The central theme of almost every fairy tale is love at first sight — like when Prince Charming first saw Cinderella from across the hall, and everything else faded away until it was just them. So, what happens when you take away your ability to see? You get “Love Is Blind,” a show about finding the perfect spouse without even getting a look at them first. After an eventful first season, Netflix brought back the show hosted by the Lacheys.
The Recap
Two groups, made up of men and women, are given the chance to find their true love, albeit sight unseen. They have ten days to fall for someone, propose, then enjoy a getaway to Mexico. After getting to know one another on a physical level, it’s back to reality. Families and friends must be met before the wedding day arrives in just four weeks. When it does, the only question remaining is whether the happy couple will say “I do.”
This season is one for the books. While 15 men and women went in looking for love, only six couples will come out engaged after the initial 10-day period in the pods. As with all reality shows, drama reigns supreme. Let’s break down Season 2 of “Love Is Blind.”
The Pods
The pods are where the initial meetings take place, and everyone gets a chance to get to know one another. After a few meetings, favorites are determined. Right off the bat, Abhishek “Shake” Chatterjee made himself known for his shallow standards for women, particularly regarding their size. While he turned women off, Nick Thompson and Danielle Ruhl hit it out of the park. Within five days, they were the first couple to get engaged.
Entering in the first episode, the drama did not disappoint as Shayne Jansen stirred up trouble. If there was ever a game of spot-the-manipulator, the scene of Shayne going between Natalie Lee and Shaina Hurley would be the easiest level to win. Shayne used Shaina for what seemed to be a sexual fantasy during every meeting. His first question was always the same: “What are you wearing?” He would then tell Natalie she was his favorite, his number one, pitting her against Shaina. In the end, after battering both hearts, he picked Natalie.
Heartbroken, Shaina went on to accept Kyle Abrams’ proposal, despite their different religious beliefs. Yet the drama came back as she nearly foiled Shayne’s proposal to Natalie, confessing her feelings for him. While he might be a manipulator, he stuck to his guns and told her it was “too late.”
The Vacation
After Jarrette met Iyanna, the time came for the season to shift locations to Cancun, Mexico. Here, the six couples would get to know one another on a physically intimate level. Right away, Shaina and Kyle’s relationship headed toward splitsville, as she left behind both him and Mexico, but not “Love Is Blind.”
At the couples’ meetup, Shake confessed to the men his lack of physical attraction to Deepti. It wound up being a recurring conversation for him for the rest of the getaway. Jarrette and Mallory spoke about their relationship and her hesitations about marrying Salvador. While the two would have made a beautiful couple, they look better with their partners. Nick and Danielle faced their first argument, stemming from her insecurities getting in the way of being able to trust him, seen most clearly when he went to the meetup alone when she was ill. It didn’t end things for them, though. According to Nick on the show, had it not been for building a basis for communication in the pod, that argument would probably have ended things.
Back to Reality
Remember Shaina and Kyle? Well, after the getaway, he met her family to figure out if they would work. The third-degree interrogation went well until the question of being a “godly man” came up. As far as Episode 6, they still planned to get married in the two-week time frame. Shaina’s mother made sure to note in her interview she would not give her blessing, though. In the end, Shaina made the decision to break it off. “Love Is Blind” might show you that you don’t need sight first, but faith can be a deal-breaker.
Meanwhile, Iyanna remained worried over Jarrette’s feelings for Mallory. His choice in her may have been affected by their big debate regarding starting a family. The other couples faced slightly easier times meeting the families. Danielle and Nick, however, may not be as good of a match as it seems. As they argued over his complaining about his friends and family while meeting her family, it bubbled over into him, and he called her self-absorbed.
One little comment from Shaina throws a small wrench between Natalie and Shayne. During the get-together with the rest of the “Love Is Blind” contestants without proposals, Shaina and Shayne have a chat where she claims she’s being made to be the villain in his relationship. In all honesty, the way the show portrays her, she isn’t wrong. Especially when she calls Natalie and Shayne’s relationship “fake-ass.”
Wedding Day
“Love Is Blind” brought these couples together, but do they stay together? The first couple to get engaged is the first to put the “I dos” to the test. Nick and Danielle start the final episode off standing at the altar as they take the plunge, sealing their marriage with a kiss. Deepti and Shake end their relationship, with Deepti stating she deserves someone who knows for sure they want her. If there was a girlboss moment, choosing herself takes that spot. Runner-up for the most girlboss moment would be when Natalie sticks up for herself after a fight with Shayne the night before their wedding. In the end, only two of the six couples took the leap of faith into marriage. Jarrette and Iyanna, as the last couple to be engaged, also proved “love is blind.”
“Love can only go so far,” according to Natalie in her post-wedding interview. This may be why the show only sees one to two couples per season get married, but it’s a well-worth-it experiment, and entertaining too.
