The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Finale Recap: Starting New

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It’s a relief this season is over! I’ve rarely been so eager for a reality show to end and start fresh. Throughout the season, I often wondered what life would be like for all the moms featured on social media – both those on the show and beyond – if all the men in their lives suddenly disappeared. It’s a bit like the show The Leftovers, but focusing only on the problematic husbands. I imagined what they’d even argue about without people like Marciano, Jordan, and Dakota causing drama. It sounds incredibly peaceful, or at least a lot less depressing than watching the constant effects of traditional gender roles play out in their lives.

We’re still at Taylor and Liann’s place in Provo, and things are still awkward with the mysterious woman. She kept tripping over her words, then suddenly had to leave for an appointment. Taylor is upset that Dakota is making her feel responsible for everything, and her dad actually had the nerve to say that’s typical narcissistic behavior! It’s ironic coming from him, since he was quick to blame Taylor last season. Someone get rid of him!

The women are busy preparing for their yearly retreat, and this year they’re meeting at what looks like a fancy apartment building near Provo. While some might suspect this is just to ensure they continue filming and getting paid, they insist it’s about resolving conflicts, fostering connection, and strengthening their bond as a group.

I was at the opening of Jessi’s new hair school, JZ Academy, and Whitney brought up this idea for a retreat with the other moms from MomTok. Honestly, it seemed like she mostly wanted to gauge if we’d even be willing to listen to Demi. Jen didn’t seem very excited, Mayci was questioning what Demi was really up to, and Taylor, well, she doesn’t believe anyone will actually take responsibility for their actions. But, let’s be real, with everything that’s happened and probably because of what we all signed, we’re all going to be there anyway.

Mayci and Whitney met at Swig to plan how the meetup would run. Since Taylor, the founder of MomTok, is very busy, they’re temporarily taking the lead. Whitney proposed a format similar to a sharing meeting, where one person speaks at a time without interruption – like a testimony meeting or an AA meeting. Mayci was a little worried because some of the other women question how sincere Demi is, noting her ability to quickly recover from difficult situations. Whitney stressed the need to really listen to each other and assured everyone would have a chance to share their feelings.

It’s frustrating to admit, but Jordan and Jessi are getting back together. And it’s hard to know if Jessi changing her name on social media is just for attention or a hint that they might be getting divorced for good. Jordan claims he’s done a lot of self-reflection in the last three months and really wants to make things work, but I’m skeptical that he’s truly dealt with his issues so quickly. Jessi says therapy has helped her grow and that she’s now ready to confront Demi when they’re all together.

The dinner starts smoothly. Before everyone joins, Demi privately apologizes to Taylor for being critical, for upsetting her when she was vulnerable, and for being unkind to Liann. Demi explains she’s still hurt from a past betrayal and that growing up with a brother who has Down syndrome taught her to suppress her own needs. Taylor accepts her apology, and they share a hug. It seems all it takes to get back in Taylor’s good graces is a thorough and understandable apology – she’s willing to forgive almost anything.

After checking everyone in, Mayci and Whitney reviewed the plan for strengthening the MomTok brand. The first part of the session focused on honest self-reflection. Each participant received a glow stick and was encouraged to share their feelings openly, then break the stick to symbolize letting go and embracing authenticity. I expected a discussion of specific issues and confrontations, but it turned into a surprisingly emotional experience. Instead, the moms tearfully apologized for behaviors like being judgmental (Mikayla), feeling sorry for themselves (Jen), being self-centered (Whitney), and reacting in anger (Demi).

The second round has a different format. Instead of individual conversations, everyone stays seated on the couch and passes around a doll named Eve – whoever holds the doll has the floor. There are no hidden truths or unexpected announcements this time. Demi claims Marciano made very strong advances towards her, even telling her it was love at first sight. She emphasizes that they never kissed and she didn’t find him attractive, but she still insists that Marciano sexually assaulted her.

The drama continues, with the other women saying they do believe Demi, but still finding certain things puzzling – like the overly comforting texts, video calls, and videos of her daughter praying. Demi tries to explain everything, but it just seems to make things more confusing. Thankfully, Whitney points out that they might never fully understand what happened or why, and that’s okay. It’s a relief! Everyone needs to accept that, and if they have issues with Demi, they should find a way to express them that doesn’t involve a shady man trying to be the center of attention. Ultimately, they all make up and hug.

After that, things generally go smoothly. The whole cast attends Taylor’s parents’ house for a baby blessing, though it’s adjusted to a “comfort blessing” (and anything else Taylor’s dad decides is fitting). This is necessary because Dakota is refusing to participate after the photo scandal, and according to church rules, a mother can’t bless her own baby. Demi and Bret arrive without any conflict, but Jessi and Jen subtly hint in their private interviews that they’ll have issues with Demi later on. The next season really needs a strong storyline, and hopefully, it will completely avoid any involvement from the men connected to Lisa Vanderpump and her circle.

Right after the toast, Taylor ended up sitting down with Chase, and what I expected to be a simple apology quickly turned into what feels like a date! He recently became single and even asked if they should kiss, like they used to. Oh dear. If anyone knows when season four was filmed, please let me know! If this happened before The Bachelorette, we’re probably in for a whole season focused on this guy. If he’s serious about Taylor, he needs to go through the proper dating show process – suit up and join the limo with everyone else. Thankfully, Dakota is still on strike, and I hope it stays that way!

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2025-11-15 03:56