Andrea Canning took the reigns once again for the final installment of this season’s Sister Wives Tell All. As one would expect, there was a lot of focus on Meri and Kody Brown’s flailing relationship as well as Mariah’s recent announcement. To be fair, it was one of the more honest tell alls from this crew, but is that really saying much? As always, the older Brown children (and Christine’s newfound euphoria) made the rest of the gang much more bearable.
Kody and Meri discuss the pitfalls in their relationship and how Meri had told Kody to quit coming around her house. However, she still wanted him to be available to help her with household chores (that wet bar isn’t going to stock itself!) and engage in small talk. Andrea questions whether Meri banished Kody with the hopes that he would fight for her, but Kody counters that for months she would tell Kody to leave when he’d come around. Andrea attempts to remind them both of why they fell in love in the first place. Meri found Kody to be handsome (of course, those locks!) and dynamic, and he loved how she looked at him with respect and adoration. Christine reminds Andrea that Kody’s main focus is the family, and sometimes it is hard for the wives when they desire their husband’s undivided attention.
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Meri and Kody admit that there have been issues in their marriage for close to a decade. When pressed as to how Kody would feel if Meri left, he says it would shatter the family…and his ego more than hurting him. Kody wishes they hadn’t filmed their issues for the world to judge. Meri recalls a time when Kody told her he wouldn’t rescue her from a burning bridge. However, now they are attempting (kinda, sorta) to work on their marriage, but Kody still isn’t at a place where he feels comfortable answering that question.
Meri is clearly crushed, Andrea gawks, and Robyn practically beats him over the head. Yes! Kody would save Meri from a burning bridge. Janelle concurs. He’s a good man. He’d save anyone. Why is it so hard to answer a question to which they all know the answer! Kody argues it’s too complex, but he concedes he’s a great fireman, so yeah, he’d probably make sure Meri made it safely off the bridge of fire. Sheesh. That was a lot, but I love seeing the women sticking up for one another.
We are reminded of Mariah’s conversation with her father where she expressed extreme anger and frustration about her mother’s catfishing fiasco. Kody admits he went into the discussion to defend Meri, but he left feeling that Mariah was swaying him to be upset with Meri. Janelle and the other women admit they felt the ripple effect of Meri and Kody’s negativity. While they were not privy to the depths of despair between Kody and Meri, they could tell something was very, very wrong with the pair. Christine credits Kody for going to see Mariah, citing he is always a parent first with his kids. Kody remains silent and pensive.
The topic turns to Mariah‘s announcement that she is gay. Kody eloquently (I promise I’m not drunk!) asserts that he doesn’t believe homosexuality is a choice or a bane against their religion, and he loves his children unconditionally and wants them to always feel safe. Robyn seconds his assertions about how proud she is of Mariah for finding her truth.
Andrea wonders what the Browns’ religion says about homosexuality, and Robyn is adamant that they don’t necessarily agree with what their religion teaches about homosexuality. Christine interrupts to say they try to lead with love. Meri reveals she felt like a bad mother for not seeing any signs that would clue her in to Mariah‘s sexuality. Further, she’s still reconciling the fairy tale she’d created for Mariah in her head with a prince charming and a house full of babies. Meri recognizes that Mariah can still have these things…just with a wife. She’s working on it.
Mariah’s relationship with her mother and her identity epiphany warrants Meri’s only child her own one-on-one with Andrea. Mariah tells Andrea that the appreciated the support of her other moms, and she is finally realizing that Meri’s catfishing wasn’t purposefully done to hurt her. While she doesn’t condone her mother’s actions, she felt she took it more personally than she should have.
Reflecting on her announcement, Mariah clarifies that she knew her parents were not going take issue with her news. Her parents never instilled in her that being gay was wrong, but she encountered it from other people in her church. When asked why she waited so long to come out to her family, Mariah explains that she was struggling to accept herself. She admits that she was always vocal about wanting sister wives in her own marriage to cover the feelings she was having. She laughs about going from wanting one unconventional marriage to another. I’m not the biggest Mariah fan, but she certainly seems a great deal happier and at peace than she has in past seasons.
The rest of the older Brown siblings join Mariah on the couches, and she and Logan joke about how she came out to him via a text message. He says he teared up because he was so excited for her. Garrison learned the news on his way to Maddie and Caleb’s wedding, and he seconds Logan’s assertion. Aspyn suspected the news and teased her sister about having a girlfriend, and Caleb and Maddie predicted the announcement three months prior to learning Mariah’s news. Andrea presses Maddie and Caleb about married life, and Madison gleefully shares that the couple is expecting their first child. While they were nervous at first, the family is over the moon about the first Brown grandchild. I’d take a Brown kids spin-off for sure!
Kody wants to clarify the burning bridge comment. It was a long time ago. The bridge isn’t burning. They can still cross the bridge to get to each other. When asked if everyone is past the catfishing incident, Meri is the first to answer that she is over it. The others concur, but hesitantly. They don’t think about it anymore, but it was certainly humiliating.
To finish up the tell-all, the Browns address some tabloid rumors. Guess what? Kody‘s not in debt to the tune of six figures. Robyn is not getting a spin-off, but if she did, she jokes she’d call it Sobbin’ Robyn. Who knew Robyn had a sense of humor? Andrea wants to know if he’s taking Robyn’s niece as his fifth wife. He finds the rumor offensive, and Robyn interjects that Kody isn’t Mindy’s type anyway. Kody and the family have no plans for a fifth wife, but Christine wishes Kody would just tell the world he’d rather focus his love and attention on his four beautiful wives. Kody counters that this isn’t a scripted show. Kody’s got jokes! The crew is thrilled about the first grand baby. Christine has clearly been passing out her happy pills!
TELL US – WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE SECOND HALF OF THE TELL ALL? WILL KODY AND MERI REPAIR THEIR RELATIONSHIP?
[Photo Credit: TLC]
