S19.15: Faith Can Move Mountains

[Mod-Tranquilizer]

Robyn’s girls explore non-Mormon churches and Kody struggles to keep quiet about it. Christine tries on her fairytale wedding dress, and the party continues with a wedding shower. Meri wants to start dating soon.

[65mickey]

How many times are they going to show Christine trying on her fairytale wedding dress?? I guess TLC thinks that we haven't seen and heard enough about her form fitting deep plunging neckline. 

I can only imagine the embarrassing gifts that will be showered on Christine and David at the wedding shower. I will have to skip this part of the show. I have a weak stomach. 

[Denize]

It is good Robyn wasn't at the bridal shower; she'd probably accuse someone else of filling out her questionnaire.

[renatae]

Oh, the divorce to marry Robyn was Meri's idea? Right. Look at Meri sobbing as she signs the papers.

 

[Denize]

If Robyn never wanted to marry Kody, why did we never hear her insisting that Meri shouldn't divorce him?

[Yeah No]

12 minutes ago, Denize said:

If Robyn never wanted to marry Kody, why did we never hear her insisting that Meri shouldn't divorce him?

The BS they sold us to get around that was that the divorce needed to happen so that Kody could adopt Robyn's kids. So of course Robyn wouldn't protest it. But as we all know that whole thing was a crock of crap and a smokescreen for what really happened, which was that Kody dumped Meri and not just on paper either, but "spiritually" as well. 

I figured that out at the time and was angered that Meri was made to look like she was wrong for chatting up someone online (who turned out to be a catfish), when she was actually completely free to do so both legally and "spiritually". Now she is admitting that by the time she chatted with the catfish she and Kody were already completely done. So much for this fictitious "spiritual marriage" they supposedly still had. I saw through that even back then! She was probably still under contract to be on the show so they made her continue with the fiction that she and Kody still had a relationship even though they were legally divorced. 

[suzeecat]

22 hours ago, 65mickey said:

How many times are they going to show Christine trying on her fairytale wedding dress??

The "designer" probably had a contract written that specified how many times the dress would be aired, in order to get a freebie. 

[Shelbie]

I enjoy hearing from Meri, Janelle and Christine these days. They are speaking with more honesty and the longer they are away from Kody and his commandments they sound lighter and far happier than they did.
Robyn still sounds like she used to. I think she is furious that nobody envies her as the favourite wife and her bullshit isn’t believed. Instead of directing the huge family to do her bidding she is stuck with Kody and has to pretend to listen to his never ending pronouncements. She is the embodiment of the saying “ be careful what you wish for “.

[laurakaye]

9 hours ago, Denize said:

If Robyn never wanted to marry Kody, why did we never hear her insisting that Meri shouldn't divorce him?

And furthermore, Robyn proclaimed that she kept insisting that Kody fix his relationships with her beloved sister wives and "their" kids.  When he refused to do that, why did she stay with him?  If this was supposedly so important to her, why not tell him to either fix things or she was out?  Rhetorical question, of course, but she sure seems to have looked past a lot of very questionable behavior from her husband even as she insists otherwise.

There sure were some odd tidbits from this episode, though....

Kody tells us that the day Meri signed away her legal marriage, he and Meri probably went home and knocked boots (I refuse to use the words he used) afterwards.  Cut to Meri being all, "say what now?  He would NEVER say something so intimate about Robyn."  Meanwhile, I sat in my chair having involuntary full body shudders with the knowledge that Kody probably did let Meri visit with lil' Kody after she had a nervous breakdown signing those papers, after which he ghosted her for 15 years.  He is such a gigantic massive scumbag.

Kody also gave a quick throwaway line about how his dad didn't even bother coming to Kody's wedding with Christine.  I found that super interesting.  I strongly believe that Kody jumped into polygamy with both feet (and with lil' Kody) to please his father, and yet Wynn doesn't show up to Kody's third wedding?  Could that have been what soured Kody on Christine from the very beginning?  I need more information on that.

And my gosh....what was Aurora cosplaying as when she went to church?  Those pinwheel curls and that floral dress circa 1987?  And then she cried to Kody telling him about the church while he sat there with his "DUH" caveman face.  Those girls have the most awkward and uncomfortable body language when they are talking on camera with their parents.  I feel like there's something below the surface there, but I can't/don't want to guess as to what it is.

Also, Christine is getting married, did you know that?  I hope I didn't spoil it for anyone!

 

[65mickey]

27 minutes ago, laurakaye said:

Also, Christine is getting married, did you know that?  I hope I didn't spoil it for anyone!

