Last week, 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way showed us Deavan Clegg’s rude awakening to how many lies Jihoon Lee has told her.
The apartment was simply not acceptable. And she’s not the only member of the cast with that issue.
Now, we’re watching on as Biniyam tries and fails to provide Ariela with the bare minimum of her housing needs.
Kenneth and Armando are making everyone cry with their love story and they’re not even face-to-face yet.
Jenny hears a divorce horror story from Sumit’s friend and reminds him that she still needs to see those papers.
But Brittany Banks stole the show, meeting Yazan Abo Horira’s parents.
It did not go well, at all. She fled their home in tears.
It starts with an almost apology
Yazan shows up to Brittany’s hotel room with flowers. He doesn’t really give the kind of apology that he should have after his abhorrent behavior the night before, but hey, at least he did bring flowers.
Oh, he also blames her
Yazan’s apology-esque display is enough that Brittany actually lets it slide that he told her that SHE was “crazy” the night before. Remember, he flipped out after she brought tequila (not illegal in Jordan) and hugged the production crew (also not illegal).
Yazan also makes excuses
He says that he’s “so jealous” when it comes to her. Like, we know, dude. That’s not an excuse, it’s the problem behind your misbehavior.
Oh, and he has a demand
Yazan wants Brittany to wear a hijab to meet his parents, even though she is not Muslim. Now, Brittany had previously agreed to do this to make a good first impression, but Yazan’s hostile reception of her when she arrived has put her in no mood to play along.
Now, it’s time to meet Yazan’s parents
Brittany is still leery of Yazan’s attitude, in part because he thinks that it was her behavior, and not his foul-mouthed and explosive reaction, that was the problem the night before.
Yazan can’t stop, it seems
In the car, he once again tells Brittany that his jealousy — which might be better translated as possessiveness — means that he doesn’t want to see her hug anyone. Brittany tells him that she’ll happily greet someone from Jordan with a “hi,” as he suggests, but if she sees a fellow American, she will hug them. That is a very respectful and nuanced way to blend cultures.
Yazan is totally opposed
Fun fact! Travel advisories for Jordan note a number of things, including a warning to visitors that there is LESS personal space and more overt friendliness between strangers in Jordan than in many other places. Europeans are weirded out by how Americans offer friendly smiles to people on the streets, so one can imagine how a German tourist reacts when someone in Jordan starts talking to them for no reason and shakes their hand. PDA is frowned upon in Jordan, but hugs are not illegal. This is Yazan’s issue and perhaps his family’s, not the country’s.
He keeps telling her that she’s “his baby”
In light of everything else, Brittany admonishes him that she is a grown woman and a human being and not, you know, a baby. This will come up later.
Yazan keeps pushing
Again, this exchange is about to become very relevant and much, much more dramatic.
They arrive …
And Brittany has her hijab all the way on. The demin jacket doesn’t look ideal with it, but sure. She looks beautiful, and she suggests that Yazan get her door because he should be extra nice to her right now.
Oh boy
Brittany meets Yazan’s parents (notably, his mom’s face is blurred at her request). His dad almost immediately asks about how quickly they can do the marriage, insisting on a speedy timeline that involves getting married within a few days — after asking Brittany’s dad for permission. Brittany stalls for time (because she is still legally married to her ex, and because getting married days later is bonkers), saying that her father will want to attend the wedding — another lie.
Yazan’s dad has some important questions
Having been misled by his son to believe that Brittany will convert to Islam, he asks how much she understands their faith from her time in America. Yazan of course has to translate everything for her.
Then, Yazan’s dad gets super judgmental
He talks about how she is still on social media and that she needs to “cancel” the life that she is living right now. Brittany is getting upset and she can detect the urgent tone in Yazan’s dad’s voice even before Yazan translates.
Yazan calling her “baby” backfires
Brittany reminds him, once again, that she is not a baby and is so effing tired of hearing this. Yazan’s mother, who has had only a little to say at this point, leaps in — having clearly understood more English, perhaps, than Yazan’s father knows.
“You should say, ‘Yes, I’m a baby'”
Yazan’s mother says that Brittany should be agreeing to whatever Yazan is saying, and is speaking in an upset tone. She gets increasingly upset, demanding to know how long it will be before Brittany marries her son, dismissing her excuses and asking if she will make her wait 5 or 10 years before she gets grandchildren. Yikes, yikes, yikes.
Then Yazan’s dad speaks up again
He complains once again about Brittany being on social media, lamenting that people will say that his son is engaged to a sex worker if they see Brittany’s photos and that she still has a social life.
Brittany cries and flees
You don’t have to understand every word of what is being yelled at you to recognize that you are being yelled at. Tears streaking down her face, she leaves. You can see where Yazan got his controlling ways and explosive temper.
Moving on to Ariela
Ariela’s mother, Janice, gets out of the car. Janice has been staying at a “guest house,” which is effectively a hotel room. We’re guessing that Ariela had similar accommodations last time that she was in Ethiopia. It sounds like that is housing set up for tourists, and like it is very different from accommodations that an average resident expects in terms of standard of living.
Because … well …
Ariela’s bathroom in the home that Biniyam has set up for her is, well, the set of a horror movie. There isn’t any actual plumbing as we know it. Ariela admits that she was able to wash her butt the night before and that was it.
A new day brings new nightmares
Ariela is presented with the “kitchen,” which appears to just be a dimly lit room with some sort of hot plate in it. There is no refrigerator. Honestly? That’s almost the least of our worries.
Ariela and Janice were taken aback
Ariela has spent months in Ethiopia, but tourist-targeted guest accommodations did not prepare her to see a kitchen that doesn’t meet the safety standards of a tree fort.
