'Married at First Sight' recap: Brandon moves out after Taylor posts Instagram video, Michael and Meka says they don't trust each other

Married at First Sight featured Brandon Reid moving out after Taylor Dunklin posted a disrespectful Instagram video, Michael Watson and Meka Jones saying they didn't trust each other, and Derek Sherman snapping at Katie Conrad during Wednesday night's Season 10 broadcast on Lifetime.


An unprecedented five pairs of strangers were matched by returning Married at First Sight experts Dr. Pepper Schwartz, Pastor Calvin Roberson, and Dr. Viviana Coles to marry on Season 10 of the Lifetime reality series.

RELATED: 'MARRIED AT FIRST SIGHT' COUPLES NOW: WHAT COUPLES ARE STILL TOGETHER? WHO BROKE UP? (PHOTOS)

Brandon, a 34-year-old sales manager originally from the U.S. Virgin Islands who was raised in Washington, D.C., wed Taylor, a 27-year-old research scientist from Pittsburgh, PA.

Michael, a 31-year-old education director from Washington, D.C., was shown marrying Meka, a 25-year-old category analyst from Baltimore, MD.


Katie, a 26-year-old mental health professional from Woodbridge, VA, married Derek, a 26-year-old cyber security engineer from Maryland.

Zach Justice, a 32-year-old fitness professional from St. Mary's, GA, wed Mindy Shiben, a 34-year-old figure skating coach from Frederick, MD.

And Jessica Studer, a 31-year-old nurse manager from Oak Harbor, OH, walked down the aisle to Austin Hurd, a 31-year-old network technician from Maryland.

Married at First Sight, Episode 9

The Married at First Sight broadcast began with Michael helping Meka take out her hair extensions. Michael said he's "a sucker for natural hair," so he was excited to see his wife ditch the faux locks.

Meka was starting to enjoy being married to Michael, and he made her laugh.


But then Michael revealed he had turned down a job as principal of a Catholic high school, which upset Meka since the position was going to provide them financial stability in the beginning of their marriage.

RELATED LINK: 'MARRIED AT FIRST SIGHT' STAR BRANDON CLAIMS TAYLOR COMMITTED ADULTERY DURING MARRIAGE, ONLY DID SHOW FOR PUBLICITY (EXCLUSIVE)

However, Michael shared he had accepted another position as a director of a school.

Michael said he didn't like the requirements and stipulations the principal job would demand of him and the school was asking him to work different hours and with different pay than he had previously discussed with them.

"I didn't think it was the best for me to stay... It's a little bit different when you're doing it under certain school operations," Michael explained.


"It's not as set like when you're doing it under, like, government supervision... The school is essentially being paid for by the parishioners of the church, so they can come in and change it any way they want to."

Meka said Michael's story "didn't sound believable" because he had received an offer, signed the offer letter and agreed to it. Meka said it didn't make sense they suddenly changed all the terms in the contract.

"Like, did you not have your offer letter?" Meka questioned in a confessional.

Michael said the new job wouldn't impact their financial situation significantly, but Meka didn't know how she could remain married to someone when she doesn't even know whether he's being truthful.

"Michael has lied so much about so many different things!" Meka alleged.


"How can I trust somebody like that? If you really cared about me and you really wanted this marriage to work, you wouldn't be lying. I don't understand what's so hard about telling the truth."

Michael told his wife he had made the right choice and they'd be fine, but she clearly wasn't happy.

The couples talk about love

It then became time for the five couples to participate in an exercise that would hopefully bring them closer together and help them to fall in love. Each was spouse was instructed to reveal how they like to receive and also give love.

Derek pointed out to Katie he was still waiting to get his heart broken, as he had always been the person to break women's hearts.

And Katie admitted she was tired and getting too old to keep going after "the chase" in dating and trying to figure out whether her partner would be as invested in a relationship as she would be.


