This season of 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way has really felt like a breath of fresh air.
Right on the heels of such a toxic, villain-filled 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After? Tell All, it feels like the franchise is getting back to its roots.
But we’re only on Season 4, Episode 4. A lot could go wrong in the coming weeks.
As you can see in our recap below, a few of the cast are already seeing red flags and missteps among some couples.
Others are doing well … but steeling themselves for challenges down the road.
Debbie and Oussama

The show has not yet introduced Oussama directly. We know of him through Debbie, which puts viewers in the same shoes as her son, Julian. Like viewers, Julian is very anxious about his mother’s plans to move to Morocco to marry a 24-year-old. Debbie’s hope is that talking to her attorney, who is putting together a prenup for her, will help convince Julian that everything is okay.
So, what’s the plan?

Gina explains that international law is tricky. But she believes that a prenup will effectively protect her assets in Georgia, even if Debbie herself is in Morocco. Simply put, even if a Moroccan court for some reason decided to ignore Debbie’s prenup in a worst case scenario, Gina’s legal opinion is that Oussama would not be able to own or sell any part of Debbie’s house in the US.
Debbie is 67 years old, and has a lifetime of assets

Oussama does not. He is an artist and a poet and, as Debbie calls him, a “farm person.” Julian notes that, when he was 24, he worked a full-time job. Debbie noted that Oussama is different, but she’s not an ordinary woman for her age, either.
Sorry, he’s how old?

Gina does her best to maintain a pokerface during most of this, but her astonishment and concern become apparent when Debbie and Julian discuss Oussama’s age. It sounds like Debbie left out that part when she discussed this earlier. She does see red flags. And she worries about Debbie’s well-being, counseling her to not amend the prenup at all.
“What if I want to drop a little money on him?”

In the strongest possible terms, Gina asks Debbie to consider putting some funds in a joint account if she wants to “drop” anything on Oussama. That way, it will still be money that she can access and control. Debbie hopes that this will work out like a fairy tale.
But Julian is suspicious

He feels that Oussama is very manipulative, hoodwinking his mother and convincing her to give up her current life to go marry him. His fear is that Oussama is conning his mom and that there won’t be anything that he can do from Georgia. Meanwhile, Debbie remains optimistic. She says that “stupid” can turn into “genius,” and hopes for her happily ever after.
Gabriel Paboga and Isabel Posada

Isabel and her kids, Sara and Miguel, head to the airport to meet Gabe. She talks to the camera about Gabriel’s rapport with her kids. We already saw Sara discuss him. She likes that he’s not a toxic POS like some of her mom’s exes, and she has known that he’s trans the entire time. Miguel does not know, but he and Gabriel are buddies. Miguel is younger, so the bond is less mature, which means that Gabriel is really good at engaging with both of Isabel’s kids as he is with her.
REUNITED!

Gabriel arrives and sweeps Isabel up into his arms. He hugs and greets Sara and Miguel also. (Just a side note … seeing a Nerf gun in the airport in Colombia is a real reminder that most countries on the planet just do not have to live in constant fear of dying in a hail of bullets)
Gabriel has two things to show his lady love

First, he got a tattoo of her name on his arm. Second, he no longer has a tattoo of his ex on the back of his neck. His sister’s boyfriend did both back in Florida. Isabel feels visibly overjoyed over both cosmetic adjustments.
This time, Gabriel isn’t visiting — he’s moved there

Isabel feels anxious that he will miss his family too much and will move back to Florida. In the mean time, though, she has something to show him.
We see this sort of prank on this show all of the time

Honestly, with the exception of allergies or dietary restrictions, an adult daring another to eat a food is fair. You can always turn down a dare. Gabriel doesn’t. Isabel eventually explains that the chewy beef that he’s eating is the small intestine of a cow. Honestly? Not weirder than sausage, you know?
They touch base on a serious topic

Gabriel’s plan is to come out to Isabel’s family, seek their blessing in marrying Isabel, and then propose to her, formally. The first one is a doozy. Right now, Isabel and Sara are the only ones who know that he’s transgender. Gabe reflects to the confessional camera about how it was a surprise to learn that Sara has known since before she even met him (Isabel and Sara found out together on his social media), because she has never treated him any differently. That is sweet, but the transphobia that Gabe seems to expect from people is heartbreaking.
The big issue will be Isabel’s dad

Telling Miguel should be easier. And Isabel believes that her mom is open-minded. Her father, with whom Gabriel currently has a good relationship, might not take the news well. They will have to find out the hard way, but Gabe feels determined to come out to his future in-laws.
Jen Boecher and Rishi Singh

On her way to see Rishi, Jen acknowledges that marrying a man she’s only spent a few weeks around is a little nuts. Additionally, she has uprooted her entire life to be with him. Oh, and his family doesn’t even know that they’re dating. It’s a lot.
Meanwhile, Rishi starts his day with a little white lie

His mother keeps pushing the idea of an arranged marriage, and notes that they have proposal offers. He keeps dragging his heels, because he is already engaged. So he tells his mom that he is going to the gym. In reality, he is preparing to see Jen in person for the first time in two years.
But Rishi does have doubts

Is he doing the right thing? He has special family obligations, according to his culture, and he worries that he cannot be both a good partner to Jen and a good head of the family.
REUNITED

Jen and Rishi share a steamy kiss upon seeing each other again. They both have concerns, but clearly there is a strong attraction level.
Rishi has an apartment set up for her

Jen is delighted when she first sees it. It has high ceilings, several key amenities, and some basic furnishings. That’s great! (Yes, there is a catch, but we’ll get to that)
Upstairs, Jen dropped a bombshell on Rishi

