S17.E14: Which Wife is Next?

[the-grey-lady]

Review tonight, y'all.

Here's hoping I can get through the entire episode without punching my computer.

Or Kody.

[OldWiseOne]

1 hour ago, zamp33 said:

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.

Of course not. When Janelle and her boys had covid that was their own fault because they weren't following Kody's protoculls. When Kody and the Sobbyns got covid, it was through no fault of their own because they had been doing everything "right" and covid 19 still found them somehow.

[Tdoc72]

10 hours ago, steff13 said:

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.  

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." 

I don’t want to give any props to Robyn, but she at least felt bad enough to go to the hospital. So I think she may have had the worst case. 

8 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.

When my kids got Covid, I was happy their cases were minor cold symptoms.  I’d think most parents/family members would be.  I wasn’t resentful—I had the same type, nor was my husband, who had major flu symptoms and worse case than the rest of us.  Kody is a jerk! ! 

[suev3333]

Beer and Skittles?  🤦‍♀️😂😂😂

Robyn must be severely dehydrated because I've yet to see a tear run down her face.    

This is so DONE,  it's getting painful to watch.   Kodouche says plainly as can be that he doesn't want to be in a relationship with Meri,  right in front of her.   Yet she just sits there, says nothing to that...... Omg woman...have a shred of dignity.     Janelle.....please get the hell out of there....I have a feeling it won't be long.

Thank you , sister wives ,  for reinforcing that plural marriage doesn't work.   That's what you've all accomplished with this show.

Edited December 13, 2022 by suev3333
More thoughts on this train wreck

[ladyscorpio]

Kody would have every petty excuse in the book to not have to stay the night, no matter what place Janelle had gotten. He wants nothing to do with anybody unless their name is Sobbyn. As far as Meri goes, sometimes I think she's just staying to be on the show to keep getting the money from it. It looks as if she only goes there to film, and the rest of the time she's at her b and b or traveling. I know they all have to sign non disclosure agreements while the show is being filmed and zhown on t.v. so maybe she has actually left Kody but can't tell people because of the nda. I don't know for sure, but it seems that way. It is confusing why she stays. If it's only for the money and it's just an illusion that she's still there, that would be understandable.  If she is really still there hoping he will be with her one day again, that is horrible. I have noticed over the years, how bad Kody has gotten with his selfishness. If you look back from  season one to now, he is the worst he has ever been. Sobbyn sure did a number on him. She made him into the eternal victim that she always claims to be and she's turned him into the most narcissistic, selfish asshole I have ever seen. She reprogrammed his mind just like a robot. He doesn't even see how much he's changed.  I know those two rehearsed what the meeting was going to be about. I knew once Christine was gone, boom, they're onto kicking Janelle out. It was 100% Sobbyn that demands an apology from Gabe and Garrison and whatever other kids she has a problem with. She's not fooling anybody saying - I don't know why Kody is bringing my name into this apology thing. Bitch please!! We all know it's you!! Sobbyn is the one that calls the shots. 

[Lady of nod]

6 hours ago, Spectator said:

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

And so Kodouch loses his own planet. Guess he wasn’t ever really concerned about the “principle” just wanted attention and his own cult to adore him. Well at least he has Sobyn and the Sobynettes to worship him. Good luck Sobyn - he’s  all yours now. 24/7. Let’s see how that works for you. 

[Jel]

How many more years can this grift go on?

[Elizzikra]

3 minutes ago, Jel said:

How many more years can this grift go on?

Honestly, as long as we keep watching...

[Andyourlittledog2]

In the first convo there was discussion about Kody and Gabe and Garrison and whether or not the boys needed to apologize. At that time, Robyn asked Kody if they needed an apology or just 'resolution' before coming for the holidays.  And Kody said 'resolution'. I do not know if Janelle heard it or if anyone understood what those two meant by 'resolution'. It was a quiet exchange and passed quickly and the conversation moved on. That is what I think Kody meant by changing the requirement 'since then' and what Janelle did not hear or understand about any change of requirements. I still don't know what Kody meant by 'resolution' and how that differs substantially from 'apologize'.

Each time we see these folks talk together Robyn seems more desperate to me. I think she has worked hard to get what she wanted, which was HBIC of the harem but now that the harem is dissolving she is getting to be the 'only' to a man who is nobody's ideal husband and she doesn't want to be alone with him. She clings to Meri I think because Meri is really all that stands between her and monogamy with Kody and this is looking worse and worse the older and angrier Kody gets. She really has won herself a booby prize.  I'm pretty sure they all know Christine is gone for good and Janelle has one and three quarters feet out the door at this point in time.  Also, if she believes in the whole celestial heaven deal then Kody needs three wives. If she's only one of one or two then that's out the door I believe. And there's no way she's gonna tolerate a new wife addition after she has worked so hard to sideline the ones he already had. That's only if she believes though.

I don't think polygamy actually works at all really but I think it has no chance in a non-polygamous environment. The wives need to be surrounded by support structure and serious pushback if they don't conform. By taking them to LV and then Flagstaff and away from most people who would support them and expect them to conform I think Kody started his own family's downward slide into monogamy. None of his kids follow polygamy. He doesn't follow the form any more really. He screwed himself royally if polygamy was his belief and goal. They stopped going to church, they stopped doing their own church, they don't really socialize with other polygamists -- what did he think was going to happen?

