Married at First Sight featured Jasmine Secrest reaching her "breaking point" because Airris Williams was "out the door," Kirsten Grimes questioning Shaquille Dillon's masculinity, Shaquille saying he's not happy in his marriage, and Gina Micheletti admitting talking about sex with Clint Webb grossed her out during the Season 16 episode that aired Wednesday night on Lifetime.

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The remaining four Nashville-based couples on Married at First Sight for Season 16 are Airris and Jasmine, Kirsten and Shaquille, Gina and Clint, and Nicole Lilienthal and Chris Thielk.

Domynique Kloss and Mackinley Gilbert decided to get a divorce on Day 12 of the process and were not featured in the latest episode.

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Married at First Sight experts Pastor Calvin Roberson and Dr. Pepper Schwartz matched the five couples for matrimony in Tennessee.

The show features strangers meeting at the wedding altar and then spending the next eight weeks embarking on a honeymoon, moving in together, and navigating the joys and struggles of daily life together.

And at the end of the experiment, Married at First Sight's Season 16 couples will reach "Decision Day" and have to decide whether to remain married or decide to end their marriages and divorce.

According to Pastor Cal, this is going to be the "most intense season of Married at First Sight yet."

The Married at First Sight broadcast began in Nashville, TN, with only 17 days remaining until "Decision Day."

Shaquille had packed up his belongings to travel to Memphis to work and do some workshop in order to recruit students for Fall 2023. Kirsten, however, wasn't going to join him.

Meanwhile, Jasmine couldn't get a grasp on how she was feeling mentally and emotionally.

"I have been so open and optimistic about everything in this process. I'm really trying to not put all these guards up, but I definitely have guards up now. I'm concerned but I'm hopeful," Jasmine told the cameras.

Chris and Nicole were then shown installing a bidet together and enjoying some laughs because Chris had never used one before. The pair discovered a new type of intimacy in their relationship, and Nicole admitted it turned her on that Chris could put it together.

Dr. Pia Holec, a psychologist and sex therapist, then paid each couple a visit at their apartment to help build trust and intimacy in their marriage and also teach them how to connect on a visceral level.

When meeting with Clint and Gina, the pair said their communication was improving and they got along very well. Gina said they didn't feel married but they were definitely getting to know each other and building a friendship foundation.

When asked why they didn't feel married, Clint pointed out how there was "a physical barrier."

Gina agreed there was no desire to flirt, hold hands, or kiss. Gina said she never had to actively work on this area in a relationship, and Clint also said he's typically sexually attracted to a woman right off the bat, just by looking at her.

Clint confirmed they both had sexual desires independent of one another, and Gina laughed about how Clint had such a confident reaction to that question.

Clint and Gina essentially revealed they were pleasuring and pleasing themselves, and Dr. Pia reminded them that relationships take work and effort must be put in.

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Gina thought she and Clint were "watering" their relationship, but Dr. Pia disagreed since they weren't talking about intimacy at all.

"That just grosses me out to talk about," Gina admitted. "I don't have the desire to talk about  sex and intimacy with someone I don't have the desire to talk to them about it."

When asked what turns them on or entices them to have sex, Clint said he's a smell guy and has a plethora of colognes, and Gina said she loves a good cologne and music can get her going. Gina also said she likes a man with a little bit of swag.

"I don't know if Clint has swag," Gina confessed.

"Interesting... I've been quantified as the King of Swag," Clint joked. "I've got the apparel to  do it."

Dr. Pia advised them to set up the context for a sexual mood, such as lighting vanilla candles, without the expectation of it leading to sex. Clint wasn't sure an environment would suddenly get them in the mood to have sex, but they were willing to try.

Dr. Pia also encouraged them to touch more and get out of their comfort zones a little bit, which Gina pointed out was going to feel a little uncomfortable for them both.

Dr. Pia was then shown sitting down with Airris and Jasmine. Jasmine admitted her needs weren't being met, mainly because Airris wasn't physically attracted to her and so their romance lacked physical touch.

Jasmine and Airris agreed they had a friendship, with Jasmine complaining about how her husband had "friend-zoned" her during the honeymoon. Jasmine said she was trying to be a wife and not a friend, and Airris explained how touch felt awkward since they went so long without it.

"This is a big issue and we've got to get around this," Airris said.

Jasmine didn't feel like she was holding back from Airris, but she pointed out how she felt more open in the beginning of the process. However, Jasmine was reluctant to volunteer information when not asked or pushed for a response.

