Sister Wives

[lisaviolet]

I burst out laughing when Christine and Janelle then said they just assumed Meri was visiting the entire time. What a ridiculous wasted opportunity.

So frustrating all around.

And even Kody agreed it was fine in his eyes.

 

[wenrob]

I'm sorry but I just can't dredge up any sympathy for that situation. None. Zero. Zilch. That was 100% self imposed. A little communication would have quickly solved that problem. I feel sorry for family that has been kept apart by circumstances beyond their control, but this was entirely within their control. Meri was living in a way that would have made it safe for her to visit regularly. The fact that someone didn't suggest an open conversation with everyone about it just makes my head explode.

I burst out laughing when Christine and Janelle then said they just assumed Meri was visiting the entire time. What a ridiculous wasted opportunity.

Was just reporting what was said. lisaviolet and I hashed that out and came to the same conclusion. They’ve stopped being a family and have stopped communicating.

Wow wenrob.

I have never forgotten these words, from an author who grew up in similar surroundings -

There was my mom. And then there was my father's wife. They were two very different people.

Was it that way with your mom and her brother? Or was your mother the same with you and him? (If that question is not too personal.)

No. I never had a real mother/daughter relationship with her. She left when I was two (my sister was a baby) and she never had that maternal instinct like she did with my brothers. She was quite hypocritical when it came to the church and tended to mold things to game the system. Like lying to get a temple recommend. There’s this “for the greater good” mentality that is pervasive and is what planted the seeds of doubt in me (a Sunday School lesson at 13) and led me to walk away. But in this she was all in. The male in any given situation is the authority. This is why his wives pushing back is making Kody nuts and has him ranting about “respect.” I’m going on 54 years old my uncles and much younger male cousins think they’re supposed to have some sway in my life. Ha! Hahahahahahahaha!

 

[lifesavacation]

Was just reporting what was said. lisaviolet and I hashed that out and came to the same conclusion. They’ve stopped being a family and have stopped communicating.

No. I never had a real mother/daughter relationship with her. She left when I was two (my sister was a baby) and she never had that maternal instinct like she did with my brothers. She was quite hypocritical when it came to the church and tended to mold things to game the system. Like lying to get a temple recommend. There’s this “for the greater good” mentality that is pervasive and is what planted the seeds of doubt in me (a Sunday School lesson at 13) and led me to walk away. But in this she was all in. The male in any given situation is the authority. This is why his wives pushing back is making Kody nuts and has him ranting about “respect.” I’m going on 54 years old my uncles and much younger male cousins think they’re supposed to have some sway in my life. Ha! Hahahahahahahaha!

At some point, everything changed. The way they all communicate with each other is so dysfunctional. I would love to see a live watch with therapist Nancy, I think that was her name.

 

[barkley]

At some point, everything changed

i think to a great extent it was when they 'fled' to las vegas. they were all in their separate and somewhat distant rentals for a decent period of time before the cul de sac homes were built. for christine esp. it had to be life altering-she was just shy of 22 when she married kody about 5 weeks after he proposed to her on THEIR FIRST DATE (granted they knew each other before). she went from her UBER polygamist parent's home to the brown home. i think the time alone in vegas and flagstaff exposed her to her own abilities and as she's watched esp. the young women of their extended family successfully go off on their own, be full partners in monogamous relationships...it's shaped her and changed her outlook. you look at the changes in her after the first wave of daughters left home and started doing things she likely never considered possible-it's been startling.

 

[Claudia1]

The lack of communication is a choice, IMHO. It didn't just happen because they no longer live within a stone's throw of each other. With today's technology, we all have the capability of instant contact. If they really cared about each other, they would be on each other's minds and make that call or text or PM, even with just a quick message to convey info or love. I thought it was very telling that Janelle was bubbly that she was having so much fun at her sister's for Thanksgiving that she forgot to call anyone else... and didn't seem to care. If were away from my family, I wouldn't forget to call them, even if I'm very busy. They would be on my mind. We probably all have deep relationships with people we rarely see but still maintain contact with them. I see this as more of a symptom of pain and distress. "If I don't talk to them, I won't get upset today" or "I'm going to close that door to protect myself" type of thing. Leading separate lives is a natural offshoot of that.

I know I'm restating the obvious but their lack of communication is sooooo much more than just the surface tension we are seeing. I know this is edited for TV but we are really seeing the truth this season. And they are teaching the kids how to accept dysfunction as normal.

