Married at First Sight Recap: Season 1 Alum Cortney Hendrix Weighs in on Which Couples Give Her a 'Major Ick'

Courtney Hendrix made her debut at Married at first sightThe inaugural season, which took place in New York and New Jersey in 2014. Although she ended up saying “I do” to Jason Carrion then, the two have since divorced. October 15, Season 18 Married at first sight premiering on Lifetime, returning to Chicago to follow five couples as the reality of their newlywed lives together begins. Here, Cortney gives PEOPLE her recap of the Dec. 4 episode.

Potential VS ICK!

Days of marriage 11 + see where and how the other person lives.

Married at first sight Recap: Season 15 alum Miguel Santiago predicts which couples will sink or swim

(L) Madison and Allen on ‘Married at First Sight’.

Mood photos and videos

Madison and Allen

Hooptie guy

This is where the potential grows. But the first thing I noticed was the big ICK. I don’t believe Madison will let Allen out of the friend zone. I think Madison still finds aspects and qualities of Allen that she finds attractive – the way she laughs with him gives me hope that she’ll let him in.

If there’s a list of pros and cons for Allen, he gets more ticks on the pro side. Gym-car-chef, all the ticks. I want to see more of their personalities. The way to Madison’s heart will lead through physical activity and the gym. Maybe some gym dates will be in their future!

(L) Karla and Juan on ‘Married at First Sight’.

Photo by Yosmair Ocho

Karla and Juan

A calm guy and a very serious and calm girl

HIGH POTENTIAL – my biggest concern with these two is their ability to go deep versus surface level. I think this is super common to see when you have one person who’s super comedic versus someone who’s a little more reserved. Karla seems very reserved in many ways and I hope she can take some pressure off herself (and Juan) to allow full attraction.

I think he feels super judged and uncomfortable in the relationship, and like a funny guy… if you don’t laugh at his jokes, you just don’t understand his humor… and that means you don’t understand him. Karla wants Juan to choose her and I think she really feels his rejection now.

I’m excited to see what happens with this couple, IF they can get on the same page. Pressing the reset button might be a good option for them.

(L) Emem and Ikechi on ‘Married at First Sight’.

Mood photos and videos

Married at first sight: Emem breaks down in tears as she prepares to walk down the aisle without her father (Exclusive)

Enem and Ikechi

Energy and the artist

This is my favorite pair – and such great potential. I didn’t pick up much ICK from Enem. But I think Ikechi spent some time emphasizing how different their lifestyles are in this episode. Enem has such great energy. I love her willingness to show every part of who she is, and the genuine excitement she exudes when showing her place to her new hubs was refreshing.

I feel that their age difference is a little visible. Maybe I just miss Ikechi’s energy – I only really saw a glimpse of him when he was playing bass for Enem in his apartment. I guess his energy matches his creativity and artistic release and expression.

I would love to see more of that and Enem join him more in that world and then we can see if I can connect on that deep level. Ikechi needs this to build intimacy with Enema and eventually take intimacy to other levels. He’s not there yet.

(L) Camille and Thomas on ‘Married at First Sight’.

Mood photos and videos

Camille and Thomas

A big age difference — they were brought up in a different culture

This couple has so much potential because of their openness in communication. Both Camille and Thomas seemed open to their partner’s criticism—Thomas took Camille’s “tune-up talk” with the same intent with which it was delivered: humbly.

I think it is SO HARD to express something that is not attractive to a man – because it is still a level of rejection.

It’s easier to swallow being gently rejected, but if the person receiving constructive criticism isn’t really ready to hear what they could be better at or change about themselves – then that’s a recipe for anger and disappointment. DISASTER for the new couple.

(L) Michelle and David on ‘Married at First Sight’.

Misha Media photo

Married at first sight Recap: Season 13 alum Brett Layton assesses current couples’ ‘Red Flags’

Michelle and David

The guy from the basement

Michelle has a big problem, but after the experts came and visited – I feel like she’s trying to connect with David. Taking the extra step to plan some activities is really caring and respectful – that he appreciates both qualities in a partner.

However – every time they are on screen together – I feel so uncomfortable and justifiably anxious. I can feel how much Michelle just doesn’t want to be in that position… and it’s not done in a hateful way at all. I think she is so disappointed because she was not more open and clear about her expectations from her partner.

I don’t think Michelle will ever feel safe with David (safe in the sense of being “taken care of” from the traditional role of “husband as breadwinner”. I think that’s what she wanted and either didn’t know how to say it, or didn’t want to say it because of the way to which she could live.

I see qualities in David that would make him a great match for her, but a big piece of her puzzle is missing in this matchup. I wonder how she would react to his living situation if he was a 10/10 on her physical attractiveness scale.

I’d love to hear why the experts put them together.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Married at first sight (produced by Kinetic Content) airs Tuesdays at 8:00 PM ET on Lifetime.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education