S07.E01: Catfishing Fallout

[Christi]

Yeah, its all out there.

I was just a big enough loser to read it all...lol

Its just so fantastically CRAZY

Edited May 9, 2016 by Christi

[MarysWetBar]

Somebody please post links to this stuff. I just watched the show and it was a snoozefest of deception as usual. 

[Christi]

TLC's Sisterwives Uncensored is a good fb group. Its a closed group but they accept most eveyone except Sam's friends lol.

Just read some posts for the first time in months...pretty funny!

Some members have a ton of behind the scenes info on the real catfish story, and people involved 

Also, like I said before, All About the Tea has done a million stories on this while it was all coming out.

[Christi]

Google Jackie Overton if you want more info. She is the catfisher aka Sam

[RazzleberryPie]

1 hour ago, Christi said:

Kody felt shut out...huh

Right after he divorced Meri to marry the Flavor of the Month.  Who da thunk that might not sit well with your current wife?

Robyn is mad because 

1. It ruined her friendship with the catfish aid.

2. It took the spotlight off of her and the idiot spawn

3. Kody is actually paying attention to someone else (if only to save face, and prove that he is still worshipped by all)

Oh how I wish Dr. Phil or the real Catfish show would have done this story.  The TLC Spin Machine is working on overload now.

4. She didn't get to run off Meri. 

So I recorded this and forwarded thru all the Kody/Solomon scenes (guessing it was all about showing us The Prince and talking about Robyn's new spawn), Robyn at the doctor (I loathe her), and Maddie (glad she is escaping). Skip to the Catfish counseling session. I did notice Robyn looking salty through some of the fast forwarding.

Christine can fake cry and soft voice all she wanted, but she Is loving that she's the Good Wife who didn't have an affair. Janelle needes a thought bubble over her head that said 'haha KARMA haha'. 

Robyn, and Christine a little bit, were in a war with Meri over referring to Catfish as she vs he. Not sure if saying she was to dig that Meri was so dumb she didn't know catfish was a woman, or what. 

Robyn trying to be sympathetic came of as super fake and self serving. She's trying to cover her own fat ass and friendship with the outer and the catfish. 

Kody.....finally cut to the chase and made the semi accurate statement that Meri didn't just want to leave the family, just leave him. Nah, she would've left you all if she could've, but yes, kody, she primarily wanted to leave you. The rest are irrelevant to her.

i think all the lonely empty nest Talk is setting up the next move, and they'll combine some households. Meri and janelle, christine and Robyn. Meri and Robyn won't be under the same roof now, Robyn is terrified of janelle, Christine and Robyn both have small kids. Either that or Christine will welcome wife #5 and Robyn will have her own home, but the Meri/janelle alliance makes most sense, and janelle is sensible if nothing else.

Someone sid Robyn was whining persecution = homebirths. Nah, no insurance and living in BFE = homebirths. As for persecution, shut up. No 1 curr, Robyn. I know you are conditioned to love paranoid drama, but seriously, no one cares.

[LotusFlower]

I watch the show Catfish on MTV, and while the juicy stuff is always the reveal at the end, the bulk of each episode, or at least a good chunk of the beginning is always about the relationship between the catfisher and the catfishee - how it started, how long, and the connection and often love between the two.  Of course it always ends with the betrayal - and all the hurt and anger associated with that, but I thought it was interesting, and not at all surprising for this show, that Meri skipped over the entire love and happiness part, and went straight to the betrayal.  Always the victim.  Yes, they touched on why Meri looked for companionship online, but she was also looking for love and intimacy, which she was not getting from Kody.  It's pretty simple - problems in their marriage is what led to this happening, or put another way - the polygamous lifestyle made Meri feel neglected and unloved, so she sought attention from others.  But of course the show presented it differently.

[truelovekiss]

8 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

Then you had better sit in something with arms because you may be falling down drunk by the first commercial.

That's the only way I can watch this crap ?

2 hours ago, Armchair Critic said:

I don't blame Maddie for getting the hell out of dodge. The way Kody comes on so strong with Caleb is only going to make him and Maddie glad they will have the buffer of living a few states away.

Kody was SO thirsty for Caleb. It makes me wonder if he genuinely likes the guy, or if he's just excited that one of his daughters is marrying into the extended family. 

2 hours ago, Armchair Critic said:

Robyn's looks are starting to hit the wall. I don't want Kody to be too happy (LOL) but it would be a burn if he picked up a younger hotter wife.

I think that wife 5 isn't on the horizon, as long as Kody's daughters start having weddings, and in rapid succession. I think he learned from the Duggars that wedding specials can fetch a pretty penny from TLC and after 45 minutes of concentration, he realized that he has some daughters close to marrying age.

