S19.E11: The Eleventh Hour

[GladysCravits]

On 11/25/2024 at 8:20 AM, sassi214 said:

Robyn is one of the most brazen manipulators I've ever seen. She really has the audacity. 

First of all, the B can't even help her "best friend" move?? She comes over with a baby gift? I love how Meri didn't want to open it and indulge her but Robyn grabbed it out of her hands and opened her gift for her. WTF. And she goes on to explain that it's a journal to write down Meri's dreams and goals. Dude. STFU

And then she just LEAVES! Then sets up a closeup crying shot in her car. I cannot with this lady. 

Kody is only sad that he can't say he is a polygamous with four wives anymore. I've been doing a rewatch and he LOVED to say it. More than he loved being one. It was so transparent. But now he gets to play the divorced victim I guess. Three wives left me booo-hoooo for me! In reality he left them. 

I continue to have no problems with Christine's giddiness and joy. She is 50yo and NEVER had any of these moments. And she always wanted them and now she is getting her dream. Not everyone gets that. I love that she is embracing it and enjoying it to the fullest. And she gets to do all of the things, the engagement, the announcement, the dress shopping, all of the planning. I find it a bit boring to watch, but I know how exciting it is when you're in it. I don't begrudge her at all. 

Paedon was being a bit of a shit but I guess that's him. I love the Christine doesn't let it get to her. 

When Kody was holding Meri and blubbering (or trying to squeeze the tears out for the camera), how cringe and AWKWARD. Why didn't Nathan and Jenn leave the room?? Like take a hint guys. It was hilarious when the camera panned over. 

The previews for the rest of the season look pretty interesting. The fact that we're still almost two years back is insane though. This episode Christine said they are getting married in October, so that puts this episode in March 2023. YIKES.

GET ON WITH IT!

 

[BAForever]

Watched early (for me)- so much to unpack.

1. Meri- so proud of you for not tearing up when Kody blubbered his goodbye. Nathan and Jenn were hilarious, they know the truth. Move on Meri and be happy.

2. Robyn- you are an awful friend. I remember when your thread name was "The Dark Wife Rises". You deserve all of Kody's miserable moods from now till the end of time.

3. Janelle- instead of threatening to call a lawyer, pick up your phone.

4. Christine- your conversation with Ysabel was thoughtful and loving. Hopefully you and Truely are having discussions too.

5. Robyn and Kody- you should be in tears after watching Ysabel and Christine talk. Your relationship with your original 13 kids is a mess because of your actions and choices. 

[laurakaye]

I wouldn't exactly call this a "lightbulb" moment, but I was thinking about how Kody keeps insisting that Meri "changed" after they got married, and to hear him blather, their demise apparently started then.

Perhaps it's because, of all the eligible women for Kody to choose from to begin their calling as polygamists (not saying there were hundreds, but I can see a young Kody Brown being a prolific flirt), Kody chose Meri's ex sister-in-law.  Meri was young and sheltered and told Kody that she wanted to live polygamy but perhaps not with her brother's ex-wife.  I am trying to imagine sharing my husband with the woman who'd slept with my brother.  That is all kinds of boundary-shattering.

So did she change?  She probably did.  Maybe she was sideswiped by the realization that she'd already promised Kody she would be good with another wife, but not one who had been related to her.  I know polygamy normally crosses all kinds of familial boundaries but a young, naive Meri maybe never thought that Janelle would be the one she'd have to live with.  And Meri probably sent plenty of passive/aggressive jabs and barbs Janelle's way because Meri couldn't confront Kody with something that she herself had agreed on.

I blame Janelle too for her proclamation that she "looked at Kody and seemed to suddenly remember something she'd forgotten" or whatever she said in their book.  How did that work, I wonder?  She knew Kody before that magical "look."  Why that one time?  If I never learn anything else on this show, I want to know about those early dynamics between Meri, Kody and Janelle.

I feel like I am parsing out Sister Wives 101 when we're all in the doctoral program by now with these people, lol.

[General Days]

20 hours ago, candall said:

For me, the funniest moment of this whole shebang was when the camera slo-ow-ly rolled away from Kody sobbing out his misplaced remorse to Meri and focused on Jen and bro-in-law burning laser beam eye-holes in the floor and the back wall of the house, respectively.

