Married At First Sight 2020 – Week 1: “I’m Lividly Angry”

The premiere of MAFS attracted it’s highest rating ever, with over one million viewers tuning in to watch the first weddings of the 2020 season.

The seventh season of Married At First Sight kicked off this week and we have been introduced to the first six couples in the experiment. According to TV Tonight, MAFS attracted 1.15m viewers and beat out fellow rival Reality TV premieres. Let’s take a look back at how the week unfolded, review the couples that have been introduced and look at their chances of finding long lasting love.

WEEK 1 REVIEW

EPISODE 1

In the first episode of the season, we got the chance to meet majority of the cast at both the bucks and hens parties. It was also the first chance to look at the group dynamics and see how individuals handle themselves in a group setting. At the hens night, it was evident Hayley was the loud talker and the girls reminded her to listen. Despite being nervous, Tash admitted to the girls she was gay and had the groups full support. At the bucks night, the only tension evident was between two big personalities in Michael and Ivan.

Just after viewing these early exchanges, I can already see both Michael and Ivan creating plenty of drama not only in their couples but in the group dynamics. Hayley has proven she has plenty to say, which over the course of the experiment will create plenty of fights between the girls. It is also interesting to note that Amanda did not feature at the hens night. Once Amanda meets the rest of the group, I believe she will have to play catch up compared to Tash who has already developed a relationship with the girls.

This episode we were also introduced to our first two couples; Poppy and Luke as well as Josh and Cathy.

Luke and Poppy:

Good first impressions led to a smooth-sailing ceremony for Poppy and Luke. The only inconvenience for the first couple was how difficult it was for Poppy to focus on her wedding day as she already missed her two boys. While Luke was relieved and visibly happy with how the day was unfolding, Poppy couldn’t help but think of her two boys which created an awkward wedding photo shoot. Despite Luke and Poppy’s bridesmaids best efforts to calm her down, Poppy still could not get over the fact she had left her kids. In the end, Luke’s patience and faith eased her and Poppy tried her best to enjoy herself.

I hope for Luke’s sake Poppy can get over the fact she is missing her kids. I understand how emotional it must be for Poppy, but she would have understood this when signing up for the show. They both seem nice and if they can move past this, they have potential to give the experiment a good go.

What the experts said:

Luke and Poppy were paired by the experts as they’re both family oriented and are single parents. They believe Poppy needs someone who can “help her step into her best self,” and a secure man who can cope with the stress. The experts think Luke is a strong, reliable man who has high empathy and emotional intelligence that can support Poppy.

Josh and Cathy:

Josh and Cathy had an instant connection at the altar, with both drawn to each other’s looks and personalities. Despite evident chemistry, both had questions as to how each other felt. In a private chat away from their reception, both Cathy and Josh eased each other’s concerns with an open conversation and passionate kiss to top off what I thought was a dream wedding.

What the experts said:

The experts think Josh and Cathy will be attracted to each other, with Dr Trisha Stratford saying both contestants love the smell of each other’s t-shirts. They believe Josh needs someone down to earth, but also confident and strong. For Cathy, the experts believe Josh can be the loyal, trustworthy husband she requires. So far, the experts look like they have got this pair right.

EPISODE 2

The second episode saw us witness Tash and Amanda in MAFS’ first ever gay wedding, as well as Natasha and Mikey’s wedding.

Tash and Amanda:

The first lesbian wedding on MAFS got off to a good start. Amanda and Tash had an instant connection when married at first sight. In the lead up to the wedding, Amanda’s traditional parents did not approve of Amanda’s decision which resulted in Amanda’s father not attending. The only confusion between the newlyweds came from drama created by Tash’s bridesmaids, raising questions whether Amanda was over her ex-partner. Despite the confusion, Tash felt reassured from their private chat and enjoyed a passionate kiss.

For me, I believe Tash’s bridesmaids were after their 5 seconds of fame and thats why they created drama. I am glad Tash and Amanda sorted it out and enjoyed the rest of their evening.

What the experts said:

The experts believe Tash has a slight softness to mix with Amanda’s strong willed and outspoken nature. They believe Amanda’s strong personality needs a partner who can relax her.

Natasha and Mikey:

In the lead up to this wedding, Tash was excited and Mikey was quite nervous. Both newlyweds had good first impressions, with Tash happy she had been matched with a partner of a similar age after dating older men in the past. Although Tash and her best friend’s raised concerns Mikey is not ‘man enough’ for her, Tash decided to look past that and not judge him yet.

What the experts said:

The experts recognise Natasha needs a strong man that knows who he is to match her strong personality. They are hoping Natasha can look past Mikey’s initial ‘awkward’ personality to give the relationship a chance.

When watching this episode, I could see why they pinned Mikey as an ‘awkward’ guy. I did think it was unfair how Natasha and her friend questioned if Mikey is ‘man’ enough for Natasha. While they are entitled to their own opinion, Mikey shouldn’t be judged on whether he is a man or not just by the way he handled himself on a very nerve-wracking day.

EPISODE 3

In the third episode, we met our fifth and sixth couple to enter the experiment in Hayley and David as well as Vanessa and Chris.

Hayley and David:

Both David and Hayley were excited for this experiment, but only one set of parents were fully supportive. While Hayley’s parents supported her position in the experiment, David’s traditional Christian parents did not. Despite the couple hitting it off at their wedding and enjoying each other’s company, David’s family did not take to Hayley’s boisterous personality. David’s father expressed concern that he won’t be able to handle her, but David decided to ignore their advice as he enjoyed the remainder of his night with Hayley.

I’m glad David listened to his gut and put his parents concerns aside for the night. Even if David cannot handle Hayley’s outspoken personality, it is important for the couples to try and give their relationships a chance and not judge each other too early.

What the experts said:

The experts believe Hayley needs a guy who can cut through her toughness and expose her soft and sensitive side. They believe David and Hayley will connect over there abilities to overcome adversity and that David can handle her big personality.

Vanessa and Chris:

The main feature prevalent throughout this couple’s wedding day was how insecure Vanessa is about her appearance. After being heavily bullied throughout high school due to a severe skin condition, Vanessa doesn’t believe anyone could feel the love for her she desperately craves. Despite Chris’ positive feelings and attraction towards her, Vanessa struggled to comprehend if Chris was into her or not. In the couples private chat, Chris revealed to Vanessa that he is a father of two young boys. This put more doubt in Vanessa’s mind as she was hoping for reassurance of his feelings towards her.

I do feel for Vanessa as no one deserves to be bullied for their appearance, but it is hard for Chris to know she needed this reassurance. I really hope he can ease Vanessa’s concerns as this pair deserve to be happy.

What the experts said:

The experts believe Chris can be a partner to build Vanessa’s low self-esteem and confidence through his patience and compassion. They see both Vanessa and Chris as kind people who understand what it is like to struggle.

EPISODE 4

The fourth episode saw us witness our first six MAFS couples for 2020 on their honeymoon, getting the chance to build on their connections and learn more about each other. Let’s take a look couple by couple at how each honeymoon went down.

Hayley and David:

This couple set off to Singapore and had a strong start to their honeymoon. David didn’t judge Hayley when she revealed to him she is a former drug addict. Just as we thought it was all sunshine and rainbows, David alleged Hayley made a derogatory comment about his hourly wage. At a romantic dinner the following night, the topic was bought up once again through the conversation box. This led to disagreements about Hayley’s comments and how many cigarettes Hayley smoked off camera. This resulted in David revealing at the table he could not see them falling in love at this stage. The argument ended in David deciding to sleep in another room, removing his wedding ring and revealing to the crew that he is “lividly angry.”

It is hard to undertsand what exactly was said as the comments were made off camera. We can only speculate who really is telling the truth at this stage, but this argument will make it hard for this couple to move forward successfully.

