Married at First Sight season 17 participant Brennan Shoykhet called his new wife, Emily Balch, a “red flag” in the latest episode, and there are reasons behind it. Brennan and Emily were the first pair to tie the knot this season, and they had instant chemistry at the altar. Emily had never been in a relationship before, but that notion did not seem to deter Brennan. Emily was originally open to having sex on their honeymoon night or shortly thereafter, but she ended up opting to take things at Brennan’s pace. Brennan does not believe in divorce, and he and Emily both come from homes with two parents.
Brennan and Emily seemed very into each other during their honeymoon in Mexico with the other couples. They talked about their similar professional ambition and aligned goals for the future regarding kids and mutual desires. The pair had one spat after Brennan became annoyed with Emily after she joked that he didn’t know how to have fun. After that, they returned to Denver to start the living together part of the experience, and it’s been down hill from there because of Brennan’s feelings. Brennan’s “red flag” comment really hurt Emily, and his harsh words may have had particular intentions behind them and seem to have set them back.
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Brennan Lost His Romantic Spark With Emily After The Honeymoon
Upon their return to Denver, Brennan did not move in with Emily and, instead, spent several days at his place. He cited that he was “drained” from spending 24/7 with Emily for a week. Emily did not understand why Brennan was suddenly checked out and turned off. The Married at First Sight season 17 couple sat down with expert Pastor Cal (per Entertainment Tonight,) who tried to get Brennan to open up about why he wasn’t feeling Emily anymore. Brennan refused to elaborate and deflected by saying he was not trying to hurt Emily’s feelings.
Meanwhile, all Emily has wanted has been for Brennan to tell her why he no longer has romantic feelings for her. Emily has been resilient in the face of Brennan’s waning feelings, but she has clearly been hurt by Brennan’s lack of honest communication. Another expert, Dr. Pia, also tried to draw out of Brennan what he was feeling and why, and she got nothing either. Brennan seems to not want to dish out the real truth at all costs.
Brennan And Emily Have Been Taking It “Day By Day”
Given their uncomfortable and awkward circumstances because of Brennan’s checked-out feelings, Brennan and Emily have decided to take things “day by day.” Emily has been putting her own sadness and anxiety aside and has been respecting Brennan’s closed-off approach to the situation with his attraction. However, Emily is clearly hitting a limit with the small amount that Brennan is giving her. The pair are living together, sleeping in the same together, and trying to mix into one another’s lives while continuing in the experiment, so those are the good signs they have going for them with their delicate situation as they endeavor to connect.
Brennan said the loss of romantic feelings has never happened in his past relationships, which added insult to injury for Emily. In the latest episode, Emily was still not able to get anything profound or helpful out of Brennan emotionally when they had dinner together. Brennan reiterated the “day by day” outlook they’ve taken on, which Emily has clearly grown tired of. However, Brennan did say one honest thing during the last episode regarding how he feels about why he lost the romantic spark with Emily.
Brennan Thinks Emily Is A Red Flag (The Comment Set Them Back)
While Brennan and Emily were at their one-month anniversary dinner, Emily strived to be positive as she said, “I feel like this week couldn’t have gone better.” Brennan remarked that they “got into a rhythm” and that Emily made their apartment “a comfortable place to live.” Brennan further stated, “It’s allowed me to really trust the process and stay moved in. But you know I don’t want to sugarcoat it and say this has been tough, at least for me and in the past I would have just ran from like a red flag.”
Emily responded, “So, I’m a red flag?.” Brennan answered, “I mean, um, yeah. Like it’s very uncomfortable to have something and then have it gone, and you don’t know why.” But he stated he didn’t want to run despite his romantic connection fizzling. Brennan allegedly can’t pinpoint how he lost his attraction for Emily, and that seems to be the major hangup for him. However, given Brennan’s unwillingness to be open and expressive, there is likely more to it. Emily seemed beaten down by Brennan’s assessment that she was a red flag, especially since he couldn’t tell her exactly how he came to that conclusion.
Brennan is blaming his spark loss on not understanding his own emotions. He is referring to Emily as the red flag when the real reason is that he is not in touch with his own feelings and is defiant when it comes to figuring them out. Emily’s patience and understanding are understandably wearing thin, and calling her the “red flag” is not fair.
Emily Deserves To Be Treated Better (Can Brennan Deliver?)
Brennan has been grilled by Emily’s friends (per Access Hollywood) as well as the experts who have wanted him to dig deeper and give Emily the answers she deserves. Married at First Sight season 17 viewers watched Emily become defeated in the last episode by Brennan’s constant refusal to say anything meaningful or past surface level. The other couples sensed Emily’s frustration and also encouraged Brennan to identify his issues. Emily left the group dinner and went into her own van before Brennan joined her. Emily told Brennan he needed to give her more and Brennan said he was already giving all he could.
If Married at First Sight‘s Brennan and Emily have any hope of working out, Brennan needs to realize how much damage he is doing to his marriage by not working towards a solution. Emily’s romantic spark is there for Brennan, but if he can’t reciprocate, then there is no point for them to continue because each episode is causing Emily more unnecessary pain. Emily deserves a partner who can communicate and reflect on their issues while being supportive. Brennan calling Emily a “red flag” only served to further their divide and showcase that Brennan does not have the skillset to be in this marriage.
Married At First Sight
Based on the Danish version of the series, Married at First Sight is a reality show/social experiment that gives singles a chance to find a lifelong partnership with one particular caveat: they must agree to marry a stranger arranged the moment they meet. Experts provide counseling and guidance as they help couples navigate their new marriage with their unknown partner and highlight the journey of the newlyweds from wedding to honeymoon to beginning their new lives together. At the end of eight weeks, couples will decide to stay married or divorce.
