Married at First Sight on Channel 9 – Ladies and gentlemen, we hope you’ve got an appetite because this ain’t just a Dinner Party – this is a full on feast of drama!
We’re talking break-ups, new rivalries and a blazing row between grooms that will set the experiment on fire.
Stream every episode of Married At First Sight for free on 9Now
Let’s dig in, shall we?
Ben is waking up in a separate apartment after Ellie kicked him out for writing a list of things he didn’t like about her, including her make-up application, her age and her address. No, we’re not joking.
It very much played out like that episode of Friends, where Ross writes a cons list about Rachel citing reasons to not be with her. Except in Ellie and Ben’s case, we think a happy ending is unlikely.
Meanwhile, Lucinda and Timothy have made a remarkable recovery from their very intense Commitment Ceremony the week prior.
They’re in “the best place [they’ve] ever been in,” and while the couple have managed to push past their differences, another groom has not – young kickboxer Jayden.
MAFS EPISODE 19 RECAP: Ellie in tears as Ben writes a list of everything he dislikes about her and Tim’s rogue best man returns
Jayden is feeling very protective of Lucinda and if his and Timothy’s pre-fight trash talk is anything to go by, we’re in for quite the fight.
“I think Timothy is mistreating Lucinda, he’s not talking to her nicely and I can’t keep putting up with it,” Jayden declares to cameras.
“Something needs to be said.”
Meanwhile, Timothy also has some choice words for Jayden that hit below the belt.
“Jayden had a lot to say but I don’t need words from the peanut gallery,” Timothy scoffs.
Timothy is also sick of Jayden “flicking his hair like Fabio” and suggests he do a few buttons on his shirt up. We’re not sure the women of Australia will agree, Timbo.
In an attempt to take Timothy’s mind off Jayden, Lucinda tells her husband that she’s gone commando for the evening. A strong effort, but it’s clear Timothy’s mind is on one thing and one thing only – taking Fabio down a peg or two.
Cocktail Hour
Everybody’s favourite portion of Cocktail Hour is judging each couple’s body language as they walk through the sliding door.
And as Jayden spots that Lucinda and Timothy are NOT holding hands, he declares that it’s over for the couple.
As the experiment’s self-appointed fourth expert (which we think should be Lucinda’s dad) Jayden takes it upon himself to rally supporters in his plan to hold Timothy accountable for “leading Lucinda on”.
EXCLUSIVE: ‘Mortified’: Lucinda reacts to that ‘birds and the bees’ chat her dad had with husband Timothy
Jayden pulls Lucinda to the side and tells her that she “deserves better”.
Lucinda appreciates Jayden’s concern but says this: “Jayden doesn’t know all the facts, and I just assured him that we had a really genuine reset. I feel really good with Timothy at the moment and he’s being truthful at every turn.”
It’s Lucinda’s way of saying, ‘thanks, but no thanks’.
He might be over 50 but Timothy still has 20/20 vision and has spotted Jayden’s sly chat with Lucinda. Turns out he’s not hard of hearing either, because Timothy has the full picture.
“[Jayden] thinks he’s the wise man – f–k off,” Timothy huffs.
“Every dude with a hair bun on this show thinks they’re Dr Phil and Tony Robbins all mixed into one.” We’re assuming this excludes Stephen, whose luscious locks have done nothing but bring us joy.
Before entering the Dinner Party, Timothy has this warning for Jayden: “Watch out because I’ll be on you like a pitbull on a poodle.” WOOF!
Ellie has entered the Cocktail Hour alone, and the rest of the gang are saddened but not surprised. What they are shocked by is the revelation that Ben wrote that dreaded list of dislikes about Ellie.
Even placid Jonathan is fired up over the list.
“You have this beautiful lovely girl, I kinda want to slap him,” Jono rages. Jono, where was this angst last week when someone wanted to muzzle your wife?
Ben then makes his solo entrance and you’d think he was walking into a funeral service, it’s that quiet.
Ellie and Ben’s greeting is “like a car crash in slow motion” according to Lauren. But before the estranged couple can resolve anything, the waiter clinks the glasses to call dinner time.
Dinner Party
As the least favourite person at the dinner table, Ben is instantly put under the spotlight for the list he wrote about Ellie.
“I wanted to chat about these things privately but if she wants to bring everything up at the Dinner Table then I guess so,” he says. What else is a Dinner Party for, Ben?
What the groom doesn’t know is that no one yet knows what was actually written on the list, just that there was one.
And as everyone discovers the contents of the list, they are all horrified.
Cassandra speaks for all of Australia when she says that Ben can “take that list and shove it up your arse”. Simple, yet effective.
Experts Alessandra Rampolla and Mel Schilling think Ben’s criticism of Ellie wearing too much make-up is “horrible” and “disrespectful”. Lauren thinks the list is “cruel” while Sara brands it “the most controlling thing I’ve ever heard a man say”.
“It was stupid, it was a dumb thing to say,” Ben admits.
Ben is in total damage control mode and realising he has no other way out, he breaks up with Ellie in front of the entire group. Not the dinner and show combo we were hoping for.
“The truth is, I don’t believe we’re meant to be with each other. I do believe we’re better off friends and I’m sorry for wasting your time,” Ben tells Ellie.
