If you haven’t guessed, I love reality TV, and when a show features a scandalous group of influential Mormon mothers, I’m hooked. The Secret Life of Mormon Wives is Hulu’s latest hit series. The new eight-episode series sees the group of #momtalk influencers implode when it turns out they are in the middle of a swinger sex scandal that is making headlines around the world.
The Book of Belonging to The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives
I know a little bit about Mormon culture thanks to my exposure to Sister Wives, but I really wasn’t prepared for the fact that each of these young women are relatively young. I was introduced to the cast: Taylor Frankie Paul, Demi Engemann, Jennifer Affleck, Jessi Ngatikaura, Layla Taylor, Mayci Neeley, Mikayla Mathews, and Whitney Leavitt, and I knew immediately there was trouble in paradise. Between divorces, strict Mormon rules, and internal struggles, I always thought these ladies were trying to navigate their lives while they were just babies. They say they want to be the movement of change and break stereotypes, but all they do is the silly TikTok, plastic surgery, and tons of makeup, so it’s hard not to judge a book by its cover. But I can agree that the underlying theme is a bunch of Mormon women fighting the patriarchy.
Each mom had her own social media, but they banded together to promote mom talk (honestly, I kept hearing Montauk). I learned the niche was a content creative house, and the more they posted together, the more brand deals and revenue generated. I’ll admit I tuned in to watch swingers, but in reality only one cast member, Taylor, was the self-professed swinger. Taylor is the show’s first villain, as she’s the black sheep of her family due to her lack of belief in monogamy and her divorce. But as we learn, none of the women have perfect lives. Whitney’s husband was addicted to porn, which led to flirtations over Tinder, but now they seem to be fine… or in denial.
The Book of Saints and Sinners
The first episode was slow, but the last five minutes changed the whole perspective. Taylor’s arrest for domestic violence was recorded by a police dashcam and broadcast. The mother of three was having a rough time with life and took her anger out on her new husband Dakota, who you meet later. Episode 2 picks up 11 months after her arrest and the ladies are divided. It gave me a real Heather feel. Fans quickly learn that it’s Team Taylor or Team Whitney. Both think they have a claim to royalty, but in reality, both are kind of annoying. Whitney, however, comes across as the meanest of the two.
Although episode 2 is very different from episode 1, it’s interesting to learn that the women are the breadwinners in their home. It’s actually funny that they’re swingers, but think twice about promoting vibrators. I found myself yelling at the TV when Whitney was debating whether to post a photo of herself holding the $20,000 sex toy, as if to say, “Do it, girl!”
The book by Jen
If you ask me, the real story of the show revolves around Jen. She is 24 and controlled by her husband Zac. She is a mother and the sole breadwinner. Zac is on his ten-year journey to become a doctor and doesn’t appreciate how much his wife does for him. He is also addicted to gambling, which is definitely taboo in church. Jen is pretty down to earth and won me over when she told me that her mother is the cleaning lady at the same hospital where her father-in-law is a surgeon.
Zac is a real pain in the ass and accompanies the girls on their trip to Las Vegas. When the girls head to the Chippendales, Jen is bombarded with texts from her husband threatening divorce. She breaks down, leaves the show and has a long talk with her husband. But her friends have already seen the insulting texts and told Jen she has no morals. Unfortunately, by the end of the first season, Jen has agreed to give up the mom talk and move to New York City to pursue Zac’s dreams.
The Book of Truth
The foundation of the friend group has become fragile. Since episode 2, Whitney has been avoiding the ladies and no one except Mayci likes her. Whitney reminds me a bit of Regina George in that she is extremely manipulative. One example is her decision to make a TikTok while her young son is in the ICU and on oxygen. She cried for half an episode about how trolls attacked her and didn’t even acknowledge that it was probably the wrong time and place to create a viral video. But the ladies knew her plan; she wanted followers and attention.
The series ends with Mayci, the most organized, launching her brand Babymama. Everyone shows up in shades of pink, and I think on launch day we’ll be wearing pink. As Mayci counts down to her website going live, all the women decide to unfriend Whitney on social media. This is a bold statement, since these women make their money from these websites. Whitney is unimpressed and instead tells her parents she’s pregnant by baking her real urine pen into a cake.
I’ll be honest: When I first started watching the show, I wasn’t sure if it was for me, especially when it turned out not to have much to do with swinging. But by the end, with the birth of Taylor’s new baby, the post-Whitney period, and Jen’s relenting to Zac, I wanted to see more. So let’s hope Hulu does a second season.
TELL US – HAVE YOU WATCHED THE SECRET LIVES OF MORMON WOMEN? WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT IT?
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