Married at First Sight featured Johnny Lam feeling “manipulated and played” by Bao Huong Hoang, Ryan Ignasiak admitting his romantic feelings for Brett were nonexistent, San Miguel apologizing to Rachel Gordillo after their explosive fight, and Michaela Clark and Myrla Feria realizing they’re in love with their spouses at the one-month mark of marriage during Wednesday night’s Season 13 episode on Lifetime.
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Married at First Sight’s thirteenth season stars Myrla and Gil Cuero, Johnny and Bao, Michaela and Zack Freeman, Rachel and Jose, and Brett and Ryan.
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The five couples were matched for matrimony by Married at First Sight’s experts Pastor Calvin Roberson, Dr. Pepper Schwartz, and Dr. Viviana Coles.
The Married at First Sight broadcast began on Day 28, with Jose facing Rachel after their explosive fight over Rachel accidentally calling him “Johnny.”
Jose said he and Rachel weren’t really on speaking terms and she hadn’t returned any of his texts, and so he wasn’t sure if they had a future together.
“I still feel like I haven’t received the apology that I deserve,” Rachel complained. “I was locked out of the apartment and you just didn’t seem sorry.”
Jose insisted he didn’t lock Rachel out of the house intentionally or out of spite because he always locks the doors before bed. Jose apologized for locking the deadlock but followed that up with, “I didn’t mean to do it,” which Rachel called an “excuse.”
Rachel wanted to hear Jose say that he was truly, deeply sorry and wanted to do better, but Jose firmly repeated with little emotion, “I’m sorry and it will never happen again,” which Rachel didn’t feel was good enough.
Rachel hated how Jose had spoken to her and acted the day after their argument.
“I’m willing to move and do all this stuff for this person, and this person doesn’t care for me,” Rachel cried.
Jose said he absolutely cared for Rachel and had texted her something along the lines of, “I know you want a divorce and you won’t care about this text but I miss you and I love you.”
Rachel said an apology was missing from that text message and she would only move forward once Jose apologized sincerely.
On locking her out, Jose snapped, “Are you ever going to get over it, ever?! Okay I f-cked up, so what the f-ck do you want me to do?… I can’t go back and change it.”
Rachel wondered if her husband’s personality is quick-tempered and hot-headed as a result of their fight, but Jose promised his wife those aren’t his core issues and he can fix that behavior.
Jose told Rachel that he would try to communicate better but he needs time to cool off after a disagreement before talking things out.
“I’m not perfect and I’m trying to tell you that I’m sorry for what I did,” Jose said. “It happened once but we’re going to fix it and move forward from it.”
Rachel said she appreciated that apology and finally felt better, and then she and Jose appeared to get their relationship back on track.
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However, Rachel said she had only decided to give Jose another chance because they’re married and she’d typically run from a relationship in a scenario like that.
“I can’t predict the future. Will he charm me and sweep me off my feet? We shall see,” Rachel noted.
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On Day 29 of marriage, Ryan cooked Brett a nice breakfast and surprised her with a little scavenger hunt in their apartment. After reading clues and finding the last letter, Ryan gave Brett a gift card to Lululemon so she could buy herself some new athletic clothes.
Ryan also thanked Brett for being the person she is and for being patient with him.
Brett thought the game was cute, but she still hoped, wished and prayed Ryan would verbalize his feelings more and make more of an effort when it came to sex and intimacy.
Brett was feeling positive, optimistic and ready to take their relationship to the next level, but Ryan appeared to be holding himself back given the couple had only kissed four weeks into the extreme experiment.
That night, Michaela and Zack went on a salsa-dancing double date with Myrla and Gil, which is his passion. Gil said he’d like for his wife to enjoy dancing with him and the salsa would show their chemistry and compatibility.
About halfway through the lesson, Myrla appeared to nail the moves while the men looked great on the dance floor. Michaela, however, apparently grew insecure and got inside her head and stopped moving — and so she decided to sit out the lesson.
“Seeing Michaela doesn’t want to participate doesn’t really surprise me because she goes hot to cold, hot to cold all the time, and it’s very confusing,” Zack noted.
Michaela claimed she still had a great time but didn’t want to salsa for no good reason. Gil called Michaela out for not trying, but Michaela insisted she had tried the basic steps.
Gil told Michaela that she hadn’t even tried one step with her husband in his arms, and Michaela announced that her relationship with Zack was “a stalemate” and they were moving backwards rather than forward.
“There is only so much a person can bare, like hearing certain words come at you,” Michaela explained.
Zack recalled telling Michaela that he didn’t see a light at the end of the tunnel and was doubtful their romance would work out long-term, and Michaela said she wanted to “be wanted” and to be with a man who definitely sees a future together.
“I’m not feeling that with my husband,” Michaela said.
But Zack assured Michaela that he felt strongly for her right after meeting and the fact he didn’t see a future with her could change.
