Married at First Sight featured Gina Micheletti admitting she’s not attracted to her “gingery” husband Clint Webb, Airris Williams harping on sex and confessing he’s never been in love before, Chris Thielk explaining what he won’t tolerate with Nicole Lilienthal, and Shaquille Dillon “growing on” Kirsten Grimes during the Season 16 episode that aired Wednesday night on Lifetime.
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The five Nashville-based Married at First Sight couples for Season 16 are Nicole and Chris, Gina and Clint, Kirsten and Shaquille, Airris and Jasmine Secrest, and Domynique Kloss and Mackinley Gilbert.
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Married at First Sight experts Pastor Calvin Roberson and Dr. Pepper Schwartz matched the five couples for matrimony in Tennessee.
The show features strangers meeting at the wedding altar and then spending the next eight weeks embarking on a honeymoon, moving in together, and navigating the joys and struggles of daily life together.
And at the end of the experiment, Married at First Sight’s Season 16 couples will reach “Decision Day” and have to decide whether to remain married or decide to end their marriages and divorce.
According to Pastor Cal, this is going to be the “most intense season of Married at First Sight yet.”
The Married at First Sight broadcast began with Kirsten and Shaquille finally traveling from Jackson, Mississippi, where Shaquille had to present some research for work, to the couples’ honeymoon destination of Lucea, Jamaica.
“I was stuck in Jackson, like, ‘Lord, please help me to get to Jamaica fast!'” Kirsten joked to the cameras, adding that she was happy to support her husband’s education.
And Shaquille said it was nice to have someone “rooting” him on and actually “showing up” for him. Shaquille felt security with his wife, and he gushed about how he “really, really” liked Kirsten and had been hoping to meet someone just like her when he joined Married at First Sight.
The other four couples, meanwhile, were feeling the magic and joy of honeymooning, especially Nicole and Chris, who drank from fresh coconuts off a tree and dined on French toast on Day 3 of marriage.
Nicole and Chris were proud of themselves for having a tough and serious conversation the night prior about their past relationships, and Nicole said she truly wants to know who Chris is by “Decision Day.”
“I wouldn’t say I’m in love with Nicole yet, but I can definitely see myself falling for her,” Chris shared in a confessional.
“I think she’s pretty great, and it’s been a long time since I’ve felt this happy about somebody. So it feels amazing right now. I’m just enjoying the moment and hoping it continues to last.”
Over at Airris and Jasmine’s hotel room, Jasmine ate a big plate of bacon in front of her vegetarian husband, and the couple kicked off their third day in paradise with Mimosas.
Airris explained to his wife that his previous relationships didn’t work out because he wasn’t ready to be married. He acknowledged how he wasn’t very mature and was “80 percent” responsible for the failure of his past relationships, mainly because he had given up too early.
Jasmine said she walked away from most of her past relationships as well, mainly because she wasn’t getting what she needed from her partner.
Airris, knowing his wife is a bit of a workaholic, told Jasmine that he would help her out, walk her dogs and be supportive — especially because her mother was in the hospital undergoing chemotherapy, which was an additional strain and emotional burden on Jasmine.
Jasmine promised her husband that she wouldn’t shut down on him during this difficult time, and she was just glad to hear that her husband was ready and willing to be by her side.
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Mackinley and Domynique also had a good morning together after “night cuddles and morning cuddles,” and Domynique revealed this marked her first time out of the country.
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As for Gina and Clint, they hopped on a shuttle bus for a 90-minute drive to a waterfall. They apparently got lost along the way, and their bus also detoured due to there being water in the road. The couple noted how they were certainly on an adventure, but it clearly wasn’t a fun one.
Gina called it “the ultimate honeymoon challenge,” but she said Clint kept her calm, cool and composed.
Once they finally found the waterfall, Clint said he was looking forward to seeing Gina as “the boss lady” back home, and Gina, who called herself “structured,” said maybe Clint could inspire her to work less and enjoy a little more time off.
Clint discovered that day that Gina is “adaptable,” and he said he was enjoying his time with her, even during the most unfortunate of circumstances.
Meanwhile, Mackinley and Domynique went sailing, but Mackinley — who is “less adventurous” and “a little more close-minded” than his wife, according to Domynique — reluctantly got on the boat.
Kirsten and Shaquille ended up in a similar position on Day 3 of marriage. Kirsten, a self-declared thrill-seeker who has “a need for speed,” took Shaquille on ATVs for the day. Kirsten was so excited to drive on dusty, bumpy roads, but Shaquille wasn’t really looking forward to the outing.