[SemiCharmedLife]

2 hours ago, ladyscorpio said:

Kody would have every petty excuse in the book to not have to stay the night, no matter what place Janelle had gotten. He wants nothing to do with anybody unless their name is Sobbyn. As far as Meri goes, sometimes I think she's just staying to be on the show to keep getting the money from it. It looks as if she only goes there to film, and the rest of the time she's at her b and b or traveling. I know they all have to sign non disclosure agreements while the show is being filmed and zhown on t.v. so maybe she has actually left Kody but can't tell people because of the nda. I don't know for sure, but it seems that way. It is confusing why she stays. If it's only for the money and it's just an illusion that she's still there, that would be understandable.  If she is really still there hoping he will be with her one day again, that is horrible. I have noticed over the years, how bad Kody has gotten with his selfishness. If you look back from  season one to now, he is the worst he has ever been. Sobbyn sure did a number on him. She made him into the eternal victim that she always claims to be and she's turned him into the most narcissistic, selfish asshole I have ever seen. She reprogrammed his mind just like a robot. He doesn't even see how much he's changed.  I know those two rehearsed what the meeting was going to be about. I knew once Christine was gone, boom, they're onto kicking Janelle out. It was 100% Sobbyn that demands an apology from Gabe and Garrison and whatever other kids she has a problem with. She's not fooling anybody saying - I don't know why Kody is bringing my name into this apology thing. Bitch please!! We all know it's you!! Sobbyn is the one that calls the shots. 

I think Robyn has received so much public backlash as the selfish manipulator that she is, Kody tries to shield her from more of the same.  He demands an apology for her from Janelle's sons, but then backtracks when Robyn is worried about her image.  She carries on about wanting the best for the family, but it is all smoke and mirrors because her actions say just the opposite.  She has destroyed whatever family Kody had before she came on the scene, with his blessing.  The only good thing to come out of it is that perhaps the other wives and children can be away from the toxic Kody/Robyn mess and thrive on their own.

[the-grey-lady]

The recap is still coming, but...I can't believe I'm admitting this...I accidentally wrote a recap of last week's episode.

So I'm plugging through this week's, but there's only so much Kody I can take in one night. I'll finish and get the (correct) review up tomorrow.

[gingerella]

1 hour ago, the-grey-lady said:

The recap is still coming, but...I can't believe I'm admitting this...I accidentally wrote a recap of last week's episode.

So I'm plugging through this week's, but there's only so much Kody I can take in one night. I'll finish and get the (correct) review up tomorrow.

Thanks for taking one for the team, I hope you don't go any greyer from this...you're doing the lords work!

[Yeah No]

20 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

There’s one thing I’d add to this. I don’t think he was ever crazy about any of the first three. Then he finally got the fourth wife, was was hot, well, an FLDS hot.  So he just wanted only her. 

I remember years ago the common wisdom was that he was in love with Meri being his first wife, but the next two he took on for other reasons, such as procreation and/or being from the right family.  It's hard to believe now that he was ever in love with Meri but that was of course a long time ago and before the catfish incident.  True to his narcissism Meri's disloyalty made her "dead" to him.  Her long game involves convincing him that she really is more loyal than the rest of them and will martyr herself for him.  Stupid idea but he may just be tempted to fall for it.

17 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Robyn is a good example of the saying "play stupid games, win stupid prizes."  She now has Kody all to herself and she has to put up with his horrible antics forever with no respite from the other wives.  Imagine the act she has to put on all the time to prevent him from exploding. 

You can almost feel her feet bleeding from all those eggshells she has to walk on!

16 hours ago, steff13 said:

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." 

Thank you, my father died of Covid and Kody's dramatics make my blood boil!  

[the-grey-lady]

6 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

Thank you, my father died of Covid and Kody's dramatics make my blood boil!  

I am sorry about the loss of your dad. When he was blathering about how he defeated Covid like he was some sort of ninja, I wanted to smack him even more than usual.

[Elodia]

13 hours ago, Spazamanaz said:

A temp of 99.8 is really not a fever in my opinion

Well, maybe he ovulated? 🤔

[Yeah No]

6 hours ago, ladyscorpio said:

Kody would have every petty excuse in the book to not have to stay the night, no matter what place Janelle had gotten. He wants nothing to do with anybody unless their name is Sobbyn. As far as Meri goes, sometimes I think she's just staying to be on the show to keep getting the money from it. It looks as if she only goes there to film, and the rest of the time she's at her b and b or traveling. I know they all have to sign non disclosure agreements while the show is being filmed and zhown on t.v. so maybe she has actually left Kody but can't tell people because of the nda. I don't know for sure, but it seems that way. It is confusing why she stays. If it's only for the money and it's just an illusion that she's still there, that would be understandable.  If she is really still there hoping he will be with her one day again, that is horrible. I have noticed over the years, how bad Kody has gotten with his selfishness. If you look back from  season one to now, he is the worst he has ever been. Sobbyn sure did a number on him. She made him into the eternal victim that she always claims to be and she's turned him into the most narcissistic, selfish asshole I have ever seen. She reprogrammed his mind just like a robot. He doesn't even see how much he's changed.  I know those two rehearsed what the meeting was going to be about. I knew once Christine was gone, boom, they're onto kicking Janelle out. It was 100% Sobbyn that demands an apology from Gabe and Garrison and whatever other kids she has a problem with. She's not fooling anybody saying - I don't know why Kody is bringing my name into this apology thing. Bitch please!! We all know it's you!! Sobbyn is the one that calls the shots. 

I've gone back and forth over the years over whether Meri is staying for the money (or some other materialistic reason) or whether she has some kind of complex since the catfishing incident that she has to do some sort of penance and "make things right" between her and Kody to absolve herself of all the guilt and shame she felt after being exposed as "cheating" and looking for an escape from her go-nowhere relationship with him.  As time goes on I'm more partial to the latter explanation.  She has more than enough money now to support herself and is pretty independent in just about every material way.  I think getting back into his good graces is what she seems to need in order to forgive herself for what happened with the catfish.  And I suppose she also thinks the world would forgive her and not see her as a loser too.  I'm not convinced that any of that would work even if she could win herself back into his good graces, though.  And even if it did, she would also be stuck with the same booby prize as Robyn.  It would be an empty victory.

