MrSmith

But do you think all this, "I'll go back to Russia if you don't buy it for me" stuff is completely truthful? Don't you think she would be keeping her cards closer to her chest if she was honestly this mercenary? you don't think she is playing up the "brutal honesty" angle for the cameras or to get a rise out of Jorge? Depends on what you think her life was like in Russia. Perhaps she was doing fine because she was playing multiple men for smaller amounts. Then along comes Jorge promising her the moon. She finds out he can't deliver and realizes her bread is better buttered on the other side. So, threatening to go back to Russia could be a perfectly mercenary move. Besides, it's hard to fake all the little things she does, like the side eyes and the other subconscious physical tells.

Being a bitch is completely different from being a confident, assertive woman. She isn't playing hard to get. Russian women expect to marry wealthy American men (when they're looking at marrying Americans). Anfisa seems particularly jaded and materialistic because she seems to view relationships simply as a business arrangement. By way of comparison, most of the Russian women I've heard about marrying American men really are looking for a happy, loving relationship; they just restrict their suitors to those who are wealthy.

I would have sent the pancakes back. First of all, always serve the syrup on the side. Let the diner/guest choose how much or how little syrup they want on their pancakes. Personally, I like mine drowning, but my wife does not. We're the same with cereal: I like mine at least a little soggy, whereas she won't eat it once it reaches that point. Furthermore, we don't eat or drink things that have high fructose corn syrup in them if we can help it. And pancake syrup is one thing where it's totally avoidable. Log Cabin makes a good syrup with no HFCS in it and I personally choose maple syrup whenever I can.

When it comes to religious beliefs, people with opposing religious beliefs can easily make a go of it. It just depends on their level of "live and let live" attitude. If either or both are going to demand that one or the other change religions, that's when the marriage will fall apart. My wife and I have radically different religious beliefs, yet neither of us requires the other to change their beliefs in order for each of us to have a fulfilling religious life - and we've been married for 13 years, together for 20 years, and still going strong. If you require your partner to change their religious beliefs to match yours because you need your beliefs validated in this way, then yes you had better find someone who already shares those beliefs. As for the rest of it: lifestyle, cultural outlook, interests and so on ... I completely agree that I cannot understand how these two thought meeting each other would be a good or worthwhile idea. My wife and I are completely dumbfounded that Nicole never once thought to jump on the Internet and learn about Morocco before going there (even if she had to use the computer at the library to do this - but she has a smartphone and should have been able to do it from the comfort of her own home or her family's home). Similarly, we can't understand how her family failed to advocate that she do this, either. And even if she refused, why didn't her family learn about Morocco just for their own edification? I mean, presumably they have been expecting to have a Moroccan son/brother in-law. It's hard to imagine a family that is that utterly intellectually bereft. We've been enjoying watching Jorge squirm. In fact, I've come to actually like Anfisa because of her honesty and straight-forwardness about her expectations and what the deal is. I feel a little bad for her because it seems like she views all relationships as a business arrangement/form of prostitution. It seems like something really bad must have happened to her in the past to make her so jaded, cynical, and predatory. Hopefully, she'll eventually come to terms with that and things will get better for her. We have no sympathy for Jorge, either.

I loved Anfisa's side eyes looking away from Jorge during that segment! So telling. She's thinking "Don't you dare ask me what I think of what he just said!" and "Are you crazy? Do you really think I would fall in love with someone like HIM?!?' As for Matt, I'll agree this is all red flags for Alla. At the same time, if she clues into the fact that she's marrying a very weak man, she could well turn that in her favor and dominate him. And if she's smart, she'll be able to dominate him without him fully realizing it. (And I believe she's smart enough to do this. I just don't think she's duplicitous enough.) Also, don't blame Mery's level of involvement in all this on Mery; it's all Matt's fault because he's a puss and refuses to step up. As for Nicole, we need to start at a more basic level with her: "Marrying for Dummies". And that's assuming she's advanced enough to skip "Adulting for Dummies". I'm not sure she's that advanced.

Perhaps that's true in the small villages, but, most of Morocco isn't like that. The scene where Azan tells her that Moroccan women stay home and don't go to mosque is so contrived. Neither is true. I own a home in Agadir (part of the show was filmed there), have family there and attend mosque on occasion. It's heavily influenced by the west and women work in nearly every venue, very much like you see in the US. There are a lot of foreigners and natives in the larger cities who prefer western dress. You know, watching the segments on Azan and Nicole made my wife and I really want to visit Morocco. I'm not sure we'll ever get around to it, but it's now firmly cemented in my mind as a desirable vacation destination - even if we only go there one time.

I think there is a lot of emphasis on the American half of the couples' feeling "guilty" that their foreign betrothed "gives up everything to come here," and thus feels obligated to give them everything they desire. Yeah, but what I can't understand is how people like Chantel and Danielle are able to get their fiancee's approved for these visas since they clearly do not have the financial means to support them once they are here, which is something I know is required for the fiancee to move here permanently.

I can't stand Anfisa either. Jorge told a HUGE lie when he said women in America were feminists and that's why he went abroad to find a wife. The truth is that a woman in America, who looks like Anfisa, probably wouldn't be interested in him. So he went to some international website, found Anfisa, promised her the sun, the moon and the stars and here she is. I don't think they should get married. I think Jorge should take a good, long look at himself and understand that for the most part, like attracts like. Yeah, I really hate that lame excuse of "I can't find an American woman to marry because they're all FEMINISTS!" Whatever. If you treated women well and were respectful of them as human beings, you'd find there are plenty of American women to date - even if some of those happen to be feminists. That lame ass excuse is just code for "I can't find anyone who will acquiesce to my every demand and not require anything more of me than I am currently willing to give." What Jorge really should do is just get a sex doll because that's his "perfect woman". Of course, Anfisa is an animated sex doll and, as such, has demands he must meet in order for her to be willing to fulfill the "sex doll" portion of their arrangement. I'm really glad that Anfisa is becoming less willing to compromise because it's forcing him to face and accept reality. And if Jorge would hit the gym a little and expand his interests, it would make it a lot easier to meet women and potentially find a wife. Maybe he should check out Events And Adventures. He's certainly got the money to do that.

When it comes to one side of her mother's mouth not moving, it seems pretty clear she's had a stroke in the past. If you look at her face, her left eyelid is droopy, her left cheek is not symmetrical with her right, and the left side of her mouth doesn't move and is non-expressive. These are indicators of someone who's had a stroke in the past. Thankfully for her family, she survived it. Hopefully, people on the Internet aren't going to be too hard on her for this. It's not like she has any control over it.

Agreed. Except on the "and have a nice reception." For wedding number 4, burgers on the grill should do just fine. No one should have to buy a fourth wedding gift to the same loser. I feel for Alla. I like her a lot, but she is with a weak man who lets his mom speak for him. I think he said that as a joke. I mean, oh gawd, I hope it was a joke. I don't think it was a joke based on his reactions when the stripper was grinding up against him. It would be nice if it turns out to be joke. If it does, then it means Alla has a problem with Matt having a stripper at his bachelor party altogether. And I find that a reasonable position. I rejected having a stripper at mine and put my future brothers-in-law on notice immediately that there was not to be a stripper at the party. Period. In Alla's case, I think her negative reaction to such an event is even more justified given the lack of trust Matt has afforded her when she wanted to go out. And then he has a stripper at his bachelor party? Yeah, completely out of bounds.

I feel really bad for Alla. She's been here 75 days at this point in the show and her fiance hasn't got the first damn clue how to make transition any easier on her. Really, he doesn't understand how to be compassionate and empathetic for the woman he claims to love. When it comes to the wedding venue, he should have been the one to sit down and talk to her about what they could and could not afford. It would have made life easier for him in the future if he would have explained what they can afford now and promise her the beach ceremony in the future when they renew their vows. At least she would have understood and she would have appreciated the promise of getting what she dreams of in the future, and it would have kept his mom from looking like the bad guy. I think the preview from next week says a lot about his character. His friends (or brother) chose to hire one of Matt's ex-wives as the stripper for the bachelor party. The absolute and total crassness/boorishness required to do such a thing staggers the imagination. The fact that he doesn't (appear to) immediately object and counter with either canceling the stripper altogether or absenting himself from the party also staggers the imagination. Someone with whom you've been intimate should not be the stripper at your party! This is not a difficult concept. My wife and I are convinced this is what precipitates the chair-throwing incident they've shown in previous previews earlier in the season. And if I had a friend who hired one of my ex's to come strip for me, I would both leave the party and sever ties with that friend. Someone like that does not have your best interests at heart; they're looking to create trouble for you. And if you've got one ounce of emotional intelligence or care for and have any respect for your partner, you wouldn't tolerate or be part of such shenanigans. If Alla doesn't marry Matt, it will be entirely Matt's fault: for not manning up and letting his mother do all the dirty work *and* for being friends with people who would engage in such tawdry tactics and allowing himself to be party to such things. Really, Matt is lucky that Alla's sister is half a world away because I can imagine that the events of the bachelor party would constitute just enough excuse for her sister to rightfully lay his ass right out.

I enjoy your comments. You're usually spot-on and have a way of cutting to the core. And you're absolutely right: Jorge knew what he was getting himself into. I think he was hoping that she would discover she truly loves him in the 90 days before they got married and that he would be able to deny what he knew was the truth from the start. Now that he's getting toward the end of the 90 days, he's discovering that he cannot hide from the truth and that Anfisa will take every opportunity available to force the truth upon him. While we all foresaw the crashing and burning that (at least) begins next week, I still feel a little bad for him.

I am so glad we removed this from our DVR after 20 minutes of the S2 premiere. Way too many plot holes and then that ridiculous scene with Einstein grabbing those ladies' asses and use that lame-ass pick-up line used by far too many geeks/nerds/dorks in the real world when trying to pick up chicks.