90 Day Fiance: Before The 90 Days Season 6 has been a ratings success.
This season has brought interesting stories and exciting new cast members.
Part 1 of the Tell All aired on Sunday, September 24.
Check out our full recap as we prepare ourselves for Part 2.
The Tell All: Part 1
Meisha Johnson, Statler Riley, and Riley Diego are three of the first to enter the backstage lounge. It is very clear, as always, that production let people trickle in to capture their discussions in smaller groups. From the start, things are congenial. Statler tells the cameras before she goes into the room that Meisha seems nice, but she does wonder if she’ll receive some judgment. Riley also has a bone to pick with Nicola, Meisha’s beloved, because he feels that Nicola is using the bible to justify his own bad behavior.
Who’s toxic?
They delve into questions of which couples are the most toxic. Riley has previously said that he is leery of judging anyone because he is well aware of his behavior and of his (disastrous) relationship. But more or less everyone agrees that Gino and Jasmine are one of the most toxic couples. Statler reveals that she went from thinking that Gino was a real bad guy to wanting to protect him from Jasmine. Even David chimes in, asking why Jasmine is constantly crying. (By the way, David has a team of interpreters on hand to help him communicate with his castmates)
Gino!
Right on the heels of everyone discussing him (well, mostly discussing his fiancee), Gino Palazzolo enters the room. This is not dissimilar to how Amanda Wilhelm entered the room. They do very diplomatically express some concerns to Gino, but using much gentler terms than they used before he was in the room. For example, Statler had specifically stated that she was happy that Jasmine wouldn’t be filming in person, but she didn’t say that to Gino.
Jasmine jumpscare!
Everyone but Gino expresses surprise as Jasmine shows up. Specifically, she announces: “I made it to America, bitches!” Producers had her waiting outside to overhear them so that she could walk in. Of course.
“Finally I got my visa”
Jasmine isn’t just on a tourist visa — she came over on a K-1 visa. (Real talk? There’s a non-zero chance that Jasmine and Gino had already married when they filmed this, but we can’t say that for sure) Yes, the interview in Panama didn’t take place at first and that was a miserable experience. But things are better — from her perspective — now.
Jasmine says hi
She also tells them that she heard what they said about her (thank the shady producers for that), but that she’s familiar with their stories, too. Jasmine was, for Jasmine, gracious about it. “We all have baggage,” Jasmine says.
“Do you recognize that you’re toxic?”
It’s Statler who gets to ask Jasmine if she knows this about herself. This is such an early-on yet politely-asked confrontational question from Statler, who will continue to hit things out of the park throughout the Tell All. Meisha then tells Gino that she’s “very worried’ for him.
On the Tell All stage
The beautiful Shaun Robinson introduces the cast and checks in with everyone in front of a live studio audience.
Checking in with Amanda and Razvan
They don’t reveal whether they’re together or not just yet. Amanda admits to the camera that she wishes that viewers had seen the real her, because she doesn’t like how she acted during much of the season. Meanwhile, Razvan is in a mesh top with his tig ol’ biddies out. You know what? Good for him.
Christian and Cleo are still together
Things were a little touch and go for them, and a lot of their castmates don’t think that they’re compatible — or that Christian’s behavior is okay. We’re sure that a lot more of that will come up later.
Meisha and Nicola are still together
They share that Nicola is coming to the US very soon (he arrived this summer or earlier, so, again, this recorded months ago). Meisha explains that this will be a tourist visa, not a K-1 visa, as they wanted to wait for annulment news before they take that step. They want to wait to have a full Catholic wedding and marriage, but they want to see each other in person again.
“But still give her some heavy petting”
Jasmine jokes for Nicola to still give Meisha some “heavy petting.” Meisha replies that Nicola still doesn’t know what that is. This is a callback to early in her trip to Israel, as the two abstained from anything that they would consider “sex” as they are not yet married.
Tyray is here!
Unfortunately, Tyray is sick and cannot attend the Tell All in person. Fortunately, he’s participating remotely (and he’s on the mend). Always good to see this lovable teddy bear.
Riley and Violet are NOT together
Frankly, Riley could not be more adamant about their status as exes. Meanwhile, Violet says that she’s there to speak the truth about what happened, not to condemn Riley. That sounds … interesting.
First up, Gino and Jasmine
Gino and Jasmine are now living together in the US. Jasmine jokes that Minnesota is too cold for human habitation. This is a great time to bring up that Shaun Robinson is from Michigan. (We here at THG have been talking about whether Jasmine would enjoy Michigan weather after growing up in Panama)
Did Jasmine really make a sex tape with Dane?
Yes and no. Yes, there is a video of her having sex with Dane. But it’s not recent, and it’s not from cheating on Gino. They made it, as many couples do, back when they were together. Oddly, Gino asks to see it — leading to Riley all but begging him to not torture himself by watching it. (Anyone else flashing back to when Jasmine called him a “weirdo?” Not curiosity it’s always weird, but for this couple, it wouldn’t be healthy)
So, when did Jasmine last seen Dane?
