Married At First Sight (Australia) - General Discussion

[Guest]

I thought the commitment episode would be boring filler, but it was actually pretty interesting. Josh made me laugh with his "20 seconds" comment. Poppy seems miserable and the other parents seem to be handling "missing their kids" just fine, so I feel like her being weepy days in is just her being disappointed with not being physically attracted to Luke but she's using her kids to deflect - which doesn't fly when half the cast are also single parents of small children.

Haley and Dave are exhausting. I laughed out loud with the expert flat out said "no" when Haley asked if she could speak more, She seems critical and his masculinity is far too fragile for her. How many times can they argue over her smoking and the wage comment? She's rude and domineering, but it was incredibly petty and unfair of him to bring up her addiction to hurt her and make her look like damaged goods in front of everyone. Low blow. I wouldn't want to be with someone who only accepted who I am based on their mood and otherwise weaponized my flaws against me whenever convenient. Shoutout to Steve for single-handedly salvaging their relationship - for this week. 

I feel bad for Amanda, but again she has to realize that the whole droopy dog routine and trying to lecture and rationalize how and why they should be spending time together isn't gonna work on a free spirit like Tash, who is heavily invested in her alt-girl image. Amanda came off like a prudish PTA mom at the party. If Tash wanted to, clearly she would, as evidenced by her flirting with every woman in sight at dinner. Cut your losses and move on.

I kind of love how smitten Ivan is with Aleks - I expected him to be a huge douche to her. I was surprised how frosty she became over his Haley interaction, in which she was almost instantaneously the aggressor and incredibly insulting towards him, which he handled well and took in stride, imo. A little gossipy maybe, but nowhere near egregious enough to imply you were considering separation over it, especially when he immediately realized he'd upset her and spent his entire couch monologue apologizing profusely. He's full of himself, but she's a bit too rigid.

Connie and Johnny give me faith that love exists! 

[Neurochick]

I liked the commitment episode.  I think the Australian version is SO much better than the US version.  It looks like the experts will meet with the couples every week to see how they are doing?  That's a lot better than the American version where the experts disappeared and never show up unless there is a problem, in the middle of the season for the commitment ceremony and at the end when they decide to stay married or get divorced.

There are a lot of couples, probably because most of them aren't train wrecks and might be seen as boring. 

How long has Haley been in recovery, I wonder?  The sad truth is this, many people will always see you as a junkie.  It's not fair, but it's reality. 

[Jeanne222]

I wondered if Dave said that remark about her being a drug addict to Haley was a gotcha from her remark about his salary?

He seems like the kind that doesn't want to be one upped!  Yes he apologized for his remark just like she apologized for hers but they both still said it didn't they!

[LennieBriscoe]

10 hours ago, Jeanne222 said:

I wondered if Dave said that remark about her being a drug addict to Haley was a gotcha from her remark about his salary?

He seems like the kind that doesn't want to be one upped!  Yes he apologized for his remark just like she apologized for hers but they both still said it didn't they!

Without a doubt, it was his "cold dish" revenge. Frankly, I think Haley was foolish for mentioning her past addiction problems. If she is "recovered" and not "recovering," let it be. 

The basic issue is David's earning power! Now they will have arguments about every little thing, like the toilet seat left up or something, but the tacit topic will always be money.

[answerphone]

Who is your vote for the most annoying newlywed, who needs counseling ASAP?

I'm voting for Tash.😧

[Racj82]

3 hours ago, answerphone said:

Who is your vote for the most annoying newlywed, who needs counseling ASAP?

I'm voting for Tash.😧

Why did she stay? I don't get it.

[Chloecat]

7 hours ago, Racj82 said:

Why did she stay? I don't get it.

Camera time.....

[topanga]

On 6/25/2020 at 9:14 AM, LennieBriscoe said:

I think only Hot-Tub Cathy and Golddigger Stacey have plumped-up lips. 💋

Tash? Her full lips don't seem natural to me. And there is a lot of fake boobage going on. Some of that cleavage looks unnaturally round and large and out of proportion. I know that thin women can have ample breasts (e.g. Tyra Banks), but her always looked natural. 

 

On 6/25/2020 at 1:18 PM, ECM1231 said:

I've never seen prior seasons but last night showed me that there are TOO many couples. A lot of the couples got short shrift on the couch at the commitment ceremony. I would have liked to hear more from Jonny and Connie, Vanessa (acne lady) and her guy, cute Mikey and Natasha. I'm over Tash and I feel badly for Amanda, who impressed me greatly with her insight and introspection. She deserves better than Tash and I'm sorry she said 'yes.' 

Yes. I can't keep them all straight. Too many dark-haired women and sandy-blonde men. And I think all of their stories are getting the short shrift. 

Tash and Amanda are sad. I remember Tash saying early on that she felt bad because she wanted to be attracted to Amanda since she considered her a great person. And Amanda basically kept trying to bully her into liking her. But you can't make someone be attracted to you anymore than you can force yourself to be into someone.  I think the two of them need to give up on being romantic for now and focus on having fun together as friends. Romantic feelings might grown out of that. Then again, they might not. Who knows?

[Neurochick]

I watched this last night.   Now I get why there are so many couples.  How many of them will be left standing at the end?

I don't like Amanda, she reminds me of Michael on the last US season, not about the lying but that he pushed Meeka for sex during the honeymoon.  However, I think Tash should have left last week.

Speaking of left.  I don't think Poppy should have even been chosen.  Her children are WAY too young.  Luke had kids, but I think his are older. I felt bad for her just leaving him like that.  BUT, Luke made a strange comment to her about "this is it for us" and I think that might have put too much pressure on Poppy who didn't want to be there in the first place.

