pdlinda

I think the BEST thing Miles can do to test Karen's emotional "waters" is to renounce the marriage on decision day and tell her he wants a divorce. I think that move would give Miles the POWER in the relationship that he has lacked so far. I bet she'll be SHOCKED as I truly believe Karen would prefer keeping this farce going forward ON HER OWN TERMS because she's the one who has the power to dictate the emotional terms! Once the show ends and the cameras are off perhaps Karen will realize she has some emotional desire for Miles and will then initiate some contact with him and gladly show him her warmer, affectionate side (if she has one). If that doesn't happen, then it's best they part ways as Miles' emotional life is being seriously compromised by Karen's behavior and lack of emotional connection.

Great; info! Of course, my assumption is that if both sets of parents have other children, they would do the same gift-giving for each one. Also, if both sets of parents are wealthy, maybe trust funds already set up for all their children. In any event, these two seem to be off to a fine financial start in life and I hope their marriage and job status remain solid and secure!

I thought of something like that because the dude seemed clueless about her and her situation and personality.

I'm simply not crystal clear on how a couple in their 20"s can amass what I assume is a cash reserve of about $140,000 (20% down payment on a $700K house that I believe she said they were qualified for by the lender), while paying their basic expenses AND having to put these "discretionary" expensive items on their registry. I didn't see their lifestyle as suggesting they were making "millions." They may do well financially; however, maybe someone can enlighten me on possible scenarios to produce that financial reserve. Perhaps the parents are gifting the newlyweds with the down payment (or part of it) or maybe they struck it rich in the stock market; however, in both cases, someone's got to pay taxes on that large amt of $$$. Maybe some financially savvy person can answer this question. From my perspective, I simply couldn't fathom them looking at homes in the $650-$700K range at their age. Just carrying such a house would seem a "stretch." I would be concerned that one of them might lose his/her job (for whatever reason) and/or one dropping out of the work force to start having a family.

Now that's almost to horrible to contemplate!! I wouldn't be so forceful in my assessment of such a disgusting practice during "normal" times but the thought of a health professional sharing a toothbrush with another adult during this COVID situation is really too much!! NONONONONO...let's hope she meant something else!!

The hospital where Amelia is doing her residency is in Richmond, VA. That sounds GREAT!! Very appealing for their purposes and wonderful to know she can focus on her duties without having to be concerned with astronomical fixed expenses.

I think Karen has a certain "prototype" of a husband in mind that's primarily built around a resume, appearance and financial standing. She may believe that will bring her status, prestige and security. Unfortunately, although she may get the exception to the rule, her expectations are likely to be severely dashed by the reality of the relationship she is envisioning. YES, 100% AGREE. Karen should spend some time working on herself and her values with a therapist before she starts down the relationship road again. One thing's FOR SURE! She is not attracted to Miles, does not appear to have any type of affection for him and there is absolutely, IMO, no future for them being together.

I'm thinking that sooner rather than later, the cost of dual residences is going to really start hurting him(them) financially. Amelia will be making about $60K as a resident M.D; however, from what I know (and, of course, whatever her NET salary turns out to be), VA is an expensive place to live (probably more so that N.O.) There is such a great rapport and genuine affection between them I'm sure they'll work out the financial "kinks"; they're both caring and intelligent! It's just great that Amelia has a career that will afford the family a decent standard of living doing what she obviously loves. Family medicine is certainly a "calling," so bravo to her, AND, who knows where they'll wind up after her training is completed. I have great hopes for Bennett and Amelia!!

From personal experience, I can tell you that Olivia's salary range, after normal deductions, is NOT in the category you describe whereby you can throw caution to the wind and go on these expensive trips (thousands$$,), constantly buy expensive meals ($$hundreds) and pay for basic expenses (rent, utilities, car, insurance, groceries, gifts, furnishings, clothes). In other words, she may not be coming home with a NET check that matches her expenditures that might be more in line with her GROSS salary. That said, I believe Olivia mentioned she is in debt (probably credit card and student loans) and my assumption is that she works very hard and has a mind set that allows her to "blow money" on things she enjoys possibly while not building wealth (savings and investments) and, possibly, sinking deeper into credit card debt (I believe student loan repayment is pegged to income). I think Olivia's spending style is part of what Brett objected to with her. I also think she is quite rigid in her views and beliefs. In other words, even, assuming that Olivia pays all her bills on time, she isn't thriving financially because her lifestyle may not be compatible with her net income.

