S08.E16: Second Guessing

[Toaster Strudel]

Episode thread, yo!

[bichonblitz]

I want my fist to meet Mike's face. 

Natalies boobs are huge. Her face is full. Her butt is big. She's got a bit of a gut. She looks so different. What happened to Ms. healthy health nut? Where are the carrots and the yogurt? 

 

[Alonzo Mosely FBI]

Mike is a sick individual . He is totally in the running to out-do Andrew at this point and I didn't see that coming.  Natalie's choices are to go out in a pandemic facing a closed border OR emotional torture from Mike that is concretely abusive. She should've applied for a refugee status or something. I am being totally serious. 

Brandon's spa bathtub is out of a haunted house clown movie. GROSS and scary. Also he is so thin. 

 

[jacksgirl]

Natalie is a nut job, but I feel for her. She risks being illegally in the US if not married. Borders are closing and/or already closed and Mike has zero f**** to give about it. Wish the situation were reversed and they were in Ukraine and Natalie had all the power. He is an awful person. 

[Pepper Mostly]

Every season I ask myself "how on earth are they going to find a bigger bunch of losers than last season?". Then I am presented with the likes of Brandon, Mike, and Andrew. WHERE do they find these horrible people? Mike is just a terrible, awful, no good, very bad person. He never intended to marry Natalie, but apparently he brought her here on a fiancee visa just so he could get his petty revenge on her for throwing the ring back in Ukraine. He is cruel. Worst thing? He thinks he's a "nice guy". 

[My Girls]

Never before has there been a more awkward bride than Rebecca.  I don't think I've ever seen a sausage quite as squished into its casing before.  Hope Zied isn't around when that sucker blows cuz someone's gonna lose an eye.

[Hotel Snarker]

6 hours ago, bichonblitz said:

I want my fist to meet Mike's face. 

 

2 hours ago, Alonzo Mosely FBI said:

Mike is a sick individual . He is totally in the running to out-do Andrew at this point and I didn't see that coming.  Natalie's choices are to go out in a pandemic facing a closed border OR emotional torture from Mike that is concretely abusive. She should've applied for a refugee status or something. I am being totally serious. 

 

1 hour ago, jacksgirl said:

Natalie is a nut job, but I feel for her. She risks being illegally in the US if not married. Borders are closing and/or already closed and Mike has zero f**** to give about it. Wish the situation were reversed and they were in Ukraine and Natalie had all the power. He is an awful person. 

 

36 minutes ago, Pepper Mostly said:

Every season I ask myself "how on earth are they going to find a bigger bunch of losers than last season?". Then I am presented with the likes of Brandon, Mike, and Andrew. WHERE do they find these horrible people? Mike is just a terrible, awful, no good, very bad person. He never intended to marry Natalie, but apparently he brought her here on a fiancee visa just so he could get his petty revenge on her for throwing the ring back in Ukraine. He is cruel. Worst thing? He thinks he's a "nice guy". 

I totally agree with all of you! Mike is an extremely manipulative person. Natalie is in love with the idea of love and marriage and although I believe she is crazy sometimes, he’s the one that consistently gaslights her. Don’t tell her you want her to stay and call a lawyer to see what’s possible when you’re really not interested in being with her. You’re literally waiting until the last day to make a decision on whether or not you want her to stay, and that is extremely toxic. 

Michael is monster!

[mittsigirl]

16 minutes ago, Chloe Dog said:

Never before has there been a more awkward bride than Rebecca.  I don't think I've ever seen a sausage quite as squished into its casing before.  Hope Zied isn't around when that sucker blows cuz someone's gonna lose an eye.

It would have looked better if the corset that was supposed to go under the dress had been strapless, instead it had straps on top of other straps. And only half of it was hooked up in the back. Not a pretty look for all of her fussing she wanted for her 4th big 'forever day'!

Brandon is only 27 and has no kids but already has a dad bod!

[Pepper Mostly]

47 minutes ago, Chloe Dog said:

Never before has there been a more awkward bride than Rebecca.  I don't think I've ever seen a sausage quite as squished into its casing before.  Hope Zied isn't around when that sucker blows cuz someone's gonna lose an eye.

My father used to refer to something like that as a "blivet"--five pounds of shit in a three pound bag. 

She looked terrible. Her hair looked greasy and stringy, and she should have scrapped that ridiculous dress and gone to Macy's for a nice summer dress, maybe a hat. All of her guests were in Tractor Supply caps and jeans, for fucks sake!

[Granny58]

I'm so impressed that the guys attending Rebecca's wedding (not the groom) wore their best camo and flannel.  Nice touch guys.   Zied is sweet though.  

Mike is an asshole x 100.  However, Natalie should make the decision for herself to leave.  I mean, who the heck accepts that kind of scummy manipulation?  

