StayingAfterSunday

Maybe one of her girls is mentally challenged, but the one who seems the most mentally deficient is Danielle. The job she had working with disabled people let her go and, when prodded by Mo for a reason, she says she was not doing the job properly [paraphrased by me]. I have a hunch Danielle never works at any job very long and maybe collects some sort of disability check. Not sure how it works, but is it possible to collect disability and work at the same time? In the latter instance I'd expect the job to be in the non-skilled or minimum-wage sort category. When all is said and done, Danielle does appear to possess low intelligence, which would explain her terrible lack of judgment, etc. Her sister in one scene described Danielle as, "vulnerable," which summarizes Danielle's position quite well, I think. She is an easy target, for sure. With respect to Mohamed, I wish he would have stopped saying, "She lied to me," as his excuse for leaving; he should have reinforced that claim with specific examples. As it stood, what he offered in way of explanation sounded too general, contrived and out of the acrimonious divorce pages. I'm sure it was culture shock to come to the U.S. expecting to see material abundance and, instead, come face to face with mediocrity, which puts it mildly. I think Mohamed came from a better financial situation than Danielle which isn't saying much, but I do not think he came from poverty and also possesses some sort of marketable skill in IT, if I read a post upthread correctly. On another note, it was striking to see his personality switch from "Mohamed betrothed" to "Mohammed demands divorce." Upon arriving to the U.S. he managed to (just barely) conceal his true intentions, but by the time he escaped Danielle's tiny hell house his Machiavellian face had emerged in full view. I could see where Danielle's immaturity and whining could irritate the most patient person, but Mohammed at this point had lost the ability to maintain even a shred of respect for her. When he went outside to ask her if she was okay to drive home, the tone of his voice said it all, right down to the cautionary, "Be Safe." If he'd had a weapon I don't doubt he'd consider using it on her. Finally, I can see the reason for including the "divorce versus annulment" chapter. Without it the story would have lacked resolution. Still, with Danielle's horrendous money problems bearing down on her at all times it seemed inconceivable that she would agree - with hardly a moment's hesitation - to seek an annulment as opposed to a divorce. I say this because the attorney had informed Danielle right off the bat that an annulment would entail more money than would a simple divorce. So, for the sake of a story, I'm guessing the show's producers offered to cover the cost of an annulment if this is the route Danielle chose to take? Speaking of money, did anyone else wonder who was footing the bills each time Danielle's utilities were turned off and needed to be turned back on again? I'm willing to bet Danielle turned to her sisters and even to her son (when employed) each time she found herself in desperate straits. It was probably frustrating enough to have to give money to just Danielle, but knowing that Mohamed would now be claiming part of it may have pushed them all to their limits.

That is interesting. It brings to mind something I noticed when looking at the t.v. listings the other night. The description for "Real Housewives of NYC" was given as, "Entertainment." Not reality, not docu-drama or docu-series, but just "Entertainment." What do you make of that? Has the RH franchise finally made the leap and decided to call it what it is? A mostly-scripted series that's a few pinches away from being categorized as "Sitcom?"

Speaking of producer influence and the movie elements of romance and drama, I just have to wonder if Steven's spontaneous wishing upon a rainbow "that Megan and I will always be in love"reflected his original thoughts, or was he simply reciting lines crafted by producers, etc.? If he was truly speaking from the hip and from the heart you really have to hand it to him! The kid has charm.

I see what you mean, but I have a little trouble believing that the Megan/Steven attraction was producer-driven. Rachel is the aspiring actress, certainly not Megan, who clearly has a mind of her own. It seems unlikely that Megan would allow herself to be manipulated into playing a part , so to speak, for the sake of drama. Yes, she is a bit dramatic, but considering her developmental age and the fact that she is only 23 years old, the lovesick reaction to Steven breaking up with her does not seem contrived to me. I remember reacting the same way when my first boyfriend broke up with me when I was 15 years old. I was ill prepared for the landslide of sorrow that threatened to bury me alive at the time. The entire story line, for that matter, creates interest in the cast, not just as young adults with D.S., but as young, D.S. adults who have emotions, interests, romances, and heartbreaks just like the rest of us. They even have, as Megan's mother, Kris, pointed out, hormones. Megan made no secret of the fact that she was seeking a "future husband" who would share her desire to marry and have kids. Steven, if I recall, from earlier episodes, expressed a desire to date. It just seemed fitting that he and Megan felt mutual attraction to each other considering their respective personalities and interests at the time they began their little romance. The parents of both of these kids are doing a splendid job helping them along the way, but in the end, most of us - DS and non-DS - learn by our own mistakes.

