This ‘90 Day Fiancé’ Spinoff Is the Best of Its Franchise (2024)

90 Day Fiancé is known for showcasing tumultuous international relationships across over 20 spin-offs, but there's one series in particular that is the best of them all. In 2014, TLC viewers were blown away by 90 Day Fiancé's innovative take on relationships. Focused primarily on Americans with partners applying for a K-1 visa, couples highlighted the turmoil that can arise when partners who barely know each other only have 90 days to marry. Over the years, many couples like Paola and Russ Mayfield proved to have formed a genuine connection. On the other hand, some couples like Big Ed Brown and Liz Woods couldn't handle the stress and broke up. As the show, and its couples, gained more popularity, the franchise released over 20 different spin-offs with a slight deviation from its original premise.

90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? was created to highlight reappearing couples and their relationships' success (or lack thereof). The series 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days provided additional insight into couples who weren't quite ready to file for a K-1 visa and were still in the beginning stages of their relationship. Meanwhile, 90 Day Fiancé: The Single Life followed past cast members who were newly single and ready to mingle. However, there's one spin-off that always generates excitement, leaves fans begging for more, and offers an even more unique perspective on the franchise. Similar to the OG show, the 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way spin-off is focused on international couples. Although in this series, Americans were the stars traveling and living out of the country. While The Other Way stayed close to the core premise, the role reversal, promise of fresh faces, and potential for more authentic connections made this spin-off hard to resist.

90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way

TV-14

Reality

Release Date

June 3, 2019

Cast

Jenny Slatten , Sumit Singh , Ariela Weinberg , Deavan Clegg

Main Genre

Reality

Seasons

4

The Other Way Offers Unique Role Reversal

The original 90 Day Fiancé and some of its spin-offs, like Happily Ever After? took place primarily in America. For example, with a few exceptions, 90 Day Fiancé primarily focused on first-time couples like Emily Bieberly and Kobe Blaise and their first 90 days in America leading to their wedding. Meanwhile, Happily Ever After? and The Single Life focused more on returning cast members, with most of them still being in America. Since the premise of these shows highlighted the transition to America, storylines about the difficulty of adjusting to American culture, green card scammers, and gold diggers were plentiful. However, The Other Way offered a unique role reversal that few of the franchise spin-offs offered. Instead of their partners immigrating to America, Americans traveled across the world to meet, marry, and potentially live with their partners abroad. This role reversal incorporated an additional layer of drama and suspense that enticed loyal fans.

This role reversal meant that arguments about green cards were almost nonexistent, since no one was attempting to immigrate to the States. While arguments about genuine relationships were still common, instead of 90 Day Fiancé Americans questioning their relationships, usually it was the other way around. The shift in the show's premise also meant that viewers received a hilarious insight into how Americans act while adapting to a foreign country. Additionally, it showcased how countries felt about their version of the K-1 visa and the superstitions they associated with it. In the original series, the American partners often discounted the struggle with cultural differences and integrating into American society. However, The Other Way gave Americans a taste of their own medicine. Now Americans were in the hot seat, looking to impress their in-laws, applying for visas, and learning about new cultures.

Fresh New Couples Appear on The Other Way

One complaint about the 90 Day Fiancé franchise was the returning couples. Over the years, certain couples, and their on-screen antics, have become the prime faces behind the franchise and its spin-offs. Sometimes, fans are welcoming of returning faces. Many viewers are excited about watching fan favorites like Loren and Alexei Brovarnik or Annie and David Toborowsky return to the franchise. It's exciting to watch stars share their family stories as they grow. However, the return of franchise villains like Angela Deem and Michael Ilesanmi or Jasmine Pineda and Gino Palazzolo has the opposite effect, as their appearances seem to be more for TV ratings and not genuine entertainment.

The Other Way, though, doesn't have that concern. A few stars, like Tiffany Franco and Ronald Smith, or Jenny Slatten and Sumit Singh, have appeared on the spin-off multiple times. Compared to the other spin-offs, this 90 Day Fiancé series offers fresh new faces with every season, such as Shekinah Garner and Sarper Güven. This means fans have new storylines to follow, new couples to support, and new drama to discover. Having the occasional fan favorite like Jenny ensures loyal viewers have some familiarity and closure regarding their favorite couples. However, the spin-off still has quite a few new couples and environments to fall in love with, adding to the suspense and enjoyment of the 90 Day Fiancé franchise.

The Other Way Increases Authentic Connections

The biggest concern in the franchise is discerning who is loyal and wants a relationship with an American for the right reasons. Most of the 90 Day Fiancé couples have been suspicious of each other in some form. Since the original show focuses on Americans, most worry that their partner is in it for a green card or credit card because cast members like Mohamed Jbali and Luis Mendez have burned stars and fans badly. Their actions ruined it for all. Now many are weary and wonder if their intentions are genuine. Since it seemed like some stars were after the “American dream” and would marry just about anyone to get a visa, suspicions rose quickly in the OG series. While these storylines certainly make for wonderful reality TV, it also raises questions about the authenticity of the couples’ connections. However, that's not a common issue in The Other Way.

In fact, the best part of The Other Way couples was that it led to more authentic connections. Since Americans traveled abroad, there was generally no question about a green card. For example, with couples like Jenny and Sumit, Sumit had been adamantly against moving to America during their entire relationship. Even when Sumit’s family distanced themselves from him because of their relationship, he refused to entertain the idea of moving to America. Between Jenny moving to India and Sumit’s refusal to move to America, fans believed their connection was genuine. Jenny and Sumit were together because of love, not the potential perks their country or status could offer them. While Ronald may have had suspicious intentions in general, the same could be said for his relationship with Tiffany. Although The Other Way might have less drama because the same issues or arguments don't arise, it certainly creates a better love story and connection for these couples.

In the end, it's difficult to choose the best spin-off that all 90 Day Fiancé fans and stars can agree on. Each of the spin-offs offers a different perspective on the show's premise and its couples. Some spin-offs, like Before the 90 Days, offer more answers to burning questions and a unique perspective on dating abroad. Other spin-offs like Happily Ever After? allow fans to follow up on their favorite couples. The Single Life also helps viewers stay up to date on their favorite stars, but only after they're ready to jump back into the dating pool. However, as the series expands, it seems viewers are craving fresher relationships with more authentic connections. Overall, each spin-off has its perks and drawbacks, but The Other Way offers a connection that the other shows can't compete with.

90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way and the other franchise spin-offs are available to stream on Max.

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