S16.E03: Not Social But Very Distant

[toodywoody]

I think Covid was just a convenient way for Douchey to not have to be around Christine, which he was already on the outs with. There was no reason for him to be such a flaming dickbag about the surgery and then to be such a dick when she stepped closer to him. Like this woman you shared a bed with and had kids with, there was no reason for him to talk to her like that.

[the-grey-lady]

I don't know that I've ever wanted to punch Kody more than I did when I watched Ysabel crying about her father's refusal to drop everything (or anything at all) to be there for her during her freaking spine surgery.

And I've existed in a state of perpetual Kody-punching desire since the first time I laid eyes on him.

Edited December 7, 2021 by the-grey-lady

[Tabbygirl521]

30 minutes ago, LilyD said:

While I agree with most of your post, I do feel the need to come to Christine's defence here.

I think Christine always wanted the best for Ysabel and has fought for that. But, she was part of a complicated 5-people marriage where she was at the bottom of the totem pole. Whatever she wanted or needed, wasn't important.  I'm sure she discussed Ysabel's condition with the other wives but we all know that Janelle and Meri will always side with Kody and Robyn will go against anything that doesn't benefit her family or might bring her family some inconvenience. I'm sure Christine got the "No we're not going back to Utah-treatment" we saw not too long ago but then applied to Ysabel's case.

And Kody judged it to be unimportant and after a lot of pushing came up with that stupid idea of therapy with that torture-exercise thing!  Yes, she could and should have done more for Ysabel earlier but I have to acknowledge that it probably wasn't as easy as it seems. But I am glad she did and fought off the whole bunch and went for it!

I would also like to add that the Brown's only seem to consider medical intervention a necessity when one is almost dying (Maddie, Truely) And pain is.... invisible and hard to grasp for someone who doesn't feel what you feel. On a good day, at some point in the afternoon I give myself a 5-6 (on a scale of 1-10) and that's with tramadol. On a bad day you'd better keep some distance.... Poor Ysabel giving herself a 9 for pain really made me cry.............

Didn’t the surgery have to wait until Ysabel’s spine reached a certain angle? I think they were doing the wacky treatments in hopes of stabilizing her spine but sadly it did not work. But she wasn’t yet bad enough for surgery. 

[Grifter Lives]

1 hour ago, KeeperOfTheIce said:

Ysabel - Shame on Christine and Kody for waiting 4+ years to make the decision for surgery.  [. . .] Vacation??? Ugg...Kody I think you may spun that to your narrative - if this was filmed last year during this time, Christine was probably told to come to NJ early to quarantine before the surgery, get preop stuff done, Covid testing etc.  This surgery is rough on everyone including any caretakers that are involved. 

Shame on Christine & Kody for not having insurance or saving to pay for the surgery in the 4 years that Ysabel's condition worsened.  They instead managed to buy her Flagstaff home and a Prairie Dog Plague Flats plot.  Christine also tried to spin the story that they did everything to help Ysabel to avoid the surgery, as if surgery were the last resort.  

I hope that they can only afford to build their 2-room plyg palace with Ysabel's leftover, used PVC pipes.

[SunnyBeBe]

3 hours ago, MsMalin said:

I believe last week it was stated that most doctors use rods but not many use the fibers, so I guess she was limited that way, and then looked into different doctors .that use fibers and liked this one which is near her sister.

I did see that Duke Pediatric Orthopaedic specializes in those procedures, if it’s called Thethering.  It sounds like what Christine described. 
I was also surprised to see braces listed as an optional treatment….I initially thought that’s was a gimmick, but I guess not.  
 

https://www.dukehealth.org/treatments/spine/scoliosis-and-spinal-abnormalities

I suppose NJ was preferred for one reason or the other.  

[tinderbox]

16 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I had an outpatient procedure in a hospital the summer of 2020 and they required a negative test result 48 hours before the procedure.  No one was allowed to come inside with me. Patients were dropped off and family waited in their car or outside.  That would be different for minor children of course.  Christine called it a 2 week vacation before they checked in for the procedure. I hope they did stay away from exposure for those two weeks, but that’s not how it sounded.  

