Now that we’re on Season 7, Episode 13, it’s easier to see which 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever Couples? are doomed. And which ones might make it.
Kimberly and Usman received a rude awakening. Multiple parts of his family’s “contract” for them will clash with the K-1 visa.
While Angela continues to blame Michael for her behavior, she reluctantly agrees to couples counseling. But last time didn’t go so well.
After Bilal insulted Shaeeda’s best friend, he now wants an apology from her. Meanwhile, Eutris just wants to make sure that this marriage won’t ruin Shaeeda’s life.
Big Ed brings Liz to his hometown. But these interactions with his family could make or break their latest attempt at an engagement.
Elizabeth and Andrei sit down with her sisters after blindsiding them with a pregnancy announcement on Instagram. Things get very, very ugly.
Jovi continues to worry about how much Yara’s mom is influencing her. But Yara just wishes that he’d trust her to make up her own mind.
Kimberly Menzies and Usman Umar
Happily engaged, now with his mother’s conditional blessing, the two decorate Usman’s home. (Apparently, previous meetings with his mother took place at his home? Some details remain unclear)
Usman wants Kimberly to help decorate
They are putting up awards and trophies of his, but he says that he wants to remember Kimberly as he looks around his home in Sokoto. She will be returning to the US very soon, so this is a sweet farewell activity.
It is also inherently goofy
Watching a man hang a framed painting of himself is … quite something. But maybe that’s a good energy to have.
Usman has a surprise for Kimberly
Apparently dissatisfied with her proposal (but in a nice way?), he drops to one knee to propose to Kimberly.
Kimberly’s reaction is joyful
This is the kind of romantic gesture that she wanted. Usman’s comes with less fanfare than hers did, but it’s the thought that counts.
“He put a ring on it!”
Kimberly and Usman show off their engagement rings to the camera. And then they go to have some celebratory yammy in his room.
Later, they share the happy news with an immigration attorney
No longer in Sokoto, they tell the attorney about their engagement. Their plans are to get a K-1 visa for Usman so that they can marry in the US. Usman explains that he doesn’t want to live in the US, but wants free movement between Nigeria and America.
Kimberly and Usman read the “contract” that his mom had them sign
The language of the document is somewhat garbled, but two points of interest — the promise to let Usman marry a second wife to have children, and the promise that he will return home to visit 4 times per year — are particularly important.
Oh no …
First of all, when you have a K-1 visa, you can’t travel internationally without permission. Ostensibly, it’s all about making sure that someone is committed to their new life in the US. So Usman could have to wait a couple of years before returning to Nigeria. Also, and more significantly, polygamy is illegal in the US. It’s not just not legally recognized — there are places in the country where people in plural marriages face discrimination or even prosecution. Part of the K-1 and green card interviews includes questions about someone’s plans for multiple marriages. So no, letting Usman have a Hausa wife would not go over well with immigration officials.
That’s disappointing news
Usman notes that there is a hefty cultural expectation for him to have a child. It’s not just about his mom’s demands.
It’s not the news that they hoped to hear
Kimberly and Usman sound like they’re hoping that it will work out regardless. But their time together is up for now. Kimberly leaves Nigeria engaged, but wondering how they’ll overcome these final hurdles.
Angela Deem and Michael Ilesanmi
Things are better between these two now — if you count them being together as “better.” But Michael still wishes that Angela had not attacked his car. Like so many other abusers, Angela resents that Michael dares to bring up what she did when she was in a rage. She is also promising to fix it. That is today’s errand.
She seems amused with herself
Angela acts like the damage that she did to his vehicle was all just a joke, and also that it’s no big deal. Gross. They’re now getting it fixed by a professional.
Michael wants to patch up more than his car
He asks Angela if she will do marriage counseling with him. Her response is less than positive.
“Hell no.”
First, Angela says that she does not “need nobody to tell me how to handle my man.” Presumably, she fears that a professional would try to discourage her from inflicting further abuse and torment upon her husband. However, she also cites negative experiences with couples counseling in Nigeria in the past. A previous counselor told her to embrace “total submission,” which is gendered BS. We hate to admit it, but Angela was right to shake off that piece of advice.
Michael wants them to be in a good place before she returns home
Angela continues to blame Michael for her behavior, saying that things will only be a “problem” over long distance if he defies her again. Lovely.
Cannot unhear
Angela later brags about their “make-up sex.” We had to hear it and now you have to remember it, also.
Time to go to marriage counseling
Honestly? Dressed like King Henry VIII’s deranged chain-smoking grandma is possibly the ideal way for Angela to make an honest first impression upon a marriage counselor. No notes.
This counselor is a lot better than the previous one
She emphasizes things like healthy communication and how the two of them can rebuild trust. Short of “please just leave her Michael do you need help? Blink if you need help!” that is perhaps the best advice to give.
But what about Billy, the “Thief of Hearts?”
Angela opens up about her flirtations with Billy … and her plans to visit him in Canada. Given that she spirals into alarming rage if he even has a friend who is a woman, it’s hypocritical. And Michael is worried and resentful.
Bilal Hazziez and Shaeeda Sween
Still in New York, Shaeeda tells the camera that she is trying focus on her goals. Opening her yoga studio and having a baby are important to her. She worries that asking Bilal to help (as he promised) with both of these may backfire, so she’s trying a softer approach. Girl … you should not have to play these games with your actual husband.
Shaeeda goes out shopping with Eutris
Eutris is apologetic about the tense dinner conversation the night before. She felt very protective of her bestie, and did not respond well to Bilal’s insults. And who would?
