Married At First Sight Season 17 Only Has 3 Couples Left & The Experts Are To Blame

Married at First Sight season 17 is left with only three out of five couples, and the experts are to blame for the disastrous success rate. At the beginning of this season, viewers were introduced to Emily and Brennan, Becca and Austin, Clare and Cameron, Lauren and Orion, and Michael, whose bride was kept a mystery. The couples were matched by Married at First Sight‘s panel of experts: Dr. Pepper Schwartz, Pastor Calvin “Cal” Roberson, and Dr. Pia Holec. The panel of experts tried to marry up the brave individuals based on their personalities, life goals, and list of requirements.

Emily and Brennan were the first couple to get hitched, and their compatibility instantly presented itself. However, their connection after the honeymoon has become a sour subject with new developments. Orion and Lauren had great chemistry, but had several implosions during the honeymoon. Becca and Austin seem unstoppable but will encounter some difficulty later this season. Clare and Cameron are trying their best to understand each other but have been having some communication issues. Lastly, Michael was left at the altar by his bride.

The Runaway Bride Incident Was The First Strike Against Experts

Michael was robbed of the Married at First Sight experience. The experts had a tough time coming up with a match for Michael at first, but ended up settling on someone. However, that someone was clearly not ready for marriage since she went all the way to the altar only to tell Michael she didn’t want to marry a stranger. It was the experts’ responsibility not to match Michael with someone who would break his heart, let alone break it immediately.

If the experts had sincerely chosen someone ready for marriage, Michael would not have been left in the predicament of getting ditched. The experts did not vet their candidate for Michael enough, and they are solely to blame for the tragic situation. Michael’s runaway bride scenario was the first strike against the experts before the season even left the ground.

The Experts Let Down Orion & Lauren

Dr. Pepper, Pastor Cal, and Dr. Pia also let Orion and Lauren down. They were having distinct breakdowns in their feelings for one another after an unfortunate series of events played out during the honeymoon. Between Orion not getting over Lauren’s bad “red skin” remark, Orion’s flip-flopping on his feelings about Lauren’s recent intimacy, and the pair’s inability to reconcile either situation, they were crying for help. These situations ultimately led to Orion asking for a divorce during the last episode.

The experts should have intervened earlier on after they saw their marriage and connection were going down a bad path. Had they gotten to Orion sooner, they probably would have been able to convince him to stick it out and guide the pair toward a happier ending. While Lauren and Orion did talk to Dr. Pia and Pastor Cal towards the end of the honeymoon, it was too little too late, and talks were had when things were already in crisis mode.

The Experts Don’t Step In Enough

The Married at First Sight season 17 experts put too much faith in their matching skills for how low of a success rate they’ve been able to deliver. It seems like once the couples say “I do” and are off their honeymoon, the experts take a passive role. Historically, the honeymoons have been the genesis of many couple’s problems, and it has been a time when the duos have needed guidance most. If the experts can recognize they are dropping the ball on their involvement in the couple’s issues and start to step in more when there are impasses, the remaining three couples have a chance.

Since the couples are navigating living together 24/7, talking about sensitive topics, and learning more about how each other operates, the experts should be ready to intervene. Had they done more for Lauren and Orion and stepped in sooner, the pair’s trajectory could have looked a lot different. Dr. Pepper, Pastor Cal, and Dr. Pia should be checking in more and using their individual strengths as therapists and coaches to guide the couples better.

The Experts Have A Chance To Save Emily And Brennan’s Marriage

The most recent couple to show cracks and come up on a hurdle is Emily and Brennan. Everything went well on the honeymoon, and Emily seemed like Brennan’s dream girl. But Brennan did a 180 coming into their neutral living space and completely changed his tune. He declared he wanted to stay at his place for a few days and work while Emily stayed in their apartment alone. To the cameras, Brennan said he was drained from spending all his time with Emily on the honeymoon. Emily could sense things were off and was growing confused and disappointed by Brennan’s sudden distance and standoffishness.

More was revealed about Brennan’s disconnect during Emily and Brennan’s pre-scheduled sit-down with Pastor Cal. Brennan divulged that he did not feel a romantic connection with Emily but refused to elaborate. Now that Brennan has (sort of) identified the problem he’s having with Emily, the experts should be keeping a close eye on how things unfold between the pair. Pastor Cal got a promise from Brennan that he would put in the effort to grow his romantic connection, but Brennan has also been closed off with his feelings, and that is something the experts should be watching closely.

Over the last three seasons of Married at First Sight, the experts have only had a 6% success rate. This means something they are doing is not working. Were the experts to insert themselves when it’s clear they’ve been needed to resolve hot issues among the couples, their success rate could have been better. With Emily and Brennan teetering towards disaster, the experts should take every opportunity to give them sound and actionable advice. Moreover, the experts will try to redeem themselves with Michael later this season and offer him another chance at marriage. If they can successfully match him, it will be a much-needed win.