A few weeks ago, I binge-watched the Hulu original series “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.” The show follows a group of eight women who are practicing Mormons, some more loosely than others, which we will get to later.  

The show originated after one of the stars, Taylor Frankie Paul, did a live stream on TikTok in 2022 confirming rumors of a sexual scandal that made international headlines.  

Over the past two years, the show was filmed, produced and aired late last year. The show was recently picked up for a second season, set to air this spring.  

Buckle up because I have a lot to say about this show.  

As someone who can count on one hand how many times a year I check TikTok, I know I am not the target demographic for this show. That being said, there are many parts I found interesting and entertaining, from both a television and sociological perspective.  

For starters, the pilot was interesting. From a domestic violence arrest to cheating allegations about Paul’s boyfriend, I instantly was hooked.  

By episode three, Paul was pregnant, and the group began to become annoyed by Whitney Leavitt’s on-again, off-again drama over trivial matters.  

The trip, meant to be a relaxing getaway to reconnect, turned into drama after an anonymous truth confession game was played. One of the group members inquired as to why Paul had tension with Leavitt.  

Of course, drama ensued, which resulted in the original group of eight being split into two groups, the “Sinners” and the “Saints.”  

The “Sinners,” being the more loosely practicing members of the church, who drink and consume caffeine among other actions that are frowned upon behaviors in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  

While I believe some of the drama was induced by the trip, I have no doubt in my mind production played a hand in this divide. If nothing else, this show taught me a lesson: be careful which friends you go on vacation with.  

Later episodes, the drama shifts to the two groups. By episode five, Leavitt begins to distance herself and unfollows the entire cast on social media.  

However, she reinserts herself into drama by showing up at Layla Taylor’s divorce party but leaves after being awkwardly confronted by Jessi Ngatikaura.  

By episode six, the group goes on yet another trip, minus Leavitt, this time to Las Vegas.  

Jen Affleck’s husband Zac and Paul’s boyfriend Dakota sneak along to keep an eye on what is going on. After the women get tickets to a Chippendales show, Zac becomes furious while gambling away $2,500 his parents gave him for medical school.  

This leads to the Affleck’s having a nearly marriage-ending argument. However, they end up resolving the issue by the end of the episode. This does not sit well with the group of women, who feel Jen’s voice is being stymied.  

We end the first season on several cliffhangers. The first is Jen leaving the group due to her and her husband moving to New York for his medical school. The rest of the group unfollows Leavitt, and she takes more of a diminishing role. I have a theory she may have been phased out by production due to her being less dramatic by the end of the season.  

Do I feel the group is a cult? I am going to say no, for now. They all have their own lives and free will but still try to build a supportive community with each other.  

My advice for production for the second season: first, give Taylor more airtime. I wanted to know more about her experiences being Black in the Mormon church. I am also nosey and want to know why she got divorced, which was never addressed.  

Second, I want to see Mayci Neeley’s business more in the next season. Her starting a business while being pregnant is not an easy feat, so that I am naturally more curious about.  

All in all, the show wasn’t bad. I give it a 6.8 out of 10.