My husband had open heart surgery in early summer of 2020.  He, too, required a negative test result 48 hours before surgery and was asked to stay home until the day of the procedure.  I was required to drop him off at the front doors of the hospital the morning of surgery and I picked him up 6 days later.  It about killed me and our adult children to be away from him during his entire hospital stay.  Keep in mind, it was a very different time in this pandemic nightmare with no vaccine and so much uncertainty.  I’m happy Christine was allowed to be at Isabelle’s side for her surgery because she was a minor.  Kody should have been with her, too, regardless of his fears.  I cannot comprehend how he came to the decision not to go and how he can live with himself.  There are no do overs for him!  
 (Of course, I had constant contact with the surgical staff, ICU nurses, FaceTime, texting, and phone calls but it wasn’t the same as being with my husband.)

[deirdra]

Christine has a sister who lives in NJ. Having supportive family there to help was something she clearly didn't have in Flagstaff.

During the summer of 2020 Kodouche was posing on the steps of his gym in his ponytail, mask & kneebrace.  His idea of Covid rules was for him to go out and mingle with strangers in a mask w/social distancing, but not his own family. 

Edited December 6, 2021 by deirdra

[Nancybeth]

Kody INFURIATES me. Take charge, my man. Isn't that the whole point of this polygamy thing? He thrives off the conflict between his wives and is awful, awful, to everyone except Robyn and Robyn's kids. 

I suspect the Browns are draaaaagggggging out the drama about the property to have convenient storylines for the show. I mean we've spent a season and a half just arguing over who gets which lot. Next they'll have to pick house plans and inevitably end up with four (or five, I guess, if Kody gets to build something too) that don't match. Then there will be drama on getting utilities and finding a contractor and getting funding, etc. I don't think they actually plan to end up living on the property together -- that's clear because they are mostly all living in purchased homes in Flagstaff now -- but with the kids all getting older and moving away they are trying to do something to justify their continued TV deal.  

At one point I thought they said Ysabel could get this surgery done somewhere near where Christine's sister lived -- does she have family in NJ? (Edited because Deidra just confirmed my memory!)

Edited December 6, 2021 by Nancybeth

[SunnyBeBe]

5 minutes ago, deirdra said:

Christine has a sister who lives in NJ. Having supportive family there to help was something she clearly didn't have in Flagstaff.

I didn’t realize that.  Duke is so respected and Maddie being nearby…..but Christine may have felt more comfortable staying near or with her sister.  I get it.  

[bichonblitz]

What exactly does Mother Earth Janelle plan on growing in her greenhouses? Fresh, organic vegetables? She barely knows how to open a can. She herself said several times she's a terrible cook. Maybe she just wants to grow plants in the greenhouses. Either way, I can't see her getting her ass of the couch much less growing anything. 

Christine is so done. I am here for every bit of her malicious snark against Kody. I only hope she seeks some therapy for the years she suffered from that dysfunctional mess of a marriage. 

Meri has made a choice to stay in the marriage as long as the TLC checks are rolling in. She doesn't care one bit about any of them but is going to play the game until the show is concelled. Between her Utah B&B, and her LuluNo business and conventions I doubt she's spending much time in Flag at all. Only while filming. 

[Emmeline]

17 hours ago, RedDelicious said:

The narcissistic rage as he was signing Ysabel’s papers. Terrifying.

Wouldn’t the two weeks before Ysabel’s surgery have been their mandatory quarantine? 

I think we all know he doesn’t want to dish out any money for the surgery.  That’s why he kept wanting her to wait, and wait and wait.  I would love to know how the health insurance is handled?  I have wondered many times about their finances.  Did each of the five (4 wives and Kodi) pay 1/5th of the Coyote Pass property?

Edited December 6, 2021 by Emmeline

[Xena]

2 hours ago, Sasha888 said:

10 hours ago, Xena said:

Are we not going to discuss how sloshed Meri was during her talking head?

I've heard a few people say similar things, and at first I kind of just wrote it off, but now I'm starting to think there may be something to this. 

I've noticed that Meri is way too loud, especially during her talking heads. Why is she always yelling? It's annoying AF.

It would make sense if she were half in the bag at the time.

For me - it's the hair.  Love or hate her style, Meri always painstakingly had her hair 'fixed' for every talking head.  Last night it was quite literally running away from her head.  It had that 'brushed while drinking my wine' vibe.

[bichonblitz]

Christine was smart to buy her home instead of renting. She made a very nice  profit on that sale. I remember hearing that Kody was not on the deed, either. Ha ha asshole, you lose! Now I want to know what happens to her share of Coyote Pass property. Do they buy her out? Does she sell it? Does she sign it over to them? Inquiring minds want to know. 