Oh my and if we are lucky and ask politely maybe TLC will show the wedding next week. 

[islandgal140]

 

I have been saying for years that it was never Meri's idea to divorce Kody. Now we learn tonight that Kody and Meri were discussing it for "years" (translation, Kody (and Robyn) trying to manipulate and wear down Meri) and Christine confirms that Robyn "planted" the story. 

 

This is some Inception level shit! I would be impressed if the "prize" wasn't Kody. 

[Yeah No]

Bringing this over from the live chat thread:

@Andyourlittledog2 wrote:

Quote

This whole changing church thing is very weird to me because Mormon religion and Christian theology have very little in common. With on the surface stuff you just gloss over this but they are talking about going to a Christian church (of any denomination) and there are just basic things that are vastly different belief systems and plural marriage barely makes a dent in that. Robyn and her daughters talk like it's just a matter of whether they believe in or want plural marriage and that is really not the problem at all.  I mean if they have just completely abandoned the faith and doctrines of the LDS (fundamentalist or not) church and are now going to adopt a new belief system and theology entirely then that would make sense but they haven't said that. Maybe they have decided to do that and aren't going into it for privacy reasons and because that would make weird TV.  If they haven't done this then I don't see how they can join a different church unless all they intend to attend are strictly worship/devotional services with no preaching/liturgy or studies whatsoever because they'd come up on problems within minutes between the two belief systems. And there is no way that they don't realize this. Just watching movies and television would tell them that. I guess if they just said, on TV, we don't wish to be Mormon anymore and want to find a different church then LDS church would get spun.  I don't know. This whole 'storyline' just bugs me.

And again, it is just so weird how Brianna and Aurora barely speak but always look like they've been kidnapped and are hoping someone will notice and save them. They have permanent agony face, complete with too frequent tears. It's disturbing.

I was thinking the same thing. I have two theories - either there's some backstory they haven't admitted to where they've become estranged from Mormonism in general or the segment was filmed just to add "fodder" for the show. Or it could be both! Obviously they are running out of anything interesting to film and are either grinding the same old crap 20 times over or making up stuff just to pad out the show.

And who knows about Aurora and Brianna? They may look like that because they're being asked to participate in something that isn't real at all but a fictional plot for the show and being asked to act like it IS real.

[General Days]

I thought it was interesting when (about 8-10 mins. in) Meri said (in a couch segment), "When Kody and I got the legal divorce, it was something that we had talked about, together, for years. But at the time that it actually happened, I was the one who made that move, and went to go talk to the lawyer, first."

Between that, and Christine's comment about Robyn "planting" the idea, I feel like this is vindication for most of the fandom, who always thought the dastardly duo manipulated Meri into doing it. I don't think she knows yet that she was manipulated. 

 

19 minutes ago, laurakaye said:

Kody tells us that the day Meri signed away her legal marriage, he and Meri probably went home and knocked boots (I refuse to use the words he used) afterwards.  Cut to Meri being all, "say what now?  He would NEVER say something so intimate about Robyn."  Meanwhile, I sat in my chair having involuntary full body shudders with the knowledge that Kody probably did let Meri visit with lil' Kody after she had a nervous breakdown signing those papers, after which he ghosted her for 15 years.  He is such a gigantic massive scumbag.

 

Yuck.

There's good news, though. Your shuddering can cease. In her couch segment, Meri made it pretty clear there was no intimacy on legal divorce day. It's hard to listen over the shuddering though, I know.

In response to Kody's pretense that they did the deed that day, first (as she was making known her disgust that he went there in his couch segment), Meri framed it as, "I think it's kind of disgusting that he would bring up a potentially intimate moment..."

I felt the weight of "potentially," when she said it, and was pretty sure she was trying to telegraph that a divorce day dalliance was fictitious. 

She then got more explicit (for her) and said, "Kody and I were not in the kind of relationship, at that time, that we would be doing those kinds of things, anyway."

Since she had just called him "disgusting" for talking about sex with an ex in a way he'd never discuss his and Robyn's sex life, she couldn't state it much more plainly, but she was telling us that it never happened.

In a subsequent couch segment, Kody claimed that while the legal divorce didn't change his feelings about the marital relationship with Meri, he said it changed for Meri, and talked about how if he walked in, and she was dressing she would cover up and hide.

Meri directly addressed that, saying, "If you and I are not having a husband/wife relationship, and you walk in the room, why would I expose myself to you? So yeah, I am going to guard myself."

However, I am biased on this, in that I will always think that Kody telling Meri they shouldn't try to have any more kids was code for, "Our sexual relationship is over," and I will always think that Meri understood that. Maybe there was occasional birthday or anniversary intimacy, but I don't think there was much.

At the end of season 16 (which aired in January/February 2022, so was probably filmed sometime in late 2021), Meri said it had been ten years since she and Kody had been intimate. That would bring us back to 2011/2012. The legal divorce was in 2014.

Meri has never repeated her no intimacy timeline with that kind of specificity, but I remember pausing the DVR, opening up IMDb, and doing the math, during the One-on-One interview.

[laurakaye]

When Aurora was crying to Kody about church, she sounded exactly like Robyn, except that actual liquid was coming from Aurora's tear-ducts.  I get the feeling that those girls are extremely sheltered and that they need permission and a lengthy word-salad lecture from Kody before they are allowed to do anything.

[Yeah No]

6 minutes ago, islandgal140 said:

 

I have been saying for years that it was never Meri's idea to divorce Kody. Now we learn tonight that Kody and Meri were discussing it for "years" (translation, Kody (and Robyn) trying to manipulate and wear down Meri) and Christine confirms that Robyn "planted" the story. 

 

This is some Inception level shit! I would be impressed if the "prize" wasn't Kody. 

Yes me too, I even said it at the time on the threads but back then few people agreed with me. That bastard set Meri up for public vilification while he made himself look like the saint of the universe. That is just horrible and reprehensible, but like I said, I saw this at the time and defended Meri at a time when she was hated and reviled by most. Now I wouldn't say that Meri is blameless in everything or that she's my favorite person, but she definitely didn't deserve THIS.

And I doubt that Robyn didn't know what was going on and why but she just sat by and let it happen. What I don't understand is how Meri never held that against her. Meri's behavior mystifies me. Unless this entire thing was a ruse played on us by all of them and we are STILL being mislead. I can't imagine why Meri would be in on letting Kody and the show make her look bad with the catfish stuff undeservedly but for money who knows what people will do?

[laurakaye]

1 minute ago, General Days said:

There's good news, though. Your shuddering can cease. In her couch segment, Meri made it pretty clear there was no intimacy on legal divorce day. It's hard to listen over the shuddering though, I know.

In response to Kody's pretense that they did the deed that day, first (as she was making known her disgust that he went there in his couch segment), Meri framed it as, "I think it's kind of disgusting that he would bring up a potentially intimate moment..."

I definitely missed the "potentially" that Meri dropped.  I find it delusional on Kody's part that he's telling us that he and Meri "**** ****" (sorry, I cannot say it, it sounded horrific coming out of Kody's mouth) on divorce day.  The woman could barely function - but Kody, that chivalrous gentleman, tells us that he gave Meri the wonderful parting gift of himself before he dropped her at the curb and drove away with his newly-blonde side-piece.  What a colossal jerk.

[Julyolo]

25 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

Bringing this over from the live chat thread:

@Andyourlittledog2 wrote:

I was thinking the same thing. I have two theories - either there's some backstory they haven't admitted to where they've become estranged from Mormonism in general or the segment was filmed just to add "fodder" for the show. Or it could be both! Obviously they are running out of anything interesting to film and are either grinding the same old crap 20 times over or making up stuff just to pad out the show.

And who knows about Aurora and Brianna? They may look like that because they're being asked to participate in something that isn't real at all but a fictional plot for the show and being asked to act like it IS real.

Nothing says "monogamous," faith-based, soulmate marriage to me like someone's 4th wife strolling off with the spawn from her 1st marriage to attend church, whilst leaving her current spouse at home to babysit their youngest 2 kids, lol.

Edited December 30, 2024 by Julyolo

[Dobian]

So now Robyn has her monogamous marriage to Kody.  Sometimes you get what you wish for...

[General Days]

26 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

What I don't understand is how Meri never held that against her. Meri's behavior mystifies me. Unless this entire thing was a ruse played on us by all of them and we are STILL being mislead. I can't imagine why Meri would be in on letting Kody and the show make her look bad with the catfish stuff undeservedly but for money who knows what people will do?

 

I think comes down to a lifetime of cult programming. The whole sham operates on this idea: If the husband isn't happy with you, it is your fault. She couldn't blame Robyn, because that would lead her to blaming Kody.

Since Meri was still spiritually married to Kody (i.e. they hadn't gotten a release), she considered them married for all eternity, regardless of his cruelty to her, or his favoritism toward Robyn. And she (and Christine) were programmed to think that if they were blaming another wife for their own bad relationship with their husband, well that was just proof that they needed to let polygamy grind down more of their rough edges..