One thing I really like about this series as opposed to the US one is that these couples have fights and SURPRISE, they repair them, for how long, I don't know, but at least they try to repair them.  Too many of the US couples are like, "I'm DONE" every five minutes. 

Maybe we Americans watch too many romcoms and believe that there's this "perfect person" out here.  I always hear this "s/he can do better."  Hey, maybe they can't.  Maybe this is better.  I'm not talking about abuse, I'm talking about disagreements, communication issues, dealing with someone else's human-ness.  

[cinsays]

17 hours ago, Racj82 said:

Why did she stay? I don't get it.

yeah, I don't see any possibility of this working

I would see Tash more suited to Haley, both flashy.

[TzuShih]

On 5/28/2020 at 10:58 AM, essexjan said:

I watched about the first dozen or so episodes of this (there are about 50 episodes in total, I think), and it is garbage.  Absolute trash.

The process is very different from the UK and US MAFS shows.

The weddings aren't real or legally-binding so the couples aren't actually married and throughout the process the couples have to decide at a weekly commitment ceremony if they want to stay together or not. If they both agree to split, then that's it, but if only one wants to split and the other doesn't, then they're stuck with each other until the next commitment ceremony.

The couples are awful, many of them are reality TV wannabes who've been on First Dates and other similar shows in the past, or people deliberately chosen for the drama. There is not one single person who is in it to find a spouse. It's probably the worst so-called reality show I've ever seen.

Don't say I didn't warn y'all.

Yup...I agree.  This series seems the 'poor man's' version of the U.S. Marriage at First Sight.  I believe, if you watch the final credits, there is some line about "this is based on the concept of Married at First Sight. U.S."  I probably didn't get the EXACT wording of this disclaimer, but its point seems to be to admit to viewers that it was not sanctioned by the US as the 'same program.'  

I have to agree with Essexjan that this Aussie production of the U.S. concept seems to have gone overboard with "reality TV wannabes,"  Even as I watched most of the brides preparing for their wedding day, their bridesmaids looked equally loaded down with Botox & pouter pigeon breasts.  (I have good friends in Australia, and I've never seen such cosmetically-enhanced women.  At least the women selected for the American version are a reasonable sampling of what US women look like.) ☺️  

In a way, this show is quite hilarious, but I think one would have to suspend ALL reality to take it seriously.  Add me to those disappointed that THIS AUSTRALIAN version of Married at First Sight is a rather hard up offering for a 'pandemic filler.'

P.S.  Since what we are watching is Season 7, I'd be really curious to know if the earlier shows were as 'artificial.'

   

 

 

[Neurochick]

Call me crazy but I actually think this version is BETTER than the US version.  In the US version the couples never see the experts. 

I like how in the Australian version they meet weekly with the experts to renew the commitment.  I like how they have to stick it out if one person wants to stay.  Sometimes I think in the US we're too ready to throw in the towel if things don't go our way.  Just because someone isn't nice to you doesn't mean they're abusing you.  Also if one wants to leave and the other doesn't, true they have to stick it out another week, BUT that's only if they make it to the commitment ceremony.  If someone wants to leave before the week is up, then both of them leave.

I do agree that they're WAY too much botox here.  But don't kid yourselves, the US version is I'm sure full of reality TV wannabes.  I remember what's her face from last season who was constantly posting on Instagram.

What does it matter if the wedding's aren't real?  At least the Australian version doesn't make a mockery of marriage the same way the US version does.  And we know the marriages in the US version are done mainly for drama.

Edited July 4, 2020 by Neurochick

[Racj82]

1 hour ago, Neurochick said:

Call me crazy but I actually think this version is BETTER than the US version.  In the US version the couples never see the experts. 

I like how in the Australian version they meet weekly with the experts to renew the commitment.  I like how they have to stick it out if one person wants to stay.  Sometimes I think in the US we're too ready to throw in the towel if things don't go our way.  Just because someone isn't nice to you doesn't mean they're abusing you.  Also if one wants to leave and the other doesn't, true they have to stick it out another week, BUT that's only if they make it to the commitment ceremony.  If someone wants to leave before the week is up, then both of them leave.

I do agree that they're WAY too much botox here.  But don't kid yourselves, the US version is I'm sure full of reality TV wannabes.  I remember what's her face from last season who was constantly posting on Instagram.

What does it matter if the wedding's aren't real?  At least the Australian version doesn't make a mockery of marriage the same way the US version does.  And we know the marriages in the US version are done mainly for drama.

Yeah I'm not worried about how real it is. This is entertaining as hell. And game hungry people come in all looks and sizes. We've had plenty of clout chasing wannabe stars on the us version. Not having implants doesn't make them less phony.

[LennieBriscoe]

LOVED Episode 13! In no particular order:

**  Haley ("Hales") / David ("$25/hr")--- I don't see them lasting to the series end. Haley is OTT, from her demeanor to her decolletage. Plus, maybe she could stop flirting (because, come on) with other husbands. And I don't like her hair! I think it does no favors to her long face. 

Cathy ("Cowgirl") / Josh ("Cop")--- Well, it was all fun and games until Haley arrested his attention! Then the tears. Josh, play your cards right and don't deal from the bottom.

**  Amanda ("Did I mention gay marriages?") / Tash ("I tried")--- No, Tash; point to Amanda for you NOT trying. As in, turned off at the altar. Now, some people might need  chemistry for anatomy to follow---but don't lie about it. Also, undergarments are your friend.

Vanessa ("Complexion") / Chris ("....")--- My new Couple #1! Nothing majorly wrong, no tears, no arguments. Steady as she goes. 

**  Mishel ("No Retirement Village!") / Steve ("Quiet!")---Steve is looking and behaving not only too elderly for Mishel; he's a boring Mr. Bossy-Pants! Mishel has to give him another week, but she's not going to buy any New and Improved Steve, Action Man. 