Edited March 29, 2021 by Granny58
would and should are different words

[OFDgal]

Watching Mike laying on the bed being an asshole, I actually said to myself that I wanted to punch him right in the throat!  I just don't understand how he can be so cruel and lay there with that smug look on his face.

[mamadrama]

Hazel looked beautiful and Tarik seems to actually love her. Whatever happens from here on out AR least she's in a place where she can feel freer to be herself.

NonJovi is a twat. The best thing about his segments is his daddy's Cajun accent. There's nothing wrong with a tacky Vegas wedding. Hell, in retrospect we'd have probably had more fun if that's what we'd done. However, if Yara is not in on the joke then that's not cool. 

The best thing about Rebecca's segment was Zied saying his hair was cute. Never change, dude. 

Brandon can kiss my ass. Is HE making a mistake? No. Is SHE making one? Most definitely.

That said, she looked adorable on her wedding day. I loved the short, fluency dress and tennis shoes. Every bride should have their own style. 

I don't blame them for wanting a second ceremony so that they can invite friends and family. COVID dashed a lot of plans. The majority of K1 people do have a second one-first one at the courthouse and the second an actual traditional ceremony for friends and family. Many also return home for another one. My husband only had his parents and sister at our US one. 130 people and only 3 were there for him. I felt bad. We were going to do one in England, but money was too tight. If any of these people return to the motherland a la Libby and Andrei then TLC is most likely footing the bill.

At least we know Brandon's house isn't an Air BnB. 

At this point I figure Mike should just marry Natalie to keep her in the US. The Ukraine border was closed. She literally couldn't travel back. They'd closed the airports there.

For people saying she could've slept in the Seattle airport? No, she couldn't. We were there a day before she was meant to fly out and they were only letting you through the front door if your departure time was within 5 hours or less. This was WA in mud Aril-they were the epicenter at the time.

Imo Natalie went back to Mike's because he agreed to marry her so that she could be here legally. He probably thought that because of covid she could just legally stay without the marriage. No, Mike, it doesn't work that way.

And I swear to god that shrugging...

49 minutes ago, OFDgal said:

Watching Mike laying on the bed being an asshole, I actually said to myself that I wanted to punch him right in the throat!  I just don't understand how he can be so cruel and lay there with that smug look on his face.

He's the epitome of /niceguy That smug shrug and sigh made me ragey. 

[mamadrama]

58 minutes ago, Granny58 said:

I'm so impressed that the guys attending Rebecca's wedding (not the groom) wore their best camo and flannel.  Nice touch guys.   Zied is sweet though.  

Mike is an asshole x 100.  However, Natalie should make the decision for herself to leave.  I mean, who the heck accepts that kind of scummy manipulation?  

I totally agree. My question, though, is where would she have gone? She literally couldn't return to Ukraine, that's why her ticket was to France. She was backed into a corner and he played on that. I hope they married and she flew the coop a month later. I hope she has US connections. 

[bichonblitz]

57 minutes ago, OFDgal said:

Watching Mike laying on the bed being an asshole, I actually said to myself that I wanted to punch him right in the throat!  I just don't understand how he can be so cruel and lay there with that smug look on his face.

Mikes favorite answers:

I don't know

We'll have to see

What do you think

What do you want to do?

It's so rushed

We have a lot to work on 

And of course the icing on the cake: The shoulder shrug! 

We hate  you, Mike. We all hate you so very, very , much. 

[Bugfrey Von]

3 hours ago, jacksgirl said:

Natalie is a nut job, but I feel for her. She risks being illegally in the US if not married. Borders are closing and/or already closed and Mike has zero f**** to give about it. Wish the situation were reversed and they were in Ukraine and Natalie had all the power. He is an awful person. 

How awful do you have to be to make Natalie seem sympathetic?   She must have quite honestly been completely out of money to accept that situation. The hotel couldn’t FaceTime with Mike or figure out a solution? They had to go back to his weird little house in the woods?  Also, wasn’t the hotel stay just for one night? Tamra couldn’t have just dropped Natalie off in the airport and have her grin and bear it for a couple of hours before her flight?  If I were in Natalie‘s position, there is no way in hell I would’ve ever returned to Mike. He asked for his ring back! The guy is a psycho. Fuckery is afoot, things just aren’t adding up.

2 hours ago, Pepper Mostly said:

Every season I ask myself "how on earth are they going to find a bigger bunch of losers than last season?". Then I am presented with the likes of Brandon, Mike, and Andrew. WHERE do they find these horrible people? Mike is just a terrible, awful, no good, very bad person. He never intended to marry Natalie, but apparently he brought her here on a fiancee visa just so he could get his petty revenge on her for throwing the ring back in Ukraine. He is cruel. Worst thing? He thinks he's a "nice guy". 

