Spoiler, Speculation and Social Media

[ginger90]

“Bonus scene” clip:

 

 

[Cetacean]

35 minutes ago, ginger90 said:

They didn’t give her a loan.

Correct.  He refused.

[TurtlePower]

5 hours ago, MsTree said:

The more we learn about Meri/Kody, the more absurd it sounds. IMO, if he really wanted to get rid of Meri once & for all, just pack up Robyn's kids, along with Robyn, and move! He has plenty of experience moving, even in the middle of the night!

He's already divorced from Meri, so that's not even an issue. He told Meri in no uncertain terms that he no longer loves her or finds her attractive, so he owes her nothing. The family already gave her a "loan" for the B&B, so she should consider that her "settlement". Plus she has a car, and apparently enjoys travel, so she can visit with Sol & Ari whenever the mood strikes her.

The family denied her the money, she went off and did it herself. 

Edited to add—I see this has already been answered, the redundancy was from a lack of observation. 

Edited January 29, 2022 by TurtlePower

[Sandy W]

1 hour ago, Cetacean said:

Correct.  He refused.

I don't recall it as an outright refusal.  Meri came to a family meeting with her proposal to ask for a loan, making it clear that loaning her the money would not entitle them to any interest in the ownership or management of the inn.  Fair enough, business loans are made every day by lending institutions.  However, there are consequences laid out in a loan contract in the case of default, such as seizure of the property.

Janelle asked if Meri had a Business Plan, spelling out how she intended to repay the loan based on income flow from the business.  Meri's response was, "I do in my head".  Try that with a bank.

Despite Meri's lack of preparation, Kody approached his "business partner" to see if funds were available and the response was "not at this time".  I thought that Kody had said something along the lines of if she was willing to wait (maybe for quarterly dividends to come in) they were still open to loaning her the money.

That's when Meri huffed out of the room exclaiming that they wouldn't see her around much, assumedly because she would raise the funds herself by a full on push to sell her LLRags. 

It's not as if there was urgency to complete the purchase of the inn, it was not listed for sale, the previous owner had approached Meri knowing of the family connection.  If Meri had gone back to her and said something like... I'm still interested, but need more time to assemble funds, there is no doubt this would have been acceptable.  Meri was buying family sentiment along with the inn as a business so I'm sure that the price Meri was willing to pay was higher than the property was worth on the open market.

As it turns out, this was the best course of action for Meri, no resentments or conflict from the family for tying up family funds for her vanity project.

[LilyD]

44 minutes ago, Sandy W said:

I don't recall it as an outright refusal.  Meri came to a family meeting with her proposal to ask for a loan, making it clear that loaning her the money would not entitle them to any interest in the ownership or management of the inn. 

It just depends how you pick apart his words I guess. It wasn’t a flat out “no” but it was made pretty clear that he didn’t really see any options to lend her that much money because it was more needed for other purposes. One of the few times Kody said something sensible really!

As for Kody and Meri’s relationship; I do believe they were in love for a long time (per info from the book) But Meri is toxic and negative. Those people literally drain the energy and joy from others. She was always complaining and demanding. Their relation did really suffer from that. Kody admitted this himself in earlier episodes like when they had the walk through in the LV house. (Three wives were over the moon with their houses and Meri found faults and reasons to complain everywhere! ) And then the cat fish thing happened. That was the end of it. 

 

[DakotaJustice]

i still think that the down payment came from Meri's mother. She sold her house around the same time...I can totally see it as a trade off. Meri gets her B&B, Mom gets a nicer place to live (I remember the listing photos of the home and it really needed some work), and home goes back to the family.  This is also why Meri's mom rather than Christine's ended up being the hosteas.

I really think the "loan" was just a story line. There was never any intention of giving Meri a cent. Plus, I don't think they have it lying around anyway.  The intention was always to have Meri's mom fund it. 

[SunnyBeBe]

27 minutes ago, LilyD said:

It just depends how you pick apart his words I guess. It wasn’t a flat out “no” but it was made pretty clear that he didn’t really see any options to lend her that much money because it was more needed for other purposes. One of the few times Kody said something sensible really!