Tash and Amanda:

After a strong connection on their wedding night, the couple were off to Daydream Island in the Whitsundays for their honeymoon. Tash admitted there is no spark with Amanda. Despite Amanda’s physical attraction to Tash and desire to get to know her, Tash left Amanda waiting for three hours by the pool. From here, it only got worse. They met for a dinner in an attempt to clear the air, which ended in Amanda suggesting the couple move into separate rooms. Tash admitted she might have ruined any chance of the couple working and Amanda expressed her disappointment in Tash’s effort. The next day, the couple met and tried to comprise on activities they could complete but to no avail. Amanda also asked Tash to move back in with her, which Tash denied due to her feeling uncomfortable.

In all honesty, when I was watching this part of the episode I had no words. The only way I could describe it was ‘a big mess’. These two seem to be over before they properly got to know each other and it will be interesting to see if they can come back from what can’t even be described as a ‘honeymoon’.

Vanessa and Chris:

After spending the first night together in separate beds, this couple were off to Hervey Bay for their honeymoon. They spent the first night of their honeymoon in separate beds again, but managed to break the awkward barrier after Chris finally told Vanessa he finds her attractive. I think this put Vanessa at ease, resulting in her making the first move and holding Chris’ hand on a beach walk. I am happy this couple took signficant steps forward and can continue to grow their relationship.

Josh and Cathy:

This couple continued their successful wedding day on their honeymoon in the Victorian countryside. After a raunchy scene in a hot spa, it was evident Josh and Cathy have resounding chemistry and are getting on extremely well at this stage of the experiment. Although the scene has been described by parents across the nation as ‘soft porn’, I was happy to see a couple completely happy with each other and not have any issues.

Poppy and Luke:

Luke and Poppy had a late start to their honeymoon, with Poppy waking up the morning after the wedding still missing her children. After an emotional phone call to her kids, Poppy was willing to start their honeymoon in the Hunter Valley. They were up bright and early for a hot air balloon ride, where Poppy overcame a fear with Luke’s support. I am happy this couple got to enjoy their honeymoon without Poppy constantly worrying about her kids. Hopefully they can build on the honeymoon and continue to get to know each other.

Natasha and Mikey:

This couple set off to the Snowy Mountains and Natasha was not initially thrilled. Despite Mikey’s attempt to impress Natasha, he was struggling to be the ‘alpha-male’ she is after. Mikey also raised concerns about their future after hearing her extensive beauty regime. He fears there is no substance and that their lifestyles are drastically different. A day on the snow however eased the couples concerns, with Mikey impressed Natasha put herself outside her comfort zone and Natasha finding Mikey confidence while skiing “hot”.

It is hard to get a read on this couple, but I am struggling to see much hope for a future together. It is clear they are quite different people with different lifestyles and they do not think that highly of each other.

This Week’s Hot And Not Couple

Each week, I will pick which couple is flying high and the couple that has had the most trouble. For this week, Josh and Cathy have been the pick of the couples, whereas Amanda and Tash look to be in the most trouble.

Hot: Josh and Cathy

This was the obvious choice, being the only couple who have barely had a slip up. At this rate, Josh and Cathy is the show’s best chance of a success story. Not only do they have extraordinary chemistry, they have good conversation and share an abundance of laughs.

Not: Amanda and Tash

It was a toss up between Hayley and David and these two, but I was surprised how quickly this relationship fell from grace. I would strongly suggest to those who didn’t see Thursday nights episode to go re-watch it too see how quickly it went downhill for Tash and Amanda. Despite a good connection on their wedding day, Tash quickly realised there was no spark with Amanda and basically gave up. I do feel for Amanda who is keen to try and make something of the relationship, but Tash cannot help if she does not feel it. From what we have seen already, the future is looking very grim for this couple.

In a short preview of week 2, MAFS has teased a monster Sunday return. This includes meeting lonely women Connie, her outspoken mother and Ivan’s behaviour on his wedding day. After a week full of romance and drama, bring on “TV’s biggest Sunday” and the upcoming week of MAFS weddings.

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Married At First Sight continues Sunday night at 7pm on Channel 9!

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