I noticed that, too. I also see that since Tom and Lillian from the last season broke up Lillian posted one of those types of meaningful messages about being on a bridge, and if someone - in that case the "someone" was Tom, no doubt - doesn't want to join you on that bridge, then you must go on without that someone, etc. etc.

I see it the other way around: Danielle is the new Jacklyn, and Cody is Ryan. (See Lord Donia's post above). Lord Donia, I'm so glad I went back and read this last page of posts before adding my own; otherwise, I'd have missed yours. I was about to post almost verbatim what you said. I would have posted my thoughts right away but I was trying to come up with a euphemism for "masturbation." It was good to see you just came right out with it! Anyway, my opinion echoes yours: Unless Cody was including masturbation in his admission to having had "sex every day" before starting MAFS, the reasonable assumption would be that he had a girlfriend or someone whom he was seeing regularly. I don't see him as someone who would be with a different girl every day of the week, so the girlfriend or "regular someone" theory seems to fit best. And, if our theory proves accurate it could explain his performance problems during sex and, at the very least, what seems to be his ambivalence about having sex with Danielle, the excuses he gives for not following through, etc. etc.

Maybe I'm the odd one, but I really believe Rachel DeAlto has and still does have good intentions. Perhaps I am hopelessly naive, but do you remember Rachel's glee in announcing that it was she who matched Tom and Lili? By all appearances they seemed like a good match and Rachel came off as genuinely happy to be the one responsible for the pairing. The problem between Tom and Lili may very well come down to his not wanting children. At her young age, though, it's hardly a reason for divorce (after 14 months, no less!). It's always possible he could have a change a heart over time - or, conversely, she could change her mind about having kids. There must have been other issues, as so many of you have speculated, some of which possibly relate to money, materialism, and priorities.

Thank you, ZoloftBlob and Meg, for the clarification. I didn't know Matt had written a book (with the help of a ghostwriter, no doubt). I love the title, "Against Tall Odds."

Wait. Please clarify, MYTHOUGHTIS. Are you saying that: 1) When Amy and Matt conceived their children "embryonic selection" (or whatever it is called) was not an option, but that it is an option today?; and 2) Where was it stated or written that Matt and Amy hoped Jacob would be a dwarf so that Zach would not be the only sibling with the condition? Thanks for clarifying. I'm not "calling you out" on this or anything of the sort - I just want to know more details about what you posted. Thanks.

Nothing against Amy. At least she was cognizant of the real reason for Memorial Day. It just kills me to hear store commercials announcing their "Memorial Day" sales, etc., and fireworks going off on Memorial Day. It's not 4th of July! Now, back to Amy's Instagram post. Some of the comments were a bit heartless, but, hey, as one person said, once you make your life a public spectacle via your own reality show you have to expect all sorts of opinions. - As an aside, I'm not convinced just yet that Chris is "using" Amy. Time will tell, I guess. I have always thought the show served a real purpose, and I still think so. I don't begrudge the family their earnings from LPBW. In a self-centered, digitalized society where the focus is on "look at me!" (Facebook, etc.), where people enjoy putting themselves on display, often presenting exaggerated and sometimes fabricated personas and accomplishments, I think LPBW has shown another aspect of life. It has presented a rather non-typical family (two LP parents, fraternal twins with one of average height and the other a LP), and two other average-sized children, and how it is possible to rise above one's shortcomings (pardon the pun). If anything, watching Amy, Matt and, particularly, Zach through the years has served as a profound inspiration to me. I hope the show continues.

