Married at First Sight featured Olajuwon Dickerson getting caught trash-talking Dr. Pepper Schwartz behind her back, Noi Phommasak shocking Steve Moy with her refusal to stop posting their personal issues on social media, Mark Maher and Lindsey Georgoulis uncovering dark truths, and Jasmina Outar admitting she felt nothing when Michael Morency touched her during the Season 14 episode that aired Wednesday night on Lifetime.
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The five grooms who are starring on the new edition are Chris Collette, 35, Olajuwon, 29, Michael, 28, Mark, 37, and Steve, 38.
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The couples matched by Married at First Sight experts Viviana, Dr. Pepper Schwartz, and Pastor Calvin Roberson are Lindsey and Mark, Alyssa and Chris, Jasmina and Michael, Katina and Olajuwon, and Noi and Steve.
Chris and Alyssa, however, chose to divorce one week into the experiment, and so other than a bowling night with their co-stars, they haven't been featured on the show since.
The Married at First Sight broadcast began with 17 days remaining until "Decision Day."
Jasmina said she was feeling really great about her marriage because she and Michael were in a good place, and so she planned to continue giving the relationship 100 percent of her effort.
But Noi shared how she and Steve needed to be more honest about what they wanted in the future, and Mark was just looking to make his marriage "healthy" again after a series of fights and poor communication.
On Day 39 of marriage, Katina and Olajuwon went to the grocery store for the first time together, and Olajuwon seemed grossed out by Katina's preferences, such as chicken bones and lamb.
"I'm a traditional guy. I like that my wife can cook. I am a hardworking guy and so I'm cool with holding down the home, but when it comes to grocery, it's definitely something I'd need to be behind her to guide her because I don't think we eat the same. She'd come back with a ton of sh-t I don't want," Olajuwon said with a laugh.
The couple picked out some ribs, but Olajuwon didn't trust Katina to cook them on her own and so he intended to assist her in the kitchen.
Meanwhile, Mark and Lindsey were having another argument. Lindsey said she was at "a true loss" with him because all she had asked for from the beginning was "consistency" -- yet she called him "consistently inconsistent."
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Mark, on the other hand, just desired healthy communication, and he said he didn't like how Lindsey talked to him with a mean spirit and condescending tone.
"I feel like you're not showing up for me at all. You're not showing up for this marriage," Lindsey snapped. "I just don't feel hopeful."
Mark said raised voices are a trigger for both of them and so they had a lot to work on. Mark therefore promised Lindsey to remain calm going forward, but Lindsey didn't believe Mark was going to bring positivity to their relationship.
"I feel like I gave you everything. All I asked for... was someone who wasn't rigid, somebody who would make me feel appreciated and cared for and somebody who wouldn't walk away from me or ignore me, and that's all you've done," Lindsey cried to her husband.
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Lindsey accused Mark of wanting to text other people or go on social media instead of talking to her, but Mark snapped, "It's all on me!... I feel you are negative and you complain and you nag!"
Mark also reminded Lindsey how she constantly said she was "done" with him.
"Mark, would you like me to leave right now?" Lindsey asked.
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Mark acknowledged how he and Lindsey were "difficult" for each other, and he apologized for not being what Lindsey wanted in a man and a spouse.
With 16 days to go until Decision Day, Dr. Pepper or Pastor Cal met with all of the cast members one by one to discuss any lingering issues and to help resolve any doubts with Decision Day around the corner.
First, Pastor Cal met with Noi -- who called her marriage "wonderful" for the most part -- and Steve sat down with Pepper.
Pastor Cal told Noi that social media, while fun and great at times, can "cause a world of hurt" when a person does not communicate about his or her posts with a partner.
Steve explained to Pepper how Noi seemed to vent about their marriage on social media, which he found offensive and unacceptable. Steve was referring to Noi's recent post, "The moment you start to wonder if you deserve better, you do."
Steve said Noi's post created a lot of unease in him, especially because he had asked her not to go to the public with their personal problems. Pepper thought Noi's behavior was fear-based, and so she suggested they should find a way to make her less afraid.
Noi told Pastor Cal that she wanted to ask Steve if he could get a job and provide for their future children. Noi said she needs to feel secure in that area, and so Pastor Cal advised her to ask, "How can you make me feel financially secure?"
Pastor Cal explained how people need to be loved differently and Noi's desire for financial security was "deep" because of her history and how she had grown up very poor.
Pepper therefore brought up the job topic with Steve, who said he wanted to create an environment for Noi that she could trust and feel safe.
"But it sets off alarms in my head, like, if this is how it is now, it can only get worse from here," Steve explained.
"It doesn't fit my vision of what this was supposed to be, and it makes me feel a little uncomfortable or almost... [like] I'm being looked at as a machine to facilitate somebody else's desires as opposed to working together and creating a future that we both see."
Olajuwon then saw Pepper while Katina chatted with Pastor Cal.
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Katina told Pastor Cal that marriage was great, despite a few hurdles along the way, and she was recently upset with how Olajuwon had approached finding a dating app on her phone. Katina said Olajuwon "got loud" with her and that was a trigger.
"If there's an issue, don't do it in front of people. Don't let that happen again," Katina said, adding how her husband had embarrassed her in front of their fellow cast members at a restaurant.
Pastor Cal asked Katina to bring up Olajuwon's difficult past and what he had yet to share with her, saying that finding out who Olajuwon is will help her to understand the way he acts.
In the intimacy department, Katina revealed how she and Olajuwon hadn't consummated their marriage yet but she felt like her husband was attracted to her. Katina said she wanted to feel in love instead of becoming "f-ck dizzy."
"F-ck dizzy is when the sex is so good that lust takes over and you can't think with a clear mind. You think you have all these feelings and then when that fades, you're like, 'I don't even like him!'" Katina joked.
Pastor Cal told Katina that lust is good in a marriage and she should want to feel dizzy, but Katina was still admittedly guarding her heart so Olajuwon couldn't hurt her in the end.
"That's a single mindset, not a married mindset... There is still some doubt [on your end] and you're not in it neck deep," Pastor Cal said.
Meanwhile, Pepper had been hearing about Olajuwon's "harsh" communication from production for weeks, and she set out to get to the bottom of things.
Olajuwon said he and Katina were doing well and they have a lot in common, including their values and character, and he insisted how they both cared for each other. He wanted to continue seeing Katina be expressive and vulnerable, and less of a shadow.
"Sometimes I'll say something and I really just want a real opinion from her, and I feel like she'll give me an opinion that she thinks I like," Olajuwon explained.
Olajuwon shared how the dating app on Katina's phone was "scary" for him, and Pepper noted how she had heard Olajuwon brought up the matter at a restaurant in front of others.
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Olajuwon said he could get upset and stern but he never talked down to his wife or made her feel belittled. Olajuwon also insisted he had apologized to Katina for embarrassing her.
"I wonder if you've examined your tone in terms of how you do talk to her, because you say it's good, but I have heard that you told her that she's got no life skills and she's behind you in terms of maturation. So I'd like to hear your side on that," Pepper said.
"If someone wants to say something, they can say it to me. I don't play those games and this is my life. I don't even think it's funny... You're pointing me out to make me look like the bad guy, but I'm really bothered about all of this," Olajuwon countered.
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Olajuwon said if Katina thought that he treated her that way, then she should say "no" on Decision Day.
Olajuwon called Pepper's "he said, she said" accusations, suggesting that he wasn't invested in his marriage, "totally disrespectful" and "spit in [his] face."
Olajuwon admitted to entering the process with the wrong strategy in terms of communicating with Katina and said Katina had proven to him that she can handle herself and be a good wife. Olajuwon said he had witnessed growth in his wife and they had real conversations.
Olajuwon hoped he and Katina could continue on a good path, and he confessed, "If she didn't want to be with me at the end of this, I would be sad, absolutely."
Noi and Steve then reunited after their counseling sessions, and Steve reiterated how her social-media posts had upset him. He asked why it was so important to Noi to broadcast to the world that they're in distress.
"That post wasn't really directed at you... It wasn't about you, but sometimes I feel that way in our marriage," Noi said.
Noi called that disclosure "hurtful," and reminded her that people are going to think her posts about relationships are about him even when they're not.
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"I can make these decisions. I see your perspective... and respect it, but..." Noi began.
"Do you respect it though?... This is not something I want in a relationship. It goes against everything I believe it," Steve interjected.
Noi acknowledged they had very different perspectives and should just agree to disagree, which made Steve feel like they weren't on the same team. Steve therefore asked Noi why she felt she deserved better and what he could be doing more to please her.
Noi shared how she needs a financially-secure partner because her family has always worked hard for money and she'll never be a complacent person.
"It's hard for me because I love you, but at the same time, I feel like you're just so relaxed about finances," Noi complained. "You're just like, 'Oh, we'll figure it out.' And for me, that's really unnerving."
Steve suggested they should sit down and have a conversation about money and their career options and prospects. Steve said he was "all for" making a plan to build trust, but Noi noted how it was going to take time and seeing Steve in action to make her feel secure.
Later that day, Mark, feeling "mentally drained" in his marriage and leaning towards a "no" on Decision Day, sat down with Pastor Cal.
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Pastor Cal told Mark that he needed to tell Lindsey how he'd like to be treated or else Lindsey would treat him however she pleases.
Mark wondered why Lindsey went to such an aggressive and mean place to hurt him, and he said her approach to fighting reminded him of how his mother -- who was depressed -- attacked Mark's father and would scream at him. Mark's mother, however, did everything for him, apparently.
"Are you afraid of being your father?" Pastor Cal asked Mark.
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Lindsey met with Pepper, who asked Lindsey to stop insulting Mark and pointing the finger at him when she's not happy. Pepper advised Lindsey to ask more questions that wouldn't invite combat, adding, "Anger is not your friend in this marriage."
Lindsey admitted how anger is a mask for sadness in her life, and so Pepper asked her to reach for the sadness when speaking to Mark so they could better communicate.
Lindsey, however, said she was "feeling sad all the time," because bad things tended to happen one ontop of the other in her life. Lindsey shared how her mother always cut her down to size and never showed true love, and she felt very-much affected by that.
Pepper suggested how Lindsey needed to approach Mark with more sadness and kindness, with a softer delivery in her opinions and thoughts.
That night, Pastor Cal paid Michael a visit while Jasmina had a therapy session with Pepper.
Michael shared how he was doing things for Jasmina in the beginning of their marriage simple because he wanted to be a good husband but then things shifted and now he was doing sweet things because he really liked Jasmina and wanted to treat her right and make her happy.
Pastor Cal therefore complimented Michael on doing the work, which allowed the feelings to come.
"The same thing is going to happen with her," Pastor Cal assured Michael.
But Jasmina told Pepper that she still felt like she was married to a stranger and she didn't know Michael very well on a deep level. Jasmina said she always trusts people until they give her a reason not to while Michael feels trust needs to be earned.
Pastor Cal asked Michael why he wasn't making a move on Jasmina, and Michael said that he had told Jasmina not to do anything out of obligation as a wife. Pastor Cal called that "a dumb move" because those steps would have progressed their relationship to the point where Jasmina would want to touch and kiss her.
Pastor Cal therefore advised Michael to compliment and touch his wife, but Jasmina -- who called herself "sexual person" -- was still desiring an emotional connection.
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Pepper told Jasmina to act more like a wife in the physical sense rather than a friend at home so Michael wouldn't feel rejected or unwanted. Pepper hoped Jasmina would give Michael some comfort and reassurance, even if it was just a moment of affection here or there.
That night, Mark cried to Lindsey about the emotional day he had, and Lindsey said she never wanted to see him hurt and in pain. They both had experienced trauma or tragedy in their lives, and so that suddenly bonded them.
Mark asked Lindsey if she could express herself more empathetically because her yelling triggered his parents' unhealthy marriage, and Lindsey explained how she yelled only when she felt ignored or dismissed.
"If you go there, then I can go there too... That's just my instant reaction," Lindsey said.
