We All Survived Another Season Of 'Love Is Blind'

This show is seriously so high on its own supply, and the product placement advertising their gold “Love Is Wine” Cupcake wine was annoying. It’s also shitty wine. Are people really buying this? God, I hope not. — Cambria

The people who are buying Cupcake are as clueless about wine as “Love Is Blind” contestants are about nurturing healthy relationships, so it’s a brand coupling that totally makes sense. — Elyse

I’m just glad this season is finally over, whew. — Ruth

Haha, I enjoyed the ride this season, but I do think it got a bit exhausting. That’s why my favorite part was when Jimmy cut Chelsea loose. It felt really satisfying. — Elyse

Chelsea becoming a casting director for the franchise is a choice. This is not the first contestant on a Netflix show to pivot into such a role. Mal from “The Ultimatum: Queer Love” also works with Netflix casting now. But the streamer clearly needs help because they’re doing such a poor job of vetting candidates.

Also, is “Perfect Match” even good, y’all? I don’t care to watch Izzy or Micah, sorry not sorry. I don’t even recall watching Izzy’s season. — Ruth

“Perfect Match” actually is a good watch. It’s really messy as hell on purpose. My only and biggest qualm with it is how Black women are treated on the show, but that’s my complaint about most dating reality shows. — Taryn

“Perfect Match” is just hookup culture, so if you enjoy mess, you’ll enjoy this show. But, after watching the previous season of it, it’s hard to imagine contestants on “Perfect Match” harboring healthy romantic relationships with one another. Moving on to Chelsea and Kwame, it doesn’t surprise me that Chelsea is working for casting. She seems like a pretty ambitious person who enjoys looking good on paper. But I question why Chelsea was selected because I have never, and still do not, buy whatever she and Kwame are selling. It feels performative. I kind of feel like they’re what Jimmy and Chelsea would’ve become if Jimmy and Chelsea continued to ignore their real feelings about one another and got married to appease the Netflix gods. — Elyse

They did this with the Cuties scene back in Season 3, but it felt like there was a lot of stuff not shown during this season that should have been. I’m a little confused about why they wouldn’t have included the scene of Laura and Sarah Ann having a conversation about Jeramey, which was pretty important to that whole storyline. I also thought it was odd to not show Matthew saying the same thing to both women, which was a big part of that storyline toward the beginning of the season. It just struck me as a weird editing move. — Cambria

My guess is that the producers were trying to make “good TV” rather than tell the full story. But what they forgot is that when you tell the whole story rather than just focus on the dramatic parts, that is “good TV.” — Taryn

I 100% agree! I feel like saving these scenes for the reunion just highlights how dubious the editing is on this show. It’s not a great look for the company that produces “LIB,” Kinetic Content, which many past contestants have accused of being manipulative, dismissive and abusive behind the scenes. I also wish they showed these scenes during the season rather than the reunion, because it ate up too much time during the reunion and, honestly, I didn’t care that much about Matthew or Sarah Ann anymore after watching everything else that transpired during the season. — Elyse

AD having to watch Matthew smooth-talk another woman … girl, you are stronger than me. But what was hilarious is how appalled and uncomfortable Clay looked realizing that AD had other prospects! He was visibly taken aback — despite already knowing about their rendezvous — sitting so upright when AD said she saw Matthew in the real world. Baby, she is not your woman. Womp womp! Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!

However, I still have nary a clue about their relationship status IRL. I want to believe that my good sis has not gone back to him, but … earlier she declined to comment about a second chance for Clay. — Ruth

I see AD hasn’t put down that red nail polish. Sis. Let’s be so real. Are you not tired of getting played? I’m glad it didn’t work out between AD and Matthew, but the fact that she had the door open worries me. And did y’all peep the way Clay was sitting stiff as a board while she was talking about meeting up with Matthew? His ego wanted to pop out so badly. — Taryn

