Married At First Sight (MAFS): whether you know it, love it and can’t get enough of it or have absolutely no clue what it is, it is undoubtedly all anyone in the office is talking about.
For all those too pressed for time to watch (or would rather watch anything else), this is your (somewhat) reliable source of juicy updates to keep up with all the office banter.
For the avid MAFS viewers, if you’re here because you want to know whether or not your MAFS opinions are controversial, I hope you find solace below.
Episode Eighteen: Dan’s Fitness Regime
After the tumultuous commitment ceremony that saw Jesse forced to remain in the experiment after he wrote ‘leave’ and Claire wrote ‘stay’, Jesse woke in certain despair, primarily through the choice of attire.
To rub salt into the wound that is Jesse’s insecurity about his worthiness of love after Claire’s betrayal, he was commissioned to join his bride on a lunch date with her father. Talk about timing.
Claire confessed her indiscretion to her father in front of Jesse.
“Jesse, have you forgiven her?” Asked Claire’s father, point blank.
Jesse gave a diplomatic answer, stating that he would see what actions Claire would take during this next week to make amends. A classic delaying tactic, however, one that Jesse needs if his low mood is anything to go by.
The great drama of the episode centred around a mostly ignored couple, Dan and Sandy. Cracks in their relationship were revealed during the commitment ceremony when Dan showed he was not sexually attracted to Sandy. However, the comment has opened the floodgates of that much-anticipated drama, which is MAFS’s specialty.
In a surprising turn of events, Sandy confirmed that she and Dan had sex despite his comments on the couch the night before. The following morning Dan excused himself to go on a run.
However, the groom was gone for over six hours despite Dan’s friend and Sandy’s sister being due to visit. Frazzled and justifiably upset, Sandy broke down, confessing she felt her spouse wanted nothing to do with her even after the intimacy they shared.
Sandy revealed that Dan had expressed on an earlier occasion that sex was something he could disconnect from emotionally and bore no reflection on whether or not he had feelings for the person with which he was having sex. His wife, Sandy, revealed that she could not disconnect from sex emotionally.
Why the couple had sex is the ultimate question, especially considering he had not been attracted to her only a few hours before.
When Dan returns from his six-hour run, he is on the defensive. Although marathons are completed in less time, the groom maintained that six hours was not unreasonable and fought with Sandy about her creating drama around him just ‘going a for a run’.
“Why are you starting a fight over a run?” Asked an abrasive Dan.
It should be noted that Dan looked as though he had just stepped out of the shower upon his return home from his’ run’, with no sweat patch or sign of exertion in sight.
Then came the arrival of their respective friends. Dan inadvertently began insulting Sandy, implying that she was lazy and continuing with his mantra that she could use the alone time to do things she enjoys for herself.
On the other hand, Sandy explained that she felt ignored and that, given their little time in the experiment, she believed they should spend as much time together as possible cultivating an actual relationship.
Dan’s friend asked to speak with him privately, and there was some… intense eye contact. Instead of calling Dan out for making zero compromises or an effort to meet Sandy halfway, she validates him in his selfish behaviour. She further strokes his ego, stating that he’s come this far and shouldn’t settle for anything less than perfect.
A mindset like this could explain why the groom was single, given a relationship requires both give and take. A partner is not mail-to-order to fit your life, but a real person you must compromise with to reach a mutually happy agreement.
