“For better or for worse” — this phrase is a part of marriage vows for a reason. On the Tuesday, October 11, episode of Married at First Sight, all three couples (including the one who had already split) found themselves in tough situations. For the most part, however, everyone handled the challenges like adults, and the remaining two couples came out stronger as a result.
Lillian Calls Her Dad
Both Lillian Vilchez and Tom Wilson had strained (bordering on nonexistent) relationships with their fathers. On Lillian’s dad’s birthday, she was debating whether to call him, and Tom encouraged her to try to reach out. After a bit of debate, she finally did, but he did not answer, and she broke down in tears over her father “checking out.” To his credit, Tom did everything he could to comfort her (though he later complained to his mother about how Lillian was “stubborn,” it was sort of an offhand remark and probably not to be taken very seriously).
Nick and Sonia (Still) Aren’t Living Together
If Tom thought Lillian was stubborn, that was probably because he hadn’t met Sonia Granados. After she and her husband, Nick Pendergrast, got into a huge fight, she moved out of their home and hadn’t been back since — despite Nick’s pleas for her to return. Nick admitted he was confused and had no idea how to even be friends with her at this point. They consulted with Dr. Pepper Schwartz, who also encouraged Sonia to move back in (but did not succeed).
Sonia didn’t seem angry anymore, however. In fact, she was spending a lot of time with Nick. They talked about their future and really seemed to let their guards down, but Nick was still dissatisfied with their state of affairs. “Not living here is not really wholeheartedly” pursuing their relationship, he griped. For her part, Sonia defended her decision, saying, “I kind of want to just collect my thoughts and come back when I feel comfortable.”
In an interesting twist, however, Sonia brought her dad by to chat with Nick. Her dad made himself right at home and began grilling Nick about what his expectations for his marriage were. Nick fumbled through something about how he and Sonia did things backwards, and that’s why they were backtracking, but her dad didn’t seem convinced. Ultimately, however, her father told them they looked like a good couple and that their marriage (or divorce) was their decision. Nick and Sonia then went golfing and gave the dogs a bath — and Sonia realized that in addition to Nick, she missed the dogs! Still, she wasn’t ready to move back in yet. (Though she did mention she might spend the night.)
Derek and Heather Get Some Tough Love
They weren’t together anymore, but Derek Schwartz and Heather Seidel still had the experts giving them advice. The latest was for each of them to ask a trusted friend to give an honest assessment of their strengths and weaknesses, so they could improve themselves. (Sounds fun … not.)
Derek went out with an ex-girlfriend, who told him he lacked patience and was too quick to anger. Heather did the same with one of her girlfriends, who pointed out that the blonde flight attendant could “be kind of harsh” and “come across as very pretentious or stuck-up.” Both Derek and Heather took their reviews in stride, and Derek said that he was still hoping to cuddle with someone soon.
Tom Asks Lillian’s Mom for Permission to Marry Lillian
Speaking of doing things backwards, Tom and Lillian headed to a beautiful picnic lunch with their mothers. While Lillian bonded with Tom’s mom (who told her that Tom needed constant attention and affection), Tom tried his best to ask Lillian’s mom for her blessing that he had married her daughter.
He tried asking in Spanish, but he struggled to find the words — partly because it was a strange thing to ask, and partly because he didn’t speak Spanish. After a few minutes of asking Lillian’s mom to fill in missing words, he managed to get his point across, and her mom nodded yes, that she agreed to give him her blessing. Tom and Lillian’s mom hugged, and she said, “I am happy. You are a good man.”
Still, however, issues lingered with Lillian’s commitment to work and her inability to keep a balance between her personal and professional lives. Only time will tell whether she is able to adjust her priorities enough to keep Tom happy.
Tell Us: Do you think Lillian and Tom are going to stay married?
Married at First Sight airs on FYI Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. ET.