1 hour ago, the-grey-lady said:

I am sorry about the loss of your dad. 

Thank you so much!  

Edited December 13, 2022 by Yeah No

[Claire Voyant]

17 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

I remember years ago the common wisdom was that he was in love with Meri being his first wife, but the next two he took on for other reasons, such as procreation and/or being from the right family.  It's hard to believe now that he was ever in love with Meri but that was of course a long time ago and before the catfish incident.  True to his narcissism Meri's disloyalty made her "dead" to him.  Her long game involves convincing him that she really is more loyal than the rest of them and will martyr herself for him.  Stupid idea but he may just be tempted to fall for it.

You can almost feel her feet bleeding from all those eggshells she has to walk on!

Thank you, my father died of Covid and Kody's dramatics make my blood boil!  

I'm so sorry that you lost your dad.  Losing a parent makes you feel like you're kind of an orphan in a strange and unfair way.   My heart goes out to you.    

Kotex's  MAJOR dramatics over his MINOR Covid symptoms make me want to massage his jugular veins and give him some wall-to-wall counseling with a baseball bat.   Here you go, jerkoff...how does this make your head and throat feel???  🤬   

[Yeah No]

32 minutes ago, Claire Voyant said:

I'm so sorry that you lost your dad.  Losing a parent makes you feel like you're kind of an orphan in a strange and unfair way.   My heart goes out to you.    

Kotex's  MAJOR dramatics over his MINOR Covid symptoms make me want to massage his jugular veins and give him some wall-to-wall counseling with a baseball bat.   Here you go, jerkoff...how does this make your head and throat feel???  🤬   

You hit that nail on the head!  The orphan feeling is true of me especially because I have no close family left now.  

The way Ko-dork is acting it's obvious to me that either he's never had a really bad illness in his life or perhaps he wanted to "justify" to the world why he was so overly paranoid about Covid to the point of the extreme and controlling "rules" he wanted to force the family to observe.  He did admit as an aside in a talking head, though, that he thought he would have been  sicker with it than he was.  Which just goes to show that all those dramatics were for show and not based on anything real.  Plus his hypocrisy has not gotten past me for having gone to that friend's wedding and partying like it was 2019.  The Covid "rules" he supposedly follows are not for him but for everyone else obviously.  I still think he was using those rules primarily to justify his avoidance of his other wives.  He could make the excuse that it was Covid's fault that he wasn't with them enough, or their fault for not following his rules closely enough for him.  Any man that really wanted to see his family would find a compromise that worked for everyone.  We've all had to find ways to do it, it's not impossible.  All of his dramatics were all BS.

Kodouche is acting like a king whose subjects aren't showing him enough allegiance so he turns into a despot desperately trying to force them to bow to his authority.  I guess it displeases his highness that his kids have grown up and have minds of their own and can criticize him.  Of course he blames the wives for "poisoning their minds" against him but we all know better.  It was how he treated his kids that made them get upset with him, not mind poisoning.  And so he uses this mind poisoning fantasy as a reason to cut all of them loose and yet still demand that they conform to his ever more ridiculous rules, which of course are always just a little too impossible for them to follow to his satisfaction.  But that's the idea, you see.  Then he gets to blame them for their rejection of him, not himself.  Too bad none of us is fooled.  Asshole!

Edited December 13, 2022 by Yeah No

[TurtlePower]

12 hours ago, Meowwww said:

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. 

He really was offensive with his “misery” BS. Willing to bet TLC knew it would make him look bad. 

I had it pretty bad when it first came out and before there was a vaccine, but haven’t really complained much about the long term issues which affect me to this day. I despise Kody and his 99.8 “fever”. 

[Kellyee]

I completely believe that all 4 Brown adult women have talked shit about each other and complained about each other to Kody over the years, including Janelle and Christine complaining about each other until Robyn came along and gave them a common enemy. I believe Kody about that one. But he's still an asshole. 

This show just proves that Polygamy is toxic. And no Kody, it's not worse for men. These 4 women were set up to compete with each other for Kody's attention. 

Janelle's new apartment didn't look all that small for 3 people, one of whom isn't there full time. Savannah seemed really sad when she talked about her dad not really spending time with them at the RV, and leaving during the day. I feel so bad for the kids stuck in the middle of this. I also think Robyn's kids have been led to believe that Christine and Janelle hate them and don't want to spend time with them, and it colors their attitudes in some of the scenes we see.  

I hope some of the adult kids are interviewed during the Tell All. I would love to hear the perspective of some of the kids we don't normally hear from, like Logan. 

[GeeGolly]

We all heard Janelle talking shit behind Meri's back during a discussion about property lines for CP, although she did later bring it up to Meri.

While that was pretty blatant, I'm guessing the wives honed their subtle dig skills over the years too. I think they would say things like, oh, I wonder what Christine would think about that, or I should go over and teach Janelle this recipe, or it took me hours to catch up with the laundry, I wish I had it as easy as Meri.

So now Kody is thinking Christine always has a negative opinion, Janelle can't cook and what does Meri do all day. Kody's opinion is that of the last wife he talked to and for the last two years he's been operating with Robyn's slant on everything.

[JayDub1987]

14 hours ago, js9548 said:

Or knows how to play chess

Are we sure he knows how? I'll admit, I don't know how to play chess. But I can name the pieces on the chessboard. All Kody did was say that there was a king and that the queen needed a king. 

