Reunion time is where you get all the drama and the fun.
And Married at First Sight Season 11 Episode 17 did not disappoint, as it gave us the final updates on all the couples, and everyone gathered together to discuss their experiences, their social media attention, and their unique friendship.
But, of course, the standout during the reunion was a personal favorite, Henry.
The good news, well, I suppose it’s not the greatest for all those thirsty people who have been dying to slide into Miles’ DM’s.
The good news is that nothing has changed since the finale. All of the couples who chose to stay together on Decision Day remain together.
Of all the installments, this was the time we got to a proper look at who everyone really is. It’s true that during the series, editing can lead some people to appear different than how they are in person.
During a reunion, you get the most realistic view of these participants you watch for weeks, and maybe by then, it changes your perspective of how you perceived them during the series.
It must be hard participating in a reality show that films months in advance. Later, you have to watch yourself on TV, and you experience the world’s reaction to you.
It’s been a buzzworthy season, and everyone, myself included, had strong opinions and weren’t afraid to share them about these individuals.
From the sounds of it, Karen, Christina, Olivia, Henry, and Brett were the most polarizing participants. And the women especially experienced a hell of a lot of negativity.
It led to some of them, like Christina, taking breaks from social media, and others, like Olivia and Karen, speaking out against things said about them. You could tell it bothered them, and that’s unfortunate.
You hate to see ugliness and nastiness spread about and knowing that the people it’s about are seeing it all does suck. I guess it’s a definite con you have to deal with as a result of being on a series like this.
Brett and Olivia had a brief reunion. Brett zoomed-in from his home, and honestly, there wasn’t much else that needed to be said. Yet, they rehashed a bunch of the same stuff anyway.
Looking back on some of the clips, it’s remarkable how different their wedding day was. Olivia, on her wedding day, was a different person than who we saw for the remainder of the season.
Brett was always someone who sent mixed messages. The initial distaste with him stemmed from his first meeting with the guys where he sounded like an arrogant jerk and then hit on the waitress.
Then, of course, he left the Bachelor party early without saying goodbye, and he spent most of the night hitting on Henry’s friend.
It was never much of a secret that Brett came across as an ass, but he also couldn’t win within his relationship with Olivia. They were not a good match, and they unraveled around the time they shared their finances.
Their reunion was weird. Brett was just phoning it in, no doubt because of the show expecting it, and Olivia was still angry and hostile.
They traded barbs and potshots, and Olivia mentioned that Brett, the serial dater, is still out dating, and she said her friends send her screenshots every time he matches with them.
Olivia’s friends sound messy, Olivia seems too invested in a guy she never actually cared for in the first place, and Brett probably needs to stick to casual dating.
Brett and Olivia weren’t prepared for this process, and that’s fine.
It came as no surprise that Brett opted out of the group reunion and that no one else from the cast outside of Woody keeps in touch with him. Woody is the resident nice guy, and he’s also lowkey nosey as hell, so go figure.
Amelia and Bennett also had to phone in the reunion since they were in Richmond. The two of them looked good, and you can tell they settled into their new life together.
Their little apartment was adorable, and they remain the cutest.
It seems life is going well for them, and Bennett has a new job that he’s enjoying. Amelia is deep into her residency, and that has affected the quality time they spend with one another with her long days, but they’re making it work.
Amelia choosing to focus on Family Medicine is suitable for her. I would’ve guessed Peds, but this gives her some of that anyway.
Bennett and Amelia are just as fun, quirky, lovable, and well-loved as ever. And it was priceless when they sang a song for Kevin and later for the others.
Everyone loves Bennett and Amelia. It’s hard no to, I guess.
But everyone loves Woody and Amani, too. They’ve been the fan-favorite couple all-season, and they brought more of that magic into the reunion special.
They both seem as if they’re shocked but living their dream, finding love in such an unorthodox manner. Woody cannot stop getting emotional, and even Kevin commented about how his wife wants him to be more like Woody.
Woody blossomed before our eyes, and he remained a steady, strong, decent figure throughout. It’s adorable to see how emotional he gets when he talks about their love story.
When he got down on his knee and gave Amani an engagement that he felt suited her better as an official symbol that he chose her this time, it was sweet.
Woody knows how to put on a show. The only thing missing was the dog.
But the cutest part about them during the installment was that they moved a few houses away from Karen and Miles. I don’t know how much more adorable that can be.
The friendship between Woody and Miles was always strong; they came into this process together as best friends, but it was a blast to see it play out in front of our eyes.
It’s something special and sweet about these four living so close to one another. According to the brood, they hang out with each other a few times a week, and it’s like something out of a sitcom.
Karen and Miles decided to stay together on Decision Day, and their marriage is still working out for them. It’s about time for the naysayers to respect their choice and leave them alone.
Miles chose what was best for him, and he believes that’s Karen. They spoke about the growth and how close they got since the season ended. Maybe they needed to be away from the cameras to get their marriage into gear.
Before they even confirmed they were still together, you could see the difference in them.
Miles and Karen both looked gorgeous as usual (they and Woody and Amani are the best-dressed couples of the season), and they were super affectionate with each other.
It’s a significant difference from what we saw onscreen. But even when Kevin showed some unaired scenes, Karen was more down to earth and fun than what we saw for most of the season.
Karen had no problem claiming her man publicly when acknowledging all of the messages Miles gets because of the show, and they seem happy together. I’m glad this couple is working out despite their rocky relationship onscreen.
And Karen is a woman who stands by her every move, words, and thoughts. I was surprised that she had no regrets about her behavior the entire time, but I respect her honesty.
I respected Henry’s brutal honesty, too. Admittedly, I have a soft spot for Henry, but one thing he showed was what happens when you push a quiet, reserved person too far.
Henry and Christina were a disastrous pairing from the beginning. Their interview with Keving wasn’t that bad.
They said they weren’t keeping in touch with each other, and Christina didn’t care for the negative things said about either of them on social media.
It didn’t get messy until the entire group was together, and Kevin brought up the text message situation. When Kevin asked about it, Henry went from trying to be diplomatic, to spilling all of the tea and telling it like it was when he felt as though Christina was trying to deny everything.
Apparently, the text came about when Christina felt she was going to look bad on TV, and she wanted Henry to have her back. When she wasn’t sure if he would, she tried to blackmail him with this mysterious text message saying that he was gay.
The origins of the text remain a mystery since the story about who sent it has changed a dozen times. And Christina never produced the text message.
At some point, she even implied that production may have sent it to her since she wasn’t getting along with production at the time.
It was all so messy, and as Henry went into the gory details of what Christina was doing and how it made him feel, the range of reactions from the rest of the cast was epic.
Woody, ever the messy was, was entertained by the whole ordeal, and so was Amani. Olivia didn’t even know what to say about it all, but I kind of think she didn’t like the idea of it being aired out like this.
Bennett looked horrified, and Amelia was drinking tea.
Henry spent most of the season coming across as a soft-spoken, quiet man who didn’t reveal too much, but he didn’t mince words during that time.
You could tell the entire situation bothered him. He also revealed that he had issues on their wedding day. During the reception, he found out that Christina was in a five-year relationship with a married man, and it was toxic on both sides, and then eight months later, she was marrying him.
Henry kept his guard up because of the information he found out then, and he was concerned about how their relationship would be. Christina’s text fiasco eventually confirmed suspicions he had the entire time.
Christina appeared humiliated that all of this information was coming out, and she got emotional and cried, which is what she tends to do when things get intense.
Christina also revealed that she’s in a relationship with someone else, but she said it’s not serious. I don’t know if she downplayed it after realizing the implications of that or not, but it’s all bizarre.
It’s sad that Christina was concerned about how she’d come across on TV, and for the most part, she did not come across the best most of the season.
It was highlighed even more when the group started discussing how close they are.
The only thing better than some of the couples was the friendship that developed between Miles, Woody, Henry, and Bennett.
We knew Woody and Miles were close, and Miles and Henry were cool, too, but Woody and Henry are also pretty damn close, and it was funny to hear about all of the times he hangs out with Henry and how he’s more outgoing than he appeared on the show.
Honestly, I would give for a show or at least some check-ins with the guys all hanging out together. Their friendship is adorable.
Another season of Married at First Sight is under our belts, and a new season will be coming with the new year. They’ll be in Atlanta this time.
Over to you, MAFS fanatics! Have you been watching along with me, or am I talking to myself? What did you think about the couples?
Do you think some of the contestants were unfairly judged and discussed? What are your thoughts on the Henry and Christina fiasco?
Click the blue SHOW COMMENTS button below, and let’s hear your thoughts! You can watch Married at First Sight online here via TV Fanatic.
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.