[MsMalin]

As far as Christine "signing up for this" , I think many people.go into marriage with stars in their eyes. The first few years are fun and filled with hope and adventure and then reality sets in. Their marriage has changed drastically in so many ways through the years. I don't think she signed up to be dismissed and mentally abused or neglected.  People.change, situations change and can't be predicted. She has every right to be unhappy with the situation.  From the looks of it Kody was happy go lucky in the early years. He is now bitter and very misogynistic.

Edited December 6, 2021 by MsMalin

[SunnyBeBe]

11 minutes ago, bichonblitz said:

Christine was smart to buy her home instead of renting. She made a very nice  profit on that sale. I remember hearing that Kody was not on the deed, either. Ha ha asshole, you lose! Now I want to know what happens to her share of Coyote Pass property. Do they buy her out? Does she sell it? Does she sign it over to them? Inquiring minds want to know. 

How is the property titled?  Jointly?

[65mickey]

Last year I think it was mentioned that the mortgage was refinanced and Kody's name was removed from the mortgage and the deed. This was done so that his debt load would be reduced when he was trying to obtain a $1,000,000 mortgage on his home with Robyn. Go figure these two qualify for a $1.000.000 mortgage. 

That was the mortgage on her home not the Coyote Pass property. 

[deirdra]

Does Kootie think Christine became a "bitter housewife" because her father was not attentive and that Ysabel will also become a "bitter housewife" because her father was not willing to be there for her surgery?  I hope that what he has really taught Ysabel is to never keep sweet for any man and live her life the way SHE wants to.

[Tabbygirl521]

1 hour ago, MsMalin said:

As far as Christine "signing up for this" , I think many people.go into marriage with stars in their eyes. The first few years are fun and filled with hope and adventure and then reality sets in. Their marriage has changed drastically in so many ways through the years. I don't think she signed up to be dismissed and mentally abused or neglected.  People.change, situations change and can't be predicted. She has every right to be unhappy with the situation.  From the looks of it Kody was happy go lucky in the early years. He is now bitter and very misogynistic.

They were also brainwashed into believing their eternal salvation depends on enduring plural marriage. It just makes all of them better!

[notnowimbusy]

Janelle's sudden interest in "greenhouse" gardening fascinates me.    She doesn't want raised beds - which would be suitable for a backyard vegetable gardening, but she specifically says greenhouses (plural).    Knowing how they are always looking for a way to make quick cash, I strongly suspect she has looked into legally growing pot.   Pot grown out in the open on the "property" would be vulnerable to wild life (deer love it).  But in a greenhouse it would be controlled, and safe.   In AZ each adult in a household can grow 6 plants - so 6 x 4 (Christine is out), would be 24 very profitable plants.    And knowing how this group doesn't believe in "rules", Janelle would easily sell this idea to Kody, telling him how much they could legally grow per greenhouse, add a few more,  with water pumped in from the pond, electricity so it would be climate controlled, and locked so the kids couldn't get to them.  

[65mickey]

So you think that she would grow the pot to sell? Is that legal in AZ?

[deirdra]

6 minutes ago, 65mickey said:

So you think that she would grow the pot to sell? Is that legal in AZ?

In AZ you can legally grow a maximum of six plants per individual or 12 plants per household (if multiple adults live in the same house).  No special rules for plygs w/>2 adults, ha ha!

Home cultivation must occur in an enclosed, secure environment that is inaccessible to children.

All cultivation must be hidden from public view. So not close to the road or "pond" as Janelle was imagining.

Failure to meet any of the above requirements can constitute illegal cultivation, a class 5 felony (if you’re growing 2 pounds or less). A first offense can carry up to 2 years in prison and a minimum fine of $1,000.  Free room and board?

Note also that it’s still illegal to sell any marijuana that you cultivate for personal use. You can transfer up to one ounce of cannabis to another adult as long as it’s not in exchange for compensation, but selling less than 2 pounds of cannabis without a license is a class 4 felony that can carry up to 1.5 years in jail.

Edited December 7, 2021 by deirdra

[candall]

I've never been in a regular marriage with one other person, let alone a group slamdance with five.  And yet, I understood perfectly every word out of Christine's mouth--why Kody wasn't a safe person for her to have a discussion with, why he wasn't even a friend, why she could abide staying if there were some semblance of a marriage, which there is not.

And Kody, standing there all wide-eyed and ingenuous--"Who?  Me??"--made me hate him.  This idiot television caricature of a real person I've never come within a thousand miles of meeting, and he made me despise him.  All the evasions and side-stepping, the self-pity and elaborate manifestations of confusion.  Disgusting.

