‘Sister Wives’ Season 8 Episode 6 Recap: Mariah’s Wrath & the Coming Out Aftermath

When you get a chance to show the hate you have for your mother on camera…

It’s time once again to see all the fun that having multiple life partners can bring! Yes, kids, it’s time for another episode of Sister Wives. Yet again, TLC has managed to stretch about an hour of new footage into a two-hour episode (Counting On-style), which means we’ll have plenty of old, played-out footage mixed in with the new stuff.

Anyway, we pick up where we left off last week. As you may recall, Mariah shocked all of the parents when she announced that she, like her father Kody, likes the ladies.

“Don’t look at his creepy foot…don’t look at his creepy foot…”

While the parents are shocked, they are doing their best to be supportive of Mariah (and her overdrawn eyebrows). Everyone has thoughtful comments and then Kody comes in with, “Did you have a lot of crushes on girls though? A lot?” followed by a few other semi-insensitive remarks.

Janelle just shoots her husband a look, and you can tell she’s mentally trying to crunch the numbers and figure out how much it would cost to leave this nitwit and move out of the Brown family’s Cul de Sac of Broken Dreams.

“Would this be the wrong time to ask if Robyn can adopt me?”

Mariah tells us that Robyn is the first person she ever met that said it was okay to be gay. (Who would have thought that Robyn would be the most progressive of the Brown bunch!?) Mariah says that, although none of her other parents ever said anything bad about gay people, it was drilled into her at church that being gay was a horrible thing.

“This is unexpected. I did not see this coming,” Meri tells us. “It kind of surprises me that she’s known for so long and hasn’t said anything.”

“This is gonna be a great story line for Season 8 you guys!”

Kody tells Mariah he accepts her no matter what, and actually manages to keep his bumbling Barney-Fife-like comments to a minimum throughout the rest of the scene. You can tell that he really does love Mariah, and that’s refreshing. (Of course, Mariah has always been a favorite of his. Ol’ Meri made sure of that! It would be nice to see Kody throw a random daughter—say Savannah or one of the other Middle Forgotten Ones—a hug and a nice word every once in a while. Just sayin’…)

Anyway, all of the adults are being supportive of Meri, and some of the moms are even congratulating her for finding herself. Mariah’s biological mom Meri stays pretty quiet during the whole scene.

After the family meeting breaks up, Meri heads back to her house to stare at her empty rooms and wet bar and contemplate what is going on with Mariah. Of course, any mother receiving this news about her daughter would be surprised, and Meri is to say the least. However, she is less surprised about Mariah’s sexual orientation than she is that her daughter kept it from her for so long.

“Life was easier when the only lady-loving woman in my life was the catfish!”

“I thought I knew my daughter,” she says. “It makes me feel bad that I didn’t see it, that I didn’t see the struggle she was going through all these years. And, it makes me feel like a really bad mom.”

Well, the fact that Mariah cringes whenever you go near her doesn’t really make for an open line of communication, Mer. Also, if Meri were to count the number of times she says “me” or “I” in a conversation in which she is supposed to be talking about someone else, it might be rather eye-opening for her.

“No fair Mariah gets all the attention for being gay. I got my hair trimmed and no one even cared!”

Meri decides she wants to talk to Kody about Mariah. Since being alone in a room with Kody makes Meri break out in hives, she decides to invite Robyn over too.

“Kody and I don’t really understand each other so I want Robyn there,” Meri says.

Meri tells Kody and Robyn that she doesn’t understand how they were immediately so happy for Mariah, and that she is struggling to accept her daughter’s news.

“We aren’t happy that Mariah is gay,” Kody says. “We are happy that she knows herself. More than anything I’m happy that she was born into my family because, guess what? She’s safe with me.”

“Start being nicer to your mother or I’m gonna ship you off to live with Jim Bob and Michelle!”

While Kody always tends to make things about him, he does have a point. Mariah could have been born into the Duggar family!

Meri is having an understandably hard time accepting that Mariah’s life path will be different than she had expected. Meri seems to have no idea how lesbians are able to have children, or even that they are able to legally get married now. Can someone help Meri? .

