S10·E203 Cut the Cord

(Original airdate: February 14, 2012)

Rheta says her four-and-a-half-year marriage to Mark is headed down a rocky road, and her mother-in-law, Deb, is in the driver's seat. Rheta says it's time for Mark to cut the cord with the woman she calls deceitful, backstabbing, sneaky and controlling -- or else! Meanwhile, Deb says she hates Rheta, claiming she's violent, trashy and undeserving of her son. The tension between the women has escalated to blows on more than one occasion, leaving Mark literally in the middle. Where do his loyalties lie? Hear the drastic measures Deb has taken to get Rheta out of their lives. And, did Rheta reveal a secret in the hopes of ruining Deb's 31-year marriage? Is this a case of an overprotective mom overstepping her boundaries, or a wife's resentment getting the best of her? Dr. Phil mediates this war of words and helps to draw some lines in the sand. Whose side will Mark be on? Can this marriage and family be saved?