I remember him from the Grilling outdoor competition several years ago. He was just as obnoxious then. I remember it like it was yesterday!!!

As a woman, listening to Olivia DRONE on an on and on with the psycho babble that never lets up and never accomplishes anything except driving Brett further and further away emotionally makes me very sympathetic to his point of view. I said in an earlier thread that I didn't think Olivia was "marriage material" and that conclusion becomes, IMO, more apropos as the show grinds on toward completion. How ANY man would or could have the interest and/or desire to spend time with Olivia, is simply beyond me. But, of course, I'm not a man so I suppose, theoretically, there's some male out there who would put up with her CONSTANT mind-numbing interrogations, discussions, conversations and consultations with the "experts."

It's the attitude you describe that will keep Andreiiii tied to his FIL's (male equivalent of "apron strings") for as long as Chuck allows it. Chuck thinks he's doing his daughter and SIL a favor keeping them on the "gravy train" with no effort on Andreiiii's part to change the situation. However, common sense tells us that eventually the "gravy train" leaves the station, a financial crisis might occur and that young family will be left with NOTHING to cope with the enormous loss of a continual infusion of cash to pay their basic bills (thousands of $$$$ each month) that dad provided (sometimes for YEARS). This scenario is particularly treacherous when innocent children are involved. They become accustomed to a certain lifestyle that might be snatched away from them in an instant if grandpa runs into health or other situations that prevent him from continuing to provide the financial load for the young family.

I believe that once a person (man or woman) leaves the work force and lives that type of lifestyle (come and go as you please, no supervisor or job description or performance reviews),it becomes harder and harder to resume compensated employment. I noted that Andreiiii made mention of dabbling in "real estate" because he has a lot of talent as a salesman. That places him in a prospective loop that involves learning about the business and then attending some classes regarding qualifying for the real estate exam (no easy task). So, that learning curve could take a LONG time. I see a mentality (same exists in my immediate family) in Adreiiii that seems very comfortable with putting any actual earning possibility on the back burner for as long as possible. He rationalizes his financial dependence on Chuck the way "deniers" do and convinces himself that this is simply a stage of his living in a new country with a FIL who is wealthy (is Chuck that "wealthy"? We'll never know) with the arrangement between them (power in Chuck's hands) accepted by both. As "deniers" are wont to do, Andreiii's sense of self-respect and dignity are submerged in a sea of dependence and delusion. As the research shows a man's identity and self esteem (more than a woman's) broadly resides in his work experiences otherwise known as "earning a living". It doesn't matter if both spouses work and it doesn't matter if one out earns the other.....the only thing that MATTERS is that the man earns a living to the extent he can with effort and whatever he earns helps bring the family the level of financial support they need to be independent and self-supporting.

You are SO RIGHT! It seems like eons ago that Christina had that "persona" ! Since then, things have taken another turn. I think it started when she revealed she had no local residence and was sleeping in her car cautiously evading where she actually had a residence. I concluded that perhaps she works for a marginal economy-type airline because I always see airline crews checking in behind me at various hotels I've stayed at where there was a layover from their home hub. Whether she actually was employed at this time also occurred to me. Then, there was the matter of her demeanor, personality, style of dress and general unkempt appearance that added to the conclusion that all her "pretention" was exactly that....a facade. In other words, she comes across as a PHONY!

I am not now, nor have I ever been clear on what basis christina would have grounds to be "stuck up" or a "jet-setting party girl". As far as I can see, she is a sloppy, marginally "attractive" woman with a questionable status in her job that before the show was sleeping in her car. She presents as unkempt and a style pariah, as well. Her intellect/personality also have much to be desired. Sorry but Henry definitely deserved better.

I feel the same way about Olivia. She's not marriage material either. She seems perfectly happy and content living as she pleases, going on trips (maybe she could join a travel group), loving her cat. loving her job and controlling every aspect of her life as she seems fit. A husband/wife to both Brett and Olivia seem like more of a nuisance that anything else. Not everybody thrives in marriage.

I was very impressed by the cinematic atmosphere the production crew achieved at the wedding. I kept getting a "Godfather" movie vibe from how the wedding was staged. Combining the music in the background while the singers and dancers were performing with the ominous dialogue going on among the family members was very effective. The attractive colors and style of the clothing and accessories worn by the guests gave a snapshot of Moldovan life, along with the decor and food served at the wedding. All this being presented while the dialogue among the family members projected a sinister undertone. The producers did an excellent job and the rabble-rousing Charlie emerged as the deviant in chief while Andreiii took on a more heroic look. Also, I noted that when Andreiiiii was "apologizing" to Chuck there was nary a mention of any changes he might make regarding generating a few bucks to support his family!! Not a word about buckling down to get a job, accept a job with Chuck, or anything that even remotely close to committing to get off Chuck's "gravy trainl" As I have a similar situation in my own family, I'm particularly sensitive to it with this family.

I can't imagine eric has that kind of $$$. I'll go with the theory of the doc comping the procedure for the publicity. Maybe the show paid something, but, somehow I doubt it.

I think I read somewhere that Amelia wants to be an internist or family physician and I think she'd be GREAT in that capacity. The grungy state of (some) students (including med students) is classic; however, I hope that Amelia steps her hygiene a bunch when she's a practicing physician treating patients. Also, with the house, it would be a blessing for her and Bennett to mutually agree on a housekeeper coming on board to CLEAN (not straighten) so their home will never get to an unmanageable state. Also, I have a membership at One Medical (they have primary care offices across the County) and the issue that convinced me to join is that you NEVER (and I mean NEVER) wait more than 5 minutes to see your doctor. Sometimes when I visit a specialist's office (had my knee replaced) I've had to wait for awhile and it always reinforces my preference for having doctors offices run on time with appointments. If I get one word out of 10 that he says, it's a lot!! He is such a charmer and moves and grooves so effortlessly it's worth the effort for me to try and put 2+2 together to try and understand what he's saying.

My first and lasting thought. That made such an impression on me!! I can't believe she doesn't realize that her future patients may be watching the show and making decisions about how they want their medical care handled by their doctor. This serious flaw in Amelia's ability to understand that there is a big difference between being "quirky" and being CLEAN!! The internet (and this show) are available forever. I simply don't "get it."

She lived with her mother for a year to save up the down payment that probably was in the range of $100K. That left her with a $300K mortgage (more or less) plus the HOA charges, plus upkeep and maintenance on the unit along with utility charges. I sure hope she wasn't laid off (don't know how she earned a living) during the COVID situation. I literally cringe when I see the enormous financial "burden" she assumed when buying a condo that might not be so easy to sell in a financial downturn. Even if she did sell, it might be for a loss and she'd be far behind the "8 ball." Anyway, I wish her the best and hope her beloved mother has that extra bedroom ready for her daughter to reclaim should the overhead on her condo purchase become insurmountable.

Well, then, I guess you make my point. Don't know about Moldova; however, in THIS Country (speaking from personal experience) you usually start from the BOTTOM and work your way up! It would be one thing if he kept pursuing other types of work and had a resume prepared and was going on constant interviews. I don't see it. As Libby said, child care was available with her family and she could continue working while he started an entry level job. Can you provide some details about that shocking revelation???

OK, so are you disputing the fact that Andre has been shown to be very dismissive and/or hostile to ANY job opportunity offered to him by Chuck AND has repeatedly reneged (if memory serves me correctly) on going ahead with a truck driver career (I specifically recall him blowing off that idea as if it was "beneath him.") Also, his caring for Eleanor is filmed as well as his other at-home activities while Libby "brings home the bacon" compliments to whatever her dad pays her. If anyone has any info to the contrary, I'd be glad to hear about it. I'm always very sensitive to men not pulling their weight financially and depending on parents/in-laws to pull the financial weight for the family as my daughter is married to someone of that ilk and I'm impacted by it each and every day!!

Andre has no source of income in the States except for the income chuck provides to his daughter to pay their bills. It would be incumbent upon Andre not to further exacerbate the family dynamics by bringing up the dicey criminal past of Libby's family. If, and when, Andre establishes himself with a good, steady job and doesn't need Chuck's financial supplemental to meet his basic expenses it will be a different story. I don't see Andre as being "shy".

Upon giving this matter some thought, I'm surprised that the producers on the show (legal dept) didn't do a criminal background check on pole immediately after he applied to appear on the show. I'm not clear on why they would select him for the show without knowing his circumstances. That his criminal past was not revealed to Karine makes things worse and she should discuss that fact with an attorney. TLC dropped the ball on this one!!