- I'm a wife! - We found me a wifey.
- We found you a husband.
- Yes!
- It's OK to cry.
- Yeah, it's happy tears.
- After an extensive matchmaking process,
five couples have been selected to take
the ultimate leap of faith.
- ♪ This is for real
- They will marry a complete stranger
in the hopes of finding the love that they've
been searching for.
- Being a part of this process,
I want it to work out.
I need it to work out.
- Let's go.
You lead the way.
- ♪ This is for real
- Tonight, we'll uncover the factors
that will bring them together.
- I'm very attracted to somebody that likes to dance.
- I want to be manhandled a little bit.
Throw me in the bed, something like that, you know?
- Or could possibly tear them apart.
- I would say I'm very quick to judge.
If a guy is wearing flip-flops,
I feel like that's such a turnoff.
- We'll predict which matches have
a shot at happily ever after...
- These two are going to be absolutely hot for each other.
- This is going to be the couple of the season.
Woot!
- And which ones may encounter some roadblocks along the way.
- Communication is going to be an issue.
- This relationship will not last.
- We have exclusive sneak peeks
from the upcoming season.
- Favorite position.
- On the counter.
[laughter]
- And we'll be joined by some very special guests.
- I've been wonderful and engaged.
[cheers and applause]
- Do you want to tell us something here now?
♪
- ♪ It's all or nothing
♪ It's all or nothing
- The "Married at First Sight Chicago Kickoff Special"
starts now.
- ♪ It's all or nothing
- Hello, and welcome, everyone.
I'm Kevin Frazier.
And it is that time again for a new season
of "Married at First Sight," this time in Chicago, Illinois.
And I can't wait to talk all about it.
Now, last week on the matchmaking special,
we welcomed ten new singles looking for love.
And they were matched by our experts.
Next week, these five couples will be
walking down the aisle for something that
is one of our favorite things.
It's one of the greatest moments
in American television, when they meet at the altar
for the very first time.
You know, the stakes could not be higher
as their dreams of love are finally within reach.
Tonight, I'm here with a panel
of Married at First Sight" aficionados.
Please say hello to my peoples.
Senior director of partnerships at "Essence," Nicole Haynes.
- 'Sup, Kev?
- This ain't Texas.
- Senior entertainment writer for "Variety,"
Angelique Jackson.
- Ooh, loving this Windy City love.
- Ain't it great? All right.
- Entertainment journalist for The Associated Press,
Gary Gerard Hamilton.
- Another season, happy to be here.
- And senior features TV editor for "Variety,"
Emily Longeretta.
- I'm so excited to be back.
Waited for the best season yet.
- Oh, yes. - Let's not waste time.
Let's jump right in.
What are your initial impressions about this season?
Nicole, I'm going to start with you.
- Well, first of all, we have some mature couples.
Everybody seems like they kind of have their stuff together.
There's obviously some red flags with certain folks.
But I think in general, we have a pretty
good group of people here.
- It's a good mix of red and green flags.
I feel like these people are really, really committed
to finding their person.
- I'm excited.
I think we have a lot of people who are ready to be married.
So I'm optimistic.
- Listen, I'm always probably too optimistic.
But I am giving a lot of these couples the green light.
I mean, that's why I'm wearing green today.
I'm trying to be-- bring positivity.
- You and Emily, positivity.
- We're really trying here.
- All right, I guess it's all about positivity.
You're bringing it.
Can we just dive right into our first Chicago couple?
Camille and Thomas.
Now, Camille is a successful career woman
who is looking for the man who is in it
for the long haul.
Is Thomas the man that she has been
searching high and low for?
Let's take a look at Camille and Thomas.
- ♪ Call it love
- I feel like I've been a hopeless romantic for as long
as I can remember.
Honestly, what I've really been struggling and wrestling
with is, like, what is it about me that just isn't quite
enough to keep people engaged or
wanting to come back for more?
- ♪ Ooh ooh ooh ooh
♪ I've been waiting for this romance ♪
- When you cross the 40 mark, you always get asked questions
like, what's wrong with you?
Or, you know, why are you single?
My longest relationship was eight or nine years.
And I think I was scared of taking the next step,
because I was getting in my own head.
- I think I have a tendency to ignore red flags
because I just am always trying to look at the positives first.
The frustrating part is just truly
not being able to find someone to match up
with the true long-term goals and intentions
that I have.
- I have an identical twin brother.
He was able to get married.
So for me, I feel like the odd twin out.
So now at this point, I want the things that my brother has.
And I want to start a family.
I want to take the next steps, you know,
for the future of my life.
- I was an athlete growing up.
I played collegiate basketball.
And typically, I feel like I do better
with people who are regimented and things like that.
- My hobbies are playing sports, watching sports.
I like to work out.
I like to go for runs.
I think it's important for self-development
to keep yourself in shape.
I am a perfectionist.
Things have to be done a certain way.
Like my suits are all pressed,
five tie racks, and I organize my ties by pattern.
- Yeah, because I'm crazy.
- I'm looking for someone who is patient, kind,
hardworking, someone who really values
friendship, family, and love.
- I can be a little bit more reserved.
So I think a strong woman is very sexy, very attractive.
Those are things that actually turn me on.
- If my husband is someone that needs
a little help coming out of his shell,
I don't shy away from that.
You know, I think as long as he's down to clown
and will come along for the ride,
I don't think I'd have a problem with that.
- ♪ I think I'm falling for you now ♪
♪ Baby, yeah
- A lot of options have passed me by.
I feel like almost the whole parade has passed me by.
So I'm ready.
I can't wait to meet my wife.
- I just am ready for my man to come in and
kind of sweep me off my feet
and do this crazy thing called life together
no matter what.
- ♪ Falling for you
- Well, I like this match has the potential to be...
♪ The match of the season
- Yeah.
- I mean, they both have these incredible dispositions.
I don't see them ever fighting.
I mean, can you imagine them fighting?
Honey, I don't think you should do that.
OK, well, I think we should do it that way.
- I mean, I agree with Nicole.
I think they are a wonderful couple.
Usually, I can spot out the red flags.
I don't see many red flags.
She wanted somebody who was structured and corporate.
She got exactly what she wanted down to the suits.
- This man needs some color.
He needs some color in his life.
- I'm gonna let him borrow this suit.
But yeah, but, you know, he seems like he's
doing very well for himself.
And at 42 years old, he's ready.
He's ready for marriage.
I think they're made for each other.
And Camille is wonderful.
She's attractive.
She's sweet.
She's career-oriented.
Yeah, I think that this is going to be
a wonderful, wonderful couple.
- She deserves to find love and to find happiness.
And it really could be with him.
I could really see that happening.
- Listen-- - You've been on their train.
- They are my absolute favorites.
I'm so excited.
I think they are the cutest, sweetest little couple.
As Nicole said, I do think this is going to be
the couple of the season.
It's going to be difficult when they have to like
have those tougher conversations, I think,
because they're both so affable.
And especially her being a people pleaser,
I'm a little nervous-- - Mm, met too.
- --that she's going to just kind of like let things go,
which we always know that that can be
detrimental to things working.
But like, what is she really going to be letting go?
That he's too organized? - Right.
- It makes me a little worried that he
is very set in his ways. - Of course, yeah.
- As someone who is also very organized,
it's a little stressful when things get out of whack.
So I think if he does get a little frustrated that things
are not the way he wants, she needs
to be able to reel him in and not just be like,
OK, you're right, you're right, you're right.
I don't want her to just bow down to him, not that she
necessarily will, but--
- But I like the fact that she's aware of that.
It takes me back to Nicole and Chris.
You know, he was like, I've been pushed over.
So he was fully aware of that.
So he went into this relationship
knowing not to fall back into those old habits.
And he stood his ground.
And you know, it's a beautiful, beautiful marriage now.
- My only thing is like with her, when she talks about
like now, because of the love bombing,
like standing up for herself and things like that,
I just hope that she doesn't take it to the extreme.
Because sometimes when we see people
who have been one type of way for so long
and they're ready to change, they do a total 180.
And so sometimes you just have to move in increments.
So I hope she doesn't try to prove to be something
that she's really not because then, you know, she's kind of--
- I don't really get that feeling from her, though.
She seems aware, self-aware of who she is.
I think maybe she's just speaking to those little tweaks
that need to be made.
So that she doesn't fall into those same pitfalls
and this relationship not work out.
But I don't get that sense from her.
- Listen, they're not going to be playing any games.
There's not any mind games.
I think it's just going to be nice, easy like Sunday morning.
- Can we talk about money real quick?
Because Thomas is a banker.
- Yes. - He does very well.
But Camille actually makes more money than him
and owns an investment property.
- Yeah, it's important for my spouse to have similar goals,
at least in terms of drive.
For me, I really, really am looking
just for financial freedom.
- Are you concerned if she makes more money than you?
- No, absolutely not.
I might be happy to--
take me out to dinner.
- Good answer, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
- Do you think that Camille will be bothered that she
makes more than Thomas?
- I don't think she'll be bothered by it.
I think the thing that often happens in relationships
are the men are more so bothered by it.
Even when they say, oh, no, I'm good.
I want my woman--
it's cool, she can take me out to dinner, blah, blah, blah.
- That's not true. - And then when it happens--
- That's not true. That's not true.
We've seen a lot of relationships
where the woman has made more, and by the way,
most modern men are like, baby, it's all in the same pot.
So it doesn't matter.
If you make more, great for us.
- OK, well, that's what y'all say.
- And his personality doesn't seem like he'd
have a problem with it. - Right.
- He seems like he would-- actually, you know what?
Let me help you manage that. Let's do this.
Let's invest.
So I think it'll be good for him.
Yeah.
Let's bring out our next guest, Jasmine from Nashville.
Come on out.
- Hi, everybody. - Hey.
- How are you?
- Good. - OK. OK, girl.
- All right, all right, I'm ain't mad at you.
I'm not mad at you. - Hi.
- That's a let 'em know dress. OK.
I hear you. I hear you.
Thank you for joining us.
So excited to have you here. - I'm glad to be here.
- How have you been?
What's been going on since we last saw you?
- Let's see, so life is lifeing, but in a good way.
I'm a licensed esthetician.
I have my own space.
I'm taking clients.
Of course, I'm still with my man.
- That's the mystery man. - My man, my man, my man.
- The mystery man.
Can you tell us any more info about him now?
- Well, we're doing great.
We're in our happy bubble.
And we're going to stay in our happy bubble.
- Good for you.
- Go girl. - Nice.
- But what-- - You go, girl. You go.
- I mean, can you tell us just--
- This is like the one part of my life
that I can control with everything.
And so I love being able to control that.
And I'm going to bring him to the world when--
maybe when we get married.
Who knows?
- Oh, really?
Is it going down that path?
- Oh, absolutely.
- Really? - Mm-hmm.
- Anything we-- a name, a photo, not even a name?
- Initials?
- All right, well, let's move on to the season.
Who do you keep in touch with from the season?
- Our season is like tight-knit.
We all still have our group text with the girls.
And then we have the full cast group text.
We check in.
But I did go to Gina's salon last week.
So I got to catch up with her a little bit.
- How's she doing?
- Gina is great.
She's thriving.
Her business is booming.
Like Gina is Gina.
- Really?
- Me and Shaq have our weekly call.
- Really? - Yes, I love my--
I love Shaq.
- All right, well, let's move past all that.
And let's talk about Camille and Thomas.
What do you think of that match?
- Well, first off, I'm absolutely
obsessed with Camille.
Like, I feel like she's just an all-American girl.
Like, I don't understand why she was single
or what's wrong with these guys.
But I adore her.
She is, I feel like, fully committed and fully ready
for everything that's coming.
- What do you think the first impressions
will be of each other?
- I think they'll like each other.
- OK, do you think they'll be attracted to each other?
- I think they will.
I think they'll be attracted to each other, yeah.
- What was it like when you first saw Airris?
Was there that spark when you walked down the aisle?
- I'm not going to say a spark.
But I'm not picky.
So a little cute for me, I'm good.
So I saw him, I was like, he's cute.
We're good.
- You were like, this could work.
- This could work, yeah. - This could work.
I mean, we all know how he didn't play well into that.
But anyway, we're not going to get-- we're
not going to go down that.
What advice would you give them if there isn't an attraction?
- Just stick it out, see truly and honestly
why the experts matched you before you count it out.
- OK, all right.
Thomas's brother had some thoughts
about how slowly Thomas has moved
in relationships in the past.
Take a look at this.
- What's up, Tim?
- Hey, how's it going?
- Here, let me have it.
I'm here talking to your brother.
I need you to give me some intel on this dude, man.
What kind of guy is he, man?
- Among our close friends, we always
thought that he was going to be the first one
to get married.
And I've been trying to tell him for years to take a leap,
take a chance with someone because, you know,
the worst that can happen is that, you know,
it doesn't work out.
- Right, right, right, well, look,
I don't think there's a bigger chance to take than this one.
With your last relationship, why did that one end?
The last one?
- I wasn't committing because we weren't married.
We were together for a long time.
We didn't get married. - Right. OK. Yeah.
- So I think that caused the biggest frustration.
And--
- Was that because of you? - Yes.
- You didn't-- you weren't ready to commit?
- Yes, that was because of me.
I have been told that I move very slow.
So getting married at first sight,
it's fast-tracking into a relationship,
which is something I've never done.
- You at the age.
I mean, if you're not ready now, then I mean, when?
- Exactly. - You know?
- Is this going to be hard for him
because he's used to moving so slowly, then?
- I think it'll be an adjustment, for sure.
But I feel like Camille is the girl
that could help him with that.
I don't feel like she's going to be clingy or overly like--
I feel like she's going to give him the grace
and usher him into, like, what it is.
- It's all about Camille.
- I think she's just--
I think she's going to make him look at everything a whole
lot differently.
- And people have to be realistic, right?
I mean at-- he's 42.
At 42, you are who you are.
And I'm also worried about him being set in his ways.
Hopefully, like, he's going to be who he is,
but he can give a little leeway.
But if we're asking him to be somebody totally different,
it's not going to work.
- And his brother, we always got to listen
to the family members.
They know that person the best.
- But even though he moves slow, he is, like you said,
he just got shot out of the bullet train.
So now, there's nothing he can do.
He can't slow the train down.
You got on it.
It's going to move really fast.
- Well, you can't slow the train down.
But we've seen a lot of people try--
- Or jump off. - Or standing on the tracks.
- Or jump off. Bye.
- And that is where everything goes wrong.
So as long as he doesn't do that, just stay strapped
in, stay on the train, hands and feet inside the car
at all times, we will drive to marriage
town, happily ever after.
- OK, switching gears, how much does
swag matter in a relationship?
And Airras had a lot of swag.
- He did.
- But how important is it for Thomas to have it?
- If someone is not bringing the swag,
you can help them bring the swag.
You need to have like your personality edge.
But I feel like clothes, you can fix it.
- I think it's pretty important.
I think it goes kind of hand in hand with confidence.
And if you have that, anyone finds confidence attractive.
I don't think it's a 100% necessary
thing for every woman, though.
I think that's more of a personal taste
of what you like, how you like your man to carry themselves.
I think that's completely a personal choice.
- I mean, swag means different things to different people,
right? I mean--
- Thank you.
- You got somebody who can be in a white T-shirt and some
jeans and be the swaggiest person you know and somebody
really dressed up and is not.
So-- and I think it's important to remember Camille
asked for somebody specific.
She wanted somebody kind of straight-laced and corporate.
And the experts literally handed her exactly--
- They did a hell of a job on this one.
They did a great job.
- When he opened that closet
and we saw all those gray suits,
I was like, she's going to love this.
She's going to love this. - Boom. Boom.
It is time. Let's just get to it.
All right?
I want to hear what you think.
On Decision Day, will these two stay together
or will they get a divorce?
- Oh. Totally staying together.
This is going to be the couple of the season.
Woot! Woot!
- OK, all right, all right, all right.
Yeah, I agree.
I mean, Camille is wonderful.
Thomas seems like a standup dude
who's ready for this moment.
Yeah, they're going to be the couple of the season.
- Listen, I'm too personally invested in this couple
for them not to stay together.
So come find me if, in some way, I'm wrong.
I won't be OK.
- Yeah, I think that these two have got what it takes.
And yeah, I think they're going to mesh well.
- Kudos to the experts for a perfect pick.
I mean, we are on them when they make a mistake.
We are with you when you make a perfect match.
All right, Jas, what do you think?
- I think they're going to stay together.
But if something goes wrong,
it's going to be Thomas's fault.
- What do you mean?
[laughter]
We're not throwing the man under the bus.
She's like, it'll be Thomas's fault.
- Listen, if it doesn't work, it'll be on Thomas.
- Yeah, I think he has more hang-ups than she does.
- Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah.
- Camille is just--
I don't know, like I said, I'm obsessed with her.
She's it.
And Thomas better hop on board.
- Don't put it on Thomas.
I'm telling you right now. - I am. I am.
- Thomas is coming ready to play.
- I hope that for him.
- That's what I think.
That his brother is going to really help pull him along,
because his brother is going to look at him, and be like,
boy, you're tripping. - Yes.
- You know?
- Yeah, I can agree with that.
- Anyway, Jasmine, it's great to have you here.
Thanks for stopping by. - Thanks for having--
- Thanks for telling us nothing about your new man.