Well, since Jeremy and Audrey fancy themselves hippies or flower children they can buy into the latest fad -- tiny homes -- and do what probably thousands of tiny-home buyers do: plant the thing on Ma and Pop's land, hook up to Ma and Pop's utilities, etc. But I don't think that will happen unless the paycheck from TLC ends and there is no other recourse. Then again, don't reality-show cast members receive royalty checks as long as their show airs reruns? The amount of money wouldn't be substantial, I don't think, but still...

Now if only he could find some synonyms for "stoked."

Ohhh, around the same time that new dads began videotaping the entire childbirth process while offering ice chips and urging their partners to "push-push-push-push-push (For some reason that push-push thing really irritates me; it reminds me of soccer parents screaming for their kids to "kick the ball!")

I have always suspected Zach as being the more contemplative, introspective brother, if not the "smarter" one. Growing up in the shadow of the tall, golden child coupled with his own physical limitations might have made him more introspective and observant about people, situations and life in general. I also imagine it has helped him become more resourceful and practical. For the above reasons I was surprised to see Josh missing something important during Tori's first ultrasound. The ultrasound technician seemed to be doing all she could to refrain from spelling out the disparity she observed in the baby's measurements. When she noted that the head was two weeks further developed than the limbs (I don't remember the exact measurements), Tori asked a relevant question; she wondered if those were the measurements one looked at when considering the possibility that a baby may have achondroplasia. To my surprise Zach's comment, "It's just a big baby," or something like that, missed the mark. Since he is a young man with achondroplasia I was surprised he didn't pick up on the the disproportionate development of head:limbs regardless of the technician's reassurances that the next trimester would present a clearer picture. I did love when Zach (quite nicely) asked Tori to stop with the "scary" word in describing their son's impending birth and possible dwarf diagnosis and his explanation for why he felt this way. I empathized with his feelings and, truth be told, I wish the word would go somewhere and just die off. Is this a trend, or is everything in life really becoming so scary? At the very least couldn't people use a synonym for "SCARY?" As for their adorable little baby boy, my unprofessional guess is that the baby is LP based on the bridge of his nose and (somewhat) on those measurements taken in utero via ultrasound. I was not able to see the baby's forehead in the photos that were posted online. Height and weight at birth or during infancy do not always signify whether a baby will be a LP, but I do think a larger head and shorter limbs are visual indicators that the baby will most probably be a LP. On a more trivial note, It was good to hear that the baby's name is Jackson and not Timothy ("Tiny Tim.") Finally, that Audrey just has no personality. When Tori was trying to be conversational during the "babymoon" episode Audrey sat there like a stone, no expression, no sign of interest, etc. How long before Jeremy tires of "just a pretty face?" And I am aware that not everyone would agree with the "pretty face" description.

Oh, I forgot about the Betty Broderick story, BitterApple. And I also didn't realize that Josie Davis is the teacher in "Dirty Teacher." I'll have to re-watch that one; it's been a while. And I thought of another really good one I watched recently. The Client List, with Jennifer Love Hewitt in the main role. On the flip side, I've decided to add one more to my "truly terrible" list. It aired last night here in the Southeast Pa. area (Tues., 3/28/17). It was so unmemorable that I can't even recall the name of the movie or any significant details. I seem to recall something about the husband or boyfriend working in construction, and that the girlfriend or wife goes to look for him at the construction site and finds someone dead...? As I said, it was so forgettable that I didn't watch more than, say, ten minutes of it. That's how long it took for me to know it was total crap. The acting was AWFUL, so bad that it was embarrassing to watch. The actors talked in slow motion, as though they had just taken sedatives or something. (Heh, it is a Lifetime movie, after all.) Anyway, if anyone knows the name of it please do tell so I can make sure to avoid it in the future.

I thought Sugar Daddies was excellent. Peter Strauss, who played the sugar daddy with the choking fetish, was made for that role. I can still hear his condescending snarl, "What did you think this was going to be? A relationship?"

