River Everett from The Family Chantel was thrilled to be dating Megan Montenegro, but fans were bored of the relationship before it even get started. River is Chantel Everett’s youngest brother, a mellow and logical foil to much of the show’s drama. This year was the first time his romantic life took center stage on the show.
Viewers know that River was historically supporting his sister Winter Everett on the interview couch. Winter struggled endlessly in her relationship with her ex-fiance, Jah. Meanwhile, she would often go to River first to discuss her relationship’s highs and lows. Whether Winter was all in or out with Jah, River was always there to talk through her feelings without judgment. River was proud when Winter cut things off with Jah but encouraged her to map out her own pathway to moving forward. River even sparked a bromance with Pedro Jimeno, Chantel’s husband. While the brothers-in-law didn’t always get along, they finally found their footing as brothers.
With his siblings’ relationships resolved (at least, for the most part), River got a fresh storyline that focused on his new girlfriend. Megan is beautiful, mature, and caring. However, the equally laid-back single mom didn’t bring much conflict or intrigue to the show. Her relationship with River always seemed abundantly cautious. Fans hoped that Chantel and Karen grilling Megan might stir up some excitement and plot twists, to no avail. Similarly, when Megan’s friends grilled River, nothing interesting really came out of it. Megan’s mature demeanor once again thwarted any drama. With a significant age difference and son to consider, Megan was ultra-cautious.
When River dedicated a song to Megan, she realized it was time to call it quits, recognizing that he was more invested than she was. She also noted that she simply didn’t have enough time to give River what he needed, due to being a single mom. Fans were basically jumping for joy when the pair split. One fan, Lach, wrote on Twitter, “I’m so sick of TLC wasting our time w/ these Megan and River segments. We only got about 40 minutes of actual show time. We don’t have time for this.”
Fans were definitely bored by Megan and River’s stiff PDA. Another Twitter user, Naves, agreed, posting, “in the future, when the Family Chantel women go on vacation, they should show us what Thomas and River are doing at the house instead of a Megan segment.” The lack of fiery chemistry or tension left much to be desired, so digging deeper into the lighthearted father and son dynamic probably would prove more interesting. While River didn’t see the breakup coming and was hurt, viewers everywhere probably weren’t surprised.
At the end of the day, while the relationship didn’t last, Megan and River showed TLC fans what a healthy if unsustainable romance looked like. Sadly, subdued dynamics don’t make for great TV, especially if there isn’t even any true love or humor on the table. Hopefully, Megan’s new flirtations yield something more exciting. River also deserves a great relationship filled with passion and good times, which can really go the distance. The Family Chantel season 3 viewers hope that River is at peace with the relationship, which wasn’t taking him (or fans) anywhere.
Sources: Naves/Twitter, Lach/Twitter
The Family Chantel airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on TLC.