I think Meri was deeply ashamed that she strayed, even just emotionally, from her "marriage." She couldn't/didn't let herself realize that the marriage was over. Her heart knew it was though, which is why she kept feeling like the legal divorce ended the whole of their marriage, and it's part of why she was susceptible to the catfish. 

[Yeah No]

7 minutes ago, General Days said:

I think comes down to a lifetime of cult programming. The whole sham operates on this idea: If the husband isn't happy with you, it is your fault. She couldn't blame Robyn, because that would lead her to blaming Kody.

Since Meri was still spiritually married to Kody (i.e. they hadn't gotten a release), she considered them married for all eternity, regardless of his cruelty to her, or his favoritism toward Robyn. And she (and Christine) were programmed to think that if they were blaming another wife for their own bad relationship with their husband, well that was just proof that they needed to let polygamy grind down more of their rough edges..

I think Meri was deeply ashamed that she strayed, even just emotionally, from her "marriage." She couldn't/didn't let herself realize that the marriage was over. Her heart knew it was though, which is why she kept feeling like the legal divorce ended the whole of their marriage, and it's part of why she was susceptible to the catfish. 

I don't have time to think this through right now but somehow Christine was able to overcome all that guilt and didn't blame herself after a while. Some of what Meri is going through is a function of her issues and I think she may have been using her "religious obligation" as an excuse to hold herself back. In many ways even though Christine can be very immature she is miles ahead of Meri on this point. But then again Christine was never legally married to Kody and Meri was, and I still wonder if that had any affect on Meri's unwillingness to realize that she had no obligation to Kody anymore after the legal divorce. I think the legality of the marriage and her being the first wife actually made her take it more seriously as a "'till death do you part" relationship regardless of the legality. 

[General Days]

13 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

I don't have time to think this through right now but somehow Christine was able to overcome all that guilt and didn't blame herself after a while. Some of what Meri is going through is a function of her issues and I think she may have been using her "religious obligation" as an excuse to hold herself back. In many ways even though Christine can be very immature she is miles ahead of Meri on this point. But then again Christine was never legally married to Kody and Meri was, and I still wonder if that had any affect on Meri's unwillingness to realize that she had no obligation to Kody anymore after the legal divorce. I think the legality of the marriage and her being the first wife actually made her take it more seriously as a "'till death do you part" relationship regardless of the legality. 

 

Their marriages are not "til death do you part." They believe they are sealed to each other for eternity. Generally speaking, that is true of marriage in the broader Latter-day Saints movement; they think earthly marriages continue forever in the afterlife.

That Meri bothered to get a release now tells me she still feels some sort of connection to some of these beliefs. Maybe she just thought getting the release would finally settle the issue in her mind, but something in her needed it.

Meanwhile, Christine did not need it. She stopped believing in their faith back in Vegas, and never felt compelled to end the "marriage" in any way more official or ecclesiastical than just saying, "Dad and I are divorced."

I agree that she was way ahead of Meri on that front, and is still ahead of her. Because she decided the faith was not true, it was easier to chuck out the whole idea of needing a husband (of at least 3 wives) to summon you through the veil into celestial heaven, yada yada yada, and/or that maybe your marriage will finally work in the hereafter. 

I don't remember Gwendlyn going deep into specifics about Christine losing her religion. I seem to recall though, that something she said about it gave me the impression that Christine did a lot of reading about Joseph Smith and decided he wasn't the real deal.

(None of that is either a quote or a paraphrase, even. It's just the impression I remember having.) It would be really hard to be any flavor of LDS, if you've concluded that Joseph Smith is not a true witness. 

If Meri kind of got over being AUB bit by bit, but still holds to a more or less Latter-day Saints worldview (or did, at the time of the catfish), her cult trained brain was telling her that the legal marriage isn't what mattered; the spiritual sealing did. 

 

[Granny58]

Robyn absolutely does not want Kody full time.  HA HA HA HA.

There is no reason for those girls to be weeping when going to church.  🙄

13 hours ago, Yeah No said:

But as we all know that whole thing was a crock of crap and a smokescreen for what really happened, which was that Kody dumped Meri and not just on paper either, but "spiritually" as well. 

and I 100% believe Robyn dropped hints so that Meri thought it was her idea.  No Meri, it was not.  

 

13 hours ago, Yeah No said:

I figured that out at the time and was angered that Meri was made to look like she was wrong for chatting up someone online (who turned out to be a catfish), when she was actually completely free to do so both legally and "spiritually".

I never held it against Meri and, in fact, understood her hurt and its consequences completely.  

[islandgal140]

59 minutes ago, Granny58 said:

and I 100% believe Robyn dropped hints so that Meri thought it was her idea.  No Meri, it was not.  

 

Robyn was dropping hints and bread crumbing the audience.  I vividly remember her saying things like:

- her kids are at an age where they could choose to live with their dad

- if something happened to her, the Browns would have no legal rights to the 3 kids

- she wants her kids with the Browns, in case anything happened to her

Christine is on her sweet love hangover with David, and doesn't like Meri (or Robyn for that matter), so why would she lie for her? 

Stuff like this is why I always side eye production. They should've asked both Meri and Janelle if they recall Robyn's tales. It is like they want to keep the waters muddy and murky.

As far as I am concerned this season, although not the most exciting, cleared up some major things falsehoods I always suspected 1 - it wasn't Meri's idea for Kody to court Robyn. They locked eyes in church, no less, and Kody starting laying the breadcrumbs. #2 the divorce wasn't Meri's idea either. Also, I liked that we got some discussion on finances, albeit not near enough. 

[OldWiseOne]

Is Kody trying to convince us or himself of Robyn's desirability? The insistence that he can't let her go to church without him or all of the men will be trying to pick her up - I didn't realise how far back my eyes could actually roll. I guess if he's going to be a monogamist he needs everyone to know that he kept the "hot" wife.

[precious pupp]

1 hour ago, OldWiseOne said:

Is Kody trying to convince us or himself of Robyn's desirability? The insistence that he can't let her go to church without him or all of the men will be trying to pick her up - I didn't realise how far back my eyes could actually roll. I guess if he's going to be a monogamist he needs everyone to know that he kept the "hot" wife.

At best, Robyn is lukewarm.  Kody has to lay it on thick so she won't dump him when the money train leaves the station.

So, are we going to have Christine's wedding rebroadcast next week?  They're clearly running short on storylines if we see church shopping with mommie dearest.

[OlderThanDirt]

What was Robyn's point in saying Kody doesn't want more wives but she would be open to plural marriage if she had 'guarantees'?

[b2H]

1 hour ago, OlderThanDirt said:

What was Robyn's point in saying Kody doesn't want more wives but she would be open to plural marriage if she had 'guarantees'?

When I watched the show this morning (Monday), I was so put off by the guarantees nonsense.  Marriage does not come with guarantees, regardless of the core beliefs of the two parties.  Hell, my second marriage was great, until my now-ex attempted suicide over a dispute with his ex-wife.  Yes, she was a part of the package, but there were no guarantees in that marriage and she darned near destroyed it.

Anyone going into marriage looking for guarantees is on the path to disappointment.

[MamaMax]

I’m Wondering if one of the girls already was dating someone from another church and all this church shopping is just reverse engineering. 

[Denize]

10 hours ago, laurakaye said:

Kody tells us that the day Meri signed away her legal marriage, he and Meri probably went home and knocked boots (I refuse to use the words he used) afterwards.  

Considering Meri's unfortunate choices in clodhoppers, your description is almost as horrific.

The OG3 are looking happy & perky whereas now Robyn looks like a bitter & dowdy housewife.

Edited December 31, 2024 by Denize

[65mickey]

Wasn't it at church that Kody and Robyn first "noticed"each other? Maybe Kody thinks that the church men are after Robyn but it is the other way around. Maybe Robyn is going to church to take notice of what's available. If this happens I want to be around to see his head explode.  

[AZChristian]

6 minutes ago, 65mickey said:

Wasn't it at church that Kody and Robyn first "noticed"each other? Maybe Kody thinks that the church men are after Robyn but it is the other way around. Maybe Robyn is going to church to take notice of what's available. If this happens I want to be around to see his head explode.  

I met my husband in a small, conservative church.  He went to a college affiliated with that church.  It was a running joke throughout the denomination that men went to get a BA or BS degree, while women went to get their Mrs.  (This was in the 50s and 60s.)

Used to be that a church was a good place for a woman to meet a good man.  It has (d)evolved to where a church is now a good place for a con artist to meet an easy mark.  Sad.

[heatherchandler]

10 hours ago, laurakaye said:

When Aurora was crying to Kody about church, she sounded exactly like Robyn, except that actual liquid was coming from Aurora's tear-ducts.  I get the feeling that those girls are extremely sheltered and that they need permission and a lengthy word-salad lecture from Kody before they are allowed to do anything.

