Warning! The following contains spoilers for the 90 Day Fiancé episode “All’s Fair in Love and War.” Stream it with a Max subscription and read at your own risk!

Stevi continually talks about how much she fears Mahdi will flee to Iran if he gets too overwhelmed by American culture, so her latest move to take him to New Orleans is still baffling to me well after the credits have rolled. Her fiancé was already talking about leaving America hours after stepping off the plane, and I don’t get how a burlesque show in the Big Easy was supposed to convince him otherwise. And yet…

This episode fortunately didn’t end as disasterously as I expected, and similar to how surprised I was the first time Mahdi met Stevi’s father, this latest episode threw me for a total loop. And I definitely appreciate the way it all played out, assuming this is what Stevi was hoping for.

I Can’t Imagine Why Stevi Thought Taking Mahdi To A Burlesque Show Was A Good Idea

Stevi knew before booking this trip that Mahdi was already paranoid that she’s secretly bisexual, and she also knew he wouldn’t marry her unless she could convince him otherwise. As such, going to New Orleans to watch a burlesque show was not the wisest decision, at least in my opinion.

Another potential red flag was bringing along the friend who modeled for the topless portrait Stevi crafted. It was like she was goading him into saying something over-the-top.

The burlesque sequence was certainly as awkward as one might imagine, as Mahdi and his friend ultimately made a quick exit not long after the tassels started twirling. I was ready for another meltdown equivalent to the infamous Moldovan wedding scene that is a favorite 90 Day Fiancé reference of mine. Much to my surprise, however, Mahdi was fully in control.

Mahdi Surprised Me By Remembering His Promise To Stevi’s Father

While his friend was pretty offended by the whole ordeal, Mahdi was surprisingly calm. He acknowledged that while it was shocking to witness a burlesque show and hear about his future wife painting women nude, it was largely attributed to his upbringing in Iran. As he said, someone could be put to death for inappropriate attire, but he’s not in Iran anymore.

Mahdi recalled that he promised Stevi’s father not to impose Iranian cultural standards on her, and out of respect for that promise, he decided to play nice and not let his emotions about the burlesque show put a damper on the whole evening.

I respect Mahdi for being the bigger man, but with Stevi doing things like this just days before their wedding, I wonder how this couple will work out long term. We’ve seen too many married 90 Day couples split as of late, and I find it hard to believe he can completely write all his thoughts about Stevi potentially being bisexual out of his head. I’ve been surprised before, of course, and maybe Mahdi is genuine about changing his perspective on life in America vs. his life in Iran.

90 Day Fiancé airs on TLC on Sundays at 8:00 p.m. ET. We’re just a week out from 90 Day: Hunt For Love premiering on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET, so mark those calendars and check out what else is happening on the 2025 TV schedule.