More Surprises on TLC's Sister Wives

Sunday night's back-to-back episodes of TLC's documentary series "Sister Wives" brought even more surprises.

1. Kody met Robyn at a party -- and Meri introduced them. I had been wondering about how Kody could have met and begun a flirtation with Robyn. When is Kody acting as a single, available man? He must have met Robyn at work, right? My heart gave a small, painful lurch in my chest when Meri monotoned about the party where they met. An even bigger lurch accompanied Meri's description of how she could tell that Kody was attracted to Robyn and so she suggested that they dance. It sounded like a wife's nightmare to me: your husband is out at a party where he flirts and dances with a younger, prettier woman; he leaves intent on beginning a relationship with this woman. While these episodes showed Meri's unselfish side as she encourages and welcomes the relationship with Robyn, it looks like cracks in the facade appear next week.

2. Kody likes children. I guess it's not surprising to learn that a polygamist likes children, but Kody REALLY likes children. Thirteen kids and counting is not enough for Kody! Kody's third wife, Christine is pregnant with a baby girl. She miscarried a year ago and, in an interview with Kody by her side, worries that her age of 37 will compromise the health and safe delivery of her unborn daughter. Kody, unphased by his wife's fears, says that he is glad to hear that the baby on board is a girl -- he knows Christine wants another boy, so he's hoping that she will still have one more child after this one. Miscarriage, tears, fears, and thirteen others notwithstanding, Kody wants more kids.

3. Robyn is looking forward to having three babysitters. Robyn tried to get her three kids in the car so she could take them to the park. The kids did everything but get in the car, including running around the driveway. "I'm going to count to three," said Robyn. The phrase sent chills down my spine. I haven't heard it in a long time, but some things you never forget. If my mom said, "I'm going to count to three," she never even got to "one," before I was doing whatever I was supposed to do. I didn't want to know what happened if she got to "three" -- because I knew that she meant business. Well, Robyn's kids let Robyn count all the way to three while continuing to run amok. Robyn, exasperated, turned to the camera and said, "I'm looking forward to having more help." I'm sympathetic that as a single mom she feels overwhelmed, but there must be an easier way to get help raising your own children, than to marry a man with three wives and thirteen kids of his own. Let's do the math.

1 Robyn / 3 kids = 1/3 of her parenting time for each kid

4 moms / 16 kids = 1/4 of some mom's parenting time for each kid

Maybe there's an economy of scale argument to be made, but I'm not buying it.

4. Robyn may have been in an abusive relationship. In an almost throw-away moment, Robyn, a divorcee, mentions that since she left her husband, she has spent the last few years trying to provide a "safe environment" for her kids. You hear about "safe environments" for kids a lot in family law when domestic abuse is involved. You don't hear it too much at the grocery store or over coffee. I don't think it's a phrase that would just slip out of the lips of someone who left her husband over "irreconcilable differences."

5. Kids are treated as a servant army. Parents love to enlist their kids, don't they? Kody's oldest daugthers got to make a 5-hour drive with their dad to Robyn's hometown so that the daughters could watch Robyn's kids while Kody and Robyn went on a date. Yeah, you read that right. Later, Kody wants to throw a birthday party for Robyn, so once again the oldest daughters are put to work planning and throwing the party. At a planning session, the girls squirm uncomfortably as they talk about how Robyn is young enough to be their sister. Well, Kody, that's what you get for drawing attention to Robyn's age by making your kids throw her a birthday bash.

6. Robyn got a big party while everyone else got -- what, exactly? Robyn's birthday party looked like a fun time, thrown at Kody's sprawling house, with people everywhere (but I guess those were just the kids and the wives? It's hard to tell). I wonder if the other wives get such big birthday parties. What about the kids? It seems like there would have to be many birthdays a month to cover everyone. I'm guessing the big party was a one time event, to make Robyn feel welcome.

Looking forward to more surprises next week....