[Madding crowd]

I feel sorry for Meri although I can't understand her being so fooled by this person. The thing is, you cannot predict what your life will be like 20 years down the road, polygamist or not. Loneliness is a real thing and probably causes more depression than anything else besides chemical imbalances. Meri was feeling abandoned and fell for someone who paid attention to her. Was it right? No, but it was a natural consequence to her life situation.

I loved Robyn continually  saying "This couch is used, I bought a new couch but it will take forever to pay it off". Then she kept talking about her 'used furniture". I really can't stand Robyn. She is so fake all the time.

Kody's man crush on Caleb was really something. He acts like a teenage girl with her first crush. Lucky for Caleb he doesn't live close to Kody. 

Edited May 9, 2016 by Madding crowd
spelling

[LotusFlower]

So now we know why Meri so readily agreed to divorce Kody.  It wasn't "for the children" at all.  It was so she could free herself to run away with her new lover, Sam.  Only it backfired.  Her dreamy beau was a sham, and she's back on the compound and is no longer wife #1.  Man.  At least there's the wet bar.

Edited May 9, 2016 by LotusFlower

[MarysWetBar]

I find him so bloody embarrassing to watch. He's shark eyes Manson one minute and goofus maroofus the next. He has sure packed the pounds on too! That pink shirt didn't do his moobs any favours during the moving Maddie out scenes!

And if you caught the special promo of them all on the couch during the next show,  he looks right pasty and puffed out like a blowfish. 

Obviously a stress eater.

Why does Merit look so hard? Her hair is a greasy mess and it looks like she styles it with a pork chop.

Sly Sobbyn giving her leather furniture set to Maddie so she can get a new one. Very selfless...not. Noticed King Sol stomping all over it before they took it out. Surprised he didn't drop trou and take a dump on it actually.  Who was the little rando kid wandering around?  They likely don't  even notice. .think it's just another one that belongs to another wife. 

This shitshow just never changes. 

I thought Maddie and her fiance looked very much in love. Maddie was beaming but maybe just the thought of escape. .who knows? 

[truelovekiss]

I have a whole new perspective on Kody after watching him with Caleb. I think Kody might have a raging gay crush on Caleb. For real. Just a few lines.

"I can't wait to see your big fat truck"

"You know I'm going to play with you later"

I can't be the only one who thinks that sounds at least a little sexual.

16 minutes ago, MarysWetBar said:

I find him so bloody embarrassing to watch. He's shark eyes Manson one minute and goofus maroofus the next. He has sure packed the pounds on too! That pink shirt didn't do his moobs any favours during the moving Maddie out scenes!

And if you caught the special promo of them all on the couch during the next show,  he looks right pasty and puffed out like a blowfish.

I remember years ago, after Robyn had Solomon, she lightened her hair and hadn't lost the baby weight. When she was on the couch with the other 3 (none were at their best weights), I thought to myself that it really looked like overweight blonde women in skintight clothes were Kody's type.

Kody has become his own type.

[Misslindsey]

Quote

I thought Maddie and her fiance looked very much in love. Maddie was beaming but maybe just the thought of escape. .who knows? 

I thought Maddie and Caleb looked very happy together. Unlike the Duggars I do not think any of these kids need to get married to escape their lives. They seem to have freedom. Though Maddie is probably very happy to escape from Kody and his idiocy. I think Caleb sees Kody for the douche that he is, but just pacifies him. Then again, I think pretty much all the older kids just humor Kody when they are around him.

I love the snark that the current crop of older kids that are still at home (and the ones that are not at home) provide. They all seem to see the ridiculousness that goes on around them. Too bad the adults cannot see it or they do but will not admit it.

[truelovekiss]

Kodouche whining about how his 20 year old daughter's best girlfriend knows more about her early relationship with her boyfriend (who it sounds like she started seeing when she was underage) than he does is hilarious.  I think he genuinely thinks that since he's going to be the god of the planet or whatever, he should be the most important person in all of his children's lives. 

[jumper sage]

11 minutes ago, truelovekiss said:

I have a whole new perspective on Kody after watching him with Caleb. I think Kody might have a raging gay crush on Caleb. For real. Just a few lines.

"I can't wait to see your big fat truck"

"You know I'm going to play with you later"

I can't be the only one who thinks that sounds at least a little sexual.

I remember years ago, after Robyn had Solomon, she lightened her hair and hadn't lost the baby weight. When she was on the couch with the other 3 (none were at their best weights), I thought to myself that it really looked like overweight blonde women in skintight clothes were Kody's type.

Kody has become his own type.

Just so much to say!  How can he even for one minute say "affair"?  He has four wives and sleeps with them all.  The other women were driving me crazy too.  This polygamy shit is such a scam.  Of course Robyn is the wife he wants and could care less about the others unless he needs a sitter.  He does love all his children.  I loved when he stated his mancrush Caleb was a hard worker.......Compared to the scam man it is refreshing.  This is why we need to enforce polygamy laws.