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Gil told the couple that if they truly wanted to be together and make their relationship work, regardless of their differences, everything would start to come together and fall in line.
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Later that evening, Brett revealed her dog had thrown up multiple times and seemed very sick. Brett took her dog to an emergency clinic as a result and learned her pup was experiencing kidney failure.
Brett’s dog had to be hospitalized and she learned he’d have a 50/50 survival rate.
Meanwhile, Jose realized he’s not a great communicator and listener, and he acknowledged failing at “a couple things.”
Jose proceeded to make Rachel several promises — including that he’d never lock the door without talking to her first, and he’d be less controlling and make more eye contact during conversation.
The biggest one was Jose saying he’d better manage his anger and hold himself accountable for his mistakes. Jose was ready to do whatever it takes to make his marriage work and show his progress in his actions.
In turn, Rachel told Jose that she would be upfront with him and express her issues or concerns right away instead of sitting on them and letting them build up into a bigger problem.
Jose hoped to return to Cloud 9, and Rachel said they just had a bad three days after an amazing three weeks together.
On Day 30 of marriage, Johnny and Bao went skydiving together and Bao said she felt “giddy.”
At the halfway point of the experiment, Johnny said he was 100 percent committed to Bao and he understood why the Married at First Sight experts had matched them.
Johnny said he wanted to continue spontaneous moments and activities and build sexual tension in the little moments every day.
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Bao told Johnny to touch her and hug and cuddle more, especially in times when she needs comfort from him, but Johnny said she just didn’t get what bothered him.
Bao told the cameras she had pushed and stretched herself in this process and needed more physical intimacy from Johnny on a normal daily basis. She wished her husband would just “throw [her] a bone.”
And for Myrla and Gil’s one-month anniversary, Gil surprised Myrla with a trip to a winery.
Gil set up a beautiful display for Myrla outdoors with a picnic, flowers, lanterns, wine, a charcuterie board, and macarons. Myrla was actually “speechless” about Gil’s gesture and finally seemed very impressed with her husband.
Gil admitted Myrla being close-minded got under his skin a little bit but he chose to continue their marriage and take whatever he could get.
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The pair hadn’t even argued yet, and Myrla said she had been comfortable with Gil from the start. Gil agreed their romance didn’t feel forced and their slow pace ended up being beneficial.
“I like you. I’m having those good feelings when I think about you and I’m not around you,” Gil shared. “Those falling-in-love feelings are slowly approaching.”
Myrla said Gil made her laugh every day and brought her joy, so she concluded that she was thrilled with her decision to marry a stranger and her marriage was on the up and up!
Meanwhile, Michaela and Zack went to a music studio for a date Michaela had planned. She wanted happy Zack back, and she appeared to achieve that by playing instruments with her husband and enjoying glasses of champagne together.
In light of all the ups and downs they had been through, Michaela said she continued to learn more and more about herself, and Zack said he must view things from others’ perspectives sometimes.
Zack thought Michaela’s date was really sweet and thoughtful, and he said he was “very thankful” to be with her. He said he wouldn’t change anything that had happened, even if he could go back in time.
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Meanwhile, Brett revealed how she was going through “a uniquely hard time” because she had to put her beloved dog, Baxter, down. Ryan assured Brett that he was there for her, which she found “really sweet,” but she was definitely in pain.
Brett decided not to cancel her one-month anniversary date with Ryan and instead celebrate their relationship and its progress.
“He’s important to me and I want to show him that he’s important to me by still going on our date,” Brett shared.
Ryan realized Brett is “such a loving person” and he wanted to protect her heart and to show how much she cared about him, so he surprised his wife with a special screening at the movie theater of their wedding and reception.
Watching the video made Ryan a little upset and deflated because he had been so hopeful on his wedding day that he was about to marry his “forever” person.
“I was hopeful that these feelings were going to come, but now we’re a month in and they’re lesser now than they were the first night!” Ryan admitted in a confessional.
“I feel like maybe I’m to blame for that, and I feel maybe I need to put more effort in and need to reciprocate. I’m not feeling like I did when I was at the altar, and that’s what makes this so hard because I don’t want to hurt her feelings.”
That night before bed, Myrla surprised Gil with a romantic setup of cookies and flowers in the bedroom in honor or their one-month anniversary, and she gushed about them being so happy and good to each other.`
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Gil said he was enjoying life with Myrla and believed they could build a meaningful life together. He felt he could be himself around her and that Myrla “is the right person” for him.
Gil later gifted his wife a pooper scooper for his dog Hype but joked about how Myrla’s thanks wasn’t real.
Zack then took Michaela on a little “staycation” to make up for the honeymoon they had missed due to Zack’s COVID-19 diagnosis. He even wrote “Z [hearts] M” on the bed and popped some champagne.
