90 Day Fiance: The Other Way Season 4, Episode 8 opened en media res — with one couple declaring “I’m done!” In public, no less.
Just five hours earlier, the episode revealed, they were at peace and being downright lovey-dovey.
In fact, multiple couples had high stakes moments.
Some were good — including a couple of proposals. And some couples had moments that did not go so well.
Take a look at our recap below!
Nicole Sherbiny and Mahmoud Elsherbiny
These two start things off with a huge fight. No conflict, just a quarrel. They’re out in public, with Mahmoud declaring that he’s “done” and Nicole clearly feeling the same way. What happened?
Whatever it was, it went down in just a few hours
Just five hours earlier, they were both singing a very different tune. Don’t worry — the episode walks us through every moment.
Earlier that day, things were peaceful
What was Nicole and Mahmoud’s secret to finding peace? Well … just not talking about their issues. That won’t resolve anything, but since their overall situation seems to be untenable, they’re just pretending like nothing is wrong.
You know what sounds fun?
Okay, we may be being tongue-in-cheek here, but for the earnestly devout, prayer can be very enjoyable. Depending upon the faith, sometimes. Mahmoud is acting on his uncle’s advice, and offers to teach Nicole how to pray. He starts with a wudu (cleaning oneself before praying) and then walks her through it. Nicole, remember, converted to Islam, but there are some very conspicuous gaps in her knowledge.
Mahmoud also suggests that they go swimming!
Of course, because Nicole is his wife, she only has one husband-approved option for what to wear to the pool.
It’s a burkini
Nicole has a lot of feelings about clothing, and especially about this. She also asks Mahmoud if she should wear something under it — a normal logistical question. He says that he doesn’t know and leaves the room, and he almost seems angry. This leaves Nicole feeling confused. Why is he mad?
Mahmoud refuses to answer
A tearful Nicole is unable to get an explanation out of him for why he seems angry, as he denies it. Nicole tells the camera that it seems like he resents her for not knowing these things, despite his alleged enthusiasm to “teach” her. It’s uncomfortable.
Mahmoud explains to the camera … or does he?
According to him, he left the room to avoid a “fight.” But there wasn’t a fight. What would he have answered that would have started a fight? Like Nicole, we struggle to understand Mahmoud’s reasoning at times. Unlike Nicole, we didn’t marry the guy.
On the ride over, Nicole emphasizes how much she is trying
Right, this is a woman who gave up her home and traveled to another continent, completely redid her wardrobe, converted to a new religion, and is now living in a crowded family home. At present, the compromise seems to be very one-sided.
Ah, marital bliss
Nicole dons the burkini. She also opens up about how her first time wearing one, shortly after marrying Mahmoud, made her realize the extent of his expectations of her. Remember, she doesn’t have to wear this, legally. In fact, it is not uncommon for tourists in particular to wear normal swimwear — one-pieces and bikinis — at the beach. But Nicole sat there, feeling uncomfortable, while she watched other people dress how they wanted instead of how their husband demanded. It all hit home for her then, as it does now. But she does not wear the head-cover.
“I think you should try to wear it”
Mahmoud really hypes up his praise of the burkini to try to encourage Nicole to enjoy wearing it, but it’s not especially subtle. She replies that he should try wearing it. Sometimes, a phrase doesn’t translate well, but Mahmoud understands “I think you should try to wear it” just fine. He declines, noting that he does not have one. His expectations of her are entirely one-sided when it comes to swimwear.
That said, Mahmoud does have some praise for Nicole — genuine praise
He notes how much she has changed and compromised for him. And he fully admits that he doubts that he could have changed or compromised nearly as many things for her. Notably, she’s not really asking him to do much of that. Most of Nicole’s desires are more about reducing how much she has to change about herself. She does want them to have their own place, though.
By the way, Mahmoud doesn’t have any swimwear restrictions
In fact, he asks Nicole if she minds him removing his shirt to get into the pool. Nicole, whose entire body is covered below the neck, is visibly annoyed and says “no.” Mahmoud strips off his shirt anyway, telling her that it will only be for a few minutes. He clearly doesn’t understand why Nicole doesn’t love the double-standard. At the same time, viewers can better understand why Nicole puts up with so much when they see that shirt come off.
Disaster!
While cameras were not rolling, Nicole noticed that Mahmoud seemed to be in a weird mood. When she asked him if anything was wrong, he responded with a passive aggressive “like you care anyway.” After spending her entire day doing what Mahmoud wanted — having him teach her how to pray, wearing a burkini to please him — it was too much. By her own description, Nicole says that she “snapped.”
