What did the experts do?
We often joke about the seemingly random process the experts take when matching the pairings, but Married at First Sight Season 11 Episode 5 has shown us now more than ever that they’re presenting us with pairings for drama more than compatibility.
How else can you explain what’s going on with most, if not all, the couples?
Let’s start things off with Henry and Christina. They’re the hardest couple to watch at the moment. Watching paint dry is more exciting, and much of that falls on Henry.
Here’s the thing, though. I’m not going to bash this man. Henry is duller than a butter knife slicing through a t-bone steak, but it’s getting to a point where it’s almost as if they’re making a mockery of him with these edits.
Henry is shy, quiet, reserved, and excruciatingly awkward. The only thing worse than sitting through scenes where Christina does her damndest to pull this man out of his shell is watching Henry devolve into a series of tics and other things when someone makes him uncomfortable.
WHAT did the experts think when they paired these two? Henry and Christina go beyond “opposites attract,” and it’s not fair to either of them that they’re in a marriage that doesn’t stand a chance.
Henry thinks he’s a laid-back person, but he comes across uptight. And this isn’t the only disconnect he has going on. He doesn’t communicate with Christina at all.
He barely talks about himself, so she’s having a hard time getting to know him. He also doesn’t share with HER any of his feelings or thoughts, and he’s not easy to read.
Henry speaks more to the camera than he does Christina, so she doesn’t know that he likes her and is having a fun time. She’s in the dark about where he stands in their relationship and process.
He’s also unaware that Christina feels as if she’s not connecting with him. Henry is proud of himself for embarking on this journey and doing something outside of his routine and norm.
He’s patting himself on the back and oblivious to how much Christina is struggling, and that’s why Christina has to tell him how she feels.
He doesn’t even know anything is wrong. It’s made worse when they’re with the other couples.
Amani was grilling him about whether or not he was going to get more aggressive (and the word should’ve been “assertive” since he was visibly uncomfortable with the notion that he had to be “aggressive.”).
Woody and Amani were both incapable of hiding their facial expressions when listening and seeing Henry and Henry and Christina in action. It almost felt as though Henry was the butt of a joke he wasn’t read in on, and it surpassed being entertaining a long time ago.
Especially since you can’t help but wonder if the guy is dealing with some anxiety or something. My goodness, the man downed tequila, and it still didn’t make him loosen up.
On the flip side, Christina is making an effort, but it’s also getting to be too much how often she reminds Henry that he hasn’t traveled as much or experienced the things that she has.
With the lack of romantic chemistry and a tacit Henry, Christina has resorted to treating him like something between a pet project and a child.
She thinks it’s her mission to broaden his horizons, but it’s in such a manner that it comes across patronizing. It’s almost emasculating.
Henry is rolling with it now, but there will come a time when he snaps, and it’s not going to be pleasant. Amid all of this awkwardness, they haven’t even gotten to know each other as the other couples have.
And now that Christina has sat with the others and seen them in action, she can’t help but compare her and Henry to them. She’ll start resenting him in no time.
Meanwhile, Karen and Miles have some underlying issues too. On the surface, they seem perfect, and Miles has been amazing so far.
But once again, the experts paired people with an age difference without taking into consideration the impact it may have.
Miles kept making cougar jokes about Karen, and after a while, they got old (pardon the pun). It also didn’t do him any favors when Karen is already having some concerns about him not being mature enough.
Of course, this is Karen, who is almost looking for a reason for this not to work out. She’s waiting for the other shoe to drop. Oddly enough, Miles has always come across mature, and when he went into detail about how that’s present in his career as well, it should’ve put the maturity thing to bed.
But Karen is also apprehensive about Miles’ dating habits. He told her that he’s been in 10 serious, monogamous relationships.
For one, it sounded like an exaggeration on his part. It also seemed as if he thought it was a positive attribute that showed he’s a monogamous man, serious about relationships, and he isn’t a player.
The problem is that Miles is only 26 years old. Ten serious relationships is a lot for someone so young. Karen said she only had two, and she’s 30.
It made Karen feel as though Miles is a relationship hopper, and while Karen is always looking for a red flag somewhere, this time, her reservations are understandable.
However, Karen has to get a grip and accept that she signed up for this process. She’s going out of her way to call Miles “a stranger,” and dwelling on that.
One of the cool things she has going for her is the friendship with Amani and Woody. The four of them are adorable together, and the friendship feels authentic.
Woody and Amani’s chemistry is genuine too.
They are coming across as the best couple at the moment.
They’re definitely attracted to each other, and it feels as though they’ve been married for a while. They also are forming a friendship.
Amani is vulnerable with Woody, and she’s putting herself out there. It was interesting that she shared with him that she isn’t as experienced with sex.
He most certainly is, but he reassured her that it would be amazing for them despite that. And she also talked about the ex who was married. She let him know a lot of her relationship insecurities, and you have to give her props for being so open this early.
She’s an open-book to him, and if they can keep communicating like that, they may do well. Woody has to return that same energy, though. If he can be as open, honest, and vulnerable with her too, then maybe they’ll be OK.
They’ve been a surprise couple. It’s still possible things will get messy for them, but for now, they’re good.
Amelia/Bennett is the couple we thought would be perfect, but there are cracks. It’s only a matter of time before their issues are brought to light.
Right now, they also get along well. They have a similar vibe, and of course, quirkiness.
Bennett is still wearing this nightshirt to bed. And he would be the man who wore underwear to go swimming instead of trunks.
They keep broaching the topic of relocating for Amelia’s career, and they dance around it without having a full discussion.
It’s evident Bennett does not want to relocate, and he’s also a person who lives for the theater.
Amelia wants a house husband who stays at home and takes care of their children while she practices medicine.
Bennett doesn’t sound as if he wants to give up the theater, and he has stated that he doesn’t want biological children but is willing to “cave” and adopt. And he doesn’t want to live anywhere else.
It makes you wonder why the experts paired them. Some of these things aren’t minor issues that one can compromise. They got so caught up on both of them being “quirky” that they didn’t think about anything else.
The same applies to Olivia and Brett.
It’s funny that the most outspoken taciturn Henry got the entire installment was talking about Brett.
Brett and Olivia appear to get along well. Olivia thinks they’re compatible and perfect with each other. She sounds a bit naive, and she’s unaware of what we’ve seen from Brett.
We’ve been patiently waiting for Bachelor Party Brett to come out, and he’s been hibernating. He’s still in there, though.
They both talked about their spouses cheating on them, and man, every single person on this show doesn’t have baggage, they have full-on luggage.
Brett thought it was odd that Olivia hadn’t dated anyone in three and a half years, and Olivia was rightfully caught off guard that Brett was still dating two days before he was matched up with her.
He also told her that the girl he was seeing was nice, and they were hitting it off, but basically, the only reason he stopped was because of getting matched on the show.
I mean, that’s a blow to a girl’s ego, and if it wasn’t, it should be. But Olivia also doesn’t know that Brett was hitting on girls at the bachelor party, including both of Henry’s friends, and it looked like he left with a woman that night, too.
Brett is saying all the things Olivia wants to hear, but when he speaks about their compatibility, it sounds fake.
When he spoke about Olivia, it sounded like a teacher talking about a decent student on a report card.
But even so, he was selling it well until the conversation about kids came up. He wants them, and she doesn’t.
The issue is that she’s not coming right out and saying she doesn’t want children. It’s like she realized he does want them, so now she doesn’t want to say she flat out doesn’t. Instead, she’s alluding to it, and you know damn well that’s something they would’ve have mentioned on their paperwork.
So again, why did the experts pair the seemingly insecure, who is serious about relationships and doesn’t want children with the arrogant, shallow serial dater/playboy who wants kids?
Make it make sense!
Over to you, MAFS Fanatics.
Which red flags caught your eye the most? Do you feel bad for Christina? Henry? Both?
What are your thoughts on Woody and Amani? Do you think the experts are only matching for drama and not love? Hit the comments below.
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.