Myself, critics, and (according to the ratings) viewers agree that the season 2 premiere of TLC’s exploration of an American polygamist family Sister Wives did not disappoint. We discovered that by outing themselves, the Browns have created an entirely new world of problems for their family.
The patriarch, Kody Brown, still comes off as a Will Ferrell type character, fun-loving and sometimes seemingly clueless. He genuinely appears to be surprised by the attention as well as the legal ramifications for he and his wives’ decision to publicly announce their polygamy via a reality show. I’m not sure what he, Meri, Janelle, Christine and Robyn expected but none-the-less they are where they are now and have to deal with all the outcroppings of their now public lives.
We were also fed teasers of first wife Meri losing her job, which we previously reported on, as well as what has to become the big theme of this season as the family decides to pack up and leave Lehi, Utah for greener pastures in Las Vegas. Most importantly is how the five adults and their crucial decision directly effects the 16 children of the family. As I’ve stated before the Brown children, you can check out photos here, appear to be well adjusted, intelligent, loved and provided for.
I’ve put together a collection of my favorite quotes from the premiere of this engrossing and fascinating show.
Kody: The adults of the family are polygamists but the kids of the family joke about themselves being pliglets.
Robyn: Being in my own house away from the main house or the big house I feel disconnected sometimes. One of the things I really loved about the family was the fact that Kody had access to wives and kids at all times.
Kody: We’re hoping that other fundamentalist Mormon polygamist families will follow our example by opening their lives up and eventually we can become an open community instead of a closed community.
Janelle: It’s like if I want a real meal after a whole week of working and eating sandwiches I’m like, “I’m going to see what’s in Christine’s fridge.”
Kody: Joseph Smith used to talk about ice blocking.
Madison (Janelle and Kody’s daughter): They’re announcing to the world that they’re polygamists and it’s pretty scary because we don’t know how they’re gonna take to us.
Kody: No amount of coffee will help you answer the question when Meredith Viera looks you in the eye and asks, “Why are you a polygamist?”
Meri: The Today Show experience was surreal. It was like, “Wow, how did we get here?” I drank alot of water that morning so I just had to go visit the ladies room and almost as soon as I got in there there was a banging on the door, “Meri, hurry you’re about on.” So I ran in there with my pants unzipped.
Kody: I don’t think blogs are safe to read. Sometimes when you read opinions and they’re not positive it gets under your skin and it’s not safe, I don’t think, for a young teenager who’s under the influence of public opinion.
Madison: Somebody was asking me if my dad was going to jail today.
Kody: You know you spend your whole life trying to be a decent person. You spend your whole life and you screw up because you’re certainly no saint and you never did this out of any disrespect for the law. You simply are in a lifestyle out of love and out of choosing to abide in your faith and then you turn around and there’s this investigation. It scares you, your optimism told you that it would work out allright but now you’re faced with the reality of something much scarier and it makes you search your soul. It makes you look up to the heavens and say, “You got my back?” Puts you in touch with your maker.
Meri: For the chance that this might change for us in the future I would choose this route again.
Janelle: I would choose it again. I’m tired of being afraid.
Robyn: I’d choose it again. I don’t want my kids and grandkids growing up oppressed.
Chistine: I don’t know if I would. I don’t know.
For my money Sister Wives might be the most compelling reality show on TV.
