Season 4 Discussion

[Jolee]

Had to share this with you All....

I saw the town on Caller ID and busted out laughing.

Was going to answer, see if it was Dani or Mo..... Bwahahaha 

[wovenloaf]

2 hours ago, Kangatush said:

Lowo and Narkyia: Am I the only one who would be creeped out by a room decorated with my own pictures?

No.  And it kind of looked like a child's birthday party in there...  I like cupcakes as much as the next person, but I didn't really see how that cupcakes/balloons/inkjet-printer-photos-taped-to-a-door setup was supposed to be so romantic.

[annewithaneee]

1 hour ago, Xena1833 said:

8 hours ago, DangerousMinds said:

She may not be Azan's type, but millions of plus-size women in this country do find partners and have happy relationships.

Point taken but it seemed to me that Azan  was not aware of her plus size status when he met her face to face. He made comments right away about her size. Obviously he only saw head shots while they were communicating. 

I think Azan was completely bullshitting on this count. It was frustrating that production didn't ask (or didn't air) any follow-up questions to his "she's big a little bit" talking head to get him to explain what his expectations were, and why. However, we know that they videochatted - someone posted their audition interview in an episode thread which was conducted via Skype with the two of them, and there was a videochat in the first episode where I'm pretty sure she was getting up to grab her kid, and also leaning over the webcam (an angle which is nobody's friend) - and even if he only ever saw a headshot, she has a very full face; the only real option there is a plus-sized woman, or a thin woman with a medical condition of some sort. I'm guessing/hoping they'll talk about this at the reunion, but for now I just don't buy he didn't realize she was fat. Also, had he truly been misled or confused, I think it would have been a much bigger storyline.

[magemaud]

1 hour ago, wovenloaf said:

but I didn't really see how that cupcakes/balloons/inkjet-printer-photos-taped-to-a-door setup was supposed to be so romantic.

you must have forgotten the pink fuzzy handcuffs! 

[Major Bigtime]

There better be a shitload of Godiva chocolate if I am going to wear pink fuzzy handcuffs.

[sleepyjean]

Quote

but for now I just don't buy he didn't realize she was fat.

He surely knew she was overweight, but it's entirely possible he didn't really understand the extent of it until he met her face to face.

My guess is in most of their chats, she was holding the phone, which means it's a pretty close shot. When we saw her chatting with him, the camera didn't even encompass the entire width of her shoulders. There was a LOT of her that was not showing. I will also add that seeing someone in person is very different from seeing them on a phone. Case in point: everyone knows NBA players are tall. Very very tall. And still, the first time I stood next to an NBA player in person, I was gobsmacked by how tall they really are in person. And I'm not a short person! Some things just don't sink in until you experience them yourself. It's possible it didn't really hit Azan until Nicole got off that plane, and he realized he couldn't get his arms all the way around her to hug her. If he's never spent much time with someone her size, that, and her other limitations could have been a big surprise.

[magemaud]

I think that when you're looking at a closeup of one person without anyone or anything else to put them in perspective, it's very difficult to get an idea of their size. 

[Miss Chevious]

It's all in the angles. Her Face looks a lot slimmer in her FB pic. And I'd bet a dozen Dunkin' Donuts that she used a flattering angle   when Skyping/FaceTiming with him. And only head & shoulders. So naturally he was astounded at her roly-poly-ness when he saw her in the flesh. 

I'm reminded of the Golden Girls episode where Blanche leans over a mirror on the counter, then lifts it up over her head tilted back and says "I should meet men laying down!"

[merylinkid]

It is highly possible he thought she was a big girl but not unhealthy.   It was when she got on the plane looking hot and sweaty, that he wanted to say "wow, she's just a fat slob" but he went with the politer "she's just a little bit big."    Also, it's not so much her weight, but everything else.   You can be big and have table manners.   You can be big and still not refuse to eat vegetables and anything not fried.   So her weight is not the problem.   It's how she presents herself.   

Also, just because a man has a close male friend does not make him gay.   Anymore than not drooling over the gross chick makes him gay.   Patrick may be overly invested in Matt becuase he is a drama king.   He KNOWS that Matt's marriages always bring the drama and he loves it.   So he is doing his part to make sure there is lots of drama.   If Alla is not going to bring it by being a Bridezilla, he will make up for it himself by being an ass.

[Lola16]

On 11/7/2016 at 1:20 AM, lasandi said:

 Meowwww you are too kind to tell Jorge the above but he already knows.  He may look stupid but he is not stupid.  She tells him who and what she is every time she speaks, everytime he asks, everytime she rolls her eyes, and I am sure everytime she climbs on top.

At the Jeweler's when the clerk asked him why his fiancé keeps beeping him he had that dumb look on his face that he uses when he says "she's crazy".  I am sure they edited those words out.  Wish they had edited the dumb facial expression as well.  Lol

We all know that if someone is annoying you on the phone, you can ignore them, block them, Jorge was acting like an idiot in that car.  Is it editing, is production telling him to act the fool or is he really.......I don't even know what to call him at this point.  

 

Jorge loves the attention. And he thinks it means he's special and she loves him for him (not his wallet). And he loves that it's visible (and audible) to everyone else.  Obvi, he could have changed his password. Gotten a different phone (and phone #) that he uses for business. Put the phone on vibrate.

Edited November 9, 2016 by Drogo
No social media in the episode threads.

[hisbunkie]

On 11/7/2016 at 4:46 PM, magemaud said:

At this point in the show he's been here 87 days and still hasn't shown much of an effort to learn the language. I'm sure he has access to a computer, there are plenty of free language programs. Or like you pointed out, you can borrow things from the library. I just wonder what he DOES do all day, the only thing we've seen is him going to the gym. 

I think he is at a total loss here.  He cannot work, cannot drive, has no money of his own and is stuck at the efficiency apartment all day.  It's not a good environment for a young man. 

He seems pretty isolated.  Unless he has the opportunity to interact with others his language skills will not improve.  

[Major Bigtime]

1 hour ago, hisbunkie said:

I think he is at a total loss here.  He cannot work, cannot drive, has no money of his own and is stuck at the efficiency apartment all day.  It's not a good environment for a young man. 

He seems pretty isolated.  Unless he has the opportunity to interact with others his language skills will not improve.  

That's true of all of the people who come here on this show. They are all at the mercy of their beloved.

[sleepyjean]

Quote

That's true of all of the people who come here on this show. They are all at the mercy of their beloved.

It will be the same for Nicole and Azan. Although at least in his case, he has the language skills. I doubt the two of them have talked about what he will do when he gets here. If she's got computer games, he'll do that for a while, but doesn't seem the type to be happy in captivity and prolonged periods of inactivity. I can see him trying to get Nicole to go places and do things and her not wanting to. I doubt she'll want him going anywhere without her, especially anywhere where there might be attractive women. So no gym, no beach, nothing like that. It would not surprise me if she decides to make him May's full-time caregiver. That will keep him busy and at home, where there's no chance of him seeing any other women. And I think she'll get a charge out of being the breadwinner, and therefore the boss.

I guess what I'm saying is I think she'll treat him less like a partner and more like a pet.

[Adiba]

9 hours ago, Lola16 said:

 

Jorge loves the attention. And he thinks it means he's special and she loves him for him (not his wallet). And he loves that it's visible (and audible) to everyone else.  Obvi, he could have changed his password. Gotten a different phone (and phone #) that he uses for business. Put the phone on vibrate.

I agree, Jorge is getting some kind of "payoff" from Anfisa's behavior. Other commenters have said perhaps it's some kind of masochism on his part, and I'm beginning to think they're right

Another take on the situation might be that Jorge looks at her craziness as a flaw that somehow justifies why he can " get" her other than his wallet. He may see it as " taming the shrew" or that no one else can handle her/put up with her, etc.?

[gonecrackers]

7 hours ago, hisbunkie said:

I think he is at a total loss here.  He cannot work, cannot drive, has no money of his own and is stuck at the efficiency apartment all day.  It's not a good environment for a young man. 

He seems pretty isolated.  Unless he has the opportunity to interact with others his language skills will not improve.  

True, but with the internet he could be taking language classes - there are so many online - or other online classes, or find online groups for immigrants, etc., where he could connect with others.

