’90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?’: ls Love Really Enough? (RECAP)
Spoiler Alert
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Season 5, Episode 15 of 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?]
It’s an age-old question: Is love enough to survive as a couple? This week, those words are tested with each relationship bearing different results. Angela and Michael prove to be one another’s rocks, while Kalani and Asuelu reach a breaking point. Plus, Colt finally stands up to Debbie—in his own uncomfortable way, of course.
Careful What You Wish For
Larissa is still recovering after her very unnecessary cosmetic surgery. Her boyfriend Eric is caring for her. She complains about how much pain she’s in to her doctor at a post-operation consult; the doctor simply reminds her that she opted for this procedure. “The reason the breasts hurt a lot is because the implants are under the muscle, and they’re big,” Dr. Smith explains to Larissa. “Had we gone for smaller implants, they would hurt less. These are really big. You can see they’re really big.”
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Eric, of course, has a few of his own complaints. “I realized I took a bigger bite than I could eat, but I’m still going to finish my plate,” he says to the camera. “I’m going to try to get her back to where she was, is what I’m going to do. I’m not going to stop in the middle of the frickin’ danger zone when there are bullets flying and just quit.” How Larissa’s breast implants relate to taking a bullet for Eric is beyond us, but let’s just say he should have been more careful for what he wished for.
Emergency Back Home
Angela tearfully leaves her new husband Michael after receiving the news that her mother has been hospitalized. He admits that he doesn’t know when he’ll see Angela again. “I know I need to be strong for [Angela],” he tells the camera.
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The newlyweds say farewell at the airport, as Angela stresses about her mom’s health. “My biggest fear is I won’t make it to my mom in time to tell her I love her, and I don’t know if she will ever get to meet Michael,” she tears up in a confessional.
Blame It on the Alcohol
Finally we see Andrei and Charlie’s confrontation at the wedding in Moldova. Sadly, it is somewhat disappointing. Andrei once again takes the high road in addressing Charlie’s drunken conspiracy theories. “We’re not going to be friends tonight. We’re not going to be friends maybe for life. We’ll figure it out but not tonight,” Andrei tries to calm Charlie down.
Back inside, Elizabeth’s sister Jenn and Andrei’s friend Marcel also attempt to control Charlie. Later Chuck inevitably gets involved. Charlie complains to his father that Elizabeth and Andrei are using him for money, including paying for their food and rent. Chuck does not deny the claims and instead explains that he is doing this for his daughter Elizabeth, not Andrei.
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Elizabeth gleefully revels in the drama. “When I saw Andrei ask my brother to step outside to talk to him, I was expecting to see someone punch somebody in the face,” she faux-stresses to the camera. You and us both, Elizabeth. She then goes on to complain about how it’s so tough being caught in the middle, blah, blah, blah. We’ve heard it all before. It’s only when she drags Andrei outside once again and assumes he’s the one to blame for Charlie’s behavior that it’s clear she can’t get over herself.
“He’s just mad because that’s how he acts on alcohol, babe,” Andrei tries to reason with her. Andrei asks to speak directly with Chuck and takes the opportunity to apologize to him for their past disagreements. “Maybe I’m a s**thead sometimes, but I know I’ve been wrong, okay?”
Chuck hopes that they can move forward but also motivate Andrei and Elizabeth to support themselves eventually. “I really don’t know about Andrei because he plays Mr. Nice Guy, then he wants to fight my son, gets kicked out of his own country…like, I really don’t know about this guy,” Chuck admits in a confessional. “I’m trying to figure him out.”
Forgive and Forget
Kalani, Asuelu, and their sons drive over to say goodbye to his family. While Kalani came to an understanding with Asuelu’s mother, his sister Tammy didn’t back down. Kalani is anxious about how to address Tammy. “I think we both know that we don’t like each other, and I think we’re both just going around each other because we have to,” she worries to Asuelu.
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“I hope there’s no war today, baby,” Asuelu responds. Once at the hotel, his mother thanks Kalani especially for coming over to see them off. She asks Kalani and Asuelu to forgive Tammy even though she never apologized. Kalani asks where Tammy is, and apparently Tammy secretly left earlier that day, without saying goodbye to Asuelu. It seems that only time will tell whether Tammy wants to repair their relationship. Asuelu’s mother jokes that she needs more money before leaving (how long until that is an actual request?), and Asuelu calls the visit an overall success.
“Don’t Waste Your Journey”
Syngin sits with his family, enjoying the sun outside of “cold ass Connecticut.” His family question whether he should leave South Africa, especially because of how strained his relationship is with Tania. His sister worries that Tania showed her true colors, but Syngin points out that he needs to follow through with commitments, a.k.a. his marriage. Syngin’s mother begs him to not “waste his journey” and think about what he really wants.
Oedipal Arrangements
Back at the Bates Motel in Las Vegas, Colt and Debbie clip their cat’s nails. They order vegan food, and we quickly learn that she has no idea how to pronounce vegan, placing the word somewhere between “vagina” and “begun.”
In a confessional, Debbie admits that Colt has seemed “depressed” after his breakup with Jess. Over vegan mac and cheese, Colt pounces on the chance to tell Debbie to stay out of his dating life. “I just think a lot about what happened in Brazil with Jess, and just Jess in general, and I know you saw her as a threat to me, like she just wanted something,” he begins with Debbie, who immediately cuts him off.
