James Weir recaps Married At First Sight episode 19: MAFS husband tries to dump wife, blaming fake baby

In a moment of panic, a bombshell is dropped on MAFS that “doesn’t add up”. James Weir recaps.

A Married At First Sight husband tries to dump his wife and quit the show on Tuesday night by blaming a fake baby.

You’ve heard of “ghosting” and “breadcrumbing”. Now, faking a baby is the hot new dating trend for those hoping to skip out on a relationship they’re not really keen on.

Extra points if you pop down to Officeworks and print out the image of a life-size newborn on some laminated cardboard.

JAMES WEIR: Read all the recaps here

So, who is the proud new parent of a fake baby? It’s Tony, one half of the token elderly couple.

He’s just not into Morena — and he doesn’t want to be labelled a bad guy for dumping her. So, he hatches a plan: Operation Fake Baby.

It’s genius. The brainwave comes when he’s dragged to lunch with Morena’s friends, who pull him away for a private chat and ask point-blank: Do you like her or nah?

“As a person, of course I care about her,” he ventures. “But, to me, we’re just going to be friends. The personality is not there for me. Romantically, I’m not that way inclined. It’s not going to blossom into anything.”

Then why do you keep choosing to stay every Sunday at the commitment ceremonies, Tony?

He can sense he’s about to be called out on this point. He needs an excuse. Suddenly, an idea is conceived.

“When I came in, I wanted someone who’s a bit younger than me who can still have kids,” he blurts out.

This is news to everyone. Especially the producers, who are a little perturbed he didn’t express this potent desire throughout the audition process.

“Like, that’s pretty new information about you,” one producer spits.

“I always wanted to have a child,” Tony insists.

Morena’s friends snap into damage control. He must tell Morena this is the reason he’s not into her, lest she feel, as one of them delicately puts it, “old and decrepit”.

“I hope she won’t feel rejected,” he squirms.

Tonaaaay. Hell hath no fury like DJ Morena scorned. There’s gonna be murder on her dancefloor.

What shall we name the fake MAFS baby? Maybe Jessika, Ines or Tracey? Picture: Channel 9.

Later that afternoon, Tony sits Morena down on the couch and gingerly explains his fake baby plans.

He ums and ahs before fumbling something along the lines of: It has just occurred to me, I really want a baby!

“It’s the only missing piece of the puzzle in my life,” he gushes.

If Morena was DJing right now, this would be the moment she’d do a dramatic vinyl scratch.

The stork may or may not be on its way … Picture: Channel 9.

“Tony and I have been in this experiment for weeks and weeks and weeks,” she quietly fumes to us. “And he has never uttered a word that he wants to have a baby. Seriously?! You’re 53! It’s very strange. It doesn’t add up.”

Morena is shocked and appalled that Tony has blamed an innocent fake baby instead of just saying he’s not attracted to her.

“He’s disrespected me again, making up this sweet little story that he wants to reproduce,” she says. “Tony has blindsided me. He’s lied to me.”

There’s only one thing DJ Morena can do — get back in da club and groove out to a remix of Robyn.

DJ Morena is ready to spin Tony right ‘round like a record, baby. Picture: Channel 9.

Before we start preparing a fake baby shower for Tony, we decide to barge into Eliot and Veronica’s suite where they’re doing the annoying letter writing challenge.

The task is simple: write about an intimate life experience that producers can score with really sad music as it’s read aloud.

Eliot starts blabbing on about how his sister got diabetes and his mum cried at the hospital which made him cry but then his dad busted in and spoke to the nurses without crying because that’s how a man should behave.

Veronica isn’t impressed. She thinks the letter was bland and emotionless and had no personal insight whatsoever.

Eliot is taken aback. What about the crying! And the stoicism! And the diabetes! It was like a goddamn Jodi Picoult novel!

How to gaslight a gaslighter. Picture: Channel 9.

They spiral into an argument about the concept of emotion and Veronica decides to flip the tables on Eliot by gaslighting him — just weeks after he gaslit his former wife Lauren.

“For you to sit there and say you didn’t get anything out of that …” Eliot says.

“That’s not what I said,” Veronica replies. “I would appreciate it if you don’t put words in my mouth. And just use the words that I’ve actually used.”

Eliot’s confused. “So put it in your words then,” he invites her.

Veronica sighs. “I didn’t feel that I had gained an additional understanding of you.”

Eliot’s eyes look like they’re about to pop out of his head. “That’s literally just what I’ve just paraphrased.”

“Don’t paraphrase my words …” she instructs.

Eliot doesn’t know what to say. “It’s like I’m talking to someone that hates my guts.”

Veronica squints. “You think I am talking to you in a way that demonstrates that I hate your guts?”

What continues is a textbook example of gaslighting, as exhibited on this show many times over the years. What makes this specific situation unique is the entertaining role reversal. What a fun twist on a well worn psychological mind game!

Veronica is clearly a longtime MAFS viewer and has learnt by observing the best. She uses all the tricks: denial, deflecting, blame shifting — all to bamboozle Eliot and wind him up into a frustrated frenzy so she can then accuse him of being aggressive.

Eliot, who performed a similar trick on former wife Lauren, falls for the trap.

“When you ask rhetorical questions, you’re trying to reframe it as you’re the person of authority. Just talk to me like a normal person,” he whines.

Veronica sighs and cocks her head. “I repeat it to make sure I understand it.”

Eliot: “You’re being condescending.”

Veronica: “I’m not being condescending, that’s just my voice. I’m remaining calm.”

Eliot gets more exasperated as Veronica flips the blame on him. Gaslighting 101.

“Do not raise your voice at me. I’m setting a boundary,” she says, feigning innocence. “I’ve been so civil with you and you’re being unreasonable.”

She removes herself from the room, leaving Eliot in a puddle on the floor.

“F**kin' psychopath,” she whispers to herself.

Oh doll. You both are.

Facebook: @hellojamesweir

Originally published as James Weir recaps Married At First Sight episode 19: MAFS husband tries to dump wife, blaming fake baby