All language subtitles for Sister.Wives.S18E01.1080p.WEB.h264-EDITH[eztv.re]_track3_eng

[narrator] Previously on
Sister Wives...

You and I have intimacy.

I'm sorry it's conditional
based upon being part
of a plural family.

[Christine] I feel like,
to Kody, Robyn is more
important.

I think he
has a favorite wife.

And that's
why all of this is
like it is.

You want to be with me,
but you're not courting me
to that relationship.

I didn't know I was
supposed to court you.

I'm not suggesting
that Meri chase me.

In fact, that
could be off-putting.

She's not making
any effort.

I have somebody in my life
who is fundamentally
loyal to me,

who sees me as
the head of the family.

I'm saying to you
that you and I get that
if you're loyal to me.

I just can't believe
what he's saying.

You and I have
been acting like we weren't
a married couple

for most of our
marriage, Janelle.

Okay, I'm spitting mad now.

You guys,
thank you for coming.

Hey, it means
a lot to me that
you came.

[sobbing]

It's just devastating.

[Kody]
I'm sorry I'm angry.

-I just... I just survived
a really, really, dark place.
-I understand that.

You don't give
a [bleep] though.

-Look at you,
dismissing it.
-Okay.

-[Kody] Would you ever have
any empathy for me?
-[Robyn] Please don't leave.

-[Kody] When you're in pain,
I try to understand you.
-Can we just keep talking?

Kody. Can we please
keep talking, Janelle?
Please?

Janelle, this is a really
bad idea for you to walk off
on this one.

[voice shaking]
Well, all you're doing
is yelling at me.

[Kody] Well,
the state of the family is...
strained.

I mean, like,
it almost feels like
a civil war.

I-
I don't even know how
to describe it.

[sighs]

Christine moved
me out of her house
a year ago.

And she said
we were divorced.

And basically,
that's been months now.

Meri and I have
infrequent interactions.

We talk about
what's going on,

having functioned in a
marriage-like relationship for
about seven or eight years.

It's been a long time.

Things with Janelle and I
are pretty strained.

It's like,
I can't figure this out

because I'm so upset.

The holidays are coming up.
I don't know what we're going
to do for the holidays.

The family is not talking.

Today I am getting
the trailer ready to haul off
to winter storage.

Clean it out,
roll in the slides,
hook it up

to the truck and take it
down south to store
for the winter.

You know, when we first
all moved to Flagstaff three
and a half years ago,

we bought this
piece of property with
the intention

that we would all
build houses here.

And since then,
Robyn has bought
a house,

and I've been holding out,
waiting for this dream on this
property, this house.

So, now I've decided
to rent an apartment in town
for the winter.

But I am kind of sad.
I feel like I've somehow
failed a little bit.

[Kody] When our
family first moved
to Flagstaff,

our full intention was
to build on our property
that we had bought.

Robyn got a rental,
Janelle got a rental,
Meri found a rental.

A year later,
Robyn's rental sold out
from under her.

We couldn't find a rental,
so we ended up having
to buy a house.

Two years later,
Janelle should've
bought a house.

[Robyn] I did not want
to buy a house.

All I wanted was
to get out on that property.

Okay, let's see...
what we need to here.

Hang on.
Hey, there's some stuff
I got to trade out,

so it goes to storage
with the RV.

Oh, so that it goes
to the storage?

-In the back
of the storage trailer,
-Mmm-hmm.

there's the septic hose.

-Okay, yeah, we got
to throw some stuff in, right?
-And... Yeah.

Kody and I, since COVID,
have really been struggling
in our relationship.

Everything really
started to fall apart

with the beginning
of COVID and the quarantine.

Kody didn't feel like my boys
were being very safe.
He didn't trust them.

He thought they were going
to contaminate us all.

So, I mean, at one point,
Garrison, who was
very frustrated

with how he felt
like I was being neglected
called Robyn

and said, "Hey, can we
have our dad back? Because
he hasn't been around."

Kody feels like Robyn's been
severely wronged,

and that my children
need to apologize.

I never asked
for an apology. I don't
want an apology.

I want to be
able to be okay with
these boys,

and that was never
my intention.

[Janelle] And now
with some prompting
from Robyn,

he's come around
to where there has
to be a conversation.

But, yeah, I still
see no movement on his part
towards reconciliation.

-Where are you going
for Christmas?
-Here, here.

-Okay.
-But my kids, they're
renting an Airbnb.

Because I don't
think they're welcome.
Right?

-Well--
-I never said my kids
weren't welcome.

-If they apologize,
and they're kind of like--
-No, no, no.

All I want to do
is talk to 'em.

[Kody] Well, Janelle's
going to back east.

See Madi and Caleb
for Thanksgiving.

Okay, all right.
I get it a little bit.

But I am still sore.
I am tender, emotionally,
from a divorce.

This would be the time
that I would wish that
my wife would

look me in
the eyes and say,
"I support you."

Sure,
I've been an ogre.

