'Sister Wives:' Robyn says Kody's treatment of Meri 'feels like a dealbreaker'

After telling Robyn Brown about her plans to spend more time in Utah, Meri Brown breaks the news to Kody Brown in this week's installment of "Sister Wives," and she's underwhelmed by his reaction.

The Season 18 episode, titled, “The Writing Is on the Wall,” follows the trio as they meet at Meri Brown’s house to discuss her plans for the future.

Before viewers get to see their meeting, Kody Brown sets the scene in a confessional interview.

“It’s really awkward because the only wife I have a relationship with right now is Robyn. But we’ve never been allowed to essentially be in love with each other or find solace in each other because of this kind of quasi plural marriage mess that’s been going on," he says.

When Meri Brown outlines her plans to move her clothing business to Utah and downsize her home in Arizona, where Kody and Robyn Brown live, the news doesn't seem to bother her estranged husband.

"Cool. That's good, right?" he says.

In a confessional, Robyn Brown expresses her frustration with his nonchalant reaction.

"We talked about this before and (Meri was) like, 'Kody’s not going to care and he’s going to be good with it and stuff.' And I’m like, 'Please say the right thing. Please, please give her something to hang on to,'" she says about Kody Brown.

Throughout Season 18, Meri Brown has lamented her strained relationship with Kody Brown. In a confessional, he makes it quite clear how he feels about the state of their marriage.

"I wonder if I’m supposed to be reading between the lines here. I can’t tell if she’s saying, 'Hey, I’m going to move my business so I go, 'No, no, Meri, please don’t stay here,'" he says. "Because I don’t see her that often. But I’m not trying to act like we’re getting back into this marriage full fledge. I’m not trying to do that. I think I see the writing on the wall. I’m literally waiting for her to catch up."

Back in their meeting, Meri Brown emphasizes that she doesn't want Robyn and Kody Brown to think that she's leaving their plural family just because she'll be spending more time in Utah.

"I don’t want you to think that I’m walking away because sorry, I still have hope, Kody," she says.

While he remains mostly stoic in the meeting, Kody Brown shares his true feelings in a confessional and says, "OK, good on you, Meri. It actually has no effect on me."

Meanwhile, Robyn Brown is disappointed that her husband continues to push Meri Brown away.

“It's like Meri’s here and she’s still trying to hang on. And I just feel like there’s just so little left and I’m like trying to show her that there’s still some hope and Kody is not helping me with that. It’s very frustrating and some days it feels like a dealbreaker,” she says in a confessional.

Even though Meri Brown correctly predicted that Kody Brown wouldn't care that she was essentially moving to Utah, she notes that it still hurts to hear it.

"I was really just kind of hoping that he would care a little bit more," she says in a confessional.

Still, Kody Brown is headstrong and emphasizes that he doesn't see a future for him and Meri Brown.

"I think the writing is on the wall. It’s been obvious to me. When I try to go into that discussion with Meri, I get so much resistance. It’s not really fair to either of us. But as long as she wants to live in this denial, I guess I can live in it with her," he says.

The father of 18 also expresses his frustration that Robyn Brown is trying to encourage Meri Brown to stick around.

“What I’m seeing here is Robyn being an advocate of me and Meri in our reconciliation and in our marriage. And they’re making me feel very uncomfortable. I’ve got one wife that I’ve got a great relationship with (Robyn) and I’m afraid if I abandon these women that she’ll lose respect for me," he says.

In January 2023, Meri and Kody Brown announced their decision to "permanently terminate" their marriage. During Season 17 of "Sister Wives," Kody Brown said their marriage wasn't "functional" and asserted that their relationship was "hard from the very beginning.

Meanwhile, Meri Brown called her husband's approach to marriage "disturbing" but held strong to her belief that they should still work on their relationship.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com