READ MORE: ’He’s left’: Ellie is rocked by an unexpected phone call after Ben does a runner
Ellie is “completely blindsided” but somewhat relieved this car crash of a relationship has come to an end.
Ellie is a class act and ends things with Ben on this note: “I genuinely hope the next relationship you’re in, you’re honest from the get-go because you’ve wasted my time.”
With Ellie and Ben’s break-up seemingly settled, Timothy takes his personal issue up with Jayden: “I heard you said to Lucinda she got shortchanged.”
Jayden isn’t shy to voice his opinion and says that after six weeks of no romantic connection, Lucinda and Timothy have “no hope”.
“Your relationship hasn’t gone anywhere since day one,” Jayden huffs at Timothy.
Timothy does not take lightly to someone 30 years his junior trying to school him, and says he has undies older than Jayden. Following this episode we sincerely hope Bonds reaches out to Timothy for a sponsorship.
Timothy thinks that Jayden playing head honcho is a boyish act.
“Boys want attention, men want respect and legends don’t give a f–k,” Timothy says. And excuse us while we get that printed on a bundle of T-shirts and sell it for a pretty penny.
“Your relationship has gone nowhere and mine is near perfect,” Jayden taunts Timothy.
That one really gets under Timothy’s skin.
“You’ll have nothing in life, you’re a grandstander and you have been since day one,” Timothy bellows.
He smacks his fist down on the table and spills Lauren’s wine over in the process. Lauren is spewing that her savvy b is in a puddle on the floor, but there’s bigger fish to fry.
Even lovely Lucinda is feeling “a little fiery” and “defensive of Timothy”. She thinks it could be the rosethorne print on her dress that’s giving her a bit more of an edge.
“I’m in this with all my heart, Tim is an awesome person…” Lucinda tells her side of things to the group. But Tori cuts her off mid-sentence: “Yeah, yeah we’ve heard it.”
Don’t let Lucinda’s effervescent presence fool you, she doesn’t back down.
“One minute, I haven’t finished,” Lucida claps back at Tori. It’s a move that catches Tori off-guard and silences her momentarily.
Lucinda is happy to report to everyone that despite their rocky journey, she and Timothy have had a “massive shift’ and they’re both happy with where they’re at.
Stephen sums it up perfectly by saying this: “If Lucinda is happy with we’re they’re at and they’re both happy to take slow steps, then that’s all that matters.”
Cassandra doesn’t approve of the judgement Lucinda and Timothy are getting either, noting that “Lucinda and Timothy are grown-ups”.
But if there’s a silver lining in all of this, it’s that Lucinda has had Timothy’s back and it’s brought them even closer together.
Timothy even accepts Lucinda’s criticisms of him “throwing personal jabs” and smacking his fist down on the table.
“It’s below the belt Tim, you’re better than that,” she says.
Timothy takes it onboard. “I get it, there’s nobody else that can talk to me like this and get away with it but you can. I have nothing but respect for you,” he says.
“Tim’s not perfect but I’m feeling really connected to him,” Lucinda admits.
With an ear-to-ear grin, Timothy says he and Lucinda are “rock solid”. Oohhh, could some more romance be brewing between these two!
While Lucinda and Timothy have resolved the events of tonight, Tori just can’t let it go.
“I could not stand by a man that displayed himself the way Timothy did tonight,” Tori declares.
All of Australia rolls their eyes as the pot calls the kettle black and honestly sometimes things are better left unsaid.
But Timothy says exactly what we’re all thinking: “You had no issue with Jack saying ‘put a muzzle on it’ last week.”
With not much of a leg to stand on, Tori and Jack clutch to whatever they can and call Timothy out for dropping a few F-bombs and telling Jayden he will “have nothing in life”.
“You are slimy as f–k. You’re so smug,” Tori hisses at Timothy.
Tori is annoyed by just the look on Timothy’s face, or the placement of his eyebrows – we’re not sure. But Cassandra chimes in and says, “I just think that’s Timothy’s face”.
After hearing Cassandra speak at the other end of the table, Tori turns her head like one of those creepy laughing clown games at a carnival.
With Cassandra putting her two cents in after everyone else has thrown in their entire piggy bank, Tori is “pissed off” by Cassandra having her say.
“Don’t back Timothy… and small bites babe. Don’t come for the top, there’s a food chain here and you are not at the top, shut up,” Tori says of Cass behind her back.
DINNER DEBRIEF 4: Dom and Ella are horrified by one bride’s ‘superiority complex’ and Ben’s shocking list of cons about Ellie
“[Cass] doesn’t speak but when she does it annoys me, and tonight I was like – OK, no one speaks to me like that, no one tells me what I’ve said.
“Go f–k yourself and your sh–ty husband.” HEY! LEAVE TRISTAN OUT OF THIS!
Everyone is baffled by Tori’s anger towards Cass, and even the experts wonder: “Where was all this anger about your husband’s words last week?”
The brides and grooms call home time for now but with plenty of scores still unsettled we’re sure the Commitment Ceremony will call for round two on some of these rivalries.
See you on Sunday at 7:30pm!
Married At First Sight continues Sunday at 7:00pm and Monday to Wednesday at 7:30pm on Channel 9 and 9Now. Catch up on every episode of MAFS for free on 9Now.
Stream every episode of Married At First Sight for free on 9Now.
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Recap is courtesy of Lauren Attard at Channel 9
You can read the full recap HERE which includes additional content and video
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