S05.E02: Long Distance Medium

[greekmom]

Quote

Holly and Wayne's reunion goes awry; Kimberly and TJ's spiritual connection will be tested once she's physically living with his family; Armando begins to challenge Kenny; Kirsten arrives in New York; Mary accuses Brandan of breaking her trust.

TLC: 17/07/23; Discovery+: 17/07/23;

[Stuckathome]

13 hours ago, greekmom said:

Mary accuses Brandan of breaking her trust.

Oh boy, did he turn off his phone during the flight? That must be it, they were offline for what I guess was over a 10 hour flight, all that time with women on a plane, surely he joined the mile high club multiple times cause he is such a babe magnet. 

[1011101010001]

12 hours ago, Tango64 said:

Christian is a drunkie creep. 

That’s a different show.

[Tango64]

My bad. Can't keep them straight. But he still is.

[Doublemint]

I'm hoping my computer is OK tonight with this - last night was a nightmare!

[greekmom]

Why is Holly having the backpack to and from lugging her luggage to the curb? Wouldn't she leave it for last? And in the beginning seeing her hair drag in dirt is just gross. And when she was running for the bathroom in the airport you can see a huge knot in her hair.

We are back in Japiur! And we have a rival for the Indian Jesus. Manifesting the gal by taking a screen shot and meditating - not creepy at all yo. Kimberly is clair-frauded. At least Kimberly has a few things going for her: she can still have kids, she isn't older than her fiancée and she isn't older than his mother or father.

How much is that idiot Brandan paying for data?? He really needs to get away from Mary. She keeps him on a leash by being online 24/7. His godparents should send him to therapy and try to persuade him to not go to the Philippines. And another idiot who sends all his money to the other person and he only has $250 left in his account. WTF are you doing kid? Get back to the US.

[LennieBriscoe]

Chad is---and trust me, I have never written nor uttered this word up to now---a cuck! Chief Cuck and Cellphone Watcher! I can't  stand either of this couple. Begone!

[greekmom]

2 minutes ago, LennieBriscoe said:

Chad is---and trust me, I have never written nor uttered this word up to now---a cuck! Chief Cuck and Cellphone Watcher! I can't  stand either of this couple. Begone!

You mean Brandan?

[LennieBriscoe]

Yes, yes, I do. Brandan. And Mary. 

To add: I'm done with seeing ramshackle Filipino dwellings on any iteration of "90 DF," going back to Big Ed and Rose! 

Yes, yes, I do. Brandan.  

To add: I'm done with seeing ramshackle Filipino dwellings on any iteration of "90 DF," going back to Big Ed and Rose! 

[TwirlyGirly]

Brandan and Mary:

Brandan, stop sanitizing Mary's behavior by calling it "overthinking". It's not.

Mary's behavior is controlling, and as long as you continue to appease her the worse it's going to get. She will not loosen the reins just because you'll be with her on her home turf. She'll make you walk with your eyes on the ground to ensure you never look at another woman, and she won't let you out of her sight.

That's not love, Brandan. That's obsession - and it's very, very dangerous. 

[Adeejay]

I don't trust Mary.  Brandan spent over $60k to build her family a new home, and now that the house is finished, she seems to be doing everything in her power to chase him away.  Unless he was going to buy the whole row, I don't see how he had power over who he sat next to on the plane.  These two are episodes of "Snapped" and "ID Discovery" waiting to happen.  

[TwirlyGirly]

Kimberly and Tejaswi:

Kimberly, before you pack up your life and hop on a flight (or several) to Jaipur, you really need to see about getting your powers of clairvoyance a tune-up.

Your beloved, Tejaswi, is lying to you through his teeth and you don't seem to be picking up on it.

His plan is to marry you, install you in the family home, and give you the title of "Chief Cook and Bottle-Washer" for his entire family — without any of the labor and time-saving conveniences you're probably used to. 

Your days won't be spent in wedded bliss. Instead, you'll be expected to wake before dawn so breakfast will be ready for the men when they get up.

Next you'll be washing all the dishes and cooking pots and pans used to make breakfast - by hand.

Then it will be time to do laundry. Not just the clothing for the family, but the linens, too. And everything will have to be hung to dry - and then ironed. But not with a nice, lightweight electric iron...

Sweeping and dusting while you're waiting for the laundry to dry - oh yes! You need to make lunch and clean up after that, too!

Just when you feel like you're about to collapse, it will be time for dinner - and all the clean up from that meal as well.

You won't be able to "cheat" on any of the meals, either - like putting a box of Rice Krispies on the table for breakfast, slapping together a few ham and cheese sandwiches for lunch, or opening a jar of Prego and cooking a pound of spaghetti for dinner. You will be making the traditional Indian dishes his family likes - whether you like them or not. 

And then, when everything is cleaned up and put away, and you can finally fall into bed - exhausted - you can look forward to a good 6 or 7 hours of sleep before it's time for you to get up and do it all over again.

Just so we're clear, Kimberly, I'm not in the least bit clairvoyant, but even I can see that's the future dear Tejaswi has planned for you. 

[renatae]

1 hour ago, TwirlyGirly said:

Brandan and Mary:

Brandan, stop sanitizing Mary's behavior by calling it "overthinking". It's not.

Mary's behavior is controlling, and as long as you continue to appease her the worse it's going to get. She will not loosen the reins just because you'll be with her on her home turf. She'll make you walk with your eyes on the ground to ensure you never look at another woman, and she won't let you out of her sight.

That's not love, Brandan. That's obsession - and it's very, very dangerous. 

My mind is absolutely blown about this "relationship." Just crazy.

Kimberly is so unclairvoyant it's ridiculous. If she had a gift, or even a bit of discernment, she'd know she is in for a life of being controlled by this prevaricator and his family. One who thinks the best way to deal with her expectations is to hide the truth and keep reassuring her to "trust him."

ETA Twirly - you beat me to the punch, lol. GMTA!

Edited July 18, 2023 by renatae

[1011101010001]

This was a pretty dark and depressing episode.  I don’t see any of these couples working out.  

Brandan’s godparents are good people.  Too bad they didn’t raise him from birth.

I’m not following how onions and garlic are considered too strong for Indian cooking when much stronger and more pungent spices are routinely used.

 

[renatae]

Kimberly is sweet and I feel badly for her. Too bad she apparently hasn't at least watched some of the other episodes with Indian families.

[TwirlyGirly]

34 minutes ago, MrBuhBye said:

I’m not following how onions and garlic are considered too strong for Indian cooking when much stronger and more pungent spices are routinely used.

I agree. That was bizarre! Isn't the joke if you have food delivered from an Indian restaurant you'll have to air out the house afterwards? 

[1011101010001]

24 minutes ago, TwirlyGirly said:

I agree. That was bizarre! Isn't the joke if you have food delivered from an Indian restaurant you'll have to air out the house afterwards? 

Also cooked onion and garlic ends up pretty mild.

[Hellohappylife]

Holy crap, Brandan’s “relationship” has me exhausted. Seriously that level of insecurity is insane all because he’s sat next to another female on the plane? 

If you can’t even accept that your significant other will have interactions (innocent) with opposite genders throughout the day in the workplace, a store, restaurant etc, then you are too immature to be married. Poor kid risking it all with only $200 in his bank account, hopefully his godparents are holding on to his RV & willing to get him a ticket back. 

[renatae]

From pipingpotcurry.com:

"Basic Indian Curry Sauce is an aromatic, flavorful and versatile base for many Indian curries, lentils and rice dishes. It is made from onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and spices, which are the base for more Indian dishes."

I guess JT or whatever's family doesn't eat curry!

[magemaud]

2 hours ago, TwirlyGirly said:

She'll make you walk with your eyes on the ground

NIKE!!!!—the Duggars 

[magemaud]

Kirsten and Julio are a pretty boring couple so far but all I can think of is: 

[Fable]

So Brandan sent Mary 50-60K?  I am calling BS on their story.  Assuming that he made minimum wage or close to that, he would have had to have been working steadily, full time for 3+ years and given her pretty much every dime. (I can't even remember if they told us how long they had been together.)  I'm guessing he, at the very least, had to pay for his phone, and probably some other things as well. There is NO way, he was able to pass an interview, much less hold a job, for any length of time with that albatross hanging around his neck.  We also know, he hasn't been working steadily, because he has said as much, since it interferes with their relationship.  So NOPE, this story doesn't add up, which frankly is a bit of a relief because it is one of the most horrifying yet on this franchise. 

[Stuckathome]

2 hours ago, Fable said:

So Brandan sent Mary 50-60K?  I am calling BS on their story.  Assuming that he made minimum wage or close to that, he would have had to have been working steadily, full time for 3+ years and given her pretty much every dime. (I can't even remember if they told us how long they had been together.)  I'm guessing he, at the very least, had to pay for his phone, and probably some other things as well. There is NO way, he was able to pass an interview, much less hold a job, for any length of time with that albatross hanging around his neck.  We also know, he hasn't been working steadily, because he has said as much, since it interferes with their relationship.  So NOPE, this story doesn't add up, which frankly is a bit of a relief because it is one of the most horrifying yet on this franchise. 

I call bullshit on the amount as well. They have been together at least 2 years (maybe 3). So possibly over that amount of time he could have sent her that much----maybe he was also receiving some government aid $$ and sent that along as well? I would say this whole thing is fabricated, but then his godparents and mom would have to be in on it and doing one hell of an acting job, or he is conning them as well. It would explain why Mary's family home is much, much nicer than the hovels we are used to seeing from the Philippines on this show. I admit I turned it off with about 15 mins to go so I apparently missed a meltdown? Because he sat next to a woman on his flight? I don't think Mary really cares about him being near other women like from the perspective that she loves him. It is more that she wants him to THINK that OMG, this hot chick is SOOOOO into me she can't stand the thought of not seeing me for even one second of the day. And, she risks her meal ticket losing interest. I am sure if he told her that even if he moved on, he would still send her $$, she would say go, be free. 

Holly and the SA dude (who I don't remember his name, I want to call him Vlad cause of all the vampire chatter lol)....holy shit. She looked like she was high AF and about to fall over. Hasn't it been like 7 months since she visited? I immediately thought morning sickness, but if so, wow then she has some 'splaining to do to Vlad. She looked super emaciated and gaunt in the airport scenes. I agree with him, her dress was ridiculous and she really was about to give the crowd a free show of her tits and ladybits right there. Loved when they talked about moving and she was like we are moving to a gated community and Vlad was like, um, nope I like my home, I put a lot fo $$ into it, we are staying put. I have a feeling he is a true believer JW, possibly raised in that faith, while she "converted" because it was something kooky and edgy to do in her circle and then she met Vlad. Cause as someone else mentioned, a woman raised as JW and true believer wouldnt' dress like that or even question her man. 

TJ and Clairvoyant chick, wow, just wow. She has no idea what she is getting into and the fact that she lived there a full year and STILL didn't pick up what they are laying down just shows how stupid this woman is.....here is another one where TJ thinks that once she shows up, little woman is going to just fall in line and change. His brother seemed to understand that this situation is a trainwreck, but also sort of seemed afraid of TJ. I have a feeling when anyone questions TJ he blows a fuse and was keeping calm (barely, I felt simmering rage when his brother was asking questions)because of the camera crew. 

Julio and Kirsten....what is the female equivalent of a fuck boi? That is Kirsten. If Julio dropped off the face of the earth or ghosted her, she would shrug and move on without batting an eye. 

[suzeecat]

Holly's long hair is just gross, dragging on the ground like that.  I guess she fancies herself a modern-day Crystal Gayle (young-uns, look her up). 

I feel so bad for Brandan.  Hopefully he will wake up and get a real life and a real romance and kick this psycho to the curb.  Hopefully he will have the RV to come back to. 

[LennieBriscoe]

90 Day this, Match Me that, whatever ---It has now become a motif that it's the foreigner (and often family) who is making demands; imposing culture, customs and cuisine; having the emotional upper hand, actual lifestyle notwithstanding. 

I guess Ye Olde Green Card has lost its  cachet.

[1011101010001]

8 hours ago, Hellohappylife said:

Holy crap, Brandan’s “relationship” has me exhausted. Seriously that level of insecurity is insane all because he’s sat next to another female on the plane? 

