After an explosive first commitment ceremony, which saw several couples face the music as the experts dug deep into each relationship, it’s time for the participants to face their next challenge: Intimacy Week.
Making a triumphant return to “Married At First Sight,” clinical sexologist Alessandra Rampolla is sure to have a few tasks up her sleeves for the couples to enjoy as they get to know each other better on a deeper level.
While some of the couples are off to a great start, there are a few who need some extra help to kick-start the romance as issues are bubbling up for several couples. Jesse suspects Claire may have cheated on him with fellow groom Adam. Shannon told Caitlin that he’s still in love with his ex-fiancée. And two of the grooms have been accused of gaslighting and emotional abuse.
So that begs us to ask the questions: what is Intimacy Week, and does it actually work?
What Is MAFS’ Intimacy Week?
The whole purpose behind it is to bring the couples closer together, but as we’ve seen in past seasons, this challenge will be different for every couple. It can also be a massive make-or-break moment for some as they discover their partners’ desires on a much more personal level.
But what we do know is that Alessandra will be sure to push the brides and grooms to a new level as she sets different tasks for them to complete.
Does Intimacy Week Actually Work on MAFS?
On Monday’s episode, the experts send the brides and grooms an invitation to an ‘Intimacy Workshop’ with Alessandra. For the ladies in the experiment, the expert tackles the stigmas around using sex toys for pleasure and invites the brides to take a goodie bag home and experiment with the items within. While she explains to the men that being attentive to their partner can really put them in a good place. Alessandra tasks each groom with the first challenge of intimacy week: planning an intimate date for their ‘wives’.
And that seemed to really resonate with the grooms who organise some thoughtful dates. Ollie transforms his apartment into a recreation of the Fijian honeymoon he and Tahnee went on, which was a massive success. Dan places a reservation at a restaurant in Darling Harbour with Sandy, and the pair laugh and get to know each other further.
After some explosive moments and cheating allegations, Jesse invites Claire to his apartment for their date where he prepared homemade bowling. The two talk through their issues and the night end for them with a glimmer of hope for the future. It left us thinking, ‘OK, maybe this whole Intimacy Week this does work’.
Related: MAFS Groom Shannon Tells ‘Wife’ He’s Still In Love With His Ex-Fiancée
But then the unpredictable nature of “MAFS” is reinforced when Bronte rejects Harrison’s offer to go on a date after the groom accuses her of being a “gaslighter”.
The goodwill between Melissa and Josh has also dissipated after Melissa has issues with Josh not cuddling her in bed the night before. The bride accuses her ‘husband’ of being “less than a man” and Josh claims Melissa has no depth to her beyond sex. Ouch.
The night ends with both of them upset and defeated, and Josh believing that he is unable to continue in the experiment.
We’d say, for the most part, that Intimacy Week could very well be a great tool to get couples to think of the bigger picture. But for the ones with deep-seeded issues, it could bring out the worst in the relationship. Whether it works will be seen more towards the end of the week. One thing we know for sure is just how unpredictable “MAFS” is, so there’s no telling how it might go.
“Married At First Sight” continues tonight at 7.30pm on Channel 9 and 9Now.
