‘The Mother/Daughter Experiment’ Season 1 Finale Recap: The One They Finally Aired

"We're finally back!"
“We’re finally back!”

Finally, after months of waiting, Lifetime finally aired the long-lost season finale of The Mother/Daughter Experiment! While we still have no idea why the network held off on airing the finale for so long (although there are a few possible theories), it doesn’t really matter because…Heidi’s ugly cry face is back, y’all!

When we last left off with the “ladies,” Courtney Stodden’s mother, Krista Keller, had admitted in therapy to developing feelings for Courtney’s husband, the long-suffering Doug (whom Krista allowed to marry Courtney when she was only 16). Courtney says that her mother basically tried to steal Doug away from her, which Krista denied.

On the episode before the finale, Natalie and Heidi got so wasted the night before that Natalie tried to fight her own mother. As you do.

"I mean...everyone tries to box their mother at one point or another...right?"
“I mean…everyone tries to box their mother at one point or another…right?”

Natalie apologizes to her mother, Karen, and they attempt to make up. Apparently just the fact that Natalie is acknowledging that she can be a great big ol’ trashbag sometimes is a big deal.

“To at least (for her) to say she’s sorry and apologize shows that we learned something from all of this,” Karen says.

That morning, the women go into their final therapy session. This session is all about the women discussing what they fear. Dr. Debbie asks them to use one word to describe what they are afraid will happen when they leave the house.

When you're mad because you thought you were going to be the star of the show but then someone out-trainwrecked you...
When you’re mad because you thought you were going to be the star of the show but then someone out-trainwrecked you…

Krista says ‘interference.’ She doesn’t want people (aka Doug) to interfere with her relationship with Courtney. Courtney says ‘repairing’ because she’s afraid they will be worse off when they leave because she can’t trust her mom. Dr. Debbie calls Krista out for not accepting responsibility for the damage in the relationship.

“You have to accept that you’re a mother who fell in love with her daughter’s husband,” Dr. Debbie tells her.

Krista deflects and tries to rationalize it away, so Courtney gets mad and storms out of the room.

“This is my breaking point. She can’t do this to me anymore. You know what? I’m done,” she says.

"That's it! I'm calling Jerry!"
“That’s it! I’m calling Jerry!”

There’s really only one thing to do at this point, Court: Book an appearance on The Jerry Springer Show with your mom and throw chairs/shoes/hair extensions at each other until someone runs off the stage crying. Whoever is left standing wins…Doug. (And what a prize he is!)

Everyone tells Krista that she needs to own how badly she hurt Courtney but Krista just doesn’t get it.

Ever-reliable Heidi chimes in to tell them they need to continue therapy when they leave. You know you have problems when Heidi Montag is telling you that you need therapy!

"I hope my package comes with at least enough alcohol to last me on the drive home!"
“I hope my package comes with at least enough alcohol to last me on the drive home!”

Dr. Debbie gives each woman a care package with things that will help them deal with each other when they leave. The only thing that Courtney needs in hers is a restraining order to keep her mother away from her and her husband!

The packages contain things like headphones, hourglasses, maps, and tiny suitcases. Um…are they going to see the Wizard of Oz or something? What the hell does someone need this crap for? Give them what they really need to handle each other—a bottle of Jack Daniels, a couple of hammers and a phone with 911 on speed dial so they can call the cops on each other during the inevitable next domestic disturbance.

Dr. Debbie gives them all some last-minute advice in hopes that they will be able to repair their relationships.

Right in the middle of therapy, Kim gets sick. She wobbles out of the room saying she feels like she’s going to faint, so they call an ambulance. (They should just get the paramedics on speed dial at this house. This is like the third time they’ve had to come out to pick up one of these people!)

"Me pretend to be sick for attention? NEVER!"
“Me pretend to be sick for attention? NEVER!”

Kim refuses to go to the hospital. The paramedics tell her she needs to eat. It’s kind of funny that this all happened right after the therapist told Kimberly she didn’t have to be responsible for taking care of her mom anymore. Now she’s right back to caring for her mother. Cut the umbilical cord, already.

Finally, it’s the last day and they have one final exercise to complete before they are released out into the world again. Each person is told to take a journal and write down what their own fault is in their damaged relationship, and then apologize to each other and discuss a plan to repair their relationship. Dr. Debbie says they have to recognize their own faults and own them in order to get to a better place in their relationships.

Courtney is, understandably, having difficulty with this assignment. She says she is having an issue figuring out what she needs to apologize for. Uhh…nothing. Your crazy mother married you off to an old man and then tried to steal him away. You didn’t do anything wrong!

"I'm not apologizing and you can't make me!"
“I’m not apologizing and you can’t make me!”

Courtney says she’s just beginning to deal with the pain her mother caused her, and she doesn’t know where to go from here.

“I’m realizing that our relationship was never healthy and if she isn’t willing to take the necessary steps to make it as healthy as it can be, I’m going to do that,” Courtney says.

That night, Dr. Debbie meets with each pair and asks them to admit their faults to each other and apologize. Most of the pairs get through it pretty easily. Natalie apologizes for being ungrateful and lashing out at her mother. Josie apologizes for not listening to her mother. Shar apologizes for being too overprotective of Cassie.

"I thought at the end of this I'd get to take home a different mother! Waa!"
“I thought at the end of this I’d get to take home a different mother! Waa!”

And then comes Courtney and Krista. Krista admits to “choosing the wrong path in connecting emotionally with Doug.” She apologizes for putting business before her relationship with Courtney.

“I came here to find the truth and the truth made me feel very angry and hurt,” Courtney says. “I feel so used and I feel so betrayed in the most painful way. I have so much hurt inside me and you don’t even realize. I feel emotionally abandoned by you. You crossed boundaries that should never be crossed,” Courtney tells her mother, before turning to the therapist. “Dr. Debbie I came into this house alone and think it would be best for our relationship if I left alone,” she says.

"Bye bitches! Don't let the doorknob hit ya on the way out!"
“Bye bitches! Don’t let the doorknob hit ya on the way out!”

Courtney walks out of the house alone, and says she has finally learned to stand up to her mother. Krista says she will be there for Courtney whenever she decides she wants to have a relationship with her. Don’t hold your breath, Krista!

That’s it! It remains to be seen if Lifetime is planning to get another batch of Mother/Daughter trainwrecks for another ‘Experiment.’  Too bad we aren’t going to get any sort of “Reunion” special with the Season 1 cast– well, really, just Courtney and Krista. After all, Courtney is now pregnant with Doug’s child and has said that ‘Mother/Daughter Experiment’ actually made her relationship with her mom worse, not better!

To read our recaps of this season, click here!

(Photos: Lifetime)

8 Comments
  1. Barbara's Home for Abandoned children created with soulmate of the day #justlikethenotebook says:

    OMG! Krista is a terrible human being. It explains everything now.

    As a momma myself, I just want to swoop down, wipe all that makeup off Courtneys face, put her on my lap and hug her, and cry with her and tell her shes beautiful, and that she doesn’t need to be a sold out prosti-tot, she doesnt need to use her body for attention. That she needs to take the time to find out who she is and who she wants to be, and that she can be more than what her mother made her. I just wanna be the momma she deserves.

    I know its my preggo hormones going wonky, but my god that poor child!!!


    1. I am always to busy Friday’s so any show that airs Friday I just watch Saturday and for this entire show I’ve watched on Saturday. I couldn’t find any trace of the show whatsoever on Saturday! No one the xfinity on demand, the xfinity app, for the lifetime app! It’s like it never existed!


    2. My DVR recorded this at like 4pm, which is clearly a weird time for the show. I think Lifetime is trying to let it die quietly. Like when VH1 aired I Love Money 4 in the middle of the night.

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