Married at First Sight: The Honeymoon Is Indeed Over
[WARNING: Spoiler Alert for Married at First Sight, Season 10, Episodes 1-5]
Sigh. In my last synopsis, I raved about how much I love this show, and actually how much relative success with matching the show has enjoyed thus far. That could all come to an end with the culmination of the current season. With the exception of one couple, I’m not confident that there is true love with any of these matches.
“If there’s no significant chemistry established during the honeymoon, then it’s a fast descent from that point on.”
Usually, the honeymoon episodes are my favorites. It’s interesting to see if and how the couples will bond. If there’s no significant chemistry established during the honeymoon, then it’s a fast descent from that point on. Also, the “will they or won’t they” tension always makes for good TV.
For the past few seasons, they’ve had the couple’s honeymoon together, and it’s interesting to see them interact with each other. The couples can assess where they are in terms of progress in comparison to the others. On some levels though it (unfairly) promotes competition between the couples. The ones that aren’t hitting it off so well begin to internalize their issues at an accelerated pace, while those that are on cloud nine have to downplay their level of happiness as to not seem insensitive.
Not surprisingly, the consummation question comes up frequently in their discussions. Some of the couples seemed to get a little annoyed by some of the pre-arranged group gatherings, which is understandable. The focus really needs to be on the one on one interaction, so that they can take the time to figure out if there’s a true connection…beyond intimacy, even.
That said, A LOT happened on these honeymoons. Let’s get to it, in First to Worst order.
Austin and Jessica
These two seem to be getting along great. They do seem compatible and appreciative of each other’s qualities….this is especially true in the case of Austin. He seems quite smitten, which is certainly cute at this early stage. I will say while Jessica definitely seems into Austin, she does come off a bit overbearing. It started with her making frequent comments about the length and style of his hair, to now telling him what time to get up in the morning! It would be a bit much for me, but Austin says he likes for his woman to take charge. When it’s all said and done, hopefully, he feels that his voice is being heard. And oh yeah, they did consummate (and played coy when asked by the other couples)!
Derek and Katie
Derek and Katie are off to a really good start. They also consummated their marriage, not that anyone is surprised. Katie has wanted the D (as in Derek!) since the wedding. Let’s not forget how her bridesmaids kindly instructed Derek to give her that “fiyah.” By the looks of them in their morning-after Couple’s Cam confessional, he did just that.
Katie did allude to possibly feeling smothered by Derek, even this early on. At least she was able to communicate that she would need some alone time occasionally once they got back home. He seemed understanding, and I think he could be falling for her. They have both mentioned that they have so much in common that they’re almost the opposite gender versions of themselves. That could create issues down the road if there’s a lack of balance. So far so good through the honeymoon though. The previews indicate that Katie’s feelings for her ex may not be totally dead just yet, so this is about to get good.
Bride and groom posing for a wedding day photo.
Meka and Michael
The drama began on the plane ride to the honeymoon destination for these two. Apparently, off-camera, Michael gave Meka a honeymoon sex ultimatum! He denied it repeatedly when she confronted him on camera. I was hoping that we were not about to see the gaslighting sequel to Philly’s Luke and Kate. Rest assured though, Meka was not having it! Furthermore, Meka alleges that off camera Michael is a completely different person. I can totally believe it, because in nearly every statement he makes, he sounds like he’s at a job interview. You can tell that he’s afraid to be vulnerable (read, honest) on camera.
Meka confronting him about the ultimatum lead to them sleeping in separate hotel rooms. Not him in the front room of the suite, mind you…but in an entirely different room. It seemed that was more his call than hers, although I would not blame her if she didn’t feel completely comfortable around him following the ultimatum. Needless to say, this is not exactly how anyone expects to spend their honeymoon, as they both admitted throughout the show. Michael continued to lament about how he bad really wants it to work with Meka, yet he’s the one who left and even stopped wearing his ring. They did eventually talk (after a few individual chats with Pastor Cal) and nixed a group event to spend time alone together. This all sounds encouraging, but Michael kept with the job interview answers the entire time (STAR method, much?). They ended their honeymoon on speaking terms, but there are no sparks to speak of here.
Zach and Mindy
To make a long story short, Mindy’s been friend-zoned. Almost the minute they touched down in Panama, Zach started saying that he’s not “building an attraction” towards her. Most of this was apparently expressed off-camera, with Mindy left to try to decipher it while the cameras were rolling. He seems like the type that could be somewhat shallow. Needless to say, she’s hurt, and it’s painful to watch.
After their exchange, she called him a “d---head” in her confessional, which is usually not a good sign at the start of any relationship. Zach definitely wants to keep up appearances in front of the camera, and I’m not just talking about his hair. He’s afraid to flat out say he’s not attracted to her because he knows how bad that will make him look to viewers at home. I like Mindy a lot and I believe that she signed up for the show for the right reasons. Unfortunately, I don’t see a happy ending for these two.
Taylor and Brandon
Taylor and Brandon had a few rough moments during their honeymoon. Brandon caught Taylor making a lighthearted video of him snoring and gave her the silent treatment for an entire day! He didn’t apologize for his behavior until later that evening, then demanded that she “get over it” instantly. Again, I want to reiterate that he had an attitude with her the whole day. She did check him about the disrespect, and they eventually made up. Later he had a romantic setup of a bubble bath for two, replete with rose petals. Some of the romantic moments this season seem coerced and arranged by production…I wish they would let things happen organically. She was thrilled though, and I thought they were going to “go for it,” but alas, they did not.
All was going well through their group outing on the catamaran the next day, so things seemed to be looking up. Later though, we find Brandon throwing a full-blown tantrum about having to film, of all things! He was rude and combative towards the filming crew, but props them for standing their ground. Taylor apparently tried to reason with him (which wasn’t shown) during his meltdown. He must not have taken too kindly to that, because we then see him cursing production, the other couples, and even Taylor.
His behavior was concerning, to say the least, and “editing” is not the culprit here. He went far beyond a clear lack of respect for Taylor, to outright abuse. No one deserves that, and personally speaking, I probably would have called it quits at that moment. If this how he behaves with people watching, imagine how much worse it gets when nobody is around. I’m left to wonder (again) how extensive the background checks are for the show’s participants.
Next week, we’ll see the couples go back to D.C. and begin to mesh their lives. It’s about to get real…this is where MAFS starts to get good!
