Married at First Sight (2014– ) User Reviews

Fascinating concept- could use major improvements.

[lauren-a-fields · 5/10 · 10 September 2014]

I just watched this as a marathon. I wanted to love it, kind of like Monet and Vaughn wanted to love each other, but some glaring issues remain:

My biggest gripe is that 1month is completely inadequate for an experiment such as this. I suggest at least 6 months to truly get to the depths of how two people adjust to an arranged marriage. I understand that there are other concerns when producing a TV show, but one month can't be taken seriously. It almost smells lazy in terms of production.

The show recycled sound bites way too much. It was awful listening to the same quotes every episode!

The matching process was hardly described- really vague. It made the first episode quite boring- which worked for me because I watched the wedding one first, so I was already hooked. But what would be educational about this show is to learn more about how they matched these couples.

Another suggestion: it might be beneficial to round out every episode with a therapy session for each couple. It's another chance to educate the audience on healthy ways to confront marital issues, and it might help redirect couples early on, thereby increasing their chances of staying together.

They dragged this out WAY too much.

[karaokebowl · 5/10 · 8 May 2020]

This got pretty boring and drawn out. Not worth all that time.

Suspicious of Producer

[carrtalk · 5/10 · 27 March 2020]

First, Michael, "making up a narrative," is LYING!!!

Secondly, and most importantly, having so many troubled persons or persons with diagnostic personality disorders makes me wonder if the producers are using innocent trusting people to have drama on the show.

Marriage with the Perfect (?) Stranger

[atlasmb · 7/10 · 6 May 2015]

This is a review for the second season of "Married at First Sight". There is another page for the first season.

"Married" is a self-described social experiment, as are most reality shows. You put some people in an unusual situation and you see how they react.

In this case, a team of relationship experts collected tons of data on 7,000 candidates, then picked three men and three women who they determined to be suited for marriage--to each other. The six "winners" of this process then were told they would be getting married in ten days. To someone they would first meet at the altar. Pretty bold of the candidates, but they felt unsuccessful in their prior efforts to find "the one" and decided to let social science take its best shot.

The process requires the couples to marry, go on a one-week honeymoon, and make arrangements for cohabitation. At the end of six weeks, they are given the option of staying married or getting divorced.

The budding relationships are under stress, of course, but some start out better than others. But for all three couples, its a roller-coaster of emotions.

People sometimes make fun of "The Bachelor" because the participants expect to find a mate after just weeks of interaction. The fact that those weeks in no way resemble reality, because they are wined, dined and swept away to exotic destinations for once-in-a-lifetime dates, makes that show seem even more unrealistic. The differences with "Married" are that a) scientific matching is done up front and b) you don't get weeks to learn about someone before marrying. There is no proposal.

The series produces some touching moments and some that are tough to watch. There are surprises. See if you can figure out which couple will be the first to kiss. Or who will first say "I love you." Or who will consummate the marriage first.

Good Series But A Suggestion...

[judykeen · 9/10 · 17 July 2018]

How about doing episodes for the over 50 singles trying to find love for a second time? I think you will be surprised hoe the audience could relate to a different age group. Just because we are older doesn't mean we are dead to happiness and desire! Call it....Married At First Site....Senior Edition!!

I liked it before but season 12 left me shaking my head!

[keikoasmom · 6/10 · 15 August 2022]

I originally trusted the experts. I liked them, their personalities seemed good but after seeing them make so many mistakes, it makes you wonder! Wonder! Season 12, most of the grooms were jerks. They weren't ready for marriage and were certainly not married for the terrific ladies who married them.

It just seemed sad because I wonder how those women did afterwards, how much damage to their egos and their personalities. The failures were not theirs at all.

One other mention, if I don't find the proper place, I recently started watching married at first sight. First sight Love Island. I thought it was a total fail because 3 days to meet a bunch of men or women as the case may be, and then pick one? That's ridiculous. I think they need at least a week and without too many distractions. It's supposed to be sort of a vacation, but how can you pick a husband with all these activities going on?

Stop repeating why you are on this show!

[mejaflora · 1/10 · 5 September 2018]

Oh my god, i give up on this show because every 15 seconds, one of the couples will tell the camera, I join Married at First sight because I want a husband. Yes yes we know that is the show, do we need you to repeat it like a hundred times per episode. I can't watch it anymore. This season is the worst. Everyone is fake being in love, fake this fake that just for the cameras. MAFS Australia is SO MUCH better. At least its not boring me to death.

Finally Reality TV That is "REAL"

[mprice-130-334641 · 10/10 · 16 July 2014]

I was pleasantly surprised with this show. As first I tuned in for just a couple of minutes to see what it was like. Next thing I knew I was glued for the whole hour. This show is very real and raw. From the lighting to the reactions of the "contestants". It makes you think, and you try to put yourself in their shoes to figure out what would you do. I am really looking forward to seeing how their new marriages unfold in the next 4 weeks. Starting a marriage with someone you know and love is hard enough, but starting a marriage with a total stranger, well that is insane! If I had to vote who is going to make it, I would have to pick Jaime and Doug. They seem the most grounded, and genuinely good people. I think that Cortney and the EMT are too "all in" and oblivious to reality. And Monet and Vaughn seem like they will have troubles as soon as both their closets are wide open. Looking forward to watching the rest of the mini-series!

Under 28%That's Success?

[jbloch-72953 · 6/10 · 19 March 2020]

Ok we like the voyeuristic salaciousness.We both wonder what is an expert? Expert what? Based on the current success rate, ie. married and still together it is dumpster diving. Major league players with these stats would traded off or relegated to the minor leagues. The main concern is some of the mental abuse that is tolerated by the "professionals." There should be a safety button, get out of jail free card, or other device to immediately terminate a marriage. Based on this I wonder if the "professionals " are more concerned about their stats then their clients. I also wonder how the producers fit into the picture. Remember this is entertainment as well as someone life. Perhaps the methodology used to select candidates needs to be re-examined. The current couple Dork and Mindy are painful to watch. The man in the relationship has more excuses, obfuscations and outright BS than you know who. I trust they have signed NDA's and other documents which hold the "professionals " and the producers harmless. If not I would be at my attorney's office as fast as one could say mental cruelty.

Pointless and Somewhat Boring

[PyrateHooker · 3/10 · 17 July 2018]

I started watching this after seeing a commercial for it and couldn't believe how ridiculous it sounded. It was like a train wreck I didn't want to see but was intrigued. Upon watching the first episode of the first season I thought maybe this could be interesting after all. But I soon realized it was anything but. I'd say I'd you're going to watch this then it may be worth watching the first season, but beyond that it's a waste of time.

Firstly, the success rate of this show is abysmal. Either the "experts" don't know what they're doing, or they're doing the best they can with the limited sample size, or both. I also feel like the show is really drawn out, which makes each subsequent episode more and more boring. But most importantly after 8 seasons and a 27% success rate means that this show has serious credibility issues. Clearly, whatever they are doing isn't working. If the success rate was higher, I'd actually be more open to the concept of this show. It's like the "experts" are determined to prove their "skill" instead of doing real science, which is to admit when something isn't working and revise the method.

The Best Reality "Love" Show

[bradencn · 9/10 · 8 June 2020]

To understand my perspective, I started watching this show on Season 9, which I saw on Netflix. I was recommended this show by a friend. I am a man, married to a woman - just mentioning that for context.

When I watched this for the first time, I didn't look into reviews or the success rates of the couples, I simply started watching. What caught my eye right off the bat was that for a reality TV show, this is the one that is taking the most risks, and that is what intrigued me the most. The concept is that you have 3 experts on relationships and intimacy, working with a pool of about 40 men and 40 women and trying to find the best matches. They settle on 4 couples and they give them 2 months to determine if they would like to stick it out or get a divorce.

The risks? The experts are with them the whole time, monitoring their marriage, offering advice, and guiding these new couples (many of them that have struggled in past relationships) to make it work. The put it on themselves to make it work. For the couples themselves, their placed in a very vulnerable position and are followed in all aspects of life from marriage to honeymoon to normal life. You see everything, basically, and it can get emotional. They have a stake in the game to make it work as well. If it fails, you'll probably know why.

The show does SO many things right, especially compared to other love shows that I've watched (The Bachelor/Bachelorette are the main ones that come to mind). Most other love shows I've seen take a couple through the honey moon and fantasy stages of a relationship, but everything ends there. You don't see anything else, and everything is shallow. I typically watch these kinds of shows because they make me think of how I'm treating my own wife, and, while these shallower shows do give me pause and make me think, it's nothing very deep. Entertaining, though? Yes - the cat fights in the Bachelor mansion are pretty enjoyable.

