Married at First Sight Recap: The Calm Before the Storm

The honeymoon phase is in full swing.

On the third episode of the Denver-based season of Married at First Sight, four couples tied the knot and are now getting to know their spouses. The betrothed have only eight weeks to decide if they want to divorce or stay married to the complete stranger they were assigned by the reality TV show’s “relationship experts.”

The episode, which just aired on November 1, showed the relative peace of the wedding receptions and family meet-and-greets, with a sneak peek at the chaos soon to follow. Based on the season preview in the episode, viewers can look forward to lots of fighting and crying in the weeks ahead, including potential infidelity, a snowmobile crash and the return of Michael — who became the first contestant to ever be left at the altar last week.

But for now, less than 24 hours into their marriages, the newlyweds seem happy. The episode saw only minor red flags and the occasional reminder of the absurdity of marrying a stranger (such as Emily and Brennan trying to guess each other’s ages, or Lauren’s friend badly mispronouncing Orion’s name during a wedding toast).

Before everything goes to hell, here's what happened during the "Hard Launch" episode of Married at First Sight:

Clare and Cameron
Clare and Cameron were the final couple to get hitched, saying “Nice to meet you” and “I do” at the beginning of the third episode. Despite skepticism from both families, the pair quickly got on. Clare said the experts "could not have made a better match," and Cameron said he can't wait to achieve the marriage milestones of getting a dog and buying a car together (the millennial equivalent of having kids and buying a house). The closest thing to conflict came when five-foot-nothing Clare had to strain to feed cake to gargantuan Cameron, and he noted that he might have requested a wife no shorter than five-foot-four because of “logistics.”

Lauren and Orion
Orion had the most trouble meeting his spouse’s family. Lauren’s dad absolutely grilled Orion for saying he likes to travel between Colorado and the East Coast, which her dad took as a sign that Orion will make decisions without consulting his new wife. Orion didn’t help his case when he told Lauren’s dad that he’s never dated inside his Indigenous race because he “doesn’t like to be bossed around.” But Lauren is content with her husband, calling Orion her “security blanket” and saying she doesn’t mind that he still lives with his mom. Though she did say that their first dance made her realize that any future kitchen slow dances will “continue to be awkward.” Oof.

Emily and Brennan
Emily’s dad revealed during his speech that she has dreamed of getting married since she was in preschool, and even dressed as a bride for Halloween three separate times as a child. If that doesn’t explain her presence on the show, I don’t know what does. But Brennan’s dad described him as someone who “loves to be loved,” so maybe they’re a good match after all. Emily’s nonexistent relationship history and Brennan’s friends’ warnings of communication issues don’t seem promising for a long-term marriage, but Emily packed a pair of handcuffs in her honeymoon bag, so at least they’ll have some fun while it lasts.

Becca and Austin
“I married myself,” Becca said when she met her husband, Austin. They both love Nintendo 64, they’re both allergic to cats, and they both dress like skaters even though they only skate at Tracks rollerblading nights. For now, the biggest difference between the pair is their libidos, with Becca’s friends calling her unapologetically sex-positive and Austin’s friends saying he doesn’t rush things physically. But the couple seemed happy to reserve their first night together for playing video games. Becca predicted “many, many good days” ahead, but judging by the shots of her crying in the season preview, I’m not so sure about that.

To watch everything fall apart, tune in to the next episode of Married at First Sight on Wednesday, November 8.