A part of me hopes AD only dated Matthew for the petty reason that it would irk Clay. I am also happy that AD and Matthew only went on a few dates, because that guy was super creepy, and I don’t care how much he looks like Clark Kent — though I do like AD acknowledging that he’s attractive, because, ugh, he kind of is physically? But, if I were Mattthew, I wouldn’t show up to the reunion, either. He didn’t seem too keen to be on the show in the first place, and I’m sure he’s received plenty of harassment online when the show began airing. So why would he come back just to get chewed out by two dumb-dumbs like the Lacheys? — Elyse

The educator in Kenneth is jumping OUT. His explanations, rationale and composure are really so indicative of, like, a high school guidance counselor. But as I previously said in other liveblogs, it’s clear that these two respect each other, but the attraction and “crave” is absent. Now, I will say, I wish they asked Kenneth about his thoughts on dating a white woman for what seems like the first time. However, I’m glad they had an amicable split, very happy to learn that Kenneth didn’t have a robotic, apathetic response to the breakup, and I hope they each find their people. — Ruth

Yeah, I didn’t even need these two at the reunion. They don’t interest me at all, and like you said, Ruth, the attraction and “crave” isn’t there. I’m not totally sure I buy that Kenneth was just on his phone doing his job and being an incredibly present principal. I don’t feel like that’s an excuse for not putting work or effort into a new relationship – just admit that you weren’t that interested in her in the end. — Cambria

OK, I don’t care about these two and basically only talk about Kenneth to make fun of him for his dolphin obsession (which I’m glad they brought up in the reunion) — buuuuut, I did like seeing that the two are close friends now. I thought that was sweet, and I appreciated that dynamic being added to the reunion. — Elyse

Why aren’t Bliss and Zack here at the reunion to talk about their baby?! Also, Alexa and Brennan are also expecting?! What a blessing to conceive in the nick of time, just two months before investing in an extremely costly IVF process. Now, Vanessa can stop asking folks about a damn franchise baby. — Ruth

I was thinking that she was probably too far along to travel and that’s why they weren’t at the reunion. Also, I don’t know why, but I just really am not into Alexa and Brennan and never have been, but I’m happy for them. This portion of the reunion was really sweet, and it’s nice to see all of the happy couples and “Love Is Blind” babies. Wait, is love actually, in fact, blind? Just kidding. — Cambria

I also don’t really get the appeal of Alexa and Brennan, so I couldn’t care less. Good for them? I do like weird-ass Zack and Bliss, so I’m happy for them! But did anyone else notice the way Zack looks now? He’s giving me Unabomber vibes. But, I do agree with your assumption, Cambria — they probably didn’t make it to the reunion because Bliss is too far along to travel. — Elyse

Why were their relationship statuses not outright asked at the reunion? I found this incredibly odd of Netflix to not ask many of the couples where they stand currently – even if they’re just friends. That is the whole reason we are watching! There was that moment where Jimmy had his hand on Chelsea’s knee and was comforting her that I thought maybe there was still something there. I’ve also seen TikToks of them at dinner together. But maybe this is just a friendship. I still would have appreciated more time spent on this couple who were a huge part of the whole season. Do better Netflix! — Cambria

See, this is why we didn’t need the cast from previous seasons on this reunion. It was such a distraction that important questions were just glossed over. I assume that they’re not together anymore, but why am I assuming that when the reunion just aired. Make it make sense. — Taryn

My assumption is that they’re not together romantically, because if they were, one of the Lacheys would have addressed that during the reunion because it would’ve had the gossip mill turning. But I agree with both of you: no one ever put these two’s feet to the fire for their absolutely toxic dynamic during the show, and they totally got a get-out-of-jail-free pass during the reunion. I bet Chelsea is still living with the delusion that she didn’t do anything wrong in her relationship when she acted completely bonkers the entire time. Maybe it’s because Chelsea got so much hate from fans or Jimmy’s weak redemption arc, but they deserved as much scrutiny as Clay, Sarah Ann and Jeramey. Why did they take it so easy on Chelsea? Did she also apply for a job in the LIB casting department? — Elyse

As much as it was…wild to make that comparison in a blind experiment supposedly devoid of appearances, Chelsea is right in that the internet can be incredibly cruel. Her growth following the process seems visible, genuinely. I was surprised to hear AD say earlier that TV Chelsea is different than IRL Chelsea, and I wonder if anxiety and being self-conscious about national television heightened Chelsea onscreen insecurities. — Ruth

I did not get the sense that Chelsea was any different because they BARELY addressed her behavior on the show during the reunion. — Elyse

Whew. Just as soon as I was applauding Jimmy, I had to revoke it. It’s clear that there is so much that we as viewers did not get to see, but also, there is a constant communication breakdown between these two. Jessica has composed herself so well throughout the reunion, so I’m keen on believing what she said about Jimmy stretching the truth in interviews. Saying, “I’m really proud of the edit that she had?” Baby, that’s nasty work. — Ruth

This was… Wow. I love that Jessica continues to read Jimmy for filth and he has absolutely no idea how to handle her. And then Netflix came with the receipts! It became clear in this conversation that these two really never would have worked in the end, and I’m glad that Jimmy didn’t choose her and that they never dated after the show. The way they communicate just doesn’t work. But I stay loving Jessica! — Cambria

Jessica walked Jimmy down like they were in the pods again. Jimmy is rude and used his perception of how things were going to lie to Jessica like everything wasn’t caught on tape. I know we didn’t see it as much towards the end of the show, but he’s just as dangerously delusional as Megan Fox over there. — Taryn

Maybe it’s just me, but I honestly don’t care that much about this? It feels kind of petty and somewhat irrelevant to what went down during the majority of the season. Yes, Netflix coming with the receipts was entertaining, but I felt like they wasted waaaaay too long on this topic. I kind of glazed over during Jessica’s long speech about Jimmy being hyperbolic. Jessica doesn’t need to defend herself this much. She currently has a good public image. But let’s see what she does on “Perfect Match” though … — Elyse

Jessica talking about her daughter just warms my heart, but let’s get down to brass tacks: “Were condoms not an option?” Kudos to Johnny for admitting his blind spots and ignorance about reproductive health. What a privilege it is to not worry about a uterus. However, I love that these two just simply talk out their issues or disagreements, instead of resorting to screaming matches. But I do wonder what option they ended up settling on.

Now, Jimmy’s response regarding how Chelsea leaked the secret about his previous hookup with a female friend was actually quite measured. I understand that the experience stoked a lot of emotions, but I wouldn’t want a third person to be compromised in our relationship on national television. Regardless, I was pleased to see that both Chelsea and Jimmy were taking some accountability. — Ruth

The fan questions they chose were a little meh to me. I prefer the zingers that Andy Cohen throws at housewives during their reunions. These felt like softball questions, but I appreciated the condom thing being addressed. I agree that Jimmy’s response was pretty good and it does seem like Chelsea has done a lot of work on herself. I hated her a lot less this whole reunion. — Cambria

I just want to address that the fan question was the only time Chelsea and Jimmy’s exhausting dynamic was ever discussed during the reunion. I hate to say it, but those two were arguably the main couple for Season 6 and the reunion just brushed over all their drama. I mean, Chelsea was getting death threats from fans. I can’t wrap my head around the Lacheys not dissecting their dynamic the way they did with Laura, Jeramey and Sarah Ann? — Elyse

Okay, this really shocked me — that AD stuck to her guns. I was genuinely stunned to learn that she didn’t date Clay again, but did go on dates with Matthew. I was surprised by Clay saying that she was the love of his life, so I do wonder, would they ever get back together? Probably not, and maybe he was just trying to save face in that moment, but AD didn’t totally shut it down. Still, it’s been quite a while and it really seems like that ship has sailed at this point. — Cambria

I hope they don’t get back together and AD stays true to her word. But she didn’t totally shut the idea of spinning the block down. I just feel like you’re not going to embarrass me like that in front of my entire family, on national TV, and ever be in my good graces again. We did see a clip of them spending Thanksgiving together floating around on social media, though, so I don’t know. I feel like AD might let him back in. — Taryn

"It was such a lead up for such a crazy letdown.” I just wanted to give AD a hug through the screen. But Nick asked Clay such a simple question — “Would you do things differently?” — and that man started bumbling and fumbling around. That’s why folks on Twitter keep calling him ClayGPT, with his elaborate, bullshit declarations.

And every single time he called her the love of his life, it felt really emotionally manipulative to me. As she said, you played in her fucking face! I could see the tears in his eyes, and yes, I felt somewhat bad for him. But please don’t spin the block and piss me off. You can love a person, but they may not be your person. You learned your lesson, go heal and leave the other person alone. That’s my message to both of them, in fact. — Ruth

I might be a fool, and maybe his whole thing had actually been rehearsed, but I thought Clay did an amazing job of talking about his feelings and it’s pretty clear he has done a lot of work and has gone through a lot of therapy. I applaud him, and it seems like there has been a lot of growth there. Maybe he is just a smooth talker, but I felt like he was genuine, honest and a lot more mature compared to what we saw this entire season. — Cambria

Clay is still full of shit. Everything he said felt performative. He’s ready for his Academy Award. I don’t feel bad for him for “losing the love of his life” or failing to show up ready to be a husband. You played yourself, Clay. Good on you for being in therapy, but just like I said with Trevor, seeking help alone doesn’t give you a pass for how you traumatized AD. And it doesn’t give you the license to come back into her life. I really feel like Clay is a clown who’s too aware of how he’s being perceived to make real changes to his behavior. — Taryn

Ugh, I think I just fall for smooth-talkers. 😭 — Cambria

OMG, whoever came up with “Clay GPT” is a flat out genius, because that’s exactly how he sounds! I think that’s why I have such a difficult time talking about him, because most of the stuff that comes out of his mouth completely baffles me and I have a hard time taking him seriously. I agree with both Cambria and Taryn — he came off better in the reunion than on the show, but I’m also not totally sold that he’s a new man because he’s in therapy. And yes, him telling AD she was the love of his life felt very manipulative. But hey, at least he’s trying and seemed to take accountability for his behavior on the show — which is more than other contestants did at the reunion. I also have to applaud AD for how she handled this discussion. It was very mature and honest. I admire her for sticking to her guns and not dating Clay after the show, because she’s worth more than that. — Elyse

They got the texts?! How did Netflix find out who his girlfriend was? Did she come forward to them? My mouth was agape — and so was Trevor’s, because that man took a full 45 seconds to piece an answer together. AD literally said, “Nah, say it with your chest. Don’t get quiet now!” It’s so odd to go on this show, a show that ends in a lifetime commitment, for the sake of feeling out what it’s like to date someone who isn’t your typical type. Please get your friends to set you up on a random blind date. Go to a speed dating event in Charlotte, abeg. Don’t waste Chelsea’s time! — Ruth

Those texts were truly incredible, and it was even more incredible to watch him sit there like a deer caught in the headlights! I couldn’t believe he got so quiet and didn’t have something fully rehearsed (a la Clay). I know he said he did originally and probably freaked out in the moment, but damn. What a fall from grace for Trevor. — Cambria

Trevor was shook. I don’t even know why he attended the reunion. Nothing good came out of that for him. He pulled out the “I’m in therapy” card, as if that by itself makes you a better person. Like, be so for real. He asked, “Can I leave?,” and ran scurrying off set with his tail tucked between his legs. Just pitiful. — Taryn

I knew about the Trevor texts beforehand because I wrote a post about it last month, but I wasn’t convinced they were valid because they were posted by a gossip IG account. Buuuuut, I did notice that Trevor was pretty active making LIB content on his TikTok account and abruptly stopped once those texts were leaked, so I was suspicious.

Trevor being confronted about this and confirming it was true at the reunion was definitely a highlight for me! Seeing him with his tail between his legs was entertaining, but when he was asked why he went on the show with a girlfriend, and his excuse was that he’s just “toxic,” I felt a bit sad for him. It seems like Trevor has a hard time expressing his true feelings, and I wish he’d get some help for that. Maybe he’d be less “toxic” if he understood himself better. And although Trevor’s brief stint on the reunion was spicy, I think lambasting him for going on the show for clout was a bit much. In Trevor’s leaked texts, he mentions speaking to another male contestant who had the same exact intentions. Trevor is only being publicly punished because his jilted ex wanted revenge and he got busted. — Elyse

I liked that Netflix incorporated some of the online discourse into the reunion, but it felt a bit too focused on that. Sure, I think confronting Trevor about having a girlfriend during filming and asking Jeramey about his former fiancée was valid, but let’s move on. I wanted more time hearing updates from the current cast about where they’re at a year later, and less focus on social media chatter. I think this was a bit of “Love is Blind” pandering to its audience and giving them validation for the kind of obsessive sleuthing that a lot of the time ends up being false or wild speculation. — Elyse

When they started getting into the weeds about Sarah Ann’s Instagram story post, I was like, “Alright, let’s wrap it up.” Reality TV is entertainment, she was trying to field hate by appearing strong, blah, blah, blah. Seemed like Nick and Vanessa were more offended by her “making light” of the experiment than anything else. The “ulterior motives” schtick seems so disingenuous; please take your complaints up with your casting directors. — Ruth

Agreed, Ruth! I mean, they had a casting director right there in Chelsea from Season 4, file your complaints with her. The virtue signaling from the Lacheys about going on a reality TV show purely for clout is also rich. Those two rode their association with Jessica Simpson all the way to the bank. No one gave AF about Nick Lachey until he did the reality show “Newlyweds” with his ex-wife, and Vanessa starred as Jessica in Nick’s video about their breakup. These two are so full of shit. — Elyse

Putting LIB on a pedestal, as if it’s such a pure show about folks finding the love of their life, is BS. We don’t care and we don’t believe you, Nick and Vanessa. If we’re gonna talk about ethics, let’s talk about the pending lawsuits the show has on its head. — Taryn

Clock it, Taryn! — Ruth

I get why Laura brought up the bean dip drama thing because she wanted to defend herself, but honestly, I wish the bean dip thing would just go away. I think it was weird, and I don’t even understand how flicking someone’s boob can be described as bean dip? I cringed again when Jeramey brought up bean dip later in the reunion, when everyone else had moved past it. Jeramey, my man, you do not need to apologize for the bean dip thing. You need to apologize to Laura for being a smug piece of shit. — Elyse

Laura bringing this up again was her attempt to not look like an ass, but it actually made her look like an even bigger ass, in my opinion. I do think she’s genuinely apologetic, but if AD has moved on, you shouldn’t keep talking about it. — Taryn

Sarah Ann, you are a pick-me. As AD said, “Sorry for what?” And I really think Sarah Ann and Jeramey made a game plan to present a united front before appearing for this reunion, because when Chelsea said, “Every time I see him, they’re broken up" — honey… — Ruth

Ruth, how were they supposed to get a game plan together when they probably just got back together for the 20th time half an hour before the reunion began filming? — Elyse

LOL. When money and optics are on the line, people will get it together, trust. — Ruth

Whew, chile. Firstly, the audience members and former contestants' reactions — specifically Kwame’s facial expressions — had me cackling. Secondly, it seems like Nick and Vanessa actually applied the feedback they received from viewers, because they got down to business with the hard-hitting questions: concurrent engagement rumors, whether Jeramey and Sarah Ann kissed, etc. I had no clue that Sarah Ann and Laura had a conversation at the lake, but I’m glad Laura has stood on business throughout the entirety of this. — Ruth