These girls are always crying or on the verge of tears.  What is wrong with them?

I missed the end of the episode and I don’t want to watch again.. what happened at the church that was so terrible?

Edited December 31, 2024 by heatherchandler

[Denize]

7 minutes ago, heatherchandler said:

This girls are always crying or on the verge of tears.  What is wrong with them?

I missed the end of the episode and I don’t want to watch again.. what happened at the church that was so terrible?

Nothing bad happened. The crying or on the verge of tears was because Aurora saw how much Breanna had been missing church for years.  Why didn't they just ask Daddy to have church in the livingroom like he did in Vegas?

When talking to the pastor, AuroraBreanna occasionally looked like they were cringing or worried. Perhaps they were triggered by words he used to describe his church, like "inclusive", "progressive" and "diverse".  I wish we could have seen HIS face when he saw their reactions; they looked like they were in pain. Apparently they chose a different church. How many more uncomfortable interviews are we going to have to sit through?

[Meowwww]

Sorry ya’ll.  I’m over Christine and her squeals and her explanations of her “very flowy, very dark, black black black background dress ” big sighs and squeals.  I remember Truely talking about her own dress for someone’s wedding way back when she was a little kid in the same way.  Maybe if we hadn’t been already shown the wedding it would be different.  This show just needs to be done.  My DVR didn’t even record last nights episode and I don’t think I missed anything if it was about Christine and her dress/shower/ wedding/ Mykelti. 

1 hour ago, heatherchandler said:

These girls are always crying or on the verge of tears.  What is wrong with them?

I missed the end of the episode and I don’t want to watch again.. what happened at the church that was so terrible?

According to hubby, AuroraBreanna look like they have the Snapchat cry filter on always. 

Edited December 31, 2024 by Meowwww

[SemiCharmedLife]

I, too, appreciate the little nuggets of truth we are getting this season from the OG wives.  Then, of course, Robyn and Kody come along in their interviews and deny everything.  I've always felt Robyn set up Meri to believe it was her idea for the legal divorce-- she probably convinced her that Kody would reward her mightily for this good deed.  I think I was just as shocked as Janelle was that Meri went along with it (and continued to stay in Robyn's good graces after all the manipulation she has done over the years.) Robyn's denials are utterly ridiculous...she didn't want the divorce, the huge mansion, all of Kody's time and money...she was struggling to give the other wives everything they needed.  Sure, Jan.

[Jeanne222]

At the party where Robyn met David for the first time I have to wonder if he was struck by her beauty!  Not.

But that could have been a real twist in the show.  Robyn and David riding off into the sunset. Kody and Christine together again!

Lol

[laurakaye]

17 hours ago, OldWiseOne said:

Is Kody trying to convince us or himself of Robyn's desirability? The insistence that he can't let her go to church without him or all of the men will be trying to pick her up - I didn't realise how far back my eyes could actually roll. 

I hope Kody's head exploded when he watched the part where Robyn was chatting with the pastor, who - IMO - was lightyears better looking than Kody.  And what with Robyn being so desirable and all, it's a wonder that Mr. Pastor didn't immediately get down on one knee until Robyn blinded him with her blinged-out wedding ring.

 

14 hours ago, OlderThanDirt said:

What was Robyn's point in saying Kody doesn't want more wives but she would be open to plural marriage if she had 'guarantees'?

So she can try to convince us that she rilly rilly wanted to be a sister wife and none of what happened is her fault.  If I had to choose between Kody or Robyn as to who tells more bold-faced lies, it would be a toss-up.  They're both horrible revisionist historians and I'm not sure they even believe their own lies anymore.

[islandgal140]

12 hours ago, heatherchandler said:

These girls are always crying or on the verge of tears.  What is wrong with them?

I missed the end of the episode and I don’t want to watch again.. what happened at the church that was so terrible?

I think just as interesting as this was Kody's non-reaction to it. I was surprised he didn't try to comfort her in any way, like part her arm, hold her hand or put his arms around her. Isn't Aurora Miss panic attack that he swooped up into her arms when she had an incident years ago when they were on the verge of buying the first million dollar home? I wonder with all the constant tears if he has gotten somewhat immune to them?

[65mickey]

Kody and Robyn are despicable. They pulled off one of the most underhanded stunts that I have ever seen on reality TV. Robyn befriending Meri.  Kody telling Meri that nothing would change in their relationship. Both of them convincing Meri that the solution to the problem of what would happen to Robyn's 3 older children if she would die was on Meri to fix. I am sure that it started out subtle at first and then worked up to Robyn dry crying and becoming hysterical and Kody putting more and more pressure on Meri by saying there is only one solution to this problem Meri, and that is for me to figure out how to legally marry Robyn.  There you have it folks. So now these 2 lying liars claim this was all Meri's idea. Sure it was. Just like Kody never said that Ysabel a minor at the time could travel across the country, check herself into the hospital and have serious back surgery alone. 

[RoxiP]

Two women who are in my age range (mid-60s) from my church got married to some really great guys this year, so I do not think all men in church are con men.

If you are interested in marrying and being "equally yoked" then if you were raised in church you need to go to church (or a Christian-based college or at the very least get involved in Christian organizations at school) in order to find a like-minded partner).  I imagine, for Robyn's daughters, having been raised in a church where you had to hide from society because of the stigma associated with your denomination, being in a church where people are openly and joyfully worshipping must have been a meaningful experience.  I have been brought to tears myself in a particularly moving service.

I think Meri now realizes that she was played.  Thank goodness for that realization.

[Yeah No]

7 minutes ago, 65mickey said:

Kody and Robyn are despicable. They pulled off one of the most underhanded stunts that I have ever seen on reality TV. Robyn befriending Meri.  Kody telling Meri that nothing would change in their relationship. Both of them convincing Meri that the solution to the problem of what would happen to Robyn's 3 older children if she would die was on Meri to fix. I am sure that it started out subtle at first and then worked up to Robyn dry crying and becoming hysterical and Kody putting more and more pressure on Meri by saying there is only one solution to this problem Meri, and that is for me to figure out how to legally marry Robyn.  There you have it folks. So now these 2 lying liars claim this was all Meri's idea. Sure it was. Just like Kody never said that Ysabel a minor at the time could travel across the country, check herself into the hospital and have serious back surgery alone. 

Maybe it's just because I'm not as easily duped, but I have a hard time wrapping my mind around how Meri could have fallen for this. She has already admitted that her relationship with Kody was on the decline at that time so how on earth could she buy that this would make it any better? I am well aware of the psychology of cults but this is really a stretch. The evidence was astoundingly to the contrary even on the surface. I guess hope springs eternal. Either that or she may have thought she had nothing to lose by doing it.

Also, how is it possible that even after she should have realized she'd been duped she was positively disposed to both Robyn and Kody? My mind is boggling. Her friends are in reality as are her other sister wives Christine and Janelle. They wouldn't have fallen for this. And don't tell me that none of her friends tried to get her to wake up. It would take a whole lot of deliberate self-brainwashing to believe that Kody or Robyn weren't screwing her. Maybe she was sold on doing it for the sake of the overall family, but even that is hard to swallow. She seemed to know at the time that she was sacrificing herself but how could she not know that she could potentially end up with nothing anyway? Did she think that making such a sacrifice would earn her a better place in heaven?

5 minutes ago, RoxiP said:

I think Meri now realizes that she was played.  Thank goodness for that realization.

As of the time of this episode I don't see that many signs of her realizing she had been played. I don't keep up with later events as well as some do here so if that's changed good for her. But as of the time of this season she still seems at least partially positively disposed toward Robyn and even let Kody help move her and engage in hugs. So I'm not so sure that back then at least, she fully realized it. I don't see the level of anger she should have if she had fully realized it. We saw it with both Christine and even Janelle but as of this filming Meri still doesn't seem to have gotten there....yet.

[heatherchandler]

50 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

And don't tell me that none of her friends tried to get her to wake up.

Most of her friends, except Jenn are new-ish friends, I gather.  When we are introduced, they typically say that they’ve known her for six years, seven years.  This Robyn thing started like 10/12 years ago, right?  Or more?  Unless I’m totally off.  

Edited December 31, 2024 by heatherchandler

[laurakaye]

I do think that Meri was deeply in love with Kody and I'm positive he tossed lots of breadcrumbs her way, convincing her that if she did the noble thing for Robyn and her tenders, it would only strengthen his and Meri's relationship.  Of course, he lied.  But then we had Robyn doing the same thing to Meri, begging her to "hold on" and telling her that Kody still talked about her, mentioned her, etc., when it likely wasn't true at all.