Mike is playing the long game and also understands it’s going to be a while before he gets laid again, so.....

2 hours ago, Chloe Dog said:

Never before has there been a more awkward bride than Rebecca.  I don't think I've ever seen a sausage quite as squished into its casing before.  Hope Zied isn't around when that sucker blows cuz someone's gonna lose an eye.

Seriously. She couldn’t comb her hair? Do her roots? The horse and carriage thing had me CRINGING. 

[suzeecat]

I'm sure that Mike was expecting the lawyer to say that it is OK for Natalie to stay without getting married due to the Covid situation.  He is one super horrible person and I don't think anyone would argue that he had legitimate reasons for having doubts about marrying Natalie.  It's the way he strung her along emotionally that is the most cruel aspect of their story. 

[jennyf]

Why did Rebecca’s son-in-law and her other flannel-shirted escort turn around and leave after they walked her down the aisle? 
 

 

[mamadrama]

1 minute ago, suzeecat said:

I'm sure that Mike was expecting the lawyer to say that it is OK for Natalie to stay without getting married due to the Covid situation.  He is one super horrible person and I don't think anyone would argue that he had legitimate reasons for having doubts about marrying Natalie.  It's the way he strung her along emotionally that is the most cruel aspect of their story. 

That's where I am about the two.

Natalie seems like she may have some legit mental health issues (or a personality disorder which, I know, is not the same). She's nuts but at least she comes by it honestly. Mike, however, seems to be intentionally manipulative. 

[bichonblitz]

So in reality why couldn't Mike cancel his reservation at the hotel and his friend use her credit card until Mike could reimburse her the next day?  I know it makes too much sense. Instead they drive 3 hrs back to Mikes house so they can film the entire fakity fake fake situation of Mike and Nat. 

[AZChristian]

Tamara not being able to host Natalie for one night because she had a "full house."

One more clue (besides her car, which had to be emptied out so Natalie's luggage could go in).  I think Tamara is a hoarder.  ANYONE could find an extra recliner or spot on the floor for one night for someone in distress (if they wanted to).  Anyone but a hoarder.

[mamadrama]

3 minutes ago, bichonblitz said:

So in reality why couldn't Mike cancel his reservation at the hotel and his friend use her credit card until Mike could reimburse her the next day?  I know it makes too much sense. Instead they drive 3 hrs back to Mikes house so they can film the entire fakity fake fake situation of Mike and Nat. 

My take: Tamara called Mike, told him about the hotel situation, and he did some reading and realized that Natalie really could not return to her country. When he called off the wedding I think he figured she could just continue staying on, that COVID stuff would make the 90 day period stretch out more. When he realized that, no, unless she married she really WOULD have to leave, he agreed to marry her. That's the real reason she went back. He already knew this because of either reading he's done or his own lawyer had told him. The filmed lawyer was for our benefit.

TL/DR: the credit card thing was real. The reason they returned, though, is because Mike had agreed to marry her to keep her in the US. 

I'm starting to think they broke up before she arrived. 

[bichonblitz]

2 minutes ago, mamadrama said:

TL/DR: the credit card thing was real.

I know it was but why couldn't Tamara use her card until Mike could reimburse her? 

[mamadrama]

1 minute ago, bichonblitz said:

I know it was but why couldn't Tamara use her card until Mike could reimburse her? 

That was my point. They returned to Mike's NOT because of the credit card thing but because he'd agreed to marry her. The hotel/cc was an excuse. 

[bichonblitz]

Just now, mamadrama said:

That was my point. They returned to Mike's NOT because of the credit card thing but because he'd agreed to marry her. The hotel/cc was an excuse. 

Agree. That's why I said it's all so fakity, fake fake! I'm so sick of their drama!

 

 

 

[Kdawg82]

To think I used to really like Mike. But the point here is if you can't imagine life without someone, you marry them. He wants it both ways.  He's not just trying to protect her from COVID and prevent her flying. Why then was his only concern before that "give me the ring back.  PLEASE give me the ring back!" He's not here for her. He'd be the crappiest boyfriend and noncommittal partner if someone were in the states. Without a visa hanging over his head, he'd have a woman he might live with but never marry. Works for some people and not for others. Wonder what will happen here. 

I ended up minding Julia of Brandon & Julia less than I thought I would. By now I prefer her over Brandon. His parents ended up being super sweet. 

Jovi should probably wake up with missing male parts one morning. That is all. 

Rebecca...well I guess that happened.  Blech! 

Anyone else I don't remember. 

[mamadrama]

Just now, bichonblitz said:

Agree. That's why I said it's all so fakity, fake fake! I'm so sick of their drama!

