Sister Wives

***Sister Wives*** is an American reality television series documenting the life of a polygamist family known as the Browns, who become monogamist in later seasons. The family consists of father Kody, his four wives (Meri, Janelle, Christine, and Robyn) and their eighteen children. The series has aired on TLC since September 26, 2010.

## Synopsis

The show follows the lives of Kody Brown, wives Meri, Janelle, Christine, and Robyn, and their eighteen children, with Kody's marriage to Robin being documented in the first season. The family began the series living in Lehi, Utah but have since moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2011 and the unincorporated township of Baderville, Arizona in mid-2018.

Brown and his four wives participated in the show to make the public more aware of polygamist families and to combat social prejudices. Brown alleges his polygamist arrangement is legal because he is legally married to one woman (Robyn), while the other marriages are "spiritual unions". Despite this, Kody is seen living a monogamous lifestyle with Robyn by season 16, having bought a home together while Meri rents a home in Flagstaff and Janelle also rents but can be seen living in her RV during warm months on the family property, Coyote Pass.

## Episodes

Main article: *List of Sister Wives episodes*

## Reception

### Critical

*Sister Wives* was broadcast at a time when polygamy and multiple marriages were a prevalent topic in American pop culture. As a result, it drew national media attention and generally mixed reviews from critics. Hank Stuever of the *Washington Post* called it "refreshingly frank" and found the small details of the family's everyday life to be the most interesting. Mary McNamara of the *Los Angeles Times* was intrigued by the family to be a matriarchal unit as opposed to patriarchal as is expected in polygamist families. McNamara said the wives from the center of the family and that "their bonds appear far stronger and more vital than the casual fondness with which they all treat Kody." Schuyler Velasco of *Salon* praised the series for introducing viewers to unfamiliar subject matter and called "refreshingly modest" considering its controversial subject matter, and that it was "a natural, honest presence in a genre fabled for the camera-hogging antics of *Jersey Shore.*" Shelley Fralic of *The Vancouver Sun* called it fascinating and surprising and was impressed with the sensible and articulate way in which the family defended their lifestyle.

Mark A. Perigard of the *Boston Herald* criticized Kody Brown for opening himself and his family to potential criminal prosecution in the series, describing him as a "lawbreaker who is risking himself and the family he claims is so precious just to star in his own TV show." Elizabeth Tenety of the *Washington Post* called the series "one-part domestic drudgery, another part sensationalism", and claimed it relied on a formula that other TLC shows, such as *19 Kids and Counting* and *Kate Plus 8*, had already been using. Joanna Brooks of the *Religion Dispatch* shared Tenety's perspective, criticizing the show's presentation of polygamy as uninteresting, that it did not engage the theology of plural marriage and for letting Kody Brown's superficial comments about the dissimilarity of Fundamentalist and mainstream Mormonism pass onto the viewers without any critical scrutiny or added nuance. Shari Puterman of the *Asbury Park Press* felt the sister wives had issues of jealousy and self-worth and she compared Kody to a cult leader. Nancy Grace expressed that Kody should be put in jail, but felt it was unlikely due to Utah's history of overlooking polygamy. Associate professor Christine Seifert of the Westminster College in Salt Lake City said the show could give viewers who are unfamiliar with the LDS church the incorrect assumption that polygamy is accepted by the mainstream church. Several commentators have taken notice that *Sister Wives* tends to downplay the family's religious convictions.

### Ratings

The one-hour premiere of *Sister Wives* drew in 2.26 million viewers, the biggest series debut for TLC since *Cake Boss* in 2009. The remaining episodes of the first season were each a half-hour long, with two broadcasts together on Thursdays. In the second week, the first episode drew 1.88 million viewers, while the second episode drawing 2.13 million. Results for the third week were similar, with 1.89 million watching the first episode and 2.05 million watching the second. The fourth and final week of the season drew the strongest ratings, with 2.67 million viewers for the first episode and 2.74 million for the season finale. As a result, TLC ranked first among ad-supported cable networks in the 18-49 and 25-54 age groups. The series drew double- and triple-digit ratings gains in all key demographics and ranked second in ad-supported cable network shows during its time period.