S01.E17: Shattered Dreams

[PinkFlamingo]

38 minutes ago, RealReality said:

Ha ha, Liam read Laura for filth and I was here for it!  Her revisionist history of telling aladin that Liam doesn't want her to find love or whatever was such bullshit.  

Laura has sold it to Liam that all her ex's were bad, but I bet that that was not the truth and now she is salty that Liam thinks aladin is a mistake too.  

Laura also saying she was "under attack" was precious.  Nah bitch he told you about yourself and you didn't like it.  I bet she wishes he had just stayed home now. 

Laura can also miss me with her basically setting Liam up to fight with aladin.  She is so thirsty for attention from anyone that this is what she resorts to.  I'd be super pissed if some random dude marrying my mom who was nearly half her age wanted to "put me in my place" and Laura knows exactly how Liam is going to act.

When aladin rightfully dumps her skipper looking ass, she will be able to cry to Liam and claim victimhood.

Everyone on this show always says they want their new love to get along with their family, and then turns around and immediately sets them up for conflict by stirring the pot and reporting what was said in private conversations. 

Laura didn’t have to tell Aladin that Liam thinks he is a bad guy just like all the others.  She is mostly responsible for playing into this drama that she is caught between her son and husband. Another one playing the victim. 

Liam should just man up and be polite and be available, even if it is fake. He is playing right into his mother’s drama by being a baby about the marriage. Then just wait for it to inevitably fall apart.   

[Adeejay]

3 hours ago, cheewhiz said:

Huh, I didn't get that impression. I thought she was happy that she was coming and could help her with Paul and Pierre. I tend to give humanity too much credit tho so maybe you are right.

I got the impression that Karine was happy that Paul's mom was coming too. When she told her that she was beautiful, Karine responded that she got all dolled up just for her. Pierre is such a beautiful, chubby baby.  I missed how much he weighed at birth. 

Aladin seemed happy.  I couldn't get over how much he wanted to show off old lady Laura (Nicole must be dying).  Can't help but wonder what's his end game. 

[blubld43]

3 hours ago, Kid said:

And that is why she chose to hook up with an addict.  Classic example of codependency and a martyr complex.  

Amen! I'm also completely disgusted with Tiffany's entitled attitude, wtf did she think was going to happen?  She is so stank, and Ronald just seems over all the looming responsibility. Extreme pressure to succeed, + fresh out of rehab addict= fat chance.

[shockermolar]

7 hours ago, libgirl2 said:

7 hours ago, b2H said:

One of my colleagues on my project had to travel there for a week.  Yup, it is.

I had no idea it was so bad. 

Never been but this show made me google the shit out of it, and lemme say it sure doesn't look like a place I'd want to live. In particular the public hospital sitch seems even worse then shown here. Found a paper written by a college student that did a semester abroad and worked at both private and public hospitals. Of note: at the public hospital he worked at every admit provide a urine sample. The "nurse" at the desk did a dip - without gloves - placed the strips directly on the counter and returned the glass cups to the patients. They dumped and rinsed out the cups and the next patient grabbed it to give a sample. The strips were pulled off the counter, results noted in the file and the counter was never cleaned or wiped. So....

[Mothra]

From Wikipedia:

The US has the "highest rate of maternal mortality in the industrialized world."

Giving birth in Libya or Estonia is safer than giving birth in the US, as is giving birth in Cyprus, Montenegro, or Croatia.  Safer than Lebanon (but just barely), more dangerous than Kazakhstan.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_maternal_mortality_ratio

These figures are from 2015, so there may be some changes, but I posted this to remind us Americans that we are not the end-all and be-all, especially not in medical care.  Although we do spend the most money per capita than any other country in the world.  Tiffany would do well to see if she can get into Finland for the birth of her baby.

[Natalie68]

7 hours ago, b2H said:

One of my colleagues on my project had to travel there for a week.  Yup, it is.

I have a friend leaving tomorrow for a vacay there.  YIKES!

[Pepper Mostly]

1 hour ago, futurechemist said:

Turning to Liam, I can't judge him without context.  Did he come in what was meant to be a good-faith effort to support his mom and find out more about her fiance?  If so, he's acting like a jerk.  Did he come to try and warn his mom against making a mistake she's already made before?  If so, his nonsocial behavior is more understandable.  Was he pretty much bribed by TLC to come over?  Then I'd expect him to not be happy, but to at least "perform" for his bribe.  But without knowing the details that TLC is omitting I can't criticize or defend him.

If TLC subsidized Liam's trip, you can bet your bottom dollar that he was expected, and possibly coached, to be as negative and shit stirring as possible. They LIVE for this stuff. (See: Chantel, Family). If Liam had said "oh, I support my mother in every way, I support her choices and I just want her to be happy. Aladin seems like a great guy and I know that they have a great relationship!" they would have left him to his own devices in Florida. 

46 minutes ago, PinkFlamingo said:

Everyone on this show always says they want their new love to get along with their family, and then turns around and immediately sets them up for conflict by stirring the pot and reporting what was said in private conversations. 

Laura didn’t have to tell Aladin that Liam thinks he is a bad guy just like all the others.  She is mostly responsible for playing into this drama that she is caught between her son and husband. Another one playing the victim. 

Liam should just man up and be polite and be available, even if it is fake. He is playing right into his mother’s drama by being a baby about the marriage. Then just wait for it to inevitably fall apart.   

Right? Its like middle school. No one is capable of even sometimes acting like an adult. Its all "Becky told me after second period..." gossip and backbiting. These drama queens are exhausting. 

I simply can't believe that Jenny is that good an actress. I think Sumit snowed her and she wanted to believe so badly she ignored every huge, flapping red flag. 

Edited September 17, 2019 by Pepper Mostly

[RealReality]

25 minutes ago, Mothra said:

From Wikipedia:

The US has the "highest rate of maternal mortality in the industrialized world."

Giving birth in Libya or Estonia is safer than giving birth in the US, as is giving birth in Cyprus, Montenegro, or Croatia.  Safer than Lebanon (but just barely), more dangerous than Kazakhstan.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_maternal_mortality_ratio

These figures are from 2015, so there may be some changes, but I posted this to remind us Americans that we are not the end-all and be-all, especially not in medical care.  Although we do spend the most money per capita than any other country in the world.  Tiffany would do well to see if she can get into Finland for the birth of her baby.

Agreed.  My grandfather had some stuff done at county USC and it looked and felt awful.  And this is a major teaching hospital, I imagine some rural hospitals are much worse.  

That hospital looked more sanitary than parts of county USC.  T

Tiffany is young and healthy.  IIRC she isn't even 30 yet and doesn't have any comorbidities (except obesity?) She could have probably done what Pao and given birth in a tub and have been fine.  

[seacliffsal]

No sympathy for Jenny here as she knew exactly who Summit was-a liar. I agree with others that she is looking at her life as a romance novel come to life, but, alas, it isn't.

I disagree with those of you who want Tiffany to come back to the U.S. to give birth.  Why should we, as taxpayers, have to subsidize her bad decisions?  We have to subsidize the decisions of those who stayed in the U.S., but Tiffany chose to go elsewhere and marry someone fresh out of rehab and then, just like magic, get pregnant.  Of course, I'm assuming that she will use Medicaid from her home state for the birth.  Hopefully, administrators will catch wind of her financial earnings from this show and make her pay for her own insurance.  If she gives birth in the U.S., Ronald still won't be at her side (you know, due to his problems getting a visa), so why not stay there where he'll at least be in the same country.

And no, mother Paul, do NOT sponsor his family to come to the U.S.  Look, they have an apartment, Karine was able to give birth in the public hospital and they are building a life as a family.  And, Brazil even agreed to let him stay in the country!  Take that as a sign.

Yes, I know there are babies, soon to be babies, and young children involved.  But, these "parents" need to figure out how to take care of their families beyond relying on the rest of us.

