gingerandcloves

Recap of preview for next week's episode: Pastor Cal (voiceover): Next time on Married At First Sight, the honeymoon heats up. Quick clips of Mindy and Zack dressed in casual clothes, walking up to some grass huts and some Panamanians in native clothing playing musical instruments; Jessica and Austin walking hand in hand, and then taking a selfie together while kissing on the coastline with the city in the background; Derek twirling Katie around in the hotel room. Next is Derek and Katie walking up to the hotel room, Katie is wearing a blindfold. As Derek opens the door, he removes the blindfold. Katie sees the room, and says, "Awwww..." There are a trail of rose petals on the floor leading up to the bed, then a tray with champagne and food on the bed. Katie: "This is so cuuute." Katie and Derek in bed together, wearing bathrobes, and kissing. Katie in voiceover: "This guy is so perfect." Katie in ITM: "He's making me feel some type of way." (Katie is obviously smitten.) Taylor, in bathing suit, holding cellphone and champagne glass, walks up to the bathroom, and sees Brandon sitting in the tub, which is full of bubbles and surrounded by tea lights. She starts laughing. Brandon says, "Hello, Mrs. Reid. Welcome to the party." Taylor climbs into the tub with him. Taylor voiceover: "I'm very excited for what might happen tonight (giggles)." They're shown kissing in the tub. Zach and Mindy on a small boat. Mindy says: " Did you have a favorite part?" Zach says: "My favorite part was being here with you." Mindy in ITM: "I'm feeling positive. I'm feeling excited about what's to come." Brandon and Taylor at an outdoor venue, seated at a table (it's nighttime). Brandon: "I make mistakes, but damn, get over it." Taylor looks supremely unimpressed right then. Taylor: "Don't talk to me like that. I didn't sign up to be disrespected." (You tell him, Taylor!) Brandon: "Uhhhh" while he hangs his head and rolls his eyes, while looking at the camera. All the couples are sitting around a table together. Jessica looks over at Meka. "Meka, are you wearing a ring?" Meka: "I'm not wearing my ring." Derek voiceover: "I think there's definitely trouble in paradise." Meka: "This is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do in my life..." Everyone around the table is looking concerned. Meka: "Not to get emotional, but, um..." She gets up and walks away from the table. Michael blinks. He looks like he's over it.

For the same reasons Amber stayed with Matt and Kate stayed with Luke? I figure all of them have low self-esteem, and they think they can't do any better. It's got to mess with their minds, too, when they believe that the experts paired them up for a reason, and this person is supposed to be their perfect mate. They probably think if they stick it out or keep trying harder, everything will click and they'll be on solid ground. It's probably easy to find excuses at first, too - their mate is a stranger, there are cameras around, they don't really understand the way the other communicates or their sense of humor - and once they get past those things, it will be happily ever after. I also find it hard to believe that none of the participants has really gone off on the experts for matching them with some of the terrible people we've seen. How the experts take so little responsibility for the casting and matching is a disgrace, IMO.

This season is turning out terribly. I figured no more than 2 couples would stay together and it looks like I'm right. This isn't doing anything to help out their success average. Why are they so bad at pairing people? I know they keep saying it isn't for drama, but come on! Anyone of us on this board could do a better job, and we're not self-styled "experts". Zach is a real piece of work. I hope Mindy finds someone decent after this show, but she's probably going to be gun shy for a while. I loved the Bride and Doom podcast too. They were just really bored with the show, and since they were covering 90 Day Fiance, they wanted to put their energy toward that, so they dropped MAFS.

They are still filming Unfiltered. I watched one episode so far. Jamie had on Mindy, Katie, and Pastor Cal. Nothing of real interest other than Jamie had to keep rehashing Mindy's initial interview when she was asked what she liked sexually, and she admitted to liking toys, and role play or something, I can't remember. It was pretty vanilla stuff, but Jamie had to make a big deal out of it. What irritated me was Pastor Cal saying that they had to ask about that kind of thing because they wouldn't want to pair someone more sexually adventurous with someone who wasn't. EXCUSE ME - have you completely forgotten Iris and Keith? I remember yelling at my screen at Pastor Cal when he was saying he wasn't worried about Iris' inexperience. Ugh.

I'm with the rest of you withholding judgment until we see what actually happens. Yes, Taylor could be deceitful (wouldn't be the first time we've seen it on this show), but that doesn't explain Brandon's immediate reaction to and treatment of her at the wedding. And we all know how these reality shows like to tinker with people's professions. I'm curious to see when and where it all goes irreversibly downhill.

I liked Katie and Derek's wedding, they seemed to have great first impressions of each other, and hit it off well right away. I'll admit I even teared up a bit. However, Katie does give me a bit of Amber vibes - that she just really wants to be married and doesn't care too much about who the groom is. I hope she doesn't become a real clinger. Brandon, yeah what was up with him? He seemed excited pre-ceremony, and then flat after seeing Taylor walk down the aisle. I don't know if he was expecting a different type physically or what. I hope it was just nerves that had him acting so cold and awkward. Jessica and Austin are cute and seem like a decent match. Jessica seems like she like to tease a lot though, and that would wear on my nerves fast. Too soon to tell really on any of them whether they have long-term potential, but at least no absolute trainwrecks yet. There will be though, mark my words.

I, too, am sick of Katie. I'll give her one more week to turn it around, and if her attitude doesn't improve she is dead to me. And I like Derek a lot so far. I feel kind of bad for him being stuck with someone who's not really into it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Transcript of preview for next week: Quick clips of all the individuals prepping for the ceremony. Mindy, in wedding dress and holding bouquet, standing at foot of stairs, says "I'm freaking out!", and looking like she's having a panic attack and hyperventilating. Zach, in tux, with two of his friends, smiling nervously, sighs and says "I need a drink." Brandon, in tux, pacing up and down, says "Pretty [bleeping] intense right now." Taylor, holding onto man's arm. He says "Stop shaking." She says "I know. I'm trying not to shake." Austin, looking in mirror, picks up glass and takes a drink. Voiceover "Oh, this is it. I mean, I'm excited, I am nervous." Jessica, in wedding dress with bouquet, takes a big breath and closes her eyes. Voiceover "This is crazy. This is really crazy." Michael, in tux, outside, voiceover: "My life is definitely about to change." Meka, in wedding dress with bouquet, "My heart is beating out of my chest...I'm gonna throw up." (She really does look like she wants to throw up). Ashton, sorry, Derek, sitting on couch with mother. Mom is teary, and says, "You're my life. I don't want to lose you." Ashton: "I know." Katie, in wedding dress, pacing up and down, "I don't want to do this." Cuts to Ashton waiting at altar. Katie: "I'm running." Cut back to Ashton, with a heavy sigh, looking towards door, still waiting. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So yeah, pretty much the same preview as every season. Seriously, what was that shirt? That looked like something a 5 year old girl would wear.

Two hours? Even with five couples, this show is so boring as it is, how are they going to fill two hours? And I agree with you all, it's just going to end up with more divorced couples. Their track record of matching people is terrible, and they keep choosing people who shouldn't even be on the show to begin with. I'd rather watch two decently-matched couples than 5 trainwrecks. Mia's husband was Tristan.

The Lifetime website has seasons 1 through 8 available to watch for free. Five couples feels like too much. I liked having four, but I think five will be confusing, and we'll see even less of their interactions. I wonder if they're all going to live in the same building like last season. Also, judging by the body language in some of the photos, some of these couples look not super thrilled.

I wish that were true, but I'm afraid he'll be around for awhile, for the train wreck factor, if nothing else.

My understanding is that Daniela and Keo are supposed to demonstrate the dances and show what the judges are looking for. Sean can go take a seat. Hashtag Christ - what a joke. Yes, Sean, the judges are out for your pathetic Catholic ass. Un-frickin-believable.

Oh my Lord, how crazy do you have to be to come up with that scenario? That tells you a lot about who Wendy Williams is.

I don't know. She definitely looks different. I am not a fan at all of the pink lipstick she was wearing.

This is an extended preview of the Decision Day episode, featuring Greg and Deonna (first 10 minutes), then it goes into Couples Couch. Spoiler alert: Don't watch if you don't want to see Greg's decision.

Closed captioning says "Are you dating?" but it's hard to hear exactly what she says. It does sound like "while" but I can't be certain.

I read that, and the whole thing is strange. Why did that get edited out of the episode? It seems like kind of an important detail. And I still don't get why it was a big secret that "only her mother and the doctors knew". Iris remains an enigma to me.

Recap of the preview for next week (I put the last bit in spoilers since it probably gives away one couples' decision): Pastor Cal: "Next week on Married At First Sight, it's Decision Day." Greg in talking head: "It's crazy it's been eight weeks already." Amber in talking head: "I feel like I can barely breathe." Pastor Cal voiceover: "Our couples will have to make the most consequential decision of their lives: to stay married or to get a divorce." Quick montage of all eight getting ready to meet up with the experts. Elizabeth sitting on bed, voiceover: "I dont know if I can find peace living with Jamie." Jamie riding in car, fiddling with wedding band, voiceover: "We definitely have some unanswered questions...but Beth and I are in love." Iris standing at window, voiceover: "I don't want to be divorced, I don't want to have to go through a divorce." Amber riding in car, talking to camera: "I don't know why I care so much about him." (Me neither, Amber!) Cut to Matt, putting on jacket. Amber, still talking: "I just do care about him." Cut to Deonna riding in car, playing with wedding ring. Greg, voiceover: "If Deonna says no today, I will be hurt, honestly." (If Deonna says no, she's an idiot and deserves to be single forever). Cut to Greg stepping out of car and buttoning his jacket. Cut to Keith, facing the three experts, Pastor Cal says, "Just to be straight, are you sexually frustrated?" Cut to Iris, who looks over at Keith. Keith: "It's definitely been an obstacle." Iris looks down. Cut to Elizabeth and Jamie on couch. Pastor Cal: "Jamie said some things that I don't even want to talk about." Jamie: "There's something wrong with me." Elizabeth nods head in agreement (I agree, too!). Cut to Amber and Matt on couch, sitting far apart. Amber: "My best friend saw him talking to a girl at a bar, and then he left with the girl." Dr. Vivianna looks over at the other two experts. Pastor Cal raises his eyebrows, like, seriously? Matt: "But I'm also just holding out hope." Dr. Pepper in annoyed tone: "Holding out hope? Are you dating?" Pastor Cal makes big expression with his hands, like he's fed up. Amber's looking resigned, but like she hasn't completely given up yet. Matt's like, shrug, yeah. Dr. Pepper, over montages of everyone (including Matt, wiping his brow with a handkerchief😞 "The time has come for the two of you to make a decision..." Dr. Vivianna: "Do you want to stay married?" Pastor Cal: "Or do you want to get a divorce?" Cut to Jamie: "Things have just gotten really toxic." Elizabeth is looking surprised, like she did not see that coming.

At the beginning of the season, after the weddings, I didn't have any predictions of who would stay together at decision day, but I did predict that all four couples would consummate their marriages this season. Oops. I will never understand Iris. I agree. With the exception of Greg and Deonna, these couples are a disaster. I blame Pastor Cal for casting Iris in the first place. In one of the early Unfiltereds, he made some comment about not being concerned at all about Iris' virginity, and I'm thinking, yeah, but you're not the one married to her, you dumbass, did you not consider how her husband might feel about it?

Recap of next week's preview: Pastor Cal voiceover: "Next week on Married At First Sight..." Deonna in a restaurant talking to two other women, "Decision Day is coming up real quick." Pastor Cal: "With less than a week to go before Decision Day, our couples struggle to decide whether they want to stay married or get a divorce." Quick clips of all the individuals. Cut to Amber in bedroom, wrapping her arms around Matt as he's sitting on the edge of the bed; A talking head: "Going into Decision Day, I have a lot of soul-searching to do, I really don't want to walk away from this marriage..." Cut to A & M in restaurant together. A: "...on paper, we are 100% compatible, so tonight is kind of make or break." Cut to Iris in apartment, talking to her mother (and I think, sister). Iris' mom, drumming against her leg: "It's drum roll time to see what happens." Iris: "Exactly. Gosh, that's my heartbeat right now too." Cut to Keith in bar with his mom: "Is Iris my soul mate? Is she the person I can see myself spending the rest of my life with?" Keith's mom nods and raises her eyebrows. Keith: "I'm not really sure yet." Cut to Greg and Deonna in apartment, Deonna is sitting at a table, bottle of wine and glasses on it. They're both holding pool cues. G: "Alright, question: do you love me?" Deonna looks down at her lap. Cut to Greg and friend sitting in club chairs somewhere. G: "I like to share my feelings, and she doesn't". Friend: "There's a chance that those things don't change, and if they don't, are you okay with that?" G voiceover: I thought I had a good answer, but now I really start thinking if it's the right decision. Cut to Jamie and Elizabeth eating on an outside restaurant balcony. J: "I feel like you talk about, like, how much of this, like, sexual being you are, but at the end of the day, you're really not." E blinks her eyes like WHAT. J: "And it's hard for me to deal with." E: "You don't think I'm a sexual being?!" J: "No, no, not in the least." (Ugh, I hate Jamie) E's jaw drops open. E voiceover: What the hell's going on? I'm like questioning everything right now. Cut to Amber and Raven in papasan chairs. R: "The other night, I was out at a bar, and I saw Matt with another girl..." A is nodding her head and listening. R: "...it didn't look good." Amber's sobbing.

I paused the video, it says: "Bears are active in this area. Please never bait or feed them. Never leave food or garbage outside or in your vehicle." So, a pretty typical bear warning. I'd be freaked out to actually see one though.

Recapping the preview: Pastor Cal voice over: "Next time on Married At First Sight..." Cut to all four couples in a cabin. It's raining outside and there's a fire in the fireplace. Greg, Deonna, and Elizabeth are looking out the window. Greg says, "Oh, there's a bear!" Big "Ahh" from Elizabeth. Bear is casually strolling down the road. Elizabeth is very excited to see it. Pastor Cal: "With less than two weeks until Decision Day, our couples are set to embark on a final couples' getaway." Various split screens of the couples in various activities, including toasting with some type of frosty looking drink. Cut to Jamie entering a room entirely made of salt blocks/rocks Man says: "Welcome, this is all salt." Jamie, "Wow". (I have to say, it looks pretty cool). Cut to Elizabeth on couch back at apartment, "I'm just so excited to go to the mountains...." Cut back to salt cave, Jamie and Elizabeth are lying on a bed? air mattress? and they have their eyes closed and are rubbing their hands together (looks some of Elizabeth's woo-woo). Elizabeth voice over continues: "...cause I think there's magic in the woods." Man in salt cave is waving these things over Jamie and Elizabeth - they look like giant double ended wine glasses - while they are lying back on pillows. Elizabeth continues "They have this healing factor ." Cut to quick clip of them in car exchanging a kiss. Jamie says something that I can't catch. Next is Matt talking to Greg, Deonna and Elizabeth, he says, "I wouldn't have been willing to put in all this work, like if I did not have feelings and care about Amber." (He is shaking his head while saying this, bad body language, Matt!) Amber is sitting next to him and gives a little shoulder shrug and smiles. Kitchen scene, Elizabeth and Jamie have several bottles of booze in front of them. E says, "Iris, do you want a shot?" Iris: "I'm not drinking it." Keith says, "You need that push sometimes." Iris: "Or what? I don't take peer pressure, I do what I want." She sounds really whiny. Matt and Amber are smiling, like they can't believe Iris. E in talking head: "Iris needs to chill out." Cut to all 4 guys sitting in living room. Matt says: "What do you think Iris would decide right now?" Keith: "I don't know if I'll know that until decision day." Cut to Iris and Amber outside. Iris: "So not everybody wants to get to know Iris for who she is. Y'all just worried about sex." (Why is Iris referring to herself in the 3rd person?) Amber: "Right." Iris: "Cool. Done." Iris talking head: "I don't know what person can go through a situation like this, really be broken down every day." (God, Iris, stop being so dramatic.) Cut to Iris talking to Deonna and Amber: "Decision Day is coming up." Deonna; "We got a week to go. I don't know." (So is it two weeks to go, or one week?) Cut to Greg: "I messed up. I communicated badly..." Cut to Elizabeth talking to the girls: "He really has crossed some lines." Cut to Jamie talking to the guys: "You want to be together. You just like sometimes get burnt out." Cut to Amber talking to the girls: "Do I just care about Matt? Do I love him? Do I hate him? Like I don't know." Cut to Matt: "I really haven't even taken the time to stop and say 'Am I happy?'" Amber: "Cause I like try to be perfect and it's not enough." Stranger talking to Amber (not sure who this is, friend? relative?) "If someone doesn't see you for what you're worth, then they don't deserve you." Amber is crying and wiping her eyes.

My predictions: Greg - yes; Deonna - yes Jamie - yes; Elizabeth - yes Matt - no; Amber - yes (maybe?) Keith - no; Iris - yes

I wish I could say I was surprised, but I'm not. I think they are extremely toxic together, but some couples feed off of that drama and adrenaline. Will they make it long term? No way.

Welcome, Bunnyandivy! I agree, I thought there would be a lot more group activities/discussion sessions. Of course, in the upcoming episode it looks like at least 3 of the couples are on a group activity, and they get to witness Jamie and Elizabeth's dynamic first hand. I don't really like the whole living together in the same complex experiment. It just seems a lot more generic, and I wonder if it feels like "playing house" to them more than having their own place that they picked out and decorated together would. That's so cool that you saw AJ! Him buying 2 coffees is a good sign 🙂 Seems like he and Steph are doing well and enjoying life.

OK, voice over from Pastor Cal saying that the couples will go over their pasts to help them see their future. Clips of all four couples driving in their cars. Looks like they are visiting childhood homes. Quick clip of Iris looking at pictures of a young Keith on the walls of a house and saying, "Aww, Keeeith..." First up is Matt and Amber. Matt is pointing out to Amber where his childhood home was, says his bedroom was back and to the right (they're standing along the edge of a yard, with a house set back and a treehouse in the tree). Amber is all giddy, and voices over "Seeing Matt's childhood home...I'm hoping this does grow our emotional intimacy." Matt is grinning and looking happy. Next up is Deonna and Greg. They are picnicking on a blanket on a grassy area with vines and rocks behind. They're eating strawberries and drinking wine. Greg asks, "How do you want future Deonna to be?" Deonna says, "To continue to grow." Greg asks "How?" Deonna says, "With you." Greg doesn't say anything, and it's kind of hard to read his expression but he looks pleased, I guess? Deonna makes a silly face and wiggles her eyebrows. Next up is Keith and Iris. They are at a dance studio, taking a lesson from an instructor. Iris is doing some gyrating, hip circling move while Keith is standing behind her, holding her around the waist. The instructor is encouraging Iris and saying "Yeah, Iris, that's it right there. Harder!". Keith looks happy and voices over, "I definitely feel like this type of dancing is exactly what the doctor ordered." The instructor tells Keith, "You have to move too." - To Iris, she says, "He's mesmerized!" Keith says, "I was watching!" Instructor says, "You got some moves." Keith voices over, "I mean, I can't complain." Keith says, "I became a spectator for this." Instructor says, "I see that." Next it shows three of the couples at Charlotte Speedway (Jamie/Elizabeth, Greg/Deonna, Matt/Amber). The man in charge is talking, and says "We are so glad you're here" and Elizabeth is talking loudly over him, saying, "I grew up around this..." and Jamie cuts her off with "Shut up and listen". Voice over from Matt, "I don't speak to anybody that way. I find it a bit disrespectful." Cut to Amber talking to Dr. Vivianna, "We're not having sex right now." Dr. V says, "Is there a concern that y'all could lose chemistry?" Amber looks down and doesn't speak. Matt has mouth hanging open, as usual, and gives a heavy sigh. Cut to Iris lying on bed (in street clothes!), talking to Keith, "I literally don't think anybody knows this but my mom and the doctors..." They are holding hands and Keith is looking at her concernedly. Keith then voices over, "Hearing Iris's secret, I'm just a little confused." Cut to Deonna and Greg on couch in living room, Deonna says, "OK, what I was gonna say-" Greg cuts in, "Can you give me an example here?" Deonna says, "No" in a very decisive voice. Greg says "Basically -" and Deonna says, "You gonna continue to mansplain as I'm trying to -" Greg says, "You seem like you -" Deonna says, "You're good. I'm done." Greg looks away, frustrated. Cut to Elizabeth on couch in apartment, talking to Jamie, she's upset. "You told me to shut up in front of everyone...yeah, you ruined everyone's (bleeping) day." Jamie: "I thought it was OK." Elizabeth: "Then why didn't anyone take up for me? Damn it! Jamie!" She gets up and shoves the coffee table over. "Why didn't anyone take up for me then?" She's yelling at Jamie. Poor dogs are looking confused over on the couch. She's standing in the bedroom doorway screaming, "You embarrassed me in front of everyone. You made me look stupid in front of everyone. I'm so sick of this. Go away, then, go away!" Cut to Jamie on couch in talking head, "I'm not going to be part of a marriage where it's okay to act like that." Cut to Elizabeth in bedroom with blanket around her shoulders. Dr. Vivianna is standing in the doorway. E: "Bitch, I knows what I did yesterday. I was there." Dr. V: "You didn't just call me bitch, did you?" E blinks and says nothing. That's it, I think I got most of in there. Now I'm really curious to know what Iris's "secret" is.