Married At First Sight Season 17’s Negative Baggage Will Impact Season 18’s Success (Can Season 18 Still Be Entertaining?)

Married At First Sight season 18 arrives soon, and the failure of Married At First Sight season 17 might ruin the newest installment. The new season will take place in Chicago, and the matchmaking special didn’t bode well for the couples’ potential. While it provided an inside look at how the experts select the couples, it ultimately did more harm than good to the show’s already questionable reputation. It’s difficult to look forward to season 18 when season 17 was such a disappointment.

While Dr. Pepper Schwartz, Pastor Cal Roberson, and Dr. Pia Holec discussed their choices and introduced the five new couples, it was clear their process hadn’t changed. They ignored clear red flags and failed to do a deep dive into cast members’ pasts. In the age of the internet, reality TV fans can dig deeper than ever to find unsavory actions in stars’ pasts. Despite the controversy, casting and matchmaking strategies remained unchanged from season 17 or previous seasons. Married At First Sight season 18 is sure to be a disaster similar to previous iterations.

MAFS Are Not Ready To Forgive Season 17’s Issues

Married At First Sight season 17 was a completely unforgivable disaster. From the jump, Michael Shiakallis’ original bride fled before even making it to the altar. Despite introducing Chloe Brown to the cast, Michael’s love story still ended in divorce. ​Becca Haley and Austin Reed started promising but faced serious issues with communicating and their intimacy together. While they initially decided to stay together on Decision Day, they split after Becca discovered Austin went out drinking that night with Brennan Shoykhet and a producer.

Clare Kerr and Cameron Frazer were never going to make it, especially after Cameron made an offhand remark about preferring “slender” women. Their marriage never recovered, and it was a clear sign that producers didn’t adequately vet cast members. Emily Balch and Brennan had a rocky relationship that culminated in a fiery Decision Day. Brennan admitted he wasn’t attracted to Emily, and despite efforts from the experts, they ended their marriage. Despite apologizing at the reunion, they remained divorced.

Not a single couple survived Married At First Sight season 17. The experts have only gotten worse at casting choices, and there’s almost no reason to watch the show anymore. It’s difficult to forgive a franchise after so many failed seasons.

The MAFS Season 18 Cast Are Not Mature, Just Like Season 17’s

It seems like Married At First Sight season 18 is changing due to the lack of success in previous seasons. Instead of choosing quality couples, the Married At First Sight experts seem more focused on creating drama. For example, season 17 featured the franchise’s first runaway bride, and Chloe, her replacement, still wasn’t suited for Michael. Couples from seasons 15 and 16 had similar struggles, with most breaking up before or soon after Decision Day.

Married At First Sight needs to step it up to retain viewership.

The experts didn’t choose cast members ready for marriage on Married At First Sight season 18. Since so few couples get married, Lifetime has chosen to create issues. There are already rumors of cheating and even couple’s swapping in the upcoming season. While it could make for entertaining television, it’s not genuine and is far from Married At First Sight’s original premise.

How Will MAFS Season 18 Resonate With Fans?

Married at First Sight season 18 is unlikely to be well-received by fans because of bad casting choices and recent seasons’ failures. One major concern is the recurring focus on sensationalized drama rather than meaningful relationships, as evident in the potential cheating scandal and couple swap teased for the season. It also makes the show feel much more produced than genuine. Additionally, the Denver cast was one of the worst in the show’s history due to the lack of connections.

While conflict is interesting and necessary in reality TV plotlines, there have to be some loving, potential couples. Despite new hopefuls and even a new time slot, the reliance on shock-value moments grows old over time. Fans have asked for Married At First Sight‘s experts to try something different, and while they seem to be doing that, it’s not the right choice. When given the choice between watching Married At First Sight and Love Is Blind, the latter is now the obvious must-watch. At least there are real couples each season.

Diehard fans will always continue to watch Married At First Sight. However, it will be fascinating to see if less dedicated viewers stop tuning in to overly produced seasons. Hopefully, the Married At First Sight experts can get the acts together and balance the drama with genuine connections. Otherwise, the show is in trouble.