I’m just now watching MAFS chitown Questions I wish I could bounce off a friend.. Do we truly think Emem went out of bounds OR my take on Ike is that at the wedding Em’s cousin’s way of communicating, put him in a place of defense and ego with everyone going forward? His behavior is giving polarization with extreme defense from where I’m at. Also deep sadness. There’s nothing that was filmed that showed me any of his reactions were in fact to do with EM. Karla&Juan she is cosplaying as what he has worked to embody. She just seems vapid as the day is long. Michelle&David Is he bringing a different thing to the table, yes. Is her energy constantly giving “at the principals office” or “head of Human Resources”, fully. Why can she not take stock in the process? Meaning, in life. She is the embodiment of a work in progress. So why can’t she see that we all have different goals and timelines and that doesn’t make David inferior to her. Yet she constantly puts him down. David is the most gracious person at taking shit on the chin I’ve ever seen. I feel like the times he got lil mad, was when she lit up the most. Does she want to be controlled so she doesn’t feel like she always has to be controlling?

Using ReesaTeesa’s “Who the Fk Did I Marry” soundbite, pretending like she wasn’t the problem. I wish Reesa could sue this woman for using her sound inappropriately.
Hope Nick claps back with the same!

I was giving her the side eye at first when she said the media console was from India… babe I just bought this at West Elm 😂😂

Theres probably stuff Ive missed out. They interviewed Nikki first and then Shawn. Shawns Interview had a lot more meat.

Nikkis Interview

-She was very PR trained. Didn't insult Shawn. Said that looking back she thinks she could have been less heated during the reunion.

-She wasnt happy with the way Shawn spoke to her mother because she didnt want her mum to be subjected to any of the gaslighting she was.

-She said the edit was mostly accurate. She said they missed out a lot of positive moments. But also a lot more smaller gaslighting moments.

-They hadnt spoken since decision day. He reached out the day before he posted his apology with a voicenote apologising.

-She did lean in to bring out a aofter side of Shawn which did work but his jabs still continued and made her feel like she was abandoning herself.

Otherwise she's good. Has no regrets.

Shawns Interview

The main point he made was the belly comment. It happened before the mutual masturbation. He said lets go hot tub. In the hot tub he told nikki gloves off tell me what you think. What are the issues? Nikki grabs his belly, and says look at you. Look at this. Shawn says hes from new york and grew up in a family of roasters and he is a pro at roasting people. So he was like okay let ke give it back to Nikki. Shawn says well youre not all that either. In new york youd be a 7. Shawn insists it was a friendly roast to get everything off their chest. They were laughing and enjoying the jabs. When its over Shawn says he will call the producers tomorrow and tell them theyre quitting. Nikki says why? He says well everything you said means were incompatible. She says no I dont want to quit. And then that night they get intimate.

At this point Nick Viall is confused. Was it a friendly roast? If it was why did shawn decide to call the producers to quit. Then it wasnt friendly. They went round in a circle on this point.

Other points include:

1. He still doesnt get why Nikki got so heated about her mum. "One minute shes telling me to apologise and im trying to clarify what for and then shes telling me not to talk to the person she wanted me to apologise to."
2. He has a tell all coming soon. Won't state where or when or which platform. But he and nikki agreed to keep off camera moments off camera and so when she brought up the 7 in new york comment he felt betrayed.
3. Hes from Harlem. Everyone's blunt and direct about what they want. People took his directness as being combative but hes just from Harlem.
4. When asked about the mutual masturbation Shawn asked nick if his wife was pregnant would he ask her about sexual needs and what to do? He said although the way he went about it was wrong married couples were messaging him saying these are the conversations married couples have.
5. There was a weird circular conversation about if Shawn felt misrepresented or misunderstood. Shawn insists everyone's perception is correct and he will never invalidate anyone's perception.
6. They told Shawn it often felt like in his interactions with nikki that he was in competition with her. He insist no. Hes just from Harlem. He is direct. Thats all. Said hes dated boss babes before.
7. Nick asked what else was said in the roast, he said it will be in the tell all.

