S17.E07: The Failed Priest

[Adiba]

23 minutes ago, Elizzikra said:

I thought Janelle didn't either.

I think they’re talking about Janelle and Meri’s brother having been legally married and divorced.

[laurakaye]

16 hours ago, Tabbygirl521 said:

Agree. Look how he started treating Meri like shit when she tried to flee. As with Christine, he didn’t acknowledge how anything he did might have caused them to want out. 

And in the preview for next week, we see him giving Janelle the ol' Manson eyes across a table.  Is this truly the mark of a raging narcissist, or is it that Robyn is cooing in his ear that none of this is his fault until he believes it himself?  Because he's got one wife who bailed, one with a foot out the door (if she's smart), one hanger-on and one actual wife, along with what seems to be at least a dozen kids who no longer have a need for him to be involved in their lives.  I find it remarkable that he can still look in the mirror and whine that none of this is his fault.  Robyn should be scared, except that she's as big a narcissist as he is.

That mansion must be a scary place to live.

[GeeGolly]

Kody is performing - he's exaggerating his feelings. Its all about him being seen as a manly man to his friends and viewers. What he doesn't understand is being an asshole is not manly at all - its just being an asshole. I'm not saying he doesn't have a temper or isn't an asshole - he does and is - but some of what he's showing on camera is intentional.

He thinks the more he spews, the more it looks like he was wronged and defending himself is the manly thing to do. God forbid his friends and viewers think he's letting his wives walk all over him.

The reason he's so dismissive of Meri is because she cheated on him. A real man would never tolerate that.

Pride goeth before the fall.

[Elizzikra]

Quote

That mansion must be a scary place to live.

At least it's huge, so they can all go off into their separate spaces as needed.

[Gramto6]

5 minutes ago, Elizzikra said:

At least it's huge, so they can all go off into their separate spaces as needed.

And Kootie gets the closets! :))

[BAForever]

On 10/25/2022 at 7:37 AM, laurakaye said:

😂😂😂

 Is this how Winn treated Kody and he's chosen the son he perceives as the weakest and is dishing it back?  Or more likely, is Gabe the kid that Robyn hates the most so Kody is using that as his rationale?  Again, Janelle should be enraged.  If she is, we haven't seen it.

Gabe has Kody's number more than any other child. He knows his dad won't put in the time or energy to have any kind of relationship with him. Many of the other older kids don't care, but Gabe, bless his heart still does, or at least he did a year plus ago when this was filmed. Gabe, you'd be better served to have Logan or Hunter fill the needed male role for you, they seem to be better suited. 

[LilyD]

Isn’t it a typical polygamy thing to treat your sons badly when they come of age? I believe it originally had something to do with competition for authority and on the marital market, so to speak?
Gabe was still part of the core family as he lived with Janelle at the time and he undermined Kody’s authority (in Kody’s mind) by questioning his actions and decisions rather than simply accepting them.

So in his sick mind he may have thought it time to push Gabe out of the nest. rejecting sons does seem to happen fairly regularly in such communities, so in a way it doesn’t really surprise me. The other boys left sooner than later and seemed less outspoken than Gabe.

[Texasmom1970]

On 10/24/2022 at 3:56 PM, applewood said:

Excuse my ignorance, but does Kody have any actual "job" that he has to go to besides the show? 

Satans apprentice?

[salvame]

On 10/28/2022 at 1:52 PM, GeeGolly said:

He thinks the more he spews, the more it looks like he was wronged and defending himself is the manly thing to do. God forbid his friends and viewers think he's letting his wives walk all over him.

In today's society, if you repeat a lie often enough and loudly enough, it becomes fact/truth. And the media is always there to assist!

[SemiCharmedLife]

On 10/24/2022 at 4:57 AM, ginger90 said:

There was no way I was going to  watch anything to do with Kody and that wedding. Thank goodness for the FF option.

I completely understand and respect your decision, but you missed the "comedy reel," and I'm not just talking about the dancing.  He's a fool.

[NoWhammies]

6 hours ago, SemiCharmedLife said:

I completely understand and respect your decision, but you missed the "comedy reel," and I'm not just talking about the dancing.  He's a fool.

