- ♪ What can I say? Hey, never look back ♪
♪ Never look back ♪
- Hi. Nice to meet. - Hey.
- You're, like, beautiful.
- All right.
Let's do this. - Yeah.
- Eight weeks ago the experts matched
five couples in Nashville to be married at first sight.
- ♪ Never look back ♪
- One couple's marriage came to a premature end.
- I would like a divorce.
[dramatic music]
Now the fateful day has finally come--
- I don't know what my heart is telling me to do.
- --for the remaining couples to choose each other
or choose a divorce.
- I do not think this is how I would feel.
- Today's decision will forever alter
the course of their lives for better or for worse.
- We actually do have a really great time together.
- I feel like when two people just love themselves,
and then they come together like that,
love just creates, like--
- You don't think I love myself?
- The appeasement stuff, it kept coming up.
And I'm, like, having to keep talking about the same thing
over and over again.
- At certain times, I just felt alone.
♪ ♪
- I don't want a marriage where you're
appeasing me all the time.
It just snowballed and spiraled.
♪ ♪
- It took a toll on our marriage.
It has been a little bit difficult
to become on one page.
♪ ♪
- I still believe there's a strong connection.
♪ ♪
- We did already commit to getting married.
So what can I do to fight for this?
♪ ♪
- The time has come for you to make a decision.
♪ ♪
Do you want to stay married?
- Or do you want to get a divorce?
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
- ♪ It's all or nothing ♪
- This is "Married at First Sight."
♪ There's no other way ♪
♪ It's all or nothing ♪
- ♪ Run away ♪
♪ Don't be scared, we're just chasing our dreams ♪
- Kodah, would you want to stay with your current mama
or potentially having no mama?
If you lick your paw, that means you want to stay
with your current mama.
What? - He's licking.
- I don't appreciate that.
- With less than 24 hours before Decision Day,
our couples are about to make a choice
that will alter their lives forever.
- So you're packing to leave me.
- Packing up.
- Are you excited?
- Nah.
- In order to better evaluate the last eight weeks
of their marriage, our couples will spend
their last day alone.
♪ ♪
♪ If I'm dreaming, in my dreams the sun comes up ♪
- Are you getting stressed out about Decision Day,
now that you're packing?
- It's just never great.
- Don't you fall off that bed now.
- I'm always hanging off the bed.
- Been falling off the bed.
Getting nervous.
Getting the jitters all about Decision Day.
Oh, goodness.
- I'm not nervous.
But it is nerve-racking.
- I mean, it definitely is nerve-racking.
And I always say we're going to pray.
But as humans sometimes we kind of get in our own heads.
And then we start doubting things.
What if he says no because--
like why would you say no?
- If I just wasn't at 100%.
- What percent are you at?
- I want to be at 100%.
- What percent are you now?
- I don't even know.
♪ ♪
I want to feel within my heart that it's 100%.
- And if not, you're going to say no?
- If my heart is not at 100%, I may say no.
♪ ♪
- You say no, I'm going to get up and walk out the room.
I'll be like, "Don't worry about my decision."
- So you're saying your decision is a yes?
- I have to sleep on it some more
and give it some more thought.
♪ ♪
- So you're not at 100% either.
- No.
- So the next time we see each other,
my heart we'll probably be going 90 to nothing.
- 90 to nothing?
Why is that?
- I don't know.
I'm just nervous, no matter what the decision is.
Just being nervous.
- Right now I don't know what Shaquille and I are going
to decide on--on Decision Day.
I finally got comfortable with him.
I let my guard down.
And I've been very vulnerable.
But I don't know if we have what it takes
to make this marriage work.
- D-Day.
D-Day.
♪ ♪
- ♪ I see the path's unknown now ♪
♪ Don't know which way it will go ♪
- I hope that I gain clarity, because right now I don't know
what to expect after this.
And that's scary.
- I'm going to get my stuff. - [gasps]
You can't go.
No.
Ow, you're going to crush me.
Are you trying to crush me?
I'm definitely not going to be able to get
out of bed on Decision Day.
- I've got to go.
- Oh, no.
- ♪ When I come down, I don't know ♪
♪ ♪
- ♪ I know you like, know you like that ♪
♪ ♪
♪ I know you like, know you like that ♪
- I think it's good to take some time apart
to figure out what decision we're going to make.
I mean, it is something that's going to impact
the rest of our lives.
- I'm just nervous that a little time apart
to think about it, one of us might be like,
"Oh, I actually don't see my future
the same way I see my present."
♪ ♪
- Are you thinking that a little bit of distance or time
apart will make us grow apart?
- No.
I'm more worried about you changing your mind.
- You're worried about me changing my mind?
- Yeah.
- Why is that?
- I know surface level how we feel.
But I'm just a little nervous that with time apart to really
think about it, little things are going to pop up
that you might realize, I might realize like,
"Oh, maybe this isn't a quality I want in my life partner.
"Or maybe we are just really happy now,
but thinking about our future it doesn't look the same way."
I want to make sure if we say yes to each other
on Decision Day it's because we want to be
in the same space of happiness forever
and not just like, "Oh, we're gonna see
if we're still happy."
We have to say yes to each other knowing
we will do whatever it takes to make each other
happy and loved.
That's just me. That's just who I am.
And you may not want to be stuck with it for life.
I don't know.
♪ ♪
- If I said no on Decision Day, it would probably
be because of just Nicole questioning things
and not being super secure with things.
If she's just always going to be questioning whether or not
I am on the same page as her, it will definitely
be a huge wrench in our marriage,
because I don't want to put up with it the rest of my life.
♪ ♪
It's a big decision.
♪ ♪
[upbeat music]
♪ ♪
- What is Duchess going to do?
- What do you mean what is Duchess going to do?
- When I'm gone.
- Duchess, what you going to do?
Airris is leaving us.
She seems a little unbothered surprisingly.
[laughs]
But I'm not used to not having you here.
So I'm going to miss you a little bit.
But I'm happy that we're going to have some time apart
to kind of just figure out what's best for us
moving into Decision Day.
- What are some reasonings that would cause you to say yes?
- I feel like my reasonings for yes
would be just because we do have so much fun together.
I feel like that could possibly grow.
And I feel like we would have fun for the rest of life
if we were to say yes.
- The are reasons for saying yes because we
do have a solid foundation.
Like you said, we do have a good time.
I know married people that are like miserable.
- Miserable, right.
- Like they hate each other.
You know what I mean?
And I feel like we're far from that.
♪ ♪
I mean, I'm not a psychic.
But I can't even envision a situation where we would ever
end up like that, just our personalities
and the way we click.
And so I definitely understand also like why
the experts matched us.
And as difficult as I made it, I feel like we still grew.
That's why that's a testament to like both of us.
♪ ♪
- I feel like the experts really opened my eyes to how
we have had intimacy, that I really
didn't look at it as intimacy.
So I feel like they pose different things for
to make my mind start to wonder about different scenarios
of how Decision Day could go.
- Yeah.
Just hearing from them, you know, they're the experts.
They counsel many couples.
So I do value their opinion.
I trust their opinion.
I feel like if they didn't think
we had a chance or any potential,
they would have straight up told us.
- Tell us. - You know what I mean?
- Yeah.
- If I was to say yes on the Decision Day,
I would be saying yes to staying committed.
I've been committed this far and just giving this marriage
like a real shot.
I don't think this marriage is where
me or Jasmine anticipated it to be coming into it.
But I feel like we're still in a good place.
So I guess that's where the dilemma of, should I say yes
or should I say no?
Definitely have some things to think about.
♪ ♪
- ♪ What are you waiting for? ♪
♪ What are you waiting for ♪
[light music]
♪ ♪
- I think this will be good time apart.
You know, we haven't really had time,
if you think about it, to just truly process,
really for more than a couple of hours because it's
like, you do one thing, on to the next activity,
on to the next expert visit.
We got to go here. Oh, well, let's go on this day.
Oh, well, let's do this.
And there's really no time to process what we've learned.
And I honestly think us taking this time apart and just
processing what we learned together
and really knowing we made the most sound decision
will be really good for us.
