S06.E17: Kandi & Brandi

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Quote

The Dreier twins collectively lost more than 400 lbs after sleeve gastrectomy procedures. They work toward skin surgeries, as a major life event threatens the security they thought they had.

This is the regular episode thread.  It will unlock at the end of the US East Coast showing.

This is a "Where Are They Now?" type episode during which we'll see what's next for the twins.  Let's hope there is enough to fill the two hours that TLC has devoted to them.  

[sainte-chapelle]

I missed the live chat but I remember really liking these two....watching now, hope they both make good progress. I remember that they were sexually abused by multiple men and their mother who loved her Booze and drugs let it happen.

Edited May 24, 2018 by sainte-chapelle

[mellowjoi]

I'm late watching this week so I missed the live chat.  I'm amazed she could buy what looked like 3 pregnancy test kits but couldn't buy one condom. 

[dahling]

 “As Brandi has lost more weight, she has felt more confident and has continued pursuing dating in the hopes of meeting someone.”

”Over the last two weeks, she has been feeling sick and is worried it is morning sickness.”

I literally don’t know how to make sense of those two sentences placed next to each other. 

[JocelynCavanaugh]

I definitely thought these two were of the lesbionic persuasion based on the original show. Then on this episode they kept vaguely referring to wanting to date and find "someone" or "a person" to settle down with, and I thought the avoidance of a specific gender confirmed that. 

Then they went to Gary, the smoking' personal trainer, and both lit up like Christmas lights, and I thought, well, maybe they're bi, or that's just the power of Gary.

Then Brandi said she might be pregnant and my first thought literally was "how can you get pregnant from another lady?!" I was that confused. Then I moved to anger, disappointment, and finally, acceptance. I'm still pretty sure Kandi is not straight, though. Not a criticism, just a vibe I get!

[PrincessPurrsALot]

This episode is all random thoughts for me.

In one scene it looked like one of them was wearing a wedding band.

The green shag carpeting at the brother's house was that weird combo of wonderful and horrifying.  That was so bright.

Fajitas wouldn't have been a bad choice.  They could eat the grilled meat and vegetables and skip the sour cream and guacamole. 

That little brown dog is the cutest thing.   God loves a Terrier! 

[jcbrown]

Is it that TLC pumps them all full of quaaludes before they do  the narration or does being super-morbidly obese rob  you of all affect or what?

[WillowG]

OMG!!!   Never been so close to absolutely throwing my TV through a window with these droney voice overs!  I like these twins but hate this girl's voice right now so bad I could scream.  Tried all six sound settings and it still sounds like somebody depressed with a bucket over their head.  Muffle, muddled humdrum.  It's May and I want to buy a Christmas bah humbug t-shirt already.  Oh my gosh just can't stand it tonight.  Help!

Edited May 24, 2018 by WillowG

[WillowG]

... we've been given a second chance at life. ???

[Tabbygirl521]

I just took a peek at Brandi’s BF’s Facebook page. Hmmm. 

[RedheadZombie]

The girls always have wet looking hair, but it's a lovely auburn shade.

Does anyone know the status of Brandi's pregnancy/birth?

I understand why they shared a bed - fear of the other dying, sleeping together in an attempt to avoid being molested by mother's pedophilic friends - but I hope they've been able to separate to separate beds.

I love these two and hope them only the best.  I'm concerned that they've allowed their mother into their lives to such an extent.  I hope Brandi doesn't allow her to babysit.

35 minutes ago, Tabbygirl521 said:

I just took a peek at Brandi’s BF’s Facebook page. Hmmm. 

Care to share?

[AVM]

Oh Brother,what a episode ..

[Brooklynista]

4 hours ago, Tabbygirl521 said:

I just took a peek at Brandi’s BF’s Facebook page. Hmmm. 

You can't drop something like that and just walk away!! Spill it!

[junemeatcleaver]

Quote

Is it that TLC pumps them all full of quaaludes before they do  the narration or does being super-morbidly obese rob  you of all affect or what?

I'm not a fan of the narration at all.  All the participants, from the few with college degrees to the ones I'd be shocked if they made it much past the ninth grade, sound the same.  Maybe it's the direction they're getting.  Whatever it is, I wish they ditch the narration.

[Schnickelfritz]

Anyone else notice that just after the dramatic "buying of the pee sticks and walk of shame to the bathroom", we broke for commercials for... First Response Pregnancy tests and Match.com? The powers that be have a sense of humor.

[cynicat]

5 hours ago, RedheadZombie said:

I understand why they shared a bed - fear of the other dying, sleeping together in an attempt to avoid being molested by mother's pedophilic friends - but I hope they've been able to separate to separate beds.

Evidently they did separate, at least once.  I really liked these women, and rooted for them from the beginning.  What a pleasant surprise to see them take responsibility for their weight loss.  I didn't hear either of them whine and complain that it was too hard, or they couldn't find any healthy food on the road.  As for Brandi getting pregnant, not the smartest move but at least she's approaching it in a sensible way by working with her OB/GYN.  My biggest judgy judgmental thought about that situation is regarding the father.  I wonder if she ever told him she was pregnant.  

Oh and Kandi?  Agree with the lesbian vibes.  I have a weak gaydar, but it was pinging loudly.

[IvySpice]

Quote

Oh and Kandi?  Agree with the lesbian vibes.  I have a weak gaydar, but it was pinging loudly.

Yeah, I usually have trouble telling identical twins apart. With Brandi and Kandi, at least at the lower weight, I just look for the one who reads more lesbian, and that's Kandi.

These two are so flat-affect and monotone most of the time that it highlighted how joyful Brandi was about her baby. She lit up with happiness at both ultrasounds. Maybe a surprise baby, but a wanted baby.

That said: listen, Show, I do not appreciate you ending an update episode with a person halfway through a pregnancy. That's not even a cliffhanger -- it's just stopping in the middle of the story.

[Pepper Mostly]

11 hours ago, JocelynCavanaugh said:

Then they went to Gary, the smoking' personal trainer, and both lit up like Christmas lights, and I thought, well, maybe they're bi, or that's just the power of Gary.

 

Your whole post was hilarious, but "the power of Gary" made me laugh out loud!

2 hours ago, Schnickelfritz said:

Anyone else notice that just after the dramatic "buying of the pee sticks and walk of shame to the bathroom", we broke for commercials for... First Response Pregnancy tests and Match.com? The powers that be have a sense of humor.

I derived a great deal of amusement from that.

If there is one thing I can't stand about these shows, its that the writing is so formulaic and trite, and the voiceovers are always read in a droning monotone. I am not convinced that you are, in turns "excited" "nervous" or "scared" when you sound like you are reading the ingredients list off the back of a can of soup.

[cpcathy]

OK, I'm going to be awful right now, so forgive me....

Why wasn't their hair every dry? Was it grease, or water, or "product?" I'm so confused as to how you keep your hair wet that long.

Why weren't they wearing "girl" clothes, just to make themselves look a little better, therefore they would feel better? Something that wasn't a washed out enormous tee shirt and pants. It looked like they both had jeans with cuffs on them. I was recoiling. Where is What Not to Wear when you really need them?

Lastly, and this is the worst, how does a woman who drones in a monotone, wears no makeup, no hairstyle to speak of, wears baggy, draggy clothing, get someone to get her pregnant? If I weren't married, I would be alone because I am not a Barbie doll and don't make the cut for what you need to look like to get a date. Are Brandi's standards really super low? Who is this guy, or guys, she's dating, and how soon after meeting does she hook up? Why no condoms, lady? First rule!

I felt so bad that having the baby was her only option. I was hoping she would at least explore the other options, even if it was adoption. She looked so unhappy to be pregnant, like, REALLY unhappy. No baby deserves to be unwanted.

[Jen Marie]

Being filmed for a reality show, approved for skin removal surgery, and going out and having sex without using protection. What a dumbass. Another fatherless child.

[AVM]

8 minutes ago, Jen Marie said:

Being filmed for a reality show, approved for skin removal surgery, and going out and having sex without using protection. What a dumbass. Another fatherless child.

Forgive me but its freighting to imagine the caliber of the guy that would have sex with anybody  with that mess of a body  and the horrible sores she has on it. Let alone the  personality she lacks  ..I know Lupe husband would and he is vile.

[atiyah9369]

10 hours ago, WillowG said:

OMG!!!   Never been so close to absolutely throwing my TV through a window with these droney voice overs!  I like these twins but hate this girl's voice right now so bad I could scream.  Tried all six sound settings and it still sounds like somebody depressed with a bucket over their head.  Muffle, muddled humdrum.  It's May and I want to buy a Christmas bah humbug t-shirt already.  Oh my gosh just can't stand it tonight.  Help!

They appeared to have dry personalities. Just sitting in the apartment staring at each other.

[PrincessPurrsALot]

There is also the possibility that the father did not want to be featured on the show.  M600LL always leaves so many holes in the stories told.  They often "forget" to tell us about people's jobs (many of the people they presented as not working do actually work), about relationships beyond active enablers, about community work or other things that people do, etc.  There were too many open questions on this one.  Maybe she did get pregnant from a random hook up; maybe she was dating someone longer than that.  We won't know from the show.  They need so much time for the excessively uninspiring, coma-inducing voice overs of dread.  There is a reason there are people who train as voiceover artists.  You can really understand why when listening to the poundticipants explaining how scared they are.  :-) 

What stood out to me on the shenanigans meter was the number of friends and extended family that the twins interacted with when they went home.   We were initially presented with people who were cut off from society, unable to do much more than roll over.  Yet somehow they still seem to have strong interpersonal connections.  

Also, too many of the "let's sit lump-like on the couch and have this" conversations seemed like reenactments. Occasionally one of the twins would start to smirk or snicker during these convos.  I think reenactments are part of why they seemed stilted.  When they were chatting after seeing Dr. Now or during the exchange with their friend ("Drive safe", "Too late!"), I found them funny and open.  I get the feeling that IRL they can be fun.  

As for how they dress, while it wasn't covered last night, from the previous episode they had a long history of physical, emotional and sexual abuse.  It is not uncommon for people to then wear clothes that hide their bodies.  Coupled with their extreme weight gain, they may have found that men's clothing were easier to get in larger sizes and tend to be less expensive in such sizes than women's clothing.  Also, loose t-shirts are pretty forgiving for weight loss and gain.  Kandi may or may not be a lesbian.  I am not taking her clothing choice as a signifier either way.  The power of Gary did have them both lighting up.  Then again, the power of Gary might be universal!  

I would guess they each use a lot of product on their hair to keep it from frizzing out in the Houston humidity.  It takes effort to keep curls from attacking others when the humidity is high. [PrincessPurrsALot checks her waves in the mirror - considers applying more FrizzEaze]. 

[Tabbygirl521]

5 hours ago, Brooklynista said:

You can't drop something like that and just walk away!! Spill it!

Sorry! :)

he looks very stern (pix of him on her page too) and the only pic he has posted is a carved monument of the Ten Commandments. Things that make you go Hmmmm. 

Cant tell if he is the Babydaddy but if so, I have a lot of questions about the circs. 

[atiyah9369]

10 hours ago, Tabbygirl521 said:

I just took a peek at Brandi’s BF’s Facebook page. Hmmm. 

Too be honest I am not shocked.

[Tabbygirl521]

Just now, atiyah9369 said:

Too be honest I am not shocked.

Same here 

[dahling]

7 minutes ago, atiyah9369 said:

Too be honest I am not shocked.

I am also Jack's complete lack of surprise. Look for Brandy Dreier. 

As a Washington native transplanted to Texas, I don't blame them for wanting to go home to Washington. Leaving home is hard, but leaving it for somewhere as utterly flat, hot, humid, swampy, sprawly, generally craptastic, and culturally different from home is even harder. 

[ams1001]

24 minutes ago, Tabbygirl521 said:

Sorry! :)

he looks very stern (pix of him on her page too) and the only pic he has posted is a carved monument of the Ten Commandments. Things that make you go Hmmmm. 

Cant tell if he is the Babydaddy but if so, I have a lot of questions about the circs. 

He's from Nigeria. Is he a prince with lots of money and he just needs someone to help to get it out of the country? ;)

[atiyah9369]

5 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

He's from Nigeria. Is he a prince with lots of money and he just needs someone to help to get it out of the country? ;)

LOL!!!

[gonecrackers]

I haven't seen this yet but am bummed she was so irresponsible to not use protection.  It was stupid. She needed some time to get herself together, lose all the weight, have skin surgery, & work on her issues so she could pick a good partner to have kids with - someday - when ready. This seems like a bad situation for that kid.

[ams1001]

To be fair, we don't know that she used no protection. Birth control can fail (especially when you are inexperienced in the whole area). I imagine her weight would make hormonal birth control iffy, and condoms are not a guarantee. They didn't mention it one way or another.

That said, if the guy on her FB page is the father, the only thing on his own page is a religious post, which makes one wonder. (Then again, theoretically, someone religious enough to be against birth control would also likely be against premarital sex, so...I dunno.)

Edited May 24, 2018 by ams1001

[Colleenna]

13 hours ago, jcbrown said:

Is it that TLC pumps them all full of quaaludes before they do  the narration or does being super-morbidly obese rob  you of all affect or what?

No, but clinical depression ---- which often leads to morbid obesity ---- definitely CAN rob you of affect. 

[Pretty5Vacant]

1 hour ago, ams1001 said:

He's from Nigeria. Is he a prince with lots of money and he just needs someone to help to get it out of the country? ;)

Lol! Is his name Lowo?? 90 Day Fiance fan here :)

[ams1001]

1 minute ago, Pretty5Vacant said:

Lol! Is his name Lowo?? 90 Day Fiance fan here :)

His name is Femi. I don't watch the show but I'll admit that all the 90 Day Fiance ads they're playing got me wondering...

[magemaud]

Brandi posted photos of them together just a few minutes ago

Edited May 24, 2018 by magemaud
edited to correct name spelling

[auntjess]

13 hours ago, WillowG said:

... we've been given a second chance at life. ???

✔

In their first episode, I could tell them apart, but now... 
So which one is the one who drove, and wore glasses?  Is she the one who coded?  Is she the pregnant one?  Because she's the one I thought might be a lesbian, but not the more red-haired one.

 

Quote

Is this episode sponsored by Hanes?   Tshirts, gym shorts, oh my!

Oh, oh!  TLC needs to supply all of the 600 pounders with BGDC (Big Girl Dance Class) or No Body Shame clothing.
Whitney would HATE it!

Edited May 24, 2018 by auntjess

[cpcathy]

I finally had figured out who was who:

Kandi had greasy hair but with a longish ponytail

Brandi had greasy hair with a curly puff ponytail.

[Pretty5Vacant]

2 hours ago, ams1001 said:

His name is Femi. I don't watch the show but I'll admit that all the 90 Day Fiance ads they're playing got me wondering...

Lowo was a cast member of 90 Fiance who claimed to be a Nigerian prince

[MakingBacon]

I checked Brandi’s Facebook and there is no mention of being pregnant, having the baby, losing the baby or giving it up for adoption. Do we know what happened? Is TLC requiring her to keep quiet because they are going to do another special? 

[MrHufflepuff]

I thought people who have weight loss surgery are supposed to eat hot dogs when they get pregnant?  That OB/GYN didn't mention a darn thing about hot dogs.  How is that baby supposed to get his or her hot dog requirement??

[OoogleEyes]

3 hours ago, ams1001 said:

He's from Nigeria. Is he a prince with lots of money and he just needs someone to help to get it out of the country? ;)

..... "Coming up on the next 90 Day Fiance"

[cpcathy]

40 minutes ago, MakingBacon said:

I checked Brandi’s Facebook and there is no mention of being pregnant, having the baby, losing the baby or giving it up for adoption. Do we know what happened? Is TLC requiring her to keep quiet because they are going to do another special? 

 

Wow, excellent point.

[ams1001]

45 minutes ago, MakingBacon said:

I checked Brandi’s Facebook and there is no mention of being pregnant, having the baby, losing the baby or giving it up for adoption. Do we know what happened? Is TLC requiring her to keep quiet because they are going to do another special? 

There was a comment on her most recent post (I looked a little while ago) that said "Baby?" and she replied with "Not yet lol soon."

[Pretty5Vacant]

1 hour ago, OoogleEyes said:

.. "Coming up on the next 90 Day Fiance"

Yeah, Lowo the Nigerian prince. Narkyia got fed up with him

[Scarlett45]

9 hours ago, cpcathy said:

If I weren't married, I would be alone because I am not a Barbie doll and don't make the cut for what you need to look like to get a date. Are Brandi's standards really super low?

1. I think you over estimate how a woman has to look to get a date. I am sure you are lovely and your husband thinks so too.  There are plenty of women who DON’T look like Barbie dolls that are in healthy, normal, non abusive dating situations. No they may not be with men that are super attractive and make lots of money but are still productive members of society.

2. That said I do think Brandi’s standards are probably low. After years of self abuse with over eating, and neglecting the part of herself that needed partnered sex she probably was just yearning for the D??. Excessive weight gain can mess with your sex drive (never mind the loss of self esteem etc). Losing weight may have restarted her sex drive  

 

I am absolutely NOT excusing her irresponsiblity regarding protection (is no one afraid of HIV any more?!!); but she’s not the first person and she won’t be the last. We don’t know what happened. If she told the guy and he didn’t want to be on the show, or if she isn’t sure who he is etc.

I think she will work on herself to be in an emotionally healthy place to raise the baby. And she needs to focus on her continued weight loss. 

Edited May 25, 2018 by Scarlett45

[Colleenna]

9 hours ago, cpcathy said:

OK, I'm going to be awful right now, so forgive me....

Why wasn't their hair every dry? Was it grease, or water, or "product?" I'm so confused as to how you keep your hair wet that long.

Why weren't they wearing "girl" clothes, just to make themselves look a little better, therefore they would feel better? Something that wasn't a washed out enormous tee shirt and pants. It looked like they both had jeans with cuffs on them. I was recoiling. Where is What Not to Wear when you really need them?

Lastly, and this is the worst, how does a woman who drones in a monotone, wears no makeup, no hairstyle to speak of, wears baggy, draggy clothing, get someone to get her pregnant? If I weren't married, I would be alone because I am not a Barbie doll and don't make the cut for what you need to look like to get a date. Are Brandi's standards really super low? Who is this guy, or guys, she's dating, and how soon after meeting does she hook up? Why no condoms, lady? First rule!

I felt so bad that having the baby was her only option. I was hoping she would at least explore the other options, even if it was adoption. She looked so unhappy to be pregnant, like, REALLY unhappy. No baby deserves to be unwanted.

At the risk of being crude, some men are looking for nothing more than a warm hole to put it in. And some fat women (think Sweatney Bore) take the tiniest expression of interest as TRUE. LOVE. FOREVER. and jump into bed to seal the forever. 

[iwasish]

1 hour ago, Colleenna said:

At the risk of being crude, some men are looking for nothing more than a warm hole to put it in. And some fat women (think Sweatney Bore) take the tiniest expression of interest as TRUE. LOVE. FOREVER. and jump into bed to seal the forever. 

Not crude at all. And probably more true than not in this circumstance. 

[Mothra]

Re: the flat affect--at one point they mentioned that they weren't comfortable staying with the crossfit class (as opposed to the one-on-one trainer) (the Power of Gary) because of their social anxiety.  This is an actual disorder, not just a by-product ("just"!  Jebus, what's wrong with me) of the sexual abuse they suffered or of depression.  From NIMH:

Social anxiety disorder is a common type of anxiety disorder. A person with social anxiety disorder feels symptoms of anxiety or fear in certain or all social situations, such as meeting new people, dating, being on a job interview, answering a question in class, or having to talk to a cashier in a store. Doing everyday things in front of people—such as eating or drinking in front of others or using a public restroom—also causes anxiety or fear. The person is afraid that he or she will be humiliated, judged, and rejected.

The fear that people with social anxiety disorder have in social situations is so strong that they feel it is beyond their ability to control. As a result, it gets in the way of going to work, attending school, or doing everyday things. People with social anxiety disorder may worry about these and other things for weeks before they happen. Sometimes, they end up staying away from places or events where they think they might have to do something that will embarrass them.  https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/social-anxiety-disorder-more-than-just-shyness/index.shtml#pub2

OTOH, seeing Brandi's face light up, then Kandi's, when they had the first ultrasound made me think there was hope that they might get better at expressing emotions outwardly.  The ratio of smiles to blank faces definitely increased as the show progressed.

I agree with all the reasons folks have cited for the twins' preference for loose, masculine-looking clothing, but I want to say that their mother's shirts had the most aggressive slogans on them that I've ever seen, particularly because every single one of them that I saw said something shitty and off-putting on it.  I hope the twins are able to separate further from her; in addition to her past behavior which allowed them to be abused, as well as her alcoholism, she is not an influence they need in their lives.  Plus, I think she weighs about the same as they do, now, so there probably would not be much support for a proper eating habit in that quarter, either.  And the shirts make me think she is overall an unpleasant, defensive, negative person.

[NeitherSparky]

Kandi’s facebook does say right on it that she’s interested in women, btw, so y’all can quit guessing.

[magemaud]

OMG, I never noticed this before. As Kandi and Brandi were pulling out of the parking lot at Dr. Now’s, there was a sign with the list of businesses in the strip mall. Dr. Now’s office was at the top of the sign and directly under his name was a sign for “The Lice Place”. You can go for weight loss and head lice treatments in one stop! Oh, and the Chinese Buffet, too!