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 Thirty-Three: Final Ceremonies Part One
After the disaster of the dinner party that saw the true colours revealed by the likes of Cam, and the final showdown between Harrison and Bronte that had the bride storming off, done with the groom once and for all, final ceremonies week has left everything in question.
Which couples will stay? At this point, the only couple that doesn’t appear to be on the rocks is Tahnee and Ollie, but we may yet see a curveball with the youngest contestants.
In true MAFS style, final ceremonies are stretched out for as long as possible, with only two couples per episode denying or confirming their relationships in final vows. Last night’s episode saw the final vows between couples Melinda and Layton and Alyssa and Duncan.
Each couple spends a week apart at home to reflect on what they truly want. Of course, there are several confessionals and intimate on-camera discussions with a chosen family member for viewers to see if they agree or disagree with the advice the participants received from their loved ones.
Layton and Melinda both independently rewatch their initial wedding ceremony, where Melinda had been quick to judge her groom, which she admits. Layton appeared to find the comments amusing.
Turning to his sister for help, Layton’s analytical mind and repression of emotion, an essential topic of discussion throughout the experiment, are addressed directly. Melinda had told Layton she was in love with him at the dinner party, which he initially rejected by questioning how that could be when they still struggle to communicate.
“I hate to think of what Mel felt in that moment,” reflected a teary Layton.
His sister said she hoped Layton would find a way to connect with his emotions. Suddenly, Layton revealed the truth sharing the fear that almost everyone has, which was someone falling out of love, as his parents had.
Melinda, on the other hand, turns to her mother for support.
“I will never be hurt like that again,” claimed Melinda, after discussing how rejected she felt after confessing her feelings for Layton.
However, when vows come around Layton, viewers needn’t have worried the couple remained together.
“I realised there were moments you needed me, and I wasn’t there to support you. There were moments where you didn’t feel secure, and I was able to make you feel safe,” confessed Layton.
“At times, I let my pride, ego, and insecurities get the better of me.”
Melinda shared that she wasn’t ready to let go of the relationship, revealing that she believed Layton was her match.
“I love you,” expressed Melinda.
The two later shared they were hoping for a house at the beach, two boys and a happy future together.
Duncan and Alyssa, on the other hand, were not as cheery. Duncan turned to his sister for support, who asked the right questions.
Are the highs worth the lows?
“Are the highs worth the lows?” Asked Duncan’s sister.
“I think I’ve put up with more than I would have outside the experiment,” admitted Duncan.
The groom, who has never spoken badly about his partner, who has consistently attempted to villainise and humiliate him in front of the other participants, seems to have found the validation he needed.
Alyssa turned to her mother, and she criticised her husband by claiming that she was emotional and that he was too analytical, despite being perhaps one of the most patient and empathetic partners on screen that viewers have ever seen on MAFS.
“I feel like he has an unrealistic view of what a relationship should be,” scoffed the bride.
Most people do want to see their partner more than every other weekend. And Duncan had been correct in being concerned after the bride revealed this was the healthiest relationship she had ever been in. Alyssa may have thought that Duncan’s patience for her constant humiliation of him and cutting him down would last forever. Thankfully it didn’t.
At final vows, Alyssa stated that she was going to help the groom grow (because, in her eyes, he was the problem) and that she wasn’t ready to give up on the relationship.
Duncan thanked her but said he could no longer be in a relationship.
“I don’t want to hurt you, and I don’t want to continue getting hurt. So I have to say goodbye,” concluded Duncan.
This rejection gave Alyssa a chance to be the martyr of the relationship which she has painted herself to be throughout.
The bride walks away angrily, crying that she should’ve known.
“I feel like Duncan is looking for a princess to care for. But I’m not a princess. I’m a queen,” said Alyssa.
Duncan probably wants a partner who acknowledges his feelings instead of weaponising them against him—food for thought.
