No spoilers here but I did make the mistake of reading some Australian press and discovering Brooke and Chris left the show before the episode aired in the UK. I found out Brook was pregnant with her ex whilst still hopeful for a reconciliation which did spoiler things a bit. I’ve been careful to avoid Australian commentary on the show since as I am in now and enjoying watching how things develop and unfold.
Many people love the dinner party episodes the best, when the fallouts usually happen. My favourites are the commitment ceremony episodes. I like the therapy elements, the questions, the reframing of behaviour and showing how we are not always aware of our own behaviour and the impact it has on others. This week I did find myself looking for the red hot water bottles on set too, (after Chris and Brooks dramatic departure last week) wondering if they’d decided to put the heating on instead on the set.
I really like reading other people’s take on the action so please add your comments as well as adding my point of view into the mix.
After last night’s commitment ceremony they are dropping like flies on Married at first Sight Australia. So much so producers changed the format for new couple Steff and Tyson, Juliette and Joel and Sam and Chris. The ways things were looking with the new matches I think they were afraid there would be no cast left if these matches were allowed to vote stay or leave the experiment too.
Much of the ceremony was not the usual tellings off from the experts but more gentle persuasion to stay put as Mel and Luke and Julia And Grayson left the process.
Mel Schilling did eloquently tackle ex military man Tyson in his quest for a “submissive” partner. Explaining to him “language is important” I found it very touching she is still making an impact on ‘manosphere’ culture and this kind of misogynistic thinking is such a brilliantly firm yet non combative way. She was so good he actually listened to her, a woman, shock horror. I found myself shouting Go Mel from the sofa.
The desire for love compounded by the desire to be on TV usually keeps people in the format but more couples, Mel and Luke and Julia and Grayson have decided MAFS Australia is not for them. We are only a month in and already Chris and Brooke and Rebecca and Steve have left too.
The last couple on the couch this commitment ceremony were Bec and Danny, the stars of the show for all the wrong reasons. Producers always hold back the best till last. Bec has been at the centre of the action for two weeks now amidst the controversial admission from Gia on camera Danny said she was his type on the outside which understandably for someone like Bec terrified of rejection sent her into a tail spin.
Bec continues to back Danny’s version of events on camera, even when grilled by the experts and then Gia added fuel to the drama alleging Bec had said off camera she believes her but can’t say that because then she has to leave, something she doesn’t want to do.
The experts drilled down asking Bec two questions, did she believe he didn’t say it, one and two does she believe the statement, Danny prefers Gia’s look on the outside. She struggled to answer pausing and reflecting before sticking with her man, “ride or die.”
When the experts told Danny they thought he looked miserable in response to Becs saying she believed they were better than ever, the wheels came off. The camera cut to whispers from the other couples “he’s scared of her” they said as Danny just kept denying he’d said he preferred Gia’s look and doubled down prefacing it with apology saying he didn’t go for girls with tattoos.
Producers did indeed save the best car crash TV, and of course set Bec up particularly, cutting to her when other couples, Gia and Scott and Alissa and David especially were on the couch expressing genuine happiness in their matches and how things were progressing.
We don’t really appreciate I think how much of what we are feeling shows on our faces and Married at First Sight really captures this sometimes cruelly at the expense of the cast members.
The format is an in depth look into the human psychology of people on the quest for love but one thing is for sure, if you don’t tell the truth and think you can fool the experts or audience watch out because the camera doesn’t lie.
It’s sad for Bec. If she had the self confidence to say just because you went for that look on the outside, you’ve been single for 4 years so it clearly wasn’t working for and you are in the experiment because of that matched with me. If she could just tell herself, The experts think I am a better match for you so I am going with that, she’d be able to deal with the throwaway comment which Danny probably didn’t say the way Gia interpreted it in reality.
It will be interesting to see how this story line develops’ It’s the addictive nature of this format. I am not sure Danny will be able to take much more. He’s going to have to admit exactly what he said, drunk or not, because on Married At First Sight this situation just isn’t going away.