S18.E01: No Such Thing as a Free Lunch

[gaPeach]

On 8/25/2023 at 7:14 AM, Kellyee said:

Also, Kody can meet Christine inside a restaurant without masks, but Meri can't step inside Robyn's house. The whole thing is bizarre, but not too far off what I saw people doing at this point in the pandemic. Selective rule following

Not only that but Robyn's only "friend" is Meri, who Kody kicked to the curb years ago.  And yes, that was BEFORE Meri's online romance.  So, Robyn is confused as to what happened and Meri is her lifeline to explain it?  Meri, the same woman Kody asked "Why is she still in Flagstaff?"  

Robyn is inferring that the family apparently was broken before she came along and then the jealous wives (Christine & Janell) ruined the entire family for her. And asking Meri is funny because according to some family members (OK OK Most family members) Meri was not easy to live with and rough on the kids.  Did it occur to Kody and Robyn that maybe things went south when ROBYN joined the family and Kody favored Robyn over the other wives?  

Oh, I forgot, nothing is Kody's fault.  Nothing I tell you!

[BnJJ]

It's rich that last season and still this season Kody keeps banging on about how Janelle is not being supportive during his time of supposed utter heartbreak over Christine leaving, yet over the years he has said countless times that the emotional wellbeing of his wives was in no way of any kind his responsibility.  Their feelings of jealousy or loneliness or any other emotion was entirely their own to deal with and he was not about to do anything to try to ease their emotional distress.  And now he expects Janelle to pamper and console his poor widdle self during his time of heartbreak (that doesn't even actually exist).

Gah!  I detest this man-child.

[ginger90]

He’s a hypocrite. Robyn even called him that in the ear piercing segment.

[the-grey-lady]

On 8/22/2023 at 5:47 PM, LotusFlower said:

I think it would have been a fascinating and compelling storyline, if only Meri didn’t lie about the whole thing.  And if only the show didn’t let her lie.  They could have exposed the whole thing, and again, it would have been hugely compelling.  And sympathetic to Meri, too.  What a missed opportunity. 

I totally agree, but Meri was humiliated and desperate to ease it. The pictures and voicemails and the catfish's blog must have been mortifying for her. 

[Kellyee]

I actually got to watch the episode live, since I have off work today! I couldn't decide if the fight between Kody and Janelle was real or a re-enactment. Some parts of it were so stupid I couldn't believe it wasn't scripted. Kody's weird sing-songy exit where he said he wasn't going to listen was bizarre. I think he was thrilled that she asked him to stay and he got to say No. He is so fucked up.

And I agree with others about the refilling of the water right before walking out. Janelle handled the entire argument badly though. She should be been prepared like Christine was, and stayed calm. 

They also can't get the story straight. Has Kody called his kids or hasn't he? In the preview for next week, it sounds like poor Savannah is punished with silent treatment for her mother's alleged crimes. So I'm curious whether Kody would actually reach out when he's pouting and playing the victim. 

I feel bad for Meri ending up with no one. Kody and Robyn are so manipulative with her, pretending to be her friend because no one else can stand them. I'm glad Meri wasn't so quick to blame Janelle. 

Kody hates Christine, and he is in a rage because he can't force everyone else to hate her too. That's what this is really all about. I'm not sure why Mykelti seems to be the exception, and I'm curious what she says to the Kody/Robyn side when she's alone with them. 

[Scarlett45]

2 hours ago, Kellyee said:

Kody hates Christine, and he is in a rage because he can't force everyone else to hate her too. That's what this is really all about. I'm not sure why Mykelti seems to be the exception, and I'm curious what she says to the Kody/Robyn side when she's alone with them. 

Yes youre exactly right. Its been shown that Mykelti is friends with Robyn, and probably because Christine is her bio mother, Kody doesnt expect her to out right "hate" Christine, so long as she pays deference to he and Robyn like he wants. 

[SemiCharmedLife]

5 hours ago, Kellyee said:

 

I feel bad for Meri ending up with no one. Kody and Robyn are so manipulative with her, pretending to be her friend because no one else can stand them. I'm glad Meri wasn't so quick to blame Janelle. 

