Off the back of a heated argument where Melissa accused Josh of having problems with intimacy, the couple are no longer on speaking terms.
“Josh and I are in such a bad place and I am so envious of the other couples that are diving into Intimacy Week,” Melissa tells cameras.
“It kills me”.
At the risk of making Melissa even more jealous than she already is, let’s see how the rest of the couples are tracking with expert Alessandra Rampolla’s Intimacy Week tasks.
Alyssa and Duncan
Even though just about everyone in the experiment has the hots for Duncan and wishes they were in Alyssa’s shoes, the bride reveals the couple have not yet been intimate.
“There is a part of me that is still fighting that inner Mormon that’s been ingrained in me since I was quite young,” Alyssa admits.
But their lack of intimacy is certainly not due to a lack of desire.
Duncan says he’s “super attracted” to Alyssa so he “obviously wants to be intimate with her” but is just being “super mindful of her background”.
And of all things, an antipasto platter has gotten Alyssa in the mood.
“I love any type of meat,” she says, suggestively taking a bite out of a slice of salami.
The sexual tension between the pair grows even stronger thanks to Alessandra’s Five Minute Kissing task.
Duncan says his and Alyssa’s chemistry is like “two tectonic plates touching each other… and at some point the tremors start and then mountains are made.”
And Alyssa confesses she “literally cannot contain herself”.
The cameras are shooed away and come morning time, Alyssa and Duncan have a certain glow to them.
Bronte and Harrison
After a bust up over a text message technicality the day before, Bronte decides she wants to try to “break old patterns” with Harrison.
Harrison is taken by surprise saying: “To be honest, I didn’t expect to see Bronte.”
But the pair decide to start on a “clean slate” and meet to take on Alessandra’s Eye Gazing task.
The five minutes spent staring at one another is filled with lots of smiles and giggles and Bronte admits “the atmosphere between them is a lot more positive”.
“It was nice to have a level of intimacy that we haven’t had for a while,” Harrison says.
Having successfully completed one task in the whole experiment without tearing each other to shreds, Bronte has “hope that there could be a future” for her and Harrison.
Claire and Jesse
Since the pair have put cheating allegations behind them, Claire has organised a very special activity for Jesse – visiting a crystal gallery.
In case you’ve been living under a rock, crystals are firmly on Jesse’s ick list.
“We all know what I think about crystals and star sign stuff but Claire is into it,” Jesse tells cameras.
“If it makes her happy I’m happy to oblige.”
Jesse gets right into it and is bubbling with loads of questions about crystals and even picks out his own favourite.
“I can’t say that I feel more in touch with my spiritual side but I feel more in touch with Claire,” he says.
Feeling good about things after their bond was strengthened at the crystal shop, Jesse decides to surprise Claire with something.
Now we all know Jesse is a fan of a list, but this time he has something slightly different in mind – an anti-ick list, if you will. He decides to read Claire a list of all the things he likes about her.
Claire is chuffed with Jesse’s efforts and admits that “he’s really exceeded her expectations.”
And after a week of living apart, the couple think it’s time to move back in together – they even sage their new living space together.
Melinda and Layton
Down the hall at Melinda and Layton’s place, Layton has just lost a fight with a toaster after trying to light a candle with it.
“I was trying to light a candle and we don’t have any lighters here… so I thought it would be a good idea to light the paper on the toaster and then try and light the paper on the candle, which would’ve caught flame from the toaster,” the Biotech CEO explains to cameras.
Shockingly, Layton’s genius idea “didn’t go as planned” so he decides to stick a knife in the toaster instead.
Melinda says what just about everyone is thinking: “For a very intelligent man he can sometimes be very unintelligent.”
Aside from the fact that he stuck a knife in a toaster, Layton is ticking every other box but Melinda is still looking to create a deeper connection.
And Alessandra’s Eye Gazing task couldn’t come at a better time.
But Layton thinks the task is a “piss take”.
“I just don’t really understand what it’s about,” he says.
The timer is set, Layton cracks his neck ready for the task and go!
But Layton can’t shut up the entire time.
“All that was going through my head is, how long do we have left?” Layton admits to cameras.
Layton is so relieved when the task is over, but the relief doesn’t last very long because they are set another task – the Five Minute Kissing task.
Upset that Layton didn’t take the first exercise seriously, Melinda throws in the towel already.
“I don’t feel like our relationship is a priority. I feel like if we stay how we are it’s going to fizzle out because there’s no substance there,” Melinda confesses.
Layton later tries to redeem himself by planning Melinda surprise dancing lesson date, but things quickly backfire when Melinda doesn’t know what to wear and runs them an hour and half late.
But when the pair eventually make it there, Melinda is delighted and admits she feels transported back to their first dance on their wedding day.
Caitlin and Shannon
Things are looking up for the couple after Shannon buys Caitlin a parmi – or parma depending on where you’re from.
While the parmi might not sound all that impressive, it’s Caitlin’s favourite meal and she’s chuffed that Shannon has taken notice.
But when it’s time for the pair to take part in the Eye Gazing task, things go downhill and fast.
After the Eye Gazing task, Caitlin feels Shannon has “done a 180” and is being “emotionally distant” so she decides to confront him about it.
When she asks Shannon what’s different he says this: “You are a good looking girl but not in my eyes.
“I thought you were going to come down that aisle and completely blow me away.”
He then adds that if Caitlin did blow him away, he would’ve just cut things off with his ex in the first place.
In the moment, Caitlin is too “gobsmacked” to react but after processing it all, she breaks down in tears.
“I feel sick,” she cries to cameras.
“That whole speech was about how I wasn’t good enough. I feel like I was getting torn to shreds.”
Caitlin gives herself a few minutes to collect herself and returns to let Shannon know she’s sick of having her kindness mistaken for weakness.
“I’ve done nothing but support him, I haven’t said a bad word to him and I’m getting walked on,” Caitlin fires herself up.
Then Caitlin gives a speech that will go down in history alongside Julia Gillard’s misogyny speech.
“It’s my turn to talk,” she begins.
“You don’t need to love me, you don’t need to like me but you do need to respect me because I am a brilliant person, I’m amazing,” she tells Shannon.
“It is a privilege to be in this experiment with me.” YOU GO GIRL!
“And I’m not going to sit here and cop it anymore. I deserve better.”
Caitlin packs her bags and walks out the door and all of Australia cheers with her.
Married At First Sight continues Monday to Wednesday at 7.30pm and Sunday at 7.00pm on Channel 9 and 9Now.