As for Kody and Meri’s relationship; I do believe they were in love for a long time (per info from the book) But Meri is toxic and negative. Those people literally drain the energy and joy from others. She was always complaining and demanding. Their relation did really suffer from that. Kody admitted this himself in earlier episodes like when they had the walk through in the LV house. (Three wives were over the moon with their houses and Meri found faults and reasons to complain everywhere! ) And then the cat fish thing happened. That was the end of it. 

 

Good points, but it still seems something else happened. Initially, Kody encouraged Mariah to forgive her mom. He said don’t shut her out, she’s sorry, no one’s perfect, have compassion, etc. He even encouraged the wives to forgive.  He seemed more upset about Meri shunning him before he knew of the catfish.  So, was that an act?  Or, did something else happen that was the last straw that hasn’t been revealed?  Here’s something about that time.

https://www.breathecast.com/news/sister-wives-season-7-recap-news-after-the-catfishing-scandal-meri-tries-to-make-amends-with-kody-and-the-sister-wives.html

 

 

Edited January 29, 2022 by SunnyBeBe

[Tuxcat]

26 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

He seemed more upset about Meri shunning him before he knew of the catfish.  So, was that an act?  Or, did something else happen that was the last straw that hasn’t been revealed?  Here’s something about that time.

I personally believe that much of what we see on camera is an act. It's fairly obvious that this family chooses what to reveal and what not to reveal. We are only now learning some of the details of their past - so I think he was acting. I also think perhaps he had not yet read the text messages that essentially obliterated his ego.

I also think that Meri has displayed "toxic" behavior for a long time but I think we are now really seeing the catalyst for that type of behavior. I think all these years she's been trying to maintain a sense of personal stability and control. At age 19, as first wife, she had certain ideas about how the family would unfold but she was first and foremost in love with Kody - and he with her. We know they courted at least one other woman that she very much liked, but he instead chose Janelle without Meri's input. And we know Janelle is very, very good at appearing as if she is "unbothered," - when really she is very much bothered and passive aggressive. Kody listens to Janelle. Janelle was the first Kody whisperer.

Over the years, Janelle and Christine became the functional couple in the family - producing baby after baby after baby after baby. Meri essentially became completely isolated and unnecessary. She operated completely alone in her orbit.  If Kody and Meri have not been intimate for 10 years - it's obvious that most of what we've seen with Meri has been her desperate attempt to remain relevant. And most of her anger and problematic behavior was because she had zero control. No identity. No self worth. No husband. And once Mariah left, no family.

[LilyD]

I really liked your analysis Tuxcat! You may be onto something here. Meri definitely felt insecure about having just one child and she must have noticed that Janelle offered Kody lots of things she could not. And instead of accepting and finding her place, she started fighting.  So, a very plausible theory.

As for Meri, Mariah and the catfish: The episodes where Meri tried to talk to Mariah revealed Meri at her worst. Just a very aggressive defence of Meri’s own actions. She tried to turn the tables by branding herself a victim that wasn’t understood by anyone. Not an ounce of understanding for Mariah. She could  see her parents marriage falling apart which is heart-breaking for any child. And Meri just refused to take responsibility. As usual. It’s never her fault.

[Ms.Lulu]

What's interesting to me is that this season was shot in 2020 so if we believe that Kotex and Meri hadn't been intimate for 10 years, that means they stopped being intimate right around the time that the series  started in 2010.

It aligns with the addition of Robyn (seems like a lot of issues started around the addition of Robyn).  It also means that the whole time they talked about IVF and surrogates Kotex wasn't having sex with Meri.  It also explains why she was probably reluctant to have more children with him.

We know from the show that the courting of Robyn came out of left field for Janelle, so it appears the only people happy and promoting the 4th wife were Kody and Robyn.

And it also suggests that Kotex wasn't having sex with the betrayer Meri, the complaining pregnant Christine, and I will suggest the 'like a male friend' Janelle.

Kotex had to take a 4th wife to get sex on the regular.

