[narrator] Previously on Sister Wives...
[Robyn] I know that Christine is leaving,
and Mykelti called me and she was like,
"Robyn, I think it would be best if you came
and you guys came and said goodbye."
I'm leaving in five minutes.
This is such an awkward moment.
- Bye, Christine, good luck. - [Christine] Bye. Thank you.
So, it's very apparent how awkward we all are,
but Janelle and her kids are on one side
and Robyn and Kody are on the other.
None of us wanted to be here.
You guys, thank you for coming.
Hey, it means a lot to me that you came.
[crying]
[Robyn coughing]
[Robyn] At this point, after having COVID for a week, I can't breathe very well.
[Aurora] She could get worse. She could get better. We just don't know.
So there is still that to think about.
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.
The ship is sinking.
[Meri] Janelle, and Robyn, and Kody are gonna be coming over here to my house,
and we are going to be talking.
Janelle wants to show us some of her plans for her house
that she's gonna be putting on the property.
- [Kody] Hi. - [Robyn] Hi.
- [Kody] How's it going? - Okay.
[Meri] But also, this is the first time
that we've all gotten together and talked since Christine left.
And it's been, like, over a couple of months,
which is kinda weird for me.
- How's it going? - Good. How are you?
[Kody] I'm living, I'm breathing,
I'm six feet over instead of under.
Robyn and I and our kids,
all but Aurora, got COVID.
And it was pretty rough.
Just in case anybody cares,
I'm COVID-free.
[Kody laughing]
- [Meri] I got COVID tested. - [Kody] Did you test?
- Well, yeah, that's how I know. [laughs] - [Kody] Jeez.
Now that I've had it, I'm still really weak.
I'm still tired.
You know, people who only had it for three days,
or just lost their sense of smell,
don't understand what I went through.
I joke about it,
but I almost wanna grab them around the throat and like,
"You don't know what I went through!"
Do you guys wanna see my house plans?
- Sure. - [Kody] You guys have all seen this, right?
The lots, one, two, three, four, five. There we go.
But are we leaving that the same that was already decided then
when there was five of us?
And now there's four of us.
- Yeah, I still wanna get five lots... - Okay.
...because we can and we should.
We can build something on there and have a rental property.
[Janelle] I have my house plans done.
It really isn't anything different
than what we have visualized as a family months ago for how the land is gonna be.
I'm not really hoping to get anyone to say, "Oh, la-la-la,
let's prioritize the money and pay off the land,
so we can finally build."
I'm not expecting miracles.
I'm just trying to, like, "Hey, guys, here, I have plans.
I'm ready to go. I have plans."
When I asked Kody about paying off the land,
he'll say stuff like, "I don't want you to ask me again.
I'm getting so mad about you asking."
And I'm like, "Okay." But then I'm just gonna keep asking.
I just get a little bit more time and I keep asking
because this is, this is my estate.
Is everybody good with that?
I mean, we, we still okay doing these lots this way.
It's so weird just, like, talking like this
'cause we really haven't talked,
- the four of us since... - [Meri] I... Yeah, I...
This has not been a discussion.
With Christine leaving?
- Well, yeah. Like... - It's not a taboo subject.
Do you guys wanna talk about it?
Well, it's just weird that we're already, like, talking about the land
when we haven't really touched base after...
...she left.
[Kody] We can talk about it.
- You're acting weird about it, Meri. - I am?
Oh, yeah, it seems like it.
Like, do you have, do you have something you wanna say?
I mean, it's totally cool.
[laughing] You can...
- [Robyn] It's okay. It's... - [Kody] You can...
He's just...
I'm not acting weird.
- I... I know, I can tell. - [Robyn] Hey, it's all...
Robyn's the one who brought it up...
- ...not me. [laughing] - Well...
I think we need to talk more in this family.
- [Kody] Well... [laughing] - [Meri laughing]
I feel like there's a big lack of communication in our family.
And this is a big thing. Come on.
Um, this next part of my life I want...
- [Kody] Different. - ...to be better.
- With me and you, or with everybody? - With everybody.
- [Kody] Okay. - With everybody.
Like relationships. Like I think
we have been sweeping so much under the rug for so many years
and we need to deal with these things.
And Christine leaving's like a wake-up call.
I don't know what to say because I just think we need to get to pure honesty.
- That's what I'm saying. - But also too.