Aleks ("We have so much in common") / Ivan ("No Socks")--- He's the real "lovuh, not a fightuh" of this entire group. But he's not a flirt; he's very happy with whom the experts paired him.

**  Natasha ("Gold-digger") / Mikey ("10-Second Man")--- A private joke probably with some truth that Natasha repeated for a cheap, but perhaps ultimately costly, laugh from the others.  Mikey was wounded to the quick, pun intended! Mustn't "sex shame" (tm Michael) your husband, Natasha! He was still unhappy on the couch post-discussion, which is why Natasha sat leaning far forward. 

**  Stacy ("Busty Lips") / Michael ("Agent Provocateur")--- He's an instigator, a regular Mr. Buttinski, and that isn't a good look. Is his behavior towards and about the other men to make himself look better to Stacy, after he goes out carousing on his honeymoon? First he winds up Steve, then he snitches to Mikey with the predictable result. The experts think this couple makes a good, supportive team, but that could be for public consumption.

**  Connie ("BiSci") / Jonny ("Hair")--- Sigh. True Love seems to be on the wane with Connie, as she sees Jonny as puerile. What was he thinking, anyway, arranging a painting session for them with two old and nude models?! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

**  = I predict "Mutual LEAVE Signs" for this couple, before series finale. I have hope for the others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 4, 2020 by LennieBriscoe

[Kareem]

New to this show; a few of them were on Friday night so I watched.  Many thanks to Lennie above who included descriptions of the people I’m still trying to figure out.

Mishel and Steve, I’m not seeing working out at all. It seemed like old Army meets the Queen of Eye Rolls.  

Haley seems to believe she’s such a funster but she seems pretty awful.  Good to watch the blonde call her out at the commitment thing.

I actually felt sorry for Stacy spending time with Michael, from the “take off your make up and go out with pigtails” directive to nearly every other thing he did or said. Yeesh. I’d have to kill that one in his sleep.  

Amanda is too much for me but Tash seemed like a big bag of BS.  Unfortunate pairing there.

Natasha seems to have made a mess of things. I know of Aleks because she has a mouth like The Joker but don’t know their whole story yet.  Same with Cathy and Vanessa.  I pretty much can’t tell one guy from the next yet.

I watch only some of the 90 Day shows these days so I needed something else and this was kind of a fun find.  I like that the people are given the opportunity to say what’s going right and what’s a deal breaking disaster during the week.  Enjoying all your comments, too.

 

[Guest]

Well, all of the couples are annoying me now, lol. Haley/David are all over the place. Their high won't last because they're both unstable. Michael/Stacey are the insufferable shit-stirring popular couple from high school - why does he keep instigating fights in other people's relationships? They decided to nuke Natasha/Mikey because they got bored at dinner, ffs. Natasha shouldn't have made the joke, but Mikey had already made the exact joke verbatim on camera! The way he flew off the handle immediately was a gigantic turnoff and the fact that he wanted to break up over ONE comment showed he's very petty and spiteful. Steve/Mishel is a mess because she wants to act 25 and he wants to act 75. Steve's overall vibe screams "grumpy grandpa." Even golden couple Connie & Johnny had a bunch of juvenile bullshit this week between his petulance over the phone and her petulance over the model sketching. Are we 14?

Amanda/Tash - yeesh, long overdue. Amanda dragged herself down to Tash's level at the end, when she should've just been stoic and waited for Tash to flame out. Constantly berating someone for not being attracted to you doesn't work and only gives Tash the opportunity to play the victim. The dinner party snub was the out Tash had been looking for. Amanda let Tash get under her skin and came off bitter and abrasive. I laughed at "I can only eat white food for 24 hours" and especially "I'm too tired too explain my veganism [my only personality trait] to you right now." Tash is so fucking pretentious!!!!

Thoughts on who Haley is making out with behind the scenes? Michael is sleazy enough, but I think it could be Josh after all, if only because he seems like a horndog (seriously, how many scenes/references of kink did we get this week?) and we know Haley is turned on by BDSM.

$20 bucks says Haley and Tash hooked up after filming was over.

[ECM1231]

2 hours ago, SnarkEnthusiast said:

Thoughts on who Haley is making out with behind the scenes?

I missed this.  I need to set my DVR to record for a few minutes  longer. It's set to stop recording at the end of the show but apparently it's not as I never get to see the coming attractions. 

[ChristmasJones]

Finished episodes 11, 12, and 13 all in a row - now my brain actually knows who all the couples are!

I am liking this series. I like the commitment ceremony each week and I like that they have to stay another week if they disagree on leaving/staying.  That is an interesting twist.

I  take the show for what it is - trashy reality tv. Since my expectations are so very, very low... I have not been disappointed! Its fun to hear the accents.   

 

[Adeejay]

I wasn’t surprised that Chris bailed. He didn’t appear to be attracted to Vanessa, which was probably why they were hardly shown. I feel sorry for her. She seems to have low self esteem.

”Don’t ever ignore my son.” Yikes! Mama Josh doesn’t play when it comes to her baby boy. He totally threw Cathy under the bus and ran her over.

[Neurochick]

10 hours ago, Adeejay said:

I wasn’t surprised that Chris bailed. He didn’t appear to be attracted to Vanessa, which was probably why they were hardly shown. I feel sorry for her. She seems to have low self esteem.

”Don’t ever ignore my son.” Yikes! Mama Josh doesn’t play when it comes to her baby boy. He totally threw Cathy under the bus and ran her over.

I didn't see Josh as throwing Cathy under the bus.  He was telling the truth.  His mother read him when she told him he was wrong for threatening Cathy with writing "Leave."  

Chris wasn't into Vanessa and it was a shame, she had low self esteem because of her acne, I felt bad for her.

Maybe none of the couples will make it!

Did he say that Haley was making out with Michael?   Michael's like an aging frat boy.

Edited July 10, 2020 by Neurochick

[LennieBriscoe]

Well, I totally misread Chris! I thought he and Vanessa were in for the duration, but it appears that her wedding day intuition was spot-on! He simply was not attracted to her. 

Edited July 11, 2020 by LennieBriscoe

[ChristmasJones]

I am not surprised about Haley being out with another guy. My intuition from early on is that she has bad character and that David keeps picking up on it and then being pressured into ignoring his feelings.

These episodes with family and friends were really good - I like how it forced the issues out on the table.

[Racj82]

This show is so much better than the US. It's just more interesting. I don't feel any episode since the endless weddings have been a waste of time. Even low drama couples have things going on. 

There are a bunch of episodes with the us version where literally nothing happens. And with very boring couples. I don't need arguments all the time. But, people like Jessica and Austin would be boring no matter what. I'm glad they found each other and they seem like great people. That's enough for me to want to watch them.

We don't have much of that here.

I hate that this show just proved the woman with bad acne right on her insecurities. Not saying that she actually isn't attractive but she went in worried about the attraction on his side and her worst fears came true. I don't judge him at all. He's not wasting anymore of her time like so many people do on the us version.

[LennieBriscoe]

Mikey can't get beyond Natasha's words for two reasons: another man told him of them; and they were more truth than humor. He was embarrassed in bed, and humiliated at dinner. And what's up with his mouth gyrations? Are new caps bothering him?

If Michael is the "macker on" Haley, he must subconsciously want to destroy his own marriage. Stacy won't forgive this transgression. And David is as good as gone. 

But if the smoocher is Josh, it will prove once again the MAFS adage: Consummate fast, the marriage won't last. That's our adage, right? 😁

Edited July 11, 2020 by LennieBriscoe

[cinsays]

4 hours ago, LennieBriscoe said:

Mikey can't get beyond Natasha's words for two reasons: another man told him of them; and they were more truth than humor. He was embarrassed in bed, and humiliated at dinner. And what's up with his mouth gyrations? Are new caps bothering him?

If Michael is the "macker on" Haley, he must subconsciously want to destroy his own marriage. Stacy won't forgive this transgression. And David is as good as gone. 

But if the smoocher is Josh, it will prove once again the MAFS adage: Consummate fast, the marriage won't last. That's our adage, right? 😁

I thought the guy who told Natasha's husband what she had said about his 10 second performance and then was stirring the pot with the old guy was awful for the way he did that.  I don't see why everyone seems to think he's a great guy, to me his desire to intrude on the others'  problems is awful.

[retired watcher]

7 hours ago, cinsays said:

I thought the guy who told Natasha's husband what she had said about his 10 second performance and then was stirring the pot with the old guy was awful for the way he did that.  I don't see why everyone seems to think he's a great guy, to me his desire to intrude on the others'  problems is awful.

That's Michael who is allegedly making out with Haley.

[Neurochick]

19 hours ago, Racj82 said:

I hate that this show just proved the woman with bad acne right on her insecurities. Not saying that she actually isn't attractive but she went in worried about the attraction on his side and her worst fears came true. I don't judge him at all. He's not wasting anymore of her time like so many people do on the us version.

With her I kind of felt it was a self-fulfilling prophecy.  She kept saying, "I know he's not going to be attracted to me" so many times, her body language screamed that.  It didn't make her attractive to me at all, not her face but her attitude. 

The person I dislike was Poppy, the woman who ran out of the experiment because she wanted to get home to "my boys."  She just packed up and left without a word to Luke, who had to be told by the producers that she'd left and he was done as well.  He seemed like a decent person who didn't deserve that.

Natasha/Mikey/Michael.  First of all, when Natasha made that joke about her husband to Michael, he should have told HER it was inappropriate, however Michael was in a bit of a bind because Natasha said it to him on camera.  Had he said nothing it could have come back to bite him. 

Edited July 12, 2020 by Neurochick

[bichonblitz]

On 7/11/2020 at 10:44 AM, cinsays said:

I thought the guy who told Natasha's husband what she had said about his 10 second performance and then was stirring the pot with the old guy was awful for the way he did that.  I don't see why everyone seems to think he's a great guy, to me his desire to intrude on the others'  problems is awful.

He is an awful  immature jerk. I hope he gets his ass kicked in the upcoming episodes. 

 

21 hours ago, Neurochick said:

Natasha/Mikey/Michael.  First of all, when Natasha made that joke about her husband to Michael, he should have told HER it was inappropriate, however Michael was in a bit of a bind because Natasha said it to him on camera.  Had he said nothing it could have come back to bite him. 

I think there were many other ways he could have handled that on camera. How about telling her if she has a problem with her man's performance to take it up with him in private. That would have been a good start. 

[BluBarbi98]

There were ways Michael could have told Natasha that she was being inappropriate but he didn't because he wanted to stir up drama. 

[Neurochick]

14 hours ago, BluBarbi98 said:

There were ways Michael could have told Natasha that she was being inappropriate but he didn't because he wanted to stir up drama. 

You're right.  Michael is a jerk and he's not even good looking at all.  The only reason his wife, (forgot her name) is still with him is because one of her bridesmaids told her he was a successful businessman and all she could see was money.💰

[Guest]

I was half joking when I said I thought Michael was the cheating partner, but apparently I was right. It figures - he's a shit-eating Peter Pan asshole with a drinking problem. It was only a matter of time, really. I feel kind of bad for Stacey because she was falling for him, but also not really because she took such glee in causing major problems for Steve/Mishel and Natasha/Mikey especially. And also she was ready to dump Michael at the wedding before Googling his net worth. They're both materialistic bullies.

The way Josh behaved at dinner pissed me off. He acted like a six-year-old tattling on a classmate and then ducking behind mommy. At least Josh's mom is level-headed. And then Josh had the audacity to say "Well, they even took your side at times!" yeah, after you ambushed me and threw me under the bus, you prick!

The Vanessa/Chris thing...as someone who's been rejected a lot because people just aren't attracted to me, the whole circular argument of "I'm not attracted to you but you being distressed/sad/mad that I'm not attracted to you is making me less willing to try to be attracted to you" confuses me. If you're going to claim preferences or chemistry or the fact that you can't force attraction, sure, whatever, but isn't stating lack of attraction kind of the end? Why would you want someone you're not attracted to flirting with you (you don't) and why should the other person be motivated to try to convince you to be with them when you both know the chances of that developing are slim to none? It just seems like a manipulative, emotionally withholding ego trip for the non-attracted partner, especially because they're usually well aware the other person is VERY into them. I totally get that being sulky and whiny and bitter and angry like Amanda and Vanessa were isn't the right way to handle it at all, but it's just annoying in that you know Tash and Chris would've never reciprocated even if Amanda and Vanessa had all the patience in the world. They just wanted to save face by pretending there's potential and then blaming the failure on the other person's poor reaction.

[islandgal140]

I love this iteration of MAFS. Love it. The production values are great and I actually like that these aren't real marriages. For one I do think it the concept of MAFS cheapens marriage, but also from a pure administrative convenience standpoint, it sounds like a nightmares. I mean in the USA, when those couples file for taxes, do that have to do so jointly? You have to change your status for so much shit.  Upping your body count (# of sex partners) is one thing but then you would actually have to tell people you are divorced because of some shit reality tv show you were on. Lastly, I love that couples can actually walk out when they simply both agree. Nothing I hated more about US MAFS, then a person having more than ample grounds to walk out (see Michael and Meka) and the "experts" talking them out of it by giving them the most ridiculous reasons - he was raised by a single mom so he is a compulsive liar.

I still can't remember everyone's name. The Aussie accent is most assuredly not my fave. The country looks beautiful but then I remember all the crazy spiders they have over there.

On 7/10/2020 at 6:13 PM, LennieBriscoe said:

Well, I totally misread Chris! I thought he and Vanessa were in for the duration, but it appears that her wedding day intuition was spot-on! He simply was not attracted to her. 

Vanessa was right. I saw and noted that look he had once he turned around and looked at her at the wedding. He took one glance and looked down and got that Ben Affleck "hello darkness my old friend" look. 

Plus don't throw virtual rotten food at me but I thought the casting was groundbreaking not only because of the lesbian couple but I also at first thought they had cast a transwoman - Haley. Ooops.

Stacy's over aggressively plastic surgery is mesmerizing in its awfulness. 

Michael has the most punchable face I have seen in a long time. 

I knew Mikey wasn't going to get over the 10 second man "joke" mainly because it was rooted in the truth. To have it thrown back at you by a walking turd stings.

Ivan and his "wife" are doing way better than I would have anticipated. His parents, especially mom, are a bit much. He definitely needs to learn how to deal with her better but he does show signs of being malleable. 

Can't wait for Thursday.

[Neurochick]

16 hours ago, SnarkEnthusiast said:

I feel kind of bad for Stacey because she was falling for him,

The only thing she was falling for was Micahel's money.  During the reception, she was complaining about Michael, one of her bridesmaids told her about his business and BOOM, Stacey was on board.

How did Josh throw Cathy under the bus, when he was only speaking the truth?  I wanted to smack Cathy with, "I have trust issues."  If your trust issues are THAT great, she needs to stop dating and go to therapy until she works that stuff out.  Stop dragging her suitcases into new relationships.

[cinsays]

18 hours ago, islandgal140 said:

I love this iteration of MAFS. Love it. The production values are great and I actually like that these aren't real marriages. For one I do think it the concept of MAFS cheapens marriage, but also from a pure administrative convenience standpoint, it sounds like a nightmares. I mean in the USA, when those couples file for taxes, do that have to do so jointly? You have to change your status for so much shit.  Upping your body count (# of sex partners) is one thing but then you would actually have to tell people you are divorced because of some shit reality tv show you were on. Lastly, I love that couples can actually walk out when they simply both agree. Nothing I hated more about US MAFS, then a person having more than ample grounds to walk out (see Michael and Meka) and the "experts" talking them out of it by giving them the most ridiculous reasons - he was raised by a single mom so he is a compulsive liar.

I still can't remember everyone's name. The Aussie accent is most assuredly not my fave. The country looks beautiful but then I remember all the crazy spiders they have over there.

Vanessa was right. I saw and noted that look he had once he turned around and looked at her at the wedding. He took one glance and looked down and got that Ben Affleck "hello darkness my old friend" look. 

Plus don't throw virtual rotten food at me but I thought the casting was groundbreaking not only because of the lesbian couple but I also at first thought they had cast a transwoman - Haley. Ooops.

Stacy's over aggressively plastic surgery is mesmerizing in its awfulness. 

Michael has the most punchable face I have seen in a long time. 

I knew Mikey wasn't going to get over the 10 second man "joke" mainly because it was rooted in the truth. To have it thrown back at you by a walking turd stings.

Ivan and his "wife" are doing way better than I would have anticipated. His parents, especially mom, are a bit much. He definitely needs to learn how to deal with her better but he does show signs of being malleable. 

Can't wait for Thursday.

ha, I thought the same about Haley and agree on Stacy's lips especially - way too much.

