Season 5 Discussion

[Lizz]

I still don’t get why David Poor showed up to talk to Annie in that ill-fitting suit with a Rotary Club looking lapel pin. He looked more like a melted candle than usual.  Maybe he had a job interview scheduled. 

[calpurnia99]

19 hours ago, Frozendiva said:

Maybe they just prefer 'marriage' to having a young daughter live with a dude - that brings with it a lot of possible problems. Family shame, the girl 'living in sin', possibly being knocked up without marriage. 18 is young these days. Heck, 21 or even 25 is also young. Some parents probably want their kids to get a college degree and have some sort of skill/profession first. You don't know a lot about yourself at 18 and committing yourself to a man or woman (for the rest of your life) at that age takes a lot of guts. Unless both of the couple grows together, both will slowly grow apart. Evil-yn and David will live out their karma and then possibly part ways within a short time.

She is supposed to be going to college to experience her first time living away from home! To see what it is like to live away from home, to make friends, to have experiences. It is just wrong that her first apt is one with her husband, like they did in the 1950's. David has lived alone in his own places before. That is why she was so excited at that house. I was the same way at 19 looking at my first off-campus apartment, I was like WOW my own house!

I just am shaking my head that she blew off college. And she has no career either, She is going to be a wife and mom, yay. 

[Neurochick]

8 hours ago, Desert Rat said:

I have a new theory on Poor David and Chris.  Maybe David isn't really broke. Maybe the money Chris is spending on David is really David's own money. We know David is a liar and a cheat.  David may have hidden assets from his ex and the divorce court, and Chris is in in the scam. So now, to maintain the fraud, Chris is pretending to be supporting David when he is really just spending David's own secreted assets.  The scam also works on Annie because she will not have high financial expectations of David, during marriage and in the eventual divorce .  It also explains why Nicole is not more pissed about all the resources being spent on David and why she seems so certain David will pay Chris and her back. 

My theory is that TLC is paying for everything.  That is part of the agreement, that’s what the couples get for agreeing to be filmed.

I don’t think the producers knew about Molly and Luis.  They might have checked them out before filming started, but probably didn’t think they had to keep checking on them once they started filming.

[Lily247]

4 minutes ago, calpurnia99 said:

She is supposed to be going to college to experience her first time living away from home! To see what it is like to live away from home, to make friends, to have experiences. It is just wrong that her first apt is one with her husband, like they did in the 1950's. David has lived alone in his own places before. That is why she was so excited at that house. I was the same way at 19 looking at my first off-campus apartment, I was like WOW my own house!

I just am shaking my head that she blew off college. And she has no career either, She is going to be a wife and mom, yay. 

She will probably go back in 10 years for a nursing degree from community college after they have a couple kids and realize that David probably wont be able to support a family with the degree he has.  

Unfortunately in this day and age its very hard to support a family on one income, unless the breadwinner has a very lucrative job. That is why we see all these women desperately hocking other women on FB to join their It Works or Beachbody "business" that they run from their phones, trying to gain a $50 commision. But I digress. Nursing schools are full of women in their 30s with young children. And David Spain does not strike me as the type who would be cool with Evelyn staying home and being a housewife/SAHM. His whiny voice would probably list all the reasons why he cant get a better paying position. 

By the way, Ive noticed before that almost never in this series do David and Evelyn show affection to each other or talk about their love. They act like they can barely tolerate each other. When asked by the producers what was it that made them fall in love, what were their answers ? Evelyn: "Well, he loved me first, and I didnt feel that way but I came around." David: Wrinkles his brow at her, looks confused and annoyed. 

He could have waived off her stupid answer and said a whole bunch of things that he loved about her. 

I am glad that Evelyn's parents paid for the tux rentals. Also her wedding dress looked like a beautiful nightgown. It would have been more appropriate for a smaller, outdoor/woodsy wedding with a flower wreath on her head. Similar to Marnie Michaels' wedding look from the HBO show Girls. 

[annewithaneee]

After seeing David Poor in his duds for meeting his daughter, now I'm thinking his clothes aren't ill-fitting so much as he's just misshapen. I don't think he could find anything that could fit his shape. 

