laurakaye

THIS. These two things that jumped out at me as well. If they were going to show such beautiful solidarity between Kody and Meri, why not seat them next to each other on the couch? Why have Kody do his death-stare at Meri across the set? And his kowtowing to Robyn - if this doesn't show everyone who wears the maternity pants in this family, nothing will. In other news, hello, Paedon! I forgot what you looked like! Tamron basically asked Garrison if he was the troublemaker of the family. Nice way to label the kid. I always thought the scenes of Janelle yelling at him during the boat making segments were pretty awful for his sake. Did I catch it right when Meri said that she'd only told the older kids about the catfish thing 2 HOURS before going on air? What the - ??

Well, Tamron did a better job with the questions and not letting the Browns laugh her off or change the subject, but still, I'd rather have Dr. Phil asking the questions. Or better yet, anyone from this forum. But as a poster already said, Tamron probably has to walk a fine line because the Browns could just cry "persecution" and run away. When Meri said that she thought JO might be targeting the kids, etc., I have to say I'd give her a pass on that, based on the fact that JO posted pictures online of the inside of Meri's house. That makes the creep factor go way up. However, Meri supposedly saw red flags early on but kept on with the relationship. So any perceived danger to her family came firmly in second place to the thrills she was getting from flirting online. Janelle - being Kody's cheerleader does not suit you. It sounds fake. Go back to sitting quietly on the couch. And those pants were awful, sorry. Christine - pretty in real life, but always comes across as way too made-up and dressed in unflattering colors on these tell-all shows. Ask you daughter Aspyn, who was KILLING it, to give you some fashion tips. Also, Christine has this way of talking really softly and kind of slurring her words when she's trying to come across as acquiescent, and it drives me CRAZY. Aurora - yes, something not right about her. She is beautiful and mature for her age appearance-wise, but I think there's a stunted, pained and confused young child in there somewhere and Robyn is not properly taking care of this girl's psyche. Savannah - too many pre-show cookies and Mountain Dew in the greenroom! Robyn - girl, you really need to practice your crying face some more. It would probably help if you actually produced tears.

Savage's beanie, Dan's beret, anything tie-dyed belonging to Rupert, Russell's fedora, Kass's middle finger - all should be destroyed.

If the catfish affair started in March, then I'm even more puzzled by the two voicemails I dared myself to listen to - both were around March 24/25, and there's Meri chatting with Sam and signing off by saying "I love you" in a pretty comfortable way. I didn't detect any nervousness or hesitation in her voice. That seems incredibly fast to profess love to someone you've never met and if the timeline is correct, only started chatting with a couple of weeks prior. I am certain that she was clinging to "Sam" as a drowning person clings to a lifeboat, but still - it all seems so bizarre.

I am loving this season. I like the fluidity of the alliances/voting blocks. I would probably be more upset at Wigglesworth being voted off if she herself seemed upset, but she seemed kind of over it. i think it's logical that if she'd made it to the end, she might've won based on her historical position in Survivor alone, plus apparently she was playing a good social game. I just wish we'd gotten to see more of it. Abi - holy crap, what a yoga body. I liked how she placed her hands on her stomach a couple of times, trying to center her core. If it had been anyone up there with her besides my beloved Golden Joey, I would've liked to see her win that one. Jeremy, after discovering the second clue, running down the beach like a 10-year old chasing after the ice cream truck - loved it. I love the game he is playing. When he, Spencer and Fishbach were discussing going with the "Witches," Jeremy stood there silently, eyes downcast, playing it very low-key. Keep it up, Jeremy - I think I want you to win the whole thing. Probst - what the heck was with calling out Fishbach when he went down the slide at the RC?! It's not as if Fishbach was moving slow, or fell, or whatever. I thought that was a total bully move by Probst for no good reason. I used the term "groveling" last week when I wondered who would decide to flip and go with the three women on the bottom. Not the right word to use, but I'm happy to see that Wentworth, CIera and Abi are getting credit for playing strong and getting into Fishbach's head. I watched the episode wrapped up in a blanket and I was still shivering in empathy. They looked miserable, and even Probst glanced up at the sky a time or two.

THIS. The wives talk a great talk about how freaking awesome it is to have sister-wives, and us ignorant monogamists would NEVER understand what we're missing. However - you'd better not slip and fall, because your lovely sister-wives are going to use you as a stepping stool to reach more of Kody's crumbs. I have no doubt that schadenfreude plays a daily role in the lives of each wife.