RELATED LINK: 'MARRIED AT FIRST SIGHT' STAR MICHAEL SEEKING ANNULMENT FROM MEKA CLAIMING SHOW DEFRAUDED HIM INTO MARRIAGE (EXCLUSIVE)

Katie said it sounded like Derek had never fought for love, and he agreed that was the case. Katie confessed she had been hurt in the past and was scared Derek would end up doing the same, which prevented her from going "all in" to their marriage.

On Day 18, Jessica and Austin were asked to discuss their history of love, and Jessica acknowledged she had been in a long relationship in the past but maybe wasn't really in love. She considered how she might've been just "going through the motions."

Austin revealed he had been in love before and said, "I love you," a couple of times. It took Austin a year before professing his love and shared one of his relationships lasted for three-and-a-half years.

Austin said he couldn't rush into saying that word because it's too big of a word to throw around. Jessica thought that was a really long time and told the cameras she hoped he would say, "I love you," sooner rather than later.

Jessica admitted she needed words of affirmation from Austin in order to receive love, and Austin said he receives it through physical touch -- including hugging and holding each other.


Now that Jessica was aware of how Austin received love, she decided to make a conscious effort to be more affectionate with her husband.

Brandon and Taylor end up clashing

Meanwhile, Brandon told Taylor he preferred to receive love by being affectionate and having a thoughtful wife. However, things had clearly changed between the couple since their Panama trip.

Taylor said Brandon had made it difficult for her to open up and put her walls down, but Brandon thought she was hitting the reset button on their fight in Panama and moving forward from that.

"I don't think we're in the best space," Taylor told Brandon, who noted his wife had "shut down" after Panama despite his attempts to communicate.

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Taylor explained a man showing interest in how she thinks and what she says is how she prefers to be loved, and Brandon said, "I second that. You stole my answer!"


It had been three years since Brandon was in love, and he said his last relationship was essentially love at first sight. He said they connected immediately and spent the entire night talking. Brandon said when he loves somebody, he wants to spend time with that person constantly and simply be around them.

"I don't feel like we want to spend time with each other," Taylor noted.

Brandon asked Taylor if she'd like to see him more often, and she said "yes" as long as he wanted to see her more often. Brandon said he was just working off her vibes, and then Taylor sarcastically responded by saying, "Keep doing what you're doing, because it's working right?"

Brandon said when Taylor acted that way, he didn't want to be affectionate. But Taylor explained she felt the need to ask Brandon to spend time with her rather than him volunteering his time.

Brandon told the cameras he avoided or ignored Taylor if he felt "negative energy" from her but he was trying. Brandon argued he had spent time with her and her friends, but Taylor requested he make more of an effort.

Taylor wanted to see some initiative from Brandon, especially in conversation. She accused her husband of never having anything original to say and just piggybacking what she had to say.


"In order for us to move forward, he's really going to have to let his guard down," Taylor told the cameras.

"I feel like I keep opening up to Brandon and telling him what I do need, and I feel like it's going in one ear and out the other with him... [I'm] getting to know him and wanting him to know me. If we want to work this out, that's something we're going to have to learn how to do and get past."

Mindy and Zach talk

As for Mindy and Zach, Mindy said things were going great. For instance, the couple went on a hike with Zach's dog, and then they discussed what it takes to fall in love in the real world.

Mindy said she appreciates thoughtfulness, like little gestures here or there to show the man is thinking about her. Mindy threw out how she likes surprises such as picking up a person's favorite snack, a bottle of wine or flowers.

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Mindy asked Zach if he felt married, and Zach insisted his focus was her and their relationship -- and that hadn't changed. Zach, however, said if he slapped the word "marriage" on their dynamic, things wouldn't change either.


Mindy accused Zach of talking in circles by saying a lot without saying much at all. Mindy didn't want to force Zach to move in with her, but at the same time, she wondered how much she should push in order to get "a fair shot at what [she] had signed up to do."

Michael tells Meka he doesn't trust her

On the topic of love, Meka asked for honesty from Michael, saying that's all she needed from him. She told the cameras she was standoffish simply because she didn't trust her husband.

Meka asked for clarity on Michael's job situation, saying he had received an offer as principal and was supposed to start on Monday only to suddenly deny the offer and accept a new job. She had a lot of questions, such as when he even had time to even apply for a second opportunity.

Michael replied with, "I don't feel 100 percent comfortable with you yet, and I don't know all there is to know about you. There are just certain things I'd rather keep to myself."

Meka said Michael was taking the easy way out, but Michael reiterated how he wasn't completely comfortable with her yet to dish how he's feeling.

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"I feel like I'm not allowed to express how I feel about Michael without him coming back with how he feels about me, and it's like my issues are never really addressed," Meka said in a confessional, adding, "I honestly don't think he ever fully grasps how I feel."

Meka additionally vented, "I cannot be with a liar."

Meka said she wasn't sure why Michael signed up for this experiment when his first reaction when he's uncomfortable is to lie, but Michael called Meka's allegations "ridiculous."

"I don't trust her, and I don't think she's being genuine with me," Michael told the cameras.

"I think everything is a setup for an 'I got you' moment, so there's really no pleasing my partner at this point, and I think I've just run out of [emotion] to keep giving out. It doesn't seem to be getting me anywhere."

Meka said her biggest fear in falling in love with Michael was that she'd find out it was all a lie. She was afraid to give her heart to Michael and then discover his feelings were never real for her.

Taylor tries to reconcile with Brandon and things get worse

That night, Taylor wanted to get rid of negative vibes by cooking a nice dinner for Brandon after he apparently got home from work. She admitted her attitude was probably way too much, and so Brandon intended to work on spending more time with her.

When they sat down for dinner, Taylor immediately took a photo of her meal before even taking a bite, and Brandon was annoyed she couldn't go without her phone, whether she'd be wrapped up in Instagram or Snapchat. Brandon wondered if she really wanted to be a wife.

Taylor told Brandon that she'd like him to help her cook when she's home, and he replied, "Yeah sure." She thought he sounded so passive and was tired of him thinking she had ulterior motives for getting married at first sight.

"I just don't understand how you think I want to open up to this -- to this, to what I've dealt with the last few days... You have the worst attitude and you think I want to open up to you and talk to you? No," Brandon said. "You have a bad attitude!"

Brandon said he'd walk away from the marriage if he wasn't feeling it but he was still around. Taylor asked Brandon to communicate with her in a different way so she wouldn't have an attitude, but Brandon said he didn't want to talk to her when she copped an attitude.

With that being said, Brandon took his dinner plate and walked away from Taylor.

Katie and Derek talk

That night, Katie admitted to Derek that she didn't know how she was feeling. Derek said his greatest fear in life was that he'd never find love but he truly wanted to find and be in love.

Katie was concerned Derek had never been in love before, but he was sick of her repeating that and called it "bullsh-t." Derek suggested maybe he just hadn't met the right person yet at 27 years old. Derek didn't think it was a red flag he hadn't found love yet.

"I don't f-cking know what's going to happen at the end of this," Derek said, before storming off with frustration.

Derek told a Diary Cam in a perfect world, a person only falls in love once. Derek said just because Katie had fallen in love twice doesn't mean it's strange he hasn't.

"I think it's f-cked up it's being held against me," Derek vented.

Katie wished she had more reassurance in where she and Derek were going and what was going to happen, but she felt like she had no idea and seemed lost.

Michael and Meka reconcile

On Day 19 of marriage, Michael took Meka out on a date so they could just talk and enjoy a nice meal. He wanted to feel at peace in his marriage and claimed he didn't mind having difficult conversations.

Meka admittedly felt abandoned when Michael shut down, and she was angry.

Michael owned making a mistake by not communicating, but he said Meka is very passionate, strong-willed and can be stubborn -- and he's the exact same way, which can result in them butting heads.

