by Maddison Pauly
Another year, another season of trashy reality television revolving around romance – but we still can’t seem to stop watching. Four words:
Married at First Sight.
Now you’ve heard about it and some of you probably watch it. But for others, you have absolutely no idea what I’m talking about because it doesn’t fit into your usual trashy romance shows, starting with bachie. Married at first sight is a show where a bunch of strangers are partnered up together by ‘love experts’ based on certain characteristics, and the couples first meet each other as they are walking down the aisle. Sometimes you wonder how these couples are compatible at all and whether these ‘love experts’ are actually qualified for the job.
In the first episode we were introduced to the first two couples and got to watch their weddings.
Jules and Cameron:
Jules and Cameron. Cameron is a 34-year old former professional cricket player and Jules is a 36-year old who owns her own business. This couple had instant chemistry and their wedding was pretty much smooth sailing, the only drama that occurred was that their sound system didn’t work for their first dance, but they didn’t let that spoil the fun.
Cyrell and Nicolas: Nicolas, mostly referred to as Nic, is a 28-year old electrician. By the age of 24, Nic was diagnosed with testicular cancer but has since overcome his cancer. Cyrell is a 29-year old healthcare consultant who had been previously engaged before but found her fiancé cheating on her. Cyrell’s brother Ivan was very disapproving of her decision to go on the show. During the wedding ceremony, when the minister said, “You may now kiss the bride”, Ivan yelled out “That’s disrespectful,” but that did not stop the two from sealing the deal. Later during the ceremony Ivan pulled Nic aside for a very heated conversation, where Nic was unable to get a word in, but once he was finally able to tell his story, Ivan backed off. The rest of the night ran smoothly.
In the second episode we were introduced to another two couples who were soon to be married.
Jessica and Mick
Jessica is a 27-year old executive administrator. Mick is a 31-year old farmer, and the only intimate relationship he’s had is with his 20 sheep, 11 chickens and two dogs. The ceremony went great, and the two were getting along well. But then the reception happened. You know how most best man speeches are meant to make the groom sound great? Well in Mick’s situation that wasn’t the case. Mick’s best man speech did not go down well with Jess and her family, causing her older brother and father to pull him aside for a chat. Let’s just say that if it their relationship works out there is going to be some very awkward family dinners.
Melissa and Dino
Melissa is a 38-year old talent agent who can be perceived as just a little crazy. Dino is a 35-year old, meditation facilitator. With an outgoing spirit matched with a peaceful mind, lets hope that opposites really do attract. Before the wedding even started, drama had already begun. Mel had slept in and was running two hours late. She only had half an hour to do her hair and makeup. She did arrive late but as she walked down the aisle, there was no groom to be seen. Then out of nowhere Dino appeared on a horse. That’s right, a horse. But that’s not all for the surprises, because Dino decided to propose at the altar. Normally, you propose first and then walk down the aisle, but it looks like anything can happen on reality television. The rest of the wedding was normal – well as normal as can be when you get married at first sight.
In the third episode, we were introduced to another two couples.
Mike and Heidi:
Mike is a 44-year old electrician. Heidi is a 38-year old radio announcer. When she was young, she lived in a very unstable household and when she was 16, she went into foster care. They decided to have a beach wedding and Heidi soon realised the high heels and sand don’t work well when walking down an aisle. The only drama that happened at the wedding was that Heidi’s dress was very restrictive which was a bit of a problem when going to the bathroom, so she had to get help from several bridesmaids.
Ning and Mark:
Mark is a 41-year-old who works as a personal trainer and had previously served in the army. Ning is a 32-year old hairdresser. She was a single mum at the age of 16 and has three children aged 15, 7, and 3. The ceremony was a bit of a train wreck. When Ning is nervous, she tends to make jokes, but Mark wasn’t laughing. Mark had mentioned in his vows that he had never told someone he’d loved them, which caused Ning to put her guards up. During their wedding photos, the photographer kept asking Ning to give Mark a kiss, but she refused. The reception was alright but at times still awkward.
In episode four we took a break from all the weddings and watched as the six couples went on their honeymoons.
Mike and Heidi ventured to the Whitsundays and stayed on a yacht. During their week away, Heidi tried to have a serious conversation with Mike about her childhood and growing up in foster care, but Mike, unfortunately, has the attention span of a goldfish. He replied with “I’m not your therapist,” which, big surprise, made Heidi storm off. This forced Mike to do the thing he dislikes most – talking to Heidi about feelings. By the end of their conversation, they had somewhat managed to resolve their issues.
Ning and Mark trekked it all the way to Bangkok. Not too much drama happened here besides the little kiss that Ning and Mark shared in the pool, but Ning admitted that she didn’t enjoy it and wasn’t in any rush to kiss again.
Cyrell and Nic travel to New Zealand, where Cyrell got to see snow for the first time. During their time in New Zealand, Nic finally opens up about his cancer and reveals that the only way he can have children is through IVF.
Cameron and Jules also travelled to New Zealand. Not any drama from this lovey dovey couple. All that really went down during their trip was they went kayaking near a little waterfall and tipped into the freezing cold water. They also had the baby talk and discovered that they both want children.
Dino and Melissa went to the beautiful Fiji. During their time away, Dino made them both practice meditation and tried to explain awareness to Mel but left her more confused than before. We also find out a little history behind Dino. He had previously proposed to another girl, but called quits because she didn’t like the ring he gave her and asked for a new one.
The producers spent all their money on the other five couples so they could only afford to send Jess and Mick to Palm Cove, Queensland. During their time away, Mick noticed that the romance from the wedding had warn off and that when him and Jess were together, she was always on her phone. During one of their romantic dinners, Mick asked Jess ‘if she was in it for love or just Instagram likes’ which you would expect to turn into a huge issue, but Jess actually liked that Mick stood up to her. So, in the end, things turned out alright for all our couples.
In episode five, we went back to the ‘real world’ and got introduced to another two couples.
Matt and Lauren:
Matt is a 29-year-old videographer and according to the television is only referred to as a virgin. Matt is currently partaking in singing lessons which becomes evident sometime during the wedding. Lauren is a 31-year old makeup artist. Their wedding wasn’t as awkward as we all thought it was going to be and there was an instant attraction. Remember how I said that Matt was taking singing lessons? Well turns out that was so he could sing for Lauren on their wedding night.
Sam and Elizabeth:
Sam is a 26-year old tradie and Elizabeth (Lizzie) is a 27-year old store manager. When Lizzie was asked what her ideal man looks like, she described Sam’s image perfectly. But when Lizzie walked down the aisle, the first thing Sam noticed was that she wasn’t brunette. Lizzie kept thanking the experts for her match throughout the rest of the wedding, but Sam keeps blocking his ears because he can’t stand how loud she is.
In episode six, we are introduced to our last two couples of the season. But before we get into the weddings there was a little drama with Lizzie and Sam the morning after their wedding.
Lizzie and Sam woke up the next morning to find out Sam’s ex-partner’s mum had passed away. Sam is apparently still very close with his ex and had been asked to go to the funeral in NZ. Lizzie is supportive of this and tells him to go, but because of this they were unable to go on their honeymoon.
Meanwhile, there were another two couples getting ready for their big days.
Ines and Bronson:
Ines is a 28-year old legal assistant. Ines was originally from Bosnia and came to Australia as a refugee when she was four. Bronson is a 34-year old entrepreneur who owns three companies. Bronson has had his fair share of struggles – he lost his mother a year after he lost his brother, then lost his other brother three years later. Instead of sparks flying when this couple first met, gunshots were fired. The first thing Ines said to him was “can we get rid of your eyebrow ring please”. Ines later found out that Bronson had been a male entertainer in the past, which she was not a fan of, so she banned him from touching her. The rest of the wedding was uncomfortable to watch.
Martha and Michael:
Martha is a 30-year old makeup artist who comes from a big Greek family. Michael is a 27-year old primary school PE teacher who comes from a close italian family. Michael and Martha were instantly attracted to each other and there isn’t too much to say about their wedding because it went really well.
In episode seven, we got to watch the other four couples go on their honeymoons.
Martha and Michael went to the beautiful Samoa. It’s very unrealistic how well this couple was getting a long, but their only problem was PDA.
Matt and Lauren travelled to McLaren Vale in South Australia. On the first night, Matt wasn’t feeling very well so they went to the hospital. But it took a turn for the better because they both felt that it made them a lot closer. On the last night, Matt and Lauren also took their relationship to the next level.
Sam travelled to New Zealand whilst Lizzie travelled to her bed and back. Sam hadn’t been in contact with Lizzie for five days since he left for New Zealand, so Lizzie was going a little stir crazy.
Ines and Bronson travelled to Port Douglas. Bronson plans a day out parasailing for Ines and she could not be any less excited. Cyclone Ines unleashes an attack at Bronson simply because he was trying to calm her down whilst she was panicking on the boat. Bronson says what all of Australia is thinking, “I can see why your single”. Ines decides not to go parasailing, but that doesn’t stop Bronson who describes the experience as “Up in the air was amazing, I was away from Ines”. I personally wish that I had a parasail to fly away from that whole conversation. Let’s just say the rest of the honey moon would have been better if they went for a swim in crocodile infested waters.
