- ♪ Life's a beach, so let's party till the sunrise ♪
- I got married at first sight
because I was ready for that forever love.
- You may kiss your bride.
- I've been dreaming of being a husband all my life,
and now it's actually here.
- Eight weeks ago, the experts chose ten singles
in Houston, Texas, to be married at first sight.
[dramatic music]
Now the time has finally come
for them to choose each other or choose divorce.
- It could really go either way.
[laughs dryly]
- This one decision has the power to impact
the rest of their lives for better or for worse.
- I don't understand how a respectful, good guy
starts a dating app.
- I didn't say everything that was on my mind
because I was afraid it was just gonna get louder.
- When [bleep] hits the fan,
if she's gonna go ahead and bounce.
- I had a lot of hope, because it felt really different.
- Everything we've been through,
all of it was worth it.
- We actually consummated the marriage already.
[music slows and stops]
[dramatic music]
- The way he argued scared me,
and I was like, "Ooh, this is a character flaw."
♪ ♪
- We do not align in what we want.
♪ ♪
- Just say whatever it is you're feeling.
- Yeah.
- I was so happy to, like--
To have the opportunity to meet someone like her.
♪ ♪
- So the time has come.
♪ ♪
- Do you want to stay married?
♪ ♪
Or do you want to get a divorce?
♪ ♪
- [sighs] My heart's beating
out of my chest.
[upbeat music]
- ♪ It's all or nothing ♪
- This is "Married at First Sight."
- ♪ There's no other way ♪
♪ It's all or nothing ♪
[mellow pop music]
♪ ♪
- ♪ I, I wanna go ♪
- I just woke up.
Today's the big day.
- Today is Decision Day.
- I'm gonna be honest, um, I slept horribly.
I guess 'cause wifey wasn't in bed,
and I got used to sleeping with her.
- ♪ We don't need ♪
- We hope this night away has given our couples
the time to reflect on how far they've come
over the last eight weeks
and whether or not they want their journey forward
to include one another.
- I decided to just kind of clear my head and everything.
It's a beautiful day. Go for a run, just to see,
you know, exactly what decision am I gonna make today.
- I'm just really hoping that Michaela says
whatever her heart feels
and that she makes the best decision for herself,
'cause I know that's what I'm gonna do.
- I'm feeling really good about my answer.
Um, I'm now nervous at all.
Um, I'm just ready to let it be known
and let it be clear what I'm thinking, um,
and move forward into the future.
- Just thinking I just gotta be--gotta be real,
gotta be honest with the experts, with Bao.
Because, um, it could really go either way.
[laughs dryly]
- So here we go. D-Day, it's here.
- ♪ Nothin' we won't overcome ♪
♪ Like a battle we already won ♪
- Choosing whether to stay married
could be the most important decision
they ever have to make in their lives.
- ♪ 'Cause I'm a superpower, I was born for this ♪
- Tonight, after eight weeks together,
our couples will decide once and for all
whether they want to stay married or get a divorce.
- ♪ Superpower, it's time to raise the stakes ♪
♪ Superpower, we'll get whatever it takes ♪
[dramatic music]
[upbeat music]
- Gil and Myrla may seem like opposites from the outside,
but when it comes to their goals and values,
they couldn't be more alike.
Myrla was looking for a strong man that she can depend on,
and we felt that Gil, a natural protector,
is her match.
But they have very different ideas about finances,
with Gil's more down-to-earth lifestyle
and Myrla's upscale tastes clashing at times.
[slow electronic music] - ♪ One more time ♪
- My husband is a charmer.
- I'm like, "Ooh, she's stylin'!"
You gotta be confident to wear a rockin' dress like that.
- He has a kind heart, dedicating his life
to make sure others are well.
I'm very easy to please.
- Hmm? Excuse me?
- Are you saying I'm high-maintenance?
- Absolutely.
- I never have to guess
about how he's feeling.
- You sound like you're a brat,
when there's no need to be.
- My husband and I have very, very different ideas
about what to spend money on.
- And she was like, "You know, the one thing I'm not gonna do
is change my lifestyle for anybody."
- I worry that my husband might not be able to enjoy
the finer things in life.
What I need from you is your continued patience,
and what I'm challenged by every day is your patience.
- Okay. - So much good in his heart.
I think everything that I imagined a husband would be,
he's just, like-- Like, an extra step above that.
He's optimistic, always looking
at the bright side of life.
- It hasn't felt forced. It feels right.
And when things go right, everything else is, like, easy.
- ♪ For the airplane ♪
- He's selfless and caring, never shying away
from a moment to make me feel special.
- There you go. - Aww, this is so pretty!
- Yes!
- ♪ We're all here ♪
- The very first thought I have as I watch my wife
walking down the aisle is how gorgeous she looks.
You look gorgeous. - Thank you.
- Myrla is one of a kind.
- I'm just a touchy person.
- Do you believe you've been touchy with me?
- I am not like that on day one with people.
- ♪ We are the young and the reckless ♪
- I don't want a dog, 'cause I don't want to walk them.
- She started a little negative with her mindset
and slowly came around.
This little Debbie Downer that you can be sometimes.
But we found that a warm hug helps her
to feel better and brings her joy.
- Has there been a kiss? - No--cheek.
[both smooch]
Fast-forward now-- - A complete 180.
- Bro, complete 180. - [bleep]damn.
- I got my first kiss. - Hey, man.
- Hey! We should drink to that!
- I love her kisses
and her soft, full, pillowy lips.
Ooh! - You asked
for chocolate chip cookies.
- That is amazing!
But Myrla, she's a princess.
- We all know that I'm a little bit of glitz and glamour.
- You need glitz and glamour. Yeah, for sure.
What's the most expensive pair you have in here?
- Like, $1,000.
- A big concern of mine is if she is willing
to change her mindset.
Your negativity at times is a big deal for me.
The finance stuff is a big deal for me.
There's-- There's a lot at stake.
Do I want to be with you for the rest of my life?
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
[tense music]
- Oh, fancy.
- Hello. - Ooh.
- Yes! - How cute is this!
- Work it, girl! - [chuckles]
- I'm moments away from giving my decision,
and based off the last few weeks,
I'm pretty sure on which way I want to go.
- Hello! - Hi there.
- This is definitely one of the biggest decisions
that I'm about to make in my life.
- It looks really nice, hon. - Thank you.
- I like.
But look at his shoes. They're really nice too.
- [scoffs] - [laughs]
- Whether it goes good or not so good,
I'm prepared for what's next.
♪ ♪
- Tell me, how do you feel this week?
I mean, this is Decision Day.
- I've felt good.
I've felt very-- Pretty confident.
If I don't know by now,
then I'm never gonna know.
- How would you answer that, Myrla?
- I have felt pretty confident, yes.
Um... - Okay.
- Just like I did on my wedding day.
- Speaking of wedding day,
let's talk a little bit about how it started things off.
- It was terrible.
[dramatic music]
I never really wanted a wedding, though, you know?
It was a really long day. I think I expected--
- Oh, so you were serious. It was--it was terrible?
- Oh, yeah, it was terrible.
- Oh, okay, okay. - Um--
- I thought she was joking. - I did too.
- No, I am totally serious.
- What was so terrible?
- I just didn't like any of it.
It was too much.
I don't like meeting new people.
- I'm like, then why did you get married at first sight?
- That's actually a-- - That's what my husband said.
'Cause I wanted a husband, so it was worth
the sacrifice of doing that.
- I had a great time. I--it was good.
Met my wife and her peoples, her family and her friends.
It was a--I had fun. I enjoyed it.
- Did it matter at all-- Because of course,
especially in this situation,
people are very concerned about first impressions,
and, "What's my partner gonna think about me?"
- Nope, I don't care. - You didn't care.
You were just, like-- - I mean, it is who I am.
Like, he might as well get it on day one.
- So let's talk about how the two of you have grown
in emotional and physical intimacy
over the course of this marriage.
Like, where were you at the beginning,
and how has it grown into more?
- I mean, I think, for me, obviously, like,
I wanted to take things slow,
because I wanted to know who he is as a person.
And I definitely think, when you get physical too quickly,
then that can kind of blur other things.
But I think, as we saw, like,
it did not take too much for me to start being affectionate.
And so I think, for me, that's gone from, like,
0 to, I want to say, 100 in the course of eight weeks.
- I want to say, like, 45. - [scoffs]
- And then once you hit 45, it went to 100.
- Oh, okay. - But it didn't go
from 0 to 100.
- In eight weeks?
- It didn't go 0 to 100.
- Like, it went 0 the first week, like, 10%--
- 0 the second week, 0 the third week.
[laughter] - Really?
- And then-- - Go back and see that!
- So--and then after that,
yeah, I would say you had a little more--
- Sped up, made up for all-- - Yeah.
- Okay. - So are we saying
that we have progressed through the entire spectrum
of affectionate and sexual behavior?
Or are we just stuck on an enormous amount of smooching?
- No, we have not consummated the marriage yet.
But I w-- - Look at your smile.
Okay, you cannot lie.
- So-- [laughter]
So we actually, um,
consummated the marriage already.
It did happen maybe, like, two--two weeks ago.
And yeah, so it was-- - Aww.
That's wonderful. - It's been good.
- Well, first, appreciate your honesty.
- Yeah, thank you. - Yeah, that's awesome.
- And secondly, we're interested because that's one
of those things we hope will come naturally and feel good
because the way your relationship's progressing,
and yeah, okay, great, you know.
We'll move on. - Move on.
- I have a question.
Is that your wedding ring?
- No. I don't like my--
Did you see my wedding ring?
It's ugly!
- Myrla, I'm seeing a theme. - [laughs]
- [laughing] Okay?
So, Gil, you had mentioned one time
that she's somewhat of a Negative Nancy.
- Mm-hmm. - Tell--tell me a little bit
more about that, 'cause I know that kind of bothers you.
- So that does, because I'm a very optimistic
and kind of, like, fun-loving type of person.
So sometimes, in certain situations,
if it's not going to her liking,
um, her mood can change.
Your moodiness, uh, puts me in a bad place.
It doesn't make me feel good, 'cause I become negative,
and so-- and I don't like that.
I don't like being mad. I don't like being dismissive.
I just don't like that-- That energy.
It drains me, and so I just don't like being like that.
It brings me down.
- I hear you. Like, I know that's something
that I need to work on, so it's not, like,
"Oh, my God, I can't believe he's saying this to me."
I don't even think that was the first time--
When you said it to me, I was like,
"Hmm, I didn't think about that."
So, like-- - What about your feelings
when you talk about money with him
and you have different visions of what's enough
or what's gonna be, um, the way you handle money together?
'Cause I know there's been a lot of back-and-forth on that.
- I think, for me, when we talk about finances
and, like, the future, it worries me.
- Well, okay, so the biggest difference between us
when it comes down to that is she's money-driven
and I'm not.
I'm more driven about passion, about what I like to do.
So if I like to do it, I'll continue doing it.
And I'm not really concerned about how much it pays.
But she wants to earn the most that she can
as fast as she can.
Like, the difference between me and her is she wants
to be a millionaire.
I would be content with being a thousandaire.
Like, couple hundred thousands, and I'm happy.
[tense music]
♪ ♪
- It worries me, because we do not align
in what we want for our family.
And so, like, my whole life, I've been working towards this,
and I continue to work towards this,
and for someone to just be like,
"That's not gonna work,"
I feel worried.
- We really thought, with the amount of commitment
and love that you're both capable of giving--
We really did think this would be something that you would
both choose love, happiness, family, values,
shared life over the discrepancy of pay.
Were we wrong?
- I think you were wrong.
[dramatic music]
How we live and choose to live our life is very different.
I like the finer things in life.
I like amenities and nice things.
He does not.
- He doesn't like them or he doesn't care as much--
- No, he doesn't like 'em,
and he doesn't care about them either.
If he had a choice,
he would go and live, like, in a box, like.
- No, that's absolutely not right.
- Yeah. See, you guys are not
as dissimilar as you think.
- Okay. - Come on!
No! - Okay, okay.
- I'm not trying to live in a shack.
What are you talking about?
No, if it's the same-- - You said,
"I would be happy in a box."
- I would be.
Like, I have no issues. - And--
- But that doesn't mean
that's what I shoot for is what I'm saying.
- Okay. - I still want a nice home,
especially for my wife and my kids.
- Our definitions of "nice" differ too.
- Yeah, there is-- When it comes down
to specific things, we don't have--we differ.
I don't want concierge.
- But if they're there, they're there.
- I am a doorman. - It's a nice--
- I am concierge. You know what I'm saying?
- You're not a doorman and a concierge.
- I'm the trash guy.
I do all of that, so therefore I don't need that.
- We don't need it, but it's nice if it's there.
- There's a sense of self-sufficiency that he has
that you're willing to pay a premium for.
- Exactly.
- But the desire for more is there
for both of you for sure.
All right, guys, well, it's come to that time.
[tense music]
Do you want to stay married,
or do you want to get a divorce?
♪ ♪
- Um...
♪ ♪
Um...
♪ ♪
I really enjoy just being with you every day
and being, like, the first person that I get to talk to.
I think that, for me, has been my biggest--
Like, I'm genuinely happy being with you every day.
And when I get moody and frustrated, like,
I don't feel like you've ever held that against me.
And so, for me, the things that you do every day to me
are showing commitment to me as a wife
and then us as a marriage.
So I think, based on the past eight weeks,
if I had to do this over again, of course I would,
and I would just change, you know, a bunch of things.
[music slows and stops]
But I actually did not think
that someone could be this amazing as a husband.
[tender music]
And so for that reason,
I don't know what I want to do--no, I'm kidding.
I want to stay married to my husband.
♪ ♪
- Gil, it's time to decide whether you want
to stay married or you want to get a divorce.
- All right. Well--
- Dun, dun, dun. - [laughs]
Um, these last few weeks-- Several weeks
have been a growing experience for me.
I've--I've enjoyed this-- These past eight weeks, um,
but, um, we're two different people when it comes down to,
like, our drive for life.
[tense music]
You're, um, driven by money,
but that's never been a thought process of mine.
And also, I feel like your moodiness affects me.
♪ ♪
Obviously, I don't want you like that,
not just because it affects me, but it affects you,
and if you're not happy, then nobody's happy.
So I guess we differ in that aspect of some things.
But I can sit here and tell you that I'm in love with you.
♪ ♪
I, um-- [laughter]
[anticipatory music]
I love your passion. I respect your hustle.
Like, you're passionate about it,
and you go full-force.
And I wanted somebody, like, to test me, to push me.
Well, I feel like, with you, that's, uh--
Oh, that's gonna be an everyday thing.
But in a good way.
So with that being said, um, I want to stay married.
- Aw.
[upbeat music]
- Congratulations!
- Thank you. - Yes!
- Congratulations. - Oh, you got me.
You got me good.
- I feel really relieved. Like, oh, thank God.
I'm definitely excited to continue to experience life
as I grow in love with my husband.
- Let it fly! Whoo!
- Ah! - Oh!
- Hey!
- Now it's just regular life, one that we can enjoy
at our own pace and build from there.
- And we can talk about kids.
- Thank you very much. - Uh-huh.
- Two to three years from now. - What?
No. It could be a year and a half.
- [laughs]
- You have been such an example for so many people
of what can happen when you are committed to marriage
and committed to growing in love.