Michael appreciated Meka working with him through his initial challenges and setbacks, and so he sincerely apologized and asked they move forward in their marriage. Michael planned to address issues better or talk things through before they'd become issues.

With that being said, Michael gave Meka a gift to show she mattered to him. He bought her a box filled with her favorite candies, and Meka thought it was a really nice gesture.

"I think every day, to some level, I feel like he has the potential to be the man I'm supposed to be with," Meka said in a confessional.


Michael said they had the potential to be and stay married, and Meka acknowledged she agreed with that.

Brandon learns Taylor proclaimed herself single on Instagram

Suddenly, Brandon told his Diary Cam that Taylor made an Instagram post and let all of her followers know she's a single woman and having problems "finding the right man." Brandon also claimed Taylor wrote down all of the qualifications she's looking for in a man.

Taylor told her followers she wanted to find a man who's "over 6'3", has a job, never been to jail, or you know, isn't gay."

"I feel like I have the most minimal f-cking requirements to finding a man and not a soul meets them. So, I guess I'll just be single forever," Taylor said in a video.

Taylor also wrote on her video she wants a guy who is "fine as hell" and "has their sanity in check." She also wrote he "can be any race as long as the [eggplant emoji] right."

Brandon found the post very troubling and called it "a disgusting video." Brandon lost all reassurance he was married to someone who was committed to their relationship, and Brandon said he felt very alone.


Brandon said he had moved into the spare room in their apartment and had worked his butt off to show Taylor he truly cared about her -- and then she would turn around and make such a video.

"It really sucks, and I don't know where we're headed at this point," Brandon said.

Michael tells Meka about Taylor's video

On Day 19 of marriage, Michael showed Meka the video of Taylor talking about how she's probably stay single forever. Brandon apparently asked Michael for advice, and Michael said it seemed like Taylor was talking out of anger and frustration.

Meka wasn't quick to judge based on Brandon's actions on their honeymoon, saying he had "disrespected her in an unimaginable way," and so Taylor was probably reacting to his "constant disrespect."

Michael said there was "a lot of love" in Brandon and Taylor's relationship and if they wanted to figure things out, they would.

But on the bright side, Austin was making Jessica feel loved and appreciated, and she said her husband was "everything [she] could have asked for and more."


Jessica asked Austin if he would say, "I love you" first, but he had no intention to rush into love and just say what she wanted to hear. Austin told Jessica they needed to do a lot together before saying "I love you" would be a real option.

Brandon moves out

A "crushed" and devastated Brandon was then shown moving out of the apartment he had been sharing with Taylor. He said he wasn't in a good place, nor was he happy, and so he felt the need to protect himself.

"At this moment, it feels like we can't bounce back from this and our marriage is over," Brandon told the cameras.

On Day 20 of marriage, Taylor said she had tried texting Brandon but he never answered. She wasn't sure where they stood in their relationship, and they were barely talking to each other.

After a night out with her girls, Taylor came home to a nearly-empty apartment and Brandon's keys on the table. She couldn't believe Brandon would leave without talking to her first, saying he always took things to an extreme.

Derek and Katie reconcile

Meanwhile, Derek said things were "a little rough" in his relationship with Katie.


Derek apologized for snapping during their argument, and Katie said she wasn't holding his failure to find love against him but was just worried he might find her unworthy or undeserving of his love.

Katie could see Derek putting effort into their marriage, and Derek at least acknowledged he had "a crush" on Katie. Derek felt optimistic about the future of his relationship, and Katie did too -- as long as Derek wouldn't snap at her again.

"I forgive you, and I'm sorry for, I guess, dwelling on the issue. And I will stop," Katie said.

"I don't want to break your heart," Derek noted. "But don't break mine."

The couple then tried aerial aerobics as an activity together and had some real fun.

