'Married at First Sight' recap: Paige meets Chris' pregnant ex-fiancee Mercedes, Erik hopes Virginia will "grow," and Clara is "sexually frustrated" with Ryan

Married at First Sight featured Paige Banks choosing to walk away from Chris Williams after meeting his pregnant ex-fiancée Mercedes, Erik Lake wishing Virginia Coombs would grow out of her drinking habits, Clara Berghaus admitting she's sexually frustrated, and Haley Harris trying to give Jacob Harder a chance during the Season 12 episode that aired Wednesday night on Lifetime.


At this point in Season 12, all five Married at First Sight couples wrapped their honeymoons in Las Vegas and were prepared to move in together in the United States: Chris and Paige, Haley and Jacob, Vincent Morales and Briana Myles, Erik and Virginia, and Clara and Ryan Oubre.

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The five couples were matched for matrimony by the show's experts Pastor Calvin Roberson, Dr. Pepper Schwartz, and Dr. Viviana Coles.

Married at First Sight  Season 12 Episode 8

The Married at First Sight broadcast began on Day 12 of marriage with Briana asking Vincent to talk.


Briana told Vincent that he shouldn't have had to leave their apartment to "get [his] head right," but Vincent admitted he "needed a breather" after their argument over Briana's alleged disrespectful comments.

Vincent said he barely made it out of the apartment complex's parking lot before turning around and choosing to face his wife and work things out.

Briana said she didn't realize she had offended Vincent at all, but he was very frustrated and didn't think he had to tell Briana every single time she was "being rude" to him.

Briana assured Vincent that she thought she was laughing with him and not at him when they had popped champagne and things got a little messy, and she said she never meant any disrespect in what she had said.

"We are still learning each other," Briana noted.


Vincent agreed and said they could move on from the fight, but he hoped the issue wouldn't happen again. And Briana reminded Vincent that his "home" going forward should be their home together.

Meanwhile, Virginia traveled to Savannah for a friend's wedding and Erik's brother's wedding just so happened to be on the same day. Erik said being apart so soon sucked and he was left home taking care of the dogs, including Virginia's baby Rockie.

Erik wanted Virginia to know that she could rely on him and he'd be there for her.

Erik then met up with Ryan, who was also walking Clara's dog. Ryan shared that living with Clara had been "good," and Erik said he and Virginia were getting along well but Virginia had never lived with a significant other before.

Erik said there were times when he wanted to show Virginia affection but she'd get a little annoyed and ask for space. Erik admitted that behavior hurt him a little bit.


"I don't want her to get bored with me or lose the connection and the feelings we have for one another right, so I do worry time from time to time about that," Erik shared in a confessional.

Chris was then shown meeting up with his friends Pastor Dwight and Mikael, who hadn't seen him since his wedding to Paige.

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Chris said he was a little nervous to tell them about his decision to get a divorce from Paige and attempt to reconcile with his ex-fiancee Mercedes, especially since Pastor Dwight had advised Chris to completely end any past flings or relationships before tying the knot.

Chris informed his friends that he had asked Paige for a divorce.


"To be honest, when she came down the aisle, it was awkward for me standing there at the altar. I wasn't fully attracted to her," Chris acknowledged.

"I figured sex makes you one and intertwines the souls, so we were intimate the first night. What I was looking for was to magically be into her and it didn't happen."

Chris said he and Paige were determined to have a good time on their honeymoon in Las Vegas but then he learned some "devastating" news that his ex-fiancee was about six weeks pregnant.

Chris said the pregnancy made him want to figure things out with his child's mother.

Pastor Dwight said he was feeling a mixture of emotions because he had been moving in the right direction by marrying Paige. Dwight said Chris needed to learn commitment because he had -- before God -- made a covenant with Paige "to death do us part."


Dwight said Chris's wife trumped whomever he was with before and his child would be fine.

"You don't have to feel obligated to be with your ex because you're having a child with her," Dwight explained. "I don't want you to risk losing this [with Paige]... You're switching out!"

Chris insisted he just wanted to focus on his responsibilities as a father, but Dwight suggested he'd actually be able to do that better with Paige by his side. Dwight didn't think Chris was making the right decision in leaving his marriage prematurely.

