‘MAFS’ Alums React to Chaotic Denver Season
Yikes. Married at First Sight’s messy Denver season is drawing to a close, but the anger and animosity between the cast isn’t letting up.
The two-part season 17 reunion featured tears, cheating accusations, and stunning admissions. Cast members revealed that they’d colluded to try to shape the show’s narrative, including deleting diary cams and lying to the experts during counseling sessions. Clare accused her ex, Cameron, of masterminding the whole plan, which he denied. Emily suggested Cameron was faking his heart problem to get out of filming. Brennan finally admitted he wasn’t attracted to Emily because of her drunken, party-girl antics and irresponsible financial behavior. Emily clashed with reunion host Kevin Frazier and stormed off stage during one particularly heated moment. In other words, it was a mess.
Chaos and feuds can make for compelling reality TV. But they don’t play as well in a show that claims to be dedicated to helping people find a lifelong partner. Just ask people who’ve been through the process themselves. As the Denver season unraveled, several Married at First Sight alums chimed in with their thoughts on social media. Few of them were positive.
‘MAFS’ alum Jamie Otis calls season 17 drama ‘sad’
“This season & what took place is not what Married at First Sight is about at all… I’m ready for a next season. Thank you, next!” season 1’s Jamie Otis commented on an Instagram video of Emily clashing with reunion host Kevin Frazier.
Otis and her husband Doug Hehner are one of Married at First Sight’s biggest success stories. They are still together with two children and are currently expecting twins. She wants cast members to do better in the future.
“The sh!t show continues … how sad,” Otis commented on another Instagram video from part 2 of the reunion where Emily and Clare break down over what they claim are Brennan and Cameron’s lies. “This is a prime example of why living authentically – regardless of who is watching and how they judge you – will always be better for you and your mental health….whether you’re on camera or not!”
Is this ‘Real Housewives’ or ‘Married at First Sight’?
The back-and-forth between the Denver cast at the reunion was “some high school sh*t,” wrote season 15’s Miguel Santiago on another Instagram post.
One former cast member called out viewers who’d criticized past seasons of the show for being dull.
“For everyone who said the past few seasons were boring….is this the preferred alternative?” asked Nicole Lilienthal from season 16. Her marriage to Chris Thielk is one of the only lasting relationships the show has produced in recent years.
“This was more like a season of Big Brother with the plotting and scheming. Congratulations Denver for singlehandedly turning this show into the biggest joke,” wrote Charlotte cast member Beth Bice in response to Nicole’s comment on the April 11 Instagram post.
“What [in] the Housewives TV show is going on here?” wondered Vincent Morales. He is still married to Briana Myles, whom he wed during the show’s New Orleans season.
Vincent wasn’t the only former cast member who felt as if their TV was tuned to Bravo. On another post, Shawniece Jackson from the show’s first Boston season said the Denver reunion was “giving housewives bravo energy… the dresses, the facial expressions and the back & forward.”
‘MAFS’ experts shouldn’t be ‘shocked’ by Denver drama, one former cast member says
Some MAFS alums felt that everyone from Denver was in over their heads.
“Man, I feel for all involved,” wrote Henry Rodriguez from MAFS’s New Orleans season. The only person he seemed to like was Chloe, who he said on another post did “such a great job of answering questions.”
San Diego cast member Nate Barnes simply reacted to the reunion meltdown with a gif of actor Wendell Pierce looking exhausted.
But Lindsay Georgoulis from season 14 didn’t think the cast drama was as unusual as some seemed to think. “Typical reunion shenanigans,” she wrote.
Another MAFS alum suggested the show had never done a great job of matching people. Jessica Castro endured an infamously bad marriage to Ryan DeNino during season 2. At that season’s reunion, his threats to kill her and her family were captured on a live mic, Us Weekly reported.
In a clip from part 2 of the reunion, MAFS expert Dr. Pepper Schwartz said she was “shocked” by everything that happened during the Denver season. Jessica didn’t buy it.
“Dr. Pepper is still ‘shocked’ 10 years later ….. I can’t,” she commented on a post on the MAFSfan Instagram. “Please just stop it.”
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