Married At First Sight: Inside Michaela And Zack's Marriage
"Married at First Sight" takes people who are frustrated with being single, tosses in some famed relationship experts, and pairs them with another person so the two can start married life together. Dr. Pepper Schwartz, Dr. Viviana Coles, and Pastor Cal Roberson serve as the experts who match the couples from a pool of singles. The first time the prospective couples meet is at their wedding, per Cinemaholic. Although the events are captured on a reality show, the cast members are not playing a game. "This is a legally binding marriage and there's only one way out, and that's divorce," Pastor Cal Roberson said in a promo for Season 13, coming this July, per People. "The risks could not be greater and the stakes could not be higher," he added.
For Season 13, "MAFS" matched ten singles to make up five couples who will have only a few weeks after their wedding day to decide to stay married or get divorced. After 12 seasons of matchmaking, the show has experienced ... mixed results. Through the years, 12 of the couples stayed together long-term, and six of those started families, per TV Insider.
Before appearing on Season 13, Zack studied past "MAFS" seasons to prepare himself for being matched. "I learned a lot just by watching, just by hearing the experts and looking at a number of relationships," he told Page Six. Keep reading to find out more about his pairing with Michaela!
They have mutual aspirations, but challenges are coming
Both Zack and Michaela lived in Houston, Texas before being matched on "Married at First Sight." Michaela is a real estate agent, and became disenchanted with the single life after finding homes for numerous newlywed couples, per People. Zack — who was 27 when he applied to "MAFS" — moved to Houston in hopes of finding a wife, as his lifelong plan had been to be married by the time he was 25. "I have one image in my head. I come home from work and I see my beautiful wife playing with our kids," he said on the show (via The Sun). Even with a busy work schedule, Michaela has always prioritized family. The relationship experts believed Zack and Michaela's mutual devotion to family, along with their shared ambitions, make them a perfect match, per Monsters & Critics.
That being said, there's some trouble on the way. In the Season 13 teaser, Zack states that he "tested positive for COVID," leading the pair to seemingly be apart during their Honeymoon and Zack to add he's "heartbroken." Oh boy.
Meanwhile, Zack's family was not fully supportive of his decision to blindly enter into marriage. "I don't want any random girl for my son," his mother said on the show (via The Sun). In the teaser, Michaela also states the chemistry level is a nine out of ten upon meeting. We'll see if the pair can overcome these issues and make it.