Dwight called Chris's decision-making "selfish" and "embarrassing" both to Paige's family and his own loved ones. Dwight went as far as to say Chris was being immature, and Mikael added, "I think you need marriage, bro."

Mikael complimented Paige's faith, education, financial plans, and the person she seemed to be. Mikael said Chris had "hit it big" with Paige and he should've stuck with his marriage longer.

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Dwight told Chris that he had "a diamond" and "those are rare." Dwight asked Chris to consider Paige's feelings and be mindful of all the people who were involved in his marriage and could be hurt in the process of him dumping his wife.

Chris immediately shut down and replied, "With all due respect, I'm really done with the conversation."

Dwight told Chris he had made a selfish choice, and then Chris angrily reiterated how he was "done" talking to them.

On Day 13 of marriage, Haley enjoyed a champagne brunch with her friend Lauren, who asked for every detail.

Haley said she was experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions because once she was able to process things in her marriage, she realized things were happening way too quickly and her relationship was just "way too much" for her at the time.

"I started backing off," Haley admitted, adding that Jacob's obsession with the 80s made her pull back as well as his "goofy" wardrobe an accusations of having a boyfriend back home.


Haley said she and Jacob went from one fight to the next and were having communication issues. Although Jacob apologized multiple times and seemed like he cared, Haley had put walls up.

Haley intended to continue getting to know Jacob, and Lauren reminded Haley that she was in a marriage and wasn't just dating a random guy. Lauren could tell Haley was trying and putting herself out there, but she figured it would take time for the couple to click.

"I know your immediate reaction to things is to run and to shut down, but I think you should keep pushing through and give it the chance he deserves," Lauren said.

Erik then met up with his friend Brandon and gushed about his connection with Virginia. Erik said they had hit some bumps in the road, like Virginia wanting to be independent and party with her girlfriends all the time.

"She'll say, 'Oh I'm going to do this,' but she won't say, like, 'Is that okay? Is that cool?' It's not like I need to know where she is every two seconds, [but] just give me an update because I'm the husband and I'm supposed to protect her and I care," Erik explained.

Erik said Virginia had been gone for four days and he hoped she would miss him.


Brandon acknowledged he was on Virginia's side because Erik shouldn't be trying to change her or talk down to her because he thinks he has more experience. Brandon hoped Erik would give Virginia her space and not turn their relationship into a coaching session.

Erik said Virginia had walls up and he just hoped she would let him try to tear them down.

"There's only so much time I can give her until it's like, 'Do you want to go back to your life? Are you happy with that, or do you want something with me?'" Erik shared.

"To be honest, man, I think that's going to be the absolute demise of us at the end of this. If anything causes us to end, it will be this situation -- and it's hard."

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Meanwhile, Vincent met his buddy Jalen at a restaurant and said he was a happily-married man. Vincent said he and Briana were both taking their marriage seriously but Briana tended to speak in a direct manner which he sometimes viewed as being disrespectful.


Vincent said he's very delicate in how he chose to communicate with his wife and he wished Briana would act the same way.

Vincent recalled feeling embarrassed and offended when Briana made a comment, "That's so Vinny of you" when he spilled champagne everywhere, but Jalen didn't think that situation called for Vincent reacting so strongly and threatening to leave their apartment.

Jalen advised Vincent to get out of his head and try to put himself in Briana's shoes at time. Jalen told Vincent not to mess things up because Briana appeared to be a good girl for him.

Two weeks into the marriages, the Married at First Sight women gathered together, as did the men separately.

Jacob, Ryan and Erik bonded over not being big drinkers compared to their wives, and Erik announced, "The girls are on a different level than us, I think."

Ryan joked that they're just "old men."


Clara shared with the girls how Ryan had rejected a Jello shot at a party when his friends wanted him to participate and so Ryan "built up in his head" that Clara and her friends partied constantly.

Clara said it was a birthday party and so she didn't really understand the problem, but then Ryan apparently apologized to her. Still, Clara called the situation "weird."

Vincent expressed how he'd like some alone time every now and then, and Erik joked that he and Virginia would get along great.

Haley told the girls that she liked Jacob and was "working on" her relationship, and Briana said she was proud of the couple for trying and not giving up.

Jacob said his biggest fear in the process was connecting with Haley too late and then hurting her in the end.

Jacob explained that Haley seemed afraid to be vulnerable and was holding back and so he feared their different approaches to the relationship would flip in which Haley finally puts all of her chips in but then he's checked out by that point.


Ryan admitted his guard was up as well and he struggles to trust people, and Vincent could tell he was operating on a slower pace than Clara.

Clara told the girls that she and Ryan weren't having sex and it even took them a few days to kiss.

Clara said she had a history of giving all of herself to every man she had dated in the past and so she didn't want to fall too fast and too soon and then end up waiting for Ryan or pressuring him to move faster.

"Sometimes it feels like [Ryan] is waiting for the rainbows and the butterflies and the 'I love you' and the sex all at once," Clara said in a confessional. "I appreciate that he's not wanting to rush into things... [but] I feel like we are emotionally connected, so I don't understand all of it."

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On Day 15 of marriage, Virginia returned home to Erik and said the wedding was so much fun. Erik said their first weekend apart went okay but he was a little stressed out in wondering whether Virginia has missed him.


Virginia suggested Erik wanted to communicate too much over the weekend, but Erik thought talking every hour or two wasn't asking for too much.

That night, Erik was about to meet Virginia's two best guy friends, and she was a little nervous about Erik not liking them. Virginia admittedly felt stressed because Erik had said he didn't believe guys and girls can genuinely be friends, which Virginia disagreed with.

Virginia expected Erik to relax more and be trusting or else they'd probably have issues down the line.

Paige was then shown receiving a phone call from Chris, who asked Paige to meet him the next day for a conversation with him and his ex-fiancee to clear the air.

"One minute you tell me you want a divorce and then in the next 20 minutes, you're whispering things in my ear that are completely opposite of wanting a divorce. And now, you want me to meet you and the mother of your child? How does that make me feel," Paige lamented in a confessional.

Paige said she wanted to pray about it and would give Chris an answer later on. Paige questioned whether she should engage in something like this and if the move was the right one for her soul and her own happiness.


The couples were then shown hosting their friends and family for the first time in housewarming parties.

Jacob said he didn't have any real expectations going into the experiment because he thought past relationships would work out and each one had its own "special disaster."

Jacob thought he and Haley were on the same page and that they both wanted their marriage to work, so he made an effort to get to know his wife better through her friends.

Jacob admitted he dealt with a lot of insecurities, like whether he's not good enough or too old, once Haley began holding back in their relationship.

The girls shared with Jacob how Haley wasn't very emotionally expressive and she's "tough." One friend even went as far as to call Haley "a commitment phobe."

Jacob's friend assured Haley that Jacob is a standup guy who's straightforward and likes a woman to be direct. Jacob's pal said Jacob fails to pick up on subtle cues but couldn't be more authentic or real.


Erik then finally met Virginia's best guy friends Lane and Cole, and Erik just wanted to make sure the men were truly only friends and didn't have any other intentions with Virginia.

"If [my guy friends] wanted to date me, they would have tried by now," Virginia noted.

Virginia talked about how she loves taking shots of alcohol and making her girlfriends take shots with her, and Erik said it was a "concern" that's who Virginia might be for the rest of her life.

"In my honest opinion, I want her to grow out of that a little bit," Erik confessed.

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But Erik's friend Brandon called Erik an introvert and could tell Virginia is an extrovert who would bring Erik out of his shell and show him a good time.


Brandon poked fun at Erik's old band, Traces of Day, and said Virginia complemented Erik well and they could teach each other some stuff. Virginia, however, was still waiting to hear Erik play the guitar.

Cole then pulled Erik aside for a one-on-one chat and said Virginia was one of the most bad-ass women he's ever met and she can definitely handle herself. Cole advised Erik not to come off as controlling because it would turn her off.

Erik said the only issue he and Virginia were having is that he's eight years older than her and so they were in different sections of their lives. Erik said he behaved in a similar way when he was 26 years old and he hoped Virginia could handle what she had signed up for.