- Yeah. - So I'm excited for that.
- Yeah, for sure.
We've had peaks.
We've had crevices.
There's definitely been some problems.
But if we take all the time we spent together,
95% of it was good.
And it's, do you have the ability in yourself and
in the relationship to grow?
And that's what Decision Day means to me.
All right. Got all the things.
♪ ♪
Oh, my buddy boy.
Come here.
- All right.
♪ ♪
- Come on.
- Don't go.
- Come on, mama.
- Bye, buds.
- I can send you pictures of Hank throughout the day
if you want.
- Like, minute updates?
- Yep, we can do it.
- [whimpering]
Why are you laughing right now?
It's nothing funny.
- Because you're being dramatic.
- I am?
[laughter]
- See you on Decision Day. - Mm-hmm.
I'll see you tomorrow. - All right.
- All right, see y'all.
Have a good night.
- See ya.
Be safe.
Bye.
- Bye, Kirsten.
- Later, Shaquille.
- Don't think too hard.
Come on, boys.
- Bye, boys. - Bye.
♪ ♪
- [sighs] These past eight weeks have honestly been
a struggle, all the stress and anxiety and crying
and temper tantrums.
I do still need to weigh all the pros and cons,
because I need to make this decision and make it right,
and not just make it based on how I feel today
but think about future Nicole and Chris
and what they would want.
- I do think this is a huge decision for me.
It's a decision that's going to impact my future for sure.
So there is stuff to consider and think about.
And that's why we took the night apart.
So still kind of weighing all my options.
- You know, this is the one day that you are the most honest.
And you're giving your answer of where
you see the marriage going.
And so there's a ton at stake.
- Yeah, I mean, a lot of thoughts
going through my mind.
It's just like I think I've got my mind made up.
But then all of a sudden, it kind of swirls around.
So I'm trying to be positive and just
reflect on the great things that have happened.
- Going into Decision Day I do feel
like I wish we had more time just because
I feel like we have potential and a solid foundation.
And we--we just vibe off each other.
And it's a fun time.
So I just wish that we both would have been able to give
1,000% the entire time.
- Ultimately, I'm just going to trust my intuition.
I feel like my intuition is my inner source, is my guide.
So I'm just going to roll with that.
- I feel like Shaquille and I are both a little
hesitant about our decisions.
So I pray that all of those uncertainties
leave us as we go to bed tonight
and we wake up with a clear mind and a clear decision
for tomorrow.
- Honestly, I don't know what my heart is telling me to do.
♪ ♪
- Oh, well, this is it until Decision Day,
which is in the morning.
- ♪ You tell me that you feel this way ♪
♪ I want you to feel the same ♪
♪ This is do or die ♪
♪ Can you see the light ♪
- ♪ Look at the stars, look how they shine ♪
♪ Knock, knock on the door ♪
♪ Baby, I got some light ♪
♪ To give it to sometime ♪
- Today is Decision Day.
♪ ♪
Hopefully, a night apart from each other
has given our couples an opportunity
to reflect on their growth in the last eight weeks,
because today they'll have to decide
whether they want to continue growing together or apart.
- ♪ You want it all, every piece of me, babe ♪
♪ I hit all wall ♪
♪ Please, my love don't be drained ♪
- Good morning. It is Decision Day.
And this is definitely probably the biggest
decision of my life, so I don't take it lightly.
I've rested well.
I've prayed.
And I just hope that no matter what, I make the best decision
for myself and that I stay true to myself
and be happy you with whatever outcome we have today.
- ♪ Cross your heart and hope to die ♪
♪ Nothing's stronger than you and I ♪
♪ ♪
- These past eight weeks, it's been a journey, you know?
I've learned a lot about myself,
learned a lot about Jasmine.
I learned a lot about marriage, you know,
what it means to be a husband, a partner, a spouse
and how to love that person in the way that, you know,
they need to be loved.
And ultimately, you know, I'm just gonna trust my intuition.
So, you know, who knows where the me and Jasmine's journey
ends or continues, you know?
We're about to find out.
♪ ♪
- ♪ Ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah ♪
♪ Tried to get me in chains ♪
♪ Now you watch me break ♪
♪ I think I came too close to you ♪
- All right.
- About to see Airris and Jasmine.
- Well, what do you think?
- Well, I don't know.
Do you think in the last 24 hours, the last week,
that anything has happened to turn it around?
- I may be somewhat naive.
Maybe I'm just being over-hopeful,
but in our last meeting, Airris seemed
like he had made some strides in seeing her better.
He was talking a little bit more in the future.
You know, he had his arm around her.
They were sitting closer.
- Yeah, I know.
- They looked great together, you know?
- Oh, they looked great together, yeah.
- I felt like--
I've always felt hope, I have.
- Yeah.
It's tough, you know?
And I hope that he's managed to see something
in her that he hasn't before.
- I mean, there's a lot to like in both of them.
We wouldn't have picked them if we didn't think so,
but let's see. - I know.
- Let's go see. - OK.
All right, let's go see. Oh, my gosh.
♪ ♪
Jasmine and Airris are a great match,
because they're both like-minded people,
but Airris' lack of attraction
quickly cooled their fast-growing relationship.
Nevertheless,
they've created a strong bond and constantly
talk about how they get along.
Airris is inspired by Jasmine's driven lifestyle,
and he's helped Jasmine find her voice.
And if they both can look beyond just the superficial,
they will have something that could stand the test of time.
♪ ♪
- When I first saw Airris, I thought, thank god he's cute.
- How does the first cuddle feel?
- First cuddle feels great.
[giggles]
- Airris has a lot of the characteristics
I want and need in a husband.
- I don't want you to see me more vulnerable,
because I don't really show people that.
- You know, that's what I'm here for,
you know, to help you feel better.
- Airris has a great sense of humor,
and he always knows how to put a smile on my face.
- You look like a Black "Game of Thrones" character.
- [laughs]
- This is the kind of teamwork we need in our marriage.
- But Airris has never been in love.
- It doesn't take much for me to fall in love.
- It could take a lot from me.
- Obviously.
- Airris has struggled with commitment in the past.
- Well, what's your favorite sexual position?
- Airris says he's a sexual person--
- I feel like it would be easier if we just, like,
said there wasn't going to be, like, any sex until, like,
after Decision Day.
- --but he's never shown interest
in having sex with me.
- People have types.
- I'm not his type.
- Yes! [applause]
- I cherish the good times Airris and I spend together.
If he could just show me that he's all in for real,
we could probably have a successful and happy marriage.
♪ ♪
- Jasmine, meet for your very first time, Airris--
- Hi, Airris.
- --your husband-to-be.
- Jasmine is a strong woman, and there are so many things
I admire about her.
- I'm sure you was pretty anxious and pretty nervous.
- But you was happy with how everything turned out today?
- Yeah, it was worth it. - It was worth it.
- I love when Jasmine and I have fun and spend
quality time together.
- Oh, my gosh.
Yeah.
- It is those moments I appreciate
most about the marriage.
I want those moments to last longer.
I appreciate Jasmine for not giving up on me
and on our marriage when things got hard.
- And I just want to, like, salute you, because, like,
that cannot be easy.
But unfortunately, the lack of physical attraction
has hindered our chemistry.
- My wife is very, very, like, attracted to me.
And I'm not on that same level yet.
- Jasmine does not always speak her mind
or express her needs.
That makes it hard for me to connect with her.
- Like, can you tell that I'm trying?
- I do feel like you're getting better.
I guess I just want to talk more.
I want us both to be present.
- I admire that Jasmine has a passion
behind everything she does.
I have grown to truly care for and appreciate Jasmine,
but, ultimately, I'm not sure if it's enough for us
to keep going forward with this marriage.
- ♪ When the sun shines through ♪
♪ ♪
[upbeat music]
♪ ♪
- Hi, Airris.
Come on in.
- Hello.
- How you doing, man? - Good.
How you doing? - Good to see you again.
- You're looking pretty sharp.
- Thank you.
♪ ♪
- Hi. - You look nice.
- Thank you. How are you?
- Good. How you doing?
- Good. Good to see you guys.
- Well, look at you.
- Hi.
♪ ♪
- Tell us, how are you feeling today?
I know it's a special day.
How have things been going?
- I mean, the last 24 hours was a little weird,
because I feel like me and Airris
have been together every single day
for eight weeks straight, but overall,
I'm feeling pretty good.
I feel like I'm at peace with everything.
I feel like I've given 1 million percent.
And I know that, like, whatever we
decide on today that I won't have any regrets from it.
- So let's think about the good things
that you two have done together.
- How we both were, like, non-confrontational people.
And, like, I feel like in the past, based on, you know,
what you told me and what I know about myself,
we both kind of like have a history of,
like, running from tough conversations.
And the fact that we both got to a point
where we were comfortable in having those conversations
and they weren't, like--
- Crazy.
- --just crazy, like, how we thought they were going to be.
And just saying, like, you know, as hard as this has
been, just still seeing you be able to, like,
stay true to yourself and, like, continue to grow,
you know, even with, like, speaking up.
And then, like, over time, I got to learn, like,
her mannerisms and, like, when her behavior,
when her mood shifted so I could, like,
kind of recognize, like, something was going on.
So I would, like, ask her, like, "Hey,
"is there something wrong?
Like, is there anything you want to talk about?"
- One thing I can say about me and Airris is,
when we do have those difficult conversations
and we do have those things where we differ,
like, we just talk like adults.
It's never been a blow-up.
It's never been-- he validates my feelings,
I validate his feelings, and we can move on from it.
And we're probably making a joke
five minutes later about it.
- Yeah.
When I do think about the scenario
of us staying together, that's something I consider.
Like, how much more can we grow with, like, more time?
Even though this has been a short period,
and it hasn't been, like, ideal or, like,
kind of what I expected, I still believe, like,
marriage is what I want.
Like, it felt good to come home and have somebody waiting,
like, willing to listen about how work was, how my day went,
like, even a dog, as soon as I turned the keys,
I could hear, like, Duchess, like, coming towards to door.
That felt good.
Like, I loved the fact that we did create, like,
a peaceful, like, household.
Like, I never was like--
there was never any type of, like, anxiety
or, like, drama, like, when I came home.
I mean, I don't know how it was for you know.
- No, it wasn't.
- But when I entered the house, it was, like, you know,
peaceful every day.
Like, there was flowers.
It always smelled good, you know?
Ate good.
So, like, a happy, loving household,
so thank you for that.
♪ ♪
- Tell me, what were some of the challenges?
- I feel right out of the gate, the challenge for me
was him telling me, you know, he wasn't attracted to me.
So I felt like I was, like, on cloud 12,000, like,
getting married and on the honeymoon.
And then it was, like, you know, it stung a little bit,
you know?
I've tried to be very supportive of him
in that, because I'm, like, yeah,
everybody might think you're crazy,
but I think I'm beautiful, and I'm a bad bitch.
But, you know, if you're not attracted to me,
I need you to stand on it and stand ten toes down.
And if that's what it is, let that be it.
- Yeah.
- I do think we were matched well, though.
I do think we're compatible, but it takes two
people to be in a marriage.
- Right.
- Do you think you've put in everything you possibly could
given the circumstances?
Do you think she's given 100%?
- I definitely think Jasmine has given 100%, for sure.
I don't know if I gave 100, but I think it was just
because I started so late.
Like, if I could--
I can't go back, but if I could,
I would have came in wide open and vulnerable
in the same way that you did.
I feel like if I would have not been in my head, like,
the first four weeks, I feel like we would be moving
past the physical attraction, because I do feel, like,
a connection started to get there,
but I just feel like it happened a lot later than both
of us would have liked it to.
But I still believe there's a strong connection.
Like, when you're the best version of Jasmine, like,
that's the most attractive, the most intimate,
the most sexual part of you is, like, when you're yourself,
you know?
So I guess I didn't do a good enough job of,
like, changing that narrative.
- Well, of course, there's one way to change the narrative.
- It's to change the narrative.
Change the narrative.
- Take a step like, get in there.
- Yeah.
- That said, the time's come.
We have to make the decision that you
knew we'd have to make a few months ago,
whether you want to stay married
or you want to have a divorce and why?
- OK.
So I know the wants and desires of my heart,
and I know what I prayed for, and I know what I asked for.
We know our ups and our downs, and I've known,
like, the private conversations we've had
and the things, like, that we discussed.
I've learned even more what I want and desire in a marriage.
And so I feel like--
um...
♪ ♪
And I feel like in this marriage,
that's not what we've come to.
So for those reasons, I would want to get a divorce.
♪ ♪
- But yeah, this marriage, it hasn't, you know, gone how
either one of us have planned.
There has been good.
Like, there's been a lot of good,
but I feel like in a marriage, like, you need more than that.
♪ ♪
And, you know, for me, it's kind of like
I didn't envision marriage, you know, being this way.
I thought, like, I would be smitten.
I would be, like, wanting more physical touch, more,
like, intimacy.
We did have intimacy, but just,
you know, not the kind of intimacy that
I feel like we both were-- - Wanting.
- --looking for.
And I'm glad that I've gone through this with you,
but ultimately, you know, I would like a divorce as well.
♪ ♪
- Well, thank you so much for your honesty.
And--and I hope both of you are right.
I hope this has been some growth here.
It certainly looks that way to us.
- Mm-hmm.
- Are there any deal-breakers that you've discovered now
that you didn't have before?
- For me, it's just--
it's self-love.
Like, I love when people love themselves.
Like, I love Airris.
Like, I hug myself five times a day.
♪ ♪
After I brush my teeth, like, I smile, like,
so I can see myself smiling.
The first thing I say when I wake up is, like,
"Show me how good today can be."
So I don't even know if you heard me sometimes.
I try to whisper it, because you might still be asleep,
but I just love--
so I feel like when two people just love themselves
and then they come together, like,
that love just creates, like, more love.
- You don't think I love myself?
- At times, like, the temperature of,
like, what's going on with us can cause you
to kind of shut down and not be, like,
your true self.
And I feel like--
- But not change my self-love, though.
- And we can agree to disagree. Like, that's fine.
- I'm just trying to get the narrative
of me not having self-love.
- I'm not saying, like, you don't like yourself
or you're like insecure or anything.
I'm just saying, I just want you to just--
no matter what I do, I would want someone
who just would love the hell out of themselves,
like, unconditionally.
♪ ♪
- What are you feeling right now?
- [scoffs] First of all, I have plenty of self-love,
but more importantly, he has commitment issues.
Like, we've talked about it.
He's used to being somewhere.
If it didn't feel right, up and move,
and he's used to ghosting girls.
Like, it's just his norm.
And I mean, he's acknowledged it, which is amazing.
But it's just like, I just really feel
like if it wasn't the attraction thing,
it would have been something else.
And I just don't feel like he's in a place to where he
can fully commit to the marriage.
And I don't really think he was ready to be married.
I don't think at any point in this process
I truly got that effort from him.
♪ ♪
- Well, I'm sorry.
I mean, I really am, because, you know,
we take it seriously.
We're hoping that, you know, when a marriage
doesn't start out exactly right, it can grow.
And I know you want to be married,
and I know you tried hard to be a wife and be supportive.
And I just want to say I admire all that.
- Thank you. - I really do.
- Absolutely.
Yeah.
Hey, remember, if you take the lessons you've learned here,
it's not going to be difficult for you to find someone
to grow madly in love with.
All right, guys. - All right.
- You know, a divorce is not what I wanted
or what Jasmine wanted, but I feel
like marriage can be better than what I experienced.
You know, I came into marriage thinking,
like, married sex was going to be great, you know?
So all of the things I was looking forward to, you know,
like, "Harder, more, right there, that's my spot,
lift my leg up,"
like, I didn't really get none of that.
- My lady.
I'm so glad we chose you.
- I had to choose myself, and I had
to choose the desires of my heart,
the wants that I have for my marriage.
