‘Married at First Sight’ Celebrates Mostly Happy Anniversaries, Until One Screaming Goodbye

Jamie and Elizabeth Married at First Sight YouTube

After two critical interventions on Married at First Sight last week, viewers had to be hopeful that some of the lessons from Dr. Pepper Schwartz would stick.   This week’s 10th episode of Season 9 marked the milestone of one month of matrimony.

Amber and Matt are at least making an effort to move past the disregard displayed by Matt in spending 24 hours away from his bride with no communication at all, and no wedding ring to boot.  Iris and Keith are still discovering that they have deep emotional bonds, despite not yet sharing full physical intimacy.  Deonna and Greg continue to be the most unified couple in understanding why they were matched, and Deonna reveals yet another side of herself in this installment.

Elizabeth and Jamie seemed to realize that they were at a crisis point in their Married at First Sight odyssey last week.  Elizabeth relented in vowing to leave, and she and Jamie made pinky promises not to fight with such vitriol again.  The romance was in full bloom at the start of their anniversary celebration.  Neither one could even think of a single area of improvement.  By the end of the evening, however, the four-letter slurs were flying, and Jamie was out the door.

Pastor Cal pleads with Deonna and Greg not to derail on Married at First Sight

Pastor Cal Roberson paid one of his check-in visits to the Okotie’s this week and could sense by their seating alone that their “closeness” had progressed.  Neither one out-and-out discussed Greg’s favorite birthday surprise, but the greater intimacy was apparent.  Deonna admitted that she was not ready to say “I love you” to her husband, and Pastor Cal declared that “you’re already there,” whether she admits to herself or not.  “Don’t let anything derail your happiness,” Roberson pleaded.

Deonna described that she was fearful that Greg would not like her after seeing more sides of her.  Greg was not daunted and saw the competitive side of his wife in full force at the bowling alley.  She danced away, digging in with her victories.  The outbursts were all worth it, though, because Greg bargained for kisses, and discovered that Deonna had no objection at all to PDA, or doing the chicken dance.

One of the lovely aspects of the union of this couple is the way they appreciate simple things, like the way they say “regerts” and talk about Sandy’s dog hair on their clothes.  Greg summoned his courage to try grilled octopus during their dinner, and he and Deonna delighted in their wedding gift basket, complete with their photo album.  Fans will have to wait until next week to see if the anniversary celebration went further in the bedroom.

Matt and Amber make it a Married at First Sight movie

Fans have their reservations about Matt’s commitment to Amber and even his understanding of marriage.  This week, however, the husband truly made an effort to offer something different as a gift to his wife.

It was touching to see Matt crafting his love ballad, “Diamonds and Pearls,” for Amber.  She made dinner at home for the occasion, and wore a dress that “I would not wear anyplace else,” and looked lovely.  The lavender dress wasn’t destined to stay on for long.  They went to a fancy hotel to mark the official observance, sharing strawberries and memories.

The couple watched a big-screen version of themselves exchanging vows, and Amber, as always, focused on the positives about all they had in common and the affections of her husband.   Matt still seems stupefied to be “married to a stranger,” or perhaps, anyone.  These two have a lot of learning and growing left to do.  It’s going to take more than Amber’s love to bring maturity, but let’s hope it happens.

Iris and Keith trade hearts and vinyl

Knowing his wife’s penchant for animals and the natural world, Keith arranged a day of horseback riding. The husband playfully said: “I’m gonna sell my car and just ride horseback.” At the end of the ride, the couple shared a romantic dinner. Iris described that she could feel herself “opening up to a bigger love.”

That bigger love probably needs to come much sooner than later for Keith.  He revealed his wife’s status as a virgin to a friend over lunch, and the reaction was incredulous.   Iris’ mother tried to prompt her daughter to not go so deep into her head and all her fears.  She compared the situation to diving off a diving board.  “Just dive right in, even if you do a belly flop.  Go back and try again,” urged the parent.  The mother encouraged that her daughter was fortunate in Greg’s patience, detailing that after this hurdle, the relationship can naturally proceed and move forward.

Greg presented Iris with a lovely heart pendant, which brought her to tears.  Iris proved to her husband that she knew what he treasured. She gave him a rare selection of vinyl LP’s.  He was deeply touched, and the two said goodnight cuddling and dreaming of 50 years down the road.

Despite this happy interlude, Keith is feeling the pressure of the unique Married at First Sight marital situation.

The episode closes with this couple visiting the jeweler to assure a re-sizing of Keith’s wedding ring.  That could be a good sign.

Jamie and Elizabeth detour from ecstasy to agony again

Jamie Thompson “blew it all out” to re-create his wedding day with Elizabeth.  He had his bride chauffeured to the location of their vows.  His invitation was complete with a handwritten note and pink rose.

Beth was greeted with kisses and another bouquet, and the husband spoke a promise to reach “resolution” in the recent vows he wrote for the anniversary occasion.  The pair shared dinner at a table encircled by lit candles in a heart formation.  Elizabeth was presented with a heart pendant necklace with a pink stone, and sadly, the heart motif did not keep the celebration from going downhill.

Jamie was disappointed that Elizabeth only focused on herself in the wedding album photos, but he said nothing at the moment (as Dr. Pepper had advised).  The bride noted her hair, her “fab” dress, her shoes, etc.  There was no mention of “us” in her reflection.

The slighted feelings led to another twilight explosion and toxic verbal assault for the pair.  The final scenes show Jamie bidding “Have a nice life!” following her rant of “Just go, Jamie!”  The saga repeats and Elizabeth greets the morning in tears.

Reports are that Jamie has left the shared apartment for more than just the anniversary night.  Prospects look dim for the pair long on chemistry but short on the commitment to leave stubbornness and work through the tough stuff.

Married at First Sight airs Wednesdays on Lifetime. You don’t want to miss if these couples stay together.

Tresa Patterson

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