10 Biggest Gags From the Season 12 Premiere of Love & Marriage: Huntsville

1. Yes! Arionne Curry has officially entered the chat.

Martel’s former mistress, sidekick, side dish, quote-unquote peasant, who has been connected to this extramarital affair since Season 1, Episode 1, has finally made it from being the secret to being his leading lady. No, she isn’t in the promotional intro, but yes, she shows up looking very comfortable, cooking for her man at his home in Episode 1. After years of being discussed, dragged, defended, denied, and everything in between, Arionne is finally appearing on the show beside Martel. That alone is one of the biggest gags of the premiere.

2. Martel is calling Arionne his queen, but that marriage carrot is still dangling.

Martel admits that having her film with him for the first time feels sad, but he also describes it as a rebirth. In a conversation with his mother, he attempts to normalize returning to a show he created with his former wife, now with his former side chick and their son presented as his family unit. For now, Martel is still holding the marriage carrot just above Arionne’s reach, claiming he isn’t ready to take that step. At the same time, he refers to her as his queen more times than I could count. Whether he is trying to convince her, us as viewers, or himself remains to be seen.

3. Marsau and Tisha try to control the narrative around their flailing real estate development, but nobody is buying it.

After spending years pointing the professionally condescending finger at everybody else over their business shortcomings, Marsau and Tisha have now lost their Whitehall property, which was allegedly worth more than $600,000, because of bad internal business decisions. That is a pretty significant development for a couple that has positioned themselves as authorities on entrepreneurship and Black business. The same couple that once threw a Black business conference is suddenly looking more than a little fraudulent. You can spin the story however you want, but losing the property speaks loudly.

4. Destiny has her real estate license and sis is cooking!

The underdog has her new business up and running, and the first episode opens with her closing on an investment property. The gag is that the property belongs to Martel and is reportedly the same house where Arionne was initially living. Destiny has spent the last few seasons getting dragged from every direction, so watching her walk into this season licensed, working, and closing deals feels like a major shift. Whatever anyone thinks about Destiny personally, professionally she appears to be moving forward. And that is exactly the kind of comeback viewers love to see.

5. Kimmi may have officially lost the title of most levelheaded cast member.

When Destiny shows up to close on Martel’s house, Kimmi insists on bringing up the past. Destiny remains professional while Kimmi becomes increasingly frustrated that Destiny won’t acquiesce to what she wants from the conversation. It feels less like Destiny is avoiding accountability and more like Kimmi is determined to force a personal conversation into a professional setting. Viewers are also reminded that there have been several instances over the last two seasons where Kimmi has lost her cool with various castmates. The calm, rational Kimmi we met in earlier seasons appears to be evolving into somebody very different.

6. Chris still doesn’t have his real estate license, making Nell the breadwinner of their household.

Chris admits he still has another year before he can reapply for his license. That means Nell is currently carrying the professional load in the Fletcher household, and the dynamic is definitely interesting to watch. Chris has always carried himself with plenty of confidence and authority, so hearing him openly acknowledge where things stand professionally adds another layer to their relationship. It also makes what happens later in the episode even more interesting. Because somehow, despite his own professional setback, Chris becomes the person Marsau and Tisha come to for advice.

7. Marsau and Tisha actually consult the Fletchers for advice!

I’m not sure if hell has frozen over or pigs have suddenly learned to fly, but Marsau and Tisha humble themselves enough to invite Chris and Nell out and ask for advice. Whether the humility is genuine remains to be seen, but the Scotts have done the unthinkable by acknowledging that they may not be the experts on absolutely everything. Considering the history between these couples, that moment alone deserves attention. Marsau especially has rarely appeared comfortable taking advice from anyone. Seeing the Scotts have to sit in the student seat for once was a gag all by itself.

8. The motivation behind Destiny and Martel’s longtime friendship is suddenly being questioned again.

Many seasons ago, Melody questioned Destiny’s loyalty when it came to Martel. At the time, plenty of fans thought Melody was reaching or simply being overly suspicious because of everything happening in her marriage. Now, Martel and Destiny’s bestie behavior is being looked at through a different lens as he goes fully public with Arionne. Their comfort level with one another is noticeable, and viewers are paying attention. It doesn’t automatically mean there is anything inappropriate happening, but it does make some of those old conversations hit differently.

9. Maurice and Kimmi’s relationship feels awkward at times, and something seems slightly off.

Kimmi says they have to squeeze time together into their schedules because, according to Maurice, he is “grinding.” Their interactions don’t necessarily scream marital crisis, but the ease viewers have come to expect from them isn’t always there. Whether the strain is connected to his son returning home after an unsuccessful first year of college or something deeper that will be unveiled later remains to be seen. There is enough awkwardness to make you pay attention. In the words of Keith Sweat, “something, something just ain’t right.”

10. And here is the gag nobody wants to admit: Martel and Arionne actually look good together!

No matter how much some of us hate watching a side chick elevate to leading-lady status, and no matter how annoying it can be watching Arionne look at Martel like a puppy staring adoringly up at its owner, the visual is visualing. Add in her declaring every other scene that she is with her man so everything is going to be okay, and yes, there are plenty of reasons to roll your eyes. But the truth is, the girl is beautiful and Martel is a handsome man. Put them together, dressed well and sitting pretty, and they look like a million bucks. Sometimes the gag is simply admitting something you really did not want to admit.

Season 12 of 'Love & Marriage: Huntsville' premieres on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on OWN.