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“She went after you, hook, line, and sinker. She used you from the beginning. I think she wanted citizenship. I think she wanted a Green Card. She was using you, and you don’t need that kind of relationship,” Debbie defends herself. Colt instead believes Jess is just “one chink in a long chain” of exes that have all been pushed away by Debbie. While he admits that he shouldn’t have fallen in love with Jess in a string of “s**tty relationships,” he also reminds Debbie that those are his mistakes to make, and part of breaking the chain is having Debbie staying out of it.
“I just don’t want you to interfere so brazenly,” he concludes. “I just feel it’s not a good way to live as a healthy adult. I’m your son but the way you treat me as an adult is the same way women treat me.” Did he just admit to their obvious Oedipal arrangement? Then Colt says something he will soon regret: He asks Debbie to not cook or clean for him and to “treat him like a man.”
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“I think you think I have more power over you than I do,” a disgruntled Debbie chuckles. “I don’t control your life.” Freud (and Mindhunter) would disagree. But this is just Colt deflecting once again to blame all of the women in his life for his manchildness and infidelity.
“I want to get to know you better, I want to get to know who you are,” he tells his mother, trying to find a middle ground of a friendship.
“Well why don’t you find out who you are first and then you can find out who I am?” Debbie claps back. She is clearly pissed, which prompts Colt to apologize and restate his love for her multiple times. “It’ll be a cold day in hell before I wash his clothes again,” she angrily laughs to the camera.
Colt believes the conversation was a necessary step to becoming a better person.
Final Goodbyes
Angela arrives back to Georgia and rushes to the hospital to be by her mother. While she did make it back in time to say goodbye, Angela’s mom passed away 10 days later. Through tears, Angela speaks to her daughter Skyla about the loss. Angela explains that Michael has been there for her long distance but wishes he was by her side. She has been holding it together for her family, especially for her grandchildren. Our heart aches for her mother’s passing.
A Second First Dance
And now we’re back to the never-ending wedding. Charlie tells Elizabeth and Andrei that they need to “stop stealing” Chuck’s money. Elizabeth drags it out further with her tears, but Andrei explains that he is dedicated to making it work with her family.
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“I love you, I care about you and our daughter, and nothing else matters,” he soothes her. They kiss and finally have a chance to enjoy their own (second) wedding.
Sundae Woes
Tania and Syngin go for ice cream before their flight. Both share their worries about their marriage, but his words prompt her to joke that it sounds like a breakup. In a confessional, Tania opens up that Syngin telling her he wants to stay in South Africa hurts her heart. “I know I can’t sit and wait forever for that change from someone who says they love me,” she warns him.
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“The only way I can fix it is by showing you….I know I need to change. I do want to carry on this relationship with you and I want to go back to the States and work on all these problems that we have together,” Syngin confirms. They kiss and look out over the ocean, but their future remains uncertain.
Syngin says goodbye to his family, and the couple fly back to the U.S.
True Love Conquers All
Angela FaceTimes Michael and tells him about the funeral for her mother. He apologizes for not being there and explains that the visa might not be approved for possibly another 18 months. “We’re going to make it. We just have to be strong for one another,” he comforts her.
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“Michael is my husband now and his place is with his wife and my family here. I’m just not going to give up on that dream,” Angela states to the camera. “True love, you can’t just walk off and say ‘eff it.'”
The Cat’s Meow
Two months after Larissa’s elective surgery, she and Eric host a “body reveal” party to show off her new breasts and nose. He explains that the surgery was a “turning point” in their relationship and they’ve never been closer than they are now.
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Larissa gushes about her new figure and face (she does look great), and her friend Hannah can’t get over how large Larissa’s bust is now. Hannah asks if she could touch Larissa’s breasts, and Eric half-jokes that they “belong” to him. Ew. He also says that they’re not having enough sex post-surgery. Larissa’s former roommate Carmen compliments Larissa that she looks “like a porn star.”
Eric randomly mentions that while he and Larissa have a great relationship, they sleep in separate beds. She explains that they’re both “like cats” and need their space.
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Hannah asks what the status of Larissa’s Green Card is and if Eric would be willing to marry Larissa so she could stay in the U.S. He says that he’s open to the idea, and Larissa is more than willing to try it.
“I Don’t See the Point of It All”
Fast forward three months later: COVID-19 has hit the U.S., and Kalani is grappling with how to handle quarantine with Asuelu in Utah. “It’s almost like he’s purposefully trying to expose himself to get coronavirus,” she tells the camera. “He keeps going out with his friends and then he’ll lie about where he is…I need to protect my kids. I can’t keep letting him do whatever he wants.”
While Kalani and Asuelu were having problems pre-pandemic, she has reached her breaking point. She booked a one-way ticket for Asuelu to go to his mother’s house in Washington. Kalani vents to her mom Lisa about her decision. “I feel like we definitely need a break from each other. It’s overwhelming,” Kalani admits. “I really am just done. Like every day that passes, I just don’t see the point of it all. I’ve just been fighting and trying my hardest, and it’s just me trying.” Both Kalani and Lisa cry and hope for Kalani’s happiness going forward.
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Asuelu leaves the next morning for Washington. While Kalani is sad about him leaving, she doesn’t know if she even will miss him. “It’s like that thing everyone says that sometimes love isn’t enough. I feel like that’s where we’re at: we love each other and we have love for each other but it’s just really not working,” she cries to the camera.
And that’s all we’ve got! See you next week!
90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?, Sundays, 8/7c, TLC
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