'Married at First Sight' recap: Olajuwon suggests Katina isn't "woman enough" for him, Lindsey nearly checks out with Mark, and Steve tells Noi that he loves her

Married at First Sight featured Olajuwon Dickerson complaining about Katina Goode's alleged lack of effort and "life skills" and suggesting she's not "woman enough" for him, Lindsey Georgoulis on the verge of giving up on her marriage to Mark Maher, and Steve Moy telling Noi Phommasak "I love you" during the Season 14 episode Wednesday night on Lifetime.


The five brides who were selected to wed on Season 14 of Married at First Sight are Alyssa Ellman, 30, Katina, 29, Jasmina Outar, 29, Lindsey, 34, and Noi, 33.

The five grooms who are starring on the new edition are Chris Collette, 35, Olajuwon, 29, Michael Morency, 28, Mark, 37, and Steve, 38.

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The couples matched by Married at First Sight experts Dr. Pepper Schwartz, Dr. Viviana Coles and Pastor Calvin Roberson are Lindsey and Mark, Alyssa and Chris, Jasmina and Michael, Katina and Olajuwon, and Noi and Steve.


The Married at First Sight broadcast began on Day 16 of marriage, with Katina going grocery shopping for her apartment. She had to adjust to cooking for her husband, who wanted meals made from scratch every day, especially since she had been used to going out to eat a lot.

And Noi planned an adventure for Steve at the park, a treasure hunt to find his wife. Noi wanted Steve to know that she was "incredibly grateful" for him, and Steve thought the gesture was really sweet, thoughtful and spontaneous.

"It really makes me feel like I have a special wife and makes me feel connected to her," Steve gushed, "especially after going through some challenges and being reminded that we're done well."

"We are in a good place," he added.

Over at Lindsey and Mark's apartment, there was obvious tension between them. Lindsey found it irritating how Mark wouldn't express his feelings to her, and she said she was just "waiting for the next explosion."


Mark said he and Lindsey weren't "meshing well" or "clicking," and they engaged in some awkward small talk while eating a meal the day after the bowling alley.

Lindsey accused Mark of being negative and a Debbie Downer whenever they're out doing something fun. She said she wanted some affirmation and kindness and couldn't trust Mark because he kept showing different sides of himself.

"I am very upset with you," Lindsey noted.

"Same," Mark said.

"I have literally flipped my off-switch on you," Lindsey said.


"Okay," Mark replied with a flippant attitude. "I'm not trying to argue with you... but you're really positive."

Lindsey said she had been absorbing Mark's "toxic sludge for weeks" -- including all of his alleged complaining and the chaos in his life -- and to that "sludge" comment, Mark also responded, "Same!"

Lindsey alluded to the fact that Mark was being selfish and he needed to make his wife the priority and try to earn her affection back. Lindsey told the cameras Mike may have been out of his league on this one.

Mark expressed how Lindsey lacked awareness, but Lindsey believed she had been bending over backwards to be gracious, kind and empathetic to Mark.

"I am so frustrated because I feel like you are literally sabotaging yourself and treating me poorly. I feel unappreciated and uncared for. Why am I here? I'm not sure," Lindsey complained.


"Why am I trying so hard for somebody who's not treating me great right now? Why do you like me? Because it doesn't seem like there's anything -- at all."

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Mark assured Lindsey that there's an incredibly loving person buried inside of herself, and Lindsey found that insulting and a dig. Mark, however, stood by his claim that Lindsey has a tough exterior and struggled to show her true colors.

Mark called Lindsey nurturing and thanked her for taking care of the cats. He said there's nothing bad about her, but he explained, "We have a difficulty with our personalities... I feel sometimes a condescending tone [from you], and that's where we're mixing the signals."

"I think we both like each other and see good things in each other," Mark said, "and our communication together has to improve in order to get to the next week."


But Lindsey was losing hope and said there were more issues for her than just a lack of good communication. Lindsey said she entered the marriage with 100 percent effort only to watch Mark pull back more and more from her, which left her with only one percent in the tank.

Mark joked that one percent is better than zero and they could grow from that, but he hoped they could work to understand each other better in the coming days.

Meanwhile, Michael set up a picnic for Jasmina and her dog Feeny to show how much he cared about them both, and he gifted his wife a basket filled with dog items and toys that she absolutely loved and appreciated considering Feeny means so much to her.

Jasmina shared with Michael how he should never cop a tone with her or raise his voice during conflict and she just wanted him to talk things out with her and have good conversation.

Michael asked for tips on how to communicate with Jasmina better since he tends to express himself "passionately," but Jasmina thought he should have awareness on how to have a "basic" discussion -- which angered Michael and worked Jasmina up again.

Michael hoped this picnic was a step in the right direction, but he realized the pair still had a lot of work to do in the communication department.


Over at Katina and Olajuwon's place, the couple was recovering from a fight that had taken place the previous night.

Olajuwon apparently accused Katina of worrying about things that didn't affect him, and he added, "The sh-t I ask you for, you can't do, and you trouble me!"

Olajuwon asked Katina to share her definition of a "wife" with him, thinking maybe they had two different definitions of the word, and she replied, "It's someone who's a partner, your partner, and I'm your support system. But I don't like that question."

