Married At First Sighthas been one of the longest-running reality TV dating experiments, but with the show having been on the air for a decade,has it gotten too far away from its original intention to continue? Throughout the years,Married At First Sighthas proven that the experiment can work, as couples have been matched up from the show throughout the seasons and chosen to stay together. Even with some successfulMAFScouples, there have been dozens more who have broken up either before the beginning of the season of by the time it comes to an end.
WithMarried At First Sightseason 18coming soon, viewers have been looking back at the series and investigating what’s gone wrong with some of the couples in the last few seasons. After several seasons of couples failing to choose each other at the end or struggling to keep their relationships firmly together until Decision Day, viewers are having a hard time seeing the series for what it once was.Married At First Sightburst onto the scene as an exciting concept that was incredibly out of the box, as the reality TV community hadn’t seen anything like it before.
Asthe couples onMAFSwere tasked with letting go of the controlof who they’d be paired with and entering into a legal marriage, it was a high-risk, high-reward model. For the last decade, viewers have been watching as people who are now more familiar withMAFShave gotten onto the show, making it easier for them to use the series for clout than ever.MAFSparticipants have been less genuinethrough the years, and with a mix of disingenuous behavior and experts who can’t create couples that actually go the distance, the show has grown tough to watch.
MAFS Has A Very Low Success Rate
There Have Been Two Lasting Marriages In The Last Six Seasons
AlthoughMAFShas been one of the longest-running reality TV dating shows in the market, and was the first to introduce the concept of love being, for all intents and purposes, blind, the series has an incredibly low success rate. Throughout the last several seasons ofMarried At First Sight,the couples who have chosen to stay together after Decision Day are minimal. Although there have been a few couples who have managed to stay together in the last seasons, the number of couples who have even made it to Decision Day has diminished in recent years.
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Throughout the last few seasons,onlyMarried At First Sightseason 16 has had a lasting match. The season’s couple that made it through Decision Day was Nicole Woley and Chris Thielk, who had some struggles during their time together, but ultimately chose each other in the end. The couple are still together and happily married. The most recent couple prior to Chris and Nicole isMAFSseason 12’s Briana Myles and Vincent Morales, who are still together and welcomed their first child in 2024. Regardless, two couples in the last six seasons is an alarmingly low success rate.
Married At First Sight Manufactures Drama Now
The Show Isn’t Genuine
AlthoughMAFShas been lacking on the side of happiness for the couples,things have been more dramatic in the series than ever, which isn’t necessarily a good thing. The show has featured a lot more drama in recent seasons than ever before, changing the way viewers feel about the cast members. WhileMarried At First Sighthas always had some instances of drama throughout its seasons, it feels like the series has been manufacturing drama for the sake of ratings.
Throughout the last season of the series, the cast took the drama into their own hands and chose to manufacture their storylines behind the backs of the experts andMAFSproduction.Married At First Sightseason 17’s castchose to create their own storylines in order to keep themselves looking good on camera, trying to ensure that they didn’t get bad edits. When it was revealed that the strange vibes fromMAFSseason 17 were actually present because of the cast, viewers built a major sense of distrust with the show.
The MAFS “Experts” Don’t Match The Right People
They Don’t Seem To Understand The Concept
AlthoughtheMarried At First Sightexpertshave spent their careers trying to create successful relationships, things have gotten difficult as the series has continued on. The experts, comprised of Dr. Pepper Schwartz, Dr. Pia Holec, and Pastor Cal Roberson, have been working hard to create the best matches possible, but something isn’t clicking. Whether it’s because of the way the show’s casting works, which is a difficult process that doesn’t seem to work well, or because of the experts themselves,the series doesn’t typically have cast members who match well.
Even with some level of success,theMarried At First Sightexperts tend to focus on the wrong parts of the matchmaking process. Focusing on values and making sure that the couples are aligned in their lifestyles, the experts don’t always focus on the personalities of the people they’re matching. Putting laid-back grooms with over-stressed brides,MAFShas a habit of matching people incorrectly, which tends to push viewers away in the long run.
Married At First Sight Is Losing Its Fanbase
Viewers Are Leaving The Long-Running Show
WhileMarried At First Sighthas continued to runon Lifetime throughout the years, more and more viewers are finding themselves tuning out of the show rather than watching as things get worse.MAFShas struggled to create stories that keep viewers invested, especially with the couples ultimately choosing to separate more often than not. With a low success rate creating a low rate of satisfaction for the viewers,Married At First Sight’s audience is tuning out and opting for other shows they can rely onto see the real reality TV dating landscape roll out in front of them.
Could MAFS Get Canceled?
The Upcoming Season Could Be Its Last
AlthoughMarried At First Sighthas been on the airfor more than a decade, it’s possible that the show could be canceled after the upcoming season. While it’s not likely, it’s a possibility that viewers could be so fed up withMAFSthat it comes to an end. Even though it’s more probable that things change from the inside out, like the production team shifts or the experts are refreshed, it could be easier to cancelMarried At First Sightand move forward. Although the series would be missed,MAFScoming to an end could be the best option.
Married At First Sightseason 18 premieres Tuesday, October 15 at 8 p.m. EDT on Lifetime.
Married At First Sight
Cast
Based on the Danish version of the series, Married at First Sight is a reality show/social experiment that gives singles a chance to find a lifelong partnership with one particular caveat: they must agree to marry a stranger arranged the moment they meet. Experts provide counseling and guidance as they help couples navigate their new marriage with their unknown partner and highlight the journey of the newlyweds from wedding to honeymoon to beginning their new lives together. At the end of eight weeks, couples will decide to stay married or divorce.
