S10.E02: Here Comes The Stranger

[Koalagirl]

13 hours ago, NowVoyager said:

I was spoiled from the pre-show: the Diabetic with the Freckles let it slip that she didn't run. Seemed like she & the bridal party has pre-gamed it a bit, lol. That's ok; everybody did. Bootleg Ashton Kutcher's vows were soo sweet & the way he looked at her.... Yasss! They are giving me Matt & Amber vibes though. Visually they wouldn't be an obvious match to me.

Taylor's mom was a little shady about her dress; something or other about it she would have liked changed. Well, what in the world was she supposed to do about it ~20 minutes before she walked down the aisle!? I liked that Taylor put her bridesmaids in cute dresses. Brandon's vows: "from the moment I saw you, I knew I wanted you to be my wife." The Hell? His mom & auntie(?) looked at each other like: huh? I think Brandon thinks his stock is higher than it is. He's a little stiff & cold & she's already feeling insecure; meanwhile, I feel like she could do better. 

Taylor’s mom told her the dress was too big or too loose. I thought that was very shady too.

[Jax7917]

Austin reminds me looks wise of Kim K’s friend Jonathan . Except less plastic surgery . 
 

I really didn’t like Brandon . His personality would have turned me off right away . I was expecting him to be very excited when Taylor walked down the aisle .. because let’s face it . It could have been someone who looked very different . But he was just stoic and showed no umph. He has that player personality where nothing affects him and everything is said with swag rather than just being real . 

none of the guys seemed overly interested in the girls , but this might be a first where all the girls seemed very interested in the guys . 

[suzeecat]

I agree with Taylor's mom that her dress did seem to bag a little in her thigh area.  But, geez, you don't say that to your daughter on her wedding day just before she walks down the aisle.

This is not a good advertisement for the bridal shop, as we also see a little bit of Meka's meltdown about her dress not fitting on top.  Again, I would agree, and at that point, she should have shut down production and had them bring in a seamstress to fix it before she walked. 

The ceremonies are always my favorite episode because everyone is so happy and hopeful and beautiful.  So far I will bet money that Brandon and Taylor crash and burn but the other two just may work. 

[Ohwell]

37 minutes ago, suzeecat said:

This is not a good advertisement for the bridal shop, as we also see a little bit of Meka's meltdown about her dress not fitting on top. 

I commented earlier that her dress didn't seem to fit right on top.  I agree, not a good advertisement for the bridal shop.

[dirtypop90]

I don’t think Brandon looked intimidated at all. He looked unimpressed as soon as he saw Taylor. He didn’t know she was brainy etc. then. I fear we are gearing up for a Luke and late scenario where is either gay or attracted to another type of woman, wanted an interracial pairing.
 

I only have hope for Jessica and Austin. But I thought Katie and Derek were super cute.

Edited January 9, 2020 by dirtypop90

[kerrieway]

I'm a BIG Austin fan so far. He's giving me Bobby vibes and I think he's in it for the right reasons but like Bobby he needs some style help. 

Austin needs to cut his hair like it was before or go to the hair salon and get a stylish short cut. Austin should hit the gym and lift a little, he doesn't have to overdo it but he looked better before with more muscle conditioning. 

You can see the differences below between how he looks now and how he looked about a year or more ago. 

Edited January 9, 2020 by kerrieway

[Neurochick]

1 hour ago, Jaclyn88 said:

I really didn’t like Brandon . His personality would have turned me off right away . I was expecting him to be very excited when Taylor walked down the aisle .. because let’s face it . It could have been someone who looked very different . But he was just stoic and showed no umph. He has that player personality where nothing affects him and everything is said with swag rather than just being real . 

I don't think Taylor is anything special looks wise.  Brandon's grandmother however is stunning.

[Neurochick]

20 minutes ago, dirtypop90 said:

I don’t think Brandon looked intimidated at all. He looked unimpressed as soon as he saw Taylor. He didn’t know she was brainy etc. then. I fear we are gearing up for a Luke and late scenario where is either gay or attracted to another type of woman, wanted an interracial pairing.
 

Why does a guy have to be gay just because he's not attracted to a particular woman.  

[kerrieway]

15 minutes ago, Neurochick said:

Why does a guy have to be gay just because he's not attracted to a particular woman.  