If you can’t even accept that your significant other will have interactions (innocent) with opposite genders throughout the day in the workplace, a store, restaurant etc, then you are too immature to be married. Poor kid risking it all with only $200 in his bank account, hopefully his godparents are holding on to his RV & willing to get him a ticket back. 

Imagine if he told her he is bi lol.

[TwirlyGirly]

Kimberly and Tasarwi:

Kimberly, please forgive me for forgetting to mention one more thing you can expect should you marry Tasarwi; you'll probably be sharing your bedroom not just with him, but another female as well. 

But there's no need for concern: she won't interrupt your sleep or "sexy times" with Tasarwi; she's been taught to moo very quietly.

[1011101010001]

52 minutes ago, Stuckathome said:

She looked like she was high AF and about to fall over.

If she hadn’t eaten in 38 hours what would there be to throw up?  And she feels like shit yet asks to drive in a country where the driver sits on the right, that would go well.

55 minutes ago, Stuckathome said:

she lived there a full year and STILL didn't pick up what they are laying down just shows how stupid this woman is.....

At least they are not recycling the parents are opposed.

[Quof]

Because the storylines are so stupid, I've taken to watching for all the editing shenanigans.  Holly and Mom - the mountain of luggage they loaded into the car doesn't match the luggage they boarded with in Utah, also doesn't match the luggage they were dragging through the airport upon arrival, which all conveniently disappeared when she had to run to the restroom.  

[monagatuna]

13 hours ago, MrBuhBye said:

This was a pretty dark and depressing episode.  I don’t see any of these couples working out.  

Brandan’s godparents are good people.  Too bad they didn’t raise him from birth.

I’m not following how onions and garlic are considered too strong for Indian cooking when much stronger and more pungent spices are routinely used.

 

My take on this is that the family is likely Jain, which does not eat root vegetables, because they disrupt the earth and can kill bugs (Jains do not generally kill bugs but may remove them from the premises), and also destroys the plant at the root so it can't grow back. There is nothing about root vegetables' "auras" but it's viewed on a more holistic agricultural level.

This is all secondhand from a Jain boyfriend from ages ago, so I can't really confirm it, nor do I know if TJ's family is actually Jain, but it's the best guess I can come up with.

[Chalby]

Is this serious? I'm watching Mary and Brandon and they are so messed up and dysfunctional I don't know why TLC is showcasing them. Every time Brandon excuses Mary's ridiculous behavior by saying, "Mary's overthinking things, she's just so insecure", I'm sorry but I call BS on this. She is not insecure nor is she overthinking anything. She is emotionally abusing this man who she's never even physically been with. She's abused and manipulated him enough to build her family a $60,000 home... What the F?! I don't know if these women overseas think that American men are so whipped, they'll do anything but I shake my head at any man willing to go through that kind of abuse and he's not even slept with her yet. I've heard the words pussy power but man this is beyond desperate and ridiculous. I hope there's not some sort of religious organization behind these weak-minded individuals.

Edited July 18, 2023 by Chalby

[Stuckathome]

3 minutes ago, Chalby said:

She is not insecure nor is she overthinking anything. She is emotionally abusing this man who she's never even physically being with.

I agree 100%. HE is the one who is super insecure and desperate for female affection and attention. He thinks that being on camera 24/7 (oh, except when she has a "power outage" and is actually doing who knows what with other guys) is a sign of how much in LOVE she is with him. It's not. I am sure she has other guys on the hook and an Only Fans or other type site to support her and her family. Once he arrives, I can almost guarantee she STILL won't sleep with him, citing her religious beliefs and insisting she won't give it up until after they are married. Meanwhile, the entire village has had a ride and anyone with a credit card and OF subscription has seen it all. 

That is of course if any of this is real---for all we know, these two are two drama students who decided to create this story for $$ and air time.

[1011101010001]

I don’t think Brandan looks like Justin Bieber or Harry Potter.

I don’t know if Mary was trying to be cute by saying she defines Americans as including Canadians and British but if someone lumped residents of three separate Asian counties together that would be viewed as ignorant.

[magemaud]

4 hours ago, Stuckathome said:

I have a feeling he is a true believer JW, possibly raised in that faith, while she "converted" because it was something kooky and edgy to do in her circle and then she met Vlad. Cause as someone else mentioned, a woman raised as JW and true believer wouldnt' dress like that or even question her man. 

I'm not sure about Wayne's status with the church, but she said that she HAD been raised JW but no longer practices it. She was attracted to him because he had a similar religious upbringing so he would understand. 

The way he was holding her at the airport looked like he had taken her hostage. I get a really bad vibe from this guy. 

2 minutes ago, MrBuhBye said:

I don’t think Brandan looks like Justin Bieber or Harry Potter.

I don’t know if Mary was trying to be cute by saying she defines Americans as including Canadians and British but if someone lumped residents of three separate Asian counties together that would be viewed as ignorant.

Mary, ignorant? Ya think? 

[Stuckathome]

28 minutes ago, magemaud said:

The way he was holding her at the airport looked like he had taken her hostage.

To me it looked like he had to physically hold her upright, she was about to pass out either from exhaustion or being high AF. 

[1011101010001]

Don’t they always say to look at your woman’s mother to see your future?  Yikes for Wayne.

[Elizzikra]

4 minutes ago, MrBuhBye said:

Don’t they always say to look at your woman’s mother to see your future?  Yikes for Wayne.

Don’t I wish. My mom is a tiny wisp of a thing and I am… not…

[Chalby]

7 hours ago, MrBuhBye said:

Imagine if he told her he is bi lol.

It's a horrible setup for viewers, because now I'm sticking with the storyline just to see Mary get her comeuppance. I want a happy ending where she is put in her place, and then she and her family show eternal gratefulness for Brandon's help.

Edited July 18, 2023 by Chalby

[Chalby]

2 hours ago, MrBuhBye said:

Don’t they always say to look at your woman’s mother to see your future?  Yikes for Wayne.

I thought the same because when they both turned sideways they had the same profile and I thought gee I wonder if she's going to end up looking like her mom? You beat me to it...

[TwirlyGirly]

5 hours ago, MrBuhBye said:

I don’t know if Mary was trying to be cute by saying she defines Americans as including Canadians and British but if someone lumped residents of three separate Asian counties together that would be viewed as ignorant. 

Well, she's wrong about the British being American, but not about Canadians.

Remember; the name of our country is the United States OF America, and the America referenced is the continent - North America - of which the United States is a part. Instead of, for example, the United States of Africa, the United States of Oceania, etc.

Technically, citizens of every country located in North America, Central America, Latin America, and South America can call themselves Americans - for the same reason we do.

[Quof]

2 minutes ago, TwirlyGirly said:

Technically, citizens of every country located in North America, Central America, Latin America, and South America can call themselves Americans - for the same reason we do.

But we don't.  

signed, all Canadians

[1011101010001]

7 minutes ago, TwirlyGirly said:

Well, she's wrong about the British being American, but not about Canadians.

Remember; the name of our country is the United States OF America, and the America referenced is the continent - North America - of which the United States is a part. Instead of, for example, the United States of Africa, the United States of Oceania, etc.

Technically, citizens of every country located in North America, Central America, Latin America, and South America can call themselves Americans - for the same reason we do.

Yeah I get that but no one actually does. 

[AR Traveler]

 Is this the show with Kenny and Armando (again), or is that something else?  At any rate, they've been married for a couple of years or so, and it must have taken him months to a year or so to arrange moving to Mexico.  In all that time, he hasn't learned anything beyond "hola"?  No Spanish classes for expats, or even having Armando tutor him?   Kenny says he has a learning disability for language, which I get, but that's all the more reason not to move even deeper into the country to Mexico City, where you are going to flounder around like in the market.  I was  irritated with Kenny this time, that he didn't take the initiative and say "I'd better translate the list before I get there, and ask Armando what the market will be like".  

I like Armando a lot, but I think he's coming to realize that Kenny depends on him too much, and wants his way in all things (including expanding their family, or not).  I hate to say he's "putting up" with Kenny, but I just think he would thrive with someone much more his age, and independent.

Girl with the long, long hair and South African dude-bad vibes!  Bad, bad vibes.  I can't put my finger on why, but I think we're about to find out.

Brandan and Mary-easily the most frightening couple, surpassing even Ben and Mahogany and Goeffrey and what's her name.  If I was the godparents, I'm on a flight to the Philippines to beg him to come home, even though he's an adult.  It works both ways-any relationship that makes you leave jobs, leave school, hell, leave your family and change seats on the damn plane, is toxic and surely not love.  I wish someone had had an intervention with the two of them, as Mary is conveniently always there.  I get we make bad choices when young, but how Brandan thinks this is OK is beyond me.  I think he's trying to justify it to himself.

Cute, perky girl and TJ in (you got it) India-boy, is she in for it when she meets her Prince Charming and his sour-faced mother and realizes she's a glorified servant to the entire family.  She knows no one, and doesn't seem astute or too bright.  I want to like TJ and chalk this up to his culture, but I fear a jerk will be exposed.  This is TLC, after all.

 

[Toaster Strudel]

Brandan... was his mom constipated when she gave him that name?

[Toaster Strudel]

9 hours ago, Chalby said:

Is this serious? I'm watching Mary and Brandon and they are so messed up and dysfunctional I don't know why TLC is showcasing them.

Shades of Paul & Karine... with gender and geography reversed.

[1011101010001]

1 hour ago, AR Traveler said:

she in for it when she meets her Prince Charming and his sour-faced mother

I think she lived there for a year and saw his family once or twice a week.

1 hour ago, Toaster Strudel said:

Brandan... was his mom constipated when she gave him that name?

More likely high.

[magemaud]

10 hours ago, Stuckathome said:

That is of course if any of this is real---for all we know, these two are two drama students who decided to create this story for $$ and air time.

If they’re drama students, they need to change their major. 

[LennieBriscoe]

10 hours ago, Toaster Strudel said:

Shades of Paul & Karine... with gender and geography reversed.

Brandan probably runs like Paul. 

19 hours ago, MrBuhBye said:

I don’t think Brandan looks like Justin Bieber or Harry Potter.

I don’t know if Mary was trying to be cute by saying she defines Americans as including Canadians and British but if someone lumped residents of three separate Asian counties together that would be viewed as ignorant.

Maybe Mary was simply being ignorant  in lumping all native English-speakers as "American." 

[Stuckathome]

11 hours ago, MrBuhBye said:

I think she lived there for a year and saw his family once or twice a week.

Yes, he mentioned that and during that time she had her own apartment. What TF did she do for a full year? I mean, what occupied her time so much that she didn't pick up on any of these cultural issues? TJ seems like he will be a scary, abusive fuck once she is there adn they are married. WTH do her family or friends think of this whole thing? Just his comment about how she would have liked a more American style wedding, but oh well they are getting married in India so it's my way or no way. I know plenty of mixed couples who have had TWO ceremonies to celebrate BOTH cultures or incorporated parts of one into the other ceremony. Somehow I see her future chained to a wall and forged immigration docs for TJ and his family. That has to be his end game. Unless she is loaded with $$? Because she probably can't cook, won't know how to keep a house to his standard....what does he get out of this?? 

Mary probably has so many guys on the line for $$ that she gets confused which one is American, Canadian or British. Her family won't ever stop the disfunction 'cause they are living high off that $$ she gets for shaking her ass online. That will be the next "reveal"---Mary has an OF pages. 

1 hour ago, LennieBriscoe said:

Shades of Paul & Karine... with gender and geography reversed.

absolutley.....in this case MARY will be the one who directs the porn videos for the OF

Edited July 19, 2023 by Stuckathome

[lilysmom]

17 hours ago, TwirlyGirly said:

Well, she's wrong about the British being American, but not about Canadians.

Remember; the name of our country is the United States OF America, and the America referenced is the continent - North America - of which the United States is a part. Instead of, for example, the United States of Africa, the United States of Oceania, etc.

Technically, citizens of every country located in North America, Central America, Latin America, and South America can call themselves Americans - for the same reason we do.

Yes, yes, yes. Our citizenship is US, not American.