Can the man not utter one single straightforward honest word to this woman he made a lifetime commitment to?

.

[Lsk02]

I have a hard time holding Christine very responsible for all of this. When she got married, she was a young girl who had been raised in a cult that was barely one step away from the prairie dress wearing FLDS. By the time we “met” her, she had long been in a marriage as the established third/last wife, which at the time she thought was the very best position to be in. She was still so sheltered. When they moved to LV she freaked out at the thought of her kids going to a non-Mormon Christian youth group because of the exposure they’d get. 
 

That Christine compared to the one we see now is an entirely different person. She has grown in leaps and bounds, and even though many of us saw the writing on the wall years ago, I’m just impressed she finally does too. Her choices now, and all of the snarky comments to and about Kody, go so far against the Keep Sweet lessons she’d learned since childhood. 
 

I know she’s not completely innocent in everything that brought her here, but when you really look back at how far she’s come, to me, it’s pretty amazing. I do wonder how similar her mom’s path was. 

[truebluesmoky]

I cannot get over how this family seems to be made of the only people on earth who hadn’t heard of using masks when social distancing isn’t possible or ideal by the time this was filmed in the fall of 2020. Many kids were back to in person school with masks. My dentist and hygienist were sticking their faces right by my mouth with masks. Regular doctor check-ups were happening with masks. Haircuts were happening with masks. I originally thought they should have at least had Truely and Sol and Ari in masks in the last episode, but in this one it was even more apparent. Kody, even if you needed an N95 to make Robyn feel safe, those were available again by the fall of 2020. Slap one on, hug your traumatized daughter before you send her off to surgery without you, and keep it on when you need Christine’s help signing paperwork. They could have solved so many problems with good quality masks, like the rest of us did in the real, intelligent person world.

Edited December 7, 2021 by truebluesmoky

[suev3333]

5 hours ago, Lsk02 said:

know she’s not completely innocent in everything that brought her here, but whe n you really look back at how far she’s come, to me, it’s pretty amazing. I do wonder how similar her mom’s path was. 

IMO Christine's big change came after Robyn came into the family.   She stated a few times she has jealousy issues (which I totally get).   Since then she had seemed more and more unhappy with Koduche.   After Robyn, the whole family dynamic changed.   But that's the chance you take living in this lifestyle.

[crimson23]

1 hour ago, suev3333 said:

IMO Christine's big change came after Robyn came into the family.   She stated a few times she has jealousy issues (which I totally get).   Since then she had seemed more and more unhappy with Koduche.   After Robyn, the whole family dynamic changed.   But that's the chance you take living in this lifestyle.

Exactly. once Queen Robyn came into the picture, Kody seemed to change how he acted toward the rest of his kids.  Remember when Truley was so sick and Kody was over napping at Robyn's house? I think he asked Robyn if he should go to the hospital. wth  Christine raised her kids alone after being the one who mothered all the others.  

So it is not surprising to see how disinterested Kody is over Ysabel's health   I recall a few years back when she was first diagnosed. Kody suggested not seeing the doctors anymore.  There is no reason he couldn't fly to NJ for the Surgery, he did not have to be there for the entire 6 wks.

[Kellyee]

Quote

Exactly. once Queen Robyn came into the picture, Kody seemed to change how he acted toward the rest of his kids.  Remember when Truley was so sick and Kody was over napping at Robyn's house? I think he asked Robyn if he should go to the hospital. wth  Christine raised her kids alone after being the one who mothered all the others.  

If Kody changed his behavior towards his kids after Robyn showed up, that is on Kody, not Robyn. They are Kody's children. If Kody chooses to neglect one of his children, people shouldn't be blaming Robyn. All too often we blame the other woman when a man cheats or dumps his original kids. Kody is the asshole here. Kody chose not to hug Ysabel before she left for surgery. I also noticed that Kody didn't seem all that excited for Mykelti's pregnancy. He seemed very detached from it all. Which made Robyn's daughters' over the top reactions all the more bizarre.

And Christine kept getting pregnant long after it was clear that she would not only be raising her kids mostly by herself, but she'd be raising Janelle's kids too. While her own husband refused to shower in her bathroom. 

And Meri having no grandma nickname is so very telling. Didn't Maddie help her with LulaRoe for a while? I wonder what the final fallout was. Meri appears to have no bond at all with any of Christine or Janelle's kids. 

 

 

 

 

[JayDub1987]

I also got so amused when all the moms were talking about how much they cared about all the children. Robyn pretending that she cares as much about other peoples' kids as she does her own was laughable. 