Then comes along "Married at First Sight." At least in Season 9, I could tell that each couple was fairly serious about wanting a marriage and relationship - especially the women. As I watched, yes, the first few episodes go through the honeymoon phase of their relationship, but the show is so much more about how they get through life after the fact.

They STRUGGLE and the show isn't afraid of showing it, and the contestants talk about it - awkwardly at times, but they DO talk about it. These people are shown in their most vulnerable and emotional moments and what catches my attention is the TOPICS they are discussing. They are struggling with feelings of abandonment, sense of pride, breaking down barriers, virginity, understanding another human being, and being a good partner. And the role of the experts throughout all of this? They offer counseling to the couples - REAL counseling - not the shallow counseling you'd see in a host like Chris Harrison. There are serious problems/fighting/anxiousness that the love experts get to the bottom of like it was a couple's therapy session. They are unapologetic in their approach, which I appreciate. I don't want the show to be rose-colored all the time. This is as real as I've ever seen it get.

I thoroughly enjoy it because it makes me think how I am treating my wife - am I someone that is showing her the love and attention she needs? How do I compare to the men on the show in how they are treating the wives they just met? I wouldn't enjoy it if I didn't feel I was learning something from it and gaining an internal perspective from it. No, this show is not the Bible for marriage - but it is entertaining, and it makes me think deeper than I normally would, which I really appreciate. The genuineness of everyone involved in the show keeps me watching.

Regarding the success rate of the show? I hear that it's not good. There are success stories, though. That's not why I'm watching, though. The effort these couples and experts are putting into this is genuine. This is very real, and that is what I appreciate. I'm not watching a fantasy.

Postmodern Horror Show

[morganpintarich · 7/10 · 22 July 2020]

Married at First Sight is a postmodern horror show; hosted by barely ethical quacks who go out of their way to prove some kind of vague hypothesis.

That being said, it is impossible look away as gullible, attractive Americans get what they signed up for: one month of forced domestic "bliss."

Watching this show is like watching NASCAR. You follow the cars as they circle a well-worn track, waiting and praying for a dramatic wreck - or a photo finish.

Officially out of love

[EmmaNelly · 3/10 · 19 February 2021]

This show has some promise but now they are letting toxic relationships steal the spotlight of people who may actually go on to find love. This Paige and Chris situation this season is a prime example of how this show is toxic now and it's he couples drama help ratings.

Success (non success) rate.

[memashar · 2 November 2016]

I think this show needs to end. The so called experts have a worse success rate than people that get married without them! And the ones that did stay married, its only been a few years in and most couples that marry do stay together the first 5 years. It's time for these experts to see that this experiment is a HUGE failure and is wrong to continue. It seems they like to pair up couples that are very different in the hopes that their mate will change them. Big mistake! Lillian and Tom stayed married (so far), but I see them headed for a lot of problems in the future due to their so different work ethics. Season one none of the couples stayed married for even 6 months. That in itself should have been a big heads up for the producers and "experts" to see that their method is VERY flawed. Shame on them to keep doing new shows. Out of 12 couples only 3 are still happily married. Five years from now I think that won't even be true.

Decent Trash Entertainment

[joncheskin · 6/10 · 20 April 2022]

When watching a dating reality show, it is important to realize that you should not be seeking an artistically edifying experience. The measure of the show comes in two aspects--first, is the premise interesting, and second, is the cast and the resulting drama compelling.

In the season that I watched (season 10) I would have to say the answer was basically yes to both questions. The premise is definitely interesting, if not a bit horrifying--10 singles are matched by dating experts into five couples and made to get married while never having met each other. They do a ceremony, honeymoon, and move into a neutral apartment for eight weeks, after which they get to decide whether they want to stay married.

Any sane person would see definite problems with this. Although matchmaking is an age old process, it is usually reserved for societies where the purpose is to join two families, not two individuals. The ceremony and honeymoon (in this case a week in a resort in Panama) become like an extended blind date, and the eight weeks a cohabitation period, with the real commitment declaration coming on "Decision Day" when the couples need to move out of their show-sponsored apartment. The whole thing is really a bit perverse.