 

 

 

I think Mike called off the wedding because he figured, hey, she can just continue to live here and be a good piece of ass for when I'm high and drunk-there's no way the government will kick her out during a pandemic! 

But yeah, something's screwy. Wish we could've seen the fight. That's the shit I'm watching for!

1 minute ago, Kdawg82 said:

To think I used to really like Mike. But the point here is if you can't imagine life without someone, you marry them. He wants it both ways.  He's not just trying to protect her from COVID and prevent her flying. Why then was his only concern before that "give me the ring back.  PLEASE give me the ring back!" He's not here for her. .  Blech! 

Imo he kept asking for the ring back because he's not in love with her and didn't want to marry her... Which he knew before she landed. 

[Granny58]

48 minutes ago, mamadrama said:

I totally agree. My question, though, is where would she have gone? She literally couldn't return to Ukraine, that's why her ticket was to France. She was backed into a corner and he played on that. I hope they married and she flew the coop a month later. I hope she has US connections. 

Thank you for the info.  I don't remember what all the restrictions were back then.  I suppose one option would have been to contact a Ukrainian consulate for recommendations, however, that would have had to be decided on before 24 hours to go!   But we all agree...Mike is an asshole. 

[Dobian]

Rebecca's family sure went all-out getting dressed up for those nuptials!

Mike and Natalie win for Contrived Reunion of the Year.  She could have simply crashed in the airport terminal until morning in a worst case scenario.

Jovi: "Those rings are too expensive!

Previous scene: Jovi blows what must have been at least $250 in chips in a single black jack bet.

Brandon's parents: "Yay, we don't get the villain edit anymore, they're going with the 'Brandon is an idiot' narrative!"

Yes Brandon, she will be divorcing you.  Yours is a total TV marriage you dope.

[watchingtvaddict]

13 minutes ago, mamadrama said:

I think Mike called off the wedding because he figured, hey, she can just continue to live here and be a good piece of ass for when I'm high and drunk-there's no way the government will kick her out during a pandemic! 

But yeah, something's screwy. Wish we could've seen the fight. That's the shit I'm watching for!

Imo he kept asking for the ring back because he's not in love with her and didn't want to marry her... Which he knew before she landed. 

I totally agree with you! 
in Mike’s mind he wanted to have Natalie stay in country Out of Status because he thought for sure she wouldn’t be deported during Corona times.

Natalie asking the lawyer about her ability to visit her mom (if she was out of status) made it clear (to me)  Mike was probably trying to convince her living in the States without the correct visa was NBD and nothing would change if they didn’t get married. 

[AZChristian]

I sometimes wonder why these people would agree to be portrayed as they are being portrayed, given that some of them have decent jobs with companies that would not want to be portrayed as having assholes for employees.

Specifically, Mike.  He has a good job with a building supply company that he drives over 2 hours one-way to get to.  That company does not want strangers walking in and wandering around in hopes of catching a glimpse so they can berate him in public.  I'm sure Mike told them about the show, but told them that it was scripted and that some people might not like how he was portrayed.  He had no idea that it would end up being the clusterf**k it ended up being.

MY SUPPOSITIONS:  (Pretend every sentence starts with "Maybe.")

I think they may have already broken up (weeks before), with plans that they would pretend to get back together.  Maybe he gave her back the ring with the agreement that she would return it before going back to Ukraine.  Remember, he didn't ask her to marry him, he asked her to be his fiancee.  I thought that was quite "telling," especially after she kept commenting on wanting a real proposal.  Maybe he didn't ask her to "marry" him because that wasn't in their plans or the script.  Maybe the scripted plan was that he would back out at the last minute.  Natalie decided to keep the ring.  He kept asking for it back because they had agreed that she would.  He ended up looking like an asshole, but she was the one not following through with their agreement.

When covid hit, they couldn't follow through on the plans for her to cry her way to the airport and sit there (and be filmed) until she boarded her plane, continuing to sob.  The script fell apart.  It's not Mike's fault that the hotel wouldn't accept his credit card without him being there.  That was just one of those things that most people don't know until it happens to them.  If this whole situation was real, I think TLC should have gotten Natalie a room for the night.  But EVERYONE was scrambling because the real director of the show was now covid, not TLC.  

At that point, no one was "acting."  No one knew what to do.  Except Tamara, who had a full house and couldn't take Natalie in.  Maybe they asked Mike's friends, but - again - with covid just starting, maybe no one else would take someone into their homes.

At some point - maybe in a Tell-All - more facts may come out.  

[watchingtvaddict]

6 minutes ago, Granny58 said:

Thank you for the info.  I don't remember what all the restrictions were back then.  I suppose one option would have been to contact a Ukrainian consulate for recommendations, however, that would have had to be decided on before 24 hours to go!   But we all agree...Mike is an asshole. 

I wonder if the Ukraine had repatriation flights? My country closed its borders but people were able to fly back to certain cities from certain countries if they got on the list. They also had flights out of the country so tourists could repatriate. April 2020 was a scary time. 

[mamadrama]

2 minutes ago, AZChristian said:

I sometimes wonder why these people would agree to be portrayed as they are being portrayed, given that some of them have decent jobs with companies that would not want to be portrayed as having assholes for employees.

Specifically, Mike.  He has a good job with a building supply company that he drives over 2 hours one-way to get to.  That company does not want strangers walking in and wandering around in hopes of catching a glimpse so they can berate him in public.  I'm sure Mike told them about the show, but told them that it was scripted and that some people might not like how he was portrayed.  He had no idea that it would end up being the clusterf**k it ended up being.

MY SUPPOSITIONS:  (Pretend every sentence starts with "Maybe.")

I think they may have already broken up (weeks before), with plans that they would pretend to get back together.  Maybe he gave her back the ring with the agreement that she would return it before going back to Ukraine.  Remember, he didn't ask her to marry him, he asked her to be his fiancee.  I thought that was quite "telling," especially after she kept commenting on wanting a real proposal.  Maybe he didn't ask her to "marry" him because that wasn't in their plans or the script.  Maybe the scripted plan was that he would back out at the last minute.  Natalie decided to keep the ring.  He kept asking for it back because they had agreed that she would.  He ended up looking like an asshole, but she was the one not following through with their agreement.

When covid hit, they couldn't follow through on the plans for her to cry her way to the airport and sit there (and be filmed) until she boarded her plane, continuing to sob.  The script fell apart.  It's not Mike's fault that the hotel wouldn't accept his credit card without him being there.  That was just one of those things that most people don't know until it happens to them.  If this whole situation was real, I think TLC should have gotten Natalie a room for the night.  But EVERYONE was scrambling because the real director of the show was now covid, not TLC.  

At that point, no one was "acting."  No one knew what to do.  Except Tamara, who had a full house and couldn't take Natalie in.  Maybe they asked Mike's friends, but - again - with covid just starting, maybe no one else would take someone into their homes.

At some point - maybe in a Tell-All - more facts may come out.  

That's a lot along the lines of what I was thinking, too. Or that they broke up but he agreed to still marry her so that she could stay in the country. Her breakdown, which I think was real, could've been because he DID back out of their agreement the night before. 

Like others, he acts as though the 90 days is a suggestion, not a rule. Yes, our govt is serious about that. No, the foreigners can't just stay on because you are not ready. 

15 minutes ago, Granny58 said:

Thank you for the info.  I don't remember what all the restrictions were back then.  I suppose one option would have been to contact a Ukrainian consulate for recommendations, however, that would have had to be decided on before 24 hours to go!   But we all agree...Mike is an asshole. 

lol, yep, no matter how we frame it, dude's still a prick. 

[mamadrama]

7 minutes ago, watchingtvaddict said:

I wonder if the Ukraine had repatriation flights? My country closed its borders but people were able to fly back to certain cities from certain countries if they got on the list. They also had flights out of the country so tourists could repatriate. April 2020 was a scary time. 

Ukraine didn't have repatriation flights for their own citizens until late June, and even then it was difficult and expensive to get on the list. Some people were stuck until early Sept. Some citizens were able to fly out of Ukraine in May, but it depended upon their home country.

April sucked. 

15 minutes ago, Dobian said:

 

Mike and Natalie win for Contrived Reunion of the Year.  She could have simply crashed in the airport terminal until morning in a worst case scenario.

 

Nope, she really couldn't have. Not in April. 

[watchingtvaddict]

1 minute ago, mamadrama said:

That's a lot along the lines of what I was thinking, too. Or that they broke up but he agreed to still marry her so that she could stay in the country. Her breakdown, which I think was real, could've been because he DID back out of their agreement the night before. 

Like others, he acts as though the 90 days is a suggestion, not a rule. Yes, our govt is serious about that. No, the foreigners can't just stay on because you are not ready. 

Citizens (in all countries) really don’t understand immigration/ visa rules until they have to deal with them. I remember a friend telling me I should just hop over to Canada for a visa run after my tourist visa expired so I could stay in the States for 1+ years (spoiler: you can’t reset your visa by traveling to Canada, Mexico or the Carribean). I also remember being surprised my foreign friends had to go through a medical every time they needed to renew their student visas. As an immigrant, I’m aware that staying in a country legally can be a time consuming and expensive affair. 

[mamadrama]

2 minutes ago, watchingtvaddict said:

Citizens (in all countries) really don’t understand immigration/ visa rules until they have to deal with them. I remember a friend telling me I should just hop over to Canada for a visa run after my tourist visa expired so I could stay in the States for 1+ years (spoiler: you can’t reset your visa by traveling to Canada, Mexico or the Carribean). I also remember being surprised my foreign friends had to go through a medical every time they needed to renew their student visas. As an immigrant, I’m aware that staying in a country legally can be a time consuming and expensive affair. 

We had people telling us that my husband's K1 should be easy and quick to get because the US and England are "friends." Nope. It had no bearing on his application. 

There are reasons why immigration law is a specialty. It's complicated. 

Now Amira had a good chance of getting hers extended because of COVID since she hadn't entered the US yet. But Julia, Zied, Yara, hazel, and Natalie did not. Once you're here that clock starts ticking.

Yet another reason to get married soon after landing. You never know what could happen.  

[watchingtvaddict]

One more question. Who is going to marry Natalie and Mike? Have they already applied for the marriage license? Are they going to use the same marriage license they received for the cancelled wedding? Have they informed the officiant they *might* get married on Natalie’s final day in the States? If this drama is all made up I’m amazed they went this far while dealing with the pandemic. 

Even Rebecca with her Princess wedding fantasy was mature enough to realize her one son wouldn’t attend because they couldn’t secure a babysitter. 
 

[Mrs. Hanson]

Okay, there is a lot to unpack with these super terrible men last night.   What in fresh hell is going on with parents raising these shitty asshole men?  

Mike:  I used to like you, but your passive aggressive shit with the shrugging of shoulders, "We've got a lot to work on" and "Go ahead and talk,. I am right here" can go away. Now.  Lord he was reaching Andrew levels of being an asshole last night.  I may need to further decompress and come back later to unload, lol.  Loved the lawyer:  "Boy, you screwed up BIG TIME!!!"  And he looks like he has gained about 40 pounds.

Rebecca:  You looked like a stuffed sausage and very ridiculous in that carriage.  If someone had offered that up to me I would have politely said yeah no, I am not into the princess thing but thank you for the offer.  Rebecca ordered a dress too small thinking she was a size 10 and guess what you are not a 10, neither am I, but get a dress that FITS.  Then she puts a corset over the dress that makes it even uglier?  Your kids could not be bothered to wear khakis?  Take off the hats?  I shudder to think that my wedding guests are saying about my groom:  "Yeah I have my doubts but we will see!"  Nice support system there.

Brandon/Julia:  I am not a sneakers and wedding dress kinda gal but hey I am 56 not 26, lol.  Brandon, driving to the wedding wondering if this is the right thing to do is NOT a good sign.  Promising her she will never cry is not right.  How about saying "You will never cry because of me" instead.  Cause with Betty as your MIL you WILL be crying.  Hell I cried four times last week, three times in one day over stress at work, lol.  No need to see him shirtless, ever again.  MY EYES!!

Jovi:  You don't want to shell out for a ring but you are willing to shell out for strippers and lap dances and liquor.  And yes, the guys were drinking Bud Lights at the tux rental place.  Thought it was Pepsi but I thought wrong.

TLC and others:  PLEASE STOP WITH THE MYTH THAT WOMEN WANT TO BE A PRINCESS ON THEIR WEDDING DAY.  We don't.  We can financially support ourselves, have careers, can speak for ourselves and want an equal partner.  

Next week:  The return of (and me muting) Stephanie and Andrew!!  "Well do we even know she had an anxiety attack at the airport?"  Lady, I get a knot in my stomach when your douchebag of a son shows up on my screen so yes, I believe her.  Like others have said:  No one f*cks over a woman like another woman, right?

[Colfrmb]

I hate that I’m reviewing the Mike-Natalie mess with a fine toothed comb but several people have said that Ukraine did not close their borders until some time later than the date we have seen posted as their marriage date.  So to me, it’s all contrived.  TLC takes care of their production crew and I would bet money that they had reservations for a couple of rooms at that hotel so they could cover the story leading up to her departure.  Just get her a room too.  I’ve been wrong before.  I would have bet money that all te weight gain on Natalie was from being pregnant.  But maybe she maxed out her credit card getting her chest augmented and one last round of filler injections.  It can happen.  

[Pepper Mostly]

1 hour ago, AZChristian said:

Tamara not being able to host Natalie for one night because she had a "full house."

One more clue (besides her car, which had to be emptied out so Natalie's luggage could go in).  I think Tamara is a hoarder.  ANYONE could find an extra recliner or spot on the floor for one night for someone in distress (if they wanted to).  Anyone but a hoarder.

I agree with this (Or I would if the whole thing wasn't completely made up.) You could tell by the state of her car that there was something going on. 

