'Married at First Sight' recap: Meka and Michael decide to wear wedding rings again, Zach makes an effort with Mindy, and Katie questions longevity of marriage to Derek

Married at First Sight featured Meka Jones and Michael Watson recommitting to wearing their wedding rings, Zach Justice beginning to make an effort in his marriage to Mindy Shiben, and Katie Conrad questioning whether her marriage to Derek Sherman could last long term 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.

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

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


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

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.

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

Married at First Sight, Episode 8

The Married at First Sight episode began on Day 13 of marriage, and the couples had only six weeks to decide whether they'd want to stay married or get divorced.

Taylor met with a couple of her friends at a restaurant and revealed she was relieved Brandon "was not ugly" when she first saw him. She called him "nice, "respectful" and said he made her feel comfortable on their wedding night.


Taylor shared there was "zero sex" on the honeymoon, however, mainly because of the argument she and Brandon had over her putting a camera in his face in the morning.

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Taylor also said she didn't like the rude, disrespectful side of Brandon he had shown the show's production team in Panama. She liked his sweet side and wanted him to stop being difficult and fighting the cameras, which naturally came with marrying on television.

"I see why the experts matched us. We have a lot in common... so I let it go," Taylor explained.

Taylor's friends were proud of her for trying very hard to make her relationship work since they've never seen her act this way outside of her career.


Jessica was then shown getting home from work late and Austin had prepared her a nice dinner. Austin was acting as a great teammate and partner, and Jessica gushed about how Austin deserved some "brownie points" for being so thoughtful and supportive.

Austin made quinoa, meatballs and vegetables, which Jessica joked were "edible." He liked how Jessica worked hard and really wanted to contribute to the marriage, so he also did the dishes and unloaded the dishwasher, which Jessica said was a task she hates to do.

Katie vents to her mom about Derek

On Day 14 of marriage, Katie met up with her mother Shannon for lunch.

Katie thought things were going great, but she was a little concerned because Derek had said he didn't think he'd fall in love with her within the eight-week experiment.

"I worry how that's going to hurt me if I do start to fall in love and he doesn't because I might've thrown something away with somebody that I loved for somebody that might not fall in love with me," Katie told the cameras.


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Katie told her mother Derek was sweet, affectionate, warm-hearted, and smart in some ways. She thought he'd be good with children, and Shannon pointed out he seemed easy-going.

Katie said Derek was comfortable in his own skin -- but almost too comfortable because he shouldn't tell her every time he has to go to the bathroom. She didn't want Derek to feel so comfortable that she loses physical attraction to him.

Katie voiced her worries to Shannon that Derek may not be able to fall in love with her and it makes her cautious moving forward in their relationship.

"I just don't know that there's any better out there. I really don't," Shannon told Katie.


"That's really pessimistic and I don't appreciate that in my life. I'm 26 years old and I'm never going to be in a position where I'm like, 'This is it,' if I'm not happy," Katie replied.

Having been married twice, Shannon says sometimes people keep looking for better. But Katie said Shannon's problem might have been marrying without feeling true love.

Katie got emotional at the lunch, and Shannon just asked Katie to not keep her expectations so high that she doesn't give her marriage a fair chance. Katie, however, argued her expectations were "not unreasonable."

Katie anticipated falling in love within the eight weeks or at least knowing it would happen.

"Derek likes to talk about sh-t a lot, but sh-t or get off the pot... are you in or are you out? What's it going to be?" Katie vented to the cameras.

Derek talks with his dad about Katie

Meanwhile, Derek met up with his father Kevin at a restaurant and revealed there's "less electricity" in his marriage, but he expected that to happen. Derek shared he really liked Katie but there was "no real substance yet."


Derek said he and Katie had great communication and were attracted to each other. Derek also had a lot in common with Katie, but he couldn't say he loved Katie yet. He hoped, however, he would get to that point.

"I don't believe I can fall in love with someone in just six to eight weeks," Derek told his dad.

"That's not a good thing to say to anybody," Kevin said, adding that love isn't necessarily a star-spangled, firecracker moment that lasts.

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Kevin told the cameras love is having a best friend who always sticks by your side and you can't imagine a future without. Derek said he wasn't asking to feel "tingly" every day but he wanted to feel happy every day and have some indication he feels more than just "like" for Katie.

The brides and grooms get together

On Day 15 of marriage, the brides from Married at First Sight gathered together for a picnic, while all the grooms met up for lunch at a restaurant (except for Brandon).


Meka revealed she and Michael were living in the same apartment and sleeping in the same bed but were still trying to get on the same page. Meka said they had to talk things out but still had a long way to go.

"But I think we've come a long way as well," Meka shared.

Michael told the guys he was being more mindful of what he says and growing more comfortable in his marriage. He was also trying to make sure Meka felt safe and comfortable around him.

Mindy disclosed Zach had decided not to move in with her because it allegedly wouldn't be a healthy move. Mindy said she was still working on her marriage but Zach needed to "show up" and put some effort in.

Meka, however, gave Mindy hope things could change and Zach might come around, so she decided to be patient and take things one day at a time.

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Meanwhile, Austin admitted he tended to zone out when Zach talked because he talked in circles and struggled to make a point. Austin thought Zach cared and talked about himself too much.

Zach ultimately shared he needed space from Mindy rather than moving in with her, but Derek advised Zach to spend more time with his wife. Derek wondered why Zach was even going through the process if he wasn't putting his all into it.

Derek explained he and Katie had made a lot of progress in their marriage but weren't feeling "marriage fire." He said he couldn't rush "real feelings."

As for Katie, she shared with the group her relationship with Derek had hit a plateau, where things were going really well but they weren't sure if they could see the relationship getting more serious than that.

"It's hard to say how Katie feels about Derek because she does say there's a lot of potential and she wants things to work, but also, I get the feeling she is sometimes maybe just not crazy about him," Mindy said in a confessional.

Pastor Cal told Katie it was normal not to feel crazy about Derek only 10 days into their marriage, which made her feel better, but she was still caught up in the idea Derek may not love her.


Mindy told Katie that Derek seemed scared and she shouldn't let that be a defining factor. Mindy advised Katie to get to know Derek one day at a time and let things progress naturally without putting too much pressure on the topic of love.

Jessica shared things with Austin were going great but she's in a better financial place than Austin. Jessica said it didn't bother her as long as Austin is motivated, and she appreciated how he was taking on more household responsibilities.

Brandon meets up with the grooms

In the middle of lunch, Brandon arrived to the gathering of grooms a little late because of work. Brandon said his meltdown in Panama was "very out of character" and they worked things out by talking with Pastor Cal. Brandon, however, called Pastor Cal's visit "more of an ambush."

Brandon said he was letting Taylor take the lead in their relationship and things appeared to be on "the up and up" in his household.

Taylor shared with the girls how Brandon had apologized to her for his outburst and they decided to reset. Taylor said if Brandon could prove himself and change pretty quickly, their marriage might work out, and the ladies gave her props for standing up for herself.

Meka and Michael go shopping, Zach and Mindy meet up

On Day 16 of marriage, Meka and Michael went shopping for spices and he was trying to embrace Meka's hobbies and likes, and Zach and Mindy met up at a dog park, where Mindy played with his dogs.


Mindy was trying to give Zach the room he needed, but she confessed things felt "weird" between them. Mindy admitted she was surprised Zach had chosen not to move in with her but she was still committed to him and the process.

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But Mindy wanted Zach to show her that he was invested in the marriage and stop the "baby steps." She therefore demanded an apology for making her go through this process alone.

Zach said he valued their friendship and planned to keep working at it, but Mindy reminded him they were married and not just friends. Zach suggested they should just keep hanging out, and then Zach showed he was wearing his wedding ring and had even gotten it cleaned.

"I can't let you be committed alone," Zach shared.

Meka and Michael decide to wear their wedding rings again

On Day 17 of marriage, Michael and Meka framed photos of themselves and planned to host a house-warming party for their family and friends. The couple weren't wearing their rings, but Meka said the worst had yet to happen.


