S10.E10: Moving Meltdowns

[Jeanne222]

Kody is like a bad tornado and everything swirling around is destroyed.

Sad to see the kids disappointed over and over again.  But the wives, like the ants, go marching two by two!

This family is not living any bible.    Have they even bowed their heads this season?

[deirdra]

37 minutes ago, KateHearts said:

Kody's main objective in every interview/talking head is to emphasize HOW STRESSED he is and how much HE has to do.  

Since he doesn't have a house, Kody just has a few suitcases to pack while the ladies have entire kitchens, bathrooms, clothes & younger kids' stuff to pack or supervise while Kody runs off with his bros or from house to house running around like a chicken with its head cut off.

[jumper sage]

2 hours ago, Tabbygirl521 said:

Kody needs a giant bathroom lined with mirrors, and plenty of storage for his hair product. And a giant closet/dressing room for all his three-changes-a-day “stylin’” outfits, also lined with mirrors. A fainting couch for when all his leadershipping exhausts him. An intercom so he can summon everyone to the common area at whim. An extremely manly bedroom with black wallpaper, more mirrors, and a round bed with satin sheets and fur pillows. Just for himself, mind you

ROFLMAO

[Jeanne222]

Kody seems a bit hyper this season.  Is he off his meds?

[NoWhammies]

My thought about the Sludge and Pudge Meri moving conversation is this: Kody expressed repeatedly that he didn't want Meri to help them move because of his needs. So he probably appealed to Mariah, who, after all, has the same daddy issues as her other sisters. So she was just doing Kody's dirty work for him.

[Tabbygirl521]

9 minutes ago, NoWhammies said:

My thought about the Sludge and Pudge Meri moving conversation is this: Kody expressed repeatedly that he didn't want Meri to help them move because of his needs. So he probably appealed to Mariah, who, after all, has the same daddy issues as her other sisters. So she was just doing Kody's dirty work for him.

You know, this crossed my mind also, but I couldn’t  decide if I really think Kody is THAT big a jackass. But then, any guy that would go behind everyone’s backs to commission plans for a house that only he wants would probably do anything. 

Edited April 1, 2019 by Tabbygirl521

[neh]

Okay, I just watched this episode and what I took from this episode is that these idiots need to "Kon Mari" their lives!

[the-grey-lady]

Kody: Gwendlyn, how are you feeling about the move?

Gwen: Well, I accept that I have no bodily autonomy because my parents are numbskulls, so sure, let's go.

Kody: THAT'S SUCH A MATURE ATTITUDE.

Me: Shut it, Kody. Quit blathering. Your kids see you for who you are.

[xwordfanatik]

2 hours ago, b2H said:

Mariah is not going to save Meri from any of this.  That she's moving to Chicago with Meri in AZ puts more distance between them.  I don't think Mariah is a prize by any means, but Meri's denial to address the impact of the catfishing openly an honestly with her daughter, along with what, to me, appears to be a tepid acceptance of Mariah's lifestyle, leads to the direct result of Mariah not wanting Meri involved.  Mariah is a lost cause for Meri and barely tolerates her mother.  This will be the final separation.

Until Pudge needs money.  Then, and only then, will she tolerate her mother.

[xwordfanatik]

2 hours ago, suomi said:

Christine is brash, and cocky and insufferable lately. Get back, Loretta. 

"In your high-heeled shoes, and your low-necked sweatah."  LOL

[Pingaponga]

What's with Kody wanting friends and family to move to Flagstaff as well? Not his older kids - I don't think we've seen him suggest that Maddie move, Aspyn move, Mykelti move - but his brother and brother-in-law. Is he hoping a whole bunch of polygamists will follow him, see him as a prophet, and he'll get a whole new life?  Because if he wanted to be around family so much, he could have moved back to Utah.

If they build this mega house, what exactly are they going to be doing with all those bedrooms in five years time?  In 5 year - only 5 years! - the only kids not in college will be Truely, Sol and Ari.  All the other kids will 19+.  Why on earth would you build such a huge house with so many freakin' bedrooms if in 5 years most of the kids will be out of the house? It's nice to have room for when the kids come home for Christmas, but how many times a year is that really likely to happen?

[Sandy W]

19 minutes ago, Pingaponga said:

What's with Kody wanting friends and family to move to Flagstaff as well? Not his older kids - I don't think we've seen him suggest that Maddie move, Aspyn move, Mykelti move - but his brother and brother-in-law. Is he hoping a whole bunch of polygamists will follow him, see him as a prophet, and he'll get a whole new life?  Because if he wanted to be around family so much, he could have moved back to Utah.