Of course he could actually be doing all this & they're just not showing it, & he could be showing limited English language skills on purpose for the story line. He does use the not understanding when it suits him... whether it's to help forward her lies or not, he is capable & can do it.

[DangerousMinds]

43 minutes ago, sleepyjean said:

It will be the same for Nicole and Azan. Although at least in his case, he has the language skills. I doubt the two of them have talked about what he will do when he gets here. If she's got computer games, he'll do that for a while, but doesn't seem the type to be happy in captivity and prolonged periods of inactivity. I can see him trying to get Nicole to go places and do things and her not wanting to. I doubt she'll want him going anywhere without her, especially anywhere where there might be attractive women. So no gym, no beach, nothing like that. It would not surprise me if she decides to make him May's full-time caregiver. That will keep him busy and at home, where there's no chance of him seeing any other women. And I think she'll get a charge out of being the breadwinner, and therefore the boss.

I guess what I'm saying is I think she'll treat him less like a partner and more like a pet.

I can see a lot of men treating their foreign female fiancees the same way though. Doesn't make it ok for either sex, IMO.

[Arwen Evenstar]

16 hours ago, wovenloaf said:

No.  And it kind of looked like a child's birthday party in there...  I like cupcakes as much as the next person, but I didn't really see how that cupcakes/balloons/inkjet-printer-photos-taped-to-a-door setup was supposed to be so romantic.

It was all about being fed cupcakes wearing fuzzy pink handcuffs and chicken skin for dinner.

[sleepyjean]

Quote

but I didn't really see how that cupcakes/balloons/inkjet-printer-photos-taped-to-a-door setup was supposed to be so romantic.

It was romantic, in the sense that he obviously  went to a lot of effort to make her feel welcome, wanted, and cared for and did something he thought see  would like. if he wasn't a con man, it would be sweet. it's the thought that counts.

Edited November 9, 2016 by sleepyjean

[Celia Rubenstein]

I am not an experts on camels or dessert terraine, but why didn't the camel tour guides just walk the camels down the dune to where Nicole and Azan were?  It seemed really lame to make paying guests hike up all that way in the burning heat when it would be easy for the camels.

Was it just a way for production to antagonize people for the sake of the show? That is what it looked like to me. Because I would think the camels guys would prefer to ride down the dune to collect Nicole and Azan instead of just standing there  waiting on them ....

Edited November 9, 2016 by Celia Rubenstein

[MrSmith]

1 hour ago, Arwen Evenstar said:

It was all about being fed cupcakes wearing fuzzy pink handcuffs and chicken skin for dinner.

LOL. Not to pick on you, but your sentence structure makes it sound like she'll be wearing fuzzy pink handcuffs and chicken skin while eating dinner. I only point it out because the image it conjures in my mind is So. Freaking. Hilarious. Thanks for laugh (that almost got me in trouble at work)!

[GoGamecox]

So now that California legalized marijuana, does this mean Jorge is going to be filthy rich? Maybe Anfisa will stay after all?

[Virtually Me]

5 hours ago, sleepyjean said:

It will be the same for Nicole and Azan. Although at least in his case, he has the language skills. I doubt the two of them have talked about what he will do when he gets here. If she's got computer games, he'll do that for a while, but doesn't seem the type to be happy in captivity and prolonged periods of inactivity. I can see him trying to get Nicole to go places and do things and her not wanting to. I doubt she'll want him going anywhere without her, especially anywhere where there might be attractive women. So no gym, no beach, nothing like that. It would not surprise me if she decides to make him May's full-time caregiver. That will keep him busy and at home, where there's no chance of him seeing any other women. And I think she'll get a charge out of being the breadwinner, and therefore the boss.

I guess what I'm saying is I think she'll treat him less like a partner and more like a pet.

Being treated like a pet or a possession is all too common in these arrangements.  Especially so with spouses whom are valued for being "exotic" and unique by their petitioner.

[sleepyjean]

Maybe a camel caravan is like a bus. Bus drivers only stop at a bus stop. They dont veer off course to pick up stragglers. 

[spankydoll]

So now that California legalized marijuana, does this mean Jorge is going to be filthy rich? Maybe Anfisa will stay after all?

I can't see him being very successful based on his one 15k phone call directing his client to the dollar store. And I am still seeing red about his texting and driving He deserves to get fleeced

[Arwen Evenstar]

12 hours ago, MrSmith said:

LOL. Not to pick on you, but your sentence structure makes it sound like she'll be wearing fuzzy pink handcuffs and chicken skin while eating dinner. I only point it out because the image it conjures in my mind is So. Freaking. Hilarious. Thanks for laugh (that almost got me in trouble at work)!

 

12 hours ago, MrSmith said:

It was all about being fed cupcakes wearing fuzzy pink handcuffs and chicken skin for dinner.

Yes, a nightmare of dangling modifiers and uncaffeinated grammar. I need to stop watching TLC....it's seriously ruining my writing skills.

it was all about being fed cupcakes while wearing fuzzy handcuffs after having had chicken skin for dinner...

i guess it doesn't conjure up the same image, does it?

[Bubbles1967]

I don't know if this was said. If Jorge does propose, I think Anfisa will have no problem telling him the ring is too small. From looking at $300,000 rings to getting an $11,000 ring is not going to make Duck Lips happy.

[MrSmith]

6 hours ago, Arwen Evenstar said:

 

Yes, a nightmare of dangling modifiers and uncaffeinated grammar. I need to stop watching TLC....it's seriously ruining my writing skills.

it was all about being fed cupcakes while wearing fuzzy handcuffs after having had chicken skin for dinner...

i guess it doesn't conjure up the same image, does it?

Not the same image at all. I prefer the other one! Put the coffee down and back away slowly, please. :D

[sleepyjean]

Quote

I don't know if this was said. If Jorge does propose, I think Anfisa will have no problem telling him the ring is too small. From looking at $300,000 rings to getting an $11,000 ring is not going to make Duck Lips happy.

Yes she will. Then he will tell her to "be reasonable." She will threaten to go home. He will say he won't stop her from leaving. That will piss her off even more. Then he will grovel. How many times have we seen this movie?

In the end, he will not buy a more expensive ring, but she will marry him anyway.

[Neurochick]

On 11/7/2016 at 2:33 PM, operalover said:

To be fair a lot of the people are elderly people, housewives and children who are not at work. It's multi-generational friendships. They have good close friends across the way they've known their whole life. Yes, maybe some of the time they are at work, but even in a big apartment building in LA, some people are home during the day but they don't talk to each other or see each other. It's much more social in those Russian apartment buildings.

Plus in a lot of places in the world, you don't have to drive to see other people.  In the US many cities were designed around the automobile.  (big mistake IMO)

[magemaud]

I think possibly the disappointing diamond might result in a huge argument that triggers her van keying rampage in the coming attractions. Stay tuned...

[bunny]

Maybe she uses the diamond to scratch IDIOT into the car...

[Adeejay]

On ‎11‎/‎7‎/‎2016 at 8:00 PM, annewithaneee said:

Haha I'm glad to hear people defending the "sand dunes are a bitch" thing. I've trekked up dunes before, and especially once the grade gets steep, you can basically look at the one you're about to climb and multiply its height by five. It's not like climbing a normal hill, because that sand gives in with every step, so it can take you five steps to get the length of one normal stride on solid ground.

Based on the angle of the camera, that sand dune looked extremely steep.  Not to mention the fact that they had to walk quite a while in the sand, before actually starting to climb.  I have a feeling that dune would have been a challenge even for people that are more physically fit.  And, given the type of clothes Nicole was wearing and her lack of fitness, I think Azan could have been a little more understanding.  I felt he was too hard on her. 

Edited November 11, 2016 by Adeejay

[Arwen Evenstar]

9 hours ago, bunny said:

Maybe she uses the diamond to scratch IDIOT into the car...

That would be my guess..

[DolceAndMohamed]

Does Patrick have an unresolved crush on Matt? He seems abnormally worked up about Matt's fourth marriage. 

YES!!! I was thinking that too. Probably why Patrick hasn't put a ring on his lovely girlfriend, too busy bashing/swooning lil bro. River and Patrick should be friends since they both are in love with their siblings. Maybe that's what the prenups are REALLY for....