In episode eight we got to experience the first dinner party with all the couples. This is the time to show the other couples how in love you are or how much you regret walking down that aisle. Most people attended the dinner party as a couple, but in Lizzie’s case she is by herself as husband Sam still hasn’t made an appearance. Conspiracy theories (Shane Dawson’s next video) went flying that there wasn’t a funeral and that Sam just wanted to bolt. This causes trouble between Cyrell and Nic for who knows why. Later, Sam decides to rock up to the party and Lizzie isn’t very happy about it. Sam and Lizzie attempt to have a conversation but it just turns into a lot of yelling. Besides that, everyone else had a great night.
Episode nine is the first commitment ceremony. For those of you who have never watched the show before, a commitment ceremony is where the couples decide whether they want to stay together or leave. If one person chooses to say and the other decides to leave, they ultimately must stay together until the next commitment ceremony. Cameron and Jules, Heidi and Mike, Matt and Lauren, Ning and Mark, Melissa and Dino, Nic and Cyrell, Mick and Jess and Michael and Martha all chose to stay together. Lizzie chose to stay but Sam wanted to leave, which means that they stay for another week. Ines and Bronson are next. Their chat is anything but nice, partially due to Ines, but somehow Bronson comes out as the bad guy. A few people decide to chime into their conversation, one being Lizzie. Ines decides to leave but Bronson wants to stay. Due to the two’s behaviour during the commitment ceremony, the ‘love experts’ intervene and offer them counselling.
Episode ten was moving in day. Everyone is moving in together as a couple, but Ines and Bronson are moving in separately. Matt is experiencing another first – how to make a bed. Nic and Cyrell were having some issues and Cyrell decided to pack up and leave the apartment, but they somehow managed to work things out. In this episode a challenge had been given to the couples. The challenge is called yes week. One person in the couple is given the power to make the other person do whatever they want. Elizabeth has been granted the power and tells Sam to stay in the apartment by himself. Cameron makes Jules dress up in some cute cricket gear and teaches her how to play cricket. Nic has the power and asks Cyrell to shave his whole body. Matt asks Lauren some questions. One of the questions was for her to tell Matt something that would surprise him. Lauren told him she had previously had relationships with girls, which left Matt in shock. Ines has taken a recent liking to Sam, so she slides into his DM’s. Whilst Ines was texting Sam, Lizzie had just come over to apologize for the other night. If only Lizzie new what Ines was doing second before.
In episode elven, yes week continued. Nic gave Cyrell a maid outfit to wear and gave her orders to make him a Philippian meal. Little did he know that she was feeding him goose eggs and chicken feet. Mark made Ning have a personal training session and Ning wasn’t taking it too seriously. This caused an outburst between the two. Mick dresses Jess up in his work clothes and asks her to go up to the bar and speak in a southern accent. Matt takes Lauren to a dance class. Ines and Bronson take an acrobatic class and weirdly enough don’t yell at each other. Lizzie has planned an indoor picnic for her and Sam. Little do Bronson and Lizzie know that Sam and Ines have been texting each other and that Sam plans on going to Ines after. Sam does go over to Ines’ for a nice chat, but it doesn’t go any further than that.
In episode twelve there was another dinner party. During the dinner party, Cyrell gets mad at Nic for not talking to her for thirty minutes. Sam and Liz nowhere to be found. Although Ning and Mark haven’t apologised to each other yet, Ning still makes a toast for Marks birthday. Sam rocks up late but with no Liz (no one knows where she is). Further on in the night, Ines and Sam decide to sneak off together. During their time away, they take the time to talk bad about their partners and both agree to write stay at the commitment ceremony for each other. Meanwhile, Matt has a debrief with the guys and tells them he isn’t attracted to Lauren. Little did he know that Lauren can hear the whole thing, and she pulls him aside to confront him. Matt does confirm that what he said was true, now leaving their relationship on the rocks.