If they build this mega house, what exactly are they going to be doing with all those bedrooms in five years time?  In 5 year - only 5 years! - the only kids not in college will be Truely, Sol and Ari.  All the other kids will 19+.  Why on earth would you build such a huge house with so many freakin' bedrooms if in 5 years most of the kids will be out of the house? It's nice to have room for when the kids come home for Christmas, but how many times a year is that really likely to happen?

I wonder if he has the idea in the back of his head that he might build his very own sect and eventually use the house as a retreat/religious center.  Less grandiose, but along the lines of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker's PTL Heritage House.

Hey, a guy's gotta start somewhere.

[LAMMA]

Lastly, Am I the only one that loves the big house idea.Whats so wrong with on big dormitory kind of structure? I would also stick around and watch them build it.

Edited April 1, 2019 by LAMMA

[Granny58]

3 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

For a church that is fine with penis sharing all over the damned place, they are awfully picky about where it goes when it's not one horny dude nailing every woman in sight.

actually, from their perspective, it makes sense.  I believe the point of mutliple wives is creating as many children as possible...there are spirit children waiting to be born.  A same-sex relationship cannot do that.  

[Granny58]

11 minutes ago, LAMMA said:

Lastly, Am I the only one that loves the big house idea.Whats so wrong with on big dormitory kind of structure? I would also stick around and watch them build it.

Oh no....many of us would LOVE to see them all living together.  We laugh at him though because of the grandiosity of the house!!!  Their finances seem to be a shell game, keep things moving around and fast so nobody can figure out what's where, but he wants a multimillion dollar house on a land that he needs to have developed.   I would watch the hell out of them living under one roof.  

[Twopper]

7 minutes ago, Granny58 said:

Oh no....many of us would LOVE to see them all living together.  We laugh at him though because of the grandiosity of the house!!!  Their finances seem to be a shell game, keep things moving around and fast so nobody can figure out what's where, but he wants a multimillion dollar house on a land that he needs to have developed.   I would watch the hell out of them living under one roof.  

This would definitely get them a few more seasons.  And in 5 years when they move back to Utah, they can rent out the apartments.  Seriously, I cannot see how they can afford what they are doing now, much less this fancy house.  They sound like they are worried about how to pay for it (well, at least Kody is), but they don't act like it.   Janelle is so checked out.

I cannot believe they left all of Paedon's stuff back in Lehi.  Surely someone could have sneaked back in the dead of night to pick it up and bring it to LV.  Every time I think I cannot be more annoyed with the adult Browns, something like this comes up. 

[Kijod1]

2 hours ago, neh said:

Okay, I just watched this episode and what I took from this episode is that these idiots need to "Kon Mari" their lives!

Totally agree!

I just got done doing that and watching each episode (especially the last one) has been killing me.

Get rid of your shit!

Even in truelys room, I was trying to get rid of half of her crap for them

[Galloway Cave]

1 hour ago, Twopper said:

I cannot believe they left all of Paedon's stuff back in Lehi.  Surely someone could have sneaked back in the dead of night to pick it up and bring it to LV.  Every time I think I cannot be more annoyed with the adult Browns, something like this comes up. 

What was so incredibly stupid about that situation was the toys had already been boxed up. They were already loaded on the truck. Why remove and leave them? Their homes were much smaller and they didn't have that much crap back then. I guess Kodouche wasn't capable of determining the sizes of trucks/trailers that they would need (hell, he couldn't even bother to check tires on the cars). And we know they DID return to the Lehi house later, several times. Someone in Meri's family rented the place for a while. If they did leave stuff, they could have found a non-drama way to do it (Hey, Paedon, this is only for the camera. We'll get this stuff next week). That was one of the few times I was pissed at Logan for his behavior.

[LotusFlower]

6 hours ago, kimaken said:

We don't know what was said about the whole catfishing scandal privately off camera--we've only seen what's been shown on the tv show. I think a lot of people are mad because we didn't get to see the whole ugly mess explode on tv for all the world to see and revel in the fireworks and are now feeling that every slight, every shifting of the eyes, every turning back on Meri is all about the impact of the catfishing scandal. Maybe it is, maybe it's not. As for Mariah being gay, Meri did say she was having difficulty dealing with her feelings on this--Mormons are conservative and homosexuality is greatly frowned upon in their religion--so it took her a little time to fully accept that her daughter is a lesbian, but she has since embraced her daughter's lifestyle and her daughter's partner. 

I didn’t really care about seeing the whole messy, embarrassing Catfish drama playing out on tv, but I did care that they lied to us about the whole thing.  Meri was catfished by an online “friend?”  Um, no.  She engaged in a romantic and sexual relationship with a guy online who she never met IRL, and she was about to leave the family and start a new life with him until she learned “he” was really a ‘she.”  As a lonely and neglected sister wife and member of a polygamist family, that would have been a fascinating story to explore.  But no, they all decided to lie and spin, and cast themselves as victims.  So if viewers are “mad” about anything, it’s not that we didn’t get to see all the juicy details, but that we were lied to.  

[LuvMyShows]

6 hours ago, Tabbygirl521 said:

ETA, on another note, I have to say I completely agree with Robyn that all this instability does not result in giving the kids a true home to return to. Moving so much is hard enough when it’s necessary but why would Gabe, for example, developing nostalgic feelings for a (possibly short-lived) family home in a Flagstaff under these circumstances? Kody is practically ensuring that he’s pushing some kids away for good with this nonsense. 

Sometimes when kids come home to visit, they might stay with their parents, but largely be using the house as a home base in order to visit their friends.  So Kody is undermining that additional source of visit reason, by minimizing the opportunity for the kids to build close friendships that would endure enough to warrant a visit back home.

[LoneWolf]

5 hours ago, Galloway Cave said:

 That was one of the few times I was pissed at Logan for his behavior.

It surprised me initially, but with Logan being the oldest I imagine there was immense pressure put upon him by Kody and Logan felt a bit of panic in making sure Kody didn't go even more ballistic. Logan had the responsibilities of an adult while being a child needing parenting also. No wonder he has barely concealed contempt for Kody and got the hell out ASAP   

After reading all your snarkified commentary, I decided to watch the episode since it was only one hour (seemed like four, though). I am LIVID at how dismissive and shaming these adults are toward Gabe. He seems like an intelligent and sociable young man. If I could do it I'd move to Vegas (even though I hate it) and be his guardian while he finishes high school.  This move is stupid on every level. Financial disaster, uprooting a home that the kids know, love, and in which they feel secure, buying fully undeveloped land, not selling the houses save one, renting ridiculous houses (buying in Christine's case). My heart was sad for Truly and darned if she isn't my favourite Brown of them all. And normally I think it's important to be respectful to your parents in general, but I was so fucking proud of Gabe walking out of the "what do you think", "oh damn, you're thinking wrong....no motorcycle for you!!", "I was just joking, ha ha". And Gabe's comments essentially pointing out his parents know nothing about him during his talking heads. It also pisses me off that Kody is angry that Gabe wants to spend his last days in Vegas with his friends--well, duh. Find your salve labouror somewhere else, your son is in pain, you imbecile. 

Robin is absolutely right that by moving now, they're uprooting the kids' history, memories, and sense of home. In Flagstaff, most older kids will fly the coop soon, the adult kids will have never lived in nor will feel like Flagstaff is home, and he wants everyone to have a home at which to return. This isn't going to work like he wants it to happen. Idiot. 

I have more to say but it's 0130 and hopefully I can try to fall asleep. I went fishing with my husband and kids this evening and I can't get the rippling water out of my mind's eye! Mesmerising. 

Edit: I should not post early morning comments with no sleep. Grammar & spelling, omissions & errors...

Edited April 2, 2019 by LoneWolf

[jumper sage]

9 hours ago, Pingaponga said:

Why on earth would you build such a huge house with so many freakin' bedrooms if in 5 years most of the kids will be out of the house?

What is wrong with sharing a room?  It is a great way to learn to co-habitate as an adult.

[gardendiva]

2 hours ago, jumper sage said:

What is wrong with sharing a room?  It is a great way to learn to co-habitate as an adult.

I know, right? In a family as large as this it should be the norm. It is a rather ridiculous expectation that each child would get a room to themselves. 

I grew up in a family with 5 kids and I just now realized that in my entire almost 60 years of life I have never had a room all to myself: childhood, college and now marriage. Maybe that plays into the resentment I feel when I see that these kids (or their parents) have this opinion that all their kids are entitled to their own rooms.

[Mothra]

23 hours ago, Adiba said:

@sucker4reality, I agree about Gabe. Why do they ask him a question when they really don’t want to hear the true answer? And over- praising Gwendolyn for her answer was a not-so -thinly veiled jab at Gabe. Gabriel saw what was up and left— good for him.

I think Gabe maybe guessed or realized why they're moving to Flagstaff, and he's furious because he can't or won't say that it's so Robyn can be near Akron while he's in college.  That may also be why the wives, including Robyn, are so adamant about never moving again. 

Gabe may be trying to parlay his silence about Akron into a motorcycle, and when the other kids jump in with their desire for a motorcycle, too, it muddies the waters, further angering Gabe.

[laurakaye]

14 hours ago, xwordfanatik said:

Until Pudge needs money.  Then, and only then, will she tolerate her mother.

Man, I keep switching Pudge & Sludge all over these threads.  I think it's because when I hear the nickname Sludge, I automatically think of Mariah's hair...Pudge is Mariah and Sludge is Audge, right?  I mean, at this point they're kind of interchangeable anyway.

8 hours ago, LuvMyShows said:

Sometimes when kids come home to visit, they might stay with their parents, but largely be using the house as a home base in order to visit their friends.  So Kody is undermining that additional source of visit reason, by minimizing the opportunity for the kids to build close friendships that would endure enough to warrant a visit back home.

What is his everlasting dill with wanting to have space for when the kids come home to visit?  This paragraph is spot-on.  Kody keeps imaging this utopia of all of his wives, kids, in-laws, grandkids, etc., all gathered by the fireplace in matching jammies, listening as Kody rhapsodizes about his favorite subject - himself - while the brood that he created listens in rapt awe.  Or maybe the fam'ly will gather for bowls of mock-tapioca as Robyn eye-boogers Chapter Two of how she had her purrity and cookies all stolen by the big bad sexy man whom she loathes but is sending Brianna to visit as soon as her sermon is over.  It's 100% true that what Kody says he wants, he is simultaneously destroying by not allowing his kids to grow roots in one place.  I look forward to whichever Brown kids write their tell-all about growing up with a doofus spastic man-child for a father.

5 hours ago, LoneWolf said:

It surprised me initially, but with Logan being the oldest I imagine there was immense pressure put upon him by Kody and Logan felt a bit of panic in making sure Kody didn't go even more ballistic. Logan had the responsibilities of an adult while being a child needing parenting also. No wonder he has barely concealed contempt for Kody and got the hell out ASAP.

+++++1 to this.  I will forever be saddened by that scene of Paedon taking his box of toys off of the truck and I really don't need to ever see it again.  And I absolutely hate how Christine breath-whispered about how with Truely, she is making sure that she is able to pack slowly so she won't have a repeat of what happened to Paedon...meanwhile, I wonder if she ever apologized to Paedon.  All a kid has when they are young are their toys.  They might not mean much to anyone else, but try telling Kodoof that there's no room for his diffuser and bottles of Rogaine and watch the crap hit the fan.

[Rabbit Hutch]

I watched closely the scene between Cootie and Robyn discussing this move while they were both messing around the ginormous ladder.  My thoughts:

1. Robyn is still #1. Cootie is in love with her and defers to her judgement. He respects both her and her opinion. Christine and Co. aren't even in her rearview mirror.

2. Robyn orchestrated this move for 1) Dayton, and 2) to ensure that her last 2 kids would not be uprooted over and again like the other Brown kids, no matter what it costs the others. Robyn is busily setting up her forever home, and Vegas isn't it, baby.

3. When Cootie and Robyn talk so passionately of her making those "oh so important memories" and him missing his "children", they're specifically talking about Sol and Ariella. The rest are either too far grown up and/or don't matter at this point, as was obvious in this week's episode with the conversation at Christine's house.

4. However, the fly on Robyn's pie is that she had no idea what a gypsy Cootie really is, and although I can't quite tell if her angst is real or not in this episode, another move will be she and Cootie's final round after the show's over...for Robyn's not moving again unless there's mucho money involved.

The other wives are allowing her to do it to them, and I just sit here agast, watching their futures circle the bowl.

Edited April 2, 2019 by Rabbit Hutch
Clarity

[Mothra]

15 hours ago, NoWhammies said:

My thought about the Sludge and Pudge Meri moving conversation is this: Kody expressed repeatedly that he didn't want Meri to help them move because of his needs. So he probably appealed to Mariah, who, after all, has the same daddy issues as her other sisters. So she was just doing Kody's dirty work for him.

Agreed.  And Mariah was so much on Kody's side over the catfishing that I think she'll take any opportunity that presents itself to "punish" Meri for it.

I also think it's a little creepy how invested (and interested!) Meri is in her daughter's life, and I don't mean the lesbianness of it.  I mean the fact that Mariah, insufferable asshole though she may be, is living what I think most of us would consider a normal young-adult woman's life:  she's going to graduate school, living with her significant other, and full of beans, instead of sitting around waiting for the invitation to be courted into a polygamous family where her main goal is to be sweet and fertile enough to assure her place in the pecking order.  It's sad that Meri--who it seems is successful in two businesses--never had (or never seized) the opportunities her daughter has, but she really ought to explore what she can do for herself instead of being Mariah's barnacle (tm MBFFL).

[Tuxcat]

4 minutes ago, Rabbit Hutch said:

I watched closely the scene between Cootie and Robyn discussing this move while they were both messing around the ginormous ladder.  My thoughts:

1. Robyn is still #1. Cootie is in love with her and defers to her judgement. He respects both her and her opinion. Christine and Co. aren't even in her rear mirror.

2. Robyn orchestrated this move for 1) Dayton, and 2) to ensure that her last 2 kids would not be uprooted over and again like the other Brown kids, no matter what it costs the others. Robyn is busily setting up her forever home, and Vegas isn't it, baby.

3. When Cootie and Robyn talk so passionately of her making those "oh so important memories" and him missing his "children", they're specifically talking about Sol and Ariella. The rest are either too far grown up and/or don't matter at this point, as was obvious in this week's episode with the conversation at Christine's house.

4. However, the fly on Robyn's pie is that she had no idea what a gypsy Cootie really is, and although I can't quite tell if her angst is real or not in this episode, another move will be she and Cootie's final round after the show's over...for Robyn's not moving again unless there's mucho money involved.

The other wives are allowing her to do it to them, and I just sit here agast, watching their futures circle the bowl.

Agree with all of this --though I think Christine is a very close second. She's the "fun one" who still makes  Kody feel like a king. He seems to be spending more time with her. But his soul is with Robyn.

Also, I wonder if in other polygamy families the last wife like Robyn, assumes more power. When the older wives have raised all their children,  does the younger one get the man? Do the older wives get tossed out since they've completed their duty?

[kimaken]

10 hours ago, LotusFlower said:

Meri was catfished by an online “friend?”  Um, no.  

I read that the catfish person was someone who came to the Meri's house during one of their MLM events for whatever that health-drink stuff was they were selling (LIV?). That's how she got pictures of the inside of Meri's house as "proof" that Sam had visited there.  I think it's probable that the catfish person signed in as a guest, included her email address and became a "friend" of sorts to Meri after buying a few products. But I can believe the Brown family's not going to share with the public ALL the lurid details of what exactly happened, what was said between them afterwards, what, if any amends Meri has made since then, or if the family punished her for her indiscretions--it's really none of our business. I think they tried to limit the damage done by the scandal by playing the victims (and really--would Kody ever admit that HE could have caused Meri to look for love elsewhere?). Did they lie to us? Yes--whatever it takes to keep the TLC show going so they have an income!

[Sparkles87]

21 hours ago, kimaken said:

 (upcoming) TLC drama for the wives to all pooh-pooh the one-house plans because it's not fair to all the wives; or better yet, will this result in histrionics from Meri, Janelle trying to be neutral, Christine dithering, and more sobs from Robyn?

Bingo

[mytmo]

Kody was way too much with his whole hair routine.  It looked like he was beating himself repeatedly with the diffuser.  And no way is he naturally curly - naturally raggedy maybe but not naturally curly.  I have naturally curly hair and back in the day I used to get spiral perms (yeah I know what a waste of money) so that I could look like Rhythm Nation Janet Jackson and have uniform curls.  And to keep touching his hair like that and the curl doesn't get all frizzy screams perm.  A co-worker with naturally curly hair told me one time that naturally curly hair is like a penis - the more you touch it the bigger it gets.

[AZChristian]

So a couple of episodes ago, Kody didn't want to buy land and build four houses in Williams, because the properties would back up to each other, and he decided that the wives wouldn't like to be able to look at their windows and see what the other wives are doing in their yards.

So a better alternative is to build a huge apartment building and move them all into ONE building (I can't even call it a house)??????

[Absolom]

Ratings are in:  1.436 M viewers and a .33 rating.  15th cable show of the day.

[Pachengala]

1 hour ago, mytmo said:

A co-worker with naturally curly hair told me one time that naturally curly hair is like a penis - the more you touch it the bigger it gets.

This is AMAZING and I'm totally stealing it. My hair is naturally curly right up until the point that I touch it, and then it becomes a raggedy frizz-ball mushroom cloud. I rinse my hair, step out of the shower, spray some leave-in conditioner (has to be spray, so I don't TOUCH MY HAIR) and just hang out until it dries on its own. And that is why I hate washing my hair. 

Kody has that Aussie Sprunch Spray hair, where you just keep spraying and "sprunching" until you look like...well, Kody. 

[B in Lee]

On ‎4‎/‎1‎/‎2019 at 8:40 AM, sucker4reality said:

They do live together and Kody said in a previous season that it kind of grossed him out (forgot his exact words). Interestingly, he has not said the same about Mariah and Audrey.

Really? To do so would to incur the wrath of the PeeCee gods. And Whammo! The gravy train would abruptly derail, just as it did to some of the Duggar clan, who spoke their mind regarding another TLC sacred cow (bull, actually). Kody needs the money! Morals and The Bible be damned!

[LotusFlower]

1 hour ago, kimaken said:

1 hour ago, kimaken said:

 s But I can believe the Brown family's not going to share with the public ALL the lurid details of what exactly happened, what was said between them afterwards, what, if any amends Meri has made since then, or if the family punished her for her indiscretions--it's really none of our business. I think they tried to limit the damage done by the scandal by playing the victims (and really--would Kody ever admit that HE could have caused Meri to look for love elsewhere?). Did they lie to us? Yes--whatever it takes to keep the TLC show going so they have an income!

It’s none of our business?  Sharing details of their life is supposed to be the reason for the show.  Esp. a detail that touches so pointedly on polygamy.

I agree that they probably lied in part to keep the “happy polygamist family” image intact, but I still think the show’s ratings would have blown up if the show was honest and forthright about the whole thing.  

[islandgal140]

16 hours ago, Pingaponga said:

What's with Kody wanting friends and family to move to Flagstaff as well? Not his older kids - I don't think we've seen him suggest that Maddie move, Aspyn move, Mykelti move - but his brother and brother-in-law. Is he hoping a whole bunch of polygamists will follow him, see him as a prophet, and he'll get a whole new life?  

There's enough prairie dog plague to go around. 

21 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

Depends on how long her electrolytes were out of whack.  She needed dialysis so they must have been pretty off.

I always wonder if they have health insurance. None of them seem to have a 9 to 5 that would entitle them to benefits so how did they pay for Truly's hospitalization and poor Ysabel's doctor's visits? Obamacare? Medicaid? 

1 hour ago, mytmo said:

Kody was way too much with his whole hair routine.  It looked like he was beating himself repeatedly with the diffuser.  And no way is he naturally curly - naturally raggedy maybe but not naturally curly.  I have naturally curly hair and back in the day I used to get spiral perms (yeah I know what a waste of money) so that I could look like Rhythm Nation Janet Jackson and have uniform curls.  And to keep touching his hair like that and the curl doesn't get all frizzy screams perm.  A co-worker with naturally curly hair told me one time that naturally curly hair is like a penis - the more you touch it the bigger it gets.

Good point. I don't see a hint of curl in any of his youthful photos. 

[Sandy W]

13 minutes ago, LotusFlower said:

It’s none of our business?  Sharing details of their life is supposed to be the reason for the show.  Esp. a detail that touches so pointedly on polygamy.

I agree that they probably lied in part to keep the “happy polygamist family” image intact, but I still think the show’s ratings would have blown up if the show was honest and forthright about the whole thing.  

I am really grateful for the few posters on this site that have first-hand knowledge of polygamy and are willing to share their experiences.  That being said, the reason I started watching the program in the first place was to gain an insight into a lifestyle I was not familiar with. 

The Brown's have been very sketchy with the harsh realities of the life and had it not been for exposure by the catfish, I'm positive the whole incident would have gone unmentioned.  The fact that Meri found it necessary to seek affection and attention outside of the confines of the marriage was probably symptomatic of the dynamics of such a complicated relationship. 

"Sam's" version of the lurid details have been blasted out there for anyone that cared to explore them and Meri has brought forth other victims/don't call me a victim of this reprehensible character, but never has it been explained why Meri was so vulnerable in the first place.  Fleshing out these details would present the family in honest Reality, rather than Dramatic Entertainment, which seems to be the category are most comfortable with.  It's either Reality TV or it's not.

[Pickleinthemiddle]

3 hours ago, Rabbit Hutch said:

she had no idea what a gypsy Cootie really is,

I believe all their moving around was for work.  They were living in mostly remote or rural type towns and not much work to be had.  Lehi was the longest stay prior to Vegas and it was near a large city.  My parent's moved twice when I was  a child.  In the same general area.  I've moved 4 times as an adult, in the same general area.  I couldn't imagine moving my child as many times as they have.

44 minutes ago, islandgal140 said:

There's enough prairie dog plague to go around. 

I always wonder if they have health insurance. None of them seem to have a 9 to 5 that would entitle them to benefits so how did they pay for Truly's hospitalization and poor Ysabel's doctor's visits? Obamacare? Medicaid? 

Good point. I don't see a hint of curl in any of his youthful photos. 

This bottom photo with Janelle, Kody looks just like Garrison.  Same facial features.

[llewis823]

3 hours ago, laurakaye said:

I look forward to whichever Brown kids write their tell-all about growing up with a doofus spastic man-child for a father.

I'll read that one for sure!

[gunderda]

17 hours ago, LAMMA said:

Lastly, Am I the only one that loves the big house idea.Whats so wrong with on big dormitory kind of structure? I would also stick around and watch them build it.

I was kinda really impressed with the drawing of it. And I bet any other polyg wives would LOVE to be able to have that house.  Most that we see are pretty depressing. 

13 hours ago, LuvMyShows said:

Sometimes when kids come home to visit, they might stay with their parents, but largely be using the house as a home base in order to visit their friends.  So Kody is undermining that additional source of visit reason, by minimizing the opportunity for the kids to build close friendships that would endure enough to warrant a visit back home.

I hate to say it but Robin was right.  The kids don't have any connection to the Flag staff house so they won't be that eager to visit.  My parents moved to a different state when I graduated from college.  I used to visit them about once a year or two but it's been years now since I've actually gone to their house. They visit me about 3-4 times a year so that probably helps. They still have friends in my hometown so when we would go up there I actually excited to just go to that town.  I have a connection to my hometown. I don't have a connection to my parents new town so it's not that important to me to visit. Traveling there is a pain in the ass too. Long drive to the airport and coming home it's usually always a super early morning flight. 

[Rabbit Hutch]

59 minutes ago, llewis823 said:

I'll read that one for sure!

Testify!!!!!!

[LotusFlower]

1 hour ago, Sandy W said:

I am really grateful for the few posters on this site that have first-hand knowledge of polygamy and are willing to share their experiences.  That being said, the reason I started watching the program in the first place was to gain an insight into a lifestyle I was not familiar with. 

The Brown's have been very sketchy with the harsh realities of the life and had it not been for exposure by the catfish, I'm positive the whole incident would have gone unmentioned.  The fact that Meri found it necessary to seek affection and attention outside of the confines of the marriage was probably symptomatic of the dynamics of such a complicated relationship. 

"Sam's" version of the lurid details have been blasted out there for anyone that cared to explore them and Meri has brought forth other victims/don't call me a victim of this reprehensible character, but never has it been explained why Meri was so vulnerable in the first place.  Fleshing out these details would present the family in honest Reality, rather than Dramatic Entertainment, which seems to be the category are most comfortable with.  It's either Reality TV or it's not.

Exactly!!

When Meri’s fellow “victim” visited and told her story to the family, the camera zoomed in on Meri when the friend talked openly and honestly about the romantic stuff.  The difference between telling the truth and lying about the same story was stark.  

[Adeejay]

4 hours ago, Tuxcat said:

Also, I wonder if in other polygamy families the last wife like Robyn, assumes more power. When the older wives have raised all their children,  does the younger one get the man? Do the older wives get tossed out since they've completed their duty?

On an episode of "Big Love", Margie's mother told her that as the 3rd and youngest wife, she was sitting in the catbird's seat. After that, things were never the same, because Margie took that to heart and started asserting her power.

In all fairness, when they were "escaping to Las Vegas", they were told to pack the bare necessities. Logan became frustrated when he came across the third box marked, "Paedon's toys" because he didn't have room for some of Christine's other things.

[Kohola3]

2 hours ago, islandgal140 said:

I always wonder if they have health insurance. None of them seem to have a 9 to 5 that would entitle them to benefits so how did they pay for Truly's hospitalization and poor Ysabel's doctor's visits? Obamacare? Medicaid? 

That remains another mystery. We have heard that there were outstanding medical expenses for Day'un after his accident so either they have no insurance at all or insufficient insurance.  I supposed it depends on how the TLC money is distributed as to whether or not they qualify for Medicaid or buy some semblance of insurance through the Affordable Care Act. 

But from what we have seen coverage for medical issues would require serious thought by responsible parents and we know that's never been the Brown Financial Plan MO.

[kicotan]

2 hours ago, Sandy W said:

  The fact that Meri found it necessary to seek affection and attention outside of the confines of the marriage was probably symptomatic of the dynamics of such a complicated relationship. 

Meh-monogamists do it ALL the time.

 I don’t believe what we, the viewers, are being exposed to is in any way a “typical” polygamist relationship any more than selecting a random monogamist couple and following their life would be an example of a “typical” monogamist relationship.  The only real difference is how many people are having sex with the same person and their definition of marriage.  The rest of it is purely subjective.

[Granny58]

3 hours ago, B in Lee said:

Really? To do so would to incur the wrath of the PeeCee gods. And Whammo! The gravy train would abruptly derail, just as it did to some of the Duggar clan, who spoke their mind regarding another TLC sacred cow (bull, actually). Kody needs the money! Morals and The Bible be damned!

Oh, good call!

[gigiann]

11 hours ago, jumper sage said:

What is wrong with sharing a room?  It is a great way to learn to co-habitate as an adult.

Shit!!  Even the Duggars had to share rooms when they built their big house.  There was a girls dorm and a boys dorm if I remember.  I had to share a room with a sister all my life and there were only 2 children in the family.  What a bunch of spoiled idiots doling out bedrooms like they were pieces of cheese....one for each rat.  If you conserve some $$$ in building that mess and consolidate those fucking bedrooms.......they would have more $$$$$ to tithe to the church....and isn't that what it is all about?????

ALSO.....I am sick of those Stepford Sister Wives ranting on and on about how good looking Kody is and what wonderful hair he has!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  WTF is wrong with these cows?

[B in Lee]

27 minutes ago, gigiann said:

Shit!!  Even the Duggars had to share rooms when they built their big house.  There was a girls dorm and a boys dorm if I remember.  I had to share a room with a sister all my life and there were only 2 children in the family.  What a bunch of spoiled idiots doling out bedrooms like they were pieces of cheese....one for each rat.  If you conserve some $$$ in building that mess and consolidate those fucking bedrooms.......they would have more $$$$$ to tithe to the church....and isn't that what it is all about?????

ALSO.....I am sick of those Stepford Sister Wives ranting on and on about how good looking Kody is and what wonderful hair he has!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  WTF is wrong with these cows?

Well, to be honest, the Duggars ARE a family, and they actually enjoy each other's company. The children elected to have one big bedroom each for boys and girls instead of carving up the space into smaller rooms that would still have to be shared. That provided space for a sewing/crafting room for the girls and a media studio for the guys - with doors that could be shut to keep the littlest Duggars out of harm's way. The Browns don't share that sort of family structure, or family closeness.

[KateHearts]

The catchphrase this episode:  "OUR CULTURE." Apparently, Kody's version of Mormonism/Polygamy is a particular "culture" (or "coolture," as he pronounces it.) It's a special klub that only those who understand can be a part of, and those of us deemed unworthy just have to accept their random rules and parameters.

I was cringing at the couch scene with Christine when she murmured, "I have no idea," pronounced "eye-dihhh".  

And when "the triplets" were all called together, ostensibly to discuss their fillings, because, as Christine said, "we are considering you guys the most," or some such lie, ends in Kody insulting Gabe. Actually, I think he just wanted Gwen or Ysabel or whoever to make the delicious scrambled eggs for him.  

When Kody lost his shit on the couch saying how he needs the kids to "BACK OFF" with their questions because he has BOXES TO PACK, the look in his eyes was stark raving crazy. I can't wait to read the tell-all book, "Growing up Brown," in which all the kids collaborate to discuss their frizzy headed lunatic of a dad and their brainwashed moms. I will be buying that book.