When Meri and Robyn were talking outside the Mansion on the Hill in the middle of winter and Robyn brought Kody's coat outside for Meri to wear - that's just one of a million calculated little things that Robyn did to keep Meri on the hook with Kody, even when Robyn knew that Kody was completely done with Meri.  Robyn and Kody tag-teamed and played Meri to the point of pretty dark emotional abuse, IMO.  Certainly Meri was the last to see how hard she was being played by those two master manipulators, but I give her a little grace because of her upbringing, her beliefs at the time, and the fact that Kody and Robyn are two of the most diabolical people I have ever seen on reality tv, working in tandem to create their own narratives to serve their own purposes at the expense of literally everyone in the family other than the residents of the Mansion.  Kody and Robyn are still lying to us now, even after they both got what they supposedly wanted.  My guess is that Kody will spend the rest of his life wondering if Robyn will leave him too, while Robyn will convince herself daily that this is what she wanted, even as Kody stares at her with searing adoration to assuage his deep insecurity.

TL;DR: Kody and Robyn suck and deserve each other forever.

[Granny58]

17 hours ago, OlderThanDirt said:

What was Robyn's point in saying Kody doesn't want more wives but she would be open to plural marriage if she had 'guarantees'?

her point was she is going crazy having him full time.  LOL.  

[Yeah No]

1 hour ago, heatherchandler said:

Most of her friends, except Jenn are new-ish friends, I gather.  When we are introduced, they typically say that they’ve known her for six years, seven years.  This Robyn thing started like 10/12 years ago, right?  Or more?  Unless I’m totally off.  

Yes but reread my second paragraph. I am talking about Meri as of the time of this episode and her friends then, after the fact of her divorce. I am not seeing that she has fully woken up about it even after having friends for 6 or 7 years that could have helped her to see reality. That's what gets me most of all.

See here:

Quote

Also, how is it possible that even after she should have realized she'd been duped she was positively disposed to both Robyn and Kody? My mind is boggling. Her friends are in reality as are her other sister wives Christine and Janelle. They wouldn't have fallen for this. And don't tell me that none of her friends tried to get her to wake up.

 

Edited December 31, 2024 by Yeah No

[65mickey]

What woman wants to go on TV and admit that she was made a fool of by a crappy husband and his wife who pretended to be her good friend? I think she is fully aware of what they did to her and that she fell for their scheme. She wasn't  last season when she was taking Kody and Robyn's side against Christine. For years Meri thought that if she were nice to Robyn she would be given crumbs from Robyn and allowed to continue their friendship and maybe just maybe Kody would come around and take her back. 

There are a lot of women out there who stay with men who treat them like shit and cheat on them.  They do this for reasons the we may not understand but they do. I absolutely believe that Meri was duped and taken advantage of by Kody and Robyn. And it took her years and seeing Janelle and Christine walk away from the family that she finally realized what had been done to her and she no longer had to stay and put up with this treatment. 

[Jeanne222]

During this latest season where there's really not much to film from this broken, split family I find it kind of interesting that what they lived with and accepted is now 'the show'!

[MaryMitch]

18 hours ago, Denize said:

Considering Meri's unfortunate choices in clodhoppers, your description is almost as horrific.

The OG3 are looking happy & perky whereas now Robyn looks like a bitter & dowdy housewife.

To me, it looked like Robyn had about 1/2 inch roots showing in the scenes inside the church. She's got some gray there.

[smarty]

1 hour ago, 65mickey said:

I absolutely believe that Meri was duped and taken advantage of by Kody and Robyn. And it took her years and seeing Janelle and Christine walk away from the family that she finally realized what had been done to her and she no longer had to stay and put up with this treatment. 

Until Christine left and was allowed to still be a prime part of the show, it was probably expected that if you left the family/marriage you'd be off the show completely.  No one was clamoring for a Meri spinoff around the time of their legal divorce or the catfishing scandal.  Meri would have been excommunicated from the family and erased if she had left.  That's a lot to ask of a person if you aren't really really sure life would be better on the outside - and the cherry on top would be watching your family on tv going on without you. Accepting crumbs but still being included probably seemed a good tradeoff to Meri, especially since it sounds like she had a dysfunctional marriage from the start anyway.

[BAForever]

So many good thoughts on this thread, lots of viewers who have watched from beginning must be armchair psychologists. 

Meri has grown on me tremendously the past 2 seasons. Glad to see her so happy.

I'm thinking (maybe more hoping) that she is a lot more self-aware of the damage Robyn brought to the family and how whipped Kody was and still is. She just chooses not to let it impact her. She has money, is doing a job she likes and has a good group of friends. 

She can let her past with Brown family eat her up, or move on successfully with her future.

That is my New Years Wish for Meri.