S17.E14: Which Wife is Next?

[steff13]

If we played a drinking game based on how often Kody and Robyn used the word "communication" or a variation thereof, we'd be wasted 37.6 seconds into each episode.  

4 minutes ago, WhatsUpDummy said:

Did anyone clock how many time he brought up having "survived" Covid?  It was AT LEAST 3 times.  "I'm 6 feet above the ground instead of 6 feet below" "You have no idea what I went through!!!" "I survived" "I had a death-like experience".  He acts like he's the only person who ever had it.  And "death-like experience"?  What does that even mean?  I can't with his dramatics, I would've told him to shut up already. 

Yes!  Does he realize that people have ACTUALLY died from COVID?  He didn't even have to go to the hospital, he was not "near death." 

[procrasstinator]

I kind of liked the reaction of Savannah to seeing Kody.  Kody had to coax her into giving him a hug and she was like "This is the first time I've seen my dad since he's had covid" in a tone that sounded really unimpressed.  Like who is this random person suddenly wanting a hug? 

[Elodia]

11 hours ago, Misslindsey said:

Oh and Kody going through Janelle's apartment saying it was so small and other petty comments made me want to punch him in the face. Not everyone can live in a mansion Kody. It does not matter  since h

Kody said he's never going to stay in Janelle's apartment without saying he's never going to stay in Janelle's apartment. Cowardly obnoxious little asshole. 

[Absolom]

6 hours ago, Yeah No said:

I keep wondering if there isn't another selfish, more materialistic reason Meri is sticking around.

This.  There has to be a reason and true love of Kody won't play in my mind.  Eeking out the last penny of show money, staying on the show to keep her presence up for the MLM gig, just liking to say she's on TV, all of those I could buy.

[JayDub1987]

I'm just getting to watch, so as usual, forgive me if any of this has been covered. 

• Of course Kody's case of COVID was the worst case of COVID that anyone has ever had to deal with. Why wouldn't it be? I'm sure if he stubbed his toe, it would be the worst toe stubbing in the history of toe stubbing. If he stepped on a LEGO, it would be the LEGO that was made of 1000000 blades. If he got a sunburn, it would be the sunburn that equated to dancing on the very surface of the sun.
• Gaslighting bitch of a good wife once again gets her topic brought up at the "meeting" and then Kody makes it about Meri "acting weird" even though ol' Banana Peel herself hadn't said a word. 
• Meri's indication that her and Robyn had already talked about what Robyn wanted to talk about (who still wants to try) was a clear indicator that Robyn wanted a verbal oath of loyalty from Janelle.
• Are Robyn's tear ducts damaged? When she "cries," there's never any tears. 
• The fact that Savannah didn't even want to get up and hug Kody speaks volumes. I'm 35, and when my dad walks in my door, I always get up and hug him. Of course, she says "there's no difference" when he's there compared to when he's not, so it's not that shocking. Once again, the POSFOTY (Piece of Shit Father of the Year) does what he does. Kody gonna Kody.
• Shocker, the delicate Kody can't handle a small apartment. Sorry if this sounds sexist, but he is the most high-maintenance guy I've ever seen. My wife asked me the other day if I needed more closet space. I said, "Honey, I have 5 good shirts and 3 pairs of jeans. I think I'm good." 
• "I'm not being stubborn, all I wanna do is talk to them." Hey KoDickhead, what exactly is stopping you from reaching out to your kids? Oh yea...you're an asshole. 
• Guy is such an asshat that he's mad that Janelle is enforcing the "required apology" rule that he created. This is great. 
• Wait...making arrangements so your kids can see you is betrayal? 
• Meri said at the start that they hadn't all talked in 2 months (since Christine left). Now she says, "When we had this conversation a couple weeks ago at my house." Me thinks Meri is a liar. 
• "Culpable" was the word of the day on his calendar, wasn't it? He doesn't want Janelle to communicate to his kids for him. Yet, he doesn't want to reach out to his kids. So we're back to commanding Janelle to cut off her kids, which he has been pushing for years. 
• COVID was a "death-like experience" for this guy. Must have been why he was driving around and videoing himself.
• I LOVED how Janelle's eyes rolled back in her head when Robyn was mandating that she stay and finish the conversation. 
• "This is a really bad idea for you to walk off on this one." Translation: "I'm going to wave my ramen noodle head around even faster if you don't fall down and obey me." 
• Robyn tripping all over herself to rationalize Kody's childlike behavior is disgusting. I hate her with 99% of the same hatred that I have for him. 
• "They get to pick and choose who they hang out with, but I don't. That's weird to me." They didn't choose plural marriage, you dipshit. They didn't choose to have multiple wives and families, and they damn sure didn't choose to be born to a father like you. So yes, they do get to choose, moron. 
• I'll hold off on commenting on the previews for next week since this thread is for this episode. But...YAAAAAY

[Roslyn]

1 hour ago, Mother of Odin said:

Aren't they?

