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90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way Recap: Lost in Translation

90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way

Sticks and Stones
Season 2 Episode 13
Editor’s Rating 5 stars

90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way

Sticks and Stones
Season 2 Episode 13
Editor’s Rating 5 stars
Photo: Discovery

There’s a long list of couples on 90 Day Fiancé who are beautiful representations of just how dumb love can be. These are the couples who clearly rushed into their attempts to turn a vacation hookup into a long-term relationship. Usually, these couples are naïve enough to let the rush of new love fool them into thinking things could work for a while. For Ariela and Biniyam, this moment was inevitable, but it’s almost hilarious how quickly Ariela realizes she made a mistake once her mother leaves.

The saddest part is that it’s not the culture shock or Biniyam’s behavior that makes Ariela break down; it’s just the blatant realization that she really does not know this man. The other thing is she doesn’t even seem a little excited about the possibility of getting to know him. Janice is right, the two of them have a lot they need to talk through, and it finally occurs to Ariela that she has no interest in knowing Biniyam beyond his dreadlocks. This woman really moved all the way to Ethiopia just to realize she’s trying to have a baby with a man she can’t even communicate with. They simply don’t share a vocabulary when it comes to important topics like religion and raising a baby.

I wonder what conversations they had while Ariela was in America, because it’s odd none of this came up before. Maybe it’s just pregnancy hormones, but Ariela seems deeply panicked. I don’t think she’s going to calm down when she’s alone with a newborn and Biniyam is out dancing at a nightclub. It looks like Ariela and Biniyam may fall apart sooner than we thought. Maybe his sisters will be able to help her feel supported, but I don’t think Ariela has really thought about what her life in Ethiopia would look like.

To his credit, Tim is trying really hard to make a new life in Colombia. He’s looking for employment, but he’s also on some pure, beautiful himbo behavior. Tim thought he could just flash his sparkling blue eyes and get a job, but it’s not that easy. I genuinely thought he was better at Spanish than that, though! Tim can’t even string together tres palabras in a job interview. He can’t even order a taxi! I’ve given Tim a lot of credit so far this season, but he really hasn’t done enough to deserve Melyza’s hand in marriage.

Melyza’s family isn’t going to approve of their marriage just so he can get a work permit, either. No one is excited about Tim being there, so why should Melyza rush things when he still hasn’t fully committed? Tim still has a house back in America. He might want to consider his backup plan.

Tim is the biggest disappointment of “Sticks and Stones,” which gives Jihoon a nice break. Finally, Jihoon and Deavan are able to get along as a family and things almost look optimistic. The producers tried to hype up some of the drama with Jihoon’s grandmother, but it was obvious she was going to accept Deavan and her daughter. It would’ve been hilarious if she’d been like, “Screw you, your daughter, and your mom,” but Jihoon’s family is absolutely welcoming. Not even Deavan’s cheap translator device can ruin the day when it causes a misunderstanding between Deavan and Jihoon’s mom.

At this point, it seems rude that the producers haven’t told Deavan to just use a text translator or get a new device, because that thing is setting her up on purpose at this point. Jihoon’s mom wasn’t telling Deavan to keep her mouth closed, but it’s one more miscommunication between them. Not that it matters, I don’t think Jihoon is going to maintain this family vibe much longer. He still doesn’t have a full-time job, and Deavan’s ultimatum is still on the horizon.

Brittany and Yazan’s drama feels as manufactured as Deavan’s translator mishaps. This week, Yazan and his family are upset because someone found one of Brittany’s bikini pictures. First of all, it’s hard for me to believe this is Brittany’s first bikini picture on social media. I have a feeling someone like Brittany probably has a history of posting thirst traps, so it’s hard to believe Yazan’s family was actually shocked. It also doesn’t help that the entire fight happens off-camera and we only see Brittany’s texts.

I do think Yazan probably asked Brittany to delete the photo as a test of her faith. Brittany made herself clear, though: his family has no control over her and she’s going to do what she wants. Brittany needs to realize she won’t be posting bikini pictures if she wants to be Yazan’s wife. Right now, it seems like being herself is more important than being married to Yazan. She’s wasting everyone’s time. Yazan’s family was willing to compromise for her, and she isn’t even willing to see their side of things. I also don’t like that she keeps trying to pressure Yazan into sex.

Then there’s Kenny and Armando. Kenny has had a hard time seeing Armando’s point of view, but this week he doesn’t have a choice. The pair are subjected to a homophobic slur while out with Kenny’s daughters. Kenny and his family almost immediately want to escalate the situation, but Armando tries to stay calm. He knows how dangerous things could be. He also has a younger daughter at home who already lost one parent. Armando’s biggest fear came true. I hope it really makes Kenny consider Armando’s feelings more going forward.

Oddly, Kenny is also his most xenophobic this episode. Who doesn’t like guacamole? Why is Kenny acting like he’s never had a taco before? He’s from Florida; they have pork tacos there. I also don’t think he had to make such a big issue out of the toilet situation. Grabbing Armando was just embarrassing and made Kenny seem out of touch with his new reality. Armando isn’t going to have patience for that behavior at his parent’s house, so Kenny better get it together.

90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way Recap: Lost In Translation