Orion & Lauren Have an Important Conversation About Derogatory Language

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Married at First Sight Season 17 Episode 5, “Take Me Down to Paradise City.”]

The couples of Married at First Sight have reached the honeymoon stage of Season 17 as they enjoy their time in Cancun, but is there trouble in Paradise already?

During a moment alone together, in the latest installment, “Take Me Down to Paradise City,” Lauren and Orion had a candid conversation about derogatory language, which was sparked by a question posed by her to her husband: “Do you use the N-word?”

Orion quickly responded “No,” but Lauren followed it up with a, “Have you ever?” This led to a more honest answer as he shared, “I have, ignorantly.”

(Credit: Lifetime)

“Ignorantly and singing along with songs,” he clarified. Lauren asked if it was okay to “punch you for my ancestors.” Orion granted her permission, but this conversation spun out into a bigger discussion on derogatory terms, particularly aimed at Indigenous peoples.

“I was definitely an ignorant kid, not knowing stuff and I’ve had some of my own community talk to me — mostly my mom — who was just like, ‘Hey don’t joke about that.’ And so, it was really just a big learning process growing up.”

“I think that that is okay,” Lauren responded, “because I have used terms that, when I was younger, I didn’t even know were derogatory.”

“R*dsk*n?” Orion asked her, but she said, “No, I don’t think I’ve ever used that language… I don’t even know what r*dsk*n means, honestly,” she began before adding with a laugh, “Oh, I do. I just looked at your face.”

“That was a little rough,” Orion countered after an awkward silence. “I’m sorry. That was a little rough?” Lauren asked apologetically.

“A little bit,” Orion responded. “I’m actually just looking at the fact that you’re sunburnt right now around your nose, but still, I shouldn’t have said that,” she admitted. “But I just never actually knew what that meant. I’m sorry.”

When Orion asked if Lauren wanted to know what it meant, she agreed to hear him out. As Orion told Lauren, the term comes from colonial times when the scalping of Indigenous people was prevalent. “That’s disgusting,” Lauren responded, showing remorse for her earlier comment. “That’s absolutely disgusting, and I am sorry that I even… I wasn’t making a joke necessarily, but I’m sorry I even fed into that hurt for you,” she added.

“Things like that, it’s not a joke,” Orion responded. When Lauren wonders aloud when and if Orion decides to be offended, he revealed that it mostly has to do with delivery. “You can hear ignorance when it does come up and that’s kind of what happened when we were headed to the airport,” Orion continued, referring to an offhand comment made by Cameron.

But Lauren then began to question Orion’s reaction to her comment in comparison to Cameron, who is a white man, leading to an even bigger debate and sparking some tension between the duo. Can they overcome this hurdle, or will it put a serious damper on their honeymoon? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.

Married at First Sight, Season 17, Wednesdays, 8/7c, Lifetime