‘Married at First Sight’: 3 Key Moments From Episode 8 ‘Poised For Battle’ (RECAP)

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[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Married at First Sight, Season 16, Episode 8, “Poised for Battle.”]

Married at First Sight‘s Season 16 couples took the next step in their new relationships by moving in together, but as the latest episode’s title, “Poised for Battle,” hints, not all is going smoothly in the process.

Whether it’s disagreements over living situations or the challenge of getting beloved pets to get along, there’s a lot to unpack from this latest installment. Below, we’re breaking down all of the drama, so beware of spoilers ahead.

Seeing Each Other’s Places

(Credit: Lifetime)

As the couples continue moving items from their own spaces into their shared apartments, Nicole is introduced to Chris’s dogs, who greet her enthusiastically. Meanwhile, Mackinley sees Domynique’s apartment where she offers him the chance to look around and ask questions, but he barely shows any interest, making for an awkward vibe.

And Clint meets Gina’s dog, and while he’s positive about the move-in experience, she’s nervous and hesitant and admits she’s not sure she wants to move in together right away. Clint makes it clear he wants to make things work and stick it out despite their lack of connection early on. Things go well for Jasmine and Airris at her apartment where she shows off her pageant crowns and introduces him to the puppies he was so nervous about living with. Meanwhile, Kirsten shows off her minimalist space to a surprised Shaquille who can’t get over how unlived in her home seems, but he’s also concerned about how disorganized her closet is.

Worries on Display

(Credit: Lifetime)

Domynique questions Mackinley about how he’s doing and he points out that she’s complained about a lot of things when it comes to him, and it’s frustrating. They further argue when he brings up his dog who doesn’t currently live with him because he’s been waiting to settle into Nashville before moving the pet. He explains that he finds it upsetting that Domynique wouldn’t ask how the dog is doing, but she counters that the pup mustn’t be that important if he’s still living separately from the animal.

Needless to say, things aren’t going great for the pair, and that continues when they arrive at their shared apartment only for Domynique to inform Mackinley that she’ll be delaying her move into the space. Meanwhile, Ncile is nervous to introduce her dog to Chris and his dogs, but everyone gets along well. Gina continues to put distance between herself and Clint by refusing to move in despite him suggesting they live in separate bedrooms and use separate bathrooms in their shared apartment.

Pastor Cal Pays a Visit

(Credit: Lifetime)

Pastor Cal Roberson makes house calls in the final portion of the episode, beginning with Jasmine and Airris. During their session, Airris admits he was stressed during the honeymoon because of Jasmine’s greater attraction to him, but he’s been coming around in other ways, admitting that physical contact is helpful in building their relationship. Jasmine appreciates his honesty and Pastor Cal seems hopeful the pair will continue to make positive progress.

As for Gina and Clint, Pastor Cal questions why she isn’t eager to move in together, pointing out that it’s only serving to keep the pair more separate than growing together. Gina claims she’s still having a hard time getting past Clint’s comments about preferring slender women, and in turn, Clint points out how Gina referring to him as ginger hurt him. While the pair claim to be committed, she makes the point that the reason she doesn’t want to move into separate rooms is that it keeps the divide, when she will move in, it will be when they’re able to share a room.

Kirsten and Shaquille discuss her issues with his joking nature, and Pastor Cal points out that she needs to let him be a little cheesy every now and then. Despite Kirsten saying there’s been no chemistry, she admits that things are improving between her and Shaquille, and he says she’s been more open. Ultimately, Pastor Cal’s advice is that they open up even more to each other and they’ll be on the right track.

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Chris and Nicole welcome Pastor Cal into their space next where they reveal they’re really happy with each other so far, and even though Chris has gotten a taste of Nicole’s hot-headedness, it hasn’t scared him off. One topic discussed also includes the couple’s decision to renew their separate apartment leases, which is something Nicole isn’t thrilled about, but decided to follow Chris’s lead. Pastor Cal says the pair will not want to live separately after the experiment, so hopefully, any concerns on Nicole’s end will be comforted by the expert’s words. Before Pastor Cal makes his exit though, the pair also reveal they’ve taken things to the next level and have gotten intimate.

Pastor Cal rounds out his visits with Domynique and Mackinley who haven’t spoken since she decided to not move into the shared apartment together. When they all sit down, Pastor Cal points out that Domynique appears as though she’s “poised for battle,” and she brings up that her and Mackinley’s lack of similarities may be too big, but the expert isn’t convinced as he says this could be fixed. While Pastor Cal says they need to give things a chance, Domynique says she’s “over it.” Could this be the end? Let us know what you think in the comments section, below, and stay tuned to see how it all plays out when Married at First Sight returns next week.

Married at First Sight, Season 16, Wednesdays, 8/7c, Lifetime