“My trauma comes from the accident,” Shaquille said, referring to the serious car accident he and his family had been in when he was a child. “I always try to be careful, and that’s my life. A lot of accidents have happened in my life, so I’m always trying to walk on eggshells.”
Shaquille wasn’t able to keep up with his wife, but he drove through water when he was “really scared” and at least got the job done. Kirsten was proud of her husband for coming out of his shell and trying something new.
Following their delicious breakfast, Airris and Jasmine went snorkeling and intended on vibing and getting to know each other more. Jasmine gushed about how her husband looked “good without his shirt on,” and Airris was pleased to be making memories with his new wife.
For Nicole and Chris’ part, they had a rum tasting on the beach. Nicole joked about how she’d probably end up throwing up in the ocean, and Chris was surprised his wife was able to keep up with him drinking-wise.
Nicole then shared with her husband how “old Nicole” — a big drinker and a bit “selfish” in her ways — was gone. Nicole said her former goal was to live her best life and so she partied a lot and attempted to live it up.
Once Nicole hit age 28, she moved to Nashville and started to grow up. Nicole referred to herself as “new Nicole,” but she admitted she tended to lose her cool fairly easily.
“If you’re taking it out on me, I’m not going to stand for it. I’m going to let you know that right now; I’m not going to take it,” Chris said.
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“You shouldn’t! Good,” Nicole replied.
Chris admitted to the cameras that “old Nicole” would’ve been “a problem” for him.
“The selfishness and her being a little hot-headed and a little intense, it’s definitely something in the back of my mind that I’ll keep an eye out for, because I’ve dealt with that before and it’s definitely something that I don’t want,” Chris explained in a confessional.
“I don’t want to be in a situation where [Nicole] lets her emotions get the best of [her].”
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After Kirsten and Shaquille’s outing, Shaquille told his wife that he was definitely attracted to her and it wouldn’t even matter if she put on weight. He said that she looked most beautiful in the morning without makeup on.
With that being said, Kirsten told her husband that he was “definitely growing on” her, which caught Shaquille off-guard and surprised him a little bit.
Kirsten confessed that she wasn’t really attracted to Shaquille on their wedding day because of his bald head but she was feeling increasingly more attracted to him as she spent more time with him.
Shaquille called the disclosure “awkward,” but he was convinced physical attraction can grow.
Kirsten also shared how she doesn’t like kissing a lot, and Shaquille pointed out how he’d be patient. Kirsten confirmed to the cameras that she and Shaquille weren’t kissing because of who she is — and not because of Shaquille.
“I can be affectionate, but I’ve never been big on kissing,” Kirsten said. “We’re working on all of that. It takes baby steps with me sometimes, so we’re taking baby steps.”
Baby steps included holding hands for Kirsten, and she told her husband that she likes physical touch.
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Once Gina and Clint’s adventure was over, Clint could tell his wife isn’t high maintenance. The couple got into their bathrobes and enjoyed some white wine in bed, and Gina shared how her ex-boyfriend got insecure when she went after her dreams and wasn’t much of a contributor.
Gina liked talking about what she desired in a man with Clint before getting into the physical part of their relationship.
That night, Jasmine and Airris enjoyed a romantic candlelight dinner on the beach. Jasmine asked Airris what he wanted to know about her, and he replied, “What’s your favorite sexual position?”
Jasmine seemed shocked and scolded her husband, pleading the fifth on that question. Airris therefore asked his wife to reveal her favorite color, which was lavender.
“Do you know that women’s whose favorite color is lavender, their favorite sexual position is downward facing dog? It’s a yoga position but it also translates into sex,” Airris explained.
Jasmine laughed at her husband, but he insisted that’s “a known fact,” at least based on his own years of research.
“My wife is more reserved but I feel like she’s got a demon inside and I’ve got to pull that demon side out of her!” Airris said in a confessional.
“And that’s going to be fun. I’ve never been a sex mentor, but I can show her the ways. I’ll just add that on my resume — software engineer [and] sex mentor. That’s a hell of a resume to me.”
Jasmine admitted to her husband that she’s “modest” in that department and isn’t the best at expressing what she needs and wants in that aspect. Airris said Jasmine was giving him “class” and “lady” vibes.
“You need to give me whore [vibes],” Airris said, before bursting into laughter.
Jasmine told the cameras that while she enjoys sex, she just needs a man who will help her enjoy sex more.
On Day 4 of marriage, Clint and Gina ordered some frozen cocktails on the beach, and Clint pointed out how they clicked and their honeymoon had been great so far.
