The Married At First Sight honeymoons have brought some couples closer together and driven a wedge between others.
None more so than Melissa and Josh who find themselves clashing over the matter of privacy.
After Josh was caught ‘lying’ about being intimate with Melissa, he promises that even though he’s a private person, he will try to “push himself outside of his comfort zone” for the sake of Melissa and the experiment. Play Video
With that row settled it’s over for the honeymoons and time for the couples to move into their new marital homes.
Pre Dinner Party
For Claire and Jesse moving in means going to separate apartments because Jesse’s shushing incident has left their relationship in tatters.
It’s not the outcome that Claire wants at all and in the hopes of rekindling things, she makes her way over to Jesse’s apartment.
Things get off to a great start when Jesse sincerely apologises for the way he spoke to Claire.
This is probably the point where Jesse should’ve stopped talking – but he doesn’t.
He then very bluntly says: “I don’t chase girls.” And that’s the reason why Claire had to make the first move to patch things up. Play Video
Those four words sure as hell cancel out Jesse’s apology and the pair are back to square one – ignoring each other.
Bronte and Harrison also have to work out their differences ahead of the Dinner Party.
The pair have been “estranged” ever since Harrison said he wasn’t sexually attracted to Bronte.
But they decide to call a truce – and by that we mean sweep everything under the rug so they save face in front of the other couples. Play Video
Cocktail Party
Lyndall and Cameron arrive hand in hand and the experts take it as a strong sign things are going well for them.
Next up Bronte and Harrison walk in, but expert Alessandra Rampolla notices they “immediately separate from each other”. Bronte makes a beeline for Lyndall and word vomits her entire wedding fiasco even though Lyndall didn’t ask.
As the other couples roll through the door all looking very smitten, Bronte tries to convince the brides – or rather herself – that she’s “not not happy”. The double negative says otherwise.
Over in the boys’ corner, Cameron opens up to the grooms about Lyndall’s cystic fibrosis “throwing a bit of a curveball”.
But the boys band around and assure Cameron that he’s got “a good support network”.
While Cameron is still learning about Lyndall’s cystic fibrosis, he tells the boys that otherwise married life has been “all back scratches and cups of tea”.
As everyone swaps sappy honeymoon stories there’s a few bets made about the likelihood of someone walking in alone.
And on that note, it’s Claire’s turn to walk in – you guessed it – alone.
Claire admits she’s “freaking out” but there’s no need because the brides swarm around her in support.
She spills her guts about what went down on the honeymoon and the girls along with Alessandra are “incredibly disappointed” in Jesse’s behaviour. Play Video
Claire arrives at the first Dinner Party alone
When Jesse arrives, Claire says her “heart is racing”.
“I don’t really know what to do right now because he won’t look for me across the room or make eye contact with me,” Claire sweats.
But this shouldn’t come as a surprise to Claire, because after all Jesse “doesn’t chase girls”.
Even still, she wants to extend an olive branch of sorts and does so in the way of a beer.
But in the experts’ words Jesse is “awkward” and “dismissive” of Claire’s offer.
Having tried with Jesse for the umpteenth time, Claire admits she “feels really stupid” and bursts into tears.
Dinner Party
As the brides and grooms take their seat at the table, Jesse tries to mentally prepare for what’s to come.
“Kill me, kill my arse,” he utters.
“I’m going into this scenario unequipped mentally to deal with the onslaught of bulls–t that I anticipate I will receive.”
Bronte and Harrison waste no time with the “onslaught of bulls–t” and press Jesse for answers. And to say Jesse isn’t impressed would be an understatement.
“Bronte is 100 per cent the enemy. I would rather have a date with my toaster in the bathtub than have to listen to her speak,” Jesse tells cameras.
After a fair amount of contemplation, Jesse spits out this well rehearsed and very mature response: “I feel like I can accept that we’re not in the best place but that we can still go ahead and have an OK night.” Play Video
And while Jesse comes across as well mannered enough, Claire quickly outs him by blurting out the details of the shushing incident and that time where Jesse mocked her.
“How do I wiggle my way out of this one?” Jesse wonders.
He decides the best way is to recount his embarrassment at Claire speaking “so loudly” that people two plane rows behind her could hear – a crime which I’m sure we’re all guilty of.
The experts take a deep breath as they realise they have their “work cut out” for them with Jesse.
“This is about Jesse’s fear, he’s threatened by this really well-developed, accomplished woman,” Mel Schilling says.Play Video
Next up on the chopping block – Harrison.
Alyssa – who has heard whispers of Bronte and Harrison’s wedding disaster – says she “senses a bit of bulls–t” coming from Harrison.
So she leads a crusade against Harrison by clinking her glass and demanding an explanation from the groom.
”A girl I was seeing – who knew I was doing this – sent a message,” Harrison explains how his wedding was ruined by Bronte’s fame-hungry friend.
Hearing this for the first time, Cameron is living for the drama and his eyes almost pop out of his head as he simultaneously stuffs a bread roll in his mouth.
While most are entertained by the story, Melinda thinks something more sinister is going on.
“I’m not buying Harrison’s side of this story,” she says.
“I think there’s more to this story, I just don’t trust him.”
Melinda self-appoints herself as judge, jury and executioner of Harrison and I am here for it.
She points out the holes in his story and questions his intentions.
Having never been held accountable for anything in his life, Harrison is not a fan of Melinda.
“I don’t appreciate being attacked like that,” he says. And of course by ‘attacked’, Harrison means called out.
After Melinda rips Harrison to shreds, it gets Bronte and the experts thinking.
“I think there’s some questionable reasons for Harrison to be here. And that is something that I’m very concerned about,” Alessandra says.
Married At First Sight continues Monday to Wednesday at 7.30pm and Sunday at 7.00pm on Channel 9 and 9Now.
