S01.E13: Secrets, Surprises & Lies

[Tara Ariano]

Josh finds out Meghan is no longer on birth control; Ragini and Veeral's honeymoon has a rocky start after Veeral invites him family to Mexico; and Maria decides if she should reveal Peter's secret relationship to the family.

[Stardancer Supreme]

*Speechless*

 

Josh. is. insane.  "You want a baby. We can't afford a baby, so we won't have sex until you get a job."  What?!?  Really? Seriously???  Then he flips his lid when he finds her prenatal vitamins and unused birth control.  What a nutjob.

 

The Millers? "We don't want our boys to hang out with gadje. We don't want them to even be around gadje.  Let's go to the beach where all the gadje are!"   Gah.   Maria needs to stop following Peter around stirring up shit. She needs to sit next to her husband while he's making those hateful faces.  Christian's ring was too big? All this time no one saw fit to size it properly?  I did cringe when that waitress flirted with Christian. (She touched his hair! I don't think Maria has ever touched his hair.)  And they are in such a hurry to marry Peter off. Why?  He is only slightly more mature than Christian. Plus he admitted that he is so not ready for a wife.  #FreePeter

 

Veeral.  "Time for us to have a baby. I know! Let's go on a honeymoon... that I will invite my sister to crash!  Ragini will love that!"  *wishing I could put my hand through the television to slap Veeral silly*  He is high maintenance AND clueless.  Ragini may have to break out the wax again to keep him in line.

[Primetimer]

Josh tells Meghan she has to get a job before she gets the D; your editors discuss!

Read the story

[ethalfrida]

And on top of all that, Meghan tells the neighbors about the no sex. Is nothing private anyymore? And TLC is nearing over scripting this show. Now they've made Maria into a neurotic harpy. 

[Straycat80]

This show is ridiculous! Have they nothing else to put on in this time slot? Of course I will continue to watch.

Anyway...Josh and Megan. We have no money for apartment stuff and can't afford a baby so no sex for Megan until she get a job. Huh?! So Megan goes off the pill and starts taking pre-natal vitamins. She's either dumb or its sweet tea withdrawal. And then she tells her two new friends who she's just met that her and Josh are not having sex. TMI?

So the Millers want to be referred to as "Roma" but continue to call themselves Gypsies. And why go to the Jersey shore of all places when you don't want your impressionable, and horney, teen boys to not look at Gadje girls. The scene in the restaurant where the waitress flirts with Christian and touches his hair (horrors) was definitely scripted. And now Maria has turned into the Gadje police. Poor Peter.

So Ragini and Veeral are having money problems too, can't afford a house or baby so let's go on vacation to Mexico. Makes sense to me. Oh and as long as it's really their honeymoon let's invite Payel and her husband to join us. Veeral needs his brain waxed, not his back.

[Bella]

So the Millers want to be referred to as "Roma" but continue to call themselves Gypsies. 

 

And as the author of a mod note stating that the posters here should call them Romani instead of Gypsies, I am quite annoyed! 

 

I get that people can call themselves terms that are considered pejoratives and it can still be wrong to use the term, but I'm not going to enforce that mod note anymore. It's a judgment call. I still think Romani is the better term, but I'm not holding anyone to it any longer.

[Tara Ariano]

They are very inconsistent in their own nomenclature!

[Adeejay]

TLC is nearing over scripting this show. Now they've made Maria into a neurotic harpy. 

The story lines do not make sense.  Had Veeral won the game, they would honeymoon in India; but it's a good thing he lost, because they could only afford a weekend in Mexico. I wonder how they were going to pay for a trip to India?  Josh and Megan can't afford a kid right now, so because they aren't being intimate for the time being, she decides that she doesn't need to take birth control, but made sure to leave her prenatal vitamins where her husband could find them.  Based on the confused and annoyed looks on his face, it seems that the Millers with the exception of Christian are being coached and fed lines by the producers.  

[TeapotWakeen]

 

Based on the confused and annoyed looks on his face, it seems that the Millers with the exception of Christian are being coached and fed lines by the producers.

 

which explains why he is always chin-tilted-down, looking-up-with-a-cross-look on his face.... poor child is just so confused!!

 

I will admit to being impressed with Maria's sense of self-esteem? self-respect? script??? I know I was incapable (as were many of my female friends) of saying "I deserve to be respected" (by a male love interest) at age 19. At that age, too many young women (myself included) were spending too much time tying ourselves in knots to make the guys happy, and taking what they would dish out because.... "we're in luv!!"   It gives me hope for a younger generation! or, you know, the script editors. Either way.... yay!!!

[Squirrely]

So Ragini and Veeral are having money problems too, can't afford a house or baby so let's go on vacation to Mexico. Makes sense to me. Oh and as long as it's really their honeymoon let's invite Payel and her husband to join us. Veeral needs his brain waxed, not his back.

Not to mention driving luxury cars that probably cost as much my house (Midwest living) and being chauffeured to the airport! I can't shed a tear for someone who rolls in a brand new Lexus because they can't afford a mansion. I know homes out there are a zillion times more expensive than where I live, but that's all the more reason to downgrade to a Chevy and find a charming B&B nearby for a long weekend.

[WhoAmIReally]

So Megan goes off the pill and starts taking pre-natal vitamins. She's either dumb or its sweet tea withdrawal.

 

Related to the sweet tea withdrawl, she does look thinner in the last couple of episodes.  Is that my imagination?  If I was stuck in the house all day in a strange place, I would be eating up a storm, so kudos to her if she has lost weight.  Not that I thought she was fat, but her mother-in-law and husband seemed to be pushing weight loss.

[becauseIsaidso]

Veeral's obsession with his sister is starting to gross me out...I think his primary motivation is to transform ANY woman he becomes involved with into a clone of Payel....if I were in the same position as Ragini  (still gainfully employed and able to take good financial care of herself), I would have simply gotten up from the table, walked away, and not looked back. Veeral is never gonna change... until he can be upfront about what his expectations are (i.e. women should be totally traditional - which seems to also mean submissively voiceless in his mindset) he deserves to be dumped time and again....this couple is, IMO, totally fake, but still manages to infuriate me...just can't stand to watch them any more - especially now since the preview of Ragini & Veeral checking out her ability to get preggers and 'pop out' the next Veeral (may he be the father of many daughters - that'll teach him) would seem to me to indicate the 'shocking' result can only be one of two things  - either Veeral is totally sterile, or Ragini is already pregnant, in which case I will mourn for her fake decline into a fake existence as a fake broodmare...

 

Josh and Megan were actually embarrassing to watch...it was SO obviously scripted and Josh is SUCH a lousy actor that NO ONE could take even one second of this crap seriously....Is the network paying them enough to cancel his Med School loans? That's the only possible reason I can think of to willingly submit to this embarrassingly pathetic excuse of a storyline...

 

Christian and Maria remain the only interesting and somewhat real couple of the lot of them....but even they took a big hit in the credibility department this time...naturally, there was a shot that clearly showed Christian wearing his wedding ring as he stood in the surf playing ball with his buds....scant yards away from the evil gadje...I can see Maria's concerns over the missing wedding ring...but jumping so quickly to an accusation instead of simply asking where it was, what happened to it, was just out of character for her...I was amused at how quickly they reconciled their differences and actually glad that she chose to tell Christian about Peter's flirtation...I don't know crap about Gypsy/Romani culture, but I think Maria was in a no win situation and her best course was to consult with Christian (as her husband and therefore the 'head' of their little family [bTW - Where the hell was that sweet little dog during all this???????] it is he/Christian, (not the dog),  whom she should consult first, rather than Nina, as her mentor of sorts, or Michael as the overall head of the family, which would be an even bigger stretch as well as possibly being seen as disrespecting Christian) Christian's words and facial expressions, unfortunately, did not match....either he's pissed off at Maria (or maybe at Peter for having the stones to do what Christian NEVER would have done by actually expressing a desire to choose his own future spouse) or she really will get in trouble with the whole family by keeping Peter's secret for that short time....although the previews did give me hope that Michael and Nina direct their concerns where it belongs - at Peter...I am curious enough, (and entertained enough, I will admit) by the glances into their culture that I do plan to watch this show as long as this couple is on.....but I DO find Michael and Nina to be a much more interesting and accurate depiction of Romani ways...

[lazylou]

So the Millers want to be referred to as "Roma" but continue to call themselves Gypsies. 

[lazylou]

What else is new?  Seems as though all groups do this...

 

The part of this show I like is learning about Romani culture.  I was in Eastern Europe last summer and find myself very interested in this terribly mistreated group of people.  Much of what the Millers have told us about their culture seems accurate...I have been doing a little bit of research on the internet.  The issue of underage brides is a big problem in some parts of the EU,  but at the same time, blonde Romani children have been taken from their parents on the basis that they were clearly stolen, because they were blonde.  But DNA tests revealed the children were Romani.  This is very recent.

 

I notice that the Millers and their friends seem to be careful that both bride and groom are of legal age,  unlike Romani people in Romania, so the controversy in the Balkans does not apply.

 

I remember as a young woman that a group of Romani were sent packing from my hometown in Montana.  Supposedly "the King of the Gypsies" was hospitalized there and dozens of Romani showed up in town, camping along the river, building fires in the park, and all, allegedly, driving big Cadillacs.  I wonder how much of that was true!  In Europe I have often been warned about "Gypsies" and told to watch for pickpockets.  Pickpockets are a big problem in any area where there is a good deal of poverty...say, Argentina.  

 

I think it is about time that someone presented a look at Romani people in the US.

[WhoAmIReally]

I'm starting to really dislike Josh.  He's a bully--it's a good thing he's becoming a radiologist because he seems to suck in the empathy department.  I'm not in love with Megan, because she seems stunted, immature, and unable to stand up for herself, but, then again, she is really young.  I always forget that because she looks much older than she is.  If they can stay married this year, they may have a chance, since she can probably find a career in Nashville, but it's not looking good. I doubt they'd divorce because of the parental pressure to be good Southern Christians, but I see nothing but misery down the road.  She'll only be happy if she has some kids to buffer her from Josh's thoughtlessness.  I know he's busy, but he's still a mean-spirited person.

 

Of my friends who were together/married during a medical residency, only one couple survivied, and it's because the partner was getting a PhD in a different state.  They were able to focus on their own research and careers and get married once they were each established and ready to give to the relationship. 

 

On another note, Maria should be a professional make-up artist rather than selling flowers.  Her look is a little heavy, but everything seems to be perfectly applied and she shows a lot of creativity and is not afraid to try new looks.

 

Also, has anyone noticed that for the last two episodes (at least), Maria and the mother-in-law have been wearing the exact same plastic-looking tacky-ass earrings, but in different colors?  It looks like they bought them in bulk to match each outfit they have. Once you see it, you can't unsee it.

 

Sorry for the rambling.

[fliptopbox]

On another note, Maria should be a professional make-up artist rather than selling flowers.  Her look is a little heavy, but everything seems to be perfectly applied and she shows a lot of creativity and is not afraid to try new looks.

 

Also, has anyone noticed that for the last two episodes (at least), Maria and the mother-in-law have been wearing the exact same plastic-looking tacky-ass earrings, but in different colors?  It looks like they bought them in bulk to match each outfit they have. Once you see it, you can't unsee it.

 

I noticed that too! Glad I wasn't the only one. I also agree that Maria could be a good makeup artist...but don't Romani's usually discourage the women from having a "real" job? Not sure if that's something she could easily do on her own, like the flower selling. She'd have to come up with some way to establish a customer base and show off her abilities to attract clients. That would probably be easiest by working somewhere like Sephora, or even in a salon...which I am not sure she'd be allowed to do. It's a shame really because she really seems to have a passion for it.

[ethalfrida]

 

I think it is about time that someone presented a look at Romani people in the US.

An honest one and not the stereotypical untruths we are usually subjected to...

[Stardancer Supreme]

Here's a thought: I know that Romani women don't get a say in much of anything, but wouldn't the Romani men at least be able to choose who they marry?  Is there a pool of available Romani girls that a prospective groom (or his family) can choose his bride?  Besides his age, Peter's main concern is to get to choose his bride himself. It seems like Peter thinks that Christian was blindsided and he wants very much to avoid that fate. 

[qtpye]

It was weird to see the Romany dad brag about his "pure gypsy" heritage and then pretend to be Greek, because that heritage is so negatively viewed by most people.  It is such a catch 22 situation.

 

I can not believe that I am saying this, but I actually felt sorry for Christian this episode.  The poor boy looks miserable.  It is like he is constantly walking on eggshells.  I think the waitress was producer manipulation, but Christian was not flirting back with her.  I think he is very immature for his age and actually is still at the awkward teenage boy stage where he is still a little bit frightened by girls and women.  It is one of the reasons he is not ready to be married.

 

Overall, I like the Romany parents, but I wonder how Nina would treat Maria if the cameras were not there?  With the bride price, i sometimes feel the in laws buy and own their daughter in law like property.

 

I think Josh fully believes that Meaghan is the type of woman to foregoe birth control and fake a "whoops" pregnancy.  Otherwise,  I do not understand why the heck he was so upset that she went off her birth control when they were not having sex.

 

I also think Meghan expected to be a stay at home mom as soon as Josh graduated medical school.  She has a Masters Degree in a very in demand field.  If she wants contract work, which would not be affected by them staying in Indiana for only a year, she could have it.  There are plenty of hospice centers and nursing homes that could use someone with her skills.  There is no need for to be working in the gym, unless that is something that she really wants to do.

 

There is nothing wrong with being a stay at home mom, but it is obvious that Josh and Meghan are not on the same page about their immediate future.

[Evil Queen]

I've looked up things too on Romani over the years. It seems there are so many different versions of things. You have the Romani and then you have Romanichal. As well as whatever the Irish call themselves. Its like they all have different rules on how they dress and act. I have never heard about the Romani and bathing suits thing but I have gathered they are the ones that seem to dress more normal and not all "blinged out" to attract attention. As I have said before the ones that seem to be similar to them, I saw on that one show American Gypsies and the women worked as palm readers. There is a big deal on different families not having their shops set up in so may blocks from each other too. Its something that years ago was an issue out here and made news because of how ugly it got. Which for me those groups came off very mob family like. While I know that not all these kind of people are out to rip others off, I do see why people think it. We have ones that live out of their RVs and get angry if you give them no money. Or there is one that tells different stories as she stands outside stores begging for money. One resident caught on that she had a man close by that was going to pick pocket whoever as the lady distracted. Like I said I know not all would act this way considering all people of all kinds can act good or bad. 

  Now as for Christian's face when Maria finally told him about Peter....I think it was more of an are you joking or is this really true react than anything. While I don't blame any of them for not wanting to marry so young but they do know tradition too and how it works. If they don't want it, it looks like they would need to run off. Which in the end doesn't look great for their family I take it. Scripted or not with the restaurant scene and that waitress. I'm glad Maria said something. One could only take so much. I'm shocked his parents didn't..especially his mom. I also wasn't understand why they would go to the shore like they did. You know all those young boys would be checking out the girls and wanting to talk to them. Its like testing them to see how they would behave or something. Oh and something I did read about Romani and the kids being married.....so with the oldest married now, they should be moved out and on their own by the time Peter is married so that Peter and his wife could live with the parents. It seems that is how it works out. So I am not sure how in the world those 2 could be out of there with how they don't manage money well or if his parents would pay for them to have a place or not but would be interesting to see how that works. Maybe they are taking whatever from the show and saving it, who knows. I almost feel like the talk about Peter being married off is setting it up for him to be part of a new group for this show. 

  Josh is a major jerk. Was he keeping track of her birth control? Sorry but some women will take those vitamins no matter what as well even when not trying to get pregnant and years after having kids. I don't blame her for not wanting to take it if they aren't going to have sex. Besides that who wants to have sex with someone that acts like he does anyway? He has major issues that are not good at all and I can see turning into worse things down the line if she doesn't stand up for herself and put him in his place as needed. Now that she has a job, is he going to want sex or should I say expect sex? I don't get that whole thing myself with his using that. 

  OMG what is Veeral's deal with his sister? Sorry but she seems bossy like compared to what she was trying to claim when her and the husband were talking. She is constantly in their business. His family had to know they were off on a honeymoon trip so why bother them? Then him saying to catch a plane that night...who can just drop everything and do that? Doesn't her husband have a job? And why would you do that to them? If I was Ragini I would have gotten up after telling him off and left. Tell him to enjoy the honeymoon with his twisted family. That who relationship is not what I would consider normal. I hope she isn't pregnant from the way the preview is looking. It would just be even worse with his family than it is now. I wish they wouldn't be showing Payel like they do with her husband. I have a feeling she is wishing it was her show and she wants more air time and is hungry for fame. She really rubs me the wrong way. 

[suzeecat]

I noticed that too! Glad I wasn't the only one. I also agree that Maria could be a good makeup artist...but don't Romani's usually discourage the women from having a "real" job? Not sure if that's something she could easily do on her own, like the flower selling. She'd have to come up with some way to establish a customer base and show off her abilities to attract clients. That would probably be easiest by working somewhere like Sephora, or even in a salon...which I am not sure she'd be allowed to do. It's a shame really because she really seems to have a passion for it.

I think they prefer to work on a cash basis, off the record.

[TwirlyGirly]

qtpye, on 12 Nov 2015 - 12:37 PM, said:qtpye, on 12 Nov 2015 - 12:37 PM, said:

I think Josh fully believes that Meaghan is the type of woman to foregoe birth control and fake a "whoops" pregnancy.  Otherwise,  I do not understand why the heck he was so upset that she went off her birth control when they were not having sex.

 

 

 

The first thing I thought of was perhaps he realized Meghan thinks it's only necessary to take the Pill on the days you may have sex. Remember Rush Limbaugh's comments about Sandra Fluke? He said (paraphrasing) the reason her prescription for the birth control pills was so expensive was because she was having so much sex - if she cut back on the amount of sex she was having, her costs for contraception wouldn't be so high.

 

Bear in mind even well-educated Christian women in the south probably only received abstinence-only sex education, in which the facts about BC (effectiveness, how each method works, proper use, etc) are not taught. The act of getting married doesn't mean she suddenly learned all those things. Neither does her husband being a doctor mean it's something they've discussed in detail.

 

I really wouldn't be surprised if Meghan believed now that she's married, she needs to take a pill every day because it's the wife's "duty" to be available to her husband at all times - not because that's how the pill WORKS. She may think since it could be some time before she gets a job, and Josh has said no more sex until then, it's not necessary to take the pill until they resume "intimate relations" again.

Edited November 12, 2015 by TwirlyGirly

[WhoAmIReally]

Twirly, I wonder if you're right about their understanding of birth control.  I don't know anyone who would go off the pill for a week or two, or even for a month if you've been on it a while, because going off and one can seriously screw with your system--emotional symptoms, headaches, bloating, missed periods, anything associated with hormones. 

 

I wonder why Josh would marry a woman he didn't trust.  That seems really odd to me.

 

Regarding the prenatal vitamins, I think some women take them for their hair and nails.  She does have healthy-looking hair.

 

Could Maria could do makeup for Romany weddings or parties, or even open a little under-the-table salon when they get a new house?  That would be cash. 

Edited November 12, 2015 by WhoAmIReally

[still hoping]

I still do NOT feel that Meaghan and Josh were "arranged" at all..."set up" by their moms, blind date yeah....but I get so tired of her whiney sugary southern voice yapping about some fake south that does not seem to exist and probably never really existed except in her beauty pagent lovin head

I don't recall that people in the south "arranged" marriages like people in other countries. 

 

She does seem a throwback to the ? 60's, 50's...when many women claimed to get the degree of "putting hubby thru med school"...and sometimes I think the doctor

leaves for a younger model, the "doc as God" syndrome (tho of course today many "doc as Goddess" LOL
 

I also wonder if Josh is perhaps not happy to be filmed? She seems to love it - I can imagine Meagan dreaming of future reality shows.....she may picture herself Dancing with the Stars, or cooking on Master Chef = MIL "Banana Puddin"...LOL
BUT JMO they are more suited for Couples Therapy or possible star role on Divorce Court (JMO from what I see)

[qtpye]

The first thing I thought of was perhaps he realized Meghan thinks it's only necessary to take the Pill on the days you may have sex. Remember Rush Limbaugh's comments about Sandra Fluke? He said (paraphrasing) the reason her prescription for the birth control pills was so expensive was because she was having so much sex - if she cut back on the amount of sex she was having, her costs for contraception wouldn't be so high.

 

Bear in mind even well-educated Christian women in the south probably only received abstinence-only sex education, in which the facts about BC (effectiveness, how each method works, proper use, etc) are not taught. The act of getting married doesn't mean she suddenly learned all those things. Neither does her husband being a doctor mean it's something they've discussed in detail.

 

I really wouldn't be surprised if Meghan believed now that she's married, she needs to take a pill every day because it's the wife's "duty" to be available to her husband at all times - not because that's how the pill WORKS. She may think since it could be some time before she gets a job, and Josh has said no more sex until then, it's not necessary to take the pill until they resume "intimate relations" again.

 

 

I grew up in the south, so I totally understand where you are coming from. 

 

However, Josh is a doctor, so if he knows his wife is so ignorant of the process, it is his responsiblity to explain how you can not skip days on birth control, if you want it to remain effective. Yelling at her like she is a moron does not accomplish anything.

 

If this is not enough, he needs to tell her to schedule an appointment with her Gyn and talk about other birth control options that do not require daily adherance.

 

It is funny, my husband commented that Meghan has no clue what it is like to be married to someone working in the medical profession.  That is when I had to break it to him that she has a Master in Medical Administration, so she should be somewhat familiar with the lifestyle.

[Tara Ariano]

But even if Meghan was an adult when she went on the Pill -- assuming they were abstinent before they got married, which they haven't really gone into (phrasing) -- I still feel like whatever doctor prescribed it would have told her how it works.

[lazylou]

This show is such fun to analyze...so many sloppy little plot contrivances.

 

Inviting your sister on your honeymoon?  Who would do that?  And having your parents show up at a house-showing when your wife definitely does not appreciate their input.  Really?

 

 A college grad thinking it is OK to discontinue birth control pills for a few days?  Finding a job at a fitness center when you made clear earlier that fitness is not your bag?  And how much money will that job pay? Minimum wage?  

 

Flirting with girls "secretly" with cameramen following you around?

 

Practically loosing your wedding ring on camera, so everyone will believe you did actually lose the ring?

 

And now the green eyed monster rears it's head...but I do believe Maria would be jealous when she sees the boys, including Christian and her brother, eyeing the girls at the beach.  And just to make sure we get it, the waitress flirts outrageously with Christian in front of everyone.  Next, Josh will be jealous of one of the fit fellows at Meghan's new job.

 

Parallels....Nice.  But ...  Only the Millers have original plots that are really interesting, partially because of their culture, partially because they are all so young.  Am I the only one, though, that does want to tune in to see what is so shocking to the docs about Ragini?  Maybe she has the ovaries of a fifty year old?

 

 

 

 

[WhoAmIReally]

But even if Meghan was an adult when she went on the Pill -- assuming they were abstinent before they got married, which they haven't really gone into (phrasing) -- I still feel like whatever doctor prescribed it would have told her how it works.

 

Josh could have prescribed it.  Iccccck.

[Evil Queen]

This show is such fun to analyze...so many sloppy little plot contrivances.

 

 Am I the only one, though, that does want to tune in to see what is so shocking to the docs about Ragini?  Maybe she has the ovaries of a fifty year old?

 

Agree it is fun and so laughing about the last part. I agree though about not caring what they have to say. You have to figure its more than likely a "surprise your pregnant" though more so than a "sorry but you can't have kids because your ovaries are like an old lady" LOL

[edra]

I thought this was an interesting episode, perharps because the Millers and their customs were the focus of the episode. At least we know their story is real, and isn't all made for TV, based on the other, young, but already married couples at the BBQ.

[StayingAfterSunday]

I still do NOT feel that Meaghan and Josh were "arranged" at all..."set up" by their moms, blind date yeah....but I get so tired of her whiney sugary southern voice yapping about some fake south that does not seem to exist and probably never really existed except in her beauty pagent lovin head

I don't recall that people in the south "arranged" marriages like people in other countries. 

 

She does seem a throwback to the ? 60's, 50's...when many women claimed to get the degree of "putting hubby thru med school"...and sometimes I think the doctor

leaves for a younger model, the "doc as God" syndrome (tho of course today many "doc as Goddess" LOL

 

I also wonder if Josh is perhaps not happy to be filmed? She seems to love it - I can imagine Meagan dreaming of future reality shows.....she may picture herself Dancing with the Stars, or cooking on Master Chef = MIL "Banana Puddin"...LOL

BUT JMO they are more suited for Couples Therapy or possible star role on Divorce Court (JMO from what I see)

 

No, I don't believe they were "arranged," either, but I do think it's more than possible that they were simply introduced by their respective parents. I'm guessing both sets of parents knew each other on some level, superficially or otherwise, before Josh and Megan became a couple.  It would not surprise me if Josh's mother initiated and encouraged the relationship.  After all, a newly-graduated doctor-son needs a wife before he picks up and relocates to complete a Fellowship in some strange town.  (I say this from personal experience, and feel qualified to say that this type of  union is not an "arranged marriage" in the traditional sense, but, in all likelihood, it is a marriage based on convenience and opportunity.).  

[trimthatfat]

Why would Meghan use Josh's contacts while looking for a job when she knows the contacts know she won't be there for longer than a year? That was weird of her to do. Josh is a huge asshole though...withholding sex from your wife as a way to punish her because she's unemployed? Who does that? I got the impression last season that she wanted to be a stay at home wife.

 

Not sure what to make of Maria's assertiveness. It is very possible that Christian's ring fell off in the water - he did look very stunned when Maria suggested he took the ring off. I lost a necklace when I went in the ocean last summer and the water wasn't even rough. I think she chose the wrong time to be assertive.