Mark suggested they should speak with emotion but not anger to each other, and Lindsey thought this conversation made a huge difference in their marriage. She suddenly felt hope and excitement that this relationship could possibly work out and thrive.
Jasmina later called her meeting with Pepper "amazing" and planned to explore Michael's heart and dig deeper into his heart and who he really is. Jasmina said she could see Michael's effort and so she was becoming more vulnerable with him, no longer "purposefully holding back."
"When it comes to Decision Day, if we're not physical but I have feelings for you, I know that the physical will come because of those feelings," Jasmina told Michael. "So my worry is not, 'Oh my God, we're not physical before Decision Day.' It's having the feeling."
Jasmina hoped to continue having deep, dark and raw conversations about the past, and Michael said those talks would come easier because he genuinely liked being around his wife.
Jasmina admitted, however, that she was scared talking from that point on may not be enough.
Noi and Steve were then shown finally sitting down to discuss their finances and make a plan for the future. Noi needed to know that Steve would be able to help her pay the bills.
Noi said she wanted to have separate bank accounts with one joint account for shared expenses, and Noi asked Steve to have some sort of income, whether that be through a part-time or full-time job.
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Steve also recommended that maybe Noi would want to take some time off from work so she could fully appreciate her independence before committing herself to raising children.
The pair agreed on a timeline of trying to have their first child within the next year, which shocked Noi in a good way, and Steve joked, "It looks like we're going to have a busy month!" Noi and Steve's conversation ended with jokes about whom should change the diapers.
"I have other bonding techniques. I don't want to take that one away from you," Steve joked.
Later on, the four couples remaining on the show met up to play volleyball, but Noi decided to stay home and rest because she had a bad headache.
Unbeknownst to the couples, Pepper and Pastor Cal were watching their every move from a different room with the hope of seeing them interact and then offering the spouses some "course correction" if necessary.
After a fun game, the couples talked to each other about their individual counseling sessions with either Pepper or Pastor Cal.
Lindsey cried and shared how the best intentions sometimes didn't have the best delivery, and she reached out to Mark for support but he didn't bite on that at all. The experts were disappointed in Mark's body language.
Olajuwon proceeded to apologize to the group for how he had handled his fight with Katina, but then he complained about how Pepper had accused him of belittling his wife and making himself seem more superior.
Olajuwon insisted Pepper had "the wrong perception" of his dynamic with Katina, who laughed about the idea of her husband belittling her.
"She said, 'I heard, I heard,' so I had to remind Dr. Pepper that it's cool that you 'heard' but I'm a grown man and I don't do that 'he said, she said' game. I feel like as an expert, you shouldn't [listen to that]... Dr. Pepper didn't help me, not at all," Olajuwon said.
"Ninety percent of it was a waste, I'm going to be honest with you. I felt like it was a waste because I could've met with an expert and really talked about something that helps my marriage, but I didn't. It was more of me catching Dr. Pepper up because she had no clue what's been going on, and she made it clear."
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And he did.
Olajuwon added how production was clearly "bringing negative sh-t" to Pepper's attention, which resulted in Pepper talking about things that wasted his time.
Pepper and Pastor Cal then came out from behind closed doors and approached the group.
Pepper explained how she had heard things from production about Olajuwon because they had been watching him every single day and so she just wanted to give him an opportunity to set the record straight and explain what his marriage was like from his own perspective. Pepper said she was glad to hear that his marriage was going well.
Olajuwon told the cameras that he was happy Pepper cleared the air, adding how he and Katina weren't going to shape their relationship for the amusement of the experts or to please America or anybody else.
Pastor Cal complimented Katina on always having resolution and peace in mind, and he told Olajuwon, "This woman is exactly what you need," which prompted Olajuwon to enthusiastically nod his head in agreement.
"I'm not in love," Olajuwon responded. "But we resolve things."
Pastor Cal, however, reminded the couples that love is a commitment and a person chooses to love and grows in love rather than falls in love.
The experts also asked Mark to touch, comfort and support his wife during her moments of vulnerability or weakness, but they told Lindsey that she had a good man and needed to be patient with him -- even though Lindsey said her husband drove her "bananas" sometimes.
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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski