MAFS Season 16: Why Kirsten’s Expectations Of Shaquille Don’t Make Sense

Kirsten Grimes and Shaquille Dillion have struggled to connect on Married At First Sight season 16. Kirsten’s unrealistic expectations may be why.

Kirsten Grimes and Shaquille Dillion are still getting to know one another on Married At First Sight season 16, but while Kirsten has made her expectations clear, she doesn’t seem to realize how contradictory they are. Before Kirsten and Shaquille even met on their wedding day, Kirsten, 32, made her wants and standards obvious. Like the other stars of MAFS season 16, Kirsten is not only ready to settle down and have children but is ready to connect with someone who is passionate about their career, family, and religion. Luckily for Kirsten, Shaquille, 31, signed up for MAFS with the same parameters in mind.

Interestingly, while Kirsten and Shaquille’s arranged marriage by Married At First Sight‘s Dr. Pepper Schwartz makes sense in theory, the newlyweds have struggled to find the spark in their relationship. Between Kirsten’s lack of physical affection for her husband and Shaquille’s nice-guy persona, the MAFS season 16 couple faced their first bump in the road after Shaquille’s prior obligation caused them to miss the first day of their honeymoon in Jamaica. Nonetheless, once they arrived in the country for their honeymoon, Kirsten and Shaquille began to loosen up and enjoy their time together, but by the end of their excursion, Shaquille grew noticeably frustrated with some of Kirsten’s demands, and with good reason.

Related: Inside Married At First Sight Season 16’s Honeymoon Location

Kirsten Doesn’t Think Shaquille Is Being Genuine

While MAFS season 16 frontrunners Nicole Lilienthal and Christopher Thielk immediately hit it off, Kirsten admitted that she felt Shaquille wasn’t being his true self soon after they tied the knot. While Chris and Shaquille appear to be genuinely nice men who are completely dedicated to their respective marriages, Kirsten has told Shaquille several times that when they converse, Shaquille talks “at her” and not “to her.” Despite her husband’s insistence that his responses and thoughts come from the heart, Kirsten, who compared Shaquille to Martin Luther King Jr. on their honeymoon, is desperate for her MAFS groom to let his guard down.

When Shaquille Relaxes, Kirsten Still Criticizes Him

Although Airris Williams waved some giant red flags at Jasmine Secrest on their honeymoon, Shaquille took Kirsten’s words seriously and tried to have fun, even when they rode ATVs despite Shaquille’s disclosed traumatic childhood car accident. However, by the end of their getaway, Kirsten again criticized Shaquille’s personality, but for the opposite reason: Shaquille was no longer serious, but instead too humorous during moments that didn’t warrant a joke, such as their first honeymoon dinner together. Shaquille did as requested and tried to let loose, yet Kirsten still had a problem with his demeanor.

Kirsten was rightly annoyed that Shaquille made them late for their honeymoon, but at the end of the day, Kirsten can’t have her cake and eat it too. While it’s natural for Kirsten to expect certain things from the person she’s supposed to spend the rest of her life with, Kirsten must accept Shaquille’s quirks, sense of humor, and overall personality if the couple wants to stay married past Decision Day. Between rumors that Domynique Kloss and Mackinley Gilbert won’t make it through the social experiment and Gina Micheletti and Clint Webb’s own drama, Kirsten and Shaquille’s problems might fade into the background as MAFS season 16 continues.

More: Why Some Fans Do Trust The Married At First Sight Experts

Married At First Sight season 16 airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EST on Lifetime.