On Day 21 of marriage, Michael went to the nail salon with Meka and they both received pedicures. Meka joked his feet didn't look the best and it looked like "all his life, he had to fight."


Meka and Michael shared a few laughs and really enjoyed each other's company that day.

Dr. Viviana talks with Taylor about her video

Meanwhile, Dr. Viviana called Taylor to discuss the Instagram Story she had posted. Taylor said she wanted to share her struggles while she was out with her friends and she thought the video was actually pretty funny.

Dr. Viviana said her story could have many interpretations, but Taylor said it "wasn't meant to be taken as a literal video." Taylor insisted she had started fresh with Brandon and gave him a fair second chance but all he did was ignore her or not speak to her nicely.

Taylor accused Brandon of calling her "high maintenance" and running away from problems.

"I'm happy he moved out. I can't get past the disrespect that's coming from nowhere," Taylor told Dr. Viviana on the phone.

Taylor felt she was supporting Brandon and taking two steps forward, only for him to take two steps back.


Dr. Viviana asked Taylor not to behave in a way she wouldn't be proud of, and so Taylor agreed not to post videos like that again in the future.

Taylor said it wasn't a video for or about Brandon, regardless of how her husband viewed it.

On Day 22 of marriage, Jessica brought Austin to batting cages since he loves baseball as a great date night. She thought it was sexy when he got sweaty, and she did pretty well herself.

Austin thought the date was very thoughtful, especially since he had played baseball in college.

Jessica sometimes felt the urge to blurt out, "I love you," to Austin, but she wanted him to say it first.

Meka and Taylor talk

Meka and Taylor then met up with each other and discussed the issues they were having in their marriage. Taylor said Brandon wasn't interested in putting any effort into their marriage and the video she had posted had nothing to do with him. She had no desire to reach out to Brandon.


Meka admitted to Taylor that it made sense her video hurt Brandon and she should just apologize. Meka said it didn't make sense Taylor didn't want to address her mistakes and try to fix the situation.

Brandon meets up with Michael

That night, Brandon also met up with Michael to discuss his failing marriage. Brandon admitted his relationship was worse off than Mindy and Zach's, and Michael pointed out Taylor's video looked like some "reality TV show messiness."

Brandon expressed how he wasn't sure Taylor was committed to him.

"She's orchestrating some drama for just no reason... She's also talked to me about other reality shows she was going to be on and she couldn't do it because she was traveling at the time," Brandon shared.

"I believe one was, like, Temptation Island or some other show, and she was available for this show."

Brandon had reservations from the start considering Taylor has such a huge following. He wasn't sure she had signed up for Married at First Sight for the right reasons.


"Are you in this for love or are you really just in this for yourself, to get more followers?" Brandon questioned.

Brandon told Michael he didn't know what to do going forward and a lot of damage had been done. Brandon said she didn't trust his wife at all and it was "very unfortunate."

Brandon felt he had been "played" on TV and Taylor's actions were "malicious."

"Your message was received!" Brandon complained to Michael, adding that he had washed his hands of the situation since Taylor didn't think she was in the wrong and hadn't apologized yet.

Zach talks with his sister about Mindy

Zach then opened up to his sister on videochat about how he was struggling to have intellectual conversations with Mindy and it didn't seem like she ever understood what she was saying.

His sister told Zach to stop overthinking things and just allow himself to have fun and be friends with Mindy.


"I don't know why you agreed to do this if you weren't going to at least do the full experience. I do feel bad for her being by herself right now," she told Zach.

Zach seemed to take his sister's advice to heart because he asked to go over Mindy's apartment and play some card games with her. Mindy wondered if this could be the start to something good, and the pair were finally beginning to feel comfortable around each other.

Zach said he was taking baby steps with Mindy but their relationship was evolving.

The episode concluded with Derek telling Katie he had added her to his healthcare plan at work and he could envision himself falling in love with his wife one day. They were "making strides" in their relationship, according to Derek.

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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski