Married at first sight fans have found an indicator as to why the franchise has had increasingly low success rates among couples. Married at first sight season 18 is currently airing and follows the marriage journey of five couples. This season shows more promise for couples than in recent years, but that should change in the coming episodes. From seasons 14 to 17 alone, only two couples remained together, making the success rate only 10%. Looking at historical data, MAFS fans have determined what is contributing to the failure rate.
On Reddit, Married at first sight fan u/Tom67570 started a thread about general expert statistics since the show's debut in 2014. Dr. Pepper Schwartz and Pastor Cal Roberson are the longest-serving experts and a lot has changed regarding the structure and format over the years. The big advantage they noticed between previous seasons, with high couple success rates, and the low rates now has to do with the number of couples per season.
“Seasons 1 to 7 only had 3 couples. The experts worked hard with lots of therapy, challenges and exercises. The couples were also mostly separated during the show. This led to their greatest success.”
What the MAFS Failure Indicator Means for the Program
Fewer couples is key
The failure of Married at first sight in the last half decade has to do with the change in the structure of the show and the lack of attention and personalized advice given to each couple. Having just three couples per season gives each pair the time and attention needed for the experiment. The narrative of the seasons with fewer couples was also more about the couples' growth together and less about the group dynamics between matches.
“Clearly bringing in 5 couples killed the show. Some people think there's a theory that they're deliberately bringing in horrible matches to get better trash ratings. A fair theory. But I truly believe they work less with them 1 on 1 , and pushing them to leave together produces a contagious negative impact.”
Give MAFS in season 18, for example, there will be a cheating scandal and a couple switch that probably wouldn't have happened if the couples hadn't mixed so much. THE The show's motivations are more about drama these days and less about giving couples the tools and expert attention they need to build a solid enough foundation to say yes on decision day. If MAFS wants to produce more lasting couples, there should be fewer games each season.
Our opinion on the failure rate and changes to the MAFS structure
The production doesn't care enough about its cast
Since Married at first sight he has skewed toward more couples with more interaction for greater chances of drama and the entertainment value through this shows that the production doesn't care about the cast. If the production were more concerned with the well-being of the matches and the longevity of the couples, there would be fewer couples again. As it is, Married at first sightThe failure rate of is attributed to the number of couples and a lack of attention from experts, and fans are emphasizing this as season 18 unfolds with ill-fated couples.
Married at first sight airs Tuesdays at 8pm EST on Lifetime.
Source: u/Tom67570/Reddit