And I just wasn't getting those things from Airris.
- I'm glad y'all chose me. - Because you're--
you're an awesome woman.
- Thank you.
- I am still tremendously happy
I got married at first sight.
I feel like I needed this experience
just to become a better woman, a person, a spouse, a friend.
And I want to be married even more now
than I did before being matched in this process.
Hopefully my forever person finds me.
♪ ♪
- It's crazy that it all comes down to today,
but it is a big decision.
It's going to impact my life moving forward.
And honestly, I did not think I would
feel this way on Decision Day.
It's just Nicole, some of her insecurities
with her self-worth and questioning whether or not
I want to be with her, it kind of
makes me think maybe this will be a bigger issue later on.
♪ ♪
- I did not sleep too well last night.
I kept waking up, because today is life-changing.
Today could be the first day
of the rest of our lives together
or it could be the first day where I have to
figure out how to be single again.
There's just underlying nerves about
what Chris is going to say.
I did ask him when considering his decision
to not just think about how he feels today,
tomorrow, the next day, but think about our future,
because the last thing I want is for us to say yes today
and then in a few months we're like,
"Eh, we didn't really think this through."
So I hope the fear is just in my head
and won't actually come to fruition, hopefully.
- ♪ Whoa ♪
♪ Standing out on the edge ♪
♪ I'm not afraid of what's ahead ♪
♪ Ooh-ooh ♪
- Nicole and Chris, you know, they're our couple that we
get every now and then.
- Mm-hmm.
- They meet at the altar, they feel it,
and they keep feeling it.
And they work with each other, and they're happy.
I'm thinking that this will be a couple
that's found their way.
- Yeah.
I think so, too, but I do think that we
have not seen any major conflict
during the entire eight weeks.
I don't know if that's good or bad.
- Right.
- You know, to see conflict, for me, is a good thing.
I don't really have an issue if a couple argues,
because I think it's healthy.
- Right.
- I want to help them work through it, though,
and then you can learn more about each other.
But if everything is peaches and cream during this process,
then it's, when the arguments do come,
they're going to be sort of a surprise, you know?
What's happening to our relationship, you know?
We've never argued before.
- You know, it's just maybe kismet that works.
I'm happy for them.
- Now, the thing that did concern me early on was
her constant checking with him, "If today's the Decision Day,
what would you say?"
And that went on--every day she would ask him that.
And I cautioned her.
I said, listen, this could drive a wedge between the two
of you, because no one wants that kind of insecurity
in their relationship. - Right, right.
Of course, I'm always nervous...
- Absolutely. - Until they actually say
that they choose to stay married.
- Right.
Pepper, if this is a surprise, I'm going
to jump across that table.
[laughter]
- So shall we go find out for sure?
- Yeah, let's do this, please.
- OK.
♪ ♪
- Nicole and Chris' romance has grown into true love.
They already have a great foundation
for trust and intimacy in the short time
they've been together.
They are both big-hearted, deeply committed individuals
who like to be silly together,
which makes them a great match.
But Chris' appeasing nature and Nicole's insecurities
have strained their marriage.
So we can only hope that they'll
look past their challenges
and embrace the potential they have to continue
evolving as lifelong partners.
♪ ♪
- Chris is my North Star.
I said your name would be Chris.
I'm Nicole. - Oh, did you really?
I said your name would be Nicole.
- When I look at him, I see my home.
- This is your mom.
- I'm your mama now.
- Ahh! [laughs]
- Chris is hilarious.
- Literally right up and in it.
I feel so violated.
- He is kind, thoughtful, and genuine.
- Let's move these candles.
They're getting in the way of my view of you.
- Aww.
- ♪ But if you love me ♪ don't look back ♪
- I fell in love with him, because he makes me
feel like magic is flowing through me
whenever we're together.
- Cheers to exploring this world together.
- Oh, I love that.
Cheers.
- Being married to Chris has made me practice staying
grounded and having self-love in order to give
and receive love fully.
- Thank you, baby.
- Love you.
- I love you.
I love his attention, but Chris still needs to work
on taking care of himself.
Everyone I've met at our wedding
has told me that he's kind of gotten
walked all over because he is such a nice guy.
And I don't want that to happen with us,
but how often can you really say,
like, "No, really, what do you think?
Really, what do you think?"
I do worry that sometimes he's
indecisive when it comes to making decisions
and getting things done.
- Before Decision Day, we just need
to finalize what we're doing.
I don't want to wait until after Decision Day
and say, "OK, now let's really think about it," so...
- I mean, we've been talking.
- And I do worry that my insecurities
could scare Chris off.
I didn't realize I had so many issues until we talk
about all of these things.
And I'm like, wow.
You are really [bleep] up.
Aww.
"Always remember that you are beautiful,
and I'm so lucky to call you my wife."
But ultimately, Chris makes me feel
seen, loved, and beautiful.
- ♪ Heart's on fire ♪
♪ Hold me up ♪
♪ I want to be burning fire ♪
♪ ♪
- We just got married.
- She put a ring on it, and so did I.
- Whoop-whoop.
- I think we both did a good job.
- You did an excellent job.
- So, awesome.
- I have truly fallen in love with Nicole,
and it feels amazing.
- ♪ This is for real ♪
♪ I'm a believer ♪
- When you look at me, am I your dream wife?
- So far.
I never expected my wife to be so full of personality
and passion.
- ♪ Open your eyes ♪
- You know, I'm blown away by her every day.
Like, she's got my back no matter what.
- ♪ This is for real ♪
- Nicole is my heart, and I can't
imagine my life without her.
I can't thank you enough for, like, having your dad come out
and watch Charlie. Like--
- We're all family now.
That's what we do.
♪ ♪
- Nicole and Chris.
[cheers and applause]
- I'm so happy.
I would do that again every single day.
- Oh, no. So would I.
- Maybe not that, because that was a really long day,
and my makeup looked like trash.
- Nicole still needs to work on being
less critical of herself
and more confident in the relationship
and bond that we have formed.
- She kept questioning, and she kept being like,
"Oh, if Decision Day was today, like, what would you say?"
And, like, it was a constant kind of thing.
It's like, what am I doing that's making you question it?
I'm not scared by anything, like,
that you're going through.
- Rationally, I know that you are not going anywhere.
Deep down, my inner, inner core does not know that yet.
- When Nicole questions our relationship,
honestly, it like, breaks my heart.
- There is a little part of me that I still think,
like, "Well, he didn't pick me."
- I need her to stop doubting us,
because it makes me feel like she doesn't trust me.
Like, it makes me really sad.
I mean, are you worried about your heart being broken now?
- There's always a chance, like, you and I break up.
- So that's a very real concern for me.
- ♪ We're faded out ♪
♪ Faded out ♪
♪ Faded away ♪
[suspenseful music]
♪ ♪
- There he is.
- How are you? - I'm good.
It's good to see you.
- Good to see you, too.
- How you doing, buddy? - Good.
How are you? - It's good to see you, man.
- Good to see you, too. - Hi.
Please sit down. - Yeah.
♪ ♪
- Ooh, look at her.
- Oh, my gosh.
- Hello, hello.
- Hi.
- You look beautiful.
- Thank you. - Indeed.
- You look very beautiful yourself.
- [laughs]
- OK. - You look great.
- Hello, hello.
Greetings, everyone. Hello.
- Hi, there.
- Greetings, my dear. - Hello, hello.
- Oh, you look lovely. - Thank you.
- OK.
- All right.
All right.
- What have the last 24 hours been like for you?
- It felt kind of-- a little bit lonely,
honestly, like, just not having her next to me.
So that kind of was a new feeling for me,
but a good feeling overall, like, to miss somebody.
- I physically missed him.
Like, I could tell he wasn't there.
It was, like, 7:00.
I was like, I guess I should go to bed now,
because I don't want to do anything.
And I felt so out of sorts.
I kept waking up in the middle of the night
and reaching over for Chris.
And my dog didn't even sleep in the room with me.
I was like, I have no one.
- [laughs] Oh, no.