[Galloway Cave]

Absolutely LOVED that Maddie showed up at home with a giant hickey on her lower neck/shoulder and no one said a word. Go Caleb!

Kody's hug at the end was so emotionless. We've seen him pet the dog with more feeling. That fight between him and Meri was getting close to some good stuff but they just wouldn't go there. I bet when the time (and money) is right, the Sister Wife Code will fly right out the window for any one of those women.

Meri said she didn't know how to get "that person" out of their lives? How about this, Meri- stop calling her, stop taking her calls and texts and stop sending suggestive pics. End of problem. Yeah, Jackie went public with everything but that was going to happen no matter what you did because, 15 MINUTE FAME.

Edited May 9, 2016 by Galloway Cave

[Jodio]

This episode really gave me the sads. I really hoped for so much more for Maddie. Whatever happened to her dream of becoming a lawyer? Instead she's moving to some shithole little house so she can maintain the illusion that she's preserving her hymen until marriage. When it was pretty obvious she busted it out on a quadding trail somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Maddie should be going to school, getting some therapy for her Daddy issues, traveling, and figuring out who she is. This marriage is a very bad idea.

Loved Kody's hug, too. His head was turned away and he was essentially hugging his own arms, other than two head pets of Meri. He can barely tolerate being in the same room with her, yet they're still trying to convince us that polygamy works?

[Armchair Critic]

If you are looking for info about the Catfishing this is a good summary

http://www.allaboutthetea.com/2016/05/07/sister-wives-catfish-scandal-outline-of-the-online-affair-that-rocked-the-brown-family/

[AudreyHorne]

I can't look away.  This show is such a sad crazy mess!  My gut tells me that this show is more "reality" than most.  It's awful that they need money and/ or attention so much that they have to air all of this.  These people are so SAD!

[BlueSky88]

Hi!  New to this site - I created this account only so I could ask this question:  What ever happened to Maddie going to college?  Last I remember she had graduated high school with honors and won a full scholarship to college in Utah (USU)?  And seemed to be pretty happy to be going.  That was only a year or two ago.

Is she transferring to a new college in Montana?  Or did she just drop out, and if so, what is she doing?

The show didn't address this tonight.  I don't follow their social media or really follow anything about this family in the off season, so that really surprised me. Out of all the Brown kids, Maddie is one of the last I would have pegged to drop out of college after 1 year to get married.

[jacksgirl]

Remember years ago when one of the daughters got ragged on about her revealing style of dress? Maddie looked liked every other 20 year old with her bra showing and tank top. Can't stand Kody buddying up to Caleb. You have Logan and Garrison right there- why the need to start a bromance with future s-I-l? Oh, cause they can't stand you.

[Granny58]

8 hours ago, MelissaMinion said:

Yep. They're spinning it as Meri the Victim. And glossing over the fact that she'd be out the door so fast if her imaginary man existed.

and I would have applauded her if she had.   

[Granny58]

7 hours ago, Spiderella2 said:

Speaking of which, how do you think Kody's older sons feel to see their dad drooling over Caleb wanting to spend 'male bonding time' after ignoring them for most of their lives?

Exactly what I was thinking!  We don't really see him do things with his own bio-sons, except King Sol who he scoops up and coddles.  For Janelle (?) to say he is awash in estrogen is ridiculous....he has MANY sons.   Kody's crush on Caleb was embarrassing.  

7 hours ago, Christi said:

and one woman was scammed out of her DOG!

that would upset me more than losing money!!!!!

[CofCinci]

1 hour ago, BlueSky88 said:

Hi!  New to this site - I created this account only so I could ask this question:  What ever happened to Maddie going to college?  Last I remember she had graduated high school with honors and won a full scholarship to college in Utah (USU)?  And seemed to be pretty happy to be going.  That was only a year or two ago.

Is she transferring to a new college in Montana?  Or did she just drop out, and if so, what is she doing?

The show didn't address this tonight.  I don't follow their social media or really follow anything about this family in the off season, so that really surprised me. Out of all the Brown kids, Maddie is one of the last I would have pegged to drop out of college after 1 year to get married.

She only did one year.  Dropped out for Caleb. She's been out of college for a calendar year now and it doesn't look like she's going back anytime soon as she will be living in the middle of nowhere. 

[Granny58]

anybody else notice the sign over Meri's head during the catfish conversation?  the entire sign not visible, but the part that was said "gone terribly wrong."   Whoever arranged them on the couches had a sense of humor.  