So here's to your marriage! - Here, here.
- Cheers. - Cheers!
- Thank you very much.
- So many more years! - Yay!
[light hip-hop music]
♪ ♪
- ♪ Yeah, I was on the fringes ♪
♪ Our love always hingin' ♪
- Bao and Johnny's story started off
with a fairy-tale wedding and a familiarity
that gave their marriage a great start.
♪ ♪
When the honeymoon was over and real life settled in,
Bao was all in, but Johnny seemingly folded
at the first sign of difficulty.
Bao and Johnny were matched because they both have
high standards and a devotion to family that we hoped
would help them to create a strong bond.
♪ ♪
[light music]
- I got married at first sight
to start a life with my forever person.
Oh, my God! [both laughing]
Hi, Johnny. - Nice to meet you again.
- But instead of marrying a stranger,
I married Johnny Lam.
[cheers and applause]
♪ ♪
Johnny's cute, driven, and successful.
- I would love to retire at 40.
- I can totally see already why we were matched.
Johnny is the life of the party.
- Give it up!
- Who do y'all think is gonna
be the first couple to consummate?
- Bao and Johnny.
- He makes me feel comfortable in group settings...
I want to win that bet, like. [laughter]
When otherwise, I would feel anxious.
- It's just been me-- My rules, my way.
And I--I gotta say, I'm a little bit particular
about how I like things.
- Like, I don't think I'll ever get to the point
of showering three times a day.
- I'm expressing to you that this is my preference.
I would love it if you're clean.
- He has unrealistic standards of me.
- When you get happy and excited,
you get very giddy, almost like a little kid.
- [laughing]
- I personally don't find it attractive.
- He has sabotaged this marriage
by looking for any way out.
- But what if, like, I went in for the right reasons
but I wasn't ready?
I'm conflicted about us.
- Johnny is running away from me
because he sees the potential for happiness
and is afraid of being hurt.
- If this was a dating scenario,
this is where we would end things.
- But why do you need to say that?
Every time I thought it was the end for Johnny and I,
something pulled us back together.
Maybe there's a reason our paths crossed again.
- I feel like, at some point, we're gonna grow to find out
we have so much in common
and that we do actually complement one another.
I took a leap of faith to find love.
With this ring, I wed you, Bao.
Bao is cute and quirky.
- [laughing] I am so awkward.
- Bao is an independent, strong-willed woman.
- Why are you on this bed?
- I was hoping we'd stay in the same bed.
And I find that very attractive.
Oh, my God, here goes. - She's a badass.
- She was always ready to try new things.
[gun fires] - Whoo!
[laughing] - [screams]
- Oh, God! - Oh, my God!
- But she hides certain aspects of herself...
I feel like it's nothing to be ashamed of,
because so many people snore.
Because she's uncomfortable, ashamed.
All I can say is that I am 100% committed to you.
- Then touch me more. Touch me more.
- Bao's lack of maturity
was a turnoff from the very beginning.
- I'm worming my way into his heart.
I am consistently thinking about you
and this relationship--
- I feel like you are not consistent at all.
It's hard to have meaningful conversations with her
without getting into a fight.
I wish I had been matched with literally anyone else.
- You've said a lot of mean things.
I do not want to be talked to
the way I have been before. - Okay.
This marriage has been very, very difficult,
and we're both to blame.
- So where do you think we should go from here?
- ♪ Don't stop, keep on ♪
♪ Don't stop, just run ♪
- It takes two people to keep a marriage from falling apart.
- I'm still here. You want to have talks,
I'm open to them.
- ♪ The rain's the only way to clear the clouds ♪
♪ I'm soaking ♪
- Maybe I was married to Bao for a reason,
and maybe it's worth more time to find out why.
- Ball in your court, Johnny.
- ♪ Always ♪
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
- Hi, Johnny. Come on in.
- Hi. - Hey, guys.
I'm moments away from making my decision,
and I'm not 100% decided.
- Looking very spiffy. - Thank you.
And I'm feeling a little bit nervous.
♪ ♪
- Whoo! - Hi.
- Lady in red.
- You look great. - Hello.
- I think the story of me and Bao is kind of
looks good on paper but, in practice, not great.
- I always think you look great, but that is your color.
- Yeah, it is, it is. - It really is.
- Two months ago, I said, "I do"...
♪ ♪
And today I could be saying, "Goodbye."
♪ ♪
- So here we are, finally Decision Day.
♪ ♪
Let me ask you,
if you were gonna talk about this experience,
what would you say were the best moments?
- Um,
in many ways, when I look back,
I felt there were more highs than lows.
Obviously, the wedding was amazing.
- Can't beat it.
- Our one-month, we both defied death together.
- That's a big one. - Big one!
- We certainly did that. Yeah, it was fun.
Um, I remember I was beaming that day.
Absolutely beaming that day. It was a great day.
- Um, the things that make me feel warm and fuzzy
about being married to you
have always been the smaller stuff,
the unplanned, the day-to-day,
where I get a sneak peek of what it would be like
to be married to you after all this is done.
Those are the moments I live for.
Those are, like, the moments that I feel
give me hope sometimes that--
[sighs]
If we had more of those moments,
that's when I'm happiest.
- Those were lovely to listen to.
What would you say was the biggest challenge?
- The biggest challenge--
Knowing how to communicate effectively.
Just trying to figure out what is going wrong
in our disagreements.
- For me, how to not run.
In the past, when I've thought that things were getting rough
or it wasn't for me, it was very easy to just say,
"This is not for me," and walk away.
In this case, we're here.
Old me wouldn't have made it through that.
- Bao, do you agree with what Johnny is saying?
- No, I don't.
[dramatic music]
Um, I do feel, in many ways,
that you've been running from the marriage.
He shared with me that if not for signing up for this,
he would have walked in the first week.
♪ ♪
And it bothered me, because I feel like I'm kind of silent.
Like, I'm not saying what's on my mind.
[tense music]
In some weird way, I feel like there's been moments
in my marriage that I feel like I've lost my voice,
and that's just not who I identify as.
- Can you track where things go sideways,
where you feel you can't talk?
- Yeah. Um, it feels
like every argument we've had where it got really heated,
I've felt like I didn't say everything that was on my mind
because I was afraid it was just gonna get louder
and angrier, and I don't want that.
♪ ♪
- I mean, one, I'm really sorry that you f--
You feel that you couldn't speak up.
- Yeah. - But I've always felt
that our arguments have not escalated.
Because I start the conversation at this tone.
At most, it might get to, like, this tone.
But I'm not-- I never yell at you.
♪ ♪
Most of our conversations, I'm listening most of the time
to whatever you want to say.
♪ ♪
- I feel like we have different recollections of...
- Right. - Our arguments.
- I don't think we understand
how you trigger each other into unsolvable arguments.
- Yes. - I wish you could explain it.
- She's so dead set on one person being right,
and there needs to be blame on someone
for why something went wrong.
And I can only say, "Yeah, it was my bad," so much.
I don't want to be married to someone where I always have
to say it is my fault.
It's always me. I can, but I mean,
I don't want to.
♪ ♪
- Okay, but is there anything you could say
about the incident with her friend, when you were looking
for information or confirmation of how you were feeling?
Is there anything you could say about that now?
- Bao, I am very sorry
that Sarah and I talked about our marriage.
♪ ♪
I, uh, was going through a rough time,
and I was feeling distraught,
and it felt like she was the only person that understood
why I was feeling these things.
- When it all happened and all came forward,
I was pretty devastated,
'cause I was already down about our marriage.
Made things worse.
I felt so betrayed by my husband and my best friend.
The one person in the whole village
that's gonna say I'm crazy, you went with that person.
- No, you are not crazy, and I needed that at the time.
I think that's why I clung on to it so closely to myself.