Nonetheless, as an experiment, it is pretty interesting, and what we find is relatively predictable--the singles have widely divergent views of marriage that cause all sorts of trouble in the emerging relationships. Some of the cast, especially the men, have serious psychological issues that render them clearly unfit for marriage, such as Zach, who appears to have no empathy, Brandon, with serious anger management issues, and Michael, whose childhood traumas have left him incapable of telling the truth to his spouse.

All of these traumas lead to dramas, and I guess that is the point. The show claims that they fielded thousands of applicants for the season, you would think they would be able to find 10 people slightly better suited to try out marriage. Likely they threw in the wildcards for fun, and they definitely got the chaotic result they were hoping for. If you are into this sort of thing, and I do confess I consumed it as a guilty pleasure, then it is what it is and you will probably like it.

This show was so good!

[tobimmeyer · 9/10 · 6 April 2021]

I enjoyed the people on the show. Also, I felt like it brings a lot to your own marriage seeing people go through stuff and the things that you go through in your marriage. It was very helpful.

Seasons 1-3 were decent, but season 4...

[paintedlaughter-56290 · 6/10 · 10 May 2021]

The saddest part about this show is I can usually see the red flags in the participants and why certain couples shouldn't be matched or won't work by episode 2. So the rest of the season is like watching a car crash happen in slow motion. Season 3 was really tough...watching Ashley trample all over David's heart (I didn't know quality single guys like him even existed), and watching Samantha's amazing growth only to end up with her heart broken (which made me cry).

But ohhhh my gosh...Season 4 is the worst. The couples were adequately paired imo, and the show cut out some of the more boring aspects that were included in seasons 1-3, which was an improvement. But the experts are questionable. Pastor Calvin Roberson in particular makes my skin crawl. Pretty sure the guy is a full blown narcissist, not a man of God. He seemed to approve of Tom's decision to cleverly hide his van-living situation with careful wording, instead of encouraging Tom to be transparent and honest with his wife. And he verbally berated Heather and Derek for having unpleasant feelings about the experiment (basically told them the experts did a perfect job of matching and they need to suck it up and make it work) and even told Heather to "Smile" at the end of the conversation which I think is soooooooo offensive, unhealthy, and controlling. I miss the experts from seasons 1-3 who were compassionate, insightful, and helpful (even though their matching abilities needed some improvement imo).

This isn't reality TV, it's filmed mental torture

[rmmil · 1/10 · 7 August 2020]

You could argue that the participants know full well what they are getting into, so any humiliation they suffer is "deserved", and normally I'd agree. But this show goes to great length talking up the "experts" and their ability to be successful match makers, which I'm sure is sold to the contests in a very heavy-handed way, so I can understand why the contestants are getting an experience they didn't initially expect when signing up for this.

That being said, the "experts" are anything but. If as a licensed professional mental expert you think you can honestly evaluate two people's ability to coexist for life based on just a few hours of evaluation, you are a liar, a fraud, or just delusional. I've done the math, there's no way each hopeful participant (during the initial interviews) gets more than 15-30 minutes of 1:1 time, before the "experts" decide who should be with who. How can anyone possibly believe that's enough evaluation time?

If this show sold it to contestants that this was a roll of the dice, that it was pure luck to result in a successful marriage, that's kind of masochistic, but at least it's honest. No, instead these people are told that this match was a good match, it was "scientific" even.

That might sound harmless enough, but soon after the contestants independently realize they made a bad decision, the gaslighting by the "experts" begins. "No honey, he's not secretly gay and using this as a publicity stunt to help his own career, he LOVES you!" Marriages that are obvious train wrecks waiting to happen are forced to continue through endless gaslighting by the "experts" to keep up the ratings. It's pretty sick, especially since they all took an oath to "do no harm."

The terrible "experts" would be bad enough if that's the extent of the mental abuse the contestants suffer, but then let's add in that most of them are just terrible people, too.

If you've got a good job, and a decent body (as all the contestants always do), then if you're still single at 30 and willing to be on a reality show to "find love", there's a reason: Horrible mental baggage. Now, I'm not saying anyone who is single at 30 is a mental case, they are not. But THESE PEOPLE ARE. If you're willing to subject yourself to the humiliation that is marrying a stranger on reality tv? Yeah, there's issues there.

