On Feb. 13, 2020, the very first season of “Love Is Blind” came out on Netflix. This show didn’t become all that popular until everyone was confined to their homes with nothing else to do but watch reality TV shows on Netflix. If you’re unfamiliar with “Love Is Blind,” the concept is…well, weird. A group of men and a group of women spend a set amount of time getting to know each other. Unlike other romance reality TV shows where physical interaction is key, this show has individuals interacting behind a wall. They can’t see each other and can only interact through a speaker in the wall. The format is similar to that of a lengthy speed-dating event. When participants are certain they’ve “found” the right person they extend an engagement and finally get to meet. If they choose to move forward with their relationship, the newly engaged couples head to a luxury resort to get to know each other even more – wink, wink.
Some reviews call the show a social experiment to see whether or not two individuals are capable of making a meaningful connection without factoring in their physical appearances. They must make a meaningful connection with another individual solely based on communication. As an individual who has had no real or romantic relationships, I feel like this is a concept we need to apply more often in modern society, but not in the form of a reality TV show.
Overall, I did not find this show to be entertaining. The “speed-dating” portion of the show took up too many episodes, and I lost interest before the couples even left for their luxury retreats. In all honesty, it’s like every other typical American reality TV show you’ll find. The ultimate end goal: marriage. It re-affirms the odd gender dynamics that we see on shows like “The Bachelor” or “The Bachelorette,” usually ending with the man proposing to the woman. However, it’s become so popular that it’s been recently renewed for a fifth season and will be aired in Japan and Brazil. I haven’t been able to bring myself to watch the two new versions, but, unsurprisingly, they are available on Netflix.
This is all just to say that if you’re looking for something to give you hope about your future love situation, this might be the show for you. Even I will return back to “Love Is Blind” for the occasional episode, especially as the weather turns frigid and I lose motivation to walk the 10 minutes down to Skoglund.