She wonders how he will react to this, but she’d like to hold off on sleeping together. For now. She wants to familiarize herself with him, even though she remains attracted to him. Basically, she has listened to the doubts of her friends and family. Jen would like to do away with those and make sure that they are on the same page before they bone again.
Meanwhile, Rishi has a plan

Jen has met his family before, as his “friend.” Rishi wants to bring her around his family again. He hopes that they will adjust to her presence, which will make it (he hopes) easier to introduce her as his fiancee. Okay, but she only has four months on her visa. They need to work things out sooner rather than later.
So, about that apartment

Jen reveals that Rishi neglected a few essentials for the apartment. One was heat, and it is very cold at the moment. The other was toilet paper, which is pretty essential for a human body. He promises to bring her whatever she needs, but this was not a great surprise to discover after he left.
Rishi also brings some yoga mats

He talks Jen into trying a couples yoga pose. We will be getting great use out of this screenshot in the future.
Jen hopes to dress to impress

She and Rishi go shopping to find a suitable outfit that will make the right impression to meet his family “as a friend.” But as the back-and-forth continues, Jen grows increasingly uncomfortable. (We love the clothing store employees and how helpful they were)
It’s too much

Jen decides that she doesn’t want to buy an outfit right now. In fact, she’s not interested in meeting his family under false pretenses right now. Rishi jokes (or half-jokes) that his family will place him under house-arrest if they find out about his engagement and do not approve. Jen’s discomfort is about having to lie about their relationship, and ends up riding back to the apartment on her own.
Kris Foster and Jeymi Noguera

They wake up the next morning, the Boob Pillows shelved (literally) during the night. Part of their goal in meeting in person (just nine days before they marry) was to decide if they have good sexual chemistry in person. It turns out that they do. Last night, they both separately tell the cameras, that they are very happy with their first night together.
But it’s a new day, and they have things to do

They have a whole life to plan together. Also? Kris needs to buy toothpaste. The airport threw out her toothpaste. She can’t use Jeymi’s, because she is allergic to mint. This was news to Jeymi.
Kris came bearing gifts

She bought Jeymi’s wedding shoes. And she bought her wedding dress. Since Jeymi had to handle moving into this apartment, Kris went ahead and got her wedding vestments. Thoughtful and sweet!
But Kris does want to talk about some important things

They need to make decisions as a couple. One of those is finances. This apartment is over the budget that they had agreed upon. Kris sold her house, but that doesn’t mean that her money won’t ever run out.
That is an important topic

Jeymi had her reasons — she knew that Kris would like the apartment. But that extra $100 a month can add up. And Jeymi explains that she is happy to contribute to that. Jeymi works as an administrative assistant, so she’s not just expecting Kris to shoulder the burden on her own.
This city is nothing like the small, small town where Kris is from

Walking outside and holding hands with a partner is something that Kris has only been able to do with men. There are many places in the US where the LGBTQ+ community can go about their lives without much harassment or special danger, but her hometown is not among them. This is different.
Kris gets bubblegum toothpaste

She also has to get pain medicine while she is there. After the long flight, her back and neck are killing her. Kris explains to the camera that her chronic pain stems from a pair of injuries that happened back-to-back. Over time, her mobility will get worse. When she eventually has surgery, it will require a year of wearing screwed-on stability gear … and will cost $100,000.
It will cost WHAT

Jeymi knew about Kris’ chronic pain (but not about the mint allergy). She did not realize how drastic Kris’ eventual surgical remedy will be. And hearing about the nightmarish American healthcare system often comes as a shock to people from countries with modern, sensible healthcare infrastructure. Colombia is one such country.
Nicole Sherbiny and Mahmoud Elsherbiny

Riding home from the airport, Mahmoud already realizes that he has put Nicole on edge by policing her clothing within minutes of her arrival. But he seemingly cannot help himself. Now, Nicole is preparing to see his family again. She would like to get their own apartment as married adults, but Mahmoud does not seem to see the need.
Mahmoud’s family is extremely warm and welcoming

Fatima is also not native to Egypt, having immigrated to China to marry one of Mahmoud’s brothers. Mahmoud’s mother is also particularly friendly. Nicole appreciates their warmth, but she also feels uncomfortable with so many people in one room. It is a lot, especially for someone who feels accustomed to living alone.
Bad joke, Mahmoud

His family has a lot of anxieties about Nicole once again leaving Egypt, because they know how much Mahmoud loves her. He jokes that he would just “take her passport” to prevent that. It is an unsettling joke. This does sometimes happen and it is a horror. That said, when it does happen to Americans, the perpetrators are usually family who hope to trap their minor or adult child. There are often cultural or even financial motives. Again, though, bad joke.
Nicole gets some bad news from Fatima

She asks if Fatima has made many friends since moving to Egypt, but that is a no. Mahmoud’s family seems to think that all of the “friends” that a woman needs are family. Nicole explains that Americans often do the opposite — going out to make friends, who then become family, rather than simply befriending relatives. Either way, Fatima offers to go out shopping to Nicole. She seems like a sweetheart.
Nicole would really, really like to look for an apartment

There is a key difference between staying with your husband’s family for a few days and just … living with them. This is about more than just a crowded house — it is plainly obvious that Nicole feels overstimulated, as many in her shoes would be. But Mahmoud does not explain why they cannot find an apartment, he just sounds less than interested in it. That … could be interesting, later. We have seen a few men on this franchise who cannot function without their mothers.
Mahmoud claims that he does not want Nicole to change

Except in the literal sense, as in “change her clothes.” Because he does not seem to regret or plan to stop demanding that she dress according to his wishes. Even though he knows that it causes problems in their marriage when he makes these demands. As Nicole says, none of her problems went away while she was in America. They were just waiting here for her in Egypt.