premiere of Married At First Sight, the show brings together the experts to show off the matches who will be featured throughout the season. Dr. Pepper Schwartz, Dr. Pia Holec, and Pastor Cal Roberson each sit down with the applicants who have made it to the end of the screening process and discuss what they want to see in a relationship.

With Married At First Sight season 18 bringing together five new couples, the matchmaking special shared their identities and revealed more about their lives before the MAFS process. While each of the singles seemed interesting, the experts talked through the potential matches they’d be able to make and which couples seemed to have the best chance at lasting. After seasons of the Married At First Sight experts being criticized for making poor decisions, seeing their thought process was helpful, albeit somewhat unnecessary. While their thoughts were helpful, the matchmaking special itself only hurt the show, leaving viewers with false hope.

The MAFS Experts Ignored Red Flag Answers From Cast

They Didn’t Pick Up On Potential Issues

Married At First Sight season 18’s matchmaking special fell into a specific trap that most of the MAFS seasons do, but many were hopeful to see this season be a season of change. During the special, the experts failed to see the many red flags from the participants during their extended interviews. From Juan’s potential playboy status to Karla’s flighty nature, it seems possible that the singles aren’t actually ready for marriage in a way that works for MAFS and could derail the season with unnecessary drama. Ignoring the singles’ red flags is an insult to the audience.

The MAFS Experts Did Not Dive Deep Enough With Cast

They Didn’t Probe For Answers

Although the MAFS experts had the opportunity to conduct extended interviews with the cast, it appeared that they weren’t using them to truly get to know who they were. Rather than going through the potential cast ’ closets and checking out what was in their nightstands, the experts should’ve spent time diving deep into their psyches. By not doing their due diligence, the Married At First Sight experts left a lot of room for error.

In past seasons, viewers have complained that the experts don’t seem to be aware of the deep-seated issues that many of the participants have walking into the experiment. Without giving them in-depth interviews or looking into their pasts in a way that allows them to truly analyze what’s going on with the cast , the experts aren’t really getting to know them. Doing a deeper dive would’ve been nice to see on the MAFS season 18 matchmaking special.

The MAFS Are Not Trying Any New Casting Strategies

They Did Everything The Same As They Always Have

Although the tried and true methods have created fun reality TV, the way the experts have worked throughout the years have made it clear that they don’t really have a proven method for matching up couples. Seeing some new matchmaking tactics would’ve been exciting during the MAFS season 18 matchmaking special, but it wasn’t surprising to see very little that wasn’t already expected. Sadly, the Married At First Sight experts haven’t learned from previous seasons of the series that change can be good.

The Matchmaking Special Proved Season 18 Will Fail

The Couples Aren’t Likely To Be Successful

While the season is just getting started, it appears that if the Married At First Sight season 18 matchmaking special is any indicator, the season won’t be successful. With five couples who seem to be matched with the same credentials that MAFS has always used, the series won’t be changing much throughout the season. Despite viewers begging Married At First Sight to make some major changes ahead of the new season, the experts and producers seem to be sticking with the same methods that have failed them before.

Married At First Sight premieres on Tuesday, October 15 at 8 p.m. EDT on Lifetime.

Source: Married At First Sight/Instagram