Married at First Sightfans have found an indicator regarding why the franchise has had increasingly poor success rates among the couples.Married at First Sightseason 18is currently airing, and is following the marriage journeys offive couples. This season is showing more promise for the couples than in recent years, but that is poised to change in the coming episodes. From season 14 to 17 alone, only two couples have stayed together, making the success rate only 10%. Looking at historical data,MAFSfans have determined what is contributing tothe failure rate.
On Reddit,Married at First Sightfanu/Tom67570started a thread about the experts' overall stats since the show’s debut in 2014. Dr. Pepper Schwartz and Pastor Cal Roberson have been the longest standing experts, and a lot has changed regarding the structure and format over the years. The big takeaway they noticed between the earlier seasons with high couple success rates and the poor rates now has to do with the number of couples per season.
“Seasons 1-7 had only 3 couples. They experts worked them hard with a lot of therapy, challenges and exercises. Couples were also separated mostly throughout the show. This led to their most success.”
What MAFS' Failure Indicator Means For The Show
Less Couples Is Key
The failure ofMarried at First Sightin the last half a decade has to do with the changed structure of the show, and the lack of attention and tailored counseling given to every couple. Having only three couples per season gives each pair the time and attention needed from the experiment. The narrative of the seasons with fewer couples was also more about the couples growing together and less about the group dynamics between the matches.
“Clearly, bringing in 5 couples killed the show. Some people think there’s a theory that they’re deliberately bringing in awful matches for better trash ratings. A fair theory. But I truly believe they work less with them 1 on 1, and pushing them to hang out together yields a contagious negative impact.”
GiveMAFSseason 18, for example, there will be a cheating scandal and a couples swap that would likely not have happened if the couples didn’t co-mingle so much. Themotivations of the show lie more with drama these days and less with giving the couples the tools and expert attentionthey need to build a solid enough foundation to say yes come decision day. IfMAFSwants to produce more long-lasting couples, there should be less matches each season.
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Our Take On MAFS Failure Rate & Structure Changes
Production Doesn’t Care Enough Its Cast
SinceMarried at First Sighthassteered in the direction of more couples with more interaction for heightened chances of dramaand entertainment value through that, it shows production doesn’t care about the cast. If production did care more about the matches' well-being and the longevity of the pairings, they would revert back to having less couples. As it stands,Married at First Sight’s failure rate is attributed to the number of couples and lack of expert attention, and fans are underscoring this as season 18 unfolds with ill-fated couples.
Married At First Sightairs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. EST on Lifetime.
Married At First Sight
Cast
Based on the Danish version of the series, Married at First Sight is a reality show/social experiment that gives singles a chance to find a lifelong partnership with one particular caveat: they must agree to marry a stranger arranged the moment they meet. Experts provide counseling and guidance as they help couples navigate their new marriage with their unknown partner and highlight the journey of the newlyweds from wedding to honeymoon to beginning their new lives together. At the end of eight weeks, couples will decide to stay married or divorce.