 

[nutella fitzgerald]

Hayley and Michael actually makes sense, given how displeased she was with David’s truck driver income. Stacey can get over it, since she clearly hates Michael anyway.

Speaking of Stacey, I am stunned every time I see that chyron claiming she is 25. How?!

[ECM1231]

No comments yet? I guess not too many of us are watching. Michael is disgusting; he's never grown up. When he drinks and parties he does stupid things. I wish he had written "leave" as well so that Stacy could be done with him. Not surprised about Mikey and Natasha but was surprised about Connie and Johnny. I had high hopes for those 2; I hope this week they can turn it around. Thank goodness the experts pulled the plug on Hayley and Dave!  I can't believe she wanted to stay, even if it was for spite. Also, she annoyed the crap out of me because she acted like she deserved a medal for her part in being transparent about the whole kissing debacle with Michael. It was a shitty thing to do to Stacy. Kind of surprised by Steve's reaction to the experts telling him he needs to get more intimate with Michel and SOON, not on his timeline. Is he not attracted to her? Does he want a companion only? They seem like brother and sister at times. He's quiet and then he blows...just like he snapped at Stacy.

[cinsays]

22 minutes ago, ECM1231 said:

No comments yet? I guess not too many of us are watching. Michael is disgusting; he's never grown up. When he drinks and parties he does stupid things. I wish he had written "leave" as well so that Stacy could be done with him. Not surprised about Mikey and Natasha but was surprised about Connie and Johnny. I had high hopes for those 2; I hope this week they can turn it around. Thank goodness the experts pulled the plug on Hayley and Dave!  I can't believe she wanted to stay, even if it was for spite. Also, she annoyed the crap out of me because she acted like she deserved a medal for her part in being transparent about the whole kissing debacle with Michael. It was a shitty thing to do to Stacy. Kind of surprised by Steve's reaction to the experts telling him he needs to get more intimate with Michel and SOON, not on his timeline. Is he not attracted to her? Does he want a companion only? They seem like brother and sister at times. He's quiet and then he blows...just like he snapped at Stacy.

I was surprised nobody had commented yet.

Yeah, Haley is just an awful person and I am so glad the experts overruled her decision to stay. Why should he have to put up with her for another week. She has clearly checked out - let him get on with his life.  The toothbrush move was pretty low but he did somewhat apologize.

And Michael...….yuck...…..he doesn't remember? Ha, not buying it. I just hope Stacy doesn't decide to forgive him and try to make a go of this. If he did this this early on, somewhere down the line he will cheat again and not remember. How can she not have to constantly worry about that every time he's not with her? She is sweet and deserves much better and her sons don't need this kind of man in their lives.

 

[hoosiermom]

Please! I need more comments! I love this show and I moved this week and now I don’t get this program. 😩

[islandgal140]

Yeah, its crickets up in here which is surprising given the rather explosive episode.

My question about the whole Michael/Haley debacle is: why weren't Cathy and Josh asked anything about what happened?  It seems like the evening kick offed in Cathy and Josh's apartment, which I was surprised to learn halfway through the episode.  Did everything happen there? Or did it just start there and then the party moved to a bar/restaurant? Did Cathy and Josh also go to the bar? Why weren't they asked what they did or didn't see? Also, who told David and Stacey? How is it truly his story vs hers if there are potentially eyewitnesses to this fiasco?

It was exasperating watching Stacey twist herself into a pretzel making excuses for Michael, even to go as far as to call him a victim of Hayley's. I wanted to smack the smug off Michael's face when he thought he was getting away with it. Kudos to the other ladies for pointing it out. Hayley is a piece of work and awful in her own right. I was afraid the therapist would hold them over for another week just for the sake of drama but was relieved when they said staying out of spite was not in the spirit of the show. 

Michael is positively Machiavellian.  He admitted just enough to appear somewhat forthcoming and blamed the rest on an alcohol blackout. Later he tells Hayley he will write leave and makes it look like he is leaving the ball in her court but writes stay instead. 

David's toothbrush stunt was low. He lost whatever moral high ground he had doing that and gave Hayley something to hold over his head and boy did she milk her righteous indignation about it. 

Steve is so rigid and joyless. I noticed during his closeup that he shaves the front of his head, which is weird because it doesn't look like he is balding as I saw root seedlings. Why would anyone do that?

Edited July 17, 2020 by islandgal140

[Neurochick]

1 hour ago, cinsays said:

Yeah, Haley is just an awful person and I am so glad the experts overruled her decision to stay. Why should he have to put up with her for another week. She has clearly checked out - let him get on with his life.  The toothbrush move was pretty low but he did somewhat apologize.

And Michael...….yuck...…..he doesn't remember? Ha, not buying it. I just hope Stacy doesn't decide to forgive him and try to make a go of this. If he did this this early on, somewhere down the line he will cheat again and not remember. How can she not have to constantly worry about that every time he's not with her? She is sweet and deserves much better and her sons don't need this kind of man in their lives.

Hayley is a typical junkie, angry and resentful because she's without her fix.  She's not really clean because she's still drinking.  Hayley, go to rehab and REALLY get clean this time.

Michael's problem is that his personality changes when he drinks, maybe he's got a problem too.  He seriously could have blacked out.  I know people who have blacked out and ended up married, in Vegas, or ended up in different countries.  Believe me, it happens.  Did it happen with Michael?  If so, he needs to stop drinking STAT.

Edited July 17, 2020 by Neurochick

[cinsays]

1 minute ago, Neurochick said:

Hayley is a typical junkie, angry and resentful because she's without her fix.  She's not really clean because she's still drinking.  Hayley, go to rehab and REALLY get clean this time.

Michael's problem is that his personality changes when he drinks, maybe he's got a problem too.

yeah, I was going to suggest they just swap partners - Haley and Michael can go off and mack each other (is that the wording, i couldn't get it?) and keep their awfulness to themselves.