 

[tink2424]

The lack of communication is a choice, IMHO. It didn't just happen because they no longer live within a stone's throw of each other. With today's technology, we all have the capability of instant contact. If they really cared about each other, they would be on each other's minds and make that call or text or PM, even with just a quick message to convey info or love. I thought it was very telling that Janelle was bubbly that she was having so much fun at her sister's for Thanksgiving that she forgot to call anyone else... and didn't seem to care. If were away from my family, I wouldn't forget to call them, even if I'm very busy. They would be on my mind. We probably all have deep relationships with people we rarely see but still maintain contact with them. I see this as more of a symptom of pain and distress. "If I don't talk to them, I won't get upset today" or "I'm going to close that door to protect myself" type of thing. Leading separate lives is a natural offshoot of that.

I know I'm restating the obvious but their lack of communication is sooooo much more than just the surface tension we are seeing. I know this is edited for TV but we are really seeing the truth this season. And they are teaching the kids how to accept dysfunction as normal.

I agree so much. I also think it has a lot to do with Kody. I saw something on reddit where it was early on in the series and he is talking to another polygamist man and that man said something along the lines of - if my wife is not happy I have to look inside to figure out what I'm not giving her. Kody was like "umm, no... I am not responsible for their happiness. They have to figure that out for themselves." (not verbatim)

With that type of attitude it is never his fault. So how could the relationships get better when he is never taking any responsibility for improving the relationships. Even with Meri doing what she did... Obviously he wasn't giving her something that led to her being vulnerable. He is going to lose them all if he doesn't wise up...

 

[sk!mom]

At some point, everything changed. The way they all communicate with each other is so dysfunctional. I would love to see a live watch with therapist Nancy, I think that was her name.

I think the change started when he brought Robyn in. There was jealousy and favoritism from the start. Then the move to Vegas which gave them all much more independence and absence from Kody. It’s been snowballing ever since.

Honestly though, have any of the first three wives ever seemed really happy?

 

[lisaviolet]

I’m going on 54 years old my uncles and much younger male cousins think they’re supposed to have some sway in my life. Ha! Hahahahahahahaha!

I did not want to press like on your post. Wow, that is something. Male cousins?!?! That almost did me in, just thinking about it. I can not imagine.
Thanks for answering wenrob.

If they really cared about each other, they would be on each other's minds and make that call or text or PM, even with just a quick message to convey info or love.

Yes.

They really do not care about each other. They all have moments of course, but nothing seems to stick. It is bizarre. And now that I think about it, it is what Kody has been lamenting about in his interviews - My wives don't like each other. Without taking any responsibility of course, for the dynamics at play.

Just the fact no one knew Meri was all alone for months, and Janelle and Christine had no clue yet they were seeing each other. Meri was not a Covid threat. Why no invite to her when she has no kids? Or they thought she would go right to Kody or Robyn with that information, I suppose. Who knows. Meri could have reached out as well. Not even enough of a phone call or text chain to realize she was at home all the time. So perplexing.

 

[wenrob]

I did not want to press like on your post. Wow, that is something. Male cousins?!?! That almost did me in, just thinking about it. I can not imagine.
Thanks for answering wenrob.




Yes.

They really do not care about each other. They all have moments of course, but nothing seems to stick. It is bizarre. And now that I think about it, it is what Kody has been lamenting about in his interviews - My wives don't like each other. Without taking any responsibility of course, for the dynamics at play.

Just the fact no one knew Meri was all alone for months, and Janelle and Christine had no clue yet they were seeing each other. Meri was not a Covid threat. Why no invite to her when she has no kids? Or they thought she would go right to Kody or Robyn with that information, I suppose. Who knows. Meri could have reached out as well. Not even enough of a phone call or text chain to realize she was at home all the time. So perplexing.

Heck, one of my cousins kids, like 15, admonished my sister for her language on FB. I *almost* felt sorry for him when she replied. But that’s the culture and they can’t seem to recognize we have chosen not to be a part of it.

Meri doesn’t reach out ever. It’s a huge flaw of hers.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

Kody just looks worse and worse every week. He wants to be the king of the family and have everyone strictly obey his every command. Yet he does nothing to earn their respect. And the wives (especially Christine and Janelle) are not the type of people who will blindly follow. They are strong-willed and have opinions of their own. Kody should respect them for that! They are basically raising their kids (and his!) without a full-time father. He should be grateful that they have the brains and the intestinal fortitude to basically lead their own families. He is responsible for the current family structure - everyone spread all over town in their own homes. Why would the wives even think twice about putting their kids needs above Kody's? The kids are the center of their worlds. They live with them day-to-day, ensuring their needs are met. Kody's just a guy who comes over once a week for dinner.

I also don't agree with his statement that "my wives don't like each other." Yes, they've had their difficulties, as in any relationship. But Christine and Janelle have been hanging out together during the pandemic. They both went to Utah for Thanksgiving, although they didn't spend the actual holiday together. I suspect that without Covid, they would have made an effort to get their families together. Meri and Robyn have been friends since the beginning. Years ago, Robyn offered to act as a surrogate so Meri could have another child with Kody. I think the wives were closer when they lived on the cul-de-sac in Vegas. If they've drifted apart in Flagstaff, it's all Kody's doing. He seriously needs to take a huge step back and take a hard look at the big picture that he, himself, has created.

 

[happily single]

Spoiler Alert: I saw this on People Magazine re next week's episode:
"COVID has sort of pulled this blanket off of some of our issues," Robyn, 43, says as Janelle replies, "I actually think so too."
Janelle then confesses to Robyn that because of the continued division amongst the family, she has begun reconsidering what's best for herself going forward — that includes rethinking her relationship with her longtime husband, Kody Brown.

 

[bethbuchall]

Spoiler Alert: I saw this on People Magazine re next week's episode:
"COVID has sort of pulled this blanket off of some of our issues," Robyn, 43, says as Janelle replies, "I actually think so too."
Janelle then confesses to Robyn that because of the continued division amongst the family, she has begun reconsidering what's best for herself going forward — that includes rethinking her relationship with her longtime husband, Kody Brown.

It would take some serious counseling to get me back on my husband’s side if he treated our kids the way Kody is treating theirs.

Robyn cries at this revelation, I’m sure. And Janelle will decide that she wants to stay, but Kody will never look at her the same way again now that she’s been “disloyal.”

 

[mom2rtk]

but Kody will never look at her the same way again now that she’s been “disloyal.”

Agreed100%

 

[Claudia1]

Just curious… where is the interview room? Everyone uses it and there appears to be a camera person with them. If everyone uses it, does it get Covid-sanitized between tapings? With Kody’s strict guidelines, how can they all be in and out of the same space?

 

[happily single]

Not sure if this was posted, but I read that The Nanny is the one was contracted Covid first, bringing it to Sobbing Robins house. Did I miss last nights episode?

 

[bethbuchall]

Not sure if this was posted, but I read that The Nanny is the one was contracted Covid first, bringing it to Sobbing Robins house. Did I miss last nights episode?

It was on the preview for next week, I think. My dvr cut it off in the middle of Robyn saying that the nanny and her husband tested positive.

 

[ronandannette]

It was on the preview for next week, I think. My dvr cut it off in the middle of Robyn saying that the nanny and her husband tested positive.

How ironic. I’d still love somebody to openly question why a nanny was necessary, especially in light of the talk last night about how Christine happily and successfully “raised” seven kids at once. And at the age of 5, wouldn’t you think a child being raised in a polygamist family would have been schooled on why Dad goes away every two days?

 

[bethbuchall]

How ironic. I’d still love somebody to openly question why a nanny was necessary, especially in light of the talk last night about how Christine happily and successfully “raised” seven kids at once. And at the age of 5, wouldn’t you think a child being raised in a polygamist family would have been schooled on why Dad goes away every two days?

When Robyn joined the family, the rotation should have been once every four days. So, she should have known and prepared her kids for that. This shows that Kody really does spend more time at her house than the others. I taught preschool and there were 3 and 4 year olds who had deployed parents or parents who needed to be gone for days-weeks at a time as truck drivers. All of those kids loved when the parent was home but also knew how to live without the parents home when needed. There were times they were sad that the parents had to leave, but they also knew how it worked and didn’t have any major behavioral changes. The parents worked with them.

 

[Kellykins1218]

I think it's hilarious that they believe that someone who works for them would actually adhere to THEIR rules in their own home.

 

[Kellykins1218]

I love watching Kody in the interviews. You can hear and see how he is just seething. Does he really think people can't tell?