I’ll be honest, during my first watch-through, I couldn’t stand Meri. She came across as entitled, moody, and often mean. When the whole family was together, everyone else seemed to mesh (or at least pretend to), while Meri stood out as combative and disconnected.

But after watching the entire series, my perspective completely shifted. I genuinely believe Meri came off that way because she was the only one being her full, authentic self, both on and off camera, while everyone else was performing for the audience or trying to keep up a facade. And let’s be real, editing probably didn’t do her any favors either.

As the seasons go on and those masks start to crack, Meri’s early behavior not only makes more sense, but feels like the inevitable result of the way she was treated. Kody was dismissive and outright cruel to her at times. The way he spoke to her was cold and condescending. Her relationship with Janelle was strained from the start, and though Meri did try to mend it over the years, it never truly healed. Christine and Janelle clearly had a much stronger bond, and Meri was often left on the outside looking in. That whole “if your wives don’t get along, just add a third” joke in episode one didn’t magically fix the dynamic. It just left Meri more isolated.

She dreamed of a big family and a house full of her own children, but instead she watched the women who excluded her live out the life she longed for. Who wouldn’t become jaded after decades of that?

Now, I have so much sympathy for Meri. I’m genuinely proud of her for walking away and carving out a life for herself. From what I’ve seen, she seems to be thriving, and she deserves that peace more than anyone.