- I was more nervous than I was on wedding day.
- So we're going to take you down memory lane a little bit,
you know?
- OK.
- Let's start with your discovery or your feelings
about why were you two matched?
- I would like to think it's because, like, we just--
honestly, we both talk a lot.
Like, she may be more of the dominant personality than me.
I'll give her that.
Plus, the dogs was another big thing.
Like, why would you match me with somebody who didn't
like dogs and vice versa?
- And, you know, we find we're really compatible,
and even the little things like your favorite cereal.
We have the same dentist, which no one else thinks is funny,
but I do.
But the things we are different in, we balance each other out,
whereas, I definitely have more of a temper,
and he's more calm in most situations.
But there are certain situations
where we need my temper but then him to kind of
even me out.
So we have a united front in not his mild manner,
but not my extreme manner.
- Yeah.
- So we really do balance each other out.
- What do you think were the biggest
challenges along the way?
- Well, for me, one of the things
would be the appeasement stuff.
It kept coming up over and over.
And it's like, even after that, she stopped doing that,
but then she would just kind of question, like, are you happy?
Like, is this great?
And I'm like, having to keep talking about the same thing
over and over again, it's like, hey, if you have
a problem with it, that's completely OK,
but let's talk about it to a point
where we can get it resolved and come
to a common understanding and then move forward.
- Yeah.
I mean, I think I would just point things out, like,
"Hey, I don't know if this is an issue, but it could be,
so let's, you know, get to the bottom of it now."
But by doing that, I created issues where there weren't any,
because I would say something once, like the appeasement
and say, like, "I don't want a marriage where you're
appeasing me all the time."
And that kind of created more of an issue,
because then we kept talking about how it's not an issue,
but it could be.
And if it is, it's not going to be good.
And it just snowballed and spiraled.
And I said to Chris, like, "I don't want to always
"have another issue with you.
"Like, I don't want you to be like,
'Oh, here Nicole goes again.'"
♪ ♪
- Let's say if you said yes,
what would you want to see more of
from each other going forward?
What would that be?
- For me, I would like to see you love yourself even more.
Like, we're all our worst critic.
We're all our hardest critic.
But, like, there's times where you're harder on yourself
than you need to be.
So, like, honestly, just working on fully loving
yourself and not being so hard on yourself is,
I think, something that you can still work on.
- Noted.
I would love to see you really follow through
on all of the things you say you
want to do for yourself, like, "I'm going to wake up earlier.
"I'm going to go to the gym.
I'm going to start feeling better."
And I feel like you just get discouraged if you're
not doing those things.
- That's true.
- So kind of the same thing, where you make yourself
feel bad, but I would also like you to start
doing more of those things, because it does
make you feel so good when you accomplish
things you want to do.
- I can definitely use the motivation at times,
so I would fully agree with that.
- Well, the time has come for you to make a decision.
After eight weeks of being married,
do you want to stay married or get a divorce?
♪ ♪
- Chris, over these past eight weeks,
you have made me happier than I've
ever been in 33 years of life.
You've allowed me to be my true self
and just feel happy all the time.
I've learned that with the right person,
you can say or do anything.
And they might not like it, but they'll
still accept you and love you.
And I don't think I really knew that until being
in a relationship with you.
So I love you.
I feel so confident in our relationship,
and I feel very lucky every single day I'm with you.
So thank you for being the most amazing husband.
And when I think about my future,
whether it's later today, tomorrow, decades from now,
you are standing beside me in every one of those thoughts.
And I just can't imagine life without you,
and I don't want to ever know what life without you
would be like.
So I would love to stay married to you.
♪ ♪
- I always thought there was going
to be lots of ups and downs.
Not to say that we won't have our downs,
but we've had so many ups, and it's just, you make life fun.
You make marriage fun, whether it's your birthday
party for your '80s thing or even though I didn't like it,
like, you still had fun with the dinosaur thing.
I also agree, like, life would feel lonely without you.
And I don't want that loneliness.
I don't want that emptiness in my heart.
I love you fully, and I would love to stay married to you
as well.
- Yay.
- Wow.
It's wonderful.
It's extraordinary hearing all the things you've
felt and done with each other and figured out
and worked on and enjoyed.
I mean, it's just great that it's
been so enjoyable for you both and it's been so rewarding.
- Thank you.
- And I know your families and your friends
and the people going through this with you,
they will all feel enriched by it as well.
Well, let's have a toast.
- OK.
- I've never felt love like this before.
And I have to thank Chris for that.
He allows me to be who I am.
So there's no reason to not be happy.
[bottle pops] - Whoo!
- This is the happiest I've ever been.
I mean, I've had a lot of downs in relationships.
And with Nicole, she makes it easy.
It's a lot of ups, and I just have someone that I truly feel
that I can build a life with.
I want her to be my wife, and--
- I am your wife.
- --I want to build a life moving forward.
- Like, you still want me to be your wife.
- Yeah, I still do, yeah.
- Yeah.
- It's an easy decision, slam dunk.
- All right.
That's a slam dunk?
- Yeah, slam dunk.
- So here's to you guys for better
or for worse, for rich and for poorer, till death do us part.
both: Cheers.
♪ ♪
- Great.
- And with that, I have a surprise for you.
- Oh, Wow.
- One second.
♪ ♪
- Oh.
- Aw.
- I got you some flowers.
- These are beautiful.
- Oh, my gosh.
- Thank you.
- Happy wife, right?
- Happy spouse-- - Happy spouse.
- Happy spouse, happy house. - --happy house, right.
- Yeah, happy house.
- You guys are going to go forth now and go
do what married people do.
Oh, here.
Take this with you. - That's right.
- You're going to need it. - Thank you.
- Enjoy. - Thank you.
- Hey.
Love it.
- This is a beautiful day.
This is what makes it all worthwhile.
I'm serious.
[upbeat music]
♪ ♪
- Today is the day.
I've really been weighing this out, just really using
this to decipher what I want in a marriage
and what I deserve in a marriage.
You know, you go into this knowing,
like, if it doesn't work out, you kind of
have to start all over.
I mean, I came into this process for a husband.
And if I actually get a divorce
and this doesn't work out, it'll be scary, for sure.
♪ ♪
- Today is going to be a whirlwind of emotions.
And it's going to be crazy.
This is the culmination of everything
that Gina and I have gone through in this experience,
you know, coming into this with huge expectations
and then living the reality of everything
that's happened up until now.
I've churned through so many thoughts, so many emotions
trying to figure out the right decision.
♪ ♪
[upbeat music]
♪ ♪
- All right. - All right.
Oh.
- I know.
- I'm so frustrated with this couple.
I cannot understand why this hasn't, like,
crossed over into a big romantic relationship.
- This has been the biggest conundrum
that I've experienced.
- Me too.
- Because you get along, you both acknowledge,
oh, she's an attractive person or he's an attractive guy.
And I believe that they see how they
can be a benefit in each other's lives, but still.
Well, we just don't have the spark.
- I think this thing got hurt right in the beginning--
- Yes.
- --where, you know, whatever they said to each other
made them feel that they weren't desirable,
they weren't wanted.
- Yeah.
- What I'm hoping for is there's still, if not a spark
of lust, a spark of hope that, you know,
they stop looking at what they don't have and start
totaling what they do have.
- Yeah.
- Give it some more time, because I see them
as having a lot to offer each other, I really do.
- Well, let's go talk to them.
- OK.
♪ ♪
- We matched Gina and Clint because of their shared
humble beginnings and career success.
They both expressed a deep appreciation for each other
and what they've accomplished.
However, there's no romance.
They don't argue.
They've learned how to resolve conflict.
They've learned how to get along.
They've learned to like each other
in spite of their differences.
And this is the foundation of a great marriage.
So today we hope they can realize
that this is a relationship that can
thrive long past Decision Day.
♪ ♪
- ♪ So we should have love ♪
♪ I know that life's so long ♪
- Hi. Nice to meet you.
- Hey.
- Gina is a beautiful woman, and a lot of men
would be lucky to have her.
You have exceeded every expectation...
- Ohh.
