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Kody Brown speaks to his wives during episode four of 'Sister Wives' season 17.
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Opinion: ‘Sister Wives’ ‘Cringeworthy’ Kody Brown Continues to Put His Foot in His Mouth During ‘Horrific’ Season

Sister Wives star Kody Brown continues to put his foot in his mouth as season 17 of the TLC series progresses. The patriarch made “cringeworthy” statements during the fourth episode of the season and struggled to gain control of his family. However, will his tactics backfire? Let’s dive into the struggles the Browns have encountered …
by Lucille Barilla
Published on
3 min read

Sister Wives star Kody Brown continues to put his foot in his mouth as season 17 of the TLC series progresses. The patriarch made “cringeworthy” statements during the fourth episode of the season and struggled to gain control of his family. However, will his tactics backfire? Let’s dive into the struggles the Browns have encountered thus far this season.

Kody Brown speaks to his wives during episode four of 'Sister Wives' season 17.
Kody Brown | TLC/YouTube
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Kody Brown’s attempts at taking control of his clan have backfired

Throughout the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Kody attempted to take control of his family. Wives Janelle, Meri, and Christine Brown had to comply with an extensive list of rules he drew up to ensure his family’s safety. Robyn Brown was quarantined with Kody throughout the pandemic. She appeared to believe his demands benefitted the family’s health and welfare.

However, as the pandemic wore on, the wives began to use their discretion regarding traveling. Christine and Janelle visited their children, who lived out of town and quarantined upon thier return. The family’s adult children went to work outside the home and spent time with people outside their clan.

But, this was not enough compliance for Kody. He appeared to penalize the women by not visiting them and their shared children if they did not adhere to his strict quarantine rules. These rules left hard feelings between Janelle’s adult sons and teenage daughter, as well as Christine’s daughters and their father, who reportedly spent little time communicating or visiting with their dad.

The final straw was when Kody’s pandemic rules prohibited him from attending daughter Ysabel’s spine surgery. The Brown patriarch also alluded to having a relationship without intimacy with Christine. This cemented her decision to leave the family.

Kody Brown’s actions were ‘cringeworthy’ as a ‘horrific’ season splinters the clan

For its 17th season, the series airs scenes filmed in early 2021. At that time, moves to stop the spread of coronavirus had advanced with rapid testing. Schools reopened, and life appeared to take on a new normal. However, the Brown patriarch remained inflexible in his rules.

In season 16, fans believed Kody used the virus as an excuse to stop interacting with his three wives and their children while he continued to quarantine with Robyn and their offspring. A Reddit post supported viewers’ belief that this was so.

“Kody Brown is the most cringeworthy’ human being,” wrote one viewer. “Does ANYONE see Kody’s side in this season? Because he and Robyn are coming out looking really bad. I’m just not seeing how they can return from that. Using the virus as an excuse to not see your kids,” deduced one viewer.

“This season is horrific so far,” noted a second fan. “I can’t believe he said to Christine, ‘you didn’t ask me if you could move.’ Is he her father? Is she a child? They’re all adults and should have a say in how they live their lives.”

Kody puts his foot in his mouth during season 17 of ‘Sister Wives’

After a lengthy discussion where all of the Brown parents discussed Kody and Christine’s split and the future of their polygamist family, Kody made a stunning announcement.

He claimed, “I’m going to be the head of my household again, and so I’m not going to be circumvented in that. And so, if everyone’s willing to conform to patriarchy again, I guess because I’ve been fighting to make everybody happy. 

“My bitterness is out of trying to do that and not having the family I had thought about and designed,” he added. “And if it is too awkward or I don’t feel like I’m the head of my household when people are around, then I’m not going to have the whole family together. I’m at a point now in my life where I don’t have time to waste on people who won’t respect me or treat me with respect.”

Has Kody Brown gone too far in trying to control his family, or is this a side of the clan fans never knew existed?

Sister Wives airs Sundays at 10 p.m. EST on TLC.

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