I’ve always been baffled by the fact that Kody expected everyone to worship Robyn as the family queen, even any future wives that might be added to the family.
Remember Kody’s statement about the future wife would need to be an “absolute diamond” who would have to love Robyn as much as him?
She is an enigma to me. I’m almost through season 10 and I feel like I have a decent idea of who the other wives are as people, but not her. What does she believe? Does she even believe in anything? Her so-called pragmatism seems more like avoidant behavior to me. Like when she criticized Christine for wanting Kody to give more attention to their relationship (re: the rock tower debacle). Did she even understand why Christine felt sad? I think maybe no? I just don’t get the popular perception of her as “the strong one” or whatever. Maybe I’m missing something?
I just read an article that quoted Kody as saying the following: ""My children will always be my children and the door will always be open to them," ... "They've got to come through that door. I'm going to be holding a hand out for that, but I'm going to be holding this hand that's next to me, and I won't let go of that hand."
In what way is this any different from what their childhood was? He's saying his children have to come to him if they want a relationship, but they need to understand his primary loyalty will always be to Robyn. She will always be between them. This is exactly what destroyed his childrens' bond with him. He chose to make a life with another woman and replaced his family exclusively with hers.
It's like saying "Yeah, come around if you want, just keep in mind nothing here has changed." It's almost identical to how he shucked off their mothers, and it makes me wonder how much he wants it, or if his children are part of the "family" getting in the way of his "goals." If I was a child of his, I'd reject it as hopeless! It breaks my heart to know one of his daughters asked him "Dad, why don't you like me?"
Season 17 episode 2 Robyn defending how Kody spends his time is where you see her true colors. This is when Christine is leaving him and says he’s never there because he’s been around her and her kids 3 times during the day in over 800 days. You know Robyn’s lying because in other interviews she’s said different povs. The way Robyn says it’s not fair for her to ask Kody to help with the kids… meanwhile we know she makes Kody be home every night to tuck in her kids so he no longer sleeps at the wives houses. She’s so miserable and serious that it seems like she’s always telling the truth but if you are watching all the seasons back to back it’s sooooo obvious how much she lies.
The pod invited the couple from Notes to Self 444, who have inside knowledge into the AUB. A couple of the bigger takeaways from that discussion for me were:
- In polygamy, the wives always burnish the father’s relationship with his kids. He can treat them like crap and the mom’s job is to spin that into love. Not only is Kody’s expectation that the OG wives should repair his relationship with the kids more understandable, I can now see why he thinks he’s a great dad (these AUB dad’s sound like joyless hard asses)
- According to the daughter of the prophet of the AUB, Robyn and Christine know polygamy rules very well. Essentially, Robyn used the rules to her and her kids advantage. Also, Robyn knew it’s impossible for Kody to be a good dad to all kids, so she guaranteed it for her kids. I usually chalk Robyn up to being a manipulative moron but this is a new angle makes me think some of weird stuff she was saying about Christine and the divorce rules was actually shared doctrine in their religion
- Thank goodness the show lasted as long as it did. If it ended earlier it might have told a more positive story about polygamy. In the end the couple gives Christine her flowers for both leaving and the chain reaction it might create for the wider community
Definitely on the more intellectual end of the spectrum for SW content but can’t recommend it enough
I'm doing a rewatch, currently at s6e9, where the family is doing a panel discussion at UNLV. Their opponents are former polygamists with bad experiences, one of them being Christines aunt. In the episode, her aunt keeps saying things like "I wish I could kidnap Christine and tell her she doesn't have to do this". Christine at the same time desperately tries to avoid talking one on one with her aunt, describing being confronted with her and her opinions as "unsafe".
Wachting it now makes me wonder, did she avoid her aunt because deep down she knew she wanted out of this marriage? Was it too painful because it was true?
I’m currently watching season 18 right when Janelle is separated from Kody. It’s so infuriating to watch this show! I admit it is entertaining but I can’t stand Kody and his anger issues and Robyn always being the victim in every situation. I don’t get how Janelle is able to talk to him so calmly and still have feelings for him after the way he has treated her children.
Basically the family is on the brink of being destroyed (which ofc did happen eventually) and Kody is shouting in her face that’s because she didn’t respect his rules. God!! Does he realize everything is being filmed? He is basically changing his mind and twisting everyone’s words and accusing others of doing that. I get it he’s done with polygamy but how can he be so cruel to his children?? And how can Robyn sit there (sobbing) in a big house watching him play with their children well aware that his teenage daughter has to live in a cramped apartment and that his children go months without speaking to their father. These two are the most vile people ever but present themselves and innocent in every conflict that they cause. Do they think people are stupid? Like do they actually think the audience will watch it and believe in their words or be on their side?? ughhh just needed to vent…
People are very upset about Leon’s tiktok saying they want to share their story, but they also don’t want people to talk about them and they don’t want to visit with people in public. People are dragging Leon for this.
Before reading my take, I just want people to consider the facts. Leon was raised by Meri, who was hated by the other children. She was a control freak mother. The shrewdest of the group. Her mother later became enveloped in an embarrassing scandal that Leon had to witness unfold in the home. Leon heard the calls and tried to warn their mom. Leon was also raised by Kody, which is an issue in and of itself. Later, they transition and completely change their identity to match what they perceive is their true self. And later than that, their brother loses his life to depression and it’s all over the internet. All the while, they have viewers being parasocial and strange with them, crossing boundaries they didn’t want them to cross, sowing dissent in their family and being so exposed in the public eye during probably a lot of times of hardship and confusion.
With that, I truly don’t know what is wrong the idea of them claiming their own truth while also saying, I don’t want anything to do with talking to people or have people talk about me, especially after what they’ve been through. Everyone is coming at this from a sensationalist aspect. Leon seems to just want to clear the record without having to engage with the circles that will respond, and have responded in the past harmfully, probably affecting their mental health. I wouldn’t be surprised if commentary in and of itself has been traumatizing for them, all of them.
The day Garrison passed, you had people like Crystal Ball sharing terrible details. People read his final notes, went into detail about the manner of death, all the while they were mourning a terrible, tragic loss. And who is to say that his dissent into darkness wasn’t attributed to the very show itself.
I don’t blame Leon for having a deep hatred for the commentary community, which I would too, but also having a desire to tell the story as THEY want to tell it so they can stand in their own truth. I just wish I knew why that is so hard for people to understand and have empathy for. When I heard them say basically “don’t talk to me” and “talking about people is effing weird, get creative” I didn’t take offense. I heard pain in their voice. I saw the face of someone who’s clearly experienced a lot of hardship in their life.
Don’t drag me, but I just wish people gave them more grace and looked at the bigger picture.
This part is from Christine's POV. TLDR they were trying to court another girl before her. Now I might be wrong but weren't Kody and Meri in their 20s by this point..? I get that marrying young is super common in their faith but it still feels so weird to me that they were courting a literal teenager.
Kody’s feelings toward Meri were not because she had only 1 child, kody disliked Meri so she only had one child because they werent intimate often enough for her to have more.
case in point - Christine had lots of children yet he never truly respected, much less truly loved her, throughout their whole marriage.
What lies ahead for them once SW is over? Neither has a college degree nor any marketable skills that would translate to the workplace in 2026. It’s been decades since either of them worked, other than the world of reality television.
In younger days, Kody could get by on his boyish good looks and charm as a sign salesman. I forgot what Robyn did for a living prior to the show.
I don’t mean this to be a hateful post. Most people think next season will probably be the last for SW. What’s their next chapter?
First time watching the whole series (if I can make it). Already binged seasons 1-6. Now at the beginning of season 7, episode 1, and I had to stop and post here because it's the only place I can vent my profound despair.
I'm at the scene where Meri is telling Kody she wants to go back to school. She's talking about how much she loved her job working with at-risk youth, which she lost after they went public with the show. It hit me like a ton of bricks: this woman wanted to go back to school to have a career in a helping profession. She wanted to help people...
Imagine a world in which, after Kody and Robin tried to discourage her from following her dreams, she left--left them, left polygamy, left the limelight, and had a nice, normal life.
Imagine a world in which Meri made the world a better place instead of selling MLM crap online. I know I'm being ridiculous, but I'm truly moved. It's just so sad.
So I recently found out that Janelle’s children have podcast and one of Christine’s daughter has YouTube channel. How many spin-off from this show is there? Interesting way of earning income years after show aired. Wondering how long these gravy train will last.
Not a Meri fan, however, Tony and Mykelti happened quickly. I understand why Christine and Kody felt it was unexpected. I understand why Janelle was worried about Maddie's upcoming wedding. Meri seemed to actually care about Mykelti and her feelings.
I have binged 1000 lbs sisters, Baylen, Plathville and Sisterwives. Not a 90day fan. I need a new show to binge. Suggestions please.