[DolceAndMohamed]

Quick side note, but did anyone else make out "Jorge's" shitty Spanish and realize he directed his "client" to a 99 cent store for his "$15,000 deal"

[magemaud]

Patrick isn't Matt's brother. He's (supposedly) his best friend and I believe he works at the car dealership with Matt. Matt has a twin brother with an M name, Mark maybe? 

[MrSmith]

6 hours ago, DolceAndMohamed said:

Quick side note, but did anyone else make out "Jorge's" shitty Spanish and realize he directed his "client" to a 99 cent store for his "$15,000 deal"

Yeah. Completely unmistakeable. In the beginning of the season, it sounded like he ran a dispensary. Now, it sounds like he's just a street dealer.

[Major Bigtime]

1 hour ago, MrSmith said:

Yeah. Completely unmistakeable. In the beginning of the season, it sounded like he ran a dispensary. Now, it sounds like he's just a street dealer.

Ooooh, missed that! He really is a dumbass if he's on TV advertising the fact he's dealing pot illegally. Will not help him get a legal business going, at all.

[MrSmith]

39 minutes ago, Major Bigtime said:

Ooooh, missed that! He really is a dumbass if he's on TV advertising the fact he's dealing pot illegally. Will not help him get a legal business going, at all.

Yeah, I'm not sure he's doing it illegally. I don't know the in's and out's of that industry (obviously). It just sounded to my wife and me that he's a street dealer rather than running a dispensary.

[Major Bigtime]

A legal dispensary requires a doctor's prescription (I know from a friend), you don't have someone meet you in front of the dollar store. The marijuana is secured from licensed growers who are regulated by the state government and medical boards. 

Since it can't be said enough, Jorge is an idiot.

[Baltimore Betty]

Why does Jorge still keep leaving the apartment every time Anfisa tells him too?  What a putz.

If he thinks things will be different after they are married he is an idiot. 

[Major Bigtime]

8 minutes ago, Baltimore Betty said:

Why does Jorge still keep leaving the apartment every time Anfisa tells him too?  

Because production tells him to, is my guess.

[Brooklynista]

14 minutes ago, Baltimore Betty said:

Why does Jorge still keep leaving the apartment every time Anfisa tells him too?  What a putz.

If he thinks things will be different after they are married he is an idiot. 

Honestly ! I might go to the next room. I might sleep on the couch. What I'm not doing is  paying rent on an apartment to be put out of it to then pay for a hotel. Nope.

Jorge should put some bubble wrap around her bed if he thinks she's capable of a sneak attack and tell her to kick rocks.

[Arwen Evenstar]

On November 10, 2016 at 11:07 AM, Neurochick said:

Plus in a lot of places in the world, you don't have to drive to see other people.  In the US many cities were designed around the automobile.  (big mistake IMO)

Our country is way bigger than most single countries. Rhode Island is bigger than some countries.  Re-enter Texas from across the Louisiana state line on I-10.  After you see the Welcome to Texas sign, go about 5 to 10 miles and you will see a sign that tells you it's like 810 miles to El Paso.  I kid you not.

Europe is jam packed with a very high population density in most cities. It's easy to meet people because of mass transit and layout of open air shopping arcades, cafes, and piazzas.

In this day and age, I can't defend the lack of progress in our infrastructure. I'd love to liberate myself from my car to attend events and not have to park a mile away.  We have mass transit where I live, but it has low ridership and isn't exactly convenient to have to drive to a bus stop.

Edited November 11, 2016 by Arwen Evenstar

[gonecrackers]

32 minutes ago, Arwen Evenstar said:

Our country is way bigger than most single countries. Rhode Island is bigger than some countries.  Re-enter Texas from across the Louisiana state line on I-10.  After you see the Welcome to Texas sign, go about 5 to 10 miles and you will see a sign that tells you it's like 810 miles to El Paso.  I kid you not.

Europe is jam packed with a very high population density in most cities. It's easy to meet people because of mass transit and layout of open air shopping arcades, cafes, and piazzas.