In the world of Kody and Robyn, there are only certain things that matter: Robyn's vagina and the people it produces. That's it. Full stop.

[WalrusGirl]

15 hours ago, Tabbygirl521 said:

Didn’t the surgery have to wait until Ysabel’s spine reached a certain angle? I think they were doing the wacky treatments in hopes of stabilizing her spine but sadly it did not work. But she wasn’t yet bad enough for surgery. 

I thought in this last episode, Christine said something about finding out ~9 months ago that the curve had reached the point of requiring surgery. It sounds like this episode took place in Sept 2020? (as some remember the surgery being in October 2020), so that would have put that news right at the start of COVID. Even with insurance in place, they wouldn’t have gotten the surgery scheduled for before the elective surgery shutdown in March. (Anything scheduled, not coming in from the ER and immediately, is elective - including this and cancer surgeries, which aren’t optional. So even if they’d had a surgery date by mid/late March, it would have been postponed due to COVID policies until elective surgeries resumed.) In their case, without adequate insurance lined up, there would have been a holdup in getting things going and getting her in as a new patient with a surgeon even with the most proactive parents, and without COVID.

Obviously this is me going by their timeline, but if her curve really didn’t reach “time for surgery” until ~January 2020, the delay until Sept absolutely makes sense, given they likely didn’t already have a surgeon ready to schedule her. They *absolutely* should have been getting the finances ready to go or insurance sorted out, though - they had plenty of lead time there. Given Christine faults herself for failing some here, I wonder when surgery became an option but not yet absolutely required (if it could have been done, risk/benefit wise, at an earlier point - which one would regret if they got to having to do it anyway), or if that was all about the stupid contraptions, her daughter blaming herself when those contraptions didn’t work, and the insurance/financial holdups.

14 hours ago, deirdra said:

Christine has a sister who lives in NJ. Having supportive family there to help was something she clearly didn't have in Flagstaff.

14 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I didn’t realize that.  Duke is so respected and Maddie being nearby…..but Christine may have felt more comfortable staying near or with her sister.  I get it.  

Yeah, I’d imagine her sister had more room to put them up (free lodging would make a huge difference), and doesn’t have an infant and toddler like Maddie - it would be less of an imposition on her own sister vs daughter, and less/minimal guilt about the imposition.

[laurakaye]

16 hours ago, the-grey-lady said:

I don't know that I've ever wanted to punch Kody more than I did when I watched Ysabel crying about her father's refusal to drop everything (or anything at all) to be there for her during her freaking spine surgery.

I had to rewind to make sure I heard Ysabel correctly, but she said something along the lines of "he's so strong, he's so brave" when discussing Kody, and went on to say "but he's not being brave or strong for me."  That's paraphrasing, but I found it super interesting that prior to surgery, Ysabel still thought of her dad as strong and brave, and let's be rill - every daughter wants to think that of her dad.  So it was extra heartbreaking because I feel like in that moment, with Ysabel crying on the couch, she was realizing in real time that her dad was not, in fact, going to be brave for her.  I think Kody crossed a line with Ysabel that he won't be able to come back from and I hope that someday when he's older, he regrets this deeply.

 

15 hours ago, bichonblitz said:

Meri has made a choice to stay in the marriage as long as the TLC checks are rolling in. She doesn't care one bit about any of them but is going to play the game until the show is cancelled. 

Come on, Meri - give us more!  I want to see scenes with her and Kody where she says things like,  "Hey handsome....come sit by me, I don't bite - much!"  "Kody, you look extra hot today, is that a new Ed Hardy shirt?"  "Kody!  You been workin' out, babe?  Rowrrrr!!"  I want to see her really lean into the fact that Kody can't even look at her without shuddering, and yet she ain't going ANYWHERE - because that's on Kody!  He will never say to her, "why don't you make like a tree and leave already?" because it would make him look a lot less studly if 50% of his wives decided to bail.  He needs Meri, and Meri needs the paycheck - it's so dysfunctionally cringey, and I am here for it.

 

 

Edited December 7, 2021 by laurakaye

[Lsk02]

7 hours ago, suev3333 said:

IMO Christine's big change came after Robyn came into the family.   She stated a few times she has jealousy issues (which I totally get).   Since then she had seemed more and more unhappy with Koduche.   After Robyn, the whole family dynamic changed.   But that's the chance you take living in this lifestyle.

