I need to get this off my chest and share every thought about Hulu’s latest show, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. 

I had no intention of watching this, but a reality show seems enticing when you’re sick at home and do not have much to do. And look, I’m not one who even watches Love Island, The Bachelorette, Keeping Up with The Kardashians, etc. But knowing this had to do with TikTok, aka social media, an industry I’m heavily working in, I was intrigued. 

I dove into this show headfirst with no context for what was happening. I had no idea who Taylor Frankie Paul was, nor did she ever pop up on my fyp when the swinger ordeal occurred, so to my surprise, everything was brand new to me. I’ve only heard rumors and gossip about how Mormons live, but I’ve never bluntly asked what it’s like, so to take this peek behind the curtain was a trip. 

Throughout the 8-episode first season, everyone is introduced to 8 individual Mormons who don’t lead the traditional way of life. They’re the new generation pushing the boundaries, with some pushing way more than others. NGL, it took me until episode 3 to remember who was who because they all look alike. And don’t look at me like I’m rude. One of the girls even admits that on camera. They all have a specific style that they all seemingly follow.

Here’s a Who’s Who on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives

• Taylor Frankie Paul: The Swinger who put Momtok in a bad light.
• Whitney Leavitt: The other well-known face of Momtok hoping to shy away from the limelight. (Also known as “the villain” after season one) 
• Layla Taylor: The least aggressive and the greenest red flag ever. She’s an angel.
• Jessi Ngatikaura: The most untraditional Mormon and a true girl’s girl.
• Mayci J Neeley: Taylor’s ride or die. She is a loyal friend.
• Mikayla Matthews: Another member but more on the quiet side of things. 
• Demi Engemann: My favorite, but doesn’t get her shine until about episode 3 or 4 (?). Then all bets are off. 
• Jen Affleck: The sweetheart of the group I look at as the little sister of them all. Oh, and she’s related to Ben Affleck. 

Even with eight competing ladies, the show takes you through the aftermath after Taylor’s huge reveal to TikTok, how they grew from it, the riffs within Momtok, and how they all power through everything. It just beautifully comes together. However, there are random time jumps throughout the season.

Things are chopped together to make the storyline simply based on someone’s looks. In the apparent in the Pilot episode, Taylor goes from thinking she’s pregnant to episode 2, boom! She’s damn near ready to give birth. So that’s about a 7-8 months time gap. Another big tell was the cast members’ hairstyles. The most obvious one is Whitney’s. She goes from all blonde to somewhat red to hair bob length. It was confusing for viewers to put together some timeline. 

If you need convincing reasons to watch this, watch it for the brain rot. It’s fascinating to see how another religion/culture lives, especially one I’m unfamiliar with. I now have a sudden urge to try their popular Swig. I learned so much, yet so little at the same time. 

Since I finished the first season, my fyp has had its ears ringing because every other video is now Momtok or show-related. It’s kind of watching the updates in real-time while we wait for season 2 to come along eventually. 

And trust. With the way season 2 ended, a new season has to be coming. And if it doesn’t, I’ll riot. 

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is now streaming on Hulu.