 

I have never felt so bad for anyone else on this show who wasn't a young adult Brown kid crying.

 

18 hours ago, OldWiseOne said:

I think there's a big difference between acting as the family's bookkeeper and making the decisions about how money was spent. At the end of the day, Kody had the final say and I doubt there was much Janelle could do about it.

 

Janelle could have told her Meri and Christine what Kody was spending the joint family account money on. She kept her mouth shut for as long as she did, because she thought she'd be with Kody.

I'm sure Kody had the final say too, but Janelle wasn't in the dark the way the other two were.

[Roslyn]

11 minutes ago, laurakaye said:

I blame Janelle too for her proclamation that she "looked at Kody and seemed to suddenly remember something she'd forgotten" or whatever she said in their book.  How did that work, I wonder?  She knew Kody before that magical "look."  Why that one time?  If I never learn anything else on this show, I want to know about those early dynamics between Meri, Kody and Janelle.

I feel like I am parsing out Sister Wives 101 when we're all in the doctoral program by now with these people, lol.

If I remember correctly, Janelle had that magickal moment the night that Kody was coming to a gathering. Meri was giddy telling Janelle about her new beau and when Kody walked in the magick moment happened, and the angels sang and Janelle was struck. It happened the first time she laid eyes on him.

14 minutes ago, laurakaye said:

Perhaps it's because, of all the eligible women for Kody to choose from to begin their calling as polygamists (not saying there were hundreds, but I can see a young Kody Brown being a prolific flirt), Kody chose Meri's ex sister-in-law.  Meri was young and sheltered and told Kody that she wanted to live polygamy but perhaps not with her brother's ex-wife.  I am trying to imagine sharing my husband with the woman who'd slept with my brother.  That is all kinds of boundary-shattering.

Think back to your early crushes and dating as well as the dynamics of your friend circles in high school/university age. How on earth would any woman/girl feel if she became friends with her brothers wife only for the wife to divorce the brother but stay friends...and start following her around to gatherings, family gatherings and church gatherings. Then traveling to other states to these gatherings and the reason because they were star struck with their husband.

For three years Janelle tagged along with Meri and Kody, staying close before finally declaring that she was going to jump ship from her religion and join Meri's religion because it just happens that THAT religion does not limit male partners to one wife.

[General Days]

2 minutes ago, Roslyn said:

Think back to your early crushes and dating as well as the dynamics of your friend circles in high school/university age. How on earth would any woman/girl feel if she became friends with her brothers wife only for the wife to divorce the brother but stay friends...

 

Quote

For three years Janelle tagged along with Meri and Kody, staying close before finally declaring that she was going to jump ship from her religion and join Meri's religion because it just happens that THAT religion does not limit male partners to one wife.

 

 

 

And, if you're Meri, this is AFTER your brother left your family's religion for Janelle's religion. That is — Janelle was mainstream LDS. Adam Barber left the AUB, converted to the mainstream LDS church, and he and Janelle married in the Salt Lake City Temple. 

[laurakaye]

Shoot, I need to go back over the lessons and study harder!

So Janelle decided that Kody floated her boat before or after she was married to Meri's brother?  Or during?  And Adam left the AUB for Janelle's religion, only for Janelle to divorce him and take up with Adam's original religion to get with Kody...is that right?

I should know this stuff by now but I don't remember ever really understanding the timeline of how it all went down.  Of course it's not like Janelle has ever been forthcoming with the details. 

Back to the episode...I can't help thinking that one day in the future, Kody is going to wake up, look at Robyn snoring next to him, her frowny-face in place even whilst slumbering, and find himself suddenly behind the wheel of his truck and on the road to Parowan before he fully realizes what he's doing.

Edited November 26 by laurakaye

[Denize]

On 11/25/2024 at 12:25 PM, EastCoast4Life said:

Robyn sucks the air out of any room she enters. 

Robyn is really impressive when she sucks the air out of her car and the atmosphere when she joins people outside.

[MamaMax]

I'm not willing to blame Janelle for the money stuff. I have NO DOUBT that Kody manipulated her. I can imagine he pretended to take her advice, listened to her ideas, and probably lied to her that he was keeping the others in the loop. I blame the others if they allowed themselves to be ignorant of the finances. I'd like to think I would have demanded periodic meetings of all the adults to go over the books.

Alas, they all just believed whatever Kody told them. But I would also bet my bottom dollar that is ANYONE got the details of the cash flow, it was Robyn. 

[islandgal140]

4 hours ago, laurakaye said:

Those tears were probably real for the first time.  Robyn has finally realized that the last cash cow plot point doormat wife is exiting stage right, and without the titular Sister Wives, there can be no more show.  Robyn was probably crying wondering how she's going to keep her eyebrows on while standing over the french-fry machine at McDonald's.

 

Give that cameraman a raise for capturing this not once, but multiple times over the course of Kody's sobfest.  That was brilliant.  And to be truthful, I was totally Jen when I was watching Robyn stand there with Meri to hand her that gift, only to have Robyn open it herself.  I was cringe-laughing so hard, but I need to applaud Meri for refusing to open the gift with Robyn standing there in front of her, desperate for Meri to do just that so Robyn could explain what that piece of crap even was and how Meri was supposed to use it.

 

It is not lost on me that the one time the "tears are real" Robyn is in control of the camera. She was self-filming in the car after having left Meri's house. Probably had some onions or dripped some water on her face before she pressed record.

Kody made sure to maneuver himself so that Meri had her back to the camera so it caught his "sobbing".  Both him and his wife were performing "grief" monkeys this episode. 

[Denize]

21 hours ago, islandgal140 said:

Sweet fancy Moses, that was the ugliest "gift" ever.  That looked like it was made by Iola Lucille Boylen (Mama's Family) on shrooms. 

I'd like to see Meri toss it in a dumpster on her way to Parowan

[Roslyn]

1 hour ago, General Days said:

And, if you're Meri, this is AFTER your brother left your family's religion for Janelle's religion. That is — Janelle was mainstream LDS. Adam Barber left the AUB, converted to the mainstream LDS church, and he and Janelle married in the Salt Lake City Temple. 

Exactly !

 

39 minutes ago, laurakaye said:

Shoot, I need to go back over the lessons and study harder!

So Janelle decided that Kody floated her boat before or after she was married to Meri's brother?  Or during?  And Adam left the AUB for Janelle's religion, only for Janelle to divorce him and take up with Adam's original religion to get with Kody...is that right?

I should know this stuff by now but I don't remember ever really understanding the timeline of how it all went down.  Of course it's not like Janelle has ever been forthcoming with the details.

Janelle is vague on the exactness of "the moment". However Meri has said that the courtship was not long with Kody. Google puts the date of Janelle/Adam at 12-8-88 and Meri/Kody at 4-21-90. Janelle also said that the marriage ended after 2 years but they only lived together for "like 6 months". So the great meeting of Janelle and Kody was most likely a year after Janelle was married, but months after she no longer lived with Adam. While the fandom wants Janelle to have broken up with her husband after laying eyes on the great Kody Brown, her marriage was already over, just not officially by then.

In the famous photo of Meri and Kody on their wedding day, where Janelle is standing next to Kody, you can see an arm on her waist since Adam was standing next to her but cut out of the frame.  I think it was in the book that even tho they ended the marriage they still attended events together until the official divorce.

One other thing that sticks in my head is that Janelle also cited that Adam was not spiritual enough for her.

[goofygirl]

25 minutes ago, Roslyn said:

Exactly !

 

Janelle is vague on the exactness of "the moment". However Meri has said that the courtship was not long with Kody. Google puts the date of Janelle/Adam at 12-8-88 and Meri/Kody at 4-21-90. Janelle also said that the marriage ended after 2 years but they only lived together for "like 6 months". So the great meeting of Janelle and Kody was most likely a year after Janelle was married, but months after she no longer lived with Adam. While the fandom wants Janelle to have broken up with her husband after laying eyes on the great Kody Brown, her marriage was already over, just not officially by then.

In the famous photo of Meri and Kody on their wedding day, where Janelle is standing next to Kody, you can see an arm on her waist since Adam was standing next to her but cut out of the frame.  I think it was in the book that even tho they ended the marriage they still attended events together until the official divorce.

One other thing that sticks in my head is that Janelle also cited that Adam was not spiritual enough for her.

This is probably why Janelle can't actually remember WHICH church she needs to get a release from Kodouche.  That's why she thought she might try Meri's way.