In this day and age, I can't defend the lack of progress in our infrastructure. I'd love to liberate myself from my car to attend events and not have to park a mile away.  We have mass transit where I live, but it has low ridership and isn't exactly convenient to have to drive to a bus stop.

It probably depends on how you look at it & your preferences. I prefer openness, space, & privacy. For me a sense of isolation is what I like. I suppose those preferences can change depending on stage of life as well. Kinda OT but thought I'd chime in.

Perhaps there are some coming from Europe who might appreciate it if met with those kinds of changes. I think if someone were to have enough initiative they could find a way around to meet others. The internet connects people in certain locations as well. My main concern would always be safety.

[Major Bigtime]

I have friends in L.A. who get around on the bus or with Uber. They go all over. Even my aunts who were there in the 50s-70s made their way all over the place by using public transportation.

Anfisa is too lazy to do that, however, from what I've seen. She wants a chauffeured limo.

[booboopbedoo]

I think Jorge expected her to stay at home and knit him sweaters and have a nice meal when he came home.Maybe wearing heels and just an apron. Instead he got a Bulldog who is demanding to be fed and entertained and wants diamond collars.

[funky-rat]

On ‎11‎/‎7‎/‎2016 at 3:59 AM, mamadrama said:

All to often we are quick to say that we "love" people or are "in love with them." True love, in my opinion, comes with time and daily living with the other person. I've been with my husband for many years. In the beginning I said I "loved" him. However, it's NOTHING compared to the feelings I have almost 20 years later. In fact, when I look back on those early years I am not sure I even knew what love was. Infatuation? Yes. Desire? Yes. Maybe even obsession. But the real love came much later. And we are definitely stronger. 

This is what I think Alla means. 

Agreed.   My dad's parents were married for over 57 years,  I think, and my parents will hit 50 years very soon.  I never once heard my grandparents they loved each other, and I don't know if I ever heard my dad say it to me or my mom, but there's no doubt.  It's just how some people are.  They're not from touchy-feely backgrounds, but they show it every day in other ways.  My husband and I say it, but like my parents (and his to some degree) we also show it in other ways.

On ‎11‎/‎7‎/‎2016 at 9:34 AM, steff13 said:

Matt's friend Patrick is a douchebag.  Run, Julie! 

Must be the names, because I know a couple with the same names and both are douche-y, but he more than she.  I'm not so sure that Patrick is crushing on Matt, but maybe Matt leaned heavily on him in the past 3 breakups and he's over it.  Still, either politely say "Look, I'm out if this falls apart again" or suck it up.  And unless he keeps re-marrying the same person, after two tries, you have to put the blame where it's due.  Mr. Funky had a friend that he met when they were teens and he didn't realize right away that he was closeted, and crushing on him big-time.  That friend was in our wedding, and I got the feeling that might be the case, but when I asked my husband about it, he denied it.  He later (many years later) told me that yes, it was all  true, and that said friend made a few advances when they were teens that he rejected, and the friend apologized for and they were able to remain friends, but he didn't want to out him without first being sure that he was indeed out because when they met in the 80's that would have been 100% life-ruining in the area he lived, and even into the early 90's when we got married.  Once he found out that he was not only out but engaged did he tell me privately about the crush and rejected advances.  The friend doesn't know I know, and I won't say anything since it was in the past and would be pointless to bring up now.  It was a little awkward at first when I would encounter that friend, but I don't pay it any mind anymore.

On ‎11‎/‎8‎/‎2016 at 10:15 AM, DangerousMinds said:

She may not be Azan's type, but millions of plus-size women in this country do find partners and have happy relationships.

Indeed.  Myself included.  There are lots of chubby chasers out there that are good men and would love to be with her and wouldn't care about her weight.  Her personality, however.....she needs to grow up.

[Toaster Strudel]

3 hours ago, Baltimore Betty said:

Why does Jorge still keep leaving the apartment every time Anfisa tells him too?  What a putz.

Because it's such a pleasure for him to be in the dog house!  It's so humiliating and titillating!  He can't wait to be kicked out!

[sleepyjean]

6 hours ago, MrSmith said:

It just sounded to my wife and me that he's a street dealer rather than running a dispensary.

Jorge is a grower, he said that in the first episode. I don't think he runs a dispensary.