"You explained to me that you wanted me to cook more... and you felt like I wasn't stepping up to the plate with my wife duties?" Katina noted.

"No, it's more than that," Olajuwon insisted.

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Olajuwon recalled Katina only wanting to clean half the floor of their apartment after their housewarming party, and then he scolded her for rolling her eyes at him. Olajuwon said he let Katina go to bed that night and he ended up cleaning the entire floor himself.

"Where is my other half?" Olajuwon asked. "I want a wife [who says], 'My husband is stepping up and he wants to clean this together, and I'm not going to let him fall.'"

Olajuwon told the cameras he had married a stranger to find a wife, not to help a woman grow as an individual.

Katina said, "I hear you," but she had never expected to be unable to meet a man's standards.

Olajuwon told Katina that her lack of effort bothered him.

On Day 17 of marriage, Noi and Steve enjoyed their first takeout meal, and each couple was tasked with asking each other difficult and deep questions, such as, "Have you been in love before?"


Steve told Noi that they were making huge strides in their relationship and he'd profess feelings of love once he felt truly ready to be vulnerable like that. Noi was concerned about Steve's nerves and hoped he wouldn't put off saying "I love you" to the point where he'd begin doubting his own feelings.

That night, Olajuwon shared with Katina how "devotion" makes him fall in love as well as loyalty and commitment, and Katina said someone who supports her and is understanding and patient.

Katina also said she wants her man to be her best friend, the first person she dials for everything.

"I don't want to end up hurt, and I don't want to be so vulnerable that I end up making myself feel stupid eternally, like, 'You should've been smarter than that,'" Katina told the cameras, before admitting to Olajuwon that she was "guarded" with him.

Katina admitted an ex-boyfriend had been verbally abusive to her and called her "weak" when she cried and so she promised herself she'd never cry alleged silly tears again. Katina referred to herself as "numb," and Olajuwon asked her to never let anyone dictate her future.

Olajuwon said crying is a natural human emotion, and Olajuwon worried Katina was a sheltered, although independent, woman.


Katina also told her husband that there was potential for them to fall in love with, but Olajuwon confessed, "Love is not on the table for me," explaining how "love" is such a strong and important word to him.

"But I definitely like you, and there is nothing wrong with that," Olajuwon said. "The connection has to grow and standards have to be met. We have to apply what we hear... That literally has to be done for love or any type of that to grow."

Katina promised to open up and express herself as well as cook and clean more to show how she was taking her role as a wife seriously, but Olajuwon said he needed to see it in order to believe it.

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On Day 18 of marriage, it was the anniversary of Michael's brother Vladymir's passing. Michael and Jasmina hadn't been speaking much after the picnic, so Michael opening up made Jasmina feel a little bit better and more connected to her husband.

Jasmina revealed how she had been in love three times with men who had treated her right and with respect, and Michael said he was able to fall in love with women who really understood him and allowed him to be vulnerable.


In order to fall in love again, Michael said he needed to remain open and feel comfortable with a partner, and Jasmina wished her husband would be more vulnerable with her. She wanted to see him take steps to actually be that way.

Meanwhile, Lindsey and Mark had a breakthrough moment after a couple of rough days and appeared to be back on track. They both discussed having been in love before, and Mark admitted how he struggled to move past failed relationships, which Lindsey found alarming.

"I would never go back and recycle men," Lindsey noted. "Usually when I make a decision that somebody is wrong, I know it's wrong. If it didn't work out once, why would it work out twice?"

Lindsey thought Mark had a tendency to settle and sink into what's comfortable, and she planned to break that habit. Mark also shared how it takes time for him to build a foundation and fall in love.

Lindsey said she wants a man who will show up for her, stand up for her, and doesn't withdraw or walk away in the face of conflict. Lindsey explained how she checks out quickly if she doesn't receive those things from a partner, but Mark didn't want to harp on that.

Mark tried to be optimistic and positive and focus on the present rather than the past. He thought falling in love with Lindsey could be a possibility, but it was clear Lindsey had fallen OUT of love with Mark in the previous 11 days.


"I'm definitely not there with you. It's not that I can't be there, but I would need to see you make time for me... I'm always going to consider you first because I respect you, and I really haven't gotten any of that from you," Lindsey told her husband.

On Day 19 of marriage, the MAFS14 brides got together at a spa for pedicures while the men let loose and bonded over archery games.

Mark admitted to the guys how marriage had been more work than he thought and he wasn't used to Lindsey's personality, and Lindsey shared how Week 3 was a challenge.

Katina said the intimacy light in her marriage was flicking on and off, and Olajuwon told the guys he had been "babying" Katina in light of her alleged lack of effort and "life skills."

"I can't always be there to guide this. I work overnight and I work during the day... Where can I have my support from my wife," Olajuwon said in disappointment and defeat.

"My feelings are really high for Katina and that's why I get so irritated. If this was a different situation, I would've walked away. I'm having a real tough time... but time is not on our side. Since Pastor Cal came by, I really haven't seen a difference."


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Olajuwon didn't seem happy in his marriage and told the men how he was feeling pretty "beat."

