[narrator] Previously on Sister Wives...
[Robyn] Today we're going over to Meri's.
I guess Kody has come up with very specific rules
about how we get together as a family.
I mean, we are doing most of these things,
but we don't wipe our mail, we don't wipe our groceries.
Janelle. [chuckling] Come on.
No, I think this is overkill.
I really feel like we have to make a choice.
Do we see Kody, or do we do everything else?
As a family, we really haven't spent much time together.
It's lonely.
Like, I live alone.
[Kody] My relationship with Meri is not the kind of relationship
where I talk with her everyday.
[Christine] We are going to go to Aspyn and Mitch's for Thanksgiving.
But we will be here for Christmas.
- So, you're going to Utah? - [Christine] I think so, yeah.
- And you're going to Utah? - [Janelle] Yes.
[Kody] I'm sitting here with everybody sort of complaining to me
about the rules and about, "We're not getting together."
And then I say, "Well, let's go ahead
and do what we need to do get back together."
And everybody resists that.
You don't think I'm aware?
You don't think I'm being careful?
I think you understand where I'm at,
and I want you to just respect that.
Yeah, [bleep] off.
Just a couple of days ago,
everybody had come over to my house
and we were having a conversation.
And we're kind of talking about, like, COVID protocol and...
I kind of made a joke,
it kind of didn't go over very well.
Let's look over the rules.
I would love to see what rules you put in place.
[Kody] Let's see what you've got. Um...
[Meri] You know, those rules that you made up.
- [chuckles softly] - [laughing] I'm just...
[Kody] I just checked with our nanny
and said, "What are you doing?"
[Meri] Oh.
I'm just gonna say it out loud,
I know everybody is, like, suspicious of me.
Well, just please stop.
- Please, realize that Kody-- - [Meri] That was a joke.
Okay.
Just realize that Kody has made these rules.
So, we chatted for a minute,
but we felt like we should probably
dive into it a little bit deeper.
Are you okay with me getting my germs on here?
Yeah. [chuckles]
Just spray it all off.
Yeah, sure, something like that.
I'm using one of her chairs
and so, I'm like, "Wait, wait,
I'm gonna get my germies on it
and I haven't done my two-week quarantine yet."
So, where do we wanna sit?
It's, it... [sighs]
The thing of it is,
it's not like that it's stupid,
it's not the quarantine
and, like, being careful and all that stuff is stupid.
I'm just tired of it.
[grunts]
Sorry I hit such a wall the other day.
[Robyn sighs]
That's okay. It's all right.
And, like I said,
I'm sorry that I misunderstood your joke.
[chuckles]
I know that that joke was actually, in a weird way,
Meri showing me...
sort of solidarity.
It took me a second to, like, digest what she said
'cause I was so sensitive about it.
I know that Meri doesn't think
that I'm sitting here just dictating these rules
or something like that.
I know that she's making fun
of other people for thinking that.
I feel like nobody gets me.
Like, I feel like you, of anybody in the family,
should get me and my jokes.
And I'm like...
"I thought we knew each other better than this." [laughs]
She knows that I'm not out to get her.
She knows that I have her back.
I normally would have, I think, it's just, um,
I've had one of the kids call me and ask me,
"Can't we just relax the rules about COVID?"
Da da da da da.
And I was like, this... [laughs]
I mean, I do wanna be careful, but these aren't my rules.
You know, you gotta blame somebody, so...
[clicks tongue] I'm an easy target.
Like, I've been following the rules.
- I've been doing what I needed to do. - Yeah.
Because I wanted to get together
with you guys, you know, I mean--
I am so grateful that
we finally had the conversation.
- [Meri] I don't know why-- - And figured it out...
- [Meri] I'm sorry. - and laid it all out.
I am so sorry, Robyn,
but I just think that's a bunch of BS.
What do you mean?
I think that,
since I've been following the rules
and you've been following the rules,
I should've been able to your kids.
I agree.
- And I told him that. - And I think it's stupid...
- He said that too. - [Meri] ...that he wasn't, you guys weren't...
Or whoever, whoever...
He would come to me and he would say,
"I think Meri's okay to interact with you."
I said, "I agree.
But you need to figure out how to say it to everybody,
so it's not, like, a major problem
if people find out,
we really don't have to hide it."
Whatever it is.
So, if we don't have, like, this group conversation,
and then all of a sudden Meri and I
are able to see each other, there's gonna be mutiny.
You know what I'm saying?
Like, that's not how you run a ship. [chuckles]
I told him that over and over and over again.
He's like, "No, we're just gonna do it."
I said, "That's really not gonna work."
- Why not? - [groans and laughs]
I am so sorry, if there are rules laid out--
But there wasn't like this.
But it really doesn't matter
because they're all getting together anyway.
Janelle and Christine are getting together anyway
and they're not following any rules,
they're not social distancing.
It's just one of those stupid situations of, you know,
the people who are following the rules
don't get rewarded for it.
During COVID, there were a few times
when Janelle and I got together.
Uh, our kids just needed each other so badly.
I mean, we would follow the CDC guidelines
prior to getting together, for sure.
Because no one wants to give each other COVID, for heaven sakes.
This is so stupid.
- I just think-- - That's not how a family should operate.
- This is... I am just... - [sighs] I know.
- Listen, I am frustrated with COVID... - [Robyn] Yeah.
I am frustrated with being alone.
It's just stupid.
You know, it's crazy,
I just assumed that Meri was hanging out
with Robyn and her kids.
She's so careful, she would've been so careful.
She doesn't see anybody,
she doesn't have anybody in her house.
And when I found out that she wasn't,
it broke my heart.
'Cause I thought she should've the whole time.
See, to me, I feel like
if they match your risk tolerance,
there shouldn't be any problems
with getting together.
So, I don't think it has to be all or nothing.
I think you find your pod or whatever.
I don't know how Christine and Janelle are handling this,
'cause that's really I stressing me out.
Know it's hard for you.
I don't know, I just know that sometimes
I've been told, I should say, I been told that
you know, that kind of,
that little devil on your shoulder as a sister wife,
you're wondering if your sister wife
that he's with is supporting your relationship.
And I am.
If you get too much in your head
and you start making up stories
about things you imagine are happening,
that's a bad neighborhood in plural marriage.
I don't think this is polygamy.
I think that everybody has a little devil
and an angel on their shoulder telling them,
you know, "They don't like you."
You know, "They're against you.
You should feel insecure and bad about this."
Everybody has that.
Honestly, if you don't, I don't think you're human.
I think it's just a part of this life journey.
I'm not gonna lie, there's been times that,
you know, I've been jealous.
You know, when I have felt like
that I needed, you know,
some time that I didn't feel like I was getting.
I mean, obviously, that was more in our early years.
You know, obviously, mine and Kody's relationship
is definitely different right now.
And, yeah, that makes me sad.
I don't feel jealous.
I don't feel jealous of my sister wives at all right now.
It just makes me sad
that I don't have that relationship with him
and that he's not willing to work on that with me.
But I didn't sign up for monogamy.
I mean, I know that every person in world
would sit there and question that,
but, like, I did not sign up to be in this family
to only have Kody in my life.
[stammers] It's just...
Oh, gosh, I'm so tired of this.
I'm so tired of this.
I've been doing it for years.
From day one, sitting here,
begging to be a part of this family.
And I'm tired of being questioned.
I'm just tired of it.
[sighs]
As much as, um, I love Kody,
and it's great to have him around,
it is stressing me out.
And I'm worried about the kids
that aren't seeing their dad.
Worried about the wives that aren't seeing Kody.
Okay?
Sorry I didn't...
To me it was not at all pointing a finger.
It gets frustrating.
My mom calls me the Brown family scapegoat.
[chuckles]
[sighs] Well...
That's gotta be a hard position.
I called my mom...
And she just kind of chuckled.
She's like, "Robyn, all they do is blame you for stuff."
You're just their scapegoat.
You're the Brown family scapegoat.
But, hey, at least you're part of the Brown family.
[chuckling] Hey, don't say that to me.
- [laughing] - [Robyn] All right?
Do you know how hard it feels to be...
Like, I am an outsider, Robyn.
No, I don't feel like I'm part of the family.
It's this weird thing,
am I a sister wife when I don't have a husband?
And I have a husband, technically.
But do I?
You know what I mean?
So, it's a really weird...
It's weird.
He says and does things
that really make me hope sometimes.
Like, "Oh, I need to go see Meri."
Or, "Oh, I need to go call Meri."
- Like-- - Forgive me for being cynical,
but it's really nice that he's says it to you.