But I love you
and I support you.

I understand what
you're going through.

She's not doing
any of that.

She's literally
telling me she doesn't
like me,

she'd prefer
other things, she even
prefers my ex-wife.

After Christmas,
Christine said that

Ysabel and everybody
are coming home,

and they want
to come see the
family here.

Oh, man. This is exactly
what I was afraid of

with Christine leaving.

Kody, it just was
working out that we had
a vacation rental,

so we extended it
so Julie and Ysabel
can see you,

But you're talking
about everybody going to
some neutral zone.

This is my house.

Welcome
to my house in Utah.
[chuckles softly]

I'm really so excited.

So excited.

Like, I left Flagstaff
two months ago.

Yeah, it feels like
I'm ripping things apart.

I thought that it
would just be a little
bit easier.

But it's an end of a book.
It's an end of a saga.
I don't know.

And so,
everything just feels a
little unsettling.

[Kody] Christine's gone.
And Janelle doing stuff
with Christine...

She's not doing
stuff with the rest of us.
Or even me.

[exhales]

So, I don't know
what to make of this.

[Robyn] It's tense
in the family across
the board.

It's tense for
a couple of different
reasons.

There's Christine leaving.
and her divorcing Kody,

it's... there's
a lot of tension
going on.

Now they're talking
about doing Christmas
separate.

It's just this
whole new like, worrying,
heartbreaking stress

about whether or not
we'll not be together
for Christmas.

But it's still like,
horrible to sit and
think about.

It's like... It's scaring me
and stressing me out a lot.

-I'm letting it out.
-I need someone
to do my...

[Robyn] From the minute
I met the family, we've been
doing holidays together.

Every single
holiday together.

And this is
just such a weird
experience to go,

"Who's going
to be together for
the holidays?"

It just seems so,
ugh, screwed up,
and I hate it.

What's up?

[Janelle] Okay,
I just need to move all
this stuff out here.

-Like, all at once?
-[Janelle] No. Well,
I don't know.

Just put it in
the backseat.

[Kody] You know,
everybody made choices.

Christine chose to leave.

Janelle's choosing her
as somebody that she wants
to be close to

rather than
Meri and Robyn.
Or even me.

People make choices.
We made choices all
the way along.

So, it frustrates me
if anybody in this family

starts acting like
they're a victim.

Uh, Jenelle.
Uh, go ahead and start
pulling it in.

I'm going to watch it.

[whirring]

Yeah, it's going great.
Just keep going.

-Oh, sorry. Keep going.
-[Janelle] You scared me.

You scared me.
Sorry, I heard your voice.

It'll be more of
a yell than that if it's
not going good.

[Janelle] You know,
I think that this trailer
thing has been

even more strain on
Kody and I's relationship,
to be fair.

I didn't anticipate it.
I thought we'd have this
grand adventure,

didn't anticipate
it would be so hard.

[whirring]

-[whirring stops]
-Good.

And when it
wasn't all easy and it
wasn't comfortable,

and it was hard,
I think Kody really got
disillusioned very fast.

And it was very
easy for him to blame
me for this.

Okay, I'm going
to close this trailer.

And then, uh,
we can hook up
and leave.

As soon as the
dang land is paid off,

I can break ground.

So, I'll come back
out next spring 'cause
we have one year

until the property has
to be paid off.

You know, when we
brought this property,
the seller carried the note.

He carried the loan.

And as any other bank,
he has the right to foreclose
if we default on the loan.

So, the clock is
really ticking.

We could lose it all
if we default.

I really, really
would like to have an
amiable divorce.

-How's it going?
-How are you?

-Oh, here's... I didn't...
-Oh.

-Nice to see you.
-[laughs] Hi.

I'm not feeling
like I'm in a great place.

It was late up with covid.
I was out of my mind.

-But when I talk about
getting anxiety, Christine,
-Sorry, I'm sorry. [laughs]

-the depression--
-I know, and I'm sorry to even
laugh a little bit.

But Gwendolyn
was like--

-You didn't mean
it that way. It's okay.
-Yeah. I...

I'm back in Flagstaff again,
just visiting with family,
Janelle, her kids.

[knocking at door]

Come in.

-Hey, Janelle. [gasps]
-[Janelle] Oh, hey.

I know.
So, I got the bookshelf that
we walked about.

For right here?

-Oh, my gosh.
-[Janelle] Yes, 'cause I'm
struggling, like with

-all the... where
to put everything.
-[Christine] That's beautiful.

-That's perfect.
-So, okay.

-[Janelle] Cool.
-Yeah, let's do it.

[Janelle]
Let's put it. If you want to
help me, 'cause I'm

-sort of intimidated
about putting it together.
-Please.

This is my favorite
thing to do.

I'm visiting Janelle
in her apartment today.

This is the first time
that I get to see it.

And she asked if
I would come over and help her
build the shelf. [laughs]

Here.

Oh, there.

-'Cause my steak knives,
really, actually are just...
-Oh, no.

-And Paedon's like, "Make sure
you don't use those knives
-[Savanah chuckles]

to cut carboard."
I'm like, "Oh, my gosh."

-I'm definitely
using this knives.
-I need him to...

-Oh, my word.
That looks intimidating.
-No it's not. It's fine.

Yeah, I still consider
Janelle my sister wife.
It's super weird, I think.

But it's just
that we're not really
just friends.

Christine and I,
especially when she first
came into the family,

I just did not get her.

I thought she
was a princess.
I did.

And she
thought I was bossy.
[chuckles]

[Christine]
When I married Kody,

I didn't really even know
Janelle that much.

Like, at first,
I thought we were okay.

So, Christine and I
have joked, "Are we still
sister wives?"

We both say yes,
even though it's
not really

the traditional sense
of the word.

This is also
the back of the...

-Is that what this...
That's what this is, too.
-Hmm.

-Oh, weird...
-Now, it's a hat.

-Oh, honey. So cute.
-[Savanah laughs]

It's so weird
to consider the whole
sister wife word.

But then I had to think
about all the other people in
the world that tell me,

"Hey, I consider my
best friend my sister wife."
And I'm like,

"Heck. If they
consider their best friend
their sister wife,

I can consider
Janelle my sister wife."

Do you like it
better than your fifth wheel?
The apartment?

[Janelle] Well, yes,
It's definitely simpler.

See, I thought we would
be some much further along
in the building process,

but that's just taking
a long time.

'Cause of the building,
how's it going? You're still
going to...

[Janelle] No,
I have my plans.

-For your house?
-[Janelle] Yeah.

I mean, I will say,
if anything has come out
of this crazy summer

where I made a gamble,
it wasn't awesome,

like,
I have a plan.

-Can you reach them
with your long arms?
-[Christine] Yeah.

[Janelle] I know what
the property looks like.

I have at least a
freaking driveway out of this
whole thing. [laughs]

-Okay,
I want to see.
-Okay.

Oh, my gosh.
I so excited for you.
Are you excited?

-Yes.
-When do you think
you're going

-to break ground
and stuff? Any ideas?
-Uh...

-Spring probably.
-No. Really?

Yeah, and then it takes about,
for these little houses,
like, six months.

-Six to nine months.
-[gasps]

[Christine] I think if Janelle
wants to build, then she
should definitely build.

The thing is I know
they haven't paid off
the property.

[Kody] I don't think we're
going to be building on this
property by spring.

Coming up with money
to pay off Coyote Pass,

very difficult.

Coming up with
a downpayment on a house:
not hard.

We could've done that.
But Janelle was refusing
to do that.

So, it's just small.
Just 1200 square feet.

-'Cause that's
what we can do.
-1200?

-That's what we can
do with the county.
-It's a casita.

-Oh, so this is a casita.
-And then eventually, like...

Yeah, and then
we'll stay in it

while she goes
to school or whatever,
once we build.

-Yeah.
-Perfect.

You know, I think the
biggest problem in forward
movement is just this

argument that
the family has whether
we have

the ability to pay off
the property or not.

See, Kody's like, "We don't
have the money." I'm like,
"We have the money.

We're in the same situation
we were in when we gave
Christine the money

for her house, and definitely
when we gave Robyn the money
for her house.

I just feel like nobody's
watching out for me.
Nobody's prioritizing me.

It's not a
five-alarm fire."

I feel like I'm just
watching, but I can be your
beautiful assistant.

You are going
to be my beautiful
assistant.

That's a joke,
Savanah, we always make
about your dad.

He always needs
a beautiful assistant when
he does something.

Right? It's true.

When Dad is working
on something,

he's always like,
"No, no, no, no.
Let me do it."

And he's always like,
frustrated when you don't
do it the way he wants you.

And eventually, you just
become like, "Can you bring
me this tool?"

Or, "Can you
hold the flashlight?""

And it's just
like you don't even
really do much

-except
criticize what he does.
-[all laughing]

So you need a hammer,

-and a flathead
screwdriver and a Philips.
-[Savanah] Uh-oh.

Usually, when I was
Kody's beautiful assistant,

I would just...
you know, it was great.
It was a lot of fun.

I loved doing
stuff like that.

I loved seeing
how things work and how
to fix things. I love it.

So, I would never mind.

But if he got
too intense, I'd just start
messing with him.

I'd be like, "I don't
think it's supposed
to be like that."

And he would
get really frustrated.
[laughing]

No, I wouldn't
do it on purpose,
totally.

If things got too intense,
they just needed to come
down a little bit.

That is my job,
as a beautiful assistant,
to calm him down.

So, holidays.

Kody's still feeling
like the boys

need to have
a conversation with him
or whatever.

So, we're separate.

So you're not going
to go over to Robyn's house
for Christmas?

No. Kody feels
like they owe him
a big apology

and some sort of
conversation and stuff

-for being
disrespectful and--
-Have they been disrespectful?