Several years ago, my dad sent me a video of my then 5-year-old son (he's in his late 20s now) on a visit to Grandma and Grandpa dancing next to a homeless man at a concert in the park (that's not as weird as it sounds, I promise). Watching Kody dance at the wedding reminded me of that video - both my 5-year-old and the homeless man. It was adorable in the 5-year-old and understandable in the homeless (not toothless) man who was on some substances (he's somebody my parents worked with in their nonprofit work) at the time. And Kody's excuse would be? 

Edited October 31, 2022 by NoWhammies

[Mothra]

On 10/26/2022 at 8:03 PM, Endora said:

This is true and I believe Christine said the house is in her name, so I assume only her name is on the deed.

Never mind.  Mscav cleared it up for me posts before this:

She paid him back when her house in Vegas sold and the home was refinanced in her name only. Kody was removed from the deed.

I am assuming there was no written agreement about her repaying the (what now appears to have been a) loan for her down payment.

To be fair, if Christine alone is going to benefit from the sale of her house (which she ought to, since she's been paying the mortgage), she does owe the family the down payment money.

It's common for someone who's buying a house to borrow money for the down payment from the bank providing the mortgage (I think it's called a bridge loan) pending the sale of the former house (the one in Vegas).  The bridge loan would be, I think, a lien against the house in AZ, which would have to be cleared before the sale could go through--IF this had been done through a bank.

So morally imo Christine should repay that down payment money off the top of whatever she sells the house for.

Edited November 1, 2022 by Mothra
Didn't read all the earlier posts

[Elizzikra]

2 hours ago, Mothra said:

Never mind.  Mscav cleared it up for me posts before this:

She paid him back when her house in Vegas sold and the home was refinanced in her name only. Kody was removed from the deed.

I am assuming there was no written agreement about her repaying the (what now appears to have been a) loan for her down payment.

To be fair, if Christine alone is going to benefit from the sale of her house (which she ought to, since she's been paying the mortgage), she does owe the family the down payment money.

It's common for someone who's buying a house to borrow money for the down payment from the bank providing the mortgage (I think it's called a bridge loan) pending the sale of the former house (the one in Vegas).  The bridge loan would be, I think, a lien against the house in AZ, which would have to be cleared before the sale could go through--IF this had been done through a bank.

So morally imo Christine should repay that down payment money off the top of whatever she sells the house for.

I think Christine having signed over her share of Coyote Pass more than makes up for any financial obligations she has for the down payment on her home. 

[GeeGolly]

I think they handled the finances fair enough. Christine wanted out and she left with enough to be able to start over without worries. She may have a few regrets if she runs into tough times, but right now, she just wanted to leave, and leave without more drama.

I'm going to assume her part of the TLC pot counts as child support. And I doubt she will argue that one either. 

Kody should count himself lucky that Christine walked away and left him off the hook for the most part.

[goofygirl]

On 10/26/2022 at 7:54 PM, SunnyBeBe said:

I was actually a little surprised when Christine said she wasn’t Mormon anymore and not even a believer in any kind of faith.  That’s really sad to me, because your faith is a foundation you can lean on through hard times, no matter what happens…even if all others betray you.  I wish her the best.

I  think Christine has plenty of faith.  I just think she's having a hard time finding a religion she's comfortable with.

[NoWhammies]

Christine and Kody made an agreement. In other words, they made a property settlement and, since it was on camera, it's clear that they both agreed to the terms of the settlement. So, Christine has no obligation to pay Kody or the family anything, and Kody has no obligation to pay Christine anything other than child support. 

[Pickleinthemiddle]

On 11/1/2022 at 10:30 AM, Mothra said:

Never mind.  Mscav cleared it up for me posts before this:

She paid him back when her house in Vegas sold and the home was refinanced in her name only. Kody was removed from the deed.

I am assuming there was no written agreement about her repaying the (what now appears to have been a) loan for her down payment.

To be fair, if Christine alone is going to benefit from the sale of her house (which she ought to, since she's been paying the mortgage), she does owe the family the down payment money.

It's common for someone who's buying a house to borrow money for the down payment from the bank providing the mortgage (I think it's called a bridge loan) pending the sale of the former house (the one in Vegas).  The bridge loan would be, I think, a lien against the house in AZ, which would have to be cleared before the sale could go through--IF this had been done through a bank.