She didn't say he was for sure gay. She said he could be gay or that he could be attracted to another type of woman. I don't know if he's gay but Brandon is coming across as effeminate to me. Oh and it's not about being some mountain man, Austin is far from a mountain man and comes across as straight and more masculine, Brandon is awkward and giving off an odd vibe so far. 

[qtpye]

22 minutes ago, dirtypop90 said:

I don’t think Brandon looked intimidated at all. He looked unimpressed as soon as he saw Taylor. He didn’t know she was brainy etc. then. I fear we are gearing up for a Luke and late scenario where is either gay or attracted to another type of woman, wanted an interracial pairing.
 

I only have hope for Jessica and Austin. But I thought Katie and Derek were super cute.

That is what I’m afraid of...that he is just not into her and will not give her a chance, which is the premise of the show.

I thought Brandon was really cute and charming last week. He seemed to turn pissy and awkward the moment he saw her.

I feel like the show teases me with these beautiful black couples that go nowhere.

In all fairness, most of all couples on this show go nowhere...

 

[Ohwell]

9 minutes ago, Neurochick said:

I don't think Taylor is anything special looks wise.  Brandon's grandmother however is stunning.

I agree on both counts.  I do think Taylor is pretty, but nothing special.  Brandon's grandmother is so stunning that I'll bet some his friends were embarrassed to be looking at her.

31 minutes ago, dirtypop90 said:

I don’t think Brandon looked intimidated at all. He looked unimpressed as soon as he saw Taylor. He didn’t know she was brainy etc. then. I fear we are gearing up for a Luke and late scenario where is either gay or attracted to another type of woman, wanted an interracial pairing.

The impression I got from Brandon was that, while he thought Taylor was attractive, he was disappointed that she wasn't another race, not necessarily White.   However, from what I've seen so far he seems like a nice guy and I wouldn't compare him to Luke yet.  Also, I don't get a gay vibe from him.  Some people said the same thing about Keith last season because they both come off as kind of chill and laid back. 

[Neurochick]

6 minutes ago, kerrieway said:

She didn't say he was for sure gay. She said he could be gay or that he could be attracted to another type of woman. I don't know if he's gay but Brandon is coming across as effeminate to me. Oh and it's not about being some mountain man, Austin is far from a mountain man and comes across as straight and more masculine, Brandon is awkward and giving off an odd vibe so far. 

Not to me at all.  I don't even know if he wanted Taylor to be another race.  All I got was that he wasn't into Taylor and as I said before, Taylor's just basic to me.

Is she a researcher or a research assistant?

 

[ECM1231]

5 hours ago, humbleopinion said:

 

Katie and Derek had instantaneous attraction and seemed comfortable from the get go.

Katie is masterful of the “lean in.” Derek is very leanable....

To quote from While You Were Sleeping...

"Leaning involves wanting and accepting..."

Derek feels Katie melting into his arms..a  bright green light to him Katie likes him....

Derek's relaxed body as she snuggles up to him in front of their family and friends...Derek likes Katie.

Katie feels instantly comfortable with being close to him and it is mirrored when she dances with her Dad in the same full body huggy fashion...

I want to believe that was genuine and not  for the show....

 

 

 

Love this reference and love this movie. I've lost track of how many times I have seen it. I can just see Bill Pullman leaning into Sandra Bullock right now.

Katie and Derek had great chemistry. I was worried Derek wouldn't find her attractive although I think she is cute as a button.  Fingers crossed. 

[OnTime]

29 minutes ago, kerrieway said:

I'm a BIG Austin fan so far. He's giving me Bobby vibes and I think he's in it for the right reasons but like Bobby he needs some style help. 

Austin needs to cut his hair like it was before or go to the hair salon and get a stylish short cut. Austin should hit the gym and lift a little, he doesn't have to overdo it but he looked better before with more muscle conditioning. 

Austin has such potential.  You're right, a hair cut and Lifetime fitness membership is what he needs.

Nothing against Bobby, but he is short (he just looked about 18 standing next to Texas Dave).

[Ilovepie]

Sigh. After watching last night, I think only Jessica and Austin will make it. Derek and Katie are adorable, but I just feel like she is kind of a pill and that will rear it's ugly head soon enough. I am glad she told him about the diabetes. Type 1 is serious and it made sense when discussing food. She didn't make a big deal about it. They seemed completely natural together.