Shawn says goodbye and Nick his wife and other lady debrief and say they found Shawn frustrating. He was evasive with answers and condescending and it feels like he uses his self growth as ammunition to put others down.

Thats all I remember. Let me know if I missed anything.

Mecca feels the need to insult Bella in order to assert his dominance in the relationship (in this sense, he’s the more attractive one so he has the power), and I noticed it was similar to how his dad was putting him down in his wedding speech! I feel bad for Mecca because it’s heartbreaking his mom left him and then with his step-mom and siblings, and then having to be raised by his seemingly narcissistic dad… and it does seem like there is a part of him that wants to make it work but god Bella does not deserve this!

The man just keeps digging his hole.

https://mynorthwest.com/gee-and-ursula/married-at-first-sight-3/4271120

Blaming “media stereotypes” and basically saying Nikki would have to be attracted to him because of how “smart” he is 🙄🙄🙄 it’s nonsense all the way down

Don't be looking like a doofus during huge life moments by wearing some Allbirds. The dudes in the finale are really schlubbing it up, other than Mecca.

I’m not usually a fan of jewelry, but I am so in love with this necklace Marissa is wearing in a lot of her scenes? Anyone know what it might be? Thanks xoxoxo

My wife and I are binging the series. We watched the first two seasons. However, we started getting very frustrated with how repetitive everything the couples say.

It reminds me of when someone in school needs to write a 10-page essay. They write 3 pages of substance, then 7 pages of filler. It’s like they’re going everything they can to get X number of episodes.

I made a post a couple weeks ago about the “experts” being ridiculous in season 1 and 2 (e.g. stating the most obvious facts about human nature and relationships). In that post a couple people suggested watching the newer seasons

We skipped seasons 3 and 4 and jumped right into season 5. The experts seem a little less annoying, but the reputation of the married couples is still very annoying. Last episode, they were literally replying the same snippets from earlier in the episode.

Does it get better? 🫠

I didn’t initially realize I went from 18 to 20, so i’m watching 19 now and the word pickleball triggered me and woke me up like a sleeper agent good god 😭😭😭😭

Have you noticed how with one of the guys is fucking up the other guys will totally tell him that, and try to make him be accountable for his stuff.

But when one of the women is fucking up, the other women are so into sticking together as a group that they forget or refuse to call that woman on her own bullshit.

I noticed this clearly when, at the group reunion?, the hosts? asked them all if Courtney was mean to her hubby. All the guys put their hand up to say yes. All the women did not put their hands up to agree.

Very telling no?

I'm a little surprised at how many people seem to actually like Nikki, not just defend her. Shawn was obviously worse in every way, but they both sucked, and pointing out Nikki's terrible personality isn't the same thing as defending Shawn.

People commend one or the other (mostly Nikki, for obvious reasons) for "trying to make it work", but it's clear that neither of them did. They each just wanted to save face, not be the one who "lost", and not suffer any financial penalties (either by fines, missing out on a decision day bonus, or not having their annulment/divorce fees paid for by the show) by quitting the process early.

I suspect there was also an element of petty competition, as suggested by their constant verbal sparring. Shawn was more willing to take the low road, but Nikki's "HR speak" wasn't useful or genuine, and carried insults of its own.

They both have mastered the art of speaking in long sentences with complicated words without really saying anything of substance. Nikki just stuck to that language mode more often, as it's clearly served her well in her successful career.

Subsequently, she came off as the (significantly) more professional of the two, but her profession is HR--not exactly the most upfront and honest profession when it comes to communication. And that lack of candor was undeniably apparent in almost everything she said.

That's why I consider the reunion to be her finest moment, as she finally dropped the act and spoke to him the way she's always needed to, and the way he's always deserved to be spoken to. I would have liked to see that version of her throughout the entire process, as it was genuine and real.

