90 Day Fiance Season 8 ends its official run with Episode 17.
So many storylines are now wrapped up.
Mike and Natalie decided to try a new wedding at the very last minute.
Stephanie, now home in Michigan, burns Ryan’s visa application … and makes big plans with Harris.
Andrew spoonfeeds his mother and sister his version of events while Amira, safely in France, cries and processes the end of their relationship.
Yara and Jovi prepare for their own wedding day in Vegas.
But then, there’s a twist — another full hour of footage after Yara and Jovi’s wedding.
We see them separated for months when the pandemic kept Jovi abroad.
And then Jovi returns to a very pregnant Yara and we see them welcome their perfect baby girl.
Mike Youngquist and Natalie Mordovtseva
Second time’s the charm? It is once again the morning of Natalie’s wedding to MIke.
And not a moment too soon.
A lot of couples waited until the last minute this season for something that truly cannot wait. Natalie and Mike took that to new extremes, marrying on the literal last day.
Natalie had to improvise a “wedding dress”
Earlier this season, she modeled in a gorgeous wedding dress, but did not buy it out of uncertainty. That was smart. She’s wearing a white summer dress and looks beautiful.
There’s still some uncertainty
Their last wedding day was a disaster, and obviously did not include them actually getting married. Will today be any different?
That’s up to Mike
Mike’s cold feet turned to ice just two days earlier. Once again, everything depends upon him.
The officiant was there
This woman has Big Sorceress Energy to the point where I like to imagine that she was simply summoned out of the pond. Sincerely, her look rocks.
It’s happening!
Dream big, kids, because impossible things happen every single day. Mike and Natalie actually married this time.
Time for celebrations
That means partying and, as Mike says before scooping a giggling Natalie up off of her feet, some marital boning. (And, like nine months later, a separation)
Stephanie Davison and … Harris
Stephanie was initially paired with Ryan earlier this season before their relationship ended with a sexual assault. Understandably, Stephanie is now very dramatically burning his visa application now that she is home in Michigan.
Good for her
We’re not saying that Stephanie’s choices have seemed wise or understandable or well-informed or especially sober, but it can be cathartic to dispose of an old relationship. Just, you know, be sure to not start a larger fire in the process.
Stephanie breaks the news to Cooper
She talks to her cat about hopefully accepting Harris into the home instead of Ryan. We’re sure that Cooper was crushed by the details of Stephanie’s time in Belize.
Stephanie calls Harris
Harris acts very understanding when Stephanie asks to speak to his baby mama, Emma, to make sure from her own lips that she’s totally fine about Harris coming to the US to bone Stephanie in Michigan. (Honestly, it’s weird to ask but it’s smart — someone can tell you anything that they want about their relationship or ex; it doesn’t make it true)
Harris hands the phone to Emma
Harris and Emma live together … and have for like half of their lives … so she was nearby and happy to talk to Stephanie and confirm everything that Harris had told her.
Emma gives Stephanie the green light
She says that she knows that Harris won’t forget his children even if he leaves them to make a better life with Stephanie in Michigan.
Then THIS scene happens
Production continued to film Harris and Emma just a little bit after Stephanie’s departure, and it was well worth it.
“I have a lot of big dreams”
We don’t know that Harris DIDN’T also make a moving, emotional speech about how much he loves Stephanie … but if he did, it didn’t make it into the episode.
Instead, he talks about what she can do for him
“First thing is my family,” Harris emphasizes, including not only his children but his baby mama and also his parents.
“I can make life better for them”
Millions of people have come to North America to make a better life for themselves and their families. Very few of them have had someone like Stephanie involved in their dreams.
As for Emma …
Harris declares his love for her, noting that they have lived together for fourteen years. Is Stephanie okay with this segment? With any of this? It is likely that she didn’t see any part of this until the rest of us did.
Stephanie is one of a kind
Harris marvels at the idea that Stephanie gave him “free money” and views her as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. That’s … certainly an interesting premise for a marriage.
And the cherry on top
On camera, at Harris’ apparent insistence, he and Emma kiss. WOW.
Andrew Kenton and Amira Lollysa
These two never actually met face-to-face on the entire season, just seeing each other in person beforehand. It’s for the best. In fact, a pandemic probably saved them both from having a more painful breakup in six months or two years. Andrew doesn’t quite see it that way, and relates his version of events to his family.
Mom and Sis are totally team Andrew
A lot of viewers who were livetweeting were anti-Andrew’s Mom, but we have to remember that she’s only getting Andrew’s version of things. In her mind, this woman went to Serbia, stayed for two weeks, and then just ghosted Andrew and returned to Paris too late for them to get back together. She didn’t see Andrew’s texts, and given their relationship, probably believed Andrew’s version of the texts’ context when that episode aired.
Meanwhile, in France
The post-mortem continues, with Amira expressing her tearful grief after first being imprisoned in Mexico and then living through widespread social unrest in Serbia. Now, she’s back in France and she’s safe.
We’re again reminded of the real reason for the split
Just as Andrew had barraged her with pushy messages throughout their relationship, we also saw him bombard her with intense pressure to have children right away, wanting her to commit to this when Amira wanted to wait and make sure that it would be a good environment for them (it would not). This breakup was for the best.
Jovi Dufren and Yara Zaya
Like we mentioned, we get something of a double whammy from Yara and Jovi (real talk: I think that all of their post-wedding stuff was probably filmed for Happily Ever After? before the pandemic kept them apart for four months and production decided to cut their losses and include it in the finale). But right now, Yara is just bracing herself for this huge moment.
It’s happening
They’re in Vegas and they are getting married in three short hours.
Yara and Jovi get ready separately
Jovi gets a little help from his friends as he prepares for his big day.