Whew!  Okay, rant over...for now...

[RealReality]

3 minutes ago, seacliffsal said:

No sympathy for Jenny here as she knew exactly who Summit was-a liar. I agree with others that she is looking at her life as a romance novel come to life, but, alas, it isn't.

I disagree with those of you who want Tiffany to come back to the U.S. to give birth.  Why should we, as taxpayers, have to subsidize her bad decisions?  We have to subsidize the decisions of those who stayed in the U.S., but Tiffany chose to go elsewhere and marry someone fresh out of rehab and then, just like magic, get pregnant.  Of course, I'm assuming that she will use Medicaid from her home state for the birth.  Hopefully, administrators will catch wind of her financial earnings from this show and make her pay for her own insurance.  If she gives birth in the U.S., Ronald still won't be at her side (you know, due to his problems getting a visa), so why not stay there where he'll at least be in the same country.

And no, mother Paul, do NOT sponsor his family to come to the U.S.  Look, they have an apartment, Karine was able to give birth in the public hospital and they are building a life as a family.  And, Brazil even agreed to let him stay in the country!  Take that as a sign.

Yes, I know there are babies, soon to be babies, and young children involved.  But, these "parents" need to figure out how to take care of their families beyond relying on the rest of us.

Whew!  Okay, rant over...for now...

Hey im with you, it's about time these trades became a two way street.  If we got leida, Brazil should get Paul.....it's only right and fair.  

[sainte-chapelle]

7 hours ago, Pepper Mostly said:

It'd probably been days since the epic showdown with Sumit's parents by the time the film crew got there. Consider the time difference and having to make travel arrangements. Where's Sharp based? California? New Delhi is 12 hours ahead. So Jenny tearfully calls production in the middle of the night. Even if they leaped into taxis and went immediately to the airport, flights are about 20 hours long. I wouldn't sit around with broken glass and crockery on the floor for three days.

Ronald's rage is barely contained, I noticed it in the first episode. He is a ticking time bomb.

Good point Pepper, I wasn't paying attention and didn't realize the production team was not in India at the time.

[mamadrama]

7 hours ago, islandgal140 said:

When the Jenny/Sumit segment opened with a still of Jenny alone with the very definition of what they call a "hangdog expression" on her face and no Sumit I let out the most unladylike cackle!!! She legit looked like Droopy Dog. 

Just weird! The only way this makes sense is if production had already wrapped because it makes no financial sense to have a production team flying back and forth like this.

I'm kinda pissed that I had to watch Sumit do Jenny's ugly decrepit toes but we missed this mess in its entirety. 

A lot of things just ain't adding up. Am I really supposed to believe that Jenny waited a whole month to call and tell her daughter what had happened? Am I supposed to believe the only phone call she made was to production - not her family, not the US Embassy, a lawyer  or even the damn police?

This is why I feel free to laugh at her elderly thot ass! The language she used and the way she was already displaying signs of sympathy and fear for Sumit tells me everything I need to know. Her 1st instinct was to try to protect Sumit from his family by pulling him into the bedroom at risk to her own safety. Sumit's mom gave her a look that stopped her dead in her tracks.

Jenny showed no sympathy for his wife or the in-laws. She did not immediately call her daughter. She did not run to the airport to get on the 1st thing smoking out of India. She didn't turn on the Bat signal. She called the production team! THE. PRODUCTION. TEAM. She was allegedly so scared, yet she stayed there. She only cried because she feared for what they would do to Summit, not for herself, his wife, only for him.

She after all this still does not know if she will leave Summit. Translation - her ass ain't going nowhere! She strikes me as one of those types that was oddly obsessed with those Twilight books. She thinks her old ass is Bella and Sumit is Edward. 

Some of these things are why I think Jenny knew he was married but production did not. Once they discovered that he was and that she knew, I think they could've just wrapped up and left. Her call to them could've been an attempt to get them back on her "good" side (if there's one thing TLC loves it's good drama and a fight). 