I think it
was a disagreement.

[Kody] The whole
reason I'm in this place
with the boys

is 'cause I don't
want to have a holiday
experience

where we haven't
already cleared the air.

Or something
political comes up.

Or something about COVID,
or my own experience with it,
or anything comes up,

and we end up
devolving into an
angry conversation.

That's a stupidity that
I'm not going to bring into
my house for holidays.

I mean, I always said,
I'd pick my kids before Kody.
And that sounds like

-is that what--
-[Janelle] What am I
going to do?

Go over to Robyn's house
and hangout?

Savanah, you go to Robyn's
house and hangout with Robyn's
kids and Meri and Kody?

They're not going
to do Christmas together.

Janelle's
going to do Christmas
with her kids.

Because Kody has
to have a conversation
with his sons?

[sighs] The whole
thing frankly makes
me nauseous.

Is me leaving Kody
causing any problems?

Like, he told me, like,
you're breaking up the family
and it's your fault

-that we're splitting. You...
-[Savanah] Whoa!

-[Christine] Is it?
-No, I don't think so.
He's angry.

[Christine] I think he's just
angry at her, right?

He's really angry and
he admits that

-that he's really angry.
-Okay

Kody told me
I was breaking up
the family.

Like, it's my fault
that the family is
breaking up.

Dude.

If my relationship
with my sister wives
is up to me,

and it's my fault
that I have a bad relationship
with my sister wives,

why isn't it your fault
if you have a bad relationship
with your children?

Do I worry that we will
be able to turn this around?
Absolutely.

-Oh, really? It's that bad?
-I am worried just because
Kody is in such a place

where he just is like,
"I'm just tired of doing
all the work

to hold the family
together."

And I feel like,
as a husband in a
plural family,

that's kind of
your responsibility.

When a wife, like Janelle,
undermines your rules

she undermines
my ability to actually
lead in the family.

I could be a great
leader in the family,

and I should be in spite
of their undermining.

But I don't
have the exposure
to the children

that the mothers have
in this family.

So, having the
mothers support me would
be the thing to do.

Like, you can't be
a husband in a plural family
and just be like,

-"Well, I don't want
to do any more work."
-No, you cant.

"I want you guys
to all get together so it's
easy for me."

-I'm sorry, that's
not how it works.
-[Christine] It doesn't work.

[Janelle] I mean, look,
Kody and I have been through
some tough spots,

and we've always
come out of them.

But I can't really
be in a full relationship
with him

if he's going
to be estranged from
my children.

I just...

It just seems really wrong.

Well, you got the pegs.
And so, if you look in the...

In the things, it has like,
a number four is there.

I mean, look, a big part
of my relationship with Kody
has been the fact

that he was such
an engaged father. He was
such a good dad.

And now he doesn't
want to be that anymore.

So, I don't even know
who that guy is.

Who is that guy?

I'm trying really
hard not to feel like it's
the end of our world.

And like,
it's just hopeless.
Completely hopeless.

This whole thing
with Kody and Christine
has just floored me.

And I know that...
I know that [sighs]
that there was,

like, issues and
stuff like that. But every
marriage has issues.

Was there stuff
that I didn't know about?

Hey, I saw you
pull up.

-Hi.
-Hi.

How's it going?

-Hey, Meri.
-It's cold, Robyn.

I think I remember
Kody giving you some coats
for Christmas.

-Where are they? [laughs]
-Yeah, yeah.

-Well, they're at home.
-Do you want me to go
get you another...

-They're at home
in my closet.
-...blanket?

-No, I forgot to bring it.
-Do you want me to get you
another blanket?

-It's possible this might not
keep me warm enough.
-[laughs]

-I'll go get you one.
-It's that time of year
that it's like

-coming out of fall and I
forget that it's cold outside.
-[laughing]

So mine and Kody's
relationship is basically

we see each other
when I come over to
Robyn's house.

I've heard him refer
to us as friends, which is
kind of weird for me.

Because I think friends
talk to each other

more than Kody and I
talk to each other.

-It's Kody's.
-Aw, it'll be kind of like
Kody's giving me hug.

[both laughing]

-I can like, squeeze you
and put it on you.
-That's... Do that.

-You can just
close your eyes.
-Do that.

-[laughing]
-It probably won't...
[chuckles]

I'll just pretend.
Thank you.

-Well, thank you.
-You're welcome, honey.

-Okay, okay.
-[both laughing]

There was a time
when he would give me
his coat to wear.

He would be
all chivalrous when
it was cold.

And now Robyn's
being all chivalrous
for me, for him.

Ah, it's a very nice coat.
Maybe it will go missing.

So, not too long ago,

Kody and Jenelle
and Robyn and I all
got together,

and we had
a discussion about
the holidays,

and who's going to
be around, and what's going
to happen with that.

The last I knew
is that the boys
couldn't come

until they showed
respect and apologized.

-And this is the year--
-Please do no communicate
to my children for me.

Because you
and I struggle enough
to communicate.

-I'm afraid that
message will get mixed.
-What was I supposed to say?

"Call Dad."

Yeah, that conversation
was very emotional.

Okay. Am I the only one
that sees this as some
kind of betrayal?

It's just a big mess.
And so, I just want to

And so, I just wanna
talk to Meri about, like,

what she wants to do
for the holidays.

She's the only one
that's interested,

in, uh, spending it together.

Please go on.

Just trying to again wrap
my brain around, uh,

-kind of some of the last
few conversations, but...
-[Meri] Mmm-hmm.

...you know, just...

you know, no matter
what's going on
with the parents,

I gotta make sure
my kids have
a good Thanksgiving, so...

I mean, are you gonna
be around or...

-Yes.
-[Robyn] Okay.

-Is that okay? [chuckles]
-[Robyn] Yes.

I... But, I mean,
you've got Mariah.

I just... You just never know.

-No, I'll be here.
-[Robyn] So, I just don't
wanna assume.

-No.
-[Robyn] So...

I'm really struggling
with what's going on
right now

with the rest of the family.

Not just with
Christine leaving,

but the boys
and Kody and Janelle
and all that stuff,

it's just like,

"Who are you people?
I don't get it."

I'm grateful that Meri...

is not giving up
on our family.

It's ironic because she...

wants to keep figuring
this out and working it out.

But yeah, her and Kody
or where they're at.

And I just wish
it was different.

I do.

But yeah, no, I'll be here.

-So, it's you and me again...
-[Meri] Yeah. [chuckling]

...pulling this off.

Last year's Thanksgiving
was weird,

in that it wasn't
our whole family.

Usually, during the holidays,

it's just all of us,
and it's...

big and loud and fun and...

it wasn't that.

-[pensive music playing]
-[indistinct conversation]

It's just Robyn and Kody
and her kids and me.

[chuckling] Are you gonna do
the turkey again?

[Robyn] If...
if you want me to.
Yeah, if we want to.

-I do want you to.
-[Robyn] Okay. Okay, cool.

Kody really liked it.

-Oh, yeah.
-[Meri] And it's nice
to not have to mess with it.

[both laughing]

Last year, I made
the meat turkey,
the animal turkey,

and Meri made
a Rice Krispies turkey,

and she stuffed it
with chocolate,
candies and stuff.

-[woman] Oh, my God.
-[man] Wait a second. Wait.

-What is that? Oh, my God.
-[woman] That sauce.

-[woman] Oh, that's so fun.
-[indistinct conversation]

[Meri] Okay, listen.
I have done the turkey
for years.

Kody used to like my turkey
until he had Robyn's,

and I guess hers is
that much...

That just sounds...

[laughing loudly]

Mine is sweet, hers is savory.

He could like it both
if he wanted.

He did sign up for liking
everybody's turkeys.

[chuckling] Can we just stop?

It's weird 'cause
this whole situation

has me thinking so much,

and... and I'm going...
[clears throat]

Trying really hard
not to get, like...

What's that word
when you're just feeling

like everything's
falling apart and it's bad?

-Oh, yeah, that everything's
falling apart and it's bad.
-[both chuckle]

-I'm trying not to get...
What is that word?
-[Meri] I hear ya.

-There's a word.
-[Meri] I don't know,
is there a word for that?

Mmm, like, you're just...
kind of letting it

kind of hold you down
sort of thing, and I'm...

I'm thinking about
other plural families a lot.

And, like, the...
the knowledge that I know
about other plural families.

How do they operate
in these situations?

I'm trying really hard
not to feel like it's the end
of our world

and like that...
like it's just hopeless,
completely hopeless.

I'm looking
for some light at the end
of the tunnel 'cause...

'cause I'm struggling so bad.

I mean, I'm struggling
not to be, like, blue

and crying constantly
and depressed
and stuff like that.

I still think there's ways
to get it figured out
and fixed,

but I feel like...

You know, I just need to,
like, look at it
from a different perspective

so I don't go all dark
every single time
I think about it.

'Cause it just feels
so much like...

Uh, it's such a difference
and such a...

a deviation
from that big picture

-that, you know,
that I wanted, and...
-Yeah.

[Robyn] ...saw
and wanted. I mean,

COVID's really made me
wonder if...

what I saw was real,

and I'm not trying
to be insulting there,

but it's making me wonder
if it was as real
as I thought it was

because of what has happened

the last, you know,
year and a half.

I'm struggling with depression
over it.

I feel like...

I feel like we've failed,
you know?

I feel like it's been

definitely amplified,

definitely amplified
during COVID.

-"The tension that was
always there" kind of thing?
-[Meri] I don't know how--

Was it... was it there, Meri?

Like, I just...
I seriously want to sit down

and go, "Okay, was there
things I was missing

when I first came
in the family with you guys

that I didn't quite realize
were underneath everything?"

Like, this whole thing
with Kody and Christine,
it's just floored me.