Jessica and Austin also seemed sweet and funny together, but her constant giggling was starting to annoy me. Still, they seem relatively normal (at least for this show) and I loved his vows. Maybe the best ever on this show. Although he wasn't what she asked for looks-wise, I think he will win her over with his personality. He has an ease about him that kind of reminds me of Doug or Gregg. She even said he was getting cuter the more she got to know him. I think (to some degree) women are able to overcome not being attracted to someone if they like them in a way men are not able, and I don't think it will be an issue.

My take on Brandon is that he is awkward because he is dumb as a box of rocks. He bragged about writing his vows (which he needed help with, so no, dude) like he expected a gold star for it or something. He is definitely low energy. Taylor is beautiful and poised and he was like, meh. They saddled her with a dud for sure. She was working so hard to keep up the conversation. I don't see that changing. She has as many jobs as Fireman Ryan - not sure she will really have time for this. Pastor Cal expressed concern in the Matchmaking Episode that he wasn't smart enough for her, and now I see why. Every time PC has expressed concern, it usually comes to pass. I wonder if they film that discussion after the fact so they don't look so stupid for matching some of these people......

[amcfar]

14 hours ago, OnTime said:

In other news, "Couples Couch" is back...…..ugh.

Kristine and Keith got replaced by Jep and Shawnice. All the others are back.

I would give it a chance if AJ was on! But  it still needs to be cancelled.

The problem is that I was expecting it to be similar to Pillow Talk (90-Day Fiancé), and it's not. 😕

[MajorNelson]

My predictions:

Derek and Katie: stay married

Brandon and Taylor: divorced

Jessica and Austin: 50%

[Neurochick]

A while back, Pastor Cal made this statement.

Maybe that's what's happening now.

[amcfar]

55 minutes ago, kerrieway said:

I'm a BIG Austin fan so far. He's giving me Bobby vibes and I think he's in it for the right reasons but like Bobby he needs some style help. 

Austin needs to cut his hair like it was before or go to the hair salon and get a stylish short cut. Austin should hit the gym and lift a little, he doesn't have to overdo it but he looked better before with more muscle conditioning. 

You can see the differences below between how he looks now and how he looked about a year or more ago. 

Wow, he looks so different with shorter hair. IMO, he should've stuck with that look. 

[dirtypop90]

1 hour ago, Neurochick said:

Why does a guy have to be gay just because he's not attracted to a particular woman.  

Taylor is objectively attractive to me. She's the most attractive woman in this cast and he looked the most disappointed. He also kept weirdly asking her he feared a man would walk down the aisle.

Also, I said he could be gay OR not have wanted a black woman.

1 hour ago, Ohwell said:

I agree on both counts.  I do think Taylor is pretty, but nothing special.  Brandon's grandmother is so stunning that I'll bet some his friends were embarrassed to be looking at her.

The impression I got from Brandon was that, while he thought Taylor was attractive, he was disappointed that she wasn't another race, not necessarily White.   However, from what I've seen so far he seems like a nice guy and I wouldn't compare him to Luke yet.  Also, I don't get a gay vibe from him.  Some people said the same thing about Keith last season because they both come off as kind of chill and laid back. 

You might not think Taylor is a stunner but no one that comes on this show is. She looks better than most women that have been on this show. So what was he expecting? Perhaps he was hoping she wouldn't be black

[Haute Messe]

13 hours ago, Blissfool said:

As the original poster mentioned, Brandon made a similar statement. Only thing is that it didn't have a very jokey vibe. He sounded serious and I, too, thought it was odd.

His vows were lame - he wrote that before he even saw her. That line might have landed as funny if the timing were different - like when Austin said it – I laughed.  I was worried about how successful the match between Taylor and Brandon would be from the beginning, and now even more so. I don’t think that they are intellectually compatible, and I wonder how much time he spends gaming. He mentioned having anxiety disorder and panic attacks, and I really empathize with him – they are extremely debilitating. Just depends how he manages it. As for his lack of enthusiasm when he saw his bride, maybe he was medicated.

I am surprised by how much Katie and Derek seemed to click. I hope that they work out. And now I can’t not see Ethel Kennedy….. Also thought it was a bit strange that diabetes was mentioned at the ceremony. Derek being a foodie could be an issue, but Katie seems to have a good handle on how to manage her diet.

Jessica and Austin do seem like a good match, both a bit dorky. It seemed like Austin was pounding the beers back at the reception, so hope there is no issue there, and it was just nerves. I think that although he was not her ideal in the looks department, his height earned him big points.  Hair can always be changed, unless that’s the way his mommy likes it!

[sometimesjennifer]

13 minutes ago, dirtypop90 said:

Taylor is objectively attractive to me. She's the most attractive woman in this cast and he looked the most disappointed. He also kept weirdly asking her he feared a man would walk down the aisle.

That seemed really odd to me - Brandon kept repeating the fact that he was so relieved she wasn't a guy. Saying once that he had been concerned they were punking him could be understandable, but repeatedly saying his biggest fear was that his bride would be a man rubbed me the wrong way. Why in the world would he legitimately fear that the experts would do that to him, especially after going through the whole casting process and having them in his home and all of that?

My only other thought was that maybe he started to say that he was worried she would be ugly or something like that, then caught himself because he realized saying that would make him sound like a shallow asshole (which would be terrible for his image as a "brand ambassador"). So he hastily substituted "guy" for "ugly" and then just kept saying it to really hit home that he would have been totally fine with any woman who came down that aisle, as long as it was a living, breathing, woman. Again, very awkward, very off-putting. I also understand having severe anxiety, but his attitude and behavior really changed my initial perceptions of him.

[Guest]

My overall take away from this episode was that five couples is probably too many. I had totally forgotten about the other two by the end and neither of them really seem that interesting to me so far.  I’m honestly kind of annoyed that we have to waste another episode pretending that one of them might run away and general ceremony awkwardness. I don’t understand Meka’s breakdown about her dress being too big- it looks fine and if you were worried about cleavage, you shouldn’t have gone with the strapless dress!

Austin’s stock went way up for me this episode. He was damn charming. I gained a lot of respect for Jessica too. When the camera pointedly zoomed in on Austin’s baby face and blond hair when she was describing her type of guy (which ironically sounded exactly like Derek) I was bracing for a full on Jamie style meltdown. I was pleasantly surprised that she seemed totally unfazed that he wasn’t physically her type normally and was instead super attracted to his kindness and sense of humor as the night went on. Actual maturity, who would’ve thought! Although this show keeps producing weirdly codependent identical twins that have inferiority  complexes about their sisters accomplishments, so I guess I will reserve my opinion until we see how that plays out. 

On the opposite side of the spectrum, my opinion of Brandon totally took a nosedive. I don’t know if it was because he accidentally got too drunk before the ceremony (warning your new wife you reek of hard liquor is never promising, let alone a good first impression) or he collapsed under the anxiety of the day, but he gave off corny fuckboy vibes the whole episode. His interactions with Taylor were painful and sounded like an older sister trying to pry information out of her detached little brother. And she’s six years younger than him! That was just embarrassing. He seems like kind of a stick in the mud and she’s too type A for him. I already think they’re doomed because she’ll get bored of mothering him. 

Katie continues to be immature and annoying as fuck. So she basically doesn’t regret ditching tinder dude because Derek turned out to be hot. She also talks like a 15-year-old “he’s super cute and we’re like, holding hands!” Bleh. I thought it was a weird choice by her family to drop the diabetes bombshell in a cutesy line about her being bitchy but he doesn’t seem bothered by it so whatever. I want Derek for myself. I wonder how he will react when tinder dude inevitably comes up in conversation. 

ETA: I had totally forgotten about Brandon's bizarre homophobic/transphobic rambling about being glad Taylor "wasn't a dude" and then high-fiving Taylor when she confirmed she doesn't have a penis...yikes...why would you even bring that up? What a juvenile, insecure loser.

Edited January 9, 2020 by Guest

[ECM1231]

1 hour ago, Ilovepie said:

 

My take on Brandon is that he is awkward because he is dumb as a box of rocks. He bragged about writing his vows (which he needed help with, so no, dude) like he expected a gold star for it or something. He is definitely low energy. 

