Sister Wives

[wenrob]

So, I kind of felt everyone in this episode.

Gabe- Ah, it’s not about Kody, it’s about Robyn. He thinks Kody is following her lead and not the other way around. It broke my heart when he said he wanted his family back.

Christine- I get why she’s angry with Kody but her resentment is making her reckless for that point and time. The way she talked about going over and hanging out with Janelle like they were doing it on the sly… well, that’s messed up if that’s the case. I say this putting myself back in that timeframe, barely five months out. If they were meeting up and not telling anybody and then letting Kody come over that’s taking away his choice of risk assessment. No matter what you think of him that’s just wrong IMO.

Poor Ari, Sol and Truly.

 

[sk!mom]

Ok, I’m not as caught up on this trainwreck as everyone else…more of a hit and miss viewer but I’ll weigh in anyway. It’s the internet way right? Give opinions on things you’re not really qualified to comment on

Is it possible that Robyn and Kody took quarantine super seriously as a way to have more time together without the others? And I don’t mean that it wasn’t serious and shouldn’t have been taken seriously but if these were Kody’s wives and children then I don’t think it was an option for him to stay away.

This is a bit from personal experience. DH and I have taken everything seriously. From mask wearing to quarantining to no 2020 holiday gatherings or travel until after being vaxed. For the majority of 2020 and in many instances we actually welcomed the excuse, an excuse that no one could argue with, as we skipped many things that had previously felt like an obligation. We’re in Texas where widespread shutdowns ended by mid summer 2020 and many people returned to life as normal while we stayed home except for work.

 

[mom2rtk]

So Kody really thinks the entire family should stay home and have their groceries delivered and keep a strict bubble. Kody seems to forget he has older kids. He only seems concerned with some of them, definitely not all of them. Does he expect Garrison to quit his job?

It's so much easier for Robyn when she has little kids she can confine to the home. Dayton is older, but I assume taking all his classes online, and maybe not as social.

And seriously Kody. He wants them all to stay home, but other people can take the risk and deliver their groceries for them?

I honestly don't know what the right answer is for them. Well, other than to not have been in a complicated plural marriage in the first place. Lots of traditional 2 spouse families had a very hard time navigating all of that. Throw in 5 spouses and all those kids at such wildly varying times of life and I suppose this is exactly what you get.

So Kody is upset that Christine has been "traveling". Like what, going to Disney? No, I suspect he means taking HIS daughter for surgery. Or helping HIS other daughter when HIS grandchild had surgery. Seriously, that's messed up. Maybe there was other travel I don't know about?

Watching them all out at the property and yelling at those kids was just painful.

And this is all about Kody's strict guidelines. Yet he's making s'mores for everyone, and there he was eating a marshmallow straight off the fork he's using for everyone. How does that work?

It's just sad watching Meri get so excited about Kody coming to see her. Things are even worse than I thought. And his comments about her needing to court him are just painful. She can't possibly have an ounce of self esteem left. But I'm not surprised. I felt back when the catfishing thing happened that he was never going to get over it. that it was such an affront to his manhood for her to even look elsewhere that he wasn't capable of getting over it. Especially since he had other wives to turn to.

Christine is more complicated. I still think it's insane to think that not long after moving 20 some people, they would just pull up stakes and move to Utah. That's pretty reckless IMO. Let those kids settle please. But I'm happy for her that she left. I hope the show last long enough that we can see footage during that time.

Robyn is shocked that Kody is giving up on the family culture. I'm not the least bit surprised. Kody can't handle the fact that his wives would dare to make a decision he didn't agree with. I'm sure that hasn't set well with him at all.

 

[wenrob]

So Kody really thinks the entire family should stay home and have their groceries delivered and keep a strict bubble. Kody seems to forget he has older kids. He only seems concerned with some of them, definitely not all of them. Does he expect Garrison to quit his job?

It's so much easier for Robyn when she has little kids she can confine to the home. Dayton is older, but I assume taking all his classes online, and maybe not as social.

And seriously Kody. He wants them all to stay home, but other people can take the risk and deliver their groceries for them?

