A TV show that truly puts marriages to the test, the Married at First Sight couples are now over halfway through the ultimate televised experiment.
Although we have already seen laughter, tears, arguments and tantalising drama, some viewers will always question whether contestants are actually in it for love or simply for the social media followers and fame.
The team at SlotsUp spoke to Lemarc Thomas, relationship expert and founder of Sweden’s only Matchmaking Agency.
Using his background in psychological trauma, Lemarc has provided expert insight into the couple’s compatibility, predicting which ones he thinks will be most successful outside of the experiment.
Here is his ranking from most to least compatible couples:
- Jackson and Olivia
- Domenica and Jack
- Selina and Cody
- Mitch and Ella
- Al and Samantha
- Tamara and Brent
- Seline and Anthony
Jackson and Olivia
Jackon and Olivia hit it off from day one, despite her insecurities and his difficult past, the pair seem to have remained strong through the first half of the series.
Lemarc believes that at as things stand, this couple will be successful beyond the experiment, but with past experiences, only time will tell…
“The match made in heaven? Or are they? They do seem very well matched, there is attraction, they share similar values and have a similar energy level. Right now everything seems easy, natural and ‘right’ for them.
“However, they both carry the wounds of their past. Jackson has had a challenging upbringing which leaves a scar and most people with his story find relationships challenging.
“Olivia has also had challenging younger years. Previously being overweight, Olivia has problems with self-image. We also get a view of how controlling her mother was – when parents don’t allow children to explore on their own, they may struggle with boundaries and become more dependent in relationships.
“Jackson has had to put aside his childhood needs to take care of his mum and sister, so he is quite used to taking care of others. But these needs might be leftover in adulthood and deep down he wants to be taken care of… which Olivia is probably quite able to do.”
Domenica and Jack
Second on Lemarc’s list is Domenica and Jack, whilst they had an intimate relationship from the start, they have gone through a rocky patch but intimacy managed to pull them through.
Lemarc says, “In this match it’s almost like Dom is screaming demands and Jack is being the good boy in meeting these demands.
“This is not a stable dynamic. Dom needs to take more responsibility and ownership of her needs and desires and Jack needs to be stronger in having the boundaries to holding space for Dom whilst also claiming his space and prioritising his needs.”
“Domenica’s wounds from her previous marriage are showing up and could hurt this relationship. She is not so easily able to identify and communicate her needs and her scars are still so raw that she can’t see objectively.
“When Jack shared his vulnerability, in the question challenge, she took it personally and made it about her rather than being empathetic to her husband’s needs.”
Whilst Jack appears very steady and allows Domenica to express her emotion, Lemarc shares concerns that the couple must be careful that Domenica does not take up all the emotional space.
Selina and Cody
It seems many viewers feel sorry for Selina and Cody, struggling to grasp that romantic spark from the beginning, though they have really blossomed in the last couple of episodes.
“They both really want a relationship, but it’s been a struggle for them. It’s challenging when
one person is showing more interest than the other, this triggers both to go further in opposite directions – one wanting attention and the other putting up more distance.
“We see that Cody had not found an attraction to Selina and since she has been so obviously smitten by him, he withdrew.
“Attraction is vital part of a romantic relationship and if it’s not there, there is no relationship. In the hard times, we need that attraction to come back to, to remind us that it is worth fighting for this relationship.
“Their attraction is growing and they are becoming more intimate both physically and emotionally… but can they build up enough fire to spark a lifelong relationship?”
Mitch and Ella
Whilst this couple haven’t been in the limelight of the programme- maybe because they have been happy and content- recent actions from Mitch has shown they do have things to work on in their relationship.
“Mitch avoids emotional depth. He stays on a level of fun and sexual connection without going deeper. For this relationship to progress he will need to reveal as much of his inner world as he does of his body.
“Mitch is also very scared of intimacy and is very stubborn in the mechanisms he has built to protect himself.”
“Unfortunately, we can see already that Ella is feeling the lack of emotional connection.
The chemistry between these two is strong and can take them far, get them through difficulties, but it will only go so far. At the core of any relationship, each partner has emotional needs that the other must be able to meet for the relationship to last.”
Al and Samantha
We all want this relationship to work, whilst we love how innocent and willing Al is and Samantha’s patience and admiration towards Al, it seems Lemarc does not have too much hope for the couple in the long-term.
“Al has never had a relationship before. Samantha wants a mature partner. This is Al’s first relationship where he will learn a lot, but this is not one is not likely to last.
“Samantha is trying to connect but she’s has been reluctant from day one. She did not see Al as an equal and instead saw red flags. She wants him to prove her wrong, but from this starting point, it’s hard for them to meet each other.
“Samantha wants Al to take control but she is not letting go of control and he is shrinking in the process. There is a lot of heart in this match, but for a relationship to work they need to meet each other’s basic needs.”
Tamara and Brent
So far we have seen heated arguments and the pair feeling irritable about each other’s company. Ultimately, thing will come down to whether Tamara believes Brent is good enough, and only time will tell.
“In the early episodes we get to see the stark difference in when Tamara is alone with Brent comapred to Tamara in the group. She puts up a huge and sometimes harsh front, but we can also see glimpses of how very fragile and sensitive she is behind that wall.
“Brent has been fairly strong and stable, not thrown by what’s on the surface – perhaps he is the security she needs to let down her guard. However, he needs to learn and communicate his needs and practice healthier boundaries.
“The problem is, which we saw at their wedding, her approach inspired game play. Brent said okay “game on” because the only way to connect with her when her wall is up, is to play her game – but game play does not inspire a secure relationship.”
Seline and Anthony
Showing major red flags at the beginning and spending a lot of the experiment apart, Seline and Anthony are currently the least successful couple in Lemarc’s ranking, believing that they are on opposite ends of the scale.
“Seline has been hurt before, and her strategy to protect herself is avoidance. Fundamentally she fears abandonment and cannot trust that a partner will stay. It’s easy to see her as a villain because she is acting from her shadow sides – but remember we all have them.
“When you are triggered and stuck in the avoidant pattern, it is very challenging to connect and build a relationship.
“Anthony is probably on the other end of the spectrum, more emotional, more likely to lean in, and even if the situation is not ideal, he will stay… until he it gets too much and he leaves as a final protest for connection – not to actually leave.
“This is a common pattern that can become very toxic in a relationship. With awareness of the patterns that are playing out and the underlying needs of each person, partners can heal and come back to that initial attraction, but it takes a bit of work.
“The danger in the connection is the contempt, criticism and defensiveness – a strong sign according to research of a marriage that won’t work.
Article credits: SlotsUp and Lemarc Thomas.
WIth a background in psychological trauma, Lemarc is a relationship expert, matchmaker and coach to the world’s elite. He is the founder of Sweden’s only matchmaking agency, founder of the Swedish Love Professionals and European Representative of the Dating Agency Association.
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