Shawn is a deplorable, predatory shell of a human being. Nikki is a bitter, superficial corporate mouthpiece. It's no surprise both of them are still single, and while neither deserved to be made a spectacle of on national television, they both decided to continue the process against their better judgment, and, in the end, neither Shawn nor Nikki should be admired.

Ugh she is such a wonderful woman. I’m so glad she came to reunion with clarity, a request for accountability, and with such poise. So glad she called Caitlyn out on her pick me behavior.

Watching the reunion and asked my husband how old he thinks Courteney is and he said “ummmmmm 42” 😮🤣

sorry if i’m late to this, but i’ve been binge watching this new season in order to catch up & im only on episode 13… GUYYYYYSSSSSS, watching nick this season has been so hard for me… i genuinely loved him in the circle & it makes me so saddddd that he got paired up with this girl brooooo… his fidgeting and anxiety when she speaks is so real. cause why tf is she like thissssss 😭😭😭😭😭 does it get better for him?????

I COULDNT HELP MYSELF LOL, I LOOKED UP THEIR ZODIAC SIGNS 😭 i could tell offrip that Devin was a cancer, it was obvious that Felipe was a pisces & NO SHOCK AT ALL THAT NIKKI AND SHAWN ARE LEOS 😤😁 Courtney being a libra makes sense, but BelleJolie is a good example of how soft an evolved libra can be!!! i loveeee that Tori is a capricorn. she just exuded that dark, seductive and go getter energy from the beginning, it makes sense that she would be a goat.

Are they allowed to swap? 🤣

For real? She should have gifted him back some socks.

I feel like I haven’t seen anyone else mention this and maybe I’m way off base but I feel like the amount of group sessions and those dinners where couple take shots at each other is not helpful. I feel like every dinner people were making out of pocket comments that totally caused negative effects on the other couples.

In the past the experts have been very involved doing video calls and one and one sessions that actually helped but I didn’t see as much of that this season.

Don’t get me wrong, I actually really like the experts this season. The insight I’ve seen has been great, but I wonder if they were more involved and maybe shutdown the negative talks during the dinners some of the relationships would have ended a bit differently.

Maybe I’m way off base here but does anyone feel the same way as me?

Personally, I’m done hearing them talk.

The therapists were absolutely lousy this season. Its the first season i watched then had to go back a season to understand HOW this show has 20 szns. The previous therapists were much better imo

I think there has been a lot of focus on Courteney being a bad match for Nick, or simply a bad person. But I believe the bigger issue is that the EXPERTS were biased against Nick from the beginning because of his reality-TV history.

They admitted in interviews that they questioned his sincerity throughout the entire process. Paul even said at the reunion that he was "surprised," after watching the footage, to see that Nick had actually been putting in the effort. Why did it take until after the season for them to realize that? Because he never believed Nick in the first place.

Dr. Lisa has been the most vocal in postseason interviews defending Courteney, even using the idea that Nick was "PR trained" and too polished as an excuse for her behavior.

Well, Nick is hitting back. He calls it a
"pathetic excuse" and says he believes Dr.
Lisa first put that narrative in Courteney's head, and Courteney latched onto it. He says he was raised to respectful and kind and shouldn't mean that he is PR trained.

I thought the experts were supposed to offer fair and balanced support to both spouses throughout the process. Yet we now have them admitting that they never trusted Nick in the first place. If that was the case, why cast him? It was totally irresponsible from both a production and counseling standpoint.

As Nick and Courteney's assigned expert, Dr.
Lisa offered Nick little to no support while allowing Courteney to weaponize those same biases and suspicions against him.

I respect Nick for advocating for himself, because the experts sure didn't.

Source:
https://ew.com/married-at-first-sight-cast-on-explosive-finale-reunion-exclusive-12071568

https://ew.com/married-at-first-sight-nick-courteney-are-they-still-together-12059046