YES to all of this!  That was my take on it as well. He definitely came off as a dim bulb last night.  I think his decent looks, cute dimples, and sense of swagger he has about himself masked his lack of intellect last week.  Those vows were atrocious.  As much as I think Taylor is stuck on herself, and I do think she is very pretty but she knows it, she's got way more going on intellect-wise than brand ambassador Brandon. And what exactly is a brand ambassador? Is he a salesman? Is he a beer delivery driver?  I have no problems with anyone who does an honest day's work in any capacity but I fear they are not well-matched in the smarts department.  Maybe he was acting all blasé at the wedding b/c he was intimidated?  I guess time will tell. 

[red12]

17 hours ago, PityFree said:

 OK I adore Brandon, but why didn’t somebody tell him to button his tuxedo jacket???????

Lord knows I was talking loud enough from my couch. "Button that jacket back up boy. You are not sitting down." 

He seems like a decent guy but, it felt like he was trying very hard to come off as cool and charming. 

Lastly, what were those vows he and Taylor said? They sounded like Jr. High kids writing about what they think love is. I wonder if they have ever been in a romantic relationships as adults.

[calpurnia99]

14 hours ago, Blissfool said:

Eh, I've already made up my mind about him. I think he's full of himself. And I googled "beer ambassador." He more than likely sets up beer displays in stores. If she's really as much of a go-getter as she came across as in the first episode, I don't think they'll be a good match.

why did they match a super smart scientist with a kind of dumb beer distributor?

[Empress1]

1 hour ago, ECM1231 said:

And what exactly is a brand ambassador? Is he a salesman? Is he a beer delivery driver? 

Disclosure: I used to work for a PR firm and my team's biggest client was a liquor brand.

Brandon is a beer salesman, and I think that functions the way anyone selling anything does - you have accounts, you try to get your clients to buy what you sell. Let's say Brandon works for Heineken - his job is to get bars, stores, etc. to stock and sell Heineken the same way someone selling hammers tries to get hardware stores to stock and sell their brand of hammers.

Taylor is a brand ambassador. That might not be the title that whatever liquor brand she works for gives her (she doesn't use it; she tends to say "I work for a liquor brand doing events"), but that's essentially what she is. She's paid to promote/endorse Cuervo (or whatever) at events thrown by Cuervo. 

I thought Brandon said he HAD a brand ambassador as a way to connect with Taylor. Taylor said she worked for a liquor company doing events; I thought Brandon said "Oh yeah? I do beer sales. I have a brand ambassador." If I heard him right, that means he works with someone like Taylor to promote whatever brand of beer he sells.

To be honest, I didn't think either of them came off as sounding particularly intelligent last night, but I chalk that up to nerves. Taylor was doing a lot of nervous laughing.

1 hour ago, SnarkEnthusiast said:

My overall take away from this episode was that five couples is probably too many. I had totally forgotten about the other two by the end and neither of them really seem that interesting to me so far. 

I completely forgot about Mindy and Zach. I remembered Meka and Michael because they showed them, but then when they showed Mindy and Zach in the "next time on ..." preview I was like, oh right, those two!

2 hours ago, amcfar said:

Wow, he looks so different with shorter hair. IMO, he should've stuck with that look. 

He looks MUCH better with short hair. He looks like a teenager with longer hair and an adult with shorter hair.

Edited January 9, 2020 by Empress1

[Ohwell]

11 minutes ago, Empress1 said:

To be honest, I didn't think either of them came off as sounding particularly intelligent last night, but I chalk that up to nerves. Taylor was doing a lot of nervous laughing.

I think you're right.  I'm going to give them both a pass and chock it up to nerves, and see how they fare going forward.

He can still talk to me though. 😍

[Jack Sampson]

2 hours ago, Neurochick said:

Not to me at all.  I don't even know if he wanted Taylor to be another race.  All I got was that he wasn't into Taylor and as I said before, Taylor's just basic to me.

Is she a researcher or a research assistant?

 

Her MAFS bio says "Research Scientist", her Linkedin bio says "Data Assistant".  Either she got about 5 major promotions and never updated her Linkedin (possible but unlikely) or she's just a data entry grunt.  Plus she works for a bourbon company and is still a student so I doubt she's high up on the food chain.  It's like on other reality shows where unemployed is listed as "entrepreneur" and stripper is listed as "waitress".

 

This season looks boring.  I might check out a few eps in 2X speed but that's it.

