'Married At First Sight: The First Year' Spoilers: Why Is Cortney Lonely? Episode 2 Recap

“Married At First Sight: The First Year” Season 1, episode 2 brought even more challenges for the two couples. Doug Hehner still didn’t want to have babies yet, but that didn’t stop his wife Jamie Otis from trying. Although Jamie and Doug needed the experts the most right after their wedding, it seems they’re no longer the ones with the biggest struggles. Cortney Hendrix and Jason Carrion knew the stress in their relationship was getting worse every day. They decided that their problems required an expert. While the married couples worked through their relationship problems, Monet Bell was trying to start a new relationship on “Married At First Sight: The First Year.”

Doug and Jamie

Jamie surprised Doug with a romantic dinner for his birthday. Jamie had him open his gift at the restaurant -- lingerie that she would wear for him later. They’ve come a long way since the beginning of their marriage, when Jamie waited a month to have sex with her husband. “I always like the feeling of knowing that Jamie is getting more and more comfortable with me,” Doug said.

Jamie hinted at babies, but Doug maintained that he wasn’t ready. In the “Married At First Sight: The First Year” premiere, he said he wanted more financial stability, but Jamie was the one more interested in sorting out the household bills. Doug mentioned that he was irresponsible with money when he was younger, and now his credit is bad. Jamie seemed to think that he just didn’t care about finances.

It turns out that Jamie doesn’t just plan for babies and budgets. She was also planning a surprise party for her husband. Doug is an ordained minister, so he had his first baptism scheduled. He was disappointed that Jamie couldn’t come, but he was thrilled when he came home to a house full of people. He had no idea that his wife was planning this.

The party may have been a distraction, but eventually Jamie had to bring up babies again. “My wiener does not work with that kind of pressure,” Doug joked. Jamie wasn’t in the mood for jokes, though. She wanted a serious conversation, and Doug maintained that it wasn’t the right time. He eventually just walked away from his wife.

Jason and Cortney

Cortney knew she had to tell Jason about being let go from her job. Jason was worried since he wasn’t making much money as a firefighter in training. Jason supported her, and he promised that it was “our problem” instead of a struggle she had to face alone.

They went out to dinner right after she told him about the job, but it made for an awkward meal. They ended up bickering about sorting out the apartment and their jobs. Jason admitted that he wanted to do more in wrestling. However, Cortney told him he couldn’t do everything. Since being married, she put her burlesque dancing on hold, and she felt that Jason should do the same with fighting. Yet without her job or her hobby, Cortney felt like she didn’t have much.

“I feel that I’ve lost pieces of me since we got married, and if it doesn’t change, it’s going to hurt our relationship,” Cortney said.

The fire academy was taking a toll on Jason. To relax, Jason went out with the guys. He talked to his friends about struggling with the academy and his relationship, and Cortney invited her friend Chantel over. Cortney cried to her friend about the tension in her relationship and her stress at work.

“How can you be lonely when you’re married for only six months?” Cortney asked.

The next day, Cortney finally admitted to her husband how lonely she had been. Jason told her that she didn’t have to give up her personal hobbies for him. He would support her if she went into a career as a makeup artist or if she wanted to get back into burlesque. Even with their talk, they still felt that they needed professional help. They called in an expert from the experiment, sociologist Dr. Pepper Schwartz.

Dr. Pepper was shocked when she heard Jason say that the honeymoon was over. She explained that they were in “survival mode” because of their current circumstances. “Figure out some ritual where you connect,” she recommended.

She wanted them to sit down, even if only for half an hour a day over tea, to bond. They needed to talk and spend time together. She also recommended that Cortney take care of herself. She was living to support her husband, and she forgot her own needs in the process.

“You can’t rely on a relationship to make you happy, and you definitely can’t give up your identity,” Cortney said after the session.

Cortney decided that they would paint while bonding. Cortney blindfolded her husband and herself and they finger painted. Their painting wasn’t exactly a work of modern art, but it quickly led to Cortney painting Jason’s shirtless chest.

“No matter how busy our lives get, we’re going to be okay,” Cortney said.

Jason tossed his wife over his shoulder to bring her into the shower. He hit her head on the doorframe, much like he did on their wedding night.

Monet

Monet Bell headed out on her first date since filing for divorce from Vaughn Copeland. “I still want to fall in love. I still want to get married,” she told the cameras.

She went on a blind date with a man named Gerrit. He has traveled a lot and seemed more talkative than Vaughn. He also loved brunch as much as Monet, something Vaughn always hated. She planned to meet up with Gerrit again in the future.

“Married At First Sight: The First Year” airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. EST on FYI. Do you think Doug will want to have babies soon or will he maintain his position on the issue? Sound off in the comments section below!