- Of the best-case scenario that I could have thought.
And I'm excited to what tomorrow brings
if today went this well.
Gina's got a lot of admirable qualities.
She's self-driven.
She's motivated.
- I've always had this thought in the back of my mind
since I was, like, 18, maybe I want to do hair.
- I admire that Gina put so much passion
and effort into her career.
- Rough but clean?
Purposely rugged.
- But that's just not something I want
to talk about all the time.
Gina and I get along really well,
but some comments that were made early on
created a big hole for us to try to climb out of.
- And the one thing that I was like, just,
I don't really vibe with redheads
or, like, gingery features.
- I need reciprocity in a relationship,
and Gina isn't giving me any.
Typically, the girls that I have dated are very
athletic, slender.
- I'm done.
Yeah, thank you.
- It should be done.
It should be done.
- Have a good day.
- Because she's got no leg to stand on.
Unreal.
Tries to turn the tide.
I came into this really wanting to be married.
I know I wasn't perfect, but if we had both tried harder,
I know we would have a much better marriage now.
But would that be enough?
- ♪ [indistinct] ♪
♪ Set me on fire ♪
- ♪ Seems like better times, better days ♪
♪ I've been there and gone ♪
♪ ♪
♪ Your words like thunder strike ♪
♪ Your energy building around me like static ♪
♪ You turn me on ♪
- The first time I saw Clint, I thought he was good-looking,
just not my initial type.
But attraction, for me, is something that can grow.
- I've been looking for a little vice.
I don't really love to drink or go out.
- Anything. - So maybe my vice
will just be adventure. - OK.
- We hang out, and we have easy conversation.
So maybe it's a blessing in disguise
that we didn't have physical attraction right away.
- ♪ Let him take your best shot ♪
♪ Tell him bring your A1 game ♪
♪ 'Cause you know and I know and I know, baby, know ♪
♪ You're gonna bounce back, bounce back ♪
- You ready to hit Broadway?
We always have a lot of fun together
no matter what we're doing.
- So if you pull it towards you, it's going to go right.
- I'm grateful that Clint takes care of Hank
while I'm at work.
Those two have a real special bond.
- Oh, it's so good.
♪ ♪
- I like his big personality.
He can definitely be the life of the party,
but sometimes it can get a little annoying.
- To the Krusty. - To the Krusty.
♪ ♪
- We don't have that yearn to want
to get romantic with each other, and that's the stopgap.
- I've been giving this marriage everything I've got,
and we've built a great friendship.
- You've, like, gone above and beyond to incorporate yourself
into my life, and I appreciate you
probably more than you know.
- I came into this really wanting to be a wife.
Clint is a great guy.
I just don't know if it's enough to continue
giving this marriage a shot.
- ♪ There's a lot to love there ♪
♪ Yeah ♪
[light music]
♪ ♪
- Hello there. - What's going on...
- Hi there.
- Mr. Debonair?
- Cool suit color. Like it.
It's good to see you.
- Likewise. - How are you?
- I'm good. - What's up, big guy?
How you doing? - Good to see you, man.
- Good to see you, too.
- So you set the precedent in upping the suit game, so...
- I see you.
- I've also been called out for not having
enough flair, so...
- You've met the challenge.
I'm going to give it to you. - Thank you.
Appreciate that.
- Oh, there she comes.
♪ ♪
- Hello, hello. - You look so good--
- Oh, thank you.
- --and of course, major league sexy.
- It's so pretty out here.
- Isn't it nice? - Hello.
- Look at you.
Oh, my gosh, you look great.
- How's it going? Hey.
- Good to see you.
- How you doing?
- Good. - That's right.
You two have been separated for a little bit.
- We've been a little separated, yeah.
- Because we ask everybody to have that quiet time,
see if you miss each other.
- Yeah.
- So let's talk about marriage.
I mean, what have you learned about marriage?
- Oh my gosh, well, I mean, one thing I've definitely
learned through this process is that I am ready to be married.
That confirmed it for me.
Having just that person for even, like,
the subtle day to day is nice.
- Yeah.
I mean, it does take work trying
to make the other person feel as valuable as possible
and making them feel special, because they're supposed to be
your one and only, you know?
Even holding back when we're, "front street," right?
Like, there's a time and a place for that.
And learn when's the appropriate time
to or not to or to never say the things
that are top of mind.
So I've learned a lot.
- That's awesome.
What are some of the best memories you have?
- The couples retreat, you know,
because we get along well in a group atmosphere,
like, just ping-ponging conversations,
going back and forth, good dialogue, smiling,
laughing the whole time.
Like, that gives me affirmation that, you know,
we can play well in the same sandbox.
- Right.
[laughs]
- It's always a good indicator when
we are with the other couples, because I think
when you, like, kind of pull the lens out
and you're able to see it from another's perspective,
you're like, oh, wait.
We actually do have a really great time together.
Horseback riding was super fun.
The rodeo was probably one of our most fun times together.
- Wow.
- Yeah.
Who would have thought we would have bonded at a rodeo?
- Big rodeo gal now.
- It's, like, 95% of the things that we've done
has been a great experience.
- Mm-hmm.
- And so I try to reflect on like the good things.
- 95%.
- Yeah. - That's--that's--
- That's heavy.
- That's higher than most marriages--
- She said, "That's heavy." - --that I know of, right.
I'm not sure I get that same percentage out
of long-term married couples.
- Yeah. That's been nice.
- What did you like the most about marriage?
- What I really liked was waking up every morning
and knowing that there was somebody there that, you know,
we can hang out, we can do whatever we want.
You know, when Gina would lean on me for advice and stuff
like that or us just talking about our days,
like, that was very nice to be able to share
that with somebody.
- One of my favorite moments was us literally
just waking up, grabbing a coffee, and taking Hank
for a walk in the morning.
And I mean, Clint is a good listener.
He's definitely been a huge cheerleader when it comes
to me running my own business and him giving input
and listening to just a lot of the crazy stuff that's
been happening with my business in the last couple months.
So that was probably my favorite part.
- What were the challenges that have been big for you?
- You know, it's more of a struggle when you feel
like you have a friendship with someone,
but you can't quite get there on a romantic level.
- I am sort of mystified to some extent--
- Yeah, me too.
- --because I don't know if we've ever
had a couple quite like you who are both good-looking people--
I mean, you are--
and also seem to get along so well who couldn't
find a connection to build on.
- We just haven't even been able to start or kindle that,
because Gina is a beautiful person.
To that romantic piece, I'm sure everything would
be biscuits and gravy, right?
Just-- we just can't get there.
- Let me ask you something, though, Clint.
You've had other relationships.
- Mm-hmm.
- Why do you think you felt it with them and not with her?
- I think some of it has to do with,
like, they like to do the things that I like to do.
So, you know, I'm, like, a big proponent
of outdoor activities.
I'm an adventurer, things like that.
And so in this experience, I've been not active at all.
And it just-- - Yeah.
- I don't know.
It just didn't feel like me.
- I will say that I might not be like a sailor or skier,
but as far as being active and enjoying being
outdoors and stuff, like, that's not
anything that I'm opposed to.
If we would have had those activities planned,
I would have done them.
It's not like I would be like, I'm too high-maintenance.
I can't go outside.
You know, like, those are all things that I would--
I'm definitely up for.
- Just flow with me here.
If either of you had initiated
any kind of romantic interest, would the other one--
just overtly-- would you have responded?
- I mean, looking back, maybe things could
have been a little different.
Just based off, like, law of attraction if there's someone
pining after you and being super intentional
and going out of their way to make you
feel like they're fighting for you,
I think it's almost hard not to build some sort of attraction
to them.
So things could have been different.
I think it's hard for me a lot of the time
to ask for help or, you know, to vocalize the things
that I need and that I want.
And I think that probably would have made Clint's job a little
easier if I was more vocal about those things,
but it just hasn't felt organic to want to share
in those conversations.
- If I could do things differently,
that's definitely some of the things
that I feel like would improve the relationship
or give us a better shot, right, a better opportunity.