The two of them had a goodbye dinner. That’s actually pretty normal, despite Gino’s “What the f–k is that?” However, this doesn’t really make Gino happy, because he’s insecure about Dane. And, let’s be clear, he’s insecure about Dane because Jasmine deliberately made that happen — even claiming (in a moment of anger) to have cheated on him with Dane.
When was the dinner?
She and Dane went to dinner on February 14. That’s Valentine’s Day. He also gave her a card and flowers. But it was not, she says, a date. Jasmine even claims that they only learned that it was Valentine’s Day when they saw the decor at the restaurant. Jasmine calls this a “day of friends.”
Let’s be real
Christian suggests that Jasmine was looking for attention and appreciation. Which is likely … but also something that Christian would understand, because he likes attention himself.
Jasmine says it best
“From one attention whore to another attention whore,” Jasmine quips at Christian, noting that he’s not so different. That’s true, up to a point.
Backstage
During a break (remember, this show films for many hours), Jasmine tells Gino — or lectures him — that he needs to be more supportive of her.
Statler calls it like she sees it
With Gino and Jasmine out of earshot, she calls Jasmine a “narcissistic abuser” and says that she’s had her own experiences with that.
“I’m just gonna be myself, so deal with it”
Jasmine has not changed. Will she ever? Probably not.
Back on stage
The Tell All plays a never-before-seen mishap that involved Statler having to go outside to use the bathroom, literally defecating on the grass while Dempsey cackled. Remember, Dempsey’s caravan does not have proper plumbing, so emergencies are REALLY emergencies.
They’re going to live their “lesbian dreams”
Statler and Dempsey reveal plans to travel across Europe in a camper van (which sounds like an RV). It will be even smaller than Dempsey’s current home, but it will have a working toilet. Statler is waiting until the last minute to sell her stuff, because she often waits until the 11th hour for things. Statler’s quip about their “dreams” is a reference to stereotypes about gay women — living and traveling together being one of them.
Statler will be the breadwinner for a while
Because she works from home, she can support them financially when they’re on the road. That makes sense. It also debunks some fan theories about her.
“We’re sacrificing the slut out of you”
We also see another never-before-seen moment from Dempsey further saging Statler’s crotch. It sounds a little slut-shamey, though Dempsey emphasizes that everyone is entitled to have a past. True!
Oh no
Dempsey suggests a stone egg for Statler to insert, which looks uncomfortable. Fun tip: please do not put any kind of minerals or stones inside your body unless a doctor asks you to. Many stones are porous and many are toxic. Yes, even the ones that are supposed to have healing properties. Put it on a nightstand beside your bed. That should be enough.
Statler once had sex in a church
Jasmine asks about these adventurous times, in case she wants to try boning during a church service herself. Statler says that this was in her “wild, crazy” days in her early twenties. That’s pretty relatable.
Nicola objects
He has a tendency to smile while he tells people that they’re all but irredeemable. “I think it’s not respectable conversation, when you’re mocking God,” he says. “I think that you need to ask God’s forgiveness on your knees.” He also emphasizes “that’s a big sin.” Not all religions believe in a concept akin to “sin,” but Catholicism does. Nicola certainly does.
Statler’s friend Natali joins the Tell All
Simply put, she has deep reservations about Statler’s relationship. She’s 100% Team Statler and sees how much she loves Dempsey, but she also knows that Statler does everything 100% or not at all. She worries that Dempsey doesn’t reciprocate that energy, and she worries about Statler getting hurt. Natali even grows tearful as she talks about hoping that Dempsey is good to Statler. Many of us have felt this way about friends, especially when their relationship takes them far away.
Dempsey does not love this
She doesn’t really … engage with Natali? She just sort of disagrees. It seems that she has adversarial feelings towards Natali over her misgivings about the relationship, but she’s not doing much except telling Natali that her concerns and feelings are “invalid.” We get it — there’s no good way to hear someone question your relationship.
“Do you have any red flags”
Meisha asks Statler if she has any reservations, and she does. Why? Because she and Dempsey have terrible communication. When they try to have serious talks, one of them shuts down every time. They’ve considered couples counseling, but are instead using workbooks as a compromise. If their communication remains piss poor, then they’ll go to a therapist.
Annulment news!
Meisha does explain to Christian that it’s part of her faith to allow the tribunal to determine whether she can marry or not. The good news for her and for Nicola is that, after making her wait for a year and a half, Meisha has received her annulment and thus permission to remarry in the Catholic church. For her and Nicola, it was a Catholic wedding or nothing.
Congratulations are in order
Jasmine reminds everyone that Nicola will, for the first time in his life, have sex after he and Meisha marry. Her congratulatory message to him has the whole room erupting in laughter. Of course, it also brings up a divisive topic, as Nicola sort of blurs the lines between his beliefs about sex and how others should approach sex.
