Alapaki

“People always want to sexualize ‘throuples’. Now excuse while we do our role-play cyber-sex with our third-wheel”

I don't think the show hid Niles' syndrome. But I agree that they should have provided some support for the Tell-All. They provide interpreters for cast members who don't speak English, which is a way of facilitating their interaction with the rest of the cast. Why couldn't they allow/suggest that Niles have someone there with him to assist in his interactions? He doesn't seem to need that in everyday life, but the show knows that the Tell-All is not everyday life and is designed to be provocative and triggering. As far as Niles' aggressiveness, I don't get the sense that he would actually get physically with anyone; I think that more bluster than anything else. I think the risk for Niles is that he tries that bluster out on the wrong person. Also, I agree that someone should have shut Adnan down. Frankly it's disappointing that no one on the cast did (unless they did and it was edited out).

I wish Shawn would do her job and ask real questions. Then the cast wouldn't have the chance to showboat. I do think Niles came across as a bit of an asshole, though. He needs someone to remind him to calibrate. As far as Vanya goes, I think we've seen her mischaracterize the contents of conversations and interactions this season. So I don't doubt that she and Joszco had a conversation of filming themselves in which he perceived getting the green-light. It doesn't seem to have been something covert, otherwise he wouldn't have shown her immediately afterwards. And I don't see as such an invasion of privacy if he had no intention of ever sharing it. Although I do wish someone (*ahem* Shawn) would've asked if that experience didn't make Bozo's approach look better. Frankly, I think Vanya is pushing hard for Single Life.

Because the her entire raison d”etre has been that she (and by extension her disciples) DON’T need to lose weight to be “fabulous”. At her size it was always a lie. But she decided that this show is her only realistic, and most lucrative, income stream, so she’s kept up the lie. And misappropriated the HAES philosophy along the way.

Because for some reason there are gullible, vulnerable people who actually believe in her and who deserve the truth

Yes. Grief does not cure PCOS or diabetes or pre-diabetes or insulin resistance.

And here's the other thing (besides the fact that we know Whitney is a pathological liar): Her whole spiel throughout the course of this series has been that due to medical conditions (PCOS, etc). she is literally unable to lose weight, no matter what she does. So how does she reconcile her adamant assertions that she physically cannot lose weight with her current apparent weight loss? Was she lying then, or is she lying now?

I’ve never been a big fan of Drew Barrymore. But beyond that, to the extent that the show is still running, wouldn’t TPTB still have say over what press the cast can do? If so, it’s disappointing that they still want her haggard, ghastly, witch-like visage to be the face of the franchise. And it doesn’t bode well for future seasons.

Sadly I'm Hulu only. But I can't wait!

I just finished bingeing the season. While I haven't read through the whole thread, I'd thought I'd drop in and drop a conspiracy theory (that I don't believe, but that is at least plausible). And, I say this as a born-and raised, and still live in, Philadelphia native. The theory: the stadium worker who told the pilots they were looking for a couple of "pizza shops" named Pat's and Geno's was a plant meant to sabotage them. Basis: no one, but NO one who lives in Philadelphia, and certainly no one who works at the stadium, would refer to Pat's and Geno's as "pizza shops". The one, the ONLY thing, they're known for is CHEESESTEAKS. They're CALLED, Pat's, or Geno's Cheesesteaks. No local would misspeak in that way. Anyway, carry-on.

There have been several scenes over the course of this franchise that, if the genders and nationalities were switched, would cause a firestorm.

Some others follow her closer than I, and would have a better idea. But as far as I’m concerned the STRONG (and intentional) implication of her constantly blaming her weight on her phantom PCOS diagnosis (which we’ve never heard confirmed by an actual endocrinologist) is that she is the weight she is DESPITE a healthy diet.

And she’s so self-involved the only value she places on a child is as an accessory. And this point the costs probably outweigh the benefits on that front

This got memory-holed after the 1st or 2nd season. Back then Whit’s shtick was basically “HAPPY at any size”. Then she decided to hide behind “HEALTHY at any size” (which expressly DOES NOT include people in her weight category) so she had to nix any talk about not actually being healthy. Given the fact that the franchise has been waddling on fumes, I’d be surprised if she doesn’t decide to parlay her weight loss into a storyline (if not a whole other show)

The funny thing is, if she thought she could make a penny by endorsing the medicine she’s obviously taking she’d be shouting its praises from the rooftop.

I remember on one of the Tell Nothings she had a mask over her mouth pretending to have not had dental work done

I actually had to research this for a lawsuit I recently handled. It’s not entirely as straightforward as saying that it’s legal in the U.S. if it was legal in the country that it was performed in. For example, in many countries polygamy is legal. It is not clear (and indeed may be doubtful) whether a 2nd, 3rd, etc wife’s marriage would be recognized in a State in the U.S. I believe different States have different rules on the degrees of consanguinity that are permitted. A (legal) foreign marriage that violated those rules might not be recognized. None of these factors would seem to apply to Angela’s marriage. But I just wanted to point out that it’s not always that clear cut

Technically parish Priests take vows of chastity and obedience. Vows of poverty are usually taken by Priests in religious Orders. No Priests that I’m aware of take vows against alcohol or dancing. Maybe if there’s an Our Lady of Footloose out there somewhere . . .

There is a significant cultural overlap in America between right-wing Catholics and right-wing Protestants who adhere to those sorts of restrictions. I wasn’t aware of that being the case in Israel however.

without turning this into a theology thread, the Church recognized non-Catholic marriages as valid. The question with annulment is whether (grossly oversimplifying here) whether the parties freely intended to to enter into what the Catholic Church believes about marriage. Annulment presupposes a divorce, so the prior marriage has already been ended, or undone. The question is what, is any, sacramental effect it had at the time it was entered into.

That’s tracks with ultra-“orthodox” Catholicism.

I think it’s a matter of the Catholic Church declaring that the prior dissolved marriage does not constitute an impediment to the planned marriage.

My understanding is that the Church recognizes the validity of marriages between non-Catholics and so considers married-and-divorced non-Catholics to be not free to marry unless the prior marriage is annulled.

I think there were a few months of fill-ins between Bob Kelly leaving and Meisha starting. I don’t know whether that was some contractual delay on her end or is CBS fired Kelly without having a replacement lined up.

In that article Meisha really paints herself as a loon. it sounds like she cut off an older non-English-speaking lady in traffic who low-key road-raged on her. Interpreting that at a demonic spirit speaking an ancient language trying to divert her from her conversion is just nuts. And having the wherewithal to photograph this divinely-induced celestial phenomenon, and then not saving the picture (or having a Cloud backup) sounds a lot more like bullshit than God’s plan.