‘Married at First Sight’: Karen and Miles Agree to Take Sex ‘Off the Table’
Karen Landry and Miles Williams have arguably sparked more controversy than any of the five couples on Lifetime’s Married at First Sight season 11 so far.
Karen, a 30-year-old HR professional, surprised viewers by leaving the apartment she shared with Miles for an entire night, unannounced, on a recent episode. Miles’ joke about scheduling sex set Karen off, leading her to say she felt “unsafe” with her husband at that moment. Meanwhile, 26-year-old Miles, who works in education, has repeatedly tried to make things work with his wife—often to no avail.
On the Sept. 23 episode of Married at First Sight, “Let’s Talk About Sex, Baby,” Karen and Miles dug a little deeper into their sexual issues with Dr. Viviana Coles. Despite their ongoing areas of disconnect, they tried to reach a better understanding of one another.
Karen told Miles she didn’t quite trust him yet
At the beginning of the most recent Married at First Sight episode, Miles didn’t wait for Viviana or the other experts to get started with a hot-button dialogue. He asked his wife, point blank, if she trusted him.
Karen thought for a moment before answering, “To an extent.”
The Married at First Sight star clarified that, while she trusted Miles’ intentions, she wasn’t sure she could put her full confidence in him after less than a month of marriage.
“I don’t think you mean any harm to me or anything,” Karen explained. “I wouldn’t say I trust you fully with my heart at this point.” To build trust, she mused, she would have to see what Miles was like when he was “angry, stressed, or going through something”—not just what he was like when he was putting his best foot forward.
“Who are you in the difficult moments?” she asked rhetorically.
Karen’s husband seemed to accept her answer, saying that was a reasonable response. Meanwhile, Miles was all-in, saying that he was ready to trust his wife at this point. After all, he said, he had “no reason not to trust her” based on their marriage so far.
Miles and Karen confessed that they didn’t always ‘feel married’
Later, in their counseling session with Viviana, Miles and Karen admitted that they didn’t always feel like they were truly husband and wife yet.
The Married at First Sight expert asked the couple what it would take for them to feel married.
“For me, I just think it’s time to build that bond,” Karen said thoughtfully. “I move slower when it comes to dating.”
She explained that she sometimes shut down when she was emotionally overwhelmed, and she liked to take things at a slow, steady pace in terms of sex and romance. What’s more, Karen wasn’t used to men being as affectionate and emotionally open as Miles, which sometimes threw her off.
Unsurprisingly, Miles felt differently than his wife. He told Viviana he actually felt more connected to Karen than he’d ever expected, especially after just three weeks of marriage.
Viviana suggested that Miles and Karen take sex off the table for now
Sex and physical touch, Viviana guessed accurately, were still sensitive issues in Miles and Karen’s marriage.
Karen wanted Miles to initiate sex and take the lead, but the fact that Karen didn’t show more of a desire for sex sometimes “put him in a difficult position” in terms of progressing their physical relationship.
Karen explained that she didn’t want to lead Miles on by getting too sexual or sensual too quickly.
“I don’t want to make him feel like, ‘She’s playing with me,’” the Married at First Sight star told Viviana, sharing that she wanted to avoid sending mixed signals about their potential future.
Viviana advised the couple to take the option of sex off the table until after Decision Day in order to curb their current issues around physical touch. If they focused more on foreplay and other kinds of affection, she suggested, it might take the pressure off while allowing them to explore their romantic chemistry.
Karen accepted Viviana’s advice, looking almost a bit relieved. Miles, meanwhile, looked less than thrilled, to say the least. Still, he seemed willing to give it a try if it could help the couple grow closer in the long run.
