Married at First Sight on Channel 9 – “Now what?” That’s the question all the brides and grooms are asking themselves as the Married At First Sight experiment comes to an end.
But there’s a very simple answer – Final Vows is the next and last step on this journey.
Stream every episode of Married At First Sight for free on 9Now.
For some the way forward seems clear, like Ridge who claims he has an “affection erection” for Jade. Ahh, we’ll all miss Ridge’s ‘deece’ lingo.
It’s an emotional farewell for the couple as they prepare to fly home and spend a week part mulling over their decision to stay together.
But it’s a very different story for Lauren and Jonathan, who have voluntarily started their time apart early.
Lauren and Jono’s solo time isn’t so they can get a clear head. It’s because they literally can’t stand the sight of each other after it was revealed that Jonathan had been texting former bride Ellie throughout the experiment.
It all combusted in a big way at the Final Dinner Party where according to Lauren, Jonathan “showed no remorse” for his actions.
“He was like god damn Patrick Bateman, he was like Australian Psycho,” Lauren scoffs.
But Jonathan is showing some emotion and at the moment it’s desperation as he pleads to finally be freed. “I can’t wait to get the f–k out of this s–tshow,” he laughs.
In one final bid to bring back all the warm and fuzzies, the experts make Lauren and Jonathan rewatch their wedding day… but it doesn’t work as they’d hoped. Sitting in separate apartments, Lauren and Jono are both left “disappointed”.
“Thank you experts for rubbing in my face how bad it is now,” Jonathan huffs.
Tori and Jack are also saying goodbye. It’s tough for Tori, who realises she’s grown to be a little “co-dependant”, but Jack is ready to “love ya and leave ya”.
“As much as I love this experiment, I can’t wait to leave it behind me,” he admits.
And just like that, Tori and Jack are off to contemplate their relationship for a whole week.
READ MORE: Jack makes a bombshell claim to his personal trainer client as he prepares for Final Vows
Jade and Ridge
Back in his hometown of Sydney, Ridge’s mate Chris can barely recognise his friend. He’s ditched the frat boy persona and is a fully-fledged husband.
“I’ve never seen Ridge this way. I don’t know what she’s done to him or if she’s cast a spell but that’s how I know he’s really into Jade,” Chris tells cameras.
On the Gold Coast, Jade has returned home to her seven-year-old daughter V and to her mum Dale who’s here to give her a reality check.
With Jade singing from the rooftops that she and Ridge are “meant to be”, Jade’s mum reminds her “it’s only been five weeks.”
“It’s sunshine and roses now but what about when reality hits? You come as a package deal and is [Ridge] really ready for that?” Dale wonders.
And Jade is starting to rethink if reformed party boy Ridge is really ready to be a stepfather.
The pair meet at the end of an aisle, Ridge is suited up, Jade is wearing a white dress. So much is the same as their Wedding Day, but Ridge is a changed man.
Ridge vows to Jade that he’s a better man and it’s all thanks to her.
“Jade in the time we’ve spent together, you’ve managed to bring out an even better version of myself, one I wasn’t even sure existed,” he says.
“You’ve helped me mature from a boys’ boy to the type of man I hope you’d be proud to have not just in your life but in V’s too.”
READ MORE: Looking back at the most dramatic Final Vows in MAFS history
Despite his strong feelings for Jade, Ridge knows he’d have to be the one to move interstate to make things work. As someone who has never lived out of home it’s a big ask.
But it’s an easy decision for Ridge who is “100 percent obsessed” with Jade. Ridge is so sure he even gives Jade a three-month timeline to move to the Gold Coast.
This is a man with serious plans!
Despite Ridge’s reassurance, Jade worries that Ridge will “let her down by running away because he’ll realise he’s not ready”. “That would break my heart,” she admits.
But she’s putting all her reservations aside and says she’s “all in for this”
“I stand here today with my walls down and can’t wait to continue this wild ride with you. You’re stuck with me now. I’m ready to take this leap of faith with you so don’t mess it up,” Jade warns.
Ridge has exhausted all his maturity for one day and beams that he’s “as happy as a dog with two d–ks”.
Quietly amused, Jade rolls her eyes, grabs her manchild by the hand and rolls off into the sunset.
