Season 5, Episode 14 of 90 Day Fiance: Before The 90 Days was a make-it-or-break-it moment for some of the couples.
Ximena has been telling her family that things are good, but they’re not. And it’s more than just not being ready to marry.
This episode was a long time coming, finally showing us the moment that a brokenhearted Mike walked away.
Another partner to walk away was Mahogany, who told Ben that he was not at all like he was online.
After one of their bitterest fights, Gino and Jasmine must reconcile before he can propose.
Usman’s entourage encourages him to forget about Kimberly, but he is eager to fix things with her.
Meanwhile, Memphis has just one day before her wedding to decide whether to delay the nuptials or marry without a prenup.
It’s a real no-win scenario for her, and the clock is ticking.
Mike Berk and Ximena Cuellar
Ximena is hanging out with family, telling her mother that everything is going just fine with Mike. This is a lie, of course, but Ximena’s mom seems to be the last to know.
Ximena’s sister clears that up
Ximena gives her mother an abbreviated description of where things stand, complaining to Mike is “weird” because he looks at her when they wake up and she gets out of bed, so he no longer sleeps in her bed.
That’s … odd
Ximena’s mom Derly doesn’t understand her daughter’s thinking. It’s not just that the relationship itself seems fine aside from Ximena’s issues, but this could give her and her sons a better future.
She counsels Mike to be patient
She tells him that Ximena has never had a serious committed relationship before, so this could take time. (Also, Ximena is 24 … which doesn’t fully explain her extreme immaturity but does help, a little)
Ximena claims that this isn’t true
She tells Mike — as they head out to play pool — that she has had what she considers “serious” relationships in the past, even if her mother doesn’t seem to view them that way.
So why didn’t they work out?
Ximena says that she would get “bored” of the relationship. While anyone can tap out of any relationship at any time, it does seem to be a symptom of Ximena’s immaturity.
In case he needed a reminder
Ximena reminds Mike that she just isn’t ready to marry him … which may be a hint that he should go ahead and pay for her breast implants, like she previously demanded, if he wants to meet her at the altar one day.
They pick up the conversation after playing pool
Mike is tired of walking on eggshells around his petulant quasi-fiancee, opting to confront her about how he can’t help but notice the timing. Ximena suddenly expressed how he “annoyed” her when he stopped saying “yes” to everything that she wanted.
OUCH
Ximena dismisses this idea immediately, noting that Mike still pays her rent, so it’s not like he’s not sending her money anymore.
In reality, he’s pissed her off
Ximena doesn’t like Mike throwing this in her face, and that very clearly leads to what goes down next.
If that’s the way that he feels, it’s over
Ximena tells him that they’ll just be “friends” (who don’t speak the same language and who seemingly have nothing in common), and that he can stop sending her money.
A nasty side of Mike comes out
He tells her that he wants “back” all of the things that he’s bought for her. We get that he’s pissed, but that’s not how gifts work — the things that he’s bought for her are hers. Besides, if they really wanted to go this route, it’s not like she can un-bang him. Ximena, however, calls his bluff, telling him that he can take back whatever he likes.
So long as he understands that they’re done
Ximena makes it very clear that the relationship — the engagement, the romance, all of it — is done.
This is too much for Mike
In an emotional panic, he just gets up and walks away with production having to really move to follow him. One camera does stay behind with Ximena, recording her tearing up — as disinterested as she sounded to his face, it’s clear that this wasn’t easy for her, either.
“My mind’s going crazy”
Channeling his inner Paul Staehle, Mike just … walks through a largely unfamiliar city while trying to process all of these feelings.
Ben Rathbun and Mahogany Roca
Mahogany is frankly embarrassed that her parents showed up — by surprise — to see Ben ghost her for breakfast. It creeped her out that he then messaged her that he wanted to meet with her parents, but not with her.
Not what she expected from a guy more than 30 years older
Mahogany tells her dad that she is interested in dating an older man because so many guys her age are less mature, but Ben is behaving oddly in a way that makes him seem to be just as immature, if not more so, than her peers.
Mahogany’s dad is relieved to hear that she sees this
Also, he says what countless people have been saying all season — she’s just too young for this. It’s not just that she’s too young for a guy as old as Ben. She’s also too young to be looking into marriage. She’s 22! He wants her to experience life and find the right partner.
Now it’s Ben’s turn to wait
He thinks that he’s waiting for Mahogany’s parents, but she is the one who shows up — alone.
Her parents aren’t coming
She brings Ben a handwritten note by her dad, citing the “personal reasons” that have called him away.
Mahogany has something to say
She tells Ben that the things that he told her in chat versus the things that he had held back — about his past, among other things — are sending up huge red flags for her. He doesn’t seem like the same man that he did over those messages.
Now, she’s seen the real Ben
The real Ben is a man who sends her pages of off-the-walls text messages and then ghosts her the next day at breakfast. Ben gets huffy when she asks him about his past. Ben pushes past her boundaries.
She straight up does not want to be here
So she gets up and walks away, leaving Ben devastated and alone.