I honestly don't know what the right answer is for them. Well, other than to not have been in a complicated plural marriage in the first place. Lots of traditional 2 spouse families had a very hard time navigating all of that. Throw in 5 spouses and all those kids at such wildly varying times of life and I suppose this is exactly what you get.

So Kody is upset that Christine has been "traveling". Like what, going to Disney? No, I suspect he means taking HIS daughter for surgery. Or helping HIS other daughter when HIS grandchild had surgery. Seriously, that's messed up. Maybe there was other travel I don't know about?

Watching them all out at the property and yelling at those kids was just painful.

And this is all about Kody's strict guidelines. Yet he's making s'mores for everyone, and there he was eating a marshmallow straight off the fork he's using for everyone. How does that work?

It's just sad watching Meri get so excited about Kody coming to see her. Things are even worse than I thought. And his comments about her needing to court him are just painful. She can't possibly have an ounce of self esteem left. But I'm not surprised. I felt back when the catfishing thing happened that he was never going to get over it. that it was such an affront to his manhood for her to even look elsewhere that he wasn't capable of getting over it. Especially since he had other wives to turn to.

Christine is more complicated. I still think it's insane to think that not long after moving 20 some people, they would just pull up stakes and move to Utah. That's pretty reckless IMO. Let those kids settle please. But I'm happy for her that she left. I hope the show last long enough that we can see footage during that time.

Robyn is shocked that Kody is giving up on the family culture. I'm not the least bit surprised. Kody can't handle the fact that his wives would dare to make a decision he didn't agree with. I'm sure that hasn't set well with him at all.

Last season, which was just a few weeks ago on the show Kody and Christine were arguing about her traveling. It felt like it was more than about those two instances.

I know it’s a tendency to make Kody the bad guy in all things and while it’s rightly deserved in most cases I just don’t think he’s too off base about the social distancing for *that time.* Maybe some places were starting to put their toes in the water with opening up but a good portion of the country was still behind closed doors, getting their groceries delivered and interacting with other people only if it was 100% necessary. His rules seem extreme now but they weren’t then. We could pull up dozens of threads here on the DIS about it. We’re watching what was playing out across the country play out within one family. All of that said, yeah, him roaming from fire pit to fire pit and eating off that fork was cringy.

Yeah, Meri was sad. I would have walked a long time ago.

 

[mom2rtk]

Last season, which was just a few weeks ago on the show Kody and Christine were arguing about her traveling. It felt like it was more than about those two instances.

I know it’s a tendency to make Kody the bad guy in all things and while it’s rightly deserved in most cases I just don’t think he’s too off base about the social distancing for *that time.* Maybe some places were starting to put their toes in the water with opening up but a good portion of the country was still behind closed doors, getting their groceries delivered and interacting with other people only if it was 100% necessary. His rules seem extreme now but they weren’t then. We could pull up dozens of threads here on the DIS about it. We’re watching what was playing out across the country play out within one family. All of that said, yeah, him roaming from fire pit to fire pit and eating off that fork was cringy.

Yeah, Meri was sad. I would have walked a long time ago.

I'm afraid a lot of this could venture too far into a Covid discussion and get the thread closed down. But let's just say that even last summer there was a wide range of how people were handling things. Most families settled on a set of guidelines and stuck with those (from within that wide range). What makes it so interesting here is that their chosen lifestyle of polygamy has complicated that so much greater than it was for the rest of us.

I'd be curious to hear more about Christine's "travel". If it was beyond visiting her kids, that would change my opinion of it. But I haven't heard any rumors of other travels.

 

[piglet1979]

I know it’s a tendency to make Kody the bad guy in all things and while it’s rightly deserved in most cases I just don’t think he’s too off base about the social distancing for *that time.* Maybe some places were starting to put their toes in the water with opening up but a good portion of the country was still behind closed doors, getting their groceries delivered and interacting with other people only if it was 100% necessary. His rules seem extreme now but they weren’t then. We could pull up dozens of threads here on the DIS about it. We’re watching what was playing out across the country play out within one family. All of that said, yeah, him roaming from fire pit to fire pit and eating off that fork was cringy.

