Imagine this: it’s an overcast Sunday afternoon, you have no responsibilities, and nowhere to go. So you throw on the TV and scroll down to TLC, also known as The Learning Channel. 90 Day Fiancé, the info reads….hmmm this could be interesting. Suddenly, it’s 5 hours later and you’re an expert on the K1 visa process, so apparently, The Learning Channel is still an apt name. I’m a survivor of this phenomenon and here to tell you that 90 Day Fiancé is your new guilty pleasure reality show.
The Original
Now, there are a couple different versions of 90 Day Fiancé, but it’s best to start with the original. There are 4 seasons so far, and the 5th season premiere was October 8th, so there’s plenty for you to catch up on! The concept of the show is that average Americans have found lovers abroad and are now embarking on a journey to bring their foreign flame to America to start living the American dream (joke’s on them because Trump).
The way to do this is by getting them a K1 visa, which states they have 90 days together in the USA before they have to get married. If you think this sounds a little crazy, you might be right. This show has drama like you won’t believe. Stir together the stigma of mail order brides, the idea that everyone wants to live in America (through true love or otherwise), unexpected cultural differences, combined with the realistic view that 90 days is not a lot of time to get to know someone, and you’ve got a hit tv show. I honestly don’t think this show could be made up. But if it is, those writers have some damn good imaginations.
The Sequels
So you’ve watched all 4 and counting seasons of 90 Day Fiancé and now you miss your favorite international couples? I have good news! There are two shows you can watch to bring back those fond memories and create some new ones: 90 Day Fiancé: What Happens Now? and 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? Notice the question marks after both those titles – that’s not generally a good sign.
Couldn’t get enough of Jorge and Anfisa, Danielle and Mohammed (you’re on your own with that one), or Kirlyam and Alan? Well, they’re back in these spin-offs that catch us up on life as married couples. Are they still together? Are they here for the right reasons (shout out to The Bachelor)? Will they leave as soon as they get their Green Card? Chances are we won’t ever get these questions answered, but that doesn’t mean we can’t watch, shout at the TV, and troll Twitter to see if everyone else hates loves this show as much as you do. Spoiler Alert: they do – the hashtag for this show is one of the best I’ve ever explored.
The Prequel
Ok, you still can’t get enough? Then boy, do I have the show for you! It’s aptly named 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days. This show is another excuse to make more money off this franchise a look into the first meetings of these couples when a few Americans travel abroad to meet their online loves IRL.
As with the other shows in the 90 Day Fiancé family, IT’S CRAZY. I’m not sure how they cast this show, but it’s brilliant. The first season of this show premiered late this summer to bridge the gap between 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? and 90 Day Fiancé, so we NEVER HAVE TO BE WITHOUT THIS SHOW ON OUR TVS.
This show has it all: significant age gaps (not uncommon in the K1 visa world, as you might guess), couples using solely an app to communicate (shout out to Google Translate for breaking down language barriers!), a couple who met on Phillipino Cupid (which I didn’t know was a thing but apparently is), ex-boyfriend drama, and of course, an attack by a man with a machete. If you don’t watch this show and roll your eyes the entire time, you haven’t lived.
Love Knows No Country
While this show can be controversial, and a lot of the people who go on it seem to be out for their own interests and that low-level fame that comes with being on a reality show, there are some couples who seem to truly be there to marry the person of their dreams. It’s a long, expensive process to bring someone into this country, and I’m sure it’s not getting easier any time soon. I can see where being on this show might give you opportunities that you might not have otherwise ($$$).
As Elizabeth said in the premiere of season 5, “to think that the person you’re meant to be with is just next door to you is so small minded…” And if I take the time to pull myself out of my jaded pit of doom, she’s right. The world is such a big place, but it’s been made significantly smaller through technology, so why shouldn’t you fall in love with someone on the other side of an ocean? And when you do, know that you always have 90 Day Fiancé to air all your worst moments help you through the K1 visa process, because this show will never end.
