Opinion

It's all a little awks and dawks, but is this the best season of MAFS ever?

Karen Hardy
March 16 2024 - 5:30am
I hear you Andie. Picture courtesy of Nine
I hear you Andie. Picture courtesy of Nine

I'm just going to put it out there. Has this past week been the best week of Married at First Sight ever?

Look, I can't really remember what happened back in season one. Who are Zoe and Alex?

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If I had to think about couples of series past I can only remember that awful dude who dissed his plus-size bride at the altar; the goddess Ines, (not even sure who she was matched with); and that awful bloke who said he was a former radio host from Canberra who went on to have twins with the poor woman he gaslighted for weeks on end. Bruce someone? Hang on, that was the other guy.

But now, here in the midst of season 11, I'm convinced the show has reached new heights. So much has happened and I'm here for it.

Let me start with "feedback week", where, for some reason, some producer (who was obviously a millennial - surely it's time for them to employ wise old ladies as producers?? Hello, looking for a career change!) thought it was wise to let couples pass judgement on other relationships. That's never going to go well.

Will Lucinda and Timothy find a way through it? Picture courtesy of Nine
Will Lucinda and Timothy find a way through it? Picture courtesy of Nine

We've all been there. When your friends start telling you what they really think of your spouse, or the decisions you're making, your time is short. No one ever says you're doing a great job. Do they? Nothing like having other couples, who you think have questionable relationships of their own, telling you what they think is wrong with your own life. Bugger right off. But it makes you think.

Don't get me started on Tori and Jack, or Tim and Sara. You know I'm here for the "older" couples, Timothy and Lucinda, Rich and Andrea. What a week it's been for these guys.

Hey Rich, you're not quite as exciting as you think. Picture courtesy of Nine
Hey Rich, you're not quite as exciting as you think. Picture courtesy of Nine

Let me start with Rich and Andrea. Sigh. I had such high expectations for these two. Rich is the oldest groom ever on MAFS and he gave me hope that there were men out there, men my age, who were open for love and willing to put 40 years of "life" behind them. Wrong.

What a whiny baby he's turned out to be. With his poncy scarves and South African accent that gets stronger the more poncy he gets. At some point on Wednesday night he had the hide to accuse Andrea of gas-lighting him.

Maybe I get triggered when people don't listen to how I feel. My feelings can be completely ridiculous but that's how I feel. You can't write that off. Well you can, and many people have, but people react to things the way they do. And that's completely valid.

Like, if you're reading this column and you think I'm a complete weirdo, then I understand that's how I made you feel, even though that's not how I made you feel. Does that make sense?

But anyways, now Richard reminds me of the many (two) men I've been on a date with in the past 10 years. They want to be desired, they want to be wanted ... Men who think they've been doing everything you've wanted them to do ... Men who cut you off because they're not listening, accusing you of never being into them ... and don't realise how pathetic they are sounding, turning it all back on you. Blaming everything on you, and your past relationships. It's never their fault. (Did I say I was triggered?)

Richard is dead to me.

Timothy, on the other hand, has ignited my panties quicker than any man on MAFS ever has. At the start of this season Timothy was just like every other goat-teed man I'd met upstairs at BentSpoke's Brewpub in Braddon. (Well that one guy.) Full of shit and himself.

But over the past few weeks Lucinda has worked very, very, very hard to break down those walls. Part of me hasn't liked how hard she's had to work but Timothy is crumbling in each consecutive episode. And it's kinda wonderful.

Is there a future for Timothy and Lucinda? Only people of a certain age would understand how much of a bonding experience it is to find some mutual hatred about something.

In my circles it might be an opinion of the Waratahs, or anyone who plays at a number outside eight (my circles are very narrow).

But let me tell you, as Lucinda says, we are all animals in this wild jungle, and we're all here for a bit of blood.

It's all a little awks and dawks, Lucinda. I agree. But that's half the fun.

Karen Hardy

Karen Hardy

Canberra Times lifestyle reporter

I've covered a few things here at The Canberra Times over the years, from sport to education. But now I get to write about the fun stuff - where to eat, what to do, places to go, people to see. Let me know about your favourite things. Email: karen.hardy@canberratimes.com.au