OK lovies! Grab your popcorn, wine, and tissue! Love is Blind Season 2 is out and I don’t know how I’m going to maintain my composure for the finale this Friday. If you have no idea what I am referring to, imagine falling in love in less than two weeks, accepting a proposal from someone you have never seen and marrying them in 4 weeks. Love is Blind is reality TV at its finest, a social experiment which defies what we thought we knew about love by simply removing the physical attraction and focusing entirely on the emotional connection. Have you ever been on a blind date? What makes you fall in love?
The show recruits 15 single men and 15 single women from Chicago who are placed in what could be described as a speed dating exercise in which they talk to each other in pods separated by a wall, until they develop a strong enough connection to decide they want to spend the rest of their lives together. It is a tear-jerking, heart pumping scene when the couples finally meet, seeing who they fell in love with for the first time. To the show’s credit, the participants in both seasons are mostly beautiful people so nobody needs to worry about matching with an ogre.
The couples who agree to marry are sent on a romantic getaway to Cancun, Mexico where they really ‘get to know’ each other. On their return to Chicago, they must live together in a designated apartment until the wedding. This is where reality sets in and they begin to see who they really decided to marry, flaws and all. Although, truth be told, some of the flaws emerge in Cancun. Are these flaws deal-breakers? Well, we must wait until the wedding day to find out, when the officiating minister asks the ultimate question to which they may or may not respond “I do”.
We fell in love with Lauren Speed and Cameron Hamilton in season 1 and fans have been following their progress on social media since they tied the knot. The interracial couple was an instant sensation, and we still can’t get enough of them. Talk about a leap of faith. Season 2 doesn’t quite have a couple that has stolen our hearts and that is why we are all stressed out right now. We have no idea who will say “I do”. Six couples got engaged in season 2: Shayne and Natalie; Nick and Danielle; Shaina and Kyle; Shake and Deepti; Mallory and Salvador; and Jarrette and Iyanna.
Of the six, my favourites are Mallory and Salvador; Shake and Deepti; and Jarrette and Iyanna. But they all make me nervous because they have had to work through some serious issues. Salvador is a sweet musician whom Mallory described as too suave, yet every time he sings for her, she cries like a baby. She is not as tough as she is letting on and way more into him than she initially believed. Let’s just say Salvador showed up on their first night in Cancun and put the argument to rest. She reminds me of a young J Lo. OMG! She even sounds like her. And it is not a Latina thing. Trust me. I’ve seen enough of them, and this is uncanny.
Jarrette, like men often do, found himself initially confused, got turned down by one female and then moved on to choose Iyanna, who isn’t happy with being number 2. But I have a soft spot for Jarrette and quite understand what he was going through at the time. He admitted that he liked both ladies and couldn’t make up his mind. She should put it behind her. He is also extroverted and loves hanging out with his friends, while the introverted Iyanna wants to stay home. She is not convinced he is ready for marriage but he says he is and will make the adjustments accordingly. “Trust me,” he says. I think she should. He can't change in a couple of weeks. Oh, they are so cute! And they have amazing chemistry relating to each other. Iyanna wants to wait until marriage for sex and Jarrette is cool with that. I mean, Jarrette must have had his fair share by now, he’s hot!
Shake and Deepti are Indians who have tried to shun their culture and are dating their own race for the first time. They are in love but can’t seem to find the impetus to hit the sack. Shake believes she is perfect but reminds him of his aunt. Deepti believes a man must make the first move and absolutely will not initiate. However, they have arranged marriages in their culture and understand they could grow to being a full-on couple. Their situation is a far cry from when they met face-to-face for the first time and could barely keep their hands off each other. I hope they get married and find a way to get physical on the wedding night. Cute couple!
Shaina and Kyle called off the engagement, so we are down to 5 couples heading to the altar. Shayne and Natalie appear stable, but these total opposites seem to have trouble on the horizon. I would love for Nick and Danielle to make it. Nick has been a trouper, being so gentle with her insecurities. But she is a handful, and it appears he has had it. She has said yes at the altar, and we will hear Nick’s answer in the finale.
Whew! I would be writing into next week if I were to truly get into the details of Love is Blind. Oh, the drama! There’s plenty. But the key takeaway is this: If we can get beyond the physical attributes that sometimes mesmerise us and cloud our judgement, causing us to overlook values and other significant characteristics, we just might find magic in conversations that connect hearts. If you love deep conversations, you'll appreciate this.
Is love blind? Hell yes! Pass me the tissue.
Now, you know the drill, but don’t blame me if you stay up all night watching this highly rated Netflix series with more than 30 million views in its first two months. That’s on you. 😊
I am Suzette Campbell
Note: Originally published on February 23, 2022
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