During last weekend’s new episode of 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way, Nicole went home with Mahmoud.
He hadn’t been able to last five minutes without policing her clothing. But instead of hopping onto a return flight, she got into the car with her husband.
Very quickly, we saw that there was more to Nicole’s discomfort than Mahmoud’s sense of entitlement about her clothing.
His family is very welcoming. But there are a lot of them who live in one space, and Mahmoud seems to have no interest in getting their own place.
Most Americans would struggle to imagine a woman more covered up than Nicole Sherbiny was when she arrived in Egypt.
She wore multiple layers, including a thick-looking and very fashionable coat. Below it, she wore a white blouse that even covered her neck.
This was not enough to keep Mahmoud Elsherbiny from shaming her over it, demanding that she button her jacket further. He did this knowing that his outfit-policing causes problems.
In the car, Nicole asked why Mahmoud was immediately checking his phone.
We get it — we all use our phones at all times. For millions of adults, most of our waking hours go to “screen time,” for business or pleasure or both.
But it struck Nicole as weird that she had to remind her husband that she was there. Mahmoud suggested that it might be a “secret.” Editors left that line in, so we wonder if we will ever find out what it was. Perhaps it will be important.
Nicole had just gotten off of a very, very long flight. Many people would immediately want to rest.
But Nicole knew that she would not have that option. She was going home with Mahmoud — to his home. He lives with his mom, and with numerous other family members.
His mom’s house is a hub for the family, meaning that it is always, always crowded. No matter how welcoming, Nicole knew that it would be a lot. Mahmoud didn’t seem to see it as a big deal.
To be clear, Mahmoud’s family was extremely welcoming and gracious. They like Nicole, and they know how much Nicole and Mahmoud love each other.
And Nicole received an especially warm welcome from Fatima, Mahmoud’s sister-in-law. Fatima is from China, but has now lived in Egypt for years. Nicole has only ever stayed in the country for a few months.
They fed her fried potatoes. While many 90 Day Fiance couples find that weight gain takes place in the US, for Nicole, it happens when she is in Egypt. Well, she was living in LA.
Unfortunately, Mahmoud elected to make an extremely alarming joke. He was, he made clear, joking.
But “take her passport” is not a funny line. That is a real thing that happens to people. Allegedly, it has happened to at least one 90 Day Fiance alum who is living in the United States.
When this happens to Americans, it is almost always at the hands of the person’s family. Still, not a great topic for an off-color joke.
Nicole asked Fatima if she has made any friends since moving here. After all, she has had years.
Not so much. She explained that she does not get a chance to go out and meet people. Mahmoud’s family felt that this was natural, that Nicole can make all of the “friends” that she needs among their large family.
Nicole very diplomatically explained that it is the opposite in America. Often, we go out and make friends who become family.
Throughout the family gathering, Nicole was visibly uncomfortable. It wasn’t a lack of welcome. Simply put, it was just a lot.
This is a woman accustomed to living completely alone. Now she is not only living with her husband, but with a small army of his family — including more children than she can count on one hand.
It’s busy, it’s noisy, and it’s frankly overwhelming. Nicole again asked Mahmoud about finding an apartment, but he doesn’t seem interested. It’s unclear if this is a cultural concern, or if he’s unsure of how to function without his mom. (We have seen that factor into other relationships on this franchise)
Mahmoud has insisted that he doesn’t want Nicole to “change” or “be Egyptian.” But he keeps policing her clothing and doesn’t want to find their own place, either.
He really does seem like a sweet guy most of the time. But it feels like he doesn’t see that he’s alienating his wife.
As Nicole correctly said, nothing has really changed. All of her problems were just waiting for her in Egypt.