[Kody] Previously on Sister Wives...
[Janelle] This summer has been especially hard on Kody and I.
So we are fundamentally at odds
of how you manage the risk of this virus transmission.
It would be nice if we could figure out
when, at what point we could be okay
to socialize as a family.
I just don't see that we're getting together.
Wow.
So basically, unless we all observe his uber, uber, uber
careful stance... forget holidays.
[Christine] Ysabel was diagnosed with scoliosis
when she was like 13.
So it's just time to get the surgery.
Why don't we put it out six months because of the pandemic?
I know that getting a surgery
during a pandemic isn't smart.
But she's in enough pain. And I can't wait more.
Listen, I'm not flying there.
This is the thing, you guys.
I'm not going to New York.
Christine and I aren't getting along.
And so it's hard for me not to see it as an opportunity
for Christine to do it without me.
Christine started going, "Hey, I want to move."
Would you be just as happy?
Could you be just as happy in Utah?
I mean, at this point, I would just be like,
"You guys give me the property and you can move."
So I've got Christine in one place
and Janelle in an opposite place, so to speak.
Ultimately, what's happening in my life
is two princesses given ultimatums.
I wish we could just settle down
like, we're here, we're in Flagstaff.
I can't do that to my kids.
[theme music playing]
[classical music playing]
[sighs heavily]
[Kody] Hey.
[inaudible over music]
- Hold on, what? [turns music off] - Oh.
Sorry.
What do you listen to?
[Kody] What do I listen to?
Pachelbel.
Oh, of course. Yeah.
-"Canon in D." - Yeah, of course.
I listen to anything that's going to motivate me.
Today, it's Pachelbel
because I want to lift,
and I want to be in sort of a serene place.
That's funny. That's workout music for you?
Well, workout's a meditation, right?
Oh, no. I need something... I need something way harder.
I listen to German industrial rock
or older rappers like Eminem.
You know, when we were in Vegas,
she went to several rock concerts
and wore black T-shirts and heavy makeup and stuff.
Yeah. I had some snakeskin leggings
and a ratty black T-shirt tank top thing.
So, yeah.
Okay, so Hunter leaves tomorrow.
But I think I would like to have a barbecue
on the property.
So Hunter is leaving to go to school, so he'll be gone.
And I want to have kind of a farewell barbecue for him at the end of the week.
So we're still in the middle of this COVID pandemic,
and the family still doesn't see eye to eye
on how to manage risk.
Uh...
Well, I think I'll...
Well, first of all,
I got to sort of get the family on board.
When you have a family this big,
there's constantly a conflict in what everybody wants to do.
Social distancing from the family.
The family doesn't get together... almost at all.
And I'm going from house to house
trying to keep the exposure to COVID-19 extremely low
but still have family relationships.
And it's been a challenge.
This is stretching on and on,
and Hunter's leaving, so maybe we can figure something out.
Kody, we've got to figure out a way
to see each other.
It's been five months now.
It doesn't seem like things are letting up.
So we can't continue to go
on and on without seeing each other.
I mean, we could.
But I don't know if the family will remain intact if we do.
- What I ought to do is I ought to just set up... - I have...
...a pit for each mom.
I have four kids home. Oh, really?
Well, that's three. And then Meri just fits in.
I mean, to do four fires is gonna spread us out pretty far.
But I'm thinking I can make a triangle
and then Meri can stay somewhere
socially distanced
outside of that.
Then we wouldn't have to necessarily wear masks,
right, 'cause we would be staying distant.
Well, to be fair,
that's like each mom... each one of the moms
has been running her household differently.
That will be up to each mom.
The kids are already like complaining,
like, "This isn't normal. We are one family.
Why couldn't we see each other?
Why aren't we getting together?"
If we finally get together as a family and I say,
"Everybody has to mask up,"
that might be
something that has the kids
getting really stupid with me.
They've been complaining
the whole COVID corona apocalypse,
they've been complaining
that they can't get to get together more with the whole family.
- Yeah. -[Kody] And that's all been because
the whole family still goes outside of our family.
[Janelle] I follow the state regulations,
the local regulations, the CDC guidelines.
Kody and Robyn, I think, especially
observe a few extra... requirements.
And it's sort of viewed like very black and white.
So there's a difference of opinion about what's enough.
And there's just no bending on it, it seems like.
