I have a complicated relationship with Love is Blind. Sometimes it’s a thoughtful show about releasing your guard and just getting to know someone without shallow expectations. Sometimes it’s a hot mess dating reality TV program. It’s always entertaining – well, except maybe a season or two. Nonetheless, it’s the show’s entertainment factor that persists.
This makes it hard to quit. Unfortunately, I expect to watch Love is Blind until the end of time, but that makes my concerns even more pressing. I just want the show to return to its glory days. However, Love is Blind Season 9 is making me wonder if that’s even possible.
I Think The Connections On Love Is Blind Season 9 Feel Disingenuous
Love is Blind Season 9 had six couples end up engaged. Not a single one of them feels like a good match. There are definitely some couples that work better than others, but overall, the couples feel like their connections aren’t genuine. They’re going through the motions, either because they hope that somehow it works out or just hoping for more screentime. I want to believe that many stick through the process in the pursuit of the connection they felt in the pods, and a hope that they translate to real-life lasting connections.
I imagine that most want to become one of the Love is Blind success stories. None of these romances seems to have the chemistry, connection, and characteristics to develop into a long-term love story. I don’t even enjoy watching any of these couples together. Often, there is at least one Love is Blind couple that I feel confident about. That has not been my experience this season. I think they’re all headed for failure, maybe even potentially another Love is Blind divorce.
I would be shocked if no couple manages to say “I do” this season, but I don’t think any of them are ready for marriage. Maybe I am being too harsh on these couples, but I just feel like this season doesn’t have Love is Blind’s normal love story sparks.
To Me, It Seems Like No One Takes The Experiment Seriously Enough
I think it’s chic when someone marries five times or more. It’s very old Hollywood. However, I only want to get married once. Twice at most (if my first husband, unfortunately, dies at sea and then I marry another, only years later to discover he actually didn’t die.). Therefore, I take marriage quite seriously. Even on romantic reality TV shows, I want people trying to find real love. I don’t want to know that they’re only there for a quick boost of fame. Therefore, I take the Love is Blind process seriously.
These couples need to find love and for it to withstand the test of time. It seems I want better for them than they want for themselves. It doesn’t feel like the Love is Blind Season 9 contestants are trying to find love and marriage. Don’t go on Love is Blind if you are not ready for marriage. Many of these contestants act as if they don’t understand the weight of aiming for forever.
If some are only on the show for fifteen minutes of fame, that’s their right, but it’s a bit unfair to the contestants who are there to find love and take the experiment seriously. In the first two seasons, I believe the contestants used the show to find love. I felt the same way about Love is Blind: UK. Season 9 makes the marriage part of the experiment and the show appear optional. Marriage is a fundamental piece of Love is Blind. You can find someone to date on any reality TV show. This one works because it’s such an extreme method to find everlasting love. By not seeming ready for marriage, some contestants are disrespecting the heart of Love is Blind.
I Am Worried About The Lack Of Diversity On Love Is Blind Season 9
Love is Blind has had a diversity problem for a while. Not only has the racial diversity been lacking, but the body diversity seems especially problematic. On a show where the premise is all about finding love without the barriers of physical appearance, you would think the contestants would display more body inclusivity and racial representation. It could be due to the Denver location, but the show’s casting team should have cast a wider net to find more racial and physical variations.
Out of the six engaged couples, only two involve a person of color. One of those couples then doesn’t make it past one day of engagement. Representation will always matter. Therefore, I hope Love is Blind tries a little bit harder in future seasons to show more diversity with its contestants.
I Don’t Care About These Couples. Not A Single One
I love it when Love is Blind couples beat the odds and end up remaining married and even having children. Most seasons, I find at least one couple that I root for because I like their chemistry or see the potential in them lasting. Love is Blind Season 9 doesn’t have a single couple that I have faith in lasting. Some may have potential to go the distance, like Ali and Anton, but I just don’t care that much about these love stories.
Something got lost in translation because the show isn’t giving any of them the normal treatment. Each couple seems like it has its own brand of toxic. You can see why these connections may not be strong enough for enduring and unconditional love. I don’t think these couples should get married, nor do I want that for them. Love is Blind is not where they should go looking for love.
I Feel Like The Show Is Losing What Made It Special
My concerns about Love is Blind Season 9 are the same ones I have had in previous seasons. It just now feels like it’s not a one-off but a pattern. The show worked because I believe you can find love sight unseen, but you have to be an open-minded person with a strong desire to find love and work on it. The series proved that theory in earlier seasons. However, now, the casting process seems to have lost its way. It almost seems like the show currently casts for drama more than genuine connections.
It wants buzz-worthy moments. Not lifelong love stories. It’s become another sensationalized reality TV show, with iconic moments, but far away from the heart of the original concept. I hope Love is Blind finds that heart again one day.
Stream Love is Blind on Netflix.