So morally imo Christine should repay that down payment money off the top of whatever she sells the house for.

Janelle explained that both Christine and Robyn got the same amount of money from the family pot, for the down payment on their homes and they were not expected to pay that back.

[xwordfanatik]

20 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

I think they handled the finances fair enough. Christine wanted out and she left with enough to be able to start over without worries. She may have a few regrets if she runs into tough times, but right now, she just wanted to leave, and leave without more drama.

I'm going to assume her part of the TLC pot counts as child support. And I doubt she will argue that one either. 

Kody should count himself lucky that Christine walked away and left him off the hook for the most part.

He should also be happy that Christine is apparently handling this with class, and that she refrained from burning his shit in the yard.  Or breaking lamps over his ramen head.

[Mothra]

On 11/2/2022 at 2:00 PM, Pickleinthemiddle said:

Janelle explained that both Christine and Robyn got the same amount of money from the family pot, for the down payment on their homes and they were not expected to pay that back.

The Browns' finances are a puzzle within an enigma within a Tilt-A-Whirl where somebody has thrown up.

[LilyD]

On 11/2/2022 at 7:00 PM, Pickleinthemiddle said:

Janelle explained that both Christine and Robyn got the same amount of money from the family pot, for the down payment on their homes and they were not expected to pay that back.

And they’ve always been pretty vocal about being one unit, both practical and financial. So in my simple brain, Christine had as much right to the money as any of the others. Part of the family’s equity was hers by right so I don’t see why she’d have to pay it back, like you said.

This was of course the original agreement between them all. It worked fine in Lehi with the one house and fine in Vegas when they all had the same house. It became very awkward when they moved to Flagstaff with Robyn in her mansion, Meri in a luxurious rental, Janelle in an RV and Christine in a fairly modest (compared to Robyn and Meri) house. Most of the money obviously went to Kody and Robyn and I’m guessing Meri somehow manages to finance part of her lifestyle herself. Whether that comes from a rather successful LulaNO or a bunch of loans, I don’t know…

[ZMac]

On 10/23/2022 at 11:32 PM, Ms.Lulu said:

Christine has been treating Teuely like she is still 6. That child was anything but “devastated” by the news that dear old dad wouldn’t be moving with them. When you don’t give a child a reason to miss you, they won’t. I hope Christine and Truely make a wonderful life in Utah and never look back

[Kimmer7]

It’s easy for Robyn to talk about being the obedient wife, when is she is favored and her children or not ignored. I would love to see her reactions if she were in Christian‘s place. She could have used her influence for good in his relationship with Christine. He has continually placed his relationship with Robyn and her children over the rest of his children. It didn’t matter where they lived during covid…they are his children and he should’ve been making them a priority. Christine is the perfect example of somebody continually saying there is something wrong in the relationship and being ignored. Then he has the gall to say that she should’ve talk to him about the relationship before it got to the place that she wanted to leave. Narcissism at its best. 

[ladyscorpio]

If I were sitting on the porch instead of Christine, hearing Sobbyn preaching and talking all her shit about my marriage and calling me a liar, that situation would've went alot different than it went with Christine. I so wanted Janelle to stick up for Christine when Kody and Sobbyn were ganging up on her but she just sat there silent.  I wish they weren't afraid of speaking up and putting those bitches(Sobbyn and Kody) in their place!! I understand Christine handled it alot better than I ever would and I give her props for that, but I still think one of them should've shut down Sobbyn. She acts that way because she knows nobody will stand up to her. I can't stand her. I think Kody deep down inside knows that he did abandon everyone else for Sobbyn but he's too self righteous to admit it. So when anybody else brings it up he immediately shuts them down with anger because he refuses to acknowledge it or even hear it. Kody and Sobbyn only want the other wives around to keep the money rolling in and the show going. It's so obvious to everyone. All his kids that he has abandoned can see it with their own eyes that all that matters to Kody anymore is Sobbyn and her brood. They don't need their moms badmouthing Kody ( like he keeps saying they do) they already know it's true without anybody saying anything because they are living it. Kody has the nerve to say the only kids that communicate with him are Sobbyn's. Hello dumbass of course they do when it's the only house you're in 24/7!! Of course it's easier for them to! He doesn't desert them and ignore them like the rest of his kids. He blames everyone but himself.  He's gotten so much worse over the years he's seriously deteriorating. I would love it if Kody got a new wife that was younger and pretty ( unlike the wicked witch of the west) and completely starts ignoring Sobbyn and gives all his attention to the new wife so she can see exactly how it feels for the other wives.  

[Twopper]

I just turned this on. Kody is driving to Oklahoma and says he usually would be traveling with a wife and that Robin was going to come but had to stay behind to take care of the children.  Ok, that was a paraphrase, but I think I got the gist of it. What is with Robyn and Kody. Pay the nanny extra? Pay your older children to watch the littles?  Is Ari that much of a handful?  And Robyn makes this statement about people being envious of his ability to perform a wedding?   These people are delusional. 

[altopower]

9 minutes ago, Twopper said:

I just turned this on. Kody is driving to Oklahoma and says he usually would be traveling with a wife and that Robin was going to come but had to stay behind to take care of the children.  Ok, that was a paraphrase, but I think I got the gist of it. What is with Robyn and Kody. Pay the nanny extra? Pay your older children to watch the littles?  Is Ari that much of a handful?  And Robyn makes this statement about people being envious of his ability to perform a wedding?   These people are delusional. 

I'm watching it, too. He is such an idiot. Robyn's comment about people being envious of his ability to perform a wedding cracks me up. The older kids should be able to take care of the littles so Robyn could go with Kody - or, hey! They could ask Meri! She's a Sister Wife with not much to do for the family. Why didn't they think of that?

[GeeGolly]

Dayton is 22, the same age Robyn was when she had him, Aurora is 20 and Breanna is 17. The three of them should be able to manage a 10 and 5 year old for four days.

And speaking of Dayton, how twisted is it that Robyn changed his name by combining his first and middle names? Can you imagine having one name for 9 years and your mom says, nope you're getting a new daddy so you can't have your bio dad's name.

[TurtlePower]

On 10/28/2022 at 1:52 PM, GeeGolly said:

Kody is performing - he's exaggerating his feelings. Its all about him being seen as a manly man to his friends and viewers. What he doesn't understand is being an asshole is not manly at all - its just being an asshole. I'm not saying he doesn't have a temper or isn't an asshole - he does and is - but some of what he's showing on camera is intentional.

He thinks the more he spews, the more it looks like he was wronged and defending himself is the manly thing to do. God forbid his friends and viewers think he's letting his wives walk all over him.

The reason he's so dismissive of Meri is because she cheated on him. A real man would never tolerate that.

Pride goeth before the fall.

But is he? Didn’t Gwen just say that he’s worse when they’re not filming, which would make him nicer on camera?

[Twopper]

51 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

Dayton is 22, the same age Robyn was when she had him, Aurora is 20 and Breanna is 17. The three of them should be able to manage a 10 and 5 year old for four days.

And speaking of Dayton, how twisted is it that Robyn changed his name by combining his first and middle names? Can you imagine having one name for 9 years and your mom says, nope you're getting a new daddy so you can't have your bio dad's name.

I totally forgot about the name change!  What was his original name?  This woman is mental. 

[Gramto6]

56 minutes ago, TurtlePower said:

But is he? Didn’t Gwen just say that he’s worse when they’re not filming, which would make him nicer on camera?

God help them all if that is true!!

[ginger90]

1 hour ago, Twopper said:

I totally forgot about the name change!  What was his original name?  This woman is mental. 

David Dayton is how his name appears on LinkedIn.

Edited November 20, 2022 by ginger90

[Elodia]

Dayton's real name is David Preston. I really hope he can escape Robyn and he will be able to lead a happy, independent life. 

[GeeGolly]

3 hours ago, TurtlePower said:

But is he? Didn’t Gwen just say that he’s worse when they’re not filming, which would make him nicer on camera?

Yes she did. 

Like I said in the original post I do believe Kody has a temper, but I believe he is exaggerating his feelings to make them fit a narrative. This post was written prior to the latest episode, but the last episode nailed - he even said, I don't know what I feel and aren't divorced people supposed to be mad? 

