90 Day Fiance is back, and while a lot has changed, it's evident that Cole still has mommy issues. 

90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After? Season 5 Episode 1 was a highly entertaining installment. Coming off 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days Season 4, it seemed like the only way was down for the franchise. 

How could the show realistically top the insanity that Big Ed and Baby Girl Lisa brought our way? 

Part of what made this premiere a success is in the casting. It was time to get rid of Russ and Paola because their storylines were running on fumes. 

They may be franchise royalty, but viewers could use a break from some of these people every so often. 

We have a lot to unpack, so let's dig in. 

Colt is Making the Same Mistakes (And it makes for good TV!)

Colt is one of the most popular stars on the show to date. His weird relationship with his mom and all of the drama with Larissa helped the show garner a lot of new viewers. 

It makes sense then that TLC would want to bring him back to the forefront. His new relationship with Jess already seems destined for doom, and that's thanks in large part to it being built on lies. 

What does Colt hope to achieve by lying to his mother? We know she hates when he's dating women because she seems to think that she can overrule the thoughts of her son. 

Larissa was no saint, but their relationship may have flourished if Debbie wasn't continually involved.

Jess seems like a nice enough girl, but she's living in Chicago as an Au Pair, so how does she expect to have a serious relationship with Colt?

Unfortunately, it seems like Jess is latching on to Colt because she knows she will get a lot of screen time. Wherever Colt goes, the drama always follows. 

He's like a magnet for the cameras. His trip to Chicago was fun and all, but his mom is going to flip out when she learns the truth. 

Larissa is Trying to Be Better, But She's Still Using People 

Larissa got arrested three times when she was with Colt and could get deported as a result. 

Forgive me for not giving a crap about what happens to her. There was a time when she was the best part of the franchise, but what's become inherently obvious over the years is that she's using people for her own gain. 

She admitted as much throughout this season premiere. 

While Colt seems to have moved on with his life, Larissa has tried and mostly failed. Her sentiments about still holding a torch for Colt seemed like her way of using a potential reunion to keep her in the U.S.

Maybe it's the editing, but it wouldn't be the first time Larissa has resorted to some crazy measures to get what she wants. 

Colt canceling her visa affidavit was rough, but she has to face the consequences of her actions. 

Her community service is over, as is her relationship with Eric -- for now. Larissa is a bit of an open book in that we'll never honestly know what's going on behind those eyes. 

The producers would love nothing more than to have her and Colt back together because that would create a lot of tension.

Andrei Needs to Learn to Communicate With His Wife

Andrei and Elizabeth are still going strong, which is good when you consider everything that went down between them in the past. 

Unfortunately, Andrei's communication skills have not been improved. Everything he says comes off in an aggressive way that makes it difficult to care about how he feels. 

Announcing their second wedding at a birthday party was downright cruel. Andrei stole the thunder away from everyone else, and it appears that he does it on the reg. 

Elizabeth's family has not been the most supportive of her relationship with Andrei, and some of their comments have crossed a line. 

But they were all in the right to be unimpressed with him giving them four weeks to get time off work and plan a trip to a country they don't even feel comfortable about going to. 

Even worse was the way Andrei claimed that tradition called for Elizabeth's father to pay for this wedding that would be happening four weeks from the day he announced it. 

He practically forced Elizabeth to say that her parents had to pay for it. That was not OK, and just like that, he's ruined all of the positive steps he made. 

Elizabeth would be wise to put her foot down and lay out some ground rules. This relationship will not last if they continue to have this disconnect between them. 

Same $hit, Different Season for Angela and Michael

Angela is unapologetic and outspoken, and I'm here for every single minute of it, but she continues to have a severe lack of faith in Michael. 

His visa is at risk, and her default train of thought is that he's cheating on her. Some relationships are not supposed to last, and after Michael's past indiscretions, I'm not sure this will last until mid-season. 

Angela seems adamant about having a child, but she accusing her man of cheating at every turn is worrying. There's no way she will move to Nigeria because she has too many things holding her in the U.S. 

If Michael's visa gets officially denied, then they should think about parting ways. 

Aseula Does Not Want to Adult, and It Will Come Back to Bite Him

Aseula had no clue what he was in for when he got together with Kalani. 

Their connection burned bright when they previously appeared on the franchise, but Aseula seems to want to have fun instead of being an adult. 

He works in a frozen yogurt joint and thinks that's as far as his responsibilities should go. 

He's the father to two children, but he seems to think that Kalani should do absolutely everything in the house. 

The age and cultural differences between these two lovers are coming back to haunt them, and that's part of what makes this series such a success. 

After the initial 90 days, where do they go? In their case, they have two children, but can't seem to agree on anything. Despite a severe lack of drama from them, their storyline feels the most genuine. 

What did you think of Colt and Larissa's return to the series? 

Do you think they could reunite?

Which couple do you like the best?

Hit the comments below. 

Remember you can watch 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After? online right here via TV Fanatic. 

Catch the series Sundays at 8/7c on TLC, and watch the sneak peek of future episodes below. 

Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.