Kody hates Christine, and he is in a rage because he can't force everyone else to hate her too. That's what this is really all about. I'm not sure why Mykelti seems to be the exception, and I'm curious what she says to the Kody/Robyn side when she's alone with them. 

Her tone has changed slightly since last season.  Likely because she doesn't want continued fall out from the public opinion she would get.  She can sell more LuLaNo if she changes her image.  

[altopower]

12 hours ago, Kellyee said:

Janelle handled the entire argument badly though. She should be been prepared like Christine was, and stayed calm. 

I don't know that Janelle expected the conversation to be such a huge screaming match. Christine's calm responses to Kody's raving came after she'd already made a decision to leave but hadn't announced it. His stuff was boxed up in the garage, she was making plans and probably getting some therapy. Janelle was still thinking things were a mess but still had a commitment to the bigger family unit. Now that she's had the revelation about where she stands financially, I'm guessing that would cement a desire to chuck it all. She's certainly capable of being calm but she had so much sh*t piling up inside that she blew. Next time she won't.

[General Days]

23 hours ago, Kellyee said:

I actually got to watch the episode live, since I have off work today! I couldn't decide if the fight between Kody and Janelle was real or a re-enactment. Some parts of it were so stupid I couldn't believe it wasn't scripted. Kody's weird sing-songy exit where he said he wasn't going to listen was bizarre. I think he was thrilled that she asked him to stay and he got to say No. He is so fucked up.

 

I would be surprised if Janelle had it in her to reenact a fight like that. They might have decided to wait to discuss the fiasco surrounding the holidays until the cameras were present, but everything coming out of Janelle seems authentic and organic.

Kody is indeed a headcase and a half, though.

[Roslyn]

On 9/4/2023 at 9:47 AM, Kellyee said:

Janelle handled the entire argument badly though. She should be been prepared like Christine was, and stayed calm.

Christine has had a long time to prepare mentally and she mentioned that it was Janelle way back in Vegas that told her she can't leave without being financially independent. Seeing the interactions between Christine/Kody and Janelle/Kody it is really clear that Christine has put in work behind the cameras to prepare for it all.

15 hours ago, altopower said:

I don't know that Janelle expected the conversation to be such a huge screaming match. Christine's calm responses to Kody's raving came after she'd already made a decision to leave but hadn't announced it. His stuff was boxed up in the garage, she was making plans and probably getting some therapy. Janelle was still thinking things were a mess but still had a commitment to the bigger family unit. Now that she's had the revelation about where she stands financially, I'm guessing that would cement a desire to chuck it all. She's certainly capable of being calm but she had so much sh*t piling up inside that she blew. Next time she won't.

From the beginning Janelle has even said that she is non-confrontational. She uses the term "being logical" to try to explain the fact that she has to think things through slowly, and if you are not a fast thinker...you don't really argue effectively or calmly. Janelle only really made similar statements to what Kody was saying. She hesitated and it seemed like "manipulating" popped into her head when she then told him that she thought he was being manipulating. That really changed the gears as he switched to cold calm before exploding.

Seeing Christine not take the bait that Kody threw at her shows the difference in Janelle not really being able to think in the moment to form her thoughts into any kind of counterargument.

 

[Elizzikra]

16 hours ago, altopower said:

I don't know that Janelle expected the conversation to be such a huge screaming match. Christine's calm responses to Kody's raving came after she'd already made a decision to leave but hadn't announced it. His stuff was boxed up in the garage, she was making plans and probably getting some therapy. Janelle was still thinking things were a mess but still had a commitment to the bigger family unit. Now that she's had the revelation about where she stands financially, I'm guessing that would cement a desire to chuck it all. She's certainly capable of being calm but she had so much sh*t piling up inside that she blew. Next time she won't.

I think Janelle was planning to talk about Christmas and she knew it would be unpleasant, but I don’t think that she was expecting a discussion about the implosion of their marriage.