‘Married at First Sight’: Romance, Rough Roads, And Rating Marriage Gets Real

Married at First Sight Season 11 via YouTube

There’s a reason why Married at First Sight earns the title of “I See Red Flags” for this week’s August 19 episode.  The glimmer of honeymoon bliss is beginning to dim for the five couples from New Orleans in Season 11. The stark realities of real-life together are looming, and for some, red alerts are sounding.

Assigning ratings and numerical values to something as subjective as marriage gets tricky. And, the brides and grooms have very different takes on where their marriages stand. For one Married at First Sight pair, the numbers provoke an emotional riff. Two couples keep drawing closer, as one bride keeps finding reasons for doubts, and another just wants her groom to take charge.

Bennett and Amelia keep building ‘Married at First Sight’ bonds, but what about the move?

Of all the Married at First Sight couples this season, Bennett and Amelia seem to have the most vocal supporters, even from the other couples in their class. The cutie lovebirds wake up smiling and go to sleep smiling in this episode, even though Amelia falls asleep twice while Bennett details all he wants to do with her. They even have a shuffle when they brush their teeth!

Bennett still questions whether they are really flirting, thinking perhaps that he flirts with his guy friends, too. The discussions that he and Amelia have range from deeply complex to pure fun.  While lounging in a cave, the couple delves into child-rearing values, coming to almost identical conclusions, including limiting “screen time.” Bennett grooves to his bride’s tune about instantly falling in love.  He looks completely smitten. The other couples go for adventure outings, but these newlyweds choose to build a fort in their honeymoon suite.

Bennett reflects that “I have no choice but to go and be with you,” in one scene. That Married at First Sight prediction may prove true in more ways than one. The couple will soon confront the reality of moving for Amelia to fulfill her residency, and the virus quarantine is soon to be on the couple’s future horizon. Fans are hopeful they can find the commitment to make the marriage work.

Amani and Woody travel rocky ground before giving in to ‘Married at First Sight’ romance

It has been easy for Amani and Woody to settle into a natural and relaxed kind of relationship.  Amani openly confessed: “I want him to touch me” last week.  This week, she related to her sister brides how much Woody’s care and attentiveness made her feel beautiful.

Woody arranged an extreme ATV adventure, as noted in an International Business Times feature on August 19.  Amani assured her husband that “you’re gonna rub my back tonight” after climbing stairs, mountains, and muddy hills in the vehicle. Woody did one better for his bride. He welcomed her back to the suite with a trail of rose petals leading to an inviting romantic bath. Not since Jamie and Beth in Season 9 has a Married at First Sight pair truly made the most of warm water and suds. The bath led to the shower, and Woody made it clear that “the chastity belt is off.”  The couple celebrated their last honeymoon morning in a sweet snuggle before packing for home.

Miles confides to Karen about his mental health issues

Karen is still contending that her trust issues are keeping her from fully embracing the Married at First Sight process. Miles insists that Karen is a perfect partner, and he displays unending courtesy and patience. When he declares his trust to his wife by telling her he suffers from clinical depression, however, she seems to see it as only another distraction. To their credit, they discuss how he will communicate his good days and bad days, and how she can offer support.

When the subject of intimacy is brought up during their last honeymoon breakfast, Karen says that they have to move at “our pace” and not be compared to Woody and Amani or the other couples. She quickly turns her attention to asking for mango.

Henry and Christina provide ‘Married at First Sight’ comic relief

Newlywed life is not producing the “spark” that Christina had hoped for in her Married at First Sight union. Kudos to the pair for not giving up, though. They take a hilarious paddleboarding excursion. When Christina goes out of sight, Henry exclaims that “I have to find her!” in the style of the old Popeye cartoons. Henry can barely stay on his board, but bless him, he tries. When he sights Christina, she slips into the water. “Are you okay?” the groom asked. “I was almost a widow.”

At dinner, Christina gets frustrated with production over a line of questioning and frustrated with Henry over not making a move. “Can I be any more clear?” she inquires. Henry describes that she is often impatient. If communication becomes central to this couple, so they can relax and not try so hard, they may get to the reasons why they are matched. Christina rated her marriage a 5 with the other  Married at First Sight brides.  She does call herself a princess in her description, and she’s never been “the aggressor.”  The only good thing about being in the middle is there’s always potential to move up.  Intensive therapy from Pastor Cal may do some good. As of now, the two have not even kissed.

The numbers cause a blowup between Brett and Olivia

Across the board, all of the Married at First Sight brides rated their marriages more realistically than the grooms.  The ladies know that lots of “the rest of our lives” lies ahead. The grooms all rated their unions between 8 and 10, except one.

Brett refused to give his marriage, blithering on that “you can’t do that’ over something like a marriage.  He did hear his wife, Olivia, give their marriage a 7, and it really stuck in his craw. “It’s really unfair to something like that after you put so much of yourself into it,” Brett told the cameras.  Amani and Christina are watching out for Olivia.  They know she is “all in.”

Despite how “adorably sweet” he describes his bride, Brett makes it very apparent that the player’s life is still prominent in his mind. During a discussion about intimacy, he declares “after the third time, you’re in” as his dating experience. He is astounded that Olivia mentions seven dates as a qualifier.

Brett promises that there’s nothing he won’t talk about, but after hearing that fateful number 7, the groom clams up and will not share anything with his Married at First Sight mate. He tells her that because they will be shooting and working, there will be no time to do any “couple’s fun” activities. “I need a minute,” she tells him, excusing herself, in tears.

In the morning, Brett apologizes and Olivia reiterates that she has hope that they can always work things out. “I don’t want to do this again,” she stresses. Hers may be a Married at First Sight lesson on what not to repeat.

Married at First Sight airs Wednesday on Lifetime.

Tresa Patterson

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