It’s Nicola vs Statler for a while
While we’re sure that we’ll see more of this conflict or similar to it as the Tell All continues, Nicola and Statler are at odds. Especially because he’s not only saying that people should wait until marriage, but also that sex should happen between a husband and wife. If that’s what he wants to do, that’s just fine. But though he stops short of telling Statler that she should do the same (he’s not demanding that she beg forgiveness on her knees or whatever, this time), it sounds like it. Meisha intervenes. She changes the subject, noting that she and Nicola will remain chaste … even if they share a bed before the wedding.
Awkward
This spurs a montage of Nicola’s more awkward or clumsy moments with Meisha where his lack of experience with romance played a role. We then see him double down on his sexual confidence. He’s so sure that he’s going to do a great job, that it’s not rocket science. There’s a difference between being able to do something and being able to do something WELL. Meanwhile, Riley gives Nicola less than a minute, prompting a scandalized reaction from Shaun. Nicola once again stirs the pot with casual homophobia but makes a bigger splash with his insistence that being good at sex can’t be that hard. Meisha says that she’s not worried, and that “he just needs to be popped open.”
Meisha’s daughters join
Her beautiful teenage daughters, Morea and Svea, step onto the Tell All stage. They are both admittedly feeling anxious about their mom’s relationship. Nicola is different. And they worry about feeling judged. Statler backs up their concerns, worrying that it could erode their bond with their mother. That’s … not an unrealistic fear. However, Nicola vows that he will let them live their teenage lives, because that’s up to Meisha. Wisely, Meisha’s daughters note that they can easily see Nicola voicing his “concerns.” Meisha reiterates that they don’t have to worry about that. “I’ll handle that,” she tells them.
A montage of Nicola and Meisha’s toughest moments doesn’t help
Her daughters worry if Nicola doesn’t really care about their mom’s feelings. They also worry that he’ll be dismissive of theirs, too, down the line. A tearful Meisha (admittedly, I teared up at this point) emphasizes to them that nothing will come between them, ever. She hopes that they’ll see Nicola the way that she does. Statler is once again Team Kids for Meisha’s daughters.
Cue the toxic masculinity
On screen, Nicola had made remarks about showing Meisha that he’s “the man.” He doubles down on that during the Tell All. Meisha’s daughters look visibly embarrassed as he rambles about gender roles, and Statler mimes gagging during it. Nicola insists that “the man” is the “head of the household” and “the provider.” He gets put on blast by multiple castmates, only to double down. (Amanda does agree with Nicola, at least from a theological vantage point)
There are plenty of fish in the sea
Statler observes that Meisha seems to feel like she has committed herself to this path. She wants to remind her that she has other options. With one of the best lines of the night, she quips that “Jesus multiplied the fish or whatever.” Backstage, as everyone takes a break and Meisha laments to Nicola (on the phone) how awkward that was, Jasmine voices a similar concern. She fears that Meisha is settling for less because of their apparent religious compatibility. Statler tells Amanda (who, again, agrees with Nicola) that she’s okay with the Catholic guy part, but that Meisha deserves an emotionally intelligent partner who can respond appropriately when she’s upset.
Back on stage, it’s Riley’s turn
Riley’s claim that it’s “common” in the US to investigate a partner isn’t exactly true. But Amanda and Tyray do back him up on his decision to investigate Violet. Others point out that the lack of trust would make this “bizarre” and ask why he wouldn’t just break it off. Apparently, he did dump her when he caught her lying long distance, only to have her beg him to contact her — reaching out through his family.
Tiffanie joins
While she likely has many questions for Violet, she reiterates her first one: why didn’t Violet delete the dating app when she and Riley decided to be boyfriend and girlfriend? According to Violet, she simply let the account exist but deleted the app from her phone. This is a common mistake. Riley says that the account still showed itself as active, so he doesn’t believe her. Pretty much everyone thinks that Violet was keeping her options open.
Heartbreaking! Jasmine just made a really great point
When the topic of Violet’s claim about being pregnant comes up, Jasmine asks Riley why he — with all of these suspicions about Violet — would then have unprotected sex. He emphasizes that they hadn’t been getting along and it was his last night there and he didn’t expect it. Tiffanie and Jasmine emphasize that he should have brought protection, no matter what.
Violet brings up Riley’s suspicions
Before she begins to cry, Violet notes that Riley believes that she slept with another man. She also explains that she asked that production not show anything about the more intimate side of their relationship, because Vietnamese culture is conservative about these things, especially when it comes to TV.
About the pregnancy news
Violet says that she took a pregnancy test only after missing her period. She took another on a call with Riley, to prove to him that she was pregnant. But Riley had doubts, and found it suspicious that she refused to go to a prenatal doctor (who speaks English) after he offered to pay. He adds that “the timeline, the dates are not making sense.” His theory is that Violet “wanted me to chase her and fight for her.” Riley emphasizes that he does not believe that he can conceive, but that Violet could lie about something like this. The episode ends with Shaun asking Violet if she’s pregnant with Riley’s child. We’ll hear her answer on Part 2.