Season 3 Discussion

[Pepper Mostly]

Loren and Alexei - The situation about moving in with her parents in Florida because Alexei can't work seemed contrived. Sure, New York is an expensive place to live, but from the looks of her apartment and her expensive shopping habit it seems like she makes decent enough money as an Executive Assistant that the two of them could scrape by for 90 days - especially if she cuts back the spending a bit. Seems like a waste to throw away a job and an apartment just for 3 months.

Yes, this. She clearly was not hurting in NYC. Her proposed arrangement screams "producer driven", doesn't it?  How much could Alexei eat that she suddenly can't afford her apartment? and in what universe does it make sense to quit her job? to go sponge off her parents? smh.

 

I'm just dying to see when Mormon kid's mother's head explodes. She could barely contain herself (thin smile, clenched jaw, cold eyes) from losing it in the very first episode. The very mention of alcohol had her clutching her pearls. She may be my favorite peripheral character this season. Though my heart will always belong to Ron and his Swiffer.

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

 

A Bridge Too Devar
90 Day Fiancé is back, with a whole new crop of American idiots and their enterprising foreign brides/grooms. How did the couples rank this week?

[pamme64]

I'm wondering if the reason she is going to bring Dev back is because she's afraid he won't get on the plane? That maybe he's been in this spot before and turned tail and ran at the last minute.

I'm hoping Loren is doing the move-in-with-parents thing just for the show, that she'll get a leave of absence from her job and keep her apt. Because otherwise, she's going to be sorely disappointed when he doesn't dig being with her 24/7, mom and dad hovering with disapproval, etc.

 

Just curious why her parents (loren) would disapprove of the import? He seems to check most of the boxes that I would think parents would like.

[cooksdelight]

Just curious why her parents (loren) would disapprove of the import? He seems to check most of the boxes that I would think parents would like.

We don't know what Loren has told them. The fact she's moving back home, with him, might make them a little aprehensive that he's just in it for a green card. Plus... let's not forget.... the storylines are manufactured a lot of the time so who knows what's real and what's script?

[LovetoSnark]

He doesn't have permission yet to come to the U.S. He's from Israel. Think about it... and our country's relations with countries in the Middle East.

I think most of us assume because Loren is Jewish & he lives in Israel that he is Jewish. 20.7% of the population  of Israel is not Jewish but  Palestinian. Unfortunately, he may be a great guy -- but if he is Palestinian he will be checked out by both governments more thoroughly .

Edited October 13, 2015 by LovetoSnark

[Drogo]

I watched this show because I heard it was a train wreck, and it didn't disappoint.  First you put the flour and the water on the birthday person?  Then you have a few drinks?  You're a specimen?  The shredded blue leggings Mark's sister was wearing to kayak?  Wut...

 

With 30 years of seniority working against you, Mark, I recommend you find a better camera angle than this one:

 

Josh sounds like he's on the verge of tears at every moment.  This makes me uncomfortable. 

 

Good looking kid, though - he looks like Brad Pitt in "A River Runs Through It."

[Kangatush]

I assume Alexei is Jewish because she said he was their tour group leader. That would be a very odd job for a Palestinian to have with groups of American Jews as clients.

I think he and Loren have a shot if she can find a way to grow up, even if she's back living with her parents. They seem to have met in a fairly normal way, have similar lives, are of a similar age... all good signs.

Like I have hope for Aleksandra and Josh. She seems to genuinely love him. They have two big hurdles. Can his family move on from her past? It seems like she was a fairly normal youth, not like she was an international porn star or anything. And can he cut the ties with his family and have his own relationship separate from them? You can be close to your family and not live within like 5 miles of them.

I'll reserve my full Mel and Devar opinion for a little. Did anyone notice in the preview for next week when he said he intended to send money back to his sisters and she mentioned a pre-nup? Honey, you knew he was supporting them (on a lifeguard salary), why are you surprised that he wants to still when his job prospects are so much bigger? And isn't she a nurse? A noble profession, but not one of your higher paying jobs where she needs to worry about protecting her assets. I really hope her concern for her son isn't just lip service, but stop trying to make Devar insta-dad.

