After a dramatic ending to Taylor’s baby shower which ended in tension, the group behind The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives seems like it might be headed for a split if things aren’t worked out. In Episode 3 of the reality series, we get a deeper look into the group’s politics as the power struggle for who will eventually become the leader of the Momtock ring continues.
This episode also explores some of the hypocrisy of the group members who bend the rules of Mormonism to suit their preferred lifestyle. Things come to a head around their thriving social calendars, and the threat of a group divide continues to persist.
Why Whitney Didn’t Show Up For Taylor’s Baby Shower
We pick up with Mayci and Mikayla, who are prepared to confront Whitney about why she didn’t attend Taylor’s baby shower, as they felt it made the group’s drama worse. Whitney says she was shocked to receive a call from Taylor’s mother Liann, whose number she didn’t even have saved in her contacts. Her friends note they were surprised Whitney didn’t at least shoot Taylor a text.
“It didn’t even cross my mind to text her,” Whitney says, “I genuinely didn’t think it was going to be a big deal.” It seems, however, that Mikayla may not believe her, and she tells the cameras that she could see Whitney doing this deliberately in order to be the center of attention, referring to her as “very calculated in that way.” For her part, Mayci feels torn between Taylor and Whitney and just wishes the two women could work things out between them.
The Group Gathers For A Soda Party
Meanwhile, we get a look into Jen and Zac’s home life. Zac has just graduated from BYU and plans to attend medical school like many of his other relatives before him, and now Jen is throwing him a graduation party. That same week, the couple also had the blessing for their baby, Luca, so it was a very busy social week.
The gathering marks the first time Whitney and Taylor have seen each other since Taylor’s baby shower. At the party we also meet Jen’s mother, who comes from Ecuador and doesn’t speak much English. Jen notes that her mother could not be more different from her mother-in-law, and that their families’ backgrounds are not at all the same.
She shared more with the cameras to illustrate this idea:
To put things in perspective, my mom is a cleaning lady in the same hospital that Zac’s dad is a heart surgeon, which is crazy.
At the party, the group enjoys a variety of soda, which Jen notes is like their version of drinking, since alcohol is forbidden in their religion. Whitney notes that she feels some of the women are “more devout” than others, as some of them occasionally drink when she doesn’t find it acceptable.
Another awkward moment happens when Whitney and Taylor finally speak to one another. Taylor says she’d love to clear the air if there’s an elephant in the room, but Whitney doesn’t admit to anything she wants to speak about despite still being upset with her.
After dinner, the group changes into swimsuits and jumps into the hot tub. Tension starts when someone breaks out a flask of vodka, as the group is split about whether this is appropriate — and their host, Jen, certainly doesn’t approve. Jen worries about what will happen if Zac’s parents find out drinking is happening, and she finds it disrespectful to see Jessi drinking at her home.
Not Everyone Gets Invited To The Baby Blessing
The women go to get Botox together, where they’re given laughing gas before the procedure. Whitney notes this is a bit of a loophole for their religion, as while drugs aren’t allowed, the laughing gas definitely gives them a nice high. Mayci also chimed in about the slight irony of the situation:
In the LDS church, some of the reasons why we have these guidelines, like the Word of Wisdom is basically because we want to make sure that we’re taking care of our bodies. We’re always told that our body is a temple, and we want to keep it clean and put clean things in it. It’s actually surprising that they don’t really care, as far as I know, about plastic surgery. So everyone be gettin’ Botox and lip filler here.
Later, it comes out that Jen hasn’t invited all the women to her baby’s blessing. Demi and Jessi confront her about why they weren’t included, and she notes that her husband Zac doesn’t feel as comfortable around people he doesn’t know, and only wants people who are “strong” in the church to be present for the event.
Meanwhile, Demi hosts her own “galentines party” that’s just for the women to attend. Whitney, Mayci, and Mikayla all get ready together, teasing Demi for saying that she’s a “9 out of 10” on the Mormon scale when they personally don’t agree. Once everyone is gathered for the party, it comes out that not everyone is invited to the baby’s blessing. Taylor tells the cameras she doesn’t feel that excluding people is in keeping with their faith, because it’s all about embracing sinners.
When Whitney gives Demi a gift of fruity cereal (a reference to a private crazy sex story of Demi’s), Demi gets upset about the gift, saying it ruined her intention for the night of women supporting each other. Somehow things get flipped, though, and Whitney gets mad that Demi’s mad at her, saying she feels “ambushed.”
The next day, the group is split between those who attend Jen’s baby blessing and those who weren’t invited, the latter group deciding to go bowling instead. At the blessing, Jen notes that only the males participate in actually blessing the baby because “only men carry the priesthood in the church.” Once the blessing ends, the group discusses Mayci’s upcoming birthday trip, which will come as the next major event to which everyone is invited. With the group increasingly seeming like it’s split four and four, who knows what drama the weekend getaway will bring.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives airs on Hulu.