So remind me to text out to everybody
- when I'm done with my workout, okay? - All right.
- Okay. - All right.
[Kody] I really want everybody to come
so that Hunter can see them all.
But I'm also extremely nervous
knowing that I'll spend the entire time stressing out about
making sure that we're not getting
exposure to the virus.
From each other.
So Kody is on his way over.
He wants to talk to me about something.
And I don't know what it is.
But you know what? I don't care.
The fact that he's coming over and is gonna talk to me,
that's a win.
So a few months ago,
Kody and I had our 30th anniversary.
I've been waiting for you, honestly.
And I'm not coming.
I know that.
But you're not courting me
- to that relationship. - I didn't know I was supposed to court you.
I've had a lot of people say to me,
"Why are you still there?
He clearly doesn't love you.
You're just brainwashed.
You know, you're just doing this
because you think that it's what's gonna get you to heaven.
Why do you stay?"
-[Meri] Hi. -[Kody] How's it going?
[Meri] Good. How are you?
I'm good.
[Meri] Well, because it's my family,
because I have a confirmation from God
that this is where I am meant to be,
this is a very conscious choice that I'm making.
What's up?
Initially, Meri and I were sitting apart,
you know, were keeping our distance.
And then I realized after talking with her a little bit
that she's been taking extreme cautions with COVID.
So I got thinking,
why are we keeping six feet apart?
We don't have to.
Okay, you know our talk,
I don't even know when...
we had a talk on the property where Christine...
told everybody that she wanted to move back to Utah.
Yeah.
Her and I discussed that right after the law changed.
So Christine wants to move to Utah.
And that's a real challenge for us
because we're right in the middle of trying to,
you know, divide the properties
on Coyote Pass.
And we're doing all this, you know,
even struggling with
where everybody's going to go on Coyote Pass.
But I'm trying to fish it out
just to make sure we're not,
you know, just killing Christine's dreams.
She's here. The law changes.
She's feeling really isolated from the rest of the family
- just 'cause the distance between our homes. - Yeah.
And she just pops up with immediately, like, talking to me going,
"I really want to move back to Utah."
Because of actions of a senator
and members of the plural community in Utah,
polygamy is no longer a felony up there.
It's more like
an infraction, I guess, which is like a parking ticket.
[Kody] I got to admit, I was pretty...
I tried to be stoic with her,
you know, just... But I was like, "Yeah, I'll move.
- I'm game." - Really?
Oh, yeah. I always have been.
That's where I thought I would retire in St. George, Utah.
The problem was with the first conversation I had with Christine
and the conversation we had on Coyote Pass
was I started thinking about the reality of it,
and it started to look, yeah,
pretty crazy to me.
I wonder why we're still here.
We can move back home.
I don't know. I think that
once we basically were "kicked out" of Utah,
I've just kind of had a feeling of,
"Well, I'm not gonna grace you with my presence then."
[Kody] I'm in a place where I feel like my kids,
my kids love it here,
this is the most likely place for any of our kids
to move back, our adult kids.
We're not moving, are we?
[crying]
My whole purpose in coming here...
is... is basically to really find out
what everybody thinks.
And so I wanted to talk to you about it as well.
[Meri] Hold on.
Can we just hold on to the fact
that he said he wanted to talk to me?
I don't care what it's about,
but the fact that he wanted to talk to me about something,
yep... I'm there.
[chuckles]
So when we were out there that day, you were on board with her.
- N-n-no. -'Cause you seemed to be kind of shutting her down.
Yeah, I was shutting her down.
But I realized that I was being a total jack wagon.
[Meri] When we were at the property, I had no idea
that he was more for it.
No wonder she was so upset.
Nobody likes it when Kody Brown goes jack wagon.
A jack wagon is just the kind of guy
that's like a jackass, a...
a... jerk.
You really want to move back?
No, I don't really want to move.
You can't beat Flagstaff, Arizona.
You just can't.
You know, we're kind of invested in this town now.
We are sort of... I would call it,
we're sort of stuck here.
It's such a weird world.
I don't know why it's a big deal now.
Maybe it's midlife crisis, Meri.
But our world...
is so affected by the actions and the thoughts
and the feelings of every other member in this family.
In plural marriage,
it feels like other people are in control of your life.
But because Christine is the one on the outside this time,
she's going, "Holy cow, this sucks.
