Married at First Sight featured Lauren offending Orion for allegedly minimizing an ethnic slur, Clare and Cameron realizing they have drastically different perspectives and viewpoints, Emily and Brennan heading in the direction of sex, and Becca and Austin getting along seamlessly during the Season 17 episode that aired Wednesday night on Lifetime.

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Married at First Sight's seventeenth season was filmed in Denver, CO, and stars Emily and Brennan, Orion and Lauren, Clare and Cameron, and Austin and Becca.

The season's fifth intended groom, Michael, was unfortunately been jilted at the altar by his match.

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The MAFS season will feature strangers meeting at the wedding altar and then spending about two months 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 17 couples will reach "Decision Day" and have to decide whether to remain married or decide to end their marriages and divorce.

The couples were matched by Married at First Sight experts Pastor Calvin Roberson, Dr. Pepper Schwartz, and Dr. Pia Holec.

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 on Day 2 of marriage, with the four newlywed couples of Season 17 gathering together during their honeymoon in Cancun, Mexico.

Everyone was enjoying their time thus far, but Cameron and Clare were still a little awkward with each other. Clare acknowledged to the group how she and Cameron are very different people; however, she pointed out how it was an advantage for them and they had a lot of learning to do.

"I think I've probably not been the easiest person to be around. I can be a lot, and Clare is taking it like a champ," Cameron told their castmates.

Becca and Austin gushed about how they meshed extremely well and had no issues, and Cameron admitted this news made him feel a little jealous. He wasn't sure why he and Clare were "progressing slower" than the other couples and "struggling to engage intimately."

Cameron confessed that he was still looking for a spark with Clare, but Clare pointed out how she needed there to be "zero pressure involved." The couple hoped a moment of chemistry would just happen naturally and organically.

And Lauren shared how she and Orion wanted to build a strong foundation of trust and emotional intimacy before sex, which would hopefully make them want to rip the clothes off each other later on.

On Day 3 of marriage, it was an adventurous day for the couples. Becca and Austin kicked off the day by joking about Austin's loud morning noises and discussing aliens, while Emily and Brennan revealed they had "taken a PG-13 shower" together.

Emily apparently fell coming out of the shower and hurt her hand, but she put on a good face for her husband and smiled through breakfast.

Emily shared with Brennan how she needed a good routine and more balance in her life, and Brennan said he could help her with that. He also appreciated how she worked really hard in her career and was motivated to make money, just like himself.

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Emily and Brennan then spoke about finances, and Emily admitted she was bad at budgeting.

"I would like my money to go further... but I don't know where all my money goes, to be honest," Emily revealed.

"I'm very big about living below our means," Brennan said.

"I believe that, but I could do better living that way," Emily admitted.

"I've got to look into this and see what's going on over there! Where is all that money going? We'll find out real quick!" Brennan replied with humor in his voice.

That day, Cameron put a bucket hat on, giant sunglasses, an SPF long-sleeve shirt, and water shoes. Clare poked fun at him and giggled, and Cameron -- who had allegedly been receiving mixed signals from Clare about physical affection -- was still looking for comfort and safety from his wife.

"She keeps making jokes about my fashion sense, and in this moment, my feeling is that she doesn't feel comfortable enough with me yet. So I'm waiting," Cameron told the Married at First Sight cameras.

But Clare and Cameron had a great time stand-up paddleboarding together. They shared some laughs, had fun and bonded during the activity.

"The more I get to know the fun side of Clare, the more comfortable I feel advancing my physical connection with Clare," Cameron explained in a confessional.

"I do find her attractive and I do like her, and I hope moving forward that we can just be more relaxed around each other -- and how that will lead to more opportunity for physical intimacy."

Cameron and Clare also discovered that they're both passionate about their jobs and feel they're helping people. Cameron explained how fixing bikes allowed his clients to exercise and get outdoors, which ultimately helps their mental health.

Meanwhile, Lauren and Orion were wrapped in each other's arms in a pool. They had already passed the stranger phase of their relationship, and Lauren said was beginning to feel safe with Orion, like she could be her authentic self with him.

Lauren and Orion had already agreed upon having one child and being open to adoption in the future. Lauren predicted that they would make great parents, and Orion confidently believed that his wife would bring warmth to their children's lives.

"I think it is really amazing how well we got matched by the experts. Honestly, as feelings are growing, the chemistry starts to build more and more," Orion told the Married at First Sight cameras, adding how he felt seen and heard by his wife.

The pair had experienced underwhelming and unfulfilling relationships in the past, and so they were glad to have found each other. After a great conversation, they kissed in the pool that they had to themselves, and they continued to learn more about each other's culture and traditions.

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As for Austin and Becca, they took a romantic boat ride together. Becca praised Austin for being in tune with her needs and showing her affection, and Austin complimented his wife's strength and capabilities, especially in regard to overcoming her health issues.

Austin said he admired Becca, and the conversation made her a little emotional.

"Austin makes me feel seen and appreciated, and I want to do this every day -- not get married to a stranger every day, but to be with him on our honeymoon every day. I wouldn't want to be doing this with anybody else," Becca gushed.

After Becca and Austin were shown making out in their boat, Emily and Brennan went to a Mezcal tasting together. Becca pushed Brennan to keep up with her and take all the shots, and they clearly got a little tipsy together, which led to honest conversation.

Emily revealed that she partied hard in college but was ready to settle down, and the pair discovered that they're actually quite similar.

Orion and Lauren then relaxed in a hammock with a couple of drinks in-hand, and Lauren revealed how she believed in traditional gender roles -- such as Orion bringing in most of the money, like 70/30 or 60/40 -- but she noted how she'd be willing to be flexible in those roles.