I believe Kody has emotions behind his rants, but not the ones he says they are. The anger he's spewing in the THs is likely embarrassment - full stop. Again, I believe he has a temper - snaps, yells and the whole works and he thinks that's okay and even thinks its the right, manly way to behave.

But... the hissy fit in the kidney episode (which had been put out as a clip for weeks) was planned by him. He wanted the viewers to see the manly ways he stands up to his wives. If you have a chance to re-watch the episode the cameras repeat a close up of Kody showing how aware he was of the cameras. IMO, he was waiting for (and prompting some of) his wives to get some feelings flying on the patio. IMO, he was stewing in some low level embarrassment/anger and was waiting for the opportunity to ramp it up and have his hissy fit.

Again, I think these rage fits come naturally to Kody on and off camera, but I think he exaggerates, and even plans, some of them for the cameras.

[xwordfanatik]

2 hours ago, Elodia said:

Dayton's real name is David Preston. I really hope he can escape Robyn and he will be able to lead a happy, independent life. 

I may be pessimistic here, but...didn't the 7 bedroom mansion that Sobyn didn't want to buy (HA!) have two master suites?  If she ever allows Day-Un to move anywhere else, I'll be flabbergasted.  He's as much as a fixture in that luxury abode, as are Sobyn and Kootie.  I just don't believe he'll escape, and I'd be shocked if any of those five kids moves away.

[ladle]

I have to say, in the midst of this trainwreck of a show, I have such a soft spot in my heart for little Truely, who reminds me so much of my own neurodivergent kid who's around the same age (I'm not suggesting that Truely is ND! Just that she reminds me of my kid who is) and who has such a sweet and sensitive heart. I know people are focusing on the fact that Kody was never around anyway, so this won't be a huge change for Truely, but she's also being taken from an extended family structure that she's known for her whole life. 

Don't get me wrong: Christine was 110% right to make this decision, and she should have done it yeeeeears ago, but... yeah, just a twinge in my heart for Truely.

[ladle]

Christine has never been my favorite person, but I have to say she's been handling Kody masterfully in their one-on-one conversations. It feels like she's had a lot of therapy and/or has read up on the technique of gray rocking. 

[xwordfanatik]

2 hours ago, ladle said:

Christine has never been my favorite person, but I have to say she's been handling Kody masterfully in their one-on-one conversations. It feels like she's had a lot of therapy and/or has read up on the technique of gray rocking. 

I was unfamiliar with gray rocking, so I googled it.  It fits what we saw in Christine's interactions with Kootie.  

Thank you, I learned something new!

[ladle]

On 10/24/2022 at 11:41 PM, SilverLake0315 said:

God, I detest Kody. 

I'm coming into this season over a year later, but: evergreen. 

[Soapy Goddess]

12 hours ago, ladle said:

neurodivergent

Serious question: Is this a new PC definition for 'on the spectrum' or autistic??

[ladle]

4 hours ago, Soapy Goddess said:

Serious question: Is this a new PC definition for 'on the spectrum' or autistic??

It includes people on the spectrum but also people who have ADHD, social learning disorder, and other types of conditions where their mental functioning works a bit differently. 

[General Days]

5 hours ago, ladle said:

It includes people on the spectrum but also people who have ADHD, social learning disorder, and other types of conditions where their mental functioning works a bit differently. 

That's a great answer, ladle. I am never sure how to respond if someone asks me if something I've said is PC, particularly when it involves my own kiddos. "PC" can feel so loaded to me.

To my knowledge, only Dayton and Gwendlyn have been diagnosed on the autism spectrum. Gwen, who reports receiving her autism diagnosis at 19, calls herself "neurospicy," which always makes me smile. 

 

21 hours ago, ladle said:

I have to say, in the midst of this trainwreck of a show, I have such a soft spot in my heart for little Truely, who reminds me so much of my own neurodivergent kid who's around the same age (I'm not suggesting that Truely is ND! Just that she reminds me of my kid who is) and who has such a sweet and sensitive heart. I know people are focusing on the fact that Kody was never around anyway, so this won't be a huge change for Truely, but she's also being taken from an extended family structure that she's known for her whole life. 

