While I’ve been begging Shaeeda to leave Bilal and find a partner who actually loves her, this week I’ve become a fan of this duo. They have the support of their family and friends. Their relationship is age-appropriate. They communicate, and they share the same values. It might sound like these are basics for any relationship, but in the world of this show, those are hard traits to find.
For most of the season, I wanted Bilal to be the man Shaeeda wanted, but he felt elusive. I could not understand what Shaeeda saw in him at all. Well, “Here Comes the Pride†gives Bilal a moment to loosen up. Maybe it’s because the stress of the prenup and wedding arrangements are done, but he actually feels … fun? Bilal and his daughter are adorable. His kids see how happy she makes him, which makes it seem like maybe we’re just not seeing that in the reality-TV cut. Bilal has come off as incredibly manipulative with his pranks, but seeing his sister pull off a similar wedding-dress prank makes me believe this is a family trait. I don’t know why Shaeeda enjoys this family’s Saw-like mind games, but if she’s happy, I’m happy.
Out of all the couples we see this week, Shaeeda is the only bride I can say is truly happy with her decision. After seasons of drama, Ari and Bini finally get married. Is it driven by true love? No. Ari is still happy to admit that she just wants Bini around so they can remain a family. Their ceremony is simple, and Ari just looks miserable the entire time. I think she wanted Leandro to run in and save her. All I really hope is that Bini gets his green card, a custody deal with Ari after their inevitable divorce, and a chance to reconnect with his other son.
Thais vocalizes her concerns this week to one of Patrick’s friends after her friend points out that she probably shouldn’t keep playing with Patrick if she feels this way so close to the wedding. Maybe it’s jet lag from all their traveling, but Thais does seem totally over Patrick at this point. Her father’s disapproval weighs on her, and it’s not going to change. Patrick is obviously attracted to Thais, but I haven’t seen a romantic spark that leads me to believe it’s worth it. The issues Thais has with Patrick also seem vague. He was controlling about the wedding planning, but Thais couldn’t communicate with the vendors. Also, she wanted to get married in Vegas with very little planning, so of course Patrick had to do it! Patrick, on the other hand, has seen Thais lie to her family and keep him a secret. This is not a stable foundation for a relationship!
At least Thais claims her feelings and doubts about her relationship, which is a far cry from Emily, who has decided to project her every insecurity onto Kobe. Kobe obviously loves Emily’s family. He is dedicated to a life with Emily. He even gets her entire family to wear traditional Cameroonian clothing, and it makes him so happy! And what does Emily do? She ruins it, just like she did with his proposal and ring. In the midst of the party, Emily accuses Kobe of coming to America with ulterior motives. After trying to reassure her, Kobe rightfully points out that Emily is the one who lies and hides things. She seems shocked after their argument, like she didn’t expect him to stand up for himself.
I do not know how Mohamed and Yve have made it to their wedding day. They never resolved their issues, like the fact that Mohamed hates Yve’s friends and her traditions. Or the fact that Mohamed doesn’t want to have children with her. He just charmed her with another ring, and now they joke about how he almost left her for another sponsor. They found small ways to compromise, but those are still major challenges. Their ceremony is special, and I love that Yve’s friends have their cleavage out and Mohamed isn’t even mad about it this time.
Finally, there’s Jibri and Miona, who have finally planned their wedding and are off to Joshua Tree. They’ve asked Jibri’s grandma to officiate, and that only shows me how seriously these two are taking this marriage! They’re young, and Jibri doesn’t have realistic expectations around jobs or money, but these two genuinely like making each other happy. I do hope Jibri’s parents come to the ceremony. I think they’d regret missing it, and they could blame only themselves for chasing Jibri away. Miona just sat on the sidelines and let things play out. She supports his silly dreams and allows him to make his own choices. These two are better off than most of the couples this season.
90 Day Notes
• I want to see the Below Deck episode of Patrick and Thais on the yacht. I am sure they put the crew through hell.
• How does Thais not understand that John is helping Patrick pay for the house? Give him time to find a new place!
• Ari saying she “had a change of heart†about inviting Bini’s sisters? Absolutely rude. That’s his family! You can’t tell them they can’t watch over Zoom!
• I bet that fake wedding dress belonged to Bilal’s mom. Why do they keep setting Shaeeda up like that?
• I am tired of people saying that Jibri and Miona are being impulsive. Do you know how much time it takes to coordinate outfits like that? That takes planning, communication!
• Emily talking down to Kobe over setting the silverware … He is a grown man! Emily, why are you marrying this man if you just want to treat him like a child?
• Kobe is so sweet and sentimental. He was so proud of his extended family celebrating his culture. I wish Emily could appreciate him.