And I know that...
I mean, I know that...

that there was, like,
issues and stuff like that,

but every marriage has issues.

Was there stuff
that I didn't know about?

-[Kody] Nice to see you.
-[Christine chuckling] Hi.

I think it's good
to just things lighthearted

and keep things casual
as much as possible.

'Cause who knows
what's gonna happen

in the next ten seconds?

I have no idea.

[Meri] When Robyn came
into the family,

if she saw
that we were perfect,

either we were all
really good actors

or she had blinders on.
[chuckles] I don't know.

[pensive music playing]

A couple of days ago,
I asked Kody

if he could meet me
at Salsa Brava

just to discuss Truely
and what she's doing

and how she is
and then the holidays as well.

I really, really would like
to have an amiable divorce,

you know, be able
to talk to him about stuff.

[pensive music playing]

I don't really know how I feel
about meeting for lunch.

I'm not feeling
like I'm in a great place.

-[Kody] Thank you.
-[maître d'] You're welcome.

-[Kody] Hey.
-Hey.

-Thanks a lot.
-[Christine] Hi.

-How's it going?
-[Christine] How are you?

-Here's... Oh, here's...
-Oh,

[Christine] I didn't...

-[Kody] Nice to see you.
-[Christine chuckling] Hi.

Good to see you, too.

So, what are...
Uh, well, we...

Are we ordering,
or are we talking
business first?

Well, we can do whatever.

So... No, I'm really
not talking business.

-[Kody] Oh, I thought--
-I just wanna talk to you

-about the holidays
a little bit.
-[Kody] Okay.

-It's not business.
-[Kody] Okay.

I think it's good
to just things lighthearted

and keep things casual
as much as possible.

'Cause who knows
what's gonna happen

in the next ten seconds?

I have no idea.

Like, I just...
I seriously want to sit down

and go, "Okay, was there
things I was missing?"

[Meri] When Robyn came
into the family,

we were not a perfect family,

but we were
a really good family.

I think people
are looking back

and trying to pick it apart,

if she saw
that we were perfect,

then either we were all
really good actors

or she had blinders on.
[chuckles] I don't know.

And I'm not saying that
to be rude.

We just...
We were not perfect,
but we were good.

I don't know.
I don't know what
their relationship was.

But it's not...

It's not what I would've
expected from Christine.

It's also not what
I would've expected from Kody.

[Robyn] Like, everything
that's going on
with Kody and Christine,

and then everything that
what happened through COVID,

I am questioning my reality.

[clears throat] I'm starting
to even wonder

if I didn't really know
what was happening back then.

I am... I'm not
the only person
in love with Robyn.

[all chuckling]

I'm... I'm just looking
for answers 'cause
I don't understand this.

I know some people
would be like,
"What does it matter?"

But it matters to me.

And when I got divorced,

uh, you know, it was...
it was a tough situation,

and my most important thing
was my kids

and feeling
like there was a safe family

to be a part of.

And when I met Kody's family,

I saw them operating
as one family.

I saw all these
different things
going on in the family

that seemed very functional.

Like, I thought this
was a safe place
for my kids to be.

[Kody] The first 20 years
of our family... [chuckles]

was pretty dysfunctional.

And I think because we wanted
to be functional,

we had a very different
attitude about it.

We were trying so hard

that we believed
we were functional,

but we weren't.

[Janelle] You know,
once Robyn entered the family,

there was a shake-up.

And I don't know if things
were ever settled again.

[Christine] We became
very, very separate,

and the family
traditions stopped.

And I don't know,
and I'm not accusing Robyn

of stopping all
the family traditions.

I don't know what happened.

I just know

that us getting together again
as a family stopped happening.

Are you having
a hard time with it?
'Cause you don't sleep much.

[Meri] I feel, like,

just completely rejected.

Like, I know
what our relationship
used to be,

and it was good and it was fun
and we laughed a lot.

Hold on, Christine,
I'm gonna go look at that one.

I think that one
might beat the other one.

[Christine] Holy hell,
if you go look over there,
I'll tackle you.

-[Meri chuckles]
-I will tackle you.

[woman 1] I wanna see that.
I wanna see it.

[woman 2] Run, Meri! Run! Run!

-Oh!
-[Christine] Oh, my God.

[both panting
and chuckling playfully]

[Meri] Yeah, so I don't know.
And then, you know,

clearly, when she was
telling us when we were
there last time...

[sighs]

...over at her house,
when she was telling us
she was leaving,

and she basically said to us,

"Well, I don't wanna
have a relationship

or work on things
with you guys."

Are you interested
in some sort of a...

like, trying
to work stuff out?

I think for right now,
I need space.

-[Robyn] Okay.
-For right now.

So, some of the emotions
that I have been feeling

throughout this
whole situation

and the things
that I've said are,

I'm angry and I feel betrayed.

But I... know 100%
that that is
a secondary emotion,

and really, I'm just sad.

[sighs] You know,
I always thought that,

like, one day, there would be

the closeness that I wanted.

You know, we would come...
someday figure it out.

You know, you hear the...
the ladies

in our culture and church
talk about that.

I mean, I know
that she doesn't believe
in this anymore.

And maybe that is
just as simple as that.
I don't know.

But I don't know,
'cause like, I would...

I would choose our family

even if I didn't have
a belief anymore.

Yeah.

[Meri] People tell me
all the time,

"Oh, well,
you're only staying there
because you're forced to

and you think that you can't
go to heaven without it."

It's, like, bull.
Like, you don't know me.

[Christine] What are you
gonna do?

Like, you can either laugh
about things

or cry about things.

And if you can't look back
with a sense of humor,

what a waste.

[Robyn] I don't know.
I don't... I don't...

And I don't...
I don't wanna, like,
judge or something like that,

but I just felt like...

I kept kinda
having this, like,

"Someday,
we'll figure stuff out.

We can have
that closeness still.

We'll figure out the issues
or whatever.

We'll have the closeness."

And then, when she talked
about leaving,

it just... Oh, man,
it shattered me.

[Meri] We all believe
in a God.

But if we're not involved
in our church anymore,

how does that affect it?

Even if we don't believe
in church or authority

or even the principle
of plural marriage,

even if we got to that point,

like, we still are a family.

This thing that I thought
we could figure out,

you know,
this kind of end goal,

you know, just got taken away.

[Meri] People tell me
all the time, you know,

"Oh, well,
you're only staying there
because you're forced to

and you think that you can't
go to heaven without it."

It's, like, bull.
Like, you don't know me.

When I married Kody,
I made a commitment to him,

and I loved him
and I still love him

and I still honor
that commitment.

And when we decided that we...

wanted to have
a plural family,

I didn't make
that decision because...

I thought that was
the only way I was gonna
get to heaven.

I made the decision
because I loved Kody

and I wanted to spend

my eternities with him.

I know that everybody
is dealing with it
in different ways,

and I know that Kody's dealing
with it in a very,
very big way,

and we need
to acknowledge that and...

I'm not trying to, like,
tell anybody what to do,

but, like, he really,
really is going

through some major,
weird stuff in his head

trying to figure this out.

I probably talk to him maybe
once every other week...

-[Robyn] Mmm-hmm.
-...and I can see that.

Well, I think
that's why I'm, like,
trying to say, like,

we need to kinda carry
the... the torch

'cause he's been kinda
carrying it, like,

a long time, and he's tired.

[crying] Yeah,
he's so discouraged.

[chuckles softly]

You guys, if somebody
just can pick up that torch,

then it's gonna go out.

I mean, I respect that
and I'm okay with that
and whatever,

-and I'm open to having,
you know, conversations...
-[Robyn] Mmm-hmm.

-...that involve me...
-[Robyn] Mmm-hmm.

-[Meri] ...that I would need
to be included in.
-Mmm-hmm.

[Meri] I would worry about...

that he is expecting,
like, 100% perfection

in order to, like,
move forward.

I completely understand

and support
what Robyn's talking about.

But because mine
and Kody's relationship

is basically non-existent,

it's not a strong
relationship,

I don't think
that he would recognize

any support that I was giving

to the family or to him.

I feel like Kody is pretty...

He's so optimistic,
and he has the tendency
to be really, like...

I watched him, like,
sort of change his tune
with someone.

Like, he'll be mad
at somebody one day,

and then he changes his tune
about what he thinks

and what's going on with him

just based on, like,
a good day
or a couple of good days

or good... you know...

you know, he's connecting
or whatever it is.

And so, I think if we're just,
like, diligently trying

to actually talk,

actually communicate
what the issues are,

you know, I wanna try and do.
'Cause he's...

Yeah, he's just tired, but...

[Meri] Life is heavy on him.

Like, he doesn't smile,

he doesn't laugh,
he doesn't joke,

at least not when I'm around.

It's just this heavy,
heavy scowl.

I mean, it's the only thing
I feel like is...

the only we're gonna
be able to, like,

you know, pick up
the baton for him

-as if we're doing it
together, the three of us.
-Yeah.

I mean, wouldn't that be just,
be really cool, Meri?

Just to, like,
get together and...

look at everybody in the room
and feel like,

"I trust them
and they trust me"?

Yeah, it would.

I appreciate
that I have that with you.

I have her back.

Do I agree with everything
that she does

or thinks or says? No.

All right, I guess
I'll give you back

-[sigh] the pretend Kody hug.
-[Robyn laughs]

[Meri] You know, Kody and I
have been in...
in this place

for quite a while,

where we're just, I guess...

The word that you would
put to it would
be "estranged."

And this has been going on
for quite a few years,

but I am also in this place
of working it out.

-See ya.
-[Robyn chuckling] Bye.

[Meri] You know,
I think there's work
that we would have to do,

but I think
that we could do it,

you know, if we actually
just put the effort in.

[Kody] Seeing Christine
for the first time is like,

"Hey, how are ya?"

Well, it's a little
uncomfortable, but...

"Um, hope you're doing well."

I feel so betrayed

after all that I have done
for this marriage,

and then to have her
sort of [bleep] talk me
to the kids,

I kind of feel like,
in my heart,

"I just never wanna
see her again,

and I wanna spend some time
hating her."

Anyway, you wanted
to talk about Christmas.

Holidays. Right, Christmas.

-[Kody] Holidays.
-Okay, okay.

Um, so I was thinking

about leaving a couple
of days after Christmas.

So, like, the 27th,
we're gonna drive down.

So, we'll be here
for a few days

between Christmas
and New Year's.

Can you guys test in Utah?

So, even though you had
COVID and everything,

you still want us to test?

Well, Aurora hasn't had COVID.

-And she's...
-[gasps] Wait, seriously?

-So, everyone got it
but Aurora?
-[Kody] No, she never got...

-Nope, she never got it.
Yeah, isn't that trippy?
-[gasps]

I haven't talked to Kody
about COVID.

I really, honestly forgot
how concerned he is about it.

You... you travel here,
you get here,
you take the test.

-Okay.
-What I'd like to do
is have 'em come over

if they can, stay close,

go see everybody else after

-so that we've got 'em
just solid.
-[Christine] Okay.

Then they're just gonna go
up to Robyn's house,

and I'll just go
over to the rental

and just hang out
with Janelle and the kids.

I'm not going to go
to Robyn's, no.

No, that's... No. Why?

Um, I... When Janelle told us

that she and her kids
are gonna do Christmas
separate from us,

it... broke my heart.
It was very sad to hear it.

-Thank you.
-[Christine] Mmm-hmm.

-So, Gwendlyn's not gonna
be here for Christmas.
-[Christine] Mmm-mmm.

Uh, I was sick
during her birthday
with the...

I was laid up with COVID.

[chuckling] You also had
other issues.

Was she thinking
that was funny, too?

I was out of my mind.

-But when I talk
about getting anxiety,
-Sorry, I'm so--

Christine, and depression...

I know, and I'm sorry
to even laugh a little bit,

-but Gwendlyn was like...
-[Kody] Oh.

You didn't mean it that way,
it's okay.

-I...
-[Kody chuckles]

[Christine] I was married
to him for 27 years,
all right?

Every time that guy got sick,

it was like the whole world
revolved around
his being sick.

COVID was overwhelming for me,

not being able to sleep
and not being able to breathe.

[chuckling] I'm sorry,
I really...

The... Kody, her description
of you is what's funny.

What are you gonna do?

Like, you can either laugh
about things

or cry about things.

And if you can't look back
with a sense of humor,

what a waste.

I was in the fetal position
on the floor, sobbing.

Well, I'm not laughing.

I'm not laughing here.
I'm not laughing...

I haven't been laughing
with her leaving.

I've never been laughing
about this thing.

She... she... she asked me
to stop staying at her place,

I wasn't laughing then.

She moved my stuff
into the garage,

I wasn't laughing then.

She left with Truely,
and she left early,

I wasn't laughing then.

I've never been laughing
about this.

[laughing] My reactions
were just terrible today.

I'm so sorry.

I'm not married
to him anymore.

It's so freaking awesome.

[Kody] This season
onSister Wives...

Do you really wanna still have
a plural family?

Sometimes, I can't tell.

I'm in this bad place
with Janelle,
and Christine's gone.

Don't even know
what to do with Meri.

I don't want you to think
that I'm walking away

because, I'm sorry,
I still have hope.

[Kody] In my head,
I'm really wondering

why she lives in Flagstaff.

I'm growing, and I need
something different.

Like, I don't wanna
be married anymore.

There's no question, Robyn.

He's done with me.

Kody's gonna do
what Kody's gonna do.

You know what, Robyn?
Have him.

We're all grown adults

that don't need
a father figure anymore.

I've really struggled.

I've been pretty grouchy,
very, very angry.

So, you're still kind of angry
and stuff?

Yeah, I've got anger issues.

[Meri] This is not
the happy-go-lucky Kody Brown
that I used to know.

So, what partnership
do we have?

This is not only me, Kody.

Don't you dare
point your finger at me.

I just wanted to let you know
I'm not gonna be around.

It's not what I want.

[choking up] I wanted
to sit on a porch

with my sister wives,

with her kids
and her grandkids.

Everything is changing.

There's been a lot of,
dare I say, drama?

Everybody's angry.

Everybody's angry, right?

[Kody] I worked so hard
to do what was right.

And when you lose them, well,

I should just be the devil
I think I am now.

-[Kody] No, you make
this excuse forever.
-Listen to me.

But I've--

Shut your [bleep] mouth
and let me talk to you
for a minute.

No, no, no, no, no, no,
no, no, no, no, no, no.

-You stay and talk.
-[Kody] I'm done
listening to you.

-Okay, so...
-[Kody] Goodbye.

[bleep] you.