S06.E01: A Secret Marriage and Sister Wives Unseen

[MMLEsq]

If Kody dies first, Robyn will get his benefits. If Meri doesn't remarry, she and Robyn will get Kody's social security benefits. Janelle has worked so she should be getting something. What about Christine? She hasn't worked outside of the home. The "trio team" of Kody, Robyn, and Meri will be ok. Their team kinda goes against the wonderful plural family.

 

 

Christine will have nothing and will end up the dependent of one of her own children --- much like how her mother now resides with her.

 

What I don't understand is how Robyn says, "If something happens to Kody, then I'll have to be responsible for taking care of the other wives."  Um, no, if Kody has a will, you won't.  His "estate" (hee!)  would be divided however the will dictates.  One or more of the other wives could even be named executors.  If Kody's will specifies that his estate is to be divided equally among the four women, then that's what will happen.  The only way a monkey wrench could be thrown into the plan would be if Robyn -- as the legal wife -- exercises her right to the surviving spouse's elective share (i.e., Robyn chooses to grab more than her 1/4 share).  But she's not responsible for taking care of the other wives if there's a will.  And, good Lord, I hope with all those kids that they all have wills.  (Although nothing would surprise me, at this point, with this crew.)  Even if Robyn did decide to take her elective share as the surviving spouse -- all she'd be entitled to is 50% of Kody's community property (I believe that's the law in Nevada).  If all of the assets are kept generally in the various wives' names, then there really wouldn't be much to Kody's estate anyway. 

 

Also, it irked me that they all kept talking about needing to have a "claim" on Robyn's kids.  Technically, it might be correct, but it suggests that the children are property and I wish they'd stop using the word "claim."  Perhaps -- and this seems to be their point -- they should say, "If something should happen to Robyn, we would hope that the children's lives wouldn't need to be further affected."....   something that sounds more like the concern is for the kids, and not just for what Kody, Meri, Janelle and Christine want for themselves.

[leighroda]

I actually have an Unsnarky question that I just thought of as I am watching this rerun.

As Meri is reading the divorce decree and she is talking about how that paper doesn't matter and forever is something different to her and all that, it occurred to me, especially in this family where they are all adement that everyone is equal, then why is anyone legally married? I swear I mean that honestly and I'm not snarking, I just don't understand the logic, even removed from the whole Robyn storyline. If simply by nature of the legal marriage the legal wife is going to get privlages that do not apply to the other wives, so no matter how many times they say they are equal, they are not. I just don't understand if the spiritual marriages are truly the only ones that matter, then why bother with 1 legal marriage? Does anyone have any insight on this? Maybe there is a reason for a legal wife, I just don't understand I guess.

[ginger90]

Meri was the original "legal" wife. That seemed reasonable as she was the first. The whole divorce and re-marriage, no sense at all, to me!

Edited September 21, 2015 by ginger90

[AdorkableWitch]

This is an odd fb page. Granted, I didn't spend too much time looking, but what do the letters TMI stand for? Why did they capitalize the word "Reality" in that sentence? Do you think Janelle knew about and okayed that particular bit of lackluster promotion? One positive: at least there is a trace of evidence that one adult member of this herd is making some attempt to have a marketable-ish skill for when the camera crew packs up for good. (Not that the real estate market in Vegas is anything to hang your hat on...)

TMI Realty is the name of the company. It's a national company like Re-Max

[RedheadZombie]

Meri was the original "legal" wife. That seemed reasonable as she was the first. The whole divorce and re-marriage, no sense at all, to me!

 

I agree with you.  I think even if you plan on being polygamous, you start out with a legal marriage just in case.  The confusing part is that Joe Darger married his first two wives on the same day.  One legal, and the other spiritual.  I think the legal wife was the "older" one.  Of course they were cousins as well.

[missy jo]

I just don't understand if the spiritual marriages are truly the only ones that matter, then why bother with 1 legal marriage? Does anyone have any insight on this? Maybe there is a reason for a legal wife, I just don't understand I guess.

 

 

I don't get it either.

[tabloidlover]

Because it doesn't make sense.  The Browns have NO sense. 

[Pollock]

I actually have an Unsnarky question that I just thought of as I am watching this rerun.

As Meri is reading the divorce decree and she is talking about how that paper doesn't matter and forever is something different to her and all that, it occurred to me, especially in this family where they are all adement that everyone is equal, then why is anyone legally married? I swear I mean that honestly and I'm not snarking, I just don't understand the logic, even removed from the whole Robyn storyline. If simply by nature of the legal marriage the legal wife is going to get privlages that do not apply to the other wives, so no matter how many times they say they are equal, they are not. I just don't understand if the spiritual marriages are truly the only ones that matter, then why bother with 1 legal marriage? Does anyone have any insight on this? Maybe there is a reason for a legal wife, I just don't understand I guess.

Knowing nothing about US laws about it but trying to make sense of the situation too: could it be if Kody dies without being married to at least one of them and without a will, his relatives like parents or brothers inherit his estate (just typing Kody and estate in the same sentence is funny to me), not his notlegallymarriedwives? So with marrying one of them, polygamist men make sure all wives are protected, if the first wife acts in good faith of course.

[auntiemel]

Meri: If Kody and Robyn are legally married, then the topic of polygamy will just never come up at all in the court proceedings for the adoptions.

Me: Yep, that's exactly how it'll go down. NAILED IT! :/

Edited September 21, 2015 by auntiemel

[algebra]

For one thing, legally married or not, Kody already has 14 (?) children to support although marrying off some of the teenaged daughters might help with that.

But he already has a huge lot of financial liability here. And how many bankruptcies? How much debt are they carrying? Judges look at that in adoption cases. Can you actually afford more kids? Kody doesn't even have a job. Think about this.

[tabloidlover]

For one thing, legally married or not, Kody already has 14 (?) children to support although marrying off some of the teenaged daughters might help with that.

But he already has a huge lot of financial liability here. And how many bankruptcies? How much debt are they carrying? Judges look at that in adoption cases. Can you actually afford more kids? Kody doesn't even have a job. Think about this.

You're being too logical, algebra.  None of these idiots have logic, and I would be willing to bet they don't understand the definition either.  This entire clan wants everything the way they want it - why can't everyone just understand that?? (not directed at the group here - this is their thought process).   It's like arguing with a 2 year old (or a group of them in this case).  You will get nowhere.  Just a big headache from slamming your head into the wall.

Edited September 21, 2015 by tabloidlover

[JoannKB]

Meri was acting like a petulant teenager in that scene with Janelle coming over to her house to ask her to work on their relationship. Janelle was dressed and acting like an adult, while Meri was sitting there in a bedazzled "Rebel" t-shirt and jean jacket, fiddling with her phone and not making eye contact.

[Madding crowd]

Why shouldn't Meri dress the way she wants to? To me, there are different ways to be an adult and I don't find Janelle to be any fashion plate. At the time this was filmed, Meri just went through the divorce, and she tried many times before to make peace with Janelle. I can see her being both nervous and wary of Janelle suddenly changing her mind. 

[zenme]

Meri was acting like a petulant teenager in that scene with Janelle coming over to her house to ask her to work on their relationship.

 

I agree. Meri seems to like drama and attention.  If someone had decided to work on our relationship after my asking several times, I would gladly welcome it.  I don't see why Meri would be wary about it either, given their horrible history.  Theoretically, they are in this relationship for the rest of their lives.  If Jenelle is finally coming around to working on the relationship then accept it. 

[SuzWhat]

This is the most fucked up fuckery these fuckwits has ever been up to.

Edited September 21, 2015 by SuzWhat

[Texasmom1970]

Am I wrong that I want someone to bring in another sister wife so we can see how sneaky ass Robin tries to derail that scenario! Yeah its all wine and roses now what if Kadouche tires of Robin.