[EastCoast4Life]

6 hours ago, laurakaye said:

I was watching Robyn stand there with Meri to hand her that gift, only to have Robyn open it herself.  I was cringe-laughing so hard, but I need to applaud Meri for refusing to open the gift with Robyn standing there in front of her, desperate for Meri to do just that so Robyn could explain what that piece of crap even was and how Meri was supposed to use it.

I have never once in my life brought a gift for someone, and OPENED it for them. 

[LilyD]

2 hours ago, laurakaye said:

Meri was young and sheltered and told Kody that she wanted to live polygamy but perhaps not with her brother's ex-wife.  I am trying to imagine sharing my husband with the woman who'd slept with my brother.  That is all kinds of boundary-shattering.

So did she change?  She probably did.  Maybe she was sideswiped by the realization that she'd already promised Kody she would be good with another wife, but not one who had been related to her. 

This could definitely have contributed. It seemed they were ok before Janelle married Kody: maybe no real friends, but doing ok.

However, it’s common knowledge that an inability to conceive can have devastating consequences for one’s well-being. And nothing is worse than seeing those around you being pregnant and having babies all the time when you can’t. True, she got Leon, but that took her years. She lost a second baby and never got pregnant again despite desperately longing for more children.

I can’t even begin to imagine how this must have crushed Meri’s heart.  I always found this utterly heart-breaking. If anything changed Meri, it must have been this.

[BAForever]

3 hours ago, LilyD said:

I can’t even begin to imagine how this must have crushed Meri’s heart.  I always found this utterly heart-breaking. If anything changed Meri, it must have been this.

This times 1000 @LilyD. For so many women, infertility whether primary or secondary is devastating. Couple that with the other wives popping out babies and a miscarriage, poor Meri must have been overwhelmed with sadness. 

So glad she has Jenn who seems like a fun and loyal friend. I wish for nothing but happiness for Meri.

[Dobian]

The title of this episode should have been "Sobyn's Face."

[Gramto6]

21 minutes ago, Dobian said:

The title of this episode should have been "Sobyn's Face."

Or "And Kody Sobs".

[laurakaye]

19 hours ago, Denize said:

I'd like to see Meri toss it in a dumpster on her way to Parowan

I hope it never even made it into her car and she tossed it in a snowbank.

18 hours ago, EastCoast4Life said:

I have never once in my life brought a gift for someone, and OPENED it for them. 

To be fair, poor sad Robyn was just standin' there squeezing out dry tears and Meri was not giving Robyn the reaction that she wanted.  Robyn may have had many scenarios written on her vision board, but Meri showing zero emotion was not one of them - after all, if Robyn is making the sad face, how can anyone near her be happy?  Robyn is the Voldemort of the Brown family.  I could practically hear everyone's souls being sucked out of that moving van the moment Robyn came into view.

But seriously, girl - "I can't help you move because I am so heartbroken that my arms and legs won't move.  But I can drive all the way to your house when most of the hard work is done and hand you a crappy gift."  Get out of here with that.  Bravo to Meri for refusing to take part in Scene 687 Act 78 of the Robyn Show.

Edited November 27 by laurakaye

[LotusFlower]

20 minutes ago, laurakaye said:

Robyn may have had many scenarios written on her vision board

😂😂😂

[zamp33]

22 hours ago, Denize said:

Robyn is really impressive when she sucks the air out of her car and the atmosphere when she joins people outside.

@laurakaye- The first thing I thought when Robyn pulled up was her arrival was truly reminiscent of and had the same vibe of when the Dementors were close by in the Harry Potter books/films. 

Edited November 27 by zamp33
wanted to respond to another poster's thoughts as well

[VioletNevermind]

