I consider myself pretty fluent in the 90 Day Fiancé franchise. As the person behind the Instagram account @FraudedByTLC and the podcast The Fraudcast, seeing each season through is an occupational hazard. But lately, I’ve been disillusioned. After this summer's seasons of Before the 90 Days and The Other Way, familiar storylines between Jihoon/Deavan and Sumit/Jenny, anticlimactic introductions to Biniyam/Ariela and Melyza/Tim, and eleventy billion iterations of “strikes back” shows, I was close to losing faith in the whole premise.

So I wasn't holding my breath when TLC announced a new season of 90 Day Fiancé or when I sat down to watch the premiere on Sunday, Dec. 6. But what I found was surprising, engaging, and overall a renewed interest in the series.

So, for now, I'm considering myself cautiously optimistic about the new season of 90 Day. Especially if it delivers on what it sold me in the premiere. Here's why...

Familiar Faces Are Bringing The Drama

This season includes the return of three former 90 Day couples, starting out with Rebecca and Zied and Mike (of the aliens) and Natalie. (Spoiler alert: we know both couples have since married).

We first met Rebecca and Zied when Rebecca traveled to Tunisia to meet him in Before the 90 Days. This season, his K1 visa is approved and he moves to the United States where the two will have to navigate some classic 90 Day family suspicions of Zied’s intentions (especially following Rebecca’s last marriage in which her husband was brought over on... a spousal visa).