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“But at the end of the day, I don’t know how you’re feeling, but I’m not feeling this overwhelming physical, like, chemistry for sure,” Gina opened up to her spouse.
“I don’t want to force anything, so I don’t know. How do you feel on that?”
Clint said he felt the same way but the experts had clearly matched them up for a reason and so maybe they’d go through something together that would change their perspective.
“For me, I feel like physical attraction is definitely something that is unexplainable. I don’t think it happens overnight. I’ve been in a relationship before where it wasn’t the first initial thing that hit me. I think it can grow over time… [based] on how someone treats you… or being inspired by them.”
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Gina mentioned how she was staying open-minded about the attraction, but Clint found it disappointing his wife had verbalized that so early in their relationship.
Clint told Gina that they got along really well, which was undeniable, and she promised that she was in it for the long haul.
“The one thing I find interesting is I was like, ‘I don’t really vibe with redheads, like gingery features,” Gina admitted. “Not to say you’re unattractive, but that’s just what you are. You are gingery and not my typical.”
That night, Mackinley cracked a lot of jokes with his wife at dinner. Knowing Domynique wants an outdoorsy man willing to get his hands dirty, Mackinley joked about how he had made their dinner table and chairs.
“I’m a fisherman, I’m a sailman, I’m a fish. I’m a natural sea guy. I’m just being coy about it so I’ll surprise you,” Mackinley teased.
Domynique was worried she’d have to bait her husband’s hook when they eventually went fishing, but Domynique told her partner that she couldn’t have asked for a better match.
Meanwhile, Chris and Nicole also enjoyed a romantic dinner on the beach, and Nicole called him her “dream husband so far.” Chris felt the same way, but he admitted to his wife that he wasn’t in love with her yet.
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“But I can see it,” Chris assured Nicole, whom he called “the most beautiful wife in Jamaica.”
Chris then asked Nicole if she’d like to have children. Chris could definitely see himself becoming a father, especially since he was already 36-years-old, and he envisioned having one boy and one girl.
But Nicole admittedly never saw herself having kids since she considered herself a “Nomad” and “wanderer” for a while.
As Nicole got older, Nicole said she became “open” to having kids — but she still wasn’t “dying to have them.” Nicole shared how she’s very career focused and would have a lot to think about.
“It’s something we need to make a decision on together,” Chris told Nicole.
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Nicole then lamented in a confessional, “I do have a fear that one day he will want kids, and because we were so lackadaisical, we won’t be able to have them. So it’s something I really have to actively think about and not be like, ‘Let’s try and if it happens, great.'”
Before Day 4 of marriage came to an end, Mackinley and Domynique swam in the pool together and held each other in their arms. Mackinley also surprised his wife with a cute heart-shaped dessert.
Mackinley said he and Domynique were building a physical attraction, and he gushed about how his wife’s breasts were “awesome” and “screaming at” him. Mackinley also complimented Domynique’s beautiful smile.
“Mack thinks he’s funny. He’s kind of funny, but please don’t tell him I said that,” Domynique told the cameras.
Meanwhile, Shaquille asked Kirsten to open up to him and share everything about who she is. Kirsten advised her husband to ask questions rather than present conversation to her. She sometimes felt he was talking “at” her rather than with her.
Shaquille expressed how he had been very focused on giving Kirsten perfect answers because he tended to overthink things. Kirsten assured her husband that he didn’t have to be perfect and she just wanted him to relax and be herself with her.
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On Day 5 of marriage, Airris and Jasmine took a walk together, and Jasmine gushed about how the stars had aligned for them to come together and fit into each other’s lives perfectly.
But then Airris suddenly revealed how he had never been in love before, which clearly concerned and worried Jasmine. Airris clarified that he felt “love” for exes and would do anything for them, but he never felt head-over-heels, googly-eyes “in love” with a person.
Jasmine said she’d never stay in a relationship, like Airris, for a year-and-a-half if she wasn’t in love, and so she feared Airris may just “go through the motions” in relationships — and she didn’t want him to do that with her.
Jasmine found the idea of Airris potentially not falling in love with her “scary,” and she wasn’t expecting to hear that.
“It gives me a sort of pressure. You’re 39 and you’ve never been in love and we’re married, and we have this short timeframe to figure out if we want to stay together or not. So, like, do you have to be in love at the end of this to say yes?” Jasmine asked.
“You may not be in love at the end either,” Airris replied.
“I know, but do you have to be in love to say yes?” Jasmine repeated.
“I don’t know the answer to that,” Airris confessed. “If I’ve never been in love, I would say it’s pretty hard to fall in love — not saying that it’s not possible.”
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About The Author:
Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.