[laurakaye]

So you guys, I'm not going to be able to stay on this thread...there's no outlet. Oh, there's one right there?  It's not in the right place for my lamp.  And this nightstand here?  It's too small and too - ummm, too LOW - yeah, it's too low - for all my big picture books.  And this bathroom?  I can't shower here.  It's way too small.  I am used to my marble and gold-trimmed walk-in shower with multiple jets, so this is never going to work for me.  Basically, I can visit here once every third Wednesday between 10 and 10:15 to make you feel bad about what a sh!thole this place is, but then I am going to need to go back to Mother Robyn and her castle, not this stupid hole in the wall. 

***********************

Janelle: I am going elsewhere for Thanksgiving because you told the boys that they aren't welcome in your house until they apologize to you.

Kody: I never said that.

Janelle: You did, several times.

Kody: I never didn't say that the boys never could come over.  I didn't ever not say that they couldn't never come over if they didn't ever not apologize to me and Robyn - oops, I mean just me - so you saying that I didn't say they couldn't not come over is wrong and furthermore, I had a temperature of 99.8 and you don't even care!

Janelle: ......................

Kody: (makes fists, pounds on legs like toddler, throws his binkie and smashes his juice box): My trapeezoidus muscles hurt and this is Christine's fault!!!

Janelle: Peace out, nut job. (I wish that's what she'd said, anyway)

Edited December 13, 2022 by laurakaye

[procrasstinator]

Kody criticized Janelle for looking at her house plans and not finishing/resolving their first discussion.  If Kody really was looking for a resolution or solution it would have been very easy.

Janelle:  The boys are renting an airb'n b because you said they were not welcome until they apologized.

Kody:  I did say that then later I said I'd like to have a discussion with them to clear the air and discuss following COVID procedures.

Janelle:  Okay.  Well you probably will have to contact them because they are hurt and being stubborn it doesn't seem like they are going to make the first move.

Kody:  picks up phone to call Garrison/Gabriel.

Except that it isn't about resolution/finding a solution at all.  It's about how Janelle wasn't loyal to Kody in not backing up his covid rules.  And it's about punishing Janelle for her lack of empathy and lack of loyalty.  Janelle sees that so I think her walking off comes from that knowledge that the discussion is not intended to be constructive.  Kody's only objective was to point a blaming finger at Janelle and get the support of Meri and Robyn.  When Kody turned to Meri and Robyn and said, "Am I wrong?"  I was hoping one of them would say, "Yes, yes you are".

[General Days]

16 hours ago, kassa said:

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.

I'm with you on Robyn. Overall, I don't think she is the "big bad." Kody isn't even the big bad. Polygamy (at least for these people, lived in this way) seems to be their big bad. Kody is a secondary villain. The wives are all victims (and sometimes, victimizers). 

I'm also with your observations on Robyn in this episode though. She was trying to keep Kody on message, but he's too much of a narcissist and drama queen for that.

6 hours ago, Yeah No said:

I've gone back and forth over the years over whether Meri is staying for the money (or some other materialistic reason) or whether she has some kind of complex since the catfishing incident that she has to do some sort of penance and "make things right" between her and Kody to absolve herself of all the guilt and shame she felt after being exposed as "cheating" and looking for an escape from her go-nowhere relationship with him.  As time goes on I'm more partial to the latter explanation.  She has more than enough money now to support herself and is pretty independent in just about every material way.  I think getting back into his good graces is what she seems to need in order to forgive herself for what happened with the catfish.  And I suppose she also thinks the world would forgive her and not see her as a loser too.  I'm not convinced that any of that would work even if she could win herself back into his good graces, though.  And even if it did, she would also be stuck with the same booby prize as Robyn.  It would be an empty victory.

I think this is exactly it, where Meri is concerned.

(And I am sorry about your Dad.)

[kassa]

34 minutes ago, JayDub1987 said:

Are we sure he knows how? I'll admit, I don't know how to play chess. But I can name the pieces on the chessboard. All Kody did was say that there was a king and that the queen needed a king. 

I know the names of the pieces and which way each of them can move. I haven't played since probably 1980. But to the best of my recollection, the Queen is the most powerful piece, and the King pretty much the most impotent, even though everything revolves around keeping him safe. Kind of like polygamy (or, to be fair, a lot of other crappy marriages).

I'm trying to picture what a "resolution" without an apology looks like. Probably a cease and desist any negative talk about Robin and suck up to her in person, but I won't make you say the words "I'm sorry."  

I also think that while they may think Robyn's arrival fucked everything up, it's their father they're mad at, and his need to twist every "you keep choosing Robyn over everybody else" comment into an attack on her instead of on HIM.  She wouldn't be the favorite if he didn't treat her as the favorite. Even if she were the favorite and he treated her as such in stealth mode, but made a genuine effort to uphold relationships with the kids if not their mothers, it might still have worked (for the kids). (See Christine's comment that if he had been a present father she would still be in the marriage.)

But what you can't do is have a favorite, treat her as the favorite, disproportionately allocate communal resources to her, elevate her children above your own, be miserly with your time with every other kid, and then be offended and claim there's a witch hunt for your (favorite) wife when they beg for more of your time and point to all of the above as evidence that you're not around for *them*. 

[mythoughtis]

Regardless of what Kody said, he wasn’t looking or willing to accept a ‘resolution’.  Any conversation with Janelle’s adult children would have reverted to him shouting at them within two minutes.  Just like his ‘conversations’ with his wives.  Even if they had been the ‘bigger people’ and said the magic words ‘I’m sorry’.  
 

