Sister Wives returned on Sunday, October 5, with a family pivot that hits several nerves: Christine Brown says her daughter Mykelti Brown Padron is leaving Utah for Charlotte, North Carolina—and not just for a fresh start.
In the episode, Christine explains that Mykelti is “just exhausted from trying so hard to get everybody back together again,” a pointed acknowledgment of the strain that’s followed the dissolution of the Browns’ plural marriage. The move itself became a storyline when Mykelti and her husband, Tony Padron, drove into severe weather and filmed the moment an ominous cloud formed above their car. The hour also put Kody Brown on the record about his frayed relationships with his adult children, even as Christine and her husband, David Woolley, helped with the relocation.
What Christine Says Is Really Driving the Move
Christine’s on-camera read of her daughter’s decision is blunt. In a confessional filmed ahead of the October 5 move, she says part of why Mykelti is leaving is that her daughter is “exhausted” after years of trying to “get the whole family back together again.” She adds that there’s still “frustration and anger and resentment,” a reference to the fallout since Christine left the plural marriage in November 2021 and later remarried David Woolley in October 2023. Kody, for his part, describes his standing with his older kids this way: it’s become “an issue of trash talk and innuendo,” which has “challenged loyalties and trust on all sides.”
Charlotte, Chess, and Cousins
On camera, Mykelti and Tony present a practical motive: Charlotte is, as Tony puts it, “the chess capital of the U.S.” He works in chess—creating content, teaching, and coaching—and says the move is exciting because “that’s like the hub.” Mykelti also wants their three young kids—daughter Avalon and twin sons Archer Banks and Ace McCord—to grow up near cousins. In North Carolina, they’ll be close to Maddie (Madison “Maddie” Brown Brush), daughter of Janelle Brown, who lives there with husband Caleb Brush and their four children.
The emotional cost isn’t lost on anyone. “Every time I talk about moving to my mom, I break her heart just a little bit more,” Mykelti says in a preview scene. Christine’s reply to Tony’s chess ambition comes with a smile and air quotes—“You’re like, wife of the century letting him have a chess career”—before she quickly apologizes and backs off the tease.
Inside the Episode: The Night Before, and the Goodbyes That Didn’t Happen
The episode flashes back to the night before Christine moved from Flagstaff, Arizona, to Utah in 2021 after her spiritual divorce from Kody. In that scene, Mykelti makes a heartfelt speech—“I think this is probably something that’s one of the hardest things that this family is going to have to go through” and “at the end of this all, we are still a family”—while Kody looks on, arms crossed. Years later, the reality doesn’t match those hopes. Mykelti says she told her dad she was moving and invited him to visit before they left, but “it didn’t happen.” Christine calls it “sad,” adding that Mykelti and Tony “were just sad that they weren’t able to see Kody and Robyn and the kids before they moved.”
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“What Do We Do?”—The Tornado Scare on the Drive East
The cross-country drive itself becomes a pressure test. Christine recalls seeing “little purple spots” on her weather app—“and purple means tornado.” Moments later, the episode cuts to Mykelti and Tony in their car, tracking an ominous cloud as hail begins to fall. “We just received a warning for a tornado,” Mykelti says. “That right there is the beginning of it. Look how it’s touching down.” Tony adds, “It’s not a tornado yet, but it could become a tornado.” Hail damages the windshield, and Christine and David, monitoring conditions from another vehicle, debate what advice to give. The sequence ends with the family pushing through the storm, proof that logistics aren’t the only hazards when the Browns hit the road.
The Current Family Map (Partial)
- Christine Brown — Left the plural marriage in November 2021; remarried David Woolley in October 2023. Helps with Mykelti’s move and narrates the emotional subtext.
- Mykelti Brown Padron — Moving from Utah to Charlotte, North Carolina, citing family dynamics and proximity to cousins; also supporting Tony’s chess career.
- Tony Padron — “Works in chess, makes content, and teaches and coaches,” calling Charlotte “the chess capital of the U.S.”
- Kody Brown — Acknowledges damaged ties with adult children, calling it “trash talk and innuendo” that has strained “loyalties and trust.”
- Robyn Brown — Kody’s remaining wife in his once-plural marriage; she and Kody didn’t see Mykelti’s family before the move.
- Maddie (Madison) Brown Brush & Caleb Brush — Based in North Carolina with their four children; key draw for Mykelti and Tony’s relocation.
- Avalon, Archer Banks, Ace McCord — Mykelti and Tony’s children, whom Christine worries she’ll miss during their early years.
Note: The show follows a sprawling family of 18 children; only relatives mentioned in the episode and contemporaneous reporting appear here.
How We Got Here: The Post-Plural Fallout
Christine was the first to exit the plural marriage in 2021. Within the next 14 months, Meri Brown and Janelle Brown also announced separations from Kody. The October 5 episode underscores how those breaks reverberate years later. Even routine milestones—like a relocation for career and family—carry the weight of unresolved relationships. When Mykelti frames Charlotte as a place where her kids can be closer to cousins and Tony can grow his work, Christine layers in the truth that the move also creates distance from ongoing turmoil.
What’s Next for Sister Wives
Sister Wives airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on TLC. With Mykelti and Tony now East-bound, the show has a fresh axis for the Browns’ cross-country logistics and on-camera reunions. Expect more from Christine and David as they carve out grandparent time from Utah, and watch for whether Kody and Robyn re-engage with the new Charlotte branch of the family tree. The immediate takeaway is simple: no one’s pretending this was only about chess and cousins.
Editor’s Notes on Sourcing
Key quotes and scene descriptions above come from the October 5 episode and contemporaneous reporting from the week of October 5–8, 2025. A preview clip offered additional dialogue in which Mykelti says she “break[s] [Christine’s] heart just a little bit more” every time she brings up the move; the episode then shows Christine explaining, “Mykelti’s moving tomorrow. We’re driving her and her kids cross country tomorrow.”
Where to Watch
Sister Wives streams via TLC platforms after broadcast; check your provider for availability. New episodes premiere Sundays at 10 p.m. ET.
Analysis: Based on the footage and the family’s own words, Charlotte solves for proximity and opportunity while reducing exposure to conflict. That trade-off—and whether distance helps or hardens rifts—will likely anchor the next run of episodes.
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