But at least we do know that y'all are together and that you
could be headed to marriage.
And that's the main thing. We're happy for you.
- Thank you.
- We want you to find love, whatever--
- Thank you.
Now, we are diving into all the new Chicago couples
and finding out what makes them tick.
Let's keep going with our next pair, Madison and Allen.
Madison is the extroverted life of the party.
Will Allen be her forever plus one?
Let's take a look at Madison and Allen.
[upbeat music]
♪ Living in the party state of mind ♪
♪ Number one gotta be having a good time ♪
I am the most outgoing and extroverted
extrovert you can meet.
- ♪ Number one, better be having a good time ♪
My Fridays and Saturdays are usually with my girlfriends,
maybe go dancing, karaoke.
I just want to have fun.
- ♪ I take what I want
♪ I'm going for gold
- My close friends would call me loyal, sincere, genuine.
But also when I warm up around people,
the true Allen comes out.
- ♪ I'm living the dream
- I come out with my little faux fur coat,
get on the dance floor.
And I like being the guy that, you know,
you walk into the room, and, you know, everybody's like,
what the heck is this guy wearing?
- ♪ This is how you do it now ♪
- I've always been very driven and ambitious.
And I've wanted to do well for myself.
I personally love to travel and go out to nice dinners
and really live experiences.
- ♪ I call the shots way on top ♪
♪ What you gonna do?
- Financially, I would say I'm doing pretty well.
Once or twice a year, I'll be like...
[imitates bottle popping]
you know, $1,000 designer shoes.
I like going on vacation and getting a boat.
I'm a huge foodie.
So like, any fancy-ass restaurant, you know,
I'd love to share that enthusiasm
for just living with my wife.
- My parents got divorced.
And my mom was very absent for pretty much
most of my adolescent life.
And even though it's been difficult,
I'm such a daddy's girl.
It's insane.
I feel like I would definitely like to be married to somebody
similar to my dad--
down to Earth, charismatic, loyal, and such a protector.
- My parents do not have the best history.
But my mom and I are very close.
I take care of her because I love her, you know?
And I want to make sure that her life is secure,
she's happy.
- ♪ My future looks like you
♪ You
- I have so much love to give to somebody and support.
And I am willing to fight for, you know,
a marriage, and a partner, and somebody
that wants to put in just as much effort as I will.
- I want a life partner.
Being a part of this process, I want it to work out.
I need it to work out.
That's the whole friggin' point.
- OK, so how are you guys feeling about this match?
- Angelique, I'm going to start with you.
- I do really love them.
And I feel really hopeful about them.
I feel like these are two people who are really--
first of all, they've had difficult family lives.
And because of that, I think they're really
looking for that person to fill in and create what they hope is
a much more successful family.
- I think because of her history,
though, with her family, she's really looking for stability.
And that's where he comes in so strong.
I mean, he has stability.
He's definitely-- relationships,
doesn't have a ton of experience with that,
but he has his life lined up.
And he's ready to share that.
- I think it has potential.
I am concerned because I'm not saying
that he's not attractive, but will he fit her type?
Or will she be willing to expand whatever her type is?
So I'm hoping that's not an initial barrier.
- Emily, Madison said even if she is not attracted
to her husband when she sees him walk down that aisle,
she's still going to work through the process.
- At the end of the day, when I get to the altar,
if I'm not 100% like attracted to them,
it will be a little hard.
But I'm going to finish it out because I would
be doing myself a disservice if I didn't
try to see what came of it.
- We've heard that before now. - We have. We have.
- We've heard that a couple of times.
And people have lied to us.
But do you think that she is really committed to this?
- I hope so.
That's kind of my worry because that's easier said than done.
And I think that as much as you really want to work through it,
I mean, that's sometimes hard to get over.
So I am hopeful that the fact that she's saying it out loud
is maybe also her holding herself accountable,
saying regardless of how he looks, we're going to give
this a real fair shot.
- I mean, I love her.
She's full of energy, this big personality.
She's gorgeous, great body.
Like she's a great person. - Yeah.
- You know what?
On that note, Madison really seems
to be the life of the party.
I want you to take a look at this conversation
during the bachelorette party where all
the ladies opened up a lot.
- Ooh. - All right, let's see.
- Favorite position?
- On the counter.
[laughter]
- Get on the counter.
- Let me see.
- I'm not wearing any Spanx.
- OK, honey, OK.
- Pick your mouth up off the ground
like you've never seen a lady's legs before.
- Oh, you know I love that stuff.
She's so fun.
I love it.
I'm just concerned because I think she wants somebody
who can match her energy. - Energy, yeah.
- And she's like Barbie.
And I think she's looking for like, Ryan Gosling.
And they kind of gave her Allen.
- She's spunky.
She's fun.
She's a self-addressed life of the party.
You know, and that's definitely not him.
He's kind of reserved.
And I don't know if he's shy.
But can he match her?
- Well, let's not forget now, he'll rock a fur to the club
every once in a while. - That's true.
- I think there are people who have natural swag.
- Boom.
- Some people have manufactured swag.
- Boom.
- And some people try to buy their swag.
- Boom-boom. - Now, I'm not going to say
which one he is.
But I'll just say that $1,000 shoes and certain clothes
don't automatically mean swag.
And I'm not saying he doesn't have it.
I'm just saying, like, it's yet to be seen.
- I think he's going to bring extreme stability.
He's going to dote on her.
I mean, she's beautiful.
I think he would be a good friend
for her, a really good friend.
And I think she would open to him in that regard.
- I think you're wrong.
I really do think you're wrong about that whole friendship
thing and other things because, one,
there's the way he takes care of his mama,
that he has his house and everything.
That's super stability.
And at 29, you're like, whoa.
- Oh, no, I'm not saying he's not stable.
- This is really leveling things off.
And you also say, if he's going to take care of his mom
like that, then that means he's going to take care of me.
This one just feels right.
It feels like the experts, they found
two people that work together.
And this is going to really, really work.
- I understand what you're saying.
Those are all admirable qualities.
As somebody older than 29, I understand
the true value of a man that takes
care of his mom like that.
I mean, it means the world.
He's a great guy.
He has his stuff together.
He's super stable.
I'm not denying any of that.
But there's this one thing that's intangible--
boring.
- Ooh.
Let's bring out the next guests here because we've got
a lot of great guests today.
How about Lauren and Michael from last season in Denver?
- Hey.
- It's nice to meet you guys.
- Y'all look fantastic.
- Thank you.
And do all of you.
- You know, before we get into talking
about Madison and Allen.
I got to ask, what's going on with you two?
- You know, life is still really good,
traveling, getting back to the swing of things.
- Yeah, for me, just same sort of thing,
just really re-acclimating to normal life again.
Trying to stay active in all-- in every way possible.
But yeah.
- He's still a superstar boxer.
- I am doing a charity boxing event.
So that's probably the biggest thing.
- You know, the internet seems to feel
like you two are a good match.
- Ooh.
♪
I'm just throwing that out there.
I'm just saying, is there anything you want to know?
Do you want to squash any rumors?
- Coordinated fits.
- Or do you want to tell us something here now?
- We've definitely had conversations about it.
We laugh about it all the time because we
do find that we're really aligned on a lot of things.
We make good friends.
Our fashion sense is very similar.
But we just find it funny.
- OK, is there any chance that it could build from here?
- Oh, look at-- that Lauren just said it all.
I got to get up.
I was--
- Ah man, I thought we were talking about Chicago season.
They didn't--
- No, we're living in the past.
- [laughs]
- I mean, I think we're both very open people.
So it would be out of character to just say it's impossible.
- I mean, never say no.
- You go ahead and do what you want to do
and live your life, right? - That's what you say now.
- Right? - Right?
- But how is everybody doing, by the way?
Because last time I saw you, that reunion was--
it was on ten.
Things got tense.
I'll be honest with you.
- Us four girls have been lied to so many times.
- Cameron was like the initiator.
- Oh, man, I love the lies.
- That's why there's tension.
- I wanted marriage.
- With me?
- It's just constant, toxic negativity at all times.
- That you create.
I'm not dealing with this [bleep].
This is [bleep] up.
I'm done. I'm done.
I'm just disgusted with everything today.
- This is much happier tone right now.
- Is everybody OK, though?
There was a little anger.
- There was a lot of anger that day.
I don't think it's as angry as it was that day.
And I know that there's been discussions.
You know, Emily and Brendan have talked.
Clare and Cameron have talked.
Austin and Becca have talked.
But is everything solved?
Probably not.
You know, it's probably still some lingering things.
And everyone is just carrying on into their new starts,
it feels like.
- Yeah, Michael, do you keep in touch with Chloe?
- I do.
I mean, Chloe and I are really good friends.
