Here Come the Newlyweds 2, The Finale: Time to Vote

As usual, Pat greets the couples at breakfast. Pat tells the final two couples that the seven couples who left are coming back and they will decide which couple will win. The catch is the couples will be voting for the winner as individuals, not as couples. Pat tells the Corlisses and the McMorrises that they will play three challenges to win opportunity cards. Each opportunity card will allow a couple to cancel one individual’s vote.

For the first challenge, Pat will reveal various items and the couples will write down how much they think is too much to pay for that item. For every dollar a husband and wife are apart, a point will be added to their score. The couple with the lowest score at the end of the challenge wins.

The first item Pat reveals is a bottle of wine. I really hate this challenge. Is Pat asking how much is too much for a bottle of red table wine? Or how much is too much for a bottle of 2005 vintage Bordeaux? As a fairly heavy wine drinker, I know I’m going to be appalled by the couples’ answers which will probably be absurdly low. Mark and Marlo Corliss say $50 and $75 respectively. I’m pleasantly surprised! Kenny and Makayla McMorris say $50 and $30.

The next item is a pair of women’s jeans. The McMorrises say $40 and $50. I am shocked. Where do they shop? I’m sure jeans that inexpensive are out there, but that’s the most they would ever spend? The Corlisses say $400 and $300. Clearly, Marlo and I are shopping at similar stores (something I never thought I’d type).

The advantage that the McMorrises have for being cheapskates is becoming obvious. This game would be better if the score was based on percentage difference rather than absolute dollar amount. If Makayla will never spend more than $50 on anything, she and Kenny will never be that far apart.

The next item is a dinner for two. The McMorrises both say $100. The McMorrisses clearly don’t live in Manhattan. The Corlisses say $200 and $250.

The next item is a night in a hotel. The Corlisses say $500 and $300 and the McMorrises both say $200. The McMorrises clearly aren’t visiting Manhattan either.

The next item is two tickets to a concert. Kenny and Makayla say $100 and $200. Mark and Marlo both say $500.

After five items the McMorrises have a $130 difference and the Corlisses have a $375 difference. The last item is a birthday present for your spouse. The McMorrises say $200 and $250. Marlo Corliss says $5000 and the game is lost right there as Mark says $500.

Pat awards the McMorrises the first opportunity card for use during the vote.

After the challenge, the couples retreat to the deck and discover all the losing couples back for the finale. Everyone gets hugs. Sarin Hinkins calls out Makayla McMorris again for voting the Hinkins out.

The next challenge takes place in front of all of the other couples. It consists of nine questions about lasting impressions. The goal, as usual, is to match your spouse.

The first question is, “Which couple will you miss the most?” The McMorrises both say the Hinkins. The Corlisses both say the Newberrys.

The next question asks which couple will make the best parents. The McMorrises match again with the Hinkins. The Corlisses don’t match as Marlo says Ieng and Mark says Hinkins.

Pat next asks which couple do they most regret sending home out of the Smiths, Huffmans, Coxes, and Oskowskis. The McMorrises don’t match as he says Cox and she says Oskowski. The Corlisses both match with the Smiths.

The fourth question asks which couple made them laugh the most. Everyone but Marlo says the Iengs, which means the McMorrises get a match and the Corlisses don’t.

Now Pat wants to know based on first impressions, which couple were the couples most wrong about. Kenny and Makayla don’t match as he says the Hinkins and she says the Huffmans. The Corlisses both say the Hinkins.

The next question asks which husband did the women find most attractive. The McMorrises mismatch as Kenny says Nick Oskowski and Makayla says Rich Newbery. Marlo and Mark match with Nick Oskowski. Huh? I just don’t find Nick Oskowski the least bit attractive.

Now Pat wants to know which wife the husbands found the most attractive. The McMorrises don’t match again. Kenny says Audra Newbery and Makayla says Ashley Cox. Amusingly enough, Mark says Audra Newbery and Marlo says Ashley Cox.

Pat asks which couple had the most sex in the house. The McMorrises mismatch with the Oskowskis and Hinkins. The Corlisses have a match with the Oskowskis. With that match they win the challenge. Pat hands the Corlisses their first opportunity card.

The next day the couples discuss the fact that it is their last day in the house. Pat greets them and tells the couples that they are taking a field trip today.

Pat takes the couples to a retirement community where most of the couples there have been married for over thirty years. Pat tells the newlywed couples that the retirees will choose who gets the last opportunity card based on how the couples answer their questions.

The first question is from a man who wants to know how the couples will deal with arguments. Kenny McMorris simply says that Makayla is always right. The next gentleman asks how long the couples have known each other. Mark and Marlo have been together for three years and the McMorrises have been together for three and half years. A woman wants to know who is the most patient. Kenny says Makayla is more patient and Mark says that Marlo is more patient. Another man wants to know what things the wives do that bug their husbands. Kenny says that Makayla snores and Mark says that Marlo talks a lot and too fast.

We don’t hear any more questions and the couples leave the room while Pat asks the retirees to vote. The seniors vote by ballot. Pat brings the couples back in and says the vote was very, very close but the McMorrises won.

That night the couples debate what to do with their opportunity cards. They have to cancel a person’s vote before they know who that person voted for so the cards could actually backfire.

The final two couples are given an opportunity to address the voting couples before the vote. The McMorrises are up first and Kenny speaks the entire time, telling everyone how much he loves Makayla. The Corlisses are up next. Mark is nervous so he reads from something he wrote the night before. He’s very honest and sweet and he and Marlo are both fighting back tears. Even Rich Newbery is crying!

Pat now takes each couple away to vote. The Smiths are up first, Andrea votes for the Corlisses, we don’t see Matt’s vote. We see Rich Newbery vote for the Corlisses as well. Sarin and Jed vote for the McMorrises. We don’t see any other votes.

Pat gathers the couples together and tells them that they’ve all won a trip to Lake Louise in Alberta. Ashley Cox has no idea where Alberta is. I’m embarrassed for her.

The Corlisses and the McMorrises step forward and turn in their opportunity cards. The McMorrises eliminate Rich Newbery’s vote with their first card. Rich tells us he voted for the Corlisses. The McMorrises also eliminate Audra Newbery’s vote and Audra also voted for the Corlisses. The Corlisses use their card to eliminate Matt Cox’s vote. Matt voted for the McMorrises. All smart uses of the opportunity cards by the couples.

Pat steps up to announce the winning couple… The Corlisses! Wow, good for Mark and Marlo! They went from a couple that was in the bottom two three weeks running to the winners of $480,000!

Well that’s it for this season of Here Come the Newlyweds. Unlike last season, we don’t see a casting call for the next season, so who knows if the show will return.

Jennifer Tsao lives in Manhattan with her husband and infant son. By day she has a typical desk job and at night she obsesses over reality TV. You can reach her at realityjenn@gmail.com.

For more news about reality TV, be sure to check out SirLinksALot: Here Come the Newlyweds and The Source: Reality TV Headlines!