90 Day Fiance: Before The 90 Days is back after a rare, Superbowl-induced hiatus.
Season 5, Episode 10 included some footage that many of us had already seen on Episode 9 due to some bizarre editing mixups.
But things with Kimberly and Usman are brand new, as Kimberly’s desperate ultimatum finally gets her what she wanted.
We relive parts of Jasmine’s epic de-hatting of Gino, only for their storyline to have yet another surprise twist.
Weeks ago, we warned that Mahogany might be real, even if some things about her were obviously dishonest.
On Episode 10, we see Ben meet her for the first time. She, of all people, says that he’s different from his pics.
Ella follows Kimberly’s example and gives out an ultimatum of her own to Johnny, who is running out of excuses.
For what went down between Memphis and Hamza, our Episode 9 recap covers that because it was literally the exact same footage.
Mike has noticed some distance between him and his fiancee, Ximena, in recent weeks.
He returns to Colombia to prepare for their wedding, but everything is different now.
Kimberly Menzies and Usman Umar
After a tense fight the night before, they still managed to go to bed together … eventually. There was a lot of hostility and zero sex. Something has to change, one way or the other, for this to go on.
They go outside for fresh air and better vibes
There, a casual discussion about the weather (it’s hot) leads to Usman very clearly saying that “if” Kimberly ever comes to Nigeria, she can expect it to be even hotter. Kimberly picks up on that level of uncertainty.
They hash things out
Kimberly explains to Usman that if she leaves here and they haven’t boned, it’s all over. Usman considers her one of his “best friends” at the moment, because they talk every day, and seems taken aback by her setting that boundary. Very plainly, Kimberly says that she’s not going to beg (or keep begging) for sex.
Kimberly is also worried about what Usman said about her son
Now, however, he has a very different tone and seems more eager to keep Kimberly happy.
MUCH more eager
Usman tells Kimberly that he’s going to give her what he’s been holding off on for weeks — his yammy-yammy. This conversation went from Kimberly admitting that she had no idea when she flew out that he wasn’t going to kiss her to Usman promising to lay pipe.
It’ll be a “hard one,” he vows
More than once in the episode, Usman speaks about how hard intends to rail Kimberly, expressing a desire to hold back so that she can walk right the next day.
First, the weirdest step ever
Before the two have their appointment in pound town, Kimberly and Usman … call Kimberly’s son. Thankfully, it’s not to say “hey, we’re about to bone!” … but still, it’s conceptually awkward.
Jamal actually makes some spot-on observations
He notes, for example, that Usman’s praise of Kimberly for how she took charge at his music video recording sounds like how you would praise a competent assistant, not a romantic partner. He’s right. The conversation is deeply weird but goes … fine?
Usman prepares
He goes to bed wearing underwear, a robe, and a bling necklace WITH HIS OWN BRAND NAME.
Even Kimberly cracks up
As eager as she is to have her back blown out, she’s still as tickled as the rest of us that Usman is wearing something so silly. It’s not clear if Usman is in on the joke. It never is.
IT’S HAPPENING
This is, frankly, more than most of us asked to see, but at least Usman wasn’t just saying that he’s down to clown for the cameras and is showing that he’s eager in real life.
There’s an awful lot of talking, though
Perhaps he was just saving all of that yam for after the cameras leave the room (thank you!!), but Usman insisted on a lot of chit chat.
Gino Palazzolo and Jasmine Pineda
We already covered a lot of this as it aired on Episode 9, but in the aftermath of confessing to sending Jasmine’s nudes to his ex to “rub it in her face,” Jasmine told him that she hated him because he had broken her heart. She stormed off to another cabin on the resort island, leaving Gino virtually catatonic as he processed his entire relationship falling apart.
Jasmine wasn’t done
After an entire day of processing this egregious betrayal (and a lot of drinking), Jasmine returned to the cabin to confront Gino again.
Gino had worked himself into a weird mood
For whatever reason, Gino decided to play word games, trying to haggle over whether or not her naked photos were “nudes” because of whether or not her genitals were showing. We cannot speculate what he was thinking, but this was foolish and wrong.
Jasmine exacted her revenge
To show Gino what a “nude” is, she took off his hat, swiping it from his head. Gino keeps a hat on at all times except when he is sleeping or showering, and obviously did not intend for production to ever film him without it.
It’s not the same as leaking nudes, but it was a fair analogy
By the way, Gino’s head just looks … like a normal bald head without his hat. He has some denial hair on the back of his head that he’d be better off shaving, but that’s it.
An absolutely indelible moment
Gino reaches over to his backpack, unzips it, and pulls out a replacement hat to cover up the one that Jasmine grabbed. WILD moment in any context.
But Jasmine is still heartbroken
She is devastated that the man she loved not only betrayed her, but clearly did so because he is still obsessed with his ex-girlfriend. That’s not good or healthy.
Gino asked if Jasmine was going to send his dick pics for revenge
Though Jasmine briefly threatened to, she told him that she was not going to … while also insulting his penis in the process.
Jasmine lunges again
She is swiping for his hat a second time, but production doesn’t want to take any chances, so they move to intercede. After all, grabbing a hat isn’t that far off from striking a face, and after an alarming number of incidents — from the widely-believed-to-be-staged Yara smack of Jovi to some men in the series who’ve been arrested for domestic violence — it’s good to see production playing it safe with the safety of the cast.
They separate the two of them
This means that Jasmine, sobbing and weeping, has to return to her cabin alone.
The next day, the NEW footage begins
She feels that she has cried all that she can, but goes on what was meant to be a “romantic” boat tour alone.
Meanwhile, Gino stays at the cabin
He is pretty sure that he has lost her forever. It’s impossible to feel sorry for the guy, since he did something so unthinkably vile.
Jasmine has processed a lot
After speaking her mind extensively to the cameras while on the boat, she returns to Gino’s cabin to grab one thing that she left behind — her purse.
Perhaps unwisely, she and Gino talk
Walking on the beach, he begs her forgiveness and clearly wants a second chance. Jasmine asks why she would even give him another chance.
This kind of mistake takes two people
Jasmine’s emotionally abusive outbursts. Gino’s betrayal. Neither of these people should be with the other after their respective dealbreakers. Instead, they’re getting back together. People make a lot of mistakes in life, and this is one of them.
Jasmine knows what people will think
Gino did something that is a massive betrayal of her trust, he did it because he was hung up on his ex — even messaging her while Jasmine slept beside him. It’s unforgivable. It’s a dealbreaker. And yet …
Apparently, it’s all about love
One of the hardest lessons for some people is that love alone is not enough. It might be years (since this was filmed in late 2020) before Jasmine and Gino are ready to accept that.
Ben Rathbun and Mahogany Roca
Ben continues to wait in an otherwise empty restaurant in Mahogany’s hometown, hoping against hope that his 24-year-old lady love really exists and will come to meet him. She gave him the cold shoulder for days, didn’t meet him in the airport, and basically ghosted him for a while until he told her that he was coming to see her.
Just a quick reminder:
This heavily edited photo (literally you can see where her torso’s outline was warped and the wall behind it was distorted as well, not to mention her face) is what Ben is envisioning. He and Mahogany have never video chatted.
WHO???
Mahogany then shows up. In a moment that reminds us so much of The Bachelor (not necessarily a compliment), rife with uncertainty on both sides, Mahogany Roca arrives.
They embrace
Neither of them can believe that the other is really there … albeit for different reasons. She can’t believe that he ignored her boundaries and came to town. He can’t believe that she really exists. They BOTH aren’t quite what the other pictured, interestingly enough.
So what made her show up?
Mahogany explained that she wanted to see him in person after a lot of soul-searching.
Mahogany is the one with some comments to make
Mahogany is a beautiful young woman who obviously does not look like the caricature that she made herself resemble in her photos by using multiple filters. However, she thinks that Ben is the one who doesn’t look like his photos.
Mahogany’s first impression of Ben was his modeling pics
Mahogany saw a beefy DILF when the two of them first started talking and, perhaps not understanding the gains and losses inherent to muscle mass, expected that he’d just always have that same degree of meat. That’s … sort of understandable from a woman so very young.
Mahogany emphasizes what Ben wants to hear
We’re not saying that Mahogany doesn’t share Ben’s insistence that anyone he’s with be a Christian, but her emphasis on their shared beliefs is definitely … something that Ben needed to hear from her.
They still have a lot ahead of them
Ben and Mahogany have never had a face-to-face conversation before (even through a screen), so it’ll take a lot before they can take things to the next level (especially since they’re both waiting to have sex until marriage).
Awkward hug time!
Ben hugs Mahogany goodnight, and it’s just a deeply weird moment. Sometimes, editing makes things awkward on purpose, but this time, they didn’t need to. Ben and Mahogany are naturals.
Ella Johnson and Johnny
Ella is, frankly, tired of waiting to meet Johnny in person. His plans to come see her in Iowa fell through due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s Delta variant. Now he’s getting cold feet about going to Dubai to meet her halfway.
Ella knows how to turn up the heat
Johnny still has his ticket to Dubai, so Ella buys one of her own … admitting that it’s not a financially sound decision.
Oh Ella, no
We do genuinely like a lot about Ella and acknowledge that her “time to practice” by covering her hair with a cloth was just ignorance, not malice, but … that doesn’t make it okay, either. Dubai doesn’t require women to cover their hair outside of a mosque. Women should generally avoid wearing shorts in certain parts of Old Dubai but, otherwise, longer shorts are okay for men and women. YES Dubai has a number of archaic laws that make it an inadvisable travel destination (if Ella and Johnny were to have sex there, they could be arrested), but wearing hair coverings is a personal religious choice — and very few Muslim majority countries require this, for a host of reasons.
Ella tells Johnny about her purchase
Johnny is obviously a little taken aback, but already getting the message that she is serious about wanting him to take the flight.