If he really wanted to spend time with his children, all he had to do was ask Janelle if he could come to the vacation rental to see the kids. Instead he complained about it being neutral ground.  Presumably because neutral ground meant he’d have to be on his ‘best behavior’. 
 One additional comment - I did notice that Janelle told Kody  she’d only sit back down if he stopped yelling.  And he did- at least as far as we were shown. He obviously knew he’d pushed Janelle too far. 

[Libby]

When Janelle said that she didn't think that her children were welcome, Robyn didn't say "Janelle, of course, your children are always welcome."

Isn't that what a person who so badly wanted to keep the family together would say? Robyn is totally full of crap. She wants to sow discord, not keep the family together.

The only one who falls for Robyn's lies is Kody.

Edited December 13, 2022 by Libby

[laurakaye]

13 minutes ago, General Days said:

I'm with you on Robyn. Overall, I don't think she is the "big bad." Kody isn't even the big bad. Polygamy (at least for these people, lived in this way) seems to be their big bad. Kody is a secondary villain. The wives are all victims (and sometimes, victimizers). I

I like it here because we can take in points of views that aren't our own without  - well, without throwing a Kody-sized tantrum.

I am of the camp that Robyn knew exactly what she wanted before she ever entered the family and took several careful steps to get where she is right now - except she wanted the Big Three to stick around and be jealous of her and her relationship with Kody.  She wanted to be envied.  That way she gets Kody and they get to keep the show and the money from the show.

The fact that she cries constantly is also interesting to me...a lot of times, when you look back on something that happened, you've processed it enough to talk about it without crying.  When Robyn does her couch interviews, she's discussing something that's already happened, so her constant tears - fake or not - don't make sense to me in a lot of situations.  She cried on her very first couch interview with the adults, if I'm not mistaken.

Also, Kody?  Instead of saying to Savanah, "what's the matter, don't you want to hug me?"  Try this: "I'm sorry I haven't been around very much but I did really miss you...can I ask for a hug?"  I mean, he's never going to say that because it puts the onus on him and he can't do that, but if he could he might not have fractured relationships with 75% of his kids.

[Kellyee]

I hope everyone notices that in all his complaints and claims of parental alienation, Kody never picks up the phone and has a real conversation with his kids to clear the air himself. He only calls Gabe when he needs information about Covid, and interrogates Mykelti about when she knew her mother was gonna leave him. 

Kody can have a relationship with his children any time he wants. He just has to try, but he'd rather play the victim.

[Spectator]

In my dream world, the best payback to Kody and all of his assholery over all of these years would come in two parts:

1. Sister Wives is cancelled. The producers must recognize that one of the biggest draws to the show is watching Kody’s entitled, selfish, boorish behavior and how much he favors Robyn and her family and how remarkably unaware he is that virtually all of his actions are utterly abhorrent. Now that Robyn is essentially all that’s left (sorry Meri…facts), there’s not much of a show left. The end.

2. Christine and Janelle get their own show, “Ex-Sister Wives” and Kody, Robyn and Meri are never featured and are not part of the contract in any way. I would love to see the two of them thrive without Kody. I would love to see them experience life surrounded by people who truly love them. I would love to see them make money and not feel oddly compelled to turn it over to Robyn to pay for her mansion and staff. And lastly, I would love to imagine Kody watching them from the sidelines as they thrive, while he continues to to struggle financially with his 1.5 wives, wondering how on earth his “patriarchy” fell apart so rapidly despite “all the sacrifices he made”. Sweet justice.

[JayDub1987]

1 hour ago, Libby said:

When Janelle said that she didn't think that her children were welcome, Robyn didn't say "Janelle, of course, your children are always welcome."

I caught that! It was something along the lines of, "When didn't they feel welcome?" Someone who was trying would have you know...tried. Instead, Robyn went on the defensive and tried to belittle what Janelle's kids think. In most cases, narcissists (which Robyn dabbles in IMO) tip their hand through what they don't say as much as what they do. 

[Meh]

I think Meri stays with Kody because of Leon. If she leaves  him, Leon might be done with her?

[procrasstinator]

1 hour ago, laurakaye said:

The fact that she cries constantly is also interesting to me...a lot of times, when you look back on something that happened, you've processed it enough to talk about it without crying.  When Robyn does her couch interviews, she's discussing something that's already happened, so her constant tears - fake or not - don't make sense to me in a lot of situations.  She cried on her very first couch interview with the adults, if I'm not mistaken.

I think Robyn's tears are attempts to manipulate.  This is something that covert narcissists will do.  I'm thinking of that scene where Robyn was packing up her house in Las Vegas to move to Flagstaff.  At one point she wanted Breanna to come downstairs so that she could watch Ariella and then Aurora could help with the packing.  Robyn asks Dayton what Breanna is doing.  He says that Breanna is packing up her room.  So Robyn goes upstairs to get Breanna and next the camera cuts to a shot of Robyn in Breanna's bathroom crying.  I think Robyn's tears in that situation were intended to make Breanna feel guilty and to make Breanna do what she wanted.  Doesn't seem like a healthy parent child interaction at all.  Also who is reduced to tears at having to pack up a house?  All the rest of the wives packed up without the tears and hysterics.  Even Meri who had business commitments and packed up two weeks later didn't stress out about it.

[Absolom]

9 minutes ago, Meh said:

I think Meri stays with Kody because of Leon. If she leaves  him, Leon might be done with her?

That's an interesting view.  Although Leon was in Flagstaff and didn't bother letting Kody know they were there.  Meri might believe it whether it's true or not.