- Okay. - [Kody] Well, we're saying pure honesty
- Yes. -'cause we've had this fakiness about ourselves
where we've been like, um,
"We're such a happy family."
And all that time, Christine wasn't happy.
[Robyn] One of the things that happens in our family
is something crazy, or big, or painful, or hard happens,
and we just sort of gloss over it.
[Janelle] You know, I don't know what there is really to discuss.
I don't want a Christine-bashing fest.
And I don't really need to process it.
I think we've spent too much time
ignoring the struggle we were having,
and when we talk about one house,
Christine finally affirms that we really don't want one house.
Well, that's what she said. She didn't want one house.
I mean, she wasn't speaking for everybody, but...
When we start talking about the one house idea,
Christine was very much against it.
And Kody had a big conversation with her privately about why.
I know that he got a lot of information that he did not like,
a lot of Christine's truth.
So, and here we go.
- There's the house. - [child] Wow.
- Whoa, that's a big house. - [man] Whoa.
[Christine] That is a big house.
You know what, he can talk about this as much as he wants
with three other lovely ladies in this room.
I... I guess she was...
She was speaking enough truth to make me go think about it.
The... Just how oppresive it would be for everybody to live together.
Well, I mean, I think Christine was the most vocal
about not wanting one house.
Robyn said she didn't know.
Meri was like, I don't know.
I was the only one who was like, "Yeah, yeah, one house, one house."
Everybody else was kinda on the spectrum.
You guys are still not for one house.
- [Meri laughs] - After this year of COVID...
[Meri] You don't have to answer right now, but like...
...with the way that we have treated each other this year through COVID, no.
I mean, I'm just gonna lay it right on the table.
I have been shocked
at the way the last year and a half has gone.
So, we would have to get a lot of [bleep] figured out.
Robyn is absolutely right here.
COVID exposed us.
This last year and a half has been...
has really shattered...
...what I, I thought our family was.
The sense I've got is that we've failed with Christine leaving.
We're still here and we don't need to fail more.
We need to fix it.
- [Kyle] Well... - We need to fix what the problems are.
All that the COVID, and the quarantining, and stuff like that,
that did was reveal us.
I know, and that's what I'm trying to say,
is we need to look at what was revealed,
and we need to work on it,
or we're just gonna sort of disappear as a family
I don't know how to fix what's going on.
But they're not trying to fix it either.
This is... This is as much pointed at me as it is at anybody else.
Like, are we going to be a pod here?
The home base. The nucleus.
Whatever it is here in Flagstaff.
Or where the kids come home like we talked about.
Or are we just gonna...
[sighs]
Christine leaving...
...has put me in
...a very dark spot.
[Janelle] Kody has told me stories Robyn would share with him
about things Christine did,
trying to get me on the side of realizing
that Christine was this horrible sister wife, or whatever.
That's been going on for years.
So, I don't know why all of a sudden it's a shock
that she should leave.
[Robyn] You know, I don't know what conversations
Janelle and Kody are having,
but I learned a long time ago,
venting to Kody about my frustrations with my sister wives
actually harmed my relationship with him.
So I just don't do it.
[Kody] The dumb thing is there's been plenty of complaints
from Janelle about Christine, and Christine about Janelle.
There's been thousands of complaints between the two of them.
We didn't want to be what I was pushing us to be all that time.
And now, now she's gone,
and we're lamenting it when we really didn't wanna be what... that.
I wanted to be it, Kody.
No, you're not gonna say that to me.
[Meri] I don't think it's fair for you to say
what everybody thinks or feels 'cause that's not what I wanted.
I wanna say something here really, really, really, really questioning him if I should.
[sighs]
It's about my situation with him.
And I can't decide.
[sighs]
But I'm just going to.
[Meri] It's interesting hearing him talking about this,
and the parallels that is happening with him and Christine,
and me and him. It's...
...kind of disturbing because, like,
some of the things that he's frustrated about...
...with Christine, he did to me.
Oh, he wants to work on it with Christine.
But...
...not me.
If people are just tired of trying
and they don't wanna work it out, then I need to know.
Robyn, I think that you and I have had enough conversations about this
that you know exactly where I am,
and that I am still here because I'm still trying.
Six years later, I'm still here.
Ten years, 15, 20 years later, I'm still here.
It's what I want.
"I'm here, Robyn.
I'm here."
And there's silence.
[Robyn] I love that Meri is saying that she wants to work stuff out as a family.