[Bridget]

23 hours ago, annewithaneee said:

Molly cause a pretty great and inexplicable continuity issue during her meltdown. At some point, towards the end of it (as it was shown to us, anyway), she spackled on a fuckton of foundation as well as some mascara, which made it very clear her "in the moment" interview by the stairs had happened some time prior (or after, I guess). And she appeared to put on that makeup for the sole purpose of staggering back to the couch to mewl and sob with her face covered. And she didn't bother changing out of her hideous outfit, or at least tug something over her shirt so she didn't have the ill-fitting bright white bra on display any more. I mean, I guess I shouldn't be surprised by it because the judgment sector of her brain is clearly non-functioning, but damn was that funny and odd. I like imagining her putting an abrupt pause on her meltdown to put makeup on for 20 or so minutes, just to cry it all off again.

If there was a chyron with his name on it, I missed it, but whichever friend of David Spain it was with the Cesar haircut, strong nose, and deep v tee (more like a worn, wobbly deep u) in the tuxedo shop scene....I want to go to there. So much more appealing than the groom.

His name was Guiseppe - I say this proudly after rewinding my DVR several times just to look at THAT fine man. Wow.  AND a sense of humor about David and the "donuts."

Am I the only one who thinks that he (Guiseppe) belongs in a Burberry ad?

Edited December 19, 2017 by Bridget
HAD to take photos

[poeticlicensed]

David looks like he gained back all the weight he lost after gastric bypass. 

I want to slap David. Ashley isn't supportive because you deserted her mother and your family, not because they don't like Annie. Just shut up. 

[Neurochick]

I detest Ashley.  If she’s not for the relationship then don’t come to the wedding and don’t come on TV.  But she jumped at the chance to be on TV though.

Ashley gives me racist vibes as well.  I wonder if she would have been for the relationship if Annie were white, American.  Ashley hates Annie because she fears her dad might treat Annie better than he treated her mother.

I feel bad for Molly’s daughters, they are minors and Molly was not looking out for them.  If they were adults that would be different.

But Luis isn’t an illegal alien, where did that come from?  Molly should get the whole thing annulled.

Were Luis’s brothers already living in the USA?  Is Luis living with them?

[AZChristian]

54 minutes ago, Lizz said:

I still don’t get why David Poor showed up to talk to Annie in that ill-fitting suit with a Rotary Club looking lapel pin. He looked more like a melted candle than usual.  Maybe he had a job interview scheduled. 

Unlikely. 

[Bridget]

20 hours ago, Frozendiva said:

 

The short groomsman reminded me of Sisko from 'The Flash'.

 

Yes! Spot on. I wonder what nickname Cisco would give those two nitwits?!

[Bridget]

17 hours ago, millennium said:

I got the same vibe.

I see what you did there. hahaha! Kudos to you!

[Bridget]

13 hours ago, Kellyee said:

I want to grab May's tablet and beat Nicole over the head with it. That poor child. What a horrible, neglectful mother. Does anyone in that family notice how much time that child is spending plugged in and not interacting? If she really hadn't seen her grandparents for weeks, why weren't they talking to her and playing with her?? Ugh.

Preach! It's sad, but it's the new reality. It's why there is a huge literacy decline in the school system. These kids can't communicate like "normal people."

Anyone else catch this Fine Parenting Moment of the Year moment?

Could her fingers BE any feckin' closer to the open electrical sockets?

Holy Shit. 

Edited December 19, 2017 by Bridget
Had to take the photo

[Neurochick]

Ashley just leave and get off my TV.  If she wanted to party on her birthday she shouldn’t have gone to the wedding.  But Ashley strikes me as the type who never met a TV camera she didn’t like.

 I think May is on the tablet when the adults are talking about things they don’t want her to hear.

Edited December 19, 2017 by Neurochick

[CoachWristletJen]

Okay, I've been with David's daughter, Ashley, but I did not like her behavior at the wedding.

I get that her dad has disappointed her. And, I get that he's a scumbag.

But, she's important to him, kind of.

And, Ashley came across as a bit of a lunatic, muttering hostilities in front of her children.

I get that she's got good reason to be upset, but at their wedding, she needed to keep that stuff to herself and model better behavior for her kids.