Janice gets real
She’s a nurse as well as a mother and soon-to-be grandmother to Ariela’s baby. The potential for bacterial infection alone at this house is a horror. It’s no place for a pregnant woman, a baby, or for a woman who is recovering from pregnancy.
To be frank … it just won’t do
Two things can be true: One, that the abysmal standard of living experienced by some individuals in Africa is the result of centuries of brutal European colonialism, stripping the land of resources and setting up sectarian conflict by dividing families and establishing national borders without respect to ethnic and national boundaries that existed before colonialism, thus guaranteeing ongoing tensions. Two, that this nightmare hovel that Biniyam has for Ariela is just not okay. Awareness of economic and historical context does not make a place livable.
There is, however, good news
Biniyam notes that this place is supposed to be temporary, only.
Biniyam is nervous, though
He worries that if he cannot make her happy with the new apartment that he is setting up for her, that Ariela will simply leave for America where she can have accommodations like a refrigerator and a working toilet.
He takes them there
The apartment is … well … it’s a real fixer-upper, in that Biniyam is in the process of painting everything. The bathroom reeks beyond belief. It is not habitable yet and no one is buying Biniyam’s “two weeks” timeline.
Ariela is … not thrilled
She really does phrase it so sweetly, but it is clear that she is disappointed.
Biniyam picks up on that
Ariela communicates what she needs — plumbing, electricity, a refrigerator, hygiene. Whether or not Biniyam can meet those needs with any length of time is unclear.
Jihoon wants to talk
Biniyam is doing his best. Jihoon, on the other hand, has done nothing of the sort, and his lies have cost Deavan thousands of dollars, bringing her a huge amount of stress and uncertainty … and making her doubt that they have a future together.
Deavan is furious
Lying to her was not okay to begin with. Lying to her to lure her to South Korea with nothing to go home to … that was beyond awful.
Jihoon is sorry
He’s sorry for not having more money, he’s sorry about the substandard apartment, and most of all, he’s sorry for lying to Deavan.
They use a translator
Deavan and Jihoon can communicate well for most things, but for complicated topics during an emotional discussion, the last thing that you want to do is be pulling out a pocket dictionary to look up the translation for “delivery man” like it’s 1991.
Jihoon knows that it was wrong
He is the first to admit that he was outrageously selfish. Deavan wants to know what he has done with the money that he has been making, because clearly this apartment does not explain all of it.
Well, part of his lie was about his job
He told her that he had a better job than he does. He works part time as a delivery man … a job that he chose so that he could take time off whenever he wanted. That’s great … unless you’re a dad, which he is.
How much does he make?
Keep in mind that this is on GOOD months, but it still doesn’t quite explain the state of the apartment until Jihoon explains further.
Apparently he is VERY wasteful with money
As funny as it is to hear it, it’s less funny when he’s supposed to support his family. Jihoon reveals that his mother manages his money for him because he cannot trust himself with it. You do not get to be carefree and wasteful when you have kids, folks.
Jihoon should have come clean
He lied to Deavan to get her to come there because he knew that if she knew the truth, she would remain in the US working 17 hour days sometimes to support the kids and he might not see her again.
Deavan needs some space
She, her mom, and the kids head off to a hotel to cool off and consider their options. Jihoon, dude, you totally blew it.
On the flip side
Unlike Ariela and Deavan, Kenneth and Armando are both moving into good accommodations that they selected together. Kenneth is on Day 4 of his lengthy drive, and he is enjoying it and dancing ot the music. Obviously, 90 Day Fiance couldn’t air the music to which he listened in the car, but they found something with the same beat and synced it up to Kenneth’s dancing.
Kenneth isn’t alone
His 15-year-old dog, Truffles, is along for the ride. I love Truffles. I would depopulate continents for Truffles.
The move is bittersweet, though
He is moving in with Armando, but Kenneth is going to miss some major milestones with his kids and grandkids. It’s normal to cry when we’re making big changes in our lives, even if it’s exactly what we want.
Meanwhile, Armando is setting up
Armando is clearly one of the sweetest men in the universe. He also admits that he has never been in such a “large” kitchen before. It’s a kitchen small enough that some of us would consider it “too tiny to really use” and Armando, frankly, deserves the world.
Look what he’s making for Kenneth!
Armando admits that he wishes that he could afford to get Kenneth something really nice, but he cannot (he’s a single dad, we get it), so he is making him a cute welcome gift.
LOOK AT THIS
Yes, some of us teared up when we saw this (me, I’m some of us). It’s a gift signifying Kenneth’s move from Florida to Mexico.
Armando, too, gets teary
He explains that neither of them are familiar with this area or, frankly, how safe it is for a gay couple, so they elected to live in a gated community. Armando is excited to begin his new life as his authentic self and he is not the only one crying tears of joy.
They deserve the world
For now, they’ll settle for a nice condo in a gated neighborhood with a gorgeous view.
On to Jenny and Sumit
One of the most captivating couples from Season 1, Jenny is still trying to get Sumit to show her divorce papers … but first, they meet up with someone.
… By way of going on a walk
It almost looks like they’re stalling, and Jenny has to duck to avoid hitting her head on a branch that is way too low to the ground but Sumit has an easier time, given his height.
They meet up with Sumit’s friend
This friend was opposed to Sumit lying to her the whole time, he says, and he’s glad that she knows what’s up and is rooting for them.
But he warns how hard it can be
He has spent years just trying to get a legal separation. Sumit promises Jenny that it won’t take that long for him.
Jenny listens with concern
The issue with divorce courts in India is that they are too few, so there is always a long line. And the divorce trials themselves can be protracted and expensive.
Show her the paper, Sumit!
His attempts to divert her attention by fixing up the apartment are not going to fly. She needs to see divorce paperwork, please and thank you.