their kids, Mykelti’s daughter, or even Aspyn and Logan is odd. I know most of them are grown up and live far away, but Kody doesn’t seem to be fighting for those relationships. He could be, and it’s just entirely off social media, but he seems to just be projecting his issues with their mothers onto them.

Just checked his kids with public social media. With the exception of Ysabel at her graduation this past May, most of the kids haven’t mentioned their dad since summer 2019 and rarely before that. They do occasionally show pictures of their moms, so either Kody prefers a super low social media presence and requests they don’t post about him, or he hasn’t been super involved in their lives for awhile. On one hand it makes sense because they’re all grownups. But they haven’t even done perfunctory Father’s Day posts in a few years. Maybe there’s been a pulling away the last few years as blinders fell off or something.

Another thought (maybe this will play out on the show): Kody stayed in Arizona and Christine took Truely with her to Utah. What does their custody arrangement look like? Do they even have one? Does Kody even want one? Would Truely even want to go to Arizona for a visit over summer if she had to stay at Robyn’s house? Would Robyn be able to handle having an extra child at her house? So many questions! 

[gustava]

1 hour ago, DalmatianCat said:

What does their custody arrangement look like? Do they even have one?

As they are not legally married, they can't be legally divorced and can't have a legal custody agreement.  IANAL!

[anjulibai]

Eh, people that aren't married can have custody arrangements. It does mean getting lawyers involved, but plenty of parents that have never married have done it. I've observed it in my own extended family. Parents rights to their children aren't dependent on their relationships to each other. 

If Kody wanted to have joint custody of Truly, he could sue Christine for it and get a legal custody agreement created and enforced by the courts. 

I doubt he cares that much to do so. It's more likely that he'll just enjoy complaining that Christine took his child from him. 

[Coconut Flan]

48 minutes ago, anjulibai said:

If Kody wanted to have joint custody of Truly, he could sue Christine for it and get a legal custody agreement created and enforced by the courts. 

He doesn't even have to sue for it if they're agreeable.  They can agree on terms and have a lawyer prepare and file it with the court.  

[Cults-r-us]

4 hours ago, gustava said:

As they are not legally married, they can't be legally divorced and can't have a legal custody agreement.  IANAL!

Being legally married/divorced and a custody agreement are two different things. P loo enty of people who were never married have custody agreements.

3 hours ago, anjulibai said:

 

I doubt he cares that much to do so. It's more likely that he'll just enjoy complaining that Christine took his child from him. 

Exactly! Complain that he was robbed of another child he doesn't see and isn't interested in because he is always a victim.

[ContrastingButtons]

14 minutes ago, Cults-r-us said:

Complain that he was robbed of another child he doesn't see and isn't interested in because he is always a victim.

This!  It just reeks Kody.  

[Pecansforeveryone]

I went back to watch some of the earlier episodes. Kody has always been self-centered and impulsive. If I hear one more time, " when have I been honored as the head of the household" one more time I would scream. The Browns have had financial issues for a while now.  Kody doesn't seem to have any business sense or career drive, only a desire to control. 

[LacyMay]

5 hours ago, Pecansforeveryone said:

I went back to watch some of the earlier episodes. Kody has always been self-centered and impulsive. If I hear one more time, " when have I been honored as the head of the household" one more time I would scream. The Browns have had financial issues for a while now.  Kody doesn't seem to have any business sense or career drive, only a desire to control. 

Additionally Kody is lazy. And the definition of a  white male who while mediocre at best possesses the type of ego and entitlement that is infuriating at best and dangerous at worst.

I was watching an older episode earlier where he said that he "hates going to see Nancy (their counselor) because she takes him to task tells him things he needs to work on and he doesn't like that because he already has 4 nagging wives." Essentially in counseling he's not in control AND he's getting called out on his shit. 

 

Too lazy to be a good husband, too lazy to be a good father, too lazy to have a job.