Over the past few months, controversial TV ‘experiment’, The Seven Year Switch has taken us on an emotional roller-coaster. There’s been naked spas, bed swaps, matching tattoos and a whole lot of tears.
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Last night was the finale and we got to look back the four couples’ journey from when they left unhappy relationships, to try out a life with a new partner and then come back together with original partner.
Confused? Don’t worry; so are we, because it seems this crazy ‘experiment’ (a term used very loosely throughout the show) has worked.
Ryan and Cassie
Ryan is an all-round sweetheart, but his downfall is his naivety when it comes to ‘get rich quick schemes’. He’s spent his and Cassie’s money on everything from telemarketers holiday plans to the old infomercial lady’s venomous face cream and super flattering fat jeans (trust me, they make you look ten pounds lighter).
Unfortunately, Cassie and Ryan have an 11-month old, so Cass is getting a little fed up by him giving all their money away to snake oil merchants ‘entrepreneurs’.
The show revealed the couple had lost a baby previously, which also had a huge emotional effect on the pair.
Cassie shed a lot of tears during their time apart and Ryan came to the realisation he needed to become a man and earn money the good ole fashion way -by working.
Cassie was also noticeably pregnant throughout the experiment and the twosome ended the show choosing to stay together and bring up their new family of four (they reportedly gave birth at the beginning of the year).
“You know how much I love you. You know I love you more than anything. I just want to tell you how much I want to commit to our relationship. You’ve got all of me,” Ryan said.
Tim and Jackie
From the very start, we had our doubts about this couple. Jackie seems like a perfectly reasonable, smart, pretty woman. While Tim reminds me of a guy I dated in high school who drank Malibu and coke, didn’t learn to drive and used to ask his mum to buy him a McDonalds 30c cone every evening. He’s a man-child.
Tim has been the catalyst for most of the season’s drama. He jumped into the spa naked, he got a matching tattoo and he hopped into bed with his ‘experimental partner’ Tallena.
Even though he has poor decision making skills, he obviously has big biceps, because the moment they get back together, all is forgiven.
Tim finished the episode saying, “Jackie, at one stage I thought I’d lost you and I felt sick inside. You mean the world to me and I never want to lose you,” Tim said. “I love you more than anything in the world I want us to be together forever. I hope I can live up to all your expectations.”
While Jackie responded, “The thought of us not being together, I never want to experience that again. I have so much passion and love and desire for you. I never want to lose you. I love you.”
The pair are now expecting a baby at any moment!
Jason and Michelle
These two have been together for seven years and already have two babies.
Michelle feels neglected and doesn’t receive the help she needs from workaholic Jason; while Jason thinks Michelle had become a shell of what she used to be.
This was one of the saddest couples of the season. We were gunning for them from day one, but weren’t sure if their relationship was too far past breaking point.
Jason said, “I want us to have the happiest family and I want us to be those oldies at the pub playing bingo. I know our relationship can be painful at times and I’m trying to be better,” Jason said. “I promise for the rest of my life I’ll try to be the best partner and the best father that’s imaginable. I love you so much.”
Michelle responded, “I don’t think I’ve ever fallen out of love with you but I’ve definitely lost the ‘in love’ feeling. You’re a wonderful father but things haven’t been easy. We’ve grown apart and we need to grow back together again.”
Brad and Tallena
Brad and Tallena were the engaged couple who seemed to get ‘unengaged’ every time they had a disagreement.
Brad had a nasty habit of calling of the Wedding whenever the latest flat screen TV came out (because, “budgeting priorities”, obviously) or whenever Tallena wouldn’t do what he wanted.
Tallena let loose on her time away from Brad and seemed to enjoy Tim’s company a little too much. After getting tattooed with her fake ‘partner’, Tim and after she told Brad she wanted more time away from him, we thought they were definitely donezo.
However, they’ve proved everyone wrong.
Not only are they still going strong, but they’re Married! Woman’s Day confirmed the pair had tied the knot in Queensland with 70 close friends and family watching.
Brad said, “I love you and I want to be with you. I don’t want to live without you, your my world. I want us to push forward and get married and I want to marry you tomorrow.”