Meri apparently thinks that, now that Mariah has come out, she’s going to want to host big ol’ lesbian soirees at her wet bar or something. Robyn is trying her best to get Meri to see that Mariah is still Mariah (unfortunate as that is), and that she will still be able to get married, have a family and live a great life.

Robyn says she knows Meri will come around once she gets over the shock of it.

“Oh God, Meri’s gonna let me have it for that comment!”

“Mariah is really happy and excited,” Robyn tells Meri. Hearing that Mariah has confided in Robyn instead of her seems to make the knife go into Meri’s heart a little farther.

“I want to know that,” Meri says. “And I don’t want to know it through you!”

Can we just take a moment to give props to Robyn here? She has really come through for Mariah, and is great at explaining things to Meri in attempt to make her become more open-minded.

“I’ll take this one!”

Later, the whole family decides to take a trip to Utah to get to know Mykelti’s fiancé Tony better. In order to do so, they insist that Tony cook for the whole group, and if his food doesn’t make anyone vomit, he can have one of the Brown daughters.

The whole Brown clan is staying in one giant house. (It’s just like back when they were living the polyg dream years ago!)

That face you make when your dad won’t stop making inappropriate comments about you and your husband boning in a yurt…

Everyone is there: Logan and his girlfriend, newlyweds Maddie and Caleb, and of course, Mariah, who shows up wearing long denim shorts, a T-shirt, Converse tennis shoes and a backward baseball cap so that she can fulfill all of the lesbian clothing stereotypes all at once.

Everyone is making uncomfortable jokes about Maddie and Caleb humping in a yurt (and by “everyone” we mean Kody, of course). The newlyweds are given their own quarters so that they can get busy creating the next generation of Browns.

Even though Mariah told her mother to leave her the hell alone, Meri takes this as a sign that her daughter just wants to have a heart-to-heart with her. Meri spies Mariah sitting on a patio by herself, so she scurries on down there to corner Mariah and force her to talk to her. Mariah sees Meri coming toward her and you would have thought she had just spotted Bigfoot coming her way. She looks horrified.

Meri ignores her daughter’s uncomfortable body language and sits down and begins to talk to her about her being gay.

“So am I supposed to throw you a coming out party? Let me know and I can start spray-painting coffee cans!”

“I don’t want to say the wrong thing and be offensive but I just want to say what I feel,” Meri says.

Mariah doesn’t seem very interested in hearing what Meri has to say or what Meri feels, but Meri keeps going anyway. She wants to understand how Mariah came to the conclusion that she’s gay. Mariah tells Meri that it was a “personal process” and something that she doesn’t really want to talk about…even though Mariah’s been talking to Robyn about it all along.

Meri is trying to wrap her head around how Mariah can still get married and have kids. Geez, can someone please get a pad and paper and draw a diagram to help Meri understand how babies are made for same-sex couples? This is getting embarrassing. Maybe Meri can ask Truly to explain it to her later or something.

Kudos to Meri for not throwing Mariah off the balcony during this scene…

Mariah is being a complete crap-goblin to her mother, as per usual. Her entitled and bratty attitude is running rampant in this scene. She says she is still mad at Meri for being catfished, but it’s obvious she hates her mom for so much more than that. Good Lord, Mariah, your mom played A/S/L? with one weird lady on the computer; it’s not like she burned down your dorm and destroyed your entire collection of flannel shirts. Come on!

“You can ask questions and I will let you know whether or not I want to answer them,” Mariah tells her mom.

“What do you want me to do, Mom? Treat you like a human being? Geez.”

Meri has a lot of questions that are normal and justified to ask of her daughter, given what she has just been told. She wants to know if Mariah is still religious, which is a fair question. Up until last season, Mariah was all about church and was eagerly looking forward to becoming a sister wife. It’s understandable that Meri would want to know about that, but Mariah just rolls her eyes at the question.

“Can TLC pay Mariah to start to like me again? Like, is that an option?”

Finally she tells Meri that she is no longer religious but that she is “spiritual.” Meri accepts the answer and is being generally supportive of Mariah. When Meri dares to bring up the fact that Mariah constantly treats her like a flaming bag of used tampons, Mariah gets all defensive, and acts like her behavior toward her mother is completely justified. Mariah does not want to talk about her strained relationship with Meri so she throws a fit.

“You’re doing this thing again where you are pushing me,” Mariah says. “I just really need you to stop pushing me because I’ve been good here.”

When asked by the producers how her talk with Meri went, Mariah replied, “I could be doing better things with my time.”

You mean like studying at the pricey private college your mother is paying for? Um…yeah…

“That relationship is toast, Mer. If I were you I’d start buying cats…”

Later we get to see Meri and Robyn talking about Mariah. Robyn tries to be the Yoda of Gay Daughters and advises Meri to let Mariah come to her and to not push her. While that’s good advice, this has been going on for nearly a year. Clearly Mariah is not going to come to Meri to talk about their relationship. Meri is desperately trying to salvage her relationship with her only child, who just happens to be a spoiled, bitter brat.

Back at the cabin, future bride Mykelti asks the four wives to provide her with something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue for her to wear at her wedding. It’s a nice gesture to include all four moms in her big day. Christine tells us that she is starting to like Mykelti’s fiancé Tony, even though she used to think he was kind of shifty.

That night, all of the older kids go out for drinks. Mariah, Mykelti, Tony, Maddie, Caleb, Aspyn, Logan and his girlfriend Michelle are all chatting, and everyone is trying to ignore the elephant in the room, which is that Mariah just came out to the parents. Finally Maddie can hold it in no more and asks Mariah how the parents took the news of her being gay.

“Anything that gets the subject off of us getting married is A-Ok with me!”

Mariah says that the parents took it well, and that she now feels like a weight has been lifted off of her shoulders, since everyone knows her secret. All of Mariah’s siblings are supportive of her, and most of them seemed to know that Mariah was gay even before Mariah herself knew.

After they’ve run that subject into the ground, the gang tries to put the pressure on Logan and Michelle to get married. The couple deflect the questions, and tell us that they are both very focused on school and their careers right now, and aren’t trying to get hitched at 22.

“I guess this means that I’ll get to officiate a lesbian wedding someday, right Mariah? Mariah…? Where are you going?”

At the end of the episode, the parents all gather on a couch to wax poetic about what the next few years bring for them. They say more marriages and grandbabies, of course, and Meri just sits there with a confused look on her face. OK, seriously, can someone help explain the baby-making process to Meri?! This is getting embarrassing!

To read our recap of the previous episode of ‘Sister Wives,’ click here!

(Photos: TLC)

36 Responses


  1. I REALLY hope Mariah sees my comment…I REALLY do, although she probably won’t finish it. It doesn’t suit her! I watch Sister Wives weekly, yearly and I feel I’ve earned the right to share my first ever comment! Mariah, you need to listen up! Your mother, who has ALWAYS been there for you, has ALWAYS been a wonderful, loving parent, made a stupid mistake. GET OVER IT! How about asking yourself WHY it happened! She was LONELY! She was HURTING!!! She screwed up, she was naive! Jesus forgives but apparently, you don’t have to! You “came out” to a family who struggles with your choice but EVERY ONE OF THEM ACCEPTED YOU INCLUDING YOUR MOTHER!!!!!! Gee! Do you deserve to be treated with such loving acceptance in light of your unforgiveness? No! However, two wrongs don’t make a right! Don’t tell me you’ve forgiven her! You treat her like crap! Shame on you! You’d better hope nothing happens to her before you make things right because, God forbid, if it did, you would have to live with your selfish, self-centered self the rest of YOUR life! If you have children one day, you’d better pray YOU never make a mistake! What goes around, comes around! Stop making this about YOU and think of you poor mother for a change! And then ask God to forgive YOU for your unforgiveness!


  2. Mariah is being a spoiled bratty two year old. Meri has done everything for her as a mom does. So Meri got caught up in something beyond her control. I really don’t get how or why Mariah thinks that affects her. But everyone better jump up and down for her news. Any parent would be a little speechless. Mariah is just plain selfish. I don’t think Robin and/or Kody should encourage Mariah to treat Meri this way. They should be setting her straight. I have always thought Robin and Kody are THE couple and everyone else is just there.


