Where to go in Arizona, specifically in and around the Flagstaff area, is where we are at on Sister Wives. A location choice is looming for Kody Brown and his family in the Sister Wives exodus from Las Vegas.
Coyote Pass and Cottonwood in the Flagstaff are the two prime areas where they focused. Of the two, it appeared Cottownwood was the more scenic and closer to Flagstaff, the city Kody loves.
Cottonwood, Arizona is about an hour plus drive from Flagstaff, the big “quaint” carrot Kody loved to dangle. Coyote Pass — another location surveyed for land and possible building — is a straight shot on I-40 for two hours and fifteen minutes.
In this episode, it was determined that Meri and Kody both preferred Cottonwood. The other women need convincing.
A cul-de-sac or bust decision awaits on Sister Wives as two areas appeal to Kody, Cottonwood and Coyote Pass. But the larger picture for fans of the series is the growing gulf of resentment between Gabriel and his family. Gabriel wants no part of this move.
Also on this last episode, Kody is regretting his abandonment of Utah and the rights of polygamists in the state. He’s quite the activist for this cause, still. And cake decisions were made for a pending Scottish-themed wedding.
But, Kody is trying to bring the fun back into his life, notably with Meri. Leaving Las Vegas is at the core of this happiness.
“Vegas is an exciting town and I loved living here on many levels…but I want to feel safe again,” he said, referencing the spiking crime rate in Sin City.
And unlike the abrupt move in 2009 from Utah to Vegas, the decision making and the ability to have their kids let their friends know is completely different.
Each wife had a say, and Janelle was really on guard about the remote locations for some of the properties. Gabriel is her child and she knows he’s frosted.
Meri is playing both sides, as she wants to salvage and rebuild a better relationship with Kody and the other women she shares him with. The two road trip to Arizona on this episode.
Christine and Kody had gone to Flagstaff and gave their report. Kody described the area as “yummy.” Robyn is already on board. Christine said she loved Flagstaff. Janelle is the holdout who needs convincing the most. Gabrielle, her son, is the one who loses the most with friends, scholarship opportunities and a girlfriend.
And after a family discussion, it appears that all of them living in one communal house is out of the question. But this could change based on finances.
Another interesting subject was how much each of the women actually ever saw Kody, which was never clearly answered. A recollection revealed that a three bedroom mobile home was how the first three — Meri, Christine and Janelle — lived and was described as very “squishy” by Janelle. Needless to say, she is against living in one main house.
So progress is made and Christine manically gets the ball in motion to sell her house. Kody is psyched she is ready to go but wants her to proceed a bit slower. They are all at different levels of commitment concerning this move.
Enter realtor Mona Riekki who is going to shepherd the house sales in the exodus from Vegas. Kody is trying to manage the real estate deals. Christine is really chomping the bit. Then we learn that the house needs work before it is listed. And walls reinstalled in the backyard.
Thanks to counseling, a “slow and gentle courtship” is underway between Meri and Kody. Their road-trip in this episode began with cliff notes on the Flagstaff area.
“The idea of Flagstaff began with a process of elimination…I want to get out of Vegas and the most beautiful place in the West is Flagstaff,” Kody said.
A “quaint downtown” and learning that over 300 days of sunshine a year combined with walking distance to all sorts of shops appealed to Meri immediately. As the road trip progressed, her change of heart goes down, her mood goes from sunny to sour. We learn she prefers Cottonwood.
Then the one home idea is broached again, based on the pricier economics of Flagstaff. “Living in one home means I could see my kids every day,” said Kody. But he realized a mutiny could occur with the women.
The long episode left the decision up in the air, but it ended with a very portentous flashback of Gabriel acting out and his most recent interview where he looks to be completely over Kody and his family’s big move decision.
Tune in to see if Cottonwood wins over the other women in the Brown family.
Sister Wives airs Sundays on TLC.