And I could see Stacy and David maybe working too - I think the toothbrush thing was an anomaly and not the kind of thing David would ever do to someone else.

[Neurochick]

4 minutes ago, cinsays said:

yeah, I was going to suggest they just swap partners - Haley and Michael can go off and mack each other (is that the wording, i couldn't get it?) and keep their awfulness to themselves.

And I could see Stacy and David maybe working too - I think the toothbrush thing was an anomaly and not the kind of thing David would ever do to someone else.

To me the toothbrush thing was juvenile, but a lot of people on this show need to grow up.

[Adeejay]

Stacey was going to allow Michael to skate by until Aleks called her out.  It does take two to tango; however, Haley appeared way too gleeful about what happened.  She knew her "marriage" was over, so she seemed hell bent on taking another couple down with them.  Glad they were sent packing.   The only reason Stacey wrote "Leave" is because she knew Michael would write "Stay".  That allowed her to save face.  Really sad about Jon/Connie and Josh/Cathy.  Those were the only two couples I saw in it for the long haul.  I hope they can pull through. Pleasantly surprise about Ivan/Aleks.  

[ECM1231]

1 hour ago, islandgal140 said:

why weren't Cathy and Josh asked anything about what happened?  It seems like the evening kick offed in Cathy and Josh's apartment, which I was surprised to learn halfway through the episode.  Did everything happen there? Or did it just start there and then the party moved to a bar/restaurant?

I could have sworn I heard that it happened in Chris and Vanessa's apartment, which didn't surprise me. Josh and Cathy don't seem to be into the party lifestyle. I could have misheard, not 100% sure.

[LennieBriscoe]

Mes amis! But of course I have ze comments to make! 

Crikey, but Michael is a right bastard! Convinced his patter and faux-forthrightness will get him out of any bind! But were he truly a stand-up guy, he'd have done as he said and written "LEAVE." Once again, he let Stacey down, for she wrote "LEAVE."  One more week to screw up, Michael! BTW, nobody was buying your alleged memory loss. 

Natasha and Mikey put a good face on it, but their break-up was as predictable as the Sun's rising in the East. Their chemistry experiment failed when Natasha's "joke" put out Mikey's Bunsen burner for good. 

I don't know what Connie wants from Jonny, or why she doesn't feel like her real self with him. Maybe he should have "macked on" her earlier!

Whom, I wonder, are Mishel and Steve trying to fool? He's still too bossy and too set in his dull ways for her. Or did I miss a depiction of them scuba diving or some such?

Cathy thinks she's a hot little number, but it's clear to me that she puts weight on easily. Josh still thinks she's beautiful, so her behavior should be so, as well. He's not on board 100% yet.

Which brings us to Couples #1 and #7, the most obvious decisions, visible from Alpha Centauri: "STAY" for Aleks and Ivan; and a Judges' "LEAVE" for Haley and David.

Haley was dissatisfied with her decent and hard-working husband, so she allowed a wannabe player into her room for drinks and smooches, thereby betraying David, Stacy, herself, and even Michael, when she snitched on him! 

So the next week comprises Aleks/Ivan, Cathy/Josh, Mishel/ Steve, Stacy/ Michael, Connie/Jonny. Will anyone change their minds? I think two couples will split the scene.

 

 

[LennieBriscoe]

20 minutes ago, Adeejay said:

Stacey was going to allow Michael to skate by until Aleks called her out.  It does take two to tango; however, Haley appeared way too gleeful about what happened.  She knew her "marriage" was over, so she seemed hell bent on taking another couple down with them.  Glad they were sent packing.   The only reason Stacey wrote "Leave" is because she knew Michael would write "Stay".  That allowed her to save face.  Really sad about Jon/Connie and Josh/Cathy.  Those were the only two couples I saw in it for the long haul.  I hope they can pull through. Pleasantly surprise about Ivan/Aleks.  

I just re-watched. Michael told Stacey he would "put up 'LEAVE'."

[Adeejay]

5 minutes ago, LennieBriscoe said:

I just re-watched. Michael told Stacey he would "put up 'LEAVE'."

I think Stacey knew he was bluffing.  

[Neurochick]

1 hour ago, ECM1231 said:

I could have sworn I heard that it happened in Chris and Vanessa's apartment, which didn't surprise me. Josh and Cathy don't seem to be into the party lifestyle. I could have misheard, not 100% sure.

You are right, it was Chris and Vanessa's apartment, that was probably vacant since they left the experiment.

I hope someone takes Hayley aside and tells her that she needs a REAL rehab.  She's not sober.  Not only is she drinking, but she's engaging in junkie behavior.  First she was flirting with one of the women in the same sex marriage, then she was flirting with Josh, which was why Cathy became insecure and then she set her sights on Michael, who's a sloppy drunk.  I'm not sure I believe anything that came out of Hayley's mouth.  She told Stacey that she kissed Michael one time, yet later during the commitment ceremony she said they kissed more than once.  

When Hayley told David she didn't like that he made so little money, she was telling David who she was.  She wants $$$.  She probably found out Michael has his own business and that was why she set her sights on him.  Hayley said she was on "ice."  Okay, she's clean off of  that, but now she's turning to alcohol and sex.  Same thing honey.

I think Connie's problem is she doesn't let Jonny know what she's feeling.  She gave him a thumbs up.  Connie, a thumbs up means it's all good.  If she was THAT upset she should tell Jonny that she's upset, the man's not a mind reader.  She needs to put down those romance books and deal with the man in front of her.