I like any LMN movie that stars Josie Davis. "The Perfect Assistant" and "Backstabbed," to name just two of her best. Tracy Nelson is another favorite of mine. I loved her in "The Rival" and "The Perfect Nanny." Some of the more recent Lifetime movies are terrible, in my opinion, and that applies to the acting and the storylines. "The Secret Sex Life of a Single Mom" (2014) is one that goes in the "truly terrible" bucket. Ditto for Big Driver (2014), Killer Coach (2016), Turbulence (2016), Bad Twin, and Open Marriage (2017). None of these hit the mark for me. I'm also tiring of LMN's detective/crime offerings. I can get my fill of all things mysterious and macabre on Investigation Discovery. There have been some good ones from LMN, though, too, most notably Stolen from the Womb (2014), Fatal Flip (2015)- honestly, though, give me anything with Mike Faiola, good or bad, and I'll like it, Nightmare Nurse (2016) , Don't Wake Mommy (2015), and Perfect High (2015). Another big favorite - not one of mine, but in general - seems to be Bad Sister (2015), the one about the fake nun who takes a teaching job at a private Catholic school, but who teaches way more than the three R's. Going backwards several years, I also really liked Reviving Ophelia, a LMN gem from 2010 that addressed physical abuse among teens. Other older, but superb, LMN presentations with subject matter relating to young people include She's Too Young, Too Young to be a Dad, Mom at 16, and Double Daddy. All of these addressed sexual activity - and its repercussions - among teenagers. All of them were top-notch. Another oldie, but goodie, that covered the age-old topic of a decent wife, the other woman, and a scheming, two-timing, husband, was Deadly Vows. I've seen it two or three times since its release in 1994 and never get tired of watching the great acting of cheater hubby Gerald Rainey, Peggy Lipton as his wife, and Josie Bissett in the role of,"Bobbi," the naive and much younger, other woman.

Jenelle realizes that once Teen Mom2 is finally cancelled, she loses the generous paycheck (although she'll get some residual pay for the reruns of the show, won't she?). In any case, Jenelle knows that the guys she's been attracting since Teen Mom first aired have all had financial incentives for seeking her out, and for staying. Jenelle's deep-seated insecurity speaks for itself as she dumps piles of verbal sludge onto her mother. This is because Barbara has warned her about all of these guys and their ulterior motives -- the fact that none of them have real jobs, but all of them have criminal backgrounds, etc. etc., and that they are using Jenelle for her MTV money. In other words, Barbara has stated the obvious, and the truth hurts. If Jenelle has anxiety it is, in part, due to her awareness that the money will run out and so will the boyfriend of the month. Jenelle is aware of Barbara's foresight and astuteness and this infuriates her. Barbara's truth telling also inflames David, the same way it did Nathan. His duplicity is being exposed. Hence, Jenelle and David have constructed a campaign to punish Barb in various ways. One way is by trying to take Jace away from Barb. Another way is by trying to manipulate how much "camera time" Barbara acquires. And yet another strategy is to spread lies that Barb only wants Jace because of money (according to Jenelle, Barb only wants to maintain custody in order to keep herself in the camera's lens). To the contrary, it appears that Jenelle is the one trying to get the camera time by creating these dramatic situations. More drama equals more money, and more money equals one boyfriend who won't run away when the money runs out. Jenelle can't allow Barbara another "win" in her predictions. If Jenelle's desire for custody were sincere, she would not expose her son to the repeated hostility that she perpetuates, particularly since these scenes are broadcast for the world to see, including employees of the court system. No litigator or judge is going to hand over a child to someone who possesses poor judgment and who evidently behaves in a manner that is detrimental to a child's wellbeing.

Ew.

This is what I am beginning to suspect. He is involved with someone else or, more likely, he's interested in someone else. Someone who probably doesn't know he exists. Either that, or he doesn't want the dogs to know he's been cheating on them?