Episode thirteen was the second commitment ceremony. In the commitment ceremony, Mick and Jess, Cameron and Jules, Melissa and Dino, Martha and Michael, Nic and Cyrell and Heidi and Mike all chose to stay. Bronson chose to stay and so does Ines (not for the right reasons though). Mark choses to stay but Ning wants to leave. You would think things would be awkward after that, but it helps resolve some of Ning’s self-doubt issues. Sam (still no Lizzie) choses to stay. It is revealed by the ‘love experts’ that Lizzie had been very sick and was given strict orders by the doctors to stay away. Now, Lauren and Matt. Lauren opens up about everything and how she feels used and Matt hates that he disappointed someone that he cares about. Ultimately, Matt and Lauren both leave, making them the first couple to say goodbye.
In episode fourteen, for the first time in MAFS history they send the couples on a group holiday to the Gold Coast. Lizzie is still missing. Heidi and Mike’s first night in the Gold Coast turns rocky. Heidi started having a coughing fit at night. Mike, being such a gentleman, got mad and told her to stick a pillow on her face. Heidi did not appreciate this. Martha spray tans Michael. Ning and Mark go to Wet ‘n’ Wild. Jules and Cameron both confess that they love each other. While on the Gold Coast, Mick, Mark and Mike all meet up for a cold one and chat about their wives. During their chat, Mick told the guys that he and Jess have taken their relationship to the next level. Mick later told Jess what he told the guys and she didn’t approve and felt as though she couldn’t trust him. To resolve Heidi and Mike’s issue, Heidi buys Mike a book on how to understand love language. Meanwhile, Ines and Sam finally go on their first date. They have a very deep and meaningful chat about how masculine and elegant Sam is. They decide to end their chat with a long-awaited kiss before heading to Sam’s room for the night.
Episode fifteen starts with the morning after Sam and Ines’ big night out together. Just as the couple wake up together, it is shown that Lizzie is back. As Lizzie is heading up to Sam’s apartment, Ines is leaving the apartment. Lizzie arrives at the apartment and Sam is furious. The couple finally sit down and talk. Sam believes that he’s a respectful person and tells Lizzie that he is always going to be honest with her, but us viewers know that none of that is true. Later that day, the girls go out for a girl’s night and boys go out for a boy’s night. Everything is going well when a blonde-haired bombshell (Lizzie) walked into the girl’s night. As soon as Lizzie sits down, the drama starts. Most of the girls are aware of the rumour between Sam and Ines, so someone asks Ines if she fancies Sam, but she lies to their faces. The topic of mental illness is brought up and Ines is very unempathetic towards the issue. This doesn’t sit well with Lizzie and the two start clawing at each other’s throats, but the girls soon separate them. Lizzie finds out about the rumours and goes to confront Ines. This starts a whole other argument which ends with Lizzie saying to Ines “If you want him, you can have him”. Meanwhile, the guys are all having a good old time.
Episode sixteen is another dinner party, meaning another night full of drama. Rumours are still flying about Ines and Sam. Sam rocks up to the dinner party without Lizzie. But don’t worry, she shows up just as Sam says how grateful he is that she isn’t here. Mike and Heidi have a dispute which makes Heidi question their relationship. Bronson is finally told about the rumours and asks Sam over to talk about them, where Sam denies it. Bronson says “At the end of the day I trust her” which we all know is a mistake. Sam and Lizzie decide to do what they do best – argue. Later, Ines and Sam sneak off into another room, where Ines asks if Sam can see them being in a long-term relationship. This turns Sam off as he isn’t ready for a commitment (great show to come on to if you can’t commitment).
Episode seventeen is a commitment ceremony and the most entertaining one yet. Cam and Jules, Michael and Martha, Dino and Mel, Ning and Mark, Nic and Cyrell and Jess and Mick all chose to stay. Even though there was a lot of drama between Mike and Heidi, they both decide to give the experiment a second chance and choose to stay. During Sam and Lizzie’s conversation with the ‘love experts’, the rumours about Sam and Ines are brought up. Sam finally admits that he caught up with Ines. Bronson asks how far it went, Sam said all they did was kiss (lies). Sam admits during the chat that he can’t promise Ines a long-time relationship and that if he could do it all again, he wouldn’t have accepted the message from Ines. It’s time for a decision and to no surprise, Sam and Lizzie both said leave. Bronson and Ines are up next. Bronson isn’t too upset that Ines hooked up with Sam but rather that she wasn’t honest about it. Ines doesn’t regret anything and couldn’t care less that she hurt Bronson when she says, “Bronson has been through a lot in life so I’m sure he’ll survive”. Again, no surprise, both chose to leave. A very eventful commitment ceremony, we got rid of two couples and now there are eight couples left within the experiment.
That concludes this recap of the first seventeen episodes of Married at First Sight. We cried, we laughed, and we especially got frustrated, but things did get better (especially now that Ines has left).