Even though things didn't work out ideally
how we wanted, which was marriage,
we're still here for each other.
We're still here to support each other.
So yeah, I mean--
I talk or see Chloe probably close to once a week.
- Oh, that's great.
That is fantastic.
I mean, I thought y'all made a great couple.
On that note, let's move on to our new couples from Chicago.
What do you think of the match with Madison and Allen?
- I hope that, one, no one gets left at the altar this season.
That is my hope.
- I hope that too.
- I'm sure you do.
But I mean, from what we've seen of them,
they seem like they could be a really good match.
- I actually have a lot of optimism for them.
I think for Allen, specifically,
there were a lot of things that resonated with me.
The thing that I like about him is, you
could see his level of comfort in who he is, like in terms
of how he carries himself and that he has multiple layers,
so I think there's like an inverse nature
I share with him.
So what I mean by that is I think when people saw me
at first, it was like, OK, there's
more of a wild presentation.
But my demeanor is more calm and centered.
Whereas, with Allen, I think upon first glance,
you immediately are like, OK, he's put together,
kind of just straight-laced.
But when you hear him talk and get excited
about certain things, then you see
those different layers to him and how engaging he can be.
- Can we talk about the fact that he built his home?
- You own this place, right?
- I own it, and I built it.
It was a studs-down renovation.
- Oh, wow.
- Anything to keep me busy, I guess.
- Right?
That was the first thing I wrote down.
I said handyman, check.
He has so many, like Michael said, layers to him.
I think that he's just going to be such
an exciting person to watch.
- Do you think they'll find that initial spark?
- I hope so.
I hope so.
- Hold on. Do you think they will, though?
- You know, I'm like--
I told Michael I'm at a six out of ten with them.
- Why?
- Because-- because like I said,
at first, I was a little worried on how
Madison would receive Allen.
I think she got her type.
And my hope is that even if he's not her type physically
that his personality will have her fall.
I think he's going to be completely
enamored with her, honestly.
I think physically, she's gorgeous.
And I think he's very attractive too.
So I'm at a solid six with them.
- All right, let's get down to business, y'all.
Do you believe Allen and Madison
will stay together or get divorced on Decision Day?
Nicole, I'm going to ask you first.
- Oh, my gosh, I came in thinking one way.
I'm kind of being swayed in a different direction.
- Oh, Nicole, just stop. Just go with you.
Go with you. - I'm kind of--
But not enough-- not enough, I need more information.
So right now, it's still a no.
- Angelique?
- I feel confident in this couple.
I think they're going to make it work.
- OK, Emily?
- I'm-- I was on Angelique's side.
And I have been transferred over to Nicole's side.
I'm going to say no.
I would love to see it.
I don't think that they are going to be able to,
in the long term, be compatible.
I don't think she's going to be into him as much
as he's going to be into her.
- Yeah, I think compatibility is an issue.
But also, both of them have faced trauma in both sides
of their families.
And I don't know if the process is long enough for them
to work out any potential flare-ups or issues
that can come with that.
So I don't think eventually, you know, they'll make it.
They're going to divorce.
- Love will keep you together.
But money will make you happy.
I'm telling you with those two, it's going to make them happy.
And she will come in, and she'll be like,
oh, wait a minute,
I'm going to be safe, and stable,
and I have a support system around me?
Oh, this is going to work.
I think they're going to work.
I do believe that this couple's gonna work.
Roll your eyes, Nicole, because look at her,
she's rolling her eyes.
- I'm rolling them all the way into my head.
- I get what you're saying.
And I understand where you're going.
But I also do believe that this is going
to be different because she has never had
that stability in her life.
- Great guy, great guy.
It would be smart for her to stay.
But both people have to buy into it.
- Lauren and Michael, what do you think?
- I'm going to say yes to this couple.
- Thank you. - Because his personality
shines through.
I think she's going to love the fact that he is a homeowner.
He has a good-paying job.
He is what she asked for on paper.
And I think that he is just going
to dote and dote on her to the point where she's
just like, this is my man.
So I'm going to say yes.
I'm very optimistic.
I hope I don't eat my words later.
But I really like them together.
- As long as Madison stays open-minded in the event
that the attraction isn't at the level
that she wants on the onset, I trust
in my guy's Allen's abilities to keep her engaged, to develop
that interest because she did call out, look,
if that attraction isn't there, I'm still
going to go through with it.
- That's what she said.
That's what she said.
- I'm going to trust her at her word.
And if she does do that-- - That's all we can do.
- --I trust that Allen will be able to reveal
the parts of himself that will develop that attraction
and foster it for her.
- Two words, Doug and Jamie.
He gives me Doug vibes.
Like, he has enough swag to take a body blow
and still be like, girl, watch me work.
And I think that's exactly what's going to happen.
- Plus, he has the fur. - I mean, if she--
- If it all fails, just put the fur on.
- Put the fur on.
- And remind her of who you are, Allen.
OK? - Exactly.
- You be you.
Handle your business.
Now, I am here with some of my fellow
"Married at First Sight" aficionados,
lovers of the show.
Now, we are here to talk all about the Chicago couples.
And I'm excited to take a closer look at these next two,
Michelle and David.
Now, Michelle's been single for six years
and likes guys with a little bit of an edge.
David's fun-loving personality might
be exactly what she has in mind and what
she's been looking for.
Take a look now.
- ♪ I'm on my way back home
- Oh, I would say I am very, very single right now.
Like, I don't even think people give me a plus one on a wedding
invitation anymore.
It's like, she won't bring anyone.
Let's just give it-- just Michelle.
I think I haven't been in love or felt loved
from a romantic partner probably for like six years.
I'm a little rusty on it.
And so I'm excited to get that again.
- ♪ Ahh I'm the total package ♪
♪ Life of a savage, I'm acting ♪
- My family is my heart and my soul, my pride.
What you see is what you get is because of my family.
The success of my parents' marriage for 36 years
means a lot to me.
And I'm hoping for that success.
That's what I want.
And that's what I need in my life.
- I think the most important thing in my life right now
would be like my family and friends.
I am one of four girls.
I'm super close with them.
- I have such a big heart.
And that comes from my social work.
I got two jobs.
Got a lot on my plate.
But currently what I'm doing within my social work career,
as well as my supervisor career,
it's just something that's helping people.
I feel like that's my purpose.
However, I want more.
Who doesn't want more?
- I think it's super attractive when someone feels
passionate about something.
It doesn't necessarily have to be their work.
But I just think like having something
that you do for yourself and, like, love, like,
that is extremely attractive.
I think recently, I haven't been successful dating
in Chicago because sometimes I would say I'm
very quick to judge someone.
And it would be something so silly.
A guy is wearing flip-flops,
I feel like that's such a turnoff.
And I would judge them right away on that.
I probably shot down people who were catches in the past.
- I want someone loving, caring, fun,
family orientated, respectful, beautiful, smart.
A very strong, independent woman.
I need her to be like, yeah, I know I'm
the baddest bitch in the room.
- I am a good balance of being independent but then
also wanting to hang out.
So I'm like an introverted extrovert, I would say.
I feel like I would love that if my partner was
the life of the party, because sometimes I want
to be in the background.
And sometimes I want to join them.
♪
I'm 38.
I have done the single life.
So I think the best-case scenario
would be I find my, quote, unquote, "soul mate."
So yeah, let's do it.
- Marriage is very sacred.
Like, it's not a joke.
It's something that it's going to be
your number one, your ride or die for the rest of your life.
That's how it should be.
And I can't wait for that.
- ♪ Can't stop me now
- What do you all think about Michelle and David?
- David, oh, man, David is a whole mood.
I mean, he seems like a really decent guy.
I mean, he comes from a great family.
He has a very beautiful job, social worker.
I mean, come on now, you've got to be
a special person to do that.
- And also remember, she used to do social work.
So it's really like, here's a guy,
and I understand what you do, and I admire it.
Because that's so hard sometimes
when you marry someone and you're like, well,
how much money do you make?
How-- she understands how noble it is to be a social worker.
- You know, he has a big personality.
Like, he's a fun guy to hang out with.
Now, whether you want that to be your husband
is another story.
- Here's what I'll say about Michelle, though.
She said that she's somebody who always kind of looks
for those red flags, somebody's wearing flip-flops,
and she doesn't like that this, that, or the other.
I wonder if that will make her push herself to look
past her initial reaction because I really
do not think she's going to be attracted to him at the altar.
But she might say, OK, maybe I'm just being me.
Maybe I need to give this guy a chance.
And if she does, she'll get to see all of those great things.
- I think what we've learned over these seasons--
and you guys tell me whether I'm wrong or not--
is that people say they want all these things,
and then they show up, and there's a vision in their head.
And it's like, y'all, you don't understand how this show works.