[Empress1]

16 minutes ago, Jack Sampson said:

Her MAFS bio says "Research Scientist", her Linkedin bio says "Data Assistant". 

Oh wow, those are very different things. I'm guessing she's more of a data assistant because if she were a research scientist at John's Hopkins, I think she'd be making a healthy wage and wouldn't need three jobs. Glassdoor tells me the average salary for an associate research scientist at Johns Hopkins (and Baltimore is a schlep from DC) is $70K a year.

She could be doing the liquor thing for fun (if you're social, as she says she is, it's a good way to meet people and be out and make some extra money), but I don't think she'd be driving for Uber and Lyft on top of her two other jobs unless she had a financial need. 

[Cammi]

3 hours ago, dirtypop90 said:

I don’t think Brandon looked intimidated at all. He looked unimpressed as soon as he saw Taylor. He didn’t know she was brainy etc. then. I fear we are gearing up for a Luke and late scenario where is either gay or attracted to another type of woman, wanted an interracial pairing.
 

I only have hope for Jessica and Austin. But I thought Katie and Derek were super cute.

It's odd you say this, my best friend's hubby said the same thing when he watched that segment with us. We were ooh-ing over the gorgeous Taylor and wondered why her groom seemed unimpressed. He goes "Probably wanted a white girl". He said he bets if we looked at his dating history it would reveal his suspicions. 

[Jack Sampson]

2 hours ago, Neurochick said:

A while back, Pastor Cal made this statement.

Maybe that's what's happening now.

I've heard this several times on the show but there's still no explanation for it.  

[gonecrackers]

I'm having trouble with Katie & Derek mostly because I'm finding Katie annoying; Derek's just okay. I did not like the two piece wedding dress.

I hated that they mentioned her diabetes during the ceremony. The cheezy slow mo with music was ridiculous.

Their pictures looked nice though.

Brandon mentioned liking "a bit curvy", & by the lackluster way he was eyeballing Taylor during the ceremony (ick) maybe that's part of his issues.

The pastor looked unimpressed with Brandon's speech as well.

Taylor's dress was way too big on top, making it look sloppy. Maybe the shop didn't have time to do alterations properly - which would make it a bad business decision to work this show. Felt bad watching Meka lose it for next week but I think her dress looked better fitted than Taylor's.

Taylor said this was "an opportunity" she "couldn't pass up" - weird wording & sounds a bit 'recruit-y' to me.

Jessica's twin reaching milestones she hasn't is not a good reason to do this, & I hope she's not that big of an idiot. Her incessant giggling was annoying AF.

I hope Austin's ready for Jess since he was heavily warned about her issues with patience; she must make a great nurse.

Austin's nice strong voice doesn't match his baby face, but he'll grow into it & probably be a pretty hot 40 something. For now he needs to keep his hands out of his hair, or better yet, cut it. I agree he did look better with it shorter.

Austin really did rock his vows.

 

[Ohwell]

16 minutes ago, Cammi said:

It's odd you say this, my best friend's hubby said the same thing when he watched that segment with us. We were ooh-ing over the gorgeous Taylor and wondered why her groom seemed unimpressed. He goes "Probably wanted a white girl". He said he bets if we looked at his dating history it would reveal his suspicions. 

Brandon had already stated in his introduction that he'd dated women of all races--Black, White, Hispanic, Middle Eastern (don't remember if he mentioned Asian).  So he if he told the "experts" about his dating history, he probably was expecting someone other than a black woman, although I'm not sure that he only wanted a white woman.  

[Empress1]

9 minutes ago, gonecrackers said:

Maybe the shop didn't have time to do alterations properly - which would make it a bad business decision to work this show.

I'm not sure it's even possible to do wedding dress alterations in two weeks. There have been a lot of gowns on this show that didn't fit. When I used to watch Say Yes to the Dress, the store made it clear that if you were in there less than six months out from your wedding, you weren't getting your dress altered. These turnarounds are so fast I'm sure they're limited to whatever they can find on the rack that kind of fits. I had a similar thought about the bridesmaid dresses - one of Taylor's bridesmaids was wearing a dress that was too small.

12 minutes ago, gonecrackers said:

Austin really did rock his vows.

I also liked that he asked if he could kiss Jessica. I thought that was sweet. We like consent!