Mahmoud wants to know what he did wrong
It’s not clear if Nicole explained that the specific line was the final straw. But she notes that he has been “pick-pick-picking at” her since she arrived. That is true — viewers saw him police her clothing within literal minutes of her arrival in Egypt.
Nicole just wants him to leave her alone
Mahmoud seems angry that Nicole is embarrassing him in public — notably, she keeps walking away and he is the one chasing her and repeatedly grabbing her arm. He complains that an “Egyptian wife” would never do that to him, or push him away.
The ultimatum
Mahmoud tells her that he will wait for five minutes. If she doesn’t come home with him, they will divorce. Nicole’s reply is that she does not “give a f–k” and doesn’t want to be anywhere near him right now. He walks away and texts her that he “didn’t do anything” and renews the ultimatum, demanding that she get into the Uber with him or get divorced. Nicole is tired of him controlling her, and says that she doesn’t “have anything left” to deal with him.
Daniele Gates and Yohan Geronimo
Back in New York, Daniele has packed up her entire life. She gets almost dangerously relatable when she describes how slow the packing process can be for someone with ADHD. This time, she’s not just packing for a vacation.
It’s her whole life
Daniele has dozens of suitcases and boxes, which is just a tremendous amount of luggage. But she’s vacating her apartment. In fact, she spent her last night in New York in a hotel ahead of her flight to the Dominican Republic.
Meanwhile, her husband awaits
Yohan reveals that he has secured an apartment where the two of them will live. However, he does not know if it will be up to her standards. 90 Day Fiance viewers have seen some apartments that were perfect and some real disasters — places with no hot water and no refrigerator. We suspect that Yohan knows his wife better than that, but he also suspects that it won’t quite be up to snuff.
Reunited!
These two are absolutely crazy about each other. Whether their mutual attraction can outweigh the two of them being polar opposites on every level … your guess is as good as ours.
And they have an almost immediate disagreement
First, there’s an issue with the luggage. Obviously her entire life’s belongings cannot fit in that little sedan, but that’s what Yohan brought to the airport. (They didn’t discuss the logistics beforehand?) Over Daniele’s objections, Yohan piles some of the suitcases on top of the car. He also refuses to let Daniele drive, even though she is the better driver. Daniele explains to the camera that he would feel emasculated if someone saw him as a passenger while a woman drives.
Ugh
The casual cissexim of Yohan’s statement aside, it reeks of toxic masculinity. He tells Daniele that she should let him do certain things because of gender roles. That doesn’t fly with her, and it suggests that he struggles to see her as an actual partner.
Debbie Aguero and Oussama
The morning after their fight — the one where Oussama revealed that he does not feel ready to marry her, and expects her to return to the United States — he tells her that there was a misunderstanding. Was there? Because he told the cameras that he wasn’t ready to marry her. And he also admitted that he didn’t tell her that he expects her to go back … because she wouldn’t have come.
Debbie is having a hard time trusting him
She saw another side to him last night, and she didn’t like it.
Oussama is scrambling to fix things
He tells her that he wants her to meet his family first. In fact, he reminds her that this is something that she wants to do. Then, they can pick out a home together and take other steps.
Oussama knows that he needs to step up
He notes that a painting and a poem are not enough to prove himself to Debbie. That’s certainly true now.
And he wants to make one thing clear
He says that he loves Debbie and fully intends to marry her. He’s just not ready yet, and he wants to follow certain traditions.
But Debbie can’t fully shake some of the things that he said to her
She feels haunted by his admission that he didn’t tell her the truth because she wouldn’t have come. That’s not a “little white lie,” it’s a trick. It’s also extremely immature (he’s 24).
Somehow, the good vibes return
They go out together for a day at the beach. It is a beautiful view.
Debbie’s joy is palpable when she sees a camel
She has no chill about it, first asking if she can pet the camel. When she realizes that she can ride, she just has one question: is there a seatbelt involved? Obviously not.
Oussama rides with her
Debbie clings to him for dear life, noting that he is as slender as a toothpick. Meanwhile, Oussama calls her “crazy,” but he means it affectionately.
To him, this is why they work — because he’s “crazy too”
Debbie admits to the camera that she worries that Oussama feels embarrassed as people see them and stare at them. But he assures her that he doesn’t care about any of that when he’s with her.
Gabriel Paboga and Isabel Posada
They are still at her parents’ house for this family visit. House rules mean that they cannot spend the night together … even though they are grown adults who live together. Toxic? Yes. But Gabe and Isabel are remarkably easy-going about it … in part because they are gearing themselves up for a complex conversation. Gabriel is planning to come out as trans to her parents.
They set the mood with a pleasant day of horse riding
Like most people in the United States, Gabe is not very familiar with horses. Not up close. In the US, horses are for people with rural lifestyles or for the very wealthy. The third group is probably the entertainment industry or certain sports. None of those are a majority. However, Isabel’s family seems better acquainted with equines. They ask for the most mellow mare for Gabe.
And now …
Gabriel is a bit of an impulsive guy, so he did not really prepare for this like … almost anyone on the planet would in his shoes. So he doesn’t have a speech prepared. And he hasn’t memorized what he wants to say in Spanish. He even uses his translator app to share some news. Honestly? Isabel’s parents might be wondering if he and Isabel are expecting (they are obviously not) from the buildup.
He’s trans!
Gabe notes that he has lived as himself for the past decade. He gets it all out in a couple of sentences and braces himself for their reactions. We’ll see their response next week. In the mean time, with these translator apps, he’ll be lucky if the phone doesn’t tell them that he’s “trenes” (“trains”). Use these apps to double check yourself beforehand, not to pour out your heart and soul.
Jen Boecher and Rishi Singh
After learning that her visa was only good for 30 days (not several months, as she had believed), Jen has to return home. Rishi hasn’t told his family that they are engaged, and they are not married. This visit had its ups and downs, and now Jen feels like she’s getting a major setback. Especially given how long she might have to wait for another visa.
But before she leaves …
Rishi drops down to one knee to renew their proposal. He slides a ring onto her finger. Notably, this is not the episode’s only renewed proposal.
It’s a very tasteful ring
Jen is happy to receive it, especially since she has struggled to trust Rishi’s commitment (and fidelity). And it’s something to take home, to “show for her trouble,” as it were.
After a long journey home, Jen reconnects with her sister-in-law
She opens up about the visit … and also reveals that despite the passionate kissing, she did not bone Rishi on this trip. Jen’s hope was to feel secure in the relationship.
Her family doesn’t think that Rishi will follow through with any of his promises
They love Jen, they want her to be happy. But that doesn’t mean that they think that Rishi is going to put her ahead of his family … and all of the cultural traditions in the region of India where he lives.
Kris Foster and Jeymi Noguera
After a bad pain day for Kris, the two go on a romantic getaway. They’re going glamping — camping without most of the unpleasantness — under a geodesic dome tent. Neither of them have gone here before, but they’re excited to.
And Kris has a little surprise for Jeymi
She called ahead and asked for some extras, because her desire is to propose. Are she and Jeymi already engaged? Absolutely. But they became engaged over the internet. Now, they know each other in person. Kris wants to propose again for the romance of it, but also to give Jeymi a chance to change her mind. Kris’ life is chaotic and she knows it.
“Marry me?”
Kris took the rose petals and spelled out her question to Jeymi. She hopes that it is legible … and that Jeymi can read these specific words. They’re not everyday English. That said, the engagement ring usually makes things pretty clear.
She said yes!
After initially feeling stunned, Jeymi says yes, and goes in for a kiss with Kris.
Yes!
Jeymi gleefully shows off her ring to the camera.
Dinner is a new experience
Kris isn’t sure what some of the food is, and is reluctant to try what she ascertains is some sort of blood sausage. Honestly? Trying new things can be great, but no one should ever have to eat anything that they don’t want to.
Onto an important topic …
Jeymi notes that they need to iron out the details of their wedding plans. Kris notes that her (adult) daughter will likely attend. Given that they’re in Colombia, she can’t expect many people to make the trip. Meanwhile, Jeymi is not out to her family and will not be telling them.
Jeymi has good reason to not come out
Her mom, she explains, is the sort of person who will say that she’s “not homophobic” but will then make a series of homophobic remarks. This kind of parent exists in the US (and everywhere) too, and it tells their LGBTQ+ children that it’s not actually safe to come out to them. Sometimes, those parents would insist that they feel differently about their own children … but that doesn’t really make things better if they’re bigoted against others, does it?
Kris feels so sad about this
She’s a mom, so she thinks about how devastated she would feel if her kids didn’t feel safe coming to her about something. Kris is also a bi woman who came out to her devout Christian mother, and received a better reception than she had imagined. So she feels doubly sad for Jeymi’s situation.