I was introduced to this show in Spring 2022. Already 15 seasons in, I surrendered to peer pressure and gave it a spin.
Of course when my cousin said, "Hey, do you watch Married At First Sight?" My response was "Girl, no" and my thoughts were "How ridiculous is that?"
First of all, I am not a big tv watcher at all. Furthermore, reality tv isn't REAL to me, in most cases. Yet, I gave in to give up 2 hours of my life to watch people meet at the alter for the very first time and say, "I do." (covers face)
After watching two episodes I was hooked and ready to go along for the ride on this 8 week experiment. If you watch MAFS, you know that the first episode is the cast telling their family and friends, they've been matched and they will be getting married in two weeks. (GASP)
They go get fitted for their dresses, tuxes and off to party as a single person for one last time. All of the brides meet up and all of the grooms meet up, separately.
Episode 2 and 3 begin with the wedding ceremonies. We get to see them say I do, meet with the opposite sides of the family at the wedding, as well as the morning after, and off to a romantic destination they go!
10 days in, life gets real as they return home to gather their belongings to move in a neutral place that they will share over the course of the experiment. For the first time ever, they get to see how their mate lives. Sometimes, this can be very shocking, what they expected or somewhere in between.
All of the couples live in the same building and gather on multiple occasions as a group and by gender, to discuss how things are going. From my understanding, this is not how the show started out in it's infancy. Many viewers feel this set up leads to too much interference resulting into friendship bonds being formed more than strong marriages. If you watch the show, please weigh in, in the comments.
They celebrate their 1 month anniversaries separately and together as a group. By this time, some couples have formed a beautiful bond or have already recognized their relationship is doomed.
Sprinkled through the weeks, there are talks with the experts who are the original matchmakers. They listen to their progress, discuss their issues and give feedback/suggestions on things they can do to cultivate the relationship and move forward. By now, the viewing audience is also sounding off on social media with their takes.
One part I particularly like on the show is when they go back to their old neighborhoods and talk about how they grew up. Also, when they write a letter to their younger selves. I think it's telling and it often uncovers why some things are triggers or what they have had to overcome or may still be battling currently. It just helps give a sense of their total being.
All and all, there are pros and cons for watching the show...
Pros
- Pure entertainment
- Fun to challenge yourself/others on why you think they were matched
- May shine a new perspective on some of the issues you face in real life
- Makes for a great opportunity to have a fun gathering with friends/family or other couples
- Create good talking points
Cons
- Some of the participants do not come in open minded and it's clear
- Some of the participants seemingly have a hidden agenda for participating, "5 minutes of fame"
- Very low success rate overall
What can make it better:
- If participants would be honest with themselves about whether they can get over the initial attraction piece. After all, you have agreed to get "Married At First Sight." So, if initial attraction is very important to you, just pass.
- Have a point in the show where couples could get "voted off the show." This may reduce the likelihood of them signing up for the wrong reasons.
In eight weeks, you can know if you are on the right track or not. Will this really be your forever though? I think only time will tell as you've entered the dating process in reverse. Making a life long commitment in advance, that's deep, you have to stay committed.
Let me know if you watch the show and share your thoughts. If not, what's one of your favorite shows and why? If you are not a MAFS Fan already and this blog has intrigued you, let's binge watch together!