Arranged is the perfect palate cleanser to Married at First Sight.
Arranged is the perfect palate cleanser to Married at First Sight.
If you've been watching Married At First Sight Australia (and ratings would suggest many of you have), chances are you're probably reaching the end of the season feeling a little … unclean.
After a couple of months enjoying (or enduring) a series with weirdly aggressive tooth-brushing techniques, attempted spouse swapping, excruciating sex lessons, and a grown man calling himself DJ Visionz while performing the worst rap of all time, you're probably in need of a reality TV palate cleanser.
If so, I suggest tuning into the new season of Arranged, the series that goes behind the scenes of New Zealand's arranged marriages.
Here, the matches are more about traditions and less about producers or relationship "experts" needing a villain to boost ratings. The couples are less concerned about raising their Instagram profiles and more worried about the horoscope report their aunt has just ordered for their imminent union.
In the season premiere, we are introduced to two hopeful singles ready to let their respective families have the final say over who they marry.
"My parents said, 'You're getting old, you need to get married now,'" Jenica tells us, as she makes the decision - at the ripe old age of 26 - to head to India and indulge her family's determined efforts to find her a husband. It's a trip that will prove Jenica is full of surprises.
But the real treat of Arranged's first episode is self-proclaimed "modern Kiwi bloke" Raneet, a 26-year-old accountant who proposed on the first date with a woman he met online.
"We started poking each other on Facebook," he says of his fiancée, Nirmansha. "I don't know who started it, but it became a poke war."
A whopping 4000 (4000!) pokes later, the marriage proposal comes – and that's when Raneet realises he probably needs his parents' approval before going ahead with the wedding.
What unfolds is a charming little glimpse into a love story where the groom isn't afraid to crack a few jokes and share his infectious laugh in the face of what is sometimes overwhelming tradition.
But like any love story, Raneet and Nirmansha's is not without its hurdles.
There are visa issues for the bride and the not-so-small matter of her aunt insisting she go to an astrologer to look at the prospective couple's horoscope. An unfavourable one can prevent a marriage taking place, but the easy-going Raneet takes it all his stride.
"I know I'm perfect for [Nirmansha] and she's perfect for me, but let's see what the stars say."
(As it transpires, the stars have plenty to say, including the fact the bride and groom both have a high libido, although it's not immediately apparent how the astrologer came to that conclusion. Perhaps it was all that Facebook poking?)
Visa and horoscope issues aside, we finally get to witness Raneet and Nirmansha's extravagant wedding with its requisite riots of colour, amazing outfits, food, dancing – and a Hummerzine.
However, all that joy and excitement makes for a stark contrast when the reality of getting married and moving to New Zealand from Fiji hits the bride.
Nirmansha brings several unexpected wallops of emotion throughout the episode as she struggles to balance the delight of getting married with the sadness that her parents, who both died a few years ago, are not there with her. If you can keep your eyes dry as she farewells her only brother, then you're made of sterner stuff than me.
After a whole series of MAFS Australia where the only genuine emotions on display seemed to be utter revulsion, Arranged is a breath of fresh air. With a steady stream of sweet, funny and sad moments, the mix of heavy and light is just right.
And if the rest of the season can promise characters as likeable as Raneet and his family, then this show is just the ticket for restoring your faith in a happily-ever-after. Until whatever fresh round of merry hell the return of MAFS NZ brings us later in the year.