APPLAUSE. Great post! Obviously I have no clue what goes on inside the mind of Kody Brown, nor do I ever want to know. His non-interest in Christine has always baffled me, though. Obviously some people just do not have chemistry, but she was a cute, bubbly blonde, from a plyg family, was clearly great with all of the kids when they were little (as evidenced by the real love the older kids seem to have for Christine now), and most of all - she fed Kody's ego by chasing him until he caught her. As you pointed out, she probably provided Kody some much-needed relief when his first two wives were going at each other, and I'm sure she was happy to drop whatever she was doing to wait on him. And yet, he really seems to not only not be attracted to her, but to actively resent her. I don't get it. I'm trying to remember what he was like with her at the very beginning of the show, but there was precious little time for us to see that relationship before Robyn sniffed the money and came around, at which time Christine began the years of being ignored and passed over, time and time again.

And if Kody showed any type of empathy and compassion towards his wives, we all might be having a very different discussion. But he has been shown time and time again that he disregards his wives' feelings. Yes, the show is heavily edited and I'm sure tons of footage ends up on the cutting room floor, but to my recollection, there has never been an instance of Kody ever taking one wife aside and asking her how he could help, or what he could do to make things better. Even when he does "try" (and I use that term loosely), as in when he took Christine and a bus full of counselors to Galveston, he pretended to try and work with Christine but in reality, he was never going to budge from his pedestal. He's mastered the art of pretending to be an involved father and husband to all the wives and children, but he is really only devoted to Robyn and her kids (and King Sol). The rest is hair-fluffing and window dressing.

Meri's looks really don't have anything to do with anything, because Sam is not real. Her buying into a handsome millionaire flirtation speaks to how low and depressed she was, trapped in a really crappy situation of her own making. I don't think Meri is unattractive - in fact, what made me start watching this show in the first place was the fact that any of the wives could've been my neighbor, or a mom picking up her kids at school, etc. They were not the polygamist women I was familiar with, the ones that dressed in long skirts and wore their hair in complicated braids. They were women like me, but with a family I could not begin to understand, and that's what drew me to the show. When Meri is happy, she looks completely different than what we've been used to seeing. Same with Christine and Janelle. Misery contorts the features, drags down the face, makes one gain weight, etc. In some of the pictures she sent to "Sam," she actually looks happy and younger - which is sad, because none of it was real. So I guess what I'm saying is - in the real world, a man like "Sam" would not pursue a woman like Meri, but that doesn't mean she's unattractive. And the fact that she bought into it speaks to how desperate she probably was for someone - anyone - to give her any crumb of positive attention. Wait - am I defending Meri?! I don't even know what I'm doing anymore. I'll hang up and listen now.

I have a feeling that Kody was the prized child in his family. His parents loved and stroked him above the others. In his younger pictures, he comes across as a self-confident cat-eating-the-canary type of person. He wants to be noticed and demands it whenever he can. For a wallflower-type girl like Meri, I can see the draw. And then came the chasing - Janelle, followed by Christine, and Robyn (although she was chasing the idea of the almighty dollar as well). Kody reminds me of a cheating politician who does wrong but never comprehends his role in things. It can't be my fault - look, everyone loves me! At this point I don't know if the concept of his role in his wives' collective unhappiness could even enter his thick skull. He's confronted by their unhappiness on a daily basis, but I really think if one wife gives him grief, he just skips on over to the next house and sees what's cooking there. So I'm sure the wives have learned to manage their unhappiness to a point, but one can only bury so much pain before it comes spilling out for all to see.

What I have a hard time understanding is Meri's grasp of social media. As a public figure, how could she think even for one second that the intimate pictures she was sharing were going to be safe, when she hadn't even met the person she was sending them to? Part of me cannot believe her naivete. On the other hand, I also think she was so desperately lonely and sad that she probably wasn't thinking clearly, and the rush she was getting from sending those pictures outweighed the consequences. Thinking back on her couch sessions when she was so clearly miserable, I am starting to wonder if on those days, she'd had a fight with "Sam," or maybe hadn't heard from him, and sitting on that couch listening to Christine yammer and Robyn cry was taking her away from her precious online time. And the times when she seemed to do a 180 and was chipper and buoyant, perhaps she'd just talked to "Sam" and they were plotting her escape.

I didn't want to contribute one iota of traffic to that site either, but I kept hearing about the pictures and wondered, same as many here, if it was really Meri. I also listened to a couple of voicemails (I didn't want to admit it but there it is) - two random ones from late March - where she tells "Sam" that she loves him in a very casual way, the way you might say it as you're signing off from talking to your spouse. I have no clue how long they'd been talking by that point, but I didn't expect the "I love you" part. All the photos taken by Sam/Jackie/Nutjob of the inside of Meri's house especially squicked me out. That's crazy stalkerish behavior.

I finally broke down and looked at the pictures Meri sent to Jackie/Sam/Batman. Oh, Meri....yeah, you probably shouldn't have done that.

Perhaps the wives are all so programmed to not show their emotions, it surprises them when they realize they do, indeed, have feelings? I would imagine watching your husband flounce off to another woman's bed on a regular basis may require some serious suppressing of emotions.

