Married At First Sightseason 18 has been a struggle viewers as they work through the failings of the experts for another season, and it’s become clear that after struggling with their jobs,theMarried At First Sightexperts will likely be replaced by next seasons. ThroughoutMarried At First Sightseason 18, there have been issues with the team of experts on the show that have generally frustrated viewers of the show. While the experts are often left out of the earliest phases of the relationships, they’re usually not absent, which is whatMAFSseason 18’s cast is experiencing.
Throughout thelast several seasons ofMarried At First Sight,viewers have had a hard time with the way the experts have functioned. While Dr. Pepper Schwartz, who’s been on the show sinceMarried At First Sightseason 1, has been a fixture on the series, the other experts have varying degrees of tenure. Pastor Cal Roberson, who joined the show duringMAFSseason 4, has his own expertise in marriage and relationships, while Dr. Pia Holec, who only joined in duringMAFSseason 15. Throughout the last several seasons,the experts have been trying and failing to create matches.
While the group has been trying to generate their chemistry and create matches that work both on the series and in the real world,theMarried At First Sightexpertshave struggled to be able to keep themselves on track with a standard success rate. Prior toMAFSseason 12, there were typically multiple couples choosing each other on Decision Day, and at least one of those couples remained together after the show. While there were some outliers,it was typical that at least one match, usually more, would come out of each season unscathedand excited for the future.
Throughout the last several seasons ofMarried At First Sight,there have been issues with the success rate as it’s crashed to be disastrously low. AfterMAFSseason 17’s deception from the cast members, wherein they tried to dupe the producers and experts as they moved through the experiment so they’d be certain to get a good edit, things clearly needed to change for the current season of the series. While the matches may seem a bit more palatable,Married At First Sightseason 18seems to have the same unfortunate issues as its predecessors, leaving the experts to blame.
There Have Only Been Two Lasting Couples In Recent Years
AsMarried At First Sightviewers follow along with the series, there have been an array of issues within the last few seasons that have been difficult to see on screen. On top of the difficult moments of the last seasons of the series,Married At First Sighthasn’t had successful relationships consistently in years. In the last six seasons,only two of the thirty matches made by the experts have come out of the experiment togetherand continued on to have a successful relationship. While there isn’t expected to be a 100% success rate, things have been bleak.
In the last several years, only two couples have gone on to be successful from the show.Married At First Sightseason 12’sVincent Morales and Briana Myles are married with a daughter after meeting and getting to know each other on the series, though they had their share of issues on the show. In more recent seasons,Married At First Sightseason 16’s Nicole Woley and Chris Thielk were excited to meet during the experiment, and have managed to stay together after the show. Otherwise,no matches have been able to succeed in their relationships.
7Pastor Cal Roberson Has Struggled To Give Diplomatic Advice
He’s Not Able To Distance Himself Enough
Although he’s been part of the show sinceMarried At First Sightseason 4,Pastor Cal has had a difficult timestaying in touch with the cast and their relationship issues as the show has continued on. Pastor Cal is a relationship counselor that comes from a background of religious counseling, which can be difficult for some people. Despite knowing that he’s coming from a different place than many of theMAFSparticipants,Pastor Cal doesn’t really change his approach from couple to couple.
Instead, Pastor Cal comes from a place of knowing that his relationship experience has colored his perception in a certain way. He’s been able to be helpful to some, but has struggled in helping others and keeping his answers more diplomatic. In moments of tension,Pastor Cal’s help doesn’t always appear to be what theMarried At First Sightcast needs.
6MAFS Hasn’t Utilized The Experts On Screen
They Haven’t Been Present
Throughout the current season of the series, theMarried At First Sightexperts haven’t been featured anywhere near as much as they had been in the past. WhiletheMAFSexperts are often seen very early in the season, especially before the couples have met and been married, there’s usually a lull where they aren’t featured as heavily. Throughout the first stretch of theMAFSmarriages, there isn’t much going on with the experts, but they do appear at times.
DuringMAFSseason 18, there’s been a lot of issues with the experts being shown and utlized by the participants. Throughout the course of the season, the experts have only shown up a few times and haven’t been able to help the couples navigate their difficulties. While the experts aren’t theonly line of defense thatMAFScouples have, they should be more active in helping the couples get established in their early days of marriage. With the experts clearly off-screen,it feels like the show could be phasing them out.
5Dr. Pia Holec Has Treated MAFS Counseling Like A Court Case
She Hasn’t Been Unbiased In Her Discussions
AsMarried At First Sighthas been getting used to the presence ofDr. Piaover the last few seasons, many have found that her style of counseling isn’t something that works for them. TheMAFSseason 18 couples seem to be having similar issues in adjusting to the way Dr. Pia counsels, as there are some who feel that her response to conflict pushes her into a more combative headspace. TheMarried At First Sightexperts appear to all have different approachesto the way they counsel couples, butDr. Pia’s tactics have proven to be unconventional.
As Dr. Pia has moved throughMarried At First Sightseason 18, it’s been clear that her tactics aren’t landing with some of the participants. In recent episodes,it’s felt like Dr. Pia has been more combative, treating her counseling sessions more like court casesthan couples counseling. While Dr. Pia may be trying something unorthodox, the argumentative nature her counseling sessions land in makes it feel feel like the couples and the viewers aren’t doing well within her parameters.
4MAFS Has Been Pushing Couples To Counsel Each Other
They’ve Been Having The Couples Work In An Echo Chamber
Throughout the first stretch of episodes ofMarried At First Sightseason 18, the couples have been on their own for the majority of the season. Pushed to deal with the delicate beginnings of their relationships on their own, without the help of theMAFSexperts, it’s been clear that the couples have been struggling doing things on their own. Though they’ve been connecting to the best of their ability,theMarried At First Sightcoupleshave been relying on each other more than anyone else, asthey’re the only ones who have been able to understand eacn other.
With so much happening early on in theMAFSprocess,it’s clear that the couples have been having a hard time meeting each other in the middlewith communication, clarity, and consideration. The couples have struggled to connect and resolve their issues, but they’ve also been living within an echo chamber throughout their time on the show as they’ve only been talking to other participants about their issues. TheMAFScouples have needed the experts’ input, but haven’t had it accessible.
3Dr. Pepper Schwartz Has Been On The Show Since The Beginning
She’s Been On The Show For Too Long
Despite the fact that she’s been one of the longest-reigning experts on the series,Dr. Pepper’s longevity onMarried At First Sightis more to her detriment than her advantage.Dr. Pepper has been a part of the show since the very beginning, but her time onMAFShas been getting more difficult in recent years. Though she’s often the voice of reason when it comes to matching couples together who may not work out, Dr. Pepper isn’t the strongest voice in the group of experts.
With so much time onMarried At First Sightunder her belt, Dr. Pepper has had a ton of experience matching couples together and seeing them take on the experiment. While the experience is an asset, her time on the series has been something that may be coloring her attempts to match new couples up moving forward.Dr. Pepper may need some time away from the series to refresh and regroup, but may need to be replaced altogether for the show to succeed.
2MAFS Has Shown The Experts Failing Matchmaking Process
They Weren’t Able To Offer Genuine Explanations
Although theMarried At First Sightseason 18 matchmaking specialwas a show of how the experts were looking at the participants and the ways they were evaluating them to be matched up. Throughout the special,Dr. Pepper, Dr. Pia, and Pastor Cal spoke with the potential participants at length, allowing them to tour theMAFScameras through their homes and explaining what they were looking for in a relationship as they moved forward in the process. The couples were selected during the special, and it was clear that the experts felt confident in their matches.
While the matchmaking special was eye opening for viewers, it wasn’t because of the experts giving their expertise. Many viewers felt that the experts were struggling to create genuine matches throughout the special, making it clear that they weren’t going to work on the series. After theMAFSseason 18 matchmaking special,most viewers didn’t expect to see the couples of the season succeed, or even show much compatibility.
1The MAFS Experts Aren’t A Cohesive Group
The Experts Don’t Share Enough Common Ground
Although theMarried At First Sightexperts all have their own brand of expertiseas they move through the process, it’s clear that the group isn’t cohesive and don’t share common ground when it comes to matchmaking. The experts, as they make their way through the process of the season,aren’t available to theMAFSparticipantsand don’t seem to reconvene over what’s going on in their relationships. Instead, they stand idly by as the relationships they’ve created struggle to stay together.
Though the experts have their own strengths, it’s clear thatthe team thatMarried At First Sighthas built over the years isn’t cohesive. With each expert coming to the table with something different to add, the mixture of their strengths winds up creating some interesting weaknesses, which add to the low success rate of the series.Married At First Sighthas continually proven the experts aren’t a great match themselves, which makes them unable to create successful relationships.
Married At First Sightairs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. EST on Lifetime.
Married At First Sight
Cast
Based on the Danish version of the series, Married at First Sight is a reality show/social experiment that gives singles a chance to find a lifelong partnership with one particular caveat: they must agree to marry a stranger arranged the moment they meet. Experts provide counseling and guidance as they help couples navigate their new marriage with their unknown partner and highlight the journey of the newlyweds from wedding to honeymoon to beginning their new lives together. At the end of eight weeks, couples will decide to stay married or divorce.