Gwen is so sweet
She acknowledges that Jovi is a bit of a mama’s boy because they are very close, but she emphasizes that she is “giving him away” to Yara. That is so cute.
Yara is glad that she invited Gwen
Initially, Yara didn’t want any guests whatsoever, because her own family couldn’t be there. Later, she personally invited Gwen because she was just so supportive and sweet and Yara is, in fact, a big softie. She’s glad that she did.
They both look great
In her heels, Yara is taller than Jovi, but this is hardly the first time that this has happened. Jovi looks very tall when he hugs his mom.
They’ve had their ups and downs
Yara hopes that Jovi will rethink some of his choices so that she can be more supportive as they anticipate their child together, but she reaffirms her desire to marry him.
It’s a goofy wedding
Yes, there’s an Elvis impersonator, to Yara’s amusement.
Some parts of the wedding are a surprise
Honestly? How much was Yara involved in planning the wedding? Because she seemed surprised by everything, like the venue and the Evil impersonator who officiated. I’d love a peek behind that curtain
Yara and Jovi are married!
Reported dates indicate that they married on February 14, which sounds like a great way to remember your anniversary … but also a high-pressure way to remember your anniversary and Valentine’s Day. If you forget both, you’re in trouble.
Yara is Yara
She’s joking here, but she also gave me a great image to use later this week on my birthday. She’s definitely the most meme-able star this season (with Julia being a close second).
Yara is ultimately glad that Jovi’s friends are there
He invited them without her permission or approval to what was supposed to be a small, private ceremony, but Yara (again, a big softie) could only see the positive as she appreciated their support.
THEN
After the wedding, the episode featured a full hour of Yara and Jovi’s married life … which is when COVID-19 hit and everything went wrong. In March, Jovi could not return as planned because COVID-19 hit pandemic status.
He was working overseas, and was stuck there
This happened to thousands of Americans and to countless others worldwide. In fact, Jovi wasn’t even the only 90 Day Fiance star who suddenly found themselves unable to safely return home — Nicole Nafziger was famously trapped in Morocco. Jovi spent almost as time being stuck overseas, and was unable to return home to Yara for four months.
So Yara went to stay with Gwen
Between being alone in the nasty village of New Orleans during a pandemic and being pregnant, she went to stay with Gwen, who recalled on camera how Jovi had left for work just one week after their wedding … and had not been able to return since.
TRUE
Yara acknowledges that everything is “kind of f–ked up,” which is a big mood for this whole pandemic.
It’s a hard time for Yara
And her plight is not lost on others.
Gwen breaks down in tears over how she feels so bad for Yara
There is a Mother In Law Spectrum for this season, and Gwen is on the opposite end of things from Betty Gibbs. Gwen is amazing. MVP.
Yara is grateful for the support
Living in a remote area can be rough because there’s nothing to do, but that’s true anywhere during a pandemic.
There were still SOME activities
Yara, pregnant, went crabbing with Jovi’s family, and still made sure that her hair was perfect.
She also went to the doctor
She couldn’t have guests in there (production must have done some real sweet-talking to even get a camera in there), and Yara was adamant about not knowing the sex of the baby until Jovi’s return home.
Four months later …
We of course see Jovi talk about wanting to enjoy a few more weeks of “freedom” before the baby comes.
Seriously?
Fun fact: if you want to be able to do what you want to do, when you want to do it, there’s an easy hack for that: don’t have kids, pets, plants, or a wife, or just have the wife who is fine with you doing your own thing.
Ugh
Even if his 8-months-pregnant wife weren’t still at home, Jovi went out drinking at a bar with friends during the pandemic? Because it’s not clear exactly when this was (some time after June), but unless this was mystically filmed in the future when everyone is vaccinated, it looks like Jovi’s being reckless and irresponsible with his health, that of strangers, and the health of his pregnant wife.
This guy …
Jovi even seems to mock Yara’s questions about when he’s coming home. That’s just not a good way to behave.
At least Yara doesn’t take that lying down
She points out that Jovi may act sweet when he comes home, but it doesn’t give her good feelings about how attentive he’ll be as a father.
It is with a heavy heart that we share that they had a gender reveal party
Commonly referred to online as “how straight people cause wildfires,” gender reveal parties are controversial for a lot of reasons, and were first invented by someone who had suffered so many miscarriages that she felt the need to celebrate even a little milestone like having a pregnancy last long enough for a decent ultrasound. Anyway, as you can tell from the pink smoke (because or culture is so fixated on gender that it even assigns them to colors), they’re expecting a baby girl.
They’re excited for their baby girl
Sometimes people get really weird about their child’s gender but Jovi and Yara were mostly chill about it, and Jovi’s excited to have a baby girl.
This is Yara at her least relatable
Look I’m a man and I don’t have a uterus, so maybe I’m missing something, but I’d want to be epidural-ed out of my mind for childbirth, the most agonizing process that I can imagine. In fact, I’d ideally want to sleep through it. Better yet? Just have someone else go through it for me. Gestational carriers are a thing. But no, Yara — who is usually so relatable — wants to have a “natural” birth.
Welp …
As a result, Yara goes through the raw agony of labor. Yara is pretty, but this process is not.
Success!
Yara and Jovi welcome their baby girl.
Awwww!
So many families have their own iterations of this same exact photos, and it’s so sweet.
Push! Gift!
I don’t personally understand push gifts (way out of my lane anyway) but gifts, anyone can understand. Jovi teases Yara pretending to not have one and then presents it to her — it’s a cross necklace studded with diamonds, which is apparently what she wanted.
Yara is so over the moon for their daughter
Watching this, I realize how cheated we are that Jovi and Yara didn’t get a full Happily Ever After? season from this. This full hour of their married life could have been like a third of their season’s footage at least, maybe more. Of course, the more than half a million American deaths from the virus are and will always be the greater cost of this.