 

 

[mamadrama]

16 minutes ago, Colfrmb said:

I hate that I’m reviewing the Mike-Natalie mess with a fine toothed comb but several people have said that Ukraine did not close their borders until some time later than the date we have seen posted as their marriage date.  So to me, it’s all contrived.  TLC takes care of their production crew and I would bet money that they had reservations for a couple of rooms at that hotel so they could cover the story leading up to her departure.  Just get her a room too.  I’ve been wrong before.  I would have bet money that all te weight gain on Natalie was from being pregnant.  But maybe she maxed out her credit card getting her chest augmented and one last round of filler injections.  It can happen.  

Ukraine's borders by air closed in mid April. We had to host an author friend because they couldn't fly back. There were rumors that people could still get through the borders by bus or car. At that time, however, you could not book an airline ticket from the US to Kyiv and existing ones were not honored. Could that have been different once she got to France? Maybe. 

[Mean Jeanne]

Something that I’m wondering - is it possible that all the scenes of Mike and Natalie where she was wearing the shorts and skimpy top, have been filmed at a later date to fit into the earlier time line? Two reasons, one being her dramatic change in appearance, all robust and buxom like. And two, she was always whining about how cold Mike’s house was, yet she seemed comfortable dressed in so few clothes. Just a thought 

Also, I don’t miss Pillow Talk any more since I discovered the 90DF Live Chat thread, you guys’ snark is outstanding!!

[mamadrama]

 

39 minutes ago, Colfrmb said:

I hate that I’m reviewing the Mike-Natalie mess with a fine toothed comb but several people have said that Ukraine did not close their borders until some time later than the date we have seen posted as their marriage date.  So to me, it’s all contrived.  TLC takes care of their production crew and I would bet money that they had reservations for a couple of rooms at that hotel so they could cover the story leading up to her departure.  Just get her a room too.  I’ve been wrong before.  I would have bet money that all te weight gain on Natalie was from being pregnant.  But maybe she maxed out her credit card getting her chest augmented and one last round of filler injections.  It can happen.  

Ukraine's borders by air closed in mid April. We had to host an author friend because they couldn't fly back. There were rumors that people could still get through the borders by bus or car. At that time, however, you could not book an airline ticket from the US to Kyiv and existing ones were not honored. Could that have been different once she got to France? Maybe. 

 

Edited March 29, 2021 by mamadrama

[Mrs. Hanson]

Tarik/Hazel:  Hazel, are you EVER happy?  Oh yes you are when you are looking at a female stripper/dancer at the oddest bachelorette party, ever:  Five people, in the daytime, and sober.  Anywhoo.......Her dress was pretty, but I was wondering if the daughter was okay being up there, I am sure the situation was a bit of sensory overload for her.  Just a hunch, and I do think Tarik is good dad but then I think hey wait a minute a good dad does not allow a third woman to come into the house as threesome.

Did you all hear Hazel is bisexual?  That Rebecca has an ex from Morocco?  That Zied is 27?  That Yara is pregnant?  That the time is about is about to run out on Natalie?  That Mike from Sequim is the biggest doucehbag......EVER???  If I was given a heirloom ring (in fact I was, my ring now is a 150 year old opal ring) and if we broke up, even at his request, I would give it back.  But with Douchebag Mike, I would pawn it and tell him to go buy it back at Pawn America.  

[Frozendiva]

3 hours ago, Granny58 said:

I'm so impressed that the guys attending Rebecca's wedding (not the groom) wore their best camo and flannel.  Nice touch guys.   Zied is sweet though.  

Mike is an asshole x 100.  However, Natalie should make the decision for herself to leave.  I mean, who the heck accepts that kind of scummy manipulation?  

The visa should have been postponed. Still get to know each other and deal with the throwing back of the ring. 

After the first month or so, it was pretty obvious that things weren’t going well. Break it off then. Not a couple of days before the visa expires.

Natalie, or all of the foreign partners, should have a means to get home in case something bad happens. A friend or family member to borrow money for a ticket, a credit card, whatever.

Covid also reared its ugly head. Borders were closing. Rough place to be.

 

[seacliffsal]

Rebecca is not only a master of lighting and photo-shopping, she is also a master of make-up as I could not believe the transformation of her face from without make-up to fully made-up.  Mad skills by herself and her daughter throughout the series.

I finally realized how vile Mike is during this episode.  He continued to toy with Natalie until the end of her 90 days.   I also think he would have encouraged her to stay beyond the 90 days without any consideration of her legal issues/problems if the attorney hadn't so clearly stated the real issues ahead.  However, instead of continuing to ask Mike what he wanted to do, Natalie should have just moved forward with making plans/seeking help to return home.  As for the short-shorts and tight top she wore, I think she was trying her sex kitten persona to try and change Mike's mind.  