But I understand she is your best friend
and there are boundaries here.
Our marriage, things that happen within our marriage,
we should try to resolve that between us first.
And if I wanted to talk to her about those things,
I should have sought your permission.
I am--I am sorry about that.
I wish I had approached it a different way.
- We--we're looking here, and we're seeing two attractive,
intelligent people who, we believed at the beginning,
had all the necessary ingredients--
Am I right? - Mm-hmm, yes.
- To make this not just a good couple
but a great couple that could accomplish incredible things.
But it seems as though the same problems
you were finding in your dating,
you've brought into the marriage.
- Hmm. That's a good point.
- Well, the time has come to make a decision.
[dramatic music]
Do you want to stay married, or do you want to get a divorce?
♪ ♪
- This is a difficult decision.
♪ ♪
We--we've gone through so many lows.
So many lows.
Oh, my God. [laughs]
- Say whatever it is you're feeling.
♪ ♪
- Yeah.
♪ ♪
I'm a yes.
[uplifting music]
Let's see what happens without the cameras,
without the lights, without the crew,
do whatever counseling we need to do.
♪ ♪
- Thank you, Johnny.
- [sighs]
My heart's beating out of my chest.
- Bao, do you want to stay married,
or do you want to get a divorce?
[tense music]
- [breathes shakily]
♪ ♪
- [sighs]
♪ ♪
I thought this decision was--
I was sure coming into today.
♪ ♪
But I didn't anticipate how hard it would be.
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
My answer is no.
I want a divorce.
[somber music]
Because I came into this for commitment and support,
and I don't feel I got it.
And I'm so unhappy, and so much that I--
♪ ♪
I can't trust that that will change here right now.
- [whispering] Yeah.
Okay. Okay.
- Johnny, how you feeling? - Uh...
♪ ♪
It--it's just, I thought, what's the--
The harm in trying?
Um...
♪ ♪
- ♪ See, my life without you ain't the same ♪
- There's nothing wrong with what you said.
- Yeah. - So I don't want you to feel
as though you made a mistake by saying,
"I want to stay married."
- I'm so sad for each of your disappointment.
I can see both of you look kind of defeated,
and we hope that's not a continuing feeling,
'cause we want you to be happy.
- You'll learn, and you'll grow,
and you'll be better, absolutely.
- When we talked about the good moments--
She's seen good moments, I've seen good moments.
Why wouldn't she give it a shot?
- ♪ Said you were searching, but it's all for naught ♪
- [whispering] Thank you.
- I mean, was--was the marriage really that bad?
That hurts.
- ♪ Said you would, said you would ♪
- Okay.
- Johnny, take care of yourself, please.
- Thanks, Dr. Pepper.
- It doesn't add up to me that suddenly, on Decision Day,
that he would want to work on it now
if he hasn't been working on it for the past three weeks.
♪ ♪
And that's why I have to say no,
'cause I don't trust anything that Johnny says.
It's just too little, too late.
- Oh, man. [sighs]
[upbeat music]
- ♪ You're so typical ♪
♪ You're so typical ♪
- Brett and Ryan were matched
because Ryan's adventurous side complements Brett's fun
and outgoing personality.
Brett and Ryan have very different dating pasts,
but they realized that they had to shake things up
because what they were doing wasn't working.
While they started out strong,
Ryan never got the butterflies that he was hoping for
and struggled to communicate with Brett.
♪ ♪
- Hi.
- ♪ Just come with me ♪
- I've dated a lot of women,
but I've never come across a girl like Brett.
Your eyes are incredible.
And you're a good person, and that's what I asked for.
Brett is extremely compassionate.
I truly am thankful that I was matched with you.
- ♪ I want you back ♪
- Brett and I have fun and get along great,
but I didn't get married for a roommate.
I know it's a difficult subject, but I am
a pretty sexual person.
[music slows and stops]
Brett and I have a lot of differences.
- Whoo! Scared me.
- She doesn't like the country.
She's not as outdoorsy as-- As I am.
Manatee! You look down.
- I can't, I already-- - Look!
- I can see it in my peripheral vision.
♪ ♪
- We'll have to work on that.
We just don't see things the same way.
- I voted this, you voted that.
- 'Cause we're voting for different things.
I wanted a picture-perfect marriage, and this isn't it.
But for as long as I can remember now,
I've wanted to be a father and a husband,
and it's gonna take work.
I think she's genuinely a person
that just appreciates effort,
and I've never been scared of the commitment.
- [screams] [laughs]
No!
♪ ♪
I got married to commit 100% to my husband.
Cheers to continuing to get to know each other
and also to all the love notes I'm gonna write you.
- And maybe babies. - And maybe babies.
I was ready to make my marriage work no matter what.
You've been amazing this whole time, so--
- You're falling in like with me right now.
- Right, exactly.
Ryan is the consummate Southern gentleman.
He's handsome, successful, and funny.
- How do you feel about him? - I have a crush on him.
I have a crush on you.
I know I'm not his type, but marriage is more
than being someone's type.
- I know her feelings, and I know her emotions,
and I don't want her to take that
to another level...
- Okay. - That I'm not 100% certain--
- It sounds like she's further along towards liking you.
- I think that's fair, yeah. - Is that true, then? Okay.
- I think we're still on the right path,
but I just don't think that we're there yet
emotionally, physically.
- It's hard to believe Ryan. He tells me one thing,
and then I hear something different from everybody else.
Well, I heard that you said you were gonna have a conversation
with me about how you want to just be friends, and--
- I've told you, if these feelings don't develop--
- You don't have to be defensive.
I never thought it would be so hard
for Ryan to be honest with me.
Got a text from a friend
that showed that you are on a dating app.
There's a lot of good in our marriage,
but I don't think he's willing to give our marriage a chance.
If you don't feel it, you don't feel it.
If we agreed to try harder,
I wonder if we could make it work.
Marriage before this and now are the same, you know,
something I really believe in, that I've always believed in,
something that I think requires a lot from both people.
- Yeah.
- ♪ I'd like one more time ♪
♪ To me, he said ♪
♪ I'll be here until the end ♪
♪ ♪
[mellow music]
- Hello. - Hi there.
- Hey! - Hey!
I get all three of you! - What's up, sweetie?
- Hi. - Mm, good to see you.
- You too. - You look great.
- Very cool. Very cool dress. - Hi, how are you?
- Hi. - How are you?
It's been so long. - Yeah.
- Y'all look awesome. - Have a seat.
- Oh, look at you! You can--you put us to shame.
- [sighs]
I was more nervous for those doors to open.
I don't know why. - Than what?
- Than the wedding doors. All: Oh.
[laughter]
[tense music]
- Hello. - How are y'all?
- There he is. - Good to see you, Cal.
- What's up, gentleman? How you doing, man?
- Good. - Have a seat.
- Oh, man. It doesn't matter how ready
you are for this, it's nerve-racking.
- How you doing? - Good.
- Yeah? - We'll see after.
[laughs]
- It's good to see you guys here.
Leading up to today, I know
that it's been kind of stressful.
This has been an up-and-down type of situation.
But what has been the best part of your marriage?
[mellow music]
- There were definite obvious things on--
On why we were matched.
Just our conversation, our competitiveness,
our--just our banter back and forth.
Um, we are very quick-witted with each other
as far as-- We can bounce certain things
off of each other real effortlessly.
She's so friendly, and--and just, she's an awesome girl.
♪ ♪
- I think that his ability to take care of people
and give is definitely there.
I think that those are really good qualities that he has.
There were little moments that, you know,
I would catch myself, like,
maybe he's driving, and I'm just like, "Okay."
You know, I was like, "Mm, maybe."
Um, we do have a good time together.
Like, my highlights are, like, the times where we're, like,
listening to music and, you know,
being competitive, of course.
- We--we do have fun together.
[tender music]
- I respect the conversation we're having,
and I know you want to be a good guy.
I do have one thing I need to--
To deal with with you.
I don't understand how a respectful and good guy
starts a dating app
before the marriage is actually over.
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
What were you thinking?
- Uh, we--we talked about that significantly,
and I'm forever apologetic
that you had to get that message from your friend.
♪ ♪
I hope that you genuinely believe me when I--
I say that that wasn't my intentions at all.
♪ ♪
I never meant for-- For that to happen.
♪ ♪
- But it didn't happen. You did it.
- Yeah, yeah, I did it.
[dramatic music]
- Why did you do that?
♪ ♪
- Uh...
♪ ♪
We--we had an initial connection.
I obviously lost it along the way,
but we-- We had momentum day one.
And I hate saying "type," but,
I mean, I'm 35, I-- I do have a type.
♪ ♪
- We can assume that you've had plenty of your type,
but the connection still didn't deepen.
So I would urge you to think if it's your type
that's the issue
or if that's just an easy out for this one.
- I definitely would not agree that I was looking for an out.
I wanted to come out of this married more than anything,
and I can look you right in the eye and tell you that.
What it comes to is I was fighting my lack of feelings
and--and keeping her feelings under consideration.
- I mean, if we're being honest,
it's like, I'm waiting for a feeling too.
But you don't just sit and wait,
because that doesn't happen.
You have to create it.
And eventually it will naturally be that,
but you-- You have to do something.
So yeah, I definitely think we have different
kind of mentality on how that works.
- So my question to you is,
was there anything she could have done
that would have made a difference?
She's a supportive woman. - Yep.
- She is funny as crap.
She is outgoing.
She is a ride-or-die chick forever.
- I didn't know if she was
taking her earrings off to fight me.
- No, I'm just-- - No.
No, no. She's--she's compassionate.
She's empathetic.
And I know, but she's got her issues.
She's got her challenges.
But as far as wife material-- She's wife material.
- Brett, do you think Ryan was ready to be married?
- No.
[tense music]
I think, really deep down,
we really do want the same things out of life.
Like, I know that we both really want to be, like,
husband-wife, have kids.
I think that's why we were matched.
♪ ♪
- What would you say right now
you would do differently?
- I wish that I would have verbalized things
and not had you wondering,
questioning where I was mentally.
I absolutely could have done a much better job of that.
I definitely tiptoed around
a lot of uncomfortable conversations.
- I just think that I would have spoken up.
Like, "Give it to me straight," a lot sooner.
♪ ♪
- We are here on Decision Day, so the time has come
for you guys to make a decision.
[anticipatory music]
- Hmm. Um,
this, like, day has been, like, looming over our heads,
like, literally from day one.
At the very beginning, I had a lot of hope,
because it felt really different,
but we never really, like, got on the same page.
And, um, I think that we can have a good friendship,
but that is what it is, and so I want to get a divorce.
♪ ♪
- [exhales heavily]
♪ ♪
- Okay.
I--yeah, I agree with you.
I--I want to get a divorce.
♪ ♪
- Well, how do you feel?
[tense music]
- I feel okay.
♪ ♪
- Well, guess you didn't come here to fail.
Um, and the end of a marriage
is likely to be thought of as a failure.
- Yeah. - We hope it's a new platform
upon which to build a stronger life.
♪ ♪
[rock music]
- ♪ How could I be so wrong ♪
♪ ♪
- It's a relief, I'm sure, for both of us.
And I know that I'm coming out of this a better,
more well-rounded person and-- And future husband, ideally.
And yeah, uh, I'm sure she's taken a lot
of great things out of it as well.
- Thank you.
I appreciate everything.
♪ ♪
- I think the road to getting
to this decision was not easy for me.
I really beat myself up about feeling
like I'm giving up on something.
But I have to look out for myself,
and I have to put my happiness somewhere in the equation.
It can't be just about him and what he needs.
Yeah, this is the end of a marriage story,
but it is not the end of my belief in marriage,
and it's not the end of my quest to find love,
You know what I mean?
I just might let it come to me
and not take such drastic steps.
But to me, the risk was worth it.
♪ ♪
- ♪ As time goes, clouds pass ♪
♪ This strength is running out fast ♪
♪ Premonitions while reminiscing ♪
♪ Wishing it could be different ♪
- Michaela and Zack had a powerful chemistry
from the moment they first saw each other.
They were matched because of their incredible ambition
and their shared desire to build both a family
and a lasting legacy.
But over the course of eight weeks,
they've struggled with Michaela's explosive outbursts
and Zack's leaving at the first sign of trouble.
♪ ♪
- Nice to meet you! - Nice to meet you.
- You're gorgeous! - Oh, thank you.
You're gorgeous. - [laughs]
The moment in saw Zack, it was love at first sight.
Are you nervous? - Yeah.
- I got you.
- ♪ Beauty and grace ♪
- Zack is charming.
- So you're just, like, a great person
just all around, and I'm very, very happy.
- ♪ This is your heart to break ♪
- Zack is caring.
[gasps] - Hi!
Oh, my goodness, I missed you so much.
- He makes me laugh when it's the last thing I want to do.
[both laughing]
And I love that about him.
I--I personally, like, I'm not gonna be by you.
- Well, I'm sorry. I know, but I'd rather you--
- I know, but I'd rather you be
on your honeymoon by yourself than you have COVID.
Our chemistry was so intense in the beginning.
- ♪ Brave-hearted, brave-hearted, brave-hearted ♪
- But our flame dried out quickly.
- For me, personally, this is bigger
than a communication thing.
It's how we handled it, and that's something
I don't know that we can change.
- Zack doesn't believe I'm capable of changing things.
He does an infraction, and I can forgive and forget
and try to move past it, but then if I do something,
for him, it's like, he-- He holds on to it.
- ♪ Brave-hearted, brave-hearted, brave-hearted ♪
- Do you honestly see our future together?
I can't imagine life without him,
but I might have to.
- Right now, it is doubtful,
but I am holding out hope.
- ♪ Brave-hearted ♪
- So I am very happy and--
- Why are you happy? - [laughs]
[tender music]
- I admire so many things about Michaela.
Did anything happen? - [laughs]
- ♪ It's precious, these days ♪
- Michaela is smart, driven, ambitious, and resilient.
She has a smile that can brighten any day...
[both laughing]
And a laugh you can't help but join.
- [laughing]
- She's really the most thoughtful person
I've ever met in my life.
- I already love Zack, and I've told him that.
♪ ♪
- Michaela and I have similar core values
but fundamental differences.
- You do realize,
A, this is a new relationship.
We don't know each other.
- This is bigger than a relationship.
This is a fundamental difference
on how we handle conflict.
We are who we are.
Differences that might be too big to move on from.
Her explosive reactions have put us
on an endless emotional roller coaster.
I'm going to leave tonight. - Good.
Bye. Go home now.
- It's been difficult letting go
of what I thought marriage would be.
[dramatic pop music]
Michaela loves me.
I only wish I could be sure that I could love her too.
- [screaming] Get out!
[glass shatters] [bleep]. Get out!
[dramatic tone]
[tense music]
♪ ♪
Hi. - Don't you look amazing?
- Thank you. - Oh, my goodness!
- How are you? - Look at you!
Oh, my gosh!
- Today is Decision Day, and if I had
to sum up the last eight weeks in one word--roller coaster.
- How you doing? - I'm happy
that we made it here,
but it's been a very long journey.
♪ ♪
- You have a great smile on, but I know this has not
been the easiest eight weeks of your life.
So how are you feeling right now?
- Relieved. Like, I made it here.
[laughs]
- I feel really good. - Okay.
Well, what--what I'd like you to start with
is what your version of the marriage was like.
- Um, my version of the marriage was
just a really big learning lesson for myself.
It had some really beautiful moments.
It also had some really crazy moments.
But all in all, I'm happy that all of them happened,
because I had so many lessons learned.
- What about the good times for you, Zack?
What were they?
What are the positives? - I just, like--
Hold on, I just--
[dramatic music]
- Is this to the good times or your decision?
- Oh, this is not my decision.
This is, like, the good-- This is...
- Great. - What this is.
Like, this is the marriage. - Good times, okay.
- Yeah, nah. - I'm just like, "Whoa!"
Okay, yeah. - Yeah, no, it's not--yeah.
Um,
honestly, Michaela, I hope you never look back
at the time we spent together with remorse.
You made me a better man,
and for this, I am forever grateful.
I actually see today as the beginning for us--
The beginning of something new and--and something better.
You know, everything we've been through, every fight,
argument, leave-out, laugh, cry, hurricane,
meal together-- All of it was worth it,
and I wouldn't change a single thing,
and I hope you wouldn't either.
[tender music]
And thank you for loving me,
and I can honestly say I love you too.
♪ ♪
Thank you.
♪ ♪
- Wow.
Can I get some tissue?
Thank you.
It's been a journey.
To hear that come from him really means a lot.
- What does that tell you about Zack?
- [sighs] That he really cares.
[dramatic music]
And that he has emotions and, you know, thoughts and feelings
that he may not be able to express to me...
[sniffles] In the immediate but that he--
Like I told him before, he's always present.
He's always thinking.
♪ ♪
He does that thing when he thinks.
[laughter]
- Zack, what are you feeling right now?
- I'm honestly just happy...
like...
and very thankful.
[tender music]
♪ ♪
Hold on, give me a second.
[bleep]. [sniffles]
I just remember, like, when I first met you guys,
like, walking into the rooms...
♪ ♪
I was so happy to, like--
♪ ♪
To have the opportunity to meet someone like her.
♪ ♪
And you guys did that.
[sniffling]
[sighs] Because--
♪ ♪
'Cause outside of my mom,
you are the most amazing woman that I know.
♪ ♪
- Anyone who's been following your love story,
as the three of us have, would say, "Wait a minute.
These people are, like, gushing."
That, compared to what the journey has looked like,
looks really different.
Can you share with me and with us
how that makes sense for you?
- For me, it's always actions speak louder than words,
and so the fact that she's still willing
to do stuff or have conversations
and say these things-- Like, you must love me.
- Talk to each other about this.
- Yeah, like-- Like, you know what I mean?
Like, you--you must--
You must love me, unless you're crazy.
- [laughing] - Or both.
- It might be both, yeah. [laughter]
No, but you know what I mean? Like, so that's why--
'Cause I-- Then I--I was skeptical.
I really was. 'Cause, you know, sometimes,
like, maybe the actions don't match the words.
That's why I was skeptical. But they do.
♪ ♪
- I think, after our sit-downs,
that Zack and I really put into practice
how to talk to each other and how to listen.
I think another thing that we learned to overcome
is just the cease-fire.
This really showed me that that Hurricane Kate business,
that knee-jerk reaction business, it's not okay.
It's something that I look back and I regret,
and I'm gonna work very hard to not happen again.
♪ ♪
- Okay. - Okay, well,
the time has come.
[anticipatory music]
Do you want to stay married,
or do you want to get a divorce?
♪ ♪
- I want to stay married.
[tender music]
I want to see what the future looks like for us.
♪ ♪
- Zack, do you want to stay married,
or do you want to get a divorce?
[tense music]
♪ ♪
- I--
♪ ♪
- I want to get a divorce.
♪ ♪
But it's not a bad thing.
When I say I want to get a divorce,
I want to divorce the last eight weeks
that we've experienced.
But I am willing to see where this goes.
[somber music]
- Don't know how to interpret this.
It's--I mean, you've got a rejection
of what you've been through,
and yet you are making plans to try and still be together
and work things out, right?
- I don't know what we're gonna do.
It's not-- It's not that easy for us
to say this is what we're gonna do, we're gonna live together,
we're gonna work on this, this, and that.
- Zack, um, I have always been a fan of yours.
I think you're a good guy.
Um, I don't believe you're communicating this in a way
that's palatable to her. - Mm-mm.
- And I think that you're putting a nail in the coffin,
and you don't even realize it.
- That's what's so mind-boggling to me
about this whole thing.
- I don't know why it's mind-boggling.
All your wife wanted was to know whether
or not you want to be married to her after today.
Understanding that the past, you want a divorce from it,
but going forward, do you want to be married to this woman?
- Do you want to stay married to me going forward?
Yes or no?
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
- No.
♪ ♪
Because that means to me I'm not divorcing the past.
I am not rejecting you.
I'm not gonna change my actions towards you.
I still want to see where this goes.
That--none of that is changing.
But I have to say I want a divorce.
♪ ♪
[somber music]
♪ ♪
- To hear you say, "I don't want to remain married to you,"
it--it is-- it's kind of, like,
"Oh, okay, well, what-- Well, wait a minute."
That doesn't make sense to me.
That doesn't give me encouragement.
♪ ♪
- I guess I'm being selfish here.
It's more...
♪ ♪
for me to feel better mentally.
♪ ♪
- I hope you understand the impact of what you're saying.
You said no.
- Because if I say no-- - No is no.
- But I ca--okay. - No, no, no.
Here's the deal. Yes or no?
You could say, "Yes, but...
I don't want the past anymore."
"No" is pretty definitive.
There's no, "No, but I want to hang out."
- "No, but I wish I felt differently."
- Yeah, "No, but" -- - It's still a no.
- Yeah. "No, but,"
and, "Yes, but," are completely different.
"Yes, but," you can understand. Am I correct?
- So would you rather me say no and then be done?
Like, so I'm saying-- - You did say no.
- That's not our call. That's your call.
- I'm saying, like, what do I say, then?
- No, no, you gave your answer. - Yeah.
- Okay. - Yeah, that's your call.
I think what she needs here
is some closure going forward.
[tense music]
- I do want to stay married
to see what the future looks like as married people.
Right? - Mm.
- But while I hear
all those beautiful things from you, Zack--
I really do--I also hear
that when we get up and walk out of here,
you're a man who wants a divorce from his wife,
and I'm a woman who wanted to continue
to fight for a marriage.
♪ ♪
- Yeah. - And that's it. Okay.
[somber music]
- You know, I thought we were on the same page.
I thought she understood where I was coming from,
but it seemed like she must have forgotten what I meant.
But I said what I said.
I said what I said.
♪ ♪
- I would have been more comforted if he said
that he wanted to stay married,
and I think I would have had a little bit more encouragement
to do-- Start over at the beginning.
Okay. [sniffles]
But now I literally have no encouragement at all.
What's the point of, like, doing stuff going forward?
What's a new beginning? Want to date now?
We're single now? And it does change the dynamic.
And that's stupid to me. And I'm not doing that.
♪ ♪
We're so proud of you girl, and who you are becoming. Don't stop.
I won't, thank you. - You're welcome.
Yes, sir. Thank you.
Thank you guys. Bye.
- ♪ Lock it in ♪
♪ Throw the keys away ♪
- What the heck was that?
- You want to be the good guy
who's like, "But we're still friends."
Everybody wants that. Hardly anybody gets it.
- But that's why I told him-- I said,
"So when you leave here, you're gonna be single."
"No." Yes, you are, buddy,
because she's gonna be done.
♪ ♪
[mellow music]
- ♪ You almost there ♪
♪ You got this ♪
♪ ♪
♪ I know you been running all your life ♪
- Rachel and Jose are driven, independent people.
Right from the start, we have loved watching them get closer
and deepen their bond of marriage.
But they had to learn a few hard lessons
about trust along the way.
They were matched because we felt that Rachel could help
Jose let loose, and we thought that Jose could
help Rachel plan for the future.
We hoped that these two could bring out
the best in each other.
But has Jose really shown Rachel that he can
be the supportive partner that she needs
to feel confident in herself and their marriage?
- ♪ Hold tight ♪
[tender music]
- I'm Rachel. - I'm Jose.
- Jose. - Nice to meet you, Rachel.
- Nice to meet you too.
- I adore so many things about Rachel.
You are so gorgeous. - Thank you.
- ♪ Sometimes it's hard to bear the weight of lies ♪
- Rachel is the wife I've always prayed for.
It just feels right. Like, it feels right.
I feel like a married man.
I feel like a happy married man.
- Aww.
- Rachel's kind and cares about my feelings.
- Surprise, we're going fishing.
[laughs] - No, what?
Go--beautiful. - That was horrible.
♪ ♪
- I love that Rachel likes sports
and we can enjoy sporting events together.
- Bow-chicka-wow. - I love it.
I love it. - [laughs]
We're going to Japan.
- That's-- - Uh-huh.
- Okay. - Can you be that spontaneous?
- Yeah, no.
Rachel needs to work on being more financially savvy.
The biggest thing for me-- It's, okay, we're now married.
Financially, we're no longer in this two separate accounts.
We're gonna have this joint account.
There are things about Rachel's past that worry me.
- Uh, never have I ever...
- ♪ Something tells me I'll be fine ♪
[laughter] - Oh!
- Trust hasn't been easy for us,
but we're working on it.
- Uh-huh. - How can I be comfortable
with this girls' night and know
that I don't have to worry about this?
- You honestly will just have to trust me.
- ♪ I'll be happy alone ♪
- Rachel helps me be a better man.
I'm gonna start listening more! - And that's okay.
- But I'm gonna get there. - As long as you acknowledge
and you work on it...
- I'm trying. - That's all I can ask for.
- I envisioned the perfect marriage,
the perfect wife.
Mm, maybe we keep looking.
But I'm realizing nothing can be perfect, and that's okay.
If Rachel today said, you know,
she wanted a divorce, um, it'd be tough.
It'd be tough to come back from this one, for sure.
[atmospheric music]
So me and wife just got married.
- I'm so happy.
- No, I--I am happy. - [laughs]
I love so many things about Jose.
- I don't know that there's anything
I wouldn't do with you.
I'd jump out a plane for you.
I mean, I'm already married to you, so yes.
- Aww, that's so sweet. - I mean, I'm good.
- ♪ It's only for the argument ♪
♪ I'm a lover, not a fighter ♪
♪ When we're together, life is brighter ♪
- I want to grab one. I got it.
- Yeah! - I got it, I got it!
- Okay. - I got it!
I feel good. I feel proud.
And again, it's you just, like, boosting my confidence
instead of shutting me down.
My dream-dream trip right now is Switzerland.
- I think the biggest thing that just comes to mind
is it's a lot of money.
[dramatic music]
- I love Jose, but he can be a little controlling.
- You want to get to something like this.
♪ ♪
- ♪ Learn to play along ♪
- I came in this looking for the husband that I deserve.
- I'm just saying, you called me by a different man's name.
- And I immediately apologized.
But you locked me out.
Getting locked out! [laughter]
♪ ♪
My heart's in love, but my head has some doubts.
Is this what we want?
♪ ♪
[tense music]
- Hey!
- Hi. - Hi!
This decision is life-altering.
♪ ♪
The main reason I got married at first sight
was I wanted to be with one person
and just grow old with the person,
but a person that fit my life.
My fear going into this is just not knowing
if Jose is the best husband for me.
♪ ♪
- You looks great. You look good and married.
- Yes. - You really, really do.
- Thank you, sir. - [laughs]
So it's Decision Day,
and we just wanted to take some time and talk to you
and find out how things have been over the last eight weeks.
- [sighs] Just, it's been a--
It's been a whirlwind, right?
'Cause it's so quick, and it's so much coming at you.
We've had ups and downs, but we have
a lot of commonalities, a lot of similarities,
and that's what I asked for being married at first sight.
I wanted someone that I could go and enjoy
doing the common things that not only I like to do
but then she did as well too.
- Yeah. In the beginning,
it was so perfect, like, could not be more perfect.
And then, you know, our--
Our big argument happened and everything.
The day after, I was kind of like, "I'm done."
[tense music]
It was just too much at once,
and it just went, pssh.
♪ ♪
- I mean, we have to talk about the dead bolt.
What was that whole experience like for you emotionally?
♪ ♪
- It was just the way he argued scared me,
and I was like, "Ooh, if this is--
This is a character flaw."
♪ ♪
- Clearly, my actions did not serve
this marriage appropriately.
But it's tough when someone says,
"I want to throw in the white towel."
And--and I think that, uh-- I mean, again,
we've learned so much from that.
- The beauty here is that you-- You discussed it.
- Yeah.
[tender music]
- You dealt with it. You put it to rest.
And you valued her more than you valued being right.
- I'm--I'm gonna be honest, I was definitely hurt.
I was upset.
- Trust has been an issue in your past.
- Right. - It's even been an issue,
at least initially, in this marriage.
- Mm-hmm. - Do you fully trust your wife?
[tense music]
- Um, you know, I mean,
it's very tough, 'cause, you know, I'm just concerned
when [bleep] hits the fan, she's gonna go ahead
and bounce.
♪ ♪
- I mean, it's a lot different when you're with someone
you really want to be with.
♪ ♪
- Okay. So the time has come
for you to decide.
[anticipatory music]
You two are about to make
one of the biggest decisions of your lives.
♪ ♪
Do you want to stay married?
♪ ♪
Or do you want to get a divorce?
♪ ♪
- Um,
you know, I really care about you, right?
I mean, you show me each and every single day
how much you value me.
And, you know, makes me feel so special
when you do little things for me that I don't even ask for.
It's been a quick process.
There's been a lot of different elements,
but I think that what we have,
from a foundation perspective, is far beyond
anything that I could ever have expected
in being married at first sight.
[soft guitar music]
But we went through some hard times.
But, um, you know, we worked through it.
And each and every single day that we grow and live together,
you show me how important I am to you.
♪ ♪
And so for that reason, um...
♪ ♪
I would like to stay married.
You're just a wonderful woman,
and I couldn't be married to anyone better.
- All right, Rachel.
Tell your husband, do you want to stay married,
or do you want to get a divorce?
[tense music]
- Through this whole experience,
you know, we went through a lot.
♪ ♪
And we chose to be married,
but we didn't choose who exactly we got married to.
♪ ♪
And this whole marriage,
everything seemed so perfect,
and then, you know, we both learned it's not perfect.
♪ ♪
But...
♪ ♪
Of course I choose to stay married to you.
[uplifting music]
- ♪ I choose you ♪
- You know, we have still a lot of learning and growing.
And I'm, like, very privileged right now to
actually get to say
that I choose to be married to you, Jose.
- Yay! - [laughs]
- Aww. - Yes!
♪ ♪
- Celebration time. - Congratulations!
- Well done. Yes.
- I feel relieved. I feel good.
Uh, it was a toss-up there, I don't know.
It was-- You know, I didn't know.
I was--I was nervous.
I didn't know. [laughs]
- Here's to you guys.
Here's to being married at first sight.
[cheers]
- That's really awesome.
- It's a huge sense of relief.
You know, we came in extremely blind to what--
You know, what could happen.
We put ourselves out there, hit it off,
we made this connection, and even our bad days
turned out to be things that were really helpful
for our marriage, and now we're here,
you know, saying yes on Decision Day,
and it's still a little unknown.
I feel confident, because I have a good partner by my side.
- Congratulations for this day and for a lifetime.
- Yes. Thank you guys.
All: Cheers.
- ♪ Even after all the fights, I still choose you ♪
♪ They can see what they want to see ♪
- I'm really gonna miss this.
There's a lot about this whole journey
that I'm definitely gonna miss,
and I'm gonna have a lot of fond memories.
One of the simple things that I'm gonna miss
is just having coffee out here with Johnny.
- Decision Day was very interesting for Zackary and I.
We're kind of in a marriage purgatory.
I'm willing and open to see
what the future looks like, but...
I'm here, I'm in it, and just...
you know, yeah.
- I like to get dolled up for my casual walks.
- That's not true. She's lying.
- We're walking Hypey.
- All right.
- Trying to think of a time that I needed a drink more.
- What's up, guys? - Hello, hello.
- Y'all made it.
- How are you?
- I'm feeling curious.
I want to see how everyone's Decision Day went.
- Hear! Hear! - Cheers, everybody.
All: Cheers!
- If they were as much of a roller coaster as mine.
I want to know who said yes and who said no.
I would love to hear about Jose and Rachel's Decision Day.
- Oh, me too. - Yup, yup, yup, definitely.
- I decided to say yes and stay married to Rachel.
We had, you know, a great journey, a lot of learning.
I thought I was a great communicator.
I thought I was a great listener.
Turns out that I'm really not. Right?
- You're all right, man. You're all right.
- So... - I had to say yes,
'cause I Ubered there, and I needed a ride back.
[laughter]
- She did. She did.
- I want to know when y'all are gonna change
y'all's last names.
- We now go by Rosé, so... - Yes!
- Jose and Rachel are now just Rosé,
and Rosé can't be separated.
And we all knew this was gonna happen.
Come on. They've been so lovey-dovey.
- What about you guys?
- After a long, thought-out process,
it's a tax break when you stay married, so...
I decided to stay married.
- I said yes too. I think I'm most excited about
getting our new apartment together,
and then we can start, like, decorating, building a home.
So I'm excited about that.
- Oh, also, one more reveal.
[dramatic music]
We already consummated our marriage.
[upbeat music]
- Oh! - Mm!
- Oh!
- Yeah. So we did it.
[laughter]
- Gil and Myrla, they crossed that finish line.
You know, you don't always have to be
the biggest, the strongest, jump off to the fastest start
to actually finish and win the race successfully.
- Anybody else?
- You know, it's--it's not going where we wanted it to go,
and so I said, you know,
that I would rather not stay married.
- As disappointing as it is for the end result for us,
I said--I said no.
- I feel like, in the beginning,
Brett and Ryan really did like each other,
but Ryan wasn't real.
If you are saying one thing to her
and then doing another, like, now you look like the bad guy.
- No regrets.
[somber music]
♪ ♪
- So with my answer, as we're talking
to the experts, and they're like,
"Okay, ultimately, do you want to stay married,
or do you want to get a divorce?"
I said stay married.
Because ultimately, I-I-I do want to stay with him.
- I'm not gonna lie.
Decision Day was the worst day out of the whole eight weeks,
but I still intend to get to know you and hang out.
So no matter what I said
and no matter what she said, in my mind, we're still gonna--
- You knew what you were gonna do after.
- Yeah, we're still doing it.
So, like, it doesn't really matter.
- The question is very clear: do you want to stay married,
or do you want a divorce?
Not divorce, continue to date. What is the intent?
Are you trying to have your cake and eat it too?
- So what if she just starts-- Completely cuts you off?
- Then that's--then I understand that.
Then that's life. - Okay.
- Yeah. - You respect that.
- I respect that. Of course I respect that.
- I was just curious to see how you would feel about--
Like, would you be in feelings about it...
- No. - Or something, because...
[laughter]
I mean, 'cause I would think, if I told my wife,
"You know what, I'm gonna say no on Decision Day,
but I want us to completely talk,"
or if she said that to me, I'd be like, "Nah."
- Same.
- Our relationship is our relationship.
We have beautiful moments.
And he does need to get away from this kind of situation
for us to really flourish.
And I respected that,
once I came down off of my, "Huh?"
- Yeah. - "What the hell was that?"
- Whatever makes you happy, you do that.
It does matter if we're all confused and we got whiplash
and we don't know what the hell's going on.
Who cares?
You know what I mean? - Mm-hmm.
- If she has a smile on her face and you're good,
that's all-- That's all I need to know.
♪ ♪
- I went into Decision Day with "no" on my mind.
And stepping into the room,
everything just goes into overdrive.
Everything that had gone on over the past eight weeks
started swimming in my head.
And sitting down with the experts and talking it out,
I figured, what is the harm in saying yes?
♪ ♪
- I came in with a decision
that I had made over lots of lots of reflection.
There were definitely a lot of good times to recount.
♪ ♪
But ultimately, I said I wanted a divorce,
because I felt, in all sincerity,
that I haven't really been in a marriage.
♪ ♪
- So after you heard his answer, did--in your mind,
did you kind of, like, hesitate?
- It's just too little, too late.
If there was a, like, sincere conviction before, maybe.
But it's just too late. Can't.
♪ ♪
- It is surprising to me that Johnny and Bao didn't work.
On paper, they were the most logical couple,
as far as they're both
successful, intellectual people,
and I thought they both kind of had
the funny, nerdy quality to them.
And it sucks, 'cause there's so many good things there.
- No, but none of chose this, right?
We signed up for this.
We didn't choose our significant other.
We'd been put in a very difficult situation,
and we're coming out of it stronger, I hope.
So that's what I'm--I'm walking out of this feeling
really confident about the future.
Whoever I end up with, they're getting a tested guy.
[laughter]
♪ ♪
- Certainly. Very tested.
What a journey this has been.
When I came into this,
I came in because I wanted to find the love of my life.
I've grown a lot.
I've learned a lot about friendship,
what it means to show up as a good friend
and as a good wife.
And I am so grateful.
I've met and gotten to know so many wonderful people.
And... [sighs]
My heart is full.
♪ ♪
- Not gonna get emotional, but I feel like we're a family.
- Yeah.
- And that is something that just means so much to me.
- We share this bond. Nobody else shares it.
And, you know, I don't know what's next,
but we know that we'll all be there.
If babies come in the future,
I'm pretty sure a few of us will be here.
- If I ain't the godmommy... [laughter]
- So if I can think back to talking to the experts
and telling them basically what I wanted,
they definitely listened.
- I'm just so grateful for the whole experience.
Everything has been a highlight.
I'm just happy to have been part of this family.
Yay! Both: Same, same.
[laughter]
- And if this is what you truly want,
in being not only married but married at first sight,
you got to put in a lot of work.
And I got everything that I wanted in a wife.
I'm so happy. So, so happy.
- Here's to the rest of our lives.
All: Cheers.
- ♪ We got the love, we got the love ♪
♪ ♪
♪ We got the love ♪
- Next time on "Married at First Sight: Houston Reunion."
[dramatic music]
The entire Houston cast is here,
and you won't believe what has happened
since cameras went away.
Are you still in love with her?
- Uh... - Say it.
- Are you okay? - Did Zack play you?
- Yeah. I completely got played.
- The couples are back to tell their side of the story.
- Brett, you met someone?
- There's facts, and there's rumors.
- I don't understand what the issue is.
- You don't care, and you never cared about me.
- We'll uncover the truth of the past.
Would you say it distracted you from your marriage?
- I didn't shed one teardrop this whole experience,
and I can't even control myself right now.
- And explore the hope of the future.
You and Johnny are just BFFs?
- Me and Zack wouldn't be bad either.
- It's easier to now move forward.
- This is the
"Married at First Sight: Houston Reunion."
- I'm not participating in this [bleep] anymore.
♪ ♪