A review of Hulu’s newest trendy show
If you’re a fan of scandals, drama, and reality TV, then you have probably watched The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and if not, you should add it to the top of your watch list. The show follows the lives of eight Mormon wives and moms living in Utah who make up a subculture of TikTok, called MomTok. In eight drama-packed episodes, viewers get a glimpse into the unique challenges that these women face. From a swinging sex scandal to sisterhood, let’s take a Swig (if you know, you know) into what’s so secret about the life of a Mormon wife!
Personally, I don’t think there is a better way to launch a show about Mormon life than with a swinging scandal, and thanks to Taylor Frankie Paul, this is exactly how The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives came to be. Paul’s viral swinging scandal TikTok post from 2022 brought attention to MomTok like they had never seen before. The swinging scandal commenced when Paul revealed that she and her then husband were involved in soft-swinging with other couples in their group of friends. It left followers wanting to know more, so Hulu delivered and left no secrets untold.
Don’t worry, Paul’s drama didn’t end at the swinging scandal.
Viewers watched in shock as she got arrested and charged with aggravated assault against her boyfriend at the time, Dakota Mortensen. With this info, you might assume that Paul and Mortensen broke up… But shortly after this altercation, Paul actually became pregnant and we watched her and Mortensen navigate this “surprise” for the rest of the series.
Listen, I’m not here to judge Paul, but Whitney Leavitt sure is. Filling in the show’s role of the villain, Leavitt does everything she can to drive the women apart and turn them against Paul. Sadly, Leavitt’s energy was misplaced and would have been put to better use in dealing with her cheating husband who was using a secret Tinder (debatably Grindr) account to explicitly message other women for the entirety of their marriage. It’s interesting to see how fast Leavitt is to judge others, but when people pass judgement on her, she is the quickest to lash out.
Moving away from our two most scandalous Mormon wives, let’s take a look into the whole group’s dynamic. Forming the rest of MomTok is Demi Engemann, Jennifer Affleck, Jessi Ngatikaura, Layla Taylor, Mayci Neeley and Makayla Mathews. One of the major points of conflict between all of the women are their varying devotions to Mormonism. It is clear that there are strict rules that a Mormon should follow, including no coffee, no alcohol, and no sex before marriage. However, modern Mormons seem to be pushing the limits of these rules.
A core theme of MomTok that the women are trying to encourage is how to break away from traditional Mormon ways of life and into more independent lifestyles. While some of the women are all here for it – like Engemann, Paul, Taylor, and Ngatikaura – it’s not without the cost of being labeled the “sinners” of the group and being uninvited from Affleck’s baby blessing. The other four women (which ironically includes Leavitt) are the group “saints” because they follow stricter rules of the Mormon religion. This divide of beliefs is felt throughout the series and causes rift after rift, testing the strength of MomTok.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives has had its fair share of critics, especially from Mormon viewers who feel disrespected because they believe that the show is not an accurate representation of their religion. My response to these critics is: it’s a reality TV show, not a documentary! Of course the Hulu-made show following a group of TikTok influencers is not going to be focused on showcasing strict religious and traditional Mormon practices. Maybe a more accurate title for the show should have been “The Secret Lives of MomTok Wives,” what do you think?
As a self-proclaimed reality TV buff, I can confidently say that The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is guaranteed to satisfy your risqué reality TV show itch, and I have barely scratched the surface of what the Mormon wives have to offer. So gear up with a blanket and a snack – I recommend a bowl of Fruity Pebbles (if you know, you know) – to (re)watch Hulu’s latest reality TV show hit!