'Married at First Sight'- Getting to Know the Five New Couples of Season 10

Season 10 of Married at First Sight premiered on Lifetime on New Year's Day, January 1, 2020. Fans were glad to see the reality show return after being absent since September 2019. There were four couples to keep track of during season 9. When the series first aired in 2017, there were only three couples. Now in season 10, there are five couples including three Caucasians and two African-American ones.

Season 10 has been advertised to the most "explosive" season yet. Viewers will see what that means. After all, some of the previous nine seasons could have been described the same way. It will be interesting to see why this season has been described as the most "explosive."

Brandon and Taylor

Brandon Reid, 34, and Taylor Dunklin, 27, are in the photo above. They were matched because they are both well-rounded, social people. They are professional and have exciting lives outside of work. Marriage and family therapist Dr. Viviana Coles thinks Brandon is “the whole package” and is a good match for Taylor who is outgoing and confident.

Brandon is a sales manager who is self-assured and outgoing. Taylor is a driven research scientist and a party host. She is intellectual, confident and beautiful. Brandon and Taylor look good as a couple, but the experts think their strong personalities might clash. They also think Brandon might be intimidated by Taylor's success.

A concern is that Taylor recently ended a four-year relationship. Even though the breakup was very traumatic, Taylor says she is ready to overcome the trauma and find love again.

Derek and Katie

Derek Sherman, 26, and Katie Conrad, 25, are the youngest couple who has ever been matched on Married at First Sight. The experts questioned if they were ready for marriage because of their age. Then all three experts concluded that while they are young, they are both mature. They are also serious about getting married and settling down with the right partner. Even though Derek and Katie's parents are divorced, the experts do not believe that will have a major impact on their own marriage. It is something the two already have in common.

Dr. Coles says there are two things that might not work for the couple. First of all, Derek has never been in love. Secondly, Katie's ex-boyfriend reached out to her the day before the wedding and tried to persuade her not to get married. It is unfortunate that Katie, a mental health professional, is bringing that baggage into the marriage. Derek, a young cybersecurity engineer, will have to deal with not only his own challenges but also those of his new wife.

Austin and Jessica

Austin Hurd and Jessica Studer are both 31. They were matched because they seemed really committed to being married. They are active and driven in their professional lives. Jessica is a nurse manager, and Austin is a network technician. They have strong relationships with their families. Jessica has an identical twin sister who is already married. Austin is extremely close to his mother.

Dr. Coles believes there might be a challenge for Jessica to let a new person into her life because she is set in her ways and is so close to her twin sister. Since Austin and Jessica are close to their families, unsolicited outside opinions might cause problems in their new marriage if they aren't careful.

Zach and Mindy

Zach Justice, 32, and Mindy Shiben, 34, were matched because of their active lifestyles. Zach is a personal trainer, and Mindy is a figure-skating coach. Their marriage could work because they have a similar approach to life with some of the same goals.

The fear the experts have is that Zach might be focusing more on the outside of his partner instead of on the inside because of his career as a personal trainer. Mindy needs someone who can help her deal with grief over her younger sister's death and over a miscarriage. Zach might not be strong enough to help Mindy deal with the pain of her past.

Michael and Meka

Michael Watson, 31, and Meka Jones, 25, were matched because both of them come from similar backgrounds. They were raised by single women. Besides, they are very independent. Meka, a category analyst, and Michael, who designs education programs for kids with learning disabilities, say they are ready for marriage.

Because neither one of them grew up with a father figure, the experts believe they won't have examples in their marriage. Michael says he is the first in his entire family to get married.

More Interesting Information About the Couples

More information about the five couples is in a previous Vocal article written before the first episode.

Watch Married at First Sight on Wednesdays on Lifetime from 8 to 10 PM.