8 Mistakes The Married At First Sight Experts Are Making In Season 18 (Their Incompetence Is Shocking)

Throughout Married At First Sighthistory there have been incidents where the experts have struggled to do their jobs successfully, but the current season of the show has shown the experts making mistakes at a whole new level. Throughout Married At First Sight season 18, the expert panel has done their best to create couples who can make their relationships work throughout the experiment. While some of the couples have been trying more than others to make things work and build a foundation for their future, other couples have struggled to keep their relationships alive in the simplest of circumstances.

The Married At First Sight experts have struggled to create couples who are able to make their relationships work throughout the duration of the experiment for seasons at a time, failing to create more than two successful couples in the last six seasons. Dr. Pepper Schwartz, MAFS’ longest-running expert, has been working with Pastor Cal Roberson for nearly the duration of her time on the show. While Dr. Pepper and Pastor Cal have been part of the series for nearly a decade, Dr. Pia Holec has only been part of the panel for a few seasons, but hasn’t been successful.

Although Married At First Sight doesn’t guarantee success to the participants who sign up to find their partners via a blind matchmaking process, the show does try to ensure the participants that they’re working with have a positive experience in some ways. Throughout the last several seasons of Married At First Sight, the couples have been more involved in working with one another on their relationships than with the experts. During Married At First Sight season 18 specifically, the participants have been struggling without the help of the experts throughout the season.

While the experts have been saying they’ve worked hard to ensure that the MAFS participants are functioning in their marriages, they’ve barely been present this season and have rarely offered helpful advice to the cast. Though the couples have been shown in multiple counseling sessions with the MAFS experts, they haven’t been doing well with the minimal advice they’ve gotten from the expert panel, nor have they been able to figure out how to navigate the issues they’ve been facing. The Married At First Sight experts haven’t been present, and need to fix their mistakes moving forward.

8 The MAFS Experts Should Not Have Cast Michelle

She’s Not Actively Participating In The Experiment

Although Michelle Tomblin has become one of the most difficult Married At First Sight cast members in franchise history, the experts had a hand in bringing her to the series and setting her up with her MAFS husband David Trimble. Throughout the early episodes of Married At First Sight season 18, the experts were tasked with justifying their choices for the cast members, as well as the couples they were putting together with the singles of the season. During the MAFS season 18 matchmaking special, the experts explained why they chose to put David & Michelle together.

While Michelle has been a major part of the season, her casting on the show was something that the experts should’ve thought more thoroughly on. Throughout MAFS season 18, it’s been clear that Michelle wasn’t ready for the kind of mature relationship she said she was looking for. Michelle’s attitude has been pushing viewers away and negatively impacting her relationship with her MAFS spouse David throughout the season.

7 The MAFS Experts Ignored David's Red Flag Living Situation

He’s Still Living With His Parents

Although Michelle’s issues have been a major part of Married At First Sight season 18, there have been some serious red flags throughout the season surrounding her MAFS spouse David. David’s time on the show has been interesting, as many have found issues with his behavior, while others have defended him valiantly. David’s decision not to tell his MAFS wife Michelle upfront that he lived with his parents was strange, and when she found out, it became clear that she had major issues with his lack of independence.

David, who works in the public sector as a social worker, shared with the MAFS experts that he was living outside of his parent’s house before, but chose to move back in with them in recent years. He revealed to Michelle that he lived with his family, but decided not to explain that he was doing so because he wanted to save up money to buy a house with his future partner. The MAFS experts have ignored David’s lack of independence, and the fact that Michelle was clear she was looking for someone deeply independent as a partner.

6 Dr. Pia Let Ikechi's Bad Attitude Slide

She Didn’t Call Him Out

Although the Married At First Sight experts worked hard to move through the matchmaking process, the couples they’ve put together have a range of connections. While Michelle and David aren’t connecting, most of the couples this season have had some sort of foundation to build their relationships on, like Ikechi Ojoré and Emem Obot. While Ikechi and Emem seemed like they would likely be a good fit as they moved through the early phases of the matchmaking process, things changed quickly when they met and got married.

Ikechi, who has been part of the MAFS community for years after applying to be on the show twice before the current season, has had some major red flags throughout the duration of the season. While he’s been showing his true colors in his relationship with Emem, he’s also been struggling with a poor attitude throughout his time in counseling sessions. Ikechi’s bad attitude reared its ugly head in a session with Dr. Pia, but when viewers and Emem looked to the professional to let him know it wasn’t okay, she let his behavior slide and didn’t comment on it.

5 The MAFS Experts Did Not Help David & Michelle On Their Honeymoon

The Couple Could’ve Been Couseled Earlier

Although the Married At First Sight experts are meant to be a part of the show that helps the participants move through their relationships with some sense of ease, there are many moments during the early stretch of the season when they’re not available. MAFS stars are meant to be able to confide in the experts throughout the season, but they don’t often find themselves able to simply talk to the experts without it being filmed or scheduled. While they’re supposed to have the experts at their disposal, it’s dictated completely by the schedule of the show rather than the needs of the participants.

The Married At First Sight experts weren’t available to the participants throughout the early moments of the season, especially during the honeymoon portion of the show. While David and Michelle’s relationship wasn’t working throughout the early episodes of the season, the couple wasn’t given access to any help from the experts or information about how to work through their problems. Instead, the Married At First Sight couple were left to their own devices, which caused them to spiral into further problems.

4 Dr. Pepper & Pastor Cal Are Too Aloof About The Couples' Problems

They’re Not Specific In Their Sessions

Throughout their time as Married As First Sight experts, Dr. Pepper and Pastor Cal have been consistent in the way they offer advice to couples and counsel them through. Despite knowing that their behavior can be a model for how the participants behave as they move through the experiment, Dr. Pepper and Pastor Cal tend to be difficult to read. While Dr. Pia tends to be a bit more in-depth, Pastor Cal and Dr. Pepper are often more aloof about the issues couples are facing.

Throughout their time on Married At First Sight season 18, Pastor Cal specifically has been someone that viewers are struggling to stand behind in the way he advises couples. He’s been clear in the fact that he isn’t thinking about the specific issues couples are facing, and instead is dealing in the more general topics that relationship counselors cover. Both Dr. Pepper and Pastor Cal are set in their ways, which aren’t working for their matches.

3 The MAFS Experts Let Camille Put Down Thomas

They Didn’t Account For Camille’s Behavior

Although the MAFS experts aren’t around for every situation, they often have to deal with situations that have happened while they aren’t around, counseling the couples through past conversations and actions. With Camille and Thomas, who appear to be one of the couples that may work out on Married At First Sight season 18, the experts have struggled in their sessions as they feel there’s not much to work on for the pair.

Camille, who has been clear with her Married At First Sight husband Thomas about what she’s looking for in their relationship, has been open about what she wants to work on with her husband. Despite the fact that Camille has been upfront about what she wants to change in her MAFS husband, the experts haven’t chosen to speak to her about putting Thomas down. Instead, they’ve taken her behavior into consideration as something they need to help shift, but haven’t called her out for it.

2 The MAFS Experts Are Not Being Hard Enough On Karla

She’s Acting Immaturely With Juan

The Married At First Sight experts have been open about the fact that they aren’t policing the actions of their participants, and while that’s sometimes a good thing, it’s sometimes a negative. This season, there have been several instances of participants struggling in their behavior, especially in the way they’re treating their relationships. Karla Juarez, who’s married to Juan Franco on MAFS season 18, has been open about the fact that she feels she can be high maintenance at times.

Despite knowing that she wants more out of her MAFS relationship, Karla’s actions throughout the season have been immature and dramatic at times. She’s been provoking arguments and pushing drama throughout their time on screen, and her relationship with Juan has suffered from it. Even though Karla has been bringing up her less-than-mature behavior on Married At First Sight season 18, the experts haven’t called her out for it or tried to help her move past it in a concrete way.

1 The MAFS Experts Didn't Recognize Ikechi Is A Clout Chaser

They Didn’t Practice Precaution Around His Appearance

Although Married At First Sight season 18 finally brought Ikechi into the show, it wasn’t the first time he’s tried to be part of the series. Ikechi has tried out for MAFS three times, auditioning for two past seasons of the series and getting rejected. While he was insistent on wanting to be part of Married At First Sight at some point, it was clear that Ikechi didn’t work for the seasons he auditioned for in the past.

With the MAFSChicago season pushing Ikechi into the spotlight, it quickly became clear that he was more of a clout chaser than an actual participant. While he may claim that he’s looking for a lasting love with Emem, Ikechi appears to be trying to promote himself over finding a genuine relationship. The Married At First Sight experts should’ve been able to spot Ikechi’s clout chasing behavior and kept him off the show, but instead, they allowed him onto the series.

Married At First Sight airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. EST on Lifetime.

Source: Married At First Sight/Instagram