[procrasstinator]

50 minutes ago, Spectator said:

2. Christine and Janelle get their own show, “Ex-Sister Wives” and Kody, Robyn and Meri are never featured and are not part of the contract in any way. I would love to see the two of them thrive without Kody. I would love to see them experience life surrounded by people who truly love them. I would love to see them make money and not feel oddly compelled to turn it over to Robyn to pay for her mansion and staff. And lastly, I would love to imagine Kody watching them from the sidelines as they thrive, while he continues to to struggle financially with his 1.5 wives, wondering how on earth his “patriarchy” fell apart so rapidly despite “all the sacrifices he made”. Sweet justice.

I would watch that.

[toodywoody]

I don't understand the whole neutral ground thing. So what if it isn't at someone's house. That way the ones who aren't at Robyn's have a place to stay. So what if Christine is there, he acts like he is never going to see her again. Suck it up and act like a fucking adult and be nice. I do the shit every day at work. I don't like certain people,  but I am cordial to them. I know it's different. But he shares 6 kids with Christine, he needs to get over his big ego. So neutral ground, yeah so Christine and the boys have a place to go without it being at his house and where he can throw them out or not welcome them at all, which is what he told Jenelle.

[Mothra]

On 12/11/2022 at 10:41 PM, mythoughtis said:

Kody can’t remember what he says 5 minutes after he says it. He denies ever saying things that are filmed 

I don't think it's a matter of "can't remember."  I think it's a case of "on reflection, I realize what a jerk I sounded like, so I'm going to deny I ever said that, or if I did say that, I told you I changed my mind and you just don't remember.  Because you bad-mouth me behind my back to your children, not because I'm a lying asshole.  Because let's not forget who's the victim here, and it's me."

On 12/11/2022 at 10:42 PM, Ms.Lulu said:

I feel like Kody should be calling his kids to find out what his kids are doing for the holidays. 

Yeah, if Kotex wants a good relationship with his sons, why is he trying to communicate with them through Janelle (who he thinks is saying bad things about him to them)?  Why doesn't he pick up the damn phone, not just to make holiday plans, as you suggest, but also to arrange to meet with them and talk things out without the disloyal wife there?

[JayDub1987]

18 minutes ago, Mothra said:

Yeah, if Kotex wants a good relationship with his sons, why is he trying to communicate with them through Janelle (who he thinks is saying bad things about him to them)?  Why doesn't he pick up the damn phone, not just to make holiday plans, as you suggest, but also to arrange to meet with them and talk things out without the disloyal wife there?

Because then he couldn't yell at Janelle and say, "I don't need you to talk to my kids for me." He also can't blame her if they don't want anything to do with him if he has a conversation with them in which they tell him to fuck right off. 

[HoneyBeach]

On 12/11/2022 at 10:40 PM, eskimo said:

So in this week's word jumble we had:

Beer and Skittles

Standing at the bridge with torches (what!?!)

Aaaand 

Robyn as the donkey going round and round, used as an example of what a good communicator she is???  I'd think that someone going in circles would be an example of a bad communicator, but what do I know?  🤷‍♀️

I believe it's called "Circling the Donkey". 🙄

[Celia Rubenstein]

2 hours ago, laurakaye said:

I am of the camp that Robyn knew exactly what she wanted before she ever entered the family and took several careful steps to get where she is right now - except she wanted the Big Three to stick around and be jealous of her and her relationship with Kody.  She wanted to be envied.  That way she gets Kody and they get to keep the show and the money from the show.

The fact that she cries constantly is also interesting to me...a lot of times, when you look back on something that happened, you've processed it enough to talk about it without crying.  When Robyn does her couch interviews, she's discussing something that's already happened, so her constant tears - fake or not - don't make sense to me in a lot of situations.  She cried on her very first couch interview with the adults, if I'm not mistaken.

I am taking my incredibly long response to this to Robyn's thread! 

[Mothra]

On 12/12/2022 at 12:09 PM, Roslyn said:

Sandy W. answered this better.

On 12/12/2022 at 12:52 PM, Soup333 said:

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

Quoting Jesus, of course.  Said in Mathew, Mark and Luke.

Edited December 13, 2022 by Mothra

[laurakaye]

1 hour ago, Meh said:

I think Meri stays with Kody because of Leon. If she leaves  him, Leon might be done with her?

I'm starting to wonder if Leon has just left Meri in the dust to trek the mountains of Colorado and Meri literally has no one else, so she's clinging to the only person who seems to want her to stick around (although for purely selfish reasons) - Robyn.  But Meri spins it as wanting to work things out with Kody?

I'm sure the tell-all will clear everything up perfectly. 🙄

[Mothra]

A few months ago, I suggested and offered for free a good way to keep this benighted shitshow going.  It involved courting a younger and more beautiful woman who would provide direct competition to Rubbing, a woman who came equipped with a fortune of her own and adorable children who had trust funds so Kotex wouldn't have to worry about paying for their education.

TPTB chose to ignore this excellent idea, so I offer an idea for a new Sister Wives series.

The Sister Wives are four women who are already best friends, who spend their days working in some rewarding, creative, well-paying job, and their nights in partying together, watching White Lotus, talking about books and chess--they rilly, rilly enjoy each others' company.

They are all four courted by this stud of a FLDS guy who rilly believes he will get his own planet if he marries enough women, but who is reluctant to change his Casanova ways.  He is very good-looking and hung like a horse.  He has the equipment and he knows how to use it.  He's not too bright, but also not somebody you'd be embarrassed to go to a restaurant with (I mean, like, he knows how to use a fork).

They all get married in one big FLDS wedding, so no wife is #1, and they buy and move into the Playboy Mansion.  The women take turns with their husband--he is rilly good for nothing but sex, but that's all right because their relationship with each other and their outside lives is fulfilling enough.  When some of the women want to have a baby, they go to the Genius Sperm Bank or to a male friend at work, and their husband, who is not totally sure where babies come from, is overjoyed.