Also, the production staff always works with a local crew. The Sharp staff still produce and still work most of the cameras, but I've not heard of an instance yet that didn't include them hiring locals for some of the grunt work (at least). Point being that if Jenny called them in hysterics then they could've gotten someone over there to film right away-they didn't have to wait for the American team to fly in. 

I am not tied to any one theory right now. They all seem kinda plausible to me. 

Edited September 17, 2019 by mamadrama

[juicyfruit]

1 hour ago, Mothra said:

From Wikipedia:

The US has the "highest rate of maternal mortality in the industrialized world."

Giving birth in Libya or Estonia is safer than giving birth in the US, as is giving birth in Cyprus, Montenegro, or Croatia.  Safer than Lebanon (but just barely), more dangerous than Kazakhstan.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_maternal_mortality_ratio

These figures are from 2015, so there may be some changes, but I posted this to remind us Americans that we are not the end-all and be-all, especially not in medical care.  Although we do spend the most money per capita than any other country in the world.  Tiffany would do well to see if she can get into Finland for the birth of her baby.

As someone of Finnish ancestry, I don't think the people of Finland will mind if I speak on their behalf:  Please, for the love of God, NO!!!

[libgirl2]

2 hours ago, shockermolar said:

Never been but this show made me google the shit out of it, and lemme say it sure doesn't look like a place I'd want to live. In particular the public hospital sitch seems even worse then shown here. Found a paper written by a college student that did a semester abroad and worked at both private and public hospitals. Of note: at the public hospital he worked at every admit provide a urine sample. The "nurse" at the desk did a dip - without gloves - placed the strips directly on the counter and returned the glass cups to the patients. They dumped and rinsed out the cups and the next patient grabbed it to give a sample. The strips were pulled off the counter, results noted in the file and the counter was never cleaned or wiped. So....

I used to be a lab tech. That is appalling 

[libgirl2]

2 hours ago, Adeejay said:

I got the impression that Karine was happy that Paul's mom was coming too. When she told her that she was beautiful, Karine responded that she got all dolled up just for her. Pierre is such a beautiful, chubby baby.  I missed how much he weighed at birth. 

Aladin seemed happy.  I couldn't get over how much he wanted to show off old lady Laura (Nicole must be dying).  Can't help but wonder what's his end game. 

Maybe Aladin does love her? Weird.

[the-grey-lady]

Why does Tiffany keep ringing her hands and wailing about how she "just doesn't know" whether something will trigger Ronald's gambling addiction? She's married to an addict, and they never discussed what triggers his addiction? Seriously?

[Twopper]

5 hours ago, cinsays said:

So what is he getting out of this then? Has she been sending him money? 

I don't recall it being mentioned that she has been sending money, but now that you mention it,  I wonder.   She lived with her daughter, and we don't know if that arrangement came about so she could be a built-in babysitter for the grandchildren or if she fell on hard financial times and needed a soft place to land.   If she lived with the daughter for a long period, but was still working at her job, she may well have had money to send him.   I guess she paid for her first visit to India.  

[Mothra]

20 minutes ago, the-grey-lady said:

Why does Tiffany keep ringing her hands and wailing about how she "just doesn't know" whether something will trigger Ronald's gambling addiction? She's married to an addict, and they never discussed what triggers his addiction? Seriously?

And his "rehab" or "treatment" was at a place that relies on Jesus to help him remain on the strait and narrow; why haven't we seen any evidence of prayer or any interest at all on the part of either Ronald or Tiffany to follow the program he was supposed to have followed?

I am skeptical about the power of religious faith to keep an addict from his addiction, but if this is the help Ronald chose, I am surprised he seems to have utterly discarded it once he was away from the facility.

And another thing:  he is allegedly working at that facility--has he sought counseling or any kind of after-care?  Is Tiffany provided with any kind of ongoing support?  It does not seem so.

[mamadrama]

43 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

Maybe Aladin does love her? Weird.

As crazy as that sounds, he very well might. There seems to be genuine affection there on his part. And then compare his family's relations with Laura with Rebecca and Zied...Right now I buy his relationship and Paul's probably more than any of the others. 

[mamadrama]

3 hours ago, Mothra said:

From Wikipedia:

The US has the "highest rate of maternal mortality in the industrialized world."

Giving birth in Libya or Estonia is safer than giving birth in the US, as is giving birth in Cyprus, Montenegro, or Croatia.  Safer than Lebanon (but just barely), more dangerous than Kazakhstan.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_maternal_mortality_ratio

These figures are from 2015, so there may be some changes, but I posted this to remind us Americans that we are not the end-all and be-all, especially not in medical care.  Although we do spend the most money per capita than any other country in the world.  Tiffany would do well to see if she can get into Finland for the birth of her baby.

I've received prenatal care in several different countries and my best experience, by far, was in Croatia. There is no good reason why our maternity mortality rates are so low. There are some things that the US does better on the medical front, but there are also some things that we do a lot worse. (I still preferred to get my prenatal care in the US, though, simply because it is a system that I understand.) 

[MajorNelson]

3 hours ago, Mothra said:

Giving birth in Libya or Estonia is safer than giving birth in the US, as is giving birth in Cyprus, Montenegro, or Croatia.  Safer than Lebanon (but just barely), more dangerous than Kazakhstan.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_maternal_mortality_ratio

For USA, includes up to one year after the delivery so is not technically "giving birth".  Also 1/3 (in the USA #'s) die before delivery.

Not sure other countries count deaths the same way.

[iwasish]

Jenny, Jenny, Jenny.... even Scarlett O’Hara had the sense to go home to Tara to regroup.

[Honey]

9 hours ago, Mothra said:

I don't disagree, but in that case he should not have allowed himself to be pressured into attending the wedding.  Even if it's true--and we have no reason to doubt--that all Laura's romances end up in the shitter, I wonder if perhaps at least some of those failures could be based on Liam's lack of enthusiasm.

The way I see it is that Liam as an only child has a special hold on Mom, that their relationship is a little too egalitarian and not enough parent-son.  The fact that he feels that *all* her romantic relationships since his dad have been a big mistake makes me a little queasy.  (And since her relationship with his dad ended in divorce, that's not a great example of a successful relationship.)  Maybe they have, maybe they haven't, but I don't get the impression that Liam was pulling for any of them to be successful.

Reminds me of a little kid who forever dreams that his divorced parents will get back together.

Wait, didn't they say that she had 3 other kids, but they refused to be spoken of, or filmed?  I know I didn't dream that.

[DiamondGirl]

13 hours ago, nutella fitzgerald said:

Have we talked about Jenny enduring the horrifying ordeal of Mother Sumit...pointing a finger in her face?

That is horrifying.  Mother Sumit should have more respect for her elders!

[Persnickety1]

4 hours ago, the-grey-lady said:

Why does Tiffany keep ringing her hands and wailing about how she "just doesn't know" whether something will trigger Ronald's gambling addiction? She's married to an addict, and they never discussed what triggers his addiction? Seriously?

Because she's a fucking moron.  

Spoiler

In other news, Mini Persnickety found a picture of The Real Mrs. Sumbitch on the internet.  If that's a real picture of her, she is quite lovely...and looks like she could be Hangdog Jenny's granddaughter.  Has anyone else seen it?  I haven't checked out the Sumbitch/Hangdog couples thread yet.

Edited September 18, 2019 by Persnickety1

[Baltimore Betty]

10 hours ago, Twopper said:

I don't recall it being mentioned that she has been sending money, but now that you mention it,  I wonder.   She lived with her daughter, and we don't know if that arrangement came about so she could be a built-in babysitter for the grandchildren or if she fell on hard financial times and needed a soft place to land.   If she lived with the daughter for a long period, but was still working at her job, she may well have had money to send him.   I guess she paid for her first visit to India.  

If my mother asked me if she could move in with me so she could send money to some guy in India I would petition the courts to have her committed.

[Mothra]

9 hours ago, MajorNelson said:

For USA, includes up to one year after the delivery so is not technically "giving birth".  Also 1/3 (in the USA #'s) die before delivery.

Not sure other countries count deaths the same way.

I don't know either, but to rank last in any "good" list of industrialized nations can't be anything to be proud of.

[Twopper]

1 hour ago, Baltimore Betty said:

If my mother asked me if she could move in with me so she could send money to some guy in India I would petition the courts to have her committed.

True, I didn't mean to imply that the daughter knew that her mom was sending the money.  And I don't know that Jenny did.  I have several theories about this couple, and none of them make complete sense.   Or any sense, for that matter.

Edited September 18, 2019 by Twopper

[Twopper]

10 hours ago, MajorNelson said:

For USA, includes up to one year after the delivery so is not technically "giving birth".  Also 1/3 (in the USA #'s) die before delivery.

Not sure other countries count deaths the same way.

I have read that the statistics from the US are compiled differently from other countries;  I don't know why.

11 hours ago, the-grey-lady said:

Why does Tiffany keep ringing her hands and wailing about how she "just doesn't know" whether something will trigger Ronald's gambling addiction? She's married to an addict, and they never discussed what triggers his addiction? Seriously?

Because she is in lust?  Because she probably thought he would be "healed" from the addiction because of her love for him?   I do think she is scared he will do something that will have a bad effect on his relationship with Daniel,  and she has been stupid enough to get pregnant and married.   What is the old saying about doing something in haste and repenting in leisure?

[Gobi]

24 minutes ago, Twopper said:

I have read that the statistics from the US are compiled differently from other countries;  I don't know why.

Because she is in lust?  Because she probably thought he would be "healed" from the addiction because of her love for him?   I do think she is scared he will do something that will have a bad effect on his relationship with Daniel,  and she has been stupid enough to get pregnant and married.   What is the old saying about doing something in haste and repenting in leisure?

The saying is “Marry in haste, repent at leisure”, appropriately enough.

[Twopper]

5 minutes ago, Gobi said:

The saying is “Marry in haste, repent at leisure”, appropriately enough.

That is indeed appropriate.  I had not had caffeine when I was trying to recall the expression and didn't have the energy to google it. 

[PityFree]

22 hours ago, b2H said:

One of my colleagues on my project had to travel there for a week.  Yup, it is.

 Tyra Banks took a whole season of America’s Next Top Model there. It didn’t seem so bad then, but maybe she kept it to the really, rich places.

[PityFree]

15 hours ago, Adeejay said:

I got the impression that Karine was happy that Paul's mom was coming too. When she told her that she was beautiful, Karine responded that she got all dolled up just for her. Pierre is such a beautiful, chubby baby.  I missed how much he weighed at birth. 

Paul’s mom was simply thrilled with the little Pierre. And that is what is probably  going to convince her to sponsor them all to come back to the US.  She seemed sad when she mentioned that she would might not get to see the baby again for a very long time.

[Pepper Mostly]

10 minutes ago, PityFree said:

 Tyra Banks took a whole season of America’s Next Top Model there. It didn’t seem so bad then, but maybe she kept it to the really, rich places.

There are plenty of places that well off Americans go on vacation that are pretty rough and poor if you go a quarter mile from the luxury resort. Jamaica comes to mind.

[Jel]

My take on it is I think what we are seeing with Liam is the typical enmeshed behavior seen in co-dependent relationships. Like so many of them, Liam's mom is a love addict. Liam has seen her pattern with men before. He said as much on the show -- that he is the one who picks up the pieces when the whole thing falls apart. He sees the same pattern with Aladin, and I don't think he's wrong.  I do think Aladin is looking for a way to get to the US, and I do think he'll dump the lady once he can. 