[SongbirdHollow]

I don’t think Kody will take another wife. First, Robyn would never allow it. And second, I think he tried polygamy, sucked at it, and gave up. He certainly hasn’t learned how to love and manage multiple wives, even when he has the video evidence of how bad he was at the whole thing. He might have had a chance with keeping the original three, but as soon as Robyn butted in, all was lost. 

[sandals]

Truth!

[Joan of Argh]

20 hours ago, ginger90 said:

“Bonus scene” clip:

 

 

Wtf… bath scrubbies as decoration on the birthday table?…. well at least they can scrub away all the BS when the party is over 😋

Edited January 30, 2022 by Joan of Argh
Autocorrect

[coconspirator]

7 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Good points, but it still seems something else happened. Initially, Kody encouraged Mariah to forgive her mom. He said don’t shut her out, she’s sorry, no one’s perfect, have compassion, etc. He even encouraged the wives to forgive.  He seemed more upset about Meri shunning him before he knew of the catfish.  So, was that an act?  Or, did something else happen that was the last straw that hasn’t been revealed?  Here’s something about that time.

https://www.breathecast.com/news/sister-wives-season-7-recap-news-after-the-catfishing-scandal-meri-tries-to-make-amends-with-kody-and-the-sister-wives.html

 

 

I wonder if that tracks with Kody saying they "circled the wagons" to protect her. Kody clearly wasn't being honest about how he really felt, which is one of the few good things he has done--tried to preserve Meri's relationship with their daughter. It seems clear, looking back, that there was a LOT that wasn't said on tv.

[WhatAmIWatching]

Wth is up with his hair? It looks like he tried to make bunny ears to match the cake.

[Bmglmr]

20 hours ago, Tuxcat said:

While I fully agree that Meri spun the victim status to her advantage, why does Kody even have a say? Why does he get to be so terribly upset and shocked that she dare might look toward another man? 

He left her at least four years BEFORE the catfishing incident. Distant, vacant, and "not interested in an intimate marriage" - we've seen the m.o. He doesn't get to be shocked and horrified on TV and rally the anti-Meri troops in his corner.  

And he doesn't get to critique her victim crying. Mainly, because she WAS indeed HIS victim. If Meri has to admit wrongdoing and proclaim accountability (which I agree she should), then so does he. I am not willing to tape an eternal scarlet banana to her chest given what we know about how Kody isolates and manipulates his wives. Catfishers deliberately target and prey on people who are broken and vulnerable. Hmm. How did she get that way... She was a single lady and had been for a long, long time.

 

 

This 👆🏽!!!! While I agree Meri has her responsibility in the breakdown of their “marriage” KODY DOES TOO! He consistently acts as if he has done nothing wrong. He is cruel to these women (unless they’re Robyn) and prances around like he’s the King expecting them to indulge his every whim. I honestly just can’t with him anymore!

[Adiba]

53 minutes ago, WhatAmIWatching said:

Wth is up with his hair? It looks like he tried to make bunny ears to match the cake.

Kody reminds me a little of the bad guy in the movie Zoolander

[LilyD]

On 1/29/2022 at 7:08 PM, Ms.Lulu said:

And it also suggests that Kotex wasn't having sex with the betrayer Meri, the complaining pregnant Christine, and I will suggest the 'like a male friend' Janelle.

Kotex had to take a 4th wife to get sex on the regular.

Were the wives “to blame” or does it day something about Kody’s ‘magic abilities’?? I.e. was it because he found the wives unappealing or were the wives not overly impressed and bowed out gracefully after giving King Kotex the required number of kids?

 

 

 

 

[ginger90]

Clip:

 

 

[Joan of Argh]

14 hours ago, WhatAmIWatching said:

Wth is up with his hair? It looks like he tried to make bunny ears to match the cake.

