90 Day Fiance: The Other Way is finally back! This time, it’s Season 4.
This cast brings so many new faces into play. It’s refreshing.
Daniele and Yohan are familiar, but only from Love in Paradise: The Caribbean.
Meanwhile, both Gabriel and Isabel and Kris and Jeymi’s stories are bringing an overdue dose of representation to the franchise.
The premiere also introduces Jen and Rishi, albeit briefly. Not every couple made the debut episode, but Season 4, Episode 1 still had a lot to offer. Check out our full recap of the premiere:
Daniele Gates and Yohan Geronimo
Hailing from Love in Paradise: The Caribbean, Daniele gives us a recap of her life … without mentioning having appeared on that spinoff. She took a few years off from dating before she decided to get back into dating. On a trip to the Dominican Republic, she met a wildly handsome man.
Daniele could not be more different than Yohan Geronimo
He is tall — 6-foot-7, in fact. He does not speak English. She is a yoga teacher and very spiritual; Yohan is an evangelical Christian who does not understand her beliefs and practices. Speaking of not understanding, he also speaks almost no English. Based upon his conversations on camera (and we may be getting a skewed version), he speaks about as much English as an average American elementary schooler in a predominantly white area might. Even so, she quickly began making return trips, he proposed, and they are now married.
But marriage has not ended their conflicts
One of their biggest clashes is over money. Yohan makes just enough to survive, but sees no prospects for making more — not in the DR, anyway. So Daniele finds herself paying for everything when they hang out. According to her, he at one point ate $200 in peanuts. Presumably, this was over the course of an extended stay at a hotel, but still … that’s a lot.
Daniele feels so tired of New York
She feels caught up in nonstop chaos. Everything is much more expensive than it should be. So, though she and Yohan had made plans to bring him to the US on a spousal visa, Daniele has unilaterally changed her mind. After yoga class, she tells a couple of her friends that this was her last class.
It’s a bit of a shock
One of her friends even brings up the topic of a “sanky panky.” This is a somewhat goofy label for an attractive man who gets a job at or near a hotel so that he can seduce a tourist who will fund his lifestyle and perhaps take him to another country. Daniele is familiar with the term, but she has committed herself to Yohan. And now she’s leaving her entire life behind to be with him.
Some of Daniele’s friends already know
She sits down with her friends, Sandra and Lizzette, to go over her plans. She will finish out the school year (she is a teacher) and then move down to the DR, giving up everything in her life to be with Yohan. She talks about how she likes the chill vibes from her past trips to the DR, but her friends point out that she won’t have a job or income there. Vacationing somewhere is extremely different from living there. Daniele says that she will simply “manifest” it.
Sandra and Lizzette feel like she’s not being realistic
Teaching yoga one day a week isn’t a full job. And zoom classes don’t seem like enough to pick up the tab, either. Lizzette says that “she’s walking into chaos and she doesn’t even realize it.” Meanwhile, they both express shock when they learn that Daniele has not actually told Yohan about the change in plans. She won’t even commit to telling them whether he knows that she hasn’t file for a spousal visa for him. This is … not a good way for spouses to behave.
Meanwhile, in the Dominican Republic
Yohan introduces himself to viewers who have not been following his story. He works hard, every day, and effectively lives paycheck to paycheck. But he gushes over how much he adores Daniele.
Yohan is teaching himself English in his free time
He wants this to help him communicate with his wife, who has learned a lot of Spanish already. But Yohan also knows that it will give him more opportunities when he moves to the US. This screenshot is not of Yohan learning English, but it seemed important to include anyway. Did we mention that he is 6-foot-7?
Reunited!
Daniele runs up and embraces Yohan in a hug. This type of affectionate hug seems to really bother some older, crankier viewers of other reality TV franchises (looking at you, The Bachelor), but it’s very sweet. Yohan brought her flowers that he picked himself.
They have a lot of catching up to do
Also, Daniele cracks up telling the camera that she will need to find a way to tell her husband that she has changed their plans, and that they are not moving to New York. He hears some of those words but perhaps not all of them. She doesn’t tell him just yet. This is … messy.
Daniele starts by hyping up the scenery
She praises how beautiful the landscape and the water are. Which is … very nice? But not the same thing as telling your husband that you’ve just turned his life and yours upside-down.
Then, she says that she wants to find a long-term apartment
Yohan makes it clear that this is confusing, because he doesn’t see why she wants an apartment for more than a year if they’re planning to move. Sure, her current apartment’s rent is $4,000 a month (New York prices), but it is his understanding that they won’t need to stay in the DR for that much longer.
