In their first face-to-face since a pre-Christmas clash, Janelle and Kody rendezvous at a local eatery. Kody, wrestling with remorse, openly conveys his shame about the flare-up. He candidly notes how his disposition made it tough for Janelle to converse without apprehension. To add, he admits his pain from parting ways with Christine has morphed into unwarranted fury. The initial intent? Janelle merely wanted to discuss separate Christmas celebrations, but it spiraled into a heated, volatile exchange.
Kody reveals to Janelle that his breakup with Christine has been hitting him hard, leaving him on a short fuse. However, Janelle, maintaining her ground, urges Kody to compartmentalize his Christine-related turmoil and not let it seep into their relationship.
Kody is taken aback when Janelle, silent for weeks after their blow up, confessed she wanted to, “stay separated.”
“I’m really, really willing to do some counseling if we can find somebody,” she said. “I just know that I need to be separate right now, you know? I mean, I still have a lot of affection for you. Yeah, maybe some counseling is a good idea.”
Kody and Janelle rehash the argument over Kody’s refusal to acknowledge his growing distance from their grown children. Janelle’s frustration bubbled, questioning the possibility of a reconciliation. She admits her feelings have swung between rekindling their bond and never wishing to cross paths again.
“Janelle’s not in love with me,” Kody tells the cameras. “I think she thinks I’m hot. I’ve got nice pecs and a great six-pack abs, but that’s all she’s interested in.”
In a talking head confessional, Janelle notes that Kody isn’t grasping the full picture as there is, “way more to a marriage than just physical attraction.” She also suggested they’re currently in “big danger.”“I don’t know, Kody. I just — I do not know how we come back from this,” Janelle says to Kody. “I mean, do you really want to still have a plural family? Sometimes I can’t tell.”
Kody hints to the cameras that Janelle’s, “only concerned about how I am at your place, then you are a monogamist.” He adds, “Stop trying to act like I did something wrong for 20 years.”
Kody expresses the need to “figure out plural monogamy,” pointing out they aren’t truly embodying a plural marriage. Especially considering Janelle and Robyn — his only two active relationships currently, as his bond with Meri has evolved into more of a distant friendship. Janelle acknowledged the challenges, admitting her doubts about salvaging their union, but concurred that a transformative approach to their relationship is crucial.
“I’m not leaving. I’m not throwing in the towel,” Janelle adds. “I just need to be separate while we figure this out.”
Pondering the “worth,” of their estrangement, Kody subsequently mused in a confessional about Janelle’s desires for the future. “I don’t get it. The punishment seems way beyond the crime. Maybe that’s just a wake-up call for me. Maybe she’s not interested in this at all. Maybe she’s got what she needed and she’s moving on,” he said.
In a confessional, Janelle acknowledged her financial vulnerability should she part ways with Kody. Meanwhile, Kody introspectively asked the cameras if he holds any “worth” beyond mere financial provision. He went on to grapple with the notion of being merely a monetary “asset” to his second wife.
Subsequently, Janelle admits the depth of her longing for her “honey,” Kody. Yet, she remained wary of their pattern of reverting to old dynamics without true resolution, implying a need for a fresh approach in their relationship’s next chapter.
“Here’s the thing. You and I can be simple. It’s everything else that is complicated,” Kody told Janelle after saying he missed her and wanted to “kiss” her on the lips.
Initially, the patriarch held the conviction that they would find reconciliation on the spot. But in the meantime, he fervently pledged to never let himself be provoked or display anger towards Janelle as he had during their altercation. Yet, this commitment still left Janelle with considerable doubts about their shared path ahead.
