Monsters and Critics columnist Liz Long recaps 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way, Season 2, Episode 10, Forgiven Not Forgotten, with a little help from a glass of pinot (or two) …
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness …”
Foolishness. I think that’s a good stopping word, folks! Lord knows we have plenty of that this season, and last night’s episode was no exception! So grab the tequila for us, Melyza’s dad, and let’s recap!
Greetings my 90 day-lovers and welcome to your weekly recap of The Other Way. Where butts are the new bongo and foolishness reigns supreme. Thank goodness for Ari’s mom! If not for her wisdom, we all would have withered away to our graves long, long ago.
And speaking of mothers, I title this recap “A Tale of Two Mothers” in honor of Mother Ari and Mother Jihoon. But, really, it could be a “tale of three” …. after all, we can’t forget Mother Melyza.
This episode was such a doozy, how about we just dive into this Tale, which takes us around the world from Korea to Ethiopia to India, with a pit stop in Columbia, and back!
Jihoon and Deavan: The Worst of Times
For the love of Heaven, of justice, of generosity, of the honor of your noble name, TLC… I supplicate you, release me! Release me from this hell known as Jihoon and Deavan and the missing money. If you cannot release me, I pray you to be true to me and fetch me my wine! Two bottles, in fact!
Yes, my 90-Day lovers. Here we are… in the streets of Korea… with Deavan asking Jihoon why he doesn’t have any money… again. And Jihoon feeling like a loser… again. And Mother Jihoon being scary… again. I do agree with Jihoon’s mom about one thing, though:
High five, sister!
But we had some developments in this broken record of a conversation, tonight! Though it feels as if seven years have gone by, Jihoon finally explains why he spent all his money: “I didn’t take you seriously.”
Now I’m not sure where that darn translator egg from hell went or why all of a sudden we really don’t need it anymore, but we FINALLY have the clarification Deavan has been looking for! And…
SHE OUT! This only is the moment (most of us) have been waiting for (not that we wanted this outcome) but come on. How many times must we have this conversation? How long can we go without smiling? How long can TLC put US, the VIEWERS, through this?
The answer? One more time. Because before she goes back to America, Deavan wants Jihoon to
Pic credit: GIPHY
Like now. All $3,000, in fact. She’ll wait.
Meanwhile, Jihoon’s mother is (still) laughing all the way to the ATM, but not because she’s rich. She laughs because this is all “child’s play” to her. And, yet again, Mother Jihoon, I have to agree with you! Double high-five.
Though Jihoon slaps that envelope of cold hard Korean cash on Deavan’s lap two minutes after she requested it, she continues her meltdown and says she just wants to go to her hotel.
Paging Kenny and Armando before Deavan causes me to have a meltdown of my own? Oh, Kenny and Armando aren’t here tonight?? Hmm… what about Tim and Melyza?
Tim and Melyza: The Age of Foolishness
What can I say? Desperate times call for desperate measures. Now you guys know I’m not a big Tim fan. I am, however, a Melyza fan solely because of her fashion sense. In fact, I went into their segment wondering what outfits I’ll see from her tonight.
But that wonderment soon turned into distraction because all I can see is Tim hovering over little Melyza and her stove while she cooks up some chorizo and eggs! While Tim looks like he is about to pounce the piece of meat (either the chorizo or Melyza–it’s anyone’s guess), we lament some more over Tim’s cheating scandal.
We learn that Melyza’s dad and Tim are pals(!) … but Mother Melyza? Not so much. You see, unlike Melyza’s dad, mom knows that Tim cheated. And boy was this clear over their family dinner:
I know everything Tim. Everything.
Oh, Mother Melyza. I almost love you as much as I love Mother Ari. Speaking of which…
Ari & Biniyam: The Age of Wisdom
Ari and her lovely mom go to the nightclub so they can see Bibi in his work element. And by work element, I mean that we’re about to see Bibi dance with his “cute” ex-girlfriend and play her back thigh as if it was a keyboard and her booty as if it were the drums!
But does that phase our rock of wisdom mother? Nah. “Wow, I didn’t know you had talent!” she says, as she greets Bibi with a big hug and smile after his dance. While that might sound like a back-handed compliment, mom finds a way to say it so that she’s still completely likable!
She further compliments Bibi on his “club shirt,” which also might sound like an underhanded dig, but, again, mom gets away with it, having an air about her that is full of grace and wisdom.
After Bibi explains the importance of not wearing white t-shirts anymore, because what if a club girl gets the “lippy-stick” on it forcing him to hide it from Ari, mom gently and quickly squashes that notion with a mere finger-shake… “we don’t do that, Bibi.” Can I clone Ari’s mom and tote her around in my back-pocket, please?
I mean, she could probably win over Sumit’s parents for Jenny with all that charm and wisdom…
Jenny & Sumit: The Best of Times
Okay, so it might not be the “best of times” for Jenny and Sumit, but I had to squeeze it in somehow. And, hey, at least she finally knows Sumit’s divorce is in the works. Sumit and Jenny are back, wandering around India to meet up with Sumit’s brother, Amit.
So let me get that straight … it’s Sum-it and Ah-mit. Amit and Sumit. I hope this meeting isn’t the pits. I really hope it’s a big hit. Liz will stop now to take a sip. (Charles Dickens, eat your heart out.)
Speaking of sips, isn’t this a really nice glass–a heavy glass-in a really nice place?
After talking about the tableware, Brother Sumit tells the pair that mother and father don’t approve of the relationship because of the age difference. What will society think after all?
Jenny asks a valid question: But what about our happiness? Why is that secondary to SOCIETY? For some reason, the brothers or cousins have all the pull in these shows, and Brother Amit agrees that he will talk with mother and father. He just wants one thing: everyone’s happiness. As Sir Dickens once said, “Cheers to a happy father’s face looking upon yours, Jenny and Sumit.” (Or something like that.)
The end of our tale draws near as we head back to Korea for what truly was the best of times for the very couple who also endured the worst of them: Deavan and Jihoon. I mean, would you just look at that smile…
Yes, my friends. Deavan has decided to give Jihoon another chance not because of the cash, but because she owes it to that dear sweet boy… and, like, for real, how cute did his face look when he was laying on Deavan’s shoulder? (I’m talking about the baby, you guys. Not Jihoon. Though I understand the confusion.) And, okay, okay, Deavan really did flash some teeth tonight. Caught. On Film:
And so concludes our Tale this week. Though this season is wreaking havoc without much progress … I gotta say, I felt like we might have achieved a little tonight. And for that, I am grateful. That or this pinot-tequila concoction I got going on is doing wonders for my spirit. I’ll go with the former.
Next week, Kenny proposes(!) to a potentially hesitant Armando, Brittany visits a mosque, Deavan and Jihoon “find new apartment,” and Tim reveals to Melyza’s dad that he cheated! I just hope Mother Ari is there to see us through it all!
Good-night, my 90 Day Lovers! I look to the pleasure of seeing you again next week!
90 Day Fiance: The Other Way airs Monday nights at 9/8c on TLC.
Ari is such a spoiled little rich girl and her mother, with her “thinks she’s better than everyone” attitude needs to realize this kid is NOT with a doctor or other rich man, and she’s NOT going to be handed everything on a silver platter anymore!! This poor guy is doing everything he can to accommodate this girl, and her mother is being a B***H! How about, HIS family needs to be able to trust Ari just as much as she does his….after all, he was screwed over by an American girl! And when he was explaining about the white t-shirt, I wanted to “b***h slap” both Ari and her mother! Big mouth smart assed mother Ari, needs to just shut up and go home! I don’t blame him one minute for lying about the past to her, first it’s none of he business, second she’s a pure D b***h that needs to let her GROWN daughter make her own decisions, if she makes mistakes, so what, that’s part of being a grown up!
And OMG , B***H Deavon actually SMILED….I’m surprised her face didn’t crack right then and there! I’m with Jihoon’s mother on this one….he gave her the money already!
Mother Melyza, needs to stay out of it! If Tim and Melyza want to give it another go, get over it, it’s their life!
And toothy Miss Priss Brittany…she is one of the biggest hypocritical b***hes in the 90 Day history…whining about literally, EVERYTHING, yet she is lying to Azan, by not telling him she’s not even divorced! Yet one of my most detested b***hes in the 90 Day history too!
Sumit and Jenny…another one where she isn’t understanding his culture and religion and her daughter…just has no business talking or giving advice about a hetro relationship! I LOVE Jenny and Sumit, people need to just leave them alone and stay out of their business!!
These Americans definitely need to do more research on their “potential” spouse’s country, customs and religion, because too many of them, just have no clue, or they are just selfish and IGNORANT!
It never ceases to amaze me how people can watch the same thing and have such different impressions of it. I’ve never heard Ari’s mom suggest in any way she was better than anyone. She has treated every person she’s been around with kindness and respect. I suspect Ari has alot of significant psych issues, she used to be a cutter and she rarely speaks up or has anything intelligent to say. In other words, I’m not sure she’s all there. Her mother is not only worried about her daughter but about her granddaughter. I don’t know if you’re a parent yet but I’m pretty sure 90% of parents would be really worried if their pregnant daughter who has a psych history told them she was giving birth in the poorest country in the world with a man they had never met. If her mother would have kissed her on the cheek and said “Good luck and have at it” the world would be coming down on her for not giving a s**t about the situation. It’s obvious she’s there as not only a mother but as a health care professional, just trying to make sure her daughter (who BTW upon seeing Bin for the first time in months was uncomfortable because when she fell in love with him he had dreadlocks and looked so cool and now he was so different) and child will be safe. She has given credit when things are ok, like in the hospital and certainly didn’t lecture the hospital staff on how much better things were in the US.
As far as Deavan and Jihoon, again here’s a girl who got pregnant and could have taken the easy way out but decided not only to keep the baby but give Jihoon a chance to be a family. She worked and saved during her pregnancy and after while taking care of an infant and toddler, gave Jihoon multiple chances to step up, went through a dangerous labor without him, only to face lie after lie and disappointments. What does she have to smile about? Living in a slum because Jihoon wanted to work part time, nap and party? Again she has always treated him with kindness and respect, way more than he deserved. That in 15 months he managed to only put away 3K while living at home is reprehensible. Just because he acknowledges his mistakes and apologizes doesn’t let him off the hook from changing his behavior, understanding why Deavan is so upset. He’s a spoiled man child whose mama has enabled him to live the life of Peter Pan and she has no right to have a judgement on Deavan’s behavior.
I agree Sumit and Jenny should just be left alone. If he betrays her again, she’s still not going to leave him. In her mind, his “choosing” her is the only thing that makes up for her husband cheating on and leaving her. Her entire self esteem and happiness is tied up in Sumit. If she wants to take the risk at 60, who the hell is the rest of the world to judge her. She’ll know soon enough if he’s finally telling the truth.
I guess we found out last night that maybe Brittany isn’t such a b***h. Obviously Yazan never told her he expected her to completely convert before marriage. Many couples of different religions don’t convert so unless he told her (and he admitted he didn’t) than shame on him for putting her in this situation.
I also do agree with you on the lack of knowledge and research the majority of people have on this show in regards to their fiances country and culture. If I was even just dating a guy from another country/culture, I would learn as much as I possibly could.