They're giving you someone who would work with you personality
wise because long after you're, you know--
you're in your 20s, and you're looking fly, you get old.
And you still have to get along and live with this person.
But by the way, their lists were pretty
close to what they wanted.
I mean, what they asked for, they kind of got.
- I always had a thing for white women.
I prefer blonde.
I do have a sweet spot for blue eyes.
I'm just saying, they get me.
- OK, so I like, like light-skinned Black guys,
who are like tall, and like built.
Someone who is creative, edgy, maybe that's like
a beard and like a sleeve.
- I think maybe they might like each other.
She's been single for so long, I think,
hopefully, she's had time to really learn
herself, learn what works for her,
learn what doesn't work for her.
But also know that life is short
and that you can't always be so picky.
That there is some leeway.
And I think that's going to help them both because, you
know, there's more to marriage than only what's on the list
that I created.
And we've all seen that these lists never work out.
- She will be in this mature relationship
with a man who is very connected to his family.
Regardless if you like that or not, that is really important.
And that's important to her too.
So I think that's something they're
really going to connect on.
- You know what's refreshing?
- What's that?
- Normally, when the experts are like, to the mom and dad,
how do you feel about your son or daughter getting married?
You think they're ready?
I would say nine times out of ten,
the parents are like, hell no. - What do they say?
- I don't know what they're doing.
His mom and both-- and his dad, they were both like, yes, go.
- Tell me about this guy, though.
I want to know, you guys think he's ready for marriage?
- Yes.
I'm the one that literally kind of said,
you need to get married already.
- You see, from your mouth to God's ears?
- God heard me is correct.
- But yeah, they think he's actually ready.
They care about him enough. - Yeah.
- And that says a lot.
- And I do think they might complement
each other really well.
We just have to like--
per usual, like always happens here, get past the surface.
We've got to get below the surface.
Get into the basement of their relationship.
- OK. Well, let's get into the basement.
Let's get into the basement for a second, since you got jokes.
- So I got to ask, your parents' basement.
You're living here.
- I live here by choice.
I can move out if I want to.
I've just chosen not to.
Why spend money or give someone else money?
I want to own something.
- OK. - And my parents love me.
They respect me as an adult as well.
It's not like I'm bingeing off of them.
I have my two jobs.
I have my own car that's paid off.
- So you can take care of a family?
- I can, yes.
- Well, that makes me so much happier.
- Yeah.
- There's nothing wrong with living with your parents,
absolutely not.
But if you're looking for a partnership, and a wife,
and you're looking to start your life as a husband,
I'm not sure that is the right setting.
- Then you move out. Then you get out.
- That's all I'm saying. - Move out.
- You're saving your money.
You got your dream job.
You got-- obviously, you haven't been paying rent.
You want to get married.
So let's start moving in the direction to welcome a wife.
- Yes.
- If he has the plan.
If he has the goal in mind, and it's a tangible goal,
and we see the goal, and we look in the bank account
and can verify that there is a plan, then I am OK with--
- Let me see--
let me see those bank statements.
- Show me the money.
- When there's no plan--
- Can I say this?
Can I-- y'all now got me hoping for them to work out.
I'm hoping that she sees him and falls in love.
I want to welcome back
two people that know a thing or two about marrying
a stranger in Chicago.
Please welcome Ashley and Anthony.
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.
- Hi.
- How are you? - Hi, how are you?
- Good to see you.
- Welcome to the party.
- Great.
- You look amazing.
- I mean, first of all, it's wild,
because like you're-- you're a married couple now.
- Good-old married couple, you know?
- But it is so cool to see here because you
are what this show is about.
It is not a reality show.
It's about people finding love.
So was this the dream?
Do you remember meeting your wife for the first time,
seeing her walk down the aisle?
- 100% was the dream. Yeah.
I mean, have kids, have a wife,
get a house, all that stuff.
I mean, that was part of the dream from day one.
And we're here.
- I know, I honestly-- if you would have asked me
back then if this is where I would be right now,
there's no way. I would not have thought this.
It's amazing to me.
We got really lucky, we did. - Yeah.
- How are the girls? How old are they now?
- Good.
They just turned three and five.
- Wow.
- Yeah. It's crazy.
- What are they up to these days?
- Gymnastics.
I just registered my oldest for kindergarten already.
I can't believe that. - Wow.
- When will your tell your girls,
or have you told your girls how you met?
- Oh, they know. - Oh, yeah.
- My five-year-old will literally--
we were at the store the other day,
and she just randomly goes,
my parents were on "Married at First Sight."
- She outed us in a store.
- Out of nowhere.
- Nowhere, zero, not prompted.
- I'm just like, oh, my goodness.
- I never thought about it, but for couples that do make it,
this is like the best artifact to have for your family.
I mean, your kids, your grandkids
see this incredible love story blossom from stranger
to generations.
- Yeah.
- Let's get back to Michelle and David,
because that's who we've been talking about.
And what do you think of this couple?
And what do you think are their strengths, first of all?
- I think they're going to be attracted to each other.
She's a beautiful girl.
He's definitely going to be attracted to her.
- Yeah. - Yep.
- She's going to like what she sees, I think.
That's kind of what she explained she wanted.
Didn't she say like a little quirky, a little bit?
- Yeah, a little edgy. - She said a tattoo.
She wouldn't mind a tattoo.
- I think she'll like the tattoo.
- I feel like he is what she described,
maybe a little bit more than what she's probably expecting.
But I think like she'll look at him,
and be like, OK, we can work with this.
And I do think he's an attractive man.
- I mean, he's a big, burly dude.
He's a good-looking guy.
- Listen, I know you two can attest to marrying a stranger.
It's a little scary when you do it at first sight.
But David has a concern that is pretty unique.
Let's take a look at the conversation
from the bachelor party.
- Here we go. - Never the bachelor party.
- Here we go.
- Not the bachelor party.
- Do you have concerns?
- [scoffs] I mean, yeah.
- I think you would be--
- You're an idiot if you don't have concerns, man.
- The biggest concern that I really have is my tattoos.
- I love your tattoos, though. They're great.
- So I have one on my chest of my ex.
- Oh, yeah? Tell us about that.
- Oh, no. - Oh, her name?
- How do you think she's going to feel about that?
- Um, that's one of my concerns.
- That's a heavy one to get past, man.
- Oh, [bleep].
No, I definitely think his wife's going to be like,
oh, that's a red flag.
Oh, it's a name.
- It's huge.
- Oh, my god. - That looks massive.
- Man, that's tough.
♪
- What do you think of that?
- In a normal, like, relationship where
you get to know somebody first and, like, you learn their past
before you decide to marry them,
that's not a huge deal because we all make mistakes, right?
Like we've all been there, done that.
Not that I have anybody's names tattooed on me.
- That's what I was going to say.
If it was a tattoo of some guy's name on your behind.
- I just-- - It might have been a problem.
- I don't know, like, he should have got that covered up.
- I was going to say, how long ago was this?
If this was an ex that was from years ago,
why is it still there? - That's the question I have.
- Why didn't he get it covered up earlier?
- Why isn't it covered up? Yeah.
- I got a solution.
It looks like it was relatively curvy.
There's a lot of good tattoo artists.
We can make that into a dragon really quickly.
- Dragons are cool. - It's easy.
- I would have liked him to have
done that already, I think. - Yes, agreed.
- So how long before he tells his new wife about that tattoo?
- I think she's going to find out really soon, unless he
doesn't take his shirt off.
- Michelle did say she likes guys who have tattoos.
And so maybe she's like, OK, that's cool.
And I'm not mad about it at all because I dig tattoos.
- Yeah, but no woman is going to dig a tattoo
of somebody else's name.
[indistinct chatter]
- What advice do you have for Michelle and David?
- If they can get past the little things,
I think they have a shot. - Yeah.
- But those little things in the beginning
are going to feel really big.
- I just feel like some of the stuff
that we're seeing from some individuals, it's like, nope,
not doing it.
Don't like the way she looks.
Don't like the way he looks.
Whatever comes up, it's just instant nope, I'm done.
You got to give it a chance.
Give it a chance. - Good point.
- Let it play out.
Don't just discount everything.
Just give it a shot.
- Right, I agree with that.
I feel like that is probably the biggest problem
that we're seeing with a lot of couples now
is they just give up.
You know, nobody's trying.
You got to put in the work.
It's not easy.
- All right, listen, we could talk about this all day long.
But it's time to get down to our decisions.
Do you feel that Michelle and David will stay married or get
divorced on Decision Day?
I'm going to start with Nicole.
- We want everybody to stay together.
I just think that there's too many red flags
based off of what she wants.
He might not even be into her.
I just feel as if this is not going to work.
- OK, Angelique?
- I was kind of coming into this feeling a little bit
more negative.
And I've actually turned around a little bit.
But I will say I haven't turned around quite enough.
I do think that they won't work out.
But I actually think this is going
to be one of those couples that we kind of enjoy watching
throughout the season because I think they're
both going to learn a lot about themselves through all of this.
They're both two fun people.
It's going to be a good ride.
- I agree.
I think they're fun people.
They're going to have some fun moments.
Like, I think they'll remain amicable.
But this relationship will not last.
- Yeah, I'm going to give it a no too.
I see friendship flags, but not romantic flags in the long run.
- I'm going to agree.
Two really good people, but not good together
- I think you're 100% wrong on that.
I think they'll be one of the first to consummate.
- I agree too. I agree.
- I think they're going to have a sexual attraction.
I think they're both very sexual people.
I think they're going to have a couple drinks.
They're going to consummate their marriage.
I don't think they're going to last.
They're going to get divorced.
- I think based on his parents and how they really
love each other, how he's seen that,
I think he's going to be the one
pushing for the relationship.
And she's going to be the cold.
Yeah, no, they're not going to make it.
- We are so happy for you two.
And it's so great to have you here, get a chance
to talk to you because once again,
this is what this show is about.
This is what we want each and every season,
five Ashley and Anthonys.
So congratulations you two.
And thank you for being here.
- Thank you for having us. - It was great.
And we wish you the best with the family.
You're going to be busy with those girls, five and three.
Let's get right into our next couple,
Karla and Juan.
Now, Karla is a free spirit who has been
working to get in alignment with the universe
to call in her husband.
And Juan just might be the man she's been manifesting.
Let's take a look.
[upbeat music]
- [singing in Spanish]
- Eating tacos, music, dancing, that's my vibe.
- [singing in Spanish]
- I definitely bring a touch of Colombia
to my life in the United States.
There's two parts of who I am,
my Latino side, my American side.
And I just had a really hard time
finding a person that jived with both
of those sides of who I am.
- ♪ Loca coming in hot
♪ Setting the pace, raising the bar ♪
- I definitely consider myself like a free spirit.
I honestly just flow with the universe.
- ♪ I'm a live wire
- [singing in Spanish]
♪
- Family is like a huge part of my life.
Being Mexican, we're very lively,
loud, and family oriented.
[light music]
I've really taken this time in my single days to, you know,
tap into my femininity.
I want my husband to be that strong masculine in the sense
where he's providing that stability,
that leadership role,
where he's kind of making things happen,
and he's being assertive and taking initiative.
- I think my positive attitude, my drive, my work ethic
as far as being an entrepreneur
are definitely things that
I would bring to the table that would be awesome
for whoever I end up with.
- My ideal husband, I would love
to be like patient, and hardworking,
goal-oriented, passionate about me, passionate about life.
I would love if my husband loves to dance,
loves to connect.
I want him to be all over the dance floor
and then saving the best dance for myself.
- I'm very attracted to someone that's happy,
someone that's bubbly, that has a smile
on their face in the morning,
somebody that likes to dance and listen to music,
somebody that's like willing to put themselves out there
and try something new.
Because I do believe that marriage is something serious.
♪
I know that I'm at a place in my life
where I'm ready to make a commitment.
I'm ready to be a husband.
That's a blessing.
- ♪ I'll raise the flag
- I do believe in love.
I'm a hopeless romantic.
And I'm just really hoping that the energy
that I've given out will come back to me and manifest in,
like, such a loving husband.
- ♪ It's bubbly
- Let me fan you off, Nicole.
- Beautiful couple. - Right, right.
- These two are going to be absolutely hot for each other,
just like we are for the two of them.
- You know, we're all on the Thomas and Camille bandwagon
as well, but this might--
I don't know, this might be my favorite couple, if not--
it might be 1A and 1B.
I'm really excited to see what unfolds with them.
- I just don't know if their personalities
are going to mesh. - Yeah.
- She's, you know, very boho and very out there.
Do I see Juan embracing that?
I don't know.
I'm on the fence about it.
But if they do connect, it's going to be explosive.
It's going to be beautiful.
But if they don't, that'll be sad.
- He said he's hungry for success.
How will that work with someone who is, like, actually,
I just want to have a sound bath?
- She clearly has drive, because she works hard too.
But I think she has-- she's ready to relax.
And I'm not sure he's wanting to relax yet.
- One has like a work to live mentality and the other one
has a live to work mentality.
- That sound bath will definitely
take him to a different space.
Close your computer.
Come listen to these beautiful sounds.
- Close your computer.
Open your chakras. - Yes.
- Also, family is very important to both.
And so, how will that play in?
Do you think it'll help this relationship?
Because I feel like, you know, when you have
a shared cultural experience, or at least
you can relate to each other, it's a huge, huge deal.
- If you're aligned with that, that means--
that really helps a lot because that really takes away
a lot of miscommunication.
Things can kind of get in the way.
And if you are on the same page with family and value
each other, and value how important one is to the other,
there's no conflict there.
- Listen, our next guest is someone
who knows a thing or two about making a connection,
dating expert Monique Kelley.
- Hello.
- Hi, hi.
So happy to see you. - Hi. Hi.
- Hello. Good to see you all.
- How are you?
- Great. How's everyone doing?
- Hey.
- Fantastic.
We've been talking about Karla and Juan.
What do you think about this couple?
- Oh, my gosh, I absolutely love this couple.
I think they have the potential to be one
of our iconic "MAFS" couples.
There are some key things.
Aside from them both being "foine,"
I mean, when you see him at the end of the aisle,
when you're walking down there, you'll be like, thank God,
I married a stranger.
He's going to look at her and say, thank you, experts.
So looks wise, obviously, they are a match made in heaven.
But let's talk about some foundations.
The first thing that I love is, number one,
the cultural significance,
making sure that their cultures are embraced and understood.
That's going to be great for them.
They both love dancing.
They both are successful people.
Family is important for both of them, as well as the fact
that he is very driven.
He might even come off a little bit uptight, slightly.
OK, and then she is flower child,
airy fairy, let's smoke a doobie,
let's do whatever, like, let's kick it, crystals,
hugging trees, right?
- Yeah.
- And I can tell you're concerned about that.
- Well, no, I love that you said that.
Because I want to show you something real quick because we
see that confidence kind of oozing out of Juan.
But he also showed us a little more of his sensitive side.
Watch this. - Ooh.
- And then we'll get another comment.
- OK, OK.
- This is a sneak peek from his wedding day.
- Ooh, I love this.
- [speaking Spanish]
- I'm excited.
I'm very, very happy.
But there's so much--
there's so much unknown.
At the same time, I think my life
has been a series of unknowns.
Just-- sorry,
just getting emotional.
Just being an immigrant, coming to this country,
everything is an unknown.
So this way, it almost doesn't feel weird to do this.
My whole life, I've been--
it's been the normal for me.
So honestly, sending-- doing this this way is--
it almost feels natural.
The unknown has been--
I'm very blessed to have the unknown.
♪
- Are the ladies OK right now?
Because when a fine man starts crying, man,
y'all are like, oh, wow, you got me.
You got me. - You need a hug, boo?
- We're like, how can we help?
- You need a hug?
- What do you think now after seeing that?
- I believe wholeheartedly in this couple
even more so now because these are
two people who have done the work, who embrace who they are.
They're vulnerable.
And they're ready for each other.
The way he broke down about living the American dream
and being uncertain and unknown, that is very real.
And she's going to understand that.
And her family's going to understand that too.
- I think it shows a lot of his heart.
And I think that's what-- he does come off
sometimes a little bit stoic.
We see that a lot; these people come on
and they say they're ready.
And then they have these walls up
and they won't break it down.
He's already letting his walls down.
- And it wasn't until now that he's really
getting in his emotions.
And it's so exciting to see that he has them.
Like, that is such a great and positive vote for me
forward that he's got this.
I think the two of them are going to be incredible.
As we have learned, Karla--
and we're talking about Karla and Juan--
certainly marches to her own drummer
and hopes that love is in the stars for her
because she's all about astrology and things like that.
So we thought it would be fitting for Karla's
appreciation of all things spiritual
to bring on this guest, who can speak Karla's language.
Please welcome astrologer and relationship
expert Elliott Lea.
Elliott, come on out.
- Hi.
- How are you? - I'm great.
Thank you.
- Welcome, welcome, welcome.
- It's so nice to be here.
Thank you so much for having me.
- Hi. - Hi. Thank you.
I'm so excited.
- Elliott is an astrologer and a licensed social worker
who specializes in relationship dynamics.
Now, one of the ways that you do that is through birth
chart synastry.
What is that?
Because I don't know.
- It's a mouthful.
- OK, but help me.
- So what I love about "Married at First Sight"--
I love this show--
it helps us understand that when we work the process,
the process works in relationships.
We have this experiment; we can see that.
Astrology is essentially a shortcut, a cheat code,
if you will, to that process.
So we can learn about the similarities
and compatibilities in one another.
We can learn about the differences.
- So are you telling me that you can look at your charts
and you know what's going to happen ahead of time?
- No, I'm not saying I am a predictor of free will.
I think everybody has opportunity
for anything to happen.
But I can see qualities and tendencies in someone's chart.
And I can see if it's helpful or useful
and how it might play out in the relationship.
I'm of the mind there is no bad chart.
And there are no two bad charts together.
It's just how willing are two people to work on themselves
to make that work?
- OK, well you've looked at Juan and Karla's birth charts,
right? - I have. I know.
- So tell us what you saw and what did you learn?
- OK, well, we've all heard the phrase opposites
attract, right?
They have a lot of that energy in their chart, so--
- Good.
- But it's actually quite compatible
because they're meant to find-- it's like an attraction,
like a magnet.
When we find two people come together,
there's going to be a whole lot of growth
and a whole lot of transformation
if they allow it.
- What are their signs?
- He is an Aquarius.
And she is a Leo.
So Juan is very ambitious.
We can see that in his chart.
We can see that he's highly motivated by success.
And we can also see that he might be slow to open up.
But Karla is coming in like, way open-hearted.
- Yeah. - Her chart is full of love.
She's like, she loves love.
Like, she's really looking for that one-to-one connection,
that validation.
Somebody who's going to like really
be her supportive partner.
That's really important for her.
- Karla says that her ideal husband
is someone who allows her to relax
and be in her feminine energy.
And if he is presenting strong masculine energy,
it will allow her to be open and more vulnerable.
- Yeah. - What the hell does that mean?
- Hold on.
- I'm confused.
- In astrology, I can explain that.
- OK, explain it to me.
Explain it to me.
- So there's feminine and masculine energies
in everybody.
He embodies the energy of a protector,
a provider, and a stabilizer.
And she's looking for someone who can hold
and can be that structure, that container for her flow.
She's looking for that.
And he is, at least according to his chart,
has that potential and capability
to be that person for her.
- Sort of like when he was dancing with Dr. Pia.
And he was good at communicating how he
was leading her in the dance.
Listen, that was one of the moments when I was like,
OK, I'm down for Juan.
- No, no, Juan put her in a trance almost.
Juan was like, come here and salsa with me.
- Turn you around.
- Dr. Pia was like, OK, OK, OK.
I'm here as an expert.
Let's stop for a second.
- He leads.
I mean, he's got--
we're going to get real technical.
So his Mars is in Aries.
Mars is our planet of desire and motivation
and our sexual desires and our life force energy,
what gets us up and going in the morning.
And in Aries, it's fiery.
It's passionate.
It loves being in Mars, meaning it's just so happy to lead.
It's so happy to take action.
It's so happy to say, yeah, let's go do this thing, babe,
and go take initiative.
- I love that so much.
How do I go home and say that to my wife?
My Mars is in Aries right now.
Let's get to the finale of this.
OK, it is time.
Do you think that Juan and Karla
will stay together on Decision Day or will they get a divorce?
- I love them together physically.
I think that they both bring great qualities
to the relationship.
I'm going to go with--
♪
- Whoo. I'm telling you. Let us know.
We might have to go to commercial break waiting
on you to make a decision.
Can you just tell us what's going on?
- I want to say yes. But I want to say no.
- Well, say something. Just say something.
- I'm going to say no. - OK, no?
- Really? - You're going to say no?
You're going to say no. OK.
- No, I don't know if eight weeks is enough for him
to open up and accept her lifestyle.
- I think they're going to stay together on Decision Day.
I'm curious how long-term they are.
But I think they'll make it through this eight weeks,
for sure. - OK.
- I think they're going to start off hot and heavy.
I think that although he may seem reserved,
I think she is that person that can kind of get him to have
some fun, to loosen up.
I think this might be the couple, if they're not one,
they're number two of the season.
So they will definitely stay together.
And I don't think we've ever had a--
how can I say this?
Just say it, pregnancy before Decision Day.
It would not surprise me.
- Wow, he threw--
- Listen, I'm saying--
I'm saying, it's not-- we're not going to have
to worry about the physical.
- So you say, not only are they going to stay together,
they're going to be the first "Married at First Sight"
family before Decision Day.
- There's the potential there.
- Got you, got you.
- I'm going to say no.
I think hot and heavy to start, great attraction.
Communication is going to be an issue.
- I don't think it's going to work because they're
such different personalities.
So it's not going to work out, unfortunately,
even though I want it to work.
So Juan will be on the market, ladies, just to let you know.
- Well, first of all, I'm excited that there's
going to be sex this season.
- There is gonna be a lot of sex.
- OK?
- A lot of unprotected sex here.
- Right, time for people to have sex.
So that's exciting.
But I feel they're going to have passion.
They're going to open each other up to their differences,
their similarities.
I'm excited for this couple.
I think it's going to be a very big yes.
- Look, I love love also.
So I'm rooting for a yes for them to stay together.
Gary nailed it.
I think they're going to be highly attracted to each other.
I think that they're going to be really magnetic
and they're going to feel that polarity and that connection.
And I think it's going to--
I think it's going to get them through Decision Day.
I think they're going to say yes.
- OK, all right, you probably saw something in your chart.
- I'm like, please, girl.
We're having a party here.
And we are down to our fifth and final couple.
You guys ready? - Yeah.
- All right, here is Emem an Ikechi.
Now, Emem is passionate and driven.
And despite finding success in her career,
she hasn't been able to find the same success
in her relationships.
Ikechi is a talented musician committed to giving
back to the community.
But are he and Emem going to be in tune together?
All right, let's take a look Emem and Ikechi.
- ♪ I'm such a dime
♪ I'm such a dime
♪ Way that I sparkle, shimmer, shine ♪
- Emem is a time.
You can have a chill time.
You can have a good time.
You can have a wild time.
You can have a relaxed time.
- ♪ I'm such a dime
- I'm a time.
[upbeat music]
- ♪ I'm under your spell
- I think creativity is just a part of my life.
I do paint.
I do write.
I play bass guitar, drums, keyboard.
It's an outlet for anything that is bothering me.
♪
I was a high school band director for about 15 years.
And now, I'm back at a high school
working as a college counselor.
- I'm flourishing career wise.
I feel like I've been living my life
this whole time focusing on myself, focusing on my career.
And I'm ready to experience life with someone else.
- ♪ I know that it feels good ♪
♪ Yeah, it feels good
- My personality is very laid-back, very jovial.
I love to laugh.
And I'm dependable.
Some of my strengths are trying to make people better.
That's one of my purposes is just push people to where
they're supposed to be.
♪
- I would like a husband that is generous.
I want support.
I want someone who is a provider.
I want someone who is loving.
I want someone who is compassionate.
I do not have a single specific type, I don't.
However, I don't want to be with anyone who
has never dated a Black woman.
- I can appreciate beauty in just about everybody.
I do have an affinity for Black women.
Have you seen Kelly Rowland?
If I could get some Kelly Rowland
with some Michelle Obama,
that would probably be my wife.
- ♪ It's never too late for second chances ♪
- I want the successful marriage.
I'm hoping that my wife wants to grow with me
and that we can take over the world.
- In the end, I want to be married.
I want to start my family.
I want to be in a positive, good relationship.
It's been a while.
But I'm ready to be in love again.
- ♪ It's never too late
- She ready.
What do you think of this couple?
- Yeah, I mean, I really like both of them individually.
I mean, I think she's a great girl.
I love what she's done in terms of her business.
She's a ball of fun.
He's-- looks like he's a good time.
I love that they're both in service jobs.
And they have a strong work ethic.
- This is the right man for her I think.
- Yeah, so I do think that there is potential.
So I'm optimistic.
- I mean, he has great qualities.
He's a modern-day Renaissance man.
He does a lot of different things.
He's a high school counselor.
So he love the kids.
And obviously, she's ready to be married.
- I just love the fact that she's not only a boss lady.
But she seems like she's also a lady.
- Yeah, when I saw her, I was like, wow, she seems so cool.
Like, I would love to hang out with her.
She's just that type of likable person, great personality.
She seems like she's going to go with the flow,
whatever you want to do. - Beautiful too.
- Yeah, beautiful, successful.
Like, she's a complete package.
- She's only been on a few dates
in the last couple of years, which means
she is happy in her own skin, which is so, so important
before you can be into a relationship is.
you have to know who you are.
And I think she knows who she is.
- Yep.
- It seems like he has a noble profession.
And then he has this other talent
that he has to do with music.
Do you think that'll help him woo his wife when she
sees how multifaceted he is?
- I think it'll definitely help woo her.
I mean, I think just seeing that creative side,
there's something always very seductive about that.
- You know, he seems like a very confident dude.
He may do well with the ladies.
So I think that, you know, at least they're going to try
to make something happen.
- Yeah. Yeah.
- Physically, he said he was looking for a mix between Kelly
Rowland and Michelle Obama.
I think that's her.
- That's her. - That adds up.
- Yeah. - Yeah.
- So I think he should, based off of what he said,
he should be attracted to her.
- But I'm not sure that they're going to have a spark.
- I think they're both going to be
very attracted to each other.
But it feels like there might be like a chemistry mismatch
with these two.
- Well, how do you see that?
- Just something about the two of them
isn't totally meshing for me.
- I don't think they won't be attracted to each other.
- No, they're both going to be like, you are so like hot.
- But I-- - Like, I think they're--
go ahead. - No, I agree.
I think that there won't be that initial spark.
But one thing I do think is that they will at least try
to work at making the spark.
- Emem says she wants a man who can take charge,
especially in the bedroom.
- I'd love somebody who could take charge.
I want to be manhandled a little bit, you know?
Throw me in the bed or something like that, you know?
- Do you think that she's found the guy who can do that?
- Oh, yeah, he's definitely going
to put it down in the bedroom.
I just want them to get to the bedroom.
- Yeah. - Right.
- Right, when he's sitting naked at the piano
playing for her, she's going to be like, let's go.
Let's go, right?
- With the floor-to-ceiling windows?
- Yes, exactly.
- I mean, it's not the worst.
- No, it is not the worst at all.
Well, let's say this about him.
What stands out kind of is that he applied in Houston
and didn't get picked.
And now he's coming back.
- I know; he's tried out twice.
Is that-- - Is it a good thing?
Is it a bad thing?
Does that mean he just really wants to get married?
I don't-- I mean, I guess we'll see.
- Yeah.
- You know, Emem seems to light up the room when she goes in.
Do you think the two of them are too much alpha
that it could be a problem?
Or do you think it works out it actually
helps that you have this partner who comes in
and lights up the room?
- I think it helps. - I think it helps.
Yeah, I think it helps.
I see that if they can even each other out,
I could see potential like power couple vibes.
- That's what I think.
- Let's do power couple vibes over best friend vibes.
- Yeah, I like that.
There you go.
Now, we're going to keep chatting about Emem and Ikechi.
But first, I want to bring out two of our favorites
from San Diego.
Alexis and Ben, y'all come on out here.
- Hey, guys.
- I said two of our favorites.
I'm not calling you a favorite.
How are you? So good to see you.
- Good. Hi, everybody.
- Hi.
- So how have you been?
Both of you, how have you been?
- I've been wonderful and engaged.
- I'm glad you got out before I could even ask.
[cheers and applause]
- OK, well tell us about your partner.
- I'm enamored, honestly.
She is persistent.
She grounds me.
And we're really just co-partners in life.
And everything that I do, I just consider her.
And she considers me.
So it's just like a lot of growth and a lot of maturity.
And I am so thankful because it just caught me off guard.
And I was never expecting it.
- You have a big personality.
But it seems like you found someone.
- I found my person.
- What's going on with Ben? How have you been?
- Good. Good. - What's going on in your life?
- Live in San Diego still, moved closer to the beach.
- OK, anybody in particular in your life?
- Started something new, just probably like a month in,
but taking it slow, so...
- Yeah. - Yeah.
- What is it like watching these new groups
as they get married?
What's it like?
- OK, so this new season, I am very hopeful for.
And I know you guys have been talking about it all night.
And they are not only beautiful,
but they're also a collectively good bunch from what I've seen.
- I'm definitely rooting for everyone to say yes,
or at least make Decision Day. - Right, yeah.
- That's the bar, Decision Day.
- Just get to Decision Day. - That's the bar.
- Just get to Decision Day. - Right.
OK, what about Emem and Ikechi?
What do you think about this match?
- I think it could work.
So she's really into the entrepreneurship.
And he's into creativity.
And I like how they both have careers that help people.
So she's a nurse and she helps people.
- Yeah, he's a counselor. - And then he's a counselor.
And I think that's like a powerful combo.
- Yeah. - Yeah.
I think it's a good match.
- I really like them.
- Yeah?
- No, I'm really excited about them.
Emem and I are a lot alike, you know, with her just saying
I got a lot of personalities.
And there's just so much to her to unpack I love that.
I think Ikechi is real smooth.
Because he's just such a smooth talker like that.
I don't know, I like them together.
- Yeah. - You know,
we're talking about Emem really saying
that she wants to be a wife.
Well, I want you all to listen to this conversation she had
at the bachelorette party.
- Are there certain things as future wives
that you'll be doing for your husbands?
- Everything.
- Oh, everything.
- Tell us more.
- Tell me what you need.
Tell me what you need. Tell me what you need.
And I mean it. - OK.
- You have some sensual energy behind it.
- No, I'm in it wholeheartedly.
If we're together, like we're together, let's do this.
- Ohh.
- I love that energy.
And I'm like, keep that energy.
Do not lose that energy. - Yes.
- But, Alexis, what were you thinking?
- Sis might get burnt out.
I just remember myself wanting it too bad, too fast.
- OK.
- I would kind of just piggybacking off that,
I feel like there is a chance for Emem to be
the person who puts in 100%, which we always say like that's
a great thing to put in 100%.
But if you put in 100% to someone else,
you have zero percent to give to yourself.
- Wait a minute, why wouldn't you
put 100% into a relationship?
Because if you don't put 100% in,
you're not going to get 100% back.
- But it does also have to be 50/50.
You can't be the only one putting in--
- Oh, I get that.
But I'm saying, you still should put in 100%.
- Yeah, but also, she can give 100%.
It doesn't mean that he's not giving 100%.
But I think he has to meet the target that she wants to hit.
And so because, yeah, her 100% and his 100%
may look like two different things.
And if she views his 100% as a 50%, as a 25%,
then I think issues can come in.
But you know, I do agree, when you want something so bad,
sometimes, you know, you do move a little quicker
than other people would like.
And so I think it's a legitimate concern.
- I think her being herself, no matter what percentage it's at,
is a win.
- I like that. Yeah, I like that.
- Just be yourself.
She's a beautiful woman.
Just chill out for a bit, you know?
- Listen, let's cut to the chase.
Let's just-- let's talk about whether we think
that these two, Emem and Ikechi,
will make it to Decision Day and stay
together or get divorced.
- I'm hoping that there's a spark.
I'm hoping that they both are authentic.
And if that is the case, then yes, they will stay together.
- OK.
- But I'm going to be an optimist
and just say on Decision Day, they will stay together.
- OK.
- I actually think these two are not going
to make it on Decision Day.
But I think it may be one of those situations
where one says yes and the other says no.
- OK. All right.
- It's going to come down to the final minute.
But I don't think they're going to say yes on Decision Day.
- OK, and I am going to say these two give me
Vincent and Brianna vibes.
I think that they're going to be together.
They're going to have a family.
They will work out.
And they will be a great couple together.
Alexis, what do you think?
- I think they're going to work together.
And they are going to collectively make
the effort to make it work.
- OK.
- I'm going to go samesies with you.
But I think they're going to make it together
and have two, three kids.
- Yeah, I love this.
- I'm right there with you, Ben. Let's go.
- They're gonna have a family van.
- Let's go. Let's go.
It is so much fun, though, to have you here.
And it was great to see you all.
And I'm glad you're so happy.
I'm glad you got engaged.
Listen this has been so much fun.
I love it when the gang all gets together
and we can give our opinions.
And we'll wait to see who was right and who was wrong.
And usually I'm right.
But anyway, I want to let you all know
the brand-new season of "Married at First Sight
Chicago" starts next week.
Make sure you check it out.
And thanks again, guys.
Thank you all for being here.
Take care, everybody.
♪
- Next week, the Chicago weddings officially begin.
- It's my wedding day.
I'm getting married.
Whoo!
- The whole goal of this is really never
to go to bed alone again.
- I feel like there's someone out there that
needs my love and my care.
- I believe so much in the magic of the universe.
Like, that's what love is to me.
And I'm ready to find the love of my life.
- ♪ And nothing can break me down ♪
♪ I'm stronger than ever now
- I'm getting married.
- Let's do this.
- Let's go.
You lead the way.
- Please stand.
- Oh, my gosh. Ah.
- I'm about to marry a stranger.
Like, I'd be crazy if I wasn't nervous.
- Whew.
- Game time.
- I've been waiting for this moment my entire life.
- This has to work out.
It's all like compounding in my head right now.
Oh, my goodness.
What did I get myself into?
♪