But Airris said he didn't think Jasmine was divulging her real and true feelings during conversations. Airris said he was probing for information without receiving deep answers.

Jasmine complained that Airris tended to be very sarcastic, which made her feel like he didn't want to be around her. Jasmine thought Airris was just asking questions to pass the time, like he didn't really care about what she was going to say.

Airris told Dr. Pia that he loved Jasmine challenging him and taking charge, and Jasmine noted in response, "I guess I wasn't expecting that."

Dr. Pia hoped Jasmine speaking her mind would create a spark.

That night, Clint and Gina worked on their physicality. Clint planned to "dial up" his swag, and Gina recommended he should try a new haircut whether they stayed married or not. The couple intended to light candles and roll an R&B playlist.

"Who knows, we might Amazon a sex chair after all this, like a swing," Clint said.

"I might have one!" Gina replied.

"Hot damn, Gina!" Clint said in shock.

"At least you make me laugh," Gina said.

"Hey, at least you laugh at me," Clint conceded.

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With 16 days to go until Decision Day, Kirsten was shown Zoom chatting with Shaquille while he was recruiting in Memphis. Kirsten said she missed Shaquille and looked forward to joining him at his next event so that she could really see him in his element.

That night, Dr. Pia chatted with Chris and Nicole, who already had a great connection, chemistry, and strong trust between them.

Nicole and Chris shared how they established an emotional connection before having sex, and Nicole said she had "hate sex" in past relationships for lack of a better term.

"I didn't really like the guy, but I wanted to feel wanted and so I was like, 'I'm just going to do this.' Even though the sex was good, I didn't feel good about it after because this person wasn't important to me," Nicole said, adding how there was no shame or regret attached to sex with Chris.

Nicole revealed how she'd like to have more foreplay in the bedroom with Chris, and Dr. Pia reminded Nicole how she could feel safe with Chris and explore with him because he wasn't going to use sex against her or harm her.

Nicole broke down into tears, saying it was amazing to feel safe with Chris. Nicole cried about how she had "so many issues," but Dr. Pia insisted, "You are not f-cked up! Let's not talk about you in that way... Things have happened to you."

But Nicole said she let those things happen and she needed to take accountability for her actions.

Nicole acknowledged there was a lot to work on, but Chris assured her that he was willing to have those hard conversations with her, which would eventually result in an open heart and more passion in the relationship.

Dr. Pia asked Nicole to stop her self-deprecating behavior because she's not a problem or a ball of issues. She added, "You are the woman that [Chris] is so happy he was matched with."

With 15 days to go until Decision Day, Airris noted he could improve in the intimacy area and maybe a spark could grow. Jasmine said she was big on actions and not words because her father clearly loved her but didn't profess that love on a regular basis.

Jasmine then confronted Airris about how he had clapped for her once she walked down the aisle, which was something Pastor Cal had asked him to do so that Jasmine would feel happy and comfortable.

"So it was, 'Calm my wife down and lie to her?'" Jasmine asked.

"What was I supposed to do?" Airris asked.

Jasmine wished her husband was smitten with her and wanted to be around her, talk to her, kiss her, and hold her hand.

"He shouldn't do those things because they told him those are the things he should be doing," Jasmine vented in a confessional.

"I feel all those things should come natural, so I don't feel like Airris is all in. I feel he may be one big toe in and the rest of his body is out the door. So that doesn't put me in a good space."

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Once Shaquille returned from his trip, he and Kirsten sat down with Dr. Pia.

Kirsten praised the couple's quality time and said everything was going great, but Shaquille said things had been "rocky" and they had both good and bad days.

Kirsten said she was used to being in control and she was trying to let go of some of that and accept some of Shaquille's influence.

Kirsten revealed how she found Shaquille attractive when he was moving boxes because it was a masculine act in which he was using his muscles and taking care of things.

Kirsten defined masculinity as Shaquille getting a job done and taking care of business, but when she was asked if she thought Shaquille was masculine, Kirsten replied with hesitation, "Umm, he is," which raised Shaquille's eyebrows.

Kirsten explained how her father is a very hands-on tough man as well as a provider and business owner. Kirsten said she hadn't gotten to see that "tough" side of Shaquille yet but she liked his kind, genuine and pleasing side.

Kirsten said Shaquille made her feel comfortable in the relationship but not necessarily safe and protected.

"I haven't seen him in that form before, and I don't fully feel it just yet," Kirsten announced.

Shaquille reacted with surprised and wondered if some dramatic event had to happen for Kirsten to feel he's tough and protective.

"Does someone have to rob us at a gas station or try to [break into] your car for me to stand up, or your food isn't right at a restaurant for me to just get mad?" Shaquille asked.

"I'm not the person to get frustrated and mad, but I think she wants me to mimic her dad in the ways of being masculine and dominant."

Kirsten said she'd like her husband to have some of the same traits as her dad, but Shaquille insisted he was trying to be that person for her.

Shaquille then lamented in a confessional about how he felt like he was "consistently" having to "prove" himself since Day 1 "as a husband, as a man, as her spouse." Shaquille felt it was "a lot."

While Kirsten claimed she didn't want to change Shaquille, Shaquille told Dr. Pia she had a lot of expectations of him, which took a mental toll on him.

Dr. Pia didn't want Shaquille to change himself to meet Kirsten's expectations because it would result in resentment since he's not being his true, authentic self.

Kirsten claimed that she didn't want Shaquille to try to be something other than himself and he was meeting her needs in other ways.

With only two weeks to go until Decision Day, Nicole and Chris opened up a treasure chest filled with sex toys and products to spice up their marriage behind closed doors. They took out handcuffs, massage oil, warming lubricant, a whip, leather and more.

Nicole suggested they should try some things out, and Chris said he wanted to make sure that Nicole was always satisfied and pleased in bed.

"But I would feel comfortable saying 'yes' on Decision Day based on the sex life we already have, even if that was it for the rest of our lives," Nicole told Chris. "But I know it will get better and we can enhance things."

The couple was, once again, on the same page, and Chris said he also felt confident about saying "yes" on Decision Day.

Clint and Gina then asked each other a series of questions about sex -- including "safe words," sending nude photos -- which they've both done -- and priorities in the bedroom. They also explored a basket full of items intended to heighten their senses and set a mood.

Gina and Clint lit a candle and tested out a massager, a feather, and a hairbrush for back scratching.

Clint thought the exercise slowly brought them into the mutual understanding that "touch is okay" as long as there are good intentions and good will behind it. And Gina was proud of them for taking "baby steps" in the intimacy department.

Later on, Shaquille and Kirsten tried an activity in which Kirsten was blindfolded and Shaquille had to lead his wife around the apartment to find sexy hidden objects. Kirsten had to trust Shaquille and let him be in control, and at one point, he wrapped a rope around her.

"It's been very hot and bothered! I like allowing our bodies and our voices to lead us into whatever we're about to do," Kirsten said. "I feel like I'm transforming, honestly. He can lead me. I can listen to this man."

In bed that night, Shaquille told Kirsten that they still needed to work on communication. Shaquille told Kirsten that he really wanted her to join him in Memphis, but Kirsten said he never said that.

"You had already planned things, like, 'Shaquille is out, let me go run the streets!'" Shaquille said.

Shaquille apparently didn't feel supported. He claimed Kirsten had initially agreed to go to Memphis with him but then backed out.

"It was an eye-opener for me, like so you made plans when we already had plans established?" Shaquille complained to the cameras.

Kirsten said it never sounded like Shaquille really wanted her to join him, but Shaquille said he shouldn't have to reiterate his feelings all the time or beg his wife to do something.

Kirsten admitted that she felt "terrible" and she didn't want Shaquille to feel like she didn't want to support him.

Shaquille was then asked if he felt "happy" in his marriage, and Shaquille admitted it was "a stretch to say" that. Shaquille said he didn't feel like Kirsten supported him and the things he loves to do in his life.

With 13 days to go until Decision Day, the Married at First Sight men got together at a batting cage while the women met with a bartender to make cool cocktails. They hadn't seen each other since the one-month anniversaries.

Shaquille rated his marriage a seven or eight, saying little things were bothering him and he wanted more support in his job and with schooling.

Kirsten then revealed to the group that if Shaquille got aroused and made a move on her, she wouldn't turn him down. The women joked about how Shaquille needed to initiate.

Gina shared how she and Clint weren't willing to quit, and Airris said he was trying to find ways to turn himself on with Jasmine.

But Jasmine admitted to the ladies that once something was acknowledged, there was "no change" on Airris' part.

"I don't have the conversations that need to be had. I just brush things under the rug... I feel like I'm more worried about what the answer is going to be," Jasmine said, before breaking down into tears.

"I think I'm just at a point where I'm at my breaking point. Emotionally, I just don't know what I have left to give at this point."

The women hated to see Jasmine so upset because she was so ready to be a wife and was an incredible wife at that.

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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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