I think it’s maybe a combination of Robyn and the show. We all know reality show marriages rarely survive, and here’s yet another example. I think the show took the family on a completely different path than they would have been on, and ultimately ended up opening Christine’s eyes to the world outside of of her old “I believe love should be multiplied, not divided” catchphrase. 
 

Obviously Robyn didn’t help. When Kody refused to hug or get near Ysabel (before she got on a plane to her major surgery, for god’s sake!), I had a flashback to him sneaking a hug and kiss to his then girlfriend Robyn while on his way to the birth of Truely. To Christine, who if we remember, had been nervous entire pregnancy after nearly dying during her previous delivery.  It struck me that the same man who could spare a hug and a kiss (which in their belief system is only for marriage) for his girlfriend while his wife was laboring in the hospital could not even give his daughter a freaking pat on the arm. A lot of reality show jerks are loud, obnoxious, easy to recognize and hate because they’re creating a character. With Kody, I believe it is just all him. He’s truly a despicable man. 

Edited December 7, 2021 by Lsk02

[Tabbygirl521]

3 hours ago, Kellyee said:

If Kody changed his behavior towards his kids after Robyn showed up, that is on Kody, not Robyn. They are Kody's children. If Kody chooses to neglect one of his children, people shouldn't be blaming Robyn. All too often we blame the other woman when a man cheats or dumps his original kids. Kody is the asshole here. Kody chose not to hug Ysabel before she left for surgery. I also noticed that Kody didn't seem all that excited for Mykelti's pregnancy. He seemed very detached from it all. Which made Robyn's daughters' over the top reactions all the more bizarre.

And Christine kept getting pregnant long after it was clear that she would not only be raising her kids mostly by herself, but she'd be raising Janelle's kids too. While her own husband refused to shower in her bathroom. 

And Meri having no grandma nickname is so very telling. Didn't Maddie help her with LulaRoe for a while? I wonder what the final fallout was. Meri appears to have no bond at all with any of Christine or Janelle's kids. 

 

 

 

 

I agree with all this about Kody. Robyn can only  “get away with” whatever Kody allows. He seems like such a weasel that I wouldn’t doubt he’s happy to let someone else appear to be a scapegoat.

My impression is that Robyn advocates for herself and her kids in a way that the others don’t seem to, and I don’t blame her. Since she joined the family she’s had ample opportunity to see that Kody needs a lot of kicks in the ass. 

[deirdra]

9 hours ago, suev3333 said:

IMO Christine's big change came after Robyn came into the family.   She stated a few times she has jealousy issues (which I totally get).   Since then she had seemed more and more unhappy with Koduche.   After Robyn, the whole family dynamic changed.   But that's the chance you take living in this lifestyle.

Since Kootie has always been a big fan of babies & toddlers and Meri & Janelle were done having babies, Christine was probably thrilled to be pregnant with Truely, thinking now would finally be her chance to be the favoured wife.  But Meri ruined it all by recruiting Robyn into the fambly. I don't blame Christine for being jealous, but she should have stopped keeping sweet & pretending when he went on his first date with Sobbyn.

Edited December 7, 2021 by deirdra

[Pickleinthemiddle]

2 hours ago, Tabbygirl521 said:

I agree with all this about Kody. Robyn can only  “get away with” whatever Kody allows. He seems like such a weasel that I wouldn’t doubt he’s happy to let someone else appear to be a scapegoat.

My impression is that Robyn advocates for herself and her kids in a way that the others don’t seem to, and I don’t blame her. Since she joined the family she’s had ample opportunity to see that Kody needs a lot of kicks in the ass. 

While true.  It certainly helps that she is the wife he is totally in love with.  Doing the same thing Robyn does would not help the other wives.  It would probably have the opposite effect.

[laurakaye]

3 hours ago, Lsk02 said:

I think it’s maybe a combination of Robyn and the show. We all know reality show marriages rarely survive, and here’s yet another example. I think the show took the family on a completely different path than they would have been on, and ultimately ended up opening Christine’s eyes to the world outside of of her old “I believe love should be multiplied, not divided” catchphrase. 

If memory serves, TLC got interested in the Browns after Christine gave a speech on polygamy in Utah or something like that.  I think that Christine was the hook that initially got the family on TLC's radar but I agree with @Lsk02 - somehow, the idea of a fourth wife was pitched as the show was coming into fruition...either TLC hinted around to Kody that him courting a fourth wife would cement the show, or Kody told TLC that he'd been sniffing around Robyn and informed TLC that he was getting ready to add another wifey to the mix.  In any event, I think that without Robyn on board the show wouldn't have happened, and that is surely NOT the path that Christine thought their lives would take.  In season one, the Browns were an unusual, yet much better functioning version of what they've become.  Robyn was the poop in their pond, if you will, but she is also the reason we've been able to watch this trainwreck every Sunday for the past 147 years.

Edited December 7, 2021 by laurakaye

[islandgal140]

 

2 hours ago, Tabbygirl521 said:

My impression is that Robyn advocates for herself and her kids in a way that the others don’t seem to, and I don’t blame her. Since she joined the family she’s had ample opportunity to see that Kody needs a lot of kicks in the ass.

As much as I don't like her, Robyn is smarter than the average Brown. She advocates for herself & her kids in utter stealth mode that it probably doesn't even register to Kody as an ask.  She always appeals to Kody's vanity and plays the Mormon dutiful wife to perfection, all while acting as if she sacrifices so much and puts the entire family unit as priority. Meanwhile, she has fully executed her plan to be in what is essentially a monogamous marriage.  Kody lives practically full time with her, plays full time dad to her and their kids to such an extent that a sister wife's child (who is essentially supposed to be Robyn's spiritual child) who is undergoing serious literal back breaking surgery, can't have her father present because he can't be away from their anointed ones for a few weeks.   

To me, she is a bit like the walking, talking version of the movie Inception. She is able to implant ideas in Kody's head and make him believe they are his original thoughts, which is probably not saying much because I think Kody's head is pretty much:

You know it is almost a shame she wasted her "female wiles" and powers of manipulation on such a dullard, but she really did have a come up. She went from a trailer park to a million dollar mansion and from concubine #4 to the one and only legal wife. I just have a hard time seeing how her/their life is sustainable.

Saw this on reddit and had to share:

[laurakaye]

1 hour ago, islandgal140 said:

To me, she is a bit like the walking, talking version of the movie Inception. She is able to implant ideas in Kody's head and make him believe they are his original thoughts, which is probably not saying much because I think Kody's head is pretty much:

 

THIS x 100,000.  Including the cymbal-playing monkey.

Edited December 7, 2021 by laurakaye

[Absolom]

Yes, master manipulator is the descriptor for Robyn.  I don't think she's smart at all, but she's definitely cunning.

[Quickbeam]

I feel nothing for these women…..they bought into this clown car going into plural marriage. As a pediatric nurse, I worked in a tertiary facility where we got kids from all over. In 30 years I saw maybe a handful of families where the mother and father were present post-op. Especially at Ysabel’s age. 

I don’t think the Ysabel situation would be an issue if Christine felt Kody loved her.

[lilysmom]

On 12/6/2021 at 12:05 PM, DNR said:

Great. Kodouche physically & emotionally abandoning a few more children once they get older and he gets bored of them 

I think you're on to something here! OR is it that the children, once they get older, catch on to his manipulations and they physically and emotionally abandon HIM??!! Doesn't seem like the older kids are around much at all anymore.

[xwordfanatik]

20 minutes ago, lilysmom said:

I think you're on to something here! OR is it that the children, once they get older, catch on to his manipulations and they physically and emotionally abandon HIM??!! Doesn't seem like the older kids are around much at all anymore.

I think the young men in particular see the way their mothers are treated by their sperm donor, and distance themselves from him.  Kootie said it himself, he's got smart kids, and they know where his affections lie, with Robyn and her spawn.  

 

37 minutes ago, Absolom said:

Yes, master manipulator is the descriptor for Robyn.  I don't think she's smart at all, but she's definitely cunning.

I agree.  Remember, Wyoming starts with a Y!  🙄

[Pingaponga]

Last season we heard about Robyn's concerns about Covid and how she did all this reading about it and was really concerned about social distancing because someone in her family once had pneumonia. This season the concern about social distancing is apparently coming from Kody. Not Robyn, but Kody. Uh huh.

I'm Canadian, and I'll admit, we seem to be more concerned about exposure even now than Americans are. My city went into "lockdown" last November, with the province following suit right after Christmas. I get the concern. Families didn't get together indoors last Christmas, as we weren't allowed to. But even then, people gathered outside, sometimes in masks, sometimes not. (Frankly, wearing a mask outdoors in winter was awesome - it was warmer! Though with glasses fogging up it was hard to see anything.) Kody's refusal to put on a mask to say good-bye to Ysabel was heartless. His barking to Christine about her not social distancing was just nasty. If he really was concerned about Covid, he could easily have put on a mask and not been such a selfish dolt.

 

[Absolom]

Last year at Christmas my daughter's family with the grandchildren quarantined for ten day and I did the same then drove straight through to their house where I stayed for a bit over a week.  We transferred no diseases to each other.  Previously I'd spent a couple hours in the backyard with the grandchildren once a month with all of us hand sanitizing and wearing masks.  I think by October we'd begun skipping the masks outside, but staying somewhat distanced.  

Kody and company could have easily gathered weekly outside with masks and not much distancing if they'd put some thought into it.  Kody was going places like the gym and someone was doing shopping.  If he could expose himself that much, he could have figured out how to see his other wives and kids if he'd had the will to do so.  The neighbors on our street figured it out so we weren't all stuck alone 24/7.  

[islandgal140]

3 hours ago, xwordfanatik said:

I think the young men in particular see the way their mothers are treated by their sperm donor, and distance themselves from him.  Kootie said it himself, he's got smart kids, and they know where his affections lie, with Robyn and her spawn.  

Yep. Greatest example is none of them chose that plyg life after having a front row seat to the shit show that is their family.

[Desert Rat]

On 12/5/2021 at 10:31 PM, CSunshine76 said:

Fuck Kody. I am 45 damn years old (and single) and there is no way my Dad would say “good luck, love you” from a distance as I went off across the country to have surgery. Even more so if I was a freaking teenager!!  Poor Ysabel…what a shitty Dad.

Thank God Christine came to her sense…wouldn’t be surprised if this incident is what sent her over the edge. He really did not seem to care. “You’re not social distancing”, he says, as he is signing papers for his teenage daughter’s surgery. Ass. 

My dad's 80 with COPD and heart problems and even if I had full blown case of raging COVID, he would have given me a big hug and kiss and gone with me to the hospital. Why.? Because that's how loving parents act. Life is too short. COVID be damned. 

[Soobs]

When Christine says "we don't have a full marriage" she means they aren't doing it, right? Put a fork in her, she's done. Covid ended a lot of shaky relationships.

Kody is scared of Covid (no shame, I am too!) yet they have a camera crew around them, often filming inside, maskless for the couch scenes. Cool cool.

Kody said he doesn't have a relationship with some of his kids (the not Robyn kids) without their moms. lt's almost like they aren't their own people. He probably doesn't need all that land when most of the kids won't want much to do with him anyway.

I don't get why Ysabel couldn't have said what she said on the couch, to his face. Did Christine discourage her or is she afraid to be honest with him because then he'll really bail on her? Definitely setting her up to chase jerks in her 20's.

 

[Desert Rat]

On 12/5/2021 at 11:45 PM, chuckity said:

Full functioning marriage = sex ... at least that's how I'm taking it.

 

 

Exactly. I'm married 32 years. Without great sex,  what's the point? That and the intimate, close friendship. I can hire someone to do the chores.  Poor Christine has none if that.  Kody doesn't even help with the chores. 

[Desert Rat]

On 12/6/2021 at 6:41 AM, winsomeone said:

Janelle keeps saying greenhouses...plural. How many is she hoping to build? And is this possible in a residential area, as she plans on a commercial use for them?. Plus no water or electricity? How will that affect the view on the rest of the properties that they own...the one next door to her would be looking at glass instead of a mountain view. Who ever is selling those properties is not going to be happy about this I am thinking.

That's what I was wondering. Would the city or County even allow greenhouses there to block the view? Would greenhouses even work in that climate over 7500 feet and averaging over 120 inches of snow a year? Flagstaff doesn't seem the optimal place for a greenhouse. She didn't grow shit in Utah or Vegas and those were better growing climates , I think. Janelle is a fraud. No interest in growing squat. 

Edited December 8, 2021 by Desert Rat
Typo

[Texasmom1970]

I would sauced too if I was Meri. Personally I'd be sitting in my home doing my thing and fucking with Kody just to get on his nerves.

[Adiba]

11 hours ago, Desert Rat said:

My dad's 80 with COPD and heart problems and even if I had full blown case of raging COVID, he would have given me a big hug and kiss and gone with me to the hospital. Why.? Because that's how loving parents act. Life is too short. COVID be damned. 

And because it was on camera, I'd bet that Kody wouldn't have wanted the Boss (aka Robyn) to see him hugging Isabel. Even if she didn't see it 'til the show aired, Robyn probably would've been angry and caused a tiff--or shut the gates on him temporarily.