Missed a few Saturdays in Huntsville? No judgment here, fan family. A lot has happened in Rocket City since early October. Episodes 5 through 8 of Love & Marriage: Huntsville Season 12 piled on one sit-down after another, and none of them settled anything. Here's what happened in each episode before Episode 9, "Arionne Curry-On," airs this Saturday, November 7, on OWN.
New to the season? Our Love & Marriage: Huntsville episode guide covers every season at a glance and Season 12 from the premiere on.
Where Season 12 stood after Episode 4
The big story this season is Arionne Curry, Martell Holt's partner and the mother of one of his children. She has joined the friend group, and it hasn't been easy. Destiny Payton, Martell's friend of nearly 30 years, is caught in the middle. Episode 4, "What's in the Past Is Present" ended with Arionne having words with Tisha and Kimmi. Tisha also doubled down on salacious allegations, which put the truce between Martell and Marsau Scott in doubt.
Season 12, Episode 5 recap: "Martell's Destiny?" (Oct 10)
Episode 5 proved that making peace is easier than keeping it. On a golf outing, Martell, Marsau, Maurice and Chris started out joking about business, including Martell's new builder's license. Then Martell brought up Tisha. He said she had broken the men's agreement to stop talking about each other's families when she repeated a decades-old college rumor about him, which he denies. Marsau pushed back hard, and the truce looked fragile by the time the golf carts rolled in.
The episode's real turn came next. Martell revealed that he and Destiny had talked about going into real estate together, with Martell placing his license under the brokerage Destiny was working toward. But Arionne doesn't want him working with Destiny. At home she went further. She called Destiny a snake, said she didn't want Martell around Destiny unless she was there, and turned down the idea of a sit-down.
Destiny got the episode's most moving scene. She talked with her father about the growing distance between her and Martell, and shared that his cancer treatment is no longer working.
Then came Tisha's Midnight Mommy Business Brunch. Arionne confronted Tisha over the rumor. Tisha said she was only repeating something she had heard in college and wouldn't take it back, and Arionne answered with "We'll see you in court." Destiny's arrival sealed it: Tisha greeted her with a hug, and Arionne walked out.
Season 12, Episode 6 recap: "The Art of War" (Oct 17)
In Episode 6, Destiny wondered out loud why the group was welcoming Arionne at all. Nell urged Martell to get ahead of the drama before it blew up. Sylvia also addressed head-on the rumors that she is Marsau's mistress.
All of it came together at an art event, the kind of classy Huntsville night that never stays classy. Destiny and Arionne finally went head-to-head, and Martell tried to stay in the middle. As usual for this cast, the middle was not a comfortable place to stand.
Season 12, Episode 7 recap: "Text Mess-age" (Oct 24)
In Episode 7, Nell and Sylvia sat down with Arionne after the art event to coach her on how to handle the group. Nell also asked why Arionne had moved into the same complex.
Martell wanted to meet with Destiny, saying she needed to take accountability and that Arionne's feelings had been hurt. Their tense face-off, plus a nasty text message whose wording became its own controversy, put the future of their friendship in doubt. Chris offered to mediate.
The episode's emotional center belonged to the Scotts. Maurice's son, Monster, made a big decision that affects both Kimmi and Maurice. Maurice is clearly hurt by the distance between him and his son. Flashbacks also showed how Kimmi has stood by him over the years, a sweet reminder of how much these two have been through together.
Season 12, Episode 8 recap: "Holt On to Your Man" (Oct 31)
The Halloween-night Episode 8 packed in three storylines, according to OWN's official episode listing:
- Tricia's new man. The ladies caught up with Tricia, who shared that she has a new man after ending things with Ken.
- Tisha and Destiny. The two tried to save their strained friendship.
- The sit-down Martell wanted. Martell finally brought Arionne and Destiny together to see if they could work through their many differences.
What's next: Season 12, Episode 9 "Arionne Curry-On" (Nov 7)
Episode 9 keeps the spotlight on Arionne. According to the episode listing:
- Arionne sits down with Martell and his mother.
- Marsau, Tisha, Lynn and Sylvia speculate about Martell and Destiny's relationship.
- Nell faces a difficult decision about her father's future.
- Marsau confronts Tisha about the current state of their marriage.
After that, three more episodes are listed for the season: Episode 10, "Diss, Respect" on November 14, Episode 11, "Against My Father's Will" on November 21 and Episode 12, "Grilling Me Softly" on November 28.
Our take
Four episodes, at least four attempts at peace, and zero peace treaties signed. That's Huntsville, and honestly, that's why we keep watching. The question for the back half of the season is simple: can Martell keep both Arionne and his 30-year friendship with Destiny? Or will Season 12 make him choose?
New episodes of Love & Marriage: Huntsville air Saturdays at 8 p.m. Eastern on OWN. Catch up on every season on the Love & Marriage: Huntsville show page, and for more about how TV's reality families got their start, read how reality TV moved in with the family.