However, Kody's silence on the matter is not doing him any favors, as most of the SW viewing audience knows that when any of his wives are miserable or sad, it's probably just PMS and not his problem to fix. Plus, he admitted that he kept quiet because he was afraid that it would all fall on him. So that tells me that he's aware he's not doing enough to keep his wives happy, he just doesn't feel like fixing it. If Meri is miserable, it's not his fault. And I thought when he finally did have a talking head, and he said that he thought Meri was saying that she didn't want to be married to him anymore, he seemed rather stunned - like the idea had never even once entered his brain. This tells me more about Kody than anything. He really does seem to want all of the fun and none of the hormones. When things get tough at one house, does he simply bail to the next house, and so on, until he finds a wife who's not in a bad mood? That's not a marriage, in any sense of the word.

One thing I found somewhat poignant was when Logan, Maddie and their SO's were out together, and Logan asked Michelle and Caleb what they thought of Kody. Logan seemed to have genuine affection for Kody, calling him "wacky" (I think). There was no disparaging of Kody from Logan, no eye-rolling, etc. As the first-born son, clearly he had a larger share of Kody's attention and seems to hold him in more regard than his own younger brothers. I can't decide if this is honorable or sad coming from a kid as seemingly level-headed as Logan. I would TOTALLY watch that!

Well, now, to be fair - in Robyn's fragile pregnant state, they probably shouldn't discuss divorcing Kody just yet. It might make her cry, or dry-heave, or whatever. But this sure does put forth an interesting question...now that the kids are all Brownies, why not have Kody divorce Robyn and marry Christine? Or Janelle? Let them all take turns being the legal wife for a couple of years! I also wonder if the offer came back on the table for Meri to take back her title as legal wife, would she jump at the chance? If legal marriages are just so much nonsense and paperwork, it shouldn't matter who the legal wife is...right, ROBYN?!

What really stood out to me during Meri's talking heads was when she mentioned that at times, her online boyfriend would get angry with her, and "really go off on her." While that raised her red flags, not only did she continue on with the relationship, she apparently spent considerable time apologizing and acting contrite in order to keep "Sam" talking to her. Essentially, she went from one emotionally abusive relationship to another, and that's very sad. As much as I think she made this bed herself, as a woman I find myself sympathizing with her. I always did believe that "Mean-Girl Meri" would get some karma delivered to her, but at the same time, watching a broken and lonely woman sobbing on television is hard to watch, especially since I believe she's probably not getting a whole lot of support from her jerk of an ex-husband and her sister-wives.

At the risk of sounding like a kid who didn't do her homework and wants to copy from her smarter friends...I have to admit, all these catfish details have my head spinning. Kudos to you that understand what happened with Meri - I want to see if I'm on the same page. 1. Meri started an online flirtation with someone named "Sam," but Sam was really Jackie Overton. 2. Whenever Meri went to meet up with Sam, she ended up meeting with someone named Lindsey, who was supposedly Sam's assistant. Who, exactly, was Lindsey? Was Lindsey actually Jackie (who was actually Sam)? I keep seeing a picture of Meri and Jackie (taken as Disney, I believe). And Meri has a big smile on her face. Did Meri think that Jackie was Lindsey at that time? And how and when did Jackie reveal herself to be Sam? Or did Meri figure it out on her own somehow? Yes, I am flunking Catfish 101 and need help on my test. This stuff is confusing!

This is all spot-on. I think Meri wanted so badly to be married to Kody that she agreed to whatever he wanted, maybe assuming that she'd be able to handle it, or that she surely would always be the favored wife and the one in charge. She was very young when she married and although I despise Kody, I can see how, back in the day, he came off as charming and confident. If Robyn hadn't entered the picture, Meri probably would've been pretty content as her place in the family changed. Interesting how Robyn not only stirs the pot, but takes absolutely no culpability in how Meri feels. I'm sure Robyn must know that the divorce is probably what started Meri's emotional freefall, but Robyn would never say as much. Queen Robyn had a plan, and that plan came to fruition. How if affects the others doesn't seem to matter, and no one believes her stupid fake constipated tears anymore.