[ghoulina]

I'll start with the Maddie stuff first. Caleb seems like a very nice guy and she is positively glowing, so I'm very happy for her. I know she's young, but I don't really see her as rushing into this relationship just to get away from home. She had already left home and was going to school out of state. I hope she plans to continue with school and pursue whatever goals she had for herself, but Maddie seems like one of the more sensible Brown kids, so I feel like no matter where she ends up, she'll be good. It was also refreshing to see that kids are not on her radar for several years. And thank goodness they didn't get engaged on camera! See, reality show people? It's called boundaries!

Kody was insanely obnoxious once Caleb arrived. I really hated the way he was gushing over him, and going on and on about having a "built in friend". They acted like he's ONLY around women all the time. Yes, having 4 wives means he's around more women than most guys are, but does he forget that he has several sons of his own? Many of which are still living at home. If he needs guy time, why not go hang out with Gabe or Garrison or Paedon or Day-un? How fucking insulting. 

Plus, it's just crazy how all up in their business he is. Can Maddie not have one night out with her friend? Is he going to be involved with every step of the wedding? I wouldn't have even told him the date. Leave him out until the very last minute, otherwise you're going to have a major bridezilla on your hands. 

Robyn really needs to chill with the drama over what having a hospital birth could mean. I am a HUGE supporter of home births; would have had them myself if midwives were allowed to attend at home in my state. But it's like they look for every opportunity to bring up persecuted they are and how dangerous their lifestyle is. Robyn, you're the legal wife now anyhow. I'm sure no one is going to bat an eye if you need to go into the hospital. Maybe if you guys stopped announcing to every person you meet that there are 3 other wives at home....

Also, if you need to finance a new couch, sweetie, maybe you should just learn to live with the "too small" one you have and save up until you can actually afford a new one? I imagine they have monthly bills for everything in their homes - including the "terribly wrong" sign. 

It's interesting to hear that so many of the kids sleep with their moms when Kody isn't around - even the older kids. In theory, I don't really have a problem with it. Family bed sharing existed for many many years. I think people should pick whatever sleeping arrangements work for them. Sometimes married couples like separate beds and it's no reflection on their marriage, they're just light sleepers or like their space. Other people crave that closeness. I don't really care. But I do find it odd that every single mom has kids in her bed - it seems more likely, in their case, that they are substituting kids for husband, and that's kind of creepy. 

 

Now, onto the Catfish stuff -  I don't think they really had a choice but to address it for what it was, because everything is out there. So I wasn't surprised when they admitted to all the Sam-Jackie stuff (sans names). I do think what Jackie did to Meri was disgusting, but I don't like the way in which Meri seems to be using that to deflect from her part in things. She's acting like she just thought she was making a friend, but Sam/Jackie manipulated her into thinking she was unhappy and wanted more. She was already there on her own. Also, she really needs to stop with the "I didn't have an affair" stuff. Technically no body parts were involved, but she absolutely had an emotional affair. We've seen the photos and letters and whatnot exchanged. That wasn't just a friendship. I get her being lonely and sad, especially after the divorce. And I'm not a Kody fan. But I'll never condone cheating. She signed up for this life and she knew that meant he could take on other women and she couldn't take on other men. I get why the other wives would feel betrayed as well, but I do think Robyn is being a bit over the top with it. 

Kody is interesting to watch. In his THs he comes across as all empathetic and understanding. He's saying all the right things. But I watch them in the regular scenes, and he looks pissed. I pay special attention in the group couch sessions, even when they were talking about Maddie and other things. Meri, as opposed to last year, seems a lot more animated and involved. But when she would speak, Kody would stare at the floor. I think he was dead on when he said Meri didn't want out of the family, just him. 

It's funny how Meri likes to drop these bombs when the family is on vacation - the first time in Alaska, then the full story comes out to Robyn in some other hotel room. Does she feel safer that way? Like people can't really blow up at her when they're not at home? Or is she just a total buzzkill? 

 

Final thought - Jenelle, loose the swoopy bang thing you had going on in her your THs tonight. You're beginning to resemble a FLDS wife. 

[ghoulina]

8 hours ago, MarysWetBar said:

Why does Merit look so hard? Her hair is a greasy mess and it looks like she styles it with a pork chop.

It's really sad to see the old pictures of her, and not just because of her weight. She used to be cute! Her face was a normal human shade and her hair was healthy. Now she just looks like orange and crunchy and greasy. I never understand why these women start overdoing it once they get on camera, it just makes them look WORSE. 

 

8 hours ago, jumper sage said:

How can he even for one minute say "affair"?  He has four wives and sleeps with them all.

But they all agreed to that. The other wives know about each other. It's not something I would ever be part of, but they're all consenting to it. There was never any agreement that the wives could have relationships outside the marriage. So technically she did have an affair. 

[b2H]

An observation - while watching this, I googled on Maps the distance between LV and Billings, Montana.   It's about 14 - 15 hours by car.  I can't tell if Kadouche has ever flown anywhere, but driving will not be an easy affair.  In any case, Billings and Montana in general have colleges and universities, so if she wants to go, she can.

[3girlsforus]

1 hour ago, ghoulina said:

 

Robyn really needs to chill with the drama over what having a hospital birth could mean. I am a HUGE supporter of home births; would have had them myself if midwives were allowed to attend at home in my state. But it's like they look for every opportunity to bring up persecuted they are and how dangerous their lifestyle is. Robyn, you're the legal wife now anyhow. I'm sure no one is going to bat an eye if you need to go into the hospital. Maybe if you guys stopped announcing to every person you meet that there are 3 other wives at home....

 

So much this!! I hate to break it to her but the best way to avoid being "found out" is not to avoid a hospital when giving birth, it's not to have a reality TV show. 

[DakotaJustice]

9 hours ago, LotusFlower said:

So now we know why Meri so readily agreed to divorce Kody.  It wasn't "for the children" at all.  It was so she could free herself to run away with her new lover, Sam.  Only it backfired.  Her dreamy beau was a sham, and she's back on the compound and is no longer wife #1.  Man.  At least there's the wet bar.

I don't think that's so. Meri filed for divorce in September 2014. From all accounts she didn't know Overton/Lindsay until Dec 2014/Jan 2015. Overton was scamming Stacey at the time and persuaded her to bankroll a trip to Vegas, where they attended a LIV "meeting" at Meri's, they were probably the only ones there and signed up - that was their In. 

[SuzWhat]

8 hours ago, Armchair Critic said:

If you are looking for info about the Catfishing this is a good summary

http://www.allaboutthetea.com/2016/05/07/sister-wives-catfish-scandal-outline-of-the-online-affair-that-rocked-the-brown-family/

This article and the comments that follow are LOL.   For reals.    The article refers to Meri as "dipping her bronzed toes" in the the dating arena or some such.   

[autumnh]

All I can say is that is 45 minutes of my life  I won't get back.

It's just ALL too much. So fakeity fake fake. Everything is about Kody and Christine always seems so hyper. My husband asked if Christine has a speech impediment. Then he just about begged me to change the channel lol

[Maire]

I got through this 2 hour show in about 30 minutes because I had to FF through Kody lusting after Caleb and trying to be the center of attention. It was too embarrassing to watch. Also can't listen to Robyn whining. 

Re the catfish: so Meri is trying to make it seem like she was not going to leave with Sam after Alaska? Also hadn't she pretty much kicked Kody out of her house prior?Lol. Who is buying that?

I rilly can't dill with Meri as innocent victim having no part in this relationship.

[Misslindsey]

Quote

An observation - while watching this, I googled on Maps the distance between LV and Billings, Montana.   It's about 14 - 15 hours by car.  I can't tell if Kadouche has ever flown anywhere, but driving will not be an easy affair.  In any case, Billings and Montana in general have colleges and universities, so if she wants to go, she can.

I concur. I think Maddie tweeted after she got engaged that she still has plans to go to college. Maybe she is waiting after the wedding. Though if she decided college wasn't for her. I am fine with that. I loved college, but it isn't for everyone. She does have a job, so at least she isn't just sitting around and doing nothing.

[SometimesBites]

29 minutes ago, 3girlsforus said:

So much this!! I hate to break it to her but the best way to avoid being "found out" is not to avoid a hospital when giving birth, it's not to have a reality TV show. 

Robyn making a big fluttery issue about home birth due to plyg persecution is a perfect example of how this family purposely clings to their victim story for faux drama. As you say, the family has been on television for six years. Every single place they go, Kody has to blurt out that he has four wives, even when he's out with just one of them and that info is appropos of zilch. And apparently we are all supposed to just pretend we didnt watch Christine give birth in a hospital. In Utah. Season 1. Drama, drama, drama because polygamy, even though there's never been a whiff of actual persecution on this show, except when they manufactured it themselves.

[islandgal140]

11 hours ago, Christi said:

I haven't checked these groups in ages, but I will tonite! Lol this is Christmas for them! Other Sam victims coming forward...scammed out of money...and one woman was scammed out of her DOG! !!!

I just.. I can't even.... 

Sometimes I think that some people just want to be deceived. There is the saying that if it is too good to be true it often isn't. But Meri and her catfish went beyond that. There is a point where you just ought to know that it is all a lie. I don't know why when Meri saw the pic Sam sent of some 20 something gorgeous male model (who claimed to be a millionaire) that alarm bells didn't start ringing. I don't want to shit on another woman's view on her ability to pull a man some would say is out of her league, but come on. What are the odds in these shallow ass times that some young'un with the world swimming in instagram thots with tons of options would go for Meri? It is not impossible, but it is improbable. Sam Taylor-Wood and Aaron Johnson are the exception not the rule. She should have starting asking questions then. Plus, being in the public eye makes her even more susceptible to this type of nonsense than the average woman. 

9 hours ago, MarysWetBar said:

Sly Sobbyn giving her leather furniture set to Maddie so she can get a new one. Very selfless...not. Noticed King Sol stomping all over it before they took it out. Surprised he didn't drop trou and take a dump on it actually.  Who was the little rando kid wandering around?  They likely don't  even notice. .think it's just another one that belongs to another wife. 

That sofa was beat to shit and ugly so I can't say I blame Robyn for getting a new one, however, I believe she will be saving her pennies and paying it off just like I believe she saved up for that Hawaii trip. Not at all. 

I can't get over how impossibly blond Truly and the young Prince Fauntleroy are. 

I love how Maddie basically bye Felicia's her family when they drop her off. 

[stillhere1900]

12 hours ago, Armchair Critic said:

Christine pronouncing "IdenTiTies", Robin talking about the Catfish not being "rill" (real), it is hard to be sympathetic when they come off so dumb.

Different regions pronounce words *differently*. I don't think it's fair to call someone "dumb" because of the way they pronounce words.

[RedheadZombie]

13 hours ago, MelissaMinion said:

Random thoughts, no spoilers. Robyn is really most beautiful when she's pregnant. And it was interesting to hear that in polygamous families, children tend to claim their mother's bed, and get touchy when they get kicked to the curb on their father's night in the home. 

On My Five Wives we always saw the babies in bed with mom, too.

12 hours ago, Armchair Critic said:

Truely seems to be pretty spoiled, I can see Christine giving all her attention to her because Christine is lonely because Kody ignores her. But I don't think it's doing the kid any favors. And yes I know we aren't supposed to smack on the youngsters so I will leave it at that.

I kind of like that Truely doesn't seem to care that Solomon usurped her position.  She does live in a bit of a dream world, but so does Christine.

12 hours ago, MelissaMinion said:

I think I'm over my urge to sympathize. Yeah, Meri was sitting at home alone, in her lonely house with the wet bar. But who set up that situation? She wanted that. 

Can they not have her evaluated for depression? Jeez, she's looking like the poster child for anti-depressants right now.

I feel nothing but sympathy for Meri.  She was catfished by a psychopath who seems to be a stalker in every sense of the word.  I will never blame the stalking on the victim of the stalker.  

And now dumbass Mariah has taken the whole thing as an assault on her precious polygamy.  Grow up Mariah.  I bet that little turncoat stays with Robyn when she's home.   So much for thinking this entire mess would open Mariah's eyes.  Kind of hoping a third wife infertile future on her.  Maybe she will get it then. 

[RazzleberryPie]

Meri was played. I just can't have sympathy for her as a victim when she had played Janelle and  Christine for years with power plays, budgets, then bringing Robyn in. The whole 'bring Robyn in' backfired, and then her trying to escape by running off with a rich guy cal fired. Manipulator got manipulated. The end.

I may have some sympathy if Meri had just admitted she was unhappy and left like a normal person. But instead, she had to connive and sneak and try to one up the others by landing a rich guy. I guess she thought that would make her 'win', but seriously, even if Catfish had been real, she wouldn't be held in very high regard for abandoning her family for another man. She's a selfish nut.

now Mariah turning on Meri - ironic that the princess monster Meri created is turning on her and has no loyalty. On the other hand, good for Meriah for actually admitting Meri had an affair and had all intentions of leaving her family. She broke all kinds of vows and religious commandments just to be selfish. She needs called out on the hypocrisy of telling everyone hey had this moral superiority then breaking every rule herself.

[ghoulina]

I kind of feel badly for Meri, but then again I don't. On the one hand, catfishing is just awful - and it sounds like JO went beyond that and was actively stalking and harassing Meri to a degree. Public personality or not, that just really really sucks. But, on the other hand, she never would have gotten into such a mess if she wasn't looking for male companionship outside of her marriage. As kooky as I find polygamy, she signed up for it and she broke her vows. Period. 

As for Mariah, I'll reserve judgment until we hear exactly what her gripe is. I've never really cared for her, but I can understand her being pissed. She ostensibly cares about her dad and Meri cheated on him. She was likely ready and willing to run off and leave the entire family, except it turned out not to be a guy. I can see Mariah feeling betrayal because of that. Also, it was likely really embarrassing. 

[RedheadZombie]

6 minutes ago, auntl said:

I wondered how the catfish knew what Meri was talking on the phone to her friend about. Was Meri making that up? If she wasn't,  that would have scared me too. Could the catfish really have bugged Meri's house somehow?

That was very odd.  I have no idea what really happened, but I think we forget the extreme paranoia these people are born and raised in.  It might not take much to convince Meri her house and phone were bugged.

1 hour ago, RazzleberryPie said:

now Mariah turning on Meri - ironic that the princess monster Meri created is turning on her and has no loyalty. On the other hand, good for Meriah for actually admitting Meri had an affair and had all intentions of leaving her family. She broke all kinds of vows and religious commandments just to be selfish. She needs called out on the hypocrisy of telling everyone hey had this moral superiority then breaking every rule herself.

Absolutely no loyalty - there's nothing my mother could do that would inspire me to go on camera and shit all over her.  Perfect strangers watch this show and see how Meri is teetering on the edge.  Mariah is either blind, or she simply doesn't care.  I'm an only child (sort of like Mariah), and there's a closeness between a mother and her only child.  And especially knowing Mariah is all Meri has - I'm just not in a generous mood toward Mariah.  Meri has always stuck up for the little creep when her own father and siblings mocked her.

[Galloway Cave]

11 minutes ago, auntl said:

I wondered how the catfish knew what Meri was talking on the phone to her friend about. Was Meri making that up? If she wasn't,  that would have scared me too. Could the catfish really have bugged Meri's house somehow?

Apparently whenever Meri and Sam would have a fight on the phone, Sam would hang up and ignore Meri's attempts to contact him. Then Lindsay, his assistant (Jackie also) would call Meri and persuade her to keep calling Sam and even suggest what to say to calm him down. Lindsay may have also been suggesting Meri call her friends to talk with them, and it was during one of those times Sam texted her and "knew what she was talking about on the phone" since it had all been set up by Jackie. Jackie is a master manipulator; reading Almost Meri'ed was both excruciating and fascinating to see the lengths that a person will go to in order to manipulate someone, and how incredibly blind the mark can be when they really, really want it to be true.

When the other wives were saying the Meri they knew would have stood up to the catfisher and never let her do this to her, it shows how naive these women are. Meri may be able to bully a couple other weak sister wives but she was way out of her league with a professional catfisher.

[RedheadZombie]

2 hours ago, stillhere1900 said:

Different regions pronounce words *differently*. I don't think it's fair to call someone "dumb" because of the way they pronounce words.

I agree.  It's simply difference in regional pronunciation.  I have relatives in Arkansas who pronounce Jenny as Jinny, and a friend from San Diego who pronounces gas as guess.  And although I don't specifically speak this way, I'm from the Midwest where many pronounce th as a d.

[Granny58]

50 minutes ago, ghoulina said:

I kind of feel badly for Meri, but then again I don't. On the one hand, catfishing is just awful - and it sounds like JO went beyond that and was actively stalking and harassing Meri to a degree. Public personality or not, that just really really sucks. But, on the other hand, she never would have gotten into such a mess if she wasn't looking for male companionship outside of her marriage. As kooky as I find polygamy, she signed up for it and she broke her vows. Period. 

As for Mariah, I'll reserve judgment until we hear exactly what her gripe is. I've never really cared for her, but I can understand her being pissed. She ostensibly cares about her dad and Meri cheated on him. She was likely ready and willing to run off and leave the entire family, except it turned out not to be a guy. I can see Mariah feeling betrayal because of that. Also, it was likely really embarrassing. 

I get what you're saying about the vows and all, but still - even in monogamy - depression, loneliness and being ignored can simply break you.  Sure, she signed up for it but as one poster said upthread, you don't know what your life will be like in 20 years.  I have no doubt she intended to be loyal, but she just broke.  Actually I pity her....depression and loneliness are awful soul-killers.  I didn't catch the last bit with Mariah yet who apparently threw mom under the bus (?).  I don't think it would matter what my mom did, I would try to understand and support her.  

[3girlsforus]

I gave some more thought to this 'we might be found out so we had a home birth' nonsense. I think it's much  more likely they were worried it would be "found out" they have no insurance. 

[ChicksDigScars]

So, the Twitter account for this Sam Cooper (@notbatmanyet) is still active? Going on like nothing is amiss? This is actually the troll, correct? 

Just read the link above, providing background. Just amazing that this JO person can continue the charade, and has received no legal punishment for victimizing people. And writing an e-book? SERIOUSLY? WOW. 