It's one of those British slang sayings. If something is going to be "all beer and skittles", then that is saying that it is going to be lighthearted, carefree and fun. If you are inviting someone out you could say "hey mate! c'mon...it'll be beer and skittles!!" Beer=indulgence of alcohol without responsibilities and Skittles=fun

If something is NOT beer and skittles then it translates as "not as much fun as you think it is"

[procrasstinator]

17 minutes ago, Absolom said:

This.  There has to be a reason and true love of Kody won't play in my mind.  Eeking out the last penny of show money, staying on the show to keep her presence up for the MLM gig, just liking to say she's on TV, all of those I could buy.

Or pressure from family?  Is this what her mother and other relatives expect her to do--stay no matter what?  Meri was raised in the faith I think and so she might believe she has to stay.  She might not want to face disapproval or rejection from her family members if she were to try to leave.  Christine is still included in filming even after she has left so I don't think Meri would have to stay with Kody in order to stay on the show.  I don't know.  I agree it's very strange of Meri to keep hanging on where no one wants her.  When she told Robyn she was still there and then Robyn said nothing.  Meri seemed hurt by that.  

[Roslyn]

2 hours ago, procrasstinator said:

And those pathetic people who only had Covid for three days couldn't understand the torment he went through...with his temperature of 99.8.  Lol.

I took Kody's reference to people with "covid for three days and only lost their sense of smell" to be a direct dig at Gabe, who mentioned that is what covid was for him when he was talking about Kody calling on his birthday to drill him about covid symptoms...but didn't wish him a happy birthday.

[Meow Mix]

I laugh watching Robyn try to tap dance herself out the the trouble she makes.  I don't believe for a minute that she didn't run straight to Kody after one of Janelle's and his sons called her out and whined endlessly.  I loved how Janelle pointed out in her TH how Robyn was full of it claiming she didn't know Kody had demanded an apology to her.  Just like last season when Meri said she had been following all the ridiculous rules and still wasn't allowed at the house, Robyn had to do some fast talking about why.

Kody's behavior at Janelle's apartment was obnoxious but not surprising.  He was quite put out that Savannah didn't jump right up and hug him when he arrived.  She was very gracious about the whole thing, but she is just as over him as the rest.  Poor prissy Kody just can't possibly function in an apartment with low night stands.  How will he survive?  Also, how many plaid shirts does he own?  I noticed he had several on hangers he was supposedly going to store at Janelle's.  I give Janelle credit for living within her means unlike Kody and Robyn.  I hope she has cut off the money stream to those two.

One more thing.  I don't buy Kody's constant claims that he was just trying to protect everyone with the COVID rules.  If he was so interested in keeping everyone safe, he would have gotten vaccinated as soon as he could and made sure everyone else did as well.  There is a ton of data at this point showing that vaccinated people are significantly less likely to be hospitalized and have a much shorter contagious period.  So, that is proof to me that the rules were just an excuse to hole up at Robyn's and play the victim.  

7 minutes ago, Roslyn said:

I took Kody's reference to people with "covid for three days and only lost their sense of smell" to be a direct dig at Gabe, who mentioned that is what covid was for him when he was talking about Kody calling on his birthday to drill him about covid symptoms...but didn't wish him a happy birthday.

And the way Gabe talked about his experience, he didn't see it as that big a deal.  He wasn't referring to a 99.8 temperature as a near death experience.  

[the-grey-lady]

13 hours ago, Ms.Lulu said:

It is interesting that Kody doesn't like that Christine is bringing kids to Flagstaff so that they can see the family.

Not surprising, though. If you betray HRH Kody's patriarchal bullshit, you are supposed to be shunned.

[the-grey-lady]

15 hours ago, toodywoody said:

Kidney needs to realize his grown ass kids are grown. They can decide who and where they want to spend the holidays with. Grown kids often go see both parents, but he's making it to where they don't want to see him AT ALL.

He also needs to realize that he's reaping what he's sown.

His kids can decide with whom and where they want to spend the holidays, and those decisions are likely to be guided by how family members have treated them up until this point. Kody wants the adulation of the entire family gathered at his feet at the holidays without having done any of the work to make them want to see him.

Edited December 12, 2022 by the-grey-lady

[ginger90]

1 hour ago, procrasstinator said:

I kind of liked the reaction of Savannah to seeing Kody.  Kody had to coax her into giving him a hug and she was like "This is the first time I've seen my dad since he's had covid" in a tone that sounded really unimpressed.  Like who is this random person suddenly wanting a hug? 

Interesting he wanted her to give him a hug, not the other way around. 

[Soup333]

20 minutes ago, the-grey-lady said:

Not surprising, though. If you betray HRH Kody's patriarchal bullshit, you are supposed to be shunned.

“If you’re not with me, you're against me.” - Father of the year

Kody is insufferable. When Janelle said there was general discontent among her children, he immediately blamed her. 

Does he have relationships with ANY of his children besides Robyn’s?

Also, who helped Janelle move? They were behaving as if it was Kody’s first time there, so either they’re lying/acting for TLC or he wasn’t involved at all. 

[the-grey-lady]

3 minutes ago, Soup333 said:

“If you’re not with me, you're against me.” - Father of the year

That's something you say about the opposing general in a war, not about your own kids!

[Twopper]

@Yeah No mentioned Meri playing the long game.  If that is the case, I think it is because she promised her mom that she would stay “married” to Kody forever. 
If Kody was never in love with Meri, I would bet he was in lust with her for those first few years in a way he never was with Janelle  and Christine. 
I have heard the beer and skittles expression meaning great enjoyment or something really easy to do. Not sure what beer does to skittles except maybe dissolve the coating.  Is skittles being used to are a euphemism for something else?

[maxmama]

Robyn looks a little scared to me that she is going to be Kody’s full time wife.  I don’t think she bargained for that, even though she has done her best to cause discord among everybody.  Out of all of them, Meri is best positioned to move on, she has the B & B she can live at and run and never have to see any of the others again, so who knows why she is sticking around to be treated like a sack of you-know-what.  Janelle, on the other hand, is blessed with a don’t-give-a-crap attitude and her own fortitude so she will do just fine.  As will Christine.  They both have adult children starting families of their own, who wouldn’t want to be surrounded by that instead of the mess back in Flagstaff?   It must just frost Kody’s cookies that these women are not all woefully dependent (except Robyn and her girl brood) on him for their very existence.  He has zero insight into his colossal failings as a polygamist husband and even less insight, were that possible, into why they are leaving the fold.  Not to mention his failures as a father, which are unconscionable. (sic?)  He deserves every ounce of rejection, indifference, and abscence of respect he gets from any of his kids, he has worked overtime to earn it.  Enjoy, Robyn.

[TipseyGirl]

9 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

oops

Edited December 12, 2022 by TipseyGirl

[Sandy W]

3 hours ago, Mother of Odin said:

Aren't they?

Skittles is a game played in British pubs on a table like shuffleboard. Small bowling pins are used...thus the reference to beer (pub).

[Spazamanaz]

3 hours ago, procrasstinator said:

And those pathetic people who only had Covid for three days couldn't understand the torment he went through...with his temperature of 99.8.  Lol.

My son and I both caught covid back in March. My son had a fever of 103.5 for four days and a severe headache. I had a fever just over 101 for three days and a bad migraine over three days. We both had severe chills, aches and nausea. My son felt better after a week, and it took me a bit longer. We did not leave the house and drive around, nor did we whine and complain that we were at death's door. A temp of 99.8 is really not a fever in my opinion. Kotex is a whiny, egotistical,  misogynistic, self serving, dramatic, narcissistic ass. What a fucking cry baby. 

[lilysmom]

3 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

Kody might want to leave phrases and analogies alone. He can't seem to get one right.

I was thinking that My Sister Wives Closet might produce a line of tee shirts with a variety of Kodyisms like "A knife in my kidney" or any of the other quotable quotes he is spewing with increasing frequency lately.

Edited December 12, 2022 by lilysmom

[Sedona]

49 minutes ago, Soup333 said:

“If you’re not with me, you're against me.” - Father of the year

Kody is insufferable. When Janelle said there was general discontent among her children, he immediately blamed her. 

Does he have relationships with ANY of his children besides Robyn’s?

Also, who helped Janelle move? They were behaving as if it was Kody’s first time there, so either they’re lying/acting for TLC or he wasn’t involved at all. 

Probably Gabe and Garrison. 

[eskimo]

4 hours ago, mytmo said:

Just when you think Kodouche hits an all-time low he then digs a basement.

You could probably house an intercontinental ballistic missle in the hole he's dug so far...

[Mother of Odin]

43 minutes ago, Sandy W said:

Skittles is a game played in British pubs on a table like shuffleboard. Small bowling pins are used...thus the reference to beer (pub).

That makes a lot more sense. Because beer and skittles don't go well together. IMO.

[Claire Voyant]

2 hours ago, Roslyn said:

It's one of those British slang sayings. If something is going to be "all beer and skittles", then that is saying that it is going to be lighthearted, carefree and fun. If you are inviting someone out you could say "hey mate! c'mon...it'll be beer and skittles!!" Beer=indulgence of alcohol without responsibilities and Skittles=fun

If something is NOT beer and skittles then it translates as "not as much fun as you think it is"

It's also slang for cocaine.  

[Sedona]

Biggest surprise for me was that Kody reads. 

[MsMalin]

Edited December 12, 2022 by MsMalin

[ginger90]

40 minutes ago, Mother of Odin said:

That makes a lot more sense. Because beer and skittles don't go well together. IMO.

Exactly my point. 

[KateHearts]

1 hour ago, Twopper said:

I have heard the beer and skittles expression meaning great enjoyment or something really easy to do. Not sure what beer does to skittles except maybe dissolve the coating.  Is skittles being used to are a euphemism for something else?

Someone reference earlier the meaning of the phrase- "skittles" is some sort of British bowling game so the meaning is that life is not just all fun and games, i.e. going out and drinking and bowling.

[Cherylyn]

6 hours ago, Chicklet said:

I will admit I might have screamed when Robyn said something about if nobody wanted to be in the family  she "needed to know". Who died and made her the boss? Meri and Janelle let that one go and I don't understand it.

Why does Janelle put up with the inequity? Rhetorical question actually since she's been doing it for decades but she evidently reached her limit this year and good for her. And Christine leaving might have inspired her more.

This train wreck is coming to an end I think and that's a very good thing.

Well, if they did say something to Queen Robyn, she’d just go on about how she wanted to be a close family, and of course cry a river.. Also Robyn commented in a solo clip that she didn’t know why Kody was mentioning her name when he said he expected his sons to apologize to him and Robyn, she asked why he was mentioning her name…hmmm Sobbyn you didn’t bring that up during the discussion in front of Janelle,  now did you? 

[Elodia]

2 hours ago, ginger90 said:

Interesting he wanted her to give him a hug, not the other way around. 

Because of the cameras. He's got to show the world he's the father of the year. 

[Cetacean]

1 hour ago, Twopper said:

 Is skittles being used to are a euphemism for something else?

It's a game much like bowling and played in England.  Also called ninepins.

Sorry for the posting, I see that others have also answered that question.

Edited December 12, 2022 by Cetacean

[Elodia]

29 minutes ago, Sedona said:

Biggest surprise for me was that Kody reads. 

Must be something of essence. "The curly girl method" for example. 

[procrasstinator]

Kody to Janelle:  Do you ever have an ounce of empathy for me?  When you're not well I try to empathize--

Kody to Christine:  Can't Ysabel wait to have surgery for another six months?

Christine:  No, I finally qualified for insurance and she's in too much pain.

Kody:  Okay.

 A few episodes later in a TH.

Kody:  I wish that Ysabel would have waited for her surgery so that I could have been there...

I think maybe Kody needs to go back to his word of the day calendar and look up the meaning of empathy.

[Aspenglow]

Now that we know Janelle has left, I hope I can stop watching this train wreck.  His behavior on screen is simply abusive at this point and it’s upsetting to watch. 

[Spectator]

and then there were three…well, 2 and a half (sigh)

[MamaGee]

A few thoughts. I am ticked that there was no resolution to Meri really wanting to say something. She is such a weenie. I wonder if she was/is so ashamed about the catfish thing that she rilly thinks she has to stay "married" to this cluster to make it to heaven?

I wish Janelle would mention how very little empathy any of them showed her when she and her children had Covid. For people who want to remain a family, the adults in this group sure don't know how to be a family. I don't live in the same house as the rest of my family but I know how to love and support them. Why are these people (Kodouche, Sobbyn and Meri) incapable of just being decent and caring to one another? 

I also really appreciate how Janelle can sit with uneasiness. When Sobbyn was trying to make Janelle commit to staying, Janelle was not taking the bait immediately. She let Meri warble on then said something. 

[Calibabydolly]

17 hours ago, altopower said:

"Can we keep talking please?"  All these people do is sit in a circle and talk.

OMG! Before Covid, my husband used to refer to this show as: "the couch sitters"

Now we have them sitting outside in chairs 6 feet apart (with the actual married couple who live in same home at least 12 feet apart!) <<<just to prove they follow the rules lol

They sit there and talk, yet nothing gets said! Much ado about NOTHING!

[RazzleberryPie]

4 hours ago, Absolom said:

This.  There has to be a reason and true love of Kody won't play in my mind.  Eeking out the last penny of show money, staying on the show to keep her presence up for the MLM gig, just liking to say she's on TV, all of those I could buy.

Keep in mind per their faith, women have to be called into those higher levels of Heaven by their husbands and can’t reach the highest realm unless they remain in plural marriage with 3 wives. This has all been ingrained in her since birth. Nothjng would be worse to Fancy Pants than being beneath someone else for eternity. That and I think she still wants Kodys approval. Which is pathetic, but those are her feelings. She might be grasping that when ROBYN eventually leaves she can reclaim her throne. 
 

[Chris Knight]

I watched this episode this morning. I must have rilly zoned out because I do not recall hearing anything about donkeys, alcoholic families, beer or skittles.

Robyn literally cannot go for 30 seconds without crying. 

Kody, you big wuss, you were not even rilly sick  ! Wasn't this filmed about one year ago when everyone had Omicron ? I had it then, along with 2 of my children, and the rest of the world. I believe Omicron was extremely contagious, but usually not all that serious,  Mr. 99.8.

[Quickbeam]

I think it was Savanah turning 18 that did it. No strings, no “Truly” issues. I’ve always liked Janelle best so I wish her well.

[kassa]

18 hours ago, Ms.Lulu said:

I still believe that Robyn and Kody think they will be able to act their way to swaying popular opinion that Kody is the wronged person in the family.

I'm not as firmly in the Robyn is diabolical camp as others, but she certainly was directing the show in that get together, including staring daggers at Kody trying to redirect him when he went off script. I suspect he was supposed to be the one stressing how they had to communicate and instead he went off on his diatribe and her repeating it over and over was to try to feed him his lines so that HE could be the one calling for resolution.

Renting the large house sounds like a great way to spend the holidays. I feel bad for Meri if Leon has other plans and she ends up a third wheel with Robyn and Kody. But I suspect they'll just ask her to stop by for turkey sandwiches the next day or something instead. 

I thought Kody genuinely lost it last time with the kidney rant. I think he was trying and failing to repeat it this week - didn't strike me as remotely genuine.  It was like a toddler (or a Real Housewife) trying to work themselves into a full blown cry but you see their eyes are completely dry and they're trying really, really hard. Robyn was trying to reel him in to steer the conversation the way they'd agreed it should go (Janelle, you in or out, you disloyal wife, you!) and instead he did exactly what I suspected he did with Gabe a couple of episodes ago -- used his brush with covid to catastrophize the situation and justify his behavior of the past few years. 

Unfortunately, his "you disrespect me at every turn" narrative kind of gets ruined by his blatant hostility and tantrums directed at women who are regarding him calmly and contradicting him with direct quotes from earlier conversations.

3 hours ago, lilysmom said:

I was thinking that My Sister Wives Closet might produce a line of tee shirts with a variety of Kodyisms like "A knife in my kidney" or any of the other quotable quotes he is spewing with increasing frequency lately.

They actually might have made serious money if they gave one of the kids free rein to make snarky shirts precisely like that. Especially if they were decent quality t shirts, and the sayings just cryptic enough to be an inside joke to the audience. 

[Elizzikra]

Quote

Eh, I don't know. Without a wife's arm up his puppet hole, I really don't think Kody has an independent thought.

I did not read this as the metaphor that it was intended to be...

