Signs Married At First Sight Season 18 Is Being Mishandled (Will The Season Be Good?)
Married at First Sight season 18 has the potential to be great, but there are signs that the show is being mishandled. Married at First Sight has been Lifetime’s reality TV sensation. With 17 complete seasons behind it, fans have been engaged with the show since 2014. The last few seasons have gotten viewers upset because of the bad success rate and low-quality drama. In season 17 alone, which finished airing in late April 2024, none of the couples stayed together. What’s more, there was a Married at First Sight first, when Michael Shiakallis was ditched by his original bride at the altar.
She claimed that she was not ready to marry a stranger, and made her exit. In another first, the MAFS experts asked Michael if he would be willing to be rematched, and he obliged. He then got married to Chloe Brown, and the pair started their eight-week-long journey while the other couples were already halfway through theirs. Another blight on the season was one couple divorcing right after the honeymoon, and another separating on their one-month anniversary. Season 18 needs to not fall into the same pitfalls if it wants to be categorized as a success.
The MAFS Experts Did Not Get Changed In Season 18
The Experts Haven’t Been Getting It Right
One of the major red flags signaling that Married at First Sight season 18 is being mishandled is that the experts have remained the same. Dr. Pepper Schwarts has been an expert on the show since the beginning, and Pastor Cal Roberson joined in season 4. Dr. Pia Holec is the newest expert, having joined in season 15. The experts have the responsibility of matching the couples while considering their non-negotiables, physical appearance preferences, cultural background, and value systems.
On top of that, the experts are meant to guide the couples from beginning to end and help them overcome any challenges they face or situations they are having difficulty overcoming. In season 17, the experts were made to look like fools because not only did they seriously mismatch most of the couples but they also fell prey to a group dupe that took place. The four original couples try to pull the wool over viewers’ eyes by conspiring with each other and their partners to present good fronts and non-conflict for the cameras so as to not make themselves look bad or be harshly judged.
However, it backfired and led to resentment and inauthenticity within the marriages that ultimately led to all their marriage downfalls. It was the experts’ job to detect fakeness in the couples’ relationships, but they were none the wiser. Their failure to recognize the dupe that was transpiring speaks badly about their abilities as so-called experts. Due to that, there should have been an entirely new panel of experts in Lifetime‘s Married at First Sight season 18, but all three experts will be back this upcoming season. The only potential reprise would be their incentive not to lose their jobs in future seasons and see to it that they get more right in season 18.
The MAFS Casting Process Is The Same
Which Is Not A Good Thing
The Married at First Sight casting process is also not ideal for selecting quality cast members. At the beginning of the show, the experts claimed to have thousands of applicants in the cities that were highlighted, but that number has seemingly dwindled to hundreds in recent years according to the experts during their selection process. That means the pool of people that genuinely applied for the experience is small.
The other method utilized for getting cast members to make matches with has been producer-led dives into dating platforms in each city. The producers then approach their ideal candidates and ask if they want to apply for the show. This method is a mistake because the people selected might not be ready for marriage, and they may have been selected because they posess positive reality TV qualities. This has been done as far back as season 1.
Married at First Sight season 18’s casting process is likely the same as it has been in recent years because there is no word otherwise. Instead of co-opting people from dating sites, the Married at First Sight network should ideate some fresh ways to get cast members who are ready.
At the very least a new approach needs to be in place to avoid casting clout chasers, people with shady histories, and those not ready for marriage.
If the casting process has remained the same, it will affect season 18 negatively.
The MAFS Schedule Is Likely To Remain The Same
Another detriment to Married at First Sight is the scheduling. Season 17 was the longest season in franchise history. It started airing in mid-October 2023 and didn’t end until the end of April 2024, making the season more than six months long.
This was due to runaway bride situation, but historically, the seasons have lasted from 4–6 months. Season 18 would be better off being shorter given the ill reception of season 17’s length by fans. Season 18 could still be entertaining if it is a longer season, but there is the possibility viewers won’t want to stick it out, especially given the other mishandlings of the upcoming season.
Will MAFS Season 18 Be Entertaining?
Married at First Sight has a highly unique premise, and one that fans have come to love. The viewers are on a long journey alongside the couples as the show airs, and season 18 needs to be engaging in order to succeed.
Some other things the show could do to improve include casting more than five couples so as to ensure they don’t end up in a situation like they did in season 17.
Married at First Sight season 18 has no spoilers released yet, and the premiere date announcement is highly anticipated. At this point, all fans can do is speculate and hope that the mishandlings don’t affect the season negatively. Season 18 is likely to have a Fall 2024 premiere date, so fans should get prepared to be taken on another season of the powerhouse show.
