Love Is Blind...And Apparently Super Addictive
SPOILER ALERT: LOVE IS BLIND TV SHOW RECAP, FULL SEASON AND REUNION
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that Netflix entered into the dating show scene with a runaway (pun intended) hit with their new show, Love is Blind. For those that actually have been living under a rock, the premise of Love is Blind is an interesting one. Contestants start out speed dating in essence, but they can only communicate with each other inside of individual pods, with a wall between them. They can talk to each other at length (it seems), but can’t see or have any physical contact with anyone they’re dating until they’re engaged. You read that right. A marriage proposal must be accepted before the two can ever lay eyes on one another! It’s a wild concept.
“From the very first episode of Love is Blind, I was invested in the contestants and their plights.”
Even as a longtime fan of Married at First Sight, I’ll admit I was initially a skeptic of Love is Blind…despite the rave reviews. I questioned the motives of the contestants more so than the actual premise of the show. It’s a big part of the reason why I’m not a big fan of The Bachelor series and most other dating shows. My sense is that most participants just want to be on TV, and/or gain a large social media following. The “required” commitment of marriage with Married at First and Love is Blind helps to weed out those who may not be on the show for the right reasons.
From the very first episode of Love is Blind, I was invested in the contestants and their plights. I was surprised by how much I liked most of them and found myself rooting for - and in some cases, empathizing with them. The contestants mostly seemed open, vulnerable, and even flawed….as we all are. The conversations definitely got intense in those pods, and real connections were being established. That said, I’ll offer my brief synopsis of the contestants and give the high- (and low) lights for each couple, as the season progressed.
Lauren and Cameron
It’s probably safe to say that this America’s Favorite New Couple. It was amazing to witness their immediate connection in the pods, which seemed as instantaneous as it was genuine. Out of all of the couples, these two seem like the most natural fit, despite the interracial aspect of their relationship. I appreciated that both Lauren and Cameron were always forthright throughout in acknowledging the challenges they would have to navigate in this regard - with friends and family, and society as a whole. This only endeared me as viewer even more, as I smiled and cheered them on from my couch – from the pods to the vow exchange.
Lauren and Cameron’s love story is precisely why I watch these shows. In the reunion episode, we saw them still happily married (more than a year later), and enjoying their newfound fame! Theirs is a beautiful representation of what the show is truly supposed to be about. I’m excited to see what comes next for them.
Amber and Barnett
While I like these two together now, I have to be honest and say that I wasn’t a fan of either of them at first. I thought Amber was a piece of work, as I recall her very vain “I ain’t ugly” self-introduction in the confessional. Barnett, on the other hand, initially gave me total F-boy vibes. Now, the “F” can stand for frat or whatever else might apply. He seemed very much like the typical male contestant on most dating shows, with the immature, joke-y, player schtick. I could just smell the privilege through my TV screen.
Barnett was the only contestant to establish semi-serious connections with not one, not two, but three people on the show. The irony for me lied in watching how this played out - sight unseen for the contestants, of course. I could totally imagine the same scenario (multiple women vying for his attention) happening in a traditional setting.
Once Barnett made a decision though, he fervently honored the commitment. Amber’s financial issues would have given most men pause, but Barnett was surprisingly undeterred. He staunchly defended his decision as family and friends voiced their concerns about Amber and the whirlwind wedding as a whole. And let’s not forget how he maintained his resolve through Jessica’s many drunken advances during his and Amber’s engagement period. I became more convinced of his allegiance to Amber as the season progressed. Dare I say we watched Barnett grow up on the show.
I was happy to see Amber and Barnett still together in the reunion episode. Amber definitely had her say with Jessica, too! I appreciated the couple’s honesty in discussing some of their struggles since the cameras stopped rolling. Thankfully, they’ve been able to work through their issues and come out stronger. Yet another success story for the show in its debut season.
Giannina and Damian
These two became one of my favorite couples to watch. I enjoyed Gi Gi’s unabashed fiery personality. Remember that she was the one that got down on one knee and proposed to Damian! Her “butterflies” and “not the best sex” comments have become pop culture references. In turn though, when Damian got fed up with some of her antics, he wasn’t shy about calling her out.
Their communication efforts is what I appreciated most about this couple. While Gi Gi may have not always exercised the most tactful approach to difficult conversations, she never hesitated to let Damian know when her needs were not being met. I think a lot of women can take a page out of her book. I also respected Damian’s ability to reign her in when needed. That’s what I call balance in a relationship.
At the reunion, I was elated to see these two giving it another try. I see maturity and growth in Giannina, as it would be difficult for anyone to forgive someone for literally leaving them stranded at the altar. In retrospect though, it seems she realized that she simply wasn’t ready at the time the show was filmed. Overall, I think they are a great fit and their union further speaks to the legitimacy of the relationships born out of this show.
Now For The Ones That Didn’t Make It
With Diamond and Carlton, I got the sense early on that one of them was hiding something, but I couldn’t tell which one of them it was. It’s a shame because they had clearly established a connection. I guess we’ll never know how Diamond might have reacted to Carlton’s admission if she had found out sooner. Even though I strongly disliked the level of disrespect he showed her during their epic poolside blowup, I feel for them both given the circumstances. He was genuinely apologetic at the reunion, and I was pleased to see them make amends.
Kelly and Kenny’s scenes were the opposite of exciting and explosive….which is probably why we didn’t see nearly as much of these two as we did of the other couples. While Kelly strikes me as a nice enough person, she did admit early on to having self-esteem issues. I think this definitely played a part in the demise of their relationship. Additionally, she couldn’t bring herself to admit that she wasn’t attracted to Kenny. All along, their interaction seemed a bit off and lacked passion. Kelly and Kenny were like two people who desperately wanted to be in a relationship, but not necessarily with each other. In the end, Kenny was a class act and I’m glad to see that he found love outside of the show.
Last but not least is Mark and Jessica. Jessica, Jessica, Jessica. There’s always a villain in these type of shows, and #Messica certainly fits the bill. I had a love/hate – well, let’s call it like/dislike relationship with her myself. While I do think that their age difference was significant, she should have spared Mark the heartbreak once she got rejected by Barnett. But no. She accepted Mark’s marriage proposal (and unrequited love) only to take every opportunity to press Barnett about his decision to marry Amber. Her behavior in most scenes was cringe-worthy, and most viewers acknowledge that she has a drinking problem - well, her and her dog.
Mark, on the other hand, was an absolute gem throughout. I thought one of the more touching scenes was when he recreated the pod setting in an effort to break down Jessica’s walls (no pun intended). I literally had to fight back tears when he cried in his mother’s arms after Jessica left him standing at the altar. Here’s the part where I take up for Jessica though: It became clear that they were in two different stages of life when she went to his home…that he shared with roommates. As a successful and established career woman, I think Jessica ultimately sought someone on equal financial footing.
Mark’s current station in life was just one of their issues though. Truth be told, she just wasn’t that into Mark, and obviously never got over Barnett. Mark appears to have a lot of admirable traits, but this might have been one of those situations where love is not enough. I have no worries that Mark will eventually find love with someone new….there’s probably hundreds of thousands of women sliding into his DMs as we speak.
In the end, I thought to some degree that the Love is Blind experiment was proven. Needless to say though, all of these people were relatively attractive. Still, I’m pleasantly surprised with the vetting of candidates, in terms of how genuine they seemed, and that so many found true and lasting love through the show. I can barely wait for Season 2 of Love is Blind. It’s probably already ruined as participants will now know what to expect, but I’ll be watching anyway.
