As Confessions Week ends, the couples face the next phase of the experiment: the very first Commitment Ceremony. While some couples look forward to celebrating their newfound connections, others are bracing themselves for some stern feedback from the experts, or facing the difficult decision of whether to stay and work on their relationship or leave the experiment for good.
Before the first couple take their seat on the couch, Tim makes a shocking return to the experiment, leaving Katie and the group shocked. The mood in the room lifts when the experts welcome the first couple on the couch, Carina and Paul, who reveal the intimacy they’ve shared and the experts comment on the progress they’ve made together so early on in the experiment.
Jeff and Rhi take the couch next, and expert Alessandra notes the unprecedented nature of both Rhi and Jeff, and Carina and Paul having dated prior to coming to the experiment. Jeff and Rhi admit they’re taking things slow as their one-month romance previously fizzled and they don’t want the same thing to happen again. They both reveal stay and are hopeful their relationship keeps moving in a positive direction.
When Ash and Jake take their seat on the couch, Ash is hesitant to bring up the comments Jake made about the other brides during the Photo Ranking Task but is struggling to deal with it on her own. The group are horrified to hear the comments Jake made, and expert Mel holds Jake to account for the hurtful things he said. Despite Ash’s decision to stay and wanting to give Jake another chance, the groom reveals he has written leave, feeling betrayed by Ash confiding in other members of the group behind his back.
Jamie and Dave are all loved up, gushing about their relationship and waste no time telling expert Mel how comfortable they feel with each other. Next, Sierah and Billy admit finding comfort in each other during vulnerable moments over the past week. Both couples reveal they’ve written stay.
Jacqui and Ryan are up next, and the mood quickly sours as Ryan confronts the experts, claiming they ignored he and Jacqui’s wishes when they matched them. Expert John wastes no time and discovers their complaints revolve around their everyday needs whilst living together and not fundamental incompatibilities. Expert John emphasizes the connection they both share and encourages them to overlook their minor hangups. They both reveal their decision to stay and continue in the experiment.
After a week of difficulty and ups and downs, Tony and Morena are instructed by expert Alessandra to try to strike a balance between both light-hearted conversations and deep and meaningful ones. They both reveal they’d like to stay in the experiment for another week.
Awhina doesn’t hold back when talking about her attraction to Adrian but admits she’s struggling to take her walls down. Adrian’s comments about preferring a partner with no children is the root of the conflict in their relationship because Awhina is a mother. Adrian details why he has these concerns but also admits his commitment to Awhina and the efforts he’s making to see past them. Expert John notes the chemistry the couple exudes on the couch and congratulates them for maturely working through their issues together. The couple both decide to stay in the experiment for at least another week.
The final couple to come to the couch are Katie and Tim. Katie first unpacks the hurt she felt when Tim admitted there was no spark on their honeymoon, and later the disrespect of Tim’s actions when she had no contact from him. Tim tells his side of events, stating he felt Katie was not interested in getting to know him. The group weighs in questioning Tim, and expert John finds contradictory statements when Tim reveals that he’d never attempted to reach out to Katie and instead left her living on her own in the apartments.
Despite continued attempts by the experts to understand if Tim can take any accountability, he remains reluctant to do so. Both Tim and Katie write leave, meaning their relationship and time in the experiment is over. Despite the demise of their relationship, Katie is leaving the experiment with a newfound confidence and belief in herself and is thankful for the friendships she made