And there it is
Daniele tells him that she has changed her mind, and that he just has to get with the program because he has no other choice. She tells him that her life in New York is very expensive (we have to note that there are, in fact, other places in the US to live and work) and that his “dream” is not real, that the “American dream” is not realistic. True or not, shouldn’t they be making this choice together, as a couple?
Gabriel Paboga and Isabel Posada
The show introduces us to Gabriel and his business all at once — and in the funniest possible way. He lives in Florida and makes underwear for transgender men. Some, but not all, trans men wear packers in their underwear, sometimes to help “pass” in an increasingly dangerous and transphobic world, but often just to combat dysphoria. But packers can be heavy and can also just fall out of underwear. So Gabriel makes, by hand, underwear with built-in “bulges” to sell. He loves making a product that changes people’s lives, in a good way.
And Gabriel is trans himself, so he knows that struggle
We cannot emphasize enough how long, long overdue this franchise is for trans representation. Nine seasons of original recipe 90 Day Fiance and so many more seasons of other spinoffs. We’ve seen a handful of same-sex couples, a couple of attempts at polyamory that ended up falling apart. We’re not saying that a franchise as messy as 90 Day Fiance is the ideal representation for any demographic, but Gabriel himself is absolutely charming and we’re so glad that he’s here.
Gabriel shares his story (while wearing a particularly excellent shirt)
Not every trans person has the same journey. For him, he grew up in awe of how comfortable and happy women who wore “men’s clothes” must be, because he knew that this was what he wanted. For years, he believed that he might be a lesbian, because he certainly wasn’t a straight woman and he knew that he loved women. It is not uncommon for members of the LGBTQ+ community to use or assume one label before finding another that fits — living in a hostile, cisheteronormative world presents a host of challenges. As a young adult, however, Gabriel realized that what he’d been feeling for his entire life was his gender — he’s a trans man. And now he’s living his best life
Gabriel went to Colombia for work
This is where he met Isabel, at the home of a mutual friend. The two had an instant connection. After a day of fun, Isabel confessed that she doesn’t have sex on the first date, and Gabriel felt relieved — because he wanted to tell her that he’s trans. As he notes to the cameras, there is no one “right way” to come out as trans to someone, be it a friend or a partner. (Also, he doesn’t owe that to anyone, but that’s another story) Gabriel came out to her and Isabel accepted him. Before he knew it, he got an apartment so that he could come back and see her whenever he wants.
During COVID-19 lockdowns, Gabriel developed the habit of doing one-man pride celebrations
As many of us recall, June of 2020 was tumultuous. Lethal police violence against Black Americans and the COVID-19 virus dominated every headline. Those things are both still happening, but more people are pretending that they’re not as big of a deal — but that’s beside the point. It’s great to see Gabriel celebrating himself and his loved ones and his community.
He meets up with his friend, Kion
Kion is happy for Gabriel … but definitely has some questions about Gabriel’s plans to move in with Isabel. He wants to be sure that Gabriel won’t be in extra danger if a transphobe clocks him (that is, recognizes that he is trans). Gabriel reassures him that it’s pretty similar in that part of Colombia to how it is in their part of Florida, right down to trans women having more visibility (albeit involuntarily) in their local community. And it’s going to matter, because Gabriel has to tell Isabel’s parents before moving ahead with their marriage plans. More than anything, it sounds like Kion will miss his buddy.
Gabriel gets a tattoo to honor Isabel
However, his sister’s boyfriend is the one giving the tattoo. So she shows up. While we find her frankly delightful, Monica does not hesitate to give her brother a hard time. For one thing, he already has a woman’s name tattooed on his body. He got his ex’s name on the back of his neck when he was a teenager. Her boyfriend has promised to tattoo over it before he goes on his trip.
But is that the only issue?
Gabriel had said that he did not want to date any more women with kids, but he’s dating Isabel, who has a teen and a tween at home. He insists that it’s different, because they’re not little kids. He can talk to them, they have a nice rapport, and he doesn’t feel like he is “babysitting” them. Monica then reminds him that he is still paying the bills. All in all, she feels concerned about how impulsive he is.
Jen Boecher and Rishi Singh
It is so unusual to meet the non-American partner before the American’s introduction, but Rishi Singh’s handsome face and gorgeous hair show up on our screens before we ever meet Jen. Rishi is a super handsome man with an extensive hair care routine. He’s a super hot fitness model, but that’s not his origin story. Rishi has a legal degree, a Master’s degree, and a corporate career. It’s just that Rishi also happens to be really, really, ridiculously good-looking.
We also meet Jen
Jen is currently staying with family on the family farm, where she seems to be entirely capable of helping out with the animals. But she explains that she has been all over, living in various cities. She also did a lot of traveling … which is how she met Rishi.
At first, Jen thought that Rishi was kind of a jerk
Over time, however, they spent more time together. She says that she’s not quite sure when the exact moment was that she knew that she was in love with him. Shadily, the show keeps playing some of Rishi’s thirst trap modeling photos while Jen describes not knowing what made her fall head over heels. We see what you’re doing, editing team.
Jen’s brother, Charles, has some … concerns
He knows his sister. She has found some less-than-worthy men in the past. Sure, Jen has waited two years for the borders to reopen, but does she know Rishi all that much better? And one thing that really worries him is Rishi “dodging contact” with her.
Jen has “spiraled” a few times after silent periods with Rishi
She has sent some tearful, sad videos his way during “inconsistent contact” periods. But Charles is worried that she hasn’t spent enough time with him. Grand total, she’s spent less than two months with Rishi. And now she’s planning to move to another country, leaving her support system behind, to marry Rishi. Charles wants the best for his sister.
Kris Foster and Jeymi Noguera
A word to the wise: if you are going to appear on reality TV, especially this franchise, and producers suggest that you put on a costume … don’t. They are not trying to show your carefree inner child to the world. They want to make you look goofy, and the music will make that clear. Anyway, our first look at Kris from Alabama is of her dressing in a whimsical outfit and getting the mail. We’re glad that she’s having fun.
Kris is a mother of two
She had her 23-year-old daughter when she was just a teenager (she’s 40, so that’s how math works). And her son is 18. Her past marriages have not worked out, so she decided to go online and look for someone new. That someone, it turns out, is a woman in Colombia (though originally from Venezuela) named Jeymi.
Kris and Jeymi have a lot in common
She is quick to note that falling for a woman is not a suprise. Kris’ hometown has a population of only 3,000 people. Where I come from, that’s just a large high school. Kris laments how little acceptance there is in her community, but has spent time slipping away to Birmingham to go to gay bars and meet women in a place where no one would ever recognize her. Even so, she has never had a “real” public relationship with a woman. But now that her kids are both adults, it’s time. And maybe Jeymi is what she’s been waiting for all of her life.
Kris has some packing and organizing to do before she moves to Colombia
Originally, she might have brought Jeymi to the US. However, COVID-19 threw a wrench into the works, and it wasn’t just about paperwork. Jeymi contracted COVID and had such a severe case that she spent time in the hospital. Kris does not want to wait one more minute to be together with her. So, once she arrives in Colombia, they will marry within 9 days. That’s … a lot. They’ve never met in person.
Meanwhile, in Colombia
Jeymi is trying on an alluring dress that is certain to catch people’s attention. But she only wants Kris’ attention. And, as it turns out, these women have a lot in common … even if they’ve never met.
Jeymi left Venezuela for a better life
While Kris is bisexual, Jeymi is a lesbian. And she doesn’t hesitate to note that she tried to make things work with men when she was younger — but there was simply nothing. Fortunately, she and Kris found each other on a dating site.
Like Kris, Jeymi has hidden aspects of who she is
In Kris’ case, she was leaving her sparsely populated small town to go to a city to be herself. Jeymi has never even come out to her family. She worries about what they might say to her. She would not expect acceptance, unfortunately. So she simply hasn’t told them.
So, are they only days away from living happily ever after?
There are a few complications. For one thing, there were a few times when Kris would sort of break off contact. For a few days at a time, usually, but other times, it lasted longer. During one particularly lengthy period, Jeymi ended up striking up a relationship with a woman in Texas. She no longer has contact with that woman, but it was definitely a rough patch in their relationship. Clearly, they need to keep lines of communication open with each other if they’re going to get married.
Back home, Kris is preparing to change her entire life
She hopes to collect rent on some property in Alabama after she moves. Kris is going from having two jobs to having none, and that will be a difficult adjustment. She’s going to miss her mom and her kids. Kris also reveals that she has narcolepsy, so this condition could impact her life with Jeymi. There is a lot of uncertainty about their future together, but they both feel that it’s worth the risk.
That said …
Kris did find out about Jeymi’s unidentified Texan fling the hard way. This woman apparently claimed to Kris that Jeymi had just been using her, and that she had been pretending to be sick for longer than she was in order to trick her into sending more money her way. It’s hard to take the word of a possible jilted lover at face value, but this is sure to come up again.