It would be nice if he would follow through
and actually call me sometimes. [chuckles]
- Or come over and say hi. - He calls you.
He calls you, I see him calling you sometimes.
Listen, he told me...
that we can be friends.
He said that?
And that's all.
Yeah, but that's a door opened.
- Okay. - That's a little bit of a door opened.
She's mourning the relationship that she had,
the relationship lost, the marriage that she'd lost.
And I understand, I validate it, it's sad.
But I don't know
that it's ever gonna be what it was.
But it could be something new.
You know, I mean, I'll just keep doing it and...
Yeah, do. Yeah, that's good.
That's good.
It's really, really easy to love Kody.
It's not easy to not feel the love from him.
But all I can do, I feel like,
is just keep sharing and showing how I feel.
I'm technically still his wife.
So, I...
I'll just keep saying those things.
[sighs] I tell you, Robyn,
that conversation the other day made so sad.
Like, we were not a family, like, everybody's ready to go
and do their own thing for the holidays.
And I'm like,
"This isn't the family that I signed up for."
- Yeah. - And...
Sitting there in that conversation,
everybody didn't seem like they wanted it.
When we were younger, when our kids were younger,
we worked together.
We did it together.
It's been years.
You know, we really started getting comfortable
just doing our own thing.
There's like a wedge in between us.
It was really weird, but I felt like the idea
of what I thought the family was isn't real or something.
It was really, really weird.
And really hard.
Did I just make up this lie about the family
and what our culture was and the team that we had?
Did I just make it up in my head
because I wanted it so badly?
Nobody's fighting for our family right now,
I think, honestly, except for you and me.
I will tell you, I hate that we're in this place
that we have to fight for it.
But I feel like that where we're at. [sniffles]
These relationships, these family relationships,
aren't important anymore.
That's how it's coming across to me
And it's really, really, uh... It's really making me sad.
I was so overwhelmed that I had no words.
And I'm like, "Okay, I'm leaving before I say
something really stupid." [chuckles]
[Janelle] So, here's one of the perks of sister wives,
if you're having a problem with your husband,
sometimes they can completely relate.
[Christine] Janelle needs support.
There's a bit of choosing sides
and there's a bit of hard decisions that being made.
You know, I'm actually circling back with Christine
after our last conversation as the adults
about what we're gonna do for Thanksgiving.
[objects clattering]
- Hey. - [Christine] Hey, Janelle.
It's such a mess. You never know how messy it is
- until people come over. - I know.
After, um, the conversation that all the adults
had about the holidays,
you know, where Janelle walked off,
Janelle called me and she's, like,
she was just so frustrated with the whole thing.
And I said, "Just come on over and let's just talk about it."
How do you feel about the other day?
Oh, yeah. Well...
I find... I left
'cause I was just kind of like...
I was so overwhelmed that I had no words.
And I'm like, "Okay, I'm leaving before I say
something really stupid." [chuckles]
I was being treated like a child.
It was offensive and I walked away.
'Cause I thought, "I don't want to be treated like this."
You know, it was like,
I'm like, "Wow, where is this coming from?"
'Cause at first you're like,
"Make your own decision," and then it was like...
"You're being irresponsible."
- [laughs] - [Christine] I'm like,
"Well, that pushes my buttons, actually."
- That pushes my buttons. - [Christine] I know.
Um, so, here's one of the perks of sister wives.
[laughs]
If you're having a problem with your husband,
sometimes they can completely relate.
And you're like, "Yup, I have comradery here."
As soon as he said it,
"You can be irresponsible or responsible,"
I'm like, "You can be judgmental and be an [bleep].
[both laugh]
Janelle needs support.
She's been isolated from Kody a lot.
She doesn't do the travelling like I've done.
And their relationship is good.
They like spending time with each other.
So, I think it's devastating.
I felt like, I have felt like that so many times
during the summer because there's been
so many times where we've gone to play.
Mmm-hmm.
I mean, we had to go see my kids.
We would go see my kids in Utah
and then we'd see Maddie and Caleb in North Carolina.
And then we'd come home and tell Kody and,
um, he always thought that was a bad idea.
But we're gonna do it.
I'm like, "I'm sorry, it's not enough just to have
Kody come over for a few hours a week
to have us stay here for that."
- It's not worth it. - [Janelle] Yeah.
He was like, "I don't think you should go anywhere."
And I'm like, "Well, I am."
So, Kody will come over once every, like, three days,
um, for like, dinner, like in the evening.
And, then he'll just get on his phone...
He'll play games with Truely.
He will play games with Truely.
Um, but then in the morning,
he'll eat breakfast, then leave again.
And then we won't see him at all
until the next time he's there in the evening again.
So, just...
That's just the routine that he's been following
since we came to Flagstaff.
Yeah, I was... I mean, I had to go help Maddie.
- I had to-- - Yep. Yep.
So, it was kind of, like, I had to weigh
between the needs of, uh, my kids and then, you know...
And it's just because we have a different standard of rules.
- I guess. - [Christine] I know.
I mean, I miss him. I think it's horrible
that he doesn't come over
or hasn't come over very often this summer.
If I had to choose between my kid and Kody,
I'm gonna choose my kids.
I just am.
Well, Thanksgiving, it was so funny
when we were talking to you, you said,
"Well, basically, my boys wanna do whatever Christine does."
I'm, like-- [chuckles]
They really did.
It came right down to it, they're like,
"We're gonna do what Christine does."
I'm like, "Okay."
So, when Janelle said that for her kids,
you know, what they were gonna do for Thanksgiving
was dependent on Christine,
it hurt my feelings.
It made me sad.
Uh, I can only imagine how much it bothered Kody.
Well, what about all of us?
What about the rest of us, you know?
I didn't know this much responsibility was on my choice.
I mean, I'm sorry for then
making it so Janelle's not gonna be here too.
'Cause it sounds like I'm kind of the theme.
- No. No. - But I don't feel guilty.
I chose right for what I need to do.
Kody gave us the rules that we needed to follow
in order to get together for the holidays.
And I showed them to Aspyn and Mykelti,
and Aspyn called me immediately
and she's in tears.
And she goes, "I can't follow these rules.
It's impossible."
She goes, "Since I can't come for Christmas,
that's absolutely ridiculous.
I can't believe' I can't see my family.
So, I need you to come for Thanksgiving."
Well, if anything,
we could hang out for Thanksgiving.
That's what I'm thinking too.
- 'Cause, like, right now-- - I want your pie.
She and I are both trying to be responsible.
We're gonna just play it by ear.
If whether we go, and if we go,
if we actually get together as a whole big group.
I actually think Christine and I's Thanksgiving would way more fun.
And my boys, we have got...
They've had a boring life.
- Really? - [Janelle] You know what I mean?
No, I mean, like, life has been kind of boring.
So, they're kind of excited
to have this excursion or whatever.
You know, I keep trying to explain to everybody
that I'm not gonna leave my boys, Garrison and Gabriel,
alone for Thanksgiving here in Flagstaff.
Why would I choose to have dinner
with just Robyn's kids and Meri
and Robyn and Kody when my boys are in town?
Like, Robyn's been,
I don't know how she's been able to have her kids be okay
with not leaving,
'cause I wouldn't have survived.
It's not been easy being so careful.
And it hasn't been easy for my kids,
but my kids respect their dad.
They're just like, "No, I would rather be able to be in the home
and see you guys than to go out and social life.
That's not what I wanna do, and I don't think it's safe."
I had to find the balance for my mental health too.
I'm like... I was like, that first month,
those first two or three, four weeks that Kody was gone,
I had a really hard time.
The big accomplishment for the day
is if I got showered and put on real clothes.
'Cause I was really struggling.
So, the first two or three weeks,
you know, everybody was trying to stay home.
'Cause we were told,
"Stay home for two weeks,
we'll get on top of the curve."
Okay, so, I was doing that.
Like, flatten the curve, whatever.
And it was worst than postpartum.
And I had postpartum after Gabriel,
so I know it was worse than postpartum.
To be responsible,
we'll just figure out how we get together
based on what the numbers and everything look like.
I think so too. I think we have to play it by ear.
I'd love to say we're gonna get together 100%,
but there's no way I can guarantee it.
I think it's typical in a plural family
for the sister wives to have ups and downs.
I've seen times with Janelle and Christine
where they've been really close.
I've also seen times that, you know,
it's not quite so much that way.
And I think the point is to get to a place
that you can work together
and that you have each other's backs.
So, if this is what they're doing right now,
I think it's great.
Like, since the beginning,
you been such a big part of their lives.
My kids, like, they kind of are in orbit around you
as much as they're in orbit around me.
- It's kind of fun, right? - Yeah.
[Christine] It's super, super fun.
But there's a really special something
for me with my kids about Christine.
She was their primary parental figure at home
for so many years while I worked.
So they are really attached to her.
I just love her kids.
They're just part of my soul.
And I love spending time with all of them.
So, if we could get together for any time during the whole weekend
that be just absolutely wonderful.
No, my kids were all like, "Oh, they were the same way with you
-in the conversation." I'm like-- -[Janelle chuckles]
and I threw it out there too. I'm like,
"Well, Janelle's thinking about going to Utah," they're like...
- "Well, then, let's go to Utah." - [Janelle chuckles]
Ysabel and Gwendlyn are obsessed with Janelle. They're obsessed with her.
They think that she's like the strongest, most independent,
courageous woman that they know
and when they found out that Janelle was like,
doing her thing, going off to her sisters', they were like,
"Yeah. She's so cool and independent."
- [chuckles] All right. - Awesome.
- All right. - See you later. Bye.
[Christine] There's a bit of choosing sides.
Janelle and I going and doing our own thing for Thanksgiving is really hard on everybody.
And the thing is, I can't always please everybody.
I can't. And I can't always please all the adults.
I'm gonna please my kids instead.
You know, I'm doing this for my kids.
I need to let my kids know that we're not all going to be together for Thanksgiving.
[Aurora sniffles]
[Robyn] I'm just worried about if it's going to start making them, like,
stop wanting to be around the family and stuff because
they don't care to be around us.
[Meri] Well, it is Sunday...
and I am on way over to Robyn's 'cause I get to go see the kids.
I am so excited.
I've seen them from a distance but not been able to hug them.
I've been begging Robyn and Kody for a really long time,
for months and months, I feel like,
to be able to come over and see them.
And now that we've had this conversation
between all of us, and we all know the protocol...
we can do it.
Meri and I have been counting down the days
when she can come over to my house.
[Robyn] She had to go do one more thing at the B&B,
and then she quarantined for ten days.
I haven't told my kids a thing.
It's going to be a fun surprise for them today.
[in sing-song voice] I'm here. I'm going to see the kiddos.
I'm so excited.
So, we've been very, very careful through this whole pandemic.
But they haven't really been around a lot of anybody else besides just,
you know, us, our families. So-- or my part of the family.
And we're very affectionate, and it's a really big deal
being able to hug and touch someone else.
It's been hard for them, but they've had a good attitude.
[knocking on door]
Why is she here?
[Dayton] Should I let her in?
[Robyn] Yeah, let her in. You want to go let her in, Sol?
[Solomon] Yeah.
[Aurora] Let her in?
- Yep. Yep, you can touch her. - [Aurora] Wait, what? Really?
[Solomon exclaims] I can touch her!
Hi, Meri!
[all exclaiming, laughing]
[Sol] Meri!
[Ariella] I can't believe that you are here.
[Aurora crying]
- [Aurora laughs] - [Ariella] I missed you.
[Dayton exclaims]
I'm just glad that this is finally happening.
It's just been a really, really long time,
and it's just not normal and natural for family to be separated like this.
And I've missed hugs from these kids,
and I've missed hanging out with them.
Everybody, give me a group hug!
Group hug!
I want all the group hugs. All the group hugs.
[Ariella] Ouch. Ow.
Ari, Ari.
[Meri giggles]
[Robyn] You know, I can see that Meri is, like,
starting to get emotional,
and she's trying not to make it a big deal, 'cause that's Meri.
[Robyn] But I can only imagine after so long of just not being able to
be around people, to sit there and just be hugged by a whole bunch of kids that love you.
The other night we were watching Mom's home videos
from when she was 19 and 20 on the VCR
and there was a couple of them where
- she was like-- - [Meri] Wait, you guys have VCR still?
- He just told me that you can breakdance. - [exclaiming]
- [Robyn] He can? - What?
- He just told me you can breakdance. - [Robyn laughs]
I did not know that Robyn was a breakdancer.
She's been holding out on me! [chuckles]
- [Solomon] Andrew. - [Breanna grunts]
- She was getting down low. - [Dayton] Wait, when did this happen? I haven't seen her.
I don't know if "breakdancing" is the right word.
I had a few moves.
[instrumental music playing]
- I can do it. - [Meri whistles]
[Meri] Is that what your Mom was doing on the video?
Wow, that's fun.
I didn't do that. So, I didn't-- I wasn't doing the spinning.
[hip-hop instrumental music continuing]
[Robyn] I was about 18 years old
and I was doing some, like, music videos
and we were watching 'em, it was really fun. The kids were loving it.
And it's making me so happy that you're here!
It makes me so happy that I'm here too.
- [Meri giggles] - Oh, I love it!
[sighs in relief] It was so nice to have Meri over.
[Robyn] We talked and we played and we hung out and we ate.
It was just really, really nice.
And I can tell this is going to be a regular thing for us.
It does feel like your whole family is together!
Well, some of us, not all of us,
- but this is good enough for now. - Sol!
You know, it just-- it really, really does warm my heart
knowing that I am... as important to them as they are to me.
[Meri] Robyn call me.
She says, "I'd kind of like to try making a turkey."
How do I do Thanksgiving without doing the turkey?
-I brought something. I hope you're not mad at me. -Oh, my gosh, no.
[Kody] There is a tendency to be vying for power or position.
I never want to see my wives sharing a kitchen, ever.
[Robyn] Hey, kids.
Can you guys come in the living room so I can talk to you guys?
I need to let my kids know that we're not all going to be together for Thanksgiving,
and that Janelle and Christine have decided to go up north.
I'm frustrated by it and I am sad and I'm actually kind of hurt,
but I need to let 'em know.
Dad put together, um...
a list of all the things that each household has to do
in order to-- in order for the whole family to be able to get together.
- [Ariella sighs] - [Robyn] Basically, Janelle said that
her household aren't-- They're not able to follow those rules.
[Robyn] Um...
- [Dayton] Well-- - I don't-- I don't know exactly like,
what is really going on. I know that
Gabe has a girlfriend and a social life,
but Janelle basically just said that her and her kids that are living in her home
are actually going to travel to Utah
and go have Thanksgiving at her sister's house.
- [Dayton] Okay. - [Ariella yawns]
I'm just worried about how it's going to make them feel.
If it's going to start making them be bitter and stop,
you know, wanting to be around the family and stuff because
they don't care to be around us.
[Robyn] Um, Christine...
has decided as well to go to Utah and have Thanksgiving at Aspyn's house.
[Ariella yawns]
[Robyn] I didn't want to go, "No, that's not true, that's not true,"
because there is truth to what Aurora is saying.
I'm not going to lie to her.
I think Christine actually wants
to be able to kind of get together.
I think she just decided that she would rather go to
- Aspyn's. - Aspyn's.
Honestly, yes, I mean, that's very natural for a mom
to want to go see her kids that have moved out.
You can't really do that [laughs] in a plural family.
Where is Kody supposed to go?
Janelle wants to go to this kid's house.
Christine wants to go to this kid's house.
Meri wants to go to Mariah's house.
Even once my kids are grown and out of house...
[stammering] it's going to be the same thing.
As a plural family, you have to do things differently.
[Robyn] Um, Meri has decided to come have Thanksgiving with us.
Really?
- [Dayton] Wow. - [Breanna chuckles]
[Dayton] Kudos to her.
I'm really sad that we aren't going to be all together for Thanksgiving,
but I can't like, dwell on that.
I have to sort of...
rally the troops, I guess you'd say, and like,
be the keeper of the good morale.
[Aurora sniffles]
[Robyn] I don't want them to feel sad and rejected,
but I don't know how they couldn't.
That's how I feel. [chuckles softly]
You know, and I'm trying to be big about it and kind of mature about it
but it's hard for me too.
So, today is Thanksgiving and Meri is coming over to Robyn's house
to have Thanksgiving with Robyn and our kids.
The weirdest thing is Christine and Janelle are both in Utah
with other family members having Thanksgiving there.
[Kody] So, they were choosing to go do their Thanksgiving other places, and here we are,
literally just eight of us for Thanksgiving.
[Meri] Oh, you snuck some grapes? You snook?
- [Ariella] Mmm-hmm. - You snook the grapes?
[Ariella] Mmm-hmm.
Typically for Thanksgiving, I do the turkey because,
well, I just know how to make a really good turkey.
[Meri] Christine typically does the rolls.
Janelle would usually bring a couple of pies.
Robyn always does the relish trays.
So, we all just have different things that we bring.
Well, Robyn called me and she brought up--
Well, I think she was very nervous that it was going to be kind of a touchy subject.
She says, "I'd kinda like to try making a turkey."
"And how would you feel about it? And I'm like,
"I'm great with it. Do it. I don't care."
Um, but to be honest with you,
it was a little bit weird. I was thinking about it, it's like, how do I...
How do I do Thanksgiving without doing the turkey?
Like, I always do a turkey. How do I do this?
Like, I don't know what to do [chuckles] with myself.
So, I still had to do a turkey.
I did a turkey.
- I brought something. - Oh, yeah?
- Robyn, I hope you're not mad at me. - Oh, my gosh.
[Robyn] What?
I don't know what kind of sister wife thing might've gone on.
I don't know if there was a little rub.
Robyn's kind of wide-eyed.
But I know Robyn and her personality.
I think she's going to roll with this, but she's wide-eyed.
- I had to bring a turkey. - [Robyn] Okay. [laughs]
[Robyn] I'm just kind of like, "Huh, okay,"
You know, I'm just kind of surprised, but I'm easy about it.
- Oh, my God! - [laughing]
[Dayton] Wait a second. Wait, what is that? Oh, my God.
-[...] Don't touch it! Don't touch it! -[...] That's so fun.
[Meri] Kody loves Rice Krispie Treats, and I thought
I need to make a Rice Krispie Treat turkey.
Isn't that the cutest thing you've ever seen?
It's a Rice Krispie Treat turkey...
and with candy stuffing. It's just funny.
Hey, wait! Before you eat all of it, I want everybody to be able to get a picture of it.
[Robyn] Oh, she's teasing me. She's totally teasing me.
It's cute.
- That's really cute. - I had to.
- I had to do a turkey. - Yeah.
Yeah, it's quiet here.
[Kody] If Meri would've done this with the whole family here
it would've been the noisiest thing.
Everybody would've been whooping and hollering.
We've had lot of crazy Thanksgivings.
One year in Las Vegas, we had a lot of extended family,
and I think we must've had 79 or 80 people at that Thanksgiving.
It filled the entire room with people and tables.
[Kody] That's fun.
[murmuring]
[Kody] It's quiet here.
It's been peaceful.
[Ariella] It's not the side.
[Kody] It's great having Meri around.
We don't have a strained relationship.
We just don't have a full marriage.
Through this entire process
of what happened with the catfishing to where we are now,
I'm basically just trying to have a good, amicable relationship with Meri.
But this-- It's no more than that. It's not a marriage.
Well, I don't feel like I need to make a big batch.
I'm really comfortable here with Robyn in her kitchen.
[overlapping chatter]
I just don't need to use that much gravy.
Meri and I actually work really well in a kitchen together.
Um, I don't know [chuckles]-- I don't know how it would be if we lived together
and shared a kitchen but [laughs]...
But when we work together for holidays, we actually work really well together.
[overlapping chatter]
I would never again, for the rest of my life,
ever want to have wives sharing a kitchen.
There is a tendency, from what I've seen,
to be vying for power or position
or relinquishing power and position to get along.
And so personally, I, out of just knowing women's nature,
I don't give a damn about what polygamists believe
about what you should do with wives
to make them grow and become celestial.
I never want to see my wives sharing a kitchen, ever.
To our family.
To the corona-pocalypse.
[all] Cheers.
[Meri] I really feel sad that Janelle and Christine
didn't find it important enough
to spend Thanksgiving with this part of the family.
[Robyn] No, seriously though, thank you all for coming. I'm excited.
I'm just glad that I didn't let COVID control my life.
I will do whatever you taught me to do, woman.
[Christine] That's my favorite thing you've ever said...
I was talking to Aspyn.
[Christine] For Thanksgiving this year, Gwendlyn, Ysabel, Truely and I
went to Aspyn and Mitch's house in Utah.
-What is this? And what is it used for? -It's a baster.
It's part of a baster.
[Christine] Originally Janelle and I were going to do Thanksgiving together
but it just didn't work out.
We really felt like it was too much of a COVID risk, to be completely honest.
- Want to know something fun? - Yeah.
Wait till you become an outie.
[Christine] So, Mykelti is like,
I don't know, four and a half, five months along.
She's definitely showing. She popped right out super fast.
So, you can see her belly button in her shirt. It's so cute!
I love you. And I love you.
[singing] ♪ I love you ♪
Ysabel has a really special relationship with everybody here.
Um, she had her scoliosis surgery a couple of months ago,
and she's still in a crazy amount of pain.
She just doesn't feel good. She's uncomfortable. Sitting's really difficult.
And here she is just being sweet.
- [Christine] All right. - Oh, my gosh. Yes.
That looks good.
We're just having so much fun, and it's so relaxing and so wonderful.
I could definitely get used to this.
Not saying anything.
We're missing Ysabel.
[Christine] I think part of the reason this is so nice
and pleasant and easy going is because it's super stressful at home.
- I'm thankful everyone could come. - You're welcome, Mitchell.
I'm thankful everyone can be here for Thanksgiving.
[Christine] Things are hard at home.
So, I think part of the reason why this Thanksgiving is so nice
is because I can just leave all of the problems and leave all the stress
and just have it be easy.
[indistinct conversation]
[Robyn] No, seriously though, thank you all for coming. I'm excited.
[Christine] The relationship that I have with my kids
is the most important relationship that I have.
I'm grateful that I was able to see them this year.
I'm just glad that I didn't let COVID control my life.
[Janelle] Hey, so we're going to sit here and have
Thanksgiving for the first time not with the family, right?
[Janelle] So, I, for the first time in many years, went and had Thanksgiving
with my sister in Utah.
[Janelle] Do you guys remember a time that we had Thanksgiving...
- Oh. - No.
No, it's never been like this. [chuckles]
Stupid COVID.
The reality was, I didn't even think to call Kody or anybody
'cause I was really having a great time with my family.
We were busy. We were busy doing all the...
the fun things that are in Utah at the holidays.
We did video chat Robyn's house for Thanksgiving.
So, we did touch base with everybody, at least that way.
[Kody] Ari, hey, will you give me a sweet smile?
I would like you to look in that camera and give a sweet smile, please.
This is special for Mommy and I.
It's just us and it's small, and it is quiet.
There is some simplicity to that. It's a marked difference.
And it definitely like, kind of a prick to my heart that not everybody's here.
- Absolutely. - [Robyn laughs]
Absolutely.
[Meri] I really feel sad that Janelle and Christine didn't find it important enough
to spend Thanksgiving with this part of the family.
I could've chosen to go do Thanksgiving with my mom or Mariah.
Because I chose this family doesn't mean that my mom or my daughter
is any less important.
This is just where I want to be and need to be for...
such an important family holiday.
[Kody] So, I...
COVID has been [stammering] such a strain on the family,
and everybody here at this table
has been really easy on me about my rules for COVID,
and the contrast has been one of those things that has really just made me aware
of those who are loyal to me and those who are not.
It's as much respect as it is loyalty, I suppose.
How you love a man is to respect him.
And so I'm sitting here just appreciating where I'm at and who's with me.
[Janelle] Hey, here we are.
Having Thanksgiving.
Alone. With our other family.
There's all this discussion about loyalty and respect.
And I thought in marriage that was mutual.
I thought you were supposed to give it both ways.
Not just that all the respect and all the loyalty flows to one person.
This isn't me choosing to not be with Kody, Meri, Robyn and Robyn's kids.
We will not ever be compliant enough for their rules.
- [all] Cheers! - [glasses clinking]
[Christine] Thanksgiving at Aspyn and Mitch's house was lovely.
It was cozy and no drama.
It was really, really great.
To our family.
To the corona-pocalypse, which has made us appreciate family more.
- [all] Cheers! - [glasses clinking]
[Kody] It's just really actually very peaceful.
It's quiet, it's easy.
But I'm not saying that that's what I want.
You want a easy life, be a monogamist.
[indistinct conversation]
[narrator reading]
[Janelle] My mom passed away last night.
I'm sort of stunned and I'm sort of at a loss.
[Kody] Gabriel, don't just blame Mom.
- You guys had your own [indistinct] - No, I'm not. No.
No, I want to take some responsibility here.
[bleeps]
Why are you upset?
[Kody] It makes me mad at myself
that I haven't been more in charge.
COVID has sort of pulled this blanket off of some of our issues.
I actually think so too.
These things were there before this.
I've caught myself in the last few weeks kind of reflecting.
Do I still choose plural marriage?
It's Christmas Day!
It was just really, really, fun to just actually
be together and just hanging out with everyone.