Married at First Sight Season 13’s Michaela Clark is an enigma. One minute she is happy and giddy, swapping stories and relationship advice with the other couples, the next she is screaming curses as she tries to physically block Zack from leaving the couple’s ranch retreat.
It’s a little confusing.
But one thing MAFS fans are definitely not confused about is how they feel about it — they don’t like it. Many fans have taken to social media to say regardless of the reasoning behind it, Michaela’s behavior is simply not ok and is “abusive.”
MAFS fans call Michaela’s behavior ‘abusive’
Married at First Sight fans have upgraded Michaela’s previous title of “toxic” right up to “abusive” following last week’s couples’ retreat episode.
Many viewers felt Michaela’s behavior on the retreat was over the top and expressed concern for Zack’s safety and well-being.
While some fans defended Michaela’s actions, citing her father’s death and her difficult childhood as reasoning for her outbursts, the overwhelming majority said that was no excuse and that Michaela’s behavior was far past justification.
Also, let us not forget that Myrla and Gil both have fathers who were murdered. So oddly enough Michaela does not have the market on dead parents in that group, and yet Myrla and Gil were just awarded the “healthiest couple” award by fans.
But it is still a confusing issue for many and we felt one fan made an especially interesting point.
It is an interesting question, would the behavior have been taken more seriously if the roles had been reversed?
If Zack had been the aggressor, would fans have been as quick to jump to his defense, citing his past as validation? Chances are if the roles had been reversed, the night would have ended very differently.
MAFS fans fear things could get worse
Another fan brought up a similar point of asking if things would have been different if the roles were reversed and also felt the behavior was a huge red flag of even worse behavior on the way.
It is clear from the comments that fans are generally not pleased. In fact, many viewers, have even begun firing at the show’s relationship experts, wondering how some of this season’s singles got on the show at all, and why the experts didn’t intervene more when couples’ behaviors escalated.
If fans felt the experts weren’t doing enough before the chaotic couples retreat, they certainly are calling for an intervention now.
So is Michaela’s behavior abusive? If the roles were reversed, would more people feel that it was? Fans have raised some very interesting points and questions around last week’s events.
But while some viewers may have differing viewpoints, it seems most feel that at minimum the behavior was not appropriate and we think everyone will be curious to see just how the experts, Michaela and Zack, and the other MAFS Season 13 couples will handle the situation in this weeks’ episode.
Married at First Sight airs on Wednesdays at 8/7c on Lifetime.