Summary
There are several key things theMarried at First Sightexperts need to do differently in season 18 in order to give fans the successful couples they want to see. In the last three seasons, Dr. Pepper Schwartz, Pastor Cal Roberson, and Dr. Pia Holec have been the panel of experts tasked with not only matching the marriage hopefuls but also guiding them through the eight-week-long journey to Decision Day. Dr. Pepper has been an expert since season 1, while Pastor Cal joined in season 4 andDr. Pia joined in season 15.
In the seventeen seasons ofMarried at First Sight, there have been 64 couples, only12 of whom are still together.That makes the show’s success rate 18.75%, which is really poor considering that the “experts” are supposed to match people correctly and prevent breakups. Over the years there have been many controversial cast members who have slipped through the casting process, like Zach Justice, Ryan De Nino, and Chris Williams. There is a lotthe experts need to change in season 18 to establish their credibilityand the show’s credibility again.
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Married At First Sight Season 17 Was A Disaster
Season 17 Was A Massive Failure
Married at First Sightfans are coming off of season 17, which finished airing in late April 2024.MAFSseason 17is widely considered to have been a massive failure. The season started with the franchise’s first-ever runaway bride situation after Michael Shiakallis was ditched at the altar by his bride who said she wasn’t ready to marry a stranger. The experts rematched Michael with Chloe Brown and the pair got married while the other couples were already halfway through their journeys. This dynamic led toseason 17 being the longest season of the franchise yet, having started airing in mid-October 2023.
What also made season 17 a failure was its high failure rate. None of the couples stayed together. After the runaway bride, Orion Martzloff asked for a divorce from Lauren Goodger upon returning from their honeymoon. Clare Kerr and Cameron Frazer separated on their one-month anniversary, Emily Balch and Brandon Shoykhet split angrily a few days before Decision Day, and Becca Haley and Austin Reed separated shortly before Decision Day. Becca and Austin said yes to each other on Deicion Day, but broke up the next day, makingseason 17 0 for 6.
Moreover, there was an attempted group dupe that took place in which the entire cast except for Michael and Chloe, endeavored to portray themselves inauthentically for the cameras in order to make themselves and their marriages look better on TV. Not only did this damage the trust and authenticity between the partners it also created tension between the men and women of the season.The women thought the men led the dupe and cared more about opticsthan understanding their wives. This tension led the cast to be the most contentious cast inMarried at First Sighthistory (viaLifetime.)
The MAFS Experts Need To Establish Themselves As Friendly Authority Figures
The Season 17 Rarely Approached Them With Problems
During the Reunion episode, the experts were questioned bythe host Kevin Frazierabout how all the marriages ended in divorce. They deflected and said that they had been approachable all season and didn’t understand why the participants didn’t feel like they could come to them.
Were the experts to establish themselves as helpful, selfless, and positive authority figures in the process for the cast members, then they could have been more effective.
In season 18, the experts need to tell the participants that they are there for them and any problems that might arise and to reach out if help is needed.
Dr. Pia Needs To Soften Her Approach With More Professionalism
Dr. Pia Is Upsetting The Participants
Dr. Pia has showed herself to be a therapist with a lot of attitude and biases.With Brennan, she meanly told him he needed therapy and the pair got into an uncomfortable exchange while he was trying to express himself. Dr. Pia also showed questionable professionalism when she accused the most genuine couple, Michael and Chloe, of being fake, which greatly damaged Chloe’s perception of Dr. Pia. Dr. Pia needs to soften her approach and not let her personal feelings toward the participants and couples get in the way of her ability to give effective therapy.
The Experts Needs To Step Into The Marriages To Help More
The Couples Need More Help Than They’ve Been Getting
Aside from letting the cast members feel comfortable enough to come to them,the experts need to go to the couples when they sense any derailment.If issues are caught early enough and dealt with in a progressive manner, then the couples could establish better techniques for dealing with their triggers when they arise. Pastor Cal and Dr. Pepper stepped in themselves to do a joint therapy session when Becca and Austin were encountering growing insurmountable issues (viaLifetime.)
The session gave Becca and Austin tools and hope to continue on, and thanks to the guidance, the pair said yes to each other on Decision Day. However, it became clear the experts gave too little too late because of Becca and Austin’s swift breakup thereafter. If the experts had stepped in sooner to help Becca and Austin with more intensive and targeted therapy, they may have had a better chance. By the time of Dr. Pepper and Pastor Cal’s session,it was already too little too late.
In season 18, the experts should endeavor to do more to help the couples and step in with guidance at first signs of trouble so issues don’t get inflated and go unresolved.
The Experts Can’t Be Aloof & Let Another Dupe Happen
The Experts Were Fooled In Season 17
It is paramount to the experts and show’s credibility that a group dupe does not happen again. The experts seemed to be aloof to the pulse of the couples in season 17 and that caused the group dupe to go undetected.
Were the experts to have been doing their jobs properly they would have realized that the couples were afraid to open up and be genuine.
Each couple aside from Michael and Chloe were not being truthful and it hurt the success rate greatly. InMarried at First Sightseason 18,the experts need to be able to read the cast betterand call out any inauthenticity. There is a lot for the experts to prove in season 18 in order to show fans they can produce successful couples.
Married at First Sightseasons 1-17 are available on Prime Video.MAFSseason 18 does not have an official release date yet.
Married At First Sight
Cast
Based on the Danish version of the series, Married at First Sight is a reality show/social experiment that gives singles a chance to find a lifelong partnership with one particular caveat: they must agree to marry a stranger arranged the moment they meet. Experts provide counseling and guidance as they help couples navigate their new marriage with their unknown partner and highlight the journey of the newlyweds from wedding to honeymoon to beginning their new lives together. At the end of eight weeks, couples will decide to stay married or divorce.