I know forgive me now for saying this but the wedding photos of asshat and Meri, he actually looked decent back in the day!

Meri needs an office so she can sit at her desk while she drinks something she made at her wet bar

[SometimesBites]

Am I wrong that I want someone to bring in another sister wife so we can see how sneaky ass Robin tries to derail that scenario! Yeah its all wine and roses now what if Kadouche tires of Robin.

I know forgive me now for saying this but the wedding photos of asshat and Meri, he actually looked decent back in the day!

Meri needs an office so she can sit at her desk while she drinks something she made at her wet bar

Heck no--that may be the #1 SW snarkers' fantasy. Like I posted on CJ's blog: Robyn is terribly smug about the glorious sacrifices plyg wives make, due to their tremendous love for one another. But let's get real: her only experience as a sister wife is being the new toy. By all accounts and from everything I've seen, the absolute toughest part of plural marriage for the women is when your man displaces you with the next woman in line. Robyn has been an only wife (with Jessop), and the new toy wife (with Kody). If she really wants to roll around in the glories of polygamy, she should urge Kody to find a hot 23-year-old. Then she'll have a firsthand chance to show us how self-sacrificing sisterwives are. It should all make her feel wonderfully warm and fuzzy.

[andromeda331]

Heck no--that may be the #1 SW snarkers' fantasy. Like I posted on CJ's blog: Robyn is terribly smug about the glorious sacrifices plyg wives make, due to their tremendous love for one another. But let's get real: her only experience as a sister wife is being the new toy. By all accounts and from everything I've seen, the absolute toughest part of plural marriage for the women is when your man displaces you with the next woman in line. Robyn has been an only wife (with Jessop), and the new toy wife (with Kody).

Yep, its all great until he marries someone else. This really does seem to be the case with all of

the polygamists we've seen. The happiest is usually, the current last wife. Its only until their

husband marries the next one they understand how the other wives felt. Given what a "great"

sister wife Robyn has been. Here's hoping she gets to experience it real soon.

[BlackWidow]

This episode was insufferable...... weird, measured way of speaking, the bad make-up job and every sentence starting with the word "I."

 

   

        I can't figure out if she is just simply inarticulate or if it is that mixed with this instinctual sense of hmm, let me take this opportunity to grab the upper hand,  how can I gain control in this situation. It's almost as if everyone has to walk on eggshells how they approach her with everything because they just know, it's going to be that moment of 'one Mississippi , two Mississippi' where she calculates and/or goes into this strange, I'm-the-CEO-here..."  maybe a combination of that mixed with condescending preschool teacher.  I don't know if she could handle it if she got what she wanted and Janelle were to let it all hang out and be 'rill' (AKA 'real' in plygspeak) .

Janelle: So Meri can we make some kind of attempt at getting along? (but I'm not doing it without some therapist person to protect me!)

 

Meri :

 

[JocelynCavanaugh]

        Iet it all hang out and be 'rill' (AKA 'real' in plygspeak) .

 

The plyg/Utahn aversion to long vowels has become increasingly annoying to me. When they flashed back to choosing Kody and Robyn's "wedding" cake, Robyn was talking about how she was worried about "fillings" and I honestly thought she meant cake fillings. But she meant "feelings." She and Christine are the worst offenders for this. There are regional accents, which, whatever, yay, diversity… and then there are accents that actually obscure meaning and make communication less effective. Their way of speaking is very unclear, for this and many other reasons!

[riverblue22]

Speaking of language, someone mentioned how Meri kept saying "ya" instead of "you" in the big scene with Janelle.  She seemed too lazy to bother forming the word correctly.  Later, I noticed in one of her discussions with Robyn she always said "you."  There wasn't a "ya" in sight.  Why the difference?

[Kohola3]

Their way of speaking is very unclear, for this and many other reasons!

 

With these idiots, sometimes that's a blessing, Keeps the blood pressure under control.

[JocelynCavanaugh]

Speaking of language, someone mentioned how Meri kept saying "ya" instead of "you" in the big scene with Janelle. She seemed too lazy to bother forming the word correctly. Later, I noticed in one of her discussions with Robyn she always said "you." There wasn't a "ya" in sight. Why the difference?

I think she was trying to be flip as a way to look less rage-y than she actually felt. (Whether that simmering rage was justified is another discussion...) It came across as passive-aggressive, though.

[ChiCricket]

That woman may look and talk like a bumpkin and have the inbred Habsburg jaw but she is down right Machiavellian.

Well, I learned two new things today from this post. I had to Google Habsburg jaw and the definition of Machiavellian. Who says TV isn't educational? (Well, at least these PTV boards are.)

[firedancer41]

What was with the creepy wide-eyed girl sitting with the family at Hunter's match? I had to rewind it. She looked like someone

out of an SNL skit!

Edited September 23, 2015 by firedancer41

[islandgal140]

Well, I learned two new things today from this post. I had to Google Habsburg jaw and the definition of Machiavellian. Who says TV isn't educational? (Well, at least these PTV boards are.)

 

[xtwheeler]

Regarding the kids' adoption, here in CA after a certain age they will give weight to the child's opinion on custody, but it is not decisive, nor have I ever heard of it extending to severing a parent's rights entirely, in the absence of an emancipation action. My beloved spent the ages of about 6-16 in court trying to sever his biological father's parental rights. It was a ten year struggle and based on far, far more substance than anything the Browns have alleged.

The whole thing stinks to high heaven. This was a scheme. And I absolutely cannot believe that if these dipshits were collecting child support from Robyn's baby daddy they would initiate a court action that would eliminate any child support payment possibility.

[MrsMommy]

Speaking of kodys estate, I'm in recp now, going for my managing broker license. If there is no will ( I don't there won't be one but work with me) if there is no will when kody dies meri can step in and take everything and/or Kodys kids can step in and take everything from everyone! The reason behind this is, all that property was bought before Robyn and cody got married therefore it is his property unless he leaves are as survivorship in a will. Meri being the legal wife when he bought this property even though they divorced she still has the right to everything. And if cody has a separate bank account withiut any of the girls names on it, when he passes only his kids can take that (unless survivorship is left to one person) now if he has a will that changes the game. And as long as the women each have their name on their house, no one can take that from them. Sorry for the long post but going to school about this has got me talking about it more.

Regarding the kids' adoption, here in CA after a certain age they will give weight to the child's opinion on custody, but it is not decisive, nor have I ever heard of it extending to severing a parent's rights entirely, in the absence of an emancipation action. My beloved spent the ages of about 6-16 in court trying to sever his biological father's parental rights. It was a ten year struggle and based on far, far more substance than anything the Browns have alleged.

The whole thing stinks to high heaven. This was a scheme. And I absolutely cannot believe that if these dipshits were collecting child support from Robyn's baby daddy they would initiate a court action that would eliminate any child support payment possibility.

In south carolina, II asked my ex to terminate his rights and all he had to do is sign a paper to terminate, the judge and Lawyers didn't care as long as we bith agreed to it. He hasn't seen his daughter except for 2 minutes in court to get dna. The whole process was over within 2 weeks, bc it took that long to get the dna back

[Juliegirlj]

It is kind of surprising that in all of the discussions on the Internet about Sister Wives not one single person seems to know anyone close to David Jessop! Knowing if he allowed his kids to be adopted by Kody might shed some light on what is really going on with this bunch!

[CofCinci]

While I am curious about David Jessop, it's actually refreshing that he is not a famewhore and wants to maintain his privacy.

[SometimesBites]

While I am curious about David Jessop, it's actually refreshing that he is not a famewhore and wants to maintain his privacy.

And you have to know that the dude has been seriously sought-after. That he has remained off the radar so completely is quite interesting, especially in light of how completely he's been slammed by the Browns.