But Eutris noticed an alarming pattern with Bilal
As viewers have noted across two seasons, he will redirect almost any conversation to being about what he wants it to be about.
“Is he always like that?”
Eutris expresses her worry that Bilal is the same way with Shaeeda, always making it seem like she is at fault. The answer is “yes,” but Shaeeda is hesitant to say so. Instead, she says that this is a complicated question (it isn’t).
Later, Shaeeda and Bilal talk
Bilal wants an apology from Eutris, which … sounds very in-character for him. Shaeeda just wants peace between her best friend and her husband. She also chalks up some of their conflict to cultural differences in how he perceives Eutris’ passion — expected in the Caribbean, rude in the US. Maybe that’s part of it.
Time for an “apology” to Eutris
Bilal offers his version of an apology, which comes across like apologizing that someone had a bad day. But it’s a start, at least.
Eutris talks about her worries
Shaeeda has a ticking clock on conception. Bilal is dragging his heels on that, just like he is on the yoga studio. He wants to wait and wait and wait, and Eutris worries that he’s trying to wait out the clock. Which … many viewers suspect, also.
Bilal says that he’d celebrate if she conceived soon, but …
He’s not wanting to actually try for a baby any time soon. And he expresses shock that Shaeeda is sharing so much about her life and their marriage with her best friend. BIlal, you are on a reality show; should Shaeeda’s bestie find out on TV like the rest of us?
Eutris has a bad idea
Perhaps (hopefully) she is just joking, but she suggests that Shaeeda could “forget” to take her birth control. We don’t think that reproductive coercion or even simple deception about something so important is ever the answer. It’s a crime in many places, and it’s always wrong.
Ed Brown and Liz Woods
Big Ed and Liz are packing up for their trip to Arkansas. Ed jokingly asks if he should bring his “fun underwear,” which is a G-string. Liz jokes that she is not bringing any underwear. This show will never have mercy upon viewers. Life is torment.
Ed “did troubling things, but rarely got caught”
Big Ed describes his childhood as a spoiled middle child among six. Perhaps someone who has multiple accusations of sexual misconduct against him should not tease about his history of behavior, but Ed doesn’t ever seem to take this sort of thing seriously.
Ed’s family history is complex (like everyone’s)
His dad was at a point where he just wanted to party and be fun, so his parents divorced. His mother moved to California, where she lives to this day. He later moved to California. He resented his father (who died 10 years ago) for the split.
Christine is Ed’s sister
Liz meets her and Jack. They certainly have opinions, but Christine sounds open-minded and tentatively supportive of this renewed engagement
Liz is nervous
They have a second engagement party coming up. Though Ed ruined their first, he blamed Liz for that. Now, Liz is concerned that his family’s approval or disapproval will have a lot of impact on their relationship.
Elizabeth Potthast and Andrei Castravet
Libby and Andrei sit down with her sisters, Becky and Jenn. This is their first meet-up after she announced her pregnancy on Instagram. Only her and Andrei’s fathers got to receive the news in person. That stung for her sisters. As they intended, clearly.
Jenna and Becky are very upset
They feel like Libby is treating them as outsiders (which she is) and deliberately excluding them (which she is). They note that the three sisters were all very close before Andrei entered the picture.
Andrei calls them “Pamela,” their mom’s name
He says that they are on the outs because they sided with Pam, their mom (the homophobic one, as you may recall from her social media posts), and thus with Charlie, their troubled brother. They were all keeping their distance from Charlie, but the sisters caved for their mom’s sake.
But the conversation moves on to other targets
Jenn brings up that Andrei seems to be insecure. Possibly, a bit jealous.
Andrei does not respond like a normal person
He begins gloating about how much money he has been making. Then, he taunts Jenn, even threatening to take things away from her. That’s … so much.
Becky SNAPS
At one point even appearing to push Andrei, she tells him to stop attacking her sister.
Things are so unhealthy and there are a lot of hurt feelings
Both Becky and Jenn just worry that, one day, Libby will be out of their lives entirely. All at Andrei’s behest.
This starts to hit home for Libby
She is now more on board with her father’s plans for family therapy. Perhaps this can mend their bond.
Jovi Dufren and Yara Zaya
The family is making their way to Germany, where they will visit Yara’s friend, Karina. Karina is a refugee from the invasion of Ukraine. Jovi’s friend Talmadge is in the car. So is Yara’s mom, Olga.
Jovi is still taking a lighthearted approach, eager to hit the town with Talmadge
But for Yara, this is a trip to visit her friend, who is a refugee. On the one hand, we suspect that Jovi is downplaying the severity of the situation because he doesn’t want to dwell on the negative. And Karina is safe and escaped the carnage. But on the other, he could be more sensitive to Yara’s feelings in the moment.
Yara stops to buy clothes and other supplies for Karina
Like most refugees, Karina has had to leave most of her possessions behind. Yara wants to help her out. She is also overcome with thoughts about other, less fortunate refugees. So many have children. She cannot imagine having to flee with Mylah and only what they could carry.
Olga hopes that Yara will spend more time in Europe
She’s not a bad person — no one involved in this is. Jovi wants his wife and daughter to be home in Louisiana, near his family. Olga wants her daughter and granddaughter to be in Europe where she can visit them. And Yara is on the fence, because she wants both of these things. But some viewers are certainly bristling at Olga’s suggestions. They worry that Yara spending more time in Prague could harm the marriage.
Jovi tells Yara that he worries about how much her mother is influencing her
Yara remains adamant that she is a “grown-ass woman” who can make up her own mind. That is a very fair point.