  3. Kody is actually, dare I say it, impressing me this season.

    For all his faults he loves his children a lot and you can tell he’s being genuine when he says he’s happy that Mariah’a found her truth, he’s glad she’s part of his family so he can protect her. It takes a LOT for religious parents to accept a child coming out (I came from a religious family myself), and Kody, Robyn, Janelle and Christine all did a great job of showering her with love and support. Kody even got genuinely angry when he thought someone from the family had been homophobic to Mariah in the past (funny how he looked right at Meri at that moment ?)
    I mean he even took some of the Catfish blame a few episodes back. It’s like ol’ Kody is finally starting to grow up.

    Mariah is still a spoiled little brat, but I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her when all of her other parents were congratulating and hugging her and Meri sat there silently.


  4. Mothers lock up your daughters, as a star in her own right, Mariah has the ability to bed any girl she takes a fancy to. Kody appreciates and envies his daughter in this regard. Meri was confined to only phone sex with her former lover, the woman from Oklahoma and Mariah knows that. It’s fine for Meri to carry on with a woman for six months, but she has a problem with Mariah wanting to do what she has to do? Kody, in every way, proved himself to be more tolerant and open minded than the self righteous Meri. Robyn has turned out to be the cool wife, familiar with and totally accepting of the gay life style, promoting it’s virtues.


  5. I don’t understand how these women who can’t stand each other in this life want to continue their relationship in the afterlife. If it wasn’t for the kids in the picture to distract them from the thoughts of jealousy of having their husband being intimate with another woman none of them would still be married. So sad to waste this life being jealous,lonely and emotionally abandoned. Thank goodness their kids have some commen sense.


  6. “More than anything I’m happy that she was born into my family because, guess what? She’s safe with me.”

    Dare I say I adore Kody Brown after this statement. What a very sweet and kind thing to say.

    On another note, Mariah is a twat. I had a very weird relationship with my mom too when I was that age (we are best friends now), but she could give her mom a chance at least. Geez. I feel so terrible for Meri. Only one kid and it’s Mariah. No wonder she tried to find happiness somewhere else, neither her “husband” or child like her at all. Meri you can do better than this!


  7. Mariah is a nightmare but at the same time, Meri raised her to be that way. We all saw it coming. She has always been a spoiled brat that throws temper-tantrums like a 2 year old.

    Meri’s problem is that she’s all about appearances, and wants what the picture-perfect life is supposed to look like instead of what would really make each of them happy. She wanted the biggest house (for ONE person). She wants to host the perfect Pinterest-style parties (even though she barely speaks to anyone in her family). She wanted to have the golden-child daughter going to the most expensive college (even though they were broke), and being the only kid going to med school (even though Mariah would NEVER make it through med school with that attitude). And NOW, she wants her daughter to have a male spouse with 2.5 children because that’s what she sees in her head as the perfect life. Doesn’t matter what would make Mariah happy or even Meri happy. She just wants a typical storybook life instead of making changes to actually BE HAPPY.


  8. So neither Mer or Mar seem to really get what being a lesbian is about. Come on! They do own a TV and they do get online don’t they?
    Is this for real or is this for their bills?

    Mariah can still have sister wives when she is gay. The female version of Cody… now that would be interesting. Mmmaybe not…


  9. How about that scene at Meri’s house between Cody, Meri and Robyn! Yikes! When Cody refuses to sit in the living room, it’s pretty clear there has been a lot of no so happy discussions happening in there. It was awkward af!


  10. Mariah is gay, yeah! Meri could learn a lot from Robyn on how to be encouraging and accepting. Meri is a failure as a mother when her only daughter does not feel safe or comfortable in her presence. Mariah has been traumatized by Meri’s actions in the past, there is much more to this than a simple catfish fling. Meri triggers anxiety in Mariah but keeps invading Mariah’s space brutalizing her more in the process. Meri needs to think about moving on, falling in love and beginning a fresh new start in monogamy. Polygamy has been detrimental to her well being as well as others. Polygamy is ongoing revenge, oftentimes bitter and violent. Violence and lies are just plain wrong.


  11. Mariah needs a good slap, I know Meri is annoying, selfish and it sucked for the family that she was catfished but seriously get over it!! If Kody can attempt to put a happy face on then Mariah can stop treating her mom like crap. That talk was crazy awkward though and Mariah was just rude. I’m so over these two, we need more Janelle episodes!!


  12. Meri is just scared she won’t have grandchildren because she is starving for love, poor lady. Obviously Mariah can still have children, but the cheapest easiest route still is getting knocked up.


  13. The Captions on all the pictures were hilarious ?. Especially the one pertaining to the Duggars.

    Mariah has so much pent up anger and hostility towards Meri. How old is Mariah? Meri is a few fries short of a happy meal and isn’t the most pleasant person, but she IS her mother. No matter your orientation, being with someone who has such severe mommy issues isn’t healthy.

    On a side note, I genuinely like Jenelles children the most.


  14. It’s funny how Mariah made Meri feel like crap about her eyebrows when her new Lesbian Brows are a million times worse


    1. LOL! True dat! Not the most attractive lesbian. She needs to sweeten her personality so that she will be attractive to someone.


  15. Am I the only one who feels like punching Mariah square in the jaw? I feel bad for Meri as Kody is such a douche and Mariah is so unappreciative of everything Meri has done for her. Mariah is too self-centered and immature to understand why her mom was desperately looking for love elsewhere. It also annoys me how much Robyn tries to be neutral, instead of telling Mariah to stop being a bitch.


      1. Yep, lots of unresolved issues. And pretty annoying and hypocritical for someone seeking acceptance and understanding to not be willing to extend it to others.


        1. We all know you can’t pray the gay away, don’t even attempt it. But if you try real hard and have willpower of steel, sometimes you just might find it possible to make the bi go bye. Mariah crushing from afar doesn’t translate into her being a raging bull dyke nympho in a china shop. A backwards hat is sometimes just a backwards hat.


    1. She’s the worst. But I guess the Apple doesn’t fall from the tree, eh? Someone else commented that this is Meri’s karma for how she treated Janelle all those years, and to some extent I agree. Meri and Mariah always had a close relationship and I feel like Meri continually enabled Mariah’s loathsome behavior. Mariah learned how to treat people from watching Meri.

      Oh well. At least Meri still has that wet bar.


      1. I think Meri and Janelle were doing a tango that took two. How would you feel when someone constantly gives you the silent treatment, ignores you, refuses to speak to you for years, making you feel like your a lower life form?
        Janelle hasn’t been a good sister wive to Meri too.

        Meri creates a lot of drama and wants a lot of attention and I see that in Mariah too but Meri is not as mean as Mariah is now it seems to me. She refuses to communicate or interact with her and treats her like sh…
        Perhaps she learned that from Janelle, she knows that hurts her mom really bad. She has seen it growing up.


        1. I disagree emphatically. Janelle ignored Meri because Meri constantly degraded her. What’s the old adage? If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all. Janelle avoided Meri to avoid the passive aggressive quips. The best thing you can do in a toxic situation is ignore the hostile person.


          1. When somebody does shitty stuff over and over again, they’re not making mistakes, it’s just who they are. Stop making excuses.


  16. “We aren’t happy that Mariah is gay,” Kody says. “We are happy that she knows herself. More than anything I’m happy that she was born into my family because, guess what? She’s safe with me.”

    Kody, how dare you make me tear up while I’m on the toilet!


    1. That Kody suprises me more and more lately. His support of Mariah is truly touching. Meri, on the other hand, has her foot constantly in her mouth. I do feel bad for her, tho, especially with Mariah being such a little snot with her. Clearly, she hates her mother. Meri is such a drag but I don’t think she deserves it. Perhaps it’s karma from all the years she mistreated Janelle…


    1. If you feel so bad for her, why not order some LuLaRoe or LIV products from her? That would cheer Meri up. Thanks.


    1. Ever get the feeling that someone from the grade eight drama class wardrobe department dressed her as an “authentic lesbian”?

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