Seeking Sister Wife: 8 Cringey Things About Garrick & Dannielle Merrifield

Seeking Sister Wife season 5 reintroduced viewers to Garrick Merrifield and his wife, Dannielle Merrifield, the show’s most cringe-worthy couple. Seeking Sister Wife began chronicling the lives of Garrick and Dannielle during season 3 as they searched for a second wife. When that didn’t work out, Garrick and Dannielle returned for season 4, where they courted and married Roberta Pache. However, Roberta lived in Brazil and spoke little English, so they had to rely on translator apps. Ironically, when Garrick started dating a potential third wife, it was Roberta, not Dannielle, who freaked out.

Dannielle pretended to support her husband’s desire to bring in more wives as she was uncomfortable and jealous. They continued to date Roberta throughout Seeking Sister Wife season 4 and even introduced her to their sons. However, the marriage with Roberta didn’t work as she strung them along and kept asking them for money. Roberta used them and dumped them via text by the end of the season. Garrick and Danielle are back for Seeking Sister Wife season 5 to try their luck again. Though the show is lousy with cringe-worthy couples, Garrick and Dannielle are by far the cringiest couple.

8
Garrick & Dannielle Seek Out Brazilian Women

He’s Got A Type

The highly anticipated premiere of Seeking Sister Wife season 5 found the Merrifields back where they started, dating Nathalia, a new potential sister wife. Much like Roberta, Nathalia lives in Brazil and speaks zero English, so they have to communicate entirely by translation apps. The language barrier adds another layer of struggle to the complicated dynamics of a polygamous relationship. Another similarity to Roberta is that Nathalia seems devoted to her mother, which will likely make it harder for Nathalia to leave Brazil. The Merrifields have clearly learned nothing from their experience with Roberta.

If it’s true that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results, then the Merrifields are raving lunatics. In addition to these challenges, Dannielle isn’t as enthusiastic about finding a new wife this time around. Now, Garrick is eager to propose despite Dannielle making it clear she wants to slow the process down. The fact that the Merrifields found a woman similar to the one who broke their hearts says a lot about their judgment.

7
Dannielle Divorced Garrick

It Broke Her Heart

During Seeking Sister Wife season 4, Garrick wanted to bring Roberta from Brazil to the United States, so, for immigration purposes, he had to divorce Dannielle to marry Roberta. This was extremely difficult for Dannielle, who sobbed while signing the divorce papers ending their 13-year marriage. With their legal marriage dissolved, Dannielle would have no claim to Garrick’s estate, should anything ever happen. In the end, Roberta dumped them unceremoniously after stringing them along, so Garrick jeopardized his family for no reason.

6
Dannielle & Garrick Have Brought Their Kids Along On Their Seeking Journey

Bad Parents

Throughout their creepy search for a new wife for Garrick, he and Dannielle have dragged their two teen sons along on the journey. Instead of protecting their kids from Garrick’s proclivities, they have dragged their sons to Brazil on multiple occasions to meet the women their father wanted to add to their family. Garrick and Dannielle appear to have no concerns about what values they’re teaching their sons. Nothing comes before Garrick’s massive ego and his midlife crisis, not even their children’s needs. Though it’s Garrick driving the vehicle, Dannielle should protect her sons more than she does.

5
Garrick Wanting To Impregnate Roberta Before Marrying Her

Baby Mama Drama

Even though Roberta kept breaking her promise to join them in the U.S. throughout Seeking Sister Wife season 4, Garrick kept sending her money to the tune of thousands of dollars. To make matters worse, Garrick even traveled to Brazil, determined to get Roberta pregnant right away, even before they were married. When Dannielle expressed concern about having a baby living in Brazil, Garrick completely ignored her valid concerns and pressed on with his ridiculous plan. The fact that Garrick took money and resources from his wife and children to send to another woman was the ultimate act of disrespect.

“A lot of the scriptures, the terms where it says he fills you with the holy ghost, it’s actually a sexual term. It actually means, like, sperm going into, like, intimacy that way.”

4
Garrick’s Explanation Of The Holy Ghost

That’s Not How Any Of This Works

During the Seeking Sister Wife season 5 premiere, Garrick explains the unique biblical reading that led him to choose to live a life of polygamy. With Dannielle seated beside him during an interview, Garrick says, “A lot of the scriptures, the terms where it says he fills you with the holy ghost, it’s actually a sexual term. It actually means, like, sperm going into, like, intimacy that way.”

“And even scientifically, we’ve found that, you know, when a man and a woman become one, and his sperm goes into a woman and his DNA becomes part of her.

Using religion to gaslight his wife, Garrick continues, “And even scientifically, we’ve found that, you know, when a man and a woman become one, and his sperm goes into a woman and his DNA becomes part of her […] But yet the woman can’t transfer her DNA back to the man. So it, like, showed the proof of how Christ was with his church. Like he transfers to us, we don’t transfer to him.” Garrick’s grasp of science is as interesting as his reading of the bible, and it’s obvious Garrick uses religion to manipulate Dannielle.

3
Dannielle’s Jealousy

Garrick Doesn’t Care

Throughout her journey after joining the Seeking Sister Wife cast, Danielle has struggled with jealousy. During one of their season 4 trips to visit Roberta in Brazil, Garrick secretly had sex with Roberta right before they met up with Dannielle to hang out as a family. They didn’t tell Dannielle until long after they had returned from the trip, which triggered Dannielle’s tightly controlled jealousy. The truth is, Garrick was far more affectionate and loving to Roberta than he ever was to his own wife.

Garrick is inconsiderate of Dannielle’s feelings, even seeming to enjoy making her jealous sometimes. Anyone entering into a polygamous marriage has to expect that jealousy is going to be part of the struggle, but Garrick makes no effort to protect his wife’s feelings. When he was dating Roberta, he was all over her and even secretly being intimate with Roberta without telling Dannielle. In fact, it was Roberta who told Dannielle, and not until much later. Garrick’s ego is out of control, and Dannielle shouldn’t have to put up with it.

2
Garrick & Dannielle Rely On Translator Apps

Language Barriers

Instead of trying to meet a woman who speaks English, Garrick and Dannielle seem to only be interested in women they can’t communicate with without the help of translator apps. Translator apps aren’t a good way to communicate in an intimate relationship; that’s not what the apps are meant for. Relying on translator apps in a relationship ensures misunderstanding, miscommunications, and conflict. Though Nathalia seems to know a little bit more English than Roberta, the Merrifields’ reliance on translation apps is sure to continue to be a problem in their search for a second wife.

1
Garrick Gaslights Dannielle

He Uses Religion As A Weapon

Now that the Merrifields are dating Nathalia, Dannielle has made it clear that she’s not comfortable with the pace they’re moving. She even expressed her concerns to others, like her brother, Sam, and her sister-in-law, Samantha. During a recent episode of Seeking Sister Wife season 5, Dannielle brought up her concerns with Garrick, to which he responded, “But if God tells you to do something, you do it.”

He then tells the story about how God came to him in the garage and told him to be a polygamist. Seated beside him as he spoke, Dannielle looked dubious about Garrick’s reasoning. The moment was highly cringe, and Seeking Sister Wife season 5 promises more of the same.