- Well, the time has come for you to make a decision.
I need you to think about this carefully.
Do you want to stay married or get a divorce?
♪ ♪
- So, Gina, that's been one hell of an experience.
Being here on the last day, I think I am nuts, certifiably,
but I would do this again
with you as my wife.
♪ ♪
So yeah, I think ultimately--
♪ ♪
Um...
♪ ♪
But ultimately, I just don't feel
like I'm the husband that would be deserving of either of us.
So I think it would be best to get a divorce.
♪ ♪
- I can agree with you.
I can look back on this experience,
and I am truly grateful for the time
that we've spent together.
I feel like I've personally seen tremendous growth in you.
I do know there are definite things that I'm
looking for in a marriage, and I know
there are for you as well.
So I would agree that I think it's best for us
to get a divorce.
♪ ♪
I think if I had to go back, I wish that you would have just
taken the initiative and fought on just the pretense of,
we already committed.
Even if it felt uncomfortable and you didn't feel like you
had some drawing desire, I wish you would have just taken,
like, the logical step of thinking, "OK, like, I know
"I'm not feeling this and I'm not an emotional guy,
"but logically, we made vows.
"We did already commit to getting married.
So what can I do to, like, fight for this?"--
- Yeah. - --in the beginning.
- Yeah.
- Just like setting the tone and setting the foundation.
- Duly noted, yep.
- How do you feel about that before you respond?
- No, I mean, I completely agree.
I mean, I think it's easy to pick lottery
numbers the next day, right?
So I mean, one of the things was,
like, I know a lot of times you mentioned,
like, you know you were uncomfortable
or things felt forced.
And I mean, we were married at first sight, right?
- Yeah.
- So it's like giving things an opportunity to at least, like,
get a little bit out of your comfort zone
and to try some of those things.
But I mean, that's just one thing
that I would probably say that could have been different.
♪ ♪
- I have to ask the question that all dog
lovers would want to know.
What is going to happen with Hank?
- Well, Hank is Gina's dog.
I mean, she came into the relationship with the dog.
She'll continue to have Hank.
- He did offer a really hefty price for him.
- I did.
I did.
- Honestly, you offered to buy her child?
- I did. - $10,000.
- Yeah, yeah.
- What if it was $20,000?
- But you know, I try whatever I can.
- [laughs]
- I'll try whatever I can.
- Did you counter? No.
[laughter]
I know, right?
- But I hope I remain in his life in some capacity,
because I really do love that dog.
- I'm totally open to that.
And I think that's the wonderful thing
about us not having any ill will
or hard feelings towards one another.
- Thank you for being open and honest and mature and civil,
because this has to be the most civil divorce
that we've ever experienced-- - It is true.
- --in "Married at First Sight."
- Some kind of award there.
I don't know.
- Yeah, I don't know what that is, but this was it.
OK.
So thank you, guys.
- Thank you, guys.
- ♪ You should have known ♪
- This has been a life-changing experience.
You go into it hopeful.
And I feel like I went into this
a different person than who I am coming out of it.
So I'm excited just to really tap into knowing myself more
and taking care of myself and going on dates.
- So you think you guys are going
to continue this civil friendship even after--
- Oh, yeah.
- Yeah, 100%.
- They gave a fist bump.
- Well, that makes me feel better for Hank and you.
- Oh. - Thank you so much.
- Thank you so much for everything, Dr. Pepper.
Ahh.
- It's a pleasure. - Take care, everybody.
I appreciate it. - All right.
Bye-bye, guys. - Bye.
- See you.
Tastes like sweet failure.
Ultimately, failure is not a roadblock.
Failure is just a building block,
and this is something that I will take this experience
and apply it to all my future relationships.
- ♪ You might find something to believe in ♪
♪ Something to believe in ♪
- ♪ Heart racing fast ♪
♪ Yeah, I'm ready to go ♪
♪ Leap into the unknown ♪
- So today is the big day, Decision Day.
I woke up in good spirits knowing that God
would always direct your path.
♪ ♪
And, you know, however today unfolds,
I've just being 100% sure in my heart that I know
that I'm making the right decision
and Kirsten's making the right decision.
But I continue to pray.
I continue to lean on God's word
and allow Him to direct my path.
♪ ♪
- [sighs] Decision Day is here.
I can't believe it.
It just feels like wedding part two,
but today we show up knowing each other
and determining whether we want to spend the rest of our
lives together.
♪ ♪
I'm just hoping that we're both able to make
the right decision.
You know, the stakes are really high.
I just know once I walk in the building,
I'm probably going to be nervous.
I'm hoping that it's going to be a great day
for the both of us.
♪ ♪
[upbeat music]
♪ ♪
- ♪ Oh oh oh ♪
♪ Oh oh oh oh ♪
- So Shaquille and Kirsten.
- It's Decision Day.
- I know, and it's been a long journey with them,
because they had a rougher start
than I thought they would, but they've
really gained such ground.
Honestly, I'm pretty impressed with, I think,
how hard they've worked... - Yeah.
- And how they've come together.
- I think that the fact that she
has gone from not being attracted to seeing his value
says a lot.
So I'm optimistic.
Do you feel as though there are any potential challenges
that we're not seeing?
- I just think that they're learning how to be what they
need to be for each other.
- Yeah.
- If she's feeling truly heard by him
and not feeling lectured to anymore, if he's feeling
like she's giving enough of herself
and going to be his partner--
- Right, right, right.
- --in all his academic and university stuff.
If they've truly grown together,
I think they have everything they
need to be a great couple.
- I believe they have the great potential to make it.
I'm looking forward to talking to them, I really am.
- Me too.
♪ ♪
- Kirsten and Shaquille were matched
because they're both ambitious, successful,
educated, and religious.
But Kirsten's lack of initial attraction
and Shaquille's ambitious schedule
threatened to derail this marriage in the beginning.
However, they both put in the work
that's required to sustain a successful marriage.
If Shaquille can carve out quality time for Kirsten
and if she can make him feel supported
in his many endeavors, these two
can rise to be the power couple that they truly are.
♪ ♪
- When I first saw Shaquille, I wasn't
expecting him to be bald.
He's bald.
And he's younger than me, so that's two strikes.
And I've struggled with my attraction to him.
- Is there any chemistry there?
- Not really.
Now the attraction has grown
because of Shaquille's character.
I see you! I see you!
[laughs] - Yeah.
- Shaquille is an intentional and genuine man.
- Years from now, we've got to come back to this same location
and dance again.
- I'm going to hold you to it.
He leads from his heart and his actions.
Come on, Mr. Good-Looking.
But every time we have a miscommunication,
I feel defeated.
I definitely feel like our marriage has been up and down
depending on the day.
Shaquille and I talk in circles sometimes,
and it makes me feel annoyed.
- We always talk about, you know,
getting to that next stage, and then we always
end up in the same place.
- I feel like Shaquille only hears himself.
I definitely feel like we need to work on communication.
Like, this is horrible right now.
I don't know if this marriage is
going to be able to work if he doesn't learn to listen to me.
- ♪ Feel no pain ♪
♪ From these veins ♪
- Shaquille, I was just trying to blow you a kiss,
and you didn't blow me a kiss back.
That's all.
Like, I don't want us to just be existing together.
Like, I want the both of us to be happy.
I feel like Shaquille and I are in a place where
we don't know yet if we're going to stay
married or get a divorce.
Sometimes I don't feel that spark.
I'm in the middle of the road right now,
because I definitely need more grace in this marriage.
If we're meant to be, we're meant to be.
But I also want to feel it.
And right now, I'm not feeling it 100%.
♪ ♪
- When I first saw Kirsten, I thought
she was the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on.
God knew what he was doing when he made you.
[laughter, applause]
You're beautiful. - Thank you so much.
- It was definitely challenging in the beginning.
I wanted this to be smooth sailing,
but Kirsten didn't even find me attractive.
- There's no point in lying or faking and fronting.
Like, if you don't find somebody attractive--
- But no, no, no.
- --then you just don't find somebody attractive.
- I came in with my guard down, but I saw
the wall that Kirsten had up.
I don't know if I want to be with somebody who just
continues to have a guard up with somebody
who actually want to be in this marriage with them.
I feel like I can really give Kirsten
everything she asks for.
But honestly, I don't know if it's good enough.
- If you want to replace my Mercedes with a Lamborghini,
I would love that.
- But that wouldn't make you satisfied, huh?
- Nope.
- I care for Kirsten, because she's kind--
- I was a little sad when I went to bed the other night
and you wasn't here.
- --gentle.
And I feel like we can continue to grow
to build our union.
- ♪ Seems like I keep running back to you ♪
- But I need Kirsten to learn how to be less dominating.
- It's so hard for me to not be in control.
- Come here.
- No.
Because you to tell me to come all
the way over there, and then you're
going to move somewhere else.
- So you're saying you don't trust me.
What I've struggled with the most with Kirsten
is receiving support in my educational endeavors.
- Everything's not going to always be a 10 out of 10.
But we're having a good time,
being in the moment with each other.
- I got married at first sight to find my soulmate,
to find my best friend,
to grow and to learn and to love
and to live happily ever after.
And either all in or all out,
we have to come to a solid decision.
I want you to be there.
I need you to be there.
It's not a want no more.
It's a need.
- ♪ Who's this gonna fix it? ♪
♪ Who's gonna fix it? ♪
[gentle piano music]
♪ ♪
- There he is. - How you all doing?
- What's going on?
- That is an amazing suit.
- Oh, thank you. - What's going on, man?
- All right. - How are y'all?
- Good to see you.
- I have to come to a decision today.
Definitely been going back and forth in my head.
It's kind of like that neutral zone to find out, like,
do the good outweigh the bad?
- How are you feeling today?
- I woke up in good spirits today.
I just felt like it was going to be a good day.
- Oh, wow.
Here she comes.
♪ ♪
- Hello.
How are you? - What's up?
- You look nice.
- You look more beautiful.
- Thank you.
- What's up?
- Ohh.
- I love this blue.
- Thank you.
- You know, I've just been contemplating back and forth.
So I think when I make my decision,
I think I'll be at peace.
And I think I'll know that I made
the best decision for myself.
But at this moment, I don't even
know what I'm going to say.
- As you know, this is Decision Day.
And I do want to know, what are some
of the best memories you have?
- My highlight moments were, really, the wedding.
- The wedding.
- The wedding I think we were both in the moment.
And I think we both had our guards down.
It was just like dancing, fun.
I was like, who is this lady?
- [laughs]
- And definitely, when we sat down, like, recently and just
watched TV, when my feet was laid across,
and you sat on top of me.
And we was up on the blanket, and we were both just sitting
there watching a movie.
I think those moments that we had together
there were just like symbolic moments.
It was like, wow.
- I would say definitely when we went to church.
That was another highlighted moment for me.
And when you met my dad and my family,
that was another milestone.
I'm like, we're making some progress.
Like, things are going well.
Like, this is a good way to see if things can continue
to work out and go well.
- What are the things that you are still struggling with
or that you feel are your challenges that you've
discovered along the way?
- I think it's definitely been a challenge to really be
the leader in the household.
You are a very strong, independent woman that knows
what you want out of life.
And for me, it's like, when I, you know, try to lead,
it's definitely been kind of challenging.
So just finding out, like, in times, which one leads
and which one supports.
- I would say that our personalities
are a little bit different.
He's more so on the emotional side,
and he's a little bit more sensitive.
So it kind of takes me some time to support him
and to actually care about his feelings
because I don't always expect
that support from somebody else,
because I'm like, "Kirsten, you know what you need to do.
You know how to make things happen."
So I lean so much on myself.
So just learning how to be able to support him
and for him to be able to lean on me in times
where he needs me.
- Yeah.
Let's say if you said yes, where
do you want to see yourselves go forward from here?
- I think, for me, the next level in our relationship...
um...
would be to fall in love with each other.
Like, if you're my partner, you're my wife,
you're going to be my best friend,
you're going to be my strongest support system.
And I want to love you through think
and through thin, through good times
and bad, through everything.
Like, I just want to have the most authentic love for you
without even having to question that.
That's what I want.
- I would say, I mean, one of the things that I feel
like you and I could still work on
is just improving the communication skills.
Like, you know, I didn't make the Memphis trip or whatnot.
And that was probably one of the most difficult times
for me in our marriage was just not being there for him
physically when he needed me to support him with work,
because I didn't really understand, you know,
why he wanted me to travel along
with him to go to work so bad.
But I felt like I had let him down, because I know
how much that had affected you.
And I saw it all over your face,
and I heard it all in your voice.
And I don't like to feel like I let somebody down.
Like, that's a horrible feeling for me.
And now that I know that he may not say,
"Hey, Kirsten, you know, I'm having this event,
this is what's going on," I know that him saying,
"I want you to come."
- Even though I didn't effectively and efficiently
communicate properly of, you know,
what my expectations were for us of going and just
enjoying each other, and certain times
I just, you know, felt alone.
Like, with work events.
And it's like, well, Kirsten's not here.
And it's just like, I want her to be a part of my world.
I want her to, you know, know who Shaq is, you know?
And I think that God put me through a lot
this past eight weeks, but I continuously showed up for us
on a daily basis no matter how I felt.
Like, I still made sure I was there, but oftentimes,
it was like, I just felt alone.
- Well, you guys have gone through the ups and downs
of trying to make this a true marriage,
but you have to make a decision now
about whether you want to stay married or get a divorce.
- Shaquille, throughout this marriage,
I know that you've had multiple things to focus on.
And I know that it hasn't been the easiest thing to do.
And sometimes it took a toll on you,
and it took a toll on our marriage.
And I know that it has been a little bit difficult
to become on one page.
But you also became that husband who came home
with the flowers and came home with the chocolate
and, you know, checked on me.
You've shown support, you know, in just taking all of that
into consideration.
I would say yes, that I would love to continue
this journey with you.
And I would like for us to stay married.
♪ ♪
- All right.
Shaquille.
- Throughout this process, we have definitely
showed up for each other.
And, you know, I appreciate both of us
for not giving up on us.
It's been a lot of good times,
and it's been a lot of challenging times as well,
but we've both persevered through.
At any time, we could have said no, we're going
to go sleep in our own bed.
We need our space or whatever,
but we walked through that door and made sure that we
were there for each other.
I appreciate you so much as a person,
because, like, you're loving, you're kind.
But it's been very difficult for me
as a man to really just try to step up
to be the man that you wanted
me to be, that you needed me to be,
to give you all of the charms that life has to offer.
♪ ♪
- So what's your decision?
♪ ♪
- The last clink. - Clink-clink.
- Next time--
- ♪ And just when you think we're done ♪
- --for the first time in
"Married at First Sight" history,
the stories continue beyond Decision Day.
- Mac and Gina, would you guys be willing to go on a date?
♪ ♪
- Over the next three episodes, all five couples
will navigate their new lives as the experiment ends
and the reality of marriage or divorce begins.
- Nicole, nice to meet you. - Nice to meet you, too.
- Yeah.
- I'm ready to get back out there,
get that wedding ring put back on this finger.
- ♪ The best is yet to come ♪
- How are you doing? - Good.
How are you?
- I'm intrigued by Gina.
I think very attractive.
- I have a FaceTime chat with Gill.
- Gill?
Wait.
From the-- No, you do not.
- When he was around us, it was a façade?
- Basically.
- I'm at the state capital, Davidson County Courthouse.
- Possession is 9/10 of the law.
You've got an uphill battle to try to get the dog back.
- Clint cannot take him.
- Your last name, that's a legal thing.
- Changing my last name is actually
way more important to me than I thought it would be.
- Did you already do it?
- I didn't.
- I prayed about it and everything.
And that honestly came from my heart.
- From here, the only way to go is up.
- Cheers.
- And are you attracted to me?
- I'm very attracted to you. - OK.
- Had any sex since D-day?
- I have.
- They're gonna do it.
[cheers and applause]
♪ ♪