‘Married at First Sight Sight’: Dr. Pia Calls Out Ikechi’s ‘Passive Aggressive’ Comments
Emen and Icecki’s relationship is on thin ice. In the latest episode of Lifetime’s Married at First Sight, the Chicago couple were at odds with each other after Emen took offense when Ikechi called her aggressive. The pair sat down with Dr. Pia Holec in an attempt to sort things out, but Ikechi didn’t come into the conversation with an open mind, leading to a blunt call-out from the MAFS expert.
[Warning: This article contains spoilers for the Dec. 17 episode of Married at First Sight Season 18.]
Emen and Ikechi struggle to connect on ‘Married at First Sight’
When Emen and Ikechi met at the altar, it wasn’t love at first sight. But despite a somewhat awkward beginning, the two seemed to be making a genuine effort to get to know each other on their honeymoon. But once they returned to Chicago the relationship stalled. She was ready to take things to the next level with her husband, but he kept pushing her away, arguing that they didn’t know each other well enough yet to be intimate.
Emen was understandably disappointed by Ikechi’s rejection, especially when he implied that he wanted more of a demure Southern lady and called out his wife for being pushy and “aggressive.” Ikechi’s standoffishness was raising a red flag for Emen and her friends and family, leading her to a tense sit-down with Dr. Pia in the show’s Dec. 17 episode.
“I’m not sure. I’m not sure what I’m dealing with now,” Emen told the MAFS expert before Ikechi arrived for the meeting. “I’m not sure what’s going on.”
Dr. Pia isn’t impressed with Ikechi’s attitude
Ikechi didn’t look thrilled when he showed up to talk with Emen and Dr. Pia. When he sat down, he pointedly left some space between himself and his wife. He bristled when Dr. Pia pointed out he wasn’t sitting next to Emen, prompting her to ask what was up with his “attitude.”
“I don’t have an attitude. I’m just tired,” he said. Ikechi also expressed frustration that he didn’t feel supported in his marriage.
“What do you think needs to happen for things to be different?” Dr. Pia asked.
“I have no idea,” he replied. “I’m here to be fixed.”
Dr. Pia wasn’t impressed with that response.
“I know you don’t think you need to be fixed,” she said. “And passive-aggressive comments aren’t going to be helpful. Can we all agree to not be passive-aggressive and [not have] an attitude? Can we all remain respectful?”
Ikechi says Emen violated his boundaries
Ikechi eventually revealed what was really bothering him.
“This is about sex,” he said. Ikechi said he wasn’t willing to be intimate with his wife until they knew each other better and were confident in the future of their marriage. He felt that she took that rejection poorly.
“She started acting funny with me,” he explained, adding that she was “aggressive” and that she wasn’t respecting his decision not to have sex.
“You’re saying she’s violating your consent?” Dr. Pia asked.
“That’s what I said,” he replied.
“I can’t get comfortable,” he added. “It’s a turn-off … being from the South, I’m just not used to someone trying to have sex with me and I don’t know them.”
Despite the bad feelings, both Emen and Ikechi agreed that there was a time when they enjoyed each other’s company. Dr. Pia suggested that they try to go back to square one and start fresh.
“Whey don’t we just cut the bullsh*t and work on getting to know each other?” she said.
“Yeah, I can do that,” Ikechi said.
“OK,” Emen agreed.
There’s more trouble ahead for Emen and Ikechi
Despite Dr. Pia’s guidance, a teaser for the next episode of Married at First Sight reveals that there’s more trouble ahead for Emen and Ikechi. She organizes a one-month anniversary picnic, but when they sit down later to work on an expert-provided exercise, they don’t see eye-to-eye.
Things get even more heated during a dinner with the other couples. Emen accuses Ikechi of ignoring her texts, and when he denies it, she calls him a liar.
“Clown,” Emen says as she storms out of the restaurant. “Bring me a clown and you’re going to get a circus.”
Married at First Sight Season 18 returns with a new episode on Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 8 p.m. ET on Lifetime.
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