You mentioned the "mother/son thing" in your post, which got me thinking about the various matches we've seen thus far on MAFS. Have you noticed that the majority of the men - with the exception of Doug Henner - were raised without their natural fathers, and that many of them profess to having very close relationships with their mothers? I still wonder if Dr. Pepper is related to Derek. Same last name, albeit a rather common one. Maybe she is his aunt? The shape of their mouths is similar, but I could be imagining that. Yes to the "boxes and boxes of sweets" observation. This seems to imply more than the simple sweet-tooth factor. I believe he finds comfort and a sense of wellbeing from the sugar, obviously, but I also suspect that he would be just as liable to substitute alcohol for the sweets -- in other words, they're likely interchangeable. I also think Nick is an emotionally immature young man who was raised by a mother (does he know much about his biological father?) who seems somewhat dominant in personality. Nick's verbal tirades are unleashed when he drinks. Up until that point he suppresses his anger -- I believe this is anger that has built up over he years and is partially directed at his mother, despite his claims of being a "mama's boy." There are mother issues at play here, and father anger, too. Sonia is lucky to be rid of him as these drunken verbal purges would become more frequent, with Nick using Sonia as a scapegoat for all those boxes of anger he has collected over the years.

Nick is strange. And as others have said, he hasn't been honest. Not with the experts, not with Sonia and, maybe, not even with himself. I think he may want to be something he's not. Maybe, as the result of being socially shy (as per his mother and himself), his interactions with the opposite sex have been few. It could be that he has romanticized women - idealized them, in a sense - to a point where a real-live woman leaves him numb. Oddly enough, Nick gave a different impression, at least very early on, during the wedding; as Sonia started down the aisle, he said, "I'll take that," which struck me as the more genteel way of saying, "I'd do her." Maybe my mind is in the gutter, but that's how it interpreted Nick's words. About Heather: Heather didn't sign up for the show because she wanted to be married to just anyone. She took a risk, hoping that "someone" turned out to be Prince Charming. It wasn't. She gambled and lost. As for why Derek didn't fit her idea of the ideal man, there are too many reasons to list. I think she was turned off the moment he opened his mouth. For what it's worth, I cannot stand hearing Derek talk. Despite his articulate and organized way of speaking, it always sounds as though he is reading from a prepared speech. That, and the nasal quality of his voice (probably from all that smoking). Ugh. To that end, I can't say I blame Heather for bailing at the gate.

I believe Tom and Lily will make it; I really do. But, even so, 3/12 is not impressive - how right you are. The only matchmaker with a worse record is Patty Stanger from Millionnaire Matchmaker.

Although I strongly suspect Nick IS gay, the fact remains that he applied to be on this show for reasons not yet clear. I think he may have expressed on his application what type of physical characteristics he prefers in a woman, with the main category, so to speak, falling under, "Latino" or some other rather broad category. He may have also indicated a preference for a girl who was generously endowed from the waist up. The problem is that so many Americans - men included - sit there watching those idiotic *Kardashians on t.v., and that type of female image becomes an "ideal" type of woman often associated with sexuality, etc. - a bronze-skinned, curvy, caricature of a woman - someone with monstrous, manufactured boobs and an ass the size of a small planet. If, for instance, this is the type of unrealistic image Nick had in mind when asked what physical attributes he desired in a woman/wife, then Sonia might have been the closest match. *(I'm quite aware that the Kardashians are not Latina, btw, and are a mixture of Armenian (father) and Irish and Scottish from their mother's side, as I recall. But I am getting off topic.)

I, too, think Nick is gay, and it just makes me so angry to think of the time wasted during the process of matching him with a woman, watching him implode on t.v., listening to his stilted explanations of why he hasn't touched her (heaven forbid he should use her name), and waiting for the inevitable outcome. Maybe he doesn't want to disappoint his mother by "coming out," although she seems very accepting of him on all fronts. When he blew a gasket upon being asked by Sonia to "open up," the worst was yet to come, as evidenced by his follow-up announcement in a separate clip, "I'm not attracted to her," "I don't like her," etc. The prior episode has him revealing, with the gentleness of an AK-47, that he doesn't love Sonia. Well, no one expects him to "love" a stranger after two weeks - and Sonia, from what I can tell, has not asked him if to profess his love for her. Yet, it seems each week Nick's declarations get more ballsy, excoriating and, well, HONEST. If he really is gay, it's just too damned bad he wasn't honest from the beginning, before he filled out an application to be on the show, presenting himself as a straight man.