This is the fairytale ending she’s always wanted and she’s finally got it.
Lauren and Jonathan
We’d love to tease this one out and make you second guess if things are really over between Lauren and Jonathan but the groom is really leaving no room for mystery here.
“Being apart from Lauren for the last few days has been amazing. The further I get away from Lauren the better I feel,” he says having returned home.
And yowza, Jonathan is really not tippy toeing around his true feelings.
Lauren is also reflecting and some time away has given her a lot of perspective. Looking back she thinks Jono may have always had feelings for Ellie.
“I feel like I was with someone putting on a facade and now I realise why, he was starting a relationship with someone else,” she says.
With the fate of Lauren and Jonathan’s relationship essentially decided, we’re gonna sit back and enjoy what we’re sure we’ll be a spectacular curtain call.
Lauren’s antics haven’t disappointed thus far and we sure she’s going out with a BANG.
It seems Jono has the same feeling we do. “Final Vows is going to be a horribly awkward experience that I’m not looking forward to at all,” he says.
“Horribly awkward” was right, there’s an awful tension in the air as the pair meet somewhere in the woods.
Lauren breaks the silence with a, “Hi”. Jono responds “Are you ready for this?”
“A ‘hello’ would have been normal,” a nervous Lauren laughs.
Jono isn’t keen for small talk and rips straight into his vows.
He starts with an obligatory reflection on some of the pleasant times he and Lauren had together, but that doesn’t last long and before you know it Jono is digging his heels in over the ‘texting Ellie’ scandal.
Jono doubles down on the fact that texting Ellie “wasn’t an issue”.
“You snatched my phone off me and pretended like the messages with Ellie were flirty, they were not,” Jonathan tells his version of events.
“Seeing you so willing to lie like that to make me look bad astonished me. And by lying to the whole group to make me look bad you showed you don’t support and it made me deeply upset. This is when I knew you weren’t the person for me.”
Lauren is gobsmacked, at one point she even laughs but stops when she realises Jono isn’t joking this is actually his version of events.
Lauren steals the mic and explains her side of when it all “came crashing down”.
“Instead of taking accountability on the Final Dinner Party, you chose to try and flip the script on me, blame me for not caring, for never liking you and not being here for the right reasons,” Lauren reads.
EXCLUSIVE: Lauren and Jono reveal how they really feel after their explosive Final Vows
“Although you completely wasted my time in terms of finding a romantic partner, you taught me that I should always trust my gut.
“Jono, I don’t see a future with you and no it’s not me, it’s you.”
Lauren immediately turns her back on Jono and walks away with a smug smile. She’s pretty satisfied knowing she got the last laugh.
And while Lauren is feeling on top of the world, so is Jonathan.
“Free at last,” he throws his hands into the air.
Tori and Jack
Mother knows best, which is why Tori is catching up with mum Melissa to get some perspective on her relationship with Jack.
Despite Melissa’s delight with Jack on his and Tori’s wedding day she has a pretty direct warning for the groom now that they’ve come out the other side of the experiment.
“If he hurts her I’ll kill him,” Melissa jokes (we think).
“My main concern is that she only knows the Jack she’s seen for the last three months, but is it the real Jack?,” she says.
Melissa’s other concern is that her daughter would be uprooting her whole life to move from Melbourne to the Gold Coast to be with Jack.
“You’re giving up everything, he’s giving up half his bed,” Melissa puts it bluntly.
But as the saying goes, you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.
Tori says she’s “infatuated” with Jack. “To put it simply, I would say I am falling in love with Jack,” Tori declares.
READ MORE: All of Dom and Ella’s Dinner Party Debriefs from MAFS 2024
But on the Gold Coast, Jack’s feelings aren’t so clear.
“It’s going to take me down to those final minutes before I see Tori to know what I want to do,” he admits.
“I won’t be afraid to turn around and change my mind.”
Ohhh, we’ve run out of time to get through a third Final Vows, so it looks like we’ll be tuning in tomorrow night to see if Tori gets her happy ending or if her mum will have to put a man hunt out for Jackaroo.
Meet us there at 7:30pm. We can’t stress enough, you don’t want to miss it.
Married At First Sight Final Vows continue Monday 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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