Amidst the million ’90 Day Fiancé’ spinoffs my mother watches, I happen to come from a family of reality television junkies. Like a weird heirloom passed down maternally, each one of my siblings likes to indulge in their own specific show. I genuinely believe that our enjoyment of what some would deem ‘trashy television’ is hereditary.
For me, I think I won the genetic lottery.
My all-time favorite show is TLC’s ‘Sister Wives’. The which has been running for over a decade is about a family of polygamists living their daily lives. With one husband, Kody, and his four wives: Meri, Janelle, Christine, and Robyn.
The Brown family has moved from state to state, and the cameras have followed them across the borders since 2010. We’ve seen births, marriages, and divorces over the years. The drama never stops!
A huge reason why I love it is Christine. She was the third wife to join the family, and the first one to get out of there.
She took her leave from the family and Kody when she finally realized he had a clear favorite. She made an exit with grace, and didn’t even try to reconcile with him before her departure. Christine wanted a divorce, and she did it on her own terms.
Christine then moved to Utah with her youngest daughter to be closer to family. This also meant leaving her sister wives, and all the other children she was essentially the mother of for their whole lives. While it was hard, it was the ultimate power move, and it ended up causing a domino effect.
The light in Christine that had been there in earlier seasons returned once she left. She’s snippy, she’s upbeat, and she’s happy. She does every interview with a smile on her face.
Her departure in a roundabout way also spurred Janelle to leave Kody too. Christine and Janelle stayed friends throughout the divorce and still call each other sister wives.
Janelle got into a huge blowout fight with Kody on television, in which she used explicit language.
She is usually well composed and level headed, but her fight and word choice really sealed the deal that she had changed. She was no longer staying silent in her mistreatment; she was being vocal which Kody did not like it.
So, even though Kody had tried to fix things, she had no desire and ended up leaving him.
These two women are role models. They’re inspiring, and I honestly look up to the way they’ve taken charge in just the last few years alone.
They weren’t dealt the best hand in life, yet they took it all back. They restarted so late that they embraced change and held their ground.
Christine even found a new husband who treats her right and loves her unconditionally. After years and years of being with a man she thought she had to be with, she showed you can go out and get what you deserve.
The values I’ve seen on screen with Janelle and Christine solidify my stance on the show. It remains my absolute favorite. I get so excited when the commercials come on for a new season because I crave the drama and inspiration.
I love Sister Wives! If you’re looking for a binge watch marathon of some reality television, it’s at the top of my recommendations.