Don't get me wrong: Christine was 110% right to make this decision, and she should have done it yeeeeears ago, but... yeah, just a twinge in my heart for Truely.

 

I feel like Truely is fandom's baby. We've watched her grow up from the comfort of our own living rooms. In theory, the same is true of Sol and Ari, but I think Robyn has kept them off camera more as time has gone one.

I totally get what you mean about taking Truely away from her extended family structure, but the structure was dying in Flagstaff, even before the dawn of Covid, which just finished the job. Flagstaff is just where the structure is buried.

As this episode shows, it crumbled because while was too risky for Kody to let Sol and Ari hug Truely, it was peachykeen for him to travel to a wedding, where he officiated, danced, and celebrated, and didn't quarantine after. Ugh. He can make me so angry.

I did feel bad for Truely with regard to the divorce and move, but I also feel like she's getting more love and family time in Utah than she would have in Flagstaff. Plus, when she now visits Flagstaff, Kody does spend time with her. Also now, she has a happy mother.

 

20 hours ago, ladle said:

Christine has never been my favorite person, but I have to say she's been handling Kody masterfully in their one-on-one conversations. It feels like she's had a lot of therapy and/or has read up on the technique of gray rocking. 

 

Right? That was a thing of beauty, wasn't it? I was really impressed. I wouldn't have thought Christine would have it in her.

[altopower]

4 minutes ago, General Days said:

As this episode shows, it crumbled because while was too risky for Kody to let Sol and Ari hug Truely, it was peachykeen for him to travel to a wedding, where he officiated, danced, and celebrated, and didn't quarantine after. Ugh. He can make me so angry.

That's definitely part of it. But it was already crumbling because the older OG kids were off to college, marriage, jobs outside of Flag, so there was less family structure IN Flag for Truely. She's seeing functioning families in Utah, people who love her and incorporate her into what they're doing in ways they couldn't when she lived apart.

[ladle]

2 minutes ago, General Days said:

That's a great answer, ladle. I am never sure how to respond if someone asks me if something I've said is PC, particularly when it involves my own kiddos. "PC" can feel so loaded to me.

To my knowledge, only Dayton and Gwendlyn have been diagnosed on the autism spectrum. Gwen, who reports receiving her autism diagnosis at 19, calls herself "neurospicy," which always makes me smile. 

I've heard "neurospicy" too. :) I want to be clear, though, that I'm absolutely not saying that Truely is neurodivergent -- I have no idea, I'm not a psychologist, and even if I were I would never try to "diagnose" a child from a TV show alone! I just meant that she reminds me so, so much of my own ND kid. Truely definitely seems like a quirky, weird, sweet, smart kid like mine, and she just has a special place in my heart for that. 

[General Days]

34 minutes ago, altopower said:

That's definitely part of it. But it was already crumbling because the older OG kids were off to college, marriage, jobs outside of Flag, so there was less family structure IN Flag for Truely. She's seeing functioning families in Utah, people who love her and incorporate her into what they're doing in ways they couldn't when she lived apart.

I feel like older kids flying the nest is just normal and healthy families adapt and change. They don't crumble.

Of course, the family was missing that glue the older kids provided, once things started deteriorating. A family with 5 parents and 18 kids is going to require a heck of a lot more glue than a two-parent family with a more normal number of kids.

I also overstated my point. When I posted "As this episode shows, it crumbled because while was too risky for Kody to let Sol and Ari hug Truely, it was peachykeen for him to travel to a wedding, where he officiated, danced, and celebrated, and didn't quarantine after," I meant it as an example, but I worded it like I meant it was the sole reason. My bad. I reworded that several times before hitting submit, and it's not better for it.

45 minutes ago, ladle said:

I want to be clear, though, that I'm absolutely not saying that Truely is neurodivergent -- I have no idea, I'm not a psychologist, and even if I were I would never try to "diagnose" a child from a TV show alone! I just meant that she reminds me so, so much of my own ND kid. Truely definitely seems like a quirky, weird, sweet, smart kid like mine, and she just has a special place in my heart for that. 

I totally got that. I was just agreeing with you about having a soft spot for Truely. I have one too. I think a lot of us do, even if spellcheck hates the spelling of her name.