Edited May 9, 2016 by ChicksDigScars
adding content

[LucyEth]

Good Lord, poor Caleb and Maddie, Kody acts like an idiot around them.  He has several sons and he acts like he has no guys to hang out with, he is ridiculous.  I have admit I find it surprising that Maddie has so many sisters who I would think she was so close with because that is the way they were raised and her maid of honor is a friend.  Guess the kids are not as close as they would like us to think.  Why the heck was Solomon at the Dr's visit, oh probably no one would babysit him. As soon as I saw the therapist was Nancy I knew it was bad news. When Kody said mistake on his part he should have tried to stay closer to Meri. Yeah well if you weren't only interested in Robyn, you would have seen something was wrong.  Meri kept saying these people, who are these people, that one woman Jackie?  Christine I agree you guys are not tight at all.  Why was Janelle describing Meri as if she were just a long time neighbor, that was weird.  Who is guy that is supposed to be Sam, the pic of the guy with the beard?  Is he some friend of this catfisher.  Previews, wow, Mariah is not happy with her mother.  Feel sorry for her, all this has to be mortifying for her.

[Galloway Cave]

21 minutes ago, ChicksDigScars said:

So, the Twitter account for this Sam Cooper (@notbatmanyet) is still active? Going on like nothing is amiss? This is actually the troll, correct? 

Yes, this is Jackie Overton posting as Sam Cooper. She is keeping the con going despite all the evidence against her. She is one whacko.

LucyEth, the half-face picture that Jackie uses for Sam is most likely a model's pic she found online. Someone on another website thought they had it figured out but since it is only a half-face, they are only about 95% sure they have the right person. No way in hell a guy like that has anything to do with Jackie in real life.

[ghoulina]

2 hours ago, RedheadZombie said:

Absolutely no loyalty - there's nothing my mother could do that would inspire me to go on camera and shit all over her.  Perfect strangers watch this show and see how Meri is teetering on the edge.  Mariah is either blind, or she simply doesn't care.  I'm an only child (sort of like Mariah), and there's a closeness between a mother and her only child.  And especially knowing Mariah is all Meri has - I'm just not in a generous mood toward Mariah.  Meri has always stuck up for the little creep when her own father and siblings mocked her.

That's a good point. Even if I feel Mariah has grounds to be pissed at Meri, she doesn't necessarily have to add to the public pile up. She could have just said this was a hard time for her family and left it at that. 

 

2 hours ago, Granny58 said:

I get what you're saying about the vows and all, but still - even in monogamy - depression, loneliness and being ignored can simply break you.  Sure, she signed up for it but as one poster said upthread, you don't know what your life will be like in 20 years.  I have no doubt she intended to be loyal, but she just broke.  Actually I pity her....depression and loneliness are awful soul-killers.  I didn't catch the last bit with Mariah yet who apparently threw mom under the bus (?).  I don't think it would matter what my mom did, I would try to understand and support her.  

But even in monogamy, I wouldn't say that depression and loneliness are excuses for cheating. Like I said, I feel badly for her in a way, but I don't like how she's trying to downplay her part in all of it. If she was that unhappy, she should have left first. Then pursued someone else. 

[RazzleberryPie]

Catfish was able to play on the paranoia that he/she has bugged every thing, because these people have been raised to be paranoid. If someone has been programmed their whole lives to fear the bogeyman, the second you point to what might be a shadow will set them off. Same with Meri and Catfish.

[purpleflowers]

Wow, that therapy session was interesting.  I really thought the catfishing coverage would be just a few minutes of fluff, but it went a bit deeper than I suspected. It appears Meri is still pretty traumatized from the whole incident and at the time this episode was filmed, was still pretty fearful of what the catfisher could do to her or the family.  I agree that Meri is the victim and the catfisher is despicable for what they did; but I also agree with others who say Meri is not coming clean that yes, she DID have an affair, if only an emotional affair. I also found it odd that she said when she realized it was all fake, she didn't cut it off immediately but was asking to meet "Sam" in person if he really was real. Is that because she was in fear of the person and didn't want to upset them by cutting off all communication? Or was she still holding onto the hope that the guy might be real and she could pursue something with "him"? 

I don't think it's just a matter of Meri falling for Overton's act and manipulation as Janelle put it; Meri admitted last season that she knew from the very beginning the whole thing seemed fishy but she was desperately lonely and wanted the companionship and laughter that came from this relationship and convinced herself it was okay. That's very sad. 

Robyn can be annoying, but I did like the point she made about being lonely for female companionship even though her house is more full than Meri's. It's hard to say if Meri was really being left out by everyone or if she was isolating herself on purpose. I thought they were all okay with having their own homes side by side, but Meri seems very lost with it. I don't know if the problem is really polygamy for her or her relationship with Kody. 

I might be alone and this, but I am kind of getting the sense from a few of last season's episodes and this one that Janelle is trying to convince herself than she is okay with Maddie's plans in life. I remember Janelle saying when Maddie was starting out in college that she gets a little concerned because Maddie has the tendency to have her goals and plans sidetracked when a guy comes along. I hate to be negative--and I am happy for Maddie if she's happy--but it kind of seems like what Janelle predicted sort of happened. In any case, I wish her well. 

Edited May 9, 2016 by purpleflowers