[christmaslights]

I think Natalie coming here was kind of a surprise, and he went along with it (with persuasion from production). He may have loved her at some point, but he came home and realized it wasn't meant to be.

Then she shows up and hilarity ensues....they don't belong together and she should have gone home after week 1.

Natalie is an aging Ukranian internet bride hoping for a better life, or at the very least citizenship and the ability to go back and forth. This was probably her last chance after devoting a year or 2 to the process. He couldn't get rid of her if he tried, and I think being an asshole was his loser way of trying to get her to leave. Not our girl.

So here we are, I'm assuming they are married and miserable...but now that she's here he has some kind of responsibility for her? Not sure how that works.

 

 

[ALittleShelfish]

Good Lord, it's like Mike applied to be on The Worst Person in America and ended up playing that role on whatever TLC would cast him on.  You *know* he was trying to will the lawyer into saying what he WANTED to tell Natalie (but bc he's a big fat p***y, he can't) so he could turn to her and say "See? Didn't I tell you that?  Isn't that what I just said? HA!"   I'm also starting to believe they broke up before she landed.  It definitely explains why he's consistently so cold to her thru out the early epis.  

BUT ... even if they had broken up, let's assume they did.... What is in these TLC contracts that is so enticing to couples who break up before filming? (and there've been a few, right? Not just Stephanie/Ryan, but there's more, right?)  Can't they say "No, we're not together anymore"?  The money isn't that good, is it?  @mamadrama, any insight to this?  IIRC, you have mentioned seeing some of the TLC contracts or have spoken with cast enough that you might be able to answer this.  

I wonder if Family Brandon's house uses well water and that created the "dirty" grout.  After one house with well water and trying to constantly stay on top of the stains, I moved and said never ever ever again. Their story in this epi didn't bother me, it was cute, and oh god Julia's mom is the cutest! 

At least we didn't have to endure Stephanie or Andrew.  Yay us!

[Tango64]

I enjoy being invited to weddings of people I don't really know or care about, like my partner's co-worker I might have met once. Weddings are prime territory for some of the best cringe ever, and I love me some good cringe. 

Thank you, Rebecca. Thank you very much for inviting me to your wedding.

Edited March 29, 2021 by Tango64
Brevity

[mamadrama]

13 minutes ago, ALittleShelfish said:

.  

BUT ... even if they had broken up, let's assume they did.... What is in these TLC contracts that is so enticing to couples who break up before filming? (and there've been a few, right? Not just Stephanie/Ryan, but there's more, right?)  Can't they say "No, we're not together anymore"?  The money isn't that good, is it?  @mamadrama, any insight to this?  IIRC, you have mentioned seeing some of the TLC contracts or have spoken with cast enough that you might be able to answer this.  

 

Yeah, I'm friends with a few different couples who have been on this show. One is still a little traumatized.

The pay sucks. The TLC check doesn't go very far. The longer they're on, the more they get paid, but if you broke it down to hrs of filming vs hourly pay it's barely minimum wage. I think they've got 2 things going on: they're either hoping to monopolize on their brief popularity to parlay it into their existing business (both Stephanies, Tricky Ricky, Fat David's friend, Bibi, Usman, Molly, etc) or they're hoping that it will allow them to monetize themselves do that they can start something new (Tom's sister's "coaching", Jesse, Darcey, Tim, Tarik, Annie, etc). Then you've got people who signed on for legit reasons (not looking for fame) but once they got a taste of it they can't let it go so they keep up the drama and histrionics (Libby's family, Chantal's family). The TLC pay isn't great but YouTube, OnlyFans, Cameo, public appearances, etc can be. 

As far as why Mike and Natalie would keep filming? My guess is it was her idea. She's trying to be an actress/YouTuber/influencer and probably thought this was her big chance. She thinks she comes across cuter and quirkier than she does. Despite his whole "aw shucks ma'am, I'm just a shy old country boy" routine, Mike's a bit of a narcissist as well. She probably didn't have to twist his arm.

As for Stephanie and Ryan, she was probably like, "Come on, baby, just film with me. It's only for 2 weeks. My biz will get attention and you'll get to stay at a nice resort...I'll pay you." 

NONE of these people go into this with concerns about how they might look. They just assume they're awesome and will be beloved. (That's why they're all gunning for spots on Pillow Talk.)

[Back Atcha]

37 minutes ago, seacliffsal said:

I finally realized how vile Mike is during this episode.  He continued to toy with Natalie until the end of her 90 days. 

Always was...always will be. I think he decided that having a woman--any woman around to cook and clean (for free!) was a really good deal for him.  He's not at home or awake very long anyway.  If he could get a female he was willing to "bed," even better.  Now, if she would just stop her yammering, everything would be perfect.  VILE is the perfect description.