Wow, so many incredibly insightful comments here, I wish I could quote them all! I too was completely surprised at how much time was actually devoted to the catfish story. I thought for sure we'd get a 10-second teaser and then it would be all, "See ya next season!" Thanks to the posts on this blog, it's crystal clear to me now that while in Alaska, Meri was in the midst of her online flirtation with Sam, which accounts for her smiles and good mood. When someone is paying attention to you and "saying all the right things," it feels good. And at the dinner, she didn't yet know she was being catfished. The whole "going camping for a week by myself" threw me until I realized that was her way of covering for the fact that she was probably planning to meet up with Sam. And Janelle saying, "well, just be back by Thanksgiving" initially threw me as well, until I realized that no one at the table knew about Sam at that point. But Robyn? Could she be any more of a horrible witch? Meri is sitting there, repeating over and over that she doesn't know what to do, and Robyn is all, "Well, if you leave and I - I mean, WE - support that, it doesn't mean we're not gonna miss ya!" Robyn was practically salivating over watching Meri walk away with her suitcase packed. What a stupid and heartless thing to say, but it's Robyn, and I didn't really expect anything less. She's just awful. In other news, why did everyone have to say hello to King Sol when Kody was holding him at the last family meal in Alaska? In my mind, Sol quietly informed Kody that he was going to throw the mother of all tantrums unless everyone acknowledged him first. When are they going to start calling that kid by his real name - "Kody Junior?" Christine's joke on the couch about the bitches was so not funny, it was painful. Sister is medicated and while I don't blame her one bit for needing something to get through the day, it's time for an adjustment. Meri's pain is palpable through the television screen. Kody refuses to react or acknowledge it because that might imply that he is somehow responsible. If this isn't Meri's wake-up call to GTFO, I don't know what is.

Has any Survivor ever asked him to be quiet? I seem to remember Penner giving Probst some lip once, but I would love to see a contestant who is desperately trying to concentrate ask Jeff to please keep his running commentary to himself. I've always thought this was Probst's way of getting into their heads, but if I'm trying to balance or concentrate, and Jeff Probst announces that I'm starting to fall/slip/move, I'm probably going to overcorrect myself and drop out. I'm always impressed by those who seem to be able to completely block out his voice.

Keith did, when he was driving the tuk-tuk around the beach and clearly having a blast doing so. I did love Joe's observation that in 10 years, Keith is going to retire to Cambodia and become a tuk-tuk driver. That was cute.

Epic! EPIC! LOLOL EPIC. Kass - stay klassy. When she waved her hand in front of her face during voting as if someone smelled as they walked by, was Tasha her target? Kass, no one thinks you're clever or funny except you. And possibly Ciera. You and Savage have fun at Ponderosa. Be sure and practice your bird flipping in the mirror for maximum effect. Ciera's eyes rolling independently of each other was slightly creepy. I am starting to get why she feels the need to verbalize her frustrations, though. She's not wrong when she says that in any alliance, there are those who are running the show and those who are expendable. I can't decide if she drives me crazy or is actually playing so hard that she can't help herself, which I can understand. Keith driving the tuk-tuk was the second best part of this episode, after the blindside. I finally figured out what Keith reminds me of - a schnauzer, with his big eyes and all those whiskers. And I do mean that as a compliment! Probst and all the comments about rolling balls...how humiliating would it be to get eliminated from a challenge for giggling at one of those comments? So now what happens...who will decide to throw themselves at the feet of the Wentworth/Abi/Ciera power trio? And how will the girls react? I want to see some serious groveling! Excellent episode!

I DVR'd a few episodes of a show on A&E called "Escaping Polygamy." I don't know how I missed it the first time around. It features Kolleen, the blonde who made an appearance on Sister Wives a couple of seasons ago. While I am certain that some of the show is reenacted and scripted, it features real members of the Kingston cult trying to escape the compound. The majority are young girls who have been presented with a list of potential husbands, where every man on the list is either a relative (uncle, half-brother, cousin), several years or decades older than the girl, or both. These girls are between the ages of 14 and 18. Some of the stories involve mothers moving several of their children under the cover of night to avoid having their young daughters abused by the Kingston men. I have gotten tears in my eyes, and sat with my mouth open in disbelief, as the narrators of this show talk about the lineage of terror from this clan. And then we have the Browns. Are they a church? Well, sometimes - when Kody knows that he's got anthropology students watching. Are they modest? Well, sometimes - but it's pretty hit or miss. Are the kids encouraged to follow polygamy and its tenets, as set forth by the Church of Kody Brown? Not really...I guess they don't have to if they don't want to. Does Kody lead by fear? Hard to say, but mostly he just runs around from mirror to mirror, making sure his hair looks okay. Real polygamy is scary, and awful, and abusive. Kody's brand of polygamy is ridiculous in comparison. He's not following anything but his own loins. He makes rules that are very bendable, depending on how motivated he is to get off the couch and enforce them. His kids are leaving one by one and so far, none of them are following their father's church and its rules. What this all says to me is that Kody is making a mockery of a very serious issue. I don't see how Kody's beliefs, if we can call them that, are rooted in anything but his own brain. Maybe I'm comparing apples and oranges here, and I'll admit to not really being clear on the differences in the Mormon sects. But having watched Sister Wives, followed by watching Escaping Polygamy, it just deepens my disgust of Kody Brown. /end rant, just had to get this off my brain.