Sparks were flying during the tumultuous last season of Sister Wives – the hit reality show about a man whose love for family extends to having four wives.
But much of season 17 dealt with the difficult and messy separation of the third wife Christine from the polygamist setup. Viewers also witnessed the breakdown of Kody Brown’s relationships with his first wife, Meri Brown, and second wife, Janelle Brown. It seems that only the fourth wife, Robyn, remains fully loyal to Kody.
Sister Wives hit our screens in 2010. Back then, the wives wanted to showcase an ideal polygamist marriage, demystifying their experience and working to normalize polygamy in our society.
When the show first aired, reviewers were impressed with how rosy everything seemed. Salon said, “Sister Wives shows us how normal [the family] are: loving and good-natured around their children, but occasionally prone to envy and feelings of betrayal.”
It seems these feelings of envy and betrayal, as well as Kody’s often difficult personality, have wreaked havoc on the marriages. A TV crew filming their every move for 13 years probably hasn’t helped much either.
When does Sister Wives return?
The show was renewed for an 18th season in April 2023. With a confirmed release date of Aug. 20 this year, you can catch every weekly episode on TLC at 10 pm ET.
And things look like they will heat up. In the trailer, Kody is bitter about the whole situation, saying “I worked so hard to do what was right, and when you lose that? Well, I should just be the devil I think I am now.”
With a multi-year contract from the network, Kody, his wives, and ex-wives are unlikely to depart our screens anytime soon.