[annewithaneee]

14 minutes ago, Neurochick said:

Ashley gives me racist vibes as well.  I wonder if she would have been for the relationship if Annie were white, American.  Ashley hates Annie because she fears her dad might treat Annie better than he treated her mother.

Yep. The "free ticket to America" thing sealed it for me. Ditto for calling her his "Thai wife". She wouldn't have been nearly as nasty about a white American woman.

I really wanted to have sympathy for her. I felt badly for all the comments about her appearance and (lack of) fashion sense, and she's certainly entitled to having a shitty and complex relationship with her father, who is The Worst.  And she's young*, and maybe in another decade she'll look back on this and cringe at her behavior and lashing out at the wrong person for really ugly, probably bigoted reasons. Hopefully she will. But yeah, my sympathy's long gone now.

*Did she say this was her 20th birthday? I believe she has kids, plural, and one of them was old enough to sit in the front seat as they were leaving?? I'm very confused. I really must have misheard that, there's no way she has a daughter that old at only twenty -- it feels like she couldn't have been menstruating long enough to have a child that age.

[millennium]

2 minutes ago, Neurochick said:

I detest Ashley.  If she’s not for the relationship then don’t come to the wedding and don’t come on TV.  But she jumped at the chance to be on TV though.

Ashley gives me racist vibes as well.  I wonder if she would have been for the relationship if Annie were white, American.  Ashley hates Annie because she fears her dad might treat Annie better than he treated her mother.

I feel bad for Molly’s daughters, they are minors and Molly was not looking out for them.  If they were adults that would be different.

But Luis isn’t an illegal alien, where did that come from?  Molly should get the whole thing annulled.

Were Luis’s brothers already living in the USA?  Is Luis living with them?

I called Luis an illegal alien.   I don't care if he has a Visa, it was obtained by deception.   His ass should be deported.   I'd deport Molly too.   She likes the DR so much, let her go live there.   Obviously neither of these things will happen but it's nice to imagine.

I'm not sure if Ashley's a racist.  She may be.  She's certainly schooled in stereotypes ("Do you do nails?").  But I think her presence on the show is her saying fuck you to David and doing whatever she can to prevent him from reinventing his public image.   She wants him to hurt.   She wants him to feel the pain he imposed on them.   What better way to inflict that than sabotaging the fantasy he's living in?

When David was waddling about badgering Annie, "Should I call your family?  I can call them right now," it became clear that he's even uglier inside than out. 

I want a show about Nikki and how she handles all the idiots she has to deal with in her life.

[kacesq]

Did Molly's dad just drive over with a drink?

Annie is starting to annoy me, all the wide eyed innocent talking heads. Her drive to better her situation must be very strong to put up with that obnoxious little man.

[CoachWristletJen]

6 minutes ago, millennium said:

I called Luis an illegal alien.   I don't care if he has a Visa, it was obtained by deception.   His ass should be deported.   I'd deport Molly too.   She likes the DR so much, let her go live there.   Obviously neither of these things will happen but it's nice to imagine.

I'm not sure if Ashley's a racist.  She may be.  She's certainly schooled in stereotypes ("Do you do nails?").  But I think her presence on the show is her saying fuck you to David and doing whatever she can to prevent him from reinventing his public image.   She wants him to hurt.   She wants him to feel the pain he imposed on them.   What better way to inflict that than sabotaging the fantasy he's living in?

When David was waddling about badgering Annie, "Should I call your family?  I can call them right now," it became clear that he's even uglier inside than out. 

I want a show about Nikki and how she handles all the idiots she has to deal with in her life.

David said that because he knew the culture. He knew she would feel ashamed to go back to her village with the engagement broken off.

It's absurd to think that he would somehow facilitate the communication by making the call himself.

That was an ugly taunt and a threat.

He's a bastard.

So when everybody's jaws drop in the preview clip of the tell-all, I hope the Meerkat doesn't come out.

Azan is missing. He doesn't want to answer any questions. Hahaha.

[millennium]

1 minute ago, CoachWristletJen said:

David said that because he knew the culture. He knew she would feel ashamed to go back to her village with the engagement broken off.

It's absurd to think that he would somehow facilitate the communication by making the call himself.

That was an ugly taunt and a threat.

He's a bastard.

Oh, I understood exactly what he was doing.   That's why it seemed so grotesque to me.   

It was like blackmail.  "If you're not willing to pay up, fine, let's just call your wife now and show her these pictures." 

Edited December 19, 2017 by millennium

[Bridget]

6 hours ago, ElderPrice said:

 

Aika didn't look like a bride as much as she looked like a stripper playing a bride.

And did anyone catch when she said "I don't know what to expect, this is my first wedding"? Hmmmmm. 

That was the exact word I said out loud (by myself, to my TV, like a normal person) the minute I saw her dress! "Stripper!"

Caught her comment re: first wedding. She's a sneaky one.

[Suzywriter]

On the tell-all, is Aika wearing porn star thigh high platform boots and a mini-skirt? 

[CoachWristletJen]

1 minute ago, millennium said:

Oh, I understood exactly what he was doing.   That's why it seemed so grotesque to me.   

I figured you did. 

I just couldn't resist elaborating.

That guy is so awful!

I think the meerkat is going to make an appearance.

[gavinmac]

On 12/17/2017 at 6:16 PM, Emmeline said:

  So why would Chris and Nikki already be in town for the wedding?  

Chris and Nikki go wherever the cameras go.

22 hours ago, Straycat80 said:

Well played Luis, well played! Homeboy got Molly to marry him and now he can stay in the USA and live with his brother. 

Yeah, I guess this explains his smirking and not giving a sh*t attitude last week when Molly was melting down and re-evaluating her relationship with him. He already has the green card marriage in the bag.

8 hours ago, Pepper Mostly said:

She was really sweet. SO not what I expected. She seems like a warm hearted truck stop waitress who always gets taken in by low lifes who say they have no money so she buys them a sandwich from her own pocket.

 

I loved this line.

6 hours ago, CoachWristletJen said:

I would say that given the cultural considerations, she was probably coerced into it at a young age, perhaps 14 or 15.

Best case scenario is she acquiesced because she felt she had no other alternative.

Even in this country, almost no woman becomes a hooker because she wants to do it.

 

I've met a lot of Thai/Cambodian bargirls/hookers. The ones working in bars where Western guys go are working there "voluntarily," though of course they have extreme pressure to support there families and few other employment options. They can come and go as they please, etc.

Many Western guys who would never consider dating or marrying a hooker in their own countries will do so in Thailand.  The best way I can explain it is to suggest that in the USA, only a "bottom 1%" troubled woman will end up working as a hooker, because American women have many other employment opportunities.  Whereas in Thailand, a seemingly "normal" young woman, who is pretty, and polite, and has all her teeth, can end up working at a hooker bar because it's either that or live in squalor in her village harvesting rice and watching her parents suffer in poverty with health problems they can't afford to treat.

Of course, I personally go to Thailand and Cambodia "for the temples."

Edited December 19, 2017 by gavinmac

[Nowhere]

21 minutes ago, Neurochick said:

I detest Ashley.  If she’s not for the relationship then don’t come to the wedding and don’t come on TV.  But she jumped at the chance to be on TV though.

Ashley gives me racist vibes as well.  I wonder if she would have been for the relationship if Annie were white, American.  Ashley hates Annie because she fears her dad might treat Annie better than he treated her mother.

I feel bad for Molly’s daughters, they are minors and Molly was not looking out for them.  If they were adults that would be different.

But Luis isn’t an illegal alien, where did that come from?  Molly should get the whole thing annulled.

Were Luis’s brothers already living in the USA?  Is Luis living with them?

I feel differently and it's weird because usually you and I agree. I definitely see your points but Ashley is obviously very hurt by her father. I don't think it has anything to do with Annie's race. I think it has a lot to do with her age. I'd be creeped if my dad brought home someone my age. But mostly, this hits close to home because my kids are going through something similar. Their father has made some woman and her child a priority in his life and it is VERY painful for my daughters especially, but even my 21 yr old son is like wtf. The girls are 16 and 18. I couldn't imagine if their dad made his wedding day to his young piece on one of their birthdays. What a slap in the face. Ashley is so far down the list that he is replacing her birthday with Annie's anniversary. It just doesn't seem ok to me. Furthermore, if the bitch says something like what Annie said about Ashley being at the wedding and ruining ANNIE'S super special princess day, which is actually Ashley's birthday, OMG. If I was her mother I'd storm up into that damn place and it wouldn't be pretty. How dare she say anything about Ashley when David has treated his kids so terribly. And then David says, "It's not her day, it's Annie's day." Well fuck you , sir! There's an easy solution to that. Don't marry on your kid's birthday. Her birthday should be a special day for him! The day of her birth should have been the best day of his life! I wouldn't think to plan my wedding on my children's birthday, because on that day I want them to know that I'm thinking about them and I want to take them to dinner and do everything I can to show them that those birthdays were my miracles. I wouldn't want to have to share that day with some dude too young to care about my kids. It's just thoughtless and selfish.  I feel heartbroken for Ashley. But I've seen firsthand how a pussy whipped man can make his kids feel like nothing. 

[sainte-chapelle]

Evelyn honey at least get the dress fitted and I love how Evelyn said "finally we can sleep in the same bed" he has only been here 3 months!

[Neurochick]

If it wasn’t about race, why did Ashley call Annie David’s “Thai wife?” Why reference her nationality?

If I were Ashley, I wouldn’t have come to the wedding.  Having resentments is like taking poison and waiting for someone else to die.

[millennium]

2 minutes ago, sainte-chapelle said:

Evelyn honey at least get the dress fitted and I love how Evelyn said "finally we can sleep in the same bed" he has only been here 3 months!

Has the show ever made it clear how old Evelyn was when David started courting her on the web?

Edited December 19, 2017 by millennium

[sainte-chapelle]

2 minutes ago, millennium said:

Has the show ever made it clear how old Evelyn was when David started grooming courting her on the web?

Ahhh excellent point. I am guessing she was around 15 or 16. David Spain is gross but if he thinks he can control Evelyn he may have another thing coming.

Edited December 19, 2017 by sainte-chapelle

[keetmommy]

I though Libby and Andrei wedding was beautiful.....

Ashley is a brat, yes it is your birthday but you are at someone elses wedding and you are complaining about it not being about you???

[CoachWristletJen]

Okay, I think Aika's eyebrows have been shaved off and replaced with tattoos of straight lines. That's the deal.

I'm liking the new eyelashes.

[Frozendiva]

Mikayla is still right that 18 is young to get married.

Evelyn’s lip sure went from pink to dark and vampy. Guess that is what marriage does to you. Hope Mikayla eventually cuts her off.

[keetmommy]

Still think Mikayla is in love with Evelyn even though she says she isnt..

[millennium]

1 minute ago, sainte-chapelle said:

Ahhh excellent point. I am guessing she was around 15 or 16. David Spain is gross but if he thinks he can control Evelyn he may have another thing coming.

I edited my original post but yes, one has to wonder when it began.   Are we to accept on faith that it all started after her 18th birthday, and was so whirlwind that they managed to a) build a relationship, b) win the approval of her parents, c) obtain the Visa, AND d) spend 3 months together before the wedding, all while she's 18?

1 minute ago, keetmommy said:

Still think Mikayla is in love with Evelyn even though she says she isnt..

And you know what?   It seems way more genuine than anything I've sensed from David Spain.

[CoachWristletJen]

Seriously, I believe the Meerkat is caged in the green room. They're going to bring him out for the jaw-dropping finale.

Who thinks we're going to see Luis?

Edited December 19, 2017 by CoachWristletJen

[annewithaneee]

Nicole is looking really petulant and whiny here, but her mom is being actually awful. Nicole had her on the couch as a support system, and Robbalee is enjoying herself with spilling all the money tea while her daughter clearly doesn't want it brought up at all. Once was enough with that. 

[CoachWristletJen]

11 minutes ago, Neurochick said:

If it wasn’t about race, why did Ashley call Annie David’s “Thai wife?” Why reference her nationality?

If I were Ashley, I wouldn’t have come to the wedding.  Having resentments is like taking poison and waiting for someone else to die.

Exactly. She may not have lucked out in the father department, but he's all she's got. And, he won't be around forever.  One day he'll be gone and she'll want to remember being at his stupid wedding and how happy it made him to see her there.

And, the best thing for her to do is to keep her mouth shut and keep her resentments to herself that day, and to be a positive role model for her kids.

Holding onto that hate and bitterness is not doing her any good. In fact, it's doing her a whole lot of harm.

I feel bad for her, but I hate to see her make her life worse.

[PityFree]

Chris hasn’t even known David Poor for 10 years?????  Oh yeah David must have some blackmail photos locked in a safe deposit box somewhere. Chris is paying him off to keep secrets, I’m sure.

[sainte-chapelle]

Wow Ashley is quite the venomous piece of trash isn't she, "it's my Birthday, she needs to go back to where she came from, why isn't this wedding about me?" good God grow up

[mamadrama]

15 minutes ago, annewithaneee said:

Nicole is looking really petulant and whiny here, but her mom is being actually awful. Nicole had her on the couch as a support system, and Robbalee is enjoying herself with spilling all the money tea while her daughter clearly doesn't want it brought up at all. Once was enough with that. 

And yet I was gleefully encoraging her on...

[Baltimore Betty]

9 minutes ago, PityFree said:

Chris hasn’t even known David Poor for 10 years?????  Oh yeah David must have some blackmail photos locked in a safe deposit box somewhere. Chris is paying him off to keep secrets, I’m sure.

So now we know how long they have known each other but how did they meet? Something tells me it was from backroom deal Chris needed a fall guy for.

[greekmom]

17 minutes ago, annewithaneee said:

Nicole is looking really petulant and whiny here, but her mom is being actually awful. Nicole had her on the couch as a support system, and Robbalee is enjoying herself with spilling all the money tea while her daughter clearly doesn't want it brought up at all. Once was enough with that. 

Maybe Mom Nicole is grasping at straws to get someone to be the voice of reason?  Baby Huey hasn't listened to anyone so far.

[PityFree]

Nicole’s mom should have spilled the beans about how much money her beggar daughter sends to foreign men.

[Baltimore Betty]

I am chuckling watching Antonio...he has a lot of clocks on his wall.

[Neurochick]

I understand why Chris is friends with David.  I don’t think it’s anything weird (I don’t know why every man on this show has to be creepy or something).  David makes Chris look good, it’s that simple.  Chris didn’t want to have good looking friends around.  I had a friend in college like that, the girls she liked to go out with didn’t look as good as she.

Wow, both Nikki and Antonio threw some serious shade on both David and Annie.  I thought it was interesting that Nikki said David would never cheat on Annie in the USA, but In Asia that might change.

Yikes Luis is there.  Where is Azan?

Edited December 19, 2017 by Neurochick

[CoachWristletJen]

Chris is p%ssing away his marriage for a penguin.

Weigh it out, Dude. On the one side you've got: Nikki, your kids, your home, your life, your dignity, your life, businesses, happiness, money, etc.

On the other side: drunk penguin.

Tough decision.

Edited December 19, 2017 by CoachWristletJen

[sainte-chapelle]

Red pants David, really?

[Mu Shu]

15 minutes ago, sainte-chapelle said:

Wow Ashley is quite the venomous piece of trash isn't she, "it's my Birthday, she needs to go back to where she came from, why isn't this wedding about me?" good God grow up

I heard something about stabbing someone in the face with stilettos.  Shoes or knives?

looks like Annie won’t be getting any sweet gifts for mother’s day. 

[millennium]

4 minutes ago, Neurochick said:

I understand why Chris is friends with David.  I don’t think it’s anything weird (I don’t know why every man on this show has to be creepy or something).  David makes Chris look good, it’s that simple.  Chris didn’t want to have good looking friends around.  I had a friend in college like that, the girls she liked to go out with didn’t look as good as she.

 

So David is the DUFF?

4 minutes ago, CoachWristletJen said:

Chris is p%ssing away his marriage for a penguin.

Weigh it out, Dude. On the one side you've got: Nikki, your kids, your home, your life, your dignity, your life, businesses, happiness, money, etc.

On the other side: drunk penguin.

Tough decision.

My money's on the drunk penguin.

[Mu Shu]

David is definitely the DUFF.

[Straycat80]

Aika is wearing Frankenstein boots.

ooh, Luis won’t even sit next to Molly. Not a good sign!