On this week’s episode of 90 Day: The Single Life, Natalie Mordovtseva’s visit to Sequim took a turn.
After her initial heart-to-heart with Mike Youngquist, she ran into her somehow-still-Mother-In-Law.
Trish confronted Natalie, also calling her a “f–king bitch” for the way that she had broken Mike’s heart.
Then, Natalie asked Mike to give her another chance to work on their marriage. Is he willing to risk another broken heart?
“Fee-fi-fo-fum,” Mike quipped at the end of last week’s episode, when Trish rounded the corner and came face-to-face with Natalie.
Both women knew that they might see the other. Trish was living with Mike during filming. We do not know if she still is.
Natalie and Trish strongly dislike each other. And they both know it. Everyone does.
And yet, Natalie’s mood was practically giddy. She is an odd duck.
“I have a present for you,” she declared.
She all but skipped into the other room to retrieve the gift. She left Trish feeling bewildered and more than a little angry.
“What a f–king bitch,” Trish commented to Mike.
It is likely that Natalie could not hear her. But the cameras and mics certainly did.
Trish is well past caring who knows how much she despises her daughter-in-law. She sees no good in her whatsoever.
Natalie’s present for Trish is apparently a tray of flowers, complete with soil. It is a thoughtful gift, right?
Trish acknowledges the “flowers for me to plant,” which does highlight that Natalie’s “gift” is actually a chore. Well-intentioned? Yes. But it’s a chore.
Additionally, the gift implies that Natalie was fully aware of Trish’s residence at Mike’s home in rural Sequim long before she arrived. We sort of figured as much.
It’s clear that Trish is not thrilled to see Natalie, so she offers a sort-of apology to her mother-in-law.
“I’m sorry if you didn’t forgive me” … that strikes an unusual tone for a sincere apology, right?
But it probably doesn’t matter. Largely because Trish has already seen and heard enough from Natalie.
“You totally used Michael,” Trish accused. She believes that Natalie seduced and manipulated Mike in order to come to the US.
To her, Natalie’s departure — especially without a full explanation or even a divorce filing — is all of the proof that she needs.
Trish is glad that Mike could help Natalie’s mom escape Ukraine by sending her money. But Trish says that this is because Mike is a nice guy, not because his and Natalie’s marriage is going to last.
Natalie tried to offer an explanation for why she left — first moving in with a friend, and them moving to Florida.
Simply put, she had a mental and emotional breakdown. Part of it was the toxic relationship with Mike, but there was more.
Natalie moved across the world and found herself in rural isolation. And then COVID-19 struck. A sequence of events led to her departure.
Many viewers have observed that Mike and Natalie both played key roles in the dissolution of their relationship.
Trish does not see things that way. In Mike, she sees her good-hearted son who tried his best.
And in Natalie, she sees a scheming villain who broke her son’s heart. There may be some truth to that, but it’s not the whole picture.
Then Natalie dropped a bit of a bombshell.
She would strongly consider giving their marriage another shot.
If, that is, Mike were willing to give her a chance.
There was a time when Mike wanted that. He spent months waiting for her to return home. She didn’t.
Then, Mike found out that she had moved to Florida and was now dating. That was heartbreaking.
He told her that surely she, who would flip out and snap at him if he spoke to the waitress in a friendly manner, could understand.
Natalie began to sob. Mike invited her in for a hug.
He admitted to the camera that it was of course heartbreaking to hear her cry.
But … it would take more than sympathy and waxing nostalgic about good times to breathe new life into a dead marriage.
Then, Natalie told Mike that she officially wanted to get back with him. Even though she has the whole Josh thing.
And even though returning to life with Mike would also entail having Trish in her life, and possibly her home, again.
The best that Mike could say in the moment was that he needed time to “think” about it. More than fair.
Inside, Natalie hugged Trish in front of the conspicuous racist candle. There, Trish displayed that even with hate, there is nuance.
“I hope your mom gets here okay,” she told Natalie. Natalie’s mom is a war refugee, after all.
Natalie departed, thinking about how Mike gives her feelings of love and security. But Mike admitted to the camera that he is not ready to give Natalie another chance to hurt him.