I just started watching this show, so if some of the couples have really fallen in love and remain happily married after the visa expiration date, then I'm happy for them. But I'm very skeptical about all of it. Mostly it looks like opportunity meeting dysfunction to me.

I'm hoping for a 90 Day Fiancee/Intervention crossover one day. Because this shit is messed up.

[RealReality]

38 minutes ago, Jel said:

My take on it is I think what we are seeing with Liam is the typical enmeshed behavior seen in co-dependent relationships. Like so many of them, Liam's mom is a love addict. Liam has seen her pattern with men before. He said as much on the show -- that he is the one who picks up the pieces when the whole thing falls apart. He sees the same pattern with Aladin, and I don't think he's wrong.  I do think Aladin is looking for a way to get to the US, and I do think he'll dump the lady once he can. 

I just started watching this show, so if some of the couples have really fallen in love and remain happily married after the visa expiration date, then I'm happy for them. But I'm very skeptical about all of it. Mostly it looks like opportunity meeting dysfunction to me.

I'm hoping for a 90 Day Fiancee/Intervention crossover one day. Because this shit is messed up.

I agree.  There are couples who stay together, but the statistics from the show seem bad.  It works best where there are true feelings or at least complementary personalities.  

I remember Liam saying that his mother's relationships often ended when her temper flared and she flew off the handle.  I somehow got the impression that she may have become violent and her s/o, would take off. 

I think it's possible that someone is in a relationship with a gaslighting asshole and feels pushed to the brink.  But it's weird to me that Liam has characterized these relationship failures as being the men's fault because they were assholes and there isn't any blame laid at Laura's feet. 

We've seen Laura push and push aladin on the show.  And I think she does this hoping for a confrontation/fight so she can claim to be a victim.  

So.... ultimately I think that Liam may have a very skewed view of Laura's past relationships and boyfriend's because....like any kid....he believes his mother...... and Laura, I'm sure is always playing the role of victim.

[RealReality]

17 hours ago, heatherchandler said:

Like steal sell the baby for gambling money

FTFY

[Persnickety1]

14 minutes ago, RealReality said:

I agree.  There are couples who stay together, but the statistics from the show seem bad.  It works best where there are true feelings or at least complementary personalities.  

I remember Liam saying that his mother's relationships often ended when her temper flared and she flew off the handle.  I somehow got the impression that she may have become violent and her s/o, would take off. 

I think it's possible that someone is in a relationship with a gaslighting asshole and feels pushed to the brink.  But it's weird to me that Liam has characterized these relationship failures as being the men's fault because they were assholes and there isn't any blame laid at Laura's feet. 

We've seen Laura push and push aladin on the show.  And I think she does this hoping for a confrontation/fight so she can claim to be a victim.  

So.... ultimately I think that Liam may have a very skewed view of Laura's past relationships and boyfriend's because....like any kid....he believes his mother...... and Laura, I'm sure is always playing the role of victim.

Did we ever get an explanation of who "you know who" was during this episode?  Liam said it a couple of times and it appeared to be maybe Laura's most recent partner before Aladin, but it was all sorts of confusing since that person was never named or further details given.  

[MajorNelson]

3 hours ago, Mothra said:

I don't know either, but to rank last in any "good" list of industrialized nations can't be anything to be proud of.

Better than South Africa by far, and if using the WHO data actually the USA is right at the average for developed countries (as WHO counts them).

[Mu Shu]

17 hours ago, Adeejay said:

I got the impression that Karine was happy that Paul's mom was coming too. When she told her that she was beautiful, Karine responded that she got all dolled up just for her. Pierre is such a beautiful, chubby baby.  I missed how much he weighed at birth. 

Aladin seemed happy.  I couldn't get over how much he wanted to show off old lady Laura (Nicole must be dying).  Can't help but wonder what's his end game. 

I got the impression that Kreeny was nervous about how her MIL would receive her. When she did a check and little half twirl before going to meet her, she appeared happy and looked pretty. I actually think these two may work out. Mama Pole is going to ally with Kreeny to bring Pole up to snuff. I’m thinking that Pole has a lot of energy, and may do well on Adderall.  If they come to the US, Kreeny will be able to find at least housekeeping work to get started. 

[Mu Shu]

12 minutes ago, MajorNelson said:

Better than South Africa by far, and if using the WHO data actually the USA is right at the average for developed countries (as WHO counts them).

I don’t know why people think medical care is bad in the US. It is excellent. Numbers are skewed because our population is far greater than European countries. For example, the poorest state is Mississippi. MS skews the numbers, as does poor areas like Appalachia. In contrast, you will find excellent care in the Northeast, and most of the Upper Midwest and West. 

The South has worse outcomes due to a lot of generational poverty. The South skews our numbers. However, you will not find a hospital in MS as dirty as SA. You will not find a hospital anywhere in the US that demands bribes  for better care, slut shames single mothers, has women giving birth on filthy floors, slaps crying women, and abuses HIV positive mothers. 

South Africa needs to be held accountable for its poor treatment of its people, not excused. Being poor is no excuse for abusing patients, and protocols to reduce infections have been in place for decades. A lot of the funding money gets diverted into the pockets of greedy scumbags. Until SA stands up and demands better, this is what they will have. Statistics don’t lie, and comparing that hellhole to the US is ignorant. 

[FairyDusted]

Boy did Pole and Karenee make a beautiful baby. So dang cute. Looked just like Pole. ( I need to go wash out my mouth now for complementing him)

[libgirl2]

3 minutes ago, FairyDusted said:

Boy did Pole and Karenee make a beautiful baby. So dang cute. Looked just like Pole. ( I need to go wash out my mouth now for complementing him)

Paul isn't a bad looking guy, until you get to know him. 

[Persnickety1]

3 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

Paul isn't a bad looking guy, until you get to know him. 

Or see him run 😄  

[Jel]

Is Pole the dude who got so stressed out he had to hide in the shed? On tv?

[jnymph]

8 minutes ago, Jel said:

Is Pole the dude who got so stressed out he had to hide in the shed? On tv?

Yep.  That's him.   

I find it hard to watch the stray dogs and cats in this show.   : (   Makes me sad.  However, I did enjoy how charming Mama Pole and Karine were to each other.   

[Persnickety1]

14 minutes ago, jnymph said:

Yep.  That's him.   

I find it hard to watch the stray dogs and cats in this show.   : (   Makes me sad.  However, I did enjoy how charming Mama Pole and Karine were to each other.   

I'm somewhat impressed by the bit of English that Karine has picked up on and speaks pretty clearly.  

On the other hand, Pole apparently has learned not a single word of Portuguese.  

[HunterHunted]

2 hours ago, Jel said:

My take on it is I think what we are seeing with Liam is the typical enmeshed behavior seen in co-dependent relationships. Like so many of them, Liam's mom is a love addict. Liam has seen her pattern with men before. He said as much on the show -- that he is the one who picks up the pieces when the whole thing falls apart. He sees the same pattern with Aladin, and I don't think he's wrong.  I do think Aladin is looking for a way to get to the US, and I do think he'll dump the lady once he can. 

I thought Laura's retelling to Aladin of her argument with Liam was very interesting. Laura said that Liam wants Laura to never have love in her life and that Laura is too old. That is not what Liam said at all, but of course that's how Laura would interpret it. Laura is self-absorbed, immature, and has a fatally broken picker.

[Lady Iris]

19 minutes ago, Persnickety1 said:

On the other hand, Pole apparently has learned not a single word of Portuguese.

Ahem, beg to differ. He spoke/yelled/barked the word FALA pretty well.

[Spike]

2 hours ago, Persnickety1 said:

Did we ever get an explanation of who "you know who" was during this episode?  Liam said it a couple of times and it appeared to be maybe Laura's most recent partner before Aladin, but it was all sorts of confusing since that person was never named or further details given.  

She dated Voldemort?