Does Michael Get Married on MAFS? Things Aren’t Easy for Him

The Gist:

• Michael is the first Married at First Sight cast member in the U.S. version of the show to be left at the altar.
• Michael was still named as part of the Season 17 cast, but his bride wasn’t.
• When Michael is left at the altar, he takes it well, but later breaks down.

The Oct. 25 episode of Married at First Sight features the unthinkable for one Season 17 cast member, Michael. He is left at the altar in front of his friends and family, along with his bride’s loved ones too. And it’s a crushing moment to watch, especially since this has never happened before in an episode of the U.S. version of the show.

Does this mean Michael doesn’t get married at all on MAFS, though? Michael’s experience is the worst case scenario for most of the participants on the show. And although he takes it well when his unnamed match says she can’t go through with the wedding, it’s hard not to feel for him. And this is something viewers haven’t seen before, even if it may have happened for past pairs that weren’t on the show.

It doesn’t look like Michael gets the happy ending that fans may hope for. After his bride says she just can’t marry him and leaves him alone at the altar, he holds his head high and retreats to the room where he got ready with his groomsmen. And as they comfort him, there is no surprise appearance from Pastor Cal with a new match for him.

Most seasons of MAFS feature five couples, but with Michael out, Season 17 has just four couples to follow. And there doesn’t appear to be a replacement, so to speak, for Michael and his former match. And you have to assume this has happened before, but that it didn’t make it to any of the edited seasons.

Maybe Season 17 shared this story to show viewers that it really is a real experiment and that sometimes, the matches aren’t perfect. We’ve seen plenty of MAFS marriages suffer before Decision Day and even on the honeymoon. So why not add another raw and real moment that could happen to any of them?

To date, no one on MAFS has ever said “no” to their bride or groom on their wedding day. We’ve had uncertainty and even some cringy moments where loved ones may have uttered a word or two from their seats. But no one has actually refused to marry their match at the altar. One fan on reddit shared they believe there were moments like this, but that couples who that happened to were replaced, unbeknownst to viewers.