'Sister Wives' returns: Where the Brown family left off — and what to expect this season

The Brown family is making their much-anticipated return to TLC on Sept. 15 with the Season 19 premiere of Sister Wives — and based on the trailer, the former polygamists seem more fractured than ever.

When we last saw the Brown family, their Coyote Pass land in Flagstaff, Ariz. — once the prospective site of their four future homes — was still completely undeveloped, and patriarch Kody Brown had been left by three of his four wives.

While Season 18 revealed the cracks in all of Kody’s relationships, it appears Season 19 will explore the fallout of those broken marriages — and the deepening divide between Kody and his remaining wife, Robyn.

Ahead of the new season’s emotionally packed premiere, here’s a recap of all that went down with the plural family’s members in Season 18.

Kody Brown

Season 18 found Kody at odds with every wife in his family, and on non-speaking terms with many of his 18 children.

After his third wife, Christine, “spiritually divorced” him, Kody was left with two estranged wives, Meri and Janelle, and Robyn (his only legal wife).

According to Kody’s interviews in Season 18, the patriarch found himself questioning everything after Christine left him, including his fundamentalist Mormon faith and his other marriages.

He also revealed himself to be in a darker, more bitter place than ever before — something echoed by his wives in their own interview footage.

Kody’s relationships with many of his grown children were also suffering in Season 18. During the COVID-19 quarantine, many of Kody’s family members found it difficult to adhere to the patriarch’s restrictions and guidelines, causing tension between the different households.

This was exacerbated by Kody living primarily with Robyn and their children during lockdown, and remaining there beyond the height of the pandemic — causing many in his family to accuse Kody of having a “favorite” wife in Robyn.

Meri Brown (Wife No. 1)

Season 18 marked the 32nd anniversary of Meri and Kody — but according to the couple, the relationship had been troubled for decades (long before Meri’s catfish scandal).

Despite years of estrangement and emotional distance — often only speaking once every couple of weeks, and seeing each other even less frequently — Meri was hopeful the two could reconcile and help keep the plural family together.

However, by the end of the season, Meri called it quits on the marriage, deciding it was time to head back to Utah to manage her bed and breakfast.

As Kody’s first wife, Meri was the only spouse to be legally married to the patriarch for many years. But when fourth wife Robyn entered the family, the two sought a legal divorce, allowing Kody to legally marry Robyn and adopt her children from a previous marriage.

Now, neither legally nor spiritually married, Meri is moving on from her plural marriage in the hopes of meeting a new beau.

Janelle Brown (Wife No. 2)

At the beginning of Season 18, we saw second wife Janelle moving from her RV on Coyote Pass into an apartment in Flagstaff with daughter Savannah.

While visiting this new apartment, Kody got into a heated (and televised) argument with Janelle, which ultimately led to the couple’s separation.

The main source of Janelle and Kody’s disagreements stemmed from his tense relationship with their sons, Gabriel and Garrison.

The two spent the rest of Season 18 considering reconciliation — but by the end of the season, Janelle announced that she wanted to remain separated and had no desire to reconcile with Kody, effectively ending their 29-year marriage.

Christine Brown (Wife No. 3)

In Season 18, we saw Christine happily separated from Kody and living in Moab, Utah.

After 25 years of marriage to Kody, Christine called it quits in Season 17 and moved back to her home state, taking daughter Truely with her.

Despite occasionally reconnecting with Kody to discuss co-parenting, Christine had fully removed herself from the plural family in Season 18 — save for her continuing friendship with sister wife Janelle.

During Season 18, the show revealed that Christine had moved on romantically from Kody and was dating a man named David Woolley.

After the season concluded, a special wedding episode aired, documenting Christine and Woolley’s October 2023 nuptials.

Based on the trailer, Season 19 will backtrack to reveal the early days of Christine and David’s relationship.

Robyn Brown (Wife No. 4)

By the end of Season 18, Robyn (who joined the family in 2014) was the only remaining wife of Kody — although his fractured relationships with his other wives and their children seemed to be putting a strain on the now monogamous couple.

Throughout the season, Robyn was seen mostly in interview footage, often very emotional over the state of the Brown family as she mourned the loss of their plural structure.

Despite trying to convince Meri, Janelle and Christine to stay and work things out with Kody, Robyn was left alone with Kody and their five kids in their Flagstaff home. (However, news recently broke of the couple listing their home for $1.65 million.)

Now it seems Robyn must decide what their new monogamous relationship looks like as the two navigate a post-divorce world.

According to interviews with Kody in Season 18, Robyn is the only wife to remain loyal to him, and has never been respected or treated well by members of the family.

He also said that Robyn is the only wife he’s ever truly loved, and that the requirement of plural marriage forced him to marry women he didn’t really love.

The Brown kids

Despite being grown and living independently, many of the Brown kids were deeply affected by the states of their parents’ relationships, as we saw throughout Season 18.

Many of the children said that Robyn was the source of their family’s unhappiness, not only because of their dad’s perceived favoritism toward her, but also because of fallouts surrounding her quarantine restrictions.

More grandchildren were announced this season, too, as Christine’s daughter Mykelti shared that she was expecting twins with husband, Tony.

After the conclusion of Season 18, the tragic news broke that Janelle’s son Garrison had died after his battle with substance abuse ended in his suicide.

While it’s unclear if Season 19 will touch on Garrison’s death, both Janelle and Kody have made public statements about his death.

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, contact Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Treatment Referral Helpline at 800-662-HELP (4357).

If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, call 911, or call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-8255 or text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741.

Sister Wives Season 19 premieres on Sunday, Sept. 15 at 10 p.m. ET on TLC.