Cole believed Virginia was absolutely ready for marriage and "all in" her relationship with Erik, and Erik was relieved to hear Virginia had decided to do the show for the right reasons.

Erik got along with Cole great and could tell her friends were genuine and down to earth, and so Erik said he was happy and everything was good. Cole really gave Erik the reassurance that he needed, and Erik ended the night feeling great.

On Day 16 of marriage, Haley felt a reset in her relationship and was glad to spend more time with Jacob.


When recalling his late twenties, Jacob said he hadn't dated much and participated in bodybuilding competitions. Jacob said he's always willing to try something new, and the couple agreed they both love boating and being on the water.

Clara invited Briana and Haley to her housewarming party and felt Ryan doesn't allow himself to open up or let loose. Ryan took a shot for Clara and she hoped he'd relax a little bit around his friends.

Briana said it was "cute" to see Clara in her "wifey role."

Ryan talked to a friend about how Clara didn't think he lives in the moment as much as she does and he's very calculated in his approach to things. Ryan said he was trying to have fun but at the right speed.

"I'm getting so frustrated with the 'old man' comment," Clara said, referring to how Ryan constantly joked he's an "old man" who goes to bed early.

"I think Ryan needs to get out of his head on the old-man thing and appreciate the ability to mix things up sometimes when he maybe doesn't want to."


Clara complained that she never even saw Ryan with his shirt off and it was foreign to her to engage in some physical acts and not others.

"I am very physically and sexually frustrated, so I'm hoping it doesn't take too long for him to get where he needs to get," Clara told the cameras.

Briana then met Vincent's mom and brother for the first time. There was a bit of a language barrier, but Briana said she'd never stop trying and would do whatever it takes to communicate with his family and be accepted by them.

Briana ultimately proved to Vincent's mother that she was going to be there for her son, and Briana said they seemed like a great family for her to be a part of.

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Paige then decided to meet with Chris and his ex-fiancee Mercedes as a way to take the power back in her relationship. Paige wanted to know where Mercedes stood and how she was feeling and thinking without going through Chris, "the middle man."


Paige had never seen a sonogram, so she dove right into questions for Mercedes.

"So, yeah, how far along are you?" Paige politely asked Mercedes.

"I'm about seven weeks now," Mercedes confirmed.

(As Married at First Sight fans probably recall, Chris told Paige at the start of their Las Vegas honeymoon that he had discovered his ex-fiancee was about six weeks along in her pregnancy.)

"Okay," Paige responded with a warm smile. "How are you feeling?"

"First and foremost, Paige, I just want to let you know I have no ill feelings towards you at all," Mercedes insisted.


"Mhmm," Paige quietly replied.

But Paige asked Mercedes how it felt to find out Chris had suddenly signed up to marry a stranger on television.

"Did you know about the process and stuff?" Paige asked.

"No," Mercedes admitted. "I found out after I told him I was pregnant... So I think 'shocking' is probably an understatement. I think I was more just, like, confused. I am still confused. There's a lot of confusion."

Paige laughed and said she "could only imagine" because Chris had clearly slept with her only seven weeks prior.

"Y'all had a moment and then bam! He's married," Paige pointed out and laughed.


Mercedes reiterated how she was feeling "a lot of confusion," and then Chris explained his intention for asking the two women to meet.

"[This was] not for any drama. I just wanted there to be clarity and just clear the air or whatever because this is my wife and this is the mother of my child," Chris says.

Paige allowed Mercedes to ask her any questions she wanted and said she's "an open book" who had "nothing to hide," and Mercedes said she was just trying to keep calm and take things one day at a time in order to process everything.

Mercedes said she was feeling "a lot of anxiety," and Paige acknowledged the situation had been very confusing for her as well.

"He said his fear was falling in love with me and us making it through. I was willing to work through things and make things work," Paige shared.

"Hell, like, I don't see anything wrong with being a bonus parent to a child. And at one point in time, it was my own fear that I could be pregnant as well."


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At that point, Mercedes glanced at Chris angrily, as if she had no idea Chris and Paige had been having sex.

"Pregnant by who?" Mercedes questioned. "By Chris?"

"So, umm, yeah," Paige revealed, before turning her attention to Chris.

"I don't know what y'all have been talking about or what you haven't, but it's confusing for me as well. You said you were going to leave me, but what if I was [pregnant] as well? I'm good now, but that was definitely a thought in my head as well."

Mercedes told the cameras Chris had been honest about being intimate with Paige but she was shocked to hear Paige could've been pregnant because that suggested the pair had unprotected sex.


"He didn't tell me about that," Mercedes complained.

Mercedes asked Chris if the thought of Paige being pregnant had crossed his mind, and Chris muttered under his breath, "Mhmm."

Mercedes confessed this whole situation was embarrassing because she had been engaged to Chris just three months prior to him joining the experiment and marrying someone else.

Mercedes said Chris had left "something big" out of their conversation, adding, "I'm counting on God to get me through this one because I'm a little lost right now."

Paige said she didn't have anything else to say and felt like she got the short end of the stick because her intentions going into Married at First Sight were very pure. Chris, however, announced his intentions were pure as well.

Paige recalled how Chris had owned up to "lingering feelings" for Mercedes and so she had every right to question his intentions for marrying someone else. Paige said she had been willing to support Chris in spite of the pregnancy news and Mercedes had nothing to do with her marriage.


"But when you tell me, 'The mother of my child is still in love with me and I still have feelings for her and I don't want to raise my child in a separate household,' it can seem duplicitous, to be honest," Paige said.

Mercedes said Chris had probably alluded to the fact they were trying to work things out.

"I want to make it very clear: Me and him working it out, that's not my intentions right now -- at all," Mercedes shared.

Paige was shocked to hear that and told the cameras, "If you're not reconciling with the mother of your child, then what's the real reason we're getting a divorce? Did you try to work things out with her and then this is a shock for both parties here?"

Paige said she didn't want to play games and felt robbed of an experience and Chris had decided to get married.

"You can talk directly to me," Chris snapped at Paige.


"No, I'm talking to her," Paige said.

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Paige went on to say, "He decided to get married under the pretense y'all's situation was signed, sealed and delivered. So if you come in here with those pure intentions, you'd think regardless of what he's faced against, you still will do what a man will do and still carry on his responsibilities as somebody's husband."

Mercedes replied, "Yeah," and Paige continued, "For him to be so eager to hop back into a situation that [Chris] said he left is kind of alarming to me."

But Paige explained her relationship with Chris no longer served her and she didn't feel any ill feelings toward Mercedes either.

"I just met you, and you are beautiful by the way," Paige said.


"You are too!" Mercedes said with a big smile.

Paige thanked Mercedes for talking to her and determined she was "at peace" with the whole situation. Mercedes acknowledged it was definitely a tough situation and so she was glad Paige was in a good headspace.

Chris was silent and announced he was "irritated" but "God is good."

Mercedes pointed out that Chris was "always irritated," and Paige just figured he felt embarrassed because the woman he wanted to run back to was denying him on national television.

"Joke's on you!" Paige told the cameras with a laugh.

Chris said his intentions were to respect Paige and not play with her emotions. Chris said he didn't want to play games with either woman's feelings.


"I do not want to lead you on, especially when I am mentally checked out," Chris told Paige. "That's all I'm saying."

"I appreciate that. Everyone has made investments, Chris," Paige snapped.

Chris said Paige had her guns out and was firing shots and so the conversation didn't go as he had planned.

As Paige attempted to continue talking, Chris just talked over and said, "I can't wait to eat and order food and read the Bible and catch up on my games today."

Mercedes said, "That's not cute," but Chris argued that Paige had been rude all night.

"She's not being rude, actually" Mercedes argued, adding, "She's actually being very respectful and nice."


Chris said it wasn't fair for Paige to paint the situation as he had mistreated her the whole time because that wasn't the case.

"I have been nothing but honest and respectful towards her and I don't feel like the respect is being reciprocated at this point," Chris said.

Mercedes apologized Paige for being dragged into this, and Chris left the conversation and the room.

Paige said she needs a man who is going to be there for her through thick and thin, sickness and health, and death do us part. Paige said Chris had yet to honor his vows and so it was time for her to walk away.

"And I'm okay with that," Paige noted. "I pray that my love story is a happily-ever-after."

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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski