The Married At First Sight Experts Are Ruining The Show (Will Season 18 Change Things?)

The Married at First Sight experts are ruining the show, but there is still hope that things could change in season 18. Married at First Sight season 17 ended in late April 2024 after having premiered in mid-October 2023. It was the longest season in franchise history, and the length of the hiatus of the show is unknown at this point. Married at First Sight season 18 has been filmed in Chicago, and it is likely in the final editing stages. Fans could see the show premiere in the Fall of 2024, but no official trailer has been released yet.

At the end of the finale of MAFS season 17, a trailer was shown, but it did not reveal much, and neither did the second trailer, aside from a few ornery moments being shown. At this point, the Instagram accounts of those season 18 cast members who are on social media have been found, so fans can get an impression that way. Outside of the new marriage hopefuls, experts Dr. Pia Holec, Pastor Cal Roberson, and Dr. Pepper Schwartz will all be back in season 18, which is not a good thing unless some changes are made.

The MAFS Experts Have Bad Track Records

Dr. Pepper has been on Married at First Sight since the premiere season in 2014. Pastor Cal joined as an expert in season 4, and Dr. Pia became an expert in season 15. Married at First Sight has a low success rate when it comes to producing successful couples. Of the 64 couples to have wed on the show, only 12 of them are still together, making the success rate only 18.75%. It is the experts’ responsibility to match the pairs and take into consideration the applicant’s physical appearance requests, non-negotiables, moral values, and cultural backgrounds.

Moreover, the experts are tasked with guiding the couples through the eight-week process by offering counseling on how to overcome obstacles and work through barriers so the couples have better tools and a higher chance of success. However, the trio of experts has dropped the ball in a big way since almost all of the couples throughout the years have broken up. In season 17 alone the experts chose a bride for Michael Shiakallis who ditched him at the altar, which started off the season negatively.

Furthermore, none of the Married at First Sight season 17 couples stayed together. None of the couples from season 15 are together either. The experts have demonstrated their incapability and reckless style of matching people. They have also showcased that they are inept at helping the couples solve their problems, as evidenced by Dr. Pia’s wayward therapy sessions with Brennan Shoykhet and Emily Balch (via Lifetime.) The experts seem to do more harm than good on the show, but they keep getting chance after chance by the network.

Will The Same MAFS Experts Return In Season 18?

While it would have been in the best interest of the Married at First Sight network to fire Dr. Pia, Pastor Cal, and Dr. Pepper going into season 18, they have chosen to keep the trio. A fresh panel of experts would have done wonders for the show’s reception, since it’s become clear that the current selection is stale, unworthy of the job, and presents badly to the MAFS audience. The experts’ credibility is shot, but they will be returning in MAFS season 18 despite their pitfalls and reception.

Season 18 has already been filmed, so there is no turning back in getting any new experts. The only surprise that could happen that would be positive, would be for a fourth expert to join, which would mix up the metonymy and lackluster results the current experts exude. However, there is no indication that there will be any new experts.

MAFS Future Depends On Season 18’s Success

A lot is at stake for the current Married at First Sight experts. All three are in jeopardy of losing their jobs and time on reality TV if they can’t produce successful couples. What’s more, the experts need to have chosen quality cast members without shady pasts or hidden motives, or else the show’s critical reception by Married at First Sight fans is in jeopardy. After years of seasons that haven’t brought high entertainment value, MAFS season 18 needs to step it up and be engaging for the audience.

Online, Married at First Sight fans have taken to various platforms to blast the network for their choice to keep the same experts year after year despite their inability to make the show more valuable.

The fans think that they’ve seen all they can out of Dr. Pia, Pastor Cal, and Dr. Pepper, and are calling for new experts going forward. With so many viewers creating backlash over the experts and their ability to do their job, a lot is riding on their reception in season 18.

The Lack Of Change In Experts Is Detrimental To MAFS

The Married at First Sight franchise would do well to take note of the concerns of viewers.

Keeping the same experts when they are clearly not right for the role is foolish and detrimental to the show’s future and retention of fans.

The only thing fans can hope for in Married at First Sight season 18, is for the experts to come at the season with a different approach. They need to be more involved in the specific issues facing each couple daily so that drama between the spouses doesn’t escalate to a point of no return like it has done so many times in the franchise’s history.

Since there will be no change in whom the Married at First Sight experts will be, the experts need to come correct in season 18. The franchise should be embracing change since that is what the viewers are calling for. However, with season 18 already filmed and an official trailer looming, fans can only hope that the season will be entertaining nonetheless.