He’s starting to look a lot like Dracula

[notnowimbusy]

SPOILER

42 minute extended preview of the 3 part "extra".   Interesting that Meri just does not get it - at all.  She says she wants to stay for the family, but there is underlying hope Kody will come back.   Robyn crys - big surprise, but although she says she's unhappy with the family being so split, it seems clear she wants the big family, IF Kody only sleeps with her, and makes her kids a priority.   How dare she make any type of judgement about Christine!    Janelle could really care less one way or another.  

https://www.facebook.com/100076629141727/videos/475253684039698

 

[deirdra]

On 1/29/2022 at 8:33 AM, Sandy W said:

Despite Meri's lack of preparation, Kody approached his "business partner" to see if funds were available and the response was "not at this time".  I thought that Kody had said something along the lines of if she was willing to wait (maybe for quarterly dividends to come in) they were still open to loaning her the money.

As I recall it he and his "business partner" were liquidating their business, but from Kootie's reaction to what he said (we only heard Kootie's half of the conversation), there would be little or no money left to split when they were done. From experience, Meri probably knew that waiting wouldn't help.

[deirdra]

20 hours ago, Joan of Argh said:

Wtf… bath scrubbies as decoration on the birthday table?

Those are probably the party favours for the guests.  Of course Robyn would need a tradition of birthday toasts that mandated only nice things to be said about her fambly members instead of what people really want to say.

[nosedive]

3 hours ago, notnowimbusy said:

SPOILER

42 minute extended preview of the 3 part "extra".   

https://www.facebook.com/100076629141727/videos/475253684039698

 

Forty-two minutes?  After commercials and replays of what we've already seen in the season, what's left?  

[Chicklet]

8 minutes ago, nosedive said:

Forty-two minutes?  After commercials and replays of what we've already seen in the season, what's left?  

A lot of Robyn sniffling and fake crying with no tears for no apparent reason.

[nosedive]

43 minutes ago, Chicklet said:

A lot of Robyn sniffling and fake crying with no tears for no apparent reason.

Ugh! I've watched half of the preview.

Spoiler

1. There is not one scant droplet of moisture in Robyn's eyes.  Nonetheless, repeated eye-dabbing is required.

2. If this is an indication of how the three tell-nothings will go, it's merely an opportunity for the Browns, specifically Robyn and Kody, to continue to deflect and spin.  The host, so far, is complicit in their perpetuating their BS.

3. Robyn's outfit looks like she raided Sophia Petrillo's Golden Girls closet.  All she's missing is the cardigan and the cord for her eyeglasses. 

 

[ginger90]

Recalling other tell nothings, I think the host is doing a pretty good job.

[nosedive]

14 minutes ago, ginger90 said:

Recalling other tell nothings, I think the host is doing a pretty good job.

Spoiler

She lost me when she apologized to Robyn for provoking Robyn's fake crying, and then summoning a stage hand to bring tissues to dry her non-tears.  

I think this board should be required reading for anybody hosting future tell-nothings.😉

 

 

[Rabbit Hutch]

I watched this trainwteck this morning, and the host did a far better job than any of the previous ones.  Down to earth and pragmatic, I liked her style.

Like many of you I dislike Kootie intensely, but he's right in saying Meri was leaving him for what she thought was a richer man.  Then Meri played it down to " one of the options she was exploring at the time," and that is a outright lie, and Kootie KNOWS it.

Meri, being truthful is a religious characteristic, is it not?  Don't look now but your Lulanos are on fire!

As for Robyn, I have never been able to shake that she was heavily involved in the Sam/Meri mess that ultimately lead to Meri's humiliating downfall.  She knows far more than she lets on about that situation, and I think it was (in part) payback for Meri leaving MSWC (and Robyn and her family) in the dust, choosing to go to college, instead.  Something happened between those two back then, something that never saw the light of the camera.

Recently, I rewatched a couple of early episodes when Robyn first joined the family, and Meri sometimes looked at Robyn like she was a ribeye steak dinner.  Since moving to Flagstaff, there's been a couple of times that Meri's given the Dark Queen the side eye. Yep, something's there.

Edited January 30, 2022 by Rabbit Hutch

[LilyD]

2 hours ago, deirdra said:

As I recall it he and his "business partner" were liquidating their business, but from Kootie's reaction to what he said (we only heard Kootie's half of the conversation), there would be little or no money left to split when they were done. From experience, Meri probably knew that waiting wouldn't help.

Hmm…another one of his failed business ventures? One we missed? You generally don’t liquidate healthy businesses and little or no money left to split, says it all. I do wonder which one this was…

Talking about failed Brown businesses: Does anyone know the full story on their gym? It was so hugely addressed on the show and then it just disappeared.

[Granny58]

On 1/28/2022 at 3:22 PM, Tuxcat said:

That's prior to the catfishing.

which makes being susceptible to an online romantic scam even more likely.  I wonder what happened to make Kody feel "unsafe."

[Granny58]

On 1/28/2022 at 5:38 PM, TurtlePower said:

Meri is in serious denial. She will never come clean until she can admit it to herself. 

I agree.  I've been a defender of Meri regarding the catfishing because I understood how emotionally neglected she was and how that makes one do things they normally wouldn't.  But now it seems to be time for her to EXAMINE her motivation for falling for it, work that out, understand her loss and MOVE ON.  Find a better life.  Plenty of bitchy women have husbands, no reason she couldn't.  

[ginger90]

19 minutes ago, LilyD said:

Talking about failed Brown businesses: Does anyone know the full story on their gym? It was so hugely addressed on the show and then it just disappeared.

Ahhhh, Fundamental Fitness! I’d assume any investors they approached were logical and said no!

[Chicklet]

Next Tell Nothing needs a shrink to do the questioning. A good one who could tell all of them to cut the shit and tell the truth. Meri stop saying you weren't leaving, Kody just freaking admit you only want Robyn and you don't practice polygamy anymore, Robyn just go away and take your histrionics with you, Janelle- just stop period, Christine stay gone.

The end

Thank you for coming to my inspirational talk.

[xwordfanatik]

26 minutes ago, Chicklet said:

Next Tell Nothing needs a shrink to do the questioning. A good one who could tell all of them to cut the shit and tell the truth. Meri stop saying you weren't leaving, Kody just freaking admit you only want Robyn and you don't practice polygamy anymore, Robyn just go away and take your histrionics with you, Janelle- just stop period, Christine stay gone.

The end

Thank you for coming to my inspirational talk.

Thank you for giving it!  Great post.  Their "therapist" Nancy just parroted back what they wanted to hear, and IMO was useless.  I wonder how much she got from TLC for basically doing nothing, nothing doing?  

 

[Kellyee]

Quote

Next Tell Nothing needs a shrink to do the questioning. A good one who could tell all of them to cut the shit and tell the truth. Meri stop saying you weren't leaving, Kody just freaking admit you only want Robyn and you don't practice polygamy anymore, Robyn just go away and take your histrionics with you, Janelle- just stop period, Christine stay gone.

They asked Dr Drew once about the soft ball questions he gives the Teen Mom stars. His answer was that you can't ask these people truly hard questions because they won't answer and they'll just walk off set. He also implied that people like this lack self awareness and don't really see themselves like other people do. They don't see what a mess they are.

 

 

 

[Chicklet]

1 hour ago, Kellyee said:

They don't see what a mess they are.

Oh I get what he said, you cannot have any insight into your own life and be on a show like this. You have to be a grifter down deep and believe you aren't to make it work. Being a habitual liar also helps. So delusional liars who have the emotional depth of a teaspoon who would steal food out an orphans mouth. That covers everyone I think. 

Except Janelle who is just so incredibly clueless about everything.

Edited January 31, 2022 by Chicklet

[LilyD]

19 hours ago, Kellyee said:

They asked Dr Drew once about the soft ball questions he gives the Teen Mom stars. His answer was that you can't ask these people truly hard questions because they won't answer and they'll just walk off set. He also implied that people like this lack self awareness and don't really see themselves like other people do. They don't see what a mess they are.

 

 

 

Interesting post, thanks! And these people never get better, never get out of their mess and will always blame others for their misery.  To take it back to Sister wives, this would 100% apply to both Kody and Meri. Robyn is too good at manipulating and Janelle will just keep her mouth shut.

[Lovecat]

On 1/29/2022 at 8:38 AM, ginger90 said:

“Bonus scene” clip:

 

 

Man, who got drunk and cut Ari's hair??

 

On 1/29/2022 at 7:57 PM, WhatAmIWatching said:

Wth is up with his hair? It looks like he tried to make bunny ears to match the cake.

Ah.  Asked and answered.

[xwordfanatik]

16 minutes ago, Lovecat said:

Man, who got drunk and cut Ari's hair??

 

Ah.  Asked and answered.

Hee!  I remember that line from Roseanne's show years ago.

Yeah, Little Mullet (Ari) has unfortunate hair, just like her parents.

 

[toodywoody]

On 1/30/2022 at 7:10 AM, ginger90 said:

Clip:

 

She keeps saying we built. Robyn you built nothing. You came into a ready made family and it's been a shitstorm since then. 

 

Just now, toodywoody said:

 

She keeps saying we built. She didn't build shit. She came into a ready made family and since she's been there isn't been nothing but a shit storm.

[DanaMB]

On 1/28/2022 at 2:29 PM, mythoughtis said:

But he expected it to be enough for Christine.  Friendship was basically all he offered her 

I don’t think he could even be a friend to her. He’s a dick to her. 

[DanaMB]

On 1/29/2022 at 7:57 PM, WhatAmIWatching said:

Wth is up with his hair? It looks like he tried to make bunny ears to match the cake.

Remember when we thought Kody’s hair was terrible in the beginning of the series? He sure showed us. #holdmybeer

[LilyD]

Dayton’s LinkedIn profile may shed an interesting light on the financial agreement between the Browns and TLC. They’re not just receiving a pay check (or 4 pay checks for that matter) but it seems to me that they founded a business upon entering a filming contract with TLC and TLC is hiring them as a business. Well at least this is how I interpret it. I’m also taking the wild guess that KBF Entertainment stands for Kody Brown Family Entertainment.

I don’t know much about businesses and specific corporate tax laws in the US, but generally speaking businesses offer a lot of opportunities for tax purposes, tax exemption, getting (business) loans, moving money etc. So, all kinds of advantages you don’t have when you simply receive a pay check for your work. They also seem to be an LLC (limited liability company) which typically shields or limits an individual (business owner) for liabilty. I can see Kody using this to his advantage.

[Joan of Argh]

Just saw this preview video…

Interviewer: Are you in love with Janelle?                    Kodouche: I love Janelle.                                            
Interviewer: Are you IN LOVE with Janelle?           
Kodouche: *crickets* *sorta shakes head no*

I’m not surprised but….What an asshole! 👎🏻
 

[Pooky]

On 1/29/2022 at 6:12 AM, ginger90 said:

Is there ever a topic where Meri doesn’t use the words, “I don’t understand.”?

Her voice gets so whiny and baby like when she says it too 🙄

[lindalouwho]

Sometimes Reddit makes my coffee come out my nose. .https://www.reddit.com/r/TLCsisterwives/comments/sj942g/caption_this/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

[ginger90]

 

Clip:

 

 

[toodywoody]

What a catch. I get the not in love, don't think he ever was. It was just easy to get with Jenelle and start popping put kids. Sure ok you love her, but if you love someone, you want them to be happy and have a relationship with someone who adores them. Quit keeping them around. Just go and live your life with Robyn and let the other three go. And it's pretty shitty to just let Christine go. She raised your kids, I'm not saying he should have, but he should have been man enough to talk to her. Once again I don't think he was ever in love with her either and she was the scapegoat for years and then Meri messed up and she was the scapegoat and then Christine got whiney and well she was back to being the scapegoat. 

As far as what Robyn said, oh hush. She is the type of woman that is gonna be whatever the man wants. She has no personality except the man's and what he wants. 

The other three deserve to be loved and not thrown away, yes they signed up for this but so did Robyn. But at this point just let the other 3 go and let them be loved. If both Robyn and douchecanoe cared so much about the family, they would also care about the women who gave birth to more than half the family.

[GeorgiaRai]

Does anyone have any sense of how cognizant Robyn and Kody are of public perception?  I'm sure they have "fans" that reassure them otherwise, but do you think they see beyond that to how badly they're perceived, and why? 

It boggles my mind that Kody in particular willingly continues to show himself to be an unmitigated ass.