Why would anyone think marrying 2 people with huge baggage issues would ever result in success, is beyond me.

Final rant about this show: The "experts" continually refer to this show as "an experiment." Well after 10+ seasons, and only 5 marriages lasting more than 6 months out of 37+ couples, I can safely say the "experiment" is an utter failure.

a guilty pleasure

[snperera · 8/10 · 23 February 2017]

This has to be one of the funnest reality shows ever!! It is such a weird and crazy experiment and you really want the couples to stay together. I cannot believe that it has worked for some people. I will always love this show and it will always be a guilty pleasure of mine. I am a hopeless romantic and I love stories. My family and I will always adore this show and we will always enjoy watching it.

Lauren's views

[gillianoreilly · 6/10 · 3 April 2024]

Lauren's voice really grates she's constantly going on about something with her big mouth and her voice is so grating I have to cut her out .the rest of the show is really good .I always watch it.but please let's listen to the others instead of lauren constantly.why is she getting so much time with her comments .she doesn't really know what goes on the thr other couples and it's not really her business she really needs to concentrate on her own marriage she's not even happy with her husband for trying to keep the peace .please let other people have a say in future if she carry on I will be switching off till the next series.

THE "EXPERTS" ON THIS SHOW SHOULD BE FIRED

[alliepriestley-84145 · 1/10 · 24 April 2022]

I hate the experts so much....they shouldn't be involved. It's just a trauma fest and they are just hurting these people. These people are literal messes and they are preying on broken people for good tv. If they actually helped these people have good marriages, this could be a great show, but it's disgusting. The experts and therapists involved in this show show how broken our mental health system is- what a joke.

Fake wedding fake tv show

[hillangela-59786 · 10/10 · 6 September 2019]

This show is so fake it sounds like the guy is reading from a script fake husband fake wife fake marriage fake tv show

They need more time together

[blueangelwcloudsamy · 6/10 · 20 April 2020]

I watched season 9 on Netflix which has the couple's together for 8 weeks. Now I'm watching season 1 on Amazon which says they only stay together for a month or so. I think the couple should stay together way longer to decide.

Season 9 had some shockers at the end and the end made me think that 8 weeks are enough but a month is not. I think maybe 3 months or so. Some reviews have said 6 months but if you really shouldn't be together that would be too long.

I think that the couple's should be more truthful to their partners and try to work it out more and put less emphasis on if you get a divorce.

Really, really, really, really, really slow moving

[timetopooptoday · 5/10 · 28 April 2020]

It's slow moving. As in, a snail could move faster. My step daughter's turtle could crawl her tank 1000 times and this show would still be in the initial introduction phase. Then again, the demographic seems to be for those around 12 or 14 years-old so perhaps the redundancy and slow pace is warranted for this reason. Basically, it's always 3 couples. They're matched and in an excruciatingly predictable manner. One couple will be extremely traditional, the next will be one or both partners being either blooming idiots or narcissists (depends upon the given season) and the last is always an ethnic token. One or two couples will almost always "work out," at least for a time and the failing couple is meant to be a surprise as they try to lead the viewer to believe they'll be the ones with the lasting commitment but is not the case. It's basically what would happen if someone went on a matchmaking dating site that claims to use "expert opinion and technique" and married on the 1st date. Frankly, it appears to be toying with one's life however, if one decides to make such a choice then by all means hopefully it works out for them. It would be wonderful if the producer would remove the redundancy because this "series" could reasonably be condensed into a series of 3 episodes: matchmaking, weddings (absent of repeating scenes, please) and the final breakup / wrap episode.

Married at first sight

[mbrdgdrn · 9 February 2015]

I think Courtney is being unreasonable. She says she is all about family and wants to go home for thanksgiving. Her family didn't even attend her wedding. Duh! She is a slob and should clean up her stuff. Jamie is so not nice to Jason, she should never have come into the marriage with dept. it's not Jason's responsibility to pay her dept just because he married her.

I don't how Doug could love Jamie. I think he fell In love with her looks because she is so pretty. But I don't thin she really loves him. All she wants is a nice home and babies and knows Doug will provide foe her. I don't think she is in the real world. I think he needs someone who loves him for him.