S01.E06: Secrets Revealed

[Tara Ariano]

Meghan goes down a destructive path after learning

; Ragini pushes Veeral into couple's therapy, which leads to a shocking revelation; and Maria wonders whether or not Christian will ever change and if their marriage can be saved.

[Primetimer]

And more not-quite-burning questions sparked by the latest episode of Arranged.

Read the story

[Bella]

The episode was so exciting that we've all become speechless!

 

Or bored out of our minds with the couples' drivel. 

 

One or the other. Should I set this up as a poll?

[sookisooki]

Maybe the show before this makes us comatose or in disbelief that these couples are real!

 

Could the Indian couple have really fallen apart that fast?! or is it a bad SNL skit?

 

That baby Christopher needs to just disappear.  Maria deserves so much more! I hope and pray that it is really over in 6 months.  Let her be great!

 

Meghan depressed that she wasn't pregnant even though they literally don't have a pot to piss in?  She's unbelievable!!  A spoiled brat! And no, you are not ARRANGED!!

[Straycat80]

These couple are the same old conflicts every episode. And still feels scripted to me.

I can't believe Ragini and Veeral did not talk about children and his parents living with them before they got married. This couple is intelligent and educated but act as immature as Christian and Maria. They are not arranged, they lived together before marriage for cripes sake!

Meghan and Josh. I got nothing other than they have money problems and said they weren't ready for babies yet. So, Meghan get a part time job, stop whining about your body, there's nothing wrong with it, and stop saying your marriage was arranged, it's not.

It pains week after week hearing how unhappy Christian and Maria are. These two should not have gotten married and his parents are idiots!

[becauseIsaidso]

The only couple I can buy so far is Christian and Maria....he's such a pissy POS of an adolescent/adult wannabee, while she is trying to live up to what she has been taught to accept as her life - except, somewhere along the line, no one ever bothered to tell her happiness wasn't a part of the equation....and given how happy her sister seems to be, it must be a double disappointment for Maria.  I do, however, love that she has the innate spunk to talk back to Christian, albeit in her own quiet way. Somehow that barely audible 'get over it' has much more impact than any screaming could. Christian needs a smack upside the head - as do his parents for not bothering to lay it on the line - teaching by example? BULLSHIT!  I wish Maria well....if it's with Christian, then after he has had a serious bout of honest self-reflection (which seems highly unlikely at this point)...and if it's without Christian, I hope the break up is accomplished in such a manner as to not dishonor either Maria or her family....I think she has the capacity to be a great partner to any man who will meet her half way.

 

Ragini & Veeral....I just don't buy it AT ALL.....they've lived together 4 years?....separate bedrooms (or not)....with marriage in mind and IN ALL THAT TIME the subject of his parents moving in with them post-nuptials (which, as far as I know is a well known/accepted part of Indian culture) AND babies, when and how many NEVER came up? I call total BS on that. They are both professionals, intelligent people who must have had plans for how their lives would go, yet they failed to include in-laws and children in the equation once they became 'arranged'? Garbage.

 

Meghan & Josh....well, I thought the idea of a woman attending college simply to get her MRS degree was sexist crap long dead, but not for dear, southern belle, Meghan.  And REALLY? They were both too drunk to remember whether or not they had 'safe sex' on that one night? Certainly they are not depending on the pill, other hormonal methods, implants, or IUD for birth control, which seems to leave condoms or the wonderfully accurate rhythm method (insert sarcasm) as the birth control method of choice. Did they not have the capacity to check on whether or not a condom had been used? Are they so stupid as to rely on the rhythm method? Methinks somebody is rather desperate for a story line. As much as I dislike Meghan, I wouldn't wish Josh's mother on my worst enemy...I can just imagine how Josh's mom as granny would make it her life's mission to upstage Meghan as mom every chance she got....she's one nasty piece of work, all wrapped up in a sheepskin of  'christian' values and 'southern womanhood'...(insert puke-face)

[AndySmith]

Only us homos are supposed to like mimosas? Wait, I'm gay but I don't like them...

[Sienna]

When Christan and Maria went to Manhattan, did he say something about "A lot different from Rochester, huh?" or was I just wasted? If he did, I guess that's where Maria's family is (I know we were wondering about that a thread or two back).

It's strange, but I don't mind Christan so much when he's being interviewed. He's actually able to articulate himself relatively well, which is a good part of why it bugs me SOOOO much that he's such a douchebag to Maria. He's not a withdrawn person incapable of expressing himself, he just never seems to put any effort into having a dialogue with his wife (one or two exceptions aside).

Megan and Josh... I can't even. How many med and grad school students does it take to pee on a stick? More than I would have thought, apparently. At this point, I'm as exasperated with Josh as I am Megan, but I'm holding out hope he has the sense to wrap it up from here on in. Megan is an "accidentally on purpose" waiting to happen.

The whole workout/sweet tea segment looked scripted as all hell. It's funny, though, I thought Megan actually looked pretty good in her workout clothes. The scarves/shawls/boots/clunky jewelry she usually layers on seem to add bulk and make her look bigger than she actually is.

Ragini and Veeral. Fake. No way did anyone with Ragini's personality marry a dude without hashing out major life decisions in advance. And I'm pretty sure Veeral's "buddies" were picked up at a casting call. That did not sound like a real conversation, mimosas notwithstanding. I think his actual friends ran from the idea of appearing on this train wreck.

[The Evil One]

I thought Christian said "alot different than upstate" - but he could have said Rochester and I was just half asleep. It made me feel worse for her knowing that her family is so far away from her. The only positive was Christian's dad telling him to stop trying to be her boss. Free Maria!

 

And totally agree on Ragini and Veeral - so fake. They are old enough, dating long enough, and not to mention living together for a while, to not have had these conversations before. I think Veeral just really, really wants to be on TV. How many times an episode does he need to declare that he works out five times a week? We get it - you want a casting agent to notice you!

[Kiss my mutt]

Why is it we never hear about Meghan going to school? I thought she was studying for her master's? Maybe she should concentrate on that rather than moping about not being pregnant or not liking the way she looks.

[fliptopbox]

We probably don't hear much about Meghan's schooling cos I bet she will never actually use that degree now that she is married. I get the vibe that she really just wants to be a stay at home mom/housewife, which is why not being pregnant was such a big disappointment. Whether having a baby is actually financially possible for she and Josh in the next couple of years doesn't matter to her, cos she is spoiled.

[mojito]

Pathetic that Christian and Maria went on their first date a couple months after being married. It was a relief to see Christian's family rallying to make Christian a better husband, and not just telling Maria to deal with it. I noticed that they never held hands while they walked the streets of Manhattan. Christian referred to "upstate". Surely he doesn't think that Queens, one of the boroughs of New York City, is "upstate"? 

 

Is that boy no longer working? His parents just support him and his wife? Oh, that's right, Maria sells flowers in bars at night....

 

I just comment on the show as it's presented and don't get bogged down too much on what's scripted. So I'm commenting on the way these characters allowed themselves to be depicted. It's a shame that Veeral and Ragini don't mind their looking like clueless teenagers who never discussed important issues before marrying. I thought it was funny to hear Ragini emphasize that her parents' marriage was arranged, as though she didn't consider her marriage arranged. Poor editing; now we know that they don't consider themselves as an arranged couple.

 

I liked Ragini realizing during the therapy session that she doesn't listen. She has some sense of self-awareness. That's a good thing.

 

Meghan and Josh....We only got three reminders that they were in the South. Good grief....talk about a case of chronic uniqueness. Well, at least now the rest of the bible-thumping world knows that they can seek out a pastor/rabbi/priest, etc. in times of marital trouble. Thanks Josh and Meghan for educating the rest of us. I think she needs to find herself some older guy who's already established so that she can stay home being barefoot and pregnant, and he needs to work on his career and paying off his debts. His mother just needs to stop making such a fool of herself on camera.

[Bella]

I think I might like Ragini as a professional colleague and Veeral as someone to add to our circle of friends. But not together. The rest of these folks I have no use for, though I'd sort of like to kidnap Maria to get her out of that horrible so-called marriage.

[Cabarb]

I still think Christian is a huge spoiled baby, and I want to drive to their house and kidnap Maria every single time I watch this show.  But even I can admit that I actually liked the Times Square trip.  They have such a long way to go, and I continue to doubt that they will ever thrive and be happy, but that was the first time I saw Christian smile and relax a little.  He seemed to want to do something for his wife to make her happy.  I even chuckled when he said that he was bringing her to Serendipity because his mother had told him about seeing it in an old movie and wanted his father to take her there, but he never had.  He kind of shook his head, snickered and rolled his eyes which actually endeared him to me just a tiny bit.  

 

I agree with those of you calling the whole Ragini//Veeral thing fake.  These cannot possibly be new issues for them, and watching them play out on television is just silly after knowing that they have been together for 4 years.

 

Megan and Josh. . .I don't know even where to start with these two.  I also want to know about Megan and school.  She is supposedly finishing up this degree but we never see her go anywhere or do anything - unless it's to tea with her girlfriends or shopping with her mother to kvetch about how much she wants to be pregnant.  Despite the fact that they both agreed that it would be ridiculously stupid to have a baby right now.  BUT. . .I did feel a tiny bit of sympathy for her.  As irrational as it is, I could very easily understand the feeling of disappointment when she found out she wasn't pregnant.  I don't want to get too personal here because I know that's not what this forum is for.  But, I have an only child - a son who is now grown and in college.  I have never wanted any other children and starting over again after mine is grown and almost gone would be crazy.  Having said that, I had my tubes tied last month.  And it made me a little sad.  Despite the fact that I didn't WANT more children, it was a sad feeling knowing that I physically CAN'T have them now.  So I definitely understand the conflicted feelings she's having.  But whining and crying and moping about it, all the while disguising her feelings and hiding them from her husband is just silly.  I love me some sweet tea but that whole melodramatic pouring the tea down the drain scene wanted to make me throw my remote control at her head.

[Pepper Mostly]

oh god, that was embarrassing! Jesus Megan, its a beverage, not your lifesaving heart medication or your week's supply of heroin. Does she think she'll be kicked out of her Southern Belles local if she doesn't guzzle sweet tea?

 

My heart breaks for poor little Maria. I bet young Gypsy girls are kept on a short leash, so when they get married, they look forward to being able to go out and do as they please. She's said so many times "I thought we'd go out, have fun". In a way, getting married is probably freedom. They can go out to dinner and to the movies and to the mall with their good looking young husbands, no one to tell them they have to be home by ten. She thought she'd have a companion and a circle of other young couples to hang out with. Instead she has pouty Christian, who can barely be arsed to have a conversation with her.

[ChristmasJones]

I keep watching... but don't have too much to say.

 

One moment in this episode that killed me was when Megan said something to the effect of when you've been arranged its hard to know how to open up and share your feelings with your husband.  These two are not arranged!! How long were they dating before marriage?

I hated that moment as much as I hate the comments about things being due to them being from the South.

 

I did enjoy the moment when Josh's parents were talking about the first year of marriage and his mom was saying how hard it was and then the dad says it wasn't for him. The look on her face was hilarious.

[ethalfrida]

Christian and Maria are cute. I envy them their adventure in finding each other and themselves. Part of them is the camera but when the real parts come through he is really a charmer. It is not his fault the older males in his family waited until the TV show came along before they started teaching him to be more sensitive and responsible. 

[Rahul]

The title of this episode confuses me, probably because I watch way too many Housewives shows on Bravo. The episode which airs post-reunion is always called "Secrets Revealed" and features previously unaired scenes from the cutting room floor which have been cobbled together.

 

Judging by the way they interacted at Serendipity, I'm under the impression that Christian and Maria still have not consummated their marriage. That was very much a first date and not in the sense that you might go out to breakfast with your hookup from the night before.

 

Josh and Meghan infuriate me because they have no business being on a show about arranged marriage. If Meghan and her mother are as close as she claims, there was no way she waited several weeks until cameras were rolling to tell her about the pregnancy scare which sent her into a depression. That scene was entirely staged for the cameras. Moreover, the scene with the sweet tea? Good lord. These people are so dull their storyline revolves around one person dumping out the other's treat of choice. I did get a kick of how Meghan stormed out (presumably to go buy herself another tea) while the cameras lingered in Josh's house. It seemed she just may have driven around the block a few times and then returned home since the camera crews were still filming.

 

If this show comes back for a second season, I hope FYI has the sense to only cast couples who truly have arranged marriages.

[mojito]

 

If this show comes back for a second season, I hope FYI has the sense to only cast couples who truly have arranged marriages.

I hope they cast new couples.