The next day …
Ben is packing up his things and bracing for an awkward car ride. It will be at least two hours of driving, but he says that he’s looking forward to “mandatory alone time” (his words, not ours) with Mahogany. He remains convinced that this is all part of God’s plan for him, that Mahogany was placed in his heart for a reason.
Hmmm … that’s not Mahogany
There is someone new in Mahogany’s room, Ben discovers in one of the most awkward ways imaginable. He’s not a guest — Mahogany has checked out. Her car is gone, too.
She didn’t leave that morning, either
Mahogany checked out the night before, Ben finds out at the front desk.
Ben will have to hire a car service to take him back
That means coughing up the equivalent of $250-$270 dollars (for what will be several hours of driving in both directions for the driver).
Gino Palazzolo and Jasmine Pineda
Jasmine is in her room, marveling at how she has not seen Gino for hours after their fight. Gino knocked over his chair and stormed away from the table, unhappy at being called out over a trip that he took with his ex but hadn’t told Jasmine about. Now, it’s clear that she wishes that he had returned already.
She goes out to find Gino
Jasmine sits by him, and they have a heart to heart. Gino feels very attacked by Jasmine, as if he can never do anything right. Jasmine feels like Gino doesn’t fully appreciate how harmful some of his choices have been. Weirdly, they’re both right, albeit about different things.
They reconcile
The thing is that they do both really love each other, despite all of the toxic nightmare stuff in their hellish relationship.
Jasmine gushes over Gino
She isn’t blind to his faults, she makes clear to the confessional camera, but she really does care about him.
They go on a romantic swim
All in all, they start finally having the fun, loving vacation that they were meant to be on all along.
It’s time
Even though it’s been a bit rainy, Gino decides that there is no time like the present. He drops to one knee and proposes to Jasmine.
Will she marry him?
Gino holds up the ring, which Jasmine does not yet know was basically the cheapest one that he could find.
They’re engaged!
Jasmine says yes, and the two embrace as fiance and fiancee.
Jasmine does notice that the ring’s a bit weird
She then covers for her doubts, talking about how sweet Gino was to get it for her.
There’s one remaining concern
At a nice dinner, Jasmine tells Gino that she is admittedly nervous to come and live in the United States, reminding him that this will mean leaving her friends and family behind. Also, she tells him that she will want to include her kids in their happily ever after, which he knows. They have a long road ahead of them.
Kimberly Menzies and Usman Umar
After Kimberly splashed her drink in his face and stormed off, Usman is — now, much later — still processing it, telling his entourage about what happened.
They’re very sympathetic … sort of
Badmus says that if someone had filmed that, it could hurt Usman’s music career. (In reality, production filmed that, and if anything, it will help Usman’s ridiculous rap star aspirations) They advise him to move on, citing that he’s not compatible with these “old ladies.”
Usman has other priorities right now
He messages Kimberly and invites her to come meet him — ASAP.
What’s this?
When you see a romantic layout like this, it’s either for something very sweet or there’s a serial killer on the loose. In this case, the former.
Oh no
Usman comes out singing, impressing Kimberly (and only Kimberly) with this grand romantic gesture — which is exactly what she wanted the whole time.
They share a toast with champagne
Their relationship — which is only a few days old, in Usman’s mind — is back on track, and Kimberly is due for some more yammy-yammy.
Memphis Sandoval and Moknii Hamza
Hamza is excited for his wedding to Memphis, but has noticed a dramatic change in her mood. He’s wondering if she is reconsidering everything, but the truth is more complicated.
Memphis just needed some space
She still wants to marry Hamza, but with the bad news that she doesn’t have time to get a prenup signed, she’s stuck — does she ask Hamza to delay the wedding, or does she take the enormous risk with her and her children’s future by not getting a prenup? Memphis was totally ready to tell Hamza to push back the wedding date … but seeing his entire family there, celebrating, made that an impossible conversation.
Memphis ends up celebrating as planned
Traveling with the women of Hamza’s family, she takes a carriage ride in a cute outfit and goes to a spa. It’s like a G-rated bachelorette party, after a fashion. She’s so caught up in her happiness that it takes her mom to give her a reality check.
Her mom doesn’t want her to take that risk
Memphis needs to secure her future. While it looks like (please note that we are not family law attorneys) Michigan divorce law focuses upon the equitable division of marital property, if Memphis buys a house during their marriage, that could potentially be considered marital property. Memphis spent some of her childhood homeless and does not want insecurity for her own kids.
It’s time for a talk with Hamza
Hamza’s sister, Rawia (who is a fan-favorite by the way — social media users really like her attitude) has the awkward task of translating for the two of them during this serious conversation. Hamza knows about the prenup, but it’s too late for that, so he needs to agree to sign a postnup … which is not generally considered to carry the same weight.
This is a complicated topic
From Hamza’s perspective, it does hurt his feelings a bit, and he has his own issues after his parents’ divorce upended his life.
Memphis is prioritizing her kids, but …
Rawia, who seems to like Memphis for the most part, thinks that she could be more considerate of Hamza in turns of how she says things.
In the end, Hamza agrees
He and Memphis have a lot of differences, including the languages that they speak, but they clearly have a lot of affection for each other. He’ll sign the postnup.