These people...
control what I do in my life."
I mean, our family has always been run on a committee.
And it just that's how we've always run things.
And sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.
Plural marriage is definitely not for everybody.
And when you sign up, you have to go in eyes wide open knowing that...
I don't know, like, you have to really become more,
like, easy about things.
Trust that everything's gonna be okay,
that somebody has your back,
that God is in control.
[Meri] Not everybody's always gonna be happy about
a decision that we might come to.
But I guess it really just comes down to,
you know, how committed you are to the family and making things work.
It can be frustrating to bring forth
an idea to the group
and have it be shot down.
Do your sister wives
care enough about you
to really listen to what it is that you want,
consider it, and respect it?
So theoretically,
the only way to actually be able to see Dad...
is to get COVID.
I think, at this point, Gabriel should choose his...
girlfriend over his dad.
If I end up getting it
and then I recover,
if that doesn't change the game,
then this was never about COVID at all in the first place.
Thinking of moving to Utah,
honestly, my gut instinct
is, "Oh, hell no.
- Not interested." -[Kody] Yeah.
- I never had the desire to move back. - Wow.
So for you, like
you feel literally the same way that Janelle
and Robyn feel like there's just no desire at all
- to move back Utah. - I really don't have a desire to move back there.
Okay.
Why am I torturing myself?
It's really all over,
sort of just making sure we're sure.
I feel bad in saying that
because I know it's so important to Christine.
Honestly, I hate the fact that she
might be feeling trapped.
I don't know if that's how she feels.
But I wonder.
You know, I have no idea what's going on
between Christine and Kody.
I just know that that day, out at the property,
she was really hurting.
Meri, I can't do marriage with Kody anymore.
I don't want to...
Just look at the mountain.
I don't want to do it anymore.
Don't talk about that.
Just look at the mountain.
- That's what you saw that day. -[Christine] I don't want to do it anymore.
I can't go there today.
When I was in my super, super dark time,
I got in a situation where I was talking to somebody
who was not who they were saying they were.
And it got to be a very, very manipulative
and controlling situation.
I really, really appreciated...
Robyn
being there and being a support
and helping me fight
through all the crap.
And so the fact that Christine was able to open up
to me just a little bit that day,
I really appreciated.
But I... I hope that she knows that I'm here.
[Kody] Do you think being here...
I mean, 'cause she really struggled in Vegas for those first two years.
Do you think it's worse now than it was in those first two years in Vegas?
- For her? - For all of us.
I think it's very different.
Up until that point, we had been together,
and then we were all separate.
I think...
that we all got very comfortable with it.
And now all four of us are just, like...
comfortable being by ourselves.
So for that reason, I don't feel like it's harder.
And that is very disturbing to me.
I think it's very important
for plural wives to have a balance.
Like, we don't have to always be together all the time.
We don't have to be best friends.
We don't have to do any of that.
But we also need to have,
you know, the relationships within the family.
Honestly, I think we all just got selfish.
And the question I have is, "Did we really like
living next to each other in Las Vegas?"
Because it seems like we don't miss it
now that we're in Flagstaff.
Do you like each other?
Do you want to be around each other?
Because I mean, I'm being accusatory, but I don't believe you do.
Shoot, for that matter,
I've known guys who had wives that lived in different states
while he was married to two wives or more wives.
Well, who's to say that Meri couldn't live in Parowan?
And who's to say Christine couldn't live in Salt Lake?
And who's to say that Janelle and Robyn, if they
because they love it so much here... couldn't just stay here?
If you're separated by states,
I don't see how that's a full functioning marriage.
I would not be interested in a marriage separated by states.
If Kody decided to move and he just
really doesn't care what I think or feel or whatever,
I'll go with him.
I'd do what I needed to do.
I don't think it's healthy.
If you're truly wanting to be a part of a cohesive family
you can't live that far apart from each other.
The idea of being married to Kody
and living in a different state is pretty stupid.
And I'm looking at it even from this place of, you know,
kind of a fractured relationship.
You know, would it be any different if I lived...
up at my B&B... or something. You know?
No, it wouldn't. But you know what?
It wouldn't help our relationship
because I would be that far away.
All right. I'll see you.
Thanks for coming over.
It was nice to see you.
It's good to see you, too.
