The week of MAFS may be done and dusted, but there is plenty more feedback on the way, courtesy of the experts.
But first, it’s time for our weekly coffee-in-bed recap from Stella and Filip: they had a fun night smooching at the Dinner Party, but believe Scott and Danny spent most of the Dinner Party disassociating while their brides fought.
Same old, then!
Despite storming out and declaring herself “done”, it turns out Bec was not done at all.
She’s still here, and she and Danny have had a miraculous make-up overnight.
Everything’s hunky-dory, she reckons, but I’m interested in what the experts think about that.
Let’s get comfy on the couch, shall we?
Gia and Scott
Gia is nervous about coming face-to-face with the expert trio for the first time since she walked out last week.
Those nerves are well-placed, as John Aiken immediately quizzes her on what happened.
She felt the focus on her for sharing the screenshots of Bec’s comments was unfair, but the experts disagree.
“It was very high school,” John says.
Gia regrets sending the messages to Juliette, and let us all hold hands and pray we never hear the word “receipt” ever again after this.
She also felt attacked during the Feedback Week tasks, with the anonymous letter calling out her being so involved in drama.
Scott didn’t see it as an attack, and is left wondering if this kind of negativity will follow their relationship outside of the experiment.
Gia does not like that.
Despite that, they both say they feel secure in the relationship and have chosen to stay.
John tells her to move forward by seeing Scott bringing up issues as feedback, rather than an attack.
Scott loves that advice and hopes it will mean he can finally stop being scared of her.
Rachel and Steven
Rachel and Steven cannot stop smiling after a week of sad nachos, “falling in love” confessions and Captain Steve-o.
After trying on the hat, he’s down to get the full captain outfit and take charge some more – starting with a big ol’ “stay”!
Chris and Sam
It’s the first time the experts have seen Chris and Sam look anything but happy together, so this is a shock!
After recapping their disaster of a week, John wonders how Sam gently bringing up a concern has blown out into … this:
He suggests Chris took Sam’s comment as a rejection, causing him to become defensive. It’s not about Sam throwing him under the bus, but looking for help on how to talk to him.
And he hopes Chris uses this as a catalyst to change how he communicates.
Chris nods and gives a veryyyy half-hearted yes, because of this:
Sam starts to cry.
He didn’t expect their first hiccup would lead to Chris “giving up”.
He was anticipating some helpful advice to get them back on track, which is why he’s written stay, meaning they will be here for another week.
They head back to the group and Chris is not happy about that: “I just wanna go,” he whispers.
Awwwwwkward.
Alissa and David
Not even being called rats in bloody outrageous screenshots could stop Alissa and David from having a good week.
They’ve discussed a plan for their future, what life could look like in Adelaide, starting a family … big chats!
They’re the strongest they’ve ever been, so it’s no surprise they’re staying.
Stella and Filip
Stella has a biiiig thank you to hand out after realising that last week, she was being unreasonable to Filip out of fear.
“I really want to thank Mel for her advice to focus on the emotional safety that he’s providing and giving me,” she says.
“That was just a penny-drop moment for me.”
This week, they’ve talked engagements and timelines, and while Filip’s head has been spinning over the switch-up, I am pleased to report our golden couple are once again golden!
Bec and Danny
Last week, we got a rogue L-bomb. What on earth will Bec (and/or Danny) surprise us with tonight?
While she’s still in love, Danny’s answer to whether he sees himself falling for her has her feeling antsy.
His excuse is that he can’t promise it 100 per cent, but John points out that the question wasn’t a blood pact or anything.
He notices that Danny looks uncomfortable, which Danny says is because he hates talking about his feelings.
He thinks this whole thing is “more for Bec”, anyway, even though he signed up for the experiment and its many, many couch sessions of his own free will.
This week, he also asked Bec to be his girlfriend because it was important to her.
“Why was it important to you?” Mel asks.
“Because it gives Bec security,” he answers.
“But why was it important to you, Danny?” she says, and look, I’ll spare you the back-and-forth. We’re stuck here for a while.
Twelve hours later, he comes up with something: “Well, I want her to be my girlfriend.”
On that note, they each reveal their “stays”, and head back to the group, whose faces make clear they’re very much unconvinced, as husband and wife and boyfriend and girlfriend.
Tomorrow night, we’re off! From the Gold Coast to Radelaide, it’s Homestays Week and you know what that means … protective loved ones and judgment of someone’s perfectly fine home.
Bring it on!