I agree with this. We stayed locked down until April. Kids did school from home and neither played their sports. We didn't see family either except on zoom.

I feel for Christine and Ysabel. We were in a similar situation of having to make a choice to do surgery or not during the pandemic. DD wasn't able to walk without being in pain from her ankle. It is something she was born with but didn't know until a few years ago. We did the surgery in October 2020. It was hard and my anxiety was super high but I couldn't watch her in pain any longer. Cody is being such a jerk about it. I had to go by myself as only one parent was allowed to go but DH was at home waiting for us and took over so I could rest a bit. Cody could go for a short time. Be there for the surgery and right after and then come home and quarantine.

 

[wenrob]

I'm afraid a lot of this could venture too far into a Covid discussion and get the thread closed down. But let's just say that even last summer there was a wide range of how people were handling things. Most families settled on a set of guidelines and stuck with those (from within that wide range). What makes it so interesting here is that their chosen lifestyle of polygamy has complicated that so much greater than it was for the rest of us.

I'd be curious to hear more about Christine's "travel". If it was beyond visiting her kids, that would change my opinion of it. But I haven't heard any rumors of other travels.

I agree, I was kind of thinking the same thing. Honestly, the show is giving me a little PTSD on the subject.

I’d have to go back and find the episode (and TLC makes that nearly impossible without paying) but I remember a trip to Utah? I could be remembering that wrong but of all of them she has been the most cavalier.

 

[brockash]

Last season, which was just a few weeks ago on the show Kody and Christine were arguing about her traveling. It felt like it was more than about those two instances.

I know it’s a tendency to make Kody the bad guy in all things and while it’s rightly deserved in most cases I just don’t think he’s too off base about the social distancing for *that time.* Maybe some places were starting to put their toes in the water with opening up but a good portion of the country was still behind closed doors, getting their groceries delivered and interacting with other people only if it was 100% necessary. His rules seem extreme now but they weren’t then. We could pull up dozens of threads here on the DIS about it. We’re watching what was playing out across the country play out within one family. All of that said, yeah, him roaming from fire pit to fire pit and eating off that fork was cringy.

Yeah, Meri was sad. I would have walked a long time ago.

Again, I think you really have to understand that the country as a whole were on such extremes to Covid...yes some places might have been pretty locked down still in late summer/early fall of 2020...but MANY MANY places were open and some almost back full swing except with masks. It really just depended on where you were, the culture around you and your personal risk assessment and priorities. Was Flagstaff a closed up place at that point? I really have no idea, but I can tell you there were tons of places that were not. We're military and move often and have lots of friends and family throughout the country. The only ppl. we knew who were really still strongly limiting/alternatinh their lives were those in the NE. Family in CO were open, although not has much as we were in TN/KY (we were full time in person school, where they were part time) at the time and our friends/family in pretty much all of the south were basically fully open.

I don't recall Flagstaff being a hot place, though I admit I don't know anyone really well in Flagstaff, but if they weren't as a community locked down, then I think it's pretty understandable that some of the family wouldn't feel ot was an issue to travel or go about their lives.

I think this is something hard to understand when you live so differently...I know for my family it was...at times it was like we were living in different worlds with some locations still only mainly going outfor groceries and others in school, playing sports, going out etc.

The large nature of their family creates lots of different opinions/priorities etc. and depending on where they lived and the norms of their area at that time; either side could have been looked at as being "ridiculous" either by not hunkering down and staying closed off or by not going about their lives. Where I was it was the latter that for the most part was looked at as being extreme, but I know in PA where my dad lives or here in NY where I am now; it was the other way around. I think it's really hard to judge who was right/wrong as far as the Brown's approach to Covid. Too many ppl. with different opinions, thoughts, and priorities.

 

[cvjw]

So, everyone is supposed to stay 100% locked down and never leave the house so that Cody could travel between houses as normal? In janelle‘s household, the older boys were living normal life, so if Cody came over, he could catch covid and then take it into the households that were totally locked down. Just seems like such a bizarre plan. Inconvenience everyone so that Cody could live life like normal. Doesn’t seem very well thought out, but Cody doesn’t seem that smart. I would have been Christine - live life and try to give my kids a semblance of normalcy.

The last episode was in the fall of 2020. By then, my state was totally back to normal - just wearing masks in public. We had long since stopped totally locking down. Funny to see such panic at that stage of the pandemic.

 

[tink2424]

You know what is really frustrating is that this show is over a year behind when it was filmed to now when it is airing. Is there a reason they can't air the footage closer in time? So annoying.

 

[ronandannette]

I for one am very curious to know if any of them ever did contract it. With total cases (to date) at 1.27 million in the state, that’s about 1-in-5 people who did get it. Statistically, it would mean at least 3 cases in the Brown family. And I agree with @tink2424 that it's pretty frustrating watching so far past real-time. What we're seeing now, in light of knowing Christine has left is just, well, frustrating is the only word I've got.

https://pagesix.com/2021/11/27/sist...es-first-thanksgiving-after-kody-brown-split/
Cute baby - looks a lot like the son-in-law (I'm blanking on his name).

 

[wenrob]

Again, I think you really have to understand that the country as a whole were on such extremes to Covid...yes some places might have been pretty locked down still in late summer/early fall of 2020...but MANY MANY places were open and some almost back full swing except with masks. It really just depended on where you were, the culture around you and your personal risk assessment and priorities. Was Flagstaff a closed up place at that point? I really have no idea, but I can tell you there were tons of places that were not. We're military and move often and have lots of friends and family throughout the country. The only ppl. we knew who were really still strongly limiting/alternatinh their lives were those in the NE. Family in CO were open, although not has much as we were in TN/KY (we were full time in person school, where they were part time) at the time and our friends/family in pretty much all of the south were basically fully open.

I don't recall Flagstaff being a hot place, though I admit I don't know anyone really well in Flagstaff, but if they weren't as a community locked down, then I think it's pretty understandable that some of the family wouldn't feel ot was an issue to travel or go about their lives.

I think this is something hard to understand when you live so differently...I know for my family it was...at times it was like we were living in different worlds with some locations still only mainly going outfor groceries and others in school, playing sports, going out etc.

The large nature of their family creates lots of different opinions/priorities etc. and depending on where they lived and the norms of their area at that time; either side could have been looked at as being "ridiculous" either by not hunkering down and staying closed off or by not going about their lives. Where I was it was the latter that for the most part was looked at as being extreme, but I know in PA where my dad lives or here in NY where I am now; it was the other way around. I think it's really hard to judge who was right/wrong as far as the Brown's approach to Covid. Too many ppl. with different opinions, thoughts, and priorities.

Right. I did say depending on where you were. I’m just saying it’s not inconceivable that some were still super cautious.

So, everyone is supposed to stay 100% locked down and never leave the house so that Cody could travel between houses as normal? In janelle‘s household, the older boys were living normal life, so if Cody came over, he could catch covid and then take it into the households that were totally locked down. Just seems like such a bizarre plan. Inconvenience everyone so that Cody could live life like normal. Doesn’t seem very well thought out, but Cody doesn’t seem that smart. I would have been Christine - live life and try to give my kids a semblance of normalcy.

The last episode was in the fall of 2020. By then, my state was totally back to normal - just wearing masks in public. We had long since stopped totally locking down. Funny to see such panic at that stage of the pandemic.

Janelle mentioned it was August entering month five when she said it was too early to talk about Christmas. Lots of places/people were over it and lots were not. I can see both sides of it.

Anyway, don’t want to get the thread shut down although it’s kind of hard to talk about the show and not talk about what was happening at the time.

 

[happily single]

I for one am very curious to know if any of them ever did contract it. With total cases (to date) at 1.27 million in the state, that’s about 1-in-5 people who did get it. Statistically, it would mean at least 3 cases in the Brown family. And I agree with @tink2424 that it's pretty frustrating watching so far past real-time. What we're seeing now, in light of knowing Christine has left is just, well, frustrating is the only word I've got.

https://pagesix.com/2021/11/27/sist...es-first-thanksgiving-after-kody-brown-split/
Cute baby - looks a lot like the son-in-law (I'm blanking on his name).

Can I just say how much Christine and her mom look alike? Wow. And yes, she is a cute baby

 

[mom2rtk]

I for one am very curious to know if any of them ever did contract it. With total cases (to date) at 1.27 million in the state, that’s about 1-in-5 people who did get it. Statistically, it would mean at least 3 cases in the Brown family. And I agree with @tink2424 that it's pretty frustrating watching so far past real-time. What we're seeing now, in light of knowing Christine has left is just, well, frustrating is the only word I've got.

https://pagesix.com/2021/11/27/sist...es-first-thanksgiving-after-kody-brown-split/
Cute baby - looks a lot like the son-in-law (I'm blanking on his name).

I wondered as well. According to one site, as of November 2021 nobody in their family has contracted Covid to date.

https://www.intouchweekly.com/posts/did-any-of-the-sister-wives-stars-get-covid-19/

 

[lisaviolet]

Truly curious. Soloman's condition does not change any of your thoughts on what went on during that time period?

 

[cvjw]

Truly curious. Soloman's condition does not change any of your thoughts on what went on during that time period?

Seems like it should have changed Cody’s behavior. If you have a child with an underlying health condition that you are trying to protect, seems like you shouldn’t be going from house to house around your older kids who are in college, work outside the home, etc. He could easily pick up the virus from an older child and bring it home to Solomon.

 

[lisaviolet]

So, I kind of felt everyone in this episode.

This.

I thought it was an excellent episode. Which I know is a bizarre thing to say about reality tv, where some people are suffering. But I found all the different perspectives fascinating.

@wenrob I have said this before but Kody can just shock me with his sudden clarity, and well thought out clarity at that, often about people's inner workings. Ninety-five percent of the time he is a selfish yapper that has zero ability to know when to process internally for one second. And then suddenly he has these insanely bang on moments.

Thoughts -

*What the **** with the outside monitoring? This country was way more strict than most of yours but I was free as a bird outside. As even in that time period many scientists said there was zero evidence of outside transmission (no matter what the ultimate conclusion was/will be).

*Outside that all made zero sense in my eyes

*I am happy for Christine and irritated as hell by her too! She was gung ho about this move, was she not? Even in a traditional relationship that is irritating to have someone all over the map. In this type of family it has so many repercussions. Selfish. And Aspyn pretty well told her how exhausting her parents' inability to be settled in their wants and needs was to live through and watch.

*Garrison needed to work. Pointe Finale.

*I don't have quite as much clarity and compassion for Gabe. I do understand some of his points and thoughts/age. Feel for him in that area. But I am coloured by the fact that I see way too much Kody in that boy.

*But if this was truly about care for Soloman is that not clearly explained to them? And maybe someone can propose a workable solution. But then again I *thought* I heard Janelle say "I would not do well with this virus". So it is beyond Soloman in that household.

*Meri. Do not even know where to start. Turned my stomach to see how excited she was with Kody's whim of the day.

*But then again it would be nice for them and for everyone if they could at least salvage a friendship

* I don't know how she does it. But was intrigued and appreciative that she attempted to explain her perspective.

*that together time seemed wrecked by the yelling at the kids - I was surprised everyone was way more positive about it all, a la thoughts to the camera.

*@sk!mom I do think it is entirely possible that Robyn is/was using the pandemic to a certain extent - beyond Soloman. She seems completely closed off to thinking through alternatives and feeling for the other children/families.

 

[lisaviolet]

Seems like it should have changed Cody’s behavior. If you have a child with an underlying health condition that you are trying to protect, seems like you shouldn’t be going from house to house around your older kids who are in college, work outside the home, etc. He could easily pick up the virus from an older child and bring it home to Solomon.

Thank you. So curious about everyone's perspectives.

So many alternatives to their stance.

I spent so much of the episode thinking how it could be solved in a better manner. I do not get why all those brains can not do the same. But maybe they do, and it is not shared on camera.

 

[Southernmiss]

What's wrong with Solomon?

 

[bethbuchall]

What's wrong with Solomon?

I heard them say that he had RSV when he was younger. I don't know if it did any damage.