I feel like Laura definitely won this interaction, and Jeramey and Sarah Ann came off like the true clowns that they are. But I do wish that someone, at some point, called Jeramey out for emotional infidelity. I think the reason why he maintains he did nothing wrong is because he didn’t do anything physical with Sarah Ann during their parking lot rendezvous. But if your fiancé is out until 5 a.m. with another woman days before your wedding, that’s blatant proof of emotional cheating in my book. Also, as much as I dislike Chelsea, I LOVED when she called Jeramey and Sarah Ann out for breaking up all the time. To me, Jeramey and Sarah Ann come off as emotionally immature and defensive. I think all Laura wanted from them during the reunion was acknowledgement that they fucked up and for them to take a tiny bit of accountability. She got a sliver of it, but it didn’t feel like enough. — Elyse

I felt like I was watching “The Jerry Springer Show.” This back and forth was ugly but so necessary given how this season played out (and all that we’ve learned on social media). I was happy to see Laura get into Sarah Ann and Jeramey’s asses because they were deadass wrong. But, of course, they took no accountability. And I’m mad at Netflix for waiting until the reunion to show Laura and Sarah Ann’s conversation at the lake. — Taryn

Johnny and Amy are cute and they don’t raise my blood pressure, which is the best I can ask for. Plus, they’re proving my point, once again, that when you marry someone, you marry the family. Also, Amy looks stunning in that red dress! — Ruth

I love the Jessica Rabbit vibes Amy brought to the reunion, so I agree, Ruth! And it was an appropriate look for Amy, since it was implied that Amy pretty much taught Johnny about sex. I have to admit, though, I am confused by this man. Did he not date many women before Amy? He genuinely seemed to be unsure about the way sex works, based on his remarks made throughout the season and at the reunion. I’m glad they eventually figured it out, though — and that they like to take cheesy Sears family portraits together. — Elyse

These two have fun and genuinely like each other, which isn’t something we can say about every LIB couple. Love that they’re living their best life, but also love that we got their update out of the way quickly so we can get to the mess. — Taryn

Bliss and Zach already had a baby shower, per TikTok, but Season 2 contestant Giannina has a baby boy on the way! I looked up her partner, Blake Horstmann, and it seems like he has a reality TV history of his own: He was on Season 14 of “The Bachelorette.” — Ruth

OK, to me, the pregnancy announcements were fun, and as a fan, it’s nice to see that some of these couples in past seasons are still flourishing. This was the only valid reason, IMO, to invite an old LIB contestant to the reunion — and not to announce new careers or that you’re going to be on “Perfect Match.” But I also feel like the expecting couples were invited to the reunion to validate Vanessa’s baby lust, which creeps me out a bit. — Elyse

I actually love that they filmed the reunion from the actual set — and incorporated couples and participants from past seasons! Not gonna lie, I was shocked to see that Matt and Colleen are still together. Last we saw those two, Colleen looked particularly tense and/or scared during the Season 3 reunion. But Nick claims that out of the 11 couples who have said “I do” at the altar, 9 are still going strong, so maybe the experiment does work… or couples are keeping it cute until their Netflix contracts are up. — Ruth

If we’re going to talk about the old couples coming back — I didn’t care for it. It ate up too much time and took away from the current contestants. I don’t need updates about the old LIB couples — they air their big news on social media all the time. I do not need to know whether they’re buying a house or traveling to Italy. This felt like blatant brand endorsement of their wackadoodle “experiment” — like they’re trying to prove to us and themselves that this extremely unhealthy dating show yields positive results. I also hated how they showed Lauran and Cameron in their “successful married LIB couples” montage simply because they’re regarded by fans as the gold standard. I figure Cam and Lauren didn’t show up to the reunion because they don’t want anything to do with this show anymore, which made their inclusion in the montage kind of cringe. Also, where were Amber and Barnett in that montage? From what I can see on social media, they are still very much married. — Elyse

As a concept, I get it, but we didn’t need to take up reunion space for this. I still had unanswered questions about the season 6 couples that could’ve been answered in the time we spent on the old couples. Glad to see Tiffany and Brett going strong, but we already knew that from our recent Black Love On Our Terms project. — Taryn

Ugh, the opening pod scene between Nick and Vanessa Lachey made my stomach churn. I did not want to start out this reunion with Nick telling Vanessa he’d “boink” her based on her voice. Gross and boo all around on this. — Elyse