Is 'Sister Wives' Brown Family Growing?

The idea of sharing a husband with three other women is totally foreign to me, so I will never understand the relationship TLC's Sister Wives share with each other — or with Kody Brown, their husband. There weren't always four of them, though. In the show's pilot, Kody was only married to Meri, Janelle, and Christine, and the show began as the family welcomed in fourth wife Robyn. Since Meri is generally the person who ropes new wives in (and she and Janelle were friends long before she married Kody), it's been highly speculated that she's about to attempt to court a fifth wife to join the Brown family. But although TLC's other polygamist family, the Williams of My Five Wives, is perfectly content with five wives, it seems to be something the Browns are against.

The family recently addressed the idea in the season premiere a few weeks ago, when Meri — who seriously loves to play matchmaker — mentioned how cute she found someone they met on a trip they took together to celebrate their anniversary. And although Meri swears up and down she wasn't trying to set Kody up with a new wife, her sister wives see the issue differently... and none of them seem too happy about the idea of adding another woman to the family, although they're kind of jokey about it.

And as far as Kody's concerned? He's off the market. "This is not an option," he said in the episode. "This is not an open marriage. I am honestly not open to anybody else being in the family." So wait, did he consider the marriage to be an open one when he was OK with the idea of adding a wife? Kody, I do not think that term means what you think it means.

And it's probably for the best that they keep their doors closed. I don't think they can fit a fifth house on their cul de sac of dreams, and adding in another mom for all these kids would probably just be confusing at this point. Not to mention the fact that they mention how tight their finances are on a regular basis. And if Robyn's planning to have another baby in the near future after she's done working to get My Sisterwife's Closet off the ground, adding the emotional and financial stress of a new wife may not be the best idea.

Plus, then there would have to be another commitment ceremony — including another list of Brown family values —and I don't think any of us should have to be subject to that.

Image: TLC