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Zack told Michaela that he really cared about and appreciated her, and Michaela made a commitment to keep trying, especially after Zack gifted her a necklace and bracelet with their wedding date on it.
“I know that we both really want this. I do love him” Michaela said.
“It’s uncomfortable for me to say because I’ve never done anything like this, but being that I’m learning and I’m growing… there has to be something there — and it’s love. I can’t believe this is happening to me!”
On Day 31 of marriage, Jose blindfolded Rachel and surprised her with a lunch date on the pitcher’s mound of a baseball field since she’s a huge fan of the Houston Astros. Rachel said her husband showed how caring and thoughtful he is, and she felt very appreciated.
“It’s crazy to think that a couple of days ago, we were going through some major issues. I was having doubts whether I loved my husband or even if I wanted to be with my husband,” Rachel explained.
“And now to be here… just playing and having a great time, [I’m] falling in love with my husband again, and it feels great.”
Jose then told his wife they could have separate bank accounts instead of a joint account, and he acknowledged he must pay more attention to his wife when she talks.
Rachel revealed she was actually happy about the fight she and Jose had because she was able to bring up her concerns and be honest with her husband. She no longer felt pressure to fit into her husband’s mold, and Jose was happy to have found his teammate.
Johnny and Bao were then shown meeting with friends separately, and Johnny’s pal noticed that he was focusing too much on the negatives of his marriage, like when Bao would do an activity and focus on the end goal rather than on the fun and flirtatious moments in between.
Johnny’s friend advised him to “make a move” and reassure his wife about his feelings, even if it just meant holding her hand while cooking with her.
And Bao complained about always being the big spoon in bed and needing more affection from Johnny.
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Bao also told her friend that Johnny loves PDA when she’s not a big fan.
The five couples then gathered together for a nice dinner out so they could swap stories and give each other advice.
Zack announced to the group he could see himself falling in love with Michaela because she’s so thoughtful, and Michaela shared, “I already love Zack — and I told him that. We’ve gone through our conflicts but now we’re past it.”
Michaela felt the experts had given her the perfect man for herself, and Gil said he loved seeing Michaela and Zack on good terms and in a happy place.
Rachel also confirmed she and Jose were “totally in love” again and doing really well.
Ryan couldn’t help but judge the other couples and compare his romance with Brett to the other ones. Ryan desired being in love and starting a family, but he was still missing that spark with Brett.
Ryan told the group that he cared about Brett and respected the hell out of her and cared about her, but he said they had endured a lot of ups and downs and were “still in limbo with everything.”
“I’m trying to be cognizant of her emotions and her feelings,” Ryan said, explaining why he was still a bit guarded.
Brett also noted her relationship was a struggle and she was going through a hard time. She thanked everyone for reaching out to her about her dog and said she was still hopeful about her future with Ryan.
“My heart is going to always be open for the hope that that will be enough,” Brett shared.
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Gil then said he was “100 percent in like” with Myrla and was “definitely on the road to falling in love” with Myrla because she is a “special and unique princess.”
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Gil said he and Myrla wanted the same things, and the Myrla declared, “I made the choice to love my husband. There is so much good in his heart, I think he’s everything I imagined a husband would be. He is just an extra step above that, and I never thought that would be possible.”
Myrla said Gil made her feel so special every single day.
Bao said she was “growing in like with Johnny” and was trying really hard by meal-prepping, baking and cooking gourmet meals, which only made Johnny shake his head in disbelief and disappointment.
Johnny said Bao had only cooked one time and she played “the victim card” too much. Bao also announced that Johnny wanted her to initiate intimacy more in their relationship when she was used to being “courted” in the past.
“It’s always her that’s trying too hard and I’m not trying enough,” Johnny complained in a confessional. “It’s always her changing. I’m not ready. I’m not ready for this.”
Johnny decided to speak to his wife privately about their issues rather than talk openly with the group, and everyone said they understood that. Johnny said he was tired of being blamed for doing things wrong, such as “expecting too much or being too critical.”
“I feel like I’m caught in her web of stuff,” Johnny told the cameras. “I feel like I’m being manipulated and I feel like I’m being played sometimes.”
Johnny told Jose outside of the restaurant that Bao was lying and trying to make herself look good, and he called her “controlling” and manipulative again as well as “calculating.”
“I don’t want that in a wife. She keeps giving herself credit for things she hasn’t done — like stuff she says she’s going to do but she hasn’t followed through on,” Johnny complained.
“I want a wife who follows through on what she commits to.”
Jose advised Johnny to have that tough conversation because he wanted to see them succeed.
“I wanted it so bad. Square peg — round hole, and it’s just going to be something that’s an uphill battle for me,” Johnny said.
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Johnny determined that Bao needed people to like her and view her in a positive light. He said she would do “whatever it takes to get that.”
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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.