As for Jasmina, she planned to give Michael a safe space to open up to her. She thought having a positive attitude would help him to be more vulnerable with her.

And Steve complained about how Noi had ghosted him after a fight, which really upset and hurt him. Due to that apparent devastation, Noi was convinced Steve loved her, even though he wasn't ready to say it yet.

"We are so deeply affected by what we do to each other," Noi boasted to her pals. "[Our fight] was a test of our connection... I was like, 'You didn't give up on me.'"

All of the spouses were relieved to hear their friends had been going through similar challenges.


On Day 20 of marriage, Mark took Lindsey out for a fancy sushi dinner to let her know that he was paying attention to her and thought she's a good person. Since Mark doesn't really like the texture of raw fish, Lindsey viewed it as a really nice gesture.

Mark applauded Lindsey for all of the nice things she had done for him, and he apologized for all the times she felt hurt by him. He promised to not cause her any more pain and to be more grateful for her unselfish ways, and the pair determined his or her spouse was "worth" the work.

The following day, Jasmina surprised Michael with "Jasmina's Jym" complete with yoga mats in their living room.

Since Michael had been trying to get Jasmina to go to the gym, she decided they would work out together at home -- and the three exercises she had set up represented things they needed to work on in their relationship: communication, interruptions and vulnerability.

Michael was very impressed by Jasmina's effort, and then Jasmina worked to unlock some emotions in Michael. They talked about the losses Michael had suffered through in his life, including the death of his brother, and Michael broke down into tears.

Michael remembered his mother fainting at the sight of his deceased brother and shared how the loss changed him, only for him to experience more loss in subsequent years. Michael said he had done a great job of putting his emotions in a box and dealing with them later.


Jasmina was glad Michael was finally letting her in, and she could finally understand why Michael had certain habits, such as seeing the worst in things right away rather than living in the moment and hoping for the best.

Lindsey was then shown taking Mark to the batting cages because he had played baseball all the way through elementary and high school, and Mark complimented his wife on her ability to pick up on little things like that. (Lindsey had discovered Mark's baseball collection when cleaning out his apartment with him).

Three weeks into marriage, Steve planned a picnic for Noi on a beach, and Noi said Steve's presence put her at ease and made her feel comfortable.

The couple reminisced about their honeymoon and happy moments in their marriage, and then Steve suddenly revealed, "I'm finally ready to let you know that I love you."

"What?!" Noi gushed. "You do!?"

The couple kissed at sunset, and Noi responded, "I love you too, but I think I already told you that."


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Noi called the moment "such a relief" and said it was so sweet for Steve to recreate the moment from their honeymoon when she had expressed her love to him and he wasn't ready to say it back. In a big way, Steve managed to make up for that day in Puerto Rico that had upset Noi.

On Day 21 of marriage, Olajuwon took Katina to a cooking class, where they'd learn how to make an appetizer, entree and dessert. Olajuwon bragged about showing effort, which he wanted to see from Katina in return.

Olajuwon said he wanted to see Katina do something without him asking for it, but Katina apparently didn't even enjoy cooking. However, Katina was glad Olajuwon was cooking with her and didn't turn the class into a test.

"I know that cooking is the way to his heart, which he has told me three or four times," Katina told the cameras. "I'm going to make sure that I do that for him, so that it will be a 'yes' on both ends on 'Decision Day.'"

Olajuwon believed Katina had worked on herself independently prior to marrying a stranger but she wasn't ready to be a wife and a partner.


"Is she enough woman for me -- as a wife?" Olajuwon questioned in a confessional.

Olajuwon boasted to Katina about how he had accomplished big things in life, such as buying a house and paying off his student loans, but Katina was still working on those things. Olajuwon wondered if Katina could satisfy him on "a wife level."

Olajuwon then shared how Katina hadn't done enough for the housewarming party, like when she had asked her friends to pick up and bring food over. Katina said she had to shop and decorate, but Olajuwon insisted he helped her with all of that and she could've done more.

"I need to see where you are as a woman," Olajuwon told Katina, before lamenting in a confessional, "If you're not going to cook? What are you going to do? Are you going to clean?"

Olajuwon said he couldn't settle down with a woman if she didn't even "have a base on being an adult" due to a lack of life experience.

Olajuwon explained how he cared for Katina but wasn't sure if she was a fast learner.


Katina acknowledged she needed a break, but Olajuwon began to backtrack saying, "I'm not saying that you don't have it, Katina. But I have to be real with you, as much as I'm loving you. I have to keep you grounded."

Olajuwon said he couldn't say "yes" on "Decision Day" unless he was convinced Katina could "hold sh-t down" for them and get things done without him.

"I can't say that about you right now," Olajuwon noted.

"I don't know what else to say other than, like, I guess, only time can tell," Katina replied. "I'm not going to sit here and be like, 'I'm woman enough!' I'm not. I'm never going to do that."

Olajuwon insisted Katina didn't need to do that or would never need to do that, but she left the conversation feeling hurt and deflated.

Katina cried and said she really wanted to be married, but not in this way.


"It just makes me feel bad," Katina cried.

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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski