Spoilers for all episodes of Are You My First? ahead. Hulu’s new reality show Are You My First? makes a strong case for virgins being the best dating show contestants. In the 10-episode series from the producers of Love Island USA, a cast of singles who haven’t had sex due to religious or late-bloomer reasons experience the highs and lows of reality TV dating—made even more intense by their desire to experience what they consider a major milestone. Some great casting and a lot of pent-up emotion give viewers one of the best reality TV couples of this year: Rachael Staudt and Michael Fractor.
Both Rachael and Michael fall on the non-religious side of the show’s contestants: She’s a 30-year-old Tampa-based cocktail waitress (and romantasy author!) looking for love, and he’s a 26-year-old stand-up comedian who is a familiar face to viewers of the short-lived Netflix show Twentysomethings: Austin. By the end of the show, Michael and Rachael are the only day one couple left standing, and with all episodes streaming now, fans are wondering whether they became each other’s firsts after filming ended. (No, none of the show’s cast actually had sex for the first time on reality TV, thankfully.)
Below, read on for everything to know about Michael and Rachael’s relationship timeline, including any clues to whether they’re still together.
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Rachael and Michael share their first kiss.
(Image credit: Disney/Jeff Daly)
What happened between Michael and Rachael on ‘Are You My First?’
When Michael first saw Rachael, he quickly declared that she was the hottest woman there and out of his league. However, on the first night, they quickly hit it off with their similar sense of humor. Rachael is also upfront that she has vaginismus, a disorder in which the vaginal muscles involuntarily tighten and make penetrative sex painful. She says in a confessional that Michael makes her feel safe and secure, and she could see herself losing her virginity to him.
Rachael makes a big power move up front during the night one white party, painting a ring onto Michael’s finger to show that she’s only interested in him. By episode 2, the couple are cuddling in a beached canoe and sharing their first kiss, which Rachael says is her first in years. She’s so happy that she even gets emotional and tears up in a confessional.
Unfortunately, midway through episode 3, Michael has to leave the island early due to a family emergency. (He later shared that he traveled back home due to a death in the family.) Rachel immediately breaks into tears about her connection being ripped away, and she spends the next several episodes making it clear that her mind is still firmly on Michael.
Luckily, his departure from the show was only temporary! Before the second “virgin sacrifice” in episode 7, Michael returns to the show and is reunited with Rachael. Michael is happy to hear that Rachael waited for him, and just an hour later, he declares that he had a romantic connection with her at the ceremony.
Michael and Rachael in episode 2.
(Image credit: Disney/Jeff Daly)
However, they face a bit of awkwardness when they become the first couple to head into the Love Shack (the show’s version of a Hideaway, but even more so since the cast usually sleeps in gender-separated dorms). Rachael is enthusiastic about spending the night together, but once they try to cuddle, she has a “visceral reaction” in which her body feels uncomfortable. They end up leaving the Love Shack without staying the night, and the next day, Rachael cries in frustration over her physical intimacy issues.
In a very good scene (that seems like a first-ever on reality TV), Rachael asks host Kaitlyn Bristowe for advice. It turns out that the former Bachelorette has vaginismus as well and experiences the same impulse to freeze up, even if she feels safe with someone. Rachael admits that she has a “fear of being loved back,” but she wants to work on it with Michael. In episode 9, they have a good conversation about the Love Shack incident and her struggles with intimacy, before they cover each other in paint and faux-propose to each other.
In episode 10, each of the final couples moves into their own Love Shack for three days to spend quality time together. Rachael is initially nervous, and when Michael returns from a confessional interview, he finds her crying in the bathroom because she’s overwhelmed. However, they get more comfortable sleeping together every night. Then, they hit a snag when discussing long distance for the first time, and Michael is much more hesitant about making that commitment.
Still, at the end of it all, Michael tells her, “I’d be a fool to end this. We have something so good.”
Rachael and Michael stay together in the finale.
(Image credit: Disney/Jeff Daly)
Are Michael and Rachael still together after ‘Are You My First?’
Despite their sweet romance, it’s currently unclear whether Michael and Rachael are still dating a year after the Hulu series was filmed. Several days after the premiere of Are You My First?, neither of them follows the other on Instagram, though they both follow other cast members from the show. It’s possible that the long distance between Texas and Florida affected them, or they may have tried to remain spoiler-free immediately after the show’s premiere.
There is a bit of hope for the pair! A scroll through Rachael’s Instagram shows that she visited Michael’s home base of Austin, Texas, last January, and went on what could’ve been a romantic dinner. Fingers crossed that means the love birds at least made it work for a while—and may still be together. We’ll have to wait and hear from them if they’re still going strong.
