The big day has finally arrived for the Married at First Sight Season 13 couples. This week’s episode had the couples celebrating their final moments of the journey before Decision Day, and some of them for the last time as husband and wife. While it’s been quite a long road for the couples, all of the spouses seemed to still feel the moment was bittersweet.
Johnny gets cold feet
We thought it was doomed for sure. Bao Huang and Johnny Lam have spent the last eight weeks in a tangle of high highs and low lows that culminated into one disastrous revelation. We were pretty sure Johnny had made up his mind about the marriage, and the outlook was bleak.
Last week, Johnny revealed to Bao and Dr. Pepper that he had had conversations with Bao’s friend Sarah behind her back and had not liked what he had learned. He claimed that Sarah had told him she would never date Bao, nor let any of her friends date her because Bao tended to “break people down” then rebuild them in the image she wanted. After learning that he did not want to know anything more about Bao, Johnny said that he thought it was best if they just walked away from the marriage. He asked Bao to think it over as he left the apartment, leaving Bao, his uneaten dinner, and a half bottle of champagne behind.
So we were shocked when this episode found Johnny talking it over with his two groomsmen and feeling like maybe he had jumped the gun. He wondered if there was any harm in continuing with Bao a little longer and exploring if they could make it work. His groomsmen encouraged him to give it a little more time and effort and work through some of his issues. While he said the conversation with Sarah was still rattling around in the back of his mind, he hadn’t decided yet.
Johnny ended up taking Bao out to a romantic dinner, and when she walked in decked out in a sparkly dress with heels to match, he revealed to the cameras that “if his jaw could hit the floor, it would.” The two had their first civil conversation in weeks and seemed to end the evening, reaching a mutual understanding of where the other was coming from.
But what the final verdict for these two will be on Decision Day? With this hot and cold relationship, it’s anyone’s guess.
Zack sees the exit sign, but will he take it?
Another contestant for the most confusing couple of the season, Zack Freeman and Michaela Clark, also had some interesting news in this episode.
Following the “closure” meeting the two had with Dr. Pepper, the couple went to lunch to discuss their feelings. Which somehow turned into a sleepover at Zack’s house. How it went from burgers to bedrooms is anyone’s guess, but these two once again have lost us.
Zack revealed to Gil that he felt Michaela was a wonderful person that he had learned a lot from and was glad they had been matched, which is certainly a 180 from the couples retreat that had Zack running away from Michaela in the middle of the night as she yelled and threw things. But with this couple’s back and forth relationship, it is not all that surprising. Let’s just hope the calm in the storm lasts through Decision Day.
Later, all the couples met up to celebrate their journey on MAFS and possibly spend the last day together as husband and wife. Zack revealed his thoughts on saying “no” on Decision Day. Zack felt that saying “no” for him did not mean the end-all, be-all. It just meant that for him to say “yes,” it would mean that the past eight weeks had been amazing, and he was happy and wanted to continue. A “no” from him, he said, just meant that he had not been happy with the way things were going but was still possibly open to continue trying. It was a little confusing, but Michaela seemed to understand it.
Bao, however, disagreed wholeheartedly with Zack and said if she got a “no” on Decision Day, that would be it for her. Good to know.
So basically, while the end might be in sight for Zack, it is still up in the air if he will take the out or if he will continue to try to work things out with Michaela, even despite answering “no.”
Myrla and Gil hit a wall
Myrla Feria and Gil Cuero, the golden couple of the season, seemed to lose some of their shine in this episode. The two revealed that the underlying differences they were experiencing, while not as explosive as the other couples, might still be the end of them.
The two dipped their toes once again into the conversation on finances and came to no conclusion. Gil revealed to Myrla that he felt she looked down on those who were not at her level and that she seemed to have forgotten where she came from. Myrla said she heard him but disagreed as she felt her motivation came from her upbringing, which motivated her to do better and succeed every day.
Myrla revealed to a friend how big of an issue Gil’s financials and career were to her. She admitted that Gil had recently become a firefighter, so his career was still new, his salary still low, and his job flexibility almost nonexistent. Myrla said it concerned her that their drives and motivations were different, and ultimately, their goals and lifestyles clashed.
Gil admitted that it was a big deal to him that Myrla was unwilling to bend on issues, and he considered it “selfish” not to compromise. He also revealed that her constant complaining was something he was not sure he could deal with.
So while the couple has addressed these issues before, it seems once again they have not found a resolution. Will their positives be enough to overcome their differences on Decision Day?
Jose and Rachel seem solid
Jose San Miguel and Rachel Gordillo seem to have it figured out. Except for one little thing that continues to haunt them. The lockout incident.
Both spouses seem to be having trouble moving past it, as it still lingers in their minds. For Jose, it is a concern that Rachel reached out to an ex in her time of need, as she has revealed infidelities in her past.
For Rachel, the way Jose talked to her during their blowup, and the subsequent locking out, was a big deal for her, and she worried that if it ever happened again, she would have to end things. Jose, on his end, worried that if Rachel reached out to an ex again, he would have to end things. So, stalemate for these two.
But while the two may remain cautious over the issue, the couple seems pretty solid in their united front going into Decision Day.
Ryan’s already out the door
Ryan Ignasiak has left the building.
Last week Ryan put himself back on the market as single and ready to mingle when he admitted that he had redownloaded dating apps to his wife, Brett Lindsay.
Brett seemed hurt but not particularly surprised as Ryan had been checked out of the relationship for quite some time.
When Brett returned to the couple’s shared apartment, Ryan had boxed up and moved out all his belongings. The two finally did talk as Brett packed up her things, and Ryan again apologized for downloading the apps and being disrespectful towards Brett.
The two parted on friendly terms, with “friend” being the keyword there.
But in a small plot twist, as Ryan played tennis with his friend, he admitted that he did have some doubts and regrets over the way things had gone with Brett. He even wobbled on what he would say on Decision Day, wondering if he should push through and try to work things out with Brett. His friend seemed to encourage that, but whether Ryan will take his friend’s advice remains to be seen.
But regardless of Ryan’s decision, we are pretty sure it’s going to be a “no” from Brett’s corner.
As the couples celebrated their final day on the MAFS experience, each spouse went around and shared what they had learned about themselves, marriage, and each other.
While this season may have been a bit unusual for MAFS, it was nice to see one thing hasn’t changed. Regardless of the outcome, everyone will take away something valuable from the experience.
Married at First Sight airs on Wednesdays at 8/7c on Lifetime.