But I'm purposely just not saying anything
because I don't want it to intimidate Kody and Janelle
and make them feel like they have to conform,
so that we can really get to the bottom of maybe some issues.
[Kody] I'm exhausted.
Like, who cares.
If you're not with me, you're against me. Eff off.
You know, I'm just like that way.
Ironically, Meri's trying to support me,
and I don't wanna be in a relationship with her anymore.
[Robyn] So, now...
- ...I gotta hear from you. - I do think, you, Kody, you focus...
Like, you're like, "Oh, my God, we really wanted to be together."
And to be honest with you, I really don't know if I wanna do the work.
Like, I'm basically, it feels like I'm being forced to choose
between my children and this group.
I don't feel like my children are welcome.
When... When have they not felt welcome?
Well, Kody's, Kody's basically told me they can't come for Christmas
unless they do a big apology.
And they're like, "Well, hell no. We're not gonna do that."
The issues between me and Gabriel and Garrison,
basically have to do with lack of, uh,
support or adherence to the COVID protocols, and stuff like that.
Janelle wasn't supporting me,
therefore they weren't supporting me.
I'm not gonna have Garrison and Gabriel around like the alcoholic family
- acting like nothing happened. - You have to know Garrison and Gabriel
are not the only children who have problems.
You say there's more than just Gabe and Garrison.
There's a general disgruntlement among my kids.
I think this is an indicator that Janelle and her children
are talking about me behind my back
'cause nobody's confronting me with it.
- [Robyn] Then, why don't we talk about this now? - Yeah, why...
Why don't I even know?
[Robyn] Why can't we talk about this stuff?
You... You've hardly been around, Kody.
You're not seeing all the input.
You're just sort of like, "They should respect me."
And there's a lot more pieces to than just telling them that.
I really don't know what's going on.
I'm trying to catch up here.
And I really wanna understand
because I feel like this is something we can get fixed.
[Janelle] You know, I have no idea.
Robyn's acting like she's never heard this before.
I think she's pretending, possibly, that she's never heard this before
'cause Kody's a blabbermouth and he can't keep anything secret.
This whole confused thing is something that happens a lot.
And I don't know.
I don't know if it's for real,
or if she's just pretending that she's never heard anything before.
But Kody leaks like a sieve, so I don't...
At the end of the day,
I think I'd rather be with my kids.
- Well, that's what Christine's decision was too. - No, I'm just telling you.
- Look, you're getting upset with me now. - No, I'm not.
- [Robyn] You guys. - I'm just saying that's where Christine was.
There's been a bit of a civil war,
the whole family in a way.
And I'm looking at Janelle wondering whose side she's on.
Are you saying Garrison and Gabe can't be around,
- period? - [Kody] I want...
Or are you looking for, like, real resolution
where there's conversation on both sides?
Well, I think we need a resolution.
Right.
I'm just like, "What? What the [bleep]?" Sorry.
I don't even recognize...
...this family, or whatever. Like, I...
Like, I don't know. Something has really changed for me.
I want us to work this out.
There's a strong pull to just run away and do the easy thing.
I don't want you to do that.
'Cause I have two worlds pulling now...
- ...you know? - There should be one.
There should be one world.
Robyn's the only good communicator in this whole family.
I'm a [bleep] communicator.
There's a term they use for Robyn,
it's called "circling the donkey."
It's where the donkey is roped to the grinder and it's grinding the mill,
and that donkey just goes around and around and around and around.
'Cause Robyn gets to the bottom of the problem.
It's an unfair term for her,
but the fact is is it's a compliment.
It's hard to be a wife...
...when your husband has a wife.
We need him.
And most men in monogamy, they just...
they go do stupid stuff,
and they date whoever, and they're angry,
and they're pissed, and women suck.
He's doing with that while he's married.
And I've told him several times I feel like
he's lining up all women and I'm there too,
and you're there, and you're there,
and he's shooting us all down
because Christine is a woman and he's angry and he's hurt.
I think women bear a very different burden
in plural marriage than men do.
And I've seen men leave plural marriage,
feeling like, you know, five, six wives?
Never feeling like they'd been loved.
Plural marriage isn't all beer and skittles.
You know, it's not for men.
I mean, there's a different burden
that I don't want to sit here and mansplain to you.
It's just obvious that it's difficult.
You're going to share your husband?
Why would you do that?
I'd just say to each of you
that I want to get this figured out.
All right, well, I gotta go get Savanah.
- [Meri] I'd like to see your house plans some time. - I guess you can your plans
- another time. - [all chuckle]
I'll show you really fast. Savanah can wait just a few minutes.
I told her I was gonna be a little late, but...
- Oh, boy, okay. - That's a lot of paper.
[Kody] We're going down a road where we were really on
the verge of a critical conversation.
[Janelle] So that's what it looks like.
So there's garage,
and then we're gonna put decks.
So, here's the... Go ahead and stand over here, Meri, so you can see it.
And now we're looking at plans,
and like getting all happy and everything like that.
I think that was a mistake, we should've finished the crucial conversation.
[Janelle] So the bathroom's got like a hall entry, this will be her bedroom.
We're just going to ignore it.
'Cause that's just what's gonna happen.
Do you want to give me a hug?
You gonna sit there and look at me.
This is the first time I've seen Dad since he had COVID.
It doesn't really make that much of a difference.
When he comes over, it's more like just a visit,
instead of like living there, you know.
And I made tater tots, but they're inside, I'll go grab them.
I told everybody in Flagstaff
that I would be coming back.
And I didn't know how hard that would be.
Before I got COVID, Janelle decided that she wanted to get an apartment.
We decided that the RV wasn't going to be functional enough,
and then she moved while I had COVID, I think.
Well, I'm going over to her place to check out her new apartment
for the first time.
[Janelle] It's a very small apartment for us.
We've moved in and now I'm trying to figure out how to make everything fit.
It is more room than the RV.
So it's really chaotic.
[knocking on door]
[Kody] Hi.
- [Janelle] Hi, honey. - Holy cow.
- Sorry, it's-- - [Kody] It's like moving, isn't it?
- Yeah, it's pretty chaotic. - [Kody] Jeez.
How are you?
- Good. - Do you want to give me a hug?
- You gonna sit there and look at me. - [Janelle chuckles]
So this is the first time I've seen Dad
since he had COVID.
Uh, it doesn't really make that much of a difference
because he,
he doesn't come over, um, very, very often.
When he comes over,
it's more like he is just a visit,
instead of like being there,
living there, you know?
So...
Oh, I'd love to bring that freezer
and set it right where that chair is.
- If there's a way to... - [Janelle] If we got a smaller table.
But, you know, once it's all cleared up, one side can be my office.
My desk, my computer, because I don't really have an office space.
With the way that our family works,
it's always kind of been that way.
It's getting less and less frequent.
I think that's fair in a lot of ways.
Dad didn't like the trailer.
So I think it was really hard for him to be over there.
When Janelle was in the RV, I was splitting my nights
between Janelle's RV and Robyn's place.
But I wasn't spending the daytimes at Janelle's,
or showering there.
There wasn't enough water, there wasn't enough space really for me.
[Savanah] But hopefully now that we are moved into
an easier place to live,
a better place to live in my opinion,
that, um, he'll start coming over a lot more often.
[Kody] Um.
Oh, yeah, this space just isn't big enough.
Right here.
I'm an afterthought.
Like, I'll squeeze in wherever I'm gonna be.
But she's filled this house up and she has no more room in it,
and she doesn't have everything in it yet.
And she doesn't have me in it yet.
[sighs] Okay, for me, the lamps are too low for my reading
when they're on a nightstand.
I need a higher nightstand for a lamp.
- I wanna-- - [Janelle] Do you wanna just bring it over then?
Yeah, I would be tempted to bring it over,
- but-- - [Janelle] You have a plug right there.
Anyway, we'll figure it out
'cause this is about all the bedroom furniture
- we're gonna get in here. - [Kody] Really?
I was really afraid that Kody would judge this apartment
because he really likes nice things,
and this apartment is the standard
college town apartment.
I knew it wouldn't meet his...
His preferred standards for living.
Yeah, so weird, so small.
- It's kinda fun, I feel like we're sort of like starting... - [Kody] Yeah.
- ...as a... [laughs] - A newlywed couple?
We're here, and it was available, and she took it.
And so we're gonna squeeze ourselves into it.
[Janelle] Should we go get something to eat?
- I'm starving too, I should eat something. - Let's go.
Should we go?
Yeah, I finally am not worried about getting COVID.
You'll go to a restaurant, and wear your mask,
and then we just see you sit at a real table,
- and eat there? - Yeah, makes sure I got a mask.
All right, let's go. That'll be fun.
[Christine] Oh, I heard you saw that [imitates engine].
[woman] Okay.
[Christine] Oh, we can move this.
- [woman] You know, I just can't. - [Christine] Oh, no bueno?
[woman] It's okay. Do you want...
I've been living in Salt Lake for like two and a half months
and oh, my gosh, I feel like I'm back home.
Like I wanted to hang out with Aspyn, and Mitch,
and Mykelti, and Tony, and my mom,
and my dad, and my sisters.
It's all happened, several times.
So how do you like living here, Christine?
- Oh, my gosh, I love it. - Yeah?
Yes, I love it.
I was hoping that we would see you guys all the time,
and hopefully see Mykelti and Tony all the time.
And we really have. I love it.
I told everybody in Flagstaff
that I would be coming back
to hang out and to visit and everything.
And I didn't know how hard that would be.
Every time I drive to Flagstaff,
I go around this corner and up this hill,
and there the mountain is.
The same mountains that angels sang to me before.
Yeah, mmm-hmm, those mountains.
[Kody] I want everybody to see the view.
- The magical view. - [Christine vocalizing]
That's the angels, right there.
I just feel like it's just this huge weight.
I have to go back
to a place where there's so much heartache.
I made tater tots, but they're inside, I'll go grab them.
A week before I left Flagstaff,
I told Kody, and Robyn, and Meri, and Janelle,
that I was moving and it was in a week.
You never tried to have really good relationships with these other people!
You wanted to renegotiate a relationship with me.
But you wouldn't even have a decent one with them.
I knew I was giving them a lot of information,
but I didn't know how bad it would go.
Are you interested in some sort of a...
Like trying to work stuff out?
I think for right now, I need space.
For right now.
The hardest part of the whole conversation
was when Robyn said, "Well, what about us?
What about those that you don't have a good relationship with?
Would you want to fix that?"
And immediately, I was like, "Oh, my gosh.
No, I can't go back in the past."
And then I saw her kids a couple days after,
it was so weird and awkward,
and I realized, her kids think I don't want a relationship with them.
And now I think I understand.
If that's how she feels,
and that's what she heard I said,
no wonder it's so hard.
No wonder everything's so weird.
I feel like there's this huge chasm
in between Robyn's kids and me.
In order to cross it,
I have to build a bridge with Robyn.
I don't know what to do.
I'm sorry I'm angry.
- 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] Janelle, please don't leave.
- Can we just keep talking? - [Kody] When you're in pain, I try to understand you.
[Robyn] Kody, can we please keep talking, Janelle, please?
Janelle, this is a really bad idea for you to walk off on this one.
Hey, ladies, how's it going?
Good, how are you?
I'm living.
So since Christine has left,
and, you know, obviously she said that she wasn't going to be here
for the holidays this year.
I think we're just like trying to like figure out what to do with the holidays
'cause it's kind of been a discussion.
Well, I mean, okay, so Thanksgiving's a week from today.
And I am actually going to North Carolina.
- So you're going to go to Thanksgiving at Maddie's? - [Janelle] Yeah.
- Yeah. - [Meri] What are you doing for Christmas?
- [Janelle] I'm here. - Are you?
- [Janelle] Yeah. - What about your kids?
- Who of your kids are coming? - Where are you going for Christmas?
Here, here.
- Okay. - But my kids, they're renting an Airbnb
because...
I didn't, they don't...
I don't think they're...
welcome, right?
[Kody] I never said my kids weren't welcome.
- If they apologize, and they're kinda like-- - No, no, no.
I completely reversed that, I said all we gotta do is be able to have conversations
so we're not sitting here in our house
like a bunch of alcoholics that had a fight last night and forgot it happened.
Well, I don't know.
- [Kody] I'm serious. - Your boys are as stubborn as you are.
- So... - No, I'm not being stubborn here.
All I want to do is talk to them.
So, they're getting a 'bnb?
Yeah, 'cause everybody's coming this year.
- Everybody is? - Yeah, not Maddie and Kayla, but everybody else is.
- Everybody is coming? - Yeah.
Yeah, this is absolutely news to me that everybody's coming.
This is just like Janelle to sort of keep me in the dark about the plans.
- So-- - And I'm just finding this out?
Kody, you're the one who said they can't come
- until they apologize. - I didn't say!
- You said, last time we talked you said... - No, no.
- ...they can't come 'til the apologize. - Listen.
You and I need to communicate some more
-'cause I... - That's what you said.
You said that to me multiple times.
They need to apologize.
They need to show some respect.
I think sometimes that Janelle has pit me
against the boys,
or never supported me with the boys.
I'm... Man, I'm having the hardest time
not just feeling like she's just betraying me.
I'm not saying that they actually have to apologize to me,
and I corrected that many times already.
And she keeps hitting that note.
It's almost like that's what she's told them,
so she can't back off on it,
because they're trying to put the heat onto me
for what's been going on here.
But you told them all until they apologize
- they can't-- - [Janelle] Well, that's what you told me.
That's what you told me.
You said until they show respect and apologize...
Then...
So...
And then after Christmas,
Christine said that Ysabel
and everybody are coming home and they want to come see the family here.
Man, this is exactly what I was afraid of with Christine leaving.
[Janelle] Kody, it just was working out that we had a vacation rental
so we extended it so Christine and her kids
could come so they can see, Truely and Ysabel can see you.
[Kody sighs]
Okay, am I the only one that sees this as some kind of betrayal?
[Janelle] A betrayal?
Christine just left.
You don't want her to bring the kids to see you?
Oh, I'd like to see the kids.
but you're talking about everybody going to some neutral zone?
This is my house.
They last I knew
is that the boys couldn't come until they showed respect
and apologized.
So they're like, "Well, I'll guess we'll come and...
stay with you," and I don't have room for them.
[Kody sighs]
You guys are gonna have to weigh in on this.
I'm not going to shoulder this whole damn thing.
So now he's looking for reinforcement from Robyn and Meri.
Let's build a united front against Janelle and her decisions.
[Kody] I'm struggling here with the Christmas scenario.
So I'm asking Meri and Robyn to chime in.
Like, I can't identify what it is specifically about it bothering me.
So I was like, "Is this bothering you guys?"
What do you want us to comment on?
I mean, have an opinion here.
This is bugging the hell out of me.
Am I wrong?
What was I supposed to do, Kody?
What were they supposed to do?
Oh, man, I don't know why every time we start talking about family stuff,
something broadsides me,
- and-- - Kody, you said they could not come over
- until they apologized. - I think we this conversation a little bit
and I thought that it was a little bit more clear
when we were at my house a couple of weeks ago.
I thought that he had made it clear that it wasn't
"well, you just have to apologize and then we're good."
I thought he had made it clear then.
So after Kody recovered from COVID,
he told me that the boys would have to apologize to Robyn.
But you know what? There's been no movement on Kody's side.
And I'm not going to leave my kids here in Flagstaff
having a separate Christmas when I'm at Robyn's
with her and her kids and Kody and Meri.
Sorry, not interested, I'd rather be with my boys.
You know, if I was in the same situation as Janelle is in,
and all of my kids were gonna be in town,
I for sure would want to go be with them.
I absolutely remember saying that, I think you just didn't hear it.
I corrected that, I said that's not a good idea.
- Well. - What I need to do is just...
- We just need to-- - We had a previous earlier
at least one or two conversations where you told me the same thing.
So, that was the information that I was working with.
- And this is the year-- - Please do not 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!"
[scoffs] There's gonna be no conversation.
Kody still wants to hear the same thing from them.
At the end of the day, Kody still wants them to show respect,
and apologize especially to this person
in this family who's done all these amazing emotional things for us
and has just been hurt, AKA Robyn.
So they're doing Christmas over there now?
I don't know what we're doing.
I'm hoping that by some God given miracle
that you guys figure your stuff out.
But at this point, yeah, I guess.
If you were like Logan and Hunter, I made them hold hands
and like walk around all day.
I mean, it totally worked their crap out.
See now, you're acting like you're not even culpable in this situation.
Culpable? For what? What?
Culpable...
for not having any respect for me about COVID rules.
Kody, you were asking me to choose between my children and you.
[Kody] But you ever even reinforced the rules.
You never even said these are the things you should do.
You actually belittled...
the stuff I was doing.
- I was keeping myself from being a hypocrite. - [Janelle] Kody.
You did not even give us the rules 'til two weeks before Thanksgiving.
[Kody] We've been talking about that for so long before.
You did not give me those rules 'til two weeks before Thanksgiving.
- [Kody] Well-- - So from March until Thanksgiving,
I had no rules.
- Those were get-- - No, you didn't! You did too!
That's not true.
- Okay. - That's a blatant lie.
Wait, wait, wait, stop, stop, stop.
- Just give us-- - [Kody] Sorry, I'm mad as hell
because you know what?
Everybody put the [bleep] on me.
- [Robyn] No. - And then when I finally get sick from COVID,
[grumbles] that was a death-like experience.
- [Robyn] Okay-- - Oh, man!
I sat here and just tried to get everybody to do...
I realized that you just can't run from it by now.
Plus I was trying to protect, to protect my family.
What if one of my little ones had been where I was and where she was?
Only what, what was it?
- Like three weeks ago? - Okay, this is same old, same old.
[exclaims] I cannot believe!
I cannot believe that I have done all this.
To save you!
To save Truely!
To save our... I did not know!
I did not know that it wouldn't harm them!
I was trying to protect 'em and I got criticism from you!
And from the my boys, the worst criticism!
Zero respect!
You guys wonder why I'm mad?
I've gone 18 months being persecuted
by my own family for trying to protect them.
- [Robyn] Let's not-- - My heart is broken!
- Let's just talk-- - Christine left because of this!
Let's just keep talking, even if it's intense.
[Kody] I'm, I'm sorry...
- I just went through this-- - You and I see it very differently, Kody.
And it's not all my fault.
- This is not my fault. - Janelle, you have flu-like symptoms, I...
- I had-- - You're acting like this is my fault.
It would've been great to have had a back-up.
Kody, I was doing what I could.
I was walking a line between my adult children
and you, and everybody else.
I was following all the CDC guidelines.
Kody's acting like I was a COVID denier.
I was not a COVID denier.
I followed all the CDC rules.
I wore a mask. I washed my hands. I was careful.
I'm vaccinated, for crying out loud.
I don't have to stand here and defend myself.
This is the same old argument.
I don't need to be beaten into submission, made to kowtow.
I'm just not. I just don't need this.
In the last 18 months,
I've realized that I'm pretty good.
I'm independent.
And I'm not gonna stand here and be yelled at.
I just don't need it.
I don't deserve it, I don't need it.
[Janelle] I don't really wanna be here anymore.
[Kody] Well, you know what, the running from our problem,
is just gonna keep us standing at that bridge
with the torch, Janelle. We gotta figure this out.
And 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.
[Robyn] Can we just keep talking?
[Kody] When you're in pain, I try to understand you.
Kody? Can we please keep talking, Janelle? Please?
Janelle, this is a really bad idea for you to walk off on this one.
[Robyn] Can we please keep talking, Janelle? Please?
[Kody] Janelle, this is a really bad idea for you to walk off on this one.
Well, all you're doing is yelling at me.
[Robyn] So if he stops yelling,
can we keep talking, please?
I have a few more minutes.
- [Robyn] Will you stop-- - [Kody] I really apologize,
but every time we start talking about this stuff...
- [Robyn] I know. - ...I'm, like, on the verge of losing it.
I know you are, I know.
'Cause I know the weight of it, now.
- I know you do. - More than I ever did.
Okay, so...
...the 2020, the COVID,
there was a lot of disagreements, okay?
So is there a way to come back from it,
I guess is the question.
I started all of this discussion about vacation rental,
because, Kody, you told me
that the boys were not welcome until they apologized to everybody
because they had been so abusive.
- And so-- - No, just me and Robyn.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Yeah. Mm.
No, why is he talking about me?
He doesn't need to be talking about me.
I don't know why he's bringing up my name.
They were literally accusing her of the dictates
that I was putting out there.
Hey, you know what? I can't...
Robyn wasn't asking for the apology.
This is me,
originally asking for apology,
but, just saying, let's clear the air.
Let's not act like something didn't go wrong here.
Maybe it's just too raw.
Maybe this year, we actually do skip Christmas together.
From experience, the more you, uh,
just ignore situations and you don't have conversations,
and you don't work on it,
the further and further you grow apart.
I think a lot of people
put a lot of blame on Robyn in our family.
I think there's been different times in all of our lives where, like,
we've been the one that it's been easy to pin all the blame on.
You know, I see that with Kody.
You know, and I see that with me.
And I've seen it with different people throughout the years.
I think we've all taken our turns being the one blamed.
I know I've had blame for things in the past.
But there's gotta be a place where eventually,
as a family, I mean, whatever, you know,
- different parts of the family-- - I think we were all willing
to just come together,
and just sort of be the best of it at Christmas,
but then Kody started being, like, "Well, they can't come."
- And-- - No, Janelle, because, I feel like we've had years,
this is what happened, okay?
I mean, COVID's just a battleground.
But Christine just left.
Here's what I think is so interesting.
He always wants to fall back to this, "I've been divorced."
And I'm, like, dude. You were a participant in this divorce.
It wasn't like it broadsided you.
You've had a lot of rejection
over the last year and a half, Kody.
And so now, with this thing with Christine,
it's making it more, like, in your face.
And that's hard.
You want people around you to pick sides
'cause you're going through pain.
[Kody] I, literally, ladies, I'm really sorry.
I just got caught in my emotion here.
[Robyn] I think, I don't--
No, the thing, Robyn,
I knew better than to do this, and all of a sudden,
- I'm sitting there realizing if you pick her... - But if you were--
- ...then I won't accept you. [laughs] - But Kody, listen.
If you hadn't just gone through
the last year and a half to two years
with COVID with your kids,
that wouldn't hurt like it is.
Marriages are complex,
but the relationship between parent and children,
is really complex too.
I mean, I have my own, just,
vast complexities with my parents.
Yeah, I have my own daddy issues.
So now I've passed that on,
and my sons have daddy issues.
I have no idea.
Maybe I haven't told them enough I loved them.
I'd sacrifice my life for them.
[exhales] I thought I was making huge sacrifices.
I was making huge sacrifices.
And I'm sure everybody else is having heartbreak.
I'm sure Garrison and Gabriel are having heartbreak.
They probably wish I was as loyal to them
as I wish that they were to me.
And we've kinda been at war with each other.
I think it got worse when, uh, we talked about,
when Christine wanted to talk about moving to Utah.
It's like, if we were all moving to Utah,
would we still be staying together?
Would the family actually be on one page?
I don't know, 'cause Kody, at that point, you were, like,
like, this plural marriage is flawed and it's a problem,
and this isn't fair, and this is stupid,
and they, my wives don't wanna be together.
He's convinced that the plural marriage is--
[Kody] No, I'm not talking about plural marriage.
I'm talking about wives in a relationship through plural marriage.
I, I'm...
...I'm cynical.
So you feel like in order to have a functional plural marriage,
the wives have to all be best friends, no ifs, ands or buts?
Listen.
Okay, I don't know if all of you have played chess,
but if a man's, if a king's on a chess board,
he's nothing without a queen.
But can you imagine if a guy has three queens?
Now, those three queens have gotta work together.
So if the king has three queens,
he can rule the world, or at least, that chess board.
But guess what?
The queens are always attacking each other.
And we've just seen that play out completely.
With Christine.
We went through that process,
of putting our best foot forward, and being optimistic.
Saying, our lives are great, we love plural marriage,
the sister wife relationship, and that bond is very special.
When it really might not have been.
And so here I am,
in a dark place, with plural marriage.
Really questioning whether it's a good idea, or if it works or not.
Maybe we've done something wrong along the line.
We've certainly, like, asked God
to guide us and help us.
I don't wanna blame plural marriage.
But it just hasn't worked very well for us.
I wasn't gonna miss an opportunity
that all my children almost are gonna be home.
Yeah.
[Janelle] So this gonna be one of those things
where you're gonna have to,
you guys are gonna have to work it out with a counselor or something.
Because I can't be in the middle of it anymore,
'cause it's wrecking us.
They get to pick and choose who they hang out with,
but I don't. It's weird to me.
Well...
[Kody exhales]
Anyway, I'm sorry.
It's all right.
[Janelle] I just think we've never had divides this deep,
and now Christine has left,
and that's obviously a very, very big departure
from what our family has looked like for many years.
This is, like, the ultimate test of our family.
Can we hold it together with all of this?
[Sukanya Krishnan] Next time onSister Wives, One on One...
I'm in this place that I might reconcile with Meri,
and Christine lost her [bleep] that day.
That's a lie. That's not me.
I never knew about that moment with him.
I think he has a favorite wife,
and that's why all of this is like it is.
Is Robyn the favorite wife?
You know, that's the most unfair question.
They handed him to me.
And said, "we don't wanna spend time with him," basically.
Janelle, this is a really bad idea for you to walk off on this one.
He acts like he's the only person who's been rejected.
Where does the relationship stand now?
I'm separated from Janelle,
and I'm divorced from Christine.
- Kody and I have separated. - What?
[Krishnan] This is Sister Wives: One on One.