Meka asked Michael if he was going to take his ring off every time things got hard, and he didn't reply.

Meka just didn't want to feel like Michael was throwing their marriage away every time their marriage got overwhelming. She therefore wanted him to wear his ring to show his commitment 24/7, and Michael agreed, so he decided to wear his ring at all times going forward.

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"To me, recommitting to wearing our rings feels even bigger than our actual wedding day, because back then, we were just committing to a stranger," Michael told the cameras.

"Since then we've gotten to know each other and had some struggles, but we've been able to move past them. Now we feel like we know who we're choosing to commit to, and to me, I think that's a much more powerful and bigger commitment."

Everyone meets up with their friends

All the couples were then shown getting together with friends and family in their new apartments. Some of Michael's friends had never met his wife, so he was really excited about the gathering.


Meka and Michael played games with their loved ones and really got along at the party. Meka said it felt "really good," and then Meka's mother advised Michael to be patient and pick his battles.

Meka's mom could tell Michael and her daughter's marriage had grown, and Michael appreciated her support.

Meanwhile, Mindy met up with some of her friends at a local game bar, and Zach and one of his pals joined in. Mindy said Zach hanging out with her friends gave her more hope, and he was starting to prove he was making an effort.

Over a few mimosas, Mindy's friend Mallory asked Zach how he liked the new apartment he chose not to live in, and she really put the personal trainer on the spot. Zach promised he had intentions of coming over to the new apartment and having more presence with Mindy.

Mallory suggested Zach and Mindy could be roommates and build a friendship that way, but Zach wasn't biting. Mallory didn't trust him and believed his plan was to make it look like he was trying and feed Mindy "pretty pretty words" that meant nothing.

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At Jessica and Austin's party, Austin admitted Jessica lacked patience but it was okay because he liked how impulsive she seemed to be, and Jessica chatted with some girls about how the experts had made a great match in them.

Brandon and Taylor also had a great time together at their house-warming party, but Brandon revealed he and his wife were sleeping in different rooms.

Brandon also wasn't sure how much Taylor had told her family and friends about his actions in Panama, and he just hoped they could live in the present.

Taylor's friends, however, wanted to hear that Brandon could support Taylor and be in this process whole-heartedly with her at all times, and he apologized for losing his temper one day during the honeymoon.

One man told Brandon his behavior was "not cool" in front of the whole group, but the group respected how Brandon owned his actions and attempted to make up for them. Brandon said he was "ashamed" for how he had treated his wife.

Taylor explained she planned to adapt and change with Brandon and they were moving forward together as a couple. Brandon was happy Taylor had his back and was acting like they were a team.


Meanwhile, Katie revealed to her girlfriends she and Derek got "sexual" and he "brought the fire" to the bedroom, and Derek said their physical intimacy was "great."

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However, Katie wanted Derek to have a little more game because she admitted she had made the first move and Derek didn't make much of an effort. Katie's girlfriend Brittany noted Derek never having been in love before might be "a dealbreaker" and she hoped Derek wouldn't break Katie's heart.

Derek told his friends it felt like he and Katie were "intimate friends" rather than a marriage couple in love, but one man at the party told Derek he needed to work at building love and it would take time.

Katie and Derek were told to remain open and take their time, but Katie did vent about how she wished Derek was a little more "mysterious" due to his love of talking about potty time.

Taylor brings up her issues with Brandon

At the end of the night, Taylor brought up her issues with Brandon again, and he was a little frustrated because he just wanted to move forward and make things better. Taylor was also tired of hearing that Brandon was following her lead.


"Don't say, 'Whatever I want to do,'" Taylor insisted.

"I don't want us to be in this place. It sucks," Brandon admitted.

Later on, Mindy invited Zach over to the apartment when her friends were over having wine, and they attempted to grill him. Mindy, however, put a quick stop to it because she wanted Zach to enjoy their company and just have a good time.

The episode concluded with Derek saying he "got no red flags" with Katie and had learned how she's very willing to expand her friend group to welcome his friends in.

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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski