We’re losing couples left and right here people! Is anyone going to make it to the end?
BRANDON AND JULIA
We check in first with Brandon and Julia, who are trying out a little role play to spice up their sex life. It ends with them just eating the pizza (I mean, they were acting this out on camera for TLC, it wasn’t going to get X-rated).
They’ve been more or less happily married for the past few years, with a few big hurdles. The biggest is that Brandon very much wants kids and Julia seems to, but she was told by doctors in her native Russia that she is unable to carry children. Brandon wants a second opinion, and has been pushing for one, as part of deal to have Julia’s parents visit for a month.
Julia wants her parents to visit, but they’re divorced which adds stress, and will be staying with the couple in their house, which is also stressful. Plus, Brandon’s parents have a tendency to drop in whenever they want and treat the one guest room like their own, much to Julia’s frustration.
While prepping for her parents’ visit, the house has some plumbing problems and sure enough, Brandon’s parents, Ron and Betty come by. Things quickly pivot to ganging up on Julia about getting the second opinion appointment, making her not even want to go do it. She admits it’s an emotionally taxing situation, especially after she was already told she’s infertile once. Brandon admits he thinks she might not want kids with the way she’s dragging her feet.
The fight gets worse when Betty talks to her one on one and while Julia explains she doesn’t like being pushed, Betty literally waves her hands at her brushing her off. Julia storms out and Julia tells Ron and Brandon she’s being a brat. Can’t wait til they add another set of parents into this mix, it’s going to go so smoothly.
ANDREI AND ELIZABETH
Andrei and Elizabeth make it to Moldova, but their visit is off to a rocky start with a cranky kid, lost luggage, and unending construction above Andre’s family’s apartment that interrupted their sleep.
Andrei is heavily, heavily pushing the move to Moldova, and Elizabeth waffles between being interested in the idea and feeling overwhelmed.
What’s more complicated is that Andrei has planned a surprise party with all his friends and family for the day after they landed. When they still barely have luggage. And haven’t even gotten over the jet lag. Andrei, plan better!
The party, held at a winery, is nice and is going well even if Elizabeth is bombarded by dozens of Moldovans bearing flowers. But there is a language barrier and Elizabeth, who does know some Romanian, she doesn’t know enough to catch that Andrei announced to the crowd that they are indeed moving to the country, something she hasn’t 100% committed to yet. We’ll see if she gets a full translation soon.
ADNAN AND TIGERLILY
Adnan insists on driving everywhere, even though he is not good at or used to driving in the U.S. But he won’t hear any criticism from Tigerlily, who’s practically begging him to drive more safely. It all makes for a tense ride to an ultrasound appointment, where she cries before even going in because he won’t listen to her or accept responsibility. He does sort of apologize, but it seems very disingenuous.
Inside the ultrasound appointment, Adnan asks the male crew members to leave because Tigerlily’s bare belly will be shown, a taboo in his Muslim culture. The show’s crew and ultrasound tech workout a compromise with a partition and one female camera operator filming the actual ultrasound, still avoiding showing any skin. Tigerlily is a little uncertain about the rules and if she likes them, but she also feels like Adnan is being protective so she’s kind of into it.
After the ultrasound, they go out to lunch, but things are tense again because Tigerlily caught Adnan smoking, something he promised to quit doing when she got pregnant. What’s making her more upset is that he lied about it, and they argue back and forth about trust and whether or not she should be upset and they’re at an impasse: she doesn’t know how to have a relationship without perfect trust, and he’s frustrated because he gave up his life in Jordan to be with her.
GINO AND JASMINE
Jasmine is still in the dark parking lot when she calls Matt to come get her. Matt is more than happy to pick her and her stuff up because he is ready to swoop in. But Jasmine is still sad, mostly that Gino wants to divorce her over something she swears she did not do (cheat).
Gino meanwhile is firm in his decision. Mostly. He insists he has all the evidence of her cheating and lying about wanting an open marriage to cover her tracks, so he does feel there’s not much, if any, hope for reconciliation.
He later goes shopping at a thrift store, one of his favorite places, and Facetimes his Las Vegas date Natalie. He gives her a a fashion show of increasingly bad hats, culminating in the goofiest looking knit hat. That’s what he’s wearing when he asks her to come visit him in Michigan.
Natlie wants to, but she girls him thoroughly about his status with Jasmine, trying to ensure she won’t be caught in the middle of a divorce drama. She does agree to visit though, and Gino is excited, but still feeling conflicted about Jasmine.
KARA AND GUILLERMO
Kara has an upcoming performance and trip to Milan for her music career, which she is excited about but would be more excited for if Guillermo was supportive of it.
Guillermo has a conversation with his friend and manager at the restaurant, Benos, who hears out his complaints about Kara. His main one is that he thinks her music career is an excuse to be around party people. But all discussions between them have been ending in fights lately, and he wants his family back.
Benos advises him to just go and support her at her show, even for a few minutes.
That doesn’t happen though because when we next check in, Guillermo has moved out. Kara tells the cameras it happened after he accused her of cheating and they decided to separate in hopes of repairing the relationship. But based on Kara’s tears, it’s not looking good.