Mark and Nikki are the obvious train wreck to me. He seems to give good talk about going with the flow and just accepting happiness, but then he does get weird and controlling. I have to say that his daughter is taking it better than I would if my dad announced he was moving in a woman younger than I am that he's known in person for under a week. Especially if he went the extra mile to tell me how good she'd look in my clothing. Where was the totally legitimate argument from her on how is this different than it was with my mother? Should be fun to see how it all plays out.

[deltaburkefan]

I assumed Alexei was Russian-Israeli, Alexei being a Russian name.

[cooksdelight]

With 30 years of seniority working against you, Mark, I recommend you find a better camera angle than this one....

Drogo, he's got 40 years seniority on his young bride. But yeah....

[RCharter]

 

I'm hoping Loren is doing the move-in-with-parents thing just for the show, that she'll get a leave of absence from her job and keep her apt. Because otherwise, she's going to be sorely disappointed when he doesn't dig being with her 24/7, mom and dad hovering with disapproval, etc.

I'm assuming it was for show.  Her apartment in NYC looks HUGE, and I can't imagine she can afford that without a little help from Mom and Dad.  They also seem to all have enough money to fly to Canada just to meet Alexi.  I'm not sure how much of a leave of absence she can get from her job -- NYC has a pretty big population and being an executive assistant doesn't seem like that tough a position to fill.

 

He is a total betty though -- I might make the sacrifice for him, but not moving back in with my parents.  I've always told them I would live in my car before I did that.

I watched this show because I heard it was a train wreck, and it didn't disappoint.  First you put the flour and the water on the birthday person?  Then you have a few drinks?  You're a specimen?  The shredded blue leggings Mark's sister was wearing to kayak?  Wut...

 

Jaysus!  Those things really fit the entire checklist of what not to wear....age inappropriate - check, tacky - check, not right for your body type - check.

 

Seriously Mary, just because you can walk into the juniors section of the KMart doesn't mean you should wear anything from there.

Edited October 13, 2015 by RCharter

[CourtneyCourt]

Wow. I finally watched this show this morning while on the elliptical. I saved it just for that occasion to help motivate me to get up for work and work out at 4am. And wow did it deliver!!! Mark was significantly creepy, but sometimes I think guys like him are just happy to be in the company of a good looking, young woman regardless of how much sex is actually happening. I can't wait to see which bedroom she chooses!! Devar and Mel, I don't know what to think yet. I guess they bond over the running and being physically fit, but they seem an odd match to me. I will have to watch more of them to fully grasp what I think. I'd like to know more details of Loren and Alexei and the delayed Visa. I know we have issues with the Middle East, but they can't use a passport and visit like we do to go to, say, Mexico? Josh and aleksandra are the Alan and Kiriyam to me. I can't wait for this season to play out!!

[RCharter]

here is what annoys me about Josh's family.  Josh went overseas to convert people.  He converted this girl and she gave up her lifestyle.  Yet his parents sit in judgment of her.  What is the point of converting people if you're just going to judge them for their past when they change?  "Well, we don't want our son to marry a go-go dancer."  Well, mary was a reformed hooker and jesus was a carpenter.  And not for nothing, a carpenter that turned water into wine for a wedding.  I truly think its people like that that give organized religion a bad name.

Edited October 13, 2015 by RCharter

[LillysPad]

I assume Alexei is Jewish because she said he was their tour group leader. That would be a very odd job for a Palestinian to have with groups of American Jews as clients.

 

I thought he was a medic she met in a bar while on her trip. Maybe I better go watch that part again.

[cooksdelight]

I think the tour group leader was Josh?

[LillysPad]

I have a feeling Josh's Mom is going to find Aleksandra leaning against the house smoking a cigarette next week.

Why oh why did they include that little girl on the couch with Ma & Pa? lol Poor thing.

I think the tour group leader was Josh?

HA! I am not sure. TLC has done it again with making the names similar to my brain and making two of the American's go on a tour of some kind is not helping this Owl.

[LaChavalina]

Having read the posts here before watching, I thought Melanie was going to be much worse. At the very least, she seems to show more genuine concern for her son than Danielle ever did for her kids around Mo. And I won't pass judgment on her because she has her son "on weekends." I feel like that's sometimes the reality of being divorced with a school-aged child. I don't know my feelings on Devar, though.

 

It was much more interesting to me that Mark's three kids (sons?) were absent. Since their faces were blurred in the family photos, are we to assume they chose not to be involved in the show at all? And he told his kids about his engagement in a Facebook update? Doesn't really sit well with the narrative of Mark as a doting single father.

 

What bothered me about both Mark and Nikki was how "coached" they both seemed. Having watched S1 & S2 of this show, it's weird to me that there's such a common "script" on all these couplings of American men and Filipina women. "They view marriage as a team," "they value marriage more," accompanied by the same set of photos with the happy couple riding on a moped together. TLC must find these folks on the same message boards or through the same matchmaking sites. I'm in agreement with the poster above: Anyone on this show who is saying "we'll see what happens in 90 days" should not have gotten a K1 visa. That's not what the process is for. If you're bringing over someone to date and not someone you're in love with and already committed to marrying, you're abusing the process. In Mark's case, it feels like borderline human trafficking. Is he just going to find another teen girl when this relationship goes south?

[cooksdelight]

.... Mark's three kids (sons?) were absent. Since their faces were blurred in the family photos, are we to assume they chose not to be involved in the show at all? And he told his kids about his engagement in a Facebook update?

If their faces are blurred, they did not sign an agreement to be on the show. I am guessing they want nothing to do with the show, hoping it doesn't speak the same for their father. And yes, he thinks because he put it on Facebook, it was letting everyone know of his engagement in the proper way. Shows how immature he is.

We've all read from various sites and couples who were on the show that they edit as they see fit, and they dictate how the storyline will go. Brett and Daya choosing not to be a part of the recap show said it all. I think it was someone in Daya's family who came on the boards and told us she was nothing like what was shown on TV.

It pains me that people who've obviously seen this show now, still want to be a part of it. Is fame, or infamy, really that important? The money isn't big, and you are at the mercy of TLC.

[IvySpice]

So I hear that Rexburg, Idaho is thought of as the land of uptight, ultraconservative sticklers by Mormons in UTAH.

 

And she just spent three years at a university in Prague. I can't wait to see how that adjustment goes.

[RCharter]

If their faces are blurred, they did not sign an agreement to be on the show. I am guessing they want nothing to do with the show, hoping it doesn't speak the same for their father. And yes, he thinks because he put it on Facebook, it was letting everyone know of his engagement in the proper way. Shows how immature he is.

It pains me that people who've obviously seen this show now, still want to be a part of it. Is fame, or infamy, really that important? The money isn't big, and you are at the mercy of TLC.

That was the most ridiculous nonsense I have ever heard and I'm surprised he is even trying to get away with it.

[Neurochick]

here is what annoys me about Josh's family.  Josh went overseas to convert people.  He converted this girl and she gave up her lifestyle.  Yet his parents sit in judgment of her.  What is the point of converting people if you're just going to judge them for their past when they change?  "Well, we don't want our son to marry a go-go dancer."  Well, mary was a reformed hooker and jesus was a carpenter.  And not for nothing, a carpenter that turned water into wine for a wedding.  I truly think its people like that that give organized religion a bad name.

 

Amen to this.  I wanted to tell Josh's parents, "What Would Jesus Do?"  I mean he hung out with everybody.  People like them give organized religion a bad name.  What hypocrites!  And BTW, Jesus wasn't too fond of hypocrites.  

[pamme64]

I assumed Alexei was Russian-Israeli, Alexei being a Russian name.

I thought so too, especially when I heard him speak.

Having read the posts here before watching, I thought Melanie was going to be much worse. At the very least, she seems to show more genuine concern for her son than Danielle ever did for her kids around Mo. And I won't pass judgment on her because she has her son "on weekends." I feel like that's sometimes the reality of being divorced with a school-aged child. I don't know my feelings on Devar, though.

 

It was much more interesting to me that Mark's three kids (sons?) were absent. Since their faces were blurred in the family photos, are we to assume they chose not to be involved in the show at all? And he told his kids about his engagement in a Facebook update? Doesn't really sit well with the narrative of Mark as a doting single father.

 

What bothered me about both Mark and Nikki was how "coached" they both seemed. Having watched S1 & S2 of this show, it's weird to me that there's such a common "script" on all these couplings of American men and Filipina women. "They view marriage as a team," "they value marriage more," accompanied by the same set of photos with the happy couple riding on a moped together. TLC must find these folks on the same message boards or through the same matchmaking sites. I'm in agreement with the poster above: Anyone on this show who is saying "we'll see what happens in 90 days" should not have gotten a K1 visa. That's not what the process is for. If you're bringing over someone to date and not someone you're in love with and already committed to marrying, you're abusing the process. In Mark's case, it feels like borderline human trafficking. Is he just going to find another teen girl when this relationship goes south?

 

It took him about 20 years to find the courage to find another women just like the last one, knowing how it will affect his family, knowing he's going to look silly and knowing that he's going to be mocked....Yes, he'll do it again. It's his wheelhouse.  

[GracieK]

Amen to this.  I wanted to tell Josh's parents, "What Would Jesus Do?"  I mean he hung out with everybody.  People like them give organized religion a bad name.  What hypocrites!  And BTW, Jesus wasn't too fond of hypocrites.  

 

I usually don't fall back on the old editing argument because it can't make you say things you didn't or behave in ways you didn't.. however, in this case, how do we know they haven't offered sentiments stating that they admire her conversion and changing her life?  In all of these shows, you have a producer or someone behind the camera asking questions like "what do you think of your son marrying a go go dancer"?  While the response we were shown sounded judgemental, we don't know that they didn't further elaborate and that part was cut out. 

[RCharter]

I usually don't fall back on the old editing argument because it can't make you say things you didn't or behave in ways you didn't.. however, in this case, how do we know they haven't offered sentiments stating that they admire her conversion and changing her life?  In all of these shows, you have a producer or someone behind the camera asking questions like "what do you think of your son marrying a go go dancer"?  While the response we were shown sounded judgemental, we don't know that they didn't further elaborate and that part was cut out. 

By that token we also don't know that they haven't said even more judgmental things that were edited out.  

[GracieK]

I kind of feel like that stuff would be left in.  The whole point is to create a storyline of tension and drama.  If it was all sunshine and roses there wouldn't be nearly the interest or discussion around it. 

[RCharter]

I kind of feel like that stuff would be left in.  The whole point is to create a storyline of tension and drama.  If it was all sunshine and roses there wouldn't be nearly the interest or discussion around it. 

Sure -- tension and drama, but maybe only so much of it for this particular story.  If you left in every possible bad thing they could have said it could go past the point of no return.  The ultimate point though is that, there is no real way of knowing what was left out, we can only really go by whats been left in.  And if the question was "would you like your son to marry a go-go dancer" a more complete answer would have been "I just want my son to marry a woman who is strong in her Mormon faith" and left it at that, or "as long as she is right in our faith her past doesn't matter to me."  But they gave the answer they gave.   I mean, as reasonable human beings, they couldn't possibly just think that some producer for 90 Day Fiance was asking them their views on go-go dancers because they are such experts on the subject.

Edited October 14, 2015 by RCharter

[GracieK]

Meh.. I used to be very much of the philosophy that you shouldn't say or do anything you wouldn't want edited or televised to make you look bad.. but after years of watching The Bachelor/Bachelorette, I know better than to take everything at face value.  And I'm certainly not going to condemn them for giving organized religion a bad name based off of a 5 second clip.  

[RCharter]

Meh.. I used to be very much of the philosophy that you shouldn't say or do anything you wouldn't want edited or televised to make you look bad.. but after years of watching The Bachelor/Bachelorette, I know better than to take everything at face value.  And I'm certainly not going to condemn them for giving organized religion a bad name based off of a 5 second clip.  

Given their Christian faith I would think that would be their natural answer, not the one they would have to struggle with to make themselves look better.

[sleepyjean]

Was anyone else waiting for the "formerly fat" pictures of Mel? I kept waiting for her "I had gastric bypass" or "I lost a lot of weight and got a hot man" story arc. I don't know why I get that vibe, I was just expecting it.

I got that vibe as well, probably because there were 3 or 4 different scenes of her exercising, which has the effect of making it look like she does it excessively. Which takes me on the leap to she must be doing it because she used to have a weight problem.

 

Melanie and Devar - What was with Melanie making a big deal about Devar being a father figure to her son?

My initial thought was maybe she was trying to make the distinction between insta-father, and father figure. There's something off about Melanie's son's enthusiasm about Devar.  The kid sounded a little prompted. Not so much that he's been actually coached, but that he's saying what he knows his mom wants to hear. I'm glad for his sake he only sees her on the weekends, because here's another lady moving a stranger into her house and expecting her kid to be not only ok with it, but enthusiastic. Meanwhile, it's going to be nothing but awkward and uncomfortable for the kid.

 

 

As for Alexei and Loren though - I could not believe she expected him to go meet her parents right after his 13 hour flight. At first I was hoping she was just joking....but she was serious I guess

Yes, I thought that was pretty thoughtless. He looked so tired. I felt bad for him. Her energy really put me off. She's the kind of person who is exhausting just to be around.

 

here is what annoys me about Josh's family.  Josh went overseas to convert people.  He converted this girl and she gave up her lifestyle.  Yet his parents sit in judgment of her.  What is the point of converting people if you're just going to judge them for their past when they change?

 

There's a huge difference between converting people in another country, and bringing them into your family and home. I'm not defending his parents, but let's be practical here. If your (extremely young and naive) kid comes in and says he met a girl who used to be a partier and go-go dancer, but she's totally different now, do you believe it?  His parents know that not all conversions "take" and it's highly likely that Aleksandra will revert back to previous behavior and attitudes.   I'm skeptical of any relationship where one partner changes their whole life for the other. And I'm doubly skeptical when someone professes to have changed religion (and really their whole belief system and world view) for love, especially love with someone they don't know very well. And I definitely got the vibe that she converted for him, not because of some deep change inside herself. It's very easy to proclaim (and believe!) that your sinning days are over and you've been redeemed. Much more difficult to actually do it.

[Pepper Mostly]

I thought he was a medic she met in a bar while on her trip. Maybe I better go watch that part again.

And I thought he was the medic for their tour group! If he was affiliated in an official capacity with the Birthright group I'm pretty sure he's Jewish. And Loren seems like the kind of girl who wants to be traditional in that sense. She reminds me of Brenda Patimkin in Goodbye Columbus. A little teenage rebellion, a little "unconventional" in the context of her own family and community, but not one to really rock the boat. She might date outside her community, but when it comes time to settle down, I can't imagine she would not marry a Jewish guy. 

 

I thought Melanie's remark about being with her son on weekends was just that-- during the week she works, he goes to school, they're busy, so on the weekends they spend a lot of time together. She phrased it a little oddly is all. Time will tell! 

[GracieK]

But didn't Melanie specifically say she has custody of him on the weekends.  I don't think you would use the word custody in place of "spend time with" but who knows.

Edited October 14, 2015 by GracieK

[Amused]

What the heck was up with Devar when he was talking about how they celebrate birthdays in Jamaica to the 11 yr old son.    That was very very odd.   And my alarms would have went off if I was the mother.

[GracieK]

I think Melanie is dickmatized.

[cissyboo1]

Maybe Melanie has custody of her son on weekends, with the father having him the rest of the week, because she IS a nurse and may work crazy hours at times.  So rather than her kid being raised by a babysitter, he lives with his dad.  We'll see.

 

Alexei is cute, but Loren gives us Jewish girls a bad name with her voice, and her attitude, and her self-centeredness.  Of course, this Jewish girl married a Roman Catholic of Irish descent (2 kids, 14 military moves, and 20 + years), so who am I to talk.

[vmcd88]

Melanie's relationship seems like the beginning of an episode of some Investigation Discovery show where a woman starts a relationship with a man she barely knows and is shocked that her turned out to be a homicidal maniac.  Sad that she is involving her son in her nonsense.  Fine if you want to jeopardize your life with pretty much a stranger but your child....just insane.  I just dont understand why she doesnt just go to Jamaica several times a year.  Why move this man into your home?  He cant work while here right?  

The man who is recreating his first marriage is just crazy but at least his kids are grown.

[grumpypanda]

Random thoughts,

How Melanie got her Grove Back- I don't get what's in this for Davar if he doesn't really care about Melanie. Most 27 year old men would be happy to work on a beautiful beach all day and party all night with drunken tourists. Melanie is a nurse so I'm sure she makes a decent living but she's not a millionaire. Add a kid to the mix and it doesn't sound like much fun for him. I'm curious to see where this story goes.

Alexei and Loren- Just a thought, maybe Loren's parents live in Canada and only spend the summers in Florida. Perhaps, Loren is just taking an extended vacation from NY to film this show. I don't know, the whole set up seems weird to me. Alexei is hot so I think I'll enjoy this story.

Mark and Child Bride- Mark's an idiot and deserves what's coming to him. I feel bad for Nikki, her life must have been really bad in the Philippines if she's considering marrying that old fool. Poor girl is earning her green

Mormon guy and Aleksandra- Why are they acting like this girl was shooting heroin and making donkey porn? She drank and danced with her clothes on, that doesn't seem that bad to me.

[ethalfrida]

A little local fact we learned while in Jamaica...

 

Jobs at Jamaican resorts are age sensitive so employees are between 21 and their early 30s... very early thirties. That includes every last position.

 

So Devar is more than likely looking to make a change to secure his future

[RCharter]

A little local fact we learned while in Jamaica...

 

Jobs at Jamaican resorts are age sensitive so employees are between 21 and their early 30s... very early thirties. That includes every last position.

 

So Devar is more than likely looking to make a change to secure his future

To me, it sounds like he doesn't have much money and has to help his sister.  It could just be a free trip to America for him.  Although once he lands in her small and boring town he might change his mind.

 

It could turn into a Mo situation, because I would imagine he is one of the few men in town that looks the way he does and it could attract....attention of both the positive and negative variety.

[ethalfrida]

I 

 

To me, it sounds like he doesn't have much money and has to help his sister.  It could just be a free trip to America for him.  Although once he lands in her small and boring town he might change his mind.

 

It could turn into a Mo situation, because I would imagine he is one of the few men in town that looks the way he does and it could attract....attention of both the positive and negative variety.

You are pretty much correct but only having job security within that timeframe is enough to make someone take advantage of an opportunity.  In fact I met a group of musicians who had done that. I met the women they married and no one seemed unhappy. All the women were Caucasian and fully supported the guys financially. Yes, the guys were broke and they seized the opportunity. 

[autumnh]

No, he married a lady from the Philippines and had all four children with her, he stated during the program. I'm not sure why he would re-marry a woman who left him....???

 

 

He seems to be a repeat offender...it is creepy

I honestly believe that since it is season 3...all parties know what they are getting into and are playing up into those roles....

 

I find it hard to believe that none of this is scripted. Really.

[Drogo]

You know you have a problem when you walk up to the counter for K-1 visas and say "I'll have my usual."

[AussieBabe]

I'm watching the first episode.

Initial thoughts, Mark should've learned the first go round. Dude, your wife left you and four kids. He's aiming for a redo with the barely legal tenderoni. Thank goodness for his sister and daughter. If my stepmother was younger than me, I'd be concerned and weirded out, too.

I like Alexei and Loren. They strike me as as a couple who probably would've linked up if they had met in the same city. Hopefully she sees more this his hotness. I felt for her when she was at dinner with her parents and said she missed him.

Melanie is silly for moving the man in and exposing her child to somebody she's spent 10+ days with. It's fine if you want to get your groove back, but you have a child to look after. I hope it doesn't blow up in his face.

The Mormon couple is sweet. I'm sure there will be hurdles, but I'm rooting for them. He was super excited about her arrival, and I liked that she said he had a big heart.

[RCharter]

Melanie is silly for moving the man in and exposing her child to somebody she's spent 10+ days with. It's fine if you want to get your groove back, but you have a child to look after. I hope it doesn't blow up in his face.

I would have my concerns about her child but it sounds like she just has him on the weekends.  This is for the best, because Devar is the only boy in a family full of women.  While he may care for them financially, I would imagine he gets babied and cared for a lot by the women of his family.  He may not really be a father figure type.  I'm not sure that Devar is the type that is looking to build his own family right now.  He doesn't give me that impression.

[okmom]

Did anyone else notice the wine glasses on the Morman dinner table?

[guilfoyleatpp]

I was on the alert for "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" vibes from Melanie and Devar. I didn't get it at all.

She's not that cute in the face, he's not that cute in the face, but they both like to work out, run, physical activity. I thought they seemed pretty equally matched. They're both middling intelligence, middling around their 30s, I'm going to wait and see on them.

The thing that bothered me was her getting snippy (or so it was cut to appear so) about him wanting to send money back to his sisters. You get involved with someone who comes from a country where people really struggle, and you damn well better plan for the money that goes back there. Her son doesn't need a father figure - eye roll. There's also a cultural barrier going on here. Maybe in Jamaica pre-teens throw back a few, or maybe they think that American kids do. But nope.

I definitely got a "I need to marry someone who doesn't quite get how awkward I may be" vibe from Josh. I think he's a sweet guy, and he totally likes Aleksandra. The language barrier will work in their favor. I hope his parents can turn those frowns upside down! Aleksandra may turn out to be great for their son! If not, they are still both getting benefits from marrying.

I do think that's what most of these marriages are about. Not love in as many cases as a mutually beneficial exchange of resources and legitimacy.

[LillysPad]

Did anyone else notice the wine glasses on the Morman dinner table?

No!

Now I really should watch this over again.

[Tara Ariano]

Devar meets Melanie's son; Loren is nervous about introducing Alexei to her parents; Mark anxiously awaits Nikki's arrival; Josh plans a surprise for Aleksandra's birthday. Also: Kyle and Noon make their first appearance.

[charmed1]

I thought Alexi, Devar and Nikki were all super attractive. I thought I would find Loren more annoying than I did. I don't know why, but I found it refreshing that she wears little to no make up. It makes her look even prettier. I'm biased though because I also have a mole under my eye that I don't cover.

I felt bad for Aleksandra when she said she's a bad person. I hope she doesn't feel that way because of what some missionary told her. If you go around kicking puppies and hurting people, then yes, Aleksandra, you are an asshole, but partying and go-go dancing, doesn't make you a bad person. But in my experience, cults (and I'm not implying that Mormonism is a cult) prey upon young collegiates who are impressionable and feeling somewhat lost and alone.

I do wonder if Mark's 1st wife totally abandoned her kids or whether she was involved in their lives in any way. He made it sound like she disappeared like a thief in the night one day.

I obviously watch way too much Dateline because my first thought was that he buried her somewhere in the woods. Edited October 17, 2015 by charmed1

[RottinginNS]

Alexei and Loren- Just a thought, maybe Loren's parents live in Canada and only spend the summers in Florida. Perhaps, Loren is just taking an extended vacation from NY to film this show. I don't know, the whole set up seems weird to me.

Being from Toronto I would like to say 2 things. 1. Locals love nothing more thank taking tourists up the CN Tower (that's where they had one meal). 2. The little resataurant they went to first wouldn't be an easy find if you didn't know the city.

My guess is that they are snowbirds.

[lisalionheart]

Yes, this. She clearly was not hurting in NYC. Her proposed arrangement screams "producer driven", doesn't it?  How much could Alexei eat that she suddenly can't afford her apartment? and in what universe does it make sense to quit her job? to go sponge off her parents? smh.

 

I wondered whether her parents had been supplementing her lifestyle a lot--perhaps they paid her rent and she took care of her clothes, for instance. A very good executive assistant can make a lot of money, but not usually at her age, I think.

 

Eta: I I wonder whether she is moving down to Florida with Alexei because her parents--who do seem skeptical of this whole thing--said that they won't continue to supplement her lifestyle while he lives in NY with her. Perhaps they want to be able to keep a close eye on things.

 

I was mad at her for him when she badgered him about saying "I love you" and wanted him to be excited to meet her parents. I loathe those long flights--I'd hate to get off a flight Israel to Toronto and be expected to be high-energy and impress people. But they do seem really into each other.

 

And I thought he was the medic for their tour group! If he was affiliated in an official capacity with the Birthright group I'm pretty sure he's Jewish. And Loren seems like the kind of girl who wants to be traditional in that sense. She reminds me of Brenda Patimkin in Goodbye Columbus. A little teenage rebellion, a little "unconventional" in the context of her own family and community, but not one to really rock the boat. She might date outside her community, but when it comes time to settle down, I can't imagine she would not marry a Jewish guy. 

 

I thought I heard that he was a medic for her Birthright group, too. I think he's probably Jewish, though maybe some supportive, non-religious jobs, with a more liberal Birthright group, might sometimes be staffed by a Palestinian? I didn't go on Birthright, so I have no clue. But his name does sound Russian to me.

 

As unsettling as Mark is, I don't see anything Danielle-Mohamed-level sad, so that's good. That situation was just too depressing to watch.

Edited October 18, 2015 by lisalionheart

[Christina]

On the 90 Day facebook page, it said that he moved to Israel at 10, but I don't remember from which country. I want to say Ukraine. Also, some said that Canada doesn't require a Visa from Israel, and that is why they met there. I just tried to find the posts to link it, but that page is a mess and I don't see them off hand.