Do you see where I'm going with this TLC?  What do you think?

[procrasstinator]

On 12/11/2022 at 10:40 PM, eskimo said:

Standing at the bridge with torches

Some kind of reference to walking across a burning bridge?  Like he said to Meri he wouldn't do for her?

[islandgal140]

I think at this point it is a veritable fact that no ONE man can successfully parent that many children. Just can't be done! Add in Kody's ego and whatever other undiagnosed personality disorder he has and it is a recipe for disaster. The only think scarier than his half-assed/no-assed parenting of the OG wives offspring is the scary love and hyper focus on Robyn's kids. There is a real Flowers in the Attic vibe happening over there.

For some strange inexplicable reason, I used to have hope for Breanna. I don't know what it was about her but I thought for some reason, she might not be drinking the Robyn-aid, but all hope was dispelled after seeing her sofa session last episode. Just Robyn in training. 

I finally have to admit that Robyn is just an enigma to me.  I really don't know if her endgame was being a monogamous marriage with Kody OR whether she realized her machinations worked too well because being Queen Bee w/out lowly subjects is wholly unsatisfying (plus TLC $$$).  But no doubt, she a very manipulative person. Hell, if I had half her manipulative skills and better legs, I'd be trickin' off Bezos or at least a lesser Microsoft/IT exec (w/stock options).  To be clear, I don't think Robyn was smart enough to get anyone much better. She got in where she fit in. Anyone who thinks "My Sisterwives Closet" can be a growing business concern outside a Warren Jeffs Compound is a total moron. 

Kody keeps using the word 'betrayal' in reference to his kids' X-mas visit:

In truth, he just wants a good old fashioned, old world religion style shunning for all those who go against him. That's it. 

On 12/12/2022 at 9:59 AM, GeeGolly said:

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

For any real housewives fans, he is the male version of Ramona Singer of RHONYC.  The whole alcoholic analogies were just weird. 

Edited December 13, 2022 by islandgal140

[Celia Rubenstein]

2 hours ago, Mothra said:

On 12/12/2022 at 9:52 AM, Soup333 said:

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

Wait, you left out what he said after that ....  "F OFF!" ...  Keep it classy, Kody!

There was just so much to be annoyed by in this episode ... The first "family" conversation with Kody trying to force a discussion about Christine: It's totally cool, Meri don't be weird its not a forbidden subject.  Come on, say something ... say something shitty about Christine!  Come on!  I felt like I was watching a teenaged asshole sitting at a jr high school lunch room table trying to push his friends to take his side in some petty fight with another kid.

Family discussion # 2:  With regard to the whole apology thing ... Kody can slam his fists and shout all he wants, but I don't think the reason he is upset is due to the poor communication between him, Janelle, and their boys. Nor do I think he's coming unglued due to Janelle's failure to show him proper CoVID respect which made his life so hard and caused problems for him with his sons.   I think he is mad because ultimately what has resulted from his obstinate refusal to make peace with Gabe and Garrison is that everyone decided it would be best to just gather at a rental house (with Christine!) for Christmas.  Period.  He didn't get any notice so he didn't get a chance to throw a fit and demand people gather on his terms and now he is stuck with the sickening proposition of having a completely pleasant holiday on neutral ground with people he has no power over.  The horror! 

I hope Christine brings a date!  

[the-grey-lady]

All right, I made it through. It was touch and go there, and I had to stop pretty frequently to calm my breathing but...

Here's this week's review.

Spoiler

Previously on “Sister” “Wives”: Christine left this fuckery behind, Robyn got Covid and monologued remarkably well for a woman who couldn’t breathe, and Kody gaslit Janelle about how she agreed to all kinds of shit she never agreed to and how she broke a whole bunch of rules Kody made up on the spot. Janelle gets pissed but she does not knife him in the kidney. We can’t have everything, I guess.

Meri still exists. She’s wearing a skinned couch from 1972 and hair by Sonic the Hedgehog’s barber. hosting an uncomfortable gathering at her otherwise empty house. In theory, Janelle will be showing them plans for her casita, but really Kody is going to yell at her and try to get the other wives to join in. But first he’s got to elicit sympathy about how he had the worst case of Covid in the history of the world, which he miraculously survived due to the sheer force of his will. He’s like an ultimate fighter, Covid style.

The camera zooms in on Robyn’s sperm brows, and I am legitimately terrified. She’s got a totally sad clown vibe going on. I swear I’ve seen that face on ceramic figurines in antique stores.

Kody and Robyn have been trying to turn the family against Christine for years, and…spoiler alert…they’re still doing it. Meri wants to know why Kody has never bothered to try to work things out with her. She asks the camera and not him...because she knows the answer.

Kody’s all, “if you aren’t with me, you’re against me, eff off,” because he’s getting no support for the intense grief he's pretending to feel…except for from Meri. She is trying to support him, but he doesn’t want her support because he doesn’t want to be in a relationship with her.

Eff off, Meri. Love, Kody.

Kody is unreasonably stunned at Janelle’s declaration that she’ll choose her kids over Kody, who bloviates that Christine did that, too.

That’s what parents do, asshole.

Robyn pretends to cry, Meri does her best impression of a potted plant, and Janelle gets the fuck out of dodge. Not permanently, though. Not yet.

I keep having to stop every 10 minutes or so to quell my growing rage. If Kody bangs on about people not respecting him, by which he means that all 24 people in the fambly (counting Christine) have failed to prostrate themselves at his feet, one more time, I’m going to sneak Nair into his shampoo bottle.

I’ll spare his remaining kidney, though. I’m nice like that.

Kody blesses Janelle’s new apartment with his whining. He demands a hug from Savanah, who looks at him like he’s a distant uncle at a fambly reunion, and then reiterates the same to the camera—nothing much has changed because her dad almost never shows up. She hopes he’ll start coming over more, but we know he won’t. Cue Kody’s complaining about every inch of the place, including lack of space for a reading lamp. Already finding reasons not to visit, what a prince.

Janelle: Kody likes nice things.

Me: Then how do you explain Robyn?

And since no episode would be complete with Kody auditioning for a dinner theater version of Hamlet…it’s time for him to direct his ire at Janelle. Since Kody can’t stand to spend more time than necessary at Meri’s house (which is usually none), Robyn and the non-Robyns gather at Robyn’s estate.

Janelle is spending Thanksgiving in North Carolina and Christmas in Flagstaff with her kids…who’ll be staying in an Airbnb while Kody is elsewhere. I’m pretty sure that’s the point of the Airbnb. As is typical, Kody blames Janelle for the fact that his boys don’t like him. His disposition does not improve when he finds out Christine and her kids will be visiting at Christmas as well. His begs the other wives to turn on Janelle with him.

Kody: Am I the only one who sees this as a kind of betrayal?

Me: Yes.

Meri and Robyn: *crickets*

Gawd, Kody is talking about how Janelle doesn’t respect him again. He really lays it on thick, too, raising his fists to the heavens at how his 98.9-degree fever was a walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Sad Clown Robyn tries to calm his ass down. I have a feeling she does this a lot

Janelle tells the camera she doesn’t want to be yelled at…and then she spends a minute listening to Kody bang on about how he nearly died…before she decides she’s had enough of being yelled at in real time. Too bad she comes back almost immediately and has to sit through Kody’s gibberish chess analogy.

Kody: The boys get to pick and choose who they hang out with, and I don’t.

Me: You’ve chosen to hang out solely with Robyn and the Robyns for years!

And so Janelle remains. For now. I love watching this through the lens of Janelle’s eventual leaving. Tell Kody to pound sand, Janelle. I’ll gift you a snowblower as a housewarming present.

[Celia Rubenstein]

The producers had some fun showing Savannah describing how Kody didn't want to be at the trailer and how not seeing him since he had the CoVID didn't really make a difference because she saw so little of him anyway.  Cut to Kody claiming that when Janelle was living at Coyote Pass he was "splitting his nights between Janelle's RV and Robyn's place." 

Wait, what exactly does "split" mean?  I guess it means he could be spending 97% of nights at Robyn's and 3% at Janelle's and that is technically a split.  A shitty and unfair split, but a split nonetheless.  Whatever you say, Kody. 

DId anyone notice how when Kody was wrapping up his critique of Janelle's apartment bathroom, she tried to make light of it and say "it's kind of fun it's kind of like we are starting out like a young couple" and she keeps reaching over to him, trying to touch his arm like she wants to pull him to her.  And he just ignores her gesture completely.  So painfully awkward.  Then she asks him if he wants to go out to eat and he answers her in that whiny, petulant tone he uses when he isn't getting his way.  Yehhhhhhh, I need to eat.  I guess it's gonna have to be with you.  BLeehhhh.  I just hate that guy.

I am seriously glad that it's been announced that Janelle has left him because watching her tolerate him barely tolerate her (with her idiotic house plans she keeps dragging out, girl wake up) and the way he sneer-speaks to her about virtually every subject is making me think she is as big a fool as Meri.   The way she just smiles back and speaks to him in that brainless "I-am-going-to-ignore-how-nasty you-are-being-to-me" voice is becoming unbearable. 

[Libby]

21 minutes ago, Celia Rubenstein said:

The producers had some fun showing Savannah describing how Kody didn't want to be at the trailer and how not seeing him since he had the CoVID didn't really make a difference because she saw so little of him anyway.  Cut to Kody claiming that when Janelle was living at Coyote Pass he was "splitting his nights between Janelle's RV and Robyn's place." 

Wait, what exactly does "split" mean?  I guess it means he could be spending 97% of nights at Robyn's and 3% at Janelle's and that is technically a split.  A shitty and unfair split, but a split nonetheless.  Whatever you say, Kody. 

DId anyone notice how when Kody was wrapping up his critique of Janelle's apartment bathroom, she tried to make light of it and say "it's kind of fun it's kind of like we are starting out like a young couple" and she keeps reaching over to him, trying to touch his arm like she wants to pull him to her.  And he just ignores her gesture completely.  So painfully awkward.  Then she asks him if he wants to go out to eat and he answers her in that whiny, petulant tone he uses when he isn't getting his way.  Yehhhhhhh, I need to eat.  I guess it's gonna have to be with you.  BLeehhhh.  I just hate that guy.

I am seriously glad that it's been announced that Janelle has left him because watching her tolerate him barely tolerate her (with her idiotic house plans she keeps dragging out, girl wake up) and the way he sneer-speaks to her about virtually every subject is making me think she is as big a fool as Meri.   The way she just smiles back and speaks to him in that brainless "I-am-going-to-ignore-how-nasty you-are-being-to-me" voice is becoming unbearable. 

Yep, all through season 17, I thought to myself that I couldn't watch this if I didn't know that Christine was away and happy. Now the past couple of episodes become tolerable knowing that Janelle and Kody have seperated.

I just can't watch Kody and Robyn hurt Christine, Janelle, their children, and even Meri, who I don't like, and suffer no consequences.

I hate to wish bad on people. However, I would like to see Kody and Robyn suffer their comeuppance. Just those two, not their poor kids. Robyn turned her kids minds to mush. It's very sad.