[Kareem]

Maybe Brandon likes his women bigger or something? I think she’s attractive and pleasant. He, on the other hand, seemed like he had nothing to give.  He’s not a comedian, he’s not a dancer, he’s not effusive, he was barely friendly.  He’s like a pile of wet sand. I kept thinking Vivica Fox got a dud.  I also liked him last week. Geez. The actions didn’t match the words.

 I thought Austin was nice and I loved his vows.  Jessica’s incessant giggling was getting to me.  She’s also no comedian.  What’s with the oft mentioned patience? Does she go Category 4 every now and then?  Yikes.  

Last week Derek gave me the creeps and this week, I enjoyed every moment of him.  I was thinking that for a man who has never been in love, he seemed warm, willing and attentive.  Good on him!  Hope she stays in line...

Meka walked into the room like someone stole her pound puppy, yet I thought she looked great in their pictures. Guess we’ll see how that goes.  Points to him for choosing the white jacket.  

Wondered if they saved the two couples with the most drama for last. Hope so. 

[Adeejay]

I noticed Brandon’s, “Since the moment I first saw you…” didn't go over very well. He was either drunk or forgot he was on a show called “Married at First Sight”. I keep reading that Taylor is highly educated and accomplished, so why is she driving an Uber/Lyft? I think that job is very dangerous, especially for a woman. 

Michael and Meka remind me of Will and Jasmine. I think she is going to be the boss in that relationship.

The only couple I see making it to a year anniversary is Austin and Jessica.  Given that Jessica’s ideal match would be a guy with dark hair and a beard, I wonder why they didn’t pair her with Derek. 

[Mrs. Button]

I thought Derek seemed pretty sincere in wanting love. Of course none of these people have even the slightest idea of what marriage entails (which unfortunately means that getting what you *think* you want can lead to disaster). 

And I found myself really, really liking Austin. The power of humor to turn a stressful situation around (especially with a high-strung or impatient person) cannot be under-appreciated  — just ask my husband who is very talented in that regard. Looks fade, but I'm going to want a laugh until my dying day. So many times I have been completely bent out of shape about something that's frustrating but ultimately meaningless, and he makes me see it for what it is and even laugh at myself as well as the situation. That was something I needed that I didn't even know was valuable, and this isn't even my first marriage 😉  

[kerrieway]

19 minutes ago, Adeejay said:

The only couple I see making it to a year anniversary is Austin and Jessica.  Given that Jessica’s ideal match would be a guy with dark hair and a beard, I wonder why they didn’t pair her with Derek. 

Derek is 26, Jessica is 31, I think it would be too much of an age difference and we also have to factor in what Derek's preferences would have been as well, he may not have wanted a girl as tall as Jessica or with her particular look. 

[gingerandcloves]

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.

 

[kerrieway]

Yeah Brandon doesn't like Jessica, period. Despite his words of finding her "attractive" I think we've all seen enough seasons to know that when the guy is timid in his initial reaction to his wife that the relationship is not going to last. I remember Matt being a poet when talking to the cameras during the matching episode and then he deflated like a balloon once he saw Amber. Men are visual, they don't grow attraction like women can, I think the same thing happened with Will and even Keith (though Iris is gorgeous I really don't think she was his type. Bobby questioned Keith's attraction to Iris a well when he and Danielle did the last episode of Couple's Couch.)

[Liberty]

30 minutes ago, gingerandcloves said:

I hope it was just nerves that had him acting so cold and awkward.

Easy to underestimate what their nerves do to any of them.  Lots of 'cautious' parents at the weddings, the whole MAFS situation, trying to make a good impression on everyone there, etc.

In season 2, it looked like Davina & Sean really hit it off at the wedding, but how did that turn out?  In season 1 Jamie was looney at the wedding, and she and Doug are still around.  Very difficult to imagine the wedding has much to do with the future.

[kerrieway]

One other random thing, I think Katie has game--really good game. She may or may not be aware of this fact but whether this is just naturally how she is or not I think the girl knows how to turn on the charm with men. 

She seems a little immature/maybe naive and her manner of speaking makes her sound younger than she actually is but I have to say that she also gives off a whimsical and effusive little girl vibe that can be very appealing to certain men. Interestingly enough, she doesn't come off as desperate but just innocently smitten/head over heels. Examples:  

1. She steps up to the altar (having already seen how good looking Derek already is) and looks Derek in the eye, maintains eye contact and then says wow. 

