Warning! The following contains spoilers for the 90 Day Fiancé episode "Love Is Not Enough." Stream it with a Max subscription and read at your own risk!
Stevi Savage and Mahdi Al-Saadi seemed like they might be the first couple to call it quits from 90 Day Fiancé Season 11, considering the latter was already asking about returning to Iran during his first night in the United States. Fortunately, he cooled down a bit before the next major hurdle in their journey to marriage: meeting Stevi's family. Her father seemed like the bigger issue, as he'd only learned of Mahdi's existence a couple of days prior.
When the Mississippian revealed to her father she was dating a man from Iran, his initial thoughts were negative, but not wholly unexpected. And that's a big reason why I've been dreading this meeting for a while since I wasn't wholly sure if Stevi's dad was more upset about his daughter hiding her relationship, or that she was with someone from a country with historically complicated ties to the U.S. It all came to a head at Stevi's parents' house during dinner, and I'm still pleasantly surprised by what happened.
Stevi's Father Had Concerns, But None Of His Questions Had To Do With Mahdi's Cultural Background
I'm quite familiar with watching family members making stereotypical and borderline-racist comments on 90 Day Fiancé, so I was bracing myself for how dinner would go once Stevi's father addressed her revelation that Mahdi is from Iran. While I think it's more than fair to bring up cultural differences leading to romantic incompatibility (as we recently saw with Veah Netherton and Sunny Mahdi), things can quickly turn offensive when discussing religious differences and other societal topics.
Fortunately, Stevi's father only wanted to know if 90 days was enough time for either to make a good decision about getting married. I would wager he's not the first family member to ask that question, but based on the guidelines of the K1 visa, those are the rules that all couples must adhere to. Overall, I think his question was fair and respectful, and I'm thankful he didn't cross any lines.
Will Cultural Concerns About Mahdi's Life In Iran Become An Issue?
When 90 Day Fiancé cast members from the Middle East transition from well-accustomed lives to making a new life for themselves in the United States, it's often been a struggle. Tigerlily and Adnan Abdelfattah have had arguments about clothing and other everyday details, for instance, and we've seen similar issues with other couples, like Nicole and Mahmoud Sherbiny.
While I have no read on whether or not any eventual setbacks will happen, I will say that Mahdi seems far more on board with American life than other Middle Easterners we've seen on 90 Day Fiancé. I could always be wrong, but it doesn't seem he and Stevi will have the same problems that some of the other couples from similar backgrounds had.
What I see as a problem is the reality that Mahdi might have to say goodbye to all of his family in Iran. As he revealed in the 90 Day Fiancé Season 11 premiere, leaving Iran for the United States means that he may never be able to return to his country again freely.
Doing so could lead to his arrest, and in such a case, he may never be able to see his family or friends in-person again. He's already weighing the trade off for a life with Stevi in the United States, but we'll just have to wait and see if he decides it's worth it or hop a flight back to Iran before it's too late.
Drama like this makes 90 Day Fiancé one of the best shows on the 2025 TV schedule. Catch new episodes on TLC on Sundays at 8:00 p.m. ET, and stick with CinemaBlend for more updates on these couples as Season 11 continues.
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