Edited July 17, 2020 by Neurochick

[Guest]

This episode was as rough as Michael and Haley looked. The thing is, I do actually believe Michael thinks he loves Stacey - the problem is he'll always put drinking over her and still sees blacking out every weekend as normal partying. Alcohol consumption is so normalized (particularly in Australia apparently) that it's really difficult to get people, especially men, to see it as a problem. Stacey will be miserable.

Was surprised to see Natasha/Mikey bow out without a real explanation after reconciling. Maybe I've just gotten used to couples on these shows hating each other's guts by the end.

David's toothbrush stunt was childish and disgusting, but Haley kept bringing it up like he was trying to poison her. Enough! You're the one who proudly announced you wanted to force him to stay a week and sulk. Accept that you're both terrible people and move on.

I'm so over Connie. They've spent days arguing over the true intent of a thumbs up emoji - Jesus Christ, go back to middle school. Johnny seems a bit smug and does like gaslighting her a bit too much, but Connie is nonstop passive aggression and drama. I'm surprised, as they were originally my favorite couple and I found her very endearing.

Steve/Mishel is an ongoing question mark. I thought both Mishel and the show glossed over his breakdown about his son. Also it irritated me that her reaction was "good job showing me emotion!!" as opposed to actually discussing what he was upset about. So his son is stuck in the UK for some reason? I can't figure these two out. Is she into him, or does she feel sorry for him? Is he into her, or does he feel pressure to make it work? The fact that he continues to balk at the mere idea of having sex with her 4-6 weeks in just reaffirms that he's far too reserved for it to ever work. I think Steve is a good guy at heart, but he's overly sensitive (hi Connie!) and wants a caretaker. Plus he's downright curmudgeonly. Mishel has way more zest for life than Steve at this point - and wants her partner and sex life to match.

[UniqueHandle]

I don't think Haley would have been as upset about the whole toothbrush situation if Mishel wouldn't have pumped her up. Mishel was furious about the toothbrush situation. Sure, it's super nasty... it was also done on US reality tv a couple times (Shannon to Hardy on BB and Real World New Orleans Preston did it to... I can't remember).  I wonder if David ever watched BBUS. Haley mentioned in one of the episodes about her practical jokes, so I am sure she wouldn't have been as bothered and the fact that David sent it to all the guys shows he wanted to be caught. 

Also, it drove me NUTS (like yelling at the TV nuts) watching Haley smirk whilst she talked to Stacey at Stacey's apartment and while she listened to Stacey rant at the dinner party. That little "I won" smile made me crazy. The night of the bachelorette party (hens night) SHE made the toast to the ladies that they would stay true and loyal to each other... I rolled my eyes that night as I watched because my ex-best friend once told me out of the blue, "I would never hit on anyone's husband"... only to find out a year later, she was trying to stick her tongue down my ex-husbands throat on New Year's Eve. Why would anyone just say that?? Because they are that type of person. 

If I were experts, I would have told Stacey and Michael they were exempt from the Stay/Leave UNLESS Michael gets help for his drinking... and if they didn't want to say it, they could have suggested it to Stacey. I am not sure how it works on MAFSAU and how much production can step in, but three weeks together and three weeks of Michael drinking so much he "can't remember"; seems like an issue. 

Connie and Johnny - she has a really high wall and he keeps trying to put his feet on the little climbing holds and every time he gets his two feet on climbing holds, she kicks one off. Then she peels one of his hands off a climbing hold... well, pretty soon he is going to be left hanging there and when he falls off, he is going to give up. He needs to get a hotel room away from the cameras, take her there, tell her he really likes her, do the deed, tell her again he really likes her and I think a whole new Connie will emerge. As long as he reminds her every day that he likes her, everything with be okay.

Cathy and Josh - they will be fine as long as he doesn't threaten to leave and he never, ever, ever, ever, ever looks at another girl. 

Ivan and Aleks - I think they are my favorite. I thought for sure they were going to be the worst but they are really so chill. He is kind of a dick to everyone but her and she is so stuck up to everyone but him. They remind me of everyone in my neighborhood. 

Chris and Vanessa - they were my husbands favorite couple. He is so sad Chris is gone. Apparently, Vanessa left because Michael and Haley were dry humping (is that what the kids are still calling it these days) on her and Chris's bed and Chris didn't do anything to stop it. She was super upset because Haley was cheating on Dave and Chris wouldn't do anything to break it up and and was in the hall crying and Josh heard her and went in the hall and she told Josh what happened and Josh told Chris. Anyway, long story short, that's why Vanessa and Chris broke up (oh... of course there are a million other stories out there. I think I read 6 different toothbrush stories last night before I fell asleep).

Natasha and Mikey - WHAT???!?!? I seriously thought they were going to skip the dinner party to work on things. I said to my husband, "maybe Stacey sent Nat a text and told her what was going on so they are going to sit this out because of the drama last week... you know because they want a strong foundation for the rest of the experiment." WTF! I was SO wrong! Something else had to be going on in their relationship besides the "best 10 seconds" thing, right? There had to be more. But what do I know, I thought they were building a stronger foundation. hahahahahaha

Steve and Mishel - ick. He acts way older than 52. I am 53 and I act 15 years younger than he does and I have a serious auto-immune disease. He is such a stick in the mud. Michel says she loves the outdoors and she loves adventure but I don't buy it. I think they are both fake. If she lived in the US, she would be a Karen. 

And that leaves me with Stacey and Michael - She didn't want anything to do with him when she met him until the girls googled him and she found out he was the Ice King. Last week, she was wearing $850 tennies and had two purses each worth over $1300 on a shelf; she knows what she likes and she knows how to take care of herself. She started out looking at him like he was a happy meal from McDonalds but by the end of the night he was Wagyu Filet. He saw her and saw a real beauty with brains... but he is going to mess this up. He should get help and prove to her that he can be a good guy.