2. Every hug she gave him was a full body hug. 

3. Every look she gave him was a gaze. 

She's a cute girl but this effusiveness can be very very charming and I think made Derek like her much more than he would have just on looks alone. I mean, one of his first comments about Katie was that she "melts into him." If a guy is not a player and has never been in love before this kind of approach could be disarming. 

If she can keep the bratty behavior to a minimum and keep this intensity up the girl may have him for good.  

Edited January 9, 2020 by kerrieway

[Booger666]

1 hour ago, gonecrackers said:

I hope Austin's ready for Jess since he was heavily warned about her issues with patience; she must make a great nurse.

The show said she is a Nurse Manager so would likely have a nursing degree and an advanced degree.  She’s probably really good at it because she seems organized and task oriented.  She seems young to have reached Nurse Manager level so I remember being surprised when the show said that is her job.

[ShowFan]

16 hours ago, Chilly said:

But he reminds me of my cousin, who is super awkward and goofy in social scenarios.

Social situations are supposed to be Brandon’s Thing! He is the Life if the Party as he was presented to us

15 minutes ago, kerrieway said:

, I think Katie has game--really good game.

Absolutely agree! Excellent analysis. I felt it and just couldn’t put my finger on it as well as you did. She comes across adorable and I think he was smitten with her

[StatisticalOutlier]

On 1/9/2020 at 12:57 AM, Blissfool said:

Ah yes...i was swooning over here too. It helps that she does this full-body lean-in when she kisses him and dances with him. It comes across sexy.  Derek even said "she melts into my arms."

She also full-body leans in when she danced with her dad. In that case, it came across as endearing.

I thought the full-body lean-in with Derek was a little much, and the full-body lean-in with her dad gave me the creeps.

 

On 1/9/2020 at 8:46 AM, Jaclyn88 said:

Austin reminds me looks wise of Kim K’s friend Jonathan . Except less plastic surgery .

Yes!   Although it pains me to admit that I know what "Kim K's friend Jonathan" looks like.

But yeah--dead ringer, and much closer than my previous Napoleon Dynamite.

Edited January 12, 2020 by StatisticalOutlier
fixed punctuation

[gonecrackers]

19 minutes ago, kerrieway said:

She seems a little immature/maybe naive and her manner of speaking makes her sound younger than she actually is but I have to say that it also gives off a whimsical and effusive little girl vibe that can be very appealing to certain men. Interestingly enough, it doesn't come off as desperate but just innocently smitten/head over heels.

🤢

And the men who like that? 🤮

She's going to make this season tough for me to watch.

12 minutes ago, Booger666 said:

The show said she is a Nurse Manager so would likely have a nursing degree and an advanced degree.  She’s probably really good at it because she seems organized and task oriented.  She seems young to have reached Nurse Manager level so I remember being surprised when the show said that is her job.

Hopefully she has patience with her patients ... 😏 (& staff).

[gonecrackers]

1 hour ago, Empress1 said:

I also liked that he asked if he could kiss Jessica. I thought that was sweet. We like consent!

Yes, major points for that!

[Jax7917]

I’m so curious .. did Luke ever come out of the closet ? I don’t say that as a joke .. I don’t think he was gay just because he wasn’t attracted to Kate . His reactions to her and things he said made me truly believe it . Now that’s a girl who was truly wronged by the show . 

I think anyone who comes on this show and can’t get past someone’s looks , is an asshole . In real life , you have the right to turn someone down if you aren’t attracted to them .. but if you’re agreeing to marry a complete stranger , you should be extremely open to looks of any kind because it’s not right to the other person .. and also , why would you , yourself want to go through having to marry / live with someone you’re repulsed by for at least 8 weeks ? 

[qtpye]

1 hour ago, gingerandcloves said:

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.

 

Brandon seemed so disappointed. He almost seemed like he wanted to walk out at that moment and then proceeded to leave the alter before being pronounced husband and wife.

Being a woman of color that all too aware of how colorism runs rampant in our community, I felt like he wanted someone more light skinned. 

Also, while I think Taylor is very attractive...her styling at the wedding did her no favors. 
 

of course, as others have pointed out, a happy wedding does not always lead to a successful marriage.