Season 2 Discussion

[magemaud]

1 hour ago, monagatuna said:

I think with Ricky, though, we'd all be fooling ourselves to think Ricky had no physical intentions with Ximena, and that his intimacy with her was a result of "oops, teehee, I meant to be a gentleman!" miscommunication.

Exactly, what "gentleman" plans to meet someone in person for the first time with 3 bottles of wine, rose petals and chocolates IN HIS HOTEL ROOM? Ximena knew the score, that's why I think she's a hired "pro." 

[gonecrackers]

Sorry if someone already said this, but seems like the second woman was the original plan for Ricky. "Melissa" may just be a story line for drama. The other possibility I'm entertaining is he was in contact with the second woman (sorry don't have her name at the moment) much longer so they knew each other better, but he threw her over for Melissa thinking she was hotter. 

[Cementhead]

1 minute ago, gonecrackers said:

Sorry if someone already said this, but seems like the second woman was the original plan for Ricky. "Melissa" may just be a story line for drama. The other possibility I'm entertaining is he was in contact with the second woman (sorry don't have her name at the moment) much longer so they knew each other better, but he threw her over for Melissa thinking she was hotter. 

Just go with NotMelissa.  That's what I used earlier upthread.  Figured, no sense in learning her actual name just yet.  It is Ricky we are dealing with, so..

[magemaud]

29 minutes ago, Kangatush said:

3 hours ago, Quof said:

I watch this show solely for my self esteem.  It makes my life look like a shining beacon of good decision making. Plus, I feel like a beauty queen. 

I try to look at it this way, but every so often I get sad and think, "why am I single and these garbage people aren't?"  

Perhaps you just delete flattering Nigerian Prince Facebook messages? 

Edited September 3, 2018 by magemaud

[ChiMama]

47 minutes ago, seacliffsal said:

When Jon was talking about his past, he mentioned that after the very serious assault that ended in the eye injury that he had to leave university.  He then said he had really paid for that incident even though he did not go to prison.  I wonder if he is making financial payments to the person he assaulted.  If not, I would sure like to know how he thinks he has really been punished for that transgression. 

He also mentioned he never got a degree. Maybe he had a scholarship of some type to go to 'uni' and once kicked out without a degree he couldn't get in anywhere else or afford to pay to finish his education on his own. So, he has a blue collar dead-end job sorting garbage -- he "paid a big price."

Edited September 3, 2018 by ChiMama

[ChiMama]

11 minutes ago, gonecrackers said:

The other possibility I'm entertaining is he was in contact with the second woman (sorry don't have her name at the moment) much longer so they knew each other better, but he threw her over for Melissa thinking she was hotter. 

Definitely this. I even thought it to myself when he was commenting on Ximena's 'attractions' -- much less effusive and slobbery than when he talked about Melissa. He went for what HE considered the brass ring, missed it -- so now he'll settle for a worthy 'consolation prize' (in his opinion, not mine).

[Mercolleen]

4 hours ago, Pondlass1 said:

Riding around on a high horse isn't exactly a paying job.  

My new favorite quote.

[Deafening Roar]

1 hour ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

Okay, I know just enough Spanish to get by and I have a fuzzy TV, but it looked to me like in the first message, he said something like "Quieres estar conmigo esta noche" and "estar" means "to be" so I read it literally as, "Do you want to be with me tonight" and figured he meant "Do you want to hang out with me tonight?"  But then he said he realized it meant something more intimate, so I assumed the "to be with me" has or can have a connotation of intimacy. 

Then the second message he sent, to correct it, used "conocer," which means to know each other, like "Conoces a Juan?" means "Do you know Juan?"  As in knowing him, not knowing him.  So he was trying to say, "Let's get to know each other" as a way to correct the intimacy that could be inferred from his previous message.

I guess I could see myself making the original mistake Ricky did, since my Spanish seems to be on about the same level as his, although there's no way I would ever realize the mistake I'd made with "estar conmigo" because I just wouldn't know that, so I'm a little suspicious that he somehow figured it out almost instantly.

"Quieres estar conmigo esta noche" absolutely means "do you want to be with me tonight" as in an intimate way. If you wanted to just hang out, you would say conocerme, as he did upon correcting himself. I, also, am curious as to how he immediately knew he had said it wrong. I speak more spanish than he does, so I would know beforehand which sentence to say but he very quickly knew he had said it wrong? Or was it more of a Freudian slip?? He is definitely a schmuck and knew exactly what his happity ass meant! Ximena seemed like a nice girl until she seemed all too eager to immediately jump in the sack with him. Hopefully that was editing and she doesn't actually proceed with it, she JUST met him!!

[Scarlett45]

I’m watching the scene with Dean, Tariq and Hazel right now. Dean is upsetting me- I agree he has every right to have questions (I believe he loves his brother) and he’s not WRONG in thinking “who falls in love after a few weeks?” But insinuating Hazel was of poor character because her son lives with his father (Mind You it’s okay for Ari to live with Tariq!!) is fucked up & below the belt.

He’s with his father, she didn’t sell him to the highest bidder. And Dean shouldn’t forget that it wasn’t too long ago where it was common practice in black communities for a poor single mother to send her child to be raised by relatives (on either side) who could care for the child because she wasn’t married and needed to earn a living- it was a way to make sure the child was cared for but maintained ties to the Bio mom/family. So just shush Dean. I also think the father of Hazel’s son may be married and his wife is willing to care for the child, which means a better social position for the child.

 

Now I don’t think Hazel loves Tariq at all. I don’t think Hazel even insinuated she loved him (she’s probably actually still in love with the other guy but there’s no future there). Women marrying for love is a new concept. People (men and women) married for social security, standing and child rearing- if men had means they had the freedom to find romantic love and sexual compatiblity on the side. Now I’m not saying married couples loving each other is a new thing- I’m sure many did, or did grow to, but that’s not WHY they married. Hazel wants security and stability and is willing to trade partnered sex, domestic duties and emotional labor in order to get that. Tariq wants an ornament who will meet his sexual needs, perform domestic tasks and keep him company. Let’s not pretend it’s love.

I think if Tariq admitted this to his brother Dean would be less worried. But that doesn’t give Dean a pass on how he talked to Hazel. 

[Frozendiva]

53 minutes ago, Kangatush said:

I try to look at it this way, but every so often I get sad and think, "why am I single and these garbage people aren't?"  

Low hanging fruit.

[Rebecca]

On 8/28/2018 at 10:16 AM, gunderda said:

I feel like Karine can't even speak her own language properly..... something definitely seems off with her.  Do we know for sure she's actually 21???

I’ve been saying this all along! I feel like she’s younger than they say.. and she’s stunted even if she’s younger.

On 8/28/2018 at 3:59 PM, eatsleep said:

He's really the biggest d-bag of the entire series imo. But no one is seeing it. This kind of mentality on the part of some men, that women are this interchageable and the commitment of marriage is offered so lightly is really disturbing to me.

Believe me, people see it!

[gonecrackers]

3 minutes ago, Scarlett45 said:

I’m watching the scene with Dean, Tariq and Hazel right now. Dean is upsetting me- I agree he has every right to have questions (I believe he loves his brother) and he’s not WRONG in thinking “who falls in love after a few weeks?” But insinuating Hazel was of poor character because her son lives with his father (Mind You it’s okay for Ari to live with Tariq!!) is fucked up & below the belt.

Agree - & the thing with Dean is he's a big man & imposing anyway, & the way he questioned her was out of line with no regard even for Tarik asking him to back off, but instead he comes on stronger -  then cursing & storming off with his beer  - it was aggressive behavior IMO & shows he's the one who truly lacks character.

[Deafening Roar]

Public Service Announcement: I am in no way on Pol's side... however, the way Karine painted him out to be in front of her parents and the translator is her version of the situation. I am OCD-esque (yes, I made that word up) and it would be maddening to me if I were milling around the apartment thingy they are staying in, cleaning, washing dishes, tidying up her stuffed animals, and all the while she is either knocked out sleeping, whining, or on social media. I'm a woman and I don't necessarily believe in the woman doing everything around the house, but most women, it's just in their make-up to be cleaner and tidier. I keep things clean as I go along so it doesn't become a disaster and harder to clean later. She helped him zero percent and then cries about how he treats her. I'm not so sure I wouldn't treat her equally as bad, sorry not sorry.

She's lazy and unkempt and acts childish with toys. Although Pol isn't a catch either at least he is somewhat cleaner

[Alonzo Mosely FBI]

17 hours ago, JennyMominFL said:

That steak WAS badly cooked. Just sayin

Was that a TEFLON pan they were cooking it in ? GROSS!!!! Rubbery grey steak ewwww I have friends from Europe and when they come they go gaga over our huge portions of thick steak, which is 4X less expensive than there. Jesse picked steak as the entree choice. He is a psycho. She would have picked as it has been said upthread spaghetti and meatballs or chicken of some sort.  I love their Air BnB though that is the only good thing they have brought to this season. Runner up their diet plan of fight and exit. I need that diet in my life.  

17 hours ago, EllaDisco said:

 

Paul and Karine - They are both trying to manipulate the other.  Call me old-fashioned, but I think you should hold off on the wedding until you are able to communicate without the assistance of a translator app.

 

OMG these two HAVE GOT TO learn a common language. Duo Lingo app, people!!!! Also I saw Paul wearing a Staehle Fabricating shirt that was blue w/the khakis I think that explains why Paul has this uniform of blue shirt and khakis, this Fabricating place I believe his dad owns, has the Blue top , khakis uniform a la Best Buy. 

16 hours ago, JasonH said:

Tarik- “Bringing Dean here might be the biggest mistake I’ve ever made”. As he’s wearing a mesh t-shirt.

BAAHAHAHAHAHAHA 

8 hours ago, noveltylibrary said:

How sad to see Kreenee's mom crying at her dress.  And not tears of joy.

I think she knows her daughter is PG. Dad doesn't. Mom does. She is covering for her like Lady Grantham covering for Lady Mary & Mr. Pamuk on Downton Abbey. Mom Kareeenee is trying to get her married pronto. 

[firefly]

Women refer to themselves as thick, chunky, curvy, large, full-figured. Michael pulled out the big bad granddaddy of all adjectives when he called her FAT in front of another woman. He didn’t do it to be mean but it is a word that no woman ever wants to hear about herself. Points out how easy it is to misunderstand one another even when speaking the same language but coming from a different culture.

[JasonH]

4 hours ago, Auntie Anxiety said:

To whoever posted that Maury clip, thank you and kudos.

Grangela has a whole new set of teeth. I think she bought them at the same pawn shop where she put Michael’s ring on layaway.

Luckily my daughter likes this train wreck as much as I do. She sent it to me yesterday.

3 hours ago, thejuicer said:

Maybe an unpopular opinion but I think Karine is looking really rough this seen. Flat, dry hair. Oily greasy skin with acne. Noticeable weight gain. Dead sunken eyes. I think she needs to see a doctor and get some bloodwork done. I'd hate to see what she looks like next season. 

I think it’s quite a popular opinion. Actually, it’s not an opinion, it’s fact. Karinee doesn’t look like she’s going to age well. I’d love to know how old her mom is. I could see her being around 40 or so...

[JasonH]

Ok, so Darci knows how to screw up a meal, and a road trip, and her kids, but at least she’s a brilliant musician.

[charmed1]

12 minutes ago, JasonH said:

Ok, so Darci knows how to screw up a meal, and a road trip, and her kids, but at least she’s a brilliant musician.

Wow. That was amazingly bad. And they didn’t even begin “singing” until a minute in. Darcey looks like a corpse clutching a Gucci phone case in her final moments.

[Delete]

It was incredibly rude, and unfair for Dean to question whether Hazel is a fit parent, or not. That is none of his business.  He doesn't know her situation, or why she doesn't have her son. What a rude asshole. He flew all the way to the Philippines for that? How about Facetime your ugliness instead.  P.S.  I haven't seen a mesh t-shirt since the 80's. Tariq is the Fresh Prince of Walmart.

Jon likes to beat up people. 60 fights is a lot. Heck, even a few fights, especially if it resulted in an assault charge would make me turn and run the other way.  Jon's weak answer is that he has no reason to beat on people since he's found truuuu luuvvvv. Sure, Jan Jon. Rachel or Jon speak very little about her older daughter. So what happens next? Jon can't go to the States. Rachel could move to the UK, but moving her eldest daughter wouldn't go over well with her Dad who seems very involved in her life. 

Angie is just...Ugh. Loud, rude, and aggressive.  A bull in the china shop.  I can see why she's not able to sustain a relationship. She doesn't consider her partner's feelings. It's her way, or the highway. It was rude of her to start smoking at the table with Michael's friends, and then demanded to know his personal dating history. Then she starts screeching, and hollering at the nature preserve. (it looked absolutely amazing) Michael is thinking that he's going to be living the high life with Ang, but little does he know it will be a shit show wrapped up in gold foil. 

Kareen-Knee. So distracted by her horrible skin. Poor girl. Her parents are lovely. They have reason for concern.  If she is pregnant with Pole's baby....good luck with that. He won't change. He's got issues bigger than the Amazon jungle. Fast forward 5 years. Will they still be using a translator app to communicate? I see neither one of them trying to learn each other's language. That would drive me nuts. Good communication is essential for a relationship to work out long term. 

Oh Ricky!! You're not fine. You're not fine enough to blow Melissa's mind. Hey Ricky!! 

So he moves on to runner up #2. She's a vast improvement from Ms. Bolt-ons but she was super quick to jump into bed with Ricky Unsuave.  The man makes me cringe at every turn. He's such a desperado. He's a human version of Axe body spray. Now he's considering telling runner-up #2 that she is sloppy seconds. This is after he takes her to bed, and showers her with every romantic cliche in the book. (rose petals, wine, and chocolates)  What a clueless fanny pack wearing wonder. 

Darcey, and Jesse. Just split up already. They are both pathetic fame-seeking drama queens. 

Edited September 3, 2018 by Barbara Please

[Horrified]

5 hours ago, Pondlass1 said:

Riding around on a high horse isn't exactly a paying job. 

I'd be a millionaire.

[BradandJanet]

3 hours ago, Cementhead said:

Yeah, I really resent TLC for choosing Angela to be on the show this season.  And Jesse and Darcey, too, for that matter.  Because as much as we all know as viewers that this show is made up of a lot of manufactured bullshit and smoke & mirrors, being made aware of Angela's Maury past, along with Darcey & Jesse's business arrangement to get on this show has totally and completely killed my buzz for watching.  Because I know for a fact that I am watching fake Bullshit Artists who just want to be famous when I watch their segments.  The biggest fakers that ever faked.  They have broken the fourth wall for me and I hate TLC for allowing them to do this.  This is the only reality tv show that I watch and I like to pretend to be blissfully ignorant to how real it actually it whilst watching.  Screw you, TLC, Angela, Darceeey and Jesseee.

The problem is that the original 90DF used people who really had the marriage visas. Then, the producers hit gold with Mohamed and Danielle. After that, the drama dial was turned up past any reasonable point. This "Before" show is not constrained by needing to use people who really plan to get married, so we get Jess and Darcey, Ang and Mike, and probably some others who want to be on TV. There's no hiding this in the age of social media, so the fourth wall is indeed broken. 

[essexjan]

2 hours ago, calpurnia99 said:

They said Jon could not get a Visa to come to the US, and I found that odd as I didn't think UK citizens needed a Visa for a short visit. They actually need a travel authorization which is a simple process they can do electronically with their passport. I guess Jon's passport was flagged and he could not get the travel authorization.

 

It wouldn't be anything on his passport, he would have failed at the ESTA (visa waiver) application stage. The visa waiver program is an online application, renewable every two years. If you answer 'yes' to having any criminal convictions (or to any one of several other questions that might raise red flags around political affiliations, associations with certain countries, etc.), it's an automatic rejection, and you then have to apply to the US Embassy in person for a visa. 

So when Jon answered yes to having criminal convictions, the online application was turned down automatically.  Jon admitted to a conviction for 'grievous bodily harm' (GBH), which is the most serious classification of assault in the UK (I am a UK-qualified lawyer).  Hence the 'Nope' to the visitor visa once the US Embassy had looked into it in more detail on his personal application. A conviction for GBH would also bar him from anything other than the most menial work in the UK. He'd definitely never get a job in any customer-facing environment.

GBH is the most serious assault charge in the UK - just below attempted murder in terms of seriousness of an offence where the victim doesn't die. There are various categories of GBH, the most serious being those where there was an intention to cause serious injury. I think Jon in a previous episode said it was a s.20 offence. That's Section 20 of the Offences Against The Person Act 1861 (yes, that's 1861). A person convicted of this type of assault would be someone that didn’t intend to inflict a serious injury but did so nonetheless. And the injury has to be really serious - life-changing - so when Jon said it was an 'eye injury', I'm guessing the victim lost an eye. If the victim had died, it would've been a manslaughter charge.

So, yeah WTF Rachel? The man has a history of seriously violent behaviour that he's tried to spin to make himself the victim in every scenario. The UK has a massive binge drinking problem, with most towns being no-go areas at weekends, and street brawls outside pubs and nightclubs being a factor of British life. I can understand him getting involved in maybe two, three (at most) fights that have started around him and ended up in a huge brawl that he didn't intend to get involved in. But most young men, unless they're particularly stupid or psycho, will soon decide they don't want to be in the way of harm and will walk away from it once they see it all kicking off.

Jon's scenario - that he's been in 50 or 60 fights, not one of which was his fault, where he was trying to avoid being 'stamped on', or was defending himself or ws protecting the honour of a defenseless woman - simply doesn't stand up to scrutiny.

[trimthatfat]

1 hour ago, Deafening Roar said:

Public Service Announcement: I am in no way on Pol's side... however, the way Karine painted him out to be in front of her parents and the translator is her version of the situation. I am OCD-esque (yes, I made that word up) and it would be maddening to me if I were milling around the apartment thingy they are staying in, cleaning, washing dishes, tidying up her stuffed animals, and all the while she is either knocked out sleeping, whining, or on social media. I'm a woman and I don't necessarily believe in the woman doing everything around the house, but most women, it's just in their make-up to be cleaner and tidier. I keep things clean as I go along so it doesn't become a disaster and harder to clean later. She helped him zero percent and then cries about how he treats her. I'm not so sure I wouldn't treat her equally as bad, sorry not sorry.

She's lazy and unkempt and acts childish with toys. Although Pol isn't a catch either at least he is somewhat cleaner

I agree that Karine has a lot to learn about cleanliness. She’s not a child. Leaving shit everywhere is a sign of laziness. 

However, she has stated that Paul tends to turn away from her when she’s upset and I do think that’s something he could do better. It can feel cruel when a significant other isn’t responsive when one is upset. So while Karine can work on being tidy, Paul can work on better communicating. His first step should be learning Portuguese.

Edited September 3, 2018 by trimthatfat

[jmonkey]

Jesse/Darcy-I don't really see any love between these two. They don't even like each other. Jesse has such palpable contempt for Darcy who just wants to be loved. As horrible as Jesse is, I must say he is a good tourist. He's always interested in the sights and attractions. That's worth noting since many of these couples don't seem to have much of an interest in getting to know the culture/environment of the person they supposedly love. I mean, the dude went ga-ga over carrot cake. It's just too bad Jesse/Darcy can't be together long enough to enjoy even a simple meal together. Speaking of, I'm definitely Team Jesse for Steakgate. It's so annoying when you're entrusted with a task and someone else takes over. If Darcy wanted the steak done in a certain way for her daughters, she should've given Jesse another task. Otherwise she should've just let him ruin dinner. I mean, Jesse butchered that steak. It looked terrible. Of course I prefer well done, so any pink on the inside makes me gag. I think the producers missed out on a golden opportunity by not showing Darcy and her daughters gnawing on Jesse's tough steak. That could've been a hilarious scene, and Jesse and Darcy could've still argued about how Jesse cooked the steak incorrectly followed by the classic Jesse storming out. I feel bad for Darcy's daughters. They shouldn't have to see any of this or be on the show. period. I also feel bad for the Air BnB hosts. I wonder if Jesse and Darcy got a bad review for their domestic disturbance. The idea they can act like such idiots in someone else's home really annoys me.

BTW, I thought Darcy and Jesse were a little too friendly with the butcher. TMI on Jesse pointing out that he's not the father. The butcher is just there to cut some meats. He's not there to question paternity.

Darcy needs to cut the crap. I get that she's insecure and wants to be with a young buck who can make her look good and give her her groove back. I don't even know if Jesse is that guy. There's not a lot of fruit in those looms. However, Jesse clearly makes her feel worse about herself. Yeah, she puts on this independent woman front, but Jesse makes her seem like such a doormat. Ideally she would've ironed out most of her issues in her 20s, but she really would benefit from the validation of an older, settled man. No, Stan, the 44-year-old accountant, isn't a male model and may not be exciting or the best in the sack, but you could present him to your daughters and not worry about him getting angry and storming off. You wouldn't even have to tell him to be on his best behavior because Stan is the same nice guy in all situations. Why Darcy thinks that she has to try and make it work with a jerk like Jesse is beyond me? There's nothing about this relationship that's a fairy tale. It's just toxic and they have to be doing this for camera time and the TLC paycheck.

Ricky Suave/Ximena-Never underestimate the power of the fanny pack, ladies and gentlemen. You're not knocking Ricky down. His first choice on Colombian Cupid didn't pan out, so he just scrolled down to the next one. This is exactly why you keep your dating app accounts active. In the event of a catfish or lack of chemistry, you can try someone else. Ximena ended up being a major upgrade. She's more beautiful IMO and she was hot to trot immediately. She would move to America tomorrow, if possible.  She's everything Ricky hoped Melissa would be. While it's obvious Ricky is thinking with his penis and just went to Colombia to have sex with a hotter lady than he could get back home, I do respect him putting work in with the wine, flowers and chocolates. He, at least, tries to put on a front of being respectful for the benefit of his daughter back home and doesn't expect sex on the first night. If it wasn't for this show, Ricky wouldn't have to say a word to Ximena about Melissa. I mean, is Melissa even worth mentioning? He waited longer for her at the restaurant than they spent physical time together. Nobody really likes to hear about past relationships and Ricky and Melissa really had nothing other than photo exchanges and one awkward date. Of course Ricky needs to fess up now because Ximena will see it on TV later. I hope it works out for him in one sense, but it would serve him right if it blew up in his face. As with all parents on these shows, he should be at home taking care of his daughter instead of going on a sexcapade in a foreign country. At least Ricky presumably banged Ximena before the big reveal.

Nigerian Loverboy/Grangelina-As I said with Azan, some of these green card scammers deserve an honorary green card. I like Michael. As far as green card scammers go, he's one of my favorites. He's already soldiered through getting mauled and attacked by this loud, crazy, masculine American woman. Some of the stuff he's seen can't be unseen, and I think it would be fitting for Michael to receive a green card personally from Donald Trump in recognition of his efforts. I mean, this "animal" didn't only put in the work sexually. He has attempted to introduce Angela to a culture she's too independent to embrace. Seriously, I see nothing wrong with Michael trying to get her to dress in traditional Nigerian garb. It would be a gift to everyone if she was covered all the way up. I also don't have an issue with Michael calling her fat. Angela herself called her big right before he said it, and Michael would know she's fat better than anyone since he supposedly had relations with her. The smoking thing would bother me too. So, yeah, I'm team Michael all the way. There's gotta be an easier pathway to citizenship than Angela.

Karine/Screech-I don't really see the issue with Paul expecting Karine to help with the chores, BUT since it's Paul I don't mind him getting piled on for simply raising his voice and looking away when he gets frustrated. Getting stressed out over chores is weird to me. I mean, what else does he have going on in his life that he can't be doing chores? Maybe if he was working and had to do all the chores too, then I'd understand the stress a little more. All they have to do currently is lie in bed all day, talk to each other via translator app, and wait for the wedding that shouldn't be happening. I was kind of sad watching Karine's parents. They clearly want better for their daughter than Paul. I agree that Karine's boobs are huge and hope the speculation that she's pregnant is true just to see Paul's reaction. Paul seriously should just go home to his mother and vow a life of celibacy. Some people shouldn't be in relationships and that's okay.

Tarik/Hazel-Tarik's brother has the right message, just poor presentation and delivery. Yelling at Hazel in public must've been devastating to her. I doubt that's acceptable behavior in Filipino culture. It's a collectivist society. It really isn't acceptable anywhere as far as I know. Here's a woman who's already allegedly gave up her child because she's in such dire poverty. Tarik, much to Hazel's chagrin, is her ticket out. Tarik seems to be under the delusion that Hazel wants to be with him. No, she would be with any American who would take her and remove her from her situation. As long as Hazel can harvest money for her family, she's all in. Tarik only wants arm candy and a sexual partner. These two clearly aren't compatible, but they could definitely work out an agreement and have a life together. I hope for the sake of Tarik's daughter they don't end up marrying and living together. I don't think Hazel has the parenting skills necessary to care for an autistic child. Tarik seems like a great dad, but he needs to be at home with his daughter instead of wasting time and money to be with his Filipino cutie.

Jon/Rebecca-IMO there's something off about Jon. He doesn't seem all there and slightly unhinged. If I were Rachel, I would take adorable Lucy, who has to be the cutest baby I've ever seen, and go directly across the pond, get far away from this psycho, and never come back. It's not like he can follow her. On camera, he seems like a really nice guy, but apparently, in real life, he's prone to snapping and fighting. If he's gotten into 50 donnybrooks over the years, he's, at minimum, putting himself in situations where he has to defend himself. He obviously has the capacity for violence and that's a major red flag. There's just too much of a risk for shaken baby syndrome or domestic violence to entertain the idea of a marriage. They can always do karaoke from afar. They don't need to have a life together in the UK, but both Rachel's kids need their mom to be a good parent. Honestly, I think Jon wants a way out of this anyway. I think he was initially excited about the idea of being a father figure and became overwhelmed once it was reality. I think he's over it already, but he can't man up enough to tell Rachel he's lost interest. 

Edited September 3, 2018 by jmonkey

[essexjan]

19 hours ago, Major Bigtime said:

Jessee has Bugs Bunny teeth, I just noticed it tonight. Better to chew that tough steak with, I guess.

 

No wonder he was so thrilled about the carrot cake.

[Cementhead]

31 minutes ago, BradandJanet said:

The problem is that the original 90DF used people who really had the marriage visas. Then, the producers hit gold with Mohamed and Danielle.

I never watched this show until I was watching a Say Yes to the Dress marathon one unsuspecting Saturday and TLC finally broke me down with their incessant promos of 90DF.  I usually change the channel to avoid their constant commercials of their own shows over-and-over but I was probably being especially lazy that afternoon and didn't want to have to sit up to grab the remote.  And yes, it was the fascinating clips of Danielle and Mohamed (mainly Danielle) that finely lured me over to the Bad Place.  So, your point is very well taken and surely correct.  Thanks to my laziness and Danielle, I now can't get enough of this train wreck, which, as far as train wrecks go, is a very time consuming cross to bear, what with the 90Days, Before the 90 Days, Happily Ever After, and my favourite; this forum.  Thank God I don't have kids or pets to take care of.  Just a very self-sufficient husband who is aware of my 90DF problem.

essexjan:  Thank you so much for your very detailed explanation of the situation with Jon.  Wow!  It most certainly puts a whole new spin on the situation for me! 

Edited September 3, 2018 by Cementhead

[trimthatfat]

6 minutes ago, essexjan said:

 

It wouldn't be anything on his passport, he would have failed at the ESTA (visa waiver) application stage. The visa waiver program is an online application, renewable every two years. If you answer 'yes' to having any criminal convictions (or to any one of several other questions that might raise red flags around political affiliations, associations with certain countries, etc.), it's an automatic rejection, and you then have to apply to the US Embassy in person for a visa. 

...

So, yeah WTF Rachel? The man has a history of seriously violent behaviour that he's tried to spin to make himself the victim in every scenario. The UK has a massive binge drinking problem, with most towns being no-go areas at weekends, and street brawls outside pubs and nightclubs being a factor of British life. I can understand him getting involved in maybe two, three (at most) fights that have started around him and ended up in a huge brawl that he didn't intend to get involved in. But most young men, unless they're particularly stupid or psycho, will soon decide they don't want to be in the way of harm and will walk away from it once they see it all kicking off.

Jon's scenario - that he's been in 50 or 60 fights, not one of which was his fault, where he was trying to avoid being 'stamped on', or was defending himself or ws protecting the honour of a defenseless woman - simply doesn't stand up to scrutiny.

(Snipped for length)

Thank you for explaining in such detail. I was curious as to why Jon was downplaying the seriousness of his crimes since it sounded like he should be in jail. I feel bad for baby Lucy the most. A parental figure who thinks nothing of solving issues with his fists is frightening. And I call bullshit on his explanation that he only got into fights because he was protecting the honor of women. He has a serious problem for which he either needs serious therapy and/or anger management. 

Edited September 3, 2018 by trimthatfat

[CousinOliver]

2 hours ago, gonecrackers said:

Sorry if someone already said this, but seems like the second woman was the original plan for Ricky. "Melissa" may just be a story line for drama. The other possibility I'm entertaining is he was in contact with the second woman (sorry don't have her name at the moment) much longer so they knew each other better, but he threw her over for Melissa thinking she was hotter. 

 

2 hours ago, ChiMama said:

Definitely this. I even thought it to myself when he was commenting on Ximena's 'attractions' -- much less effusive and slobbery than when he talked about Melissa. He went for what HE considered the brass ring, missed it -- so now he'll settle for a worthy 'consolation prize' (in his opinion, not mine).

I think Ricky said that he had been chatting with Ximenia while he was talking to the lovely Melissa.  He continued chatting with Colombian Cupid Runner Up, despite being "in love" with Melissa.  He said the conversations with Ximenia got deeper as time went along.  

I'm a 40-something widow who just recently got out of the dating game, part deux.  That honestly sounds par for the course.  You're clicking with someone, but still being matched with other decent humans, and, inevitably, there's a top contender, but you don't put all your eggs in one basket.  

Naturally, us normal folks don't make wedding plans with unsuspecting favorite matches, but many of us really do feel a fairly strong connection to people we've been chatting with, calling on the phone, etc.  

It was not through a dating app that we met (much less karaoke app!), but I'm now with a wonderful widower who did move to my home state (from about 2000 miles away, but we both lived in the US.) After endless hours of communication, he did stay with me the first time we met in person (cue clutching of pearls!)  If Ximenia has been chatting with Ricky for a while, and he didn't let on that she was runner up, I can see getting on a plane the next day and feeling close enough for some intimacy, too.  Ricky can rot in hell for lying to her, but I'm not of the opinion that she's a prostitute.  She's just dating in the late 2010s. 

Edited September 3, 2018 by CousinOliver

[CoachWristletJen]

2 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

When Jon was talking about his past, he mentioned that after the very serious assault that ended in the eye injury that he had to leave university.  He then said he had really paid for that incident even though he did not go to prison.  I wonder if he is making financial payments to the person he assaulted.  If not, I would sure like to know how he thinks he has really been punished for that transgression. 

I really enjoy reading everyone's perspectives, but I have been a bit surprised that several posters wrote that at least Jon hadn't hit a woman or child that we know of.  I'm more of the perspective that it is less relevant whether someone was male or female (children are off limits!).  To me, it's more of a matter of responding violently to various situations, whether it's violently to a man or a woman.  I do understand that typically bar fights involve more men than women, but the fact that Jon has had over 50 fights is very concerning, no matter who he hit.  Rachel has made a series of bad decisions (IMO).  I think she will end up with "well, he promised me he wouldn't fight anymore, so we are good..."  I don't think she's giving a moment's thought to either of her daughters other than using Lucy to bond with Jon.

 

I seriously think that Jon has suffered damage to his prefrontal cortex in one or more of these fights. His impulse control is probably shot to hell. If these bars are such dangerous places, maybe he needs to find something better to do in his spare time? Has that occurred to him?

Also, telling her that he was fighting to stand up for women... that was just positive impression management.  His sister said he was a liar. I think he fights because he enjoys it. And, these are not fights in a ring. These are messy bar fights without rules.  He could have been hit in the head with fists or objects. He could have been slammed into walls before defeating his challengers. He himself may have been the challenger.  And, I'll bet he's never had a cat scan.  She should require one before marrying him. Just to know what she's really dealing with. Seriously. I hope I am void of snark when I say this: He doesn't seem right.

[Meowwww]

1 hour ago, Alonzo Mosely FBI said:

Was that a TEFLON pan they were cooking it in ? GROSS!!!! Rubbery grey steak ewwww I have friends from Europe and when they come they go gaga over our huge portions of thick steak, which is 4X less expensive than there. Jesse picked steak as the entree choice. He is a psycho. She would have picked as it has been said upthread spaghetti and meatballs or chicken of some sort.  

I have steak as my dinner entree all the time.  And I live in Wisconsin.  I thought it was normal to have steak as the main entree?

[Major Bigtime]

Someone upthread said they think Darcey has an eating disorder. 

Have you looked at her when she’s in shorts? She’s got enough meat on her to last her through months alone on a desert island. She gets upset and doesn’t eat dinner, but I bet when the cameras are off she’s raiding the ‘fridge.

[MegD]

2 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

When Jon was talking about his past, he mentioned that after the very serious assault that ended in the eye injury that he had to leave university.  He then said he had really paid for that incident even though he did not go to prison.  I wonder if he is making financial payments to the person he assaulted.  If not, I would sure like to know how he thinks he has really been punished for that transgression. 

I really enjoy reading everyone's perspectives, but I have been a bit surprised that several posters wrote that at least Jon hadn't hit a woman or child that we know of.  I'm more of the perspective that it is less relevant whether someone was male or female (children are off limits!).  To me, it's more of a matter of responding violently to various situations, whether it's violently to a man or a woman.  I do understand that typically bar fights involve more men than women, but the fact that Jon has had over 50 fights is very concerning, no matter who he hit. 

I couldn't find anywhere that actually listed his charge beyond "assault" and it looked like he was paying fines and penalties for that. However, it's also possible that he had probation or other conditions placed on him that kept him out of jail but greatly impacted his future. And depending on where he was attending university and how it was being paid for, he could have been expelled or had his scholarship pulled, ending his ability to finish his education. I also suspect that he was injured in some of these fights enough to cause some degree of traumatic brain injury. Of course, playing American football isn't helping that. Also, a simple assault charge can be enough to block a visa into the US. I've seen DUIs & simple possession charges from young adulthood get people blocked in their 30s and 40s, even if it's just one charge on someone's record. Heck, coming home at Christmas, Dad brought an apple off the Delta plane with him. It resulted in both of us getting "enhanced screening" which including having to claim our baggage under guard, going through all our stuff, being personally inspected and being questioned, before they confiscated said apple to "destroy" it. The government is a bizarre thing.

I don't think it's less relevant the gender of the individuals he hit, but I do think when he was getting in these fight is very relevant. I mean if these were all in his university days (late teens - early 20s) and even if he's continued to his mid20s, but it's been a number of years since his last incident, well, I feel like it's less likely that he's got a continuing problem. If it was last week, then clearly he hasn't moved on. Rachel needs to ask a lot more questions. Talk to his Mom and his sister. Both of them seem decently reliable on such things.

[JasonH]

That was one depressing “bar” Rachel and Jon went to in that episode. Looked like a hotel.

 

I suppose if your leaving your daughter with Jon’s mum, who seems as nurturing as a badger, you should go to the closest pub to your flat.

[magemaud]

Oh yes, it's perfectly normal to eat steak for dinner anywhere in the US, but Darcey had gone on and on about how her daughters like chicken and pasta. 

[Baltimore Betty]

9 minutes ago, magemaud said:

Oh yes, it's perfectly normal to eat steak for dinner anywhere in the US, but Darcey had gone on and on about how her daughters like chicken and pasta. 

I was confused, it looked like they bought 6 steaks at the market but then we see Jesse pan frying one steak.

I willl ask again, what is it Darcy and Jesse love about each other?  Darcy is an idiot if she just doing this for the money and Jesse, well he is just an idiot.

I feel for those kids, spending time around them has got to do a number on them later in life when they dating.

Why am I spending time trying to figure this out? LOL.

[iwasish]

2 hours ago, Deafening Roar said:

Public Service Announcement: I am in no way on Pol's side... however, the way Karine painted him out to be in front of her parents and the translator is her version of the situation. I am OCD-esque (yes, I made that word up) and it would be maddening to me if I were milling around the apartment thingy they are staying in, cleaning, washing dishes, tidying up her stuffed animals, and all the while she is either knocked out sleeping, whining, or on social media. I'm a woman and I don't necessarily believe in the woman doing everything around the house, but most women, it's just in their make-up to be cleaner and tidier. I keep things clean as I go along so it doesn't become a disaster and harder to clean later. She helped him zero percent and then cries about how he treats her. I'm not so sure I wouldn't treat her equally as bad, sorry not sorry.

She's lazy and unkempt and acts childish with toys. Although Pol isn't a catch either at least he is somewhat cleaner

She called him an idiot. Clearly she wasn’t/isn’t  scared of him.  She knows he is scared of her family’s disapproval of them as a couple because of his “ criminal past”. She is lazy and sloppy,  I don’t even think she wants to get married as much as she wants out of her parents house and maybe go to the US. 

She is savvy enough to know how to pose and flirt on “social media”. She could easily get another fish on the hook. I think she’s pregnant and the guy bailed on her, so Paul is needed to take the fall and get her baby a daddy. I think the mom knows she’s pregnant, her dad (the ex cop) probably too, that’s why they are overlooking his history and being so (oh people change, and he says he never hit a woman) about his restraining order. 

Does Paul have a sex drive? He seems so asexual  or maybe he gets off on watching her play with herself and those creepy plush toys and pillows.

[Cherrio]

6 hours ago, Pondlass1 said:

What would Jesse do once he got his green card? Riding around on a high horse isn't exactly a paying job.  

He would be a life couch since no one would ever hire him, so he would sit around all day having tantrums.

[PamelaMaeSnap]

How many times did they replay the same shot of Darcey slicing the steak as if it was continuous (but still had the same number of slices on the buttttttcher block)?

Of all the many many many cringeworthy moments in this episode nothing was more forced than that kitchen scene

I ❤Momma Karine

[Scarlett45]

1 hour ago, Barbara Please said:

Jon likes to beat up people. 60 fights is a lot. Heck, even a few fights, especially if it resulted in an assault charge would make me turn and run the other way. 

Absofucking-lutely. A criminal record would make me run the other way BUT I can understand how someone could turn their life around and become a productive person after youthful foolishness- a non violent crime (like drug possession), I can see over looking that. But ASSUALT & BATTERY?!! 50-60 fights?!! That is not someone I want to be near what so ever. I’ve never been in ONE fight and I’m almost as old as Rachel (my bday is next month). 

[Morgalisa]

20 hours ago, PityFree said:

Oh my God every couple on the show is insane. That was a very painful episode. 

I thought it was just me. Dreadful.

[Deafening Roar]

I'm having a hard time coming up with 50-60 ARGUMENTS I've ever been involved in, much less actual fist fights! He's scary to me, or the possiblity of his temper would scare me. But not Rachel, nope, she goes right on along with him as if he's a saint.

[seacliffsal]

Jon also stated that moving to the U.S. would allow him to change his life around.  That may be one of the reasons Rachel put his name on the birth certificate-she's trying to ensure he can come to the U.S.  I wonder if he would get a K-1 or spousal visa as just because someone marries an American it doesn't mean the U.S. will let him in.  Especially the more we are finding out about his record.

[EllaDisco]

1 hour ago, CoachWristletJen said:

I seriously think that Jon has suffered damage to his prefrontal cortex in one or more of these fights. His impulse control is probably shot to hell. If these bars are such dangerous places, maybe he needs to find something better to do in his spare time? Has that occurred to him?

Also, telling her that he was fighting to stand up for women... that was just positive impression management.  His sister said he was a liar. I think he fights because he enjoys it. And, these are not fights in a ring. These are messy bar fights without rules.  He could have been hit in the head with fists or objects. He could have been slammed into walls before defeating his challengers. He himself may have been the challenger.  And, I'll bet he's never had a cat scan.  She should require one before marrying him. Just to know what she's really dealing with. Seriously. I hope I am void of snark when I say this: He doesn't seem right.

She should have talked to Paul about the medical testing to get done on one's potential spouse when they first meet!

[iwasish]

2 minutes ago, Deafening Roar said:

I'm having a hard time coming up with 50-60 ARGUMENTS I've ever been involved in, much less actual fist fights! He's scary to me, or the possiblity of his temper would scare me. But not Rachel, nope, she goes right on along with him as if he's a saint.

Me too!! 50-60 fights is nuts!! How many came after the one he was charged with? He must be pretty good with his hands cause otherwise he’s a masochist that likes to get beat on. I can only imagine what would happen if Rachel’s ex “ disrespected” her and Jon felt compelled to defend her honor.  

I hope she’s mentally done with the relationship but being cool about things     til she and Lucy are on the plane home to the USA. 

[Major Bigtime]

33 minutes ago, Baltimore Betty said:

I feel for those kids, spending time around them has got to do a number on them later in life when they dating.

This isn’t Darcey’s first foray on reality TV, so I guess her girls are used to their crazy mother by now.

Maybe Karinne ramped up her online flirting to find a baby daddy in case Pole couldn’t “rise to the occasion?” She better act fast. She’s starting to show. 

[magemaud]

38 minutes ago, Baltimore Betty said:

I was confused, it looked like they bought 6 steaks at the market but then we see Jesse pan frying one steak.

The butcher originally had two steaks on the scale, then Darcey told him there were "four of us" so she wanted a third steak all of which he weighed and wrapped. Then she said, "My kids love steak," which prompted the butcher to ask how old her kids were and Jesse to deny their parentage. Sure Jesse, the butcher thought you looked old enough to have an 11 and 12 year old! 

26 minutes ago, Cherrio said:

He would be a life couch

is that a hilarious typo? 

Edited September 3, 2018 by magemaud

[EllaDisco]

1 minute ago, magemaud said:

The butcher originally had two steaks on the scale, then Darcey told him there were "four of us" so she wanted a third steak all of which he weighed and wrapped. Then she said, "My kids love steak," which prompted the butcher to ask how old her kids were and Jesse to deny their parentage. Sure Jesse, the butcher thought you looked old enough to have an 11 and 12 year old! 

If he fathered a kid at, say 15, he would be 27 when that kid was 12.

[Major Bigtime]

Jesse is trying to get a modeling gig, judging from the photos he posts online in his underwear. 

[magemaud]

But Jesse is 24 and I don't think he looks older than that. 

[Mainer]

11 hours ago, Kangatush said:

What in the hell does Michael see in Angela?  He  couldn't just find a nice local girl who would respect him?

Maybe it’s the 24 inches of cleavage?