At this point in my life, this relationship is...
basically where I have an amiable relationship with her
with no desire or interest in a romantic relationship.
And I don't know how we're going to continue moving forward.
But now we're actually in a much better relationship.
It's just not romantic.
[upbeat music playing]
The university is actually gonna be starting up
a little bit earlier this year,
and so everybody's back in town,
including Gabe's girlfriend.
-[Gabriel] Hi, Mama. - Hi, honey.
- How was school? -[Gabriel] It was all right.
Glad to be on campus again.
So there's just more exposure and more factors that...
we can't quite account for it.
So I just... I need to have a conversation with him about that.
You know, I was thinking...
because your girlfriend's back and you have more exposure...
what do you think about like just kind of staying in your... apartment?
Like just not coming into the house for a couple of weeks?
I don't like it, but you're...
you're hanging out with your girlfriend,
you're on campus.
So since COVID began, we've been struggling
to figure out how to manage Garrison and Gabriel's
activities outside of the home.
They have friends. Garrison works.
Gabriel has school.
That doesn't all mesh with what Kody perceives
is the way to handle the risk.
So I have kind of this little
sort of apartment attached to the house that I rent.
He can be self-sufficient. He's got a washer and dryer,
his own bathroom, his own kitchen.
So it'll be a change 'cause I'll see him come and go,
and I'll see his car in the driveway.
But he won't be coming over
to raid my fridge or get a cup of coffee or something, so...
- Your dad is way more careful. - No. Yeah. Like...
[Janelle] And I'm just trying to make sure
he feels comfortable still coming here
and that we're protecting everybody in the family.
But if he comes within two weeks,
- I won't be able to see him? - Yeah.
So now that the summer's kind of over
and cases are going down,
things are starting to get a little bit heated
with... with my dad right now.
I'm pissed. I think we should be all, like, together.
I don't... I literally don't understand
why we're all quarantining separate.
I mean, honey, it's really
- just about the girlfriend. - Theoretically, the only way
- to actually be able to see dad... is to get COVID. -[Janelle chuckles]
Just think about it.
We'll be immune and then we can just go hang out with Dad.
Dad doesn't have to worry about
- catching it from us. - The problem is it's scary. It could kill me.
- Cough in my mouth. - Yeah.
He's just blowing off a little steam
'cause this has been a really rough several months
of this whole distance, can we be together,
can we not be together. Like, it's been a lot.
Don't get me wrong, I still think we should be safe,
but if I end up getting it... and then I recover...
if that doesn't change the game...
then this was never about COVID at all in the first place.
I know.
Kody still loves his boys,
but he doesn't trust them
as far as what they say their exposure is
or if they're hanging out with friends or not.
And so because he's concerned about the whole family
and possibly picking up the virus at my house
inadvertently and transferring it
to the other family members,
I don't know if Kody's gonna feel comfortable
even in a couple of weeks...
to be around, you know, Gabriel.
There's no rules set up here. There's no...
- I know. -[Gabriel] It's just, Dad's like,
"I can't see anyone. Sorry, bye."
-[Janelle] It's the frustration... -"See you in Christmas."
I spent months trying to make my case,
and I just kept hitting a brick wall
and I finally thought, "You know what?
It's not worth the damage to the relationships
to keep butting my head against this wall."
Isn't it damaging to the relationships
that we don't ever see each other?
Yeah. But you know what? We'll survive that.
We'd probably survive COVID too.
I really think it's dumb.
Not like... The COVID precautions,
I can totally get that, but...
the fact that we're not doing this as a family is absolutely absurd.
So is it Robyn or is it Dad?
I think it's Dad.
I really do. Your dad has been talking to his doctor.
He has all these ideas about
what the rules need to be... you know?
He's... he's an independent decision maker.
Yeah, he's also a freedom lover.
- You know... - And this isn't very free of him.
I don't know, Gabriel, what to say.
I think, at this point, Gabriel should choose his
girlfriend over his dad.
I mean, he can always talk to his dad.
You know, his dad calls all these kids... on the phone.
Like, I think at this stage of his life,
Gabriel needs to be pursuing his life, personally.
Yeah, I mean, like, I just think
making your adult kids stay home is detrimental.
There's an apprehension and tension...
every time we start talking about this.
[Robyn] Do we all unite on this or don't we?
And I guess the freedom that everybody wanted
was more important, and that's okay.
The decisions that everybody's making about COVID
has Kody just, like, sort of giving up
on the family culture and the structure that we have.
[Kody] Hunter's almost ready to go back to college.
And we want to get the family together and...
and basically have a cookout,
do campfires out on Coyote Pass.
I'm headed to Robyn's house
because I got to pick up a bunch of tools and equipment
so we can create a bigger, better campfire.
- Hi. - Hey.
- How's it going? - What you doing?
You got the text about fire pit tonight?
[Robyn] Oh, yeah.
Well, we're gonna go dig two extra fire pits.
[Robyn] Oh.
Now if I'm doing that, will you let Sol and Ari come?
- Whoa. Uh... - Listen, I'll help corral them.
Okay. This is my thing with Sol and Ari
is if they're sitting there struggling
because they can't... go to,
you know, hug somebody or play with somebody,
then... you really think they should go?
I'm just... They were so upset when they couldn't play with Truely.
During our birthday week in April,
Christine came over with her girls.
And it was really, really difficult
for Sol and Ari and Truely to not hug and not play.
So it was really, really emotional for them.
I need others, the older kids and parents,
and I think they will, but like that would help.
So I'm not having to chase her
and be the bad guy every single time going,
"Okay... give space,"
you know, 'cause I hate doing that.
There's an apprehension and tension...
every time we start talking about this
because there's a lack of trust amongst the family.
So Solomon had RSV when he was little.
That's a respiratory virus that affects your lungs.
And everything they're saying about
COVID is affecting the lungs and the kidneys.
Truely had kidney failure.
I'm concerned that some of our kids,
if they're not following our COVID protocols
and our guidelines, then they could put our little children at risk.
So I'm just like,
"Please, you know, like, can you just conform?"
But Meri's been quarantined literally for...
- weeks now. - Yeah.
Would you be comfortable with her
helping us with Ari and Sol?
Can Ari sit on her lap
because she's literally been...
like, literally been quarantined.
I don't know. Well, what...
I mean, I would be great with that,
but I don't know what, like,
how is everybody else gonna see that, Kody?
I would love to be able to have my kids,
you know, interact and hang out with Meri.
But how will the other wives and the other kids
kind of take it if all of a sudden Kody says,
"Hey, you guys can interact and touch each other"?
This isn't the right time to just kind of throw that in there
because we've never discussed it.
Well, Meri is gonna have to sit by one fire
'cause I'm only building three.
So she's gonna have to be in another group...
All right. But see, Meri is really good about
the social distancing thing.
She's really good about just being really careful.
-[Kody] Yeah. - She has been.
But I just don't know how that'll...
how that will... come across to everybody else.
Is it a thing that makes everybody feel like
we don't have to follow rules or something that they do?
- Right. -[Robyn] So I'm just saying...
Now's not the time to modify the rules,
- I guess. - No. No, no, no, no.
This needs to be a nice,
happy family experience for Hunter.
So the whole family, like all the wives,
all the kids wanted to quarantine.
Basically, stay home, order out your groceries,
have somebody else deliver them
and no traveling.
If everybody wanted to do that,
then that would change the disposition.
The whole family would be able to get together.
More than half of the family is unwilling to do that.
They're just not willing to... to essentially quarantine.
I have been being so careful to follow your rules
because I know that Sol and Ari
can't be away from you
for the two weeks that you've done
with other people because of their traveling
and their having people in town and stuff like that.
I'm trying to check this with my other wives,
"Are you sure we're doing the right thing?"
Well, obviously Christine doesn't think
we're doing the right thing 'cause Christine is traveling
and going different places.
And Janelle, she's sort of back and forth.
Then Meri, she's obviously willing to quarantine
so that she can hang out with Robyn.
And then Robyn's been sequestered.
I just thought, "Man, if everybody would just do that...
then we'll all see each other all the time."
Everybody should have their choice.
And so I guess that was the choice
that everybody got to make
is, do they stick to your rules or don't they?
Do we all unite on this or don't we?
And I guess the freedom that everybody wanted
was more important. And that's okay.
Well, it hasn't been easy on me at all.
I understand.
The decisions that everybody's making about COVID
has Kody just, like, sort of
giving up on the family culture
and the structure that we have.
And it's really... really been hard.
It's shocking to me.
It's shocking every time he talks like that.
And I'm trying not to, like,
take it super, super seriously,
let him process through.
Maybe this is just COVID.
But it's been really, really difficult.
Today is the day.
Sol and Ari. A little more distanced.
Okay. Let's just do this right
so we can do it again.
[Christine] I'm gonna be honest,
we've hung out at Janelle's house a few times.
I just had to choose. You know,
it came down choosing between Janelle and Kody.
And... I chose Janelle sometimes.
[upbeat music playing]
[Kody] Today, I'm at Coyote Pass.
I'm working with the boys, digging the new fire pits.
We're expanding our family area
so we can gather tonight
for sort of a farewell... dinner
for Hunter before he leaves for Baltimore.
Today is the day.
Look at the pitch go.
[Janelle] It'll be the first time we're getting together
as a family in like five months.
I'm actually really excited.
It's like it's more just like relief.
I'm just looking forward to that, that moment
when we can just all relax on the property
and be in each other's company again.
Listen to me, my boys.
You need to be respectful and stay socially distanced.
Mom, we've already... we know.
-[Janelle] Okay. - We are also
- practicing social distances. - Don't talk to my mother that way.
- You got it, Mom. - Yes.
I will do as you say.
I'm just trying to make sure
this is a successful gathering and we do it again.
[Hunter] Yeah. I've already told my dad,
"I think socially distancing as a family is dumb."
I think it's stupid. It's the parents' decision
and so I'll stand by that.
But I don't know
when the next time I'll be home is, so
just trying and enjoy the time I have with them.
[indistinct conversation]
Yeah. Things between Kody and I
are a little stiff right now. But it's a family barbecue,
and we haven't gotten together for so long.
So all of that's just put away,
and we're just going to have a great time.
You know, we haven't all been on the same page
about how to manage COVID.
So I'm hoping that everybody can kind of just
respect Kody's wishes about how we do this today
so that we can maybe do it again.
Hi, Meri!
Meri!
Yeah, tell her that's... that's it. That's good.
- That's good. - That's good.
I'm actually excited to see everybody.
It's gonna be kind of a big bummer
that, you know, we can't do like all the hugs
because, like, I am so ready for a hug.
But... being able to see everybody is gonna be good.
So where should we land?
Look at this. It's beautiful.
I think Kody needs one more fire pit
and one more table.
Like there's three fire pits, but there's four wives.
And we all have to stay separated.
I think it's strange.
I'm glad that he has the three separate pits,
but I think we need one more, right?
- Gabe, can you make a couple more spots? -[Gabriel] Yes.
Oh, my gosh. I do not need a fire pit.
This is just me. I don't need a fire pit.
I'm probably not gonna have a s'more anyway.
Hey, you guys,
can we have everybody's attention real fast?
[Kody] Hey, everybody, listen.
[Christine] Ysabel and I have some news to share.
Ysabel is finally getting her surgery on her back.
- Whoo! -[Kody] Yay!
Whoo-hoo-hoo!
We finally have an appointment
for Ysabel for her surgery.
It's about six weeks away.
We found out that Ysabel had scoliosis
when she was like 13 in middle school.
And it's been about four years now
that she's... just been in so much pain.
We finally have the date.
So it's a special surgery
where they go in through the side of her.
She ends up having about a four-inch scar under her arm.
[Gabriel] Scars are badass. I mean, bad as, sorry.
Don't tell Kody this. This is a secret.
Are you ready for a secret?
So Ysabel goes,
"I'm gonna get the scoliosis surgery. I'm gonna have that big, huge scar.
So I honestly would like a tattoo going down the scar.
What do you think about that?"
And I'm like...
I don't think I should say the rest.
But I said, "Yes, definitely."
And when we were raised, like when I was raised,
like tattoos were extremely forbidden.
And Kody is so adamantly opposed to tattoos.
I doubt she's told him.
But I mean, she's gonna be 18 and moving out.
I guess how he feels about it...
doesn't really matter because
she won't be living at home when she gets one.
They go in. And instead of using the rods,
we were able to find someone that does fibers.
So they're gonna screw fibers
into her spine instead of the big, huge rods.
And this way, she'll have more movement.
He's like, "Can't give you a like 100% success rate"
because the fibers do break, they do snap.
They use so many fibers, though,
that when they snap, it's okay.
Even though it's COVID right now,
we're still gonna get the surgery.
Like, Kody can't come with us to the surgery
because of COVID.
And he would love it if we waited
so he could come too.
But waiting isn't an option. Ysabel's in too much pain.
We need to get it done.
She is really... really sad about that.
She really wants her dad there so badly.
That's the hardest part right there
is that Kody can't come to the surgery.
[Kody] I'm so excited for you...
-[Ysabel] It's awesome, right? - Ysabel.
- That's gonna be so awesome. - And you know what's great about it?
Everything about this way
is so much better because the rate of infection,
the rate of having to have a surgery again.
Ysabel and Christine are gonna be gone for a month
and then they have to quarantine before
and then after.
So we're talking about a six-week process,
and it's just not good for me to be away
from all the other family for that length of time.
[Ysabel] That's exciting.
-[Christine] Yeah. -[Ysabel] Thank you.
- Congrats, Izzy. -[Ysabel] Yay. Yay. Yay!
We do hugs. But, you know, hashtag COVID.
We have all been... kind of on this journey with Ysabel
as she's gone through her scoliosis issues
and everybody's excited. The kids are cute about it.
They're all rooting for her.
[Robyn] Sol and Ari, a little more distance.
[Kody] Hey... hey. Distance.
- This way, Ari. Ariella. - Come on.
It's like, "Okay. Let's just do this right so that
Dad will see that we're doing it right
so we can do it again."
[Hunter speaking]
[Christine] I think you guys are the same.
- It's really difficult. - Okay, we'll call it the same.
Look, I'm gonna be honest with you.
This is real honesty here.
We've hung out at Janelle's house a few times,
my kids and I.
So... even though Kody's like...
No.
I just had to choose. You know, it came down
to choosing between Janelle and Kody, and...
I chose Janelle sometimes.
[Robyn] Ari, stay away from everybody.
I'm trying not to get, like,
frustrated, but I'm the one chasing the kids.
It's what I thought was gonna happen.
We just want to keep on playing.
You guys have to stay, like, distant from each other.
I'm trying.
I'm just this big jerk. "Stay away from each other!"
So this feels so normal,
we've got the fires and everybody's here,
and it just feels jovial.
It's wonderful.
[indistinct chatter]
[Robyn] Okay, remember. You're staying six feet apart.
We're staying together. And yet apart.
Yeah, no, it is stressful.
I'm supposed to help the kids maintain...
this... six feet protocol.
And I'm just like... and it's so not part of their nature.
I mean, it's so not normal.
[Robyn] Not to close, Truely.
Meri... will you tell them to stay away?
Ari, stay away from everybody!
Truely, if she starts walking towards you...
back up.
Ari... you have got to
like keep your distance from people.
[Meri] I keep telling them.
I'm trying not to get frustrated
'cause I don't want to ruin the experience for everybody.
But I'm the one chasing the kids.
It's what I thought was gonna happen, so.
[Meri] I'm trying, Robyn. I'm trying.
Ariella is only four years old.
She gets to be with Solomon all the time.
The two of them are out here,
and then there's Truely who she has to stay away from.
And then I have to be away from them as well.
That's just not normal... kid behavior.
So I'm sure it's kind of difficult for them.
[Solomon] We just want to keep on playing.
[Robyn] I know you want to play.
But you guys have to stay distant from each other.
[Solomon] I'm trying.
I'm just this big jerk,
"Stay away from each other!
You're brothers and sisters and you love each other,
but don't touch each other!"
I'm trying as hard as I can to follow the rules. Okay?
And I am really aware that you're doing that.
- Okay. -[Kody] I'm supposed to be helping you
and I kind of checked out.
Okay.
Who wants to sit and abide by these protocols
for four months and then get...
sick once because they let their guard down?
And I realize that it's a burden to Robyn
to be able to do this.
[Janelle] Hey, you guys, Dayton.
Dayton and Garrison, I need to respect your mom.
[Kody] Ari, Sol! Sol!
Solomon! Truely. You guys are supposed to be six feet apart.
[Christine] Truely!
Make sure you keep your distance.
-[Truely] I will. - You're the best.
Truely has missed everyone so much.
She has missed Sol and Ari so much.
We'll do our best to maintain that. But...
she is really glad to be here with everybody.
It's really nice.
[Kody] That's perfect, Meri.
It's got a little bit of chocolate on it.
-[Meri] You did that for me? -[Kody] Yeah.
Kody made me a s'more.
I'm gonna... I'm gonna tell a secret,
and I saw Robyn tell him to make it for me.
And I'm okay with that 'cause he still made it for me.
Kody, that is divine!
To me, this is just kind of what it's all about,
like we're meant to have each other's backs.
That's so good.
I don't know...
I don't know what you're talking about.
[Christine] But we can do this.
- Yeah, this is gonna be fine. - This is functional, I think.
We haven't done anything together for so long.
And it's almost like I was nervous.
I was really nervous that we would get together,
and it would be awkward.
Once everybody got there...
it was just apparent that
we've all missed each other really badly.
[Janelle] Maybe we all... Like, we all quarantine
for like two weeks and then
we can do the holidays together, right?
If we want to do that or if we want to do it
to where only the mothers even go to town...
or leave the homes,
then we can do that.
Hopefully, we'll have a better idea
of what it looks like when we get closer, huh, maybe?
- Yeah. -[Kody] The only reason we're doing this,
you guys, is so that I can see everybody.
Maybe we can have Thanksgiving right here.
-[Janelle] Not in the winter. - Are you kidding me?
He can come here if he wants, but I am not coming here.
I have no interest in having Thanksgiving right here
in the middle of dirt and probably cold.
Is he clocking the weather situation?
Thanksgiving, it snows.
Tons of snow. I don't know if we can drive out here.
Why? Why can't we just not discuss COVID?
[Hunter] I think that Thanksgiving and Christmas should be exceptions.
[Kody] Well, just as I told you,
what we do is... is for we...
we figure it out.
We make a plan. We abide by the plan
and then we do it.
You know, with a family like ours
where we're a very large family, but we're very close,
I feel so distant from the rest of them.
My relationship with Gabe and Savanah and my mom
has definitely improved, but at the cost of losing my relationship
with Robyn's and Christine's kids.
[Gabriel] I kind of agree with that.
I'm tired of the... of the...
I'm really tired of it. I want my family back.
[Meri] We'll have a much better idea when we get closer.
[Janelle] Yeah, it might look really different by the time we get there.
- It's hard to say. - It's only August.
What, this started in, what, March?
[Meri] March. We've only been at it for...
- Five months. -...five months.
Now, look, we're having this great time.
We're all here together.
I don't think we need to bring
this conversation topic up right this minute.
It can't be solved.
It can't be solved right now.
So why bring it up?
I know people who have nearly died.
I know them personally. So let's just be...
- personally people... - I know people who have gotten it...
- and had zero symptoms. - Guys, this is...
hey, this is not the conversation we're having tonight.
No, no. It's serious. It's serious.
I get that. But as a family...
I think we should be quarantined together.
I'm literally suffering
from hurt feelings by my family's refusal...
to abide by COVID quarantine protocols.
I want to do the right thing.
And... it's breaking my heart that I...
have been marginalized to the point where I am
no longer the head of my household
in a couple of homes.
[indistinct chatter]
[indistinct conversation]
[Christine] Everyone pretty much kept their distance
for the most part.
But it was... it was a really good time.
[Meri] This whole family get-together social distance style,
it's just not what our family does
and it's... it's kind of hard. It's sad.
[Robyn] You know, other than just kind of chasing little kids around,
you know, I enjoyed it.
And I wish we could do this more often. I really do.
It's nice to see my family. I love them.
[Janelle] I've noticed that it's really, really important
for our family to get together.
I think it's been a really dangerous thing...
because when we don't get together often,
we lose sight of the whole.
[Kody] Next time on Sister Wives...
We found out that Ysabel had scoliosis when she was 14.
She has to get surgery.
I'm sorry I can't go.
She's going off to have a major surgery done.
And I can't hug her.
Thanks, Dad. I love you.
[Ysabel] I don't know, why wouldn't he be there?
Why wouldn't he just drop everything for me?
[Meri] This conversation about
how to divide up the property is a long time coming.
[Robyn] It's been two years, we just need to get out there.
I would move to Utah in a heartbeat. Are you kidding me?
Is it on the table still?
No, it's not on the table.
I'm not gonna talk to you.
Look, he's not even my friend right now.
Feels like a bit of a crossroads.
I don't know what to do.
[crying]