Quote

Also, who helped Janelle move? They were behaving as if it was Kody’s first time there, so either they’re lying/acting for TLC or he wasn’t involved at all. 

I think that Kody said he wasn't even sure exactly when she moved but that he thought it was while he was still recovering from COVID, so I think he didn't even claim to help. I don't know who did - probably Janelle and Savannah and whichever kids she could round up that day.

[Tuxcat]

Picking up little lines throughout the season. Earlier in the season Christine talked about a lack of trust and about feeling like others are talking behind her back. This episode - we hear Janelle say, "Kody has told me stories Robyn would share with him about things Christine did, trying to get me on the side of realizing that Christine was this horrible sister wife. That's been going on for years."

And here we see the OG Kody whisperer Janelle (the 'logical voice of reason') vs. the new Kody whisperer Robyn ('the best communicator'). Meri and Christine were always the "drama noise" on the outside. The control of Kody was Janelle and then Robyn.

Janelle leaking this information to Christine after all these years is interesting. I'm not sure what to make of it.

Kody doesn't just leak like a sieve. They all do. Ironic since this family told us for years that they don't talk about "other relationships."

[zamp33]

I wonder how Ysabel feels having Kody whine and complain about his 99.8 temperature while being up and about 3 weeks after covid. Ysabel suffered with pain for weeks.

Also did he check on Janelle and her kids when they had covid? The fact he had to call Gabe and specifically ask about his symptoms last week makes me think he did not.

And I am not a Meri fan, and feel that she was not a very good sister wife however,  I think how Robyn continues to  treat and mislead Meri when it comes to Kody is very cruel. In addition to that, Meri quarantined and was following Kody's "protoculls" for months and she was not allowed near Robyn and her kids. What is it that Meri gets from her friendship with Robyn? Meri has lost the family and Kody and I cannot figure out why Meir continues to remain so loyal to Robyn.

[Adeejay]

Kody is a petty, little man.  There was no reason for him to say that Janelle and Christine used to complain to him about each other.  I am sure whatever those ladies said to him was said in the strictest of confidence.  He seems to enjoy pitting his OG wives against each other. Funny how he wanted Meri to speak up against Janelle but didn't ask Robyn to do the same.  I am willing to bet that he will never reveal anything Robyn, the great communicator, tells him.

[Meowwww]

6 hours ago, Roslyn said:

I took Kody's reference to people with "covid for three days and only lost their sense of smell" to be a direct dig at Gabe, who mentioned that is what covid was for him when he was talking about Kody calling on his birthday to drill him about covid symptoms...but didn't wish him a happy birthday.

I just started rewatching, and as he says that, the camera pans to Janelle. 

Good Lord.  He was the sickest little man in the world from Covid. Give me an f’in break. A good friend of mine had a fever of over 105 several days in a row.  Went to the hospital. Was admitted. Then on a ventilator. Then had strokes while on the ventilator.  She’s 45 and now, over a year later, she’s finally out of a rehab place and her left hand still doesn’t work.  She’s 44 with two teenagers single mom. Unless Kodouche was that sick, I don’t want to hear it. Once again he manages to be so offensive. Blah. 

I am with the poster wondering if Robyn’s tear ducts were removed.  All the “crying” and not one tear. 

[js9548]

4 hours ago, Sedona said:

Biggest surprise for me was that Kody reads. 

Or knows how to play chess

[Art Of Noiz]

5 hours ago, the-grey-lady said:

That's something you say about the opposing general in a war, not about your own kids!

He did say it was a Civil War...

[ginger90]

17 minutes ago, Adeejay said:

There was no reason for him to say that Janelle and Christine used to complain to him about each other.

If I’m recalling correctly, Kody used to tell them they had to work things out between them, and not to involve him.

[Claire Voyant]

19 hours ago, Elizzikra said:

He is still angry that Janelle didn't buy Christine's house but even if she did, he would have found reasons that it wasn't up to his standards. What he should be thinking about is "gee, if I'm committed to making these marriages work, I'll suffer the inconvenience of restricted bedside table space on the one night a week I stay with Janelle.

He'd have said the house brought nothing but bad memories and he just couldn't bear the pain of it all.  How was he supposed to know his broken heart would mourn for the joy and rapture of his life with Christine?  Sorry, Janelle...can't be around you and Savanah as long as you're living there, so me and Sobyn want to rent it out so I can come to your apt. and do my bitching there.  Now show some RESPECT and do what I say.