The highlight of this episode for me was Nathan backing Meri into Kody in the moving van.  Not a highlight in the sense that I enjoyed it (because I did not), but for the fact that it underscored exactly where things stand between them.  Meri's uproarious 10 minutes of laughter while Kody looked mildly disgusted embarrassed me on her behalf, quite frankly.  She was bent over, laughing so hard that she struggled to breathe while Kody wanted to get right back to work.  Not only did that incident not merit Meri's over-the-top reaction, but it underscored the fact that Meri does not seem to realize that she is not leaving Kody.  Kody left her a decade ago and was never going to return, Robyn or no Robyn.  Meri hung around all that time, even post-catfishing, in the hopes that he would want a relationship with her again.  She might as well have been presenting herself before him like an animal in heat.  I understand that she has to maintain some pride, hence the whole "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" vibe, but every time she openly flirts with him (while pretending not to), laughing and prancing around, she proves yet again that she is not over him.  He is over her and she has been forced to accept it.  She is not leaving with a clear head and a happy heart.  She is a scorned, rejected woman who has finally seen the light and is trying to salvage what's left of her life.  I certainly don't begrudge her that, but I firmly believe that if he were to snap his fingers and beckon her to return, she would come running.  She shouldn’t hold her breath, though  

As for Robyn's fake ass, I am deeply satisfied that she has to deal with Kody and his moods all on her lonesome.  Of course, her manipulative behaviors have been discussed to death and no one is buying what she's selling, but she entered into this mess with an agenda and has finally fulfilled it, but it doesn't look anything like what she had in mind.  She enjoys playing the emotionally fragile victim and was able to use it to garner favor with Kody, but all of that is gone now.  Now he has his "one shy, pretty wife" (VOMIT) and the only kids he gives a crap about anymore.  If he were to actively pursue a new wife, she would absolutely lose her shit.  If the new wife was younger, prettier, and even more shy . . . look out.  (As for the gift that she gave Meri, I would have made her eat that "junk journal" right there in the driveway.)

Edited November 27 by VioletNevermind

[laurakaye]

I am of the firm belief that Kody and Meri aren't done, either.  Those two are going to end up hooking up in the haunted attic of Lizzie's Heritage Inn - right under the picture of Lizzie - someday soon, if they haven't already.  Meri might have been a little too happy to grind into Kody, but Kody himself seemed unsure if he should be turned on or scandalized because he knew that Robyn was probably going to sit in the dark and watch that footage over and over, like Glenn Close turning the light off and on in Fatal Attraction.  And the various facial expressions that flitted over Kody's dumb face while Meri was backed into him (ick) were too numerous to count, until Robyn showed up and everyone went still, like a group of antelope in the presence of a sad, hungry cheetah.

 

 

Edited November 27 by laurakaye

[whydoievencare]

8 hours ago, laurakaye said:

To be fair, poor sad Robyn was just standin' there squeezing out dry tears and Meri was not giving Robyn the reaction that she wanted.  Robyn may have had many scenarios written on her vision board, but Meri showing zero emotion was not one of them

That's it exactly!  So in order for Robyn's scenario to play out, she then took the gift back from Meri to open it.  But she didn't get the reaction she wanted.  Good for Meri.

[Dobian]

11 hours ago, zamp33 said:

@laurakaye- The first thing I thought when Robyn pulled up was her arrival was truly reminiscent of and had the same vibe of when the Dementors were close by in the Harry Potter books/films. 

I couldn't resist.

 

[Kellyee]

I want someone to tell me what ever possessed Meri and Janelle to hand over money that was going directly to purchasing a massive house for Robyn?? At least Christine bought her own home. What hold did Kody have over Meri and Janelle??

[65mickey]

From what I remember them saying is that they put the money from the sale of their Vegas houses into the family saving account and that was supposed to be for paying off Coyote Pass. I don't know if K&R  asked permission from Meri or Janelle before they helped themselves to that money to buy the first house in Flagstaff. Janelle did say that she asked Robyn not to put the family in a bad financial situation when buying a house. We see how that went. At the time. Meri was still hoping that Kody would reconcile with her so she went along with anything to make him happy. Who knows why Janelle who is supposed to be so smart agreed to this.  

[ginger90]

I recall Janelle saying she gave 1/2 of her proceeds from her house in Vegas toward the house.

[Roslyn]

3 hours ago, Kellyee said:

I want someone to tell me what ever possessed Meri and Janelle to hand over money that was going directly to purchasing a massive house for Robyn?? At least Christine bought her own home. What hold did Kody have over Meri and Janelle??

Most likely the usual carrot on Kody's stick. The family and a house big enough for the family to gather. Meri's house could have been a meeting hall with 2 kitchens and 4 wet bars and 20 bedrooms and it would never be considered for the big gatherings because of Kody not wanting to deal with her. When Robyn was telling them that her house (original rental) was being sold Christine acted shocked and declared that they needed her to have a large house to gather. That may have been the same time Meri stated that her house was available...but got crickets in response.

[Teri313]

I can’t help but think that Janelle is being a little dishonest when she says that Kody was in charge of the money. What I recall from earlier seasons is Janelle being the one who kept track of the finances and did their taxes. If Kody wanted to spend money, he would get with Janelle to find out where they stood financially and figure out how they could swing it. She seemed kind of proud of having that role – the smart one, the financially savvy one. Maybe that changed over time, but I do believe that that was how they operated for a long time.

[GeorgiaRai]

In the early years Janelle handled bill paying, etc.; did she claim to continue that after the show became successful and their income was funneled through the LLC?  I also didn't assume, based on what she said, that Janelle hid financial matters from Meri.  My impression is that Kody often threw Jannelle under the bus to the other wives where finances were concerned, all the while knowing he was making those decisions in his (and Robyn's) best interests.  I think Robyn and, at the time, Meri were happy to accept his lies; Christine, not so much.

[EastCoast4Life]

On 11/26/2024 at 9:46 AM, laurakaye said:

Meri looked like someone else had already applied the - well, the "junk" to it.  I would also bet a pair of LLR leggings that Robyn decorated the inside of the journal herself with notes to Meri, like "Hold on with me!"  "Kody said your name two months ago so I think there's still hope!"  "Please come back, I can't do Kody all by myself!!!!!"

LOL at this whole paragraph! 

What I rilly think messed up the family piture was the covid protculls. Kody was never seeing the other kids because of his insanity, and it went on for YEARS. (spelling mistakes on purpose lol)

[zamp33]

On 11/28/2024 at 3:02 PM, Roslyn said:

Most likely the usual carrot on Kody's stick. The family and a house big enough for the family to gather. Meri's house could have been a meeting hall with 2 kitchens and 4 wet bars and 20 bedrooms and it would never be considered for the big gatherings because of Kody not wanting to deal with her. When Robyn was telling them that her house (original rental) was being sold Christine acted shocked and declared that they needed her to have a large house to gather. That may have been the same time Meri stated that her house was available...but got crickets in response.

Do you think that Christine said Robyn needed a larger house as an attempt to stay in Kody's good graces? Or maybe because Christine did not want the one large house for them all to live in? I think Christine was figuring out things were not going to get better with Kody but was not there quite yet. Janelle I think believed that Kody would act in the interest of the family and they would build on Coyote Pass so she was still buying into sacrificing for the good of the family.  Meri I think was always traditionally the gathering place -even in Vegas - so I think she was still in that mindset when she got to Flagstaff.

On another note when Robyn "cries" her fake tears it gets me so angry - she never called Meri, made her visit with her outside, it looks like Meri barely got to see the kids, and then Robyn could not even help her move - not even to go over and pack boxes. And that awful "gift" - I was so happy when Meri had no emotion towards Robyn - Robyn even had to open the gift herself - which why? Just say hey Meri I would love it if you would open the gift now. For someone who has $4,0000 wooden sculptures in her house I think she could do better in terms of a gift - and personally I am not about the price of a gift - the best gifts are thoughtful ones that come from the heart but I suspect the "Junk" Journal was not really from Robyn's heart. 

I don't love Meri -but she was always in Robyn's corner since day one, and Robyn never ever did anything for her except give her false hope about Kody. Then Robyn has the nerve to self film her fake tears and devastation at Meri leaving - I am glad Meri has Jenn in life. 

[Roslyn]

4 hours ago, zamp33 said:

Do you think that Christine said Robyn needed a larger house as an attempt to stay in Kody's good graces? Or maybe because Christine did not want the one large house for them all to live in? I think Christine was figuring out things were not going to get better with Kody but was not there quite yet.

Personally I think Christine has been trying to be in Kody's good graces for a long time. Way back to the beginning she was always the polygamy cheerleader and made many statements that "monogamists just don't understand!" Making sure to put all of Kody's "good qualities" front and center. Yet blaming herself for all issues when it was pretty obvious that she was wrecked inside watching Kody be the husband/father to Robyn and her kids that SHE wanted him to be with her.

I don't think it has ever been stated why exactly Christine bought her Flagstaff house since it was obviously too small even for her and the three girls. She had to take a large family room and turn it into her own bedroom. When Kody did the "presentation" for the Big multi-plex house they packed into Christine's tiny space like sardines. Except for Meri's massive rental, which didn't happen until they were in Flagstaff for a year, Robyn's house was the only one large enough for them to gather.

[LilyD]

4 hours ago, Roslyn said:

I don't think it has ever been stated why exactly Christine bought her Flagstaff house since it was obviously too small even for her and the three girls. She had to take a large family room and turn it into her own bedroom

 

I’ve recently come to suspect Christine was slowly and carefully plotting her way out. She knew her “marriage” was a lost cause.  At some point, she must have realised that owning a house, even a small one, was the safest bet on gaining some financial control and freedom.
And on hindsight…. Boy was she right and lucky! 

[Denize]

Christine probably picked a house that was a reasonable price, and big enough because her kids were starting to move out. Also, with a dog and a cat, it can be hard to find rennels without huge pet deposits and higher rents.  And if you plan to build some day, you need to save money, not spend every cent you've got - and more - like the shopoholic.

Edited December 1 by Denize

[JoannKBC]

Quote

I can’t help but think that Janelle is being a little dishonest when she says that Kody was in charge of the money. What I recall from earlier seasons is Janelle being the one who kept track of the finances and did their taxes.

Janelle was the bookkeeper and tax preparer, which is different from the person who is ultimately making the final decisions about how and where to spend the money. That said, I think Janelle is downplaying her role a little, in that Christine, Meri and Robyn were not even privy to the books, and Janelle at least had access to the full picture of the family's financial information, if not the ability to override Kody's control over it.

[Elizzikra]

1 hour ago, Denize said:

Christine probably picked a house that was a reasonable price, and big enough because her kids were starting to move out. Also, with a dog and a cat, it can be hard to find rennels without huge pet deposits and higher rents.  And if you plan to build some day, you need to save money, not spend every cent you've got - and more - like the shopoholic.

I believe Christine purchased her house; she wasn't renting. Janelle rented while they were in Flagstaff. 

[EtheltoTillie]

Can someone explain the kinship tree with Nathan.  How is  he Meri's brother-in-law? 

[LilyD]

On 11/29/2024 at 5:00 PM, GeorgiaRai said:

My impression is that Kody often threw Jannelle under the bus to the other wives where finances were concerned, all the while knowing he was making those decisions in his (and Robyn's) best interests.

In one of the recent episodes, Janelle  said about Kody: "He's always been very creative with money."

I suspect that's one way of saying he'bending and stretching the (financial) rules while not caring for the consequences for others. 

[ginger90]

10 minutes ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Can someone explain the kinship tree with Nathan.  How is  he Meri's brother-in-law? 

He’s married to Meri’s sister.

[EtheltoTillie]

8 minutes ago, ginger90 said:

He’s married to Meri’s sister.

So that woman who was there is not the sister/not his wife?   She's just a friend?  I was so confused.  Thanks for your info.

[Gramto6]

1 hour ago, EtheltoTillie said:

So that woman who was there is not the sister/not his wife?   She's just a friend?  I was so confused.  Thanks for your info.

Right, that is Jenn, Meri's friend that she did the Friday podcasts with for a while, mostly just them drinking and giggling!  But she does seem to be a loyal friend to Meri.

[Denize]

Nathan's wife is Meri's half-sister, from a different sisterwife

There was also another scene a week or two ago with Meri & two younger women talking like old friends that I'd never seen before, telling Meri it was great that she dumped Kody.

Edited December 1 by Denize

[General Days]

29 minutes ago, Denize said:

Nathan's wife is Meri's half-sister, from a different sisterwife

 

Nathan's wife, Rebekah, is Meri's full sister. She's Bonnie's daughter.

I think I was a source for the bad information about Meri's family recently. I thought her mother Bonnie only had four kids with Bill.

I misremembered what Meri posted about her family when Adam died. She had posted about how the four oldest (Meri, Marc, Adam, and Teresa -- I don't know their birth order) were born in California, and that now she was the only one left of them. However, Bonnie's obituary states that she had 7 kids with Bill.

 

Quote

 

She was greeted in heaven by her husband, Bill, daughter Teresa, son Marc, and her parents.

She will be greatly missed by her Final Five: Adam (Tammy) Barber, Meri (Kody) Brown, Elaine (Hyrum) Jenson, Rebekah (Nathan) Dilts and Deborah (Clint) Bronson...

 

 

I *think* Bill had a total of 26 kids with all of his wives.

[Dibs]

On 11/25/2024 at 5:16 PM, candall said:

I don't do Facebook, so I don't understand why you want to follow her if her happiness and pride are annoying to you?

 

 

I certainly don't follow her or even look her up, but - annoyingly - random "Sister Wives" FB pages regularly pop up in my feed as I scroll, possibly because I also post here and on Reddit SW sites.  It's impossible NOT to see Christine's (happiness; pride?) huge ego.

[Natalie68]

On 11/28/2024 at 10:24 AM, ginger90 said:

I recall Janelle saying she gave 1/2 of her proceeds from her house in Vegas toward the house.

MAN!  I want Kody and Robyn to have to liquidate their assets so they can pay Janelle and Meri what they deserve.  I would like to see THEM in a 2 bed rental like Janelle had been.  It angers me to see that fucking simpering face of Robyn's basically walking off with their money.  Kody, never take off that hairnet.  

On 11/28/2024 at 7:26 PM, Teri313 said:

I can’t help but think that Janelle is being a little dishonest when she says that Kody was in charge of the money. What I recall from earlier seasons is Janelle being the one who kept track of the finances and did their taxes. If Kody wanted to spend money, he would get with Janelle to find out where they stood financially and figure out how they could swing it. She seemed kind of proud of having that role – the smart one, the financially savvy one. Maybe that changed over time, but I do believe that that was how they operated for a long time.

When they were poor.  I think, with no proof whatsoever, that Kody took control once there was actual money.

[Pickleinthemiddle]

On 12/2/2024 at 3:28 PM, Natalie68 said:

MAN!  I want Kody and Robyn to have to liquidate their assets so they can pay Janelle and Meri what they deserve.  I would like to see THEM in a 2 bed rental like Janelle had been.  It angers me to see that fucking simpering face of Robyn's basically walking off with their money.  Kody, never take off that hairnet.  

When they were poor.  I think, with no proof whatsoever, that Kody took control once there was actual money.

Agree.  Prior to getting the money from the show.  I do believe it was Janelle making sure the important bills got paid on time.  Once they started getting larger amounts of money I think Kody was the one in charge of it.

As Janelle recently stated.  Had I been in charge of the money, things would have been much different.

I doubt there would be anyone purchasing anything near $1 million in housing.

[Natalie68]

2 minutes ago, Pickleinthemiddle said:

Agree.  Prior to getting the money from the show.  I do believe it was Janelle making sure the important bills got paid on time.  Once they started getting larger amounts of money I think Kody was the one in charge of it.

As Janelle recently stated.  Had I been in charge of the money, things would have been much different.

I doubt there would be anyone purchasing anything near $1 million in housing.

Janelle was the brains (quit laughing!) early on BUT she let her love goggles and loins of fire for K block all common sense and let him do what he wanted financially.  The wives LET him do all of this and now they have to detangle it all.  They should join forces (M and J and C) and pay for a forensic accountant.

Seeing the bullshit distribution of the CP lots, it made sense that K and R were able to get financing for the giant homes.  ON PAPER, they had a house that was worth/able to be sold for $1.7, and the lion share of the CP property worth in total $1.3.  I believe it was distributed this way so he and R could have better financing options AND more $ when it was sold. Meri and Janelle were the stooges paying off the property so K and R can live the life to which they have grown accustomed.  I want M and J to bleed these mother fuckers dry. 

[Denize]

4 hours ago, Pickleinthemiddle said:

As Janelle recently stated.  Had I been in charge of the money, things would have been much different.

And this is why the premise of this show is a scam. They were trying to show that their version of polygamy was fair and treated women as equal partners.  Even on "Big Love" they had family meetings to discuss how to spend family money. We never saw any of that (except when they told Meri No, pay for your own BnB and wetbar), and were told that everything was fair.  In fact, it was a patriarchy and Kody dealt with the money how he wanted to, often with convolute sketchy reasoning to cow the OG3 into believing that Kody is fair and knows his way around finances.