Johnny is concerned about COVID and about COVID restrictions
The dangers of the virus are obvious: while the odds of death are low, they’re not zero, and this virus has already taken millions of lives. Being sick sucks. Having long COVID isn’t just a pain, it is a disabling condition whose long-term effects remain unknown. Plus, China’s extremely strict COVID policies mean that he could face five weeks of quarantine — or even find himself stuck in Dubai and unable to fly anywhere.
“I want to meet you, but …”
The thing is that Johnny has been finding reasons to not come meet Ella for a long time now. Maybe every single reason is genuine — his COVID concerns are absolutely reasonable (I mean, *I* wouldn’t fly to Dubai under any circumstances, and I wouldn’t fly anywhere during this pandemic). But Ella can’t shake the feeling, the fear, that there’s more to this.
Ultimatum time
Ella tells him that if he doesn’t fly out to meet her, then it will be time for something new. She’s not threatening to break up with him, but she will want to consider something like an open relationship, because it’s been two years without meeting in person. After ending the call, Ella sobs and expresses that she’s almost 30 and she just wants happiness. Some of us may be taken aback that she considers her age part of this, but we should consider that she’s from rural Idaho and many of her friends seem to be married despite their youth.
Johnny has a lot of thinking to do
He meets up with Wang, who did not make a good first impression upon viewers when he appeared earlier this season. But Johnny wants his advice, and they’ve known each other for 20 years.
Johnny knows that there have been a lot of delays
He worries that Ella will not keep holding out for the right moment. What he perhaps doesn’t see is that Ella is afraid that the excuses will never end, and that the “right” moment will never come.
He’s also worried about the idea of an open relationship
He loves Ella and she loves him. The idea of her meeting someone else, and him missing out on being with her, is too much to bear.
He’s also not up for an open relationship
Johnny worries that it will be unhealthy, which is both right and wrong. He’s wrong in the sense that open relationships aren’t any more inherently healthy or unhealthy than closed or monogamous relationships. He’s right in the sense that, if it’s not what he wants (and, let’s be real, not what Ella REALLY wants), it WILL be unhealthy.
Wang tells him to go fo rit
He understands all of Johnny’s concerns and his family obligations, but he tells him to go all in for love because, otherwise, he might miss out on Ella and a happily ever after with her.
Mike Berk and Ximena Cuellar
Mike is back in New York and has been hard at work keeping his living space tidy, to comply with Ximena’s request that he be a partner to her and not a third son who needs to be reminded about things like hygiene.
He even sends Ximena photos
Soon, he will be going back to Colombia to help prepare for a wedding to Ximena. Mike is a little uneasy over these past couple of weeks, because Ximena has seemed less responsive.
Mike sits down with his father and grandfather
Honestly, Mike has such a charming family, so it’s sweet that he turns to them for advice.
Ximena has felt distant lately
He is worried about where things stand with her. When you can feel that “distance” through the phone, sometimes it’s a coincidence (someone’s busy, for example) and has nothing to do with you. Other times, it means real relationship trouble.
It could be anything
Mike’s father accurately points out that this could be a lot of things. It could be that she has cold feet about leaving her close-knit family behind, which would be important to know (because if she’s not willing to move, there’s no future together). Alternatively, he suggests, there could be another man involved. There could also be anything in between.
Mike’s dad has worries
He notes that Mike has been financially supporting Ximena for a while now. That’s sweet … but he is aware that there’s a chance that she’s using him to fund her lifestyle and doesn’t really love him. Sagely, he notes that you can’t buy love, because eventually the money runs out, and you’re left with nothing.
Mike lands in Colombia, and things are already different
Last time, Ximena greeted him at the airport. This time, she wasn’t there, and he has to taxi alone to her house.
So, what’s going on?
Ximena enters her villain era while speaking to the camera. The first time that he came to see her, she was head over heels in love with him. It seems like the spark is now gone.
She’s had weeks to think
For one thing, she thinks that Mike is a “clingy person.” While wanting space isn’t unreasonable, even in a relationship, there’s a difference between someone being clingy and a fiance keeping in touch with his fiancee.
Here’s why she’s REALLY in a bad mood
Ximena wants a breast augmentation and a tummy tuck, because she hopes to land modeling gigs and thinks that this could help her. Mike didn’t pay for it, however.
So Ximena took out a loan from a LOAN SHARK
She had the surgery lined up … and then couldn’t do it, because Mike was coming to visit, so she seems to be in a sour mood about it.
The next day …
Mike and Ximena went out clubbing, but Mike went home at midnight. Ximena stayed out partying … for a long, long time.
She got home at 9AM
Honestly, this is the biggest sign of their age gap, because getting home at 9AM is considered late here in the U.S., but unless you’re late for something, it’s not strange to do at 24. At 34, however, it’s extremely unusual.
Ximena resents that he’s even asking
Ximena is acting like a moody teenager, which seems like a poor sign of things to come. We don’t mean that she’s going to be like this forever, but if she can change this much between one visit and the next, what stability will they have in their future marriage?