"I don't want you to feel the burden or the weight of household financial duties alone. I very much want you to feel like we're a partnership in this," Lauren shared.

Lauren proceeded to ask Orion about his manscaping situation, and he shared how he kept it low and soft. Lauren confirmed that she liked "low over no," and then they engaged in a passionate kiss.

During lunch together that day, Austin said he'd like to have two kids, and Becca revealed how she didn't feel strongly one way or the other about having children. Becca said she'd love to have a baby if Austin wanted one but that remaining childless would allow them to foster.

"But I want to do a lot of things before having kids -- like dating you," Austin joked.

That night, Cameron hoped a romantic dinner would jumpstart a fun night. Clare seemed to like Cameron's "goofy" personality, admitting that she sometimes overthought things and lost out on the fun of things.

Cameron shared how he's an advocate for therapy but it wasn't something in his current life that he wanted to do.

"Things I need find me when I need them. I'm not saying that's the right way to go about life, but I think things you might call 'interventions' or 'therapy,' my experience is that I find that specific intervention when I need it," Cameron explained.

Clare said she felt the opposite but respected his opinion at the same time. While Cameron thought things he deserved simply came upon him, Clare believed a person must "work hard" for those things and actively pursue them.

"When the door opens, I walk through it," Cameron said.

"But I think that's such a privileged way of thinking... like you don't have to work hard for what you have," Clare responded.

"I had to be there. I had to be where the door was," Cameron noted.

"What if you had to work to get to the door? I just think we view things very differently," Clare countered, adding how it's important for a person to have drive and motivation in life.

Clare concluded, "I'm learning that we are very different people who have very different viewpoints, who have very different personalities. But that doesn't mean that we can't find some common things. I think it's very cool we can have healthy discussions and have them not feel like an argument."

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Cameron, however, thought they're very similar people with different viewpoints and perspectives. He hoped that could be beneficial to their relationship, but Clare admitted it was "a lot to take in" at the moment.

Meanwhile, Emily and Brennan talked about sex while sitting on a beach. Brennan said they were building up to that point and the physical was coming naturally to him, and Emily shared how she was willing to let Brennan "take the lead" in the bedroom.

Brennan apparently didn't want sex to change their relationship dynamic and set it in the wrong direction. Brennan wanted to focus on building an emotional connection first, and Emily was fine with that.

For Austin and Becca's part, Austin took a swim in the pool but it was too cold for Becca considering she recently had a serious surgery. Austin said he totally understood why Becca couldn't swim with him, but she felt bad and started to cry.

Becca wanted to be able to keep up with Austin, but he said they could have fun in any situation. Austin thought marriage was about sacrifice and compromise, and so he said he was excited to do that for a partner.

On Day 4 of marriage, Orion and Lauren sipped champagne together in their hotel's Jacuzzi.

Lauren asked Orion if he had ever used the N-word, and Orion admitted to having used the slur "ignorantly" when he was younger and would sing along to songs. Lauren playfully punched him, sticking up for her ancestors, but Orion insisted he'd never use that word now.

Lauren admitted she had said some words when she was younger as well, that she didn't even know were derogatory, and the Orion asked, "Redskin?"

"No, I don't think I've ever used that language. I've actually never said [that]. I don't even know what redskin means, honestly," Lauren said.

Lauren then looked at Orion and stared laughing.

"Oh! I do! I just looked at your face," Lauren said with a giggle and a smile.

Suddenly, Orion's face became stern and serious, and he noted how that was a "rough" moment for him. Lauren immediately apologized but pointed out how he just looked sunburned.

"I shouldn't have said that. I actually never knew what that meant. I'm sorry," Lauren said.

Orion then explained how the term came from when colonization started. He said an Indian's scalp was worth more than gold to them.

"When you scalp, that's where that [redskin comes from]," Orion shared.

Lauren called that "absolutely disgusting," and she insisted that she wasn't making a joke out of it. However, she apologized for feeding into that hurt and pain for Orion and his community.

"Things like that, it's not a joke," Orion said.

Orion said he determines if a slur is ignorance or offensive based on the delivery. He recalled how Cameron's "reservation" comment in the shuttle at the airport was ignorance.

"As a Black woman in America, I've developed a tough skin. Sometimes sh-t is funny and sometimes it is offensive," Lauren explained, adding how she could find laughter through the pain.

Orion said "redskin" is simply something people shouldn't say and so he'd never be able to laugh at it or find it funny.

The pair are both minorities who came from extremely different backgrounds and cultures.

Lauren said she was glad they could have that talk, but then Orion admitted he was "a little heated."

Lauren explained how she wasn't heated but she certainly noticed a difference in how he had handled her, a Black woman, and how he had handled a joke from a white man. Lauren could sense a difference in his demeanor with her.

"There is a difference in 'reservation' and 'redskin,'" Orion said.

Lauren acknowledged how that was a "fair" assessment but she never flat out called him that.

"You're trying to make what you said or what came up -- it seemed like you tried to minimize," Orion complained.

"I think I'm just trying to figure out what's okay to say," Lauren said.

"I would stay away from that. Cracking jokes about each other's background and culture, I mean, I wouldn't deem that okay! I wouldn't do that to you," Orion vented.

Lauren agreed with Orion's statement and didn't challenge him, and then Orion pointed out how there's a massive amount of pride in who he is and where he came from.

"I would never want you to feel heated in the way that I did because I said something I wasn't aware of," Orion explained. "Would you agree with that?"

"Yeah," Lauren said. "I do."

The episode ended with Becca and Austin talking about life, not being scared of death, and anxiety in general. Becca had struggled with anxiety in her life, but she had come a long way. The couple then went kayaking and had a blast.

Becca said their connection felt "right," and they joked about how they floated each other's boat.

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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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