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By: Emma Gray
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 Claire Fallon and Emma Gray obsessively analyze our cultural obsessions, from fashion trends to books to the buzziest TV shows. patreon.com/claireandemma Social Sciences
Episodes
  • [PREVIEW] The New Taylor Frankie Paul Allegations & 'Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives' S4 E6-10

    [PREVIEW] The New Taylor Frankie Paul Allegations & 'Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives' S4 E6-10
    Mar 19 2026
    Season 4 of "Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" is a dark one, but its darkest moments arrive in the second half of the season. Most of them involve star Taylor Frankie Paul, whose toxic cycle with her ex Dakota Mortensen is fully reignited as the season progresses, even as she's gearing up to star on "The Bachelorette." By the end of episode 10, it's abundantly clear that Taylor is in no way prepared to cut off Dakota, responding with coy ambivalence when he asks her to save him a rose. And she's in no way prepared to take on this role. As we were preparing our coverage for the second half of this season, more news broke: Taylor and Dakota were involved in a domestic dispute last month, and both have alleged physical violence by the other. The police were called, though no arrests were made. Dakota has also reportedly accused Taylor of other assaults, and of abusing their young son. There is an ongoing investigation with DCFS, as well as with the local police, regarding these allegations. (Note: We will be discussing these allegations in some, though not excessive, detail in this episode. Please listen with care.)Taylor has said very little publicly about these reports, and ABC and "The Bachelorette" production have said even less. It appears that the show will air as scheduled; the network clearly hopes to weather the storm. But the backlash to ABC's decision to cast Taylor, who already had a documented history of domestic violence (she was still on probation for the prior incident while filming the show) has been intense. In this episode, we discuss what we see unfold between Taylor and Dakota in the last five episodes of "SLOMW," as well as the current allegations and the implications for "The Bachelorette" and the reality TV genre as a whole. Then we turn to the other women's storylines for this batch of episodes, notably Whitney and Jen's falling out, Layla opening up about her struggles with an eating disorder, Jessi and Jordan's functionally defunct marriage, and Jace and Mikayla's separation. Related Reading and Resources:National Domestic Violence Hotline"Taylor Frankie Paul’s Turn on ‘The Bachelorette’ Is Coming Under Fire," by Shivani Gonzalez, NYT"‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ filming on pause amid Taylor Frankie Paul investigation, sources say," by Rebecca Cohen, NBC"Cinnabon Cuts Ties With ‘The Bachelorette’ and ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Amid Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen Domestic Violence Investigation," Jack Dunn, Variety"Taylor Frankie Paul Breaks Silence After Domestic Violence Investigation News: 'It's a Heavy Time,'" by Liza Esquibias and Benjamin VanHoose, People"Taylor Frankie Paul Says Domestic Violence Headlines Feel 'Like the End of the World' in First Televised Interview Since Scandal," by Rachel McRady, People"Taylor Frankie Paul's ex Dakota speaks out amid domestic violence investigation," by Sarah Hearon and Ryan Coleman, EW"The Price of Perfection: Layla Taylor on Mormonism and the weight of belonging," by Shaquille Heath, The CutShare Rich TextIf you liked reading this, click the ❤️ button on this post so more people can discover it on Patreon!Give us feedback or suggest a topic for the pod • Subscribe • Request a free subscription
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    11 mins
  • [PREVIEW] 'The Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives' S4 E1-5: MomTok vs. DadTok

    [PREVIEW] 'The Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives' S4 E1-5: MomTok vs. DadTok
    Mar 13 2026

    There are few moments more off-putting in season 4 of "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" than when Jessi Draper's husband, Jordan Ngatikaura, earnestly tells the camera that "DadTok is a lot funnier than MomTok." But in a way, it also sets the tone of the season.

    "SLOMW" is now a reality show about Mormon (and lapsed Mormon) mom content creators who have become bonafide celebrities. And that celebrity status is kind of upending everything in their lives – most prominently, their patriarchal family structures and their wider ambitions.

    Many of the husbands are navigating stepping into primary caregiver roles and trying not to lose their own identities in the process. Some, like Jordan, are lashing out and resentful as a result. Others, like Connor, are purely magnanimous, while the rest of them fall somewhere in the middle. DadTok becomes a refuge for a lot of the male partners (or in the case of Dakota and Chase, former partners), which is part of why Jordan is so desperate to insist that the brand can stand apart from MomTok.

    At the same time, the women are getting a plethora of opportunities outside of MomTok – "The Bachelorette," book deals, modeling gigs, "DWTS," Broadway shows, major brand deals – while still keeping one foot firmly planted in MomTok world. It's these two overarching dynamics which create the majority of conflict throughout season 4. And then, of course, there's Taylor and Dakota. Those two are a hurricane of toxicity that stands alone.

    In this episode, we'll get into all the major action of episodes 1-5: Jessi and Jordan's marriage, DadTok heading to Vanderpump Villa, Whitney and Jenn moving to LA for "DWTS," Taylor and Dakota's total inability to detach from each other, and the fascinating pre-"Bachelorette" storyline the show is crafting for Taylor. In a separate recap next week, we'll dive into the back half of the season.

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    If you liked reading this, click the ❤️ button on this post so more people can discover it on Patreon!

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    13 mins
  • [PREVIEW] Emma Has Some Big News...

    [PREVIEW] Emma Has Some Big News...
    Mar 5 2026

    And she's finally ready to talk about it. So, let's get